ARZA Canada eNewsletter - February 2013

ARZA Canada Newsletter

February 19, 2013

9 Adar 5773

Dear ARZA Canada Member,

Here's our monthly recap of intresting events in Israel. While the election results are more promising than expected, women are still being arrested for praying at the Kotel.

Israeli Election Update

Shalom Yair ... let's talk coalition

Contrary to predictions, the right did not win enough seats for a solid coalition. As a result, Bibi Netanyahu's Likud-Beiteinu will almost certainly have to make Yair Lapid's centrist Yesh Atid party a coalition partner.

Lapid's campaign emphasized peace negotiations with the Palestinians and "sharing the burden", i.e. reduction of special benefits for the ultra-Orthodox such as military exemption.

But we don't yet know which other parties will join the coalition, and the type of compromise that would allow Lapid to work with the pro-annexation Jewish Home party or any of the Haredi parties.

Rabbi Daniel Gordis explains why the predictions of a right landslide were off, and Yossi Klein Halevi explains the emergence of the strong Israeli centre, a combination of centre-leaning hawks and doves who don't believe peace is realistic in the near future. While Rabbi Dow Marmur says the strength of Yesh Atid is only one factor that could put wind in the sails of the peace process in the short term.

Women of the Wall Arrested, Again

women of the wall arrest On Rosh Chodesh Adar ten women praying at the Kotel were arrested for wearing a "male" style tallit, despite the fact that they were accompanied this month by several of the famous paratroopers who were the first to arrive at the Temple Mount in the Six Day War.

Jerusalem White as Snow

Snow man on Ben Yehuda St.

Now that Central and Eastern Canada have shovelled out from under a major snowstorm, you may enjoy these photos (click here and here) of a recent and rare snowstorm in Jerusalem.

Upcoming Events

Ride or Hike 4 Reform - March 10 to 14

Israel's Reform movement is holding a 5-day cycling and hiking trek again this year to raise funds to help Reform continue to grow in Israel.

Here's the site to sign up. If you can't be there but would like to sponsor a Canadian participant, you can do that at the ARZA Canada website.

- On the home page, click the "Donate Now" button.

- On the donation page, in the "Fund" dropdown list, select the team or an individual.

ride 4 reform team

Rabbi Miri Gold in Vancouver - March 12

Rabbi Miri Gold

Rabbi Miri Gold, the first non-orthodox Israeli Rabbi whose salary will be paid by the State of Israel, will be speaking at Temple Sholom in Vancouver on Tuesday, March 12. Sponsored by ARZA Canada

ARZA Canada Kallah - Toronto - April 5-7

This year's ARZA Canada Kallah will be led by Professor Paul Liptz, who taught modern Jewish history, Israel and the Middle East for 25 years at Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem. Professor Liptz will cover topics such as:

- What Israel's new government means for Israel's future

- The Aftermath of the Arab Spring

- The Jewish people ... forging new links in an ancient chain

A Word of Hebrew

Mysterious explosion - pitzutz mistori - פיצוץ מסתורי

Nuclear reactor - kor garini - כור גרעיני

Radiation - krinah - קרינה

Last week there were unsubstantiated reports of an explosion at Iran's Fordow uranium enrichment facility.

This cable TV commercial is a good example of the political parody that is popular in Israel - both on internal politics and, in this case, the neighbours. It plays on a similar rumour last year about the nuclear site at Isfahan.

This video explains the cultural references and then shows the ad with English subtitles.

Iran banning Samsung products over an Israeli Ad (Subtitled)

On behalf of ARZA Canada, I wish you and your family a Happy Purim.

L'Shalom,

Les Rothschild
President, ARZA Canada
The Zionist Voice of Reform Judaism in Canada

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