Frontlines

We pray every weekday: “On the righteous, on the devout, on the elders of Your people the Family of Israel, on the remnant of their scholars, on the righteous converts and on ourselves- May your compassion be aroused Hashem, our G-d, and give goodly reward to all who sincerely believe in Your Name. Put our lot with them forever, and we will not feel ashamed, for we trust in You. Blessed are You, Hashem, Mainstay and Assurance of the righteous.”

The United States is about to sign off on a second disastrous and foolhardy deal with Iran. Like Yogi Berra said, “It is déjà vu all over again.” The same group that made the first bad deal is about to make another. The only difference is that it is not President Obama at the helm, but President Biden.

As the world was marveling and amazed by the superhuman achievements of proud Jewish swimmer Mark Spitz at the Munich Olympics in 1972, Muslim terrorists aligned with the Black September organization shocked and threw Western Civilization into chaos and turmoil.

Robert Portman was the Republican senator from Ohio for the past 11 years. He was a reliable and accomplished Senator and a great friend of Israel. As an example of his support of Israel on May 14, 2021, in the middle of Israel’s latest war against Hamas he issued the following statement. “The almost 2000 Hamas rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza violate the international law of armed conflict and must be roundly condemned by the United States and the rest of the international community. In response to these attacks Israel has the right to defend itself. There is no equivalence between the deadly indiscriminate rocket attacks by Hamas and the defensive actions taken by the government of Israel.”

With the passage of Mikhail Gorbachev at age 91 during the heat of the Russian War against the Ukraine, the stark contrasts between two eras takes shape.

The Holocaust can never be spoken about enough. The industrial mass murder of six million Jews in a supposedly advanced civilization is unconscionable, reprehensible, and unforgivable. But amidst the torture, torment, and terror were sparks of light and profound humanity that inspire and transform even today. One such effort that saved tens of thousands of Jews was the Vaad Hatzalah, led by Irving Bunim of blessed memory and Rabbi Aharon Kotler of blessed memory.