Singing “Amazing Grace” at the Kotel

Thursday, February 11 2016

UPDATES 7:00 pm Israel time

–>Palestinian terror today.

At 3:55 pm, a policeman was stabbed in Deir Hanna. There is still no word as to his condition or what happened to the terrorist.

At 2:45 pm, terrorists threw five Molotovs at Israeli vehicles near Sinjil. 

Between 10:00 am and 2:45 pm, terrorists carried out “rock” attacks on IDF troops in Silwan, Hebron, Tapuach, and Atarot; at vehicles Al Hader and Road 443; and at the security fences at Ofer, Psagot, Kiryat Arba, and Talmonim. In many of the above attacks, Israelis were wounded.

–>Another day, another outrageous statement from the United Nations.

This time the comment comes from Makarim Wibisono, the so-called “United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Palestinian Territories”. Wibisono called on Israel to investigate “excessive force used by Israeli security forces against Palestinians and to prosecute the perpetrators.”

It’s the some old story. As long as Israelis are vulnerable, everything is fine. The minute Israelis defend themselves, they are using “excessive force.”

–>Another day, more anti-Israel demonstrations in Iran.

In celebrations marking the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution, hundreds of thousands of Iranians have taken to the streets to chant anti-Israel slogans and display anti-Israel banners.

And of course, what Iranian demonstration would be complete without stomping on and burning Israeli flags?

–>Israel continues to move against illegal European-funded buildings in Area C.

During the day, the IDF Civil Administration destroyed 21 buildings in the Palestinian settlement of Kfar Bardallah near Jericho.

Two days ago, Europeans brazenly appeared at the Israel Supreme Court in an attempt to stop the demolition of their illegal buildings. Their petition was rejected.

TODAY’S BLOG:

Israel’s Tourism Minister and Likud member, Yariv Levin, has come under intense attack in the last few days for stating what is obviously true.

In Sunday’s Cabinet meeting, Levin observed:

“The Reform Jews in the United States are a waning world. The assimilation there is of enormous extent. They don’t even properly track [this phenomenon] inside their communities. We cannot ignore [this] harsh reality . . . “

So-called “Rabbi” Gilad Kariv, the head of Israel’s Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism, and “Rabbi” and former choreographer Rick Jacobs, the President of the Union of Reform Judaism, immediately attacked Levin–calling on Jews everywhere to refuse to meet with or cooperate with Levin.

But can there be any doubt about what Levin said?

His only mistake was to say that Reform Judaism is “waning.” In fact, Reform Judaism is rapidly disappearing. Many Reform “Jewish” synagogues in the United States now have fewer than 50% Jews.

How is this possible you ask? Simply because virtually all Reform Jews are now marrying non-Jews. Even though some of these intermarried families still attend “services” once or twice a month, the children of these families rarely grow up to identify themselves as Jews.

But the situation is even worse than this. 

Take the Reform Synagogue that your humble servant belongs to when he lives in the United States. The Synagogue is so strapped for money that it now rents out its buildings to area churches to hold their services in. Even the Sanctuary of the synagogue is home to a Church of Christ that holds services there every Sunday.

In the same vein, you would not believe (unless you are a Reform Jew) what happens on the High Holy Days. In the last few years, the congregation has been singing “Adon Olam” to the tune of the paradigmatic Christian song “Amazing Grace.” This year, on Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, the Congregation actually sang “Amazing Grace.” Fortunately your humble servant was in Israel at the time.

Is it any wonder that orthodox Jews the world over are angry with the Israeli government for creating a place at the Kotel for Reform Jews? How long will it be before Amazing Grace is sung there?