Upholding the constitutional right to freedom of religion, a New Jersey judge dismissed a slander and defamation lawsuit against a rabbi who told congregants to avoid all contact with a person who was put in cherem after he was pronounced a mesarev bedin by a Beis Din.

The European Parliament: "To Return Jewish Property of Holocaust Victims"

71 members of the European Parliament from over twenty countries of the European Union, and five political organizations, publicized this past Monday a call to increase support for Holocaust victims by accelerating and increasing the restoration of property which was stolen and pillaged from Jews during the Second World War.

The Jewish Agency Today - A Front for Reform Jewry

The decency required in presenting things in their real light even when it applies to subjects related to the chareidi public was altogether lacking this past Monday in the Israeli media. On bold headlines, and as if the subject related to the body responsible on White House issues, it became known that the Trustees of the Jewish Agency cancelled a meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu in the wake of the freezing of the Kotel Plan. However, had they also presented details regarding this archaic and veiled body, the Jewish Agency, namely the Reform and Conservatives, the drama would not have been in place. The Jewish Agency, which was established with the purpose of drawing Jewish to the Holy Land and absorbing them therein, has turned from being a promoter of aliya among Diaspora Jewry to a body encouraging and supporting activities of Reform and Conservative groups in Israel.

From Our Archives

They Should Ask Us for Advice by Mordecai Plaut They say that they are concerned about our children. They say that our children spend their time studying ancient texts, full of material that is not "relevant" to modern life. Chareidi children probably do not know when the French Revolution took place, and never learned trigonometry. (We should stress that this only applies to the boys since the standard Beis Yaakov education in Israel includes a broad range of secular subjects and is comparable to the general education of Jewish girls throughout the world.)

Sharing Another's Burden by HaRav Tzvi Yabrov The gaon R' Avrohom Grodzinsky zt'l, the menahel ruchani of Yeshivas Slobodke in Lithuania, once visited relatives in Warsaw. In the middle of talking to them R' Avrohom abruptly looked at his watch. After noticing the time, he suddenly started singing and then dancing. He did this for a whole hour while his family was simply flabbergasted, unable to unravel the riddle behind this apparently out-of-place simcha.

The Prince of the Mussar Kingdom: HaRav Avrohom Grodzinsky Hy"d -- His 55th Yahrtzeit by Tzvi Munk "I write books, while the Alter fashions people," is an expression of the kin'as sofrim of Rabbenu Yisroel Meir HaKohen of Radin. The one who aroused his awe of the power of the Alter of Slobodke was the Prince of the kingdom of mussar and yirah in Kovno, HaRav Avrohom Grodzinsky Hy"d.

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