Haveil Havalim #201 - The I-Love-Nauru Edition

Welcome to the 201st edition of Haveil Havalim, the I Love Nauru Edition!

Why do I love Nauru? Check this out, from Friday's news:
The U.N. General Assembly called in a nonbinding resolution on Friday for an immediate, durable cease-fire in Gaza, rejecting a more radical text proposed by a group of Muslim and Latin American states…
The assembly's electronic scoreboard showed 142 countries in favour, four opposed and eight abstaining. But the exact figures were not immediately clear as several countries said their votes had not registered due to electrical faults.
Voting against were Israel, the United States and the Pacific island of Nauru, which believed the resolution was biased against Israel. Venezuela, which thought it was too soft on the Jewish state, was also shown by the board as voting against although the country's delegate said he abstained.

So you may be wondering, as I was when I read this, “What’s a Nauru?” Here’s some information from Wikipedia:
Nauru /nɑːˈuːruː/, officially the Republic of Nauru and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island nation in the Micronesian South Pacific. The nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in the Republic of Kiribati, 300 km due east. Nauru is the world's smallest island nation, covering just 21 km² (8.1 sq. mi), the smallest independent republic, and the only republican state in the world without an official capital. It is the least populous member of the United Nations.

It’s motto? “God’s Will First.” I like that in a motto (unless the deity's name is Allah, anyway...).

I don’t know how the Israel-Nauru relationship began (relations were formalized in 1994), but this 2006 article is interesting:
Doctors to Nauru Islands for 1st Israeli mission
Nauru Islands , Oct. 30, 2006
Two doctors left Sunday night for the Republic of Nauru in the Micronesian Pacific Ocean on a first-ever Israeli mission to examine and treat the local population.
The government of Nauru asked Israel's Foreign Ministry to find doctors willing to take part in such a project, and Dr. Danny Yardeni and Dr. Hadar Yardeni agreed to go.
The couple, he a pediatric surgeon at Ha'emek Hospital in Afula and she a pediatrician and deputy medical director in the northern district of Maccabi Health Services, will be on the islands for two months, the Israel Medical Association reported.
Dr. Hadar Yardeni will give advice on health promotion and disease prevention and pediatric care, while Danny Yardeni will perform surgery on the islands, which have 7,000 children out of 13,000 residents.

But enough prologue; here’s this week’s HH roundup of posts from around the Jewish blogosphere. I included almost all of the submitted posts. (But guys - and you know who you are - please stop submitting four or five posts from your blogs. Especially if your posts consist of one line and a photograph. Thanks.) I also took a tour of some blogs I love; it was a good chance to catch up, since I haven't taken much time to read other blogs recently.

We have 9 parts about different aspects of the war in Gaza, and then a catch-all section for the relatively few non-Gaza posts of the week:


Gaza, Part I: Amazing Livebloggers
People ask me where I go for news, but then they give me weird looks when I tell them I read The Muqata and Israellycool. What don’t they understand?

And a big round of applause for Jack for his Gaza Updates (newest one here - the Ceasefire edition)!


Gaza, Part II: Living the war
A 17-year old talks about why we must fight this war, Nad-ned talks about what it’s like to live the war, and Ki Yachol Nuchal talks about the help she finds visiting her son, who is in the war.

For at least one politician, war trumps politics. For others, though, it’s politics (and religious politics in particular) as usual. And let’s have a look at the polls.

Israel Chronicles talks about trusting Gd in a time of war… while, war or no war, Sketchcrawl in Tel Aviv goes on!

Two big stories: Pray for the amazing parents of Yoni Netanel, and for Aharon Karov.

Want to know what it’s like in Ashdod today? If not, you might want to try these great things to do in Israel.

Here's Rav Aviner’s take on the status of civilians during wartime, and a song for the soldiers.

And here's a blast from the past: The Renegade Rebbetzin (no relation) writing during the Second Lebanon War.

And here’s a provocative piece from Gila on dealing with Arab Israelis during the war.


Gaza, Part III: A Unilateral Cease Fire
Yes, you read that right, a unilateral ceasefire. Because those have worked really well in the past, right?

Some early reaction to the news here and here.


Gaza, Part IV: The lighter side of the War
You must have seen this already, but in case you haven’t, enjoy this protestor. I hope he moonlights as an Iranian nuclear scientist.

How about this multiple-choice question regarding that mysterious siren in Yerushalayim? (More on that here.)

This video has been making the rounds, regarding the dangers of boycotting Israel. I’m pretty sure some of the stuff in there is exaggeration, but it’s cute anyway.


Gaza, Part V: The UN
I hope that when all of this is over, that commission on naming wars decides to call this “The UN War.” Because, really - you guys started it. If you had complained once or twice during the past eight years when Israel was being rocketed, you could have saved all of those mortar-firing schools that have been damaged in this war.

Here are several posts addressed to the UN’s lovable diplomats. Too bad they don't/can’t read.
One
Two
Three
Four


Gaza, Part VI: What special techniques is Israel using in her defense?
Upgraded PR efforts, for one. And a webcam to show the humanitarian aid entering Gaza. And here’s a piece from Israelity on Israel Press, a collection of Israeli photographers, war-related and otherwise.

But better than the PR… it’s the Tatzpitaniyot!

Whatever it is - it’s working.


Gaza, Part VII: Debating the war
The Occidental Israeli says Thomas Friedman is naïve; ya think?
Tzipporah says Nah, they just don’t like us.
For Zion’s Sake says Gaza is Jewish!
And My Right Word says you have to look at who the media quotes, not just what they say. That’s certainly true if you read any of this gibberish, collected by Judeopundit.

Sometimes, even Jon Stewart just needs hard information - so here’s a chronology of Gaza Border Crossing openings and closings, demonstrating Israel’s bend-over-backward efforts to keep humanitarian aid flowing over the years.

The Occidental Israeli notes opposition to the war in the Jewish world… and, of course, what list of Jewish anti-Jews would be complete without Sir Gerald Kaufman, duly lampooned here and here?

The war is filled with tough questions for debate; see What do you do with Shifa Hospital? and Carpet-bombing Gaza, as appealing as it sounds, isn’t really an option.
But there's no moral ambiguity at Shiloh Musings; he says, Finish them!

And, one of the big questions to ask this week: What will President Obama bring to the Middle East?


Gaza, Part VIII: Solidarity, Support and Partnership
First, let's get to the point: Ways to help!

Leora has rallies and more here, and there are young solidarity artists here.

Combating ignorance with Nad-Ned is fun. Actually, though, Volokh reports that American public opinion seems to be positive so far.

The West Bank stands with Aza, as does Gush Etzion, as does the Israel Postal Authority, and Joe the Plumber, and Colorado! So would the Jews of Indonesia, I bet, if they could.

But there’s no substitute for actually coming to Israel. A rabbinic mission visited Israel this week. (I was thisclose to going, but couldn’t do it. Very frustrating.) Rabbi Zevi Reichman reports here, and additional reports are here and here. Bottom line: Don’t be a Supporter, be a Partner!


Gaza, Part IX: Hope from the Torah, in a time of War
We will survive, say the Lubavitchers, and For Zion’s Sake agrees.


And finally... Jewish life, and the lives of Jews
Sorry to bury these all the way at the bottom of a long HH; there’s some really good stuff here. Read on!

First, an important cause: International Wash Your Yarmulka Day, complete with instructions. Now, could we have one for Tzitzis?

Some plane landed in the Hudson River this week, courtesy of a flock of birds; those birds better watch out for Jack! Thank Gd we have intelligence, says ProfK - but don't overrate it.

I was driven to ask two unrelated questions this week: Are there ways for a rabbi to accept gifts? And after reading My Jesus Year I asked, How do we pray?

Here’s an interesting take on Conservative observance of Kashrut (and make sure to read the comments).

We have two posts on the dating world - one on Chesed Dating, and one on Chareidi Dating. And, we have some cute wedding wisdom, when all of that dating works out.

Before the wedding, get some solid advice on beginning your economic life together. And, please, don’t confuse hoarding with saving.

Of course, if you’ve already passed the whole wedding stage and are raising kids, you might want Mom in Israel’s advice on choosing a school. Or ProfK's advice for high school selection. Or you might want to let your kids figure it out for themselves, as Ima on the Bima did.

And if the marriage ever stops working, well, here's some advice from In the Pink on how to be a good ex-spouse.

Dating, weddings, kids, divorce... Rabbi Neil Fleischmann says we should embrace whoever we are.

Here are two unrelated posts I enjoyed: A beautiful post here, on a Meeting with the Sudlikover Rebbe. And a good read on Parents, at the Curious Jew here.

Dixie Yid talks about the nuances of cell phone driving laws, as they might or might not apply to him. (I’m reminded of Pinocchio’s big scene in Shrek 3, actually.)

The Fackenheim case hasn’t received much general coverage due to the war, but this one’s a real mess. Childhood conversions in general are a train wreck, frankly.

The Rabbinical College of America is preparing for terror attacks, in their own way.

Lots of people are keeping busy. Muse is starting a diet and a dieting blog carnival, Israel Chronicles is missing her friends’ lives in chutz la’aretz and My Right Word has a roundup of his own recent posts here.

Some serious items:
This bit of Jew-Jew racism has to be the dumbest thing I’ve seen in a long, long time… which is really saying something, given this gem from the Yemeni government.

Here’s a video of Eastern European Chassidic communities during the Shoah.

Here’s an interesting post about a 2007 lawsuit by families of IDF soldiers killed by terrorists.

Here's an important post by Therapydoc on treatment after sex crimes, and the progress we have made.

This week’s RIPs include painter Andrew Wyeth (here and here) and Ricardo Montalban. See you on Fantasy Island, my friend… hopefully in a car with rich, Corinthian leather.

And to end the week's roundup on a positive note, let's give a round of Mazal Tovs to Trilcat on the birth of her baby boy!

In Conclusion:
There you have it. Like I said last time I hosted: Unqualified to host, unsavvy in the ways of the world, but we made it through.

To celebrate, herewith some boilerplate:

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