The Wandering Thoughts of An Israeli Under Fire

 

20th March 2026

2nd of Nissan, 5786

 

Shabbat Shalom, Eid Mubarak and of course a huge Happy Birthday to my Zvi

 

"In war, the Gordian Knot of diplomacy is often untied only by the steel of the sword." The question is whether to slice it like Alexander the Great or to find a way of untying it.

 

 

In Wednesday’s midweek update, I touched on something that feels increasingly important to say clearly: it is not only Jewish Israelis who have been affected, but all Israelis regardless of faith, background, or belief. In the north of Israel, many Muslim Arab villages have suffered terribly, their communities caught in the same wave of violence. In recent days alone, terror does not distinguish between people.

 

Missiles fired from Iran have brought fear, trauma and uncertainty, but it is physical, identifiable, we know from whence the threat, we know who is shooting what and at whom. However, outside Israel there is a terrifying rise in antisemitism. Synagogues have been targetted, and Jews are afraid to openly express their identity, whether it’s placing a mezuzah on their doorposts or wearing a kippah in public. This does not arise in isolation; it has been carefully crafted through disinformation, misunderstanding, and narratives that deepen the divide, encourage anti-Semitism and cloud the facts rather than foster clarity.

 

Thursday night. 22:45 until 01:28. I was busy writing to you, although it is late, and then it happened; we have been under fire of cluster missiles, in and out in and out 4 or 5 times. Just as you think that there’s time to go and get a drink, or  something to munch on, the hatra’ah, that awful tch tch tch goes off again causing one’s heart to go into one’s shoes, no matter how calm an exterior we may display or brag about, how pragmatic a personality it disturbs ones equilibrium, then the siren on our phones, then the siren in the area, then the booms, sometimes closer, sometimes further, the booms that tell us that Iron Dome or another form of interception has yet again prevented a missile reaching its target, but it is simultaneously comforting and discomforting wherever they are. I told you that we are lucky, we have a mamad in our home, I can sit comfortably and write to you, but at least 50% of Israelis if not many more than that, don’t have that luxury, don’t live in new buildings where it is compulsory. They have to go up and down, down and up every time anew.

 

It's now 08:45 and the hatra’a just went off on my phone followed by a siren, perhaps I should stop writing to you, each time I sit down to tell you about our week we get a ******* multi-headed missile from Iran! I haven’t heared the booms yet so nothing has landed, unless it is still on its way. I’m just going to check the news on my computer. The newsreader, Eli Rachlin is in the safe room studio with a spokesman for the IDF and for Magen David Adom reporting on the situation and explaining about the diabolical missiles that have warheads that split on impact or when intercepted. The supposedly small off-shoots are dangerous enough to break through walls and explode and destroy cars. A good reason why we are told, when on the road, to distance ourselves from the falling shrapnel, which is conceivably more dangerous than the missile head itself.

 

OK no booms, hopefully a false alarm, or we got it before it arrived. Hmmm I wonder what to eat for breakfast? My usual cottage cheese and crackers with a good cup of coffee or should I treat myself to something more interesting? I know, smoked salmon instead of cottage! What on earth is she going on about breakfast you may ask, a second ago she was telling us that missiles may be flying over her head. Welcome to our world. We go from the safe room to a normal, mundane life in seconds – it keeps us sane.

 

Sitting facing my favourite view in the world, the view from my veranda, actually of our veranda, I began to think of what to tell you. I make little notes all week and send them to myself in emails so that I won’t forget what I want to say. Well, what I want to say has nothing to do with those notes on politics, diplomacy, war and response, it has to do with what I saw while sitting, eating my crackers and smoked salmon and that essential cup o’ Joe. I saw trees, beauty, I saw apple and orange blossom, harbingers of spring and I saw exactly what we are fighting for. All those notes that I made, thinking of you all week, are irrelevant, the reason we are in shelters, safe rooms and are willing to fight back is because this view, these trees, the blue skies and the ability to sit and admire the view are what, for Israel, this is what it is all about.

 

Most of the news reports tell us that Americans are against this war because the price of crude oil has gone up and it affects their lifestyle, before you get defensive I know that’s not you, but the wider public doesn’t understand that a few cents on their petrol bill doesn’t compare to a constant bombardment which ultimately  threatens your very existence, yes you, it means all of you, not just us.

 

A quick run down of news that I cannot run away from – Oh, sorry you will have to wait. It’s now 10:38 and we have another hatra’a to break in to my thoughts. Luckily the computer is right here in the safe room.

 

Lebanese President Aoun has called on the EU to help with establishing a ceasefire, support for the Lebanese Army and dismantle Hezb-Allah. That means that Christians could get back Lebanon and Northern Israel would be safe

 

Princess Noor Pahlavi is calling on the world to remove the Ayatollahs regime and return Iran to the free society it once was.

 

My amazing friend Liz Harris sent me a spot poll of people in the streets of London and New York asked random people how many Jews they think are in the world. Their responses were incredible, from between half a million to two billion! Of course, the answer is about 13 million, less than .02% of the world’s population. The presenter found a passage in the Tenach that said that although we may not be great in number, the Almighty will ensure that our name is great. I can’t decide if that’s a blessing or a curse but then I look at the contribution of Jews to the world and I understand that the curse or renown is a blessing

 

Stephen Fry is a brilliant actor/humourist/satirist who made this very short video called I am Stephen Fry “I am a Jew” https://youtube.com/shorts/65wE2wFR5f8?si=7w7DEa-jPk_OUpxr  

 

We just got the all clear and then immediately another hatra’a and siren. Luckily, we hadn’t left the safe room. Just waiting for the boom and the message that we can go back about our business. No sooner had I finished the sentence when there was another siren and now a cluster of booms, not too far away. The authorities are on the spot, although we can’t say where it is, but a private house was utterly destroyed. Thank heaven the people had left the house and gone to the public shelter.

 

Good grief, as my favourite cartoon character Linus would say, good grief, another one.  Oh well, every onward.

 

Meanwhile the Al Quds day march didn’t happen in London this week. The annual hate march was banned and only a small number turned up for a static demonstration in support of the Iranian regime. Across the river, a counter demonstration by pro-Israelis and anti-Regime Iranians took place as planned.

 

My friend and mentor Rabbi Jeremy Rosen writes every week about current events and their relationship to the Torah or Talmud. This is an excerpt from today’s wisdom. “We are living through the most turbulent, challenging and frightening world that I have ever experienced. Rationally I despair. Thank goodness I have a spiritual dimension that provides me with a non-rational dose of optimism. We have survived such a continuum of alienation and isolation, finding ourselves at odds with almost every world civilization and power at some stage or another, that this present state seems more normal than exceptional.” Dear Jeremy, my thoughts precisely. He also quotes Brandolini's law of 2013, which compares the considerable effort of debunking misinformation to the relative ease of creating it in the first place. The adage states:

“The amount of energy needed to refute bullshit is an order of magnitude bigger than that needed to produce it.”

 

My goodness, my usual tendency to digress has gone berserk this week, but I hope that you understand why. Incidentally, your response to my midweek update really warmed my heart.

 

Another digression but a natural progression – This week, yesterday to be exact, Zvi celebrated his 81st birthday in style. He met with friends in Café Ella and received the most beautiful bouquet of flowers; his Facebook page received over 300 messages of congratulation and we then went with our friend Sam Alberanes to our coffee shop where we celebrated with a cupcake resplendent with hundreds and thousands and a candle presented by Yisrael who I told you about a couple of weeks ago. The good news is that Yisrael is coping with the sirens and booms far better than we expected. This is a horrific time for people with PTSD. Anyway, back to Zvi, he received congratulatory phone calls from Canada, Mexico, the USA and the UK. Our granddaughter Talia, Rachel’s daughter, even sang happy birthday to him from Lima airport Peru where she was about to catch a plane back to Panama and the Safdie family. Sally, you are amazing, the way Talia feels so at home while on her travels so far from home is very special.

 

Zvi is about to leave for his parliament, again in the local mall. It never fails to amaze me, in a good way, that the mall is as bustling and lively as always. The coffee shops full and people chatting as if nothing else was happening. The supermarket is filled with shoppers buying the goods toward Pesach, and gifts for the family. I can’t decide if it is resilience or the fact that we are a stubborn people, we are determined to carry on our lives despite. Maybe it is inherited; inherited history of survival. Anyway, we won’t give up on our Aroma coffee, or any of the amazing delicacies that every parliament, male or female enjoys.

 

I intended letting you off with a relatively short missive but my pen had wings today. I don’t apologise for the inconsistencies therein. I thought of changing it, making it more lucid, shorter, but on the other hand, nothing is lucid, nothing is dependable except our own ability to overcome all obstacles. So dear friends, please accept my digressions, my drifting excursions into confused thought which bring you into the average Israeli mind today.

 

And so to music, to song, the expression of emotion through sound. 

 

Bella Ciao is a song dedicated to all women who are in a war zone but particularly the women of Iran. In Farsi, Hebrew and Arabic with English subtitles, it is a cry for togetherness, for unity. https://youtu.be/kBJoGGfNzUg?si=WIMkJiQJ4zAUiKQ2

 

Shalom Aleichem, Peace be with you, the song we sing before Shabbat. Have you ever thought that almost every song, every Israeli song, every Israeli greeting mentions peace, craves peace. We are not a belligerent people. We are a people that love to argue, but not to fight. Enjoy this beautiful song, maybe sing along! https://youtu.be/Y9cNstcOCIU?si=Hw2XbNyP-vVaK0sw

 

Many accuse me of being an optimist, actually that isn’t an accusation, it’s a compliment! Without optimism life becomes painful. When in doubt I simply sing that insane song from Life of Brian. “Always Look on The Bright Side of Life” with its irreverent reverence for positivity. Go on, I dare you not to sing along with Eric Idle but don’t forget the key change in the middle! https://youtu.be/JrdEMERq8MA?si=5AXt3EGiVdYCBnQl

 

That’s it folks. I’m not going to Rachel today, she doesn’t want me to be out on the road without need. She is right, when friends tell me that when there is a siren and they are en route, they are alright crouching down at the side of the road but cannot get back up again, I admit that I can’t even get down let alone back up again!! So I’m going to get our supper ready, set the table for two, then open it up for the 14 or 15 for lunch tomorrow. Don’t worry most of the food is already in the fridge or freezer, I’m good but not that good that I can do it all in one go!!

 

I wish you Shabbat Shalom and please, be proud of who you are, of what you are, not what you are perceived to be, the real honest you. Jew, Christian, Moslem, Bahai, LDS, Druze, we should wear our identity as a badge of pride not be afraid. Accept others, accept those different to ourselves and the world would already be a better place.

 

Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem, the View From Our Veranda. I promise to think of you tonight as I light the Shabbat candles, will you think of us?

 

With much love

Sheila

 

 

Midweek Update

 

18^th March 2026

 

Mid-week update

 

The Canary in the coal mine – an early warning; before technology, a canary was taken into the coal mine as an early warning of coal gas which would kill miners.

 

In case it has not yet dawned on people, this is not just our story, it is yours as well. Israel is the canary in the coal mine, the early warning too many choose to ignore. But we are not passive, not sitting ducks or any other unfortunate fowl; we are, if anything, the rare bird that fights back, fiercely, to defend herself.

 

I began writing this just after midnight, having managed barely an hour’s sleep, sitting with Zvi in our mamad in relative comfort while Iran once again attempts to advance its caliphate ambitions by firing at whoever happens to be in range — and let us be clear, it is not only Jews. Earlier in the day, while Rachel and Yosef were with us, the first time in a month, a missile carrying a cluster warhead was intercepted, though shrapnel fell in Abu Ghosh. Miraculously, no one was hurt. Then, soon after falling asleep came another hatra’a, that sharp warning on the phone, followed almost immediately by the siren. Another missile. Then another. Three in quick succession, all cluster warheads. One cannot help but wonder what Jeremy Bowen of the BBC or their counterparts at CNN might say if it were their own families running for shelter, crouching at the side of the road, or huddled in a safe room. What language would they use if it were London or New York under fire?

 

Sometime towards the early hours we were released and returned to bed, knowing it was only an interlude.

 

Morning brought the kind of news that lands heavily and stays. A couple in their seventies in Ramat Gan were killed by shrapnel from a cluster munition; whether they failed to close the door of their mamad or did not reach it in time is ultimately beside the point. A neighbour, realising that their building had been hit, went to check on them and found the apartment destroyed, the safe room door open.

 

And in the north — Nahariya, Kfar Blum, Majdal Shams — every town, village and kibbutz has been under relentless fire from Hezbollah. Jews, Christians, Druze, Bedouin, Circassians — it makes no difference. For nineteen days now, the rockets have fallen indiscriminately, and last night was among the worst. Of course, the reports in most countries only talk about the IDF fighting the poor Lebanese. Understand, we have no fight with the Lebanese, only with Hezb-Allah.

 

The North, the soldiers who protect us and the women, like Ora Hatan from the moshav of Shtoolah, who spend their waking hours preparing warm and loving food for the soldiers when they come out for a short break. These women epitomise our society. Ora doesn’t have a mamad and the local shelter is too far away so the morning programme on Channell 13 decided to ask for a company to volunteer to donate a “migunit” shelter for her. Diana and her company came through to the tears of gratitude from Ora. What were Ora’s first words? “The government didn’t do anything for me but private people, a private company came to my rescue. I want everyone in your company to come and I will cook them a real Kurdish meal.”

 

This is what it means to live here: to move between the ordinary and the unthinkable in the space of minutes, to hold fear and resilience in the same breath, and to understand, perhaps more clearly than most, that what begins here rarely ends here.

 

Another missile, also a cluster, and 07:50 found us back in the mamad. It’s over again and we will shower, dress and go about our business. This morning we are going to the local shopping mall to buy gifts for our Seder night (the first night of Passover and Jesus’ Last Supper). We are expecting a much smaller Seder night this year, only 16 diners, but I have my doubts that family will be able to come if the missiles are still flying.

 

I’ll see you on Friday morning as always. With love, as always, from our veranda and the view of Jerusalem that after 35 years, still takes my breath away

Sheila

 

Tirana, El Al and Sirens

 

 

13th March, 2026

24th of Adar, 5786

 

Shabbat Shalom to you, to every one of you! I’m back in every sense of the word!!!

 

 “If I can turn one extremist fanatic into a moderate peacemaker, then I am satisfied that I have achieved my life goal.” Professor Mohammed Dajani Duoad.

 

Last night, as it is every night, brought the now familiar Israeli wake-up calls, a disturbingly loud “tch tch tch tch” sound over and over on one’s cellphone, a sound to ensure that one is awake to hear the siren. A sound that never becomes familiar. That’s the hatra’a, the alert that flashes onto our phones warning that missiles have left the Iranian launchers and are on their way. Only then the siren sounds on our phones and throughout the suspected trajectory area. Like everyone else, we get up and walk quickly to the mamad, the safe room, close the heavy metal door, ensure the heavy metal cover is over the window and settle down watching the news on the computer (or playing games), listening out for the booms which tell us that Iron Dome and Or Eitan have done their job. We are deeply thankful to have a mamad in our apartment and do not need to race to the public shelters, we wait for the all-clear, and then return to bed until the next interruption. If this is meant to be a war of attrition, they clearly forgot to factor in the Israeli determination to continue living a normal life, aware of where the safe area (shelter) is. Cafés remain open, restaurants full, shopping malls busy, all of them, of course, equipped with shelters. This morning I sat on the Veranda, the sky a bright blue, the sun warming the crisp air, reading the newspaper, doing my puzzles and eating breakfast while looking at my fruit trees, checking the number of limes in various stages of ripeness, carrying on with the small rituals of an ordinary morning as though nothing at all had happened - which, in its own quiet way, is an act of defiance.

 

Our allies in the Gulf region are in the same situation, undecided whether or when to retaliate. The Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, have suffered the constant battering of Iranian missiles, but the world, as usual concentrates on us, even suggesting, through careful innuendo, that we are to blame!

 

Those who are in close touch with Israeli media, know that the north of Israel has been bombarded night and day from Hezb-Allah within Lebanon having rebuilt along the ceasefire line despite UN Security Council Resolution 1701, adopted unanimously in 2006, which calls for a “permanent ceasefire, the disarmament of all armed groups (specifically Hezb-Allah), and the establishment of a buffer zone between the Litani River and the Blue Line, free of any personnel/weapons other than Lebanese state forces and UNIFIL”. Yesterday several houses were destroyed in a Bedouin village in the north of Israel by a missile from Iran, 58 people were injured. The missile was one of a barrage from Iran coordinated with missiles launched from Hezb-Allah

 

Only 43% of residents in the north of Israel have returned to their homes since the 12 day war, many homes were destroyed and the fear of constant barrages from Lebanon is a further deterrent. They are beyond angry that money that should have gone to rebuild their homes, towns, villages in this week’s budget, has gone to those who do not serve in the IDF and don’t even recognise the State of Israel. If we are not very careful we will lose the north of Israel, and, with the constant increase of Bedouin wives imported from Gaza, the south too.

 

Is Mayor Mamdani a proud American or defender of the Caliphate? “Today's military strikes by the United States and Israel mark a catastrophic escalation in an illegal act of war aggression.” His position is terrifying, and I cannot believe that Jews voted for him! I’m sorry, I know that it is not my business but the man is dangerous and his wife more so. His wife “liked” a claim that October 7^th was a fabrication!!!

 

Alternatively in the UK, The British Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has approved a request by MP Sarah Sackman and the Metropolitan Police to ban the Al Quds Day Rally  "I expect to see the full force of the law applied to anyone spreading hatred and division instead of exercising their right to peaceful protest." 

 

Where were we over the last couple of weeks? Zvi and I decided to go to Albania so that Zvi could have expert dental treatment in an amazing modern clinic! Until we flew there, I didn’t even know where Albanie was or that it’s on the Aegean Sea. We took a wonderful walking tour through the centre of Tirana, and learned what a fascinating society it is, with a rich and complex history. After centuries of occupation, under the Ottoman Empire and the cruel communist rule of Hoxha (pronounced Hoja), Albania has emerged as a remarkably tolerant and kindly society. There is no official religion: roughly 45% of the population identify as moderate Muslims, about 25% are Russian Orthodox, 20% Catholic, and the rest follow a mixture of other faiths or none at all. One hardly sees a hijab; miniskirts are far more common, and the Italian influence is everywhere. Italian is a second language and the local food reflects it, excellent pizzas and pasta on every corner. Albania, or what we managed to see, is a country coming out of the poverty of a cruel communist regime.  Tirana shows both sides, fabulous new architecture, crumbling Soviet style housing; wide open squares and narrow passages. Lovely people, warm and tolerant, open to all as only those who suffered themselves can be. It’s become a popular holiday destination for Israelis and I’m told that the mountains and lakes are exquisite.

 

Purim in Habad was fun! Habad is housed in a pseudo-castle and the festivities included a speech by the community leader and, of course, Zvi met an old friend from his Maccabi days, Damian Brickman. The Rabbi insisted that Zvi give a little speech, and there was dancing and singing; it was fun!

 

War broke out a couple of days after our arrival in Tirana and after the week’s dental treatement, we did everything we could to get a flight home. In the end, El Al contacted us to go to their rescue hub, Athens.  We flew from Tirana to Athens, and then the cavalry arrived. El Al truly is the most extraordinary airline in the world. Tell me another airline whose crew will willingly fly into a war zone to bring their people home. They sent a Dreamliner to Athens so they could triple the number of passengers, took us to Ben Gurion Airport, changed crews, and immediately flew back to collect more Israelis. As we boarded, the crew hugged us, actually the truth is that I asked for a hug and they all came and hugged me, I was so emotional that I was going home. When we landed, they wished us a safe return home. We arrived at our door at three in the morning, relieved beyond belief to walk in to the familiar.

 

Nothing has ever felt quite so good as our own bed, our own shower and our own kitchen. I couldn’t be bothered to go out for bread, so I simply baked some. The washing was done next morning, the bags unpacked, and after a brief collapse into sleep our wonderful neighbours appeared. The downstairs neighbour with pashdida, the upstairs neighbour with vegetables and chocolate cake. I had soup waiting in the freezer, and Zvi made me scrambled eggs. A great relief after my only real complaint about Albania? The hotel breakfast served cold fried eggs, a crime no civilisation should tolerate.

 

While in Tirana, something incredible happened. Stranded in Albania, walking down a street in Tirana with someone from our group, making conversation, he asked where I was from. “Motza Illit,” I said “Where are you from? “Petah Tikva.” He responded. “We have a few friends in Petah Tikva.” “Who?” he asked. “Yaffa and Moshe Boosany. They live on Bayliss Road.” He stopped walking. His jaw quite literally dropped. He stared at me for a moment and then said slowly, “That’s my sister.” He was Kinneret Chaya’s Uncle Natan! Of all the streets in Tirana, of all the people in a tour group of strangers, we had somehow ended up walking side by side. We immediately took a selfie and sent it to Yaffa and Kinneret Chaya, followed by video calls much to their amazement. I could hardly stand; my legs went wobbly and I found myself somewhere between tears and joy. I showed him photos from over the years and the video of Kinneret Chaya speaking so beautifully at my 80^th birthday party. It was one of those small miracles that seem to follow Israelis wherever in the world we happen to be.

 

On Monday I had a very Israeli experience. I went to Shaare Zedek Hospital for a regular checkup, obviously checking that non-urgent visits were still happening. “Of course”, said the receptionist “We are waiting for you” I left home giving myself plenty of time to find parking, usually a 45 minute search in both the huge outside and the even bigger underground car park. At Rachel’s request, I headed straight for the underground car park expecting to go down the spiralled drive down some 8 floors, hoping to find an empty space. To my utter amazement it was a sea of green lights! I decided to go down to a space next to the lift (elevator) but wait, there was a barrier across from floor 2 to the rest of the car park. The penny dropped, everything from floor 2 down had been turned into hospital wards!  Shaare Zedek is just one of almost all Israeli hospitals that have gone underground, protecting its patients from the bombardment. On Tuesday I met with my lovely friend Gila in the coffee shop on our estate, an absolute joy and two minutes from our homes.

 

Yesterday I received a call from a dear friend in Sydney, Australia. His dismay was obviously for what we are currently undergoing but most of all, he is dismayed at his own country. Jews predominantly arrived in Australia after the Holocaust, survivors, as far as they could from Europe, and they built their lives anew, faithful to their adoptive country, those who are successful in business give back to society in museums, hospitals, many, many charitable causes survive through the philanthropy and pride of Australian Jews. Their love and trust has been betrayed, their government doesn’t protect them and sadly they are not alone in the world because it is happening in a country near you. Just yesterday an attack on Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township, had been carried out by Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, Lebanese, who entered the United States on a visa issued to foreign-born spouses of U.S. citizens.

 

It's nearly Shabbat, just a few hours to get everything ready. Tonight our lovely friends Merle and Frank Friedman are coming for supper. I’m delighted to say that they will be our neighbours! Zvi is about to go to his parliament, the third since our return. They don’t meet in the Botanical Gardens when Iran decides to disturb their discussions, they meet in our local shopping mall where there is a shelter should the siren go off. I can already tell you what discussions will take place, the budget! The fact that soldiers, miluimnikim families are fight to survive financially yet the budget has given 5 billion shekels to the Haredi parties. I know some of you don’t like my mentioning it, but it is breaking us apart.

 

Back to being positive! The joy of being home is indescribable. We feel safe here, we know that everything has been done to ensure our safety. For many years now all new builds must have either individual mamads or shelters and anyway, this is home! More and more I realise that the only truly safe place for Jews is here in Israel, but more of that next week.

 

Shabbat will start with lighting the Shabbat Candles, with the prayer and a private moment of contemplation and the prayer that the light from the candles will bring light to our confused world; Zvi’s beautiful kiddush, the blessing over the challah (special bread) and then food. Starting with “Orange soup”, a delicious vegetable soup made of orange vegetables and leeks; chicken with roast potatoes, cauliflower and broccoli, followed by pears poached in wine. We have so much to talk about, especially their exciting new apartment!

 

Music, yesterday I went to my “Mind and Movement” group and what started as a tentative attempt at moving to music (in the  middle we danced our way into the shelter!!) we all began to feel the music and move to release all our worries and tensions. Fabulous.

 

First is the new Israeli entry to the Eurovision Song Contest. I still haven’t decided if it’s a winner and I wish they had chosen a different name, but you judge for yourselves. Noam Bettan sings in Hebrew, English, French and Arabic. Michelle. https://youtu.be/xWCnWSoG8nI?si=Cauc3kGNtoG4IMZn

 

Vehi Sheamda is a prayer said on Pesach (Passover, Pascha) here you hear Daniel Weiss and YStuds. https://youtu.be/fY1wgTq9SRM?si=uC7sLozkDw5IFBAs  The meaning? In every generation since the beginning of time they have risen up against us but the Almighty saves us each time

 

The prayer for the IDF, for our soldiers, always brings me to tears and the superb voice of Natanel Hershik together with the Maccabeats is the ultimate. It was recorded when Benny Gantz was Minister of Defence.  https://youtu.be/uL-yEVU18Cc?si=oWzDmEIA-SxaIaHu

 

We are home, I am making Shabbat, we will survive, this and all attempts to wipe us out. We are strong as long as we unite, as long as we believe, as long as we keep our spirits high

With all our love from Jerusalem and our beautiful “View from My Veranda”

Sheila

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From Bet Zayit to Teheran

 

20^th February, 2026

 

Shabbat Shalom, Ramadan Kreem, I hope you had a good Shrove Tuesday and are prepared for Lent.

 

As you know, I love to begin my missives with a wise quote, usually, Churchill, Oscar Wilde, Mark Twain or GBS, but today I found the perfect quote for our times from Tolstoy.

“The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of doubt, what is laid before him.”

 

Surely the ideal of an open mind is most lacking from society throughout the world, wherever we may be, we have the mistaken belief that we are right. Perhaps it’s true, perhaps our way is the least wrong, but sometimes seeing the view of the other, no matter how much we disagree, can prevent not only arguments but war. It is the conviction that there is no way, no road, no path other than the one we have set out for ourselves that creates the trajectory to war.

 

Once again, the Western world stands at the edge of something it barely dares to name. The shadow of the Bay of Pigs hangs heavily, that same sense of miscalculation, of dangerous certainty masking deeper chaos. But this time it is not simply United States facing Russia. The lines are blurred, loyalties obscured, and the true alliances hidden behind diplomacy and denial. Iran is cast, rightly, as the obvious threat, yet behind it stand China and Qatar, the latter small in size but vast in influence, shaping events in ways the complacent world prefers not to see, but will soon be forced to confront.

 

Talks continue but all options are still on the table. An armada of American warships and aircraft carriers are closing in on the region. The largest American aircraft carrier is the USS Gerald R. Ford at 1,106 feet long, displaces 100,000 tons, it can carry more than 75 to 90 aircraft has now joined the fleet. A major war is not inevitable but the anticipation is worrying, not just for this region but we must fear the supporters of Iran throughout the world who may well wake up from their “sleeper” position.

 

At the inaugural meeting of the “Board of Peace”, President Donald Trump pledged $17 billion ($10 from the USA and $7 from other participants) to rebuild the Gaza Strip. Security arrangements will involve Egypt and Palestinian representatives, and foreign forces intended to replace Israeli troops. It is a promise, a lifeline to the many generations whose leaders have taught them that their only alternative is war and terror. History has proven that money alone cannot heal a broken society, that alongside the ruins of buildings stands the loss of childhood itself, shaped by years of conflict, fury, grievance and dependence on aid and worst of all the teaching of hatred, rather than the chance to build independent lives. Billions can rebuild physical walls, but unless they also rebuild hope, education and the possibility of a future, the broken society will remain. 

 

The situation within parts of the Haredi community feels as though it has reached breaking point. It is no longer only about demonstrations that bring cities to a standstill or the venom directed at the police; this week it descended into something far more painful. Two young female soldiers, in appropriate, skirted uniform, went to visit a Haredi recruit who was frightened to walk his own streets because he had enlisted in the IDF. They were attacked by a venomous crowd of men and the police had to rescue them. Whatever one’s views on enlistment, this is a moment of profound distress. When fear replaces solidarity and intimidation replaces argument, something essential in our shared fabric begins to tear. All we ask is that the weight of defending the only Jewish State be shared, that this sector enlists in some form and works to pay taxes that support the essentials of society; we have never asked that they abandon Torah Study because we are after all a Jewish State, but simply to be a relevant and active part of our society.

 

All of those arrested have been released. In the same vein, Bezalel Smotrich has announced that he does not believe that females, in particular his own daughter, should serve in the IDF.

 

“The Eighth Front: The Battle for Western Civilization,” was held in Nashville, Tennessee. A large group of influencers, famous and less so, Jewish and Christian, addressed a problem that is facing most sectors of society, not merely another conference in support of Israel but a declaration of a much broader arena of struggle. Sagiv Assulin, a former Mossad agent, says, “Today, we face a very large wave of antisemitism, anti-Westernism, anti-Western values, anti-democracy, and anti-everything the West represents. This wave is occurring across Europe and within the US, using Israel, Zionism, and Judaism as tools to harm the entire Western world. In 1897, Theodor Herzl established the First Zionist Congress in response to a huge wave of antisemitism in Europe. In 2026, I conceived the idea to establish a non-Jewish Zionist Congress to confront this wave.”

 

After Netanyahu’s recent visit to the USA and talks with President Trump the question of his pardon suddenly came up! Surely not a coincidence but this time the American President verbally attacked our President Herzog for not granting a pardon. Here’s a reality check. Israelis follow the rule of law, a law which requires pardons be granted only after a defendant has been declared guilty and expresses regret for his actions. I know that I speak for myself and not for all Israelis, but we really resent the interference in a complex and disturbing series of events that are now being decided in an ongoing trial. Whether or not the demand came after a conversation with Netanyahu we will never know, but when one is ignorant of the severity of the charges of corruption and worse that face Netanyahu, one should not interfere in the legal process of another INDEPENDENT country. Yes, we are grateful for our alliance with the USA but still abide by our own laws.

 

Lucy Aharish is Israeli. She is an exceptional journalist who presents a daily news programme. Lucy Aharish is an Israel, Arab, Moslem who grew up in Jaffa of parents who understood the importance of being part of the society one grows up in. Lucy Aharish is one of our greatest proponents and her gentle but determined journalistic style is exceptional. Lucy married an actor, an Israeli Jewish actor, Tsachi Halevi, who’s father is an 8^th generation Israeli, and served many weeks of Miluim having rushed to serve after October 7^th. Of late Lucy has come under verbal attack and threats because she supports equal rights for Arab Israelis. I apologise Lucy, I admire you and am furious with those who dare to vilify you, remember that most of us stand by you, love you and understand you.

 

At the risk of sounding a little odd, I love receiving the notice telling me that a parcel awaits in the Bet Zayit Post Office! It isn’t the anticipation of receipt but rather the short drive to our adjacent village. The drive down our winding road, remember thanks to the hairpin bends it’s called the Seven Sisters, and then at the bottom of the hill, turn right at the roundabout and then right again toward Bet Zayit. As I pass the entrance to the promenade alongside the reservoir, my excitement grows as the plethora of pink and white blossoms come into sight! Hundreds of almond trees, shkediot, surrounded by pink wild cyclamen and the bright scarlet spots of calaniot, or anemones. It is breathtaking!  I love it! Actually we’ll see it tomorrow as we head off to hear a lecture by Or Heller, the exceptional war correspondent of Israel Channel 13 followed by a wonderful Shabbat lunch with the Voss family, Sharon and Ernst.

 

Since we are talking about Sharon, she and I went to the potential women’s parliament in the Moreshet Coffee Shop. We met up with my lovely neighbours Yael and Ika and chatted about our park before returning to English while I took her on a mini-tour of the exquisite Big House. We met up with two young men, both miluimnikim, who were setting up for a big event to initiate an organisation for men and women who have done reserve duty in Gaza and beyond, to help them find work, study and a new path in life after the IDF. Of course, we got chatting and I discovered something wonderful about Sharon; Sharon was a social worker who upon retirement (maybe before) helped those with PTSD respond to sewing. I know that when I sew, I feel a sense of achievement and calm so it is logical that it will do the same for those in need of both, irrespective of male or female.

 

This was a full week, a busy week, between visiting sick friends, trying to arrange an agreement concerning parking in our estate, and managing to spend time with Rachel! Zvi has been very busy between his parliaments, choirs, grandchildren and meetings….but yesterday evening we collected our friends Merle and Frank Friedman from their future home and headed off on my favourite route, albeit in the dark, to Bet Zayit and “Derech haGefen” restaurant. "Derech HaGefen" (דרך הגפן) translates from Hebrew as "The Way of the Vine" or "Path of the Vine," from the Jewish blessing for wine. It is used to describe a spiritual path in Judaism or the agricultural/ritual journey of making wine but in this case it is the source of fabulous food!

 

I am afraid that you will have to do without the newsletter next week, we are off to Albania in the hope that we will not have a problem coming home. Don’t worry, we fly El Al! I’ll miss you, but I just can’t write on my phone and I don’t have a laptop! I want to leave you with music and sweet thoughts, so here goes!

 

Uziya Zadok came to fame when he was a child with a beautiful boy tenor voice. He’s now grown up but for me this song, this voice of innocence, tell a tale of hope. The song, You’re not Alone, Ata lo Levad. https://youtu.be/lv-bqvfIHek?si=VpGzsRbsahDtKl_q

 

Omer Adam is a popular Israeli singer, that I happen to love! This song is about the week of normal life and the excitement that Friday brings, Friday when the Almighty finished his work and found it to be good. https://youtu.be/yI73P4c6vlQ?si=Of2RLkhoJTzPGWwr

 

Legendary Israeli singer, composer, and producer Matti Caspi passed away on Sunday, February 8, 2026, at the age of 76. Known as one of the most influential figures in Israeli music, he composed and produced over a thousand songs during his long career. This song expresses both love and the sadness that he carried with him. https://youtu.be/7Rjg3we1-2c?si=-em5b-sfifeqc1Xi

 

Here we are, yet another Shabbat in front of us, Shabbat, Sabbath, Sabt, a day of rest and peace, although tomorrow and maybe many tomorrows the threat of war hangs over us. Nonetheless, it is a day of rest, it is a day in which we can appreciate what we have, our family, a roof over our head, be it small or large, friends, food and prayer, the sun is shining today and the trees are swaying in the breeze. I have my freedom, which is more than most countries and maybe, perhaps, the threat today is more on the freedom of ordinary Iranians than anything else.

 

I wish you Shabbat Shalom, health, love and good news, good news on every level.

 

Shabbat Shalom and much love from atop a hill in the Jerusalem Hills

Sheila

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yisrael, Haya and Snir

 

13^th February, 2026

 

Shabbat Shalom to each and every one and Ramadan Mubarak for Tuesday. I hope someone has ignored the fact that St Valentine was an antisemite and has chosen to be romantic! Friday 13^th doesn’t worry me, 13 is good luck in Judaism.

 

This week I had intended to give you the usual news rundown, but apart from a very few worthy items I have a story to tell a story that is more important than the most gripping of news.

 

First and foremost, on Monday, I drove to Herzliya Pituach for a truly uplifting meeting of the Israel British and Commonwealth Association, led by the Chairperson, Melvin Berwald. Dan Kosky, an indispensable part of the IMPACT-se team since his Aliya, spoke with clarity and conviction about our work and the measurable progress being made in advancing tolerance in education across our region, with a few notable exceptions.

 

At the insistence of the Prime Minister’s Office, the word “massacre” has been excised from the title of a bill establishing an annual commemoration of the 7 October Hamas attack. Bereaved families are incandescent. They accuse the Netanyahu government of attempting to launder language in order to blunt the truth — and, with it, responsibility. Equally, the terrible situation of crime and killings in the Arab sector has been exacerbated by two simultaneous situations. Ben Gvir has repealed the committee of Israeli Arabs to prevent crime and criminals and terrorists have infiltrated from the disputed areas.

 

King's College London, the famous College of the University of London, showed a screening of the bearing witness to the October the 7th Massacre, the first time it has been shown to a public audience. 

 

I had planned to reflect on the unpredictable and often disconcerting reality of our current situation and why the Prime Minister has returned yet again for a meeting with the President of the United States, presumably to discuss the impending attacks by the Ayatollahs and why the visit our President, President Herzog to Australia, to stand by the families of Australians who were killed in an attack on Australian soil, is considered, by some, as controversial.  Instead, I want to tell you a very Israeli story.

 

At the centre of our estate stands a remarkable building, once the convalescent home for members of Israel’s only union in the early years of the state. It is clad with Jerusalem stone, its architecture inspired by the White House. When we first moved here, we were told it would one day become a community centre. For years it stood beautiful but empty, as though waiting for its true purpose. Now it has found its calling as a Wellness Centre for those living with the physical and psychological aftershocks of the 7^th of October 2023. In truth, almost everyone in Israel carries the sadness of that day, but for Nova survivors, for those who ran for their lives that morning, and for soldiers who saw what no human being should ever see and returned from Gaza, the trauma does not sit lightly. It burrows deep. It alters the air they breathe. It threatens the soul itself.

 

On Wednesday morning my dear friend and neighbour Gila invited me for coffee at the new café that has opened inside the centre, just two minutes’ walk from our home. As we sat talking, the young barman drew my attention. There was something about him, as though he were fully present and yet carrying an enormous weight just beneath the surface. He had a soft face, long hair tied back in a ponytail. His tzitzit (ritual fringes on the corners of men’s undershirts) were visible beneath his sweatshirt, yet he wore no kippah which somehow felt deliberate, and it drew me to ask who he was and what had brought him here.

 

The centre and café, he told us, were the brainchild of himself, his sister Haya and their friend Snir. His name is Yisrael.

 

When I asked about the name “Café Moreshet”, moreshet means heritage, and what had led them to create a Wellness Centre, and what his connection was to 7 October, he did not hesitate. He didn’t dramatise or embellish his story, he spoke with the quiet urgency of someone who has been holding his breath for too long and can no longer do so. We listened without interruption, allowing his pauses to linger, understanding that the spaces between his words were as heavy as the words themselves.

He and several friends had been among the organisers of the Nova Festival. Everything had been done properly, police permission, IDF coordination, local authority approval. They prepared and cared for the site on Thursday and Friday; another company was due to take over on Friday night. Exhausted, they went to sleep intending to rise at 6:00 am to oversee the handover. For reasons none of them can explain, they overslept.

 

At 06:29, 3,700 missiles were launched at Israel. Thousands of terrorists broke through the fence between Gaza and the small communities killing, burning and raping and began the slaughter at the Nova Peace Festival. Yisrael had slept through the worst disaster Israel had ever known. When he repeated the time, six twenty-nine, his voice changed. He said it quietly, as though it were engraved somewhere inside him. He, Snir and Haya lost many friends that morning. He did not recite their names, but their absence was palpable, filling the air around us. “I keep thinking,” he said softly, “if we had been there…” The sentence trailed away, he didn’t need to finish it. The implication that perhaps they might have done something, changed something, saved someone hung in the air like a heavy weight.

 

The survivor’s guilt was not abstract; it was crushing. He returned home and shut himself in his room, barely emerging for a year. PTSD did not come as shouting or visible breakdown; it came as numbness, paralysis, an endless replaying of a morning he had not witnessed yet could not escape. He searched obsessively for a moment that might have altered the course of events, a different instinct, a different choice. There was no self-pity in his telling and no attempt to excuse himself. There was only a pain so clear that all we could do was bear witness to it.

 

Slowly, he said, an idea began to take shape. If he could not undo that day, perhaps he could help others survive what followed it. The Wellness Centre was not conceived as a business venture; it was born of necessity. He needed somewhere to go, a reason to leave his room, a structure that demanded his presence when he felt least capable of giving it. Together with Haya and Snir he searched for a space, and when the local council suggested the old convalescent home, they walked through its doors and knew. The light filtering through the windows, the quiet dignity of the building, its history as a place of healing felt almost providential. Their father has guaranteed the funding for the first year, an act of profound faith in his children and in their fragile but determined vision. After that they are on their own, sustained only by commitment, courage and the conviction that this place must exist.

 

Today the centre offers therapy sessions, workshops, breathing groups, conversation and coffee. But what it truly offers is something far rarer: permission. Permission to say, “I am not coping.” Permission to speak of what haunts the night. Permission to sit across from someone who will not flinch. Yisrael tells his story because silence almost destroyed him, and with each telling the weight shifts, if only slightly. Each person who walks through those Jerusalem stone doors seeking help becomes part of his own fragile healing.

 

Before we left, I asked him about the tzitzit and the absence of a kippah. He gave a wry, almost shy smile. The tzitzit, he said, are his way of thanking the Almighty for being alive; the absence of the kippah is because the Nova massacre happened and he lost so many friends. In that simple explanation lay gratitude and rupture intertwined, faith expressed, faith wounded. And in that moment, we realised that the building at the centre of our estate is doing exactly what it was always meant to do: accepting pain and bringing hope within its walls, and allowing broken hearts, slowly and imperfectly, to mend.

 

The story is so Israeli, although not exclusively so. There are people around the world who fought in many wars and suffer the emotional consequences but here, army veterans with PTSD do not beg for food on the streets, they are our heroes and although some slip through the net, they are few. We treasure them, we do everything in our power to give them succour.

 

Yisrael, Haya and Snir took their immeasurable pain and turned it into a place of healing. That is their story and that is Israel’s story. I see soldiers without limbs running in international sports through the care of rehabilitation and now they also have a place for their emotional rehabilitation through gentle love.

 

A change of mood and direction!

 

Did you know that Israel has a bob-sled team in the Winter Olympics? Not only do we have a bob-sled team but one of our team is a Druze, the first ever Druze to compete in the Olympics. Wared Fawarsy, who is making history as the first Druze to represent Israel in the Olympics, was a passionate lover of rugby who owned his own sports club when A J Edelman, the Israeli team leader, sent him an Instagram suggesting he join the “Shul Runnings” team. Shul Runnings comes of course from the movie about the Jamaican bob-sled team, no less unlikely than Shul Runnings (shul being Yiddish for synagogue). 5 Jews, one Druze and a Shiba Inu dog!!!

 

A tree is framed in the window right in front of me as I write to you, an almond blossom, the famous shkedia, its pale pink blossom heralding spring. As I drove to Herzliya the puff balls of shkediot on the hillsides gave my journey a special feel, especially as I came to the junction between Herzliya and Kfar Shmeriyahu and saw the enormous Israeli flag flying gently in the breeze. What a welcome! Talking of fruits, no matter how many kumquats I pick to give to friends, the tree is still laden. Limes aplenty, oranges and a tree full of tiny lemons (if anyone knows the name of these sweet and juicy little lemons please tell me). All of the above are barely as tall as Zvi except for the fejoya. I can see the tiny sunbird darting about in the shekdia, enjoying the feast of sweet blossom. I love this season of hope and new growth, hope that we will find solutions to the multiple problems of the world while enjoying the beauty of new growth.

 

For no particular reason I love this song, especially the singers. B’derech shelcha – Your way or your route, sung by soldiers of the IDF. https://youtu.be/ybJgDpCGG8o?si=4AbS2iiyQVu66EsA  

 

In Judaism we are taught that each morning, as we wake, we thank the Almighty for giving us back our soul. Giving thanks is not a matter of religious observance, this prayer is simply thanks for giving us one more day. Omer Adam with Modeh Ani  https://youtu.be/npRw36_Ftmc?si=HDSpDxXWzt_HbJG3 

 

Again to Omer Adam singing the most appropriate song for today, Friday, Yom Shishi. https://youtu.be/yI73P4c6vlQ?si=-uagM-5krgR3R6P4

 

That’s it! Today Zvi will head off to his parliament and I will go to see Rachel. Tonight we are just us, the two of us and tomorrow we will listen to a lecture by Or Heller, definitely one of the most informative military  journalist in Israel from where we can walk to Shabbat lunch with our lovely friends Sharon and Ernst Voss. In the meantime dear friends, take care of yourselves, stand tall and proud, never bend to bullying.

 

Shabbat Shalom and much love from the Jerusalem Hills

Sheila