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Moshe Feiglin
Authentic Jewish Leadership for Israel
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The Jewish Leadership Weekly Newsletter

26 Elul, 5772 (Sept. 13, '12) Issue 7249

Click here for Rob's Shul newsletter. Print out and distribute in your community.

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In this Issue:

Rosh Hashanah: A National (Not Personal) Holiday

We are used to relating to Rosh Hashanah as a day of repentance and atonement; a day of judgement; the day when our fate for the coming year is determined. The Selichot prayers before and after Rosh Hashanah add to the sense of a personal day of judgment, which is obviously true.

But from a simple look at the prayers, we can see that the focal point of the day is in a completely different place. The main thing that we are supposed to be doing on Rosh Hashanah is coronating the Creator as King of the world. This is also the main reason for the central mitzvah of the day. The blowing of the shofar is first and foremost an announcement that the coronation is about to take place.

How did the focal point of Rosh Hashanah turn into something private? The answer is simple: "Due to our sins we have been exiled from our Land and we have become distant from our earth". Just as the entire Torah has transformed into a religion that hovers above reality, not really a part of it, so Rosh Hashanah no longer expresses our national aspirations. When we lost our sovereignty and we lost Jerusalem; when the royal palace on the Temple Mount was destroyed, the Nation of Israel also lost the possibility to actualize the purpose of its existence: to perfect the world in the Kingdom of Heaven. From a national holiday, Rosh Hashanah morphed into a personal holiday, just as Judaism as a whole became a system of personal reminders outside of reality.

Even now, after we have returned to our Land and after we received the Temple Mount in the Six Days of Miracles, we continue with our private – not national – Rosh Hashanah ritual.

We, however, who have declared our goal to perfect the world in the Kingdom of Heaven and are working toward that goal politically- from within reality – can make the coronation of the King of the world a palpable event.

May we perceive G-d's rule over the entire world and may we merit a year in which we are favored and loyal tools to make that happen.

Wishing you a sweet and blessed year,

Moshe Feiglin

(Here's a simple tip: Put a whole pomegranate on your tray of 'simanim' for Rosh Hashanah. It is a sign that above the 613 seeds in the pomegranate that represent the commandments, there is a royal crown that is the ultimate purpose of everything and the main focus of the holiday. )

 

 

 

 

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Medical Marijuana and Dr. Johnny: By Moshe Feiglin


26 Elul, 5772
Sept. 13, '12

Translated from Ma'ariv's NRG website

Toward the end of his life, my father suffered indescribable pain. He was at the stage at which the doctors in the oncology ward focus on other patients, and you run – helpless and harried – between doctors who don't know how to work outside the book. "Your father is finished, we've done all that we can," they would say, adding, "Johnny. Talk to Johnny."

The government has recently closed down Dr. Johnny Greenfield's pain clinic in the Tel Hashomer hospital. It was only from the media reports that I realized that Johnny is a highly respected neuro-oncologist. There, in the hospital, he would sit behind a tiny table in a tiny cubicle, helping his pain-wracked patients. In that tiny room, he was simply Johnny.

Johnny would talk to my father. He would calm him. He would explain that it is legitimate to want the pain to stop. My eyes fill with tears when I remember those searing moments. Johnny is one of those people who are really card-carrying angels.

And Johnny helped. A lot. More than the medicinal cannabis that he prescribed for my father, he helped with his love for others and his completely unorthodox approach. No "Do these tests and come back with the results," and the authorizations and all the running around that turns people suffering their most difficult moments into miserable mice running down unfamiliar halls, pushing and pressured between all the other equally miserable people. Anyone who has experienced this can understand what I am talking about.

Johnny wants the pain to stop. He is a professional and explains the exact implications of each drug, telling my father what part of his cognizance may be impaired, the consequences of every drug he offered – a true healer. For the first time in a long time, my father relaxed. The cruel world suddenly looked different. A world with a person like Johnny looks beautiful, nurturing and warm.

A few meetings later, I told Johnny that I had read that Israel is one of the leading countries in its use of medicinal cannabis. Johnny didn't have to hear more than that to pour his heart out. He spoke of all the miserable patients who could not get treatment. And how good cannabis and cannabis products would be for a vast array of illnesses. Perhaps, the economic interest of the drug companies has something to do with the obstacles that the State places in the path of those who wish to be treated by this amazing drug, brought to you by our Creator. "I believe that if G-d created it, he did it so that we can use it," I say to him.

Since my father died, I did not hear from Johnny. Suddenly, this man, considered an "angel" by so many, is publicly denounced.

Have a good, sweet year, Johnny. It makes no difference what they write. There are so many people who can smile a little bit at the end of their lives in your merit. They, their families and everybody who meets you know exactly who Johnny is.
 
United Nation, NOT United Nations: By Shmuel Sackett

This article will appear in the September 14th edition of the Queens Jewish Link

While New York is a very diverse city, the Jewish community in which I was raised was actually not like that at all. My fellow Jews in school, camp and around the neighborhood were all of the same background. Even when I ventured into the world of NCSY, I still met people who were pretty much a carbon copy of me. Some were less observant, others unaffiliated but 99% were USA born and bred, Ashkenazic, westernized Jews. It wasn't until I made Aliyah in 1990 that I understood what Jews from "the four corner of the earth" truly meant.

My life in Israel began in the city of Netanya. My wife and I settled there for our first year and had a wonderful experience meeting fellow Yidden from all over the globe. Some people would have gone into "culture shock" but we looked at things differently. To us, meeting brothers and sisters (and that is who they are!) who spoke differently, had darker skin and ate foods that we would normally not touch with a 10-foot-pole was a taste of the "Kibbutz Galuyot" (ingathering of the exiles) that we pray for three times each day.
Our son started "KItta Aleph" (first grade) that year and among his 35 classmates there were 11 Russian Jews, 9 Ethiopian Jews, 7 Jews from Arabic countries (mainly Yemen and Morocco) 2 from Argentina and the last 6 were native born Israelis. He was the only kid born in Queens.

Our shul in Netanya had people who said things like "Cheery-oh" or "G'day mate" or "How's it?" I must admit that it was very weird at first to hear guys dovin like The Beatles and read the parsha like Prince Charles but then I realized that these people are my family, even though they sounded a bit funny (which is what they said about me!).

Since that year I have developed deep friendships with Jews who shared my dream of Aliyah but did not board the plane in JFK. They came home from Ireland, Ecuador, Brazil, New Zealand, Turkey, Denmark, Switzerland and even Fiji (how many Jews do YOU know from Fiji??) As a matter of fact, one of my daughters did her National IDF Service in a school in Ra'anana where students came from 22 different countries!

Think about it for a second. Jews coming home to Israel from 22 countries and doing it NOW. They didn't wait for Moshiach or for an eagle to swoop down and fly them here. They came home with their culture, their songs, their language, their dress code and their heavy accents to the one and only Jewish land. I have always told my children that my favorite time in Israel is when Jews from different countries break their teeth just to speak to each other in Hebrew. I am sure that a Hebrew grammar teacher would have a heart attack listening to that conversation, but who cares? Let 'em make 100 mistakes in grammar! The bottom line is that after 2,000 years we have returned home to speak OUR language! How awesome is THAT?

This is what I meant by the title of this article: United Nation not United Nations. We are one people, with one G-d, destined to live in one land. I admit that this is not going to be easy. As a matter of fact, in the entire "Shemona Esrei" prayer – when we beg Hashem for many things – only ONE of those requests contains the word "Ness" (miracle). It does not say that word when we ask for health, success, wisdom, forgiveness or even the restoration of the Davidic dynasty. The only time it says the word "miracle" is in the Bracha of "Kibbutz Galuyot" when we ask Hashem: "Ve'sah NESS l'Kabetz Galuyotenu" (and perform a MIRACLE to gather our exiles). This proves that coming home will truly be difficult, out of nature and in the realm of the supernatural - but doable! Millions have done it already and the excuses – in most cases – are lame and weak.

The time to join your brothers in Israel from Argentina and Australia is now! Fellow Jews from India and Greece await your embrace. Your family members from Ethiopia and Cuba want you to join them for Shabbat. We are a united nation. Come join us.
 
New! Manhigut Yehudit Membership

After years of activity in the political and public arenas and after the success of our integration in the Likud, the time has come to re-track and strengthen the ideological side of the Manhigut Yehudit coin; to chart out our goals and reinforce our connection to our many friends and activists.

As a first step, we are offering membership in Manhigut Yehudit. This is not membership in the Likud, which is certainly important. Membership in Manhigut Yehudit is about being part of the team that is working day and night to make Israel the true Jewish state that we all dream of.

For those of you who have already joined Manhigut Yehudit, your new membership cards will be waiting for you at the Chanukat Bayit of Manhigut Yehudit's Israel Center on Thursday, 4 Tishrei. (See details directly below). Membership forms will also be available at the event. If you will not be attending the Chanukat Bayit and want to become part of our team, please email Dovid Shirel at shir@manhigut.org and he will get back to you with details.
 
Announcements

Thursday, 4 Tishrei / Sept. 20

Chanukat bayit of Manhigut Yehudit's new Israel Center.

Time: 6 p.m.
Place: Manhigut Yehudit Israel Center
7 Shtener Street
Giv'at Shaul, Jerusalem

6 p.m.: Reception
7 p.m.: Mezuzah to be affixed
9 p.m.: Greetings: Moshe Feiglin, Shai Malkah, rabbis and Knesset members. Everyone is invited!
 

Monday, 8 Tishrei / Sept. 24

Judea Likud Members Meeting

Time: 7 p.m.
Place: Matnas Efrat Click here for Hebrew invitation.

Moshe Feiglin and Minister of Welfare Moshe Kachalon will speak.


Moshe Feiglin to be Keynote Speaker at Temple Institute dinner in Dallas, Texas on November 14th.

Please support this wonderful organization by taking out an ad in their Journal.
Click here to download a PDF version of the invitation to this dinner.

Note: Shmuel Sackett will also be speaking at this dinner.


 

Get the Word Out!


Our weekly update now comes in different exciting and useful forms and versions.  We urge you to try out both of these versions to see which one suits you better - or you can certainly use both!

Click here for a full version print PDF.  Easy to view and print, this version also makes it easy to copy and paste articles in order to use them on your blogs, websites or emails.

Manhigut Yehudit's US Director, Rob Muchnick, creates his own weekly 2-page full-color pdf newsletter, called "Rob's Shul Newsletter" (which really stands out on the table of handouts in your shul). In it are included most or all of the articles in the Weekly Update, plus additional commentary, pictures, quotes and articles by Rob - with his own down-to-earth, sharp and sometimes irreverent style.

You can help get the Manhigut Yehudit message out to the world! Print out the update in the version of your choice and distribute it in your synagogue, community center, workplace or neighborhood. Be part of the Jewish leadership revolution and help to make Israel the Jewish state we've always dreamed of. The links to both versions are always at the top of this update email.
 

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Join the Team!


No matter where you are,
you can be part of Manhigut Yehudit.
Join us!

Together we can channel our idealistic energy
into revolutionizing Israeli society.

What can I do?

If you are already a Likud member and you would like to check your membership status, just email us at: shir@manhigut.org. Be sure to include your name, Israeli ID No., and a phone number where it is easiest to reach you. Or give us a call at our  "English Speakers" office: 02-996-1123 (Israel), or 516-620-2475 (USA).

If you are not Israeli citizen, you can  become a Manhigut Yehudit International Member. Joining Manhigut Yehudit International is much more than just a donation. Now you're part of the team!  If you are interested in arranging a lecture or meeting in your community with Moshe Feiglin or Shmuel Sackett, either in Israel or in the USA, please contact Dovid Shirel at shir@manhigut.org, or call: 02-996-1123 (Israel) or 516-620-2475 (USA).
 


Manhigut Yehudit
The Jewish Leadership Movement
Email: office@jewishisrael.org
Web: www.jewishisrael.org
Tel: 02-996-1123 (Israel); 516-620-2475 (USA)

 

Our Aim: To perfect the world in the Kingdom of the Almighty