For the second time in four months I participated in a SIYUM SEFER TORAH the completion of writing a Torah scroll and its presentation to a worthy organization in Israel.. In May our Talmud class presented a scroll to the Israeli Navy. This past week our friends Adele and Jules Brody invited their friends to the Amit School in Sderot ,a school of 650 high School students for a moving and emotional ceremony.
What was most exciting about the school was the number of Ethiopian and Russian students who have been taken in to receive a broad secular and religious education. They come primarily from poor homes.
The Sderot community has been repeatedly attacked by Palestinian Kassam rockets, and now with Gaza Judenrein, they are on the front line.
==============================================================
It is sad to see the headlines in the NY Times on Tues talking about the Palestinians who REVELED in the former Gaza settlements, as though they had a party.
In Times Square on New Years eve a million people REVEL – in Gaza there was arson ,mayhem and anarchy all supported by Hamas and the acquiescence and participation of the PA.
With the lack of control at the Egyptian border and in Gaza the future for the “ rule of Law “ is bleak. Abbas is weak and it is time to realize that fact, which will not change.
=============================================================
The Roberts confirmation hearings are truly a sham. After watching a good part of three days, I know---
He is bright , handsome, collected and has beautiful eyes
Senators love to talk
Judge Roberts masterfully employed the JUDICIAL FIFTH AMENDMENT in refusing to reveal his thoughts on issues that might come before him—and which the Senators knew in advance he would employ. It was interesting to hear quotes and recordings of Senators Biden and Kennedy at the time of the Thurgood Marshall and Ruth Bader Ginsberg hearings, telling the nominees not to reveal any opinions regarding issues that might come before the Court. Elections have consequences, and the Bush victory turned the tables on the Democrats.
Aside from his comments on the use of precedents from foreign courts which was appreciated, little new was obtained from Judge Roberts.
As a non-lawyer I appreciated his declaration of “respect “ for precedents but not actually declaring that depending upon the FACTS in a future case , the Court's decision might be altered even in the face of such precedents.
In sum the Senators never laid a glove on him.
While his confirmation appears certain, the real battle begins when the President announces his second nomination.
=================================================================
There is enough blame for every level of government to share in the Katrina and post-hurricane fiasco
Primarily the New Orleans Mayor bears the greatest burden for not arranging to use the school buses to evacuate the poor and disabled 48 hours before Katrina hit. The failure of local and State authorities to allow the Salvation Army and the Red Cross into the Convention Center and stadium is unforgivable.
The President has to answer for packing FEMA with political hacks who were in above their heads.
Congress and the Administration have to answer for refusing to allocate needed funds requested by the Army Corps of Engineers to once and for all repair the levees and use modern techniques as was done in Holland to avoid such a catastrophe.
The Mayor and La. Gov failed to heed the National Weather Service warnings regarding a CATEGORY V hurricane.
FEMA is to blame for holding up scarce volunteer services as they insisted that the volunters undergo Community Relations and Sexual awareness courses( as part of Political Correctness) for a few days as people died.
America has much to be ashamed of for the abject poverty in the inner city. But we have learned nothing since Patrick Moynihan’s famous paper on the lack of stable two family parent structure in the Black Community. Until that problem is addressed, together with greater education, and the development of role models in the family structure we are destined to be two peoples.
Finally the generosity of the American people and the world community is a wonderful thing to behold. As after 9/11 we will rebuild and come out a stronger nation.
The entire catastrophe again highlights the need for new oil refineries in this country, and I again refer to my suggestion of a few weeks ago to have our government build them and auction them off after becoming successful.
