web analytics
May 26, 2013 /17 Sivan, 5773
At a Glance ▼
Judaism
Sponsored Post
The Tosfos Yomtov was convinced that the death of 300,000 –600,000 Jews during the Chmielnicki massacres of 1648-49 were because of improper Tefila. Communicated: Tefilla

Chillul Tefila Bifarhesia, as well as halachicly challenged verbiage and dress, are external manifestations of a critical lack of personal yiras shomayim which has lethal consequences.



Is It Really PR? (Part One)


Latest update: May 22nd, 2013
tell a friend
Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis

Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis

I am interrupting the sequence of my articles regarding questions posed by widows and widowers. B’Ezrat Hashem, I will continue that discussion in future columns. But for now, I feel compelled to address the tragic events that have once again unfolded in Eretz Yisrael. I would also like to remind our readers to daven and say Tehillim for the valorous wounded Israeli soldiers who were so savagely attacked. I make a special point of this because shockingly, I have discovered how few of us stop to consider the pain of our brethren.

It seems that we have become so inured to the suffering of others that our hearts no longer feel, our ears no longer hear. Yes, of course we feel upset, but immersed in our own personal problems, the stress and pressures of daily living; we are preoccupied with our own lives. We shrug our shoulders and assure ourselves that there is nothing much that we can do anyway, so, it’s back to business as usual.

But we Jews can never indulge such an attitude. We have to be cognizant that we can do everything – yes, everything, and that means even saving lives. Ours is a strength that was bequeathed to us by our patriarch Yaakov. “HaKol kol Yaakov – The voice is the voice of Jacob.” The voice of Jacob is the voice of heartfelt prayer. Its power is awesome – it can change the course of events – it can penetrate the Heavenly gates and evoke blessings for all our people.

Our young, valiant sons, who were brutally attacked and wounded, need our prayers, and we, if we are to fulfill our purpose and realize our mission, need those prayers even more. When we are united as one, when Ahavas Yisrael, love of the Jewish people, spills forth from our hearts, we have the power to open the Heavenly Gates and petition for yeshuos Hashem – the miraculous help of G-d.

So please note these names, keep them in your prayers, and pass them on to your friends: Dean Ben Svetlana, Roee Ben Shulamit, Daniel Lazar Ben Tina Leah, Yotam Ben Dorit, Ido Ben Iliana, Boris Ben Eelaina. May Hashem grant them all a speedy refuah sh’leimah.

Time and again, I have written and spoken about the escalation of the anti-Semitism that sadly we are now witnessing throughout the world. Of course, there are those who would protest that it is not anti-Semitism, but anti-Zionism, the demonization of Israel that we are seeing today. But you know and I know that such rationalization has no validity. In every generation, the anti-Semites find the right packaging to market their hatred, so now it is the demonization of Israel that legitimizes this new anti-Semitism.

Still, there are those who will argue that the entire problem can be attributed to Israel’s clumsy PR. This is an age when good public relations is a must, and Israel has failed dismally in this area. But an honest look will testify that no matter what Israel does, it’s never good. There is no explanation that she can offer that will satisfy those who are bent upon maligning and destroying her.

The persecutions and holocausts to which we have been subjected throughout the centuries are ample proof of this. But we need not go back so far. Let us examine just a few recent events: North Korea sinks a South Korean vessel…. Did you hear an outcry from the international community? The Turks, who are the major players in this flotilla fiasco and present themselves as champions of freedom who battle for humanitarian rights, oppress the Kurds and commit all sorts of atrocities, but that doesn’t even make the back page of the papers. The Russians attack the Chechens, the Chinese the Uighurs, genocide is rampant in Africa; and Iran and Hamas openly proclaim their intention to obliterate Israel.

But the only nation that is condemned time and again by the UN, the international community, and the world media, is Israel. And this, despite the fact that the Jewish State has the only army that jeopardizes the lives of its own soldiers to protect her enemy’s citizens, who takes the wounded of her enemies and offers them the finest medical care. Israel boarded the flotilla in peace, as was evidenced by their paintball guns. Is there any other nation that would have done that?

As Prime Minister Netanyahu made sufficiently clear, the world is ridden with hypocrisy, and those Israeli commandos who boarded the so-called peace flotilla did so after repeated warnings that they must let their cargo be inspected. Which country, Prime Minister Netanyahu asked, would not make such a demand?

The mob was waiting for them. They were armed with knives, clubs, pipes, and daggers. They were obviously trained and positioned to attack and lynch the Israeli soldiers. The Israelis, who were greatly outnumbered, were flung overboard. Videos clearly attest to this, and yet, as always, the international media and the world at large condemned the Jewish State. Truth be told, no matter what Israel would have said, no matter how brilliant her PR might have been, no matter what evidence Israel might have presented, she is always condemned. Netanyahu summed it all up when he said, “The world is full of hypocrisy.”

Everyone knows why Israel was forced to impose a blockade on Gaza. Everyone knows that Hamas is committed to Israel’s annihilation. Everyone knows that Hamas has been smuggling in missiles and rockets. Everyone knows that from the moment Israel gave away Gaza and its environs, including Gush Katif, the “neighborhood” became a launching pad for terror, with rockets raining down day and night on Israeli villages. Prime Minister Netanyahu correctly asked: What would other nations have done in similar situations. Are we expected to sit by silently and allow Gaza to become a port for Iran?

Baruch Hashem, in the past, Israel has managed to intercept ships that were carrying tons of lethal weapons that could target every part of Israel, including Jerusalem. The prime minister explained that the range of weapons that can be transported by ship is completely different from those that were smuggled through tunnels into Gaza.

So what do we do now? How do we overcome this escalation of anti-Semitism, which has gained global credibility under the guise of the demonization of Israel?

(To Be Continued)

tell a friend

About the Author:


You might also be interested in:


no comments

You must log in to post a comment.

SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend

Current Top Story
Sayed Nasrallah Speech
Nasrallah Vowing to Sustain Assad’s Regime (Dubbed Video)
Latest Judaism Stories
Leff-052413
Judaism → Parsha

Do you say Shema before you go to sleep? I’m sure you do.

But perhaps you, like many, feel too tired at night to say the entire tefillah of Kri’as Shema as it appears in the siddur. If you do say the entire tefillah, you will recognize a pasuk in this week’s Haftorah. And if you don’t say the whole Kri’as Shema al Hamitah, perhaps after this column, you’ll re-consider and find yourself connecting with the following very comforting pasuk.

Niehaus-052413
Judaism → Parsha

The sand is rapidly running through the hourglass, as the centrifuges in the secret Iranian nuclear plants spin furiously. It is quite clear that the Iranians are on the brink of attaining nuclear capability, and we are well aware of the danger that would face Klal Yisroel in that event, chas v’sholom. All the sanctions, threats, and computer worm attacks do not seem to be stopping them, and it is terrifying. And when we see how vulnerable we are to terrorist attacks anywhere in the world, we become even more terrified.

The-Shmuz
Judaism → Parsha

Miriam spoke disparagingly about Moshe Rabbeinu. Because of this, she contracted tzaras, and for seven days she was sent outside the camp of Israel.

Business-Halacha-logo
Judaism → Halacha & Hashkafa

Samuel Scherr was a very successful businessman. He also was generous and would share of his wealth with others. In this way, he became the uncle of favor to his nieces and nephews, whom he would frequently shower with gifts.

Judaism → Halacha & Hashkafa

Detached Or Unrelated
‘He Made An Asheirah Tree Into a Ladder…’
(Eruvin 78b)

Judaism → Parsha

In this week’s parshah we read about the individuals who were tamei and thus could not bring the korban Pesach. They approached Moshe Rabbeinu and asked him whether there was anything they could do to bring the korban. Ultimately, Hashem told Moshe that they should bring a korban a month after Pesach, on the 14th of Iyar.

Judaism → Ask the Rabbi

Question: As Shavuot is fast approaching – a holiday on which we dwell on the story of Ruth and the origins of the royal house of David – I was wondering if you could help me resolve something. Some people say that Rabbi Yehudah HaNassi, the redactor of the six orders of the Mishnah and a scion of King David, purposely kept any mention of Chanukah and the Hasmonean kings out of the Mishnah because the Hasmoneans improperly crowned themselves and ignored the rule that all Jewish kings are supposed to come from the tribe of Yehudah. Is this true?

Menachem
(Via E-Mail)

Judaism → Halacha & Hashkafa

One of the thirty-nine prohibited melachot on Shabbat is carrying an object from a private domain, reshut hayachid, to a public domain, reshut harabim, or carrying an object a distance of four amot, six to eight feet, in a reshut harabim. The Torah does permit, however, carrying within the reshut hayachid itself. The definition of a reshut hayachid and a reshut harabim is crucial, therefore, to the laws of carrying on Shabbat.

Judaism → Halacha & Hashkafa

Question: The Midrash notes that the song the Jews sang after they crossed the Red Sea (“Az Yashir”) was unique; its likes had never been heard before in the world. Our Sages even refer to it as a shirah chadashah, a “new song.” What made “Az Yashir” so unique and in what sense was it a “new song”?

Judaism → Columns → Lessons In Emunah

The rav was not a wealthy man, but earned enough to live comfortably. He earned his money by serving as the rav of a religious community in Yerushalayim. He also received some royalties from sefarim he had written over the years. He was well known, and many people approached him for a berachah, advice and help. They were not turned away.

Judaism → Columns → Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks

Tanach, the Hebrew Bible, is remarkable for the extreme realism with which it portrays human character. Its heroes are not superhuman. Its non-heroes are not archetypal villains. The best have failings; the worst often have saving virtues. I know of no other religious literature quite like it.

Judaism → Rebbetzin's Viewpoint

Last week I shared a letter from a newly observant Jewish woman. She and her husband reside in a small suburban community outside of Los Angeles. Last year they came to consult with me on a personal religious issue. While they were both ba’alei teshuvah, there was one fine difference between them. He had become a ba’al teshuvah earlier than she and was therefore somewhat more settled in an observant lifestyle.

Judaism → Torah

I watch my children use blocks to build a large structure, observing the trepidation with which they add each block. As the structure becomes larger there is a greater risk of it collapsing, thus bringing an end to an hour of playful labor. I anticipate what will happen when one child adds a block to the top floor, compromising the integrity of the building and resulting in the collapse of the entire structure. The argument that ensues is predictable, as each child blames the other for “ruining” the fun. As an adult, I wonder about the need to attribute blame. Will assigning blame be instrumental in rebuilding the structure?

Judaism → Parsha

In this week’s parshah the Torah discusses the halachos of when one steals from another and when confronted in beis din, the thief swears falsely with his denial that he stole. This parshah was already taught in parshas Vayikra; however, there are two halachos that the Torah adds in this parshah to this topic.

Judaism → Halacha & Hashkafa

In order to carry from one’s home into the street (even when the area is enclosed by a properly constructed eruv), the eruvin ceremony must be performed. This ceremony involves the placing of food in one designated home on behalf of all Sabbath observers in the enclosed area. In order for the eruvin ceremony to be valid, however, it must be performed on behalf of all owners of streets and homes in the enclosed area.

More Articles from Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis
Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis
Judaism → Rebbetzin's Viewpoint

Last week I shared a letter from a newly observant Jewish woman. She and her husband reside in a small suburban community outside of Los Angeles. Last year they came to consult with me on a personal religious issue. While they were both ba’alei teshuvah, there was one fine difference between them. He had become a ba’al teshuvah earlier than she and was therefore somewhat more settled in an observant lifestyle.

Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis
Judaism → Rebbetzin's Viewpoint

Over the years I’ve received letters from all over the world in which people share feelings and thoughts they’ve experienced upon becoming became Torah observant. Usually these letters arrive not long after the writers had heard one of my speeches. No matter where a particular speech took place, and no matter whether I spoke the language or had to use a translator, the magic always works. In reality, it’s not magic at all but a little voice in the soul – the “Pintele Yid,” that spark of G-d’s Word engraved on all our neshamahs. Here is one recent letter.

Judaism → Rebbetzin's Viewpoint

Last week I wrote about the many disappointments in life. So often we dream of something, wish for something, pray for something – only to discover that when it happens, it is not quite the way we envisioned it. I illustrated this concept through a Hungarian story I recalled from my childhood about a little boy who more than anything else wanted a rocking horse, a coveted toy in Hungary.

Judaism → Rebbetzin's Viewpoint

There is a Hungarian tale I’ve always found meaningful and yet sad. It is about a little boy who always wanted his own rocking horse. (In Hungry a rocking horse was a toy that belonged to only the privileged few.)

Judaism → Rebbetzin's Viewpoint

For several weeks now we’ve been discussing lack of gratitude – one of the most destructive forces in our society. When people think everything is coming to them, they become selfish, angry individuals. They do not know how to reciprocate. They do not know how to be grateful and, worse still, they become bitter and destructive elements in society. They make miserable sons, daughters and marriage partners. They have no regard for parents, grandparents, Torah teachers and the elderly.

Judaism → Rebbetzin's Viewpoint

As I’ve noted in recent weeks, appreciation is a lost concept in our society. Even when we are blessed by the many kindnesses of G-d, we tend to take them for granted and delude ourselves into thinking we are responsible for them all. In vain did our Torah warn us not to fall into the trap of “my strength and the power of my own hand accomplished this.”

Judaism → Rebbetzin's Viewpoint

My saintly father, HaRav HaGoan HaTzaddik Avraham HaLevi Jungreis, zt”l, taught me that before I address an audience I should ask myself, “What will the people take home from my message? What am I giving? Will it enhance their lives? Will it bring the individual closer to Hashem? Will it be a life-altering experience?”

Judaism → Rebbetzin's Viewpoint

Nachman and Raizy Glauber, a”h, were killed in a horrific automobile accident. Their unborn baby survived for a short time but then joined his parents in olam haba. The tragedy shocked us all.

    Latest Poll

    If you could only choose one of the following scenarios regarding Chareidi IDF service, which would you choose?





    View Results

    Loading ... Loading ...

Printed from: http://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/rebbetzins-viewpointrebbetzin-jungreis/is-it-really-pr-part-one-2/2010/06/09/

Scan this QR code to visit this page online:

Related posts:

  1. Erdogan Ups the Ante
  2. IHH Terrorists Will Sue IDF despite Netanyahu’s Apology
  3. Bibi Apology To Turkey Faces Criticism As Erdogan Pressures Israel
Close