Early Friday morning, the Home Front Command announced an immediate shift in national defense posture. The new directive moves all Israeli regions from full operational status to essential services only. These restrictions prohibit educational activities, public gatherings, and non-essential work operations.

"The people of Israel face an emergency situation, and we pray while strengthening our IDF soldiers and national leadership in their war to eliminate the existential threat against Israel," Rabbi David Stav, who chairs the Tzahar rabbinical organization, said. "This crisis demands complete adherence to Home Front Command directives. Should gathering restrictions remain in effect – this necessarily includes synagogue prayers. While communal prayer represents an ideal, preserving life takes precedence over Shabbat observance."

Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, serving as Tzfat's chief rabbi, advocates for neighborhood-based prayer services similar to coronavirus-era arrangements. "Community prayer groups can function near protected areas when necessary. Should synagogue worship become feasible, congregants must carry firearms, given uncertainty about Israeli Arab intentions. The synagogue sexton should also maintain telephone access."

Both rabbinical authorities emphasize monitoring emergency broadcasts through silent radio frequencies while prohibiting regular media consumption. "Keep radios tuned to silent emergency channels for critical updates. Television, standard radio programming, and internet browsing for news remain forbidden," both rabbis instructed.

Rabbi Eliyahu further stressed advance preparation of safe rooms for extended Shabbat occupation. "Maintain minimal lighting to prevent Shabbat violations through switching lights on or off," he advised.

Restricted Western Wall operations

Following Israel's emergency declaration and directives from security agencies and Israel Police, Western Wall prayers will operate under severe limitations to ensure worshipper and visitor safety. Current guidelines restrict services until further notice to protected prayer chambers within the Western Wall tunnel complex, with strict capacity controls and official oversight.

"We emphasize the critical importance of following Home Front Command and security force instructions. Compliance with these guidelines saves lives. All site prayers will focus on the welfare and success of IDF personnel, security operatives, and Israeli Air Force pilots defending Israel and its people with unwavering resolve," Western Wall Heritage Foundation representatives stated.

IDF Spokesperson Lt. Col. Efi Dafrin briefed media following the overnight strategic operation, confirming Iran launched more than 100 drones toward Israel while defense systems engage incoming threats.

Addressing Israeli Air Force operations in Iran, Dafrin reported "Through precision targeting overnight, forces struck over 100 Iranian sites. Operations targeted nuclear program infrastructure while eliminating senior leadership and command personnel." The military spokesman continued "Our intelligence has tracked Iranian developments for years."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued remarks from the Diplomatic-Security Cabinet session, stating "We have delivered a highly successful initial strike, and with divine assistance – we will achieve substantial strategic gains." Addressing Israeli civilians, Netanyahu warned "Extended periods in protected facilities may prove necessary."

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When Passover Eve fell on Shabbat, it was a rare occurrence, even in days when months were sanctified by sighting the new moon, and years could pass without this happening. Even today, with our fixed calendar system, Passover Eve falls on Shabbat only rarely.

This year (5785), Passover Eve will fall on Shabbat, and will not occur again until twenty years from now in the year 5805 (which will also feature a three-day Purim and Tisha B'Av falling on Saturday night). This unusual timing raises numerous practical questions about how to handle Shabbat meals and chametz removal.

Chametz removal

The Mishnah in Pesachim (49a) discusses the timing of chametz removal when Passover Eve falls on Shabbat. Rabbi Meir holds that chametz should be removed on Friday, while the Sages and Rabbi Elazar bar Zadok maintain it should be removed "in its time," meaning on Shabbat itself.

The Rambam and the Shulchan Aruch (444,1) ruled that chametz should be removed on Friday, though keeping some chametz for Shabbat meals is permitted. Any remaining chametz on Shabbat can be disposed of by flushing it down the toilet (Mishnah Berurah 21) or by pouring a spoiling agent on it.

In a standard year, chametz must be removed by the end of the fifth hour. When removal is moved to Friday, one might assume it could be removed anytime during the day, since chametz consumption remains permitted even on Shabbat. Nevertheless, the Mordechai, citing Rashi (Pesachim, end of Chapter 1), states that even when Passover Eve falls on Shabbat, chametz should be removed by the end of the fifth hour on Friday as a precaution to maintain consistency with regular years. The Shulchan Aruch (444,2) upholds this ruling.

In summary, when Passover Eve falls on Shabbat:

• Check for chametz on Thursday evening
• Nullify chametz after the check as usual
• Burn chametz Friday morning by the end of the fifth hour
• Don't nullify chametz on Friday (unless you don't plan to eat more)
• Nullify the remaining chametz on Shabbat before the end of the fifth hour

Handling Shabbat meals

When planning Shabbat meals, two options exist, each with challenges: using chametz foods and utensils or using kosher-for-Passover foods and utensils.

The most practical approach in modern times is to finish kashering the kitchen and storing all chametz utensils before Shabbat. On Shabbat itself, use kosher-for-Passover food with disposable dishes. Here is a practical schedule:

Friday Night Meal: Use pitas or non-crumbling bread with disposable dishes. If concerned about children carrying chametz throughout the house, eat an egg-sized portion of bread at the meal's beginning, then clear it away. For the blessing after meals, keep a small amount of bread (even in a plastic bag) on the table.

Shabbat Morning Meal: Rise early for prayers to finish in time to eat comfortably before the chametz deadline. After prayers, make Kiddush and enjoy a brief but satisfying breakfast with pitas or challah and accompaniments. Finish chametz consumption by the end of the fourth hour (approximately 10:00 a.m.). Today's variety of spreads, smoked fish, and pastrami allows for creating an honorable Shabbat meal even with these constraints.

Purchase only minimal amounts of bread for Shabbat. For leftover bread, pour a spoiling agent (like bleach or dish soap) over it and dispose of it in the toilet or outside garbage. Nullify the chametz by reciting "Kol chamira..." before the end of the fifth hour – around 11:20 a.m.

Mincha and Third Meal: The third Shabbat meal can be eaten approximately half an hour after noon (around 1:15 p.m.). Mincha prayers can be recited from this time, preferably before the meal. This can be a substantial lunch to prevent excessive hunger at the Seder, but must be chametz-free.

Kneidlach (matzah balls) are permitted at this meal, and some Sephardic Jews use egg matzah. In such cases, begin the meal before the tenth hour – around 3:50 p.m. Take care not to eat too close to the Seder to ensure appetite for the ritual matzah.

Torah Study, Between breakfast's end and Mincha time, there are roughly two to two-and-a-half free hours. Communities should organize Torah classes for adults, youth, and children during this time, including parent-child learning sessions.

In this way we can use this special Shabbat to prepare for the Seder night, so that we can enter the Seder night both from studying the Haggadah, from rest, and from the holiness of Shabbat. God willing, may we rise from holiness to holiness, and merit to achieve true inner freedom.

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Joe Lieberman may not have appeared to be a rebel at first glance, but this mild-mannered politician possessed a backbone of steel. As the first Orthodox Jew elected to the US Senate, he often acted as a bridge between Democrats and Republicans during an era of bitter polarization.

Bridging political divides

Imagine a Democratic presidential candidate choosing a Republican as their running mate. In today's political climate, that sounds outrageous. Yet, this almost became a reality in 2008 when Republican candidate John McCain considered selecting Lieberman as his vice president. Why would McCain partner with a Democrat? It was likely due to Lieberman's unique ability to bridge political divides.

Lieberman frequently collaborated with Republicans on significant issues, such as environmental legislation and welfare reform. His commitment to working across party lines was a hallmark of his political career, demonstrating that achieving goals often requires collaboration, even among those with differing viewpoints.

The first Orthodox Jew in the Senate

Lieberman's journey to the Senate was not just about politics but also about faith. As the first observant Jew in the Senate, he faced unique challenges. Observing Shabbat meant disconnecting from work for 25 hours each week, and attending events during Jewish holidays was often complicated. Some of Lieberman's political advisors expressed concern that his religious observance would impede his campaign. Yet, he viewed his Judaism as a source of motivation.

Throughout his political career, Lieberman maintained a daily practice of morning prayers, reflecting his commitment to his faith. This practice provided him with a sense of calm amidst the chaos of political life. Raised in an Orthodox home, he was instilled with the importance of Shabbat, which remained a priority even during his time in the Senate.

Lieberman's dedication to Shabbat was evident when he would walk for hours to the Capitol to vote on Saturdays, demonstrating his commitment to both his faith and his duties as a senator. His colleagues respected this unique aspect of his character, and it became a defining trait of his political persona. The Jewish value of tikun olam, or repairing the world, inspired him to address social issues head-on, from civil rights to environmental advocacy.

A commitment to social activism

Joe Lieberman's activism began in the 1960s, during a time of significant social upheaval in the United States. He was deeply affected by the injustices of Jim Crow laws and felt compelled to take action. In 1963, he marched on Washington, witnessing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s iconic "I Have a Dream" speech.

Moved by the struggle for civil rights, Lieberman organized voter registration campaigns and publicized mock elections to demonstrate that Black Americans were indeed interested in politics. His efforts were not just about political activism; they were personal, stemming from a belief in justice and equality.

The value of debate

Another key aspect of Lieberman's approach to politics was his appreciation for debate. He grew up in a household that studied the Talmud, which encourages lively discussions, values diverse opinions, and is unafraid to engage in disagreements. This tradition is integral to Jewish culture, where debate and discourse are necessary to understand and interpret religious texts. Lieberman's ability to embrace disagreements allowed him to work collaboratively across party lines. He believed that productive disagreements were essential to democracy as long as they were rooted in good faith and mutual respect.

Staying true to his convictions

Lieberman's political journey was not without challenges. He often found himself at odds with his party, especially regarding the Iraq War. While many Democrats opposed the war, Lieberman remained a staunch supporter, believing that withdrawing would damage American credibility and security in the Middle East. He was willing to face backlash for his convictions, showcasing a rare form of political integrity in an era marked by partisanship.

Endorsing McCain

In 2008, as Barack Obama campaigned for president, Lieberman publicly endorsed John McCain, a decision that sparked outrage among some Democrats. He felt that the Democratic Party had shifted away from the principles he once valued. His endorsement was not just a political move; it was a reflection of his deep-seated beliefs about the country's direction. This decision led to calls for Lieberman to be punished by his party, but he remained steadfast. His willingness to prioritize principle over party loyalty was a hallmark of his character, earning him respect from colleagues across the aisle.

Legacy of Jewish observance

Most people remember Lieberman as a politician who came close to being vice president. However, his legacy extends beyond political titles. He demonstrated that devout Jewish observance could coexist with a successful political career.

Lieberman's journey teaches us valuable lessons about the importance of conviction, collaboration, and the ability to engage with differing perspectives. In a time when political divisions seem deeper than ever, his example serves as a reminder that it is possible to bridge gaps and work together for the common good.

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Shalom Boguslavsky's new book boasts probably the longest book title you have ever read: "The Unlikely and Oft-Overlooked Story of the Rise and Fall of Jewish Eastern Europe." The first sentence in this highly popular history book, written by the tour guide, lecturer and blogger, who has a strong passion for Eastern Europe, proudly tells us that, "It is a ridiculous feat to recount five hundred years of history in one book."  But Boguslavsky was forced to tell this story in one book as it is precisely this 500-year period from the 15th century to the Holocaust that creates a clear narrative arc: at the start of the 16th century (the period of the Expulsion of the Jews of Spain, the growing strength of the Ottoman Empire and the conquest of America by the Europeans) there were only a few tens of thousands of Jews in Eastern Europe; by the mid-18th century (prior to the American War of Independence and the French Revolution) this number had already grown to 750 thousand; and by the end of the 19th century (the birth of Zionism, the eve of the First World War, against the backdrop of a tremendous wave of emigration to America), there were some 6.5 million Jews there.

But Boguslavsky's book does not necessarily deal with these relatively well-known global events, which accompanied the rise of Judaism in Eastern Europe, but actually focuses on the no less interesting but much less remembered (or "oft-overlooked" in his words) developments of that particular area. Who are the people and the cultures who shared the Eastern-European domain with the Jews? What is the connection between the Jewish mythology of that period – the shtetl, the incessant battles between the Hasidim and the Litvaks (the Misnagedim or "opponents" who later took on the term Litvaks as they came from Lithuania) and so on – and the reality of the other surrounding nations and states? Our inability to perceive the conditions leading to the development of such a major force in world Jewry, does to a large extent underscore the importance of one of the maps presented at the beginning of the book: that large land of two kingdoms Poland-Lithuania, which at the time encompassed Ukraine, Poland, Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, and Kaliningrad. This is an immense swathe of land that has changed over the years, it expanded and was later downsized, it was partitioned and then reunited, and for the duration of those hundreds of years it was plagued by revolutions no less than those occurring in Western Europe. This certainly had an impact on the Jewish population.

Boguslavsky's interest in the Jews of Eastern Europe began as a necessary part of his profession. "I began to travel to Eastern Europe, mainly to Ukraine, due to personal circumstances, and also as I was extremely interested by it," recounts Boguslavsky. "The more I traveled the more I became captivated with it, and I thought: I travel in any event and deal with guiding and tourism, so why shouldn't they pay me for those trips? So, I began to take groups of tourists with me. I obviously needed to engage in an orderly effort to learn the relevant material so as not to talk garbage when providing commentary on the sites in question. When I learned the general history of those places, it cast Jewish history in a completely different light, and gave me the broader context that I had been missing until then, and that people usually are not aware of. The second thing that happened is that I was overly critical of certain images that had been traditionally associated with the Jews of Eastern Europe. They still remained firmly implanted in my head, but then, gradually I began to see things that did not really fit in with those images."

The first thing that Boguslavsky noticed, which contradicted those preconceptions that had "been implanted in his head," he claims was the number of Jews spread across the lands of Eastern Europe. "There were simply masses of Jews there," he says. "At some point, more than three-quarters of world Jewry were concentrated in that region. This was information that was already available, but it became much more present and tangible when I was there and saw the little that remained of it with my own eyes. It is still possible to feel the prominent presence of the Jews in that region to this day. The first example that caused me to understand this was one of the remains of the synagogues that I saw. Even the little that remained of it was extremely grand and majestic. I thought to myself that it is from the literature written about that period, rather than the academic research, that we always tend to gain the impression of the small, shabby and pitiful shtetl with the non-Jews on one side of the river and the Jews on the other side, and everything is so small and abjectly impoverished. And then, all of a sudden, you see a synagogue hewn from stone in the center of the town, a magnificent edifice built by the King of Poland's own personal architect. Thus, a number of factors began to accumulate that did not correspond with the image that I had entertained, and so I began to delve into this subject a little more.

"In the beginning, I thought to myself, 'Wow, how smart I am, I have unearthed completely new ground here,' but as soon as I began to read I immediately grasped that I had not uncovered anything at all. Everything that I thought I understood – the world of academic research already knew. Prof. Majer Bałaban, Prof. Israel Heilperin and all the leading lights in this field have already written everything there is to write much more eloquently than I could write. But it transpires that there is a gap between what is known to the world of academic study and the popular perception of things. And I, in my profession, am supposed to give this out to people who do not hail from an academic background or who have been dealing with such issues for their entire lives. And so, this is how I decided to take the leap and try and bridge that gap."

Where did the Cossacks come from?

The book weaves the general history of the region with the local Jewish history and the Jewish memory, or the Jewish mythology of Eastern Europe. Familiarity with the broader view of the story, says Boguslavsky, sheds a different light on our story, that of the Jews. "If you ask historians dealing with Jewish history what was the greatest event that occurred in the last third of the 18th century, the rise of the Hasidic movement will always stand out together with the bitter split between the Hasidim and the Misnagedim, Boguslavsky points out. "Ostensibly, this is an internal Jewish theological-ideological dispute, a fight for the spiritual leadership of the Jews, and similar issues. However, when you study the wider picture, you come to understand that all this took place in parallel to the Civil War, revolutions, invasions, and severe internal political strife in the Polish-Lithuanian kingdom. The Jews were involved in all these affairs. At that time, the historic Four-Year Sejm (Parliament) discussions were well underway, which were intended to determine the fate of the kingdom, and the Jews sent their emissaries to it, took part in the rebellions, and played an important role in the wars – both as victims but also as fighters, here and there. So, to what extent did the Jews who lived at that time really regard the halakhic disputes, such as the question of whether it is permitted to stand on your head during prayers, as a central issue? I don't know and there is no way of checking this. But we really should not be telling our story without the broader context."

How does that context have a specific impact?

"The issue of the denunciatory letters sent by opponents of Hasidism to the Russian government is a central pillar in the conflict between the Hasidim and the Misnagedim. I have heard this story more times than I care to remember, and I have never come across anybody who mentions that there is a wider context to the use of such a tool: the Russian government in those areas, which were given over to Russia following the partition of the Polish-Lithuanian kingdom, was completely new, it had just materialized there. So, everybody was trying hard to prove to the new administration that they were loyal to it and that the other side was full of treachery and plans to undermine it. This is also a government, and once again it is important to mention here the wider context, which until that point had not come across any Jews at all. Until that time, there had been no Jews in Russia so that its government had absolutely no idea who these people were and what was happening among the Jews. So now, each side was convinced that it had been presented with a golden opportunity to go to the new administration and present to it the reality of the situation as it saw it, and in a manner that would support its own cause.

"This is not the only context. This dispute is also connected to the processes of modernization that were just beginning to take shape at that time. The leadership crisis in the Jewish world that led to the rise of Hasidism is a direct outcome of the crisis of modernity. The Enlightenment is not the only thing that was born out of that crisis. Hasidism too, as well as the Misnagedim movement, along with the Enlightenment, are modern phenomena. These are three distinct movements that appear at the same time, against the same background, and under the same circumstances. I believe that this puts the whole story in a much more interesting context than the purely internal Jewish theological and sociological aspect that it has been customary to talk about."

Another example is that of the Khmelnytsky Uprising in the mid-17th century, clearly one of the more severe traumas that is indelibly etched in Jewish historical memory – but without any context. "The story usually goes something like this: people called Cossacks, known by and familiar to only a handful of people, suddenly appeared from nowhere, and they slaughtered us because they are antisemites with a deep-rooted hatred of anything Jewish," says Boguslavsky. "The truth is that this is correct, as who did not hate Jews during that period? Having said that, when you zoom out from what was clearly a horrific series of pogroms, you see a historical event in dimensions that are reminiscent of the Thirty Years' War, one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in Western European history, which was just coming to an end when the Khmelnytsky Uprising began. We are talking about several decades of wars resulting in millions of dead and wounded, with a whole spectrum of factors involved. An epic drama of which we remember an episode that lasted for a year and a half and which was not necessarily the most fatal event for the Jews at that time, but regarding which the most eloquent text was written, which also survived, the book "Yeven Mezulah" or the "Abyss of Despair", written by Rabbi Nathan Nata ben Moses Hannover. What would have happened had this book not been written or had it not survived? We might have completely forgotten about this event or not even known about it."

A highly selective memory

The book is replete with figures we have heard of, but also brings to life from the 'abyss of despair' colorful characters, who might not have left a personal stamp on history but their stories are no less riveting. One of these figures, whose story to a large extent is the story of the entire period, is Fabus Abramovich of Kraków. "A rogue and a con artist who took over the community in Kraków at the end of the 18th century. This is an amazing story. He was the leader of the opposition in the community. In the Jewish communities of that period, an oligarchy comprising just a few families was able to rule all the community institutions for more than a hundred years on occasion, even though elections were actually held annually. In terms of the situation in those days, this was one of the most democratic forms of government that existed on Earth, but such an oligarchy also gives rise to opposition, which is usually composed of those people who were not given the jobs that they believed they ought to have been given. In the 18th century, when the initial buds of mass politics were just beginning to sprout, the opposition began to portray itself as ostensibly being the force that represents the 'simple people' against the 'arrogant elite'. Of course, had they succeeded and risen to power they would have acted precisely as those preceding them did. These struggles were always a sordid affair, but the events in the community of Kraków were especially sordid and violent.

"Our man, Abramovich, took advantage of the fact that Kraków was conquered time and again by various forces during the period of the partition of Poland-Lithuania. Against the background of this tumult, he succeeded in creating a devious bureaucratic manipulation that would appoint him as a dictator to rule over the community. Jewish communities in Europe were run for hundreds of years by a joint leadership of four 'parnasim' (heads of the community), each one running the community for one month at a time on a rotation. Underneath the parnasim were the 'tovei ha'ir', the good (elder) citizens, who themselves were above the rest of the community. This form of government, which has roots in the Hellenistic-Roman world, ensured decentralization of power, creating checks and balances. The community rabbi too had his own form of power. Abramovich left this entire structure in place in Kraków but then placed himself above it all as a sort of dictator. He managed to convince the community that the governor had appointed him to this position; while he persuaded the governor that the community had asked him to assume that position. He relied on the fact that both sides would fail to uncover the deception.

"In the end, it failed, and the deception was indeed exposed. This story, apart from the fact that it is extremely entertaining, reflects the fact that the leadership structure of the Jewish communities, which worked so well for hundreds of years, had ceased to function by the end of the 18th century. Due to its inherent weakness, all sorts of issues began to crop up, such as the Hasidic takeover and manipulations such as that of Abramovich.'"

One of the declared goals of the book is to change the image of Jewish Eastern Europe. "The image that we have is of a later period, the end of the 19th century and the turn of the 20th century. The period about which authors such as Sholem Aleichem and others wrote, the era of mass emigration to America, was one rife with crises. People tend to emigrate when bad things occur. The Jewish town was old and decrepit at that point, and the majority of the Jews were living under the rule of the Russian Empire, an extremely despotic and antisemitic form of government. This is the period addressed by the literature with which we are familiar and these are the memories that people carry with them.

One of the declared goals of the book is to change the image of Jewish Eastern Europe. "The image that we have is of a later period, the end of the 19th century and the turn of the 20th century. The period about which authors such as Sholem Aleichem and others wrote, the era of mass emigration to America, was one rife with crises. People tend to emigrate when bad things occur. The Jewish town was old and decrepit at that point, and the majority of the Jews were living under the rule of the Russian Empire, an extremely despotic and antisemitic form of government. This is the period addressed by the literature with which we are familiar and these are the memories that people carry with them. They are not historians, they do not have an overall perception of the periods from the 15th century onwards, in some of which life was better and in some it was much worse. They are familiar with what they remember, and the tendency is to assume that the reality with which we are familiar is the fixed, permanent situation. This picture is not completely baseless, although it is somewhat exaggerated, and this is the death knell. But we are interested in the entire period, not only the demise but also the ascendancy and the golden period of prosperity.

"To all of this, we need to add the existing image that we have regarding Poland, Ukraine, Belarus and the rest of the places that make up the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. We regard these as being extremely antisemitic areas, where the local inhabitants are breastfed on antisemitism. This has always been a matter of concern for me. Could the Jews be such complete idiots who specifically went to those places where they were so hated? That is simply not logical. If so many Jews chose to live there of all places, this must mean one of two things. Either the fact that there were so many Jews there led to the hatred of our people, and this is not very flattering for us as Jews, or that the situation there was not as bad as in other places.

"And lo and behold, just as it was clear to anybody living throughout those eras, it was indeed not as bad there. In other places, where we do not regard the local inhabitants to be antisemites from birth, they simply did not allow the Jews to settle among them. The best method of not being attributed the current image of an antisemite was prevalent already back in the Middle Ages, by expelling all the Jews, and in this manner, nobody would accuse you of antisemitism. This is the reason why nobody accuses the English of being antisemitic. They threw out all the Jews back in the 12th century and since then, everything there has been just 'peachy keen'. The Jews lived in Eastern European countries and thus they were subject there to the best things and the worst things too. And it is from here too that we have the most historical sources and memories."

The fact that masses of Jews lived in this region distorts the perception as to the actual scope of persecution of the Jews. "If a war is being waged – and wars at the time were without intervention from the High Court of Justice or human rights groups such as B'Tselem, with armies massacring civilian populations without any remorse, just for the fun of it – then in a place that was home to tens of thousands of Jews, then it is a predictable consequence that hundreds and thousands of Jews would be killed. If the same type of war occurs elsewhere, where only a few thousand Jews were living, then a few dozen or perhaps a few hundred Jews would be killed. Clearly, thousands of Jews being killed leaves a much more lasting impression, but this does not necessarily mean that the warlords and the soldiers in those places with a much denser Jewish population were more antisemitic. We remember one event, and the other, smaller event, we have never heard of – and this is what shapes the story."

Their rise and fall

The book paints the rise of Jewish Eastern Europe in bold colors along with the years of its glory and grandeur, but it also focuses equally on the long and hard years of its demise. Boguslavsky succeeds in persuading the reader of the existence of a strong bond between the overall geopolitical processes and the severe crisis experienced by the Jewish population. "In the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Jews developed into a status of their own within the feudal order, just like the classic classes of the nobility, the peasants and the bourgeois," he explains. "In Poland-Lithuania there were two parallel urban classes: A Christian urban class and a Jewish urban class, more or less equal in size. One of the issues that set the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth apart from Western Europe was that it was engaged in the conquest and settlement of non-developed lands, mainly in Ukraine and Belarus. In the process of the settlement and regulatory organization of these territories, the government and the nobility encouraged different types of people to settle there: urban dwellers, peasants, and Cossacks. The Jews had good reason to take an interest in settling down there, as they had been pushed aside and removed from other locations, and this led to a situation whereby they developed into an extremely important factor in these areas.

"Therefore, the entire system in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth became dependent on the Jews in relation to a number of matters – for example, in the mediation efforts between the nobility and the peasants, or in the field of public administration. Somebody had to manage the estates, postal services, fishponds, and forests. The concept of a 'leaseholder', which is very familiar to us from Jewish literature, comes from here. Leaseholding is the accepted method of management in the feudal regime – a type of privatization: the government or the noblemen who own the estate do not manage the day-to-day running of the lands on their own. They issue a 'tender' and then check to see who is ready to run everything and pass on the profits to them. This is privatization in its pre-modern form. The Jews were also responsible for the transportation of goods. The peasants would grow agricultural produce and the Jews would then export this. The local Jewish merchant purchased the goods from the peasants and then sold them wholesale at a regional fair, and from here the produce was then transferred to the next fair, and it would proceed from one fair to another until it was eventually shipped abroad. The imported goods would also be passed on via the Jews. The result is that large parts of the largest country in Europe were simply unable to function without the Jews.

"In other places, the Jews were not involved in leaseholding. In Medieval times, the Jews were traditionally involved in commerce, but here the commerce actually moved aside somewhat in favor of the leaseholding. This is based on the fact that the Polish nobility took control of the Jews in the 16th century: the Parliament of Nobles was much more powerful than the king, and the nobles simply succeeded in taking control of the asset that was called the Jews. They took it from the king for themselves, just as they took other assets, and in essence, they used the Jews for whatever they deemed to be important to them."

All this was turned on its head once modernity appeared at the doorway and the social order was undermined. "The nobility began to decline and the state became more centralized. During this modern era, the king was not made any weaker and actually gained power: suddenly there was no such thing as every nobleman doing whatever took his fancy. And so, the status of the Jews was undermined. Their unique role was eroded. And as soon as the Jews become like everybody else, then those selfsame 'everybody elses' no longer wished for the Jews to be part of them. And this is what leads to their demise. Prior to the rise of nationalism, society was divided up into groups – there were nobles and peasants, there were Catholics and Protestants, and there were also Jews. But, then when all of a sudden there is a collective identity, the question inevitably arises: Are the Jews really part of it? These questions arise and this is also the trigger for the revival of Jewish nationalism, which did not occur in a vacuum, disconnected from what was happening in the greater environment surrounding the Jews at that time."

Jewish Eastern Europe has become a genuine magnet for young Israelis these days. Do you understand why this is happening at this specific juncture?

"The truth is that I have no clear answer to this. I can however hazard a guess: This is a reaction to the dismissal of the Diaspora, which was an extremely acceptable approach in Israel until not so long ago. People who made aliyah from Eastern Europe preferred to leave behind what was there, but after a few generations there is no longer any sense of urgency to escape from this, and now, all of a sudden, they are beginning to show interest and they really wish to learn. This is part of a natural process of searching for your roots, even among today's youngsters. The discourse surrounding identities picked apart the liberal 'Israeli' identity, and so young people whose families came from Eastern Europe are now asking themselves why everybody has an identity apart from me. Suddenly everybody is looking for their own personal identity."

Boguslavsky (47), a resident of Jerusalem ever since he made aliyah at the age of five, is married with two children. Until a number of years ago, he was known to the followers of the blog entitled "Drop the Scissors and Let's Talk about it". Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he became a social media influencer and even almost a media star. The strongly opinionated and well-reasoned analyses he published on social media regarding the war attracted considerable attention, turning him into one of the leading commentators in that field for some time, even though he is neither a journalist nor an academic researcher of the conflict.

"It became a part of my routine," he says. "I used to travel to Ukraine several times a year, I have friends there, colleagues, acquaintances, and relatives, and so when the war broke out, it naturally preoccupied me and is still doing so. Writing on that topic provided me with a form of escapism. This is a war that I felt was 'close to home' so that by writing about it on a more intellectual level, I was able to stand back and distance myself from it to some extent. Apart from that, I also saw that many people were writing nonsense about what was going on there and that really annoyed me.

"Truth be told, this is often the trigger that gives me the impetus to start writing: I see that someone else is writing absolute baloney and I feel a need to correct them. That's the reason that people write on the internet, no? And indeed, the knowledge that people in the West and in Israel have about Ukraine is sorely lacking, to put it delicately. I don't claim to be an expert on that country, but in view of the overall paucity in that field I am a genuine 'lily in a field of thorns'. The professional experts, almost all of them, are experts on Russia – and based on their expertise on Russia they tend to extrapolate and project their knowledge onto other post-Soviet states, usually looking at issues via a Russian prism. This is why what they said was hot air, and somebody had to portray a different picture of things and write less nonsense. I'm sure that there are those who will beg to differ but this is how I saw things."

You have recently ceased to write about this topic.

"I don't like repeating myself. If I have written something a number of times, then I get fed up. In addition, during the initial months of the war I spent long hours, often close to 12 hours a day, just going over all sorts of Telegram channels and other sources of information in a variety of languages in order to get my hands on the rawest of information available. It is not possible to go on living in that fashion for a long time. So today, I still try and keep up to date but not with the same intensity.

"And also – I wore myself out. There is a limit to the number of atrocities to which you can become exposed. When October 7 came round, I had already developed the ability, even before you actually see what is in the photo, to scroll down the feed as you know that this will be a trigger. Your finger knows to skip over it before your eye identifies what is in the image, because you really need to maintain your sanity."

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El Al is set to cancel a series of flights from London to Tel Aviv in a bid to strengthen the airline's Shabbat observance policy.Flight LY318, departing Saturday nights from Britain to Israel, will be nixed during the summer months as travelers had previously started the check-in process prior to the end of the Jewish day of rest.

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The latest Shabbat ends in London this year is 10:36 p.m. on June 24. Shabbat ends at 9:45 p.m. in the city this coming Saturday.The flight time from the British capital to Ben-Gurion Airport is approximately five hours.

The move to tighten Shabbat regulations is being spearheaded by El Al's new owner, Haredi businessman Kenny Rozenberg, according to Channel 12 News. The thousands of passengers expected to be impacted by the move will be able to change the date of their flight or receive a refund.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu all but overruled his Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar on Monday after the latter said he would stop funding cultural activities on Shabbat. 

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Zohar's now-suspended decision outraged many secular Israelis who view Friday evening and Saturday as the most convenient time to spend with their family. 

"The prime minister and Zohar held a conversation during which it was made clear that all the activities that are currently being funded by the ministry on Saturdays will get uninterrupted funding," Netanyahu's office said. "The minister stressed that the initiative to hold such events should come from the various organizations rather than from the minister, and this will be without interference with the actual funding and content."

The initiative in question, called "Israeli Shabbat", was launched in May 2021. It allows Israelis to enter museums and various cultural venues without pay on Friday and Shabbat. It also funds various other events that include educational programs and performing arts events all across the country. While the funding allowed for the waiving of entrance fees and did not go toward their operation on Shabbat or affect their opening hours. 

Earlier on Monday, Zohar said that his decision was misreported. "Here is the truth: I never said or considered canceling events on denying funding from cultural venues open on Shabbat. The exact opposite is true. After assuming my job, I said that we will respect the existing status quo arrangement [a political deal that governs activities on Shabbat since the state's founding]," Zohar said. He added that the previous government breached the delicate balance by "actively promoting activities that happen on Shabbat, which was unprecedented for a minister, and this discriminated a large segment of the public." 

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Ukraine's Jewish communities are preparing for an unusually tense Shabbat, without knowing if they will be under Russian or Ukrainian rule when the Sabbath is over, or what the war will bring.

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Synagogues in the country were under heavy security for fear of looting and antisemitic attacks.

"I don't have the faintest idea what will happen here on Shabbat. The last time sirens sounded in the city was probably during World War II," said Rabbi Ariel Markovitch, head of the Israeli congregation in Kyiv and the son of Chabad House Rabbi Jonathan Markovitch.

Rabbi Ariel, his family, and other people were at Kyiv's Chabad House, which was stocked with food and extra mattresses.

The head of security at the Federation of Jewish Communities in Ukraine, an umbrella organization that represents 160 Jewish communities throughout the country, urged Ukrainian Jews to stay at home in accordance with local government instructions and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's request that all Ukrainians do the same.

The federation recommended that "everyone pray at home this Shabbat."

Rabbi Baruch Efrati explained that because Ukraine is in a state of emergency and lives are at stake, the principle of pikuach nefesh is in effect, making it permissible to leave cellular phones on during Shabbat, and if there is no alternative, radios.

"Jews living in war zones can reach an agreement with non-Jewish friends or neighbors that if anything unusual happens that demands movement or organization, they will call. Therefore, cell phones can be kept on for Shabbat. If there is no non-Jew, or concern that they will not inform Jews, then a radio can be kept on if tuned to a station that mainly provides news," Efrai said.

In an emergency meeting held Thursday, community rabbis in Ukraine decided to stay in their cities to help the local residents at this difficult time. The meeting also decided that families of emissaries would also remain, because it would be safer for them to stay in their homes than be on the roads.

Federation head Rabbi Meir Stembler said, "We're staying, and praying for it to be all right. Our job is to be with the communities, to help and calm them as much as possible during this war. We are already feeling shortages. People are hysterical because despite everything, no one believed that there would be an all-out offensive against Ukraine. We are organizing medicine, water, and food – including flour and dry goods – to last for a few weeks and distributing them to Holocaust survivors, the elderly, the disabled, and the poor so they can stay at home as much as possible."

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Prime Minister Naftali Bennett angered many people online when he arrived at the command center where security forces were engaged in the search for the fugitive inmates who escaped Gilboa Prison on Shabbat.

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On Saturday night, at the conclusion of Shabbat, Bennett took to Twitter to share that he had taken part in the efforts: "Early in the morning, I arrived at the security forces' field command center to closely monitor the search.

"The activity was determined and consistent, the key to success is a smooth and quiet collaboration between all those involved," he tweeted.

Four of the six Palestinian security prisoners who escaped from the Gilboa Prison in northern Israel on Monday are now back in authorities' custody, the Israel Police confirmed in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Zakaria Zubeidi, the former commander of Fatah's Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, and Islamic Jihad operative Mohammed al-Arida were apprehended by the police counterterrorism unit near the northern town of Shibli–Umm al-Ghanam at around 5 a.m.

The police said the two were stopped by Northern District Police officers in a parking lot for trucks that was canvassed as part of the manhunt.

Yet to some online, Bennett's arrival at the command center on Shabbat was unnecessary.

"Trying to understand what security purpose there was in the prime minister arriving for the victory shot on a holy Shabbat night. Which led to the mass desecration of Shabbat. And this is the first kippah-wearing prime minister in state history," Yishai Cohen, a report for the Haredi Kikar Hashabat website, tweeted.

Menachem Kolodetzky, the editor of the Haredi Actualic news site, also mocked Bennett on Twitter, writing: "All week long, he disappeared. Until Shabbat came. And then he had a strong urge to desecrate it."

Commentator Yisrael Cohen of the ultra-Orthodox Kol Barama radio station tweeted: "It's unclear why Bennett needed to openly desecrate Shabbat and drive in the midst of Shabbat with a government vehicle and a kippah on his head. Going by the facts, it seems it wasn't a military operation or intelligence that exposed where the terrorists were hiding – but rather simple information [provided] by concerned citizens, so Bennett didn't need to command over any operation, [this was the] desecration of Shabbat, pure and simple."

Religious Affairs Minister Matan Kahana, a member of Bennett's Yamina party and a former combat squadron commander who worked on Saturdays within that role, defended the prime minister online.

"To all the slanderers, six terrorists who escaped prison and are walking free this is [about] saving lives. A religious and Shabbat-keeping prime minister is not authorized by obligated to manage the campaign on Shabbat and any other day of the year. If he hadn't acted in this manner, it would be a desecration of God and embezzlement of his position. I stand with the security forces," he said.

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Representatives from the ultra-Orthodox sector have contacted Facebook with the request to create special "Shabbat-observant" profiles.

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Hundreds of thousands of Haredim use the social media platform daily, and they are now looking for a way to make sure that no one desecrates the Shabbat by viewing or commenting on their profiles on the day, they believe, the use of electronics is prohibited.

David Galperin, chairman of the Gil Group, which provides marketing communication services in the ultra-Orthodox sector, has recently contacted Adi Soffer Teeni, the General Manager of Facebook Israel, to make the necessary adjustments.

"Hundreds of thousands of Haredim already use Facebook, but they are uncomfortable with the fact that anyone can comment on their profiles on Shabbat," Galperin wrote in a letter to Teeni. "Making these pages 'Shabbat-observant' will solve the problem and increase the legitimacy of using this platform in the sector."

In an interview with Israel Hayom, Galperin clarified that the matter not only makes Haredi users uncomfortable but distresses them. 

These users stay away from places that desecrate Shabbat, but here they are forced to use a platform that does just that, he said. "There is no reason why they should not change this situation and allow the Haredim to use social media without being worried about the desecration of Shabbat."

Facebook Israel was unavailable for comment.

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Congratulations are in order for billionaire Kenny Rozenberg who made aliyah from the United States on Monday. He is known as one of the wealthiest American Jews and the father of 28-year old Eli Rozenberg, the controlling shareholder of El Al airline.

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The purchase, which took place in 2020, gave rise to concern as to whether Rozenberg, who at the time of the acquisition was not an Israeli citizen, would influence his son's decision regarding the Israeli airline. Rozenberg's associates declined to comment on the issue.

Israeli law demands that only a citizen of the Jewish state may own an Israeli airline, and Eli, who made aliyah a few years ago, qualifies. As he is an ultra-Orthodox businessman, El Al is expected to continue its traditional trajectory of not operating flights on Shabbat. Subsidiary Sundor airlines is expected to ground Shabbat flights as well.

Also on Monday, El Al launched its green flights program, according to which passengers will be required to take rapid COVID tests before boarding a plane. The very first such green light took off from Tel Aviv to New York. The opening ceremony at Ben Gurion Airport was attended, among others, by Transport Minister Miri Regev and El Al CEO Gonen Usishkin.

In an official statement, the Transportation Ministry welcomed Rozenberg to the country and said that "his aliyah in these uncertain times is a testament to the strength of Israeli society and economy, and illustrates the immigrants' tremendous contribution to Israel's economy."

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