A,B,C and Operation Agatha

 

31^st July 2026

 

Shabbat Shalom to you one and all. I wish you a peaceful weekend

 

The "settlements" have been in the news a great deal this week, even more than usual. One would think that Israel is the only country in the world with disputed borders, yet once again the media has chosen to focus on one tiny corner of the globe while paying far less attention to countless other territorial disputes and occupations.

 

If, like me, you have occasionally found yourself confused about what is "ours", "theirs" and somewhere in between, a little explanation may help. Under the Oslo II Accord of 1995, the West Bank was divided into Areas A, B and C. Area A, which includes the major Palestinian cities such as Ramallah, Nablus, Jenin and Bethlehem, is under full Palestinian Authority civil and security control. Area B consists mainly of smaller Palestinian towns and villages, with Palestinian civil administration but shared Israeli-Palestinian security responsibility. Area C, which remains under full Israeli civil and security control, includes the Israeli communities often referred to as "settlements", together with large areas of open countryside, agricultural land, nature reserves and strategic road networks.

 

Part of the confusion is geographical. When people hear terms such as "West Bank", "occupied territories" or "settlements", they often imagine vast tracts of land with clear and obvious borders. In reality, the entire area is remarkably small, only about 130 kilometres from north to south and around 65 kilometres at its widest point. The landscape is a complex patchwork of Israeli communities, Palestinian cities, villages, farms, roads and hillsides, often lying only minutes apart.

 

Too often, the politics are reported without explaining the geography. Readers and viewers are presented with conclusions before they are given context. Whatever one's political views, understanding the map is essential before attempting to understand the dispute itself.

 

Having said that, there is no place for extremism in a country fighting for its survival. The actions of a small minority of violent settlers are not acts of patriotism; they are acts of lawlessness. At a time when Israel faces enemies on multiple fronts, IDF soldiers are being pulled away from vital missions to deal with incidents that should have been prevented. The responsibility does not rest solely with the perpetrators. When Ministers excuse violence, remain silent in the face of it or treat criminals as political allies, they become part of the problem. A government that cannot enforce the law equally weakens both the state and the society it is meant to protect.

 

Perhaps one of the qualities that distinguish Israel from its neighbours, indeed from most of this region, is our determined respect for other religions and faiths. As I have told you many times, Jerusalem, our capital city, houses places of worship of all the widely diverse religious groups, irrespective of the form of prayer. We not only respect but recognise, by law, each and every one, but, and here’s the rub, we expect that respect to be returned.

 

On Friday 24^th of July Guatemala became the 3^rd country to recognise the City of David National Park, as a Jewish Heritage, joining the USA and Argentina. The Park is the historical site of King David’s Jerusalem. Whatever the modern political arguments, the archaeological evidence beneath the surface remains unchanged. The existence of a contemporary community does not erase the history that came before it. Recognising the City of David as part of the Jewish heritage of Jerusalem is not a denial of anyone else's presence; it is an acknowledgement of historical fact.

 

Have you ever heard of Operation Agatha? Most people have heard of the bombing of Jerusalem's King David Hotel by the Irgun, led by Menachem Begin, on 22nd July 1946. Far fewer know what came before it. Three weeks earlier, British Mandate forces arrested around 2,700 members of the Jewish Agency and Haganah, raiding offices and seizing vast quantities of documents in an attempt to cripple the leadership of the Yishuv. Believing some of these papers had been transferred to the King David Hotel, the HQ of the Mandate administration, the Irgun planted explosives in the building. Warning calls were made urging evacuation, although historians still debate how those warnings were handled. The explosion killed 91 people — Britons, Arabs and Jews alike — and remains one of the most controversial events of the Mandate period.

 

Escaping the heat yesterday, we took our favourite short walk through Motza Illit and stopped for coffee after meeting a delightful couple, Ilana and Adam. As we chatted, Adam mentioned that he had come to Israel from Poland in 1956 as part of the Gomułka Aliyah, one of some 50,000 Polish Jews who arrived during that period. I found myself fascinated. Just when I think I know the story of Israel's many waves of  Aliyah -immigration, someone appears with a piece of history I had never heard before. That is one of the joys of life here; every conversation has the potential to teach you something new.

 

I didn’t know Nancy Hartevelt Kobrin although she knew my newsletters. Nancy is a writer, an historian, a psychoanalyst and an expert on Soviet Jewry and she contacted me to learn more about Zvi’s involvement in the student demonstrations that began the world struggle to free Soviet Jewry in 1969. There’s a Hebrew saying “Success has many fathers whereas failure is an orphan” and the Aliya from the FSU has been the most successful ever through science, culture and work ethic.

 

Based on his incredible work toward the freedom of Soviet Jewry, his work throughout the years for the good of Israel and the world Jewish community and for creating Young Leadership throughout the Keren Hayesod world many years ago, Zvi will be receiving a special Pioneers Award on Sunday. I’m so proud of him. Perhaps I am most proud of the fact that those young leaders have gone on to take major roles in their communities and the world and are still his (our) close friends today.

 

“Apartheid Israel” is an oxymoron.  Last night I was watching the news and after Lucy Aharish hosted a serious discussion programme (Lucy is Israeli Moslem) I watched the major news broadcast with the political and diplomatic expert Suleiman Maswadeh; the Northern correspondent Ali Mugrabi; equally the political correspondent is Haredi and the military and war correspondents are secular. In fact all the channels follow the same pattern. Our medical services couldn’t survive without our Arab doctors, nurses and dentists to say nothing of the numbers of university graduates and of course Members of Knesset. I could go on but I think that’s enough.

 

So you already know that we went for a lovely walk through the village, a village in every way. On our way down the path next to Sheva Achiot one sees the view over to Ein Kerem and the five Golden Onion Domes of the Cathedral of All Russian Saints and Gornensky Convent, above the Church of the Visitation. When we reach the top we can see the Calatrava Bridge at the entrance to town. In the village itself we have kindergartens, a small library in a pretty reading garden, lanes called for the fruits that used to grow here and the homes of people whose parents and grandparents were born here; two community centres, and as one comes into the estate, playgrounds, an area for fetes and musical events, and, in the gorgeous big house, an auditorium and coffee shop.

 

I love Boy George! Always have always will. He is not just a singer, an excellent one by the way, he is a bright human being who thinks out of the box, a trend setter not a trend follower. If you haven’t heard his latest release, you should!! Raised a Catholic he has openly supported Israel when his fellow musicians fear doing so. As a Gay man he mocks the stupidity of supporting Palestine. Here are the lyrics

We Will Dance Again. You say genocide / I say war / When you’re attacked / That’s what the army is for / “Does it get ugly? / You bet it does / When I know you want to kill / Every last one of us. You never mention October 7

Young girls raped against trees / Murdered brutally / For the crime of dancing / You condemn the Jews /With selective memory / Musicians holding flags / Mouthing like sheep / Propaganda fueled by the internet / Feels so weak.

But trust me, we will dance again / We will dance again / We will dance again / And there will be no war / But if you’re ever confused / I stand with the Jews / I don’t feel brave / I just need to behave like a human.” https://youtu.be/B8OVEI0FfWU?si=wF2XPt1I_0r5vSio

 

Tu B'Av is the Jewish holiday of love, joy, and matchmaking that falls on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Av. This year that was the 29^th of July. Traditionally, unmarried young women in ancient Jerusalem wore borrowed white dresses so rich and poor looked alike, and danced in the fields to find partners. Of course, today that is probably non-woke today! Known as Chag HaAhava, or the Festival of Love, it is widely celebrated in Israel with romantic dinners, concerts, parties, and giving flowers and of course proposals of marriage. Here Yonina, husband and wife, sing of their love for one another. https://youtu.be/iaGQAy3rCI0?si=gR5Abb3-lm-YmAIT

 

“Together throughout, we’ve been through it all and we’ll get through this too” the words of Katan Aleinu. Liraz Russo, known as Static and Eden Ben Zaken are famous Israeli stars yet when necessary, they donned their uniforms. This is Israel.  https://youtu.be/M8Nz-wBEf7o?si=4Rj-NnVqdiO9XEBx  

 

It's time to extend our dining table since we will be 15 for Shabbat dinner and I want to get the table set. Everyone laughs because I like to get the table perfectly set well in advance and then I feel that the rest is easy. I can decide what I’m giving everyone with their particular culinary foibles, prepare, cook and get the bowls ready, lined up like soldiers to receive the salads or vegetables. Maybe, if it’s not too hot, I’ll go for a stroll around the veranda, checking out the fruit trees, in awe at the unbelievable hibiscus smothered in peachy/orange flowers and then standing, just standing very still so that the tiny sunbirds can dart from flower to flower then take a drink of sugary water from the special feeder, stopping to see Jerusalem on the horizon.

 

This week’s Torah reading talks of gratitude, of the lack of gratitude of the Children of Israel’s first generation out of slavery. Moses reminds them of the things they should be grateful for and perhaps that’s a lesson we should learn. We are often so busy complaining that we forget how lucky we are. Just a thought!!

 

Shabbat Shalom lovely people. Shabbat Shalom to you all, wherever you are in this crazy world.

Sheila

 

 

 

 

 

 

People not Headlines - back from Albania

 

23^rd July 2026

9^th of Av, Tisha b’Av

 

Shabbat Shalom dear friends. We are back!

 

Today is Tisha B'Av, a day of fasting and remembrance. For thousands of years, Jews have mourned the tragedies that have befallen our people — from the destruction of the First and Second Temples to the expulsions, persecutions and ultimately the horrors of the Holocaust. Yet one lesson our history should teach us is never to belittle the suffering of others. That thought was very much on my mind during our visit to Kosovo.

 

Our friend Damian, together with his lovely partner Brickela, collected us from our hotel for the 400-kilometre journey across the border from Albania into Kosovo. Kosovo is a beautiful country, but one that still carries deep scars from the 1999 war with Serbia.

 

Brickela's family lived through that war, and hearing her speak about it through her tears, brought their history painfully to life. She spoke of slaughter, rape, burned homes and families forced to flee. As I listened, I was struck by how hatred so often follows the same dreadful path. The horrors of 7th October remain our own terrible wound, but recognising the suffering of others does not diminish it. If anything, it reminds us that innocent people everywhere pay the price when hatred is allowed to flourish. The memorials of Kosovo speak quietly of a grief that still endures and, thanks to Brickela, became far more than names on a monument.

 

Another thing struck me. Although Kosovo is an independent country, it remains staunchly Albanian. Albanian flags are everywhere. If there is a wedding, the invitees decorate their cars with Albanian flags and drive in procession through the streets. It is not a question of dual loyalty; rather, a recognition of shared history, language and peoplehood. Watching it, I understood instinctively. Thoroughly exhausted by the end of the day; from 08:30 until 02:00 the next day with 800 kilometres under our belts we understood that history experienced is thoroughly different from history in the news, Who should understand that better than Israelis?

 

One lesson stayed with me throughout our travels in Albania, Kosovo and Azerbaijan. These are predominantly Muslim countries, yet everywhere we encountered warmth, hospitality and a quiet acceptance of people who may pray differently or come from different backgrounds. It made me wonder whether some Western societies, so quick to lecture others about tolerance, might have something to learn from them.

 

So what’s been happening since our return?

Jewish settlers, extremists, set fire to a mosque near Hebron. I wonder what the Jewish world would say if it was the opposite and Palestinians set fire to the Jewish Synagogue in near Hebron

 

There comes a point when difficult questions can no longer be avoided. This week, groups of Haredi protesters once again blocked the entrance to Jerusalem, threatened passers-by and brought parts of the country to a standstill. Their anger is directed at military service, yet many refuse even to attend the recruitment centres to obtain the exemptions to which they may be entitled. I say this as someone who loves Judaism, values Torah learning and respects those who dedicate their lives to it, but there is nothing Jewish about intimidation, threats or treating fellow Jews as enemies. A country at war cannot function if entire sectors insist that the burdens of citizenship belong only to others. Faith deserves respect; so, do responsibility and the rule of law. Surely Tisha b’Av is the time to fight together not each other.

 

Iran has been firing missiles at most of the countries surrounding it, the countries of the Gulf which include Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the Emirates and for two days running they have been firing at Aqaba, the Jordanian port on the Red Sea. It is as if they are waving a red flag at the United States while all of us pray that it will not come to an all out war. What drives the Ayatollahs? Is it desperation or are they ready to take on the world? What drives them to attack other Muslim countries when we know that Islam specifically decries such action? What is the advantage of Turkey, or should I say of Erdogan, in joining their confrontation while currying favour with Trump?

 

While the threat of Iran looms, things are warming up on the election front and rhetoric is rife, as it always is when faced by politics! What party will win I do not know, although I hope it will be led by an honest man or woman who cares deeply about our country and cares less about their own position.

 

Just by the way, Mamdani’s threats to arrest the Israeli Prime Minister are not only empty threats they bear no resemblance to the policies of New York. NYC has the reputation of accepting all, now there is yet another stain on that glorious city’s reputation.

 

One issue Israel must address honestly is the relationship between its Jewish and Arab citizens.

While having dinner in Tirana, we found ourselves sitting beside a delightful family. "Where are you from?" we asked. Rather hesitantly, the husband replied, "Israel," as though he was unsure what reaction he might receive. We laughed and immediately switched into Hebrew. The next question, of course, was where in Israel. Again, somewhat cautiously, they told us they were from Sachnin and hoped to move to Carmiel. Lina is a lawyer with the Israeli State Attorney’s Office and Mohammed is a mechanical engineer. As we wished them luck, they shared a painful story. They had found an apartment, agreed a price and reached the final stage of the purchase. Then, they told us, the sellers saw the name Mohammed and withdrew from the sale.

 

I found myself wondering how we would react if the story were reversed. Israel's Arab citizens are doctors, dentists, nurses, lawyers, engineers, teachers, judges and soldiers. They are part of the fabric of this country. We do not have to agree on everything to recognise a simple truth: a society is judged not by how it treats those who are like us, but by how it treats those who are not. 78 years after Independence we must recognise that every single Israeli citizen, with the exception of criminals, is an essential part of our society and just as we demand that Jews should be accepted as equal wherever they may live in the world.

 

Lake Kinneret has many names and so does its most famous fish. Christians know it as St Peter's Fish, Arabic-speaking fishermen call it Musht (comb in Arabic) because of its comb-like fin, in Hebrew it is Amnon, you may know it as Tilapia. Whatever the name, it brought back memories of my very first visit to Israel in 1963. I crossed the lake by boat to Ein Gev, then living under the shadow of Syrian guns on the Golan Heights, and there ate my first Musht. What caught my attention this week, however, was not the fish but the fisherman. Menachem Lev has been fishing the waters of the Kinneret for more than forty years. Once there were hundreds of fishermen on the lake; today he is the last. In a country that changes so quickly, there is something rather moving about a man who sets out at dawn to cast his nets, keeping alive a tradition as old as the lake itself.

 

So here we are again. The IDF is on high alert, Iran is increasing its threats to the United States and its closest ally in the region, Israel, aka the Big Devil and the Little Devil. There may well be another confrontation ahead of us; in this part of the world, we have learned never to say never. Yet despite the headlines, despite the threats and despite the uncertainty, I am enormously relieved to be home. Actually, I’m not relieved to be home, I’m delighted and thrilled to be home. It may sound strange to those of you who haven’t been to Israel, but it shouldn't. Israel is where I feel safest, not because there are no dangers, but because we face them with our eyes open. We prepare, we protect ourselves and, when necessary, we stand together. That is why, when we wish each other Shabbat Shalom, we truly mean it.

 

Finally, the World Cup. We watched the Argentina–England match in Tirana, surrounded by Argentinian supporters, apart from one English family whose ten-year-old son proudly wore his England shirt. The football was competitive but enjoyable until the Argentinian players turned it into a political statement by displaying a "Malvinas" banner, resurrecting the Falklands dispute. Fans will always wave flags; international sportsmen should know better. Spain deservedly won the final, but what followed was deeply disappointing. Instead of accepting defeat with dignity, several Argentinian players became involved in ugly confrontations with their Spanish opponents. What should have been a celebration of football became something rather less admirable. Instead of being remembered as Messi's moment, it became Argentina's shame.

 

My, oops I mean OUR mirpesset (veranda) is blooming! While we were away Gideon came for a quick visit with his little sister (Rachel) in our otherwise empty apartment, a rare moment for them both, and they ensured that the irrigation system was sufficient in the searing heat of an Israeli summer. Gideon enjoyed one of the delicious apples on the little Ana tree which was so full of delicious apples that Rachel had to add another bamboo support to stop it keeling over! The new herb garden was absolutely full of basil, dill, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme and the scent greeted me as I neared. All the citrus trees are either flowering or in various stages of bearing fruit and the hibiscus, oh the Hibiscus, red, crimson, peach, orange and purple all welcoming us home. The other herb corner with mint, lemon balm and louisa is growing so fast that they needed cutting back and what was a dry stick with straggly roots that my lovely friend Averil gave me is becoming a shesek (loquat) tree that is growing like a triffid!!

 

My first song is very tongue in cheek, sung by the excellent Eli Luzon, complaining about everything, but we wouldn’t live anywhere else! Ayzo Medina – What a country https://youtu.be/5jRCs94IfEw?si=Q_NUPfdmaFg4HIKi

 

This song, written in the 70’s for my children’s favourite show Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat is still so relevant, sung by Donny Osmond “Close Every Door to Me”  Listen carefully. https://youtu.be/d8reEiq4ui8?si=RJTtHAFvnHcA5Ee_

 

This last song shows my age from the time I was a flower child and thought that love could conquer the world Where Have All the Flowers Gone was probably about the Vietnam War but could have been about any war because sadly there is always one somewhere. https://youtu.be/ZgXNVA9ngx8?si=dKEg37TfdzA6gEt2

 

I want to finish by telling you about a very special man, my brother in law Raymond who passed away yesterday. I still remember the first time I ever saw him, I was just 11 years old, when my eldest sister Eddie came home with a handsome, if rather skinny, young man from Manchester and the whole family fell in love with him. They were married for 69 years and I know few couples as devoted. I send all my love to Eddie, Paul and Marilyn and to Ruth and all the grandchildren and great-grandchildren who will miss him horribly.

 

Sending you wishes for a Shabbat Shalom from our home to yours

Sheila

 

 

  

 

Heroes and Heroines

 

8th July 2026

 

Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh Bazeh — We are one people, bound by a shared responsibility for one another.

 

I owe the amazing Maccabeans from three countries an apology.

When I heard that Australia, Britain and Canada were not sending their usual huge youth delegations to this year's Maccabiah Games, I assumed they had simply become overly cautious. I couldn't have been more wrong.

 

On Sunday, over lunch in our home, our Canadian friends Bill and Ellen Izso, Jeffrey and Samara Freeman and the wonderful Roy Saloman, explained the real story to Zvi and I. Bill, who had the heartbreaking responsibility of making the final decision, Told us after the Canadian Government travel warning insurance companies simply refused to insure hundreds of young athletes travelling to Israel. Faced with that reality, there was no responsible alternative.

His words struck me. "How can I bring hundreds of youngsters here," he asked, "when I cannot guarantee that Iran or Hezbollah won't launch rockets and that they will always have somewhere safe to run?"

 

Jeffrey and Samara happened to be in Israel on the 7^th of October, 2023 and witnessed something no insurance company could ever calculate. Hotels, guest houses, apartment buildings and private homes opened their doors without hesitation to anyone needing shelter. Jeffrey's conclusion was simple: despite everything, he feels safer in Israel than anywhere else in the world. Unable to fly home because the air space over Israel was cleared, they chose to do so much more than wait for a flight; they conquered fear and day after day drove south to the Gaza envelope to help farmers harvest fruit and vegetables after foreign workers had fled and Gazan labourers, obviously, could no longer enter Israel. Jeffrey was delighted to tell us that he learned to drive a tractor so they could move large crates of fruit. Such actions helped the farmers to survive.

 

Sometimes the headlines tell only half the story.

 

Last night our dear friends Bill Izso and Claudia de Benedetti were among those honoured with the Yakir Maccabi Award. They received it because, quite simply, they "get it".

They understand that the Maccabiah is about far more than medals. It is about bringing young Jews to Israel through sport, creating friendships that span continents and strengthening the bond with Israel. Bill told us that his own journey into Maccabi leadership began under the guidance of the wonderful Roy Saloman, who mentored him by leading through example. It is now Bill and Claudia who are passing that same spirit on to the next generation.

 

We couldn't be prouder to call them friends.

 

I sat down at six o'clock this morning intending to tell you about what I did last night.

I walked the few metres to the "Big House" auditorium to hear a talk by Sapir Berman. I went out of curiosity and left deeply moved.

 

Sapir began life as Sagi Berman, who went on to become one of Israel's leading football referees. Today she is a beautiful, confident woman who chose to undergo her transition in full public view, beneath the glare of media headlines and in one of the most macho professions imaginable. With extraordinary warmth, humour and honesty she spoke about finding the courage to become herself, and about the unwavering love of her parents, her brother and her football family, who stood beside her throughout that journey.

 

Why am I telling you this?

Because beyond everything else, Sapir is proudly Israeli. We often speak of physical courage in Israel. Last night we were reminded that moral courage deserves our admiration too. She took us from laughter to tears and left us with one unforgettable message: conquer fear, but never lose yourself. Perhaps what her story says even more about Israelis and Israeli society is that she is still loved, still admired and still speaking to audiences so that they will accept others.

 

The people I've written about today, Bill and Claudia, Roy Saloman, Sapir Berman and so many others, are all different but share something precious: they have the courage to remain true to themselves and to care for others. Perhaps that is the real meaning of Am Yisrael Chai. Not simply that the People of Israel live, but that we never allow fear to decide who we are.

 

Now I really am signing off. The suitcases are packed, I’m about to meet friends for one last coffee, the medicines are organised (an unavoidable reminder that we're no longer twenty!) and then Rachel will take us to the airport. I can’t end without sending special love to my son Gideon for his birthday tomorrow and to my amazing big sister Eddie and her lovely husband Ray for their 69^th anniversary today. 25,202 days of absolute love and partnership.

 

Be well. Care for one another. Stand tall, know who you are and never let fear stop you from being yourself.

 

As always, I'd like to leave you with a song. When looking for just the right song I discovered something special. We have songs to welcome people home, but none to say goodbye. Perhaps that's because, in Israel, we never really say goodbye. We simply say Lehitraot – until we meet again. So, I'll leave you with Koolulam singing Bob Marley's One Love in Jerusalem's Tower of David, where Jews, Christians and Muslims sing together.

Shalom. Salaam. One Love. Until we meet again.

https://youtu.be/TZzK29_V8jQ?si=3QaBxxfke1CMyr-o

 

With all my love from Jerusalem.

Sheila

1,000

2^nd July 2026

17^th Tammuz 5786

1,000^th day since October 7^th 2023

 

Shabbat Shalom dear friends. I wish you a “Gut Shabbes”. When I asked AI how to say Shabbat Shalom in various languages, trying to reinvent myself as a polyglot, it told me very firmly that wherever you are you still say “Shabbat Shalom” but I suppose AI doesn’t speak Yiddish.

 

1,000 Days.

One thousand days since 7th October tore our world apart. One thousand days since the slaughter at the Nova festival and in the communities of the western Negev. For a country of fewer than ten million people, the cost has been almost unimaginable: nearly 1,000 soldiers killed, more than 1,000 civilians murdered, around 25,000 soldiers wounded, 885 children orphaned of at least one parent, 232 husbands and wives left to rebuild shattered lives alone, almost 2,000 bereaved parents and more than 3,400 grieving brothers and sisters. In all, over 6,500 Israelis have joined the nation's circle of bereavement. These are not simply statistics. 1,000 days during which thousands of homes were heavily damaged or destroyed in dozens of Israeli border communities resulting in the displacement of over 200,000 Israelis from the country's southern and northern borders.1,000 days and still no national commission of inquiry. 1,000 days and nobody has accepted responsibility. In a country as small as Israel, we lost neighbours, friends their children and our families and we must know why, we cannot heal without it.

 

Even as I read those figures, I find them almost impossible to comprehend. What is perhaps even harder to understand is the way much of the outside world now sees Israel. As I wrote last week, disinformation thrives on the relentless repetition of simple lies until they become accepted as truth. And so the world has been turned on its head. Here is a nation still fighting, seventy-eight years after its birth, for the very right to exist; an indigenous people who have rebuilt their ancient homeland into a vibrant, successful society, yet remain so profoundly—and so painfully—misunderstood.

 

If any good can emerge from the frightening rise in antisemitism across Australia, Canada, Britain, the United States and most of Europe, it is that many young Jews are choosing to come home. More than 22,500 new immigrants arrived in Israel this year, around a quarter of them from Western countries. They are doctors, scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs and young families who have come to the painful realisation that, despite all they have achieved abroad, there is only one country where they know they will never stand alone. That country is Israel.

 

This week we received one piece of news that gave me genuine hope. For the first time in decades, ordinary Lebanese men and women may finally see a future free from Iran and Hezbollah's violent domination. Whether it will happen remains to be seen. Until now, the very idea seemed out of reach.

I couldn't help thinking back to my first visit to Israel in 1963. There was no real border with Lebanon then, merely a simple barrier across the road. Like any curious teenager, I wandered over, chatted to the Lebanese soldiers and even posed for a photograph with them. (Today it would have been a selfie; in those days it was taken on a Brownie Box Camera!) Years later came the Good Fence, and then when members of the Christian South Lebanon Army and their families found refuge in Israel. It is terrifying how quickly our northern neighbours became our enemies. Perhaps one day it will be possible for one of our grandchildren to happily wander across the fence for a selfie, who knows. Peace will not come while Hezbollah controls southern Lebanon, but if its grip can finally be broken, perhaps our children and grandchildren will discover that neighbours need not always be enemies.

 

Few political transformations have been as depressing as that of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. I remember when Turkey was the holiday destination of choice for many Israelis and trade was strong. The people were warm, the hospitality legendary, and it was hard to imagine that relations between our two countries that was so strong that our cooperation went well beyond military collaboration. Ben Gurion dreamt of an alliance of non-Arab countries (Ethiopia, Turkey Iran and Israel) could go so quickly down its current path. Over the years Erdoğan steadily turned Turkey away from its traditional Western alliances which culminated when his ambitions to join the European Union faded, he increasingly looked eastwards. His ties with Islamist movements and, ultimately, with Iran's regime grew closer and closer and his rhetoric became more and more hostile toward us. Netanyahu recently observed: "If we have learned one thing from the history of our people, it is that when someone says he intends to destroy you, take him seriously." It is a lesson Jews have learned at far too great a cost to ignore.

 

Thanks to the Israeli police's determined campaign against organised Jewish crime, many of the country's leading crime figures have been jailed, dramatically reducing the gang violence that once dominated the headlines. Sadly, organised crime within the Arab sector has continued to grow, and deadly shootings have become an almost daily tragedy, claiming innocent lives as well as criminal ones. No citizen should have to live in fear because certain neighbourhoods have become effectively beyond the reach of the law. That must change. Every community in Israel deserves the same protection, the same policing and the same security.

 

The Armenian Genocide is an historical fact. Between 1915 and 1917, the Ottoman Empire murdered an estimated one to one-and-a-half million Armenians. Israel is finally expected to recognise that reality officially, a decision I never understood why it took so long. Then we visited Azerbaijan. I began to understand the diplomatic complexity. Israel has close strategic ties with Azerbaijan, while the long and bitter conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh has left deep wounds between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Many Armenians found refuge in Jerusalem, yet Azerbaijan remains one of Israel's closest regional allies. Morally, recognising the genocide is the right decision. Diplomatically, it is far from simple since Armenia is a close ally of Iran.

 

Only in Israel. When a missile struck near Bat Shlomo in northern Israel, it made a large crater in an agricultural field. But instead of leaving destruction behind, it uncovered a previously unknown underground spring. Today, that crater has become a natural pool where children paddle, teenagers swim in the cool water and families come simply to enjoy the unexpected gift. Ironically the spring is now called “Ayn Til” which translates as Missile Spring! It may not quite be turning lemons into lemonade, but it is a wonderfully Israeli way of turning devastation into life.

 

Athletes from all over the world are here for the “Jewish Olympics” the Maccabiah Games. As I wrote last week, Canada, Australia and the UK had difficulty in bringing a sizeable team, but wonderful Macabbeans marched on the catwalk of the spectacular opening ceremony last night. Roy Salomon, Bill Iszo (who is getting a special “Yakir Maccabi” award this year) and Tommy Bacher represented Canada; Roy is an incredible friend, a huge supporter of Israel and a dear, dear man. Michael Ziff proudly represented the UK and Lisa Borowick represented Australia. Michael Segal, President of Maccabi World Union declared the games open. We were thrilled to see a new generation of Maccabi leaders in the shape of Roy Hessing, a friend of Zvi’s Amiad for many years. Roy did a truly magnificent job.

 

The most special aspect of this Maccabiah has been spending time with Michelle Fainsod, Zvi’s cousins Billy and Ruth Shapiro’s granddaughter. On Sunday a whole group of Maccabeans are coming for lunch.

 

The Fast of the 17th of Tammuz marks the beginning of the three weeks of national mourning that culminate in Tisha B'Av. It recalls a series of calamities in Jewish history: Moses breaking the Tablets after the sin of the Golden Calf; the cessation of the daily Temple sacrifice; the breaching of Jerusalem's walls; the burning of a Torah scroll by the Romans and the desecration of the Temple by the placing of an idol within it. Together, they remind us that nothing is guaranteed. Faith can be tested, freedom lost and sovereignty surrendered. History teaches us that recovering them may take millenia.

 

I was watching the news the other day, probably not the wisest thing for one’s blood pressure, and suddenly realised that 3 of the most senior journalists on Channel 13 are Israeli |Arabs! The phenomenal Lucy Aharish who you all know, then Ali Mugrabi reporting from the North and Suleiman Muswahdah who is a senior political correspondent. I was thinking, how many Jewish reporters are there on Arab stations?

 

This week has been a week of girlfriends, the best! Gila and Merle on Monday, Carmen and Dana yesterday and we met in our coffee shop, not only chatting but also meeting the wonderful people who created the Wellness Centre in what was the Convalescent Home of the Original Union. It is now a Wellness Centre for those with PTSD. Merle, a renowned psychologist, was deeply impressed.

 

I have a confession to make... and I fear it may disappoint some of you. We are off to Albania again!

Before you ask, yes, I know, we've already been, but this time we decided to leave Tirana behind and see the lakes, mountains and little villages that friends have told us about, to discover another side of what is proving to be a remarkably beautiful country. The only downside is that I'll be taking a short break from writing. I really will miss our weekly conversations. They have become a very special part of my life. With any luck, I'll return with plenty of stories, a few surprises and far too many photographs!

 

My reason for writing today is clearly because it is 1,000 days, but also because we have a simply insane day tomorrow. Zvi has a meeting at the Efron Hora Dance Centre and then we go to Ein Kerem for a concert and finally to our lovely friends Shoshi and Kobi Lecket for Shabbat Dinner.

 

And so to music.

 

Daniel Wais became famous when he sang a song to his father who was killed on that fateful day in Kibbutz Be’eri. Daniel chose to express his sadness at the loss of both has parents through his music. https://youtu.be/mcq3dqK0n18?si=CnZxVguXGNA65W43 Song of Freedom, to honour all who lost their lives.

 

I love Shlomi Shabat especially in this tribute to Jerusalem. https://youtu.be/_kQCTlFuCqQ?si=rqNQI0uCYKf8tbGp

 

Tomorrow, the 1,001 day after the 7^th of October, is Shabbat and Omer Adam makes it a joyous occasion, so different from the other days of the week! I challenge you to stay silent! C’mon. sing along with us   https://youtu.be/_kQCTlFuCqQ?si=rqNQI0uCYKf8tbGp

 

Shabbat Shalom lovely friends. See you in a couple of weeks. Stay positive, be strong, this too will pass.

With much love from Jerusalem, the undoubted centre of the world

Sheila

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

New York Baku and Jerusalem

 

26^th June 2026

11^th Tammuz 5786

993 days since 7^th October 2023

 

Shabbat Shalom!  I’m back! I missed writing to you last week but we had a wonderful time discovering the City of Baku in Azerbaijan. More of that later.

 

“The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time”. Jack London 

 

Goebbels understood that propaganda works best when people do not realise they are being manipulated. He had no interest in reasoned debate. His target was always the “man in the street”, bombarded with simple slogans repeated until lies sounded like truth. Facts became irrelevant; repetition became everything. That is why today's disinformation campaign against Israel is so dangerous. It relies not on history or evidence, but on relentless slogans, manipulated images and accusations designed to provoke emotion rather than thought. “Genocide”, “apartheid”, “colonialism” repeated often enough, many people stop asking whether they are true. That is the power of propaganda: it replaces reason with reflex.

 

New York City may be the saddest example of all. For so many years it felt like a very Jewish city: not only because of the number of Jews who lived there, but because Jewish life, Jewish humour, Jewish argument and Jewish values were woven into its very fabric. New York, the city that was the true example of the Goldener medina – the Golden Country that Jews dreamt of; the place where they could find freedom before the founding of the State of Israel. To see such a city elect leaders openly hostile to Israel, who succeed in sending voices increasingly comfortable with that hostility to Congress, is deeply painful. It did not happen all at once. It happened because slogans were repeated, falsehoods were dressed up as compassion and hostility to the Jewish state was slowly recast as virtue, until too many people forgot what prejudice looks like when it is wrapped in fashionable language.

 

New York is not alone. The poison spreads wherever this propaganda is allowed to pass for truth. Manchester, Melbourne, Montreal and too many other cities have all seen the same ugly result: anti-Israel hysteria bleeding seamlessly into open antisemitism, with violent acts carried out by the far Left, by old-fashioned Jew-haters and by those who no longer bother to distinguish between the two. That is the true outcome of propaganda. It does not merely distort facts; it legitimises hatred and gives prejudice permission to act.

 

Theodor Herzl understood, with a sadness that still feels painfully familiar, that no matter how successful, patriotic or well integrated Jews became, we would still be “the other” when it suited the mood of the times. So he turned the whole question on its head. Instead of asking how Jews might fit in elsewhere, he asked why we should not simply go home. In doing so, he reminded us of something both simple and profound: that we are not a race, nor merely a religion, but Am Yisrael, the People of Israel. A people bound by memory, faith, history and destiny, whose hearts never stopped turning towards Zion. That is why we say Am Yisrael Chai. The People of Israel lives. Eitan Chitayat, together with Dr Einat Wilf say it all right here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1teGYJPo1EM

 

Israel must also have the courage to confront the wounds within its own open and democratic society. We cannot condemn the lies told about us abroad while ignoring the ugly truths at home: young Jews attacking innocent Palestinians, encouraged by ministers such as Ben Gvir; the intolerable burden placed on those who do serve in the IDF while large parts of the Haredi and Arab sectors do not; the disgraceful anti-enlistment riots by extreme Haredi that bring roads and cities to a standstill; and a government which, too often, seems more interested in reshaping the character of Israel than in protecting the values on which it was founded. This weakens Israel from within and hands our enemies the weapon they seek.

 

Fifty years ago this week, an Air France flight from Tel Aviv was hijacked by two PFLP terrorists and two German accomplices. At Entebbe, Uganda, Jewish and Israeli passengers were separated from the others in a scene chillingly familiar to Jewish history. Israel did not hesitate. Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Defence Minister Shimon Peres sent planes and commandos 4,000 kilometres to bring their people home. In a ninety-minute operation, 102 hostages were rescued. Yoni Netanyahu was the only Israeli soldier killed, while Dora Bloch, taken to hospital, was later murdered by Ugandan forces. Entebbe remains a defining moment when Israel showed the world—and Jews everywhere—that we do not abandon our own.

 

Venezuela is no friend of Israel but when they suffer a truly catastrophic earthquake, as happened on Wednesday, the Israeli emergency medical and rescue delegations race to help in the rescue of those buried in the devastation and the clean-up left in the wake of the doublet earthquake, both over 7 on the Richter Scale within 39 seconds of each other with 26 aftershocks which has killed at least 164 people and destroyed infrastructure.

 

The Maccabiah is known, and rightly so, as the Jewish Olympics. However, this year major countries like Canada, Britain and Australia are not sending teams to the Maccabiah, citing insurance and flight problems, but 90 year old Samuel Marshall is not fazed, he is still leading India's delegation to the Maccabiah games, onto Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem for the opening ceremony. He has been involved since his first Maccabiah in 1957. Thank you, Samuel, you have shown the true Maccabiah spirit.

 

Israeli politics are warming up toward a September election (hopefully). Who is Gadi Eizenkot?

The quiet man, the former Chief of Staff, who in his own way, without deriding his fellow candidates, is reaching high into the polls. His honesty and refusal to enter the dirt and nastiness of politics came about when he left the current government after his son Gal z”l was killed in Gaza. He said that the government was not worthy of his son or the fallen, or of the hostages who died in captivity. That is not a biography you can manufacture and it's the one credential Netanyahu cannot answer.

I visited the IMPACT-SE (www.impact-se.org ) offices on the Tuesday before leaving for Baku. It was an exceptional experience, meeting the team who make things happen in our quiet, respectful way, changing the way children learn about others, bringing tolerance to schoolbooks where there was hatred. The young team of brilliant strategists, researchers and linguists led by Marcus Sheff, made me so proud to be Chair of the Board. 

Baku, Azerbaijan. Not the first place one may put on the bucket list of countries to visit but oh my, would you be wrong! Baku is the most beautiful city with fabulous architecture, incredible museums, concert halls, music academies, sports halls and arenas around every corner. The carpet museum blew our minds! Imagine a building in the shape of a rolled carpet! People were open and kind; religion, while Moslem, is clear, but I didn’t see one hijab except in the tourist hotel. In short, we highly and warmly recommend a visit to Baku, I promise you will be enthralled.

 

We got back from Baku on Monday evening and then on Tuesday evening we went to the magnificent National Library for a concert of the Jerusalem Music Academy in honour of the 250^th anniversary of the United States. A 100 strong student choir and a student jazz band entertained us with wonderful excerpts from Porgy and Bess, West Side Story, indeed almost every significant American modern music played and sung brilliantly; jazz and choir. A fine tribute to the USA and a brilliant performance by the students.

 

Today, after writing to you, I’ll finish off preparations for Shabbat and then take to the road, and head off to see Rachel and family. Out of our village onto the main road, turning up toward Ramot and then climbing up, up, up toward Nebe Samuel, Samuel’s Tomb. There I will pull into the vista point to wonder at the mosaic that is Jerusalem. Just as she is clearly made up of puzzles pieces joined by trees, trees everywhere, Jerusalemites form a mosaic of race, creed and colour. Christians - Orthodox, Copts, Catholic, Anglican; Muslims both Sunni and Shia; Mekoya Mandaeism and, of course, Jews a multifarious society indeed. As I come down the hill again, careful to reduce my speed because of the speed trap at the bottom of the hill, I see Ramallah on my right. Many modern high-rise buildings springing up everywhere but there is a huge difference, in Ramallah there is no human mosaic, it is one colour, no diversity, sadly diversity of faith is not just discouraged but dangerous. Oh dear, I started this paragraph with determined optimism but slid into places to which I didn’t intend going. On the other hand, I live on this wonderful open side of the fence so I’m lucky! That’s it, changing subject.

 

On a much lighter note, the World Cup has taken over our household and, I suspect, that like Zvi, most of the male population are happily glued to their televisions until the wee small hours. I should add that I mean football—the proper game, where you actually kick the ball with your feet rather than carry it around under your arm! What always strikes me is that countries which can barely exchange diplomatic niceties somehow manage to play each other with respect, shake hands at the final whistle and leave the politics off the pitch. Unlike the Olympics, football usually remembers that the game itself is what really matters. If only the rest of the world could do the same.

 

This time Zvi and I sit side by side at our computers in the Mamad, by choice, not because we are being bombarded. Together, but each busy with our own writing. Zvi will head off for his parliament in the Botanical Gardens coffee shop and I already told you where I am going! By the way, The Botanical Gardens has a wonderful Tastes and Sounds of India celebration in the Botanical Gardens this weekend. All invited by the beautiful and Sari’d Indian Ambassadress to Israel. Maybe the parliament will eat curry to heat up their discussions!!

 

 This week we celebrated 30 years of marriage and I would love to hear from those of you who were at the party, the huge celebration on June 23^rd 1996, held under the beauty of the Walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. The poles of the Chuppah were decorated by Gideon and Rachel and held by Amiad, Leor, Valeri z”l and Gideon, with Jill as my Maid of Honour, my late cousins Jean and Stuart stood in for my late parents, Kalman and Alla (Zvi’s amazing parents) stood with us under the chuppah, or marriage canopy, and the proceedings were led by Rabbi David Rosen at the request of his brothers Jeremy and Mickey z”l. I will never forget singing “If I Forget Thee Oh Jerusalem” opposite the newly lit walls, thanks to Edmundo and Raquel Safdie. One funny aspect, in the nearby Sultan’s Pool the rehearsal was taking place for the official ceremony of the Lights and we went down to ask the producer if he would quieten the rehearsals just during the ceremony, he agreed. However, as Zvi broke the traditional glass we suddenly heard about 300 Ram’s Horns (Shofars) cut through the night!!!!

 

Perhaps that’s the cue for the first song.

If I Forget Thee Oh Jerusalem. https://youtu.be/jues4wiAFnQ?si=Y3Hgjru_RzNHHCSO

 

As the 1,000^th day since the horrors of 7^th of October nears, perhaps we should hear this song of sadness and hope. When the sun will rise again by Nunu  https://youtu.be/v3CVIpa4Rxc?si=ELfmqfjXyDJ2_0lV

 

One of the songs performed at the Celebratory Concert for America’s 250^th birthday was “Somewhere” from West Side Story. A Steven Spielberg film, Music by Leonard Bernstein, Lyrics by Steven Sondheim, the story of Romeo and Juliette in New York; but the song? For me it is the prayer that somewhere the world will be safe for Jews and a reminder that now we have a safe haven for the Jewish people, right here in Israel.  https://youtu.be/oae6SW5bgeQ?si=qoBYhk_G5tt5FIq2  

 

Shabbat Shalom dear friends. You are so important to me. Nothing pleases me more than meeting you and hearing from you, to know that you read my musings, that my letters help you to understand this complex part of the world. I wish you peace, Shalom, Salaam, Pax, Pais, this weekend ad every weekend. Maybe the light from our candles can eradicate the darkness and bring kindness.

With love from Jerusalem

Sheila