180427
27th
April 2018
Shabbat
Shalom dear friends.
This
week promised to be one of good news and joyous events, or that is how it
started.
Two
days ago a group
of wonderful young Israelis, boys and girls from a pre-military academy, set
out on a trek in the Arava – to prepare them for their military service. They
were thrilled and excited, recorded in their group WhatsApp prior to leaving.
The first night they slept under canvas and then set off along the trail of a
dried up river bed, a wadi, for the days trek. Very heavy rain fell in
Jerusalem, exceptional rain, and when it rains in Jerusalem the waters rush
down to the Negev and the Arava. There was a flash flood in the wadi, the
waters simply rushed along the river bed in a torrent and 9 young people, 8
girls and a boy, were killed, 13 were rescued without harm and 2 were injured.
One boy was still missing last night. The search and rescue emergency units of
IDF units, MDA and all emergency units were involved in the event. While it is
easy to condemn after the fact, the warnings were clear, two young people lost
their lives in similar situations the day before, the decision to go on the
trek was made without the permission of the Ministry of Education. Spring in
the Dead Sea area is unpredictable, rains frequent, flooding too, not like this
but nonetheless. May their sweet young souls rest in peace and their families
not be consumed in blame but rather in healing.
The
rains in Jerusalem
were phenomenal – torrential rain, hail and constant lightening like a strobe.
I have never seen anything like it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R44J6iv2LuM
On
Sunday Jill and I
went to the Israel Museum on the recommendation of my friends Dana and Betty
who volunteer in the Museum. The exhibit, both disturbing and brilliant, is the
work of Zoya Cherkassky, "Pravda" which means truth in Russian, describing,
with scary clarity, her experiences as a new immigrant in Israel. Emigration is
never easy leaving behind the familiar and learning to be accepted in a new
society, and this exhibit - no you should see it for yourselves but be prepared.
http://www.imj.org.il/en/exhibitions/zoya-cherkassky
The
Simons Family from Sydney, Australia is a wonderful, active, Israel loving family
and I love them. It came as no surprise that Robert's son Derek and his wife
Toni chose to hold their son Guy's barmitzva in Jerusalem. It was a truly
joyous affair beginning at the Davidson Archaeological Park, on to the Western
Wall ending in a party to beat all parties on the roof of the Mamilla Hotel.
Many family members came all the way from Australia for the event and we were
thrilled to meet them one and all. Robert walked around with a big smile on his
face; Guy gave a wonderful speech; Guy's buddies told us about him in a funny
roasting; Anita danced the night away with Robert as did most of the guests and
the food was delicious. A truly warm, friendly and sophisticated celebration. Robert will receive an Honorary Doctorate from
the Hebrew University for his years of loyal and hard work.
Jill
and I met with my lovely Cardiff friend Susan Gaba Yakir in Aroma Coffee
Shop, a wonderful friend and the best coffee in the world. Café Hafuch means
upside down coffee, a work of art! Always in a glass mug so that one can see
the design – dark dark coffee at the bottom, milky coffee above and white froth
on top always with a design of a heart, a leaf or whatever the creation of the
day may be.
On Tuesday
we drove to Tel Aviv for a special celebration. Albert Avraham Marciano loves
music and his birthday celebration at Zappa nightclub was just that, music.
Avraham sang with many other artistes, including the phenomenal opera singer
Yotam Cohen, and we sat enthralled. Rina and Yechiel Heller joined our table
and we all had a special surprise when Avraham and Rina's daughter Shlomit got
on stage. A painfully shy woman she opened her mouth and sang Changes – it was
incredible, really goose bump time. Of course, being in Tel Aviv we went to see
Zvi's son Amiad and Noga's beautiful children Ella and Yonatan, to take them
out of kindergarten and play with them before heading off to Zappa.
Wednesday
just happened!!
Since the weather was already unpredictable I decided to invite the wonderful
Joy Wolfe home for lunch rather than risk the rain and then it happened - I
thought that Ruth Dudziuk-Justitz would enjoy the company and then Zvi called
to say that he and Michael Meir were joining us…….. of course I had enough food
because Jill and I made quick salads and my fish balls came out of the freezer,
although the absolute hit was the fresh salmon in creamed horseradish!!!
A
horrific car ramming in North Toronto left 10 dead and 15 injured. The motive is
unknown and mental illness is suspected but the case is clearly still open.
Whatever the motive the dead will never come back and those involved will never
be the same. Could it be terrorism? Who knows. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/driver-who-struck-pedestrians-custody-toronto-police-say-n868466
Two
Presidents met in Washington and their relationship blossomed. President
Macron of France and President Trump of the USA met to discuss Iran and the
nuclear deal among many other subjects. It was clear that they and their
spouses were on good terms. I love the "kissy kissy" aspect – men hugging
and kissing is normal here in Israel and I totally approve. Perhaps more
kissing and less shouting could improve our world. I never understood why men
can't kiss – why on earth would a father and son shake hands? Hopefully
something positive will come out of it.
Germany
showed solidarity
with its Jewish citizens when over 2,000 Germans demonstrated with kippas https://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Thousands-of-Germans-join-kippa-marches-to-reject-antisemitism-552751
It was a positive start but little was mentioned about the cancelling of a
prestigious music award which went to a rapper spouting hatred for Jews.
Perhaps the demonstrations would be more effective if they took place each week,
on Friday, increasing in size.
And so
it is Shabbat again. The country is in mourning for the beautiful lives lost
through negligence, not intentional but negligence nonetheless. 9 families will
light a memorial candle beside their Shabbat candles and ask why.
I
realise that I wrote the week's events in reverse this week – our social
calendar before news and so on but as I told Michael Meir, I don't write a
newsletter to you I chat with you about Israel, our social life and things that
affect our lives. I find it a conversation and I love it when you respond – it is
really hard having a conversation on your own!
Tonight
we will have a quiet Shabbat Dinner, just Zvi, Jill and I – or so the day
starts. I never know how many we will be but I love entertaining and it is
never a problem to find food! The secret is to love people – life would be so
much better if we learned to love instead of hate. I am involved in three
organisations which bring love to our world – two through education and one through
pure love to bring calm to the troubled world of cancer patients and their
families.
The
basis is what you learn at home but education, what thoughts are filtered into
ones head as a child, is the most important aspect of the future of our world.
Not many people get to change the world through changes in education but
Impact-se does it every day. http://www.impact-se.org/reports/ Then there is David Geffen and his
organisation www.lovingclassroom.com
and of course the Yuri Shtern Holistic Centre in Shaare Zedek Hospital and in
our small clinic. http://www.israelgives.org/amuta/580475085
These three organisations are not famous, nor are they huge, they employ very
few people yet they each change our world for the better. Selfishly I receive
huge satisfaction from my involvement in all three because they are all about
giving of oneself to help others.
Rabbi
Hillel said "Love your fellow as you love yourself" which is said to
be the entire Torah in a nutshell. This weeks Torah reading deals with all the
rules for building a fair and loving society – as we leave the Torah behind we
lose the love too. Democracy has
stringent rules in order to protect the rights of everyone – free speech is
conceivably the most abused of all rules and has become an excuse for spouting
hatred without paying the price.
So it
is high time we spoke of music!!
Shlomo
Artzi deservedly lit one of the beacons at the Independence Day ceremony on
Mount Herzl, his songs are an integral part of Israel society. This song, sung
with his son, tells it all with the words what is the cost? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAa0e7apG20
Finally
a prayer, a plea a blessing all together VeHi Sheamda with Shwekey and Shloi
Shabbat with translation into Spanish for all my friends who speak that
beautiful language. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ip-1bKDfDq4
I wish
you Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem, from our verandah overlooking the most
beautiful city in the world
With
much love
Sheila
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