REMINDER and UPDATE - Pride Event in Jerusalem Tomorrow

18 Sivan 5786

[Check back here periodically for the latest info on the counter-demonstration.]
(See also Jerusalem Municipality)

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I always found it interesting that the Jerusalem Pride Parade began at Liberty Bell Park and passed by the American Orthodox Union (in Israel), The American Cultural Center, and the Democracy Institute before ending at Independence Park across the street from the American Embassy building.  The Museum for Tolerance is also in that area.

I can't help wondering if it was all by design or if there is just something about that area of the city that attracts the tumah. The connections to America are too obvious to ignore.

Now, we are hearing about a change in the route.  Again, the connections are too obvious to ignore - Sacher Park, the Knesset, the Rose Garden and the Supreme Court - ground zero for the Erev Rav!

New Jerusalem Pride March route heads towards Knesset under 'Demanding Change' slogan

The 24th Jerusalem March for Pride and Tolerance on Thursday will take a new route toward the Knesset, organizers announced on Tuesday.

The Jerusalem Open House for Pride and Tolerance said the march will call for changes in public discourse and legislation on behalf of Israel’s LGBTQ+ community.

The march, held under the slogan “Demanding Change,” will depart from Sacher Park and continue toward the Rose Garden, passing near the Supreme Court and Knesset area. Organizers said the route, approved in coordination with the Jerusalem District Police, is intended to underline that the demand for equality is not symbolic, but requires action by decision-makers.

March route and message

For the first time in about a decade, the Jerusalem march will not follow its traditional route, organizers said. Participants are expected to walk from Sacher Park through Rabin Road, the Supreme Court area, Yoel Sussman Street, and on to the Rose Garden.

The Jerusalem Open House said the march will focus on advancing full equality for the LGBTQ+ community, restoring a sense of security for all Israeli citizens, and promoting social and legislative change. The organization said the timing, during an election year, gives the march added civic significance.

Speakers and public figures

The closing rally at the Rose Garden will be hosted by Elad Bar-Noy and Avia Farhi, according to the organizers. Speakers are expected to include Jerusalem activist Nadav Schwartz, trans activist Nina Halevi, Jerusalem Open House chair Hadas Blomendal, and Association for Civil Rights in Israel executive director Noa Sattath.

Performers scheduled to appear include Gal De Paz, Hazeevot, Suzi Boom, and Rona Kenan at the opening stage in Sacher Park. Opposition leader Yair Lapid and MK Naama Lazimi have confirmed their attendance, while organizers said invitations were sent to all Knesset members.

Police preparations

About 2,000 Jerusalem District police officers, Border Police troops, undercover officers, reinforcements, and volunteers are expected to secure the march, organizers said. Police will be deployed along the route, at gathering points, and on nearby streets to maintain public order and direct traffic.

Road closures are expected to begin at 3:30 p.m. on Rabin, Ben-Zvi Boulevard, Bezalel, Ruppin, Kaplan, and Hanassi Hashishi streets, as well as nearby areas. Israel Police Commissioner Danny Levy recently met LGBTQ+ community representatives ahead of Pride Month and said police would act to prevent violence, incitement, and interference at Pride events, according to The Jerusalem Post.

While I have not heard of any plans for a counter-demonstration, it's probably safe to bet that something will be going on around the Strings Bridge.  It's a popular place for that kind of thing and also in close proximity this year.

Still hoping for a reprieve from Shamayim!!  😢

An "Influencer" Ahead of His Time

17 Sivan 5786

When I arrived on aliyah in Eretz Yisrael in 1996, it did not mark the end of my spiritual journey.  It was the proper beginning of it.  One of the most important elements of any life journey is the people you meet along the way who leave their own unique impression upon your soul.

Eretz Yisrael is home to many larger-than-life characters, some of whom I have been privileged to meet personally.  One such "character" was Avraham Herzlich.  I was privileged to hear his life's philosophy grounded in the wisdom of our holy Torah on the way to Kfar Tapuach sometime around 1998-99.  

And now, I have the great honor and privilege of passing that on to you, my readers, via an outstanding book entitled Letters to a Young Shepherd; Avraham Herzlich, Father of the Hilltop Youth which has been produced by my dear friend and ally - Aryeh Mordechai ben Moshe - and published by Third Temple Reality Publications.

When I received my copy, I was very excited at the prospect of a good read, but I delayed until Shabbat when I could give it all of the attention it deserved and it did not disappoint.  Letters to a Young Shepherd is a little jewel of a book whose impact is belied by its size (106 pages).  Its message is heartfelt and timeless as our people.  Everyone, regardless of age or stage of life, can enjoy and benefit from it.  

Don't miss this opportunity to further enrich your soul with the words and thoughts expressed by the acknowledged "father of the hilltop youth."  It will be well worth your investment. 

My enduring thanks to Aryeh Mordechai ben Moshe for making Avraham Herzlich's legacy available to the wider public.

The book costs 50 shekels from the author or 59 shekels from Pomeranz Bookseller in Jerusalem or online at Sifriat Am Yisrael (not including shipping).

Author: 054-641-4801, savethehilltopyouth@gmail.com, or directly from his Kfar Tapuach office.

Pomeranz Bookseller:  Be'eri St 5, Jerusalem,  Phone: 02-623-5559, https://www.pomeranzbooks.co.il/

Sifriat Am Yisrael: https://www.kodeshbook.co.il/product.asp?productid=14535

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Meandering from Brooklyn to Samaria,
Avraham Herzlich shepherded a dynasty

UPDATE on Yonatan Razel's Condition

17 Sivan 5786

Please keep the prayers coming for Yonatan Adi ben Chayah Rachel.

  Report from Ricka Razel Van Leeuwen, Yonatan's sister...

Yonatan Razel's Brother Provides Update After His Sudden Stroke

...Aaron added that his brother is currently resting, eating, drinking, and even smiling. "The doctors are optimistic, but he now needs absolute rest to recover. We ask that everyone continue to pray for the complete recovery of Yonatan Adi ben Chaya Rachel. We can feel how much it helps!"

"ISRAEL'S NEW GOLDEN CALF? (Part 2)"

17 Sivan 5786

ISRAEL'S NEW GOLDEN CALF?  (Part 2)
RABBI RICHTER

 

Yonatan Razel CRITICAL!!

16 Sivan 5786

Yonatan Razel in Critical Condition After Sudden Stroke 

Beloved Israeli singer, composer, and musical arranger Yonatan Razel was rushed to Jerusalem's Shaare Zedek Medical Center this morning (Monday) after suffering a stroke, and is currently hospitalised in critical, life-threatening condition. He is 53 years old.

According to his publicist, the stroke itself occurred last week, but his condition deteriorated significantly this morning. Family members, gathered at his bedside, have urgently called on the public to pray for his recovery. "He needs many prayers — he is in danger of his life," they said.

His name for prayer is: Yonatan Adi ben Chaya Rachel.

 

(SOURCE)

"One Lone Voice" - How Can It Be?

16 Sivan 5786

 “One lone Rabbinic voice this morning from the Religious Zionist camp.”

Dati Leumi Rav: “Cry Out Against The Persecution of Chareidim Amid Antisemitic Laws Not Found In Any Decent Society”

Rabbi Meir Hilwitz, the Rav of the yishuv of Bruchin and a Rosh Mesivta at Ma’ale Eliyahu Yeshiva in Tel Aviv, published an article calling to the Dati Leumi sector to protest the judicial system’s “wicked persecution of our Chareidi brothers.”

Rabbi Hilwitz began: “I cannot help but cry out in heartfelt pain. How did we allow a corrupt and rotten system to take an entire community—kadosh and tahor—and officially transform it into a population of ‘criminals and draft evaders’ who must flee from every police officer as though they were the worst offenders and degenerates in society?!”

Rabbi Hilwitz clarified that he doesn’t agree with the Chareidi approach toward the IDF and “the understanding of the redemptive processes through which we are living.”

Nevertheless, he wrote that his main pain is that “we allowed such a pure and holy public force—one that educates its children according to Torah and yiras Hashem, and whose entire life revolves around the Mesilas Yesharim and the Shulchan Aruch—to be transformed…”

“How did we allow them, with a crude, sophisticated, wicked, and terrifyingly powerful hand, to turn the members of this community into a band of draft dodgers and criminals stripped of basic rights in our ‘democratic’ state, where the judicial system claims to defend oppressed minorities? Is there any minority in Israeli society whose rights are trampled more than those of this minority? They are now deemed unworthy of daycare assistance, discounted housing, tax-benefit provisions, and there are even those who have suggested depriving them of the right to vote.”

“These hypocrites within the judicial system have now gone even further, bringing this community to a dreadful situation in which its members must walk the streets in fear and hide from every police officer as though they were wanted criminals.”

“Even the basic social protection that the police are supposed to provide to citizens has been denied to them. Roshei Yeshivos are forced to warn their students to hide from the police on their way home and not to attract attention. Is such a thing conceivable? Has anything like this ever happened in Israel?”

“I feel the same way I did before the Gaza disengagement, when they promised us, the Religious Zionist public, that they would persecute us relentlessly. When we asked whether Israeli society would really allow them to commit such an injustice and expel an entire holy, pure, and principled community from its homes, the architects of the expulsion gave us a chilling answer: ‘We have two years to turn you into the scum of Israeli society and its worst citizens. We will make you into a society deserving of every disaster that befalls it.’

“We experienced two years of delegitimization, condemnation, and media persecution. Then came the terrible expulsion.”

He warned that the same “crushing system,” led by “Kaplan representatives” in the judiciary and media is now using similar tactics against the Chareidi sector.

“And now, once again, a well-oiled, wicked system, full of power and influence over public opinion, is taking an entire community and sullying its reputation. But this time, everything is also enshrined in antisemitic laws, unlike anything found in any decent human society.

“The crushing conduct of the representatives within the judicial system has shattered all the rules of the game. In their blind and wicked persecution of our Chareidi brothers, they demonstrate that they are no longer participants in the construction of our complete and diverse national stature. These persecutors have no place in our collective national journey.”

Rabbi Hilwitz concluded with a dramatic appeal to his fellow members of the Religious Zionist community: “The persecution our Chareidi brothers are enduring is far deeper, more painful, threatening, and severe than what we suffered. This persecution should bring people into the streets to protest, cry out, and warn against it. This monstrous, terrifying, and wicked system must be confronted and uprooted from its foundations.”

“We must not be dragged into this unrestrained persecution. It has nothing to do with our ideological and Torah disagreements with them. The time has come to say enough to this hatred. We must return to the bris of those who love Torah and faith.”

Chareidi journalist Yedidya Meir read the article on Kol Chai Radio, adding: “One lone Rabbinic voice this morning from the Religious Zionist camp.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

The term Religious Zionist implies both religious and Zionist.  It reminds me of Eliyahu HaNavi's words at Har Carmel:  "Until when are you hopping between two ideas? If the Lord is God, go after Him, and if the Baal, go after him."

If the Torah is our path, follow it, and if it's Zionism, then follow that, but stop with this unholy mixture!!  The sooner the better!!!

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RELATED:  Chareidi Enlistment In IDF Surges 50%, 1,800 Reported For Duty In Past 6 Months

Military Police Delay Plans to Raid Yeshiva Students - Israel Police Cites Northern Threats

The Draft Dodgers Nobody Talks About - "Nearly a third of eligible Israelis avoided the draft in 2021, and most of them weren't Haredi. So why does Israel's outrage flow in only one direction?"

Because it's not about needing the soldiers, it's about destroying the Torah world!!!!!!

While Israel is at War with Iran, the Supreme Court is at War with the Haredim and the Settlers

A Different "Pride" Parade in NYC - Just As Much A Desecration

16 Sivan 5786  

I took this clip just now from the live broadcast of the Israel Day Parade in NYC.

"Proud Americans, Proud Zionists"

This is the theme of the entire parade, repeated over and over again on all the floats.

While this is going on in America, here is what is developing in Israel...

Re-writing the Security Alliance: United States and Israel Move to Merge Industrial Systems

The geopolitical relationship between the United States and Israel is approaching a historic turning point that is set to fundamentally alter decades of traditional security cooperation. As the regional war continues to reshape public sentiment across both nations, lawmakers within the American Congress are actively advancing a revolutionary legislative framework designed to transform the bilateral alliance from the ground up. This systemic overhaul marks a dramatic departure from the long-standing model of annual financial grants, establishing a permanent structural link between the two defense ecosystems.

Further eroding Israeli sovereignty!!

HASHEM YERACHEM and SEND US MASHIACH NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WARNING ON PUBLIC CHILLUL HASHEM!!!

15 Sivan 5786 

UPDATE @ 12:50 pm!!!  Rabbi Yehudah HaCohen Richter requests that everyone agree to take upon themselves something extra tomorrow, whatever they are capable of, whether it is committing to a sun-up to sun-down fast during Mincha this afternoon or extra minutes of Torah study or increased tzedakah; whatever we can do to convince HKB"H to cancel this evil decree!!!

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"This is not just a pride event; it also aims to highlight the Dead Sea region as a permanent destination for LGBT tourists, emphasizing that Pride in Israel extends beyond the key hub of Tel Aviv."

 

By ESTHER DAVIS, APRIL 19, 2026

Israel is set to host the Middle East’s largest ever LGBT festival at the Dead Sea in June 2026.

The new festival, Pride Land, intends to transform the middle of the Judean Desert into a colorful pride city from June 1 to June 4.

The event intends to create an experience broader than parties or performances, instead aiming for a space that is alive 24 hours a day, with 15 hotels, beach complexes, parties, and a central performance arena all operating around the clock.

...The organizers hope to create a multigenerational “Pride City,” not just a party celebrating pride. “This is not just another festival, it's the biggest thing we've done here,” explained Aaron Cohen, main producer and initiator of the festival.

...“We chose to grow," Cohen added. "To take an investment of millions, purchase entire hotels for 4 days, and build a city from scratch in the middle of the desert. It's an experience that lives 24/7, from quiet visits to nights of pride, with a living envelope of music and people.”

This is not just a pride event; it also aims to highlight the Dead Sea region as a permanent destination for LGBT tourists, emphasizing that Pride in Israel extends beyond the key hub of Tel Aviv.

...“Pride Land does not come to replace Tel Aviv's traditional Pride Parade, but rather to add to the community an event that is tailored to its development and is crafted from within the community with the community's people,” explained Jonathan Gadol, CEO of X Production.  (Source)

Jerusalem March for Pride and Tolerance 2026

Where: Gan Hapa'amon, Jerusalem, Israel

When: Thursday, June 4, 2026

[The Tel Aviv celebration is scheduled to take place on June 12, 2026.]

AD MATAI???!!!  😢

PLEASE HASHEM, FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR GREAT NAME, DO NOT LET THEM SUCCEED.  DO NOT HOLD THIS SIN AGAINST YOUR RIGHTEOUS CHILDREN WHO MOAN AND GROAN OVER THE INSULT TO YOU AND TO THE LAND.  WE HAVE NO POWER TO STOP THIS, SO WE LOOK TO YOU FOR REDRESS AND RELIEF.  PAY THE SINNERS WHAT THEY HAVE EARNED AND RELEASE YOUR PEOPLE FROM THEIR DOMINATION ONCE AND FOR ALL TIME.  

Cursed be the United States where this movement was birthed and from which it has been exported to the world, especially to Eretz Yisrael.  Neither Russia, nor China, nor Muslim lands tolerate such public displays and vile acts.  

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First 8 minutes:  Israel To Host "Pride City" Near Sodom & Gomorrah 2026!