The ULTIMATE Jewish Media and Video Sharing Community Website http://wejew.com Forcible Evacuation Of Hebron's "Beit Hashalom" Takes Settlers By Surprise - The forcible eviction of hundreds of settlers in Hebron's Beit Hashalom otherwise known as the house of contention began on Thursday afternoon. Severe clashes erupted between security forces and settlers. Security officials estimate that upto 300 settlers blockaded themselves inside the building. Shortly after the evacuation began Zaka reported at least 50 casualties, including some who were unconscious. Unconfirmed reports claimed settler leader Baruch Marzel suffered a serious head injury as well as Nadia Matar who was beaten over her body with batons. The move caught the settlers unaware and came just hours after Defense Minister Ehud Barak met with settler leaders and declared that the evacuation of the house would take place. At one point during the evacuation, soldiers entered the portion of the building which had been used as a sanctuary by the Jewish occupants, and where 20 to 30 people were praying. Police began to pull out the protesters as they yelled, "God is one." IDF officers from the Central Command said an order was given to evacuate the protesters "with the utmost sensitivity, but warned that force would be used if the security forces are confronted with violence. http://wejew.com/media/3119/Hebron_Forceable_Family_Expulsions/ http://wejew.com/media/3119/Hebron_Forceable_Family_Expulsions/ The Zionist response to the attack on the pioneers of Yehuda and Shomron and Bet Hashalom. The first television series ever to be based on current events in Judea and Samaria. The show, called Givah (Hill) 769, takes place in an imaginary outpost in the Samarian Mountains and stars actors from Samaria itself. The first three episodes of the series have already been produced and more are on the way. Click here - www.12tribefilms.org/hill769 - to sign up and receive updates about Givah 769 http://wejew.com/media/3118/Givah_769_(Hill_769)/ http://wejew.com/media/3118/Givah_769_(Hill_769)/ Using a seeming willingness to compromise as a ploy against the Jews of Peace House, the government has evicted the residents and their supporters from the apartment building in Hebron. As seen on Arutz Sheva: israelnationalnews.com http://wejew.com/media/3117/The_Peace_Home_Violent_Expulsion/ http://wejew.com/media/3117/The_Peace_Home_Violent_Expulsion/ www.12tribefilms.org/dror - A moving movie about the life of Dror Weinberg, the high ranking soldier who was killed on duty in Hebron in 2002. To organize movie screenings, contact: avi@12tribefilms.org http://wejew.com/media/3116/Triumph_of_Spirit_Dror_Weinberg/ http://wejew.com/media/3116/Triumph_of_Spirit_Dror_Weinberg/ www.12tribefilms.org/mosesrap - www.bibleraps.com. Rap By: Matt Bar, Beat and Music Production: James http://wejew.com/media/3115/Moses_Rap_Pesach_Music_Video/ http://wejew.com/media/3115/Moses_Rap_Pesach_Music_Video/ www.12tribefilms.org/homegame - the trailer for the insightful look into the 2005 expulsion of the Gush Katif Jewish communities through a basketball competition that played out during the last summmer. http://wejew.com/media/3114/Home_Game_Trailer/ http://wejew.com/media/3114/Home_Game_Trailer/ A documentary film following the footsteps of some of the fighters in the battle of the Old City of Jerusalem in the 1948 Independence War. This is a riveting film about this historical battle using actual footage from the time and raising important questions regarding the centrality of Jerusalem to the Jewish people. For the full movie, more photos and information about the exhibition: 12tribefilms.org.il www.rova-yehudi.org.il http://wejew.com/media/3113/Alone_on_the_Ramparts/ http://wejew.com/media/3113/Alone_on_the_Ramparts/ Israeli security forces are accelerating preparations to evacuate settlers from a disputed property near the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron, after negotiations between the settlers and Defense Minister Ehud Barak failed on Wednesday evening. The increasing pressure for a forced evacuation comes in the wake of intensified violence in the area between Palestinians and Israeli settlers, with Israeli security forces and Israeli settlers. http://wejew.com/media/3111/Hebron_Families_Facing_Expulsions/ http://wejew.com/media/3111/Hebron_Families_Facing_Expulsions/ In Kfar Chabad the funeral for Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg, murdered by Muslim terrorists in Mumbai, was held. With mourners remembering the Chabad emissaries. As seen on Arutz Sheva: israelnn.com http://wejew.com/media/3110/Two_Slain_Chabad_Angels_Buried/ http://wejew.com/media/3110/Two_Slain_Chabad_Angels_Buried/ Amazing and rare archive footage of Israeli army regaining control of the Old City in 1967 and liberating the Kotel (Western Wall). http://wejew.com/media/3109/Old_City_Kotel_ReCaptured_1967/ http://wejew.com/media/3109/Old_City_Kotel_ReCaptured_1967/ Insights into Halacha with Rabbi Mechal Siegelbaum - Classes held at Midreshet B'erot Bat Ayin in the Gush Etzion hills south of Jerusalem. http://wejew.com/media/3108/Insights_Into_Jewish_Halacha/ http://wejew.com/media/3108/Insights_Into_Jewish_Halacha/ Teachings of Rabbi Nachman with Rabbi Avraham Shira - Classes given at Midreshet B'erot Bat Ayin Women's Holistic Torah Midrasha. http://wejew.com/media/3107/Teachings_of_Rabbi_Nachman_Part_2/ http://wejew.com/media/3107/Teachings_of_Rabbi_Nachman_Part_2/ Teachings of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov with Rabbi Avraham Shirah at Midreshet B'erot Bat Ayin http://wejew.com/media/3106/Teachings_of_Rabbi_Nachman_of_Breslov/ http://wejew.com/media/3106/Teachings_of_Rabbi_Nachman_of_Breslov/ Rabbi Holtzberg speaks about his work Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, brutally slain with his wife and colleagues in Mumbai, speaks about his outreach and work in Mumbai, India, in 2006. http://wejew.com/media/3105/Slain_Rabbi_Speaks_On_His_Life's_Work/ http://wejew.com/media/3105/Slain_Rabbi_Speaks_On_His_Life's_Work/ "To Fly with El Al" - The Funny Side Flying With El Al - see the employees of Israel's "national" airline in a whole new way. http://wejew.com/media/3104/The_Funny_Side_Flying_With_El_Al/ http://wejew.com/media/3104/The_Funny_Side_Flying_With_El_Al/ Eretz Yisrael (The Land of Israel) - Photos of Gilad Benari - Music of Moshe Ben Ari. http://wejew.com/media/3103/Eretz_Yisrael_in_Photos_and_Song/ http://wejew.com/media/3103/Eretz_Yisrael_in_Photos_and_Song/ Michelle Citrin is very clever & witty in this ditty. http://wejew.com/media/3102/20_Things_To_Do_With_Matzah/ http://wejew.com/media/3102/20_Things_To_Do_With_Matzah/ This video depicts through a series of interviews the reality that Israelis must join the army and be willing to give their life for this land. It also focuses on the holidays of Yom Hazikaron (Remembrance day) and Yom Ha'azmaut (Independence Day). The transition from mourning to celebration is a tough one. The siren rings through the air to open up the video. Created by Noah Ickowitz. http://wejew.com/media/3101/Israeli_Soldiers_Price_of_Freedom/ http://wejew.com/media/3101/Israeli_Soldiers_Price_of_Freedom/ The Chabad community to raise victim's son - Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky says the Chabad community will raise the infant son of emissaries who died in the Mumbai attacks. When Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg and his wife left New York for India to run a Jewish outreach center, the Israeli-born couple worked tirelessly, serving homemade kosher meals to their many guests and strengthening their connection with God. Their outpost was in Mumbai, a dusty and chaotic port city. But the pair never let the tough conditions prevent them from creating a comfortable home for Jews visiting India or from helping the needy. "They were amazing people," said Hillary Lewin, 24, of New York, who met the Holtzbergs last summer at the center in India. "They had this wisdom, courage and braveness about them. It's a shame. The world needs people like them." The 29-year-old rabbi and his 28-year-old wife were killed this week after gunmen assailed the ultra-Orthodox Chabad-Lubavitch movement's center in Mumbai, one in a series of attacks across India's financial capital that left six Americans dead. The couple's toddler son, Moshe, was rescued by an employee and taken to his grandparents. At least eight people died at the Jewish center. He said the dead included Bentzion Chroman, an Israeli with dual U.S. citizenship; Rabbi Leibish Teitlebaum, an American from New York City; and an Israeli woman whose name was not released. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said the body of a sixth victim, an unidentified woman, was also found inside the five-story building. Teitlebaum, a Brooklyn native who moved to Jerusalem several years ago, was a kosher food supervisor. Holtzberg was born in Israel and moved to Brooklyn with his parents when he was 9. He had dual U.S.-Israeli citizenship. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said Rivkah Holtzberg had only Israeli citizenship. "Gabi and Rivky Holtzberg made the ultimate sacrifice," said Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, vice chairman of the educational arm of Chabad-Lubavitch. The Holtzbergs arrived in Mumbai in 2003 to run a synagogue, provide religious instruction and help people dealing with drug addiction and poverty, Kotlarsky said. He said Holtzberg's last known call was to the Israeli consulate. Holtzberg said that "the situation is not good" before the phone went dead, according to Kotlarsky. Twelve hours after gunmen stormed the center Wednesday, Sandra Samuel, a cook at the center, heard little Moshe's cries outside the room in which she had barricaded herself. She opened the door, grabbed the toddler and ran outside with another center worker. The little boy's pants were soaked with blood, and Samuel said she saw four people lying on the floor as she fled. Members of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement gathered at the group's headquarters Friday to pray for the families of the dead. http://wejew.com/media/3100/Slain_Rabbi's_Son_In_Chabad_Hands/ http://wejew.com/media/3100/Slain_Rabbi's_Son_In_Chabad_Hands/ Rabbi killed in Mumbai - CNN's Paula Hancocks reports on a Rabbi who made Mumbai his home before being killed in this week's attacks. When Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg and his wife left New York for India to run a Jewish outreach center, the Israeli-born couple worked tirelessly, serving homemade kosher meals to their many guests and strengthening their connection with God. Their outpost was in Mumbai, a dusty and chaotic port city. But the pair never let the tough conditions prevent them from creating a comfortable home for Jews visiting India or from helping the needy. "They were amazing people," said Hillary Lewin, 24, of New York, who met the Holtzbergs last summer at the center in India. "They had this wisdom, courage and braveness about them. It's a shame. The world needs people like them." The 29-year-old rabbi and his 28-year-old wife were killed this week after gunmen assailed the ultra-Orthodox Chabad-Lubavitch movement's center in Mumbai, one in a series of attacks across India's financial capital that left six Americans dead. The couple's toddler son, Moshe, was rescued by an employee and taken to his grandparents. At least eight people died at the Jewish center. He said the dead included Bentzion Chroman, an Israeli with dual U.S. citizenship; Rabbi Leibish Teitlebaum, an American from New York City; and an Israeli woman whose name was not released. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said the body of a sixth victim, an unidentified woman, was also found inside the five-story building. Teitlebaum, a Brooklyn native who moved to Jerusalem several years ago, was a kosher food supervisor. Holtzberg was born in Israel and moved to Brooklyn with his parents when he was 9. He had dual U.S.-Israeli citizenship. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said Rivkah Holtzberg had only Israeli citizenship. "Gabi and Rivky Holtzberg made the ultimate sacrifice," said Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, vice chairman of the educational arm of Chabad-Lubavitch. The Holtzbergs arrived in Mumbai in 2003 to run a synagogue, provide religious instruction and help people dealing with drug addiction and poverty, Kotlarsky said. He said Holtzberg's last known call was to the Israeli consulate. Holtzberg said that "the situation is not good" before the phone went dead, according to Kotlarsky. Twelve hours after gunmen stormed the center Wednesday, Sandra Samuel, a cook at the center, heard little Moshe's cries outside the room in which she had barricaded herself. She opened the door, grabbed the toddler and ran outside with another center worker. The little boy's pants were soaked with blood, and Samuel said she saw four people lying on the floor as she fled. Members of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement gathered at the group's headquarters Friday to pray for the families of the dead. http://wejew.com/media/3099/Meet_Chabad_Rabbi_Killed_in_Mumbai/ http://wejew.com/media/3099/Meet_Chabad_Rabbi_Killed_in_Mumbai/ Chabad House Killings - The standoff at the Chabad House Jewish center in Mumbai ends with five hostages dead. CNN's Nic Robertson reports. When Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg and his wife left New York for India to run a Jewish outreach center, the Israeli-born couple worked tirelessly, serving homemade kosher meals to their many guests and strengthening their connection with God. Their outpost was in Mumbai, a dusty and chaotic port city. But the pair never let the tough conditions prevent them from creating a comfortable home for Jews visiting India or from helping the needy. "They were amazing people," said Hillary Lewin, 24, of New York, who met the Holtzbergs last summer at the center in India. "They had this wisdom, courage and braveness about them. It's a shame. The world needs people like them." The 29-year-old rabbi and his 28-year-old wife were killed this week after gunmen assailed the ultra-Orthodox Chabad-Lubavitch movement's center in Mumbai, one in a series of attacks across India's financial capital that left six Americans dead. The couple's toddler son, Moshe, was rescued by an employee and taken to his grandparents. At least eight people died at the Jewish center. He said the dead included Bentzion Chroman, an Israeli with dual U.S. citizenship; Rabbi Leibish Teitlebaum, an American from New York City; and an Israeli woman whose name was not released. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said the body of a sixth victim, an unidentified woman, was also found inside the five-story building. Teitlebaum, a Brooklyn native who moved to Jerusalem several years ago, was a kosher food supervisor. Holtzberg was born in Israel and moved to Brooklyn with his parents when he was 9. He had dual U.S.-Israeli citizenship. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said Rivkah Holtzberg had only Israeli citizenship. "Gabi and Rivky Holtzberg made the ultimate sacrifice," said Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, vice chairman of the educational arm of Chabad-Lubavitch. The Holtzbergs arrived in Mumbai in 2003 to run a synagogue, provide religious instruction and help people dealing with drug addiction and poverty, Kotlarsky said. He said Holtzberg's last known call was to the Israeli consulate. Holtzberg said that "the situation is not good" before the phone went dead, according to Kotlarsky. Twelve hours after gunmen stormed the center Wednesday, Sandra Samuel, a cook at the center, heard little Moshe's cries outside the room in which she had barricaded herself. She opened the door, grabbed the toddler and ran outside with another center worker. The little boy's pants were soaked with blood, and Samuel said she saw four people lying on the floor as she fled. Members of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement gathered at the group's headquarters Friday to pray for the families of the dead. http://wejew.com/media/3098/Footage_of_Chabad_House_in_Mumbai/ http://wejew.com/media/3098/Footage_of_Chabad_House_in_Mumbai/ Stunning time lapse video footage of Israel - really cool to see the life of Israel beat like a living organism. http://wejew.com/media/3096/Time_Lapse_Clips_of_the_Holy_Land/ http://wejew.com/media/3096/Time_Lapse_Clips_of_the_Holy_Land/ "God On Trial" Movie (Part 1 of 4) - PBS - Antony Sher, Rupert Graves, Dominic Cooper, and Stellan Skarsgard star in this harrowing drama about believers and non-believers coming to terms with a world drenched in evil and suffering. Celebrated screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce's script is based on the often told, but unconfirmed, story that a group of prisoners facing extermination at Auschwitz convened a rabbinical court to ask who is to blame for the greatest of all crimes. A tour party arrives at Auschwitz, and as the guide leads the visitors through the camp, the scene moves to life in a block house on one day during the war. A group of prisoners undergo a "selection" as a doctor chooses those who are to be sent to the gas chamber. It is not clear which way means survival or death. Among the prisoners are Mordechai, his father Kuhn and a young man MocHe. Moche declares that God should be put on trial for letting his people down. Schmidt, a rabbi, explains that challenging God is not without precedent. Schmidt sets about establishing a rabbinical court, which requires three judges. The German Baumgarten, who used to be a Professor of Law, agrees to be the Head of the Court. Schmidt, himself a scholar, takes on the role of the Father of the Court. Mordechai insists on being the Dayan, or the questioner. Proceedings start as Mordechai frames the charge: God is in breach of contract and has failed to fulfil his covenant. Kuhn defends God, arguing that Auschwitz is a test of their faith. Mordechai calls his first witness. Ezra describes how much the people of his village loved God. Yet still the Nazis came and shot the elderly and took the rest to concentration camps. Baumgarten argues that if God is indeed punishing Jews, then the punishment is not in proportion to any crime they may have committed. Schmidt steps in, claiming that God's punishments aren't always proportionate, and suggests the Holocaust could be a "purification." Mordechai calls the Block Altester, the prisoner in charge of the inmates, who explains that his concern is to survive, and that he does so by keeping the Jews in line. Mordechai asks Schmidt if God is so powerful, why does he not help his people? Schmidt retorts that God granted man free will. Idek backs him up, and this enrages Moche, who urges Lieble to tell the court about his sons and a horrific choice he was forced to make. The trial is interrupted abruptly by the arrival of a Nazi officer. The newcomers undress and are forcibly shaved and tattooed, before returning to the blockhouse and resuming the trial. Schmidt tries to sum up by announcing that the mind of God cannot be known, and all they can do is trust him. Baumgarten asks Idek to recite the psalm which records God's promise to the Jewish people. Idek struggles to recite Psalm 81. Jacques, a scientist, argues God is an illusion and is used by rulers to exercise power. He warns that the Jewish people thought they were the chosen people, but they were wrong.The judges confer and prepare to announce their verdict. As Baumgarten begins to introduce the ruling, Akiba, the mystical rabbi of Zamkevitz, who has been entirely silent throughout the trial, suddenly speaks. Akiba launches into a series of questions that explore God's actions from the escape from Egypt to the present day. Back in the present day, tourists enter the gas chambers. Returning to the blockhouse, the guards arrive and the doctor reads off the numbers of those selected for the gas chambers. http://wejew.com/media/3095/God_On_Trial_Complete_Film_1/4/ http://wejew.com/media/3095/God_On_Trial_Complete_Film_1/4/ "God On Trial" Movie (Part 2 of 4) - PBS - Antony Sher, Rupert Graves, Dominic Cooper, and Stellan Skarsgard star in this harrowing drama about believers and non-believers coming to terms with a world drenched in evil and suffering. Celebrated screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce's script is based on the often told, but unconfirmed, story that a group of prisoners facing extermination at Auschwitz convened a rabbinical court to ask who is to blame for the greatest of all crimes. A tour party arrives at Auschwitz, and as the guide leads the visitors through the camp, the scene moves to life in a block house on one day during the war. A group of prisoners undergo a "selection" as a doctor chooses those who are to be sent to the gas chamber. It is not clear which way means survival or death. Among the prisoners are Mordechai, his father Kuhn and a young man MocHe. Moche declares that God should be put on trial for letting his people down. Schmidt, a rabbi, explains that challenging God is not without precedent. Schmidt sets about establishing a rabbinical court, which requires three judges. The German Baumgarten, who used to be a Professor of Law, agrees to be the Head of the Court. Schmidt, himself a scholar, takes on the role of the Father of the Court. Mordechai insists on being the Dayan, or the questioner. Proceedings start as Mordechai frames the charge: God is in breach of contract and has failed to fulfil his covenant. Kuhn defends God, arguing that Auschwitz is a test of their faith. Mordechai calls his first witness. Ezra describes how much the people of his village loved God. Yet still the Nazis came and shot the elderly and took the rest to concentration camps. Baumgarten argues that if God is indeed punishing Jews, then the punishment is not in proportion to any crime they may have committed. Schmidt steps in, claiming that God's punishments aren't always proportionate, and suggests the Holocaust could be a "purification." Mordechai calls the Block Altester, the prisoner in charge of the inmates, who explains that his concern is to survive, and that he does so by keeping the Jews in line. Mordechai asks Schmidt if God is so powerful, why does he not help his people? Schmidt retorts that God granted man free will. Idek backs him up, and this enrages Moche, who urges Lieble to tell the court about his sons and a horrific choice he was forced to make. The trial is interrupted abruptly by the arrival of a Nazi officer. The newcomers undress and are forcibly shaved and tattooed, before returning to the blockhouse and resuming the trial. Schmidt tries to sum up by announcing that the mind of God cannot be known, and all they can do is trust him. Baumgarten asks Idek to recite the psalm which records God's promise to the Jewish people. Idek struggles to recite Psalm 81. Jacques, a scientist, argues God is an illusion and is used by rulers to exercise power. He warns that the Jewish people thought they were the chosen people, but they were wrong.The judges confer and prepare to announce their verdict. As Baumgarten begins to introduce the ruling, Akiba, the mystical rabbi of Zamkevitz, who has been entirely silent throughout the trial, suddenly speaks. Akiba launches into a series of questions that explore God's actions from the escape from Egypt to the present day. Back in the present day, tourists enter the gas chambers. Returning to the blockhouse, the guards arrive and the doctor reads off the numbers of those selected for the gas chambers. http://wejew.com/media/3094/God_On_Trial_Complete_Film_2/4/ http://wejew.com/media/3094/God_On_Trial_Complete_Film_2/4/ "God On Trial" Movie (Part 3 of 4) - PBS - Antony Sher, Rupert Graves, Dominic Cooper, and Stellan Skarsgard star in this harrowing drama about believers and non-believers coming to terms with a world drenched in evil and suffering. Celebrated screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce's script is based on the often told, but unconfirmed, story that a group of prisoners facing extermination at Auschwitz convened a rabbinical court to ask who is to blame for the greatest of all crimes. A tour party arrives at Auschwitz, and as the guide leads the visitors through the camp, the scene moves to life in a block house on one day during the war. A group of prisoners undergo a "selection" as a doctor chooses those who are to be sent to the gas chamber. It is not clear which way means survival or death. Among the prisoners are Mordechai, his father Kuhn and a young man MocHe. Moche declares that God should be put on trial for letting his people down. Schmidt, a rabbi, explains that challenging God is not without precedent. Schmidt sets about establishing a rabbinical court, which requires three judges. The German Baumgarten, who used to be a Professor of Law, agrees to be the Head of the Court. Schmidt, himself a scholar, takes on the role of the Father of the Court. Mordechai insists on being the Dayan, or the questioner. Proceedings start as Mordechai frames the charge: God is in breach of contract and has failed to fulfil his covenant. Kuhn defends God, arguing that Auschwitz is a test of their faith. Mordechai calls his first witness. Ezra describes how much the people of his village loved God. Yet still the Nazis came and shot the elderly and took the rest to concentration camps. Baumgarten argues that if God is indeed punishing Jews, then the punishment is not in proportion to any crime they may have committed. Schmidt steps in, claiming that God's punishments aren't always proportionate, and suggests the Holocaust could be a "purification." Mordechai calls the Block Altester, the prisoner in charge of the inmates, who explains that his concern is to survive, and that he does so by keeping the Jews in line. Mordechai asks Schmidt if God is so powerful, why does he not help his people? Schmidt retorts that God granted man free will. Idek backs him up, and this enrages Moche, who urges Lieble to tell the court about his sons and a horrific choice he was forced to make. The trial is interrupted abruptly by the arrival of a Nazi officer. The newcomers undress and are forcibly shaved and tattooed, before returning to the blockhouse and resuming the trial. Schmidt tries to sum up by announcing that the mind of God cannot be known, and all they can do is trust him. Baumgarten asks Idek to recite the psalm which records God's promise to the Jewish people. Idek struggles to recite Psalm 81. Jacques, a scientist, argues God is an illusion and is used by rulers to exercise power. He warns that the Jewish people thought they were the chosen people, but they were wrong.The judges confer and prepare to announce their verdict. As Baumgarten begins to introduce the ruling, Akiba, the mystical rabbi of Zamkevitz, who has been entirely silent throughout the trial, suddenly speaks. Akiba launches into a series of questions that explore God's actions from the escape from Egypt to the present day. Back in the present day, tourists enter the gas chambers. Returning to the blockhouse, the guards arrive and the doctor reads off the numbers of those selected for the gas chambers. http://wejew.com/media/3093/God_On_Trial_Complete_Film_3/4/ http://wejew.com/media/3093/God_On_Trial_Complete_Film_3/4/ "God On Trial" Movie (Part 4 of 4) - PBS - Antony Sher, Rupert Graves, Dominic Cooper, and Stellan Skarsgard star in this harrowing drama about believers and non-believers coming to terms with a world drenched in evil and suffering. Celebrated screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce's script is based on the often told, but unconfirmed, story that a group of prisoners facing extermination at Auschwitz convened a rabbinical court to ask who is to blame for the greatest of all crimes. A tour party arrives at Auschwitz, and as the guide leads the visitors through the camp, the scene moves to life in a block house on one day during the war. A group of prisoners undergo a "selection" as a doctor chooses those who are to be sent to the gas chamber. It is not clear which way means survival or death. Among the prisoners are Mordechai, his father Kuhn and a young man MocHe. Moche declares that God should be put on trial for letting his people down. Schmidt, a rabbi, explains that challenging God is not without precedent. Schmidt sets about establishing a rabbinical court, which requires three judges. The German Baumgarten, who used to be a Professor of Law, agrees to be the Head of the Court. Schmidt, himself a scholar, takes on the role of the Father of the Court. Mordechai insists on being the Dayan, or the questioner. Proceedings start as Mordechai frames the charge: God is in breach of contract and has failed to fulfil his covenant. Kuhn defends God, arguing that Auschwitz is a test of their faith. Mordechai calls his first witness. Ezra describes how much the people of his village loved God. Yet still the Nazis came and shot the elderly and took the rest to concentration camps. Baumgarten argues that if God is indeed punishing Jews, then the punishment is not in proportion to any crime they may have committed. Schmidt steps in, claiming that God's punishments aren't always proportionate, and suggests the Holocaust could be a "purification." Mordechai calls the Block Altester, the prisoner in charge of the inmates, who explains that his concern is to survive, and that he does so by keeping the Jews in line. Mordechai asks Schmidt if God is so powerful, why does he not help his people? Schmidt retorts that God granted man free will. Idek backs him up, and this enrages Moche, who urges Lieble to tell the court about his sons and a horrific choice he was forced to make. The trial is interrupted abruptly by the arrival of a Nazi officer. The newcomers undress and are forcibly shaved and tattooed, before returning to the blockhouse and resuming the trial. Schmidt tries to sum up by announcing that the mind of God cannot be known, and all they can do is trust him. Baumgarten asks Idek to recite the psalm which records God's promise to the Jewish people. Idek struggles to recite Psalm 81. Jacques, a scientist, argues God is an illusion and is used by rulers to exercise power. He warns that the Jewish people thought they were the chosen people, but they were wrong.The judges confer and prepare to announce their verdict. As Baumgarten begins to introduce the ruling, Akiba, the mystical rabbi of Zamkevitz, who has been entirely silent throughout the trial, suddenly speaks. Akiba launches into a series of questions that explore God's actions from the escape from Egypt to the present day. Back in the present day, tourists enter the gas chambers. Returning to the blockhouse, the guards arrive and the doctor reads off the numbers of those selected for the gas chambers. http://wejew.com/media/3091/God_On_Trial_Complete_Film_4/4/ http://wejew.com/media/3091/God_On_Trial_Complete_Film_4/4/ Chassidic Soul (Keshet Chaim) - When Israel Baal-Shem Tov founded the mystic cult of Chassidism in the middle of the 18th century in Eastern Europe, the real spirit of Jewish dance was revived. This movement of religious ecstasy taught the celebration of life and the love of people. Baal-Shem Tov declared that to sing and to dance with the intention of praising the Almighty, was the highest form of prayer. There are many elements within the soul of a Chassidic Jew. This dance shows the feelings they express whether praying, dancing or welcoming the Shabbat, the holy day that has been one of the cornerstones of the Jewish people throughout their troubled history. http://wejew.com/media/3087/Chassidic_Soul_Of_Keshet_Chaim/ http://wejew.com/media/3087/Chassidic_Soul_Of_Keshet_Chaim/ MUSIC VIDEO: Leonard Cohen live performance of his song "Who by fire?" based on the High Holy Days "U'Netaneh Tokef" prayer. Fantastic sax work by Sonny Rollins. http://wejew.com/media/3086/And_Who_by_Fire_Jazz_Live_Ensemble/ http://wejew.com/media/3086/And_Who_by_Fire_Jazz_Live_Ensemble/ Bas Sheva sings 'Sheyiboneh Beis Hamikdosh' (from the Jewish prayer to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem) - Long before the advent of modern women cantors, pioneers like Bas Sheva proved that chazzones was not just a male art form. Singing Israel Schorr's 'Sheyiboneh Beis Hamikdosh' from the 1949 film "Catskill Honeymoon", she nails the classic cantorial sound by staying totally within chest-voice range. Listen to her belt at 2:22 and you'll hear what a Jewish Judy Garland would have sounded like. http://wejew.com/media/3084/Bas_Sheva_1949_Pioneer_Cantoress/ http://wejew.com/media/3084/Bas_Sheva_1949_Pioneer_Cantoress/ Exclusive - Uzi Landau Speaks About Political Comeback, Calls Tzipi Livni A Danger To Israel. After a two year respite from political life, Dr. Uzi Landau, a top Knesset member for the Likud party for over 22 years, announced recently that he would be leaving Likud and joining Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beitanu party. In an exclusive interview, Infolive.tv met with Dr. Landau to speak with him about his reentry into Israeli politics and his decision to change political parties. http://wejew.com/media/3079/Uzi_Landau's_Political_Comeback/ http://wejew.com/media/3079/Uzi_Landau's_Political_Comeback/ Tel Aviv The City Never Sleeps (Part 1 of 2) - Discover Tel Aviv in ths video edited by the Tel Aviv Hotel Association....A great taste of this great city! http://wejew.com/media/3078/Tel_Aviv_City_That_Never_Sleeps_1/ http://wejew.com/media/3078/Tel_Aviv_City_That_Never_Sleeps_1/ Tel Aviv The City Never Sleeps (Part 2 of 2) - Discover Tel Aviv in ths video edited by the Tel Aviv Hotel Association....A great taste of this great city! http://wejew.com/media/3077/Tel_Aviv_City_That_Never_Sleeps_2/ http://wejew.com/media/3077/Tel_Aviv_City_That_Never_Sleeps_2/ A video of the Lubavitcher Rebbe,telling a jew, who converted to christianity, that an unhealthy person who thinks that they're healthy, and not that they're sick and need help, is someone who doesn't begin to realize the extent of their sickness. http://wejew.com/media/3076/A_Jew_Remains_A_Jew_Forever/ http://wejew.com/media/3076/A_Jew_Remains_A_Jew_Forever/ Weekly Torah Portion: Toldot - Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov, the forefathers of the Jewish nation, were real people of flesh and blood. Yet they also embody the very attributes by which G-d administers His world. Avraham embodies the attribute of chesed - loving kindness. Yet from his loins came forth Yitzchak, whose persona embodies the attribute of 'din' (harshness). This reflects the cosmic conundrum: If, as we are taught, G-d created His world with chesed, why then, does harshness exists? Why are there people in pain and in need? By treating our fellow man with chesed we are, in effect, creating G-d's world anew. Toldot (Genesis 25:19-28:9) Parashat Toldot is read on Shabbat: Kislev 2, 5769/November 29, 2008. More info at: www.templeinstitute.org/ http://wejew.com/media/3075/The_Reasons_For_Things_Not_Good/ http://wejew.com/media/3075/The_Reasons_For_Things_Not_Good/ The Six Day War in Two Minutes (In Hebrew). http://wejew.com/media/3074/The_Six_Day_War_in_Two_Minutes/ http://wejew.com/media/3074/The_Six_Day_War_in_Two_Minutes/ Qumran is located on a dry plateau about a mile inland from the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea in the West Bank, just next to the Israeli kibbutz of Kalia. The site was most likely constructed sometime during or before the reign of John Hyrcanus, 134-104 BC and saw various phases of occupation until, probably after the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD, Titus and his X Fretensis destroyed it. It is best known as the settlement nearest to the hiding place of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the caves of the sheer desert cliffs. Since the discovery in 1947 of nearly 900 scrolls in various states of completeness, mostly written on parchment, extensive excavations of the settlement have been undertaken. Cisterns, possibly a few Jewish ritual baths, and cemeteries have been found, along with a dining or assembly room and debris from an upper story alleged by some to have been a scriptorium as well as pottery kilns and a tower. Many scholars believe the location to have been home to a Jewish sect, perhaps the Essenes; others have proposed that it was a villa for a wealthy family, or even that it was a Jewish fort and at times a pottery factory. A large cemetery was discovered to the north of the site. While most of the graves contain the remains of males, some women were also discovered, suggesting to some that the site may not have been home to a celibate sect of Essenes living in the Dead Sea region and described by Pliny. Only a small portion of the graves were excavated, because under Jewish law excavating cemeteries is forbidden. Over a thousand bodies are buried at Qumran cemetery. One theory is that bodies were brought to Qumran because burial was easier there than in rockier surrounding areas. The scrolls were found in a series of eleven caves just to the west of the settlement. Some scholars have claimed that the caves were the permanent libraries of the sect, due to the presence of the remains of a shelving system. Other scholars believe that some caves also served as domestic shelters for those living in the area. Many of the texts found in the caves appear to represent widely accepted Jewish beliefs and practices, while other texts appear to speak of divergent, unique, or minority interpretations and practices. Some scholars believe that some of these texts describe the beliefs of the inhabitants of Qumran, which, may have been the Essenes, or the asylum for supporters of the traditional priestly family of the Zadokites against the Hasmonean priest/kings. A literary epistle published in the 1990s expresses reasons for creating a community, some of which mirror Sadducean arguments in the Talmud. Most (perhaps all) of the scrolls seem to have been hidden in the caves during the turmoil of the First Jewish Revolt. http://wejew.com/media/3073/Dead_Sea_Scrolls_City_of_Qumran/ http://wejew.com/media/3073/Dead_Sea_Scrolls_City_of_Qumran/ Awesome takeoff of old rock song adapted to holy return of Jews to Israel! Rabbi Lazer Brody and Menachem Herman. http://wejew.com/media/3070/Sweet_Home_Jerusalem/ http://wejew.com/media/3070/Sweet_Home_Jerusalem/ EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED (Full-Length Movie) - A young Jewish American flies to the Ukraine in search of his grandfather's past. He has a photograph and the name of a village. He hires the Odessa Heritage Tours, made up of a gruff old man and his English-speaking grandson. The three, plus grandfather's deranged dog, travel in an old car from Odessa into Ukraine's heart. Jonathan, the American, is a collector, putting things he finds into small plastic bags, so he will remember. Alex, the interpreter, is an archetypal wild and crazy guy. Alex asks the old man, "Was there anti-Semitism in the Ukraine before the war?" Will they find the village? The past illuminates everything. Movie Synopsis: A young American Jewish man, Jonathan, goes on a quest to find the woman who saved his grandfather in a small Ukrainian town called Trachimbrod that was wiped off the map when the Nazis liquidated Eastern European shtetls. His guides are a cranky anti-semitic grandfather and his over-enthusiastic grandson, whose fractured command of English, passion for American pop culture, and constant chatter threaten to make the worst of every situation. But what starts out as the tour from hell turns into a meaningful journey, with an unexpected series of revelations that will change all of their lives. Everything is Illuminated chronicles a young, Jewish-American writer's attempt to research his grandfather's life in Ukraine. Jonathan, who has the same name as the book's author, is attempting to find his grandfather's shtetl, Trachimbrod. He has only a few maps and a photograph of a woman named Augustine, who is said to have saved his grandfather from the Nazis. Jonathan's guide on his trip is Alex, a young Ukrainian man. They are both twenty-one. Their driver is Alex's grandfather, who claims to be blind. Accompanying the men is Grandfather's seeing-eye dog, Sammy Davis, Junior, Junior. http://wejew.com/media/3067/Film:_Everything_Is_Illuminated_1/11/ http://wejew.com/media/3067/Film:_Everything_Is_Illuminated_1/11/ EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED (Full-Length Movie) - A young Jewish American flies to the Ukraine in search of his grandfather's past. He has a photograph and the name of a village. He hires the Odessa Heritage Tours, made up of a gruff old man and his English-speaking grandson. The three, plus grandfather's deranged dog, travel in an old car from Odessa into Ukraine's heart. Jonathan, the American, is a collector, putting things he finds into small plastic bags, so he will remember. Alex, the interpreter, is an archetypal wild and crazy guy. Alex asks the old man, "Was there anti-Semitism in the Ukraine before the war?" Will they find the village? The past illuminates everything. Movie Synopsis: A young American Jewish man, Jonathan, goes on a quest to find the woman who saved his grandfather in a small Ukrainian town called Trachimbrod that was wiped off the map when the Nazis liquidated Eastern European shtetls. His guides are a cranky anti-semitic grandfather and his over-enthusiastic grandson, whose fractured command of English, passion for American pop culture, and constant chatter threaten to make the worst of every situation. But what starts out as the tour from hell turns into a meaningful journey, with an unexpected series of revelations that will change all of their lives. Everything is Illuminated chronicles a young, Jewish-American writer's attempt to research his grandfather's life in Ukraine. Jonathan, who has the same name as the book's author, is attempting to find his grandfather's shtetl, Trachimbrod. He has only a few maps and a photograph of a woman named Augustine, who is said to have saved his grandfather from the Nazis. Jonathan's guide on his trip is Alex, a young Ukrainian man. They are both twenty-one. Their driver is Alex's grandfather, who claims to be blind. Accompanying the men is Grandfather's seeing-eye dog, Sammy Davis, Junior, Junior. http://wejew.com/media/3066/Film:_Everything_Is_Illuminated_2/11/ http://wejew.com/media/3066/Film:_Everything_Is_Illuminated_2/11/ EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED (Full-Length Movie) - A young Jewish American flies to the Ukraine in search of his grandfather's past. He has a photograph and the name of a village. He hires the Odessa Heritage Tours, made up of a gruff old man and his English-speaking grandson. The three, plus grandfather's deranged dog, travel in an old car from Odessa into Ukraine's heart. Jonathan, the American, is a collector, putting things he finds into small plastic bags, so he will remember. Alex, the interpreter, is an archetypal wild and crazy guy. Alex asks the old man, "Was there anti-Semitism in the Ukraine before the war?" Will they find the village? The past illuminates everything. Movie Synopsis: A young American Jewish man, Jonathan, goes on a quest to find the woman who saved his grandfather in a small Ukrainian town called Trachimbrod that was wiped off the map when the Nazis liquidated Eastern European shtetls. His guides are a cranky anti-semitic grandfather and his over-enthusiastic grandson, whose fractured command of English, passion for American pop culture, and constant chatter threaten to make the worst of every situation. But what starts out as the tour from hell turns into a meaningful journey, with an unexpected series of revelations that will change all of their lives. Everything is Illuminated chronicles a young, Jewish-American writer's attempt to research his grandfather's life in Ukraine. Jonathan, who has the same name as the book's author, is attempting to find his grandfather's shtetl, Trachimbrod. He has only a few maps and a photograph of a woman named Augustine, who is said to have saved his grandfather from the Nazis. Jonathan's guide on his trip is Alex, a young Ukrainian man. They are both twenty-one. Their driver is Alex's grandfather, who claims to be blind. Accompanying the men is Grandfather's seeing-eye dog, Sammy Davis, Junior, Junior. http://wejew.com/media/3065/Film:_Everything_Is_Illuminated_3/11/ http://wejew.com/media/3065/Film:_Everything_Is_Illuminated_3/11/ EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED (Full-Length Movie) - A young Jewish American flies to the Ukraine in search of his grandfather's past. He has a photograph and the name of a village. He hires the Odessa Heritage Tours, made up of a gruff old man and his English-speaking grandson. The three, plus grandfather's deranged dog, travel in an old car from Odessa into Ukraine's heart. Jonathan, the American, is a collector, putting things he finds into small plastic bags, so he will remember. Alex, the interpreter, is an archetypal wild and crazy guy. Alex asks the old man, "Was there anti-Semitism in the Ukraine before the war?" Will they find the village? The past illuminates everything. Movie Synopsis: A young American Jewish man, Jonathan, goes on a quest to find the woman who saved his grandfather in a small Ukrainian town called Trachimbrod that was wiped off the map when the Nazis liquidated Eastern European shtetls. His guides are a cranky anti-semitic grandfather and his over-enthusiastic grandson, whose fractured command of English, passion for American pop culture, and constant chatter threaten to make the worst of every situation. But what starts out as the tour from hell turns into a meaningful journey, with an unexpected series of revelations that will change all of their lives. Everything is Illuminated chronicles a young, Jewish-American writer's attempt to research his grandfather's life in Ukraine. Jonathan, who has the same name as the book's author, is attempting to find his grandfather's shtetl, Trachimbrod. He has only a few maps and a photograph of a woman named Augustine, who is said to have saved his grandfather from the Nazis. Jonathan's guide on his trip is Alex, a young Ukrainian man. They are both twenty-one. Their driver is Alex's grandfather, who claims to be blind. Accompanying the men is Grandfather's seeing-eye dog, Sammy Davis, Junior, Junior. http://wejew.com/media/3064/Film:_Everything_Is_Illuminated_4/11/ http://wejew.com/media/3064/Film:_Everything_Is_Illuminated_4/11/ EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED (Full-Length Movie) - A young Jewish American flies to the Ukraine in search of his grandfather's past. He has a photograph and the name of a village. He hires the Odessa Heritage Tours, made up of a gruff old man and his English-speaking grandson. The three, plus grandfather's deranged dog, travel in an old car from Odessa into Ukraine's heart. Jonathan, the American, is a collector, putting things he finds into small plastic bags, so he will remember. Alex, the interpreter, is an archetypal wild and crazy guy. Alex asks the old man, "Was there anti-Semitism in the Ukraine before the war?" Will they find the village? The past illuminates everything. Movie Synopsis: A young American Jewish man, Jonathan, goes on a quest to find the woman who saved his grandfather in a small Ukrainian town called Trachimbrod that was wiped off the map when the Nazis liquidated Eastern European shtetls. His guides are a cranky anti-semitic grandfather and his over-enthusiastic grandson, whose fractured command of English, passion for American pop culture, and constant chatter threaten to make the worst of every situation. But what starts out as the tour from hell turns into a meaningful journey, with an unexpected series of revelations that will change all of their lives. Everything is Illuminated chronicles a young, Jewish-American writer's attempt to research his grandfather's life in Ukraine. Jonathan, who has the same name as the book's author, is attempting to find his grandfather's shtetl, Trachimbrod. He has only a few maps and a photograph of a woman named Augustine, who is said to have saved his grandfather from the Nazis. Jonathan's guide on his trip is Alex, a young Ukrainian man. They are both twenty-one. Their driver is Alex's grandfather, who claims to be blind. Accompanying the men is Grandfather's seeing-eye dog, Sammy Davis, Junior, Junior. http://wejew.com/media/3063/Film:_Everything_Is_Illuminated_5/11/ http://wejew.com/media/3063/Film:_Everything_Is_Illuminated_5/11/ EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED (Full-Length Movie) - A young Jewish American flies to the Ukraine in search of his grandfather's past. He has a photograph and the name of a village. He hires the Odessa Heritage Tours, made up of a gruff old man and his English-speaking grandson. The three, plus grandfather's deranged dog, travel in an old car from Odessa into Ukraine's heart. Jonathan, the American, is a collector, putting things he finds into small plastic bags, so he will remember. Alex, the interpreter, is an archetypal wild and crazy guy. Alex asks the old man, "Was there anti-Semitism in the Ukraine before the war?" Will they find the village? The past illuminates everything. Movie Synopsis: A young American Jewish man, Jonathan, goes on a quest to find the woman who saved his grandfather in a small Ukrainian town called Trachimbrod that was wiped off the map when the Nazis liquidated Eastern European shtetls. His guides are a cranky anti-semitic grandfather and his over-enthusiastic grandson, whose fractured command of English, passion for American pop culture, and constant chatter threaten to make the worst of every situation. But what starts out as the tour from hell turns into a meaningful journey, with an unexpected series of revelations that will change all of their lives. Everything is Illuminated chronicles a young, Jewish-American writer's attempt to research his grandfather's life in Ukraine. Jonathan, who has the same name as the book's author, is attempting to find his grandfather's shtetl, Trachimbrod. He has only a few maps and a photograph of a woman named Augustine, who is said to have saved his grandfather from the Nazis. Jonathan's guide on his trip is Alex, a young Ukrainian man. They are both twenty-one. Their driver is Alex's grandfather, who claims to be blind. Accompanying the men is Grandfather's seeing-eye dog, Sammy Davis, Junior, Junior. http://wejew.com/media/3062/Film:_Everything_Is_Illuminated_6/11/ http://wejew.com/media/3062/Film:_Everything_Is_Illuminated_6/11/ EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED (Full-Length Movie) - A young Jewish American flies to the Ukraine in search of his grandfather's past. He has a photograph and the name of a village. He hires the Odessa Heritage Tours, made up of a gruff old man and his English-speaking grandson. The three, plus grandfather's deranged dog, travel in an old car from Odessa into Ukraine's heart. Jonathan, the American, is a collector, putting things he finds into small plastic bags, so he will remember. Alex, the interpreter, is an archetypal wild and crazy guy. Alex asks the old man, "Was there anti-Semitism in the Ukraine before the war?" Will they find the village? The past illuminates everything. Movie Synopsis: A young American Jewish man, Jonathan, goes on a quest to find the woman who saved his grandfather in a small Ukrainian town called Trachimbrod that was wiped off the map when the Nazis liquidated Eastern European shtetls. His guides are a cranky anti-semitic grandfather and his over-enthusiastic grandson, whose fractured command of English, passion for American pop culture, and constant chatter threaten to make the worst of every situation. But what starts out as the tour from hell turns into a meaningful journey, with an unexpected series of revelations that will change all of their lives. Everything is Illuminated chronicles a young, Jewish-American writer's attempt to research his grandfather's life in Ukraine. Jonathan, who has the same name as the book's author, is attempting to find his grandfather's shtetl, Trachimbrod. He has only a few maps and a photograph of a woman named Augustine, who is said to have saved his grandfather from the Nazis. Jonathan's guide on his trip is Alex, a young Ukrainian man. They are both twenty-one. Their driver is Alex's grandfather, who claims to be blind. Accompanying the men is Grandfather's seeing-eye dog, Sammy Davis, Junior, Junior. http://wejew.com/media/3061/Film:_Everything_Is_Illuminated_7/11/ http://wejew.com/media/3061/Film:_Everything_Is_Illuminated_7/11/ EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED (Full-Length Movie) - A young Jewish American flies to the Ukraine in search of his grandfather's past. He has a photograph and the name of a village. He hires the Odessa Heritage Tours, made up of a gruff old man and his English-speaking grandson. The three, plus grandfather's deranged dog, travel in an old car from Odessa into Ukraine's heart. Jonathan, the American, is a collector, putting things he finds into small plastic bags, so he will remember. Alex, the interpreter, is an archetypal wild and crazy guy. Alex asks the old man, "Was there anti-Semitism in the Ukraine before the war?" Will they find the village? The past illuminates everything. Movie Synopsis: A young American Jewish man, Jonathan, goes on a quest to find the woman who saved his grandfather in a small Ukrainian town called Trachimbrod that was wiped off the map when the Nazis liquidated Eastern European shtetls. His guides are a cranky anti-semitic grandfather and his over-enthusiastic grandson, whose fractured command of English, passion for American pop culture, and constant chatter threaten to make the worst of every situation. But what starts out as the tour from hell turns into a meaningful journey, with an unexpected series of revelations that will change all of their lives. Everything is Illuminated chronicles a young, Jewish-American writer's attempt to research his grandfather's life in Ukraine. Jonathan, who has the same name as the book's author, is attempting to find his grandfather's shtetl, Trachimbrod. He has only a few maps and a photograph of a woman named Augustine, who is said to have saved his grandfather from the Nazis. Jonathan's guide on his trip is Alex, a young Ukrainian man. They are both twenty-one. Their driver is Alex's grandfather, who claims to be blind. Accompanying the men is Grandfather's seeing-eye dog, Sammy Davis, Junior, Junior. http://wejew.com/media/3060/Film:_Everything_Is_Illuminated_8/11/ http://wejew.com/media/3060/Film:_Everything_Is_Illuminated_8/11/ EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED (Full-Length Movie) - A young Jewish American flies to the Ukraine in search of his grandfather's past. He has a photograph and the name of a village. He hires the Odessa Heritage Tours, made up of a gruff old man and his English-speaking grandson. The three, plus grandfather's deranged dog, travel in an old car from Odessa into Ukraine's heart. Jonathan, the American, is a collector, putting things he finds into small plastic bags, so he will remember. Alex, the interpreter, is an archetypal wild and crazy guy. Alex asks the old man, "Was there anti-Semitism in the Ukraine before the war?" Will they find the village? The past illuminates everything. Movie Synopsis: A young American Jewish man, Jonathan, goes on a quest to find the woman who saved his grandfather in a small Ukrainian town called Trachimbrod that was wiped off the map when the Nazis liquidated Eastern European shtetls. His guides are a cranky anti-semitic grandfather and his over-enthusiastic grandson, whose fractured command of English, passion for American pop culture, and constant chatter threaten to make the worst of every situation. But what starts out as the tour from hell turns into a meaningful journey, with an unexpected series of revelations that will change all of their lives. Everything is Illuminated chronicles a young, Jewish-American writer's attempt to research his grandfather's life in Ukraine. Jonathan, who has the same name as the book's author, is attempting to find his grandfather's shtetl, Trachimbrod. He has only a few maps and a photograph of a woman named Augustine, who is said to have saved his grandfather from the Nazis. Jonathan's guide on his trip is Alex, a young Ukrainian man. They are both twenty-one. Their driver is Alex's grandfather, who claims to be blind. Accompanying the men is Grandfather's seeing-eye dog, Sammy Davis, Junior, Junior. http://wejew.com/media/3059/Film:_Everything_Is_Illuminated_9/11/ http://wejew.com/media/3059/Film:_Everything_Is_Illuminated_9/11/ EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED (Full-Length Movie) - A young Jewish American flies to the Ukraine in search of his grandfather's past. He has a photograph and the name of a village. He hires the Odessa Heritage Tours, made up of a gruff old man and his English-speaking grandson. The three, plus grandfather's deranged dog, travel in an old car from Odessa into Ukraine's heart. Jonathan, the American, is a collector, putting things he finds into small plastic bags, so he will remember. Alex, the interpreter, is an archetypal wild and crazy guy. Alex asks the old man, "Was there anti-Semitism in the Ukraine before the war?" Will they find the village? The past illuminates everything. Movie Synopsis: A young American Jewish man, Jonathan, goes on a quest to find the woman who saved his grandfather in a small Ukrainian town called Trachimbrod that was wiped off the map when the Nazis liquidated Eastern European shtetls. His guides are a cranky anti-semitic grandfather and his over-enthusiastic grandson, whose fractured command of English, passion for American pop culture, and constant chatter threaten to make the worst of every situation. But what starts out as the tour from hell turns into a meaningful journey, with an unexpected series of revelations that will change all of their lives. Everything is Illuminated chronicles a young, Jewish-American writer's attempt to research his grandfather's life in Ukraine. Jonathan, who has the same name as the book's author, is attempting to find his grandfather's shtetl, Trachimbrod. He has only a few maps and a photograph of a woman named Augustine, who is said to have saved his grandfather from the Nazis. Jonathan's guide on his trip is Alex, a young Ukrainian man. They are both twenty-one. Their driver is Alex's grandfather, who claims to be blind. Accompanying the men is Grandfather's seeing-eye dog, Sammy Davis, Junior, Junior. http://wejew.com/media/3058/Film:_Everything_Is_Illuminated_10/11/ http://wejew.com/media/3058/Film:_Everything_Is_Illuminated_10/11/ EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED (Full-Length Movie) - A young Jewish American flies to the Ukraine in search of his grandfather's past. He has a photograph and the name of a village. He hires the Odessa Heritage Tours, made up of a gruff old man and his English-speaking grandson. The three, plus grandfather's deranged dog, travel in an old car from Odessa into Ukraine's heart. Jonathan, the American, is a collector, putting things he finds into small plastic bags, so he will remember. Alex, the interpreter, is an archetypal wild and crazy guy. Alex asks the old man, "Was there anti-Semitism in the Ukraine before the war?" Will they find the village? The past illuminates everything. Movie Synopsis: A young American Jewish man, Jonathan, goes on a quest to find the woman who saved his grandfather in a small Ukrainian town called Trachimbrod that was wiped off the map when the Nazis liquidated Eastern European shtetls. His guides are a cranky anti-semitic grandfather and his over-enthusiastic grandson, whose fractured command of English, passion for American pop culture, and constant chatter threaten to make the worst of every situation. But what starts out as the tour from hell turns into a meaningful journey, with an unexpected series of revelations that will change all of their lives. Everything is Illuminated chronicles a young, Jewish-American writer's attempt to research his grandfather's life in Ukraine. Jonathan, who has the same name as the book's author, is attempting to find his grandfather's shtetl, Trachimbrod. He has only a few maps and a photograph of a woman named Augustine, who is said to have saved his grandfather from the Nazis. Jonathan's guide on his trip is Alex, a young Ukrainian man. They are both twenty-one. Their driver is Alex's grandfather, who claims to be blind. Accompanying the men is Grandfather's seeing-eye dog, Sammy Davis, Junior, Junior. http://wejew.com/media/3056/Film:_Everything_Is_Illuminated_11/11/ http://wejew.com/media/3056/Film:_Everything_Is_Illuminated_11/11/ One of the great yeshivot in the Old City of Jerusalem is Bircas HaTorah - here is a video of their amazing residential building for students, both long-term and short-term. More info at: bircas.org http://wejew.com/media/3055/Amazing_Old_City_Yeshiva_Residences/ http://wejew.com/media/3055/Amazing_Old_City_Yeshiva_Residences/ Ulpan-Or: Unique Hebrew Ulpan in Jerusalem featured on Israel Channel 1 TV on Jan 12, 2008 demonstrating some of its special methods and products as well as student testimonials. http://wejew.com/media/3054/Unique_Ulpan-Or:_Go_Learn_Hebrew/ http://wejew.com/media/3054/Unique_Ulpan-Or:_Go_Learn_Hebrew/ A superbly produced short film that tells the story of a beautiful Jewish Holocaust Survivor, Rose Price. http://wejew.com/media/3053/Meet_Rose_Price_Jewish_Survivor/ http://wejew.com/media/3053/Meet_Rose_Price_Jewish_Survivor/ Ashkelon Children under Attack. This was the second rocket attack of the day. At the start of the video you can faintly hear the incoming rocket siren in the distance, there was a debate if it was an ambulance or more rockets - the emergency alarm installed at the school didn't activate. When we realized it was another attack, the intercom was used to call the girls down from the second floor. In the video you can plainly hear the fear and terror as for the second time in less than an hour these little girls had to literally run for their lives. (source: www.cashkelon.com) http://wejew.com/media/3052/Ashkelon_Kids_Flee_Missile_Attacks/ http://wejew.com/media/3052/Ashkelon_Kids_Flee_Missile_Attacks/ ISRAEL21c presents WZO's "Fulfilling the Dream - Celebrating 60 Years of Israel's Challenges and Achievements" http://wejew.com/media/3051/See_Israel_Fulfilling_The_Dream_in_60/ http://wejew.com/media/3051/See_Israel_Fulfilling_The_Dream_in_60/ Near Latrun junction, 2000 years and more of civilization in miniature spread out over 7.5 acres shaped as a Magen David Jewish star, with each point representing a subject: Holy places, Parks, Ancient palaces, Ports, Sports and the Army. For an Israeli, it's everything we've been, for a foreigner, a fun overview of the country. http://wejew.com/media/3050/Amazing_Discover_The_Mini_Israel/ http://wejew.com/media/3050/Amazing_Discover_The_Mini_Israel/ Watch the Exodus from Egypt like you have never seen before. This video gives you a taste of what it was like to be there. Get inspired! http://wejew.com/media/3049/Virtual_Jewish_Exodus_from_Egypt/ http://wejew.com/media/3049/Virtual_Jewish_Exodus_from_Egypt/ You thought Judaism was not cool... well... you thing again. Being Jewish is very cool and you will be surprised at who is into Judaism :) Enjoy the video. Learn more about Judaism: SimpleToRemember.com and Aish.com - Judaism is much deeper than you know. Judaism is important and relevant in your life. Watch this video and you will be proud Judaism is yours! http://wejew.com/media/3048/And_You_Thought_Judaism_is_Uncool?/ http://wejew.com/media/3048/And_You_Thought_Judaism_is_Uncool?/ Expelled: Tami Zilbershein, Netzarim - ongoing series of interviews with the forced refugees from Gush Katif who were expelled from their homes of decades by the Israeli government in a drunken and cruel "peace" gesture to the Gaza terror gangs, now run by genocidal Hamas. http://wejew.com/media/3047/Gush_Katif_Refugee_Tami_Zilbershein/ http://wejew.com/media/3047/Gush_Katif_Refugee_Tami_Zilbershein/ Describe Feat. Jewda Maccabi and T.A.Z - really up music video from three of the most happening young Jewish hip-hop rappers. http://wejew.com/media/3046/Describe_Feat_Vid_Jewda_and_TAZ/ http://wejew.com/media/3046/Describe_Feat_Vid_Jewda_and_TAZ/ Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz: Medicine in the Talmud. Rabbi Steinsaltz elaborates on the various proscribed medicines in the Talmud. He notes that most medicinal treatments recommended are verbal, with little from animal and mineral products. The medicine in the Talmud seemed to remain rather independent from medicine of its surrounding culture (e.g. four-humor theory of humorism). He suggests that this may have been one reason why Jewish doctors moved away from Talmudic medicinal recommendations. The Rabbi also highlights certain medical achievements of Talmudic medicine. http://wejew.com/media/3045/Rav_Adin_Steinsaltz_Talmudic_Medicines/ http://wejew.com/media/3045/Rav_Adin_Steinsaltz_Talmudic_Medicines/ Awesome, 10-minute HD video promo for the Maccabi Haifa Heat - Israeli pro basketball - clips, the coach, and the players and great special logo effects. http://wejew.com/media/3044/Haifa_Heat_Hoops_Video_Promo_HD/ http://wejew.com/media/3044/Haifa_Heat_Hoops_Video_Promo_HD/ Time lapse of writing a Sefer Torah - This is the middle of Parshas Re'eh. Actual time is around 5 minutes per line. http://wejew.com/media/3043/Writing_Sefer_Torah_Time_Lapse/ http://wejew.com/media/3043/Writing_Sefer_Torah_Time_Lapse/ Self-explanatory. Sorry about the missspelling of... http://wejew.com/media/3042/The_Nice_Jewish_Girl_Cool_Rap_Video/ http://wejew.com/media/3042/The_Nice_Jewish_Girl_Cool_Rap_Video/ Idan Raichel Project - "Chalomot Shel Acherim" ("Other's Dreams") music video. One of Israel's most dynamic and influential band - this is a soulful, soothing music video. http://wejew.com/media/3041/Idan_Raichel_On_Others_Dreams_Clip/ http://wejew.com/media/3041/Idan_Raichel_On_Others_Dreams_Clip/ Breaking News: Iran Has Enough Nuclear Fuel To Produce An Atomic Bomb. According to nuclear experts quoted in the New York Times on Thursday, Iran has produced approximately enough nuclear material to assemble an atomic weapon. The experts, who were analyzing data from the most recent IAEA report on the Iranian nuclear program, added, however, that although Iran has a weapon's worth of nuclear fuel, it still needs the technological know how to purify the fuel and produce an operational warhead. (source: infolive.tv) http://wejew.com/media/3039/Iran_Nuclear_Fuel_Enough_For_Bomb/ http://wejew.com/media/3039/Iran_Nuclear_Fuel_Enough_For_Bomb/ "These are the earliest copies of the Bible ever found," said Pnina Shor, head of treatment and conservation at the Antiquities Authority. "The Bible is sacred to us and to you and to all the monotheistic religions, and therefore [the scrolls] are national treasures and world treasures, and therefore it is our duty to preserve them at least for 2,000 years more." CNN's Ben Wedeman gets a preview of a hi-tech initiative allowing anyone with an online computer to access the Dead Sea Scrolls. http://wejew.com/media/3038/Ancient_Dead_Sea_Scrolls_Go_Online/ http://wejew.com/media/3038/Ancient_Dead_Sea_Scrolls_Go_Online/ Former IDF Chief Of Staff Says Peace Process in Current Form Doomed To Fail - Days before announcing his intention to join the Likud party, former IDF Chief of Staff Moshe Boogie Yaalon who was forced to step down prior to the disengagement from Gaza in 2005 revealed his vision regarding Israel's security and regional peace at the Jewish Agency's Assembly last week in Jerusalem. Boogie declared that the present peace negotiations with the Palestinians is doomed to fail because it is based on false assumptions or myth. (source: InfoLive.tv) http://wejew.com/media/3037/IDF_Chief:_Peace_Process_Doomed/ http://wejew.com/media/3037/IDF_Chief:_Peace_Process_Doomed/ The legendary Jewish scholar, Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, can teach Jewish wisdom in a way that is both penetrating and full of feeling. In this video, the Rabbi explains the basics of the Talmud and the transmission of Jewish thought and laws. http://wejew.com/media/3036/Adin_Steinsaltz_Wisdom_Tradition/ http://wejew.com/media/3036/Adin_Steinsaltz_Wisdom_Tradition/ Video of the building of Jerusalem during the 1950s (first full decade of independence) in color! http://wejew.com/media/3035/Building_Jerusalem_1950s_In_Color/ http://wejew.com/media/3035/Building_Jerusalem_1950s_In_Color/ Midreshet B'erot Bat Ayin - Shiur with Rabbi Lazer Brody part 2. http://wejew.com/media/3034/Midreshet_B'erot_Bat_Ayin_Rabbi_Lazer_Brody_2/ http://wejew.com/media/3034/Midreshet_B'erot_Bat_Ayin_Rabbi_Lazer_Brody_2/ Midreshet B'erot Bat Ayin Garden of Emunah Program with monthly guest speaker Rabbi Lazer Brody. http://wejew.com/media/3033/Midreshet_B'erot_Bat_Ayin_with_Rabbi_Lazer_Brody/ http://wejew.com/media/3033/Midreshet_B'erot_Bat_Ayin_with_Rabbi_Lazer_Brody/ Amazing video - see all of Israel in ten minutes in this aerial tour of the Holy Land from top to bottom. (Editor's Note: this video contains a full diversity of life settings in Israel - both Jewish and l'havdil non-Jewish). http://wejew.com/media/3032/Israel_Visual_Food_For_Your_Eyes/ http://wejew.com/media/3032/Israel_Visual_Food_For_Your_Eyes/ The tragic story of the Zimmerman family who were thrown out of their homes in Gaza Katif; under Ariel Sharon's hitnatkut, or "disengagement" plan three years after the expulsion. INNTV Series. Director: Shmuel Edelman http://wejew.com/media/3031/Orange_Explusion_Zimmerman_Family/ http://wejew.com/media/3031/Orange_Explusion_Zimmerman_Family/ Bubbie, ad 120, is the center of our family. She's wise, loving, caring, smart and funny. We love to be with her, and we wish her a happy, healthy, prosperous life filled with yiddishe nachas until 120. (editor's note: AMEN!) http://wejew.com/media/3027/Chatting_with_Bubbie/ http://wejew.com/media/3027/Chatting_with_Bubbie/ During an interview with Ted Koppel, legendary Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz shares his experiences talking to children about the infinity of God. http://wejew.com/media/3026/Steinsaltz:_Talking_to_Kids_About_God/ http://wejew.com/media/3026/Steinsaltz:_Talking_to_Kids_About_God/ The 'Hasidic Steven Spielberg' is torn between his passion for filmmaking and his socially conservative community that frowns upon it. "Film Fanatic" is the story of a man who struggles to make great films while still being accepted by his fellow ultra-Orthodox, or Haredi, Jews, who don't typically frequent the cineplex. "When the Haredi were introduced to computer media there was nothing to show [on screen] except puppet shows," explains Film Fanatic's hero, Yehuda Grovais, of the lack of content available for a community that doesn't own televisions sets and rarely goes to the movies. Seeking to fill this need, Grovais says, "I decided to make films." The worlds of the ultra-Orthodox and Hollywood might seem to be at definite odds, but Grovais has drawn from American cinema to produce more than 50 feature films for his fervently-religious community. Needless to say, catering to the ultra-Orthodox isn't easy. The films struggle to find funding, and they face constant ridicule from rabbis. Not to mention the fact that the acting and directing is amateur; the filming schedule is always choppy and rushed because of breaks for morning, afternoon, and night prayer; and no woman can ever appear on screen, even in the far background of a shot. Unwilling to compromise his dreams or his faith, the pioneering filmmaker is constantly struggling to make a good film that ultra-Orthodox Jews will consider kosher. "Film Fanatic"offers an uncomfortable look at the clash between mainstream Western beliefs and ultra-Orthodox doctrine. When Grovais is asked why he doesn't show women in his movies, he responds bluntly, "I'm giving my clients what they want and demand." And to a large degree, what his audience wants is consistent with Grovais' own beliefs that women shouldn't be objectified, so they don't belong on screen. Typical of so many other Hollywood efforts, Grovais' financier wants something entirely different. He insists that Grovais must invent a new cinema that transcends American influences and can speak to a universal audience. His financier understands that as long as Grovais' scripts depict all gentiles as stupid drunkards and every religious person as a holy hero, Grovais is going to have a hard time finding real success. When this conflict reaches a head, Grovais must decide whether to compromise his art or his community. Grovais is constantly pushing the boundaries of ultra-Orthodox acceptance, and to do so he must find loop-holes to tip-toe around strict doctrine. After rabbis ban attending the cinema in response to his films, it's suggested that he replace the word "cinema" in advertisements with the word "screening" and thus go on to film another day. And instead of showing a "movie" they'd advertise it as a "light-and-sound spectacle." A good Haredi mother couldn't go to a movie, the thinking goes, but why couldn't she duck out of the house to see a light and sound spectacle? Filmmaking has been both isolating and empowering for Grovais throughout his career. Rabbis hang nasty posters that say his movies come from Satan, and his shoots are interrupted by angry Haredi men, who stop to complain that Grovais is a bad influence on the children standing nearby, watching him direct. But instead of allowing the constant criticism to beat him down, Grovais grows from it. "I don't care what people think of me, I don't care what people say about me," he pronounces. Because Grovais loves his work, his skin is thick and his determination is unstoppable. Ultimately, though, Grovais must return to the fundamental question: can he achieve both artistic glory and communal acceptance? "Film Fanatic" points to the difficulty of being ultra-Orthodox in the modern age. One Jewish journalist who ultimately abandoned ultra-Orthodoxy in order to pursue his career praises Grovais for being independent and stirring up trouble. "I see Grovais as a person who broke out of the Haredi boundaries and exposed them to the technological progress in the world," he says. In order to pursue his career, this journalist had to watch television and use the Internet. Instead of hiding his television, as many ultra-Orthodox do, he worked publicly and dropped his Haredi identity. Which puts the questions back on Grovais. Is it possible for a man to pursue a modern dream without compromising his ancient beliefs? Which path will the director eventually choose: his faith or his passion? http://wejew.com/media/3024/Chassidic_Spielberg_The_Film_Fanatic/ http://wejew.com/media/3024/Chassidic_Spielberg_The_Film_Fanatic/ Rabbi Ari Kahn of Aish Hatorah teaches about the Jewish concept of "The Afterlife". (source: JewishPathways.com) http://wejew.com/media/3023/Ari_Kahn_Talks_on_Jewish_AfterLife/ http://wejew.com/media/3023/Ari_Kahn_Talks_on_Jewish_AfterLife/ American immigrants welcomed in Israel after taking charter flight from NYC. Amazing! It is one of the greatest joys to for a Jew to return to live in Israel. It is prophecy! http://wejew.com/media/3022/American_Olim_Arrive_in_Israel/ http://wejew.com/media/3022/American_Olim_Arrive_in_Israel/ Rabbi Meir Lau went from being the youngest survivor from the Buchenwald death camps in Nazi Germany to becoming the Chief Rabbi of the modern State of Israel. Rabbi Israel Meir Lau was born in 1937 in Pyotrekov, Poland. A survivor of the Buchenwald concentration camp, he lost both of his parents in the Holocaust. In 1946 he immigrated to Israel, where he lived with his uncle and studied at a state religious school in Kiryat Shmuel. He then studied at three yeshivas: Kol Torah in Jerusalem, Knesset Hizkiya in Zichron Ya'akov and Ponovitz in Bnei Brak. In 1971, he was ordained as Rabbi and in 1993 was appointed Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi of Israel. Rabbi Lau's publications include Yahadut - Halacha Le'maase (1975) on the practice of Judaism and Yachel Israel (1993), two volumes on medicine, ethics and Jewish customs. (source: Aish HaTorah Profile in Courage video series) http://wejew.com/media/3020/Rabbi_Meir_Lau_Profiles_in_Courage/ http://wejew.com/media/3020/Rabbi_Meir_Lau_Profiles_in_Courage/ Halleluyah Music Video - Debut from Tal HaLevy. Awesome, holy and cool graphics. http://wejew.com/media/3019/Tal_HaLevy_Halleluyah_Video/ http://wejew.com/media/3019/Tal_HaLevy_Halleluyah_Video/ Jewish acting legend Kirk Douglas talks frankly with Rabbi David Wolpe about his life-threatening stroke and his recovery. Mr. Douglas has been an active supporter of Jewish projects, including the dedication of a children's playground in the Old City of Jerusalem. http://wejew.com/media/3017/Kirk_Douglas_Life_After_a_Stroke/ http://wejew.com/media/3017/Kirk_Douglas_Life_After_a_Stroke/ Meet Shifra Shomron - During the last years of Gush Katif, Shifra Shomron, then a teenager finishing high school, kept a diary and published several articles and poems about life in Neve Dekalim. A glimpse at the author Shifra Shomron with a personal look into the writing of her first novel "Grains Of Sand: The Fall Of Neve Dekalim". It's not just a book - it's a piece of history! www.geocities.com/nevedekalim http://wejew.com/media/3016/Shifra_Gush_Katif_Teenage_Author/ http://wejew.com/media/3016/Shifra_Gush_Katif_Teenage_Author/ Weekly Torah Portion: Chayei Sara - And Abraham was old, advanced in days (Genesis 24:1) The original Hebrew verse is best translated as, And Abraham was old, arriving in days. Our sages teach us that when a person dies and seeks entry into the next world the days of his life come forward to testify as to how he spent his days: in holiness or otherwise. In Abrahams case, his days arrived before the heavenly court and testified to a life of righteousness. Chayei Sara (Genesis 23:1-25:18) Parashat Chayei Sara is read on Shabbat: Cheshvan 24, 5769/November 22, 2008 http://www.templeinstitute.org/ http://wejew.com/media/3015/The_Days_of_Sarah_and_Abraham/ http://wejew.com/media/3015/The_Days_of_Sarah_and_Abraham/ Iran nuclear plant 'nearly complete' - The Russian firm building Iran's controversial Bushehr power station says the start-up of its reactor will soon be 'irreversible'. Western nations and Israel fear Iran's nuclear facilities are part of a secret programme to build atomic weapons and there is persistent speculation that the Jewish state or the U.S. may launch attacks on the sites. Listen to Bibi Netanyahu give his comments at a recent Counter-Terrorism conference. http://wejew.com/media/3014/Iran_Nuclear_Plants_Near_Completion/ http://wejew.com/media/3014/Iran_Nuclear_Plants_Near_Completion/ Chronicles of a Professional Eulogist (A film by Sarah Jane Lapp) - 2005, 7 minutes. A rabbi, make that a "grief facilitator", shares the secrets of his trade in this provocative and artistic short film. Sarah Jane Lapp works in film and visual art. Chronicles of a Professional Eulogist: Field Report No. 3 is part of a forthcoming hand-drawn, twenty- four-minute animation, scored by Mark Dresser. Chronicles of a Professional Eulogist appeared in the 2007 New York Jewish Film Festival, presented by The Jewish Museum and the Film Society of Lincoln Center. http://wejew.com/media/3013/Chronicles_of_a_Professional_Eulogist/ http://wejew.com/media/3013/Chronicles_of_a_Professional_Eulogist/ Video footage of the increase of holy excitement, singing and dancing leading up the Kabbalat Shabbat prayer service at the Western Wall (Kotel). http://wejew.com/media/3012/Old_City_Kotel_Joy_Before_Shabbat/ http://wejew.com/media/3012/Old_City_Kotel_Joy_Before_Shabbat/ "God On Trial" - PBS - Antony Sher, Rupert Graves, Dominic Cooper, and Stellan Skarsgard star in this harrowing drama about believers and non-believers coming to terms with a world drenched in evil and suffering. Celebrated screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce's script is based on the often told, but unconfirmed, story that a group of prisoners facing extermination at Auschwitz convened a rabbinical court to ask who is to blame for the greatest of all crimes. A tour party arrives at Auschwitz, and as the guide leads the visitors through the camp, the scene moves to life in a block house on one day during the war. A group of prisoners undergo a "selection" as a doctor chooses those who are to be sent to the gas chamber. It is not clear which way means survival or death. Among the prisoners are Mordechai, his father Kuhn and a young man MocHe. Moche declares that God should be put on trial for letting his people down. Schmidt, a rabbi, explains that challenging God is not without precedent. Schmidt sets about establishing a rabbinical court, which requires three judges. The German Baumgarten, who used to be a Professor of Law, agrees to be the Head of the Court. Schmidt, himself a scholar, takes on the role of the Father of the Court. Mordechai insists on being the Dayan, or the questioner. Proceedings start as Mordechai frames the charge: God is in breach of contract and has failed to fulfil his covenant. Kuhn defends God, arguing that Auschwitz is a test of their faith. Mordechai calls his first witness. Ezra describes how much the people of his village loved God. Yet still the Nazis came and shot the elderly and took the rest to concentration camps. Baumgarten argues that if God is indeed punishing Jews, then the punishment is not in proportion to any crime they may have committed. Schmidt steps in, claiming that God's punishments aren't always proportionate, and suggests the Holocaust could be a "purification." Mordechai calls the Block Altester, the prisoner in charge of the inmates, who explains that his concern is to survive, and that he does so by keeping the Jews in line. Mordechai asks Schmidt if God is so powerful, why does he not help his people? Schmidt retorts that God granted man free will. Idek backs him up, and this enrages Moche, who urges Lieble to tell the court about his sons and a horrific choice he was forced to make. The trial is interrupted abruptly by the arrival of a Nazi officer. The newcomers undress and are forcibly shaved and tattooed, before returning to the blockhouse and resuming the trial. Schmidt tries to sum up by announcing that the mind of God cannot be known, and all they can do is trust him. Baumgarten asks Idek to recite the psalm which records God's promise to the Jewish people. Idek struggles to recite Psalm 81. Jacques, a scientist, argues God is an illusion and is used by rulers to exercise power. He warns that the Jewish people thought they were the chosen people, but they were wrong.The judges confer and prepare to announce their verdict. As Baumgarten begins to introduce the ruling, Akiba, the mystical rabbi of Zamkevitz, who has been entirely silent throughout the trial, suddenly speaks. Akiba launches into a series of questions that explore God's actions from the escape from Egypt to the present day. Back in the present day, tourists enter the gas chambers. Returning to the blockhouse, the guards arrive and the doctor reads off the numbers of those selected for the gas chambers. http://wejew.com/media/3011/God_on_Trial_Holocaust_Shocker/ http://wejew.com/media/3011/God_on_Trial_Holocaust_Shocker/ Exclusive - Jerusalem Mayoral Candidate Nir Barkat Promises A Brighter Future For Israel's Capital City. Nir Barkat, the city's secular mayoral candidate, is confident that under his command, Jerusalem will offer job opportunities and affordable housing, a better and improved education system - a city that will lure back the thousands of young residents who have fled the capital. Infolive.tv met with Barkat, a man with a vision who believes he has the answers. http://wejew.com/media/3010/Nir_Barkat_New_Jerusalem_Mayor/ http://wejew.com/media/3010/Nir_Barkat_New_Jerusalem_Mayor/ 'A Day In Life Of The IDF' - An Amazing Video Displaying The Full Prowess Of The Israeli Defense Forces. In a video courtesy of the IDF spokesman office, the IDF invites you to come take a look at the daily routine of one the most highly skilled, best-equipped and most experienced militaries in the entire world. http://wejew.com/media/3009/A_Day_In_The_Life_Of_The_IDF_Film/ http://wejew.com/media/3009/A_Day_In_The_Life_Of_The_IDF_Film/ The prolific and holy Rabbi Lazer Brody talks about the delicate subject of kiruv" ("outreach") with regard to a person who returns to Judaism ("baal teshuva") and whose parents are not (yet) religious. http://wejew.com/media/3008/Lazer_Brody_On_Parental_Outreach/ http://wejew.com/media/3008/Lazer_Brody_On_Parental_Outreach/ No words can describe the agony of a family burning down its own house in Gush Katif (Neve Dekalim) during the black day of the forceful expulsion in 2005. This was done moments prior to the family's being evicted and to prevent the house from falling into the hands of the gaza arab gangs. And, the act was a symbolic last decision prior to the expulsion. http://wejew.com/media/3007/Gush_Katif_Man_Burns_Own_Home/ http://wejew.com/media/3007/Gush_Katif_Man_Burns_Own_Home/ Really funny spoof video using takeoff 50s music on the Jewish tradition of circumcision - "Where, oh, Where, Can My Foreskin Be?" http://wejew.com/media/3006/The_Fast_Bris_Circumcision_Blues/ http://wejew.com/media/3006/The_Fast_Bris_Circumcision_Blues/ Tel-Aviv, Jaffa, Jerusalem, Haifa, The Dead Sea...Fasten Your Seat Belt! http://wejew.com/media/3004/Tour_All_of_Israel_in_Ten_Minutes/ http://wejew.com/media/3004/Tour_All_of_Israel_in_Ten_Minutes/ The Idan Raichel Project burst onto the Israeli music scene in 2002, changing the face of Israeli popular music and offering a message of love and tolerance that resonated strongly in a region of the world where the headlines are too often dominated by conflict. With an enchanting blend of Ethiopian and Middle Eastern flavors coupled with sophisticated production techniques and a spectacular live show, the Idan Raichel Project has become one of the most unexpected success stories in Israeli music today. http://wejew.com/media/2999/Idan_Raichel_Band_Mi-Kol_Ha-Ahavot/ http://wejew.com/media/2999/Idan_Raichel_Band_Mi-Kol_Ha-Ahavot/ Following the destruction of Jewish trees in Jerusalem Jewish nationalists headed out to the site to reestablish the Jewish presence there. As seen on Arutz Sheva. http://wejew.com/media/2997/Jewish_Youth_Claim_Jerusalem_Land/ http://wejew.com/media/2997/Jewish_Youth_Claim_Jerusalem_Land/ Chaim Potok reflects on his writing process and how he developed characters for some of his greatest novels. Rabbi Dr. Chaim Potok (February 17, 1929 - July 23, 2002) was an American author and rabbi. Herman Harold Potok was born in the Bronx to Jewish immigrants from Poland. His parents, Benjamin Max (d. 1958) and Mollie (Friedman) Potok (d. 1985), gave him a Hebrew name, Chaim Tzvi. His Orthodox education taught him Talmud as well as secular studies. He decided to become a writer as a teenager, after reading Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited. Potok is most famous for his 1967 novel "The Chosen", which was also made into a film released in 1981, which won top award at the World Film Festival, Montreal, and later became a musical on Broadway for a short time. It was a semi-autobiographical story about two boys. Reuven Malter, a Modern Orthodox Jew, becomes friends with Danny Saunders, an exceptionally brilliant young son of a Hasidic rabbi. The father, Reb Saunders, expects his son to succeed him as a rabbi and the leader of their Hasidic sect, yet Danny wants to study psychology, a secular field of study. Dr. Potok died of brain cancer in Merion, Pennsylvania, on July 23, 2002. http://wejew.com/media/2996/Chaim_Potok_Talks_On_Being_A_Writer/ http://wejew.com/media/2996/Chaim_Potok_Talks_On_Being_A_Writer/ El Gaucho Steak from Tel-Aviv - New Jewish Cuisine chef Jeff Nathan is at it again bringing the taste of Tel-Aviv to your kitchen with a mouth watering El Gaucho Steak accompanied with honey roasted potatoes and a fennel and orange salad. http://wejew.com/media/2995/Kosher_Chef_Jeff's_El_Gaucho_Steak/ http://wejew.com/media/2995/Kosher_Chef_Jeff's_El_Gaucho_Steak/ Albert Einstein in his own words explaining the equivalence of energy and matter. Perhaps the most powerful scientific discovery of recorded history in his simple terms - E=Mc2 (Energy is equal to Mass multiplied by the Speed of Light Squared). Since the Speed of Light Squared is so massive a number, a minute amount of mass can release massive amounts of energy - and this is what both drives the sun and the technology behind nuclear bombs. http://wejew.com/media/2994/Einstein's_Equation_In_His_Words/ http://wejew.com/media/2994/Einstein's_Equation_In_His_Words/ The film starring Yehoram Gaon serves as presentation sent to potential donors. http://wejew.com/media/2988/Ammunition_Hill_Presentation_Video/ http://wejew.com/media/2988/Ammunition_Hill_Presentation_Video/ The Jewish value presented in the rescue missions of Israel worldwide. http://wejew.com/media/2987/Tikkun_Olam_Israeli_World_Rescues/ http://wejew.com/media/2987/Tikkun_Olam_Israeli_World_Rescues/ Video on the Israel center for International Cooperation known as Mashav. http://wejew.com/media/2986/Mashav_Israel_Global_Cooperation/ http://wejew.com/media/2986/Mashav_Israel_Global_Cooperation/