Shmittah Calendar: Month of Elul 5768

The month of Elul begins tonight (Sunday night)! (Today is also Rosh Chodesh.)

The following list is not fully comprehensive at all but includes some common everyday produce most people use. It is largely based on Rabbi Marcus's "Shmittah 5768: A Pratical Guide" (which we recommend you order for yourself here) and other sources. For more information on what these dates mean see here.

Kedushat Shevi'it Starts

On 1 Elul:
Almonds
Grapefruit
Pomelo


On 13 Elul:
Guava
Olives


On 15 Elul:
Kiwi
Peanuts*
Persimmon


On 20 Elul:
Carob



Additionally Kedushat Shevi'it for these items remains in effect (with *ed items already in Sefichim):

Apples
Apricots
Artichoke
Asparagus
Avocado
Banana
Barley*
Basil
Beets*
Broccoli*
Butternut Squash*
Cabbage*
Cabbage (Red)*
Carrots*
Cauliflower*
Celery*
Chickpeas*
Coriander*
Corn (Fresh)*
Cucumbers*
Dates
Dill*
Eggplant*
Etrog
Fennel*
Figs
Garlic*
Grapes
Grapes for Wine
Horseradish
Kohlrabi*
Lemon
Lettuce*
Litchi
Mango
Medlar (Shesek)
Melon*
Mint
Mustard*
Nectarine
Onions*
Paprika*
Parsley*
Peaches
Pears
Peas (in pod)*
Pepper (Jalapeno)*
Peppers*
Pineapple
Plums (Euro Longated)
Plums (Japanese Round)
Popcorn*
Potatoes
Pumpkin*
Radish*
Radish-Small*
Sabra
Scallion
Spinach*
Strawberries*
Sunflower Seeds*
Sweet Potatoes*
Tomatoes*
Turnip*
Watermelon*
Zucchini (Squash)*

Kedushat Shevi'it Ends

There are no items that Kedushat Shevi'it ends this month.
------------------
Sefichim Begins

On 15 Elul:
Peanuts


Additionally Sefichim remain in effect for the following:

Barley
Beets
Broccoli
Butternut Squash
Cabbage
Cabbage (Red)
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Chickpeas
Coriander
Corn (Fresh)
Cucumbers
Dill
Eggplant
Fennel
Garlic
Horseradish
Kohlrabi
Lettuce
Melon
Mustard
Onions
Paprika
Parsley
Peas in Pod
Pepper (Jalapeno)
Peppers
Popcorn
Pumpkin
Radish
Radish-Small
Spinach
Strawberries
Sunflower Seeds
Sweet Potatoes
Tomatoes
Turnip
Watermelon
Zucchini (Squash)


Sefichim Ends

There are no items that Sefichim ends this month.
------------------
Biur

There are no items that require Biur this month.

Note: The following items already required Biur:

On 1 Shevat 5768:
Fennel

On 14 Adar Bet 5768:
Sweet Potatoes

On 15 Iyar 5768:

Broccoli

On 1 Sivan 5768:

Medlar (Shesak)
Peas in Pod

On 1 Tamuz 5768:
Artichoke


On 19 Tamuz 5768:
Apricots


On 1 Av 5768:
Mustard

Rebranding Israel: FM Just Doesn’t Get It - Still!

Crossposted on Kumah.

This is not the first time Kumah has written about this.

Last week I attended the Nefesh B’Nefesh First International Jewish Bloggers Convention along with the rest of the Jblog world. One segment of the program featured Zavi Apfelbaum, the Director of Brand Management of the Foreign Ministry. At the time I did not know that she represented the State of Israel. (I didn't read the program, okay?)

(Click the video for a transcript we posted on YouTube.)

Which is why when blogger Moshe Burt (“Israel and the Sin of Expulsion”) began screaming at the top of his lungs “this is a Jewish State!,” though I agreed with him, I thought he was taking the wrong approach. But now that I realize exactly what was going on I think he was exactly right and that might be the only way to keep making the point, as Burt wrote, “until it sinks irrevocably into their consciousness.”

Let’s start at the beginning. The Foreign Ministry spent millions of shekel of taxpayer money to figure out that, guess what, the world thinks Israel is a bunch of thugs and a very cold (not weather-wise), dull, place to live or visit. Well obviously the world has branded us waaay wrong! Apfelbaum, again blaming the victim, claimed it was not the world that did it but we did it to ourselves. Perhaps I’ll grant that as a half-truth but that’s for another discussion.

So once again the Foreign Ministry plans to spend waste millions of shekel “rebranding” Israel.

Akiva, summarized it like this:

The future brand and marketing image of Israel:
1. Tel Aviv Fashion Brands
2. Tel Aviv Modern Dance Troupes
3. Tel Aviv Beach Life
4. Israeli High Technology Developments
5. Tel Aviv Night Life
6. Israeli High Technology Medical Developments
7. Israeli Wine

With the exception of 4 and 6, basically they are trying to brand Israel as Italy, France or Spain.

When will they learn? Israel is a Jewish Country!

Here’s what I wrote a year ago:

Once Israel becomes "a nation like any other" we are thrust onto a world scale we have no right being on. On that scale, Israel appears to be a pretty crummy nation with nothing special at all. Hence the post-Zionists. But if we stay on the scale we are supposed to stay on, the "light-to-the-nations" scale we are untouchable! When we promote G-d, no nation anywhere can come close in terms of history, culture, food, family life, beauty, and spirituality. Indeed we have something no other nation has.

To summarize, Israel already has an excellent – but discarded - brand. The powers-that-be in the government just don’t like it very much. But this brand has been around for over 3,300 years! Let me explain it in simple terms:

New York is to “The Big Apple” as Israel is to “The Holy Land.”

Gee, whiz. Brilliant! Why didn’t anyone ever think of that before? It’s a brand we have and it’s a brand we should use. It’s a brand that will stick because it already sticks, much to the dismay of the government. Basically the country is spending millions because we don’t want people to think of us as holy! Stop pretending to be the Europeans we are not, because the world is not dumb enough the fall for it. Start being yourself, Israel, and good things will happen. In the 60 years since she was founded Israel never got to be herself - not for one day.

And Moshe Burt is right. In terms of Holy we are talking Judaism. No Muslims are going to view Israel more favorable if we tell them Israel is important to them. And the Christians already know the real deal and love the Jewish people for it. Just talk to any Christians you meet. They know the Holy Land is G-d’s gift to the Jews and they are cool with that. Very cool with it.

So here is a small part of Pinchas’s plan for “rebranding” (that’s "re" as in repeating something not as in changing something):

Shabbat


Kotel



Jewish Tradition



Jewish Children




Holy Things



The problem is the government is working backwards. Instead of displaying the beauty of Judaism and Shabbat for the world, the government does everything it can to destroy our image as a holy nation by doing things like attempting to have buses run on Shabbat. Sometimes the only way to get the message across truly is to yell it, and to yell it again, again, and again!

Video Blog: Witness NeoZionism - 43 New Members of Israel and the IDF

At Kumah we call it NeoZionism. It's that spirit of giving it all to rebuild our Homeland. Witness it yourself in this video. 43 young adults (age 20, plus or minus - usually minus - 3 years) gave up the "good life" in America to join the IDF. The ingathering of the exiles is well in progress as our Nation is infused with this new energy, this new passion, for returning home and contributing to the growth of the Jewish Nation.

Cross-posted on Kumah.

Video Blog From The Kotel on Tisha B'Av 5768

(This is the early edition unedited version.)

Shmittah Calendar: Month of Av 5768

The month of Av began yesterday, on Shabbat!

The following list is not fully comprehensive at all but includes some common everyday produce most people use. It is largely based on Rabbi Marcus's "Shmittah 5768: A Pratical Guide" (which we recommend you order for yourself here) and other sources. For more information on what these dates mean see here.

Kedushat Shevi'it Starts

On 1 Av:
Popcorn


On 15 Av:
Plums (Euro Longated)
Sunflower Seeds


On 20 Av:
Dates



Additionally Kedushat Shevi'it for these items remains in effect (with *ed items already in Sefichim):

Apples
Apricots
Artichoke
Asparagus
Avocado
Banana
Barley*
Basil
Beets*
Broccoli*
Butternut Squash*
Cabbage*
Cabbage (Red)*
Carrots*
Cauliflower*
Celery*
Chickpeas*
Coriander*
Corn (Fresh)*
Cucumbers*
Dill*
Eggplant*
Etrog
Fennel*
Figs
Garlic*
Grapes
Grapes for Wine
Horseradish
Kohlrabi*
Lemon
Lettuce*
Litchi
Mango
Medlar (Shesek)
Melon*
Mint
Mustard*
Nectarine
Onions*
Paprika
Parsley*
Peaches
Pears
Peas (in pod)*
Pepper (Jalapeno)*
Peppers*
Pineapple
Plums (Japanese Round)
Potatoes
Pumpkin*
Radish*
Radish-Small*
Sabra
Scallion
Spinach*
Strawberries*
Sweet Potatoes*
Tomatoes*
Turnip*
Watermelon*
Zucchini (Squash)*

Kedushat Shevi'it Ends

There are no items that Kedushat Shevi'it ends this month.
------------------
Sefichim Begins

On 1 Av:
Popcorn


On 3 Av:
Paprika


On 15 Av:
Sunflower Seeds


Additionally Sefichim remain in effect for the following:

Barley
Beets
Broccoli
Butternut Squash
Cabbage
Cabbage (Red)
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Chickpeas
Coriander
Corn (Fresh)
Cucumbers
Dill
Eggplant
Fennel
Garlic
Horseradish
Kohlrabi
Lettuce
Melon
Mustard
Onions
Parsley
Peas in Pod
Pepper (Jalapeno)
Peppers
Pumpkin
Radish
Radish-Small
Spinach
Strawberries
Sweet Potatoes
Tomatoes
Turnip
Watermelon
Zucchini (Squash)


Sefichim Ends

There are no items that Sefichim ends this month.
------------------
Biur

On 1 Av:
Mustard


Note: The following items already required Biur:

On 1 Shevat 5768:
Fennel

On 14 Adar Bet 5768:
Sweet Potatoes

On 15 Iyar 5768:

Broccoli

On 1 Sivan 5768:

Medlar (Shesak)
Peas in Pod

On 1 Tamuz 5768:
Artichoke


On 19 Tamuz 5768:
Apricots