Haveil Havalim #229, Modi'in Edition

Please read all the way to the bottom for a special new category, exclusive to my blog.


Founded by Soccer Dad, Haveil Havalim is a carnival of Jewish blogs — a weekly collection of Jewish & Israeli blog highlights, tidbits and points of interest collected from blogs all around the world. It’s hosted by different bloggers each week and coordinated by Jack. The term Haveil Havalim, which means Vanity of Vanities, is from Kohelet, (Ecclesiastes) which was written by King Solomon. King Solomon built the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and later on got all bogged down in materialism and other excesses and realized that it was nothing but hevel, or in English, vanity.

I'm going to start with a post that doesn't quite fit into any category. It is an extremely important post and I'm putting it at the top so that everyone will see it...In it, Westbankmama talks about about domestic violence in the religious community and where women (in Israel) can turn to if they need help. Read it at A Place to Hide, A Place to Heal: A Battered Women?s Shelter for Orthodox Jews posted at West Bank Mama.

Modi'in Bloggers

Recently, I decided to create a separate section of bloggers that live in Modi'in on my blogroll. I've never met any of these bloggers--for all I know they live next door to me--but I thought it'd be a fun thing to do. And I'm going to feature them (us!) here at the top of this post. Hey, when you host HH, you can do whatever you want. Anyhoo, Modi'in has recently celebrated a special birthday, and I for one, am proud of my city, even though we haven't been able to drink the water here since yesterday.

To my surprise, I got a separate note from a blogger I didn't know blogged from Modi'in. He asks, "Do I get any special treatment for being a fellow-Modi'in native???...hope to meet sometime. Jerus Bloggers Conv?" [More on the convention in an upcoming post]. I'm looking forward to that--maybe we can carpool to the convention with the other Modi'in bloggers. In the meantime, he presents Religion and State in Israel - August 3, 2009 (Section 1) posted at Religion and State in Israel.

This blog just makes me laugh. Your kid need a backpack for school? See how Gila handles it in Attack of the backpack.

Israel W. gives us some tips for job-hunting in Israel at his blog. He's entered his post in a contest at Jobmob, so if you click on over there, you can help him out. I hear there are iced coffees for all his fellow Modi'in bloggers if he wins. Heck, maybe he'll treat the whole Jewish blogosphere.

And Mazal Tov on to Emah S. on the not-so-recent birth of her baby girl. She seems to be back on the blog scene. Will she keep it up?

Israel

Ben-Yehudah asks Let's Be Honest. How Many Of Them Do You Think Are Jewish? posted at Esser Agaroth. He also presents Festival HaMiqdash - The Temple Festival (Updated) posted at Esser Agaroth.

Lion of Zion asks Has Israel Failed As An Or la-Goyyim? posted at Lion of Zion.

Joel Katz presents a weekly review of media coverage on issues of religion and state in Israel on his blog in Religion and State in Israel - August 3, 2009 (Section 2) posted at Religion and State in Israel.

Benji gets serious and talks about racism, cultural differences in America vs Israel in Racism, Americans and Israelis, the Worst World in the English Language, and When Can I Start Posting Funny Stuff Again? posted at What War Zone???

What happens when your kid attends the Israeli version of camp "machaneh"? Mrs. S. tells us what to expect at Our Shiputzim: A Satorial Scenario. (Sorry for the oversight, Mrs. S!)

Have you heard about what happened when Kristin Davis (who played Charlotte in the Sex in the City TV show and movie) became a spokesman for Ahava products? Yisrael Medad tells us in Women to Sacrifice Their Beauty for "Palestinians" posted at My Right Word

This blog is always on the pulse of what is current in Israel, be it culture, politics or whatever. Harry presents An animated Israel posted at ISRAELITY.

My friend Rutimizrachi revels in her fellow Jews returning home in 238 more reasons for dancing on Tu B'Av posted at Ki Yachol Nuchal!. Friends of ours were on that flight and we are thrilled they have decided to come home.

Uh-oh. Jameel tells us that the FEDS (yup, from the IRS) have arrived in Israel.

Batya presents The New York Times Comes To Shiloh posted at Shiloh Musings.

Personal

A Mother in Israel has Laundry and Cooking Tips for Large Families.

Batya decides to use discretion in Back With The Veil posted at me-ander.

This sounds like fun (NOT.) Frum N' Flipping presents The Mating Ritual posted at Frum N' Flipping

Rabbi Neil Fleischmann writes in a free associative, personal post about - among other things - why he disagrees with the fellow blogger who claims "no-one cares what you had for lunch." He's liked to thank his subconcious for helping the piece come together. Read all about it here in For Me, A Taste Of Heaven posted at NY's Funniest Rabbi.

Jack presents Too Lijit To Quit & The Nigerian Email Scammer posted at Random Thoughts- Do They Have Meaning?. I need to look into this Lijit thing.

Mazal Tov to Robert J. Avrech, of Seraphic Secret and family on the wedding of Offspring #3. You can see great photos here , here, here and here.

Humor

Now, here's a funny Tu B'av video....can Benji get a date? Why not see in It's Almost Tu B'av....Now Where the Hell are My Heels? posted at What War Zone???.

Politics

Lady-Light wants to know Where Was Obama Really Born? posted at Tikkun Olam. She's not the only one who's curious.

Religion/Judaism/Culture

How machmir [stringent in your religious behavior] are you? Mottel tells us that I for One Am Not a Machmir posted at Letters of Thought.

There's nothing more important than building a Jewish Home--that's what Batya notes in Dreaming of A Wedding For... posted at Shiloh Musings.

Naomi Rosenblatt gives us a a quick list of recommended Jewish books on love, sex, and relationships, in honor of Tu B'Av. Plus, a cute take on the history of Tu B'Av and its modern reincarnation in “I Wonder, Wonder Who Wrote The Book of Love?”: Jewish Books on Love and Relationships, in Honor of Tu B'Av posted at Jewish Publication Society Blog.

More about love: Rabbi Neil submits 3 poems along with backstory including an excerpt from The History of Love by Nicole Krauss. He presents And Yet.* posted at NY's Funniest Rabbi.

This is a new blog I've never seen before, but I was touched by this post. In it David tells us how he is trying to ingrain Judaism into his home and into his children's hearts. Read it at Super Secret Sabbath Soda posted at Double Triangle: Jewish Food, Life & Community.

Lady-Light presents Perceptions of the Jews by Renowned Gentiles posted at Tikkun Olam.

I was so proud of myself. I finished the last link by 3 a.m. and thought, well, that's that. I can get almost 4 hours of sleep tonight. I went to sleep, satisfied.

And then I awoke to check my e-mails. First one blogger who asked why I hadn't included her submission. And then another. Yet another. What happened? Must be the Carnival people--their site is always having problems. Okay, I said, I'll update the post. And then yet another blogger e-mailed me. I contacted Jack, who suggested I check my spam filter. Well, duh. There you all were, over 30 submissions.

Funny thing is, I thought there were very few submissions this time. But I figured people were probably on vacation. The thought occurred to me that maybe you guys don't like me (self-esteem issues left over from high school sometimes rear their ugly heads). But, no I was wrong. And thus was created a new category for Haveil Havalim. Please accept my apologies. It won't happen again next time I host.

Bloggers Whose Submissions Went Straight to Spam

Eli brings us up to date on Roseanne's latest shenanigans at Barr bakes cookies and her reputation posted at Mypanim's Weblog.

So now if you live in Jerusalem you are considered a "settler" [dirty word that that is]. See what Eric has to say in AP Anti-Israel Bias in Pro-Israel Story posted at The Israel Situation.

This is weird. How come another one of LOZ's post got through filter, but this one didn't? Anyway, he presents presents Jr Mourns the Bet Hamikdash posted at Lion of Zion.

Yitzchak Goodman presents Guardian: Ayatollah in trouble, Zionist entity hampering Obama from finishing him off posted at Judeopundit.

This week's Torah poem explores the imagery of Ekev in a new way, as commentary on the landscape of the human heart. Rachel Barenblat presents This week's portion: not by bread posted at Velveteen Rabbi.

In his Jerusalem Post "Green-Lined" blog, Yisrael Medad continues his windmill-tilting of the pro-"Palestinian" bias of the US Consulate in Jerusalem. Yisrael Medad presents JPost.com | BlogCentral | Green-Lined | And where were you born? Pt. II posted at Green-Lined. He also dares to take on the famous and influential Robert D. Kaplan in Well, Now I Am Losing My Patience. Finally, he recalls a passionate defender of Israel, the late Sidney Zion in Sidney Zion, In Memoriam posted at My Right Word.

TRS presents It's been a long time coming, and it ain't ending too soon either posted at The Real Shliach.

Soccer Dad presents Next year in jerusalem posted at Soccer Dad.

This picture is being posted and circulated as well it should be. Here's a bit of background on the man behind the poster, presented by Risa in 5 Words + 1 picture says it all! posted at Isramom.

Here's another powerful article about spouse abuse. David Morris presents Made in Hell posted at Tzedek-Tzedek.

Rena Chernin presents Surviving Ulpan Boot Camp and Good Medicine posted at Sweet Home Yerushalayim.

SeminaryToScientist presents Covering Your Hair in the Hospital posted at Seminary to Scientist.

Mordechai Torczyner presents My first JACS meeting posted at The Rebbetzin's Husband.

Toby presents her funny signs at Airport fun, S-XL posted at A Time of the Signs.

Gee. I wonder if the president will write back. Ariel Ben Yochanan presents An open letter to President Hussein Obama by Ariel Ben Yochanan posted at The Torah Revolution.

Rickismom presents My Parents and the Plaster Figurines posted at Beneath the Wings.

Mrs. S., whose last name doesn't begin with the letter S, presents Nitkatnu hadorot posted at Our Shiputzim: A Work In Progress.

Harry presents Legendary rock bassist chooses Jerusalem stone and Ugandan Jews posted at ISRAELITY. Well, at least one of your submissions got in on the first try.

Lubavitch presents Manali Diary 3: Chabad Rabbis Continue To Search For Missing Israeli posted at lubavitch.com Chabad-Lubavitch news site.

See what Jennifer Singer is counting down to at Beginnings posted at 48 Days - Jennifer's RH Countdown.

This is very scary to me, with close family still living in that country. The CJN presents Venezuela turning into anti-Semitic playground posted at Heebonics.

David A.M. Wilensky presents As the fringe gets longer, the convresation gets wider posted at The Reform Shuckle.

Phyllis is very proud of her brother. And so am I. See why at Ima on (and off) the Bima: Real-Life Jewish Parenting: I ♥ Israel...a Tu B'Av Post posted at Ima on (and off) the Bima: Real-Life Jewish Parenting. And she also tells us what she really accomplished this summer in Best Laid Plans Go Awry.

Shira presents Women to the Left, Men to the Right !!! posted at Shearim.

A Simple Jew presents One Boring Summer Day - A Story From My Past posted at A Simple Jew.

Israel presents Sabra Album Take 6 – Marketing Edition posted at The Weisser's Journey to Israel.

And of course, fitting for the אחרון אחרון חביב [save the best for last] post, are Jacob Richman's pictures of the most recent planeload of new olim from America to Israel. It's at Good News from Israel: Welcome Home to the New Olim (and 322 pictures) posted at Good News from Israel. Welcome home! (I know of at least one blogger on that flight).

Thanks, spammers and non-spammers alike, who submitted to the Modi'in edition of Haveil Havalim. We've arrived at the end. Actually, I could go on forever, linking you to to a million posts from all over the Jewish Blogosphere but it's 2:45 a.m. here in Israel. And as you know, SUNDAY IS A REGULAR DAY IN THIS COUNTRY, meaning that I have to get up for work in a couple of hours.

Submit your blog article to the next edition of haveil havalim using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Have a great week!