The Crusades and Modern Anti-Semitism, Kinnah #22

“Be silent and do not answer me so that I may speak”

 — “החרישו ממני ואדברה”

Unknown author, survivor of a massacred Jewish community.  Describes the tragedy of parents slaughtering their own children al Kiddush Hashem, in order to save them from torture by the enemy. Torah scholars were murdered, Who are these enemies who perpetrated these criminal acts?

The crusaders originated from France and Germany.

Jews on social media proudly proclaim that they refuse to commemorate Tisha b’Av.  On angle is one woman who feels she has made progress by creating a country not build on Torah and beis Hamikdash, and is fearful if Judaism and its laws destroys the secular life she loves.

The other angle is that enough with suffering, if we ignore it will go away and just remember our successes. They do not know the power of prayer and tears. This is the essence of a Torah Jew.

Who are we? Where do we belong ? where are we going?

We say to mourners to be comforted among the mourners of zion and yerushalyim? Because we know  what loss is. We know what was what we have and what will be. We know there will be another Beis Hamikdash and thus there will be revival to the dead and an end to suffering. But this will only be seen by those who mourn the destruction.

ישעיה סו:י “שמחו את ירושלים וגילו בה כל אוהביה שישו אתה משוש כל המתאבלים עליה”

תענית ל:ב – “מכאן אמרו כל המתאבל על ירושלים זוכה וראה בשמחה ושאינו מתאבל על ירושלים אינו רואה בשמחתה”

האבילות היא  פעולה של בינין שמכתה יבנה המקדש

האבילים האלו הם מחזירים את השכינה לציון

Recent events in France and Brittan:

• 6 million Jews live in Israel
• 6 million USA
• France 500,000
• UK 300,000
• Germany 100,000
• Spain 30,000
• Poland 30,000
• Turkey 20,000
• Iran 10,000

Official Terrorist attacks in Germany

• Prior 21 years = 4 !
• Past year 2016 at least 4

Official terrorist attacks in France

• Prior decade = 5 deaths.
• Past year = 161 deaths , 159 injuries

         July 14, 2016 : Attack in Nice France, Muslim used a truck to run over a crowd people. 84 killed and 308 wounded.

Antisemitism in France:

·         At least 1 in 10 Jews in France have been physically assaulted for their religious identity

·         Some Jewish leaders have spoken against the ongoing exodus to Israel have argued that the prominent contributions to French society made by Jews were part of the reason why they should not leave. “We are French; we must stay in France,” said Jean-Paul Chagnollaud,

·         The rising problem of anti-Semitism is not just a threat to Jews but to all French people, according to Yosef David Cohen, 57, who has served as a rabbi in Paris for 14 years.

·         The Jewish Agency, reported that 9,880 Western European Jews immigrated to Israel in 2015 — the highest annual number ever.

·         The vast majority, close to 8,000, came from France where a rise in anti-Semitic attacks has shattered the sense of security of the world’s third-largest Jewish population.

“לא זכינו לגדלכם לתורה, נקריבכם כעולה והקטרה“ – referring to their children:

“We did not merit to raise you for the Torah, instead we must offer you as a sacrifice like a olah karban, caused to go up in smoke before Hashem”

תענית כט. – אמר להם הקדוש ברוך הוא: אתם בכיתם בכיה של חינם – ואני קובע לכם בכיה לדורות….

• At least 22 days in 2016, Jews were murdered in Israel.  When Jews killed because of our Religion, these deaths need to be remembered and mourned.

1. June 30 – Michael Mark age 40, father of ten, was driving his car with his wife and two children along Route 60 near Mount Hebron, 20 bullet casings inside Mark’s car. Michael Mark died on the scene, and his wife and children who were in the vehicle were treated at a local hospital.
2. June 30 – Hallel Yaffa Ariel age 13 was stabbed to death in her bed by 19-year old terrorist, who had broken into her home. The attacker was from a nearby village, and climbed the fence into Kiryat Arba before breaking into Ariel’s home
3. June 8 – 4 Israelis were killed and 5 injured when two Arab terrorists opened fire in the the Sarona Market in Tel Aviv.
4. February 24 – Captain Eilav Gelman age 30 killed. A Arab attempted to stab a reserve IDF Captain and failed. Nearby IDF soldiers forces saw the incident and responded by attempting to shoot the stabber. The security forces accidentally shot and killed Capt. Gelman. The arab attacker was lightly wounded and taken to an Israeli hospital for treatment.
5. February 18 – Tuvia Yanai Weissman age 21. Two teenage Arab boys entered a supermarket and stabbed two Israelis, before being apprehended and shot by other customers in the store. Off duty IDF soldier 21-year old Sergeant Tuvia Yanai Weissman, was killed, he did not have a weapon depite his requests.
6. February 3 – Hadar Cohen age 19. 3 terrorists armed with knives, guns, and explosives, attacked a group of IDF soldiers at the Damascus Gate. 3 people including 2 Israeli police officers were seriously injured. 19-year old Israeli officer Hadar Cohen was killed.
7. January 25 – Shlomit Krigman age 24. 2 Israeli women were stabbed while walking outside of a market in their town. 24-year old Shlomit Krigman was killed.
8. January 17 – Dafna Meir age 38. Dafna Meir, an Israeli mother of 6 was attacked outside of her home by an Arab  terrorist wielding a knife. The attacker approached from behind and stabbed Meir in the back of her head. The 16-year old terrorist fled the scene, but was arrested two days later and charged with murder.
9. January 1 – Alon Bakal age 26, Shimon Ruimi age 30. At a New Year’s celebration at a local pub in Tel Aviv an Arab-Israeli shot and killed 2 individuals, injuring 8.
10. December 23 – Rabbi Rueven Birmajer age 45. At the Yaffo Gate, Rabbi Birmajer was stabbed and killed by an Arab. A bystander was hit and killed by a stray bullet a police officer as Israeli security forces attempted to subdue the attacker.
11. December 7 – Genadi Kaufman age 40. Attacked near Maaras Hamachpela in Hebron. He died of his wounds three weeks later.
12. November 23 – An 18-year old Israeli soldier was stabbed to death at a gas station by an Arab. The victim had sustained severe abdominal stab wounds and was pronounced dead by paramedics.
13. November 19 – Aharon Yesiab (32), Reuven Aviram (51), Ezra Schwartz (18), Ya’acov Don (51) Two Israeli Jews were stabbed to death and two seriously injured by a 39-year old Arab from the West Bank, who was apprehended at the scene and taken to an Israeli hospital with minor injuries. The stabbing attack took place at the entrance to the synagogue next to the Panorama office building in Southern Tel Aviv, during mincha .
14. November 19 – An Arab opened fire on cars stuck in a traffic jam in Gush Etzion, killing an Israeli, an American yeshiva student from Beit Shemesh, and wounding seven others. Five of the wounded were American Yeshiva students. The American victim was 18-year old Ezra Schwartz, from Massachusetts.
15. November 13 – Rabbi Yaakov Litman (40), Netanel Litman (18) Yaakov Litman and his son Netanel were shot to death by arab who opened fire on their vehicle near the Otniel junction. The two were seated in the front seats of their car when the terrorist opened fire. Litman’s wife, who sustained minor injuries, and three daughters were in the back seat of the car.
16. November 4 – Staff Seargent Benjamin Yaakovovich (19) An Israeli security officer was hit by a car driven by a Arab, who was then shot at the scene. The victim, 19-year old Staff Seargent Benjamin Yaakovovich, died of his wounds.
17. October 20 – Avraham Asher Hasano (50) Israeli was driving south of Hebron, when Arabs began pelting his car with stones and he was unable to drive. He exited his vehicle and was run over with a truck by and Arab driver and was killed.
18. October 18 – IDF Soldier Omri Levy (19) 21 year old Arab assailant the rifle of 19 year old Israeli soldier Omri Levy, and killed him with it. He opened fire in a crowded bus station with the rifle, and injured 11 other people.
19. October 13 – Rabbi Yeshayahu Krishevsky (60), Haim Haviv (78), Alon Govberg (59), Richard Lakin (76). Two Israelis were killed and fifteen injured in a stabbing and shooting attack on a bus in Southern Jerusalem. The attackers stormed the bus and blocked people from getting off, while attempting to take control of the wheel and ram the bus into a crowded public place. One assailant opened fire with a gun while the other stabbed the bus passengers. One of the people injured in the attack, 76 year old Richard Lakin, died of his injuries. Rabbi Yeshayahu Krishevsky was struck by a car in Jerusalem simultaneously as the bus attack was happening. He died of his wounds.
20. October 3 – Nahmia Lavi (23), Aaron Bennet (24) A Arab man approached a group of Israelis in Jerusalem’s Old City on October 3, 2015, and began stabbing a Jewish woman with her baby, and then stabbed to death the two others who came to help her.
21. October 1 – Eitam Henkin, Naama Henkin (both early 30’s) Eitam and his wife Naama were ambushed by Arabs as they drove with their four children, all under the age of 10. The Arabs shot Eitam and Naama multiple times and they were pronounced dead at the scene, while the children who had just witnessed their parent’s murder were only lightly injured.
22. September 14 – Alexander Levlovitz (64) Alexander Levlovitz was killed after the car that he was driving was struck by stones thrown by Arab youths.

“תנקם דם הנשפך כמים המגרים“ – we beseech Hashem:

Avenge the blood poured out like water, flowing downhill !

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The above article was written in 2016.