Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Lola Krugel

This is a lady that deserves high praise.
She has unfailingly stood behind one of our history's greatest heroes, Earl Krugel.
When the story is told, in the evenings, when we gather and tell stories of great historic legends, Lola will be mentioned glowingly, with pride and love, at the same time.
G-d Bless You Lola.

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

I am not ashamed to admit it


By Meir Kahane
I am afraid.
I am afraid that my people and my state are marching inexorably to a horror that can best be unimagined. And I am afraid, for the first time, that we are in the hands of people so blind and so mad and so un-Jewish that we may not be able, G-d forbid, to avert the catastrophe.
Last week I was at the Western Wall. It was the Friday after the Friday when the Moslems, standing on the Temple Mount -- OUR Temple Mount -- hurled rocks and stones on the Jews praying below. It was the Friday after the Friday when Jews, in the sovereign State of Israel, praying at the remains of the Holy Temple, fled in panic from the Moslems who cried "Allah Akhbar!" It was the Friday after the Friday in which Jews in the State of Israel fled in panic from Moslems who proclaimed their dream of destroying the Jewish State.
I was at the Wall on the Friday after the Friday. No less than 3,000 (!) security forces were there to protect the Jews in their own state from Moslems who once so trembled before the Jew. Three thousand (!) security forces to protect Jews -- who were so frightened that they stayed away in droves. The proud State of Israel. . . .
I am afraid. I am afraid that the Jews of insanity who run this land will destroy us, even as all the impossible Herut fools in the United States continue to write columns attacking the PLO.
I am afraid. Last week, I was at the Hebron Jewish cemetery. I saw the swastikas and the Arab graffiti of hate on the walls. I saw the desecrated tombstones. I watched as the Jews held a memorial service.
A memorial service! They murder us and they dececrate us and we react with memorial services!
That day a rock smashed through the car window of a Jew traveling in Bethlehem, injuring him in the temple, cheek and shoulder. That day, 600 apple and 50 olive trees were destroyed along with tens of thousands of commercial flowers at the settlement of Nvei Michael. But I return to the cemetery.
How many people, how many Jews, in the world heard of the Hebron cemetery outrage? No matter. How should they have heard of it when the Prime Minister of Israel, the President of Israel, its Knesset and its governmental leaders did not find it necessary to shout their indignation.
A week of Chillul Hashem, of desecration. And the men who run this State of Disorder sit by, hapless and impotent, silent partners to Desecration. And I know that the Almighty's rage will lash out at us for allowing His name to be defiled. And I am afraid for much more.
Last week I watched as the insanity spread and reached new heights. The Border Police, the elite security forces, were sent to make arrests in the murderous village of Nahalin. They were attacked by hundreds of stone throwing, Molotov cocktail-throwing Arabs. The Border Police, under a murderous barrage, fired and killed four Arabs. Only four Arabs. The Arabs shrieked in protest; the pathologically sick leftists joined them and demanded and "investigation"; the army command, led by two kibbutz members, Chief of Staff Don Shomron and Central Command OC Amram Mitzna, so ordered. The Border Police were accused of "overreacting" and "indiscriminate shooting," and two of their officers were suspended from duty.
I am afraid. Yesterday they destroyed the army with their insane orders that hobbled the troops, causing them to fear to deal with the Arabs as normal soldiers should. Today, they take the best of the security forces, the Border Police, and destroy them, too. And they must be stopped before they destroy the Jewish state -- and the Jew.

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

New Spielberg Documentary

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
KIEV, Ukraine


Steven Spielberg on Wednesday presented a documentary about the Nazi massacre of tens of thousands of Jews at the Babi Yar ravine in Ukraine, several weeks after Ukraine marked the 65th anniversary of the tragedy.

The film by Ukrainian director Serhiy Bukovsky, 'Spell Your Name,' for which Spielberg worked as co-executive producer, contains the testimony of Jewish survivors who escaped brutal execution and those who rescued friends and neighbors during the Holocaust.

"The stories and experience of survivors in Ukraine need to be seen and heard by the people of the world, who may not know what happened in Ukraine during the Holocaust," Spielberg said at a news conference.

The film was produced by the USC Shoah Foundation Institute, a Los Angeles-based organization founded by Spielberg in 1994.

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

What Was Earl Warning Us About

Oct. 11, 2006 21:51
American Traitor federally indicted for aiding al-Qaida
A 28-year-old Californian who joined al-Qaida and appeared in propaganda videos for the terrorist organization was indicted Wednesday on federal charges of treason and providing material support to terrorists, a US Justice Department official said.

A grand jury in Orange County returned the indictment against Adam Yehiye Gadahn, 28, a suspected al-Qaida operative sought by the FBI since 2004, said the person, who asked to remain anonymous because the indictment was to be announced later in the day.

Gadahn is believed to have attended the terrorist group's training camps in Pakistan and served as one of its translators. He has become known by his nom de guerre, Azzam al-Amriki, or "Azzam the American."

Gadahn appeared last month in a 48-minute video along with al-Qaida's No. 2 leader, Ayman al-Zawahri, calling on his countrymen to convert to Islam and for US soldiers to switch sides in the Iraq and Afghan wars.

Thursday, October 05, 2006

Hannah Szenes

We named our daughter Hannah after this Heroine.
We asked Earl for a girl's name that he liked and he mentioned Hannah, and told us her story.



By Jesse Lyman

Hannah szenes (pronounced Senesh), the daughter of a well-known writer (Bela Szenes, who died when Hannah was six) was born in Budapest, Hungary in 1921. Their mother Catherine raised Hannah and her brother George in a well assimilated home. In their home Judaism was never emphasized. At the early age of thirteen, Hannah started to write a diary when she turned thirteen and wrote in it until her death. In her diary it stated the concern of anti-Semitism in Budapest.

At the age of ten Hanna left her school and went to a high class at a protestant school, her family had to pay triple of what the normal price of school was. This did not stop Hanna’s mother from putting her in a normal school. Hannah was a very smart student and was at the top of her class, but since discrimination of the Jews in Budapest Hannah could not continue to be the top unless she converted to Christianity. Hanna and her family were assimilated middle class Jews. Hanna did not learn much about Judaism throughout her childhood. "The thought that now occupies my every waking moment is Palestine. Everything in connection with it interests me, everything else is entirely secondary." Hannah wrote this in her journal.

Anti-Semitism grew in Hungary and by the age of seventeen Hanna was informed she could not take office. Hanna did not know if she should fight for her rights or sit in peace. She was told a Jew could not hold the presidency.

“Only now am I beginning to see what it really means to be a Jew in a Christian society, but I don't mind at all. It is because we have to struggle, because it is more difficult for us to reach our goal, that we develop outstanding qualities. Had I been born a Christian, every profession would be open to me." Hanna wrote in her journal one day. Hanna thought about converting to Christianity in order to take office, but instead of converting Hanna took a deeper interest in Judaism.
Hannah and George started to become involved in many Zionism activities. She was involved with a group called the Maccabea, which was the most established Zionist organization in Hungary. They both immigrated to Israel in 1939 right after her eighteenth birthday. Hannah settled down in Kibbutz Sdot Yam, where she wrote poetry and studied at an agricultural school.

When World War two began in Europe Hannah soon began to worry about the well being of her country and her remaining family in Budapest. Hannah was a very brave girl, and wanted to help her country. On the date of 1943, Szenes joined the British army and volunteered to be parachuted down into Europe. Szenes trained in Europe and was one of thirty-three chosen to be parachuted behind enemy lines. The purpose of this attempt was to help allied efforts in Europe and establish contact with partisan fighters in attempt to aid Jewish communities. Szenes was parachuted in Yugoslavia in 1944.

On June 7th 1944 Szenes bravely crossed the border into Hungary and was almost immediately caught by the Hungarian police. They tortured Hannah for months but she refused to give them any information. Szenes was then brought to trial and was reported guilty. When her execution took place she refused to be blindfolded for she wanted to look her enemies straight in the eyes. Hannah died at the age of twenty-three.

In 1950, Hannah’s remains were buried on Mount Herzl in the city of Jerusalem in Israel.

O Lord, My G-d,
I pray that these things never end.
The sand and the sea,
The rush of the Water,
The crash of the heavens,
The prayer of woman and man

“Eli,Eli” Was a poem written by Hannah Szenes and has become a popular folk song and poem all over the world.

Blessed is the match that burned and kindled flames,
Blessed is the flame that set hearts on fire.
Blessed are the hearts that knew how to die with honor,
Blessed is the match that burned, and kindled flames.

Another poem written by Hannah, called blessed is the match.

On November 5, 1993, Hanna’s family that is living now received a copy of the Hungarian military report of Hanna’s court order exonerating Hanna’s treason charges in which she was executed. Yitzchak Rabin attended the Tel-Aviv ceremony, where the document was handed over to the family.

Hanna really lived a brief but a very noteworthy life, and I think its fair to say Hanna was a true hero for everyone.

Irv Rubin and Earl Krugel