Haveil Havalim 221: The News and Politics Edition

It's been quite a week for the Jewish world. With Obama's speech in the Middle East and the killing at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, I can't quite seem to catch up on anything.

What's going on here today?

Founded by Soccer Dad, Haveil Havalim is a carnival of Jewish blogs -- a weekly collection of Jewish & Israeli blog highlights, tidbits and points of interest collected from blogs all around the world. It's hosted by different bloggers each week and coordinated by Jack. The term 'Haveil Havalim,' which means "Vanity of Vanities," is from Qoheleth, (Ecclesiastes) which was written by King Solomon. King Solomon built the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and later on got all bogged down in materialism and other 'excesses' and realized that it was nothing but 'hevel,' or in English, 'vanity.'

Please please please publicize HH on your own blog and share the news about it!

So here we go....

Politics, News, and People Who Don't Like the Jews...

The Rebbetzin's Husband has some thoughts about Blacks and Jews, a very interesting post that came about in light of this week's killing at the Holocaust Museum.

Lady-Light thinks that in order to work Towards "A More Peaceful and Tolerant World" we need to give up some of our democratic ideals...

Judeopundit gave us Obama's Palestinian ambitions, or Abu Hussein and the 800-lb Al-Buraq.

Shiloh Musings presents Obama, They Love Him Or Hate Him, reporting live from the Diaspora.


SimplyJews considers The elusive issue of settlements and pols' honesty and also reads the news...and wonders Hungarian Jews should stick to playing with their what?


Cosmic X penned An Ode to Obama.

Yechezkel wrote this post, Life of a Salesman - * A Must Read*, to sell us all (well, those of us who aren't already living there) on Aliyah. Are you buying?

APRPEH scares up Wright Warns Obama to be Himself. I know I'm supposed to be all nice and neutral since I'm hosting but really? He's already been elected.

Eliyahu Fink asks Where Is The Outrage? | The Plight of Middle Eastern Jewry and it was posted before the USHMM shooting. An interesting juxtaposition of of events...

Velveteen Rabbi posted On divisions in the J-blogosphere, and President Obama's Cairo speech - and she wonders about liberal voices in the Haveil Havalim community. Hineni!

Israel

Harry-er than them all shares this bit of the Clinton Interview.
Occidental Israeli thinks that maybe the Status Quo is the best option.
For Zion's Sake presents Our Claim to Our Land.
Israelity posted Sderot solidarity on display, Bagir and Obama, and Meet Israel’s newest cabinet minister.
Israeli Soldier's LIFE & THOUGHTS thinks that a holiday without meat can't possibly cut it...and even worse on base: Food and Detention.
How to Be Israeli shares what she calls "the most traumatic experince of aliyah:" Get your Israeli driver's license!! 
Jewlicious tells us about A New Location for the Russian Library for Jerusalem.
Joel Katz at Religion and State in Israel presents the weekly roundup of issues of religion and state in Israel: Section 1 and Section 2.
Esser Agaroth got a ticket for Jaywalking In Jerusalem (wow!? that is way strict!!!) and also posted Christians Are Everywhere!

Our Shiputzim: A Work In Progress muses about Heblish: Realization of a fear edition - this is the kind of thing that my kids are starting to pick up and we don't live in Israel!
My Right Word wrote West Bank Birthing (did you know the "West Bank" is a country?) and Good Achievement for Benefit of the Temple Mount (explaining how the Temple Mount is actually a holy site)

Judaism and Torah

A Simple Jew presents Question & Answer With Rabbi Zvi Leshem - How To Identify A Spiritual Fall.
Ari's Blog explains Sex Abuse and Tuition Crisis in Yeshivot (Or How to Shop for a Yeshivah: Part 3) and also Ashkenazis vs. Sefaradit (Or, the Pesach I Leined for Chasidim)
Ilana-Davita invites you to join in her Mesorah Project.
Cosmic X recommends the book Sichat Avot.
parshablog wants to know: Why would a rationalist not consider the pnimiyus haTorah response as most convincing and satisfying?
Mordechai Torczyner presents "Giving it to him" is usually a bad idea posted at The Rebbetzin's Husband.

Harry-er than them all asks What have you done for the Jewish people lately?

JBloggers Being Funny

Actually, funny enough, this category is the one that ended up with the most spam posts. Is that because I'm supposed to laugh and then include them? They don't belong here - stop spamming our carnival!!!!

Good News from Israel offers Hebrew Tongue Twisters - check 'em out!
Cosmic X points out Another Cat Gets Into Trouble.
A Time of the Signs made me giggle over 48% puppy-dogs' tails - what is in that stuff???
Maya at How to Be Israeli explains the nosiness factor of Israeli society and warns you...Don't give away information!

The Real Shliach wrote His fictive self, a story.
Not Just Typical offers The Well Rounded Child Ish Diet and totally count me in for #1. 

Culture, Life, and Everything Else...

Occidental Israeli watched Middle Eastern Food on the Food Network - Bobby Flay makes felafel?
Seraphic Secret ruminates on the ideas behind I Was Raped By The Taliban And I liked It...
Conversations in Klal reminds us to Overlook Us At Your Peril (the "us" being the Boomer generation).
me-ander wants to know Sans Internet-What To Do With My Coffee? (and how to get her parents to make aliyah).
Here in HP contemplates the Loss of a Parent.
Lost Star of David saw at lot of Denomination Cooperation in her new town.
Beneath the Wings is playing Mrs Sherlock Holmes.

Did you know that The Rabbi Abhors Thursdays? The Rebbetzin's Husband does and I agree.
My Right Word promises that I Didn't Say It.
Not Just Typical asks Are you Observant? 
I wrote about the Reform movement's rabbinic ordination ceremonies in Cincinnati last weekend.
Robin is hosting a new weekly photo meme called Summer Stock Sundays. Go check it out and play along! (Sorry, Robin, I don't think I'll make it this week since I'm hosting HH!)
Jew Wishes reviewed City of Thieves, a great book and a great review!
Mother in Israel made the Top 50 Frugality Blogs! Mazel tov!
Ashi and Rami's Ima introduced her kids to cows...real cows.

Please send your posts for the next edition of the Haveil Havalim Blog Carnival via the Blog Carnival Submission Form. If you're interested in hosting or receiving more information about the carnival, please contact Jack at talktojacknow-at-sbcglobal-dot-net (and please, for the sake of our hosts, try not to submit more than 3 posts a week!)

Please please please publicize HH on your own blog and share the news about it!

You can just copy and paste this nice little sentence into your blog if you'd like:

A very lovely edition of Haveil Havalim, the Jewish Blog Carnival, is now up over at Ima on and off the Bima. Check it out!