Tuesday, March 8, 2022

Realpolitik Lessons for Israel from Ukraine

by Emanuel Shilo, Editor of Besheva, translated by Hillel Fendel

We must not give up on a strong army; international guarantees cannot replace strategic assets; and we may not blink vis-à-vis dictatorial regimes and aggressive rulers. Here's what Israel has to learn from Ukraine's bitter fate.

Ukrainian forces ready at the border

Interview With Baruch Gordon on Perspectives of Aliyah

Interview conducted by Sharona Cohen

Guarding in the IDF in the 1990's

Baruch Gordon tells about his journey to Israel and the Bet El Yeshiva, and provides some perspective for Jews struggling with the decision to make Aliyah.

Tuesday, February 22, 2022

All About the Yeshiva

by Hillel Fendel

Beit Midrash, Bet El Yeshiva

Yeshivat Bet El

It was late autumn of 1977 (5738) when a group of pioneer students from Yeshiva Merkaz HaRav in Jerusalem made its way to the mountains of Binyamin. Their goals were: to establish a new Jewish presence, to build a Yeshiva, and to make the desolate area bloom. Led by HaRav Zalman Baruch Melamed and Reb Yaakov Katz (Ketzaleh), the group had the blessing and encouragement of Rav Tzvi Yehuda HaCohen Kook, of holy blessed memory.

Unknown Danger: The Mess of Russia, Ukraine, the U.S., and Israel

by Hillel Fendel

Kyiv

What will Israel do in the event of a large-scale Russian invasion of, or attack on, the Ukraine? The question is not simple to answer, as Israel has good relations with both Russia and the United States – and certainly is not interested in tipping its hand too early.

At the weekly Cabinet meeting this Sunday, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett instructed the Cabinet ministers not to comment publicly on the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Despite this, at least two of them simply could not resist – giving a glimpse into both Israel's position vis-à-vis the war that might develop to our north, and the frailty of Bennett's coalition government.

Monday, February 7, 2022

BeSheva: Third-Largest Israeli Weekly

Originally published in Arutz Sheva, translated by Hillel Fendel

BeSheva logo

The weekly BeSheva newspaper, a weekly Arutz Sheva publication (under the auspices of Bet El Institutions) distributed for free throughout Israel, has cemented its position as the country's 3rd-largest weekly journal. It registered nearly a 2% jump in readership in 2021, according to the TGI (Target Group Index) consumers-and-media analysis organization.