ASK NOT WHY WHY PEOPLE

Fair Weather Faith In the myriad of volumes, documentaries and various other forms of archived information focusing on the greatest Jewish tragedy of our time, the unspeakable Holocaust, one incontrovertible fact emerges: there were warning signs of the impending doom that awaited European Jewry. There were lone voices, like that of the great visionary Zev Vladimir Jabotinsky, who cried out \"Jews! A fire is burning! Liquidate the exile before the exile liquidates you!\" There were desperate acts by selfless, courageous Jews, such as Rabbi Dov Weismandl, who, while hiding in a cave from the bestial Nazis, sent desperate messages pleading with world Jewry to rescue our brothers and sisters that were being shipped en masse to the gas chambers. Tragically, for the most part, the plaintive pleas of these heroic Jews were either ignored or disbelieved. Had their warning cries been heeded, millions of Jews who were murdered in Hitler's (may his cursed name be forever obliterated) diabolical Final Solution might have been saved. We cannot change the horrors of the Jewish past, but, with G-d's help, we are duty-bound to change the Jewish future. Today, deja vu events are unfolding before our very eyes, as once again the world closes its collective eyes to the wanton slaughter of Jewish men, women and children in bus bombings, shootings, stabbings and other nefarious acts of Arab terrorism in Israel. Bitterly ironic, however, is the apathy and callous indifference to these thousands of innocent victims on the part of other Jews, who, incredibly, often voice support for Israel's enemies. Yet, the coup de grace, which causes all other anti-Israel acts to pale into insignificance, is being committed daily by \"leaders\" of the Jewish State. No longer does the Israeli government consider Abu Mazen and his gang of Arab terrorists (sic) to be Israel's enemy. Rather, it is now those Jews whom he formerly encouraged to build and settle in lands which with G-D's help, were liberated in yet another Arab war who are considered \"the enemy\". Today, when mass media communications transmit news events in a matter of minutes, no Jew can say, \"I didn't know,\" only \"I didn't care.\" 101

World Jewry sees and hears daily graphic reports of the brutal beatings and arrests meted out by Jewish police to Jewish men, women and children who oppose the Israeli government’s plan to uproot them from their homes in Gaza, Judea and Samaria. World Jewry sees and hears the alleged report that detention camps are being built (yes, detention camps in Israel) for the residents of the Gaza and Samaria communities and their supporters who will refuse to be expelled. World Jewry sees and hears that Jews loyal to G-D's Commandments to settle every part of Eretz Yisrael, who rightfully protest the outrage of rewarding Arab murderous terrorists with our sacred land, are vilified and demonized by their own government; thus inciting leftists of every ilk and stripe to potential acts of violence against the so-called \"extremist settlers\". Yet, despite knowing about these traumatic occurrences, the majority of the Jewish people prefer to sit comfortably (or so they believe) in the Diaspora, watching from the sidelines, as it were, while their beleaguered brethren in Gush Katif, Judea and Samaria battle for the very survival of Medinat Yisrael. Judaism teaches that \"the righteous shall live by his faith.\" True faith in one's belief calls for commitment to actions and deeds in difficult times. At this crucial juncture in Jewish history, Jews throughout the world who choose to close their eyes and ears to the plight of our brothers in Gush Katif - deluding themselves that they need not become involved in the struggle against the \"piece by peace\" dismantling of the Jewish State because it does not directly affect them - have not learned the bitter lesson of the Holocaust. In the final analysis, such Jews, regardless of their ostensible piety, are not practitioners of Torah-true Judaism, which admonishes us not to \"stand idly by\" our brother's blood. Rather, those deluded pious Jews have a \"fair- weather faith\", which ultimately proves to be unfaithful to G-D, as well as to the Jewish people. 102

The Humiliation of the Jewish People Oh, fear and trepidation! The Great White Father in the White House has spoken! In a recent, widely publicized address to the United Nations, George Bush, president of the United States - Israel's ostensible loyal ally and best friend - excoriated the Jewish State for \"humiliating\" the \"Palestinian people\". Moreover, he forcefully declared that Israel must stop building settlements, and dismantle the \"illegal\" outposts that have been built. Of course, our Foreign Minister assured him this would be done immediately. Were we not warned in our holy Torah that G-d would angrily turn His face against us if we refuse to follow His 'Road Map', which admonishes the Jewish people to put our faith and trust in Him alone? \"If you follow My statues... I will bring peace in the Land... and if you do not listen to me... I will bring upon you disaster.\" (Leviticus 26:l4, l6) In what is perhaps the most blatant Hillul Hashem since the abomination of the Golden Calf in Biblical times, the mad scramble by a succession of Israeli government 'leaders' to appease the gentile world has succeeded in causing the universal humiliation the Jewish people is currently experiencing. It is they, the leaders of Israel, who resurrected Yasser Arafat and in the ill-fated handshake ceremony in Washington (presided over by that 'paragon of moral virtue', Bill Clinton), provided the chief PLO murderous terrorist with legitimacy on the world arena. It is they, the leaders of Israel, who acquiesced in freeing Arab terrorists, the killers of innocent men, women and children, in giving them weapons and allowing them to become \"Palestinian police\" (sic;). Those \"police\" have utilized those weapons to murder Jews. It is they, the leaders of Israel, who continue to rip away part and parcel of Eretz Yisrael, ceding our hallowed soil to the implacable Arab enemies who have vowed to continue their 'uprising' against 103

Jews in the Jewish homeland by ongoing homicide bombings, shootings, stabbings and other nefarious acts of terror. And it is they, the leaders of Israel, who at the expense of countless deprived Jewish citizens, including many needy suffering bereaved families of terror victims, regularly transfer millions of shekels to the coffers of Arafat's henchmen, a.k.a. the Palestinian Authority. The PA, as reported in the media, is largely channeling funds for further murderous terrorist attacks. Why, therefore, the shock and anger at Bush's statement? By what rationale can Israel fault the nations if those who were chosen to lead the Jewish nation after two millennia of Crusades, Inquisitions, pogroms, and the unspeakable Holocaust, continue, by their policy of appeasement, to convey the self-deprecating message that we are humiliating the \"Palestinians\"? As we approach the holiday of Sukkot, the ancient Festival of Tabernacles, when the Jewish people is commanded to \"dwell in booths\" in commemoration of our wandering in the desert and the great Redemption by the Al-mighty in bringing us to the Promised Land, it behooves us to remember the two-thousand years of wandering and persecution we endured when we did not have our one Jewish country. And in these precarious days, when a Jewish government plans to uproot the courageous Jews in Gush Katif, may all Jews return to G-d's Torah, leave the exile, and settle every part of Eretz Yisrael. Thus can the humiliation of the Jews be obliterated. 104

A Policy of Dishonesty If one were to accept what is today considered Israeli conventional wisdom, all the problems in the Middle East could be solved through financial means. That is to say that if only enough funds were made available to alleviate that which leftist professors and sociologists perceive to be ‘abject Arab poverty’, then the terror against Jews in the Jewish homeland would cease. Buoyed by the warped views of Shimon Peres' New Middle East, these ‘experts’ continue to beat their breasts, while simultaneously faulting Israel for what they perceive as years of ‘neglect of her Arab minorities’, which (they conclude) results in the uprising and ongoing war of terror against the Jewish State. Needless to say, not one of these learned ‘legends in their own minds’ can explain why the terror against Jews preceded the establishment of the State of Israel. In l929 and l933, the Arabs of Hebron rose up with the same cry they utter today - Itbach el-Yehud (kill the Jew) - slaughtering scores of innocent men, women and children, many of whom had befriended them. Nor, I venture to state, can any of these liberal, Jewish, ‘peace-now- pay-later’ bleeding hearts offer a thesis on how thousands of Jewish refugees, remnants of Hitler’s ‘Final Solution’, along with those fleeing persecution in Arab lands, managed, with G-D’s help, to build a vibrant Jewish country, while living in the deplorable conditions of the maabarot (tent cities) and with only the most primitive facilities. Not to be outdone by their counterparts in seeking to lay a collective ‘guilt trip’ on Israel are the myriad of renegade Jews who have made Israeli settlements the culprit and ‘reason’ for countless Arab terrorist bombings, shootings, stabbings and stonings in the ongoing war of terror against the Jewish homeland, Eretz Yisrael. ‘Peace can only be achieved if Israel will dismantle the settlements’ is their battle cry. Turning a blind eye to the fact that thousands of their Jewish brethren have been murdered and wounded in terrorist attacks since the Oslo so-called ‘peace process’, a contingent of Labor members of Knesset recently had the unmitigated chutzpah and gall to travel to Gush Katif in an effort to convince the dedicated Jewish 105

residents there to leave their homes, in order to help implement the ‘peace process’ (sic, truly sick). It is doubtful whether the unequivocal response they received – ‘We are not leaving.’ - caused any of these myopic and guilt-ridden leftist members of Israel’s Knesset to understand that the residents of Gush Katif, as well as all those heroic Jews living in Israeli settlements, are safeguarding the entire State of Israel from being dismantled “‘piece by peace”. The Sharon government’s obtuse policy of channeling millions of shekels that are desperately needed to alleviate the suffering of many deprived segments of Israeli society to Arab enemies - whose hate of the Jewish State continues to manifest itself in ongoing nefarious terror attacks against Jewish civilians - the folly of Sharon’s policy in scrupulously following the dictates of the ‘road map’, releasing Arab terrorists and dismantling Jewish settlements - which he is implementing in order to win favor with the United States - is an ominous harbinger of not a peaceful, but G-d forbid final, solution for Israel. 106

What We Become With every passing day, the image of Jews as G-d's chosen people and Eretz Yisrael as the chosen land - which He, the Creator of the world, deeded to us in perpetuity - is becoming a source of mockery in the eyes of Israel's manifold enemies. As the Bible clearly indicates, the Jewish claim to the entire land of Israel is based on the Promise of the Almighty to our forefather, Abraham: \"Unto thy seed and thy seed after thee will I give this land.\" (Genesis l7) Ergo, how can any Jew, much less a prime minister of the Jewish State that was reborn, with G-d's help, after two millennia of unparalleled gentile persecution, willingly consent to give up parts of our sacred promised land for the worthless promises of implacable Arab enemies? One cringes with shame in remembering how successive Israeli 'leaders', of both right-wing and left-wing governments, have fallen all over themselves in a frenzy to cede to the sons of Ishmael our hallowed soil, consecrated by the sacrifice of thousands of martyred IDF soldiers and victims of nefarious terror attacks. One must don sackcloth and ashes when repeatedly hearing about the 'generous offer' (sic) that was made by former Prime Minister Ehud Barak to give up most of Judea and Samaria, including Judaism's holiest site, the Temple Mount, to Yasser Arafat and his murderous cohorts. Would any Arab leader give up Mecca for peace? Would the Pope give up the Vatican for peace? Lest we forget, not to be outdone, it was Binyamin 'Bibi' Netanyanu (who reportedly now once again has aspirations to become prime minister) who ceded 80 percent of Hebron, the holy city of our patriarchs, to the Palestinian Authority. Fast forward to the present. The disgraceful, undemocratic and un-Jewish decision by the 'brave warrior' and former general, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, to transfer Jews from their homes in Gaza as a precursor to a \"Palestinian State\" - with an advance 'eviction notice' warning that if they do not leave willingly they will be forcibly expelled - has reached a new level of official Jewish masochism. 107

Is it any wonder that the nations of the world once again mockingly ask, \"Where is your G-d, oh Israel?\" as they increasingly condemn us, despite the continuous capitulation to their demands by lemming-like prime ministers of the Jewish State? Ironically, it is they, the very leaders of Israel who have been given the unique opportunity to raise high the banner of Judaism and Jewish pride, who instead desecrate our sacred heritage by their shameful actions. For some unknown reason, G-d, in His infinite wisdom, granted our generation the State of Israel - the culmination of two thousand years of Jewish wandering, longing and prayerful petitioning \"May we be worthy to see Your return to Zion...\" It was, in effect, His gift to us. Yet, due to a paucity of Torah-true leadership, Israel stands in danger of losing its spiritual raison d'etre and is becoming increasingly vulnerable to devastating physical enemy attacks. I cannot help but recall the sage observation of an anonymous philosopher: \"What we are is G-d's gift to us. What we become is our gift to G-d.\" 108

Where There Is No Vision The apparent 'fall from grace' of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon brings to mind the sage observation of an anonymous philosopher who opined, \"Men should build monuments to their heroes out of bricks so that they can later be dismantled and thrown at them.\" How true! One need only remember the euphoria with which Ariel Sharon's election was greeted by many in the national religious camp. For the hundreds of thousands of Jews who voted to bring him to power, it was inconceivable that he, a right-wing general and \"best friend of the settlement movement\", would ever reverse himself to such a degree as to reach the lowly level of ordering the transfer of Jews from their homes in the Jewish homeland, Eretz Yisrael. As grim reality began to set in, with Sharon's repeated announcements that he has formulated a plan to 'disengage from Gaza', initial mass reaction was one of disbelief and shock. It is fitting here to quote the late, great Rabbi Meir Kahane, of blessed memory, who, having learned from bitter experience how some of his supposed \"influential supporters\" reneged on their commitments, used to say, \"I'm shocked that you're shocked.\" Let us now fast forward to the present day. The die has been cast. Israel's Prime Ministers, both from right- and left-wing governments, have failed to grasp the unique role which the Almighty granted them as head of a Jewish State that came into being after two millennia of gentile persecution. In what is undoubtedly the worst desecration of G-d's holy name since the sin of the 'Golden Calf', Israel's 'leaders' continue to sacrifice more of the Promised Land for the worthless promises of gentile nations, rather than having faith in Hashem Yitbarach and His promise to redeem Israel and the Jewish people. It is Israel's 'leaders' who initiated and cultivated the involvement of the Quartet, led by United States, which is now pressuring Israel to make further suicidal concessions to Yasser Arafat and his murderous terrorists. It is they who failed to understand that the Middle East conflict between Jews and Arabs is not 'political', but rather a religious war launched by Islam against Israel, and, indeed, 109

against all the world. And it is they who send our precious Jewish sons and daughters into battle and afterward continue to 'negotiate' a so-called 'peace process' with implacable Arab enemies, often ceding to them the very sacred soil on which our martyred soldiers fell. In these dark days, as Jews are once again becoming the world's pariah, let us pray that a true leadership will emerge from among the heroic, believing Jews who have chosen to reside in Israeli settlements, and serve G-d and our country in the IDF Hesder units. They are truly the hope for the future. As the wisdom of Mishlei teaches: \"Where there is no vision, the people perish.\" 110

Are Jews Really Smart? Among the kinder stereotypical descriptions with which the Jewish people have come to be identified is the myth that \"Jews are smarter than others\". Although this characterization has proven to be true in various fields of endeavor where, despite being a minority among minorities, Jews have excelled in academia, finance, the arts and science, there is one major aspect in which we have consistently failed to validate that mythical claim; namely, the area of Jewish survival. Given the unrelenting persecution Jews have suffered through the ages, it should have been a foregone conclusion that after the establishment of the State of Israel - which, with G-d's help, rose phoenix-like from the ashes of the Holocaust - there would be only one response to the slings and arrows of gentile nations: \"We owe you no explanation; we will not accept your diktats! We will do what has to be done to defend our Jewish homeland!\" Instead, Israeli governments from the Left and Right invited - no, actually pleaded with - the leaders of such 'good friends' as Germany, France and Great Britain to become involved in helping solve the Arab-Israeli conflict. And lest we forget, it was Israel who pressured the United States to become a \"full partner\" in the Oslo so-called \"peace process\" disaster. Such Jewish myopia has resulted, measure for measure, in the United States now pressuring Israel to reward Yasser Arafat's war of terror with a 'Palestinian state'. The precarious situation in which Israel finds itself today is due in no small part to its own self-destructive policies, as evidenced by the latest 'clever' decision by Prime Minister Sharon to evacuate Gaza and remove thousands of dedicated courageous Jews from their homes. Nothing, it seems - including the slaughter of more than l,400 Israeli victims and wounding of over 6,000 in Arab terrorist attacks - will deter the former IDF General from trotting the dangerous path of his predecessors in making additional concessions to Israel's implacable Arab enemies. Further exploding the myth of Jewish intellectual superiority is the incontrovertible fact that five decades after Israel's rebirth, the majority of Jews opt to live in the Diaspora. This, despite the 111

growing tide of anti-Semitism that has once again reared its ugly head, manifesting itself in increasingly virulent attacks upon Jewish communities worldwide (including America, where 'it' could never happen). They remain seemingly oblivious to the danger posed by white supremacists, Muslim fanatics and Mel Gibson's passionate, blood-libel film, preferring to reside with these virulent haters. How truly wise is the Biblical injunction: \"Eyes they have, but see not; ears they have, but hear not\" In the final analysis, history has proven that, notwithstanding the many accomplishments benefiting every nation in which they dwelled, Jews were, at best, tolerated; at worst, annihilated. Ergo, it is indeed high time for the Jewish people everywhere to really 'smarten up', pick up and pack up; to come home to the Jewish homeland, Eretz Yisrael. 112

History's Eternal Scapegoat BS'D Along with millions of people worldwide, I followed the recent ceremony of Barack Hussein Obama here in JERUSALEM, as he became the first black president of the United States. Despite the exuberant optimism of his admittedly powerful address in which Obama stated that under his leadership America would become a friend to all nations, I have an eerie feeling his new administration will not bode well for the State of Israel. This ominous premonition was further strengthened as Obama reiterated his oft repeated pledge to mend America's relationship with the Arab world. Ironically, following the Washington inauguration ceremony which empowered him as leader of the free world, the consensus of opinion among Israeli politicians and news analysts seems to be that the Obama presidency will be \"good for Israel!\" One hardly knows whether to laugh or cry. after every American election, the same scenario repeats itself as the \"sovereign\" Jewish state anxiously awaits signs of reassurance from the newly elected occupant of the White House indicating he will be a true friend of Israel. Unfortunately, experience has shown that which French philosopher Jean Paul Stare so astutely observed \"Jews have no passionate friends, only passionate enemies.\" Israel has consistently ignored tell-tale signs concerning the much- touted 'special relationship' with America, which has been steadily eroding. The neurotic fear of being abandoned by \"our only ally\" has resulted in years of almost total capitulation to American demands that are often detrimental to the vital interests and the very survival of the Jewish homeland. A graphic example in the long list of masochistic decisions by successive Israeli governments that have weakened the country, is Ehud Olmert's inane act of calling a halt to Operation Cast Lead and withdrawing the Israel Defense Forces from Gaza without fully defeating the Hamas murderous terrorists! Reportedly, this was done so as not to have the war detract from Barack Obama's presidential inauguration! And just what are the consequences of Israel's shameful subservient action to curry favor with the United States in particular, and the world in general? Instead of receiving stalwart support for its long overdue incursion into Gaza to stop Hamas' barrage of 113

deadly rockets and Kassams that for years have made life a living hell for countless innocent Jewish men, women and children Israel is almost universally condemned for its \"inappropriate response\"! Needless to say, as nation after nation continues to excoriate Israel's \"inappropriate response\", the thousands of Jewish civilians who have been murdered and wounded in bus bombings, stabbings, shootings, stoning’s and other nefarious Arab terrorist attacks since the Oslo so-called \"peace agreement\", are ignored and all but forgotten! The more Israel \"bends the knee\" and prostrates itself to do the bidding of America, or attempts to assuage global opinion... the more it becomes a pariah throughout the world. It is high time for the Jewish people to reject the role of being history's eternal scapegoat! Let us now stand proudly without the ubiquitous apologies and explanations to do what must be done in defense of Eretz Yisael and the Jewish people! With faith in the AL-MIGHTY, let us return to the role for which HE has chosen us...to be a light unto the nations! In the timeless words of King David, \"In Thee, O L-RD do I put my trust; let not my enemies triumph over me\"(Psalms 25) 114

A Time to Mourn February, 1980 Perhaps no time in the Jewish calendar is as eagerly awaited, as are the days immediately preceding the Festival of Purim. Indeed a sense of anticipation by families and friends, who are looking forward to gathering at the \"Seudah” table to participate in the joyful festivities so integral part of this beloved holiday. It can almost be felt in the air. This year, however, the Almighty had other plans for our family. “Do you wish to insert a notice in the New York Times”, queried the serious faced gentleman who had just helped to conclude funeral arrangements for my mother. “No that won’t be necessary”, I heard the whispered words depart from my lips. “No”, I thought again to myself as my husband and I emerged into the sunlit yet bitter cold day. Feige bas Reb Yaacov bas Shifra Malka from Lomze Poland was surely not a person about whom one would read in the “Times.” There were after all, no letters, titles or singular honors to appear after her name. Just a ‘Keter Shem Tov’ - the crown of a good name. Why she never even attended gymnasium a European elementary school having been sent at the tender age of 9 to help earn a few 115

groachen which enabled her widowed mother to sustain the family. Although she later learned to read and write on her own. Materially, too, there was very little of value my mother possessed or could leave behind which in our affluence-conscious society, somehow earns the wealthy honor and prestige, even after their demise. Then what rare quality did this simple unsophisticated yet worldly- wise woman have which impelled people from all walks of life to want to sit and talk with her for hours? That caused my friends and friends of her grandchildren so dissimilar in age to confide personal and confidential matters which they would never impart to anyone else? And perhaps the most significant of all - in an age when elderly parents are considered burdensome and more often than not shunted off to be cared for in homes for the aged EVEN BEFORE THEIR TIME. What compelled her son-in-law my husband to welcome my mother to live with us until G-d in His infinite wisdom took her just before Purim? It is unfortunately sad but true when we mourn the loss of a loved one their memory becomes even more precious and dear. How disconsolate would I now be if the beautiful years with which I was blessed by Hashem I”T”B” to share with my mother would have been denied by my own malfeasance. Surely the knowledge that she was loved for herself - that the wisdom and guidance she provided in her inimitable manner more than compensated us for whatever inconvenience she felt living together imposed, helped her, along with an unshakable faith, to cling to life as long as she did. The Friday nights after our Shabbat meal when we read and discussed events concerning our beloved Eretz Yisrael and my work for Aliyah (through SHUVA and Jewish Identity Center), can no longer be a reality. What will, please G-d, continue to sustain and inspire me to redouble my efforts for Am Yisrael, the Jewish people, whether through speaking dates, articles and whatever ‘derech’ 116

(road) the Almighty grants me to serve, is the blessed memory of my beloved mother. Feige Bas Shifra Malka who even as she davened daily until almost the last moments of her life would have wanted this as a ‘zchut’ for her saintly neshama. In Memory of my Father z’l In memory of my father Nathan Goldberg - SHMUEL NATAN CHAIM BEN MORDCHE TANHUM Z'L of blessed memory, who to the end of his short life went to pray in the synagogue almost every day until he returned his soul to the Creator. May his soul be bound up in the high Heavens with the souls of all Jews who love HA- SHEM ITBARACH the HOLY TORAH and The Jewish People. 117

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Photographs and Remembrance 119

Publicizing the issue of the Jewish victims of Arab terror Speaking at the Jewish War Veterans Organization 120

Shifra Hoffman is joined by a delegation of notables who came to Washington DC to meet with congressmen and senators about Jewish victims of Arab terror who were being ignored. 121

An inmate of six Nazi death camps speaking on behalf of the Victims of Arab Terror. Once the world does 'it' (the Holocaust) to us, shame on them, twice, shame on us. 122

A true Jewish heroine. Fritzie Thaler who was interred for years in Auschwitz. On Yom Kippur the holiest day for the Jewish people the Nazi beasts brought in food to the starving inmates and said come and eat Jews its Yom Kippur. As the emaciated Jews approached the food Fritzy took the entire wheelbarrow and threw it on the floor declaring ‘No Jew will eat on Yom Kippur.’ 123

With Gershon Solomon founder of the Temple Mount Faithful which seeks to liberate the Har Habayit (The Holy Temple Mount). 124

Shifra Hoffman founder of Victims of Arab Terror speaking at an Evangelical gathering in Midland Texas 125

Speaking to Jewish youth about the importance of Jewish self-defense 126

Shifra Hoffman presenting Libby Kahane, the widow of Rabbi Meir Kahane (z’z’l) a Chanuka Menorah at a special event. Presenting a certificate of memory to the parents of baby Shalhevet Paz of Hevron who was murdered by an Arab terrorist 127

Reuven Hoffman (z'l) the husband of Shifra Hoffman at a rally to support Rabbi Meir Kahane 128

Visiting a victim of an Arab terror attack in the hospital. His leg was partially amputated. Our organization presented him with a watch. 129

VAT demonstration. 130

POETRY 131

To Be A Jew What am I, a form of life THE L-RD alone created; And to that for HE gave a soul The twain, forever mated. My body structure differs not From that of any race It is the soul, however Which defies commonplace. A Jewish soul is given light The dark becomes the day There is no long and empty road Where TORAH leads the way. A Jew is given purpose So that in every age His deeds shall make him worthy Of his sacred heritage! Man’s much desired happiness The peace of mind we seek Awaits each Jew on SABBATH DAY And lingers through the week. Prepared to face life’s challenge With faith, forever new. AL-MIGHTY G-D, with all my heart I’m proud to be a Jew! 132

Ode to Rabbi Meir (In honor of Rabbi Meir Kahane Z’Z’L H’Y’D) I hail you, Modern Macabee Yearning to set your people free; For you have felt the Jewish pain And vowed NEVER AGAIN! NEVER AGAIN, NEVER AGAIN Will human animals gone insane Make lampshades from the skin Of our kin! NEVER AGAIN, will we stand by And watch our brothers and sisters die! If only then we dared To show we cared! Now those who end their shameful silence Find voice, to condemn your violence. They ask “Is this the Jewish way’? Let it suffice to say That we, who ‘turned the other cheek’ Have surely earned the right to speak! If speaking out means violence too Then may the Shofer which you blew Awaken every sleeping Jew! So that the world will learn at last The age-old scapegoat of the past Has broken through its chain A scapegoat to remain NEVER AGAIN! 133

Obstacles Oh miracle of miracles, will wonders never cease; The world has now discovered the true obstacles to peace; It’s our “Israeli settlements”- this comes as no surprise Did we have an illusion that it could be otherwise? For Jews are always “Obstacles” in every generation Whenever scapegoats are required by a gentile nation! Beginning with Amalakites, centuries ago And Egypt’s Pharoah who refused to let our people go! The Church inspired Crusaders began their battle cry By forcing “Jewish obstacles” to convert en masse...or die Of course, Jews were the problem for Inquisitors in Spain And later, for pogromchicksin the Soviet Ukraine! Then Hitlers’Nazi Germany reached new levels of hate Six million “Jewish obstacles” they did annihilate! Today, with G-D’s help, there exists a homeland for the Jew; The nations say...trade land for peace, no peace until you do. ENOUGH! We’ve done more than enough to grovel and appease them For only Israel’s demise is guaranteed to please them, NOT ONE MORE INCH DARE WE GIVE UP OF OUR HALLOWED SOIL! For those who care much less for Jewish blood, than Arab oil! With faith in the ALL-MIGHTY, as throughout history Jews will survive all “OBSTACLES’...and live Eternally! 134

The Legacy Dedicated to my sons,Steven – Shmuel Natan Chaim and Barry - Baruch Leib (z’l) Hoffman You have, dear ones, a legacy A treasure, centuries old Whose value far surpasses that Of precious jewels and gold. A legacy of parchment Which first took root in stone, Has given rise to other faiths Yet, it is ours, alone. Willed by Jewish martyrs Who paid the price supreme For generations after them To cherish and redeem. Guard well, then your inheritance And cast it not aside For Torah is a legacy That should be owned with pride. Beware that which pogroms, crusades and Auschwitz could not do. Through your neglect, should never come to be Because of you. 135

Israel Stands Alone (In reply to the multitude of the United Nations condemnation of ISRAEL!) It’s time to face the facts at last; To see the die that has been cast; For after all is said and done ‘There’s nothing new under the sun’ Israel is condemned by all Nations large and nations small Who join hands to heap their scorn On the Jewish state, reborn! The British send their willing knave To lecture us “how to behave.” These paragons of humanity Who held Jews under lock and key! The soviets say “nyet, nyet, nyet Israeli oppression we dare not let’ Those whose fearful iron gate prevented Jews to emigrate! Of “French honor”, we surely know as their Vichy records show. Perhaps, then Israel should heed Germany’s “moral word and deed”. Of course, there’s always the U.S.A. To whom we look to save the day’. Can it be...Our only “friend \" Joins all the others in the end? Oh foolish Jews, have we not learned As far as this whole world’s concerned If Israel were to disappear The nations would not shed a tear! For that which Torah sages knew Proves time again to be so true! Except for G-d, it’s clearly shown Israel...Stands alone! 136

Homeward Bound (Written shortly before my ALIYAH TO ERETZ YISRAEL in 1986) Why have I chosen to uproot And pray all Jews will follow suit? To leave the land where I was born Despite the fears of those who warn “It isn’t safe-the terror grows And what will be G-d only knows! How can I make you understand? Israel is my precious land! For so long my heart did yearn And now, at last, I can return. I go to live the Torah’s way Where I can freely think, and pray Where I’m not called ‘a dirty Jew Who loves my flag of white and blue. I go for millions that we lost In the unspeakable Holocaust For Jews from Russia and Iran Who cannot leave,...Indeed I can! Therefore, I go, quite free of will The age-old dream now to fulfill No more to wander or to roam Thank you, dear G-D - I’m coming home!! 137

HaKotel HaKodesh Sheli (My Holy Wall) I am drawn to you , MY WALL Not by mere sense of duty Or truthfully, your beauty For should one gaze at you With only naked eye And not with love, as I Perhaps they see no more than weathered stone Surviving all alone. Yet, I perceive beyond your hewn facade The anguished cries to G-D Which centuries of hate Have brought within your gate. I see ensconced within your crevices and seams’ My people’s prayers and dreams That tenderly you shelter and embrace And time cannot erase; Then I rejoice….for this I know Just as you defy the foe In every generation’ So will the Jewish nation Ever proudly stand IN OUR G-D GIVEN LAND 138

THE ETERNAL JEWISH FLAME Your world was pure, Shalhevet How innocent those eyes Which peered out from your doll-like face The murderer so despised! ****** Too young, you were, to comprehend Someone you never knew Would want to take away your life Because you are a Jew! ****** Too young to know the evil Wrought on countless generations Of your people-massacred By Amaleks of the nations! ****** Through pogroms and holocausts They tried to drown the flame Of eternal Jewish light That signifies your name; ****** Yet, know, little Shalhevet Your sacred legacy Has lit a flame within our hearts Which, with G-d's help will live on.. For eternity 139

To My Dear Husband, Ralph (Reuven) Forty Years – Through Joy and Tears By Shifra Hoffman The year was nineteen fifty-four Soon after the Korean War On the day that we were wed \"It can't last,\" some people said: Yet, we've both survived the test Proving that Hashem knows best! Forty years have quickly flown And through that time, you've shown Devotion, care and loyalty To our children, and to me. Sharing joys, and sharing pain, Precious moments now remain Thus, I pray G-d will ensure That our union will endure Together, forty more – to dwell In our homeland – Israel!!! 140

(Written for the 70th Anniversary of the reborn Jewish State) ISRAEL IS SEVENTY Israel is seventy; How does she survive How does she stay alive? When for two decades and more, with the enemy at her door And knowing mostly war She continues to amaze nations that can only gaze At the courage she displays But we Jews don't find it odd, for in a world gone Mad or mod We still believe in our G-d Because we know since time began, when he first Created man That G-d had a special plan for us! It is our destiny Israel was meant to be the Jewish Homeland Eternally! Yet, in truth we must not try to forget or to deny That the price we pay is high; Each new victory which is won, only means when Battle's done Losing a most precious son. While in the midst of the turmoil is the never Ending toil Of reclaiming ancient soil So that a Jewish refugee, fleeing evil tyranny Can find a home when he is free! Yes, Israel is seventy; with G-d's help she will Survive and thrive! Let every Jew then understand, when she extends Her welcome hand, Home can be no other Land! Happy Birthday Medinat Yisrael! 141

A PRINCE IN POVERTY As gold defines its humble berth And shines forth from the blackest earth; As diamonds too, reveal their soul Embedded in a heart of coal; So is the Jew by destiny A prince, albeit in poverty A royal son whose castle bare Becomes transformed on wings of prayer. Who rules by spirit, not by might And to the nations sheds his light. Arise, sons of nobility The dark descends, do you not see? Quickly! There's no time to lose Leave the galut, beloved Jews! My people hear the words I say Their leaders mock me, as they scorn The Holocaust of which I warn. Yet, there will come a day I know When from the ashes fiery glow Our land will rise, both proud and free Under Jewish Sovereignty! 142

ASK NOT WHY, MY PEOPLE For centuries you have not learned What time has proven true; That justice seeks out all mankind But seldom finds the Jew No people throughout history Were made to bear the grief Of persecution without end Because of our belief. Yet G-D recalled His promise He brought the wanderers home From barren desert rose again A land of our own. The land of milk and honey To fill Jews' hearts with pride Consecrated by our sons Who fought the wars and died. Yet still today we know no peace Thus, Israel must fight To live free in our homeland Which is every nations' right. So ask not why my people The world will judge you wrong For justice is a 'Country Club' Where Jews cannot belong 143

For Peace For 'Peace' - Israel gave Arafat and His murderous P.L.O. Gaza 'first' - and then the Jewish land in Jericho For 'Peace' - We gave Hussein the deed To our Temple Mount Where all can pray (except Of course the Jews, who Do not count!) For 'Peace' - We promised Hafez-el-Assad The Golan Heights Where our martyred soldiers Fell defending Jewish rights! For 'Peace' - Arab terrorists are; Pardoned\" and released To then become \"official Palestinian police For 'Peace' - Jerusalem is soon to be “negotiated.” For 'Peace' - The Jewish State has been ALL BUT ELIMINATED! 144

Reviews for ‘Ask Not Why My People’ by Noted Personalities I am overwhelmed by this book. It's a work of courage, faith and love, written by a true fighter for Israel. Your love of the Torah of Israel, the land of Israel and the people of Israel comes through in every chapter. I enjoyed the poems, some of which appeared in The Jewish Press. Your moving tribute to Rabbi Meir Kahane is not only a true Hakarat Hatov, but comes straight from your heart, as you express what so many of us feel. I will treasure this book and I wish you many more years in good health. NAOMI KLASS MAUER Publisher of The Jewish Press Without over exaggerating, the book entitled ‘ASK NOT WHY, MY PEOPLE’ should be required reading for every Jew. Every section and chapter progress in inspiration which captures the very essence of being a Jew. The book discusses just about every issue there is about Jews and Israel. What is behind the conflicts and controversies along with the G-d given blessings centering around the Jew is presented in realistic terms that are irrefutable. Naturally, Jew haters will indeed have a difficult time with the book because they are exposed for who ‘they’ really are. Ms. Hoffman succeeds in raising awareness of the perils the Jews of the world face or are going to face. The phenomenon of the ‘numbness’ and failure of many Jews in the Diaspora to see and understand is discussed and what is going to happen and that the only way is to return 145

home to Israel where the Jews can continue their wonderful destiny. The book is rich with facts, information and insight in a way that is beautifully written—a must read for everyone. DR. SAM MINSKOFF, Ph.D. Clinical Psychologist BROADCASTER, ISRAEL NATIONAL RADIO ‘ALIYAH TRAIL’ A Tribute to Shifra Hoffman. Shifra Hoffman has many talents. Not only is she a widely- read Jewish Press columnist. For many years she hosted a popular radio talk show that was broadcast in the New York area. Her firm support for the ideals of my late husband, Rabbi Meir Kahane, zt”l, is clear to see in her writing and in his many appearances on her radio program. Shifra’s lively writing style makes her new book a sure winner. LIBBY KAHANE The widow of Rabbi Meir Kahane of blessed memory and author of ‘Rabbi Meir Kahane – ‘His Life and Thought’ The great and well-known Jewish Activist, Shifra Hoffman has put in writing what many thousands of Jewish admirers have heard her say in person both in the USA and in Israel. In her new book, she presents many of her views in 146

selected writings about Israel in general and about the Jewish people in particular. As founder of Victims of Arab Terror (VAT) and as a guest columnist for the Jewish Press, Shifra became a well- known, fighter for many Jewish causes, and a staunch supporter of Rabbi Meir Kahane z''l. Shifra as she is fondly known to her friends was willing to travel anywhere and everywhere in both the US and in Israel, to battle for Jewish pride and the need to face off with our enemies both domestic and foreign wherever they may be. She followed her heart and came on Aliya with her loving husband Reuven. Her tell it like it is approach and her dedication to the Jewish people have made her an inspiration to all G-D fearing Jews around the world. It is a worthwhile project from Shifra to the Jewish people. It is a book worth owning and reading. LARRY DUB – Attorney at Law Israel and USA SHIFRA HOFFMAN has written a wonderful book on Ahavat ERETZ YISRAEL, AHAVAT TORAH YISRAEL AND AHAVAT AM YISRAEL. SHIFRA has demonstrated how all three are intimately connected and dependent on each other. I highly recommend her 'eye opening book. SHIFRA is a true heroine of the Jewish people like her namesake in SEFER SHEMOT. RABBI EPHRAIM SPRECHER Primary lecturer the Diaspora Yeshivas and columnist for Torah Tidbits ‫בס\"ד‬ 147

The delightful new volume, Ask Not Why, My People, is a veritable Shifra Hoffman festival. The collected articles, Mrs. Hoffman's decades of precise articulation of the Jewish situation, within our borders and without, along with poignant poetry and selected photographs, will inspire and edify. Her eloquent appeals to all Jews still outside the Land to hurry home deserve to be read and reread. For those of us privileged to live here, these words are a call to action, to protest, to change whatever we can. For the astute reader who has yet to make the move, however, they should be seen as reminder and rebuke: If only you were here in sufficient numbers, it could all be different. For those of us who remember and long for the voice of her rabbi and menter, Rabbi Meir Kahane, ‫הי\"ד‬, this book will bring comfort. These essays must be read and relished, the poetry appreciated and enjoyed. Thank you, dear Shifra Hoffman, for making this volume available! SHIFRA SLATER Editor and Translator 'ASK NOT WHY, MY PEOPLE' is a story of unlimited honesty, courage and dedication to the People of Israel, Land of Israel and G-D of Israel displayed by a Jewish woman who was blessed with the knowledge of what her mission in this life was and with ability and stamina to strive 148

for the fulfillment of that mission every day, every hour and every minute of her life. ELEONORA SHIFRIN The head of the Yemin party in Israel. Activist in her youth together with her late husband Avraham z'l in the former Soviet Union for the struggle to allow Jews to emigrate to Israel. Warning: Don't read this book if you prefer seeing the world through rose colored glasses. Shifra Hoffman is unafraid to \"tell it like it is\" whether it's about anti-Jewish agendas, political betrayal, antisemitism in the West or the desperate need for aliyah. Go through her table of contents, savor the topics she covers, and you will have the stark truth bite back at you. It's for these reasons that people love hearing Shifra weekly on my Sunday afternoon radio show. Listeners often remark to me that \"Shifra is bold and honest, and is not afraid to speak the truth.\" Some people love her candor. Some hate it, it makes them uncomfortable. If you are honest enough, and brave enough to peer beyond the headlines and 'fake news', then grab hold of this book and read it from cover to cover! You will come out a much wiser and truly informed person. TAMAR YONAH Managing Director of www.IsraelNewsTalkRadio.com and host of 'The Tamar Yonah Show'. 149

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