The End of Days! Now With Links!

In the footsteps of Mashiach...

Chutzpah will increase.
CLICK HERE

The government will turn into heretics. (during Parshas Chayei Sorah no less!)
CLICK HERE

People from the border will go from place to place and they will not be pitied.
CLICK HERE

Those who fear Hashem will be despised.
CLICK HERE

Truth will be hidden.
CLICK HERE

There will be no one to rely upon. We can only rely on our father in heaven.
CLICK HERE

Culled from Sota 9:15

Check 'em out...

Samson Blinded

Israeli Uncensored News (related site)

Does the Prospective Purchase of British Gas from Gaza's Coastal Waters Threaten Israel's National Security?

Oy, Barbie, so untznius!

New York Times - hard hitting journalism as always

Israel's Top Court Backs Loophole in Farming Law

"The Israeli Supreme Court stepped into a religious dispute on Wednesday, ordering the chief rabbinate not to allow local rabbis to decide for themselves whether to authorize produce from Jewish land to be sold during this sabbatical year.

The case centered on a loophole in religious law used to allow Jewish-owned farms to grow and sell kosher produce every seventh year, when the Bible says that Jewish land in Israel should be left fallow. The Biblical injunction about the sabbatical, or “shmita” year, is taken literally by many ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel, who refuse to buy or consume produce unless it is grown by non-Jews on land not owned by Jews."

Yeah... we're nutty like that... taking our G-d's commandments literally.

"So G-d, let me get this straight. When you say no pork, you mean don't eat it all the time, right?" -- Moses

Oh, and flattering headline too.

Southern California is Burning.

I haven't had the time to post in the past few days. So much going on here. First off, of course, is the fact that LA is surrounded by fires. Over a million people in Southern California have been forced to evacuate. Baruch Hashem, my family and I are safe and away from the danger but my fellow Californians sure could use your tefillos.

We are entering an age of chutzpah, my friends. I know that the Gemara says that chutzpah will rise in the time before Mashaich, but when it actually happens...

Hatred of G-d is growing. This sad, misguided individual, Shalom Auslander, is coming to LA to promote his book "Foreskin's Lament," his twisted diatribe on how he left Frumkeit. Truly sad, and I would avoid reading his work or having anything if you don't want your neshama to ache. Here's a proud quote he has on his website:

"Foreskin's Lament is a filthy and slightly troubling dialogue with God, the big, old, physically abusive ultra orthodox God who brought His Chosen People out of Egypt to torture them with non-kosher Slim Jims. I loved this book and will never again look at the isolated religious nutjobs on the fringe of American society with anything less than love and understanding." -- Matt Klam, author of Sam the Cat

Southern California is burning.

How about the LA Times? They ran an editorial from Mary Lefkowitz (sigh) about how much better polytheism is than monotheism.

"Prominent secular and atheist commentators have argued lately that religion "poisons" human life and causes endless violence and suffering. But the poison isn't religion; it's monotheism. The polytheistic Greeks didn't advocate killing those who worshiped different gods, and they did not pretend that their religion provided the right answers. Their religion made the ancient Greeks aware of their ignorance and weakness, letting them recognize multiple points of view."

So now advodah zara is back in fashion.

Southern California is burning.

From One Jerusalem...

Olmert makes my skin crawl. So much sheker in one human...

A Sad State

The day is long, but seemingly coming to a close. Hashem asks us to choose life, to choose the right path but we remain blind and deaf, unwilling to hear the messages.

Mi LaShem Alai! The enemies of Torah are willing to divide up our Holy Jerusalem! What chutzpah! I am not fearful of men, because Olmert and his ilk can do what they wish. Jerusalem will never be "divided" or "Palestinian." It is, was and forever shall be our City.

But I do fear G-d. How many times can Hashem warn us of the ramifications of our actions and we not take heed?

"Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the Lord has spoken; Children I have raised and exalted, yet they have rebelled against Me. An ox knows his owner and a donkey his master's crib; Israel does not know, my people does not consider.

Woe to a sinful nation, a people heavy with iniquity, evildoing seed, corrupt children. They forsook the Lord; they provoked the Holy One of Israel; they drew backwards...

Your land is desolate; your cities burnt with fire. Your land-in your presence, strangers devour it; and it is desolate as that turned over to strangers...

How has she become a harlot, a faithful city; full of justice, in which righteousness would lodge, but now murderers. Your princes are rebellious and companions of thieves; everyone loves bribes and runs after payments; the orphan they do not judge, and the quarrel of the widow does not come to them.

"Therefore," says the Master, the Lord of Hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, "Oh, I will console Myself from My adversaries, and I will avenge Myself of My foes.

And I will return My hand upon you and purge away your dross as with lye, and remove all your tin. And I will restore your judges as at first and your counselors as in the beginning; afterwards you shall be called City of Righteousness, Faithful City.

Zion shall be redeemed through justice and her penitent through righteousness."

Mini-Earthquake Sets Off Predictions of Larger One

Which side will you be on?

“Israel or Uganda, what difference does it make? It makes no difference to me. Why is it good to die for our country? What, isn’t it better to live in New York? Why should 18-year-old kids have to die? It’s dumb that people have to die so that I can live in Israel.”
-Israeli "Model" Bar-Rafaeli


“The Land of Israel belongs to the Nation of Israel and was granted to us as an inheritance by the Creator of the world. Neither the Prime Minister nor anybody else has the right to give away areas, or even a grain, of the holy Land of Israel. The entire Land of Israel, according to the borders outlined in the Torah – belonged in the past, and belong in the present and future, only to the Nation of Israel, and it is forbidden by severe Torah prohibition to give up any of the territory of our holy land.”
-Rabbi Avraham Shapira ZT"L

Olmert and this government have put Jerusalem on the table. Would the Arabs do the same? Of course not. They have firm convictions and hold steadfast to them:

From Haaretz:

Senior Palestinian Authority officials have told Haaretz they will pressure U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to persuade Israel to declare a freeze on construction in the settlements even before the Annapolis peace summit in November.

"This is a stage Israel agreed to at the first stage of the road map," a Palestinian official said. Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa told the German news agency over the weekend that the Arab countries would seek a halt to Israeli construction in the settlements in exchange for their participation in the summit. They would also "oppose beginning any final talks without a timetable," Moussa said.

Despite attempts by Israel to avoid discussing final-status issues in the media, senior PA officials also told Haaretz that the idea the Temple Mount would not be in Palestinian hands was "inconceivable."

"No Palestinian leader would agree to this, certainly not Abu Mazen [PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas]," a PA official said. "No Arab country would agree for a final-status arrangement in which the Temple Mount was not in Muslim hands, particularly not Saudi Arabia."

Another Palestinian official told Haaretz that "the Israeli public still doesn't understand how important the issue of Al-Aqsa is," referring to the mosque on the Temple Mount. He added that the issue was a deal-breaker for the Palestinian public.

How sickening for us. How shameful. This is why we are losing. Please take time to sign One Jerusalem's Petition HERE

Oh, and for you who cherish the Kotel so much and could care less about what that wall is holding up... Click HERE (kippa tip to Boker tov, Boulder!)

Countdown?

Battle for Jerusalem Begins?

"...Moshiach is fast on the way. The Melitzer Rebbe told me during Succoth that we have entered the Eve of Redemption." - Rav Lazer Brody

West Papua Delegation Donates Gold for Holy Temple

On Wednesday, the last day of the Sukkot festival, a 34-person delegation from West Papua presented a large amount of gold to be used in the building of the Holy Temple.

The delegation, including representatives of the nation’s government, explained that they study the Bible regularly and recently came upon a verse in Zecharia (6:16) reading “And the distant ones will come and build the Temple of G-d.” They discussed the passage among themselves and decided that their faith obligates them to fulfill the verse.

West Papua, located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, is rich in gold mines, so the delegation thought it natural to donate gold for the Holy Temple. The Holy Temple will be built in the place where the First and Second Temples once stood – on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount.

Neo-Nazi Activity Spreading Around the World

What's your opinion?

Not on my watch....

Israel May Approve a Divided Jerusalem

The Battle for Jerusalem Begins

I'm not going to even comment on this, suffice it to say this suicidal government does not represent the Jewish People nor the will of G-d and thus won't stand.

The time has come to choose sides. Are you for Hashem and his His Holy Temple or do you rely on men? Will you be part of the generation that sees our Holy City given over to our enemies or will you stand up?

My Dream During the 10 Days

I dreamed the following during the 10 Days of Repentance:

My wife had invited like 50 families over for Shabbos. I had no idea how we could or would feed everybody. She told me that many had canceled but showed up anyway. A woman, who I did not know, asked for a kiddush cup for her husband. I went to the sink and rinsed out my cos. The water splashed from inside the cup and some got on her face. It burned her like hot oil. She screamed. Somebody went and got her some ice.

Then suddenly I was sitting on a couch and one of the Rabbaim from the local Yeshiva (with whom I am not very familiar) sat on the other end.

He said: "Yehudah, I know you have had a bad year. I am going to tell you how you can fix it and have a better one this year. There are two things. First of all, you need to sing Ha-Motzei. The second is ______________."

The second thing was a personal matter that was he was incorrect about. I thought in my dream that he was wrong because I knew that the second thing he said was not true.

When I awoke, I told my wife the dream and she said: "Actually it is true" and explained that there were circumstances of which I had no idea that made what he said true. I got from this that the first message was emes and the second message was there to prove to me that this was not a nonsense dream.

My Hoshana Rabba Dream

I had I dream on Hoshana Rabba where I was shown the face of a man who I had just recently met (in real life). He is a religious man who was not born Jewish. I was told in my dream that this man did many terrible things in past lives and his being Jewish and religious is a tikkun and that he must be very careful in how he acts because the situation is critical. ie. his neshoma is teetering on the edge.

I would not give the dream too much thought except for the fact that I kept waking up from it, falling back asleep and then I dreamed the same dream all over again. This happened five times in the same night.

Question is... what do I do with this?

I have had dreams about a childhood friend who committed suicide. He has come to me asking for help because he is suffering in the next world. Any advice for me, a troubled Litvak/Yekke?

My Dream Last Night...

Last night I had a dream that I was at a simcha and I walked into a small room. Sitting there was the Lubavitcher Rebbe surrounded by small children. I was holding a cup filled with cookies and I offered him one.

He took one and then told me to offer to the children. I did and I told them to take one because they were brochos (oddly not to MAKE brachos). They ate the cookies and with great joy, the Rebbe told me to go play some simchadik music.

I left the room and went over to the DJ stand. I randomly pulled out a CD. I could not see what the title or who the artist was. It was foggy and unclear. I placed the CD into the player and the Miami Boys Choir came on. The song was Ashira LaShem:

[Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the Lord, and they spoke, saying,] I will sing to the Lord, for very exalted is He; a horse and its rider He cast into the sea. My strength and my courage is HaShem, and He has been my savior.

I should note once again that I am neither Lubavitch nor a Chabadnik. Yet, this is one of many dreams I have had about the Rebbe.

Like Jewish Music?

On the sidebar you will see this button.



Click it to be taken automatically to JewishBroadcast.com via Iheard Radio.

Pretty cool.

Let me know what you think.

Why I am a Republican...

US News & World Report gets it SPOT ON!

I love Mortimer B. Zuckerman, Editor-In-Chief of US News & World Report. He has the beitzim to say what needs to be said. The truth. And he's not afraid to say it:

"...[The] campaign of repudiation cuts deeply into the Israeli psyche. The Israelis know that the Jews have lived in the land of Israel without interruption for nearly 4,000 years. They know that, except for a short Crusader kingdom, they are the only people who have had independent sovereignty on this land. And they are the only people for whom Jerusalem has been their capital.

They are not a foreign occupier because the State of Israel is the child not of European colonialism but rather of Ottoman decolonialization. It was that Jewish historical bond that led the League of Nations 85 years ago to establish the right of the Jewish people to reconstitute a Jewish homeland on all the territories west of the Jordan River, all the way to the Mediterranean. That same right to a national home was sanctioned again 59 years ago by the new United Nations. After an Arab invasion 40 years ago, the U.N. passed a resolution affirming Israel's right to "secure and recognized boundaries." As Winston Churchill noted in 1922, "The Jews are in Palestine by right, not sufferance." The refusal of the Palestinians and of Ahmadinejad to recognize this has, for decades, undercut Israeli confidence in their true motives.

Subtle untruths. And when Yasser Arafat said there was no First or Second Temple in Jerusalem but only "an obelisk," he, too, was trying to deny the history of the Jewish people in Jerusalem. But this is the site of the binding of Isaac by Abraham, the place where David built the altar on the threshing floor of Aravna to halt the plague. The Temple Mount was where Jesus was brought as an infant and where he later chased away the money-changers. Mentioned 20 times in the New Testament, the Temple Mount is one of the cornerstones of the Judeo-Christian ethical tradition of the West. Yet it is all denied by the Palestinians. This obduracy, combined with waves of terrorism, has shattered the Israeli-Palestinian relationship..."

Read the entire Editorial HERE

If this doesn't get you to subscribe then I don't know what will. Heck, here's the link to SUBSCRIBE

Worth a second look - Happy Sukkos!

My Sukkah

Sukkos Links

I could spend hours finding the best Sukkos links around...

But why? Jacob Richman has done it already.

Jacob Richman's SUKKOT LINKS

Thanks Jacob!

Quarry for Temple Mount's Giant Rocks - Found

Arutz Sheva:

The Antiquities Authority announced today that it has found the quarry that supplied the giant stones for the building of the Temple Mount. The quarry is located in what is now one of Jerusalem's newest neighborhoods, Ramat Shlomo (also known as Reches Shuafat), between Ramot and French Hill. The quarry was found in the course of an archaeological rescue dig prior to the construction of a neighborhood school.

The ancient quarry is spread out over at least five dunams (1.25 acres), with rocks between three and eight meters long - the size of those that can still be seen today at the foundations of the Temple Mount and in the Western Wall - hewn out of the ground. Click here for photos of the quarry on the Israel Matzav blog.

Down with Dilbert!

Scott Adams, the jack ass behind the world's most boring comic strip, has decided to throw in his 2 cents about Israel.

From his blog:

"It's not as if the world created a whole new country because of holocaust guilt and gives it a free pass no matter what it does."

What a witty sarcasm. Almost as deep and thoughtful as Dilbert discussing his company's policy on outsourcing and protracted health care.

I would say I'd be happy to burn my Dilbert books, but I don't own any. I like funny humor.

Give Scott a piece of your mind HERE

An open message to Celal...

Celal is a Christian who decided that he would have to m'tameh my blog with his evangelical preaching (see Gamar Tov posting). I am posting this response:

Celal:

First of all, this blog is not a place for you to post your idol worship.

That being said...

Jesus could not be the son of G-d and the Messiah. The Messiah is a descendant of King David through the father. If Jesus was the Messiah then his father would have to have been a descendant of David (thus a man).

If he was the son of G-d, which is not only blasphemous but impossible, then he was not the Messiah.

Simple.

For you see dear Celal, I am a Jew. My G-d forbids me to worship anything other than G-d. We tried worshiping a gold cow and we got into trouble for it.

I see no need to worship one of my cousins.

The Creator of the universe, maker of all mankind, need not knock up a Jewish chick to create a half-man half-god being who supposedly died for your sins.

But he didn't really die, did he? Oh wait, he had to have died. For your sins. But G-d can't die. So he couldn't have died. But he did. For your sins.

I'll take Torah and my religion which predates yours by two thousand years, thank you. My G-d is not a liar. He doesn't invalidate his Torah and Covenant for a quasi-Greek/Roman polytheism.


Plus, my dear Celal, Inquisitions, torture, murder, blood libals, kidnapping, Crusades and closed eyes during the Holocaust are not the best ways to convince someone of Christian love.

Reflect and return to the One True G-d, Hashem Yisborach: Oseh Shamayim V'Ha-aretz.

____________________________________________

Fellow Jewish bloggers:

A Simple Jew
Elder of Ziyon
Judeopundit
Mystical Paths
Sultan Knish
End of Days - Jewish Perspective
Ask the Rabbi (Chabad)

A heads up. You are links on Celal's blog.

Know thy enemy.

JHK

Stop the desecration!

Buttons... we got 'em!

Here are some buttons for your blogs or websites.









Right click. Save image as. Paste in blog with link if you so desire.

The time is coming when we are going to have to make a stand for our Holy Temple Mount and Land.

Not so sure?

Chief Negotiator Favors Division of Jerusalem, Including Old City

Help us spread the word.

At your own risk.

Rabosai:

I have decided to try Blogrush to increase traffic and get the word out about the Temple Mount desecration. I have chosen "politics" as my blog subject instead of "religion" because there were Yushke posts up the wazoo coming up.

No thank you.

That being said, I cannot vouch for the links to other blogs that pop up. Some (many I am sure) are shtus. Surf and click at your own risk.

Thanks and Gamar Tov.

Gamar Tov!

May Hashem have unlimited Mercy on his people and say "enough!" to our suffering and exile. May He rebuild His House speedily and forgive His Nation.

Wow. Christian persecution... in ENGLAND!

Make sure to watch the whole thing. The end has an interesting bit about a church in England who's members are too afraid to appear on camera for fear of Muslim violence.

Audio of man dying at WTC from Islamic terror attack on 9/11

Never Forget

Islamic Religious Freedoms

GAZA, Sept 4 (Reuters) -
Hamas on Tuesday banned open-air prayers organised by the rival Fatah faction in the Gaza Strip, gatherings that have turned into weekly protests against the territory's Islamist rulers. Backed by a ruling by the pro-Hamas Palestine Clerics Federation, Hamas's Gaza-based government said it had "decided to prevent any gatherings under the pretext of Friday (Muslim) prayers". Over the past several weeks, Friday prayers organised by Fatah, headed by Western-backed President Mahmoud Abbas, have led to clashes with Hamas security forces.In a statement, the Hamas administration said Fatah had used outdoor worship on the Muslim rest day to sow "chaos and sedition" in the Gaza Strip. The clerics federation, in a religious edict, said the violence at the gatherings violated the sanctity of Friday worship. Fatah officials said the faction planned to go ahead with open-air prayers this Friday despite the ban. "No one has the right to intervene in people's worship," said Hazen Abu Shanab, a Fatah official in Gaza. Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip in fighting against Fatah in June. The Islamist group is shunned by the West for refusing to recognise Israel, renounce violence and accept existing interim Israeli-Palestinian peace deals.

Hypocrisy. Revisionism. Lies.

Imagine if Israel had tried to ban Friday prayers.

WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE???

Remnants of the Second Temple Being Destroyed by Islamic Wakf

(IsraelNN.com) A large trench being dug on the Temple Mount is destroying a never before uncovered section of the outer wall of the Second Temple. The construction is being supervised by the Wakf—the Muslim Authority acting as custodians to the Temple Mount.

Archeologists have been calling for construction to halt on the trench, which is approximately 1,300 feet long and five feet deep. The Wakf claims the trench is being dug to replace 40-year-old electrical cables for nearby mosques.

New photos of construction debris from the Temple Mount show carved stones casually dumped in a pile that appear to be a section of the outer wall of the Second Temple, according to archaeologist Eilat Mazar.

According to Rabbi Chaim Richman, International Director of the Temple Institute, the Wakf is intentionally digging in areas where "undoubtedly the Temple once stood." "For the first time since the Temple's destruction, a section of the Temple Wall itself has been exposed," Richman said. "And the Wakf under the guise of laying down electrical pipes has dug a trench, destroying the most important holy artifact ever found to date."

Richman contends that the Temple remains are being "purposely destroyed with no supervision," calling the government's tolerance of the construction "complicit cooperation."

According to a report by WorldNetDaily, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert personally gave permission for bulldozers, steam shovels and other heavy equipment to be used to dig the trench.

"This is an extraordinarily serious offense," Richman states. "A corrupt, spiritually bankrupt government is allowing Judaism's holiest site to be trashed because of political agreements to officially hand over the Temple Mount to the Palestinian Authority. Jews in Israel and abroad are asleep, and have not awakened to the importance of the Temple in Judaism or the desecration of this holy site being performed daily by the Wakf."

The Israel Antiquities Authority approved the construction despite archaeologists’ concern that precious artifacts are being destroyed. The Authority, which digs for religious artifacts across the State of Israel, has not inspected construction on Judaism's holiest site even once since the work began, despite continuous calls for the construction to be supervised and halted.

English spokesman for the Israeli Police, Mickey Rosenfeld asserts that the police stationed on the Temple Mount will not prevent the construction because the Antiquities Authority approved the dig.

The Wakf has denied that any Jewish artifacts have been discovered during the dig, but new photos of work on the Mount belie the claim, clearly showing what is likely to be an ancient piece of carved wall.

The wall in question is from the outer wall of the Temple itself, as opposed to the Western Wall, which is a remnant of the retaining wall around the larger Temple platform.

Mazar, a member of the faculty at Hebrew University and a member of the Public Committee for Prevention of the Destruction of Antiquities on the Temple Mount, says it is "crucial this wall is inspected." She explains that the current ground level of the Temple Mount is slightly above the original Temple Mount platform, “meaning anything found is likely from the Temple itself.”

Mazar insists that she must personally inspect the stones to confirm their status, and attempted to inspect the site last week. She was stopped by Israeli police who are protecting the construction.

"The only hope is for Jews and non-Jews from across the world to stand up and start putting pressure on the religious, political and archeological communities to immediately halt this process," Richman concludes. "The whole world is wondering what the Jews are doing, allowing their most precious site, the Holy of Holies to be destroyed right before their eyes."

I don't know what is more disgraceful: the chutzpah and hypocrisy of the Muslims or the complacency of the Jewish World. THE BEIS HAMIKDASH is being destroyed yet again IN OUR TIMES and no one is standing up! Imagine the outcry from the Islamic world if one of their precious shrines was even touched by a non-Muslim! Would you stand by if a family member was chas v'shalom being attacked? The Temple Mount is ours and ours alone. It is our heritage and our property, yet we sit by and shake out heads as it is being torn apart by our enemies.

You must speak out. You must write, email, call the knesset. You must take action! Do not sit in your comfy air conditioned shul on Rosh Hashana and call Hashem Melech as you did nothing while his palace is being torn to shreds.
---------------------------------------------------------------

Update:

From WorldNetDaily.com

Muslims caught red-handed destroying Temple artifacts

Archaeologists kept out as WND obtains photo of pulverized antiquities at Judaism's holiest site

By Aaron Klein

© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com

JERUSALEM – Islamic authorities using heavy machinery to dig on the Temple Mount – Judaism's holiest site – have been caught red-handed destroying Temple-era antiquities and what's believed to be a section of an outer wall of the Second Jewish Temple.

WND today obtained a photograph of a massive trench the Waqf, the Muslim custodians of the Temple Mount, have been blasting around the periphery of the holy site purportedly to replace 40-year-old electrical cables for mosques on the Mount. The Waqf has steadfastly denied they found or destroyed any Jewish antiquities during their dig.

In view in the picture, which was obtained in conjunction with Israel's Temple Institute, are concrete slabs broken by Waqf bulldozers and what appears to be a chopped up carved stone from Jewish Temple-era antiquity.

Read the full story HERE

---------------------------------------------------------------

"Jerry" of Harrison, TN has this to say on the Arutz Sheva website comments section:

Where is your back bone, where is your honor to God?

Where is the backbone of the Israeli Government and her poeple? Why do you allow the temple mount to be destroyed and why do you give up and divide the land God has given you as a posession forever? In giving up land and making concessions to Muslims, you are dishonoring God and I am ashamed of your government for doing so. If your government is gifted with just half a brain, you will not give up any land but stand and fight. You are going to have to stand up the the Muslims so why not do it on your terms instead of on theirs. Millions of Americans are behind you and would come fight with you against them if you make a stand. We don't have to get permission from our government to come fight. We are decendants of Israel and don't like what is happening to God's people including ourselves. Lets make a stand! Trust God and claim the land God has given. God Bless. Jerry

Are we not ashamed at our inaction?

What a Jew wants... what Jew needs...

In perfect Vonsian style, an Encino deli decided to run this ad in a local mailer.

Note the delicious cheese on meat action. Now note that it's available for not only Yom Ha-Din, but Yom Tzom Kippur.

Mmmmmmm mmmmmmmmm, that's good aveira!

Then again, there is a Jewish star next to the toothpick, so who am I to judge?

You know... this would make a darn tasty meal during my flight to "a" Holocaust Museum.

Hey Southern California! Win a fun-filled trip to a Holocaust Museum.

Vons/Pavillions is shilling for Jewish customers by offering a trip to...

Jerusalem? Nope.

New York? Nope.

"a" Holocaust Museum? You betcha!

So, bring a picnic... load the kids into the car and let's make a day of it!

Archaeologists Issue Urgent Warnings Against Temple Mount Dig

Top Israeli archaeologists held an emergency press conference on Thursday, warning that a Second Temple courtyard wall is in danger of being destroyed by the Arab excavations there.

Members of the Committee to Prevent the Destruction of Temple Mount Antiquities warned that other artifacts could also be endangered by the unsupervised dig.

Dr. Gavriel Barkai opened by saying, "A month and a half ago, the Muslim Waqf [religious trust] began digging a trench more than 400 meters [1,300 feet] long - the largest such work ever carried out on the Temple Mount... These are criminal acts that have no place in a cultured country."

"Some man-worked stones have been found in the trench, as well as remnants of a wall that according to all our estimations, are from a structure in one of the outer courtyards in the Holy Temple. Such important work is being done without the supervision of the Antiquities Authority."

Dr. Eilat Mazar, who has long been involved in the fight to preserve the Temple Mount from unsupervised digging, said she saw Israeli policemen observing but taking no action against the dig. "Irreversible destruction is going on there," she said.

The Committee has demanded that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert (fax: 02-670-5475, or 9722-670-5475 from abroad), Jerusalem Affairs Minister Rafi Eitan (Pensioners), and the Antiquities Authority order the work stopped immediately. In addition, they demand that tractors not be allowed to work on the Mount at all, nor may any digging take place without appropriate archaeological supervision.

"The archaeological damage is many times worse," Mazar said, "in light of the fact that the ground level is only slightly above the original Temple Mount platform. And in fact, the bedrock has been uncovered in some places - meaning that earth that has been in place for many centuries, even possibly since the First Temple, has been removed."

"No other country in the world would allow such grave damage to its most precious archaeological treasures," Mazar said. The Committee is planning to file a complaint with the police, and is considering submitting an appeal to the Supreme Court.

Click HERE to see the video of the destruction and read the article.

What's Your Opinion?

Roosevelt, NJ - Congregants and students affiliated with a yeshiva and synagogue have been subject to a relentless campaign of harassment by the borough, a lawsuit filed Monday in U.S. District Court says.

The suit alleging attempts to restrict religious freedom comes a month after the local Planning Board reversed a zoning officer's decision allowing the establishment of a yeshiva.
The yeshiva opened to controversy in September 2005 with a freshman class of 12, with yeshiva opponents saying the 2-square-mile municipality of about 1,000 residents lacked the resources to handle the impact of the extra activity.

Attorney Bruce D. Shoulson filed the lawsuit on behalf of Congregation Yeshivas Me'on Hatorah and Congregation Anshei Roosevelt. Numerous borough-appointed and elected officials are named as defendants, including Mayor Beth Battel.
Shoulson, said the lawsuit seeks to overturn the Planning Board's July 24 decision that the operation of the yeshiva on the premises of the synagogue is not in compliance with zoning ordinances.

The yeshiva's executive vice president, Joshua Pruzansky, said organizers had considered Roosevelt a good location to open a yeshiva.
"We considered the town a perfect model of stability, tranquillity and tolerance," Pruzansky said. "We were, to say the least, shocked by the reception that we received."
Residents in 2006 ousted Mayor Neil Marko from office in a recall vote, which Shoulson said was a result of Marko's support for the yeshiva. Zoning changes were created, and other legal roadblocks were erected, Shoulson said.

The yeshiva, a high school for Orthodox Jewish boys, started its third year earlier this month, Pruzansky said. He said the yeshiva has 50 students in grades 9, 10 and 11.
Four houses associated with the yeshiva have been cited by the state Department of Community Affairs as being improper multiperson dwellings. [APP]

I'm back and I'm P.O.'d!

I had to take a personal hiatus. But I am back and angrier than ever...

Policeman Assaulted Trying to Stop Illegal Temple Mount Dig

by Hillel Fendel

(IsraelNN.com) A policeman trying to stop an Arab tractor engaged in illegal Temple Mount excavations was assaulted - and the police chief who arrived on the scene arrested no one.

Officials of the Moslem Waqf (religious body) on the Temple Mount are digging there illegally, likely destroying precious artifacts from as early as the First Temple period. So say eyewitnesses and representatives of the Committee for the Prevention of the Destruction of Temple Mount Antiquities.

Gideon Charlap, a top Jerusalem architect and Temple Mount expert, told Arutz-7 what he saw when he visited the Temple Mount on Tuesday: "The Arabs there are digging a deep north-to-south trench, up to a meter [1.1 yards] deep. It is being dug in the area that served during Holy Temple times as the Ezrat Nashim [the area known as the Women's Courtyard, though it was not reserved only for women -ed.]. The trench passes through three east-to-west walls, according to my calculations - walls that probably served as separations for the Temple's offices and the like. This means that the destruction is tremendous..."

"At one point during the digging," Charlap continued, "a policeman - apparently a Druze - tried to stop the work from going on, and actually entered the cabin of the tractor. A struggle ensued, and when the Arabs finally pushed him out, he actually stood in the trench and physically blocked the rest of the work!"

"But instead of stopping the lawbreakers," Charlap related with incredulity, "he tried to 'calm down' the policeman!"

Charlap said that at that point, the chief officer of the Temple Mount police station, Shai Alali, arrived on the scene. "But instead of stopping the lawbreakers," Charlap related with incredulity, "he tried to 'calm down' the policeman!"

Charlap said he was unable to see how the story developed from there, "because our allotted time was over." Jews are permitted onto the site - Judaism's most sacred anywhere in the world - only four or fewer hours a day.

Police Chief Shai Alali was unavailable for comment. A police spokesman told Arutz-7 that the man who tried to stop the digging was not a policeman. Charlap stands by his story, however.

The digging is taking place just east of the Dome of the Rock.

Millennia of Artifacts - Down the Drain

Dr. Eilat Mazar, an archaeologist and a leading member of the Committee for the Prevention of the Destruction of Temple Mount Antiquities, spoke with Arutz-7's Hebrew newsmagazine about the desecration. "It is an untenable situation," she said. "Underneath the Temple Mount is a closed area, one that has barely been disturbed since the Destruction of the Second Temple. Anyone can realize that remnants of both the First and Second Temples are there, and can guess what damage is being done by the tractor. The most precious findings are just rolling around there and are available to be found - and instead they have a tractor there! If I would try to work with a tractor at one of my digs, the Antiquities Authority would stop me immediately! With a tractor, it's impossible to make any type of careful examination of the earth and pieces being dug up."

"We are a public, voluntary body that has taken upon itself to inform and warn the public about what is going on," Mazar said. "The Antiquities Authority acts as if it is fulfilling its responsibility to supervise - but in fact all they have there is just one man watching but doing nothing. That is not supervision. It's just a deception to say that anyone is overseeing the wanton digging and desecration being carried out there against our greatest national cultural treasure."

Asked if there has been any lull of late in illegal digs on the Temple Mount, Dr. Mazar responded negatively. "They have a clear goal of turning the Temple Mount into a place exclusively for Moslem prayer. In recent years, they have turned two giant structures - at the Huldah Gate and Solomon's Stables - into giant mosques, where none ever stood before... It is totally illegal; how can such violations of the law be allowed - especially in such an important place for Jewish Nation? This is a top archaeological site, and the fact that it's not considered one of the Seven Wonders of the world is our fault, because we don't talk about it enough and certainly don't preserve it enough."

Arutz-7's Uzi Baruch offered, "Perhaps it's because of the politically sensitive nature of the site?"

Mazar answered, "Yes, it's a sensitive spot, but there's a big difference between acting wisely and delicately, on the one hand, and allowing wanton destruction and law-breaking, on the other hand. No good comes of simply turning the other cheek, trying to achieve quiet at any price, and not seeing the future. They want 'quiet now' and they want to appease the Waqf and everyone else - everyone except for those who are concerned for Jewish culture."

"The Antiquities Authority is responsible for preserving antiquities," says Dr. Mazar, "but it is not doing its job on the Temple Mount. The Prime Minister must take this job upon himself and make sure that the law is observed and that the Temple Mount remains an accessible cultural site not only for Moslems, but also for Jews and Christians."

old city attack

The War On Britains Jews. Part One

Temple Awareness: A Summer of Seminars and Tours

(IsraelNN.com) The Holy Temple is "in" - in tours, hikes and seminars around the country in the coming days and weeks.

As Jews around the world commemorate the Three Weeks of Mourning for the Holy Temples - beginning last Tuesday and ending on Tisha B'Av, July 24 - Jews in Israel appear to be embarking on a marathon of Temple-related studies and activities. A partial list:

Monday, July 16 - Sessions at the Kohen-Levi Conference at HaKotel Hall in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City. 11 AM - 7 PM, payment of 50 shekels at the door.

Tuesday, July 17 - "A Day of the Temple" Seminar with the Temple Institute: Southern Wall excavations, Davidson Center presentation, Temple stairway and gates, Special effects and period actors, Temple vessels exhibition, in-depth lecture, presentation, and special events, 9:30 AM - 4:00 PM, 100 shekels. via the OU Israel Center, tel 02-560-9110

Wednesday, July 18 - "In the Footsteps of the Kohanim and Leviyim" - in and around Old Jerusalem, Herodian Quarter, 2nd Temple priestly mansions, The Menorah, Cardo, Jewish Quarter, Closest gates of the Temple Mount, Kotel HaKatan (Small Wall), Bus to Mt. of Olives, spectacular Temple Mount view, Shimon HaTzaddik tomb, and View of Nov, the city of Kohanim. 10 AM - 4 PM, 60 shekels via the OU Israel Center, tel 02-560-9110

Thursday, July 19 - "In the Footsteps of the Kohanim and Leviyim", bus tour to Shilo, site of the Mishkan, Eli HaKohen, and Shmuel HaNavi. Then to Modiin area, Beit Choron, where the Maccabees defeated the Greeks. Vista from Baal Chatzor, Rosh Chodesh torches, protected bus. 10 AM - 5 PM, 150 shekels. via the OU Israel Center, tel 02-560-9110

July 9-12 - Temple Institute in Jerusalem - four days of tours and lectures. Topics include: The commandment to build the Holy Temple today (Rabbi Yisrael Ariel); Daily Sacrifice, Temple Vessels and Priestly Garments; Renewal of Temple Service Today; Tour in the Davidson Center at the Southern Wall; the Red Heifer (Rabbi Chaim Richman); Festivals in the Temple; Pilgrims in Jerusalem; and more. tel: 02-6264545, 200 shekels each day, 700 shekels for entire program.

July 16-23 - "Between Destruction and Construction" Tours in and around Jerusalem, sponsored by the Jewish Community of the City of David - 45 shekels each, seven tours for the price of six:

Tour 1 - From the Assyrian Siege to the Babylonian Destruction: City of David, Chizikiyahu's Tunnel, and other eastern Jerusalem sites.

Tour 2 - Jerusalem During the Second Temple Period: Nechemiah's Wall, the graves of the Dynasty of David, the Shiloach Pool, and new discoveries

Tour 3 - Following the Pilgrims of the Middle Ages - The gravesites of Huldah, Avshalom, Zechariah, and Rav Ovadiah of Bartinura, and the Rehavam Observation Point.

Tour 4 - Famous figures buried on the Mt. of Olives overlooking the Temple Mount

Tour 5 - Sifting through Temple Mount remains with an archaeologist

Tour 6 - The Jewish Quarter in 1948 - The Zion Gate, Street of the Jews, the Hurva Synagogue, Batei Machseh, and more

Tour 7 - The Battles to Liberate Jerusalem in 1967 - Lions Gate, the Western Wall, the Kidron Bridge, and more

Attention Please! Please read and pass on immediately

Rabbi Kleiman is going to be forwarding me a USA phone number for those who wish to listen in on the shiurim of the Kohen-Levi conference.

Stay tuned for updates and please pass this on to all your Kohanim and Leviim!

For those of us who see the Holocaust in black and white

Then and Now, Part I

Turban Tip to A Deeper Look for this.

Farfour, we hardly knew ye

From the Associated Press and Jerusalem Post

Hamas TV on Friday broadcast what it said was the last episode of a weekly children's show featuring "Farfour," a Mickey Mouse look-alike who had made worldwide headlines for preaching Islamic domination and armed struggle to youngsters.

In the final skit, Farfour was beaten to death by an actor posing as an Israeli official trying to buy Farfour's land. At one point, Farfour called the Israeli a "terrorist."

"Farfour was martyred while defending his land," said Sara, the teen presenter. He was killed "by the killers of children," she added.

The weekly show, featuring a giant black-and-white rodent with a high-pitched voice, had attracted worldwide attention because the character urged Palestinian children to fight Israel. It was broadcast on Hamas-affiliated Al-Aksa TV.

Station officials said Friday that Farfour was taken off the air to make room for new programs.

Station manager Mohammed Bilal said he didn't know yet what would be shown instead.

Israeli officials have denounced the program, "Tomorrow's Pioneers," as incendiary and outrageous. The program was also opposed by the state-run Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation, which is controlled by Fatah.

The picture above is my fantasy of Farfour meeting one of his 72 virgins in Jannat al-‘adn.

Yusuf Islam AKA Cat Stevens on Salmon Rushdie

Despite the fact that the moderator is obnoxious as hell, it does show us where the Peace Train has landed. This is from 1989 but I'm sure not much has changed.

Friends know how painful this is for me. I not only own every Cat Stevens album, but his music was the perfect soundtrack to my becoming chozer b'teshuvah. His music meant so much to me during my junior year in Yerushalayim when I became frum.

While I applaud Cat's religious awakening, I can't help but wonder what exactly drew him toward hatred and Jihad. Could it be that Wahabi Islam is now mainstream Islam? Were there no other spiritual options for him? It is one thing to eschew money, fame, drugs, alcohol and promiscuity... It another to band with those who issue death sentences and support terrorism.

Anyhow, here are some new lyrics for Moonshadow:

Yes, I'm being followed by Homeland Security
Homeland Security
Spying and stalking by Homeland Security
Homeland Security

And if I ever lose my mind...
Crave Jihad all the time.
Yes, if I ever lose my mind
A we e e e e e e e e e e
I won't have to think no more.

Yes, I'm being followed by Homeland Security
Homeland Security
Spying and stalking by Homeland Security
Homeland Security

David Horowitz Kicks Butt!

CNN backs down

Much joy and jubilation that CNN now recognizes Israel and Jerusalem as part of it. Little Green Footballs has a graphic.

There is an interesting twist to all of this. Israelly Cool point out that many of the cities listed under "Israel" are Arab villages that ceased to exist in 1948.

Abu Shusha, an Arab village that has not existed since 1948

Akbara, an Arab village near Safed that has not existed since 1948

Al Atrun, which is the Arab name for the area of Latrun

Dayr Ayyub, an Arab village that has not existed since 1948, and where the eastern segment of Canada Park is today

Kohen-Levy Conference in Jerusalem

Just one more reminder for all my Kohanic and Levitical brethren (and sisthren?) out there that the conference will be this July 15th-19th in Jerusalem, null.

Please go to The Tribe for more info.

I have asked Rabbi Kleiman to set up a video link for those of us who cannot attend. Hopefully this can be done.

I have got to give up cigars for whatever Vanunu is smoking

Mordechai Vanunu (or as I like to call him: "Va-ninny") is now claiming that Israel was responsible for the killing of beloved American President John F Kennedy.

"Ich bin ein mental patient!"

From World Net Daily:

"Vanunu, a former nuclear technician who was recently released from Israeli prison after serving an 18-year sentence for exposing Israel's nuclear program at Dimona to Britain's Sunday Times, has been barred from leaving the country, talking to the media or meeting with foreigners.

But the London-based al-Hayat newspaper published an interview yesterday it claims is the first Vanunu has given, in which the spy said that according to "near-certain indications," Kennedy was assassinated due to "pressure he exerted on then head of government, David Ben-Gurion, to shed light on Dimona's nuclear reactor."

"We do not know which irresponsible Israeli prime minister will take office and decide to use nuclear weapons in the struggle against neighboring Arab countries," Vanunu was quoted as saying. "What has already been exposed about the weapons Israel is holding can destroy the region and kill millions."

Vanunu, who would not be in a position to know the current security apparatus of Israel's nuclear plant, also claims the Middle East is at risk of a "second Chernobyl" in the event of an accident at the Dimona plant. He said an earthquake could cause fissures to the core that would create a massive radiation leak "threatening millions."

Jordan should test residents in the border regions with Israel to be sure that they have not already been exposed to any radiation and administer the necessary medicine, Venunu said. He also criticized the visit to Israel early this month by the head of the Atomic Energy Agency, Mohammed el-Baradei.

"He (Baradei) should have refused to have visited Israel (because) he was not allowed to inspect the nuclear reactor," Vanunu said.

According to al-Hayat, Vanunu now lives "with his Palestinian friends" in east Jerusalem."

Sure you can walk there, Kohain?

The Vaad HaKohanim has put out articles and maps of places forbidden to Kohanim due to tumas meis (contact with impurity of the dead).

It can be found HERE

Blogging Brothers and Sisters

As you can now tell, I am slowly but surely getting this blog back to normal after losing it to the "new" Blogger (template hell).

If you were once listed here or think you should be listed on my blog PLEASE send me a link in the comments section. Blogger wiped out my old file so it's not an easy task rebuilding the links list.

Please do not be shy. Send me your links and those of others who should be here and you will be doing me a huge chessed.

Yours in Blogdom,

Judah

Two companies that don't deserve your business

Apparently SAMSUNG only has service centers in "Palestine". Click HERE to see the pull-down list. Notice what country is absent and what fantasy land is listed.

Ah yes, CNN. How surprising... According to them, Jerusalem is in a country called "Null." Check it out HERE.

Both CNN and Samsung are businesses which means they rely on consumers to make their profits. You have the chance to speak out and warn others. Please fell free to link to this post and send out an email blast with this information. Together we can (hopefully) make a difference and speak out againt these corporate lies and propaganda.

CONTACT CNN

CONTACT SAMSUNG



Kudos to Little Green Footballs for making this known.

Good Shabbos!

Please watch this amazing film and consider donating to Torahohr.net

Where is Israel's Strength?

"West Bank" mayor to ban Jewish pilgrims

From the Jerusalem Post:

The mayor of a Palestinian [sic] village on Monday called for the end of pilgrimages by Jewish groups to a holy site in his village after the desecration of Muslim graves last week.

Ahmed Bouzia, mayor of Kifl Harith in the northern West Bank, said villagers had discovered the desecration Friday morning after 1,300 Jewish pilgrims came there to pray under IDF protection the night before. Nine tombstones were damaged, he said - some broken and others bearing graffiti such as "Death to Arabs" and "Revenge."

Judah says: I would have no problem banning Jewish pilgrims from the site if the Waqf will agree to us banning Muslims from the Temple Mount, which has suffered massive desecration at the hands of "religious" Muslims.

The article continues:

Village feelings were further ruffled when IDF soldiers returned early Sunday morning with pilgrimage organizers to fix the damaged graves and paint over graffiti.

"This was desecration on top of desecration," Bouzia said, adding that Muslim graves can be repaired only by Muslims. The village leaders are planning to consult with Islamic authorities on how to restore the graves.

One Step Closer to Redemption

Reishit HaGez - giving to the Kohain the first cuttings of the fleece of sheep grown in the Land of Israel.

Beit El Celebrates Wool-Shearing

(IsraelNN.com) Surrounded by hundreds of happy children, the last of a herd of five sheep had its wool shorn in Beit El Tuesday afternoon - not for profit, but to fulfill a Biblical commandment. Town elders said it was the first time in probably 2,000 years that the commandment had been fulfilled there.

The story began several years ago when Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed, the rabbi of Beit El and the dean of the town's yeshiva, began to wonder when he might ever have the chance to fulfill the Biblical commandment (mitzvah) of Reishit HaGez - giving to the Cohen (the priest) the first cuttings of the fleece of sheep grown in the Land of Israel.

(click above for the rest of the story and pictures)

"So after cutting the fleece of one of the sheep and ritually slaughtering it, we are now ready to give these parts, as well as the wool, to a Cohen - and not just any Cohen, but to our great 'teacher and master,' and one who is of undisputed Priestly lineage, the former Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Avraham Kahane-Shapira."

Divine Justice.

Hebron: Palestinians throw rocks at Peace Now bus


Have a good Shabbos!

My dream last night.

It was after a modern day Holocaust. I was wearing the yellow star on my coat. My eleven year old son as well. He was going to rip it off, but I told him to carefully remove it so we could keep it and show to future generations.

I was having a hard time readapting to normal life after the Holocaust and for no reason I started to sing: "Hinei yamim ba-im..." (behold, the days are coming when I will send a famine upon the land. Not a famine for bread, or a thirst for water, but a hunger for hearing the words of HaShem)

Then, as I continued to sing, I could feel that I wasn't the only one singing. The entire Jewish Nation was singing it together in unison.

I was suddenly comforted.

Wow. LA Times almost gets it right.

Great Op-Ed piece in the LA Times today.

King Herod's return

How Israelis and Palestinians put their own spin on archeology to claim an ancestral homeland.

By Walter Reich, WALTER REICH is a professor of international affairs, ethics and human behavior at George Washington University, a senior scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and a former director of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.

"For Israelis, such finds are seen as an emblem of the Jews' ancient and unbroken connection with the land, going back 3,500 years, that justifies the existence of Israel as a Jewish state. For Palestinians, they're seen as a way of legitimizing Israel — the creation of which turned many of them or their forebears into refugees — and are therefore often dismissed as myth or fantasy."

What I don't agree with is the last paragraph:

"Only when each side recognizes the historical right of the other to live in the region will it be possible to begin to talk about peace and a fair reckoning on Jerusalem. And only then will it be possible to put Herod's vengeful ghost back into his haunted archeological tomb."

If the Jewish "claim" to its historical, legal, moral, religious land is accepted, then the "palestinian" have no "historical right" to Jerusalem or any part of Eretz Yisrael.

Kal V'Chomer... if the Arab/Muslim world continues its refusal to acknowledge history and fact, then there is nothing to discuss. You can't draw people to the table of they refuse to admit that the table exists.

There must be a glitch in the Matrix

'cause I'm having deja vu all over again.

Police Approve Gay March in Jerusalem

(IsraelNN.com) A half-year has passed, and traditional elements in Jerusalem are gearing up for another fight against yet another homosexual parade in the holy city.

Religious, traditional and conservative elements in Jerusalem say they will not accept another attempt at a homosexual parade in the holy city. This, just a few days after the police announced its approval-in-principle of the parade - scheduled for next month.

Qassam Rockets

Chag Samayach

Wishing everyone a deep and meaningful Shavuos.

May we all merit to be in Yerushalayim next year studying with Mashiach Ben David.


Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo on Shavuos

The customs of Shavuos

My Right Word: A Possible Location of the Temple

My Right Word: A Possible Location of the Temple

From Rabbi Zalman Menachem Koren's new book on the Temple

A Simple Jew: The Chazon Ish's Shiurim

A Simple Jew: The Chazon Ish's Shiurim

The Temple Mount and the Size of the Cubit

Har Ha-Bayit - yea or nay today?

Rabbis Call for Temple Visits

(IsraelNN.com) Close to 30 leading religious-Zionist rabbis visited the Temple Mount "in purity" on Sunday, after taking the necessary Halakhic precautions.

The precautions involve immersing in a mikveh (ritual bath), taking off one's shoes, and clarifying the precise areas forbidden for entry - or else going only with a guide who knows the area.

The visit was unique in that it marks the first time such a large group of rabbis ascended together to the holy site. Among today's visitors were Kiryat Arba Chief Rabbi Dov Lior, Yeshivat Har Etzion Dean Rabbi Yaakov Meidan, Rabbi Nachum Rabinowitz of Maaleh Adumim, Rabbi Daniel Shilo of Kedumim, Rabbi Shalom Gold of Har Nof, Jerusalem, and others.

Follow Up:

On Jerusalem Day, for the first time in recent history, multiple groups of 40 or more Jews were allowed to ascend the Temple Mount at once. In the past, groups were severely limited in size – and only one allowed on the mount at a time.

Two Jewish visitors were arrested Wednesday for belting out "Shma Yisrael" – the Jewish declaration of faith and G-d's Oneness of Deuteronomy 6:4. Unlike on previous occasions, the rest of the group was not penalized, and many returned the next day to visit as well.

The religious precautions required of one who wishes to ascend the Mount "in purity" include immersing in a mikveh (ritual bath), taking off one's shoes, and clarifying the precise areas forbidden for entry - or else going only with a guide who knows the area.

“There has been a marked increase in Jewish visitors to the Temple Mount since the large group of rabbis ascended,” the Movement for the Preparation of the Temple said in a statement. “The public is encouraged to study the relevant laws and familiarize themselves with their holiest place.”

However, many rabbis in the religious-Zionist camp continue to rule out visits to the sacred site. Former Chief Rabbi Avraham Shapira, the nonagenarian [in his 90's] dean of Yeshivat Merkaz HaRav, told the massive crowds who came to celebrate Jerusalem Day at the yeshiva that entry to the Mount is not permitted at this time, because of the lack of certainty as to the exact location of the Biblically-forbidden areas on the mount.

Former Sephardic Chief Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu and Rabbi Shlomo Aviner are also among those who forbid Jewish entry to the Temple Mount. It is felt that the extreme nature of the Biblical prohibition against entering the site of the Temple outweighs both political/nationalist concerns and the confidence of those who claim they know the precise location of the forbidden areas.