Grapevine: Fiscal support for the ultra-Orthodox

Since well before the establishment of the State of Israel, rabbis from the Holy Land traveled abroad on fund-raising missions for their families and their communities.

They have continued to do this separately and in groups, but never more intensely than in recent times, when confronted with economic sanctions related to encouraging young haredi (ultra-Orthodox) men of conscription age to evade army service.

Simultaneously, there has been a fresh spate of hard-luck stories about orphan brides and/or grooms; new widows with many children; infants with life-threatening illnesses – and more.

A warning in this column about possible scams, based on identically worded requests sent weeks and even months apart, prompted some requests to be accompanied by handwritten, signed declarations by rabbis attesting to their authenticity.

Such documents are written on official letterheads that include contact details. As things stand, certain haredi communities in the US contribute to haredi institutions in Israel without being asked, and the sums contributed are quite hefty.

When the Olam HaTorah Foundation travels to the US, it can succeed in raising in excess of $100 million.

Yet many hardship tales continue to come in. What is disturbing is that many of them can be traced to a single source – Merkava Marketing, which has a New Jersey address.

This includes cases that appear to be Israeli. The names of the people in distress are rarely given, and when they are, there is no way to contact them directly.

However, one of the most recent requests written in the first person by Ilanit Ravia, who lives in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Ramot, could be authentic.

A mother of 14 children, she was recently widowed when her husband, who had been ill for some time, was in and out of the hospital before he passed away.

She painted a very sad picture of a family struggling to survive and lacking sufficient funds to pay the grocery bill, let alone the badly needed household repairs.

Unlike other requests, this one had an Israeli phone number for inquiries, though it may not actually lead directly to Ravia. Also, several recent requests have mentioned a specific sum of money required from a donor, in return for which the recipient will offer prayers on the donor’s behalf.

This Coming Friday, over 150 women from Israel, Australia, the United States, France, Spain, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Uruguay, Britain, and Germany will gather at the Jerusalem campus of the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies to participate in the 27th annual International Masorti Women’s Study Day.

This year’s theme, “May it be: Renewing ourselves, our values, and our people,” is sponsored by the institute’s Midreshet Schechter, the Women’s League for Conservative Judaism, and the Masorti Movement.

Rabbi Diana Villa’s classes this year will explore the concepts of kiddush Hashem (the sanctification of God’s name) and hillul Hashem (the desecration of God’s name).

“This concerns how our behavior in the moral realm causes people (and in today’s interconnected world, nations as well), to respect us or to despise us,” Villa said.

“When we act immorally, especially in the name of religion, people think that Judaism endorses such behavior. That is truly a desecration of God,” she added.

Rabbi Sigalit Ur, hailing from Shorashim in the North, will teach in person. “It is wonderful to gather and study in Jerusalem with women from around the world.”

She added, “One might truly say: ‘For Torah shall go forth from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.’ At the same time, because participants actively contribute and share their ideas, reflections, and responses, the learning becomes a dynamic learning exchange.”

Organized by the university’s international school, the festival, held between June 1 and June 3, attracted hundreds of participants daily and, for many, was an eye-opener into Bar-Ilan’s extensive global activities and diverse international community of students and scholars from approximately 60 countries.

The festival opened with America Day, sponsored by the US embassy in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary of independence, with Joëlle Uzarski, the cultural attaché at the US embassy, as a special guest.

On the second day, the campus transformed into an “international airport for Europe take-off,” an immersive event featuring European-themed food stations, live performances, meetings with representatives of the European Union, and a raffle for a flight ticket to Europe.

The festival concluded on June 3 with a vibrant Brazilian carnival featuring live music and dance, international cuisine, and a campus-wide celebration attended by students, faculty, and university administrators.

“At a time when Israel’s relationship with the world is being tested, we have chosen to celebrate the university’s extensive international ties, both in student exchanges and in research collaborations,” said Dr. Yulia Ben Rephael, the director of the BIU International School.

“We are proud to serve as a bridge between Israel and the world – exposing Israeli students to knowledge, research, and cultures from across the globe while enabling international students and researchers to benefit from BIU’s academic excellence,” she continued.

“International Week reflects our commitment to collaboration, mutual understanding, and building bridges through education and research,” Rephael said.

Prof. Rivka Tuval-Mashiach, the vice president for international affairs at the university, discussed the importance of international connections in Israel’s academic circles.

June is traditionally the month for meetings of the universities’ boards of governors, the awarding of honorary doctorates and special prizes, and the inaugural engagement for students and researchers.

“Bar-Ilan University places great importance on providing students and researchers with international opportunities, particularly in the United States and Europe,” Tuval-Mashiach said.

“We already maintain extensive research partnerships and student exchange programs across these regions and aspire to deepen them further in order to advance research, teaching, and innovation,” she added.

Women's organizations worldwide have long been fighting for more women to have a role in decision-making across politics, business, academia, and military and security-related issues.

Their 28 representatives, along with Hakim, were in Abu Dhabi last week to join women leaders from across the Middle East and North Africa at the 3rd International Dialogue of Civilizations and Tolerance Conference.

Working in collaboration with the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation, which is largely run by women, they discussed the impact of new media and AI on family and community.

In addition to the WCC delegation, which included women of different faiths, national backgrounds, and ethnicities, thousands of women from countries across the region arrived in Abu Dhabi and were hosted at the Emirates Scholar Center and the Abrahamic Family House.

Women from countries that do not have diplomatic relations with each other and are even hostile toward one another cast aside animosities in a common quest for connection, cooperation, and peace in the region, with women playing a central role.

On the final night of the conference, the WCC, in partnership with the Combat Antisemitism Movement, the Gulf-Israel Women’s Forum, and the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation, hosted an exclusive by invitation-only dinner reception under the title, “Celebrating women changemakers of the MENA region.”

Over 70 participants from across the Middle East and beyond, including representatives from government, academia, diplomatic circles, and community leadership, celebrated the social impact of regional women leaders.

They also highlighted the unique role women play in advancing dialogue, tolerance, and cross-border cooperation.

Guests from Israel, the UAE, France, the US, Sudan, Germany, and Syria joined delegates to discuss the future of the region and the role of women in shaping a more connected and inclusive Middle East.

“We are living through extraordinary times that demand extraordinary women to create and lead extraordinary opportunities,” Hakim told them.

Elah Alkalay, the chairperson of IBI Mutual Funds and the head of delegation, said: “At a defining moment for the Middle East, women must be at the center of shaping the region’s future.”

“This delegation brings together an exceptional and diverse group of social changemakers whose different perspectives are our greatest strength,” she added.

Fatema Al Harbi, the director of Gulf affairs at Sharaka, Bahrain, said that she was “truly excited to be part of this powerful women-led delegation.”

“These incredible women who are working to create meaningful change in their communities inspire me and give me the courage to continue my own journey as a changemaker,” she said.

According to Dr. Fawaz Habbal, the director-general of the Emirates Scholar Center, “The participation of this distinguished delegation of women leaders reflects the vital role women play in advancing dialogue, fostering mutual understanding, and building bridges across cultures and communities.”

Habbal added that he was proud to provide a platform in Abu Dhabi for inspiring changemakers to meet and exchange ideas.

Still on the subject of women, some of the people who object to female soldiers in general but women in combat forces in particular, for fear, amongst other things, that these individuals will lose their femininity, can relax on this score.

Channel 11 news reporter Yael Ciechanover, who broadcast a feature on female combatants, interviewed several of them.

The cameraman who was with her focused several times on the hands of the interviewees as they rested on the triggers of their submachine guns. Each of them had fashionable, long-nailed French manicures.

Their masked faces were visible from just below the eyes, and the eyeliner and mascara were very well applied, even though they didn’t exactly jive with the battledress. Many Israeli women go into battle looking the best they can under the circumstances.

Jerusalem is becoming an increasingly popular venue for conferences despite the violent anti-draft demonstrations and all the construction that is changing traffic routes.

On Tuesday this week, the Israel Hayom Summit, which featured prominent figures from most of the political parties competing in the upcoming Knesset elections (with the notable exception of Arab parties), was held at the Jerusalem International Convention Center.

Right next door, at the VERT Hotel, the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) held a summit on antisemitism with both Christian and Jewish speakers.

Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion, who last week spoke at a string of conferences in New York, was listed as a speaker at the Israel Hayom conference on building resilience, but was not listed at the ICEJ conference.

As a busy mayor, he may have had other appointments. Still, considering what the ICEJ has done in the field of social welfare, public advocacy, security, and tourism for Israel in general and Jerusalem in particular, one wonders if the mayor could not have spared 15 minutes to pop in and express appreciation.

Or, at the very least, if Lion could not have sent his deputy in his stead.

It seems that many French immigrants have moved to Tel Aviv and are taking advantage of the various events offered by the Tel Aviv International Salon.

That may explain why a June 17 meeting with French Ambassador Frédéric Journès at his residence in Jaffa sold out within days of its announcement.

As it happens, he will be speaking in English. Whoever has not booked should not try to gate-crash. French security is on high alert, and anyone whose name is not on the list will be turned away.

Also sold out is a June 28 lecture by Einat Wilf, a brilliant orator and former Knesset member. That one may be easier to gate-crash. The event will be at the Drisco Hotel in Jaffa, which has hosted several TLV International events and has others lined up for later in the year.

When television first hit the market, communications mavens predicted that this would herald the end of newspapers and magazines. They were wrong.

Even though some publications closed, others opened. That is still happening. When digital publishing became the vogue, the mavens again predicted doom, saying that no one would be reading print publications anymore.

There are still people who prefer holding a newspaper or a magazine in their hands, even as the number of digital publications keeps growing.

The doomsayers also predicted that books were definitely on their way out, as it was more convenient for people who read on public transport to carry a Kindle.

Wrong again. While e-books on Kindle and other digital platforms are very popular, books are still being published and lining bookshelves in public libraries, academic institutions, and private homes.

With this in mind, publishers are in the business to make money, not to give charity to creative egos. They publish books they believe will sell and be read.

Vindication of this policy comes by way of Rachel Neiman, the head of international media and PR at the National Library of Israel.

Quoting the results of a survey that Neiman made public this week, there were 7,029 newly published books released in Israel in 2025.

Around 5% of these were also in digital form. Of the total, 500 dealt with October 7 in one way or another.

These figures and additional data are in accordance with the Books Law (Legal Deposit 5761-2000), which stipulates that anyone who publishes a printed book in more than 50 copies, or a digital book, must transfer it to the National Library of Israel.

One does not need the above data to be convinced. Exhibits throughout the country during Hebrew Book Week are well attended, and many purchases are made. Israelis are still the people of the book in more ways than one.

For several consecutive Saturday mornings, the panoply of vehicles parked outside the Prime Minister’s Residence, as well as halfway along Balfour Street, included one and sometimes two limousines bearing the prime ministerial number plate.

However, when a meeting is in progress, the entrances on both sides are covered by a huge flap. Sometimes the marquee is also surrounded by metal barricades, some of which can be identified as coming from the Prime Minister’s Residence.

Why? Admittedly, many security features have to be built into the infrastructure, but that still does not excuse the amount of time spent on the job. Are the workers being paid by the hour?

Another issue that piques curiosity is the frequency with which security agents enter the property and why it is necessary for half a dozen agents, male and female, to be inside at the same time.

And of course, there’s the big question: Will Netanyahu symbolically move back before the Knesset elections? To paraphrase Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland’s main character, Alice: “Curiouser and curiouser.”

There used to be a custom that may still exist in which one of the wives of an Israeli diplomat, together with the wife of a foreign official, took the wife of a newly arrived foreign diplomat to lunch to explain to her how things are done in Israel.

Included in these detailed conversations were explanations about kashrut. No one expected that dinner events at an ambassador’s residence would be kosher, but the newcomers were advised not to serve pork or seafood.

Several ambassadors took the kashrut issue to heart and, when hosting the national days of their respective countries, chose to do so at a kosher hotel.

Most notably, the Hilton and two hotels in the Dan chain in Tel Aviv were chosen. The Dan Accadia in Herzliya and the King David and Waldorf Astoria in Jerusalem made up the rest of the list. The ambassadors were also careful not to hold events on the High Holy Days.

One of Israel’s long-standing friends in Asia is Thailand, whose genial ambassador, Boonyarit Vichienpuntu, is hosting a series of events to celebrate the 72nd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Thailand and Israel.

Although 72 is not a landmark number (except in Jewish gematria, where it stands for four times life), the ambassador likely has a good reason to celebrate, as Thailand is one of the favored vacation destinations for Israelis.

Like his immediate predecessor, Vichienpuntu is honoring Israel’s capital by including it among the venues for his celebrations.

Notably, neither he nor his predecessor adhered to kosher catering or refrained from holding events on Shabbat, though there was no doubt of their affection for Israel.

In December, the ambassador celebrated his country’s national day in a non-kosher hotel in Tel Aviv, and this coming Friday, he will be in the Drom Hasharon Regional Council’s area, where he will be hosting Sawasdee Sababa.

A former Spanish ambassador used to import the best quality pork products for his national day reception in his residence, even though his guests included religiously observant Jews and Muslims.

Most diplomats who hold national day receptions at their residences have a kosher table and platters of mixed fruit in addition to their non-kosher buffets.

In some cases, catering is handled by embassy staff to ensure the delicacies served are authentic to their countries’ national cuisine.

But in the majority of cases, an outside Israeli caterer is brought in. What is puzzling to some is why so few embassies hire a kosher caterer. Surely any host or hostess would want to ensure that all invitees can enjoy the repast.

It's rare to hear an Arab declare that the Palestinian claim to statehood is not a matter of hereditary status as it is for Jews, for whom it is enshrined in the Biblical narrative.

One notable research fellow at the Washington Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) had said that Palestinian national identity dates back only as far as 1964, adding that the “lost state narrative” is not one of a recoverable past, but of a Middle East without Israel.

Raised in several countries in the region, Hussain Abdul-Hussain is a staunch believer in Middle East peace between Israel and all Arab states, based on the opportunities provided by the Abraham Accords.