Q: Would a person be allowed to celebrate the fifth of Iyar (Israeli Independence Day), the same way he celebrates the Fourth of July?
A:
The answer is that the Fourth of July has no Jewish connotation; it’s a neutral thing. And since it’s a demonstration of loyalty to the county where you live, so it certainly is virtuous to hang out a flag on the Fourth of July. I think that all Jews should be interested in demonstrating solidarity with the American people. And especially to thank Hakodosh Boruch Hu that there is such a country that fosters such ideals of liberty which Jews enjoy today.

Former Israeli defense chief Avigdor Liberman on Wednesday warned that Tehran’s threat of withdrawal from parts of the international nuclear deal means Israel should prepare for a direct Iranian attack.
“The ultimatum posed by Iran poses an immediate and tangible danger to the security interests of Israel and the countries of the free world, and should not be seen only as a power struggle between Iran and the US,” Liberman, who is chairman of the right-wing Yisrael Beiteinu party, said in a tweet.
During his tenure as defense minister, Liberman railed against Iran’s continued entrenchment in Syria, repeatedly defending Israel’s right to carry out strikes on Syrian soil to stem the growing hostile Iranian presence on its borders.

H. LEINER & CO. Corporate & Nonprofit Solutions is announcing the launch of a new division that will focus on executive search and professional placement for the nonprofit sector.  There is a significant need for this service and the decision to expand into this niche market is in response to the sheer demand. In its decade of service to over 350 Jewish nonprofits across the globe, H. LEINER & CO.has provided expert consulting in fundraising, strategic planning, nonprofit branding, marketing and staffing. As clients become aware of the critical need for professional infrastructure and development to successfully sustain and grow their organizations, they seek skilled and capable executives who can lead the change.

By Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz
With Pesach behind us and Shavuos in the future, we are presently in the Sefirah period. Every evening we count how many days have passed since Pesach, and by way of inference how many days remain until Shavuos.
The Ramban in Vayikra (23:16) refers to this period as a sort of Chol Hamoed. The explanation is that this period connects the Yom Tov on which we celebrate the physical redemption of the Jews from Egyptian bondage and the day on which we received the Torah, which in essence redeemed the Jewish soul and freed it, allowing a spiritual, exalted life.

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A profile in resilience and courage. Her eldest son, Lieutenant Uriel Peretz, 22, was killed in an ambush in south Lebanon. His husband Eliezer Peretz, died a short time later at the age of 56 and then she got the bad news that her second son, army major Eliraz Peretz, was killed by terrorists in Gaza. Instead of being paralyzed with mourning, Miriam devotes her life to lifting up others. Her message of hope and resilience should be a lesson to all.
WATCH:

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All new episode of The Crockpot Show on Matzav.com with special guest Simcha Leiner. Things will get tense, only slightly awkward, and kishke will definitely be eaten. In a world of breaking news, we’re taking a deeper dive into the lives and appetites of our guests. Simcha may try to live to his name, but let’s see how he fares in the face of our very own P. Lurkowitz and his sidekick Isaac Bernath.

Alphabet Inc’s Google said on Tuesday it has launched a four-month program in Israel to help startups grow globally using its experts and tools.
The Google Startup Growth Lab Programme has picked eight companies, after a pilot was completed in 2018.
“This is a program for startups that are beginning their growth period or have growth challenges,” Lior Noy, startup growth lead at Google, told Reuters.
The format, which provides industry insights to achieve growth in various geographies, is a first for Google, he added.
The eight firms include Guesty, a platform for short-term property management, and DayTwo, which provides personalized nutrition insights based on intestinal bacteria.

The tzibbur is asked to please be mispallel for Yehoshua Matisyahu ben Menucha Mina, a bochur in Lakewood who a struck by a vehicle in a hit and run and is now in critical condition.
May we hear besuros tovos.
{Matzav.com}

A French widower with no children left about $14.5 million to the state of Israel to assist families who lost loved ones serving in the military or to terrorism.
Nicolas Bauman died in 2009; most of the inheritance was transferred to Israel last week, Keren Kayemet L’Israel-Jewish National Fund announced on the eve of Yom Hazikaron, or Israel’s Memorial Day.
The fund for bereaved families established in Bauman’s will will operate for 10 years under the trustee management of the Ministry of Justice Administrator General and KKL-JNF.
Read more at Arutz Sheva.
{Matzav.com}