| Erev Shabbat - Parashat Yitro 5784 | 23 Shvat 5784 - February 2, 2024 | | 
On January 29, 2024,
Mizrachi - RZC members and friends attended the Grand ReOpening
of the newly remodeled Mizrachi - Religious Zionists of Chicago building.
 | | | 
"Mizrachi Chicago – you are amazing!"
That is what we heard from the representatives of the IDF families to whom we sent meals for Shabbat as part of this year's Raffle – Support IDF Families campaign.
So far, we have arranged for 355 meals to be sent, showing our care and concern for the IDF Families and creating personal connections with them.
We are continuing this effort, now in partnership with the Efrat Development Foundation. As before, each $60 donated will result In a Shabbat meal for an IDF family whose parent/spouse is on active IDF duty. Tax-deductible donations are to be sent directly to the Efrat Development Foundation by clicking here. | | | An Open Letter to My Friends in the Diaspora Rabbi Zev M. Shandalov  Look at nearly every Israel-related website, and you will see a banner across the top proclaiming: "Israel at War, Day Number X."
I believe that this perpetuates a misconception in both Israel and the Diaspora. Allow me to elaborate.
The implication in said banner is that Israel, as a country, is at war, and those outside of her borders are not. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Let us start by looking at some very scary and sobering statistics. A 337% increase of antisemitic acts in the USA; an increase of 1300% in attacks in the UK. Truly around the world there is an absolute explosion of Jew-hatred actions. France just announced that they have recorded an increase of 1000% in such attacks.
The war is not Israel's war; the war is a Jewish war, or more accurately, a war against the Jews, worldwide. The sooner that that is understood, the sooner the Jewish people can take appropriate action.
Prior to October 7, 2023, university campuses in the USA, and around the world, were hotbeds of antisemitism. However, beginning the day after the Hamas massacre, the universities exploded into places that proactively called for the death of Jews. Please note that whether on the university campuses, or in the streets of London, Los Angeles, Miami or any other city, the violent protestors are not just saying they want to "Free Palestine." (That itself is a call for genocide!) No, they have made it noticeably clear that eliminating Israel (and her Jews) is merely a step in a worldwide program to rid the entire world of its Jews. They say it clearly, loudly and with truly few repercussions. (And if you think things will improve after the elections in November, you would be mistaken.)
We have seen this movie before.
A Holocaust survivor told me, personally, that the Jew-hatred climate around the world is worse than in the years leading up to WWII. No, not in any way, shape or form will there be death camps for Jews again, G-d forbid. In addition, comparing the Holocaust to what is happening today minimizes the Holocaust and is inappropriate.
What I am saying is that Jews all over the world have a fundamental problem and they had better face it sooner rather than later. A climate in which a kippa on a man's head could get him killed; wearing a T-shirt with a flag of Israel could land someone in the hospital; voicing support for Israel could get you fired or worse - that is an extremely dangerous climate. And that is only the beginning. History has shown us that when things start to be dark and dangerous for Jews, it only gets much worse before getting better.
No, I am not a fear-monger. I am a realist. This is not about fear. This is about the current reality that we, as Jews all over the world need to face.
So, what is an option that many have started to embrace?
Aliya - moving to Israel.
After WWII, many rabbis of communities were excoriated for not having seen the writing on the wall and urging their communities to get out of Europe. But then, it was too late. Besides the ones who proactively told their communities to stay put, there were other rabbis who remained silent and unconcerned. Sadly, many of those communities went up in flames.
Despite having worked for over 25 years for Jewish communities in the U.S. and Israel, I am still hesitant to speak up. However, as the famous pasuk from Yeshayahu says: "למען ציון לא אחשה." ("For Zion's sake I shall not remain silent!")
My fellow Jews: The time has come. Come home!
Come home to the Land that Hashem promised you and the land in which you are loved. While in many cities in the Diaspora you may feel safe, happy and even prosperous, it is a chimera and a toxic environment. You are somewhere on the scale between a tolerated visitor and a hated member of a society, which would sooner spit you out rather than help you. Yes indeed, there are many who love the Jews and help the Jews.
But…
The writing is on the wall! It is time to read that writing. It is time to make plans for your future. It is time to alter the course of your family and to protect them.
But wait, I hear you say: "Israel is dangerous! What about parnassa/income? What about…"(fill in the blank)?
Yes, my dear readers, Israel is the Promised Land, not the perfect Land. But ask the average Israeli if he or she feels safer in Israel or when travelling in the USA, Europe, etc. I have made such inquiries and easily Israel wins every time! We have a country dedicated to helping and protecting Jews. We have our own army, our own government, and our own wonderful Jewish family.
As far as parnassa (making a living) is concerned, there are many opportunities for you in Israel. Have you ever taken the time to investigate job opportunities? If there is truly a will to live in Israel, there will be something for you. Some people find a new path in a different area of work. Some re-invent themselves, and others find exactly what they seek. It is a matter of making the effort and getting the process started.
Where is the Emunah? Where is the faith in Hashem that He will help you through the process? No, it is not easy! Who promised you "easy" in life?
But, while it is not easy, it is essential. It is essential to be in an environment that embraces you, loves you, needs you and wants you. It is crucial to leave an environment that is hostile to you, does not embrace you and tells you to "go back where you came from."
In conclusion, I am not a Navi (prophet), nor do I claim to have supernatural powers. What I do claim to have is a boundless love for my fellow Jews. I love all of you and want you all to live safe and prosperous lives. I do not want to be "that guy" in a few years if G-d forbid things get much worse, who did not open his mouth and speak his peace.
I do not say all of this from the perspective of triumphalism nor from a place of judgement. I say this with love.
Come home to Israel!
The time has come to make the move.
With greetings of peace and prosperity,
Zev M. Shandalov
Maale Adumim
Israel
PS - If I can be of assistance in answering any questions, please feel free to contact me. | | 
| HaMizrachi Parasha Weekly - YOUTH EDITION
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Timely Teshuvah
Mrs. Shira Smiles Am Yisrael continue their journey from Egypt through the Sinai desert. The Torah tells us that they left Refidim and came to Har Sinai (Shemot 19:2). Yet we already know the Jews were coming from Refidim. As we are aware, nothing is repetitive in Torah, what information is being added here? Rashi explains that just as Bnei Yisrael approached the area of Har Sinai in a state of teshuvah, likewise, when leaving Refidim the people were engaged in teshuvah. Rashi's explanation leaves us a bit perplexed. If they already did teshuvah when leaving Refidim, why did they need to do teshuvah once again when coming to Har Sinai? Further, why is teshuvah at this juncture so crucial?
The Netziv in his commentary HaAmek Davar, explains that preparation is fundamental when advancing in holiness. As the Jewish people were about to experience the most quintessential event of their lives, it was not sufficient to prepare themselves upon arriving at Har Sinai, the groundwork needed to be laid before that.
Rav Weissblum in He'arat Derech, notes that before doing any mitzvah, one should ask two important questions; first, "what am I about to do?" Second, "For whom am I about to do this?" These questions enable us to achieve the proper mindset and allow the mitzvah to be truly experienced, not simply be a series of meaningless motions. To the extent one prepares, one connects more deeply and fully.
Our frame of mind creates all the difference. The Gemara recounts the story of Rabbi Chiya's extensive efforts to ensure that the Torah would not be forgotten among the people. Rabbi Chiya sowed flax seeds. He used the flax to make nets to trap deer, from the deer hides he made parchment on which he wrote the Torah scrolls. Rabbi Chiya was personally involved in the entire process to guarantee that the scrolls from which the Torah was to be taught would be infused with the proper intentions. It is said in the name of the Gra that if the members of a shul would be careful to focus their intentions in preparing the materials for the building and concentrate completely on the holy task of building the shul, then all the tefillot said in that shul would have perfect kavanah. The Gra notes that it is for this reason that many Tana'im and Amora'im would learn and teach outdoors under trees. They knew they could not ensure that the houses and buildings were built with the most perfect intentions and did not want less than impeccable energy to affect the purity of their learning.
The core element of teshuvah is being mindful and focused. Am Yisrael understood that to access the realm of kedushah they must immerse themselves in preparation. Teshuvah is not a one-time affair, we must be in a constant state of working and improving ourselves. Is it any wonder we have the beracha of teshuvah in our davening 3 times daily? This is the key to a life of kedushah; an awareness that this is the type of life we live.
Mrs. Shira Smiles, a lecturer, author and curriculum developer, is a member of the Mizrachi Speakers Bureau (www.mizrachi.org/speakers).
| |  In Every Generation | Yitro 5784
Rav Doron Perez
Executive Chairman of Mizrachi World Movement Every time we read the Haggadah to our children, we read the harrowing line: "…in every generation, they get up to destroy us."
On the day the State of Israel was established in 1948, all the neighboring Arab countries attacked the nascent state, which continued for the next 25 years until the end of the Yom Kippur War in 1973. In 1979, Egypt made peace with Israel, albeit a cold peace, and they were followed by Jordan, and recently the Abraham Accords, with the Sunni Arab countries slowly coming to terms with the existence of the Jewish state.
In that same year of 1979, the Iranian revolution took place. The Shia, fanatical Islamists came to power and aim (r"l) to destroy the Jewish people.
This hatred goes back to this week's parasha –we are told that the moment Torah came in to the world at Sinai, darkness and opposition also entered the world.
Ultimately, though, the forces of good will prevail. | |
Yitro 5784
Rabbi Bentzi Mann,
Director of World Mizrachi's Schools Department | | |  | Chicago Mizrachi Pina Chama in Itamar
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| | Blinken to visit Israel on Friday US Sec. of State says situation in Middle East most volatile 'since at least 1973,' announces trip to Israel.  US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday announced that he will arrive in Israel on Friday morning, as part of a broader Middle East trip. The visit will be his sixth since the war began following Hamas' brutal attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. During a press conference with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, Blinken said, "I would argue that we have not seen a situation as as dangerous as the one we're facing now across the region since at least 1973. And arguably, even even before that, and that is the environment in which we're operating." "Of course that was triggered by the horrific attacks of October 7 by Hamas, against innocent men, women and children," he added. Earlier this month, during his previous visit to Israel, Blinken arrived in Ramallah to meet with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. During the meeting, dozens of Palestinian Arabs protested the Secretary of State nearby, chanting: "You are not welcome here." PA security forces arrived at the scene and attempted to disperse the protesters. israelnationalnews.com | | Netanyahu says will not 'remove' IDF from Gaza or 'release thousands of terrorists' amid deal reports Sources in the Yesh Atid party say Opposition Leader and former Israeli prime minister Yair Lapid is willing to be part of the wartime unity government  Former Israeli Prime Minister and current Opposition Leader Yair Lapid released a statement that he would give the government a "safety net" for any deal that would bring hostages held in Gaza back home to Israel.
A source in Lapid's Yesh Atid party later told Ynet that the former Israeli prime minister would be willing to join the wartime unity government, for a short period of time.
"The first clause, the first line, in the contract between the state and its citizens, says that the state is responsible for their lives. Not only for their health or the education of their children, but for life in the most basic and simplest sense - for their security that the state will never abandon them to die," Lapid said in a statement, after meeting with families of Israeli hostages held captive by Hamas in Gaza.
 "Israel is not an ordinary country. It arose in the hands of a people who returned to their country after going through the greatest massacre in history. We live here by the power of an oath to protect each other, to love each other, to care for each other. This is what allows us to live here despite the risks," he continued.
"That contract was broken on October 7. We have no way to bring our dead back to life, but we have to return the abducted to their homes, otherwise something very basic will crumble in our relationship with each other, in the relationship between a people and their country, certainly in the fundamental trust between the citizens and the government. This must not happen. There are things that are beyond debate," the Israeli opposition leader stated.
"In the last 116 days, I met with dozens of families of abductees. I promised them and I repeat my promise: we will give the government a safety net for any deal that will return the abductees to their homes and families. This is our commitment to the abductees and their families, this is our commitment," Lapid concluded.
 The comment followed a tweet by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, that said a "reckless" deal would lead to the dissolution of the current government coalition.
"Reckless deal = dissolution of the government," Ben-Gvir posted on X.
Meanwhile, sources close to Ben-Gvir Sources are not satisfied with a general threat to dissolve the government, but also clarify his message is "completely serious," according to Maariv.
"This is a clear red line. Such a reckless deal of releasing 2,000 murderous terrorists and a prolonged cease-fire - [means] Netanyahu does not have a government with Jewish Power [Ben-Gvir's party]," the sources told Maariv's Anna Rayva-Barsky.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated "I hear statements about all kinds of deals, so I want to clarify."
"We will not end this war with less than the achievement of all our goals and that means - the elimination of Hamas, the return of all our hostages and a promise that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel. We will not remove the IDF from the Gaza Strip, and we will not release thousands of terrorists! None of this will happen. What will happen? Absolute victory," the prime minister concluded, during a speech at a pre-military preparatory school in the West Bank.
i24news.tv | | | Here is a direct link to join the group - | | 
Here is a direct link to join the group - | | |  | Israeli commandos, dressed as doctors, foil terror attack in Jenin hospital The Israeli commando forces entered the hospital dressed as doctors and nurses, as seen in CCTV footage shared on social media. Israeli counterterrorism forces foiled an October 7-inspired terror attack overnight on Tuesday, targeting a cell hiding and planning the attack from the Ibn Sina hospital in Jenin, the West Bank. According to a joint statement by the IDF, Israel Police's YAMAM counterterrorism forces, and the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), Hamas terrorist Mohammad Jalamna was killed during the operation, along with two fellow terrorists who hid alongside him at the hospital. Twenty-seven-year-old Jalamna, a resident of the Jenin refugee camp, held direct communications with Hamas leadership abroad. According to the statement, he was responsible for transferring weaponry and ammunition to Hamas terrorists across the West Bank for shooting attacks targeting Israelis. The Israeli commando forces entered the hospital dressed as doctors and nurses, as seen in CCTV footage shared on social media. 'Planned to carry out October 7-inspired attack' Furthermore, Jalamna used the Jenin hospital as a secret base of operations as he was planning an infiltration attack akin to and inspired by the October 7 massacre, it added. Along with Jalamneh, Mohammed and Basel Ghazawi, brothers and Palestinian terrorists, were also killed by Israeli forces. Mohammed was a terrorist operative of the Jenin battalions who was involved in numerous attacks including firing at IDF soldiers in the area in recent weeks, the IDF said. Basel was a Palestinian Islamic Jihad operative involved in terror activities in the area. Hamas' use of hospitals as bases of terror The securit  y forces stated that for a long time, a large number of wanted persons had been hiding in hospitals and were using them as a base for planning terror attacks and carrying them out, and that they believed that the hospitals would serve as protection against Israeli security forces. The statement said that the operation was made possible due to accurate intelligence received before the operation, and an operation of this nature was unprecedented. One senior official stated, "There are no cities of refuge in the West Bank and there will not be - every terrorist should know this. The hand of the IDF and the security establishment will reach everyone." jpost.com | | After soldier's death in Gaza, Filipino family finds comfort in Jewish mourning practice Hundreds pay condolence calls for Sgt. First Class Cedrick Garin, as his parents fight to become Israeli citizens after their son made the ultimate sacrifice for the State of Israel Maya Zanger-Nadis  There were two distinct venues for those who came to pay their respects to the family of fallen soldier Sgt. First Class Cedrick Garin on Monday morning in Tel Aviv: inside the tent and outside the tent.
Inside the tent, set up to accommodate the visitors who would have overflowed the family's apartment, Cedrick's parents Imelda and Rico mourned their son who fell in Gaza and lauded his heroism and strength in the face of adversity.
Most people who paid a shiva call during the seven-day mourning period did not know Cedrick personally and had never met his wife or parents. But they came out in hundreds to honor the Israeli-Filipino soldier who was killed a week ago when he and 20 other soldiers came under RPG attack in Gaza in what turned out to be the single deadliest incident for IDF troops since the ground operation began.
The visitors hugged Garin's parents, cried with them, thanked them for their son's sacrifice. At one point, a young man knelt on the ground and sobbed into Rico's lap. Imelda and Rico accepted it all gracefully.
 Cedrick and his family are not Jewish; yet, the framework they chose for their mourning — the traditional seven-day Jewish mourning period called shiva — took on the cultural shape of their chosen country. Several of the visitors wished Imelda success in her petition for Israeli citizenship, which she discussed on Sunday with Interior Minister Moshe Arbel, who promised to prioritize her case as well as Rico's. Arbel instructed the Population and Immigration Authority to grant citizenship to the Philippines-born parents of the fallen soldier, he told Hebrew media outlets on Sunday.
Cedrick's mother, who currently holds the status of temporary resident, has been living in Israel as a foreign worker for the better part of 30 years and Cedrick himself only officially became an Israeli citizen after his army service. His father only returned to Israel 22 years after his deportation, to bury his son. But at both his funeral and his shiva, Cedrick was called "Israel's glory" and "a hero of Israel."
The overt sadness was localized to inside the tent. Outside, Cedrick's wife Daniela sat with her husband 's friends from the army amid constant laughter and high spirits. "Do you remember his wallet? He had a granny wallet." "Oh God — I hated that wallet of his!" "He said something about a traffic ticket…" "I forgot about the traffic ticket! I told him I would take care of it… Well, I guess it's taken care of now, haha… That goddamn ticket. Wow."
Daniela barely set foot in the tent all morning. The 22-year-old widow wanted only to sit with the soldiers and have a cigarette, a cup of coffee and a good laugh. "I don't know how lon g they can stay here," she said to anyone who tried to take her away from her soldiers. "And I want to sit with the guys." "I only come out for them," she said. "They know how to laugh with me. Everyone else comes to me and cries, and then I cry with them."
She added that her grief is like a roller coaster of laughter and tears. On Monday morning, she was prioritizing laughter.
The group spent over an hour with her, sharing memories, photos, videos, voice messages, and anything else they could think of. They leaned into the dark humor, allowing themselves what would otherwise have been incredibly inappropriate comments about the tragic death of their friends.
But, they said, that's what their group was always doing: joking around until the last moment. "I'm sure Cedrick was laughing right up until the moment of the explosion," said Daniela.
The soldiers, unfortunately, had other condolence calls to make that day, still catching up after a week of nonstop funerals and shivas for their 21 fallen comrades. Only after her husband's comrades left did Daniela address the crowd, and the sadness made an appearance. Her smile faded and she returned to the same mournful tone of voice she used in media interviews. "[Cedrick's death] still hasn't really hit me," Daniela said. "I just take it one step at a time." timesofisrael.com | | Family of fallen Bedouin soldier: 'Not one Arab MK has visited' The family of a Bedouin soldier killed in the Gaza building collapse noticed one group in particular missing from the many who came to console them.  Political analyst Amit Segal visited the family of Sergeant First Class (res.) Ahmad Abu Latif, who was killed in the Gaza building collapse disaster.
Segal shared his experiences in a television broadcast and added that he was surprised that no Arab MK had visited the family.
Ahmad was in charge of security for Ben-Gurion University. His father spoke about how strict his son was and added that when he had visited the university, Ahmad had made him go through a security check. "I trust you, but maybe someone is smuggling something in with you. I can't make any exceptions," he would tell his father.
The family explained that on the morning of October 7th, Ahmad was unable to find the key to the closet containing his uniform. In his rush to report for duty, he had smashed the door rather than keep looking for the key. "Everyone was there - religious, secular, Arab," Segal recounted. "On my way out, his brother stopped me. I asked him if everyone had indeed visited, and he told me 'No, do you know who is missing? Not even one Arab MK.' Fellow anchor Ben Caspit replied "This is weird, we need to check on this with Mansour Abbas. It would be most fitting for him to visit. He is very active among the families of the hostages." "At a minimum, he is responsible to show some humanity and console the family of a casualty," Segal agreed. israelnationalnews.com | | | | |
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