America the Withering Vine?

Rebbetzin Rivkah Adler posted a similar idea to my last post's dvar torah a few weeks ago.

Here is what she wrote:

Thursday, November 12, 2009

You're Clinging To A Withering Vine

For months now, I've been having an ongoing conversation about the viability of aliyah with a family member who I love very much. Drawn to the spiritual potential that he knows exists in a life lived in Israel, he has all the same concerns that you might expect. How will he make a living? How will the transition impact his family, especially his young teen? If living in Israel is so important, why are some of his rabbis actively discouraging him from making aliyah?

Dvar Torah: We Must Remember That We Are In Exile

Question: The Gemora in Megillah (13b) relates that when Yaakov encountered Rochel at the well, he asked her to marry him. She replied in the affirmative, but warned Yaakov that her father Lavan was a trickster and that Yaakov would never be able to outfox him. Yaakov responded that if Lavan deals with him honestly, he would respond in kind, but if Lavan attempts to deceive him, he would be Lavan’s “brother” in deceit and beat him at his own game. In what way do Jews living in America thousands of years later still need to protect themselves from Lavan’s deceit?

Answer: Although American Jews feel comfortable that the government respects our rights, Rav Nachman Bulman pointed out that it is no coincidence that the President’s residence, the White House, when translated into Hebrew becomes בית לבן – the house of Lavan, who seemed externally to be fair, yet in reality wanted to destroy the Jewish nation. While we must be appreciative for the unprecedented freedom granted us, we must remember that we are still in exile and never completely let our guards down.

(Source: Parasha Potpourri)

Rebuilding the Ramban's Hurva Shul in the Old City

Remains of the Hurva as they appeared from 1967 to 2003. The area is now a construction site.

The dome of the Hurva synagogue dominated the skyline of the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem for centuries.

If the 18th-century rabbinic authority the Vilna Gaon was right, on March 16, 2010, construction will begin on the third Temple. His projection states that the auspicious day will coincide with the third completion of the Hurva Synagogue in Jerusalem's Jewish Quarter.

The great day is at hand: On March 15, the reconstructed Hurva Synagogue, considered the most important house of prayer in Jerusalem will be rededicated. It was last destroyed in the War of Independence.

Israel leads the world in house price recovery

There’s nothing like a look at what’s happening in the real estate markets around the world to put Toronto’s mini-slump of last year into context. The Global Property Guide finds the world’s housing markets “recovering unevenly.” Third-quarter stats from the 27 nations that have so far reported, show that 17 have posted house price declines versus 10 that have risen. Decliners include some sporting very deep price dives, such as Latvia (off 59.7%), the UAE (-48.1%), Bulgaria (-28.7%), Iceland (-21.2%), Russia (-19.5%), and Slovakia (-15.3%).

The best performer? Israel, again. For the second quarter in a row, Israel’s gains have beat everyone else’s. This past quarter, the country posted a 10.15% price gain in the quarter (beating its second-quarter increase of 8.4%).

Merrill Lynch: Now's the time to invest in Israel

With a correction expected in emerging markets, Merrill Lynch gives five reasons for sheltering in Israel.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch has come out with a report strongly recommending Israel as a defensive haven among emerging markets. In part, this based on experience. ”True to its traditional role of GEM diversifier, Israel has outperformed EM throughout each of seven major global corrections since 1993. Based on historical data from MSCIBarra, the MXIL Index outperformed the MXEF Index by an average of 23%. In the recent 2008-2009 sub-prime financial crisis, Israel outperformed emerging markets by 30%,” analysts Haim Israel, Micha Goldberg, and Mai Doan write.