Yeshiva World News

Many times a kosher consumer wishes to purchase a fruit smoothie in a specific store which is kosher certified or a store which only makes fruit smoothies and is not kosher certified. One sees pieces of strawberries in kosher certified yogurt etc. May one drink a fruit smoothie with strawberries or other fruits which have a concern of insects. Can one eat the yogurt with pieces of strawberries etc? In addition, are jams with pieces of strawberries permitted to be used – are the strawberries checked. This issue will be dealt with in this article.  

Background

If more than fifty percent of the product has bugs then it is muchzak (which means that most of the time one will find a bug in the specific item) with bugs and it is an issur d’oraisa to eat. If it is more than 10 percent (see below) then it is called a miyut hamatzuiand is an issur d’rabbanan[1] to eat it without prior checking.[2] The Rashba[3] says that any item which it is possible that a bug to found in one has to check, and if one does not do so it is forbidden to eat the item until it is checked. A product which has less than ten percent of bugs permitted to be eaten with checking.[4] Nonetheless, the Chochmas Adam[5] says “it is proper for a person to check what he eats because in this way one will save himself from many bugs, I can testify on myself that many times I was saved from this” [by checking first].

Cooked

The Shulchan Aruch[6] says if a bug is cooked without being checked then one should check it if not then the food is permitted to be eaten b’dieved.[7] The Shach[8] says this is based on a sfek sfeika. One sofuk is if there are any bugs and the other sofek is maybe they are smashed). The Pri Megadim[9] clearly says that this would not apply to fruits or vegetables which are muchzak b’toloyim, since it is an issur d’oraisa to eat from such fruits etc without prior checking.[10] Some poskim argue with this and maintain even if the fruit is muchzak to have bugs one can cook it up based on the reasoning of the Shach.[11] The accepted custom is like the Shach.[12]Fruits or vegetables which are “common” to have bugs, but are not muchzak would also fall into the Shach’s heter.

Pureed

The Shulchan Aruch[13] says a “berya” is forbidden to be eaten, but this only refers to a whole one, and a broken one is permitted. The Shulchan Aruch[14] says if a berya is crushed and the form of the berya is not found it is permitted.[15] The Gr’a[16] says this is not referring to the issur of eating bugs, but whether or not it is considered an honorable food. Most poskim argue with the Gr’a.[17]

This heter would not concur with the rule that is commonly known as mevatel issur l’chatchilah.[18] The only time we say that we can’t be mevatel issur l’chatchilah is when we have intent to do so.[19]    Additionally, we say ein mevatel issur l’chatchilah when we want the crushed item to be crushed just for the fruit to be crushed.[20] When a hechsher is given on a product which is pureed they are not doing it because we told them to do it.[21] Therefore, it is not considered having intent to be mevatel issur l’chatchilah.In addition, the Taz[22] says if there is an easier way to accomplish the same goal without being mevatel the issur then it is not considered “not having intent to be mevatel.” However, many times when dealing with frozen fruits and vegetables it is impossible to check them therefore, the Taz’s stringency would not apply. However, by fresh produce it can be checked and one is obligated to do so.[23]

Not Pureed – Jam  (see below)

Many times in yogurts there are pieces are fruit in the product which are not pureed. If so the heter of a berya being crushed is not applicable here because maybe there is a bug in this part of the fruit. The same question is relevant to making jams since the fruit is not pureed.[24] However, we can be lenient since by the time their product reaches the company which makes the jam the product is nomuchzak since they are washed according to the FDA standards. Therefore, even raspberries can be made into a jam without being pureed since it is a miyut hamatzui. Based on this reasoning there is very few frozen items which would be a muchzak when the company receives the product.[25]

Frozen Produce

Frozen strawberries and raspberries can be checked but it is more difficult to check for bugs. Even if a product has many bugs in the field as mentioned before by the time they reach the consumer they are not muchzak.[26] Especially since frozen strawberries are washed before they are frozen. Therefore, for the most part frozen strawberries are considered a miyut sh’eino mutzei.[27]

Bitel

Normally something which is forbidden is permitted if there is sixty times the amount of issur in the mixture (about 1.6% of the whole mixture). Some say since an inspection can detect a bug it is not considered a mixture, and are not subject to the halachos of bitul. In addition, an insect is a berya (when not cooked, crushed) and a berya is not butel.[28] The Aruch Ha’shulchan[29] in explaining why many do not check for bugs offers the following reasoning: Firstly he says that insect mixed in vegetables are a mixture and subject to the halachos of bitul. Secondly, he quotes a number of poskim who say that bugs are butel in close to 1000. Lastly, he says that the laws of beryah may not apply to something which is discussing to a person, such as a bug. This is only a limud zechus on those who do not check produce before eating it.

Aside from the entire above discussion we may be lenient with the above based on the following paragraphs.

Miyut Hamatzui

We have previously established that if a fruit or vegetable has a possibility of having ten percent bugs then one has to check it before eating it. The Mishkanos Yaakov[30] is the one who came up with the number of ten. The Rivash[31] says the shiur is close to fifty percent. The Shevet Ha’Levi [32] argues with the Mishkanos Yaakov and holds even if it is less than a ten percent chance one has to check the produce.

The earlier poskim do not discuss how we figure about the miyut hamatzui. Do we look at every fruit and say if ten percent of this specific fruit has bugs, or do we go after how much one normally buys, or cooks at one time. In addition do we figure according to how much one eats one or how much his house eats?[33]

The opinion of the Chasam Sofer[34] is that one has to check every fruit individually to see if it has the shiur of miyut hamatzui. The opinion of Horav Elyashiv Shlita is that the shiur is calculated according to the amount of produce one buys.[35] Harav Wosner Shlita says it is calculated according to the amount of produce that one normally would check for bugs. Harav Shlomo Zalman Aurbach zt”l[36] says regarding lettuce that it is calculated according to the head of lettuce.[37]

Harav Shachter Shlita says it is calculated according to a serving size. Therefore he holds if there is one bug in ten serving then it is called “miyut hamatzui.”[38] The serving size referred to here means each individual serving.[39]

According to the Chasam Sofer mentioned above one can cook fruit into a jam even if there are bugs in the jam because the chances of it having fifty percent or even ten percent, in every fruit are not likely.[40] However, in practice it is believed that all berries used for these products are miyut hamatzui.[41]

Rabbi Falk Shlita[42] has a different approach he says any amount of bugs in a piece of fruit which is not a surprise to a person is amiyut hamatzui. A miyut which is not common is something which is a “new” thing to you and not known before. This is something one would not have to check.

Harav Yisroel Belsky Shlita holds that one determines if a specific fruit or vegetable is a miyut hamatzui only after it has been washed etc.[43]

Conclusion Regarding Buying Smoothies and Yogurts With Strawberries – Raspberries[44]

Smoothies- We mentioned above the background to the issues of bugs and fruits. Practically speaking the following is what emerges: For smoothies that call for fresh strawberries one can be lenient and eat it since it is pureed and there is no concern of “ein mevatlinissur,” since the one making the smoothies is not doing so with intent to crush the bugs. If frozen strawberries are use one may purchase the fruit smoothie as well since frozen strawberries are considered a miyut sheino mutzei and are permitted. In regard to raspberries in smoothies: Frozen raspberries are considered a miyut hamatzui and one can use them in the smoothie because it is pureed. The same is true for fresh raspberries.

In regard to buying Jams - Jams are made my taking strawberries etc and cooking them as well as adding other ingredients to the mixture. In most cases frozen strawberries etc are used. As mentioned above frozen strawberries are a miyut sh’eino mutzei and are permitted. In regard to raspberry jams since frozen raspberries are a miyut hamatzui and this is being cooked one can rely on the sfeik sfeika above.

Yogurts – When manufacturing yogurts frozen strawberries are used since we maintained before than frozen strawberries are a miyut sh’eino mutzei it is permitted to purchase yogurts with strawberry pieces.

Purchasing Smoothies at a Non-Certified Smoothies Store – Stand

One is passing by a fruit smoothie stand and wishes to know if he may purchase a fruit smoothie without certification. If they use frozen strawberries and raspberries as part of their smoothie it is permitted as mentioned above. However, although this may be the case it is still not advisable to buy from such a stand unless you know that the only items they make on the machine is cold smoothies and no other fruit juices are added to the mix. In all cases some juice has to be added to facilitate the pureeing of the fruits. One must make sure that there is no other fruit juices just water used since fruit juices can be an issue of non-kosher.  If one is interested in buying it at a store which makes others items as well as smoothies one would be permitted to purchase a smoothie at the location without it being under a reliable hechsher if one makes sure the utensils are washed properly being that the process is cold.

Jamba Juice Stores

Jamba juice stores are located in many locales across the country. They are a chain store which makes smoothies. They use IQF produce and the entire process is cold. When dairy non-kosher item is used in a smoothie they wash out the blender with a brush water and soap, and it goes through a sanitation wash. If this is the mechanics one would be able to purchase a fruit smoothie from their stores. Recently they have added hold blends which are heated in a separate are but placed in the smoothie blender.[45] It is difficult to ascertain how hot the mix gets and if this has an effect on the cold smoothie blender. As maintained above the smoothie machine is sanitized. However, even though the utensil was hot now that it is cold and the transfer of taste will not have an effect on the cold smoothie.

Notes:

Frozen Strawberries - not a miyut hamatzui and is a miyut sh’eino mutzei, Fresh miyut

Jam frozen – no problem because of eino mutzei. Smoothie – Purred.

Fresh Strawberries - Miyut Hamatzui. 

Fresh Raspberries – Can’t clean it properly Miyut Hamatzui, Frozen same as Fresh

Sfek Sfeika Jam, Smoothies Raspberry Pureed.

Yogurt – Strawberry – frozen miyut sheinu mutzei.

Rav Yehoshua Pollack recently began serving as a consultant for the Jerusalem Building & Zoning Committee in charge of public complaints under Deputy Mayor (Bnei Torah) Rav Chaim Epstein. It turns out that Pollack also offers his professional services as a mediator in huge real estate projects in the local marketplace, referring in particular to the Beit HaKerem Arazim project.

It was not long before Pollack began advising the deputy mayor that he presented himself to Beit HaKerem residents as an advisor, seeking to persuade them to cooperate with the Israel Electric Company in the project. The utility company owns the area near the power station and Pollack is interest that project initiators cooperate with the utility company to permits evacuating and building. When asked to comment, Pollack admits he has urged neighborhood residents to collaborate with the utility company, and he sees nothing wrong with calling for cooperation with the utility company and being involved in the project. He stated that if he becomes an entrepreneur in the project, he will have to “rethink his consultant post in City Hall”.

“All said and done, in Beit HaKerem I simply gave them concerning collaboration with Israel Electric. If they want me to advance the project, to push the plan forward as an entrepreneur, then I may have to leave my City Hall post.” His indecisive statement is in line with his view for he says that even if he is financially involved in the project, he does not understand why he cannot advise City Hall. For Pollack, the term “conflict of interests” is non-existent”.

He stresses however that his advice to residents to cooperate with Israel Electric was his own free good advice, and he was not paid or sent by anyone to act as he did.

Pollack headed the city’s Planning & Zoning Committee during the tenure of Mayor Rabbi Uri Lupoliansky. He is viewed as a wizard regarding construction projects and moving them forward, as he has done in many cases in the past. During the Lupoliansky administration he was a very powerful figure in City Hall, with MyNet adding many viewed him as the “acting mayor”. He retroactively legalized many building violations in the chareidi sector and converted public spaces for residential use.

Officials of the Arazim project stress Pollack is not employed by them and he in no way represents them or the project. “He is not authorized to contact any third party on Arazim’s behalf “they added.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)

While there were fewer fatalities and injuries from terror attacks in 2013 B’chasdei Hashem, there was an increase in the number of attacks.

According to the ISA (Israel Security Agency – Shin Bet) report, there were 1,271 attacks in 2013 as compared to 578 in 2012. As a result of ceasefire agreements following Operation Pillar of Defense, there was a decline in the number of Gaza-based attacks with 63 rockets and 11 mortar shells in 2013 as compared to 2,327 rockets and 230 mortar shells in 2012. The latter includes 1,731 rockets during Operation Pillar of Defense.

Six Israelis were killed in attacks, half members of security agencies. That number stood at 10 in 2012, of which six were during Operation Pillar of Defense. 2,500 terror suspects were taken into custody, most from Yehuda and Shomron, 1,800 indictments were filed for involvement in terror attacks and 800 for disorderly conduct. 190 “substantial” terror attacks were prevented as compared to 112 in 2012.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)

Rosh Yeshivas Yakirei Yerushalayim HaRav Yehuda Cohen Shlita was attacked with a metallic rod on Tuesday morning 27 Shevat 5774 R”L. Baruch Hashem the rosh yeshiva was only lightly injured in the attack, perpetrated by a former talmid.

According to an Israel Police spokesman, the man in custody is about 40, adding “he explains he only attacked the rabbi after the latter harassed him”.

The rav was transported to a local hospital in an ambulance to get checked following the assault. Police have the former student in custody and he was remanded before the Jerusalem Magistrate Court later in the day.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)

Customer service workers at a call center for insurance exchanges established under the federal health care overhaul have sued their employer in federal court, saying they were forced to work unpaid overtime.

The nine workers at a Boise facility who brought the suit against Maximus Inc. say the case could potentially apply to thousands of employees, and they’re asking a judge to award damages exceeding $5 million.

Maximus, which operates under a government contract, has not yet filed a response. A phone call from The Associated Press seeking comment Tuesday was not immediately returned.

The suit was filed in U.S. District Court in Boise on Friday.

The workers say they were wrongly classified as exempt from overtime and required to work up to 60 hours a week, frequently missing lunches and breaks, in violation of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.

“An employer’s obligation to pay its employees overtime wages is more than a matter of private concern between the parties,” wrote attorney Howard Belodoff in the lawsuit.

He stated that “members of a modern, humane society are not simply indentured servants but are entitled to work a livable number of hours at a livable wage.”

The nine employees are all either trainers or first-level supervisors.

The lawsuit says the trainers are responsible for preparing new Maximus staffers to answer calls from around the country relating to the Affordable Care Act.

The first-level supervisors each monitor a team of about 14 employees, coaching them on customer service issues, checking timesheets and reporting problems to higher-level managers.

The workers say they have no real managerial powers and should have been classified as hourly workers and paid overtime.

Belodoff said after multiple complaints Maximus agreed to re-classify the workers at the Boise call center as hourly, but that the company also reduced their wages and benefits and refused to pay the workers double damages for the lost overtime wages as required by federal law.

The workers say it’s difficult to determine just how much unpaid overtime they are owed because the company prevented them from filling out accurate time cards when they were classified as salaried workers.

(AP)

As negotiations between Israel and the PA (Palestinian Authority) continue, Hamas in Gaza continues preparing for the next military conflict with the IDF. in the last war, Operation Pillar of Defense, Hamas was armed with its own M75 rocket capable of reaching Tel Aviv, which it did.

Reports from Gaza signal terrorists have now developed the “Sa’ir” shoulder held rocket, which “will be put into use against the Zionist enemy immediately”.

According to information available on website, the new shoulder-held rocket will be used against IDF tanks and planes.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)

Federal health officials say the pain reliever in Aleve may be safer on the heart than other popular anti-inflammatory drugs taken by millions of Americans.

A Food and Drug Administration review posted online Tuesday states that naproxen — the key ingredient in Aleve and dozens of other generic pain pills — may have a lower risk of heart attack and stroke than rival medications like ibuprofen, sold as Advil and Motrin. FDA staffers recommend relabeling naproxen to emphasize its safety.

The FDA safety review was prompted by a huge analysis published last year that looked at 350,000 patients taking various pain relievers. The findings suggest naproxen does not carry the same heart risks as other medications in the class known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs.

The agency released its memo ahead of a public meeting next month where outside experts will discuss the new data and whether naproxen should be relabeled. The agency is not required to follow the group’s advice, though it often does.

If ultimately implemented, the labeling changes could reshape the multibillion-dollar market for drugs used to treat headaches, muscle pain and arthritis.

The FDA meeting is the latest chapter in an ongoing safety review of NSAIDs that stretches back to 2004, when Merck & Co Inc. pulled its blockbuster pain reliever Vioxx off the market due to links to heart attack and stroke. Vioxx was part of a subset of newer NSAIDs designed to be easier on the stomach. But in the wake of the recall, the FDA beefed up warnings about heart safety risks on all drugs in the class, including Motrin, Advil, Aleve and Celebrex. Pfizer’s Celebrex is the only drug from the same class as Vioxx that remains on the market.

Current labeling warns that taking NSAIDs long-term can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. Patients and doctors are advised to take the drugs for the shortest time period possible.

But FDA staffers state in Tuesday’s memo that labeling should be changed “to reflect the more favorable cardiovascular risk profile of naproxen.”

The change could make Aleve and other naproxen drugs the first choice for patients with a higher risk for heart problems, according to Ira Loss, a pharmaceutical analyst with Washington Analysis. But he added that all NSAIDs will continue to carry warnings about internal bleeding, a serious side effect that is blamed for more than 200,000 hospital visits every year.

“All of these products have an issue or two and I think this removes one of the scarlet letters from naproxen, which allows it to be marketed as safer in a cardiac sense,” Loss said.

The FDA also disclosed Tuesday that it is considering halting a long-term study comparing the safety of naproxen, ibuprofen and Celebrex, the prescription painkiller from Pfizer.

Given that recent data show a lower rate of heart attack and stroke for naproxen, FDA staffers say patients are being exposed to an undue risk by remaining in the PRECISION trial.”

Launched in 2006 by Pfizer, which makes both Celebrex and Motrin, the PRECISION study is expected to be completed by late 2015. The company said in a statement that, “current evidence does not support” changes to the labeling of its drugs.

(AP)

Students in the Ono Chareidi Campus are working with Jerusalem City Hall. They are receiving the names and information of Holocaust survivors and making them aware of their rights and working to assist them in applying for various forms of aid they are entitled to and in many cases, they are simply unaware.

College official attorney Moshe Shimoni explains the school has decided students will earn credits towards their degree by carrying out this holy assignment for he and the school administration feel the survivors are entitled to all the assistance they can possibly receive.

The law students have met with dozens of survivors and they will now assist them in navigating the somewhat difficult Israeli bureaucracy towards getting what they are entitled to. They hope to assist all 24,000 survivors registered living in the area.

One student, Rivkah Binyamin, 23, explains her family has no personal connection to the Holocaust so for her; this is particularly meaningful as she interacts with the survivors. “They are simply amazing people who deserve anything and anything they can get” she adds.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, my fellow Americans:

Today in America, a teacher spent extra time with a student who needed it, and did her part to lift America’s graduation rate to its highest level in more than three decades.

An entrepreneur flipped on the lights in her tech startup, and did her part to add to the more than eight million new jobs our businesses have created over the past four years.

An autoworker fine-tuned some of the best, most fuel-efficient cars in the world, and did his part to help America wean itself off foreign oil.

A farmer prepared for the spring after the strongest five-year stretch of farm exports in our history. A rural doctor gave a young child the first prescription to treat asthma that his mother could afford. A man took the bus home from the graveyard shift, bone-tired but dreaming big dreams for his son. And in tight-knit communities across America, fathers and mothers will tuck in their kids, put an arm around their spouse, remember fallen comrades, and give thanks for being home from a war that, after twelve long years, is finally coming to an end.

Tonight, this chamber speaks with one voice to the people we represent: it is you, our citizens, who make the state of our union strong.

Here are the results of your efforts: The lowest unemployment rate in over five years. A rebounding housing market. A manufacturing sector that’s adding jobs for the first time since the 1990s. More oil produced at home than we buy from the rest of the world – the first time that’s happened in nearly twenty years. Our deficits – cut by more than half. And for the first time in over a decade, business leaders around the world have declared that China is no longer the world’s number one place to invest; America is.

That’s why I believe this can be a breakthrough year for America. After five years of grit and determined effort, the United States is better-positioned for the 21st century than any other nation on Earth.

The question for everyone in this chamber, running through every decision we make this year, is whether we are going to help or hinder this progress. For several years now, this town has been consumed by a rancorous argument over the proper size of the federal government. It’s an important debate – one that dates back to our very founding. But when that debate prevents us from carrying out even the most basic functions of our democracy – when our differences shut down government or threaten the full faith and credit of the United States – then we are not doing right by the American people.

As President, I’m committed to making Washington work better, and rebuilding the trust of the people who sent us here. I believe most of you are, too. Last month, thanks to the work of Democrats and Republicans, this Congress finally produced a budget that undoes some of last year’s severe cuts to priorities like education. Nobody got everything they wanted, and we can still do more to invest in this country’s future while bringing down our deficit in a balanced way. But the budget compromise should leave us freer to focus on creating new jobs, not creating new crises.

In the coming months, let’s see where else we can make progress together. Let’s make this a year of action. That’s what most Americans want – for all of us in this chamber to focus on their lives, their hopes, their aspirations. And what I believe unites the people of this nation, regardless of race or region or party, young or old, rich or poor, is the simple, profound belief in opportunity for all – the notion that if you work hard and take responsibility, you can get ahead.

Let’s face it: that belief has suffered some serious blows. Over more than three decades, even before the Great Recession hit, massive shifts in technology and global competition had eliminated a lot of good, middle-class jobs, and weakened the economic foundations that families depend on.

Today, after four years of economic growth, corporate profits and stock prices have rarely been higher, and those at the top have never done better. But average wages have barely budged. Inequality has deepened. Upward mobility has stalled. The cold, hard fact is that even in the midst of recovery, too many Americans are working more than ever just to get by – let alone get ahead. And too many still aren’t working at all.

Our job is to reverse these trends. It won’t happen right away, and we won’t agree on everything. But what I offer tonight is a set of concrete, practical proposals to speed up growth, strengthen the middle class, and build new ladders of opportunity into the middle class. Some require Congressional action, and I’m eager to work with all of you. But America does not stand still – and neither will I. So wherever and whenever I can take steps without legislation to expand opportunity for more American families, that’s what I’m going to do.

As usual, our First Lady sets a good example. Michelle’s Let’s Move partnership with schools, businesses, and local leaders has helped bring down childhood obesity rates for the first time in thirty years – an achievement that will improve lives and reduce health care costs for decades to come. The Joining Forces alliance that Michelle and Jill Biden launched has already encouraged employers to hire or train nearly 400,000 veterans and military spouses. Taking a page from that playbook, the White House just organized a College Opportunity Summit where already, 150 universities, businesses, and nonprofits have made concrete commitments to reduce inequality in access to higher education – and help every hardworking kid go to college and succeed when they get to campus. Across the country, we’re partnering with mayors, governors, and state legislatures on issues from homelessness to marriage equality.

The point is, there are millions of Americans outside Washington who are tired of stale political arguments, and are moving this country forward. They believe, and I believe, that here in America, our success should depend not on accident of birth, but the strength of our work ethic and the scope of our dreams. That’s what drew our forebears here. It’s how the daughter of a factory worker is CEO of America’s largest automaker; how the son of a barkeeper is Speaker of the House; how the son of a single mom can be President of the greatest nation on Earth.

Opportunity is who we are. And the defining project of our generation is to restore that promise.

We know where to start: the best measure of opportunity is access to a good job. With the economy picking up speed, companies say they intend to hire more people this year. And over half of big manufacturers say they’re thinking of insourcing jobs from abroad.

So let’s make that decision easier for more companies. Both Democrats and Republicans have argued that our tax code is riddled with wasteful, complicated loopholes that punish businesses investing here, and reward companies that keep profits abroad. Let’s flip that equation. Let’s work together to close those loopholes, end those incentives to ship jobs overseas, and lower tax rates for businesses that create jobs here at home.

Moreover, we can take the money we save with this transition to tax reform to create jobs rebuilding our roads, upgrading our ports, unclogging our commutes – because in today’s global economy, first-class jobs gravitate to first-class infrastructure. We’ll need Congress to protect more than three million jobs by finishing transportation and waterways bills this summer. But I will act on my own to slash bureaucracy and streamline the permitting process for key projects, so we can get more construction workers on the job as fast as possible.

We also have the chance, right now, to beat other countries in the race for the next wave of high-tech manufacturing jobs. My administration has launched two hubs for high-tech manufacturing in Raleigh and Youngstown, where we’ve connected businesses to research universities that can help America lead the world in advanced technologies. Tonight, I’m announcing we’ll launch six more this year. Bipartisan bills in both houses could double the number of these hubs and the jobs they create. So get those bills to my desk and put more Americans back to work.

Let’s do more to help the entrepreneurs and small business owners who create most new jobs in America. Over the past five years, my administration has made more loans to small business owners than any other. And when ninety-eight percent of our exporters are small businesses, new trade partnerships with Europe and the Asia-Pacific will help them create more jobs. We need to work together on tools like bipartisan trade promotion authority to protect our workers, protect our environment, and open new markets to new goods stamped “Made in the USA.” China and Europe aren’t standing on the sidelines. Neither should we.

We know that the nation that goes all-in on innovation today will own the global economy tomorrow. This is an edge America cannot surrender. Federally-funded research helped lead to the ideas and inventions behind Google and smartphones. That’s why Congress should undo the damage done by last year’s cuts to basic research so we can unleash the next great American discovery – whether it’s vaccines that stay ahead of drug-resistant bacteria, or paper-thin material that’s stronger than steel. And let’s pass a patent reform bill that allows our businesses to stay focused on innovation, not costly, needless litigation.

Now, one of the biggest factors in bringing more jobs back is our commitment to American energy. The all-of-the-above energy strategy I announced a few years ago is working, and today, America is closer to energy independence than we’ve been in decades.

One of the reasons why is natural gas – if extracted safely, it’s the bridge fuel that can power our economy with less of the carbon pollution that causes climate change. Businesses plan to invest almost $100 billion in new factories that use natural gas. I’ll cut red tape to help states get those factories built, and this Congress can help by putting people to work building fueling stations that shift more cars and trucks from foreign oil to American natural gas. My administration will keep working with the industry to sustain production and job growth while strengthening protection of our air, our water, and our communities. And while we’re at it, I’ll use my authority to protect more of our pristine federal lands for future generations.

It’s not just oil and natural gas production that’s booming; we’re becoming a global leader in solar, too. Every four minutes, another American home or business goes solar; every panel pounded into place by a worker whose job can’t be outsourced. Let’s continue that progress with a smarter tax policy that stops giving $4 billion a year to fossil fuel industries that don’t need it, so that we can invest more in fuels of the future that do.

And even as we’ve increased energy production, we’ve partnered with businesses, builders, and local communities to reduce the energy we consume. When we rescued our automakers, for example, we worked with them to set higher fuel efficiency standards for our cars. In the coming months, I’ll build on that success by setting new standards for our trucks, so we can keep driving down oil imports and what we pay at the pump.

Taken together, our energy policy is creating jobs and leading to a cleaner, safer planet. Over the past eight years, the United States has reduced our total carbon pollution more than any other nation on Earth. But we have to act with more urgency – because a changing climate is already harming western communities struggling with drought, and coastal cities dealing with floods. That’s why I directed my administration to work with states, utilities, and others to set new standards on the amount of carbon pollution our power plants are allowed to dump into the air. The shift to a cleaner energy economy won’t happen overnight, and it will require tough choices along the way. But the debate is settled. Climate change is a fact. And when our children’s children look us in the eye and ask if we did all we could to leave them a safer, more stable world, with new sources of energy, I want us to be able to say yes, we did.

Finally, if we are serious about economic growth, it is time to heed the call of business leaders, labor leaders, faith leaders, and law enforcement – and fix our broken immigration system. Republicans and Democrats in the Senate have acted. I know that members of both parties in the House want to do the same. Independent economists say immigration reform will grow our economy and shrink our deficits by almost $1 trillion in the next two decades. And for good reason: when people come here to fulfill their dreams – to study, invent, and contribute to our culture – they make our country a more attractive place for businesses to locate and create jobs for everyone. So let’s get immigration reform done this year.

The ideas I’ve outlined so far can speed up growth and create more jobs. But in this rapidly-changing economy, we have to make sure that every American has the skills to fill those jobs.

The good news is, we know how to do it. Two years ago, as the auto industry came roaring back, Andra Rush opened up a manufacturing firm in Detroit. She knew that Ford needed parts for the best-selling truck in America, and she knew how to make them. She just needed the workforce. So she dialed up what we call an American Job Center – places where folks can walk in to get the help or training they need to find a new job, or better job. She was flooded with new workers. And today, Detroit Manufacturing Systems has more than 700 employees.

What Andra and her employees experienced is how it should be for every employer – and every job seeker. So tonight, I’ve asked Vice President Biden to lead an across-the-board reform of America’s training programs to make sure they have one mission: train Americans with the skills employers need, and match them to good jobs that need to be filled right now. That means more on-the-job training, and more apprenticeships that set a young worker on an upward trajectory for life. It means connecting companies to community colleges that can help design training to fill their specific needs. And if Congress wants to help, you can concentrate funding on proven programs that connect more ready-to-work Americans with ready-to-be-filled jobs.

I’m also convinced we can help Americans return to the workforce faster by reforming unemployment insurance so that it’s more effective in today’s economy. But first, this Congress needs to restore the unemployment insurance you just let expire for 1.6 million people.

Let me tell you why.

Misty DeMars is a mother of two young boys. She’d been steadily employed since she was a teenager. She put herself through college. She’d never collected unemployment benefits. In May, she and her husband used their life savings to buy their first home. A week later, budget cuts claimed the job she loved. Last month, when their unemployment insurance was cut off, she sat down and wrote me a letter – the kind I get every day. “We are the face of the unemployment crisis,” she wrote. “I am not dependent on the government…Our country depends on people like us who build careers, contribute to society…care about our neighbors…I am confident that in time I will find a job…I will pay my taxes, and we will raise our children in their own home in the community we love. Please give us this chance.”

Congress, give these hardworking, responsible Americans that chance. They need our help, but more important, this country needs them in the game. That’s why I’ve been asking CEOs to give more long-term unemployed workers a fair shot at that new job and new chance to support their families; this week, many will come to the White House to make that commitment real. Tonight, I ask every business leader in America to join us and to do the same – because we are stronger when America fields a full team.

Of course, it’s not enough to train today’s workforce. We also have to prepare tomorrow’s workforce, by guaranteeing every child access to a world-class education.

Estiven Rodriguez couldn’t speak a word of English when he moved to New York City at age nine. But last month, thanks to the support of great teachers and an innovative tutoring program, he led a march of his classmates – through a crowd of cheering parents and neighbors – from their high school to the post office, where they mailed off their college applications. And this son of a factory worker just found out he’s going to college this fall.

Five years ago, we set out to change the odds for all our kids. We worked with lenders to reform student loans, and today, more young people are earning college degrees than ever before. Race to the Top, with the help of governors from both parties, has helped states raise expectations and performance. Teachers and principals in schools from Tennessee to Washington, D.C. are making big strides in preparing students with skills for the new economy – problem solving, critical thinking, science, technology, engineering, and math. Some of this change is hard. It requires everything from more challenging curriculums and more demanding parents to better support for teachers and new ways to measure how well our kids think, not how well they can fill in a bubble on a test. But it’s worth it – and it’s working.

The problem is we’re still not reaching enough kids, and we’re not reaching them in time. That has to change.

Research shows that one of the best investments we can make in a child’s life is high-quality early education. Last year, I asked this Congress to help states make high-quality pre-K available to every four year-old. As a parent as well as a President, I repeat that request tonight. But in the meantime, thirty states have raised pre-k funding on their own. They know we can’t wait. So just as we worked with states to reform our schools, this year, we’ll invest in new partnerships with states and communities across the country in a race to the top for our youngest children. And as Congress decides what it’s going to do, I’m going to pull together a coalition of elected officials, business leaders, and philanthropists willing to help more kids access the high-quality pre-K they need.

Last year, I also pledged to connect 99 percent of our students to high-speed broadband over the next four years. Tonight, I can announce that with the support of the FCC and companies like Apple, Microsoft, Sprint, and Verizon, we’ve got a down payment to start connecting more than 15,000 schools and twenty million students over the next two years, without adding a dime to the deficit.

We’re working to redesign high schools and partner them with colleges and employers that offer the real-world education and hands-on training that can lead directly to a job and career. We’re shaking up our system of higher education to give parents more information, and colleges more incentives to offer better value, so that no middle-class kid is priced out of a college education. We’re offering millions the opportunity to cap their monthly student loan payments to ten percent of their income, and I want to work with Congress to see how we can help even more Americans who feel trapped by student loan debt. And I’m reaching out to some of America’s leading foundations and corporations on a new initiative to help more young men of color facing tough odds stay on track and reach their full potential.

The bottom line is, Michelle and I want every child to have the same chance this country gave us. But we know our opportunity agenda won’t be complete – and too many young people entering the workforce today will see the American Dream as an empty promise – unless we do more to make sure our economy honors the dignity of work, and hard work pays off for every single American.

Today, women make up about half our workforce. But they still make 77 cents for every dollar a man earns. That is wrong, and in 2014, it’s an embarrassment. A woman deserves equal pay for equal work. She deserves to have a baby without sacrificing her job. A mother deserves a day off to care for a sick child or sick parent without running into hardship – and you know what, a father does, too. It’s time to do away with workplace policies that belong in a “Mad Men” episode. This year, let’s all come together – Congress, the White House, and businesses from Wall Street to Main Street – to give every woman the opportunity she deserves. Because I firmly believe when women succeed, America succeeds.

Now, women hold a majority of lower-wage jobs – but they’re not the only ones stifled by stagnant wages. Americans understand that some people will earn more than others, and we don’t resent those who, by virtue of their efforts, achieve incredible success. But Americans overwhelmingly agree that no one who works full time should ever have to raise a family in poverty.

In the year since I asked this Congress to raise the minimum wage, five states have passed laws to raise theirs. Many businesses have done it on their own. Nick Chute is here tonight with his boss, John Soranno. John’s an owner of Punch Pizza in Minneapolis, and Nick helps make the dough. Only now he makes more of it: John just gave his employees a raise, to ten bucks an hour – a decision that eased their financial stress and boosted their morale.

Tonight, I ask more of America’s business leaders to follow John’s lead and do what you can to raise your employees’ wages. To every mayor, governor, and state legislator in America, I say, you don’t have to wait for Congress to act; Americans will support you if you take this on. And as a chief executive, I intend to lead by example. Profitable corporations like Costco see higher wages as the smart way to boost productivity and reduce turnover. We should too. In the coming weeks, I will issue an Executive Order requiring federal contractors to pay their federally-funded employees a fair wage of at least $10.10 an hour – because if you cook our troops’ meals or wash their dishes, you shouldn’t have to live in poverty.

Of course, to reach millions more, Congress needs to get on board. Today, the federal minimum wage is worth about twenty percent less than it was when Ronald Reagan first stood here. Tom Harkin and George Miller have a bill to fix that by lifting the minimum wage to $10.10. This will help families. It will give businesses customers with more money to spend. It doesn’t involve any new bureaucratic program. So join the rest of the country. Say yes. Give America a raise.

There are other steps we can take to help families make ends meet, and few are more effective at reducing inequality and helping families pull themselves up through hard work than the Earned Income Tax Credit. Right now, it helps about half of all parents at some point. But I agree with Republicans like Senator Rubio that it doesn’t do enough for single workers who don’t have kids. So let’s work together to strengthen the credit, reward work, and help more Americans get ahead.

Let’s do more to help Americans save for retirement. Today, most workers don’t have a pension. A Social Security check often isn’t enough on its own. And while the stock market has doubled over the last five years, that doesn’t help folks who don’t have 401ks. That’s why, tomorrow, I will direct the Treasury to create a new way for working Americans to start their own retirement savings: MyRA. It’s a new savings bond that encourages folks to build a nest egg. MyRA guarantees a decent return with no risk of losing what you put in. And if this Congress wants to help, work with me to fix an upside-down tax code that gives big tax breaks to help the wealthy save, but does little to nothing for middle-class Americans. Offer every American access to an automatic IRA on the job, so they can save at work just like everyone in this chamber can. And since the most important investment many families make is their home, send me legislation that protects taxpayers from footing the bill for a housing crisis ever again, and keeps the dream of homeownership alive for future generations of Americans.

One last point on financial security. For decades, few things exposed hard-working families to economic hardship more than a broken health care system. And in case you haven’t heard, we’re in the process of fixing that.

A pre-existing condition used to mean that someone like Amanda Shelley, a physician assistant and single mom from Arizona, couldn’t get health insurance. But on January 1st, she got covered. On January 3rd, she felt a sharp pain. On January 6th, she had emergency surgery. Just one week earlier, Amanda said, that surgery would’ve meant bankruptcy.

That’s what health insurance reform is all about – the peace of mind that if misfortune strikes, you don’t have to lose everything.

Already, because of the Affordable Care Act, more than three million Americans under age 26 have gained coverage under their parents’ plans.

More than nine million Americans have signed up for private health insurance or Medicaid coverage.

And here’s another number: zero. Because of this law, no American can ever again be dropped or denied coverage for a preexisting condition like asthma, back pain, or cancer. No woman can ever be charged more just because she’s a woman. And we did all this while adding years to Medicare’s finances, keeping Medicare premiums flat, and lowering prescription costs for millions of seniors.

Now, I don’t expect to convince my Republican friends on the merits of this law. But I know that the American people aren’t interested in refighting old battles. So again, if you have specific plans to cut costs, cover more people, and increase choice – tell America what you’d do differently. Let’s see if the numbers add up. But let’s not have another forty-something votes to repeal a law that’s already helping millions of Americans like Amanda. The first forty were plenty. We got it. We all owe it to the American people to say what we’re for, not just what we’re against.

And if you want to know the real impact this law is having, just talk to Governor Steve Beshear of Kentucky, who’s here tonight. Kentucky’s not the most liberal part of the country, but he’s like a man possessed when it comes to covering his commonwealth’s families. “They are our friends and neighbors,” he said. “They are people we shop and go to church with…farmers out on the tractors…grocery clerks…they are people who go to work every morning praying they don’t get sick. No one deserves to live that way.”

Steve’s right. That’s why, tonight, I ask every American who knows someone without health insurance to help them get covered by March 31st. Moms, get on your kids to sign up. Kids, call your mom and walk her through the application. It will give her some peace of mind – plus, she’ll appreciate hearing from you.

After all, that’s the spirit that has always moved this nation forward. It’s the spirit of citizenship – the recognition that through hard work and responsibility, we can pursue our individual dreams, but still come together as one American family to make sure the next generation can pursue its dreams as well.

Citizenship means standing up for everyone’s right to vote. Last year, part of the Voting Rights Act was weakened. But conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats are working together to strengthen it; and the bipartisan commission I appointed last year has offered reforms so that no one has to wait more than a half hour to vote. Let’s support these efforts. It should be the power of our vote, not the size of our bank account, that drives our democracy.

Citizenship means standing up for the lives that gun violence steals from us each day. I have seen the courage of parents, students, pastors, and police officers all over this country who say “we are not afraid,” and I intend to keep trying, with or without Congress, to help stop more tragedies from visiting innocent Americans in our movie theaters, shopping malls, or schools like Sandy Hook.

Citizenship demands a sense of common cause; participation in the hard work of self-government; an obligation to serve to our communities. And I know this chamber agrees that few Americans give more to their country than our diplomats and the men and women of the United States Armed Forces.

Tonight, because of the extraordinary troops and civilians who risk and lay down their lives to keep us free, the United States is more secure. When I took office, nearly 180,000 Americans were serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Today, all our troops are out of Iraq. More than 60,000 of our troops have already come home from Afghanistan. With Afghan forces now in the lead for their own security, our troops have moved to a support role. Together with our allies, we will complete our mission there by the end of this year, and America’s longest war will finally be over.

After 2014, we will support a unified Afghanistan as it takes responsibility for its own future. If the Afghan government signs a security agreement that we have negotiated, a small force of Americans could remain in Afghanistan with NATO allies to carry out two narrow missions: training and assisting Afghan forces, and counterterrorism operations to pursue any remnants of al Qaeda. For while our relationship with Afghanistan will change, one thing will not: our resolve that terrorists do not launch attacks against our country.

The fact is, that danger remains. While we have put al Qaeda’s core leadership on a path to defeat, the threat has evolved, as al Qaeda affiliates and other extremists take root in different parts of the world. In Yemen, Somalia, Iraq, and Mali, we have to keep working with partners to disrupt and disable these networks. In Syria, we’ll support the opposition that rejects the agenda of terrorist networks. Here at home, we’ll keep strengthening our defenses, and combat new threats like cyberattacks. And as we reform our defense budget, we have to keep faith with our men and women in uniform, and invest in the capabilities they need to succeed in future missions.

We have to remain vigilant. But I strongly believe our leadership and our security cannot depend on our military alone. As Commander-in-Chief, I have used force when needed to protect the American people, and I will never hesitate to do so as long as I hold this office. But I will not send our troops into harm’s way unless it’s truly necessary; nor will I allow our sons and daughters to be mired in open-ended conflicts. We must fight the battles that need to be fought, not those that terrorists prefer from us – large-scale deployments that drain our strength and may ultimately feed extremism.

So, even as we aggressively pursue terrorist networks – through more targeted efforts and by building the capacity of our foreign partners – America must move off a permanent war footing. That’s why I’ve imposed prudent limits on the use of drones – for we will not be safer if people abroad believe we strike within their countries without regard for the consequence. That’s why, working with this Congress, I will reform our surveillance programs – because the vital work of our intelligence community depends on public confidence, here and abroad, that the privacy of ordinary people is not being violated. And with the Afghan war ending, this needs to be the year Congress lifts the remaining restrictions on detainee transfers and we close the prison at Guantanamo Bay – because we counter terrorism not just through intelligence and military action, but by remaining true to our Constitutional ideals, and setting an example for the rest of the world.

You see, in a world of complex threats, our security and leadership depends on all elements of our power – including strong and principled diplomacy. American diplomacy has rallied more than fifty countries to prevent nuclear materials from falling into the wrong hands, and allowed us to reduce our own reliance on Cold War stockpiles. American diplomacy, backed by the threat of force, is why Syria’s chemical weapons are being eliminated, and we will continue to work with the international community to usher in the future the Syrian people deserve – a future free of dictatorship, terror and fear. As we speak, American diplomacy is supporting Israelis and Palestinians as they engage in difficult but necessary talks to end the conflict there; to achieve dignity and an independent state for Palestinians, and lasting peace and security for the State of Israel – a Jewish state that knows America will always be at their side.

And it is American diplomacy, backed by pressure, that has halted the progress of Iran’s nuclear program – and rolled parts of that program back – for the very first time in a decade. As we gather here tonight, Iran has begun to eliminate its stockpile of higher levels of enriched uranium. It is not installing advanced centrifuges. Unprecedented inspections help the world verify, every day, that Iran is not building a bomb. And with our allies and partners, we’re engaged in negotiations to see if we can peacefully achieve a goal we all share: preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

These negotiations will be difficult. They may not succeed. We are clear-eyed about Iran’s support for terrorist organizations like Hezbollah, which threaten our allies; and the mistrust between our nations cannot be wished away. But these negotiations do not rely on trust; any long-term deal we agree to must be based on verifiable action that convinces us and the international community that Iran is not building a nuclear bomb. If John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan could negotiate with the Soviet Union, then surely a strong and confident America can negotiate with less powerful adversaries today.

The sanctions that we put in place helped make this opportunity possible. But let me be clear: if this Congress sends me a new sanctions bill now that threatens to derail these talks, I will veto it. For the sake of our national security, we must give diplomacy a chance to succeed. If Iran’s leaders do not seize this opportunity, then I will be the first to call for more sanctions, and stand ready to exercise all options to make sure Iran does not build a nuclear weapon. But if Iran’s leaders do seize the chance, then Iran could take an important step to rejoin the community of nations, and we will have resolved one of the leading security challenges of our time without the risks of war.

Finally, let’s remember that our leadership is defined not just by our defense against threats, but by the enormous opportunities to do good and promote understanding around the globe – to forge greater cooperation, to expand new markets, to free people from fear and want. And no one is better positioned to take advantage of those opportunities than America.

Our alliance with Europe remains the strongest the world has ever known. From Tunisia to Burma, we’re supporting those who are willing to do the hard work of building democracy. In Ukraine, we stand for the principle that all people have the right to express themselves freely and peacefully, and have a say in their country’s future. Across Africa, we’re bringing together businesses and governments to double access to electricity and help end extreme poverty. In the Americas, we are building new ties of commerce, but we’re also expanding cultural and educational exchanges among young people. And we will continue to focus on the Asia-Pacific, where we support our allies, shape a future of greater security and prosperity, and extend a hand to those devastated by disaster – as we did in the Philippines, when our Marines and civilians rushed to aid those battered by a typhoon, and were greeted with words like, “We will never forget your kindness” and “God bless America!”

We do these things because they help promote our long-term security. And we do them because we believe in the inherent dignity and equality of every human being, regardless of race or religion, creed or sexual orientation. And next week, the world will see one expression of that commitment – when Team USA marches the red, white, and blue into the Olympic Stadium – and brings home the gold.

My fellow Americans, no other country in the world does what we do. On every issue, the world turns to us, not simply because of the size of our economy or our military might – but because of the ideals we stand for, and the burdens we bear to advance them.

No one knows this better than those who serve in uniform. As this time of war draws to a close, a new generation of heroes returns to civilian life. We’ll keep slashing that backlog so our veterans receive the benefits they’ve earned, and our wounded warriors receive the health care – including the mental health care – that they need. We’ll keep working to help all our veterans translate their skills and leadership into jobs here at home. And we all continue to join forces to honor and support our remarkable military families.

Let me tell you about one of those families I’ve come to know.

I first met Cory Remsburg, a proud Army Ranger, at Omaha Beach on the 65th anniversary of D-Day. Along with some of his fellow Rangers, he walked me through the program – a strong, impressive young man, with an easy manner, sharp as a tack. We joked around, and took pictures, and I told him to stay in touch.

A few months later, on his tenth deployment, Cory was nearly killed by a massive roadside bomb in Afghanistan. His comrades found him in a canal, face down, underwater, shrapnel in his brain.

For months, he lay in a coma. The next time I met him, in the hospital, he couldn’t speak; he could barely move. Over the years, he’s endured dozens of surgeries and procedures, and hours of grueling rehab every day.

Even now, Cory is still blind in one eye. He still struggles on his left side. But slowly, steadily, with the support of caregivers like his dad Craig, and the community around him, Cory has grown stronger. Day by day, he’s learned to speak again and stand again and walk again – and he’s working toward the day when he can serve his country again.

“My recovery has not been easy,” he says. “Nothing in life that’s worth anything is easy.”

Cory is here tonight. And like the Army he loves, like the America he serves, Sergeant First Class Cory Remsburg never gives up, and he does not quit.

My fellow Americans, men and women like Cory remind us that America has never come easy. Our freedom, our democracy, has never been easy. Sometimes we stumble; we make mistakes; we get frustrated or discouraged. But for more than two hundred years, we have put those things aside and placed our collective shoulder to the wheel of progress – to create and build and expand the possibilities of individual achievement; to free other nations from tyranny and fear; to promote justice, and fairness, and equality under the law, so that the words set to paper by our founders are made real for every citizen. The America we want for our kids – a rising America where honest work is plentiful and communities are strong; where prosperity is widely shared and opportunity for all lets us go as far as our dreams and toil will take us – none of it is easy. But if we work together; if we summon what is best in us, with our feet planted firmly in today but our eyes cast towards tomorrow – I know it’s within our reach.

Believe it.

God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.

Dati leumi rabbonim are calling for an atzeres tefilla at the Kosel in opposition to the ongoing negotiations between Israel and the PA (Palestinian Authority) that many fear will result in additional Israeli land giveaways.

Leading rabbonim including HaGaon HaRav Dov Lior Shlita and HaGaon HaRav Chaim Druckman Shlita endorse the event, which is scheduled for Thursday, erev Rosh Chodesh Adar 1 5774, Haaretz is reporting.

Minister of Housing (Bayit Yehudi) Uri Ariel has released an open letter calling on the tzibur to take part in the atzeres tefilla in which he writes;

“תפילה וזעקה מול הכותל, שריד בית מקדשנו, על הסכנות המדיניות הגדולות לארץ ישראל ועל האסונות שפוקדים את עמנו, בעיקר ילדים, בשבועות האחרונים”.

Rav Druckman, Rav Lior and Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu Shlita are expected to take part in the event.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)

Declaring that upward economic mobility has stalled for millions of Americans, President Barack Obama is challenging a deeply divided Congress to restore the nation’s belief in “opportunity for all” — while telling lawmakers he will act on his own “wherever and whenever” he can.

“America does not stand still and neither will I,” Obama was saying in his State of the Union address Tuesday night. Excerpts of his remarks were released in advance.

The president’s address, delivered before a joint session of Congress and millions of Americans watching on television, marks the opening salvo in a midterm election fight that will quickly consume Washington. Democrats, seeking to cast Republicans as protectors of the rich, have pressed Obama to focus more on issues of economic fairness and shrinking the gap between the wealthy and the poor.

The initiatives Obama planned to unveil Tuesday night were tailored to fit those themes. He was to announce executive action to raise the minimum wage for new federal contracts, help the long-term unemployed find work and expand job-training programs. He also planned to renew his calls for Congress to expand the minimum wage increase to all workers, pass a sweeping immigration overhaul and increase access to early childhood education programs — all initiatives that stalled after Obama first announced them in last year’s State of the Union address.

While unemployment is falling and financial markets are soaring, Obama acknowledged that many Americans have yet to see effects of any broader economic recovery.

“The cold, hard fact is that even in the midst of recovery, too many Americans are working more than ever just to get by, let alone get ahead,” Obama says. “And too many still aren’t working at all.”

Obama’s go-it-alone strategy, with modest steps for now, is aimed both at jumpstarting his stagnant second term and prodding a divided Congress to take additional action to boost economic opportunity for millions of Americans. But there’s little indication lawmakers are ready to follow along, particularly as the nation barrels toward the midterm elections.

Republicans offered their vision in a response from their party’s highest-ranking woman in Congress, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington state. The GOP wants to empower everyday Americans and not the government, she said in remarks prepared for delivery after Obama’s address. And Obama’s policies on the economy and health care are making life harder for those Americans, she said.

“Our mission — not only as Republicans, but as Americans — is to once again ensure that we are not bound by where we come from but empowered by what we can become. That is the gap Republicans are working to close. It’s the gap we all face, between where you are and where you want to be,” said McMorris Rodgers, who ranks fourth in the House leadership.

Keenly aware of Congress’ slim record of recent accomplishments, White House officials see a robust rollout of executive actions as the most effective way to show the public that Obama still wields power as the clock ticks on his presidency.

Yet much of what the president can do on his own is limited, as evidenced by the minimum wage proposal officials previewed ahead of Tuesday’s prime-time address. The executive order will increase the minimum hourly payment for new federal contract workers from $7.25 to $10.10. But because the measure affects only future contracts, its immediate impact will be minimal.

“The question is how many people, Mr. President, will this executive action actually help?” said House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. “I suspect the answer is somewhere close to zero.”

The White House says the wage hike would most benefit janitors and construction laborers working under new federal contracts, as well as military base workers who wash dishes, serve food and do laundry. But officials did not say how many people would fall into those categories.

Obama will seek to build on the executive order by renewing his call for Congress to pass a minimum wage increase for all American workers, a proposal that gained little traction after he first announced it in last year’s State of the Union address. But White House officials feel somewhat optimistic that they could get backing this year given that some Republican lawmakers have also indicated an interest in working on income inequality and economic mobility issues.

Washington’s current focus on inequality comes as many parts of the economy are gaining strength. But the soaring financial markets and corporate balance sheets stand in contrast to the millions of people still out of work or struggling with stagnant incomes that don’t stretch as far as they used to.

Seeking to address those issues, Obama will also announce executive actions on job training, boosting employment opportunities for the long-term unemployed and expanding retirement savings for low- and middle-income Americans.

The retirement savings proposal is geared toward workers whose employers don’t currently offer such plans. The program would allow first-time savers to start building up savings in Treasury bonds that eventually could be converted into traditional IRAs, according to two people who have discussed the proposal with the administration. Those people weren’t authorized to discuss the plan ahead of the announcement and insisted on anonymity.

Obama will also tout an initiative to secure commitments from big corporations not to discriminate against the long-term unemployed during hiring. Representatives from major companies will join the president at the White House on Friday to promote the effort.

Some Republicans have warned that the president’s focus on executive orders could backfire by angering GOP leaders who already don’t trust the White House.

“The more he tries to do it alone and do confrontation, the less he’s going to be able to get cooperation,” said John Feehery, a former top House Republican aide.

The president will still try to score a few legislative victories this year, namely an overhaul of the nation’s broken immigration laws. The Senate passed landmark legislation last summer, but the effort stalled in the Republican-led House. Conservatives are pushing back against the president’s call to create a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million people living in the U.S. illegally. And some Democrats would prefer to use the unresolved issue to mobilize Hispanic voters for this year’s elections.

Obama will follow his State of the Union address with a quick trip Wednesday and Thursday to Maryland, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Tennessee to promote his proposals.

(AP)

The following is via Newsday:

Investigators have uncovered DNA evidence linking slain Brooklyn businessman Menachem Stark to a van that police seized earlier this month in the investigation of his abduction, according to a law enforcement source familiar with the case.

The light-colored van was grabbed by police about two weeks ago after they spotted it on a street in Brooklyn, officials said at the time. A person who was about to enter the vehicle when police approached willingly surrendered it to investigators and was not arrested. Police found the new evidence after examining the vehicle’s interior, said the source, who didn’t want to be named.

The new evidence appears to be a significant development for police, who have been using a variety of forensic and technological advances to try and piece together what happened to Stark, 39, after he was accosted and forced into a van outside his Williamsburg office late on the evening of Jan. 2. Stark’s partially burned body was found the next day by police in a trash bin at a Getty station on Cutter Mill Road in Great Neck.

READ MORE: NEWSDAY

Betar Illit Mayor Rav Meir Rubinstein was elected in a unanimous vote as head of the Forum of Chareidi Authorities within the nation’s Union of Local Authorities. The meeting took place in Bnei Brak with the participation of the heads of chareidi municipalities.

The election meeting was hosted in Bnei Brak City Hall. As a result, Rubinstein will be the voice representing chareidi interests in the national forum.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)

Coming off the worst year of his presidency, President Barack Obama is out to convince the American public that he can do better for the country in 2014 — even as his influence wanes with every passing day.

The president had a fine line to walk in Tuesday’s State of the Union address: projecting the optimism and energy that dispirited members of his party, and the public at large, are hungry for without overpromising in an election year when congressional Republicans are even less likely to cooperate than they were in 2013.

Where last year’s State of the Union to-do list was an ambitious call to arms on issues such as gun control and immigration, this year’s promised to be more modest, in keeping with the narrowing scope of what’s doable for a president in a standoff with House Republicans and whose party stands to lose ground in the Senate in the midterm elections.

The White House promised a message brimming with optimism, opportunity, action.

Where Congress won’t cooperate, Obama aims to find creative ways to act on his own, through executive orders, regulatory action, presidential cajoling and the like.

But creativity is no substitute for clout.

And an executive order on job training or retirement security doesn’t have the zing of an $800 billion stimulus plan or an overhaul of the health care system.

Obama’s first unilateral action under his new strategy — raising the minimum wage for federal contractors — drew derision from Republicans.

House Speaker John Boehner stressed that the change would affect only new contracts, meaning the number of workers likely to be affected “is somewhere close to zero.”

Still, bite-sized steps may be a better fit for these times than grand legislative proposals that would likely fall flat, as did last year’s calls for action on gun control and immigration reform.

The economy is better, even if not everyone’s feeling it yet. The unemployment rate is lower, even if 6.7 percent still isn’t great. The health care law is taking effect, even if it’s causing heartburn for plenty of Americans.

With Congress unlikely to deal on most issues, Obama must keep expectations low, without putting people into a funk.

If they’re not already there, that is.

Polls show people are pessimistic about the country’s direction and the condition of the economy. Seventy percent think unemployment will stay the same or get worse in the next year.

As for Obama himself, “both his supporters and his opponents are worried that he has lost his enthusiasm and his energy for the political contest,” says Calvin Jillson, a presidential scholar at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

Jillson points to Obama’s own comments in a recent interview that he’s “overexposed” and that it’s natural for people to want something new “after six, seven years of me being on the national stage.”

Obama had, by all accounts, an awful 2013: His top legislative priorities went nowhere, Edward Snowden’s revelations about government spying caused an uproar, the launch of his health-care plan was plagued with problems and a budget dispute led to the first government shutdown in nearly two decades. Looking forward, he faces the prospect of diminishing power: his party is expected to lose ground in the midterm congressional elections and public focus increasingly will turn to the contest to select his successor.

But Obama insists that with three more years in the Oval Office, he’s still passionate about the issues that matter.

The speech was an opportunity to try and revive that same passion in the public — within bounds.

Robert Reich, who served in former President Bill Clinton’s Cabinet, said people want “realistic reassurances” about the future. “In other words,” Reich says, “they would be receptive to sensible executive orders and regulations.”

Sensible, not sensational.

Yes, the president can still accomplish things by stretching the limits of his executive powers — and Republicans can counter with time-tested complaints about job-killing, over-reaching Democrats.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, speaking ahead of Obama’s speech, said that by this point, the public’s seen “just about everything in the president’s toolbox,” and deemed it a “years-long clinic on the failures of liberalism.”

Both sides of that argument will sound familiar to conflict-weary Americans.

(AP)

Half of the delegation of MKs participating in the International Holocaust Remembrance Day event in Poland was delayed returning home. Two delegations arrived on two different flights numbering a total of 250 Israelis, including dozens of MKs, cabinet ministers, survivors and others.

The Israir flight reportedly had technical difficulties and the passengers were stuck in the airport for hours. This included Minister Naftali Bennett, opposition leader Yitzchak Herzog and MK Reuven Rivlin. They were already on the flight in the hope of heading home but were informed of a leak in the fuel system, compelling them to return to the airport.

A replacement plan was sent and after it was cleared, security issues addressed, they were permitted to board and head home. They arrived in Ben-Gurion International Airport on Tuesday morning 27 Shevat 5774.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)

Rav Yisrael Ariel, who heads the Machon HaMikdash feels that the Jews must enter the Dome of the Rock at least once weekly, including the קדש קדושים for retaking control of the holy site is “דוחה הטומאה”.

The rav agrees with a psak of Rabbi Shlomo Goren and Rabbi Moshe Tzuriel, who are of the opinion that one may enter Kodesh HaKodoshim towards expelling Muslims from the holiest site. In a response to a question, Rabbi Yisrael Ariel explains that “it is unfathomable to permit the Muslims to view themselves as owners of the Kodesh HaKodoshim …”

Today, the Islamic Waqf forbids Jews from entering any of the structures on Har Habayis and the rav feels that this is an unacceptable situation for they mustn’t view themselves as landlords over the area. He is of the Halachic opinion that the mitzvah of כיבוש permits Jews to enter even the Kodesh HaKodoshim today towards expelling the foreigners from the location.

The rav feels that today it is of the utmost importance to encourage people to visit Har Habayis in accordance with Halachic preparations. It is reported that while once only a handful of Jews would visit Har Habayis annually, in recent years there have been 10,000 annually, and the rav explains “this increase represents there is meaning to כיבוש under the humiliating circumstances created by the State instead of the Beis HaMikdash.”

The rav adds that visiting Kodesh HaKodoshim will lead to shouts of “Karess Karess” and this will result in more people distancing themselves from Har Habayis, referring to those who prepare themselves halachically before doing so.

Rabbi Ariel adds that in essence, there is no problem with anyone entering Kodesh HaKodoshim, even one who is impure, quoting:

בית הבחירה ז, כג: “בשעה שנכנסין הבנאים לבנות ולתקן בהיכל או להוציא משם את הטומאה, מצוה שיהיו הנכנסין כהנים תמימים, לא מצאו תמימים יכנסו בעלי מומין, ואם אין שם כהנים יכנסו לויים, לא מצאו לויים יכנסו ישראל. מצוה בטהורים, לא מצאו טהורים – יכנסו טמאים… שהטומאה דחויה בציבור”. כלומר, אפילו תיקון קל בהיכל דוחה את הטומאה, בודאי שכיבוש ההר מיד זרים דוחה את הטומאה”

“Therefore, it is preferable that there would be an organized visit once weekly including MKs and officers in Israel Police, and they would enter all the buildings on Har Habayis to avoid additional destruction and vandalism, including the Dome of the Rock” Rabbi Ariel adds.

Rabbi Ariel continues, explaining the Waqf Authority regularly carries out renovations and “it is only natural for the landlord to visit to see what is taking place to save that which is salvageable or at the very least to protest publically.”

Har Habayis organizations add that in line with the opinion of Rav Goren, quoting from Rav Goren’s sefer “Har Habayis”.

“אין ספק שבמקרה כזה, כאשר קיימת סכנה להשתלטות נוכרים על הר המוריה, מותר אפילו להיכנס לשטח העזרה, כדי לא לתת להם חניה בהר ה’, כי העליה של היהודים על ההר במצב זה נחשבת ככיבוש וחזקה ומניעת השתלטות זרים עליו.”

They then add a quote from the Chazon Ish to drive the point home, taken from his chiddushim at the end of Meseches Eruvin.

“נראה דכל שנכנס לצורך תיקון אינו כלל באיסור כניסה בטמא. שאיסור הכניסה כשהוא טמא, הוא מפני כבוד המקדש, ומראה שאינו נרתע מפני קדושתו. אבל כשנכנס לצורך תיקון אינו בכלל זה”.

It must be noted that according to the Poskei Hador one is absolutely forbidden to visit the Har Habayis, and there is an Issur Kares for one that goes there.

Fiveyears ago on Sukkos, President Shimon Peres paid a visit to the Sukka of Maran HaGaon Rav Elyashiv ZATZAL, where Rav Elyashiv called on the President to prevent Jews from visiting Har Habayis, stating it is an act that that is viewed as extremely provocative by the goyim. Maran stated everything possible must be done to avoid a religious war, and the provocateurs are playing with fire.

Maran is quoted as explaining to the president that Halacha forbids going onto Har Habayis but today, it is more than this, it is an act that may lead to a religious war and bloodshed.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)