UNDER THE RADAR

Quiet Headlines

Muting singing rabbis; special boot
camp; business whizzes ...

Marcy Oster

Jewish Telegraphic Aency

Jerusalem

H

ere are some recent stories
out of Israel that you may
have missed:

• Disabled youth go to (boot) camp
More than a dozen young Israeli men
and women with disabilities graduat-
ed from an Israeli army boot camp in
a special program designed for them.
The newly minted soldiers, who suf-
fer from Down syndrome and devel-
opmental and hearing disabilities, are
exempt from compulsory military
service.
The one-week basic training at the
Tzalmon base in northern Israel was
the first time that disabled Israeli
youth have participated in basic train-
ing. The participants, mostly 18 and
19 years old, were incorporated as
much as possible into the regular mis-
sions, Ynet reported.
A second group will arrive soon for
training.
"I wanted to make them feel that
they are a part of the army and to give
them a sort of basic military training':
Maj. Ariel Almog, commander of the
Home Front Command base in Ramle,
told Ynet.
Almog initiated the program and
acquired the necessary approvals.
"They experienced the true spirit
of the military, with the symbols, the
flag and the weapon:' he said. "They
followed all the orders and were given
help when it was needed."

• Quit the chupah singing, rabbis told
Israel's Chief Rabbinate has ordered rab-
bis to stop singing under the marriage
chupah, saying it "cheapens the rabbin-
ate'
YNet reported last month that the
Council of the Chief Rabbinate agreed to
strip rabbis of their authority to officiate
at weddings if they incorporate song and
• Top U.S. schools eye future busi-
musical performance into the marriage
ness leaders
ceremony.
Recruiters from top American
A similar decision was announced a
MBA programs visited Israel recently
year ago, but with the recent decision
to persuade Israeli students to attend
the rule will be enforced more vigilantly,
their institutions.
according to Ynet. Officiating rabbis
The U.S.-Israel Educational
have filed complaints with the Chief
Foundation, which is responsible for
Rabbinate about the practice, claiming
the administration of Israel's par-
that they "degraded themselves" during
. ticipation in the Fulbright Program,
the ceremonies.
organized the sixth annual master's of
"We are aware of the fact that a
business administration conference in
younger generation has arisen that is far
Tel Aviv for students and recruiters to
from the tradition and is interested in
such a chupah so that it is more accepted meet, the Israeli business daily Globes
reported.
by those attending": Rabbi Ratzon Arusi,
Among the schools represented were
chairman of the Rabbinate's Marriage
Stanford, Yale, New York University,
Committee, told YNet.
Columbia University, the University of
"However, everything must be in
California-Berkeley and Harvard.
accordance with Halachah [Jewish law].
More than 150 Israel students will
If the rabbi is genteel and cordial, we
study at U.S. MBA programs begin-
have no opposition. On the contrary,
ning this fall, according to Globes.
he sanctifies the Heavens. But when he
An Ethiopian-Israeli student for the
sings and plays music, this is problem-
atic."

Quiet Headlines on page 30

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August 5 • 2010

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