A Rabbi From Miami Made Aliyah to Israel and Caught My Eye

 Nadene Goldfoot                                          

Rabbi Zev Leff is a well-known American-born rabbi, educator, and author who lives in Moshav Matityahu, Israel. He has been the communal rabbi for Moshav Matityahu for over 20 years and is also the Rosh Yeshiva (head of the yeshiva) and Rosh Kollel of Yeshiva Gedolah Matityahu. 

The "shalit" part of your query likely refers to the honorific term "Shlit" (short for Shlita, which means "may he live a long life"), which is often used after a respected rabbi's name, such as in a recent appeal where he is referred to as "Harav Zev Leff Shlit"a". 

Well, I caught him on Youtube with a man asking him a few questions.They both spoke Yiddish most of the time with enough English so I thinkI know what was being discussed.  

Rabbi Leff felt strongly that it was better for observant Jews to be in Israeland of course all of us, too;  that it is a big mitzva to live in Israel, and Ican verify knowing and feeling the difference as I lived there for over 5years. 

The mitzvah of living in Israel is a complex topic with different interpretations, but many authorities, such as:

 Nachmanides, consider it a biblical commandment to both collectively conquer and settle the land, as well as for each individual to dwell there. This is based on the verse, "you shall inherit the land and you shall dwell in the land" (Numbers 33:53). 

Maimonides and others have a different view, with some suggesting the mitzvah is not compulsory in the present time, while others believe it's an integral part of fulfilling the entire Torah. Today, many view it as a strong recommendation, or a "mitzvah kiyuma" (a great mitzvah, but not an absolute obligation), especially for those who are prepared to be more observant. 

Now, Rabbi Leff might be a third asked of his opinion in the future.  Heis including Maimonides' comment about it as well. At any rate, the dis-cussion reminded me of our once Presidential candidate from Vermont, Bernie Sanders,  who made a visit to Israel and didn't like it at all.  Nowhe's always voting against Israel, and that's sad to me, as he is Jewish.He said that this isn't yet the time of the Moshiach, but he is coming.  

Senator Bernie Sanders's position on Israel has evolved over his career, but he currently is a strong critic of Israel's military actions in Gaza and the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, advocating for an end to unconditional U.S. military aid. In fact, he votes against Israel all the time for everything.

Kibbutz Sha'ar HaAmakim in 2008 (John Dodo/WikiCommons)   

Bernie Sanders went to Israel in the 1960s to work for several months on a collective farm, or kibbutz, as a young man, reporters said, but he himself,  Sanders said that in 1963 he lived and volunteered at Shaar Ha’amakim, an Israeli kibbutz near the city of Haifa, according to Israeli newspaper.    This experience is often cited as an early influence on his political beliefs, as the kibbutz was structured around socialist.  ideals.  I take it that that wasn't a reason to live there to receive thatspecial feeling one will have if a serious person.  Well, reports are that hefailed in living here; wasn't up to the work assigned to him.  

I made aliyah later, in 1980, and though a Conservative, I did have thatspecial feeling.  I was serious about living in Israel and doing my part inhelping the country by teaching English.  I had a permanent job in Oregonso I wasn't in need of a job. I know what the Rabbi is talking about. Jews are losing their Jewishness, and Israel is reviving it.  Moving toIsrael is something they could and should do if they want their family toremain Jewish.

  We're a small group, Jews make up approximately 0.2% of the world's population. This is based on the global Jewish population being about 15.8 million, which is a fraction of the total world population of roughly 8 billion people. As of 2024, Israel's Jewish population is approximately 7.15 million, which makes up about 45% of the world's Jewish population. This figure is an estimate, with some sources placing the number slightly higher, around 7.3 to 7.45 million, depending on the inclusion of occupied territories. Only in Israel  does one receive that same feeling about being in Israel.

   Which brings me back to Moshav Matityahu,  It is easy to overlook Moshav Matityahu. It is located on a strategic hill that overlooks Ben-Gurion Airport, across the road from Hashmonaim, a Modern Orthodox suburb that is popular among American olim. Moshav Matityahu is an Israeli settlement located in the West Bank (JUDEA AND SAMARIA), near the city of Modi'in Illit. It is under the jurisdiction of the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council, which governs settlements in the West Bank. 

One reaches Matityahu from the road to Kiryat Sefer, the first neighborhood in the Chareidi city of Modi’in Illit. Considering that Matityahu’s population of about a hundred families is dwarfed by Modi’in Illit’s population of over 60,000, one can be forgiven for assuming it is a neighborhood of that large and rapidly growing city. Modi'in Illit is in the West Bank (JUDEA AND SAMARIA), although it is a settlement and city organized under Israeli administration and is located near the Green Line (1949 Armistice Line). It is often referred to as Kiryat Sefer and is situated midway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The international community widely considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank to be illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this. 

The West Bank was for a few minutes after WWI, supposed to go to theJews, said the British, but then they had a better offer for our originalhomeland.  Judea and Samaria was the land where the Bible took place,and all the town and pathways are mentioned in the Bible.  

Yet Matityahu has its own unique history and character. It is located between Modi’in Illit and Hashmonaim ideologically as well as geographically. In fact, when Modi’in Illit recently tried to annex Matityahu into its municipality, the courts ruled against the merger, partially on the grounds that Matityahu’s population would not fit well with the almost entirely Chareidi population of Modi’in Illit.

In 1978, a group of American Jewish families formed the nucleus of a Torah community they wished to build in Israel. They first moved to the community of Mevo Horon to learn the skills necessary to work the land and operate a moshav, or a collective farm, and the first twenty families moved to Matityahu in the summer of 1981. The fledgling moshav was affiliated with Po’alei Agudat Yisrael (PAI), a now-defunct political party and social movement for working Chareidim. 

During those first years—before they had telephones or a hookup to the national electrical grid, and before it had rained enough to fill up Matityahu’s mikvah—they received assistance from other PAI communities, especially Mevo Horon, with its two telephones, mikvah and small grocery store.

Resource:

https://jewishaction.com/jewish-world/israel/a-chareidi-zionist-moshav-moshav-matityahu/

https://www.timesofisrael.com/revealed-the-mystery-kibbutz-that-once-hosted-bernie-sanders/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zev_Leff

New York's Jews and How They Vote: Democrat or Republican?

 Nadene Goldfoot                                               

    Brad Lander was a Reform Jewish candidate for New York's mayor position 

New York mayoral candidate, State Rep. Zohran Mamdani,  is joined by fellow mayoral candidate Brad Lander during an election night gathering at The Greats of Craft LIC on June 24, 2025 in the Long Island City neighborhood of the Queens borough in New York City.

(photo credit: MICHAEL M. SANTIAGO/GETTY IMAGES)

Brad didn't make it through the first voting;  Mamdani did for the Democratic Party.                  

New York City mayoral candidate Zohran K. Mamdani and NYC comptroller Brad Lander speak during the Jews For Racial And Economic Justice's Mazals Gala on September 10, 2025 in New York City. (credit: John Lamparski/Getty Images)

 Bradford Scott Lander (born July 8, 1969)56 years old,  is an American politician, urban planner, and community organizer who has served as the 45th New York City comptroller since 2022. A progressive member of the Democratic Party, Lander was elected to the New York City Council in 2009, serving for twelve years, later serving as Deputy Leader for Policy. His district included portions of Brooklyn. In 2021, Lander was elected city comptroller, and assumed office on January 1, 2022. He was endorsed by progressives such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (I'm shocked !) and Elizabeth Warren. Here's who he had to contend with:    

Israel and Palestine                        

                

 Linda Sarsour,

 

born 1980, 45 years old

, 

 is a former executive director of the Arab American Association of New York.  A Muslim of Palestinian descent, Sarsour first gained attention for protesting police surveillance of American Muslims,  her stance and remarks on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict have been criticized by some conservatives and Jewish leaders and organizations. Sarsour has advocated for Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied territories and expressed support for the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel.(But, Linda, Hamas is always shooting at us;  Hamas is the fighting element of Palestinians and you civilians voted them in!)  

 Dov Hikind (born June 30, 1950) 75,  is an American politician, activist, and radio talk show host in the state of New York. Hikind served as a Democratic New York State Assemblyman representing Brooklyn's Assembly district 48 for 35 years – from January 1983 until December 2018. He's from a very orthodox Jewish family.  Hikind grew up in a Haredi Jewish family in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, his father being a devout follower of the Vizhnitz Hasidic dynasty. His parents were both Holocaust survivors, with his mother being liberated from Auschwitz.

Lander's district includes large numbers of Jewish and Muslim people. According to The Forward, Lander has worked to balance relationships with both groups, "befriending both the far-right Brooklyn politician Dov Hikind and the pro-Palestinian activist and organizer Linda Sarsour". Hikind criticized Lander and other progressive politicians for not distancing themselves from Sarsour, citing her criticism of Israel and past associations with controversial figures such as Louis Farrakhan.it (Religious ethics and beliefs can be quite as different between Reform and Orthodox as there is between Catholic and Protestant, or Sunni and Sh'ai) .  His district had long been one of the most conservative districts in New York City. For instance, it gave Donald Trump 69 percent of the vote in 2016, his second-best showing in the entire state; Hikind believes that the national party has moved too far to the left, particularly on social issues, for the liking of many of his constituents

In 2020, Lander wrote that he had visited the West Bank (Judea/Samaria) to learn more about conditions under Israeli occupation and expressed support for efforts to achieve Palestinian human rights.  

Richard Goldstein, the Jewish former executive editor of the Village Voice, who lives in Greenwich Village, said he had been turned off by Mamdani’s stances on Israel, which he said would be “a recipe for a bloodbath” in the Middle East if fully acted upon.  (I'm thankful)

Resource:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dov_Hikind

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brad_Lander

https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-872329#google_vignette

Knesset Headaches

Nadene Goldfoot
We tell the joke about the 2 Jews who find themselves stranded on a tiny island, and they build themselves 3 synagogues.  One for each and the other is the one neither one would attend.  It shows we are a stubborn people with our own minds and we do not follow very well.  We are individualistic. 


 Ben Gurion had gone into a restaurant and was told that before he entered he had to put on a tie.  They then told the manager that this was David Ben Gurion.
 " Oh, sir, let me introduce you to the president of the United States, Harry S. Truman." 
"How do you do"
"You are president of 47 million people?  I am Prime Minister of of 600,000 Presidents."  

In the midst of the threats coming out of Iran, that old ancient Persia updated is the fear of being liquidated through atomic warfare, perhaps with one single bomb like what happened to Hiroshima.  In this extreme crisis, we have an internal struggle going on as well.  The pressures on our government there are coming from the UN and mainly from the USA through them concerning the attacks from the Arabs in Gaza upon Israel, and their solution is to have peace talks.  Evidently this is going to have to lead to giving in to all Arab demands as they won't even sit down at the table to talk unless this is all done first before the sitting commences.  Again, the fear of losing Israel completely and being driven into the sea comes to mind.  The Knesset is under such great pressure that they have already had new elections to the satisfaction of the USA's Hillary Clinton.

To add misery to all our surrus, the media is always against Israel, which in turn colors the attitude of all those who watch.  Anti-Semitism is at a high all over the world, and Israel's position in it has done a 180 turnabout since 1967.  The media is not the kettleful of truthful facts, either, but a hodgepodge of misinformation that is filling people's minds up so much that they don't even bother to find facts themselves.  If they do, the source has to be invalid.

To add to our problems, we have the state of Israel divided between the Orthodox community and the rest.  David Wilder calls it "Zionism or Toynbeeism.  Like another old joke goes, a man is talking to two gentlemen and is trying to solve their disagreement.  To each he says, "You have a point and you also have a point."  I don't remember any ending.  I don't think there is any.  The Orthodox claim a valid point and so does the Knesset, who is the other side, the more secular one.  Frankly, at this point in time I think their plate is over brimming with problems to deal with.

Rabbi Avraham Yitzhak HaKohen Kook, Israel's first chief Rabbi explained that Israel is not just any old piece of land we chose for a country.  Israel has an intrinsic meaning connecting Jews with the knot of life and contains extraordinary qualities  making the people and the land, these 2 halves, a whole.  Toynbee thought of Jews and Judaism as an anachronism.  In other words, we are out of place, an error.  "The Zionist Jews are a fragment of a fossil of alien origin which has been embedded in the body of Western Christendom since its pre-natal days."  He didn't think much of us at all.  We are still here, however, and refer to ourselves as the Jewish people.  Our holy cites are Jerusalem and Hebron.

We have a problem in that Arabs are copying us and saying that land is now their land, like Tel Hebron.  Israeli leaders and their followers are helping people who say this without even checking for legal paperwork.  They have helped force Jews off their homeland, destroy their homes to appease those bringing pressure down.  We're talking about Jews forcing out Jews, basically in Judea and Samaria, not the IDF throwing out Palestinians.

Netanyahu has ordered the expulsion of Jews from the "Ulpana neighborhood in Beit El.  It was in the Oregonian today as well. He said he was most unhappy to have to do so.   He also ordered the same thing for the Machpela House in Hebron.  This seems to have come about after Netanyahu, Barak and others were told they could be tried as war-criminals by the Hague should Jews continue to live in these places.  That must be a part of the pressure they are under.  The report had gone to Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein.

7 years ago Gush Katif was destroyed by Israelis.  Jewish residents were expelled and the land abandoned to the Arabs.  30 some years ago Yamit and other Sinai communities were given up and its residents were expelled to appease the waiting Arab communities in the name of peace.  We left Gaza lock, stock and barrel for the sake of peace and only got war in its place.  If the Arabs had been smart, they would have done what the Egyptians did under Sadat and made peace at that time, but they've used Gaza as the place from which all rockets, missiles and mortars come from.  I would say that was a test that failed completely.

Some feel that the next to go will be Gvat Assaf and then Migron.  Barak only last week suggested abandoning all of Judea and Samaria.  That's a horror as this is the place of our history, and it is most special to those who are religious.  Every rock, every clod of dirt is precious to them.  We've got an awful lot of Jews living there.  Jews have given their lives and have waited for 2,000 years to return to their homeland, and now that they have returned, they are retching inside to have to give up the land others had shed blood over.

Mix all these problems presenting themselves with the fact that this time and place has been prophesied about in the Bible for both the Jews and the Christians with the Muslims adding their take on it as well.  It is the in gathering of all Jews once again in Israel.  This is not just an accident.  It is awesome.

I personally don't see it so black and white.  I think that the circumstances are that Israel cannot fight enemies and the rest of the world at the same time.  They're all ganging up on this tiny tiny state.  They are doing their best to maintain their Jewish values and ethics, keep their citizens alive and well, and be the fairest  of all to their enemies.  What's fair and righteous doesn't seem to work on this UN at all in standing up for Israel's rights.  Being most of their block is made up of Israel's enemies in the first place, Israel's voice is lost to the winds.  I'm not like Josephus calling for surrender.  I'm just saying that the Knesset is bending in this Sharav while trying to keep its roots in the ground.  It's waiting to be propped up by another force.

Reference: gerardrobins@sbcglobal.net:  David Wilder 6/8/2012
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Ben-Gurion
http://www.infoplease.com/year/1948.html