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22 Teves 5761 - January 17, 2001 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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NEWS


Talking Despite the Terror
by Mordecai Plaut and Yated Ne'eman Staff

When Gush Katif farmer Roni Tsalah, a 33-year-old resident of Kfar Yam in southern Gaza (a community of four families), was found murdered on Monday morning in an onion field, apparently shot with his own gun, talks with the Palestinian Authority were suspended. However they were set to resume Tuesday according to the PA and according to an official in the Prime Minister's office.

Economy: Zero Inflation in 2000; The Operation was successful--But the Patient Died?
by A. Halevy

The Central Bureau of Statistics said this week that inflation in 2000 totaled zero. There was absolutely no inflation. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) fell 0.1 percent in December. Gross domestic product (GDP) increased by an impressive 5.9 percent last year.

Miracle in Meah Shearim: Bomb Disarmed By Resident
by Yated Ne'eman Staff

A terror attack in Jerusalem's Meah Shearim neighborhood was thwarted last Thursday morning by a resident who successfully defused a bomb attached to a cell phone detonator just minutes before it was set to go off.

Histadrut Threatens General Strike Wednesday
by Yated Ne'eman Staff

The Finance Ministry and the Histadrut were working to bridge the gaps between them, but if that fails the Histadrut has threatened to launch a general strike, possibly starting as soon as Wednesday morning.

Horrifying Accident in Ramat Shlomo
by Betzalel Kahn

A terrible tragedy occurred in Jerusalem's Ramat Shlomo neighborhood on 13 Teves when a five year old boy was killed while returning home from cheder. The little boy, who had moved to the neighborhood only a few days previously, got off the minibus near his home on Admor of Sadigura Street.

Drop in Conversions Due to Lack of Funds
by Betzalel Kahn

At a press conference which he convened on Wednesday (15 Teves), director general of the rabbinical courts Rabbi Eli Ben Dehan stated that in the year 2000 the number of converts in Israel dropped by a few percent, due to a lack of funds. The Vaad HaRabbonim Haolami LeInyonei Giyur headed by HaRav Chaim Kreiswirth countered that an increased budget can't transform non-Jews into Jews.

Machon Hamechabrim To Help Authors
by Betzalel Kahn

Machon Hamechabrim, a new institute granting author stipends, opened during the week of parshas Vayechi. The purpose of the institute, under the endorsement and guidance of gedolei Yisroel, is to help lomdei haTorah publish their chiddushim.

Israel Dispatches Aid to El Salvador
by Yated Ne'eman Staff

On Monday night, right after the tragedy, the Israeli Foreign Ministry dispatched a medical team to assist the victims of the recent earthquake in El Salvador. Leading the delegation is the Director of the Foreign Ministry's Latin America Division Mr. Alex Ben-Zvi, and the Director of the Schneider Hospital Trauma Center, Dr. Yehezkel Waisman.

New Rules Target Money Laundering
by Yated Ne'eman Staff

Israeli banking institutions must report any transactions involving NIS 200,000 or more according to a new regulation approved by the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee on Monday. The information on these transactions will be recorded in a permanent database maintained by the Justice Ministry. The regulation will first take effect next year.

The Financing of the Labor Party via the Absorption Ministry
by N. Zeevi

A new twist to the ongoing saga of the investigation into Barak's election amutot (nonprofit organizations) has come to light recently. The local Jerusalem publication, Kol Hair revealed that amutot which were set up when Barak first became leader of the Labor Party, receive funds from government budgets.

HaRav Alter Halpern zt"l
by Moshe Musman

Last week, London's chareidi community was in deep mourning over the petiroh of one of the city's most gifted and best known marbitzei Torah, HaRav Alter Shlomo Yitzchok Halevi Halpern zt'l. R' Alter was the youngest son-in-law of HaRav Moshe Schneider zt'l, founder and head of Yeshivas Toras Emes, and he took over the yeshiva and later the kollel which replaced it.

The Admor of Lelov, zt"l
by A. Cohen

On 14 Teves, gedolei haTorah, admorim, roshei yeshiva and rabbonim joined thousands of chassidim and laymen in Bnei Brak to accompany the Admor of Lelov, zt"l, HaRav Alter Elozor Menachem Biderman, on his last earthly journey. The Admor of Lelov was niftar suddenly at the age of sixty-five.

New Stamp Celebrates Budapest Reform Temple
by S. Fried

The Israel Postal Authority along with the Hungarian Postal Authority has recently issued a stamp with the picture of the most luxurious reform temple in Europe.

The Purity of the Jewish Home
By Amitai Shulman

The National Council for Purity in Israel (Taharas Hamishpocha), has built and maintained 800 mikvo'os all over Israel and increased recognition of the importance of the laws of family purity in Israel and throughout the world.

Bukharan Jewish Disease Traced to 1243 Ancestor
by Yated Ne'eman Staff

A progressive type of muscular dystrophy in middle-aged Jews of Bukharan origin that causes their eyelids to droop and makes swallowing difficult results from a genetic defect that first appeared in a single ancestor around the year 1243, according to research conducted at the Technion in Haifa.

Few Attend Hillula of HaRav Abu Chatzeirah
by Yated Ne'eman Staff

Only a trickle a Jewish festival in Egypt under tight security, Egyptian security sources said Monday but the crowds seen in other years stayed away in the face of festering Middle East tension.

Citrus Growers in Trouble
by B. Rabinowitz

"If the Government doesn't help the citrus growers overcome the current crisis, Israel will lose all of her orchards," secretary of the Citrus Growers Organization, Yossi Ungar, warned last week. He spoke at an emergency meeting of citrus growers held in the Agricultural Center in Beit Dagan.

Army Commander Calls Upon HaRav Yosef Sholom Eliashiv
by Betzalel Kahn

Colonel Gal Hirsch, commander of the Binyamin Brigade, called upon HaRav Yosef Sholom Eliashiv on 17 Teves, reporting on recent measures to increase security in the Modi'in Illit region which includes Kiryat Sefer and Brachfeld Estates as well as asking the rov for his brocho.

Sinkholes at the Dead Sea
by G. Milgrom

The intifadah has not reached the Dead Sea, but the appearance of sinkholes has tourist operators quite alarmed.

Israel Unprepared for Earthquakes
by N. Katzin

According to a recent report by the Israel Geophysical Institute, Israel is unprepared for a major earthquake. An earthquake of 6.5 intensity on the Richter scale would be catastrophic, the report claims. Thousands of people would lose their lives, while hundreds of thousands would become homeless, chas vesholom. The report was recently presented to the Ministerial Committee for Earthquakes formed following the recent earthquakes in Turkey.

The Torah Returns to its Former Place
by Yated Ne'eman Staff

When one thinks of France, one might fondly recall the yeshivos of Rashi, Rabbenu Tam and other Baalei Tosafos to whom we owe much of the Torah as we know it today. The country was indeed a vibrant center of Yiddishkeit until Hitler, y"sh, destroyed a large part of our people.

An Interview with Rabbi Ravitz on the Dismantling of the Religious Affairs Ministry
by Eliezer Rauchberger

This interview was given three months ago when dismantling the Religious Affairs Ministry was first proposed. Since the proposal is still in the air, the interview is still quite important.


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