12th
June 2020
Shabbat
Shalom dear friends. How are you? Have you read any good books lately? Seen any
good movies or series on the telly? Zoom meetings and Zoom grandchildren? It's
a funny old world we live in when people who have kept to the
isolation/quarantine/lockdown religiously are so angry that they take part in
mass, violent, demonstrations. While understanding the frustration at constant harassment
I believe in changing the world through the law, I believe in Dr King. Even when
there are no pandemics I am not for lawless stampedes.
To me,
the declaration "black lives matter" is superfluous.....of course
they matter! I believe that every life matters, black, brown, white, Jew, Sikh,
Moslem, Christian all of which come in a multitude of colours. That is a given,
I have never cared what the outside packaging looks like, only what's in one
heart, but in too many instances it matters that one's skin is not pale pink.
We should use this time of restless frustration to change attitudes, to exhibit
tolerance.
What
happened last week during the arrest of a criminal was inhuman. The officer
involved should have been taken into custody and charged with murder and the
other three officers charged with aiding and abetting a murder. It was a
ghastly crime which took place before cameras and was shown around the world.
The ensuing riots did not help the cause.
The
defacing and smashing of statues occur because the vast majority of people
think with today's moral codes. Most movies, plays, statues reflect the times
in which in which they were written or the history they tell. "Gone With
the Wind" is romanticised history, but it happened. What is the point of
removing it from the HBO playlist? What, I wonder, would happen if we, as Jews,
banned Shakespeare or Dickens? Destroying
the evidence of the past ensures that such events will be repeated.
Before
anyone becomes an officer of the law, and takes an oath equal to the
Hippocratic oath, each one's racial proclivities must be thoroughly investigated.
It is a worldwide problem, admittedly prevalent in the USA, but must be
addressed at its core in order to return honour to the essential task of defending
the law.
The
fuss over the PM's announcement of annexation made me think – on many levels.
As I have said before, the timing of the announcement is terrible! The current status
quo works, why rock the boat? Why leave us open to remonstration by our allies
and joy to our enemies. David Horovitz analyses https://www.timesofisrael.com/annexation-now-what-is-netanyahu-up-to/
I began to think about other countries, those who are currently decrying
"Israeli Occupation" have annexed land all over the globe!! The UK
can still boast the largest number of overseas territories. Its dependent and
unincorporated territories include places such as the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar
and Bermuda. France still has a sizeable number of overseas territories
including Guadeloupe and Réunion, 16 in all. Guam and Puerto Rico are
among the best known U.S. overseas territories and it has a grand total of 14.
Hypocrisy is the name of the game.
The Norwegian
Parliament has
taken the decision to withhold education funding to PA based principally on the
Impact-se report. Of course the PA blamed Zionist intervention – well it was!
In this i24 television news report our outstanding CEO Marcus Sheff explains https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTxMnyuRh2I In another instance of Impact-se initiating
revolutionary change, 93% of the 110,000 Arab school students in east Jerusalem
study the Palestinian Authority curriculum which promotes continuous war,
drawing on a culture of martyrdom and rejection of negotiations. IMPACT-se
partnered with the Municipality of Jerusalem to ensure that the textbooks
taught in the recognised East Jerusalem schools meet international standards.
This is the first time since Israel unified Jerusalem in 1967, that Arab
schoolchildren in the city have been exposed to values of peace, tolerance and
good neighborliness.
According
to Maimonides
the concepts of Kiddush HaShem (honouring God's name) and Hillul HaShem (dishonouring
God's name) are the most essential principles of Judaism, above and beyond mundane
practices. To "be a good Jew" is to be a good and honorable person,
to teach by example, to honour the name of the Almighty. As I read Rabbi Jeremy
Rosen's offering this week I thought of the number of times I have cringed in
shame as the name of a criminal appears in the news and that name reflects his
Jewish heritage. Maimonides was a physician, philosopher and lived at a time
when Jews were being forced to abandon their identity for fear of reprisals. In
today's terms he got it. I quote from the explanation - "The first section
of Mishneh
Torah is called The Foundations of Torah, Yesodei HaTorah.
After discussing God and the soul, Maimonides goes on to deal with the rest of
the Halachic legal system. And you will never guess what the first of these
laws is. Not ritual, keeping the Sabbath, what you eat or how you pray or go to
synagogue. No, it is the obligation to sanctify God’s name. To glorify God by
behaving in a way that encourages others to behave likewise – ethically,
sanctifying God’s name." http://jeremyrosen.com/2020/06/jeffrey-epstein-and-maimonides.html
Last
weekend was "interesting". The first part was a delight, Zvi
went to Nes Ziona to "babysit" Leor and Shiri's four girls, Amit,
Gili, Ori and little Yuval, I didn't go with him since they are back at school
and I am off for yet another surgery in 2 weeks. He set off mid-morning,
forsaking his parliament, to collect Yuval from her kindergarten. Parents and
family wait outside during the Covid period and Yuval was duly handed over to
Zvi who began to walk down the path to the road. One rather stupid father let go
of his (empty) baby buggy which rolled into the path and Zvi went flying. Thank
Heaven he was wearing his Perspex visor which has a sponge strip on the
forehead because he landed on his face. The visor took most of the impact and
Zvi came away with a few grazes, the baby was fine – shocked but fine. Of
course he continued with his duties, not telling me or Leor of the fall.
Last
Friday night I went to Rachel and family for Shabbat Dinner, a truly wonderful
evening. Igal, Rachel's husband has a beautiful voice and sings the Shabbat
songs in the Mizrachi style, while the children join in. Just gorgeous and the
food – oh the food! My daughter should get at least 3 Michelin stars!! The next
morning I pottered about the house and sat on the veranda, reading quietly
before visiting our friends Sam and Frida. Chemotherapy doesn't stop Frida
cooking – but now it has become a combined effort with Sam. We ate a delicious
home cooked meal of meat filled pastries and salads for hors d'ouevres, then incredible
meat stuffed aubergines for main course. I drool to think of them! We had a
lovely time laughing and talking about everything and anything, chemo doesn't
take away one's need to be told jokes! I then came home to rest and await Zvi's
babysitting stories.
As Zvi
walked in the door after Shabbat I knew something wasn't right, perhaps the
large graze and bruise on his chin were a clue! He could finally relax and
realise how lucky he had been. Saved by a Corona visor! Of course, he needs to replace
the one with battle scars, scratches and dents!
On
Sunday Zvi and I went to meet with Gaby Hirsch, Avi Samuels and the legendary
Kalman Samuels who founded Shalva together with his wife Malki, as a haven of
joy for children with special needs and their families. Please understand,
arriving at Shalva is to smile. Not only the entrance and its brightly coloured
Gerstein statues or the gigantic butterfly mobile in the lobby; the secret is
on the stairway with the motto "You don't have to see the whole staircase
just take the first step". We sat together to talk of the final details
for the "Dr. Dan's Room" project, the Music Therapy Room in the name
of my beautiful son Daniel. I have rarely met such good people in my life. We
discovered that Kalman (aka Kerry) Samuels grew up in Vancouver and knew many
of our dearest friends! Jewish geography wins through again! "Dr. Dan's
Room" is in good hands and we are on our way, thanks to the incredible
generosity of good people. Dear, lovely readers, friends, please go to the
"Remembering Daniel" page https://give.shalva.org/daniel
and give according to your ability. The children of Shalva will be ever
grateful.
Tonight,
Leor and Shiri and the girls are coming for Shabbat Dinner on the veranda, I
just hope it will be warm enough. For Israelis from the Tel Aviv, Rehovot, Nes
Ziona area Jerusalem gets cold in the evenings – for Zvi and I it just gets
bearable, beautiful, balmy! Supper will be as per the request of 2 year old
Yuval (salmon) and 11 year old Gili (veggie lasagne) with lots of salads to
satisfy the rest of us. I cheated by buying individual "fries in a
box" so that we can ensure no cross contamination – the edamame will also
be presented in individual portions. We will end the meal with dessert made by
11 year old Gili and then feast on water melon and cherries. Israeli water
melon tastes different to any other! Almost seedless with a rich flavour, eaten
really cold from the fridge and cherries grown in the north of Israel and the
Golan. To me fruit tastes much better when it is not only fresh but that incredible
first taste of seasonal fruit, that blessing thanking the Almighty for reaching
this time – I gorge my merry way through cherries of every colour, from deep,
rich burgundy through crimson red to the pale butter yellow with a pink blush
(my favourites) with the taste that only freshly picked fruit has.
When I
have finished writing this missive I will take my coffee out onto the veranda,
together with this morning's Jerusalem Post and sit enjoying the gentle morning
sun overlooking a still sleepy Jerusalem. Of course that includes admiring my
own work on the "garden". Despite the recent heatwave everything is
blooming very nicely! As the day progresses Jerusalem wakes, gets busy, becomes
a multi-cultural kitchen then slowly sinks back into the gentle calm of
approaching Shabbat.
"Love
Letter to Jerusalem" is a song all about this city written and sung by
a delightful Canadian couple. When Roy Salomon and Bobby Ackerman and Steve
Linde all sent me this video I knew it had to be special https://youtu.be/YTOwM1-rV_4
The
Shalva singing group grew out of that organisations Music Therapy! Here they
sing "One Day" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KN5n4eSNGIA
You
don't have to be religious to know Adon Olam (Lord of the World). It's
everyone's favourite! There are many different renditions and music variations
and here they are all together! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvOtcWEFWo8
Shabbat
Shalom dear friends. I wish you a peaceful and healthy Shabbat.
With
much love from Jerusalem
Sheila
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