In an article entitled "Jerusalem - one city, undivided" by Jeff Jacoby, published in the Boston Globe, the journalist writes about the Obama adminstration's demand that the Israeli government stop the construction project slated for the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of Jerusalem. He asks, "Why, then, does the administration want the development killed? Because Sheikh Jarrah is in a largely Arab section of Jerusalem, and the developers of the planned apartments are Jews. Think about that for a moment. Six months after Barack Obama became the first black man to move into the previously all-white residential facility at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, he is fighting to prevent integration in Jerusalem.
...There was a time not so long ago when Jerusalem was anything but an open city. During Israel’s War of Independence in 1948, the Jordanian Arab Legion invaded eastern Jerusalem, occupied the Old City, and expelled all its Jews - many from families that had lived in the city for centuries. “As they left,’’ the historian Sir Martin Gilbert leter wrote, “they could see columns of smoke rising from the quarter behind them. The Hadassah welfare station had been set on fire and . . . the looting and burning of Jewish property was in full swing.’’
For the next 19 years, eastern Jerusalem was barred to Jews, brutally divided from the western part of the city with barbed-wire and military fortifications. Dozens of Jewish holy places, including synagogues hundreds of years old, were desecrated or destroyed. Jerusalem’s most sacred Jewish shrine, the Western Wall, became a slum. It wasn’t until 1967, after Jordan was routed in the Six-Day War, that Jerusalem was reunited under Israeli sovereignty and religious freedom restored to all. Israelis have vowed ever since that Jerusalem would never again be divided."
For the next 19 years, eastern Jerusalem was barred to Jews, brutally divided from the western part of the city with barbed-wire and military fortifications. Dozens of Jewish holy places, including synagogues hundreds of years old, were desecrated or destroyed. Jerusalem’s most sacred Jewish shrine, the Western Wall, became a slum. It wasn’t until 1967, after Jordan was routed in the Six-Day War, that Jerusalem was reunited under Israeli sovereignty and religious freedom restored to all. Israelis have vowed ever since that Jerusalem would never again be divided."
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Close to two years ago, Prime Minister Olmert was also facing unprecedented pressure to give up territories. This is the answer given by Esther Jungreis as to how to withstand the pressure.
"I recall a conversation many years ago with Prime Minister Menachem Begin, a"h. He had just returned from that infamous Camp David meeting with then President Carter. He related that Carter wanted to initiate discussions on Jerusalem, which Begin adamantly refused to consider. But Carter pressed on, "Let's just discuss it," he insisted. To which Menachem Begin responded with a story from our High Holy Day liturgy.
Some 1,000 years ago, the Bishop of Maintz, Germany who wielded tremendous power, pressured Rabbi Amnon, the beloved leader of the Jewish community, to convert. On one occasion, after being subjected to much abuse and harassment, Rabbi Amnon, seeking some respite from the bishop's constant badgering, said, "Give me a few days to think about it."
No sooner did Rabbi Amnon return to his home, than he fell into a terrible depression and flagellated himself. "How could I have possibly uttered those words? How could I possibly have allowed them to escape my lips? G-d Forbid that future generations should think that I would ever have considered renouncing my faith?"
When a few days passed and Rabbi Amnon did not appear before the bishop, he sent his soldiers to arrest him. "I would like to declare my own punishment," the rabbi said to the bishop. "The tongue that spoke and declared that I would ever even entertain the idea of renouncing my faith, sinned, and should be severed."
"No," responded the bishop. "That tongue spoke correctly. It was the legs that did not carry you here that are traitorous." And with that, the bishop ordered his hatchet men to sever Rabbi Amnon's limbs and after each amputation he asked, "Are you ready to convert?" But throughout this torture, Rabbi Amnon remained strong in his faith and refused to succumb. Maimed and mutilated, he was sent home with his limbs at his side.
It was just before Rosh Hashanah, and when the Holy Day arrived, Rabbi Amnon asked to be taken to the synagogue where, in front of the Holy Ark, he composed the awesome prayer, "U'Nesaneh Tokef," and when he concluded, his soul departed.
Three days later, Rabbi Amnon appeared in a dream to Rabbi Kalonymus ben Meshullam and taught him the prayer and asked that it be sent to every Jewish community and be incorporated into the High Holy Day liturgy. And to this very day, Jews recite it everywhere with great fervor.
"If I were to agree to discuss Jerusalem," Menachem Begin told Carter, "I too would have to suffer the fate of Rabbi Amnon and proclaim that my tongue be severed."
There are certain things that we Jews cannot negotiate, and what's more, there is no need to negotiate them. If Prime Minister Olmert and the members of his government would just take a few steps closer toHashem and His Torah, then all those who seek to destroy us would vanish. It's as simple as that - Jewish history testifies to this truth.
Perhaps some of our readers are now smiling, thinking that I am naive and simplistic. Things just don't happen that way.
To these people I say, "Let's test it out." Let Olmert and his government proclaim to the nations of the world that we, the people of Israel, sealed an eternal covenant with G-d at Sinai - and it is through that covenant that the land became our eternal inheritance. Therefore, we cannot and dare not relinquish it! Moreover, our deed to the land is available for all to see. It is documented in our Torah.
.....As to what Olmert and his followers should do on the home front - Indeed, here too we have a precedent for our predicament. Long ago, in the very same country from whence Ahmadinejad is plotting his satanic scheme, there was a man just like him - Haman. He too wanted to wipe our people off the map.
So what did our leaders do? Simple - they invoked two magic words... "Kiymu V'Kiblu" - they called upon the nation to reaccept and recommit to Torah. Overnight, the miracle occurred - darkness was converted into light - terror into joy and gladness. And to this very day, the holiday of Purim is testimony to it. So, let's try it - It's the only formula that is guaranteed to work for our people."
Some 1,000 years ago, the Bishop of Maintz, Germany who wielded tremendous power, pressured Rabbi Amnon, the beloved leader of the Jewish community, to convert. On one occasion, after being subjected to much abuse and harassment, Rabbi Amnon, seeking some respite from the bishop's constant badgering, said, "Give me a few days to think about it."
No sooner did Rabbi Amnon return to his home, than he fell into a terrible depression and flagellated himself. "How could I have possibly uttered those words? How could I possibly have allowed them to escape my lips? G-d Forbid that future generations should think that I would ever have considered renouncing my faith?"
When a few days passed and Rabbi Amnon did not appear before the bishop, he sent his soldiers to arrest him. "I would like to declare my own punishment," the rabbi said to the bishop. "The tongue that spoke and declared that I would ever even entertain the idea of renouncing my faith, sinned, and should be severed."
"No," responded the bishop. "That tongue spoke correctly. It was the legs that did not carry you here that are traitorous." And with that, the bishop ordered his hatchet men to sever Rabbi Amnon's limbs and after each amputation he asked, "Are you ready to convert?" But throughout this torture, Rabbi Amnon remained strong in his faith and refused to succumb. Maimed and mutilated, he was sent home with his limbs at his side.
It was just before Rosh Hashanah, and when the Holy Day arrived, Rabbi Amnon asked to be taken to the synagogue where, in front of the Holy Ark, he composed the awesome prayer, "U'Nesaneh Tokef," and when he concluded, his soul departed.
Three days later, Rabbi Amnon appeared in a dream to Rabbi Kalonymus ben Meshullam and taught him the prayer and asked that it be sent to every Jewish community and be incorporated into the High Holy Day liturgy. And to this very day, Jews recite it everywhere with great fervor.
"If I were to agree to discuss Jerusalem," Menachem Begin told Carter, "I too would have to suffer the fate of Rabbi Amnon and proclaim that my tongue be severed."
There are certain things that we Jews cannot negotiate, and what's more, there is no need to negotiate them. If Prime Minister Olmert and the members of his government would just take a few steps closer toHashem and His Torah, then all those who seek to destroy us would vanish. It's as simple as that - Jewish history testifies to this truth.
Perhaps some of our readers are now smiling, thinking that I am naive and simplistic. Things just don't happen that way.
To these people I say, "Let's test it out." Let Olmert and his government proclaim to the nations of the world that we, the people of Israel, sealed an eternal covenant with G-d at Sinai - and it is through that covenant that the land became our eternal inheritance. Therefore, we cannot and dare not relinquish it! Moreover, our deed to the land is available for all to see. It is documented in our Torah.
.....As to what Olmert and his followers should do on the home front - Indeed, here too we have a precedent for our predicament. Long ago, in the very same country from whence Ahmadinejad is plotting his satanic scheme, there was a man just like him - Haman. He too wanted to wipe our people off the map.
So what did our leaders do? Simple - they invoked two magic words... "Kiymu V'Kiblu" - they called upon the nation to reaccept and recommit to Torah. Overnight, the miracle occurred - darkness was converted into light - terror into joy and gladness. And to this very day, the holiday of Purim is testimony to it. So, let's try it - It's the only formula that is guaranteed to work for our people."
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