Community Magazine October 2009

84 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE the international community Student Fined for Waving Israeli flag A university student was recently fined 300 euros for waving an Israeli flag near an anti-Israel demonstration in Germany. The anti-Israel demonstration last January was organized by local Muslim groups to pro- test Israel’s military incursion into the Gaza Strip in response to Hamas rocket fire. The student and her friends decided to display solidarity with Israel by waving an Israeli flag and holding a banner criticizing anti- Semitism disguised as criticism of Israel. A district court ruled that her actions were an unlawful act of “provocation.” The student intends to appeal the court’s ruling. Second Temple Era Synagogue Unearthed Israeli archaeologists have discovered a Second Temple-era synagogue at the con- struction site of a hotel several miles north of Tiberius. At the center of the synagogue is a stone inscribed with a seven-branch menorah. Stone benches were built along the synagogue walls, the floor is mosaic and its walls are graced with fresco. This is the first time that a description of the menorah was discovered from the days when the Temple still stood. According to the Israeli antiques authority, the syna- gogue is one of only six other synagogues in the world known to exist from that era. Anti-Semitism, A First in Singapore Singapore recently reported its first case of a religiously aggravated assault – an unpro- voked punching attack by a Muslim against a Jew. Azmi Osman, 35, who is unemployed and bears the tattooed inscription, “Anti Jews” on his right cheek, admitted to punch- ing the right arm of Eliyahu Benhiyoun, 21, and promoting feelings of ill-will with the tattoo on his face. He also pleaded guilty to armed robbery and causing hurt in a separate incident. He was sentenced to a total of three years and 12 strokes of the cane. Benhiyoun wears a kippah and works for the Jewish Welfare Board. The prosecutor of the case said the offenses were racially or religiously aggravated, and threatened the long-term stability and social cohesion of Singapore. Bar Kochba Coins Found Israelisexploringadesert- ed cave in the Judean hills found 120 rare antique coins and weapons, dat- ing from the time of the Bar Kochba revolt. This is the first archeological dig to locate such a large collec- tion of coins dating from the revolt (132 CE - 135 CE). Most of the coins found by researchers from Bar-Ilan University and Hebrew University were made of silver, minted by the rebels using the Roman cur- rency that was in circulation at the time. The Roman emblems and inscriptions were wiped off during the coins’ re-minting, and replaced by Jewish symbols and slogans such as “The second year of Israel’s liberation,” and “For the liberation of Jerusalem.” Other coins in the stash are Roman gold coins, minted in Israel and throughout the Roman Empire. The coins were likely hidden in the cave dur- ing the Bar Kochba revolt after the Jewish fugitives had deserted their settlements or after a battle with the Roman army. The find confirms the hypothesis that fugitives escaped to nearby caves and to more remote caves in the Judean Desert. Tax es to pay for the public health insurance beaurocracy Health Insurance Premiums Joethe Plumber I’m proud to represent Democrats in lifting the heavy burden of health insurance from working Americans! Don’t mind me. Pelosi Harry Reid