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February 13, 2012
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Menachem Wecker: Business Schools Teach Real Estate Despite Troubled Housing Market
February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
Nov. 7, 2003
/ 12 Mar-Cheshvan, 5764
Remembering Rachel
By
Judy Lash Balint
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http://www.jewishworldreview.com |
November 5 — The memorial candles spell out the name of the beloved hero of the Jewish people. Young girls bend down to mutter a few words as they kindle the lights. Someone strums a guitar nearby and busload after busload of people arrive in waves to pay their respects.
Rabin Square in Tel Aviv? Yes — but that's not the only place where somber memorials took place tonight. The scene above takes place at Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem, a few minutes drive from the center of Jerusalem.
Tonight and tomorrow is the traditionally observed yahrtzeit, anniversary of the death, for Rachel, a matriarch of the Jewish people. Today, despite three years of a deadly war and the ravaging of several Jewish holy sites, the throngs returned to let mother Rachel know she is not forgotten.
Three years ago, the scene was very different. Rachel's Tomb had been closed to Jewish prayers since Rosh Hashanah — the start of the war. The constant barrage of Arab violence at the fortified ancient site caused the IDF to prevent access to Jews. An IDF closure order approved by Prime Minister Ehud Barak followed the destruction of Joseph's Tomb as well as the 6th century Shalom al Yisrael synagogue in Jericho. Jews praying at the Western Wall had been stoned.
The pattern became clear. The Palestine Authority first tried to discredit Jewish claims to the holy sites, then moved in to physically attack them, either destroying them completely, or generating enough violence that Jews are prevented from coming close to the place.
In the case of Joseph's Tomb in Shechem they were successful because there was no permanent Jewish presence surrounding the area.
At Rachel's resting place, the action of a few determined people ensured that the same thing would not happen. Three years ago, after the few weeks of closure, a group of 30 women and their babies took things into their own hands nd walked into Kever Rachel from the Gilo Junction. Their intention was to stay until the yahrtzeit to ensure that the site would remain open to all who wanted to mark the anniversary of Rachel's death. They were forcibly evacuated that afternoon with the promise that bulletproof buses from the Junction would be allowed later that day.
To this day, those bulletproof buses are the only way Jews are allowed into Rachel's Tomb. Every morning dozens of worshipers arrive by Egged bus at the site to spend a few moments with the spirit of one of the mothers of the Jewish people. Thanks to IDF protection, the strong stand of those women and the efforts of dedicated people like Evelyn Haies in New York who founded and presides over the Rachel's Children Reclamation Foundation, the numbers of people visiting have risen dramatically and violence has eased lately.
Still, it's clear that without a protective Jewish presence in the area, Rachel's Tomb could meet the same fate as Joseph's.
Tonight, in conjunction with the yahrtzeit, another example of Jewish action was consecrated. Mezuzas were affixed to a property directly to the south of Kever Rachel. The house was purchased and renovated, laying the groundwork for an eventual Jewish neighborhood. At the moment, the three story building has been renovated and houses an army unit on one floor, a kollel on the next, and a self contained apartment at the top. Bulletproof windows have been installed and the house has been physically linked to Kever Rachel by a cement block wall and roof.
A small group gathered to watch as Minister of Tourism Rabbi Benny Elon put up the first mezuzza. He noted that it's the first Jewish building in Bethlehem in thousands of years. The IDF commander stationed there for the past several weeks looked on, together with the attorney for the project and the contractor responsible for the renovations. Former Knesset member Chanan Porat strode in to join several of the young men who had worked behind the scenes to bring the project to fruition. A few American supporters managed to witness the scene. Standing out amongst the crocheted kippot was the dignified looking Rabbi Rabinovich, rabbi of the Western Wall and other holy sites, clad in black coat and black hat.
The contractor, a tall, dark, casually dressed man in a beige T shirt told the most interesting tale of the evening. He recounted how he had opened the door for the first time from Rachel's Tomb into the area of the new property before he built the protective wall linking the two buildings. "I'll never forget the whoosh of the wind that blew into my face," he said. "I could feel the spirit of holiness blowing through..."
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and in Washington consider must-reading.
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Judy Lash Balint is a Jerusalem based writer and author of Jerusalem Diaries: In Tense Times. (Click HERE to purchase. Sales help fund JWR. )
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© 2003, Judy Lash Balint
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