Free Republic

Barry Freundel, Georgetown Rabbi, Is Arrested On Voyeurism Charge By Peter Hermann and Michelle Boorstein October 14 A prominent modern Orthodox rabbi at a Georgetown synagogue was arrested by D.C. police on Tuesday morning and charged with voyeurism, according to a department spokeswoman. Barry Freundel, 62, of the Kesher Israel Congregation, was being held in police custody Tuesday and was likely to have an initial appearance in D.C. Superior Court on Wednesday. Within hours, the synagogue’s board of directors suspended him without pay.

Last month, I read a truly fascinating book, written by John Entine, titled: "Abraham's Children: Race, Identity, and the DNA of the Chosen People". Entine is a genetics expert, and a fellow of the American Enterprise Institute. http://www.amazon.com/Abrahams-Children-Identity-Chosen-People/dp/0446580635 It mentions that Jews have genetic markers, that can be detected by DNA tests. Of course, genetic markers also exist for Irishmen, Chinese people, Indians, etc. The Mizrahi Jews from the Middle East and the Ashkenazi Jews from Europe, have very similar genes. Genetics research and Archaeology are proving that many of the accounts in the Old Testament are true. Jews have...

Bullish Outlook Sukkos is a unique Yom Tov in so many ways, one of which is its karbanos (ritual offerings). While the number of rams and sheep sacrificed on each of Sukkos' seven days remained constant (2 rams, 14 sheep), the bulls were offered in varying quantities. Specifically, 13 bulls were sacrificed on day one, 12 on the second day, 11 on the third day, and so on. Over seven days, 70 bulls were sacrificed. Chazal, our Sages of blessed memory, offer a fascinating insight into the "diminishing bulls." There are, according to the Talmud (Sukkah 55b), seventy nations of...

Rabbi Steinlauf and is soon-to-be-ex-wife, who is also a rabbi, Batya Dear Rabbi Gil Steinlauf: You sure made a splash yesterday when, as the senior rabbi of Adas Israel (the largest Conservative synagogue in Washington DC) you announced that you are divorcing your wife and coming out as gay. In a letter to your congregation, you asked for its “continued trust in me to guide you as your spiritual leader as I truly am.” Such assertions are common by LGBT people – that being gay is “who they are.” But it’s an unfortunate and very narrow construction of someone’s identity....

Once again, some clergy are hanging out with Planned Parenthood, united for a cause that surely opposes God’s cause for life. Held at Evergreen Presbyterian Church (PC-USA, a supporter of abortion) in Memphis , TN, the event opposing the upcoming ballot Amendment 1, a pro-life amendment, was attended by varying clergy who argue that women should have the choice to kill. In fact, Amendment 1 is rather innocuous, saying only this: “Shall Article I, of the Constitution of Tennessee be amended by adding the following language as a new, appropriately designated section: “Nothing in this Constitution secures or protects a...

"Why me?" Such is the plaint, often, of people who are suffering. Rabbi Levi Meier offers an approach that is so direct and obvious that it is virtually never thought of. The obvious, often, is missed precisely for staring us in the face. Meier is a clinical psychologist and hospital chaplain in Los Angeles, author of "Ancient Secrets: Using Stories of the Bible To Improve Our Everyday Lives." He writes of a hospital patient who had never prayed. "He had thought of prayer as a recitation of a lot of memorized verses; he had thought praying as a form of...

Jerome's Vulgate was the first translation of the Old Testament into Latin --- directly from the Masoretic Text. Given that, was Jerome's Version, the Vulgate, inspired by God if Jesus did not quote from the Masoretic Text? If Jesus Christ did not quote from the Masoretic Text, what authoritative power(s) could the original Vulgate have contained, and what authentic inspiration did Jerome possess at that time of his translation? At the time its translation the Vulgate was considered to be authoritative, but how correct were any at this time to declare the Vulgate to be authoritative and/or inspired? If it...

Ex-La Jolla Synagogue Executive Gets 18 Months In Embezzlement The former executive director of Congregation Beth El synagogue in La Jolla has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to embezzling more than $540,000 from the synagogue over five years, federal prosecutors said Monday. Eric Levine, 37, had control of the synagogue's bank account and credit card from 2008 to 2013, overseeing the synagogue's annual budget of nearly $2 million. Eric Levine, former executive director of the Beth El Synagogue in La Jolla, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for embezzling more than $500,000. (Eric Levine)...

A pair of Jewish travelers stopped by Sarah Palin’s house recently, and the GOP pundit welcomed the men in for a chat. Palin was prepping for a film segment when two strangers, donning kipopt, knocked on her door and asked to come in to kibbitz. The on-hand camera people were able to video the exchange as the past Alaska governor spoke with the pair about Judaism and Israel. Palin remarked on the events in Israel over the summer, saying “it’s not right” and adding “USA and Israel, together. ” The video was uploaded to YouTube this week via the SarahPalinChannel.com...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7ruAmWfb4A "Cry No More" ... May God bless Israel.

(VIDEO-AT-LINK)Questions surround a Washington, D.C. conference whose stated purpose was to gather lawmakers, Eastern and Western churches, community leaders and a variety of Christian groups to confront the problem of genocide being perpetrated against Christians by ISIS. According to Alana Goodman, writing at the Washington Free Beacon, In Defense of Christians (IDC) was funded by a controversial Clinton donor that featured pro-Hezbollah and pro-Assad speakers. Clinton donor and Lebanese-Nigerian billionaire Gilbert Chagoury, who pledged $1 billion to the Clinton Global Initiative in 2009, reportedly provided funding for the IDC summit. Chagoury, says the Free Beacon, also has backed Lebanese politician...

AlJazeera reported “Israel Permits The Division of the Al-Aqsa [Temple Mount]” wrote that: “Arab residents in the city of Jerusalem accuse the Israeli occupation forces of beginning to divide Al-Aqsa Mosque [Temple Mount] after it passed a law taking advantage of the aggression on Gaza to implement a similar law imposed at the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron.” The “Ibrahimi Mosque” is the cave of Machpelah in Hebron is the burial plot where Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca, and Leah are all believed to be buried there and the Jews currently share it with Muslims while fearing that the Temple Mount...

A Christian man was executed during the night by a high-profile ruler after making an uncompromising defense of real marriage. The Christian, who was renowned for his holiness, had told the ruler in public that his relationship with his partner was “against the law” of God. The Christian’s words enraged the ruler’s partner who successfully plotted to have him permanently silenced. John the Baptist was first imprisoned before he was beheaded. The Catholic Church honors him today, August 29, as a martyr and saint. While John’s death happened a little less than 2,000 years ago, his heroic stance for real...

Featured Term (selected at random:KIDDUSHIN Literally "sanctification," the Jewish marriage service and state of matrimony. Essential to the wedding is the ring ceremony, in which the groom places the ring on the forefinger of the bride's right hand and says, "Behold thou art consecrated unto me, according to the law of Moses and of Israel." The ceremony takes place under a Huppah or (canopy), symbolizing the new home to which the groom is taking the bride. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

A Brazilian billionaire preacher inaugurated a massive church building in Sao Paulo, Brazil last week, designed to be a $300 million replica of the original Temple of Solomon, as noted in the Bible's Old Testament. The temple, which takes over an entire city block, is an 11-story building twice the size of the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue overlooking Rio de Janeiro, and is complete with stone from Israel and a helipad for its founder's, Edir Macedo, convenience. "This temple is not about a denominational project, but something so glorious and spiritual that transcends reason itself," said Macedo, according to...

The Third Temple in Jerusalem will be the House of Prayer for all nations. Every prophet of Israel, without exception, prophesied that the Temple would be rebuilt, ushering a new era of universal harmony and peace. The "movement" to rebuild the Holy Temple was born almost 2,000 years ago, at the moment of the Second Temple's Destruction. After millennia of yearning, only one organization is paving the way for the rebuilding of the Temple. The Temple Institute (מכון המקדש) located in the Old City of Jerusalem is a research organization dedicated to the preparing for the construction of the Third...

G-d's word is amazing. 3500 years ago He shows his sense of humor by giving the ancient Hebrews a word for "violence"....."HAMAS"! Ancient Hebrew word for violence

Spare us the pieties and righteous indignation of Europe. The final solution turned out to be Israel and they can't handle it. Europe is in an uproar. Frankfurt, Germany is rioting, along with France, the UK and in other places where it’s Springtime for Hitler all over again. But even over here in America the streets are filling up with hateful marches and (slogans) against the Jewish State. Much of this is triggered by Muslims who arrive here with a grudge and stay with a grudge. But also…television termite Jon Stewart sleeps comfortably in his own bed but can find...

When the Americans (“and allies”) took Kabul, they discovered that one of the clichés about Afghanistan was wrong. It was not true that there were no Jews left in that country. An elderly gentleman emerged from the rubble, a certain Ishaq Levin (may he rest in peace). All these years he had kept his head down, but was now under the impression he could come out.It turned out there was another one. Perhaps gentle reader has heard the story, which was made into a little play in London. Zabolon Simenov (various spellings), carpet dealer and kebab-seller, also survived the...

Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Ron Dermer, addressing the annual Washington conference of Christians United for Israel, July 21, 2014.With sharp jabs at the Obama administration, Christians United for Israel launched its annual Washington rally with appeals to Congress to impose new sanctions on Iran and cut off funding to the Palestinian Authority. David Brog, the group’s executive director, said CUFI regarded the Iran nuclear talks as a failure and would back legislation proposed by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) that would impose new sanctions immediately. The Cruz measure is tougher than legislation already under consideration that would trigger sanctions...