The revelation was actually that Elaitzur has decided to perform without his glasses so he wont have to see the female dancers in the performance. He is careful about "shmirat Einayim" - I would add as is common in Breslav as it is but many people not Breslav also are. Some people turned this into a scandal of sorts that he is disrespecting the ceremony or the event and the other performers, and how dare he.

I think it is a good thing. I am happy he found a way he could honor the event with his performance that was requested and still hold to his ideals. We get upset when people walk out of such events with female performers, we can't also get upset when they find a way to stay in and participate. So he wont be wearing glasses - big deal. People can think maybe he is wearing contact lenses or maybe people dont even notice - I wouldn't have as I did not know he needs t wear spectacles to see. Had I seen him singing and jumping around the stage without glasses I would not have even thought about it.

Good for Elaitzur for finding a solution. I saw a report that Rav Arush, his rav, was uncomfortable with him participating at all alongside female dancers and want it cancelled. I guess we'll see on Yom Haatzmaut what happens (I think it is being pre-recorded again like last year but not sure) and what was or will be decided, but good on Elaitzur for finding a way acceptable to him to make it happen. It makes me like him more, not less.

I dont know if this is CYA or a real concern, but considering the recent wildfires just last week that burned down thousands of dunam of forest and fields, along with forcing the evacuation of the residents of several towns, it is probably better safe than sorry.

My guess is that before Lag BaOmer we'll get similar announcements, as we do pretty much every year.

This year, as we approach Israel's 77th birthday, the numbers look like this:

Israel has finally crossed the 10 million mark with a official population of 10,094,000 (is it really such a round number?).

That 10+ million is made up of 20.9% Arabs (2,114,000), 2.5% foreign workers (248,000), and 77.6% Jews and non-Arab "others" (7,732,000).

In the past year the Israeli population has increased by 135,000 people. During the past year 174,000 new babies were born in Israel. 5% of Israelis are under the age of 10.

96% of Israelis are satisfied with their lives and with their relationships with family. 92% are in regular contact with friends, and 78% do not feel lonely on a regular basis. 

There are 15.8 million Jews in the world today. In 1939 there were 16.6 million, so we are on the cusp of getting back to that level. In 1939 3% of world Jewry was in Israel (Palestine at the time), and today we are at about 49.9% in Israel. In 1948 right before the State was founded there were 11.5 million Jews in the world with 6% in Israel.

but we are not counting.

kenaina hara. 

I had the honour of walking the @TIME
red carpet and standing among an incredible group of people at the #TIME100 - but my heart was somewhere else.

A year ago, I wasn’t sure I’d make it out alive. I was lucky—I was rescued.​

But 59 innocent people are still trapped.
Still… pic.twitter.com/d8dNjzQQBy

— Noa Argamani (@ArgamaniNoa) April 28, 2025

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 -- PM Benjamin Netanyahu in his testimony today in the corruption trial

true or not I dont know and have no comment but that is a funny way to put it

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the current formation of Syria is interested in making peace with Israel and joining the Abraham Accords....

there will need to be negotiations of course, and they, and surely Israel, will have their demands, but just being open to the idea and possibility is big news... and the conditions mentioned in the article don't see to be too difficult for this to be possible...

I wonder if Turkiyy/Turkey will get upset about this and try to prevent it...

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Even though I'm not a fan of Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, I'm somewhat embarrassed and ashamed on his behalf. 

Ben Gvir made a big deal of going to the USA on state business for the first time and he has no official government meetings to attend. It seems his one big event was a fundraiser of some sort at Mar-a-lago. Besides for that he did a photo shoot at a gun shop and walks around New York looking for people to speak to (Chabad was willing) and to respond to protestors. Shuls are debating whether or not to host him, with at least one even inviting him and then canceling..Watching the reports of his travels, he looks like nothing more than a petty Kahane activist wandering aimlessly through NY riling up anti-Israel anti-Jewish protestors. 

Surely he will declare it a successful trip. He even got to flash a V symbol of victory to protesters. I feel bad for him.

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In Bar's declaration he revealed some titillating information about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and some of his requests of the Shabak over the years including to collect information about leftist protestors, and to stand by the government in any situation of a constitutional crisis, and more. And this is just the portion that was made public. There is another portion of the declaration that is top secret and "for your eyes only" so we dont know what is included in that portion.

Obviously the Prime Minister's people, if not he himself, will declare it all lies and an attempt to bring down the right wing government.

And maybe it is.

We don't know. it is his word against his word, and we the simple people have no way to know who is telling the truth. Unless Bar has documentation and recordings, it is all hearsay.

All that being said, besides for possibly the "Qatargate" investigation that might be considered a conflict of interest, I personally do not see why any of this (not including the top secret portion of which we do not know the content), exciting and titillating as it might be, would be a reason to prevent his firing. Even if it were all true and this shows PM Netanyahu to be dangerous to democracy and to the State of Israel (which he is anyway, considering all the major tragedies that happened under his leadership), seemingly the government has the right to fire the head of the Shabak, unprecedented as it may be.

I still think it was a mistake for the Left to take on Ronen Bar as a sacred cow and protect him and protest on his behalf. He played a massive role in the failures of October 7, and he should not be protected. At most they should have used him as an example to demand more "responsibility" and resignations, not protect him to keep in his position as head of Shabak.

There is a lot of buzz online about this invitation, saying Shapiro is not worthy. People point to some of his harsh statements against gays and lesbians, and to his positions on transgender issues, and I think also to his anti-abortion stance and say he is divisive and should not be honored at the torch-lighting ceremony.

Nobody is the perfect candidate. Every person will have something wrong with him or her..be it a public position or stance they promote or a character flaw or whatever it may be. Ben Shapiro has been a strong supporter of Israel and has been a vocal supporter of Israel, especially throughout the war. Shapiro has used his massive platform to support Israel and has traveled around the world supporting Israel. Shapiro also has had the ear of the President of the United States, Donald Trump, at least at times recently if not always.

Shapiro is a great candidate for lighting the Torch of Diaspora Jewry, even if some of his personal position on other issues not related to Israel might be somewhat divisive or perhaps a better description is "disliked" by some. 

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