The colorful event took place in the Ramada Renaissance Hotel in Jerusalem. The 1,200 seats were filled, and over 200 more people were left standing to hear speakers such as Tzfat's Chief Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, former Deputy Education Minister Moshe Peled, Manhigut Yehudit's Director-General Michael Puah, former Druze MK Ayoub Kara, Rabbi Uri Sharki of Rosh Yehudi, and more.
The central event of the evening was a Chanukah candle-lighting ceremony featuring people specifically chosen for their past actions representing the very essence of a "proud Jew." Moshe Feiglin, who co-founded Manhigut Yehudit (Jewish Leadership) - now a faction in the Likud - nearly a decade ago, told the audience, "I know that [former Gush Katif spokesman] Eran Sternberg is doing a great job as Master of Ceremonies this evening, but I cannot resist taking over his job just for this part of introducing these very special people who represent the very essence of what we are doing here."
The first candle was lit by Jonathan Pollard's wife Esther, and the second by Shoshi Greenfeld, famous for the impassioned graveside speech she delivered at her Lebanon-war casualty brother's funeral this summer. Next were two girls who sat in prison for weeks - after having been arrested for taking part in pro-Land of Israel activities - rather than cooperate with arrangements that contrasted with the way they felt a Jewish State should be run.
Next to light were the mother of Nati Ozeri and the wife of Neriah Ofan. Nati Ozeri was a local Shomron security chief who was murdered by Palestinian terrorists, and Neriah Ofan is one of some 20 Yesha residents who have been distanced from their homes for months by unexplained administrative orders.
Teenager Inspires the Crowd
Oriyah Shir-el of Hevron, lighting the third candle, told the audience, "You probably know me better as O.S., as I was not allowed to be identified by my full name when I was in prison because of my young age... Some ask me where I received the strength to fight the evil so strongly and not to break. It's true that my parents gave me a strong education, and they deserve the 'Yasher Koach' [praise] everyone gives them - but it wasn't that. I have great faith that we can change things in this country, and this faith is inspired by Manhigut Yehudit and Moshe Feiglin..."
At one of her court hearings, Oriyah told the judge, "I may lose this case, but that's really a minor issue. I'm looking ahead to 20 years from now, when I know that things in this country will be very different." An onlooker at the hearing said that the judge was "blown away" by her strength of conviction.
Immigrants Making a Difference
A large poster blared the theme of the evening: "Returning the Country to the People." In addition, the many new immigrants to Israel were recognized - asked to stand, they were seen to be as many as a quarter of the audience. Dovid Shir'el, responsible for the English-speaking segment within Jewish Leadership, told Arutz-7, "The motto of many new immigrants to Israel is, 'We made Aliyah to make a difference, not to stand by while Israel loses its Jewish identity.' What's interesting is that we have many English and Russian speakers in the organization - apparently because the former understand the concept of political freedom, and the latter - know what they don't want to see here, and are used to principle-based struggles."
A leader of the Druze community also spoke, arousing the audience with his charismatic call that "only Manhigut Yehudit can provide true leadership to this country! ... G-d shall give Israel strength, and will bless His nation with peace!"
Just as Chanukah recalls both spiritual and physical miracles - the lights that illuminated the Holy Temple for eight days on only one day's worth of oil, and the military victory over the Syrian-Greeks - last night's events also featured both: the revolutionary ideological spirit engendered by the participants and speakers - and thousands of sufganiyot (jelly-filled sweet donuts), in every corner, that have become a Chanukah icon in Israel and around the world.
Manhigut leader Moshe Feiglin narrowly missed being elected to the Knesset on the Likud list in 2003 when he was disqualified because of his past conviction on charges of "sedition" and "incitement to rebellion" as head of the "This is Our Land" protests in the mid-1990s. A year ago, he finished third in the race for Likud Party leader, behind Binyamin Netanyahu and Silvan Shalom.
Feiglin told Yishai Fleisher of IsraelNationalRadio.com last night, "Esther Pollard, who will light the first candle - unfortunately it won't be her husband, who is still in prison after 21 years - is one of those who represents the new culture that we are trying to develop. Over the last year, there has been a culture of unfaithfulness, but we want to establish one of loyalty - loyalty to the Land, to the Nation, to G-d. This is what we need in order to survive."
Feiglin said with strong confidence that he believes the State of Israel can be fixed: "We have to take charge of the engine car of the train, and lead the entire train towards the right goal. We're not interested in saving ourselves; we believe in the entire Jewish people, and are interested - not like the hareidim - of taking national leadership and saving everyone."
Dovid Shirel agreed, saying that the difference between Jewish Leadership and other nationalist groups is that "we want to take leadership. Take Effie Eitam [of the National Union]; he says clearly that he would rather see Netanyahu as the leader; he says he wants to be an 'influencer,' not the leader."
Asked where Jewish Leadership goes from here, Shirel said, "We see now, once again, that the public is ready and waiting for us, and we will now start organizing local gatherings all over the country."
A gift was presented during the course of the evening to Binyamin Ze'ev Landau, one of the chief supporters of Manhigut Yehudit. Musical entertainment was provided by Ariel Zilber and Aharon Raz'el.
The central event of the evening was a Chanukah candle-lighting ceremony featuring people specifically chosen for their past actions representing the very essence of a "proud Jew." Moshe Feiglin, who co-founded Manhigut Yehudit (Jewish Leadership) - now a faction in the Likud - nearly a decade ago, told the audience, "I know that [former Gush Katif spokesman] Eran Sternberg is doing a great job as Master of Ceremonies this evening, but I cannot resist taking over his job just for this part of introducing these very special people who represent the very essence of what we are doing here."
The first candle was lit by Jonathan Pollard's wife Esther, and the second by Shoshi Greenfeld, famous for the impassioned graveside speech she delivered at her Lebanon-war casualty brother's funeral this summer. Next were two girls who sat in prison for weeks - after having been arrested for taking part in pro-Land of Israel activities - rather than cooperate with arrangements that contrasted with the way they felt a Jewish State should be run.
Next to light were the mother of Nati Ozeri and the wife of Neriah Ofan. Nati Ozeri was a local Shomron security chief who was murdered by Palestinian terrorists, and Neriah Ofan is one of some 20 Yesha residents who have been distanced from their homes for months by unexplained administrative orders.
Teenager Inspires the Crowd
Oriyah Shir-el of Hevron, lighting the third candle, told the audience, "You probably know me better as O.S., as I was not allowed to be identified by my full name when I was in prison because of my young age... Some ask me where I received the strength to fight the evil so strongly and not to break. It's true that my parents gave me a strong education, and they deserve the 'Yasher Koach' [praise] everyone gives them - but it wasn't that. I have great faith that we can change things in this country, and this faith is inspired by Manhigut Yehudit and Moshe Feiglin..."
At one of her court hearings, Oriyah told the judge, "I may lose this case, but that's really a minor issue. I'm looking ahead to 20 years from now, when I know that things in this country will be very different." An onlooker at the hearing said that the judge was "blown away" by her strength of conviction.
Immigrants Making a Difference
A large poster blared the theme of the evening: "Returning the Country to the People." In addition, the many new immigrants to Israel were recognized - asked to stand, they were seen to be as many as a quarter of the audience. Dovid Shir'el, responsible for the English-speaking segment within Jewish Leadership, told Arutz-7, "The motto of many new immigrants to Israel is, 'We made Aliyah to make a difference, not to stand by while Israel loses its Jewish identity.' What's interesting is that we have many English and Russian speakers in the organization - apparently because the former understand the concept of political freedom, and the latter - know what they don't want to see here, and are used to principle-based struggles."
A leader of the Druze community also spoke, arousing the audience with his charismatic call that "only Manhigut Yehudit can provide true leadership to this country! ... G-d shall give Israel strength, and will bless His nation with peace!"
Just as Chanukah recalls both spiritual and physical miracles - the lights that illuminated the Holy Temple for eight days on only one day's worth of oil, and the military victory over the Syrian-Greeks - last night's events also featured both: the revolutionary ideological spirit engendered by the participants and speakers - and thousands of sufganiyot (jelly-filled sweet donuts), in every corner, that have become a Chanukah icon in Israel and around the world.
Manhigut leader Moshe Feiglin narrowly missed being elected to the Knesset on the Likud list in 2003 when he was disqualified because of his past conviction on charges of "sedition" and "incitement to rebellion" as head of the "This is Our Land" protests in the mid-1990s. A year ago, he finished third in the race for Likud Party leader, behind Binyamin Netanyahu and Silvan Shalom.
Feiglin told Yishai Fleisher of IsraelNationalRadio.com last night, "Esther Pollard, who will light the first candle - unfortunately it won't be her husband, who is still in prison after 21 years - is one of those who represents the new culture that we are trying to develop. Over the last year, there has been a culture of unfaithfulness, but we want to establish one of loyalty - loyalty to the Land, to the Nation, to G-d. This is what we need in order to survive."
Feiglin said with strong confidence that he believes the State of Israel can be fixed: "We have to take charge of the engine car of the train, and lead the entire train towards the right goal. We're not interested in saving ourselves; we believe in the entire Jewish people, and are interested - not like the hareidim - of taking national leadership and saving everyone."
Dovid Shirel agreed, saying that the difference between Jewish Leadership and other nationalist groups is that "we want to take leadership. Take Effie Eitam [of the National Union]; he says clearly that he would rather see Netanyahu as the leader; he says he wants to be an 'influencer,' not the leader."
Asked where Jewish Leadership goes from here, Shirel said, "We see now, once again, that the public is ready and waiting for us, and we will now start organizing local gatherings all over the country."
A gift was presented during the course of the evening to Binyamin Ze'ev Landau, one of the chief supporters of Manhigut Yehudit. Musical entertainment was provided by Ariel Zilber and Aharon Raz'el.