29th November 2023
Shalom dear friends. Shalom
I hope you don’t think that I had abandoned you for the last few
days, but the strange mixture of elation at the return of hostages, sadness for
the families of those still in captivity and horror at the stories that are
slowly coming out, stories of beating of children, of forcing children to watch
the horror of October 7th on video, of them being kept in cages, being
moved from pillar to post under threat of more beatings if they made a sound. Little
Emily Hand is still talking in whispers, even with her father, for fear of
punishment. Hamas even kidnapped the bodies of three dead soldiers knowing full
well that we will do all we can to return them for burial. All of the hostages
were found to be undernourished with terrible rashes probably caused by the
fact that they were not allowed to wash or change clothes for the two months of
captivity. One of the Israeli children was held in dire conditions in the attic
of an UNWRA teacher, the father of 10 children! Another by a doctor who
continued to tend children in hospital but kept the Israeli child locked up
without food.
The huge theatricals of the Hamas handover, with multiple new
ambulances on standby, was definitely out of Pallywood, much more than meet the
eye. For instance, when one elderly lady was being helped down from the Hamas
vehicle to be handed over to the Red Cross, the ear of one very clever
Australian friend, Stanley Roth, caught the words “Keep waving” to which she
complied. Hamas supporters have been storming the vehicles, banging in the sides
causing even greater trauma to the hostages inside.
Not only Jews were kidnapped. One Bedouin family lost one member
and four others were kidnapped while yet another used his minibus to save the
lives of dozens of Israeli youngsters. Yosef Zaidna has been sent photographs of
his children stripped to the waist with guns pointed at them. Despite the
requests of the Israeli government he has no idea where his children are.
Why? Why the hatred? I know that generations of Gazans have been
inculcated with hate education, as I explained and we at Impact-se have proven
it time and again, but there is so much more. What gives an entire people the
right to torture, to kill, rape, decapitate? While searching for an answer I
came upon this quote from Mark Twain, Samuel Clemens, which fascinated me by its
accuracy.
On the Jews
"If the statistics are right, the Jews constitute but one
quarter of one percent of the human race. It suggests a nebulous puff of
star dust lost in the blaze of the Milky Way. Properly, the Jew ought
hardly to be heard of, but he is heard of, has always been heard of. He
is as prominent on the planet as any other people, and his importance is
extravagantly out of proportion to the smallness of his bulk.
His contributions to the world’s list of great names in literature,
science, art, music, finance, medicine and abstruse learning are also very out
of proportion to the weakness of his numbers. He has made a marvelous
fight in this world in all ages; and has done it with his hands tied behind
him. He could be vain of himself and be excused for it. The Egyptians,
the Babylonians and the Persians rose, filled the planet with sound and
splendor, then faded to dream-stuff and passed away; the Greeks and Romans followed
and made a vast noise, and they were gone; other people have sprung up and held
their torch high for a time but it burned out, and they sit in twilight now,
and have vanished.
The Jew saw them all, survived them all, and is now what he always
was, exhibiting no decadence, no infirmities of age, no weakening of his parts,
no slowing of his energies, no dulling of his alert but aggressive mind.
All things are mortal but the Jews; all other forces pass, but he
remains. What is the secret of his immortality? "
Indeed, what is our secret and what induces such hatred, especially
among the young. In Mark Twain’s own home land the universities have become
crucibles of hate, of racism which have reached such a point that the Deans of
MIT and Harvard have been called before a Congressional Committee and Berkley
and NYU have been sued.
Highly detailed plans for the elimination of Yahya Sinwar,
architect of October 7th and so much more, were presented to
Netanyahu by three subsequent heads of the Israeli Secret Services and each
time he stopped them. I cannot say more, but the inadequacies and errors compound.
https://m.jpost.com/arab-
Enough doom and gloom I am in a terrible mood since Hamas announced
that those two incredibly beautiful little red headed babies, the Bibas family,
who captured our hearts as they were captured in their Mother’s arms to an
unknown fate in Gaza. Apparently taken from captivity by a Gazan doctor and
taken to his home where Hamas claims they were killed. The IDF spokesman
refuses to accept any such news “In the IDF we do not accept rumours. Every
detail is checked and double checked’ My heart sank as Hamas yet again played
its psychological games.
Today we went to the Habad Centre again to make sandwiches for the
children in Ashkelon, Ashdod and many other towns affected by the war. Israeli
children start school early and the younger children aged 6 to 12 stop for “Aruchat
Eser” the 10 o’clock snack. The sandwich making is very organised. The first stage
is when the bread rolls are cut ready to accept the filling – the exact number
according to the requests of the recipients, and each filling of tuna and
pickles, hummus with cucumber and tomato, chocolate spread and so on. I was on
the tuna table and if I say it myself, I’m pretty efficient. We all wear black
plastic hygienic gloves and approximately
one fistful of tuna is right for each roll. The two French ladies next to me
were more interested in talking than sandwich filling but I really got into the
swing of things (after all I was never very good at French) so when I used up
my allotted amount of tuna I went into the kitchen and made up another huge
batch. I loved the variety of volunteers, from schoolgirls to pensioners, men
and women. Zvi chose to be a shlepper this time, ensuring the supplies for the
production lines and taking the prepared sandwiches to the ladies on the rolls
of plastic film to wrap them. A small contribution indeed but an important one.
Zvi’s choir has been back singing for the refugees from the north
and the south, refugees in their own country. The choir of the Jerusalem
Symphony recorded a magnificent rendition of “Bring Him Home” which I hope to
send you at the weekend, as soon as it is up on YouTube. We have been ordering
fresh vegetables and fruit grown in the south and brought to our area, without
going through the retail suppliers. The money going straight to the growers. Admittedly,
I’m not sure what to do with the 15 kilos of oranges Zvi brought home but they
last forever! Lots of exercise juicing them!
This evening some new friends came for “tea”. Rachel and Shauli
Yosipon are both very involved in the community and Shauli began a beautiful
mosaic project turning it into a community project, each week adding more and
this week end the final pieces will be placed on the mosaic. Shauli also told us
that he used to work in the sphere of raising milk cows and the fact the
Israel, through Kibbutz Afikim, is the number one producer of special equipment
and the feeding of said cows, all over the world! He took up mosaic after his retirement.
It fascinates me how many ways one can find to be involved. There
is a hat-knitting group, knitting warm hats for soldiers, another making
knitted teddy bears for the refugee children. Every supermarket has a list of
items that soldiers need, from wet-ones, shampoo and toothpaste to specific
snacks so that we can all buy one or two items which will be put in a box ready
for the truck to take it to them. This is a country of volunteers. We may have
an ineffectual government (dystopia or kakistocracy) but my goodness what an
incredible people! Amiad, Zvi’s elder son, and his group, have just delivered
the latest, state of the art helmets for soldiers, ensuring that they are safe.
Enough, I hope I have left you with a lighter heart than when I
began. You have certainly helped me!
Am Yisrael Chai – Sung by Eyal Golan. Specially written and
produced for this trying time. https://youtu.be/2p3rtnQ_7y4?si=MEJl4kEsimILRDoM
“The good days will come because even on the darkest night there is
a small star to light your way”. An entire generation of young Israelis is
singing this song. It has no translation but you can feel the hope. Out of Depression
was written and sung by Yagel Oshri https://youtu.be/9XIZ_T_vg_E?si=VC53G4TOna1HQAEy
I send you love, I wish you love, I wish you hope and good health
and above all “Bsorot Tovot” Good news.
Sheila
