Great Opinion Piece on Palestinians at the United Nations

Letter from Jerusalem II: A Very Merry Un-Birthday - Hadassah Magazine | HadassahMagazine.org

Gilad Shalit to Be Released – Part II � Israel Update

Gilad Shalit to Be Released – Part II � Israel Update

Ha'aretz opinion piece on need for secular state

Israel's rabbinate must be stripped of its powers - Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News

Moroccan Jews Making Changes to America's Quintissential Ashkenazic Institution--Manishewitz

With Some Passing on Gefilte Fish, A New Lure: Fish 'Meatballs'

Manischewitz Takes Mediterranean Turn, Hoping to Spice Up Fare; 'What Is Cumin?'

By LUCETTE LAGNADO

For years, gefilte fish—plump little patties of minced fish—has been the Jewish holiday treat that some Jews love to hate.

These days, some say they've moved on. "Tradition is important but it needs updating—it doesn't have to be only about gefilte fish anymore," says Chany Konikov, a rabbi's wife in Southampton, N.Y., who also likes poached salmon and sushi.

Even Paul Bensabat wasn't that impressed when he tried it. "Boring," he says. "Pretty bland." And he's co-CEO of Manischewitz Co., one of the largest producers of gefilte fish. When Mr. Bensabat and partners took over the 123-year-old company, they decided to spice things up. One idea: Moroccan fish balls.

For more:
With Some Passing on Gefilte Fish, Manischewitz Tries a New Mediterranean Lure - WSJ.com

Awe-Inspiring Spectacle of the Yom Kippur Ritual of the Temple

Here are some sites from today's Etz Chayim sixth grade lesson on the awe-inspiring spectacle of the Yom Kippur Ritual of the Temple.

 First we looked at http://www.sci.brooklyn.cuny.edu/~mtwersky/, which charts out the entire Yom Kippur Avodah (service) set of rituals. This includes descriptions of the parade leading to the Temple, explanations of all of the sacrifices in detail, diagrams and descriptions of the High Priest's (Kohein Gadol) clothing. In addition to learning about the sacrificial system, we were able to see the similarities in dress between the Kohein Gadol and Ashkenazic Torah scrolls.

Next, we looked at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem's Interactive Second Temple Model (http://www.english.imjnet.org.il/htmls/page_1382.aspx?c0=14816&bsp=12729), which allowed us to appreciate the grandeur of the Second Temple and how the building added to the sense of amazement and spectacle that the Temple inspired.

We concluded by opening a discussion (which we will continue on Wednesday) about what the purposes of the Temple sacrifices were (referencing http://www.jewfaq.org/qorbanot.htm) and read one prominent contemporaries response to the bloodiness and primitive emotion of the sacrifices themselves (Bradley Shavit Artson, at http://www.myjewishlearning.com/texts/Bible/Weekly_Torah_Portion/vayikra_artson5762.shtml).

Israel's top 45 greatest inventions of all time | Technology

Israel's top 45 greatest inventions of all time | Technology