Aish Machal and Aish Hatorah?

I’m not sure how much need there is for this “Aish Machal” program when the official Mahal (www.mahal-idf-volunteers.org) program (previously known as Mahal 2000) has been around for years and has an established reputation with those wishing to serve in the IDF.

I’d also like to understand why the author of the article chose not to mention the Aish in Aish Machal. Is Aish Machal another front or Trojan horse for the Aish Hatorah ultra-Orthodox missionary organisation? If so, why is this not stated up-front?

Israel and the IDF will still pay a stiff price for the incendiary cocktail of fundamentalist religion and military service, wrapped up in religiously homogenous units with their own rabbinic commissars!

in reference to: Aish Machal recruits non-Israelis for IDF (view on Google Sidewiki)

Google Sidewiki entry by Russell

Something that didn’t come out in your viewers’ responses to this program was that claiming copyright has become a very effective way to censor YouTube content. Don’t like a particular video clip for political, religious or any other reasons? Simply claim copyright infringement as the author of the work and Google will dutifully take down the offending clip. What’s more you get to punish your foe; their content will be taken down and they will have all the hassle of proving there was no infringement. You might even get them taken down altogether!

in reference to:

"Ollie Rickman, Google's UK spokesman, defended his company: "It's not true that we automatically side with the complainant." "Every single time that we receive a complaint we have to take the video down - that's the law. We have no other option," he said. "Google and YouTube are never going to be in a position to adjudicate on who owns copyright to what and whether a use is authorised or not. We simply don't know," he added."
- BBC News - Is YouTube's three-strike rule fair to users? (view on Google Sidewiki)

Terms & Conditions

I would just like to note the following concerns I have raised on previous occasions:

- The exchange fee is excessive, and becomes more excessive each year. In the decade or so I’ve been a member it’s climbed from +/-R200 to almost R1,000!
- Exchange fees are not published, notified or advertised on any of the material provided by RCI. They should be set once a year, by increased by no more than the inflation rate and published in RCI’s promotional material.
- While a letter is provided IRO the exchange, no Tax Invoice or transaction advice is provided for the exchange fee itself. This is irritating, unprofessional and probably contravenes SARS regulations.

in reference to:

"Terms & Conditions"
- RCI Online (view on Google Sidewiki)

Google Sidewiki entry by Russell

The following issues have not been addressed:

- Must the Hotmail account become the default e-mail account in Outlook?
- Do the Windows Live Calendar and Contacts folders become the defaults in Outlook? My understanding is that they do not.
- Will the Windows Live Calendar and Contacts folders be synchronised with devices such as mobile phones? I understand that they won’t be, as these folders are part of a Hotmail .OST structure, rather than the default .PST Personal Folders.

in reference to: Microsoft Office Outlook Hotmail Connector overview - Outlook - Microsoft Office Online (view on Google Sidewiki)

Chalk this up as another cost of the occupation.

It beggars the imagination that an Israeli government minister can derail an agreement affecting the entire Mediterranean basin, because of the terminology to be used for the West Bank.
I would also prefer that the territories be referred to as “administered”, “disputed” or “liberated” territories, or as Judea and Samaria. Ain’t gonna happen! To hijack the entire process because of the use of the term “Occupied Territories” is absolutely shocking, and Landau should be censured or fired, after being forced to apologise to the body.
Let’s go back to basics: The territories have not been annexed by Israel. They have, however, been occupied (justifiably) by the IDF. Hence, Occupied Territories. Why make an issue about it? From a legal standpoint, Israel itself regards the territories as occupied (although it fails miserably in administering them as such).
Israel needs to get serious about the Union for the Mediterranean! Either commit whole-heartedly to the effort, or leave and let those who find common ground get on with it. Remember that this was supposed to be one of the way stations on the road to eventual EU and NATO membership!

in reference to: 'Occupation’ semantics thwart pan-Mediterranean water deal (view on Google Sidewiki)

Google Sidewiki entry by Russell

Are there no Google Help Centers specifically for Google Buzz and Google Profile?

in reference to:

"Google Help Centers"
- Google Help Centers - Google Help (view on Google Sidewiki)

Google Sidewiki entry by Russell

Are there no Google Help Forums dedicated to Google Buzz and Google Profile?

in reference to:

"Google Help Forum"
- Google Help Forums - Google Help (view on Google Sidewiki)

Google Sidewiki entry by Russell

Nice clip, but pity about the rapid-fire flashing from one scene to the next, which forced me to look away most of the time. What is this, the JNF’s version of subliminal advertising?!

in reference to: YouTube - JNF Video Contest- What Israel Means to Me Today (view on Google Sidewiki)

Author?

For some reason, the author of this article is not named. Based on the highlighted paragraph, I’m guessing it was the distinguished Walter Clay Lowdermilk, one of the unsung heroes of the Jewish people’s restoration of and to the Promised Land.

in reference to:

"A central feature of the plan derives from a survey that I conducted in 1938 and 1939 for the U. S. Department of Agriculture and from the proposal, growing out of that survey, of a Jordan Valley Authority to achieve the fullest development of the surface and underground waters of the valley for the entire original Mandate under the League of Nations, including what is now the Kingdom of Jordan as well as Israel."
- 50 Years Ago: The Reclamation of a Man-Made Desert: Scientific American (view on Google Sidewiki)

Eco Jews

Great idea, but why hasn’t it been updated since 2008!?

in reference to: Eco Jews | JTA - Jewish & Israel News (view on Google Sidewiki)

No peaceful uses for the atom

The issue of energy has been on the agenda since the artificial oil crisis of 1973. What has Israel done in the 37-odd years since then to reduce its dependence on energy imports? My objection to any such proposal is that there is apparently still no way to operate a nuclear power plant in an entirely safe manner, while disposal of nuclear waste is still hugely problematic. It’s ironic that the same forces which have prevented the development of alternative energy sources and energy conservation are now advocating nuclear power as a “green” option.

Remember the motto: There are no peaceful uses for the atom.

in reference to:

"A nuclear option to produce electricity, with its attendant hazards, could nevertheless present Israel with the best option for generating non-emissions-producing electricity in significant quantities."
- Landau to announce plans for first Israeli nuke power plant (view on Google Sidewiki)

Rule #1 of Jewish demographics

Rule #1 of Jewish demographics is that there are always more Jews than anyone estimated or anticipated. Because of their history, Jews have an understandable reluctance to be counted or surveyed. This has been immeasurably complicated by the fluid definitions of Jewishness emerging since Jews became emancipated.

in reference to:

"“Two-and-a-half million,” the KGB head replies. “But if we let them leave, there will be 6 million.”"
- Fishing for Jews in Russia’s muddy waters | JTA - Jewish & Israel News (view on Google Sidewiki)

Google Sidewiki entry by Russell

For me, the obvious question is why the eruv needs to consist of “a network of poles and strings”? Why not simply paint the boundary lines on the pavement (with the assistance of the local council, of course)? Oh, that’s right, I forgot, Moses himself set out the manner in which an eruv must be delimited. He didn’t write it down, of course, but a handful of later sages managed to interpret what he didn’t say...

in reference to:

"The eruv, which usually consists of a network of poles and strings, defines an area within which religious Jews are allowed to carry items outside their homes on Shabbat. From the standpoint of Jewish law, it essentially makes this area "private" rather than "public.""
- Rift has roots in eruv dispute - Haaretz - Israel News (view on Google Sidewiki)

Within a single generation

You said “Israel would be among the world's richest nations if Arabs and ultra-orthodox Jews could be brought into the economy, Israel's top treasury official said on Wednesday.”
Yes, they need to be brought into the economy, and the way to do this is to shake them out of their little taxpayer-subsidised cocoon. Level the playing fields by simply using the principle of absolute equality; do away with subsidising their private school education system, their reliance on social welfare, their virtual exemption from national service/conscription. Most importantly, make coalition deals that privilege the Haredi sector at the expense of the general public against the law. We can bring them into the economy within a single generation, simply by doing away with their special treatment on all fronts.

in reference to:

"Israel would be among the world's richest nations if Arabs and ultra-orthodox Jews could be brought into the economy, Israel's top treasury official said on Wednesday."
- Treasury chief: Boosting Arab and Haredi employment would make Israel rich - Haaretz - Israel News (view on Google Sidewiki)

Google Sidewiki entry by Russell

Shouldn't we refer to "Leonardo's Codex Atlanticus" rather than "Da Vinci's Codex Atlanticus"? When it comes to his paintings and other art works, we refer to a Leonardo, not a Da Vinci!

in reference to: Da Vinci's Codex Atlanticus makes international debut in Jerusalem - Jerusalem.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

Google Sidewiki entry by Russell

Well put, Rabbi Yoffie. "What we need, rather, is to be respectful of each other’s choices and customs." Unfortunately, what this means in real life is that the alternative streams of Judaism show respect for one another and for Orthodoxy/ultra-Orthodoxy, while Orthodoxy continues to disrespect and delegitimize progressive Judaism. So much for mutual respect...

in reference to:

"And since there is not a single, universally accepted religious standard that governs Jewish religious life, we should make no attempt to impose one at the Kotel. What we need, rather, is to be respectful of each other’s choices and customs."
- At the Wall, which side is the right one?: The Kotel belongs to the entire Jewish people | j. the Jewish news weekly of Northern California (view on Google Sidewiki)

Google Sidewiki entry by Russell

So let me get this straight: all we have to do to retard Global Warming is to turn the planet into a desert? Oh, wait, we're doing that already!

in reference to:

"By looking at the other side of the equation, the two researchers discovered that desertification was not necessarily all bad - in fact, it may have retarded global warming by as much as 20%. The desert reflects sunlight and releases infrared radiation, which has a cooling effect. And in a world in which desertification is continuing at a rate of about six million hectares a year, that news might have a significant effect on how we estimate the rates and magnitude of climate change."
- Desertification may have retarded global warming | Science and Environment | Jerusalem Post (view on Google Sidewiki)

School uniforms for Israel?

There is more to be said in favour of school uniforms than against, provided that uniforms are "uniform" across the entire school system. When each school insists on its own distinctive uniform, it immediately becomes an expensive proposition, with exclusive retailers, inflated prices, etc. The only difference permitted between schools should be a unique badge.

School uniforms help to create a school spirit and to take the emphasis off socio-economic differences between classmates. A simple, widely used uniform can also reduce the financial pressure on parents of schoolgoers and can be a time-saver.

Israel should definitely strongly consider the reintroduction of school uniforms, including optional "multi-form" items such as standardised wind breakers, track suits, etc.

in reference to: Mandatory school uniforms likely to make comeback | Israel | Jerusalem Post (view on Google Sidewiki)