The Plumber, The Pilot and the 7th

 

2^nd of October, 2026

20^th Tishrei 5787

 

Shabbat Shalom, Chag Succot Sameach, Blessed Feast of Tabernacles and Simchat Torah

 

There’s a new saying going around:

If you want to fly safely, take four Israelis with you, especially a plumber!

 

I warn you that this will not be a short missive, so much has happened, so make yourself comfortable and I’ll begin.

 

The drama of the Flydubai flight to Ben Gurion began with almost certain tragedy and ended with an enormous sense of pride in the courage and resourcefulness of its Israeli passengers. A little girl, in the toilet near the cockpit, heard a terrible commotion and told her mother, who alerted the cabin. What followed was almost unimaginable. Captain Smit Machchhar had been stabbed by his Omani co-pilot but, despite his injuries, somehow managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing passengers to get inside and overpower the attacker who intended Jihad, killing all the passengers on the flight.

 

Four Israelis then sprang into action. Yaniv Hayun barged into the cockpit, saw that the copilot was destroying the controls and he pulled him out of his chair, the other Israelis controlled him and Yaniv pulled back on the controls as the aircraft plunged 15,000 feet. Asaf Rajwan and Tzvika Mans helped restrain and tie up the attacker using a headphone cord, while Dr Shota Musayev, a dentist, treated the badly wounded captain and stopped the bleeding and administered CPR. When Yaniv,( a plumber by trade) was later asked how he knew what to do, how to stop the plane plummeting to the ground, his answer was wonderfully Israeli: “Because I watch Mayday (aka Airport Security) doesn’t everyone?”

 

Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot, sent a squawk 7700 indicating Mayday then 7500 for hijacking, before losing consciousness and once things were under control one pilot of the spare crew took to the controls, turned the plane around and headed towards Saudi Arabia, giving essential time to bring the situation under control. Captain Smit is now recovering in hospital in Tabuk and, frankly, deserves a medal. Despite extensive damage to the plane they landed safely in Saudi Arabia amid fears that there might be an explosive device on board. The passengers were understandably terrified, but were reportedly treated with great kindness by the Saudi ground staff, who provided food, drinks and medical assistance. Eventually they made their way home on another Flydubai flight since the Saudi authorities did not want to set a precedent of allowing El Al to send a rescue plane. An extraordinary story, four very brave Israelis, and a remarkable captain who refused to give up when 182 lives depended on him. What an incredible story and one with a miraculous ending, something we certainly need these days.

 

President Herzog has recommended the Presidential Medal of Civilian Valour for the four Israelis who helped save the Flydubai flight

 

Another extraordinary story, this time a much happier one, took place in Jerusalem on Sunday night. The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem held its annual Feast of Tabernacles celebration, with 1,500 people from 70 countries. The ICEJ family now stretches across 170 nations, many of whom pray regularly for Israel.

 

The Fijian Ambassador, Jesoni Vitusagavulu, gave a lovely speech before the Fijian Christian Choir filled the hall with that wonderful South Pacific harmony. I loved watching the Ambassador, he simply couldn’t take his eyes off his choir! He told us that Papua New Guinea and Fiji have established embassies in Jerusalem, with Samoa joining them soon. It brought back memories of the days when Israel’s seven-a-side rugby team seemed to consist largely of Fijian UNIFIL soldiers!

 

The ICEJ has been part of our lives for many years. Tim King was one of its founders, and we have watched his daughter Anna grow from a gorgeous flame-haired baby, photographic model, IDF officer who received honorary citizenship for her service, into a wonderful mother of three. Dr. Juergen Buhler, the heart and soul of the ICEJ today, came to Israel to study chemistry at the Technion 30 years ago and never left! These are Christians who support Israel because of their faith, not missionaries, as some mistakenly believe, and their friendship means a great deal. On the night of the Festival, they committed to $2million for the rehabilitation of Kibbutz Nir Oz, destroyed by the Hamas marauders.

 

On the 7th of October 2026, Dr Mike Evans and the Jerusalem Prayer Team, together with the Friends of Zion Heritage Centre, will hold a 24-hour Global Prayer Event from the Southern Wall of the Old City, Jerusalem, with Christians from around the world gathering to remember those murdered, pray for the grieving families and hostages, and stand against antisemitism.

 

On Wednesday, 3 years since the day that changed us all, the independent National Memorial Ceremony, organised by the families and the grassroots movement Kumu which means Arise, will take place in Yarkon Park, Tel Aviv. Simultaneously the Nova survivors and families hold a ceremony at Re’im the site of the Nova Festival. It matters to me that these are ceremonies organised by the people, by families, survivors and friends, not by the government. We will remember those who were slaughtered, the hostages and the heroes of that terrible day, and we will grieve for lives stolen and families shattered. But Kumu - Arise says something much more, we are still here. We grieve, we remember, we honour, and we survive. We still have nightmares remembering the cruel videos of hostages, beaten, held underground, humiliated, but rise again we must like the Phoenix that Israel is.

 

88-year-old Yocheved Lifshitz, a former hostage whose husband was murdered in Hamas captivity spoke out this week. Her anger is palpable. In an interview she rejected the claim that Netanyahu brought the hostages home, calling it “one big lie”: “Miriam Adelson bought us with the $100 million she gave Trump and told him to bring the hostages back”. Whether one agrees with her or not, after what this extraordinary woman endured, her words deserve to be heard.

 

I still don’t know how to measure the effect that the 7^th of October has had on all of us as Israelis. 3 years have passed since that Simchat Torah when joy turned into unimaginable pain, the slaughter of more than 1,200 people and the taking of 251 hostages, Jews, Arabs and Christians. What makes my anger even harder to bear is the knowledge that those whose job was to protect us failed so catastrophically. Our army, intelligence services and political leadership left us with “choser onim” helplessness, and, even worse, the knowledge that so many had been so arrogant, and certain they were right that they didn’t heed the warnings. How could they have been so blind? How could they have failed us so completely? The war that followed has only deepened the pain.

 

We have lost too many young lives, lost trust in those who lead us and, heartbreakingly, seen the worst of human behaviour emerge among our own people. The Hilltop Youth who attack Palestinians make me furious. Judaism taught me better than that. Violence does not become righteous because the person committing it wears a kippah, and terrorism does not become acceptable simply because it comes from our own side.

 

So, we mourn but arise, something we see in everyday life. We love to go to restaurants; we travel; in a determined effort to catch the last days of summer the announcement that the public parks and nature hikes are full seems a daily event; whatever you think, and beyond all logic, this is a country of joy and hope. Perhaps the clearest indicator of our personality is that when there is a new building project, by law they have to plant trees along the new roadsides! Flowering trees, jacarandas in all they glory are popular but within a couple of years they provide shade and greenery.

 

Did I say restaurants? So this week we went to Kfar Saba to see Yossi and Rachel then to Nattie and Yolli and finally our Argentinian friend Julio Jarak who we brought back to our place. He came to the ICEJ event with us and afterwards we realised that it was 22:00 and we hadn’t eaten since an early lunch. Where does one take someone who has been to Israel dozens of times? To Sima the most Jerusalem restaurant in the world. We couldn’t find parking on the road because everything was teeming, as happens within the vicinity of Mahane Yehuda!!! Finally, parked and wending our way through the throng of people enjoying an evening out and young people heading for the bars and music of Mahane Yehuda at night, we arrived at Sima, on Agrippas Street. Of course, within 30 seconds our lovely waitress, Haya, was our friend and advised us what to eat “Ma’orav Yerushalmi for the boys and pargiot for me” What’s Ma’orav Yerushalmi I hear you ask. Well, that’s a story in itself but I’ll make it short. The original owner of Sima used to serve his food but at the end of the day he was left with the giblets, innards and onions, so rather than waste it, he cut it up and grilled it with lots of oriental spices and put it in a pita! Over the years it has become the signature dish of Mahane Yehuda and Jerusalem!!

 

On Wednesday we went to a lunchtime concert at the home of our friends the Friedmans. When I say concert it actually meant lots of songs from way back when and jokes from the same period. Brothers Haim and Uzi Essner are infinitely talented, musically wonderful and really funny, interacting with their audience of a certain age. We are old friends since Haim played at our wedding 30 years ago! We then went for lunch at Motzeleh and Zvi tried Lachoch (Yemenite bread) for the first time. It took a Welsh Israeli to introduce him to Yemenite food!!

 

Tonight we have the family for both of Zvi’s boy’s birthdays, it’s only 14 of us but that’s fine. For a change I ordered a huge platter of sushi to add to the soup and “gevetch” or ratatouille, minted potatoes and salmon skewers, I am not capable of just ordering in!!

 

On Sunday we are back in Mahane Yehuda for a tour followed by dinner with Zvi’s choir. I know several people who will be jealous of that one!

 

Today, Zvi is off to his parliament and I hope to go to Rachel, perhaps the children will be there! We are getting very close to Yosef and Tsofia’s wedding, it’s becoming very exciting! We are all so thrilled that friends are calling to say that they are coming from far and wide, so special on every level.

 

And so to music, I hope you are still with me!!

 

Daniel Wais lost both his parents on that ghastly day, killed in cold blood by Hamas. He decided to enter the Israeli competition to choose the Eurovision singer and this is the song he chose – his father’s favourite. Ani Gitara – I am a guitar. I am happy to tell you that although he didn’t represent us, he has gone on to a sparkling career.  https://youtu.be/Kz249YwQTV4?si=3vFGtPb2RGmTB39q  

 

I know you love Koolulam and I have never given you this one before!  Researchers at the University of Buffalo conducted research into Koolulam and collective effervescence and human flourishing. People of all faiths from all over the USA came together to sing “Let’s Get Loud”    https://youtu.be/pxd_u4J6ZqI?si=CPzTiKpOK1k-yJXI

 

I love Omer Adam, probably the most popular Israeli singer at the moment. He got married just a few weeks ago and we all wished him and his bride well. This song “Yom Shishi” or Friday, is so Israeli! He sings about his plans (or not) for each day of the week but Friday, Friday leads him to Shabbat. It’s bounce, it’s fun and I have no doubt that you, like me, will dance about and clap your hands at the refrain. https://youtu.be/yI73P4c6vlQ?si=kukKYN5tnSE9ymzh

 

Dear friends, wherever you are, we are finding it difficult to understand the world right now but remember, we can control and enjoy OUR world, the one of so much love and human kindness. We can create an island of warmth, of family and friends that can overcome the cruel world outside. As I light the candles this evening, watching Jerusalem turning gold in the sunset in the distance, I will think of you as I say the prayer "Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the light of the holy Shabbat."

 

Shabbat Shalom dear friends. I’d love to hear from you, I know you always mean to do so but this time, do it, I love it when you do.

With love

Sheila

 

 

 

 

 

 

MLK, Succot and Tabernacles

 

25^th September 2026

14^th Tishrei, 5787

 

Shabbat Shalom, Succot Sameach, a Holy Tabernacles.

 

As we saw from the quote from Josephus last week, there is nothing new under the sun. A very wise man, much more recently, summed up our situation and our needs in words that sound as though he foresaw the world we live in today. This quote from the Reverend Dr Martin Luther King Jr. reminds us that those who rely on rigid, conventional diplomacy will rarely find the solutions that are truly needed. Dr King was a wise man and a true Christian, whose principles were rooted in Christian teaching and in a deep understanding of the world around him.

 

"This hour in history needs a dedicated circle of transformed nonconformists. Our planet teeters on the brink of annihilation; dangerous passions of pride, hatred, and selfishness are enthroned in our lives; and men do reverence before false gods of nationalism and materialism. The saving of our world from pending doom will come, not through the complacent adjustment of the conforming majority, but through the creative maladjustment of a nonconforming minority."

 

Yom Kippur was fascinating for “only in Israel” reasons. Here on our estate, we had one kind of prayer service, down the road in the ancient synagogue there was another, and further up the hill I know of at least three more; all Jewish, all observing the same Day of Atonement, but each with its own style, music and traditions. We drove up to our synagogue on the hill and then walked home. There is no traffic on Yom Kippur, so the world and his family came out to promenade along the empty main road of Mevasseret. Children of every age were whizzing around on bicycles, scooters and anything else with wheels, clearly delighted that, for once, the roads belonged to them. We bumped into wonderful friends, including Danny Adeno Abebe and his beautiful dog. Danny wrote a fascinating book about his journey from Gondar in Ethiopia to becoming a major journalist in Israel, so naturally we stopped for a chat and a hug. Walking down our steep, winding road with our lovely downstairs neighbours was another experience altogether. Without cars rushing past us, we could actually walk, talk and catch up properly, stopping every few minutes whenever we met someone else we knew. By the time we reached home, our supposedly quiet walk had turned into a very sociable Yom Kippur promenade!

 

As Yom Kippur ends, even before eating, the first sections of the Succah (Tabernacle) are built. Alongside the aromas of food to end the fast, the air is filled with the tap tap tapping of the hammers building the Succah. Perhaps the tradition of starting the Succah immediately came from the belief that we always need to have something to look forward to.

 

Yesterday, nighttime here in Israel but daytime in New York the hate machine was working at its hardest. Whether you love him or dislike him, Benjamin Netanyahu was in the United Nations representing Israel. The inane demonstration of so many countries in leaving the plenum showing undeserved contempt, not for Bibi but for us, for Israelis, for the very fact that we exist. The fake news machine which is aggressive in expression, containing words with biased and violent emotions has won in the United Nations, along with Mandani. Again, irrespective of politics (difficult with the elections looming) Netanyahu is a brilliant speaker and yesterday was no exception. He spoke of the fake news machine, of Mandani, Hamas and commented on our technology which has changed the world; however, calling the Hilltop Youths non-representative hoodlums diminishes their evil intent and their effect on Israel’s reputation.

 

One person missing from our delegation is our Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter. The Leiter family lost their eldest son Moshe Yedidiya z”l in the period after the 7^th of October. Early yesterday a car ramming left their son Neriya critically injured as a Palestinian slammed his car into the group of soldiers standing. Neriya (meaning the candlelight of the Almighty) was rushed to Shaare Zedek Hospital, paramedics performing CPR in the ambulance and he immediately underwent multiple surgeries. Please pray for his recovery.

 

We are right in the middle of my least favourite period, wherever I have lived: elections. They bring out the worst in people; discussions become arguments, the right attacks the left and the left attacks the right and being somewhere in the middle doesn’t help either! Perhaps my British upbringing explains my dislike of extremes, but neither Zvi nor I want to support them. I want pragmatic politics: a party and a leader capable of bringing change without hatred, inflammatory rhetoric or careless words that damage Israel at home and abroad. Even if I cared deeply for Netanyahu, I could not accept the extremists around him or the damage their rhetoric has caused. There, I’ve said it, my true feelings before this election and my hope for change.

 

This week was busy for both of us, surprise surprise, but one event really stuck out. It was a lecture about Kfar Samir and the Atallah family, Christians who fled oppression by the Bedouin in Lebanon many years ago and created an agricultural village and a pottery. The grandfather of the current generation, Boutrus (Arabic for Peter) invited Jewish families who had survived the Shoah to live in the empty houses (after 1948) and when they had no money to buy food he would lend it to them without expecting return. The Atallah family and their daughter Katie, are still there but Haifa has encroached with an industrial area that surrounds them, but they thrive and the pottery has become sought after.  Many of the  families and descendants of those who received the Atalla family’s generosity spoke of their incredible kindness. The Attallas are now very wealthy and admired members of the Haifa community and their story has spread far and wide, yet again showing that generosity and kindness pay off in so many ways. https://haipo.co.il/en/item/303542

 

Yesterday I went to see Rachel and the children (not exactly children especially Yosef who is getting married in November!) After they gave me enough hugs, kisses and “I love yous” to keep me going until next time, Rachel and I decided to go and get some fruit for the Festival. Rachel suggested going to a place nearby, not a shop but rather a wholesaler. Being game for anything we set off to a place that wasn’t even on Waze, Rachel directing me. We went through Giv’on Hahadasha, a Jewish settlement (yes settlement can mean ordinary people) through the Arab village of Al Jib on the Biblical site of the village of Gibeon, into the middle of nowhere surrounded by vines heavy with fruit. Beginning to lose confidence in my daughter’s instincts I kept going and suddenly humongous hangars came into sight! At first we were thrilled to step into the A/C and then looking around us was a vast array of fruit and vegetables! One area had potatoes, both normal and even peeled in a specially temperature controlled area; the other end had herbs in an equally controlled temperature. I leapt upon the huge, firm and perfect onions, both plain and the purple ones I love. Even though we had everything we needed at home, we bought more! We even managed to meet Rachel’s lovely friend Kim who was delighted at the bargain fruit too! The best part of the adventure was the reasonable bill at the end.

 

Sunday is going to be a bit insane but then life without a bit of insanity is boring! I have my chair Tai Chi in the morning and in the evening we have two events. One is the opening of a major art exhibition by our neighbour Pamela Silver https://www.pamelasilver.com/ which is to be held in the exquisite Brigham Young University Campus, which has the most incredible panorama of the Old City, and the second is the International Christian Embassy’s Tabernacles event which is simply stupendous and reminds all 3,000 attendees that you don’t have to be Jewish to love Israel!

 

What about tonight? Well, we have some lovely friends coming over to celebrate Succot. We don’t actually have a succah this year so we decorate the dining room which opens completely onto the veranda, pushing the doors back to full opening allowing the glorious breeze of the Jerusalem Hills into the room. To make time to talk to you today, I already prepared most of the salads and the set the table yesterday, just a few things to go. Zvi has gone off to meet his parliament friends, but not in the Botanical Gardens, in the home of Prof Shimon Shitreet who invites them each year to his Succah. I say his home and succah but actually I should include his wife Miri.

 

I think that’s it, except of course for the music. I am very excited that you love the music I find.

 

Let’s start with a fun song called Livin’ in a Booth by the Fountainheads! https://youtu.be/oXx5Wp3GcSE?si=W5JdcvWY-KGw2gfv

 

If you ever wondered what are the traditions and requirements of Succot, this quirky song explains it all. The Lulav (4 species), Etrog (Citron), sleeping in the Succah, Everything!! https://youtu.be/gODQ0pgR64Y?si=Zc2cSPh9P3Eim6vy

My final choice has a very deep meaning for all Israelis, indeed, for good people everywhere. Vehi Sheamda literally means “He who stood by us.” It is a Passover song, but its words carry a strength that reaches far beyond the Seder table:” in every generation enemies rise against us, determined to destroy us, and the Almighty ensures we survive”. Generation after generation, they come and go and we are still here. Israel itself is the living proof of those words: proof that we are a people, that we endured. Daniel Weiss lost both his parents on Simchat Torah on the 7th of October 2023, when Hamas entered their kibbutz and slaughtered his parents. The words speak of generations who faced those who wanted to destroy them. That is why Vehi Sheamda is such a powerful choice. It is not simply a song about survival. It is a declaration: they tried to destroy us, but we the Almighty stood for us and we survived.  https://youtu.be/fY1wgTq9SRM?si=jpDA3ymi_IZOMIIA

 

I want to end with a very important message. I watched Hen Mazzig face off Norman Finkelstien on Piers Morgan. Finkelstein was morose and bitter, denying his heritage as the son of Survivors, an Israel denier and Hen Mazzig, a gentle, honest, proud Jew and proud Israeli succeeding in the debate because he held his head high. The message is clear no matter what your religion; hold your head high, be proud of who you are and the Norman Finkelstein’s of this world will lose their impetus.

 

Shabbat Shalom everyone. I can’t wait until our dinner begins and our guests are amazed by the fabulous kiddush by Zvi. I have heard it for 36 years and it still makes me so proud.

 

Sending much love from our veranda and that unequalled view of Jerusalem on the horizon

Sheila

 

 

Josephus, Kippurim and a Great Restaurant

 

18^th September, 2026

7^th of Tishrei 5787

ז׳ בְּתִשְׁרֵי תשפ״ז

 

The Jewish year in Hebrew is תשפ״ז (in Hebrew letters are also numbers so it is 5787) and if we use the initials can mean Golden Year. Let’s pray that comes to fruition.

 

Shabbat Shalom, Shana Tova (a good New Year) Hatima Tova (May you be enscribed in the Good Book) and finally and most important of all I wish you a better year, a kinder year, one in which we spend more time listening than posturing. As my Mother taught us “God gave you two ears and one mouth, remember to use them in that proportion”

 

We are getting closer to Yom haKippurim, aka Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the day in which we are supposed to recognise all our sins, and the sins of those around us near and far, and promise to change, to repent, to make amends, to expiate, because human conflict should not be perpetual. It is so much more than a confession, it is a promise to change. I was thinking about the mutually destructive internecine battle of words and political rhetoric that is destroying our peaceful existence and my thoughts went back thousands of years to the words of the only written source of the time of the Romans and the destruction of the Second Temple through “Sinat Hinam”, unwarranted hatred.  

 

Flavius Josephus was born Yosef ben Mattityahu in 36 BCE.  Josephus was a Roman/Jewish historian and military leader. He was born in Jerusalem, which was then then part of the Roman province of Judea, to a father of priestly descent (Cohen) and a mother who claimed Hasmonean royal ancestry. Josephus holds the first and the only place among the native authors of Judaea. He recorded  “The Jewish War”

 

“A three-cornered faction fight in Jerusalem as one party split into two. We should not be far wrong if we described this like a maddened beast driven by lack of other food to devour its own flesh. It was as if to oblige the Romans they were destroying all that the city had laid up against a siege. They flung themselves at each other’s throats, and almost all the grain- enough to support them through many years of siege – went up in flames. Unhappy city! What have you suffered from the Romans compared with this?” It sounds so familiar, scarily so.

 

Just 135 years after Josephus death came the ill fated Bar Kochba revolution, the Romans won crushing victory. As a result they changed the name of Judea to Syria Palaestina, which became Palestine, and so the mistaken identity of this tiny sliver of land began.

 

NAZA the new Gaza film by Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, won the Special Jury Prize at Venice and received a standing ovation of at least 25 minutes.  I am furious. If you want applause, prizes, Oscars or Golden Globes, particularly in Europe, making a film portraying Israel as uniquely monstrous is a very good place to start. NAZA presents many disturbing testimonies from Israeli military “insiders”, however, this is a documentary of accusations without any evidence, verification, confirmation, validation, corroboration, substantiation, nothing, nada, to back up their claims. Ironically the film brought a horrified reaction from Israelis but is ignored by the rest of the world.  The former hostages want to investigate the supposed movie-makers.

 

On an utterly different note, last night Zvi and I finally used a very special birthday present a dinner at the Rooftop restaurant overlooking the Old City. It was elegant and rather special, not only because of the delicious food, but because of the wonderful professionalism of the staff and, of course, that phenomenal view. Our waitress was very special and I promised to write about her. Shirel, meaning song of God, is a student of Mechanical Engineering here in Jerusalem and as is the tradition of Israeli students, she is working in a restaurant, but what a restaurant! The dinner was a gift from Zvi’s musical friends for his 80th birthday. It only took us 18 months to actually get around to using it!

 

We parked under Mamilla Shopping Mall and, as we emerged from the lift, we seemed to enter a completely different world. Suddenly we were surrounded by thousands of predominantly young people, observant and secular, all making their way towards the Kotel for Selichot — the special prayers asking for forgiveness before Yom Kippur. The singing and dancing had already begun, and the atmosphere was absolutely infectious. Selichot can be said in a synagogue or even at home, and different Jewish traditions observe them for different lengths of time — Eastern communities often begin much earlier, while Ashkenazi communities traditionally begin shortly before Rosh Hashanah.

 

Trying not to be trampled by the enthusiasm of the younger generation as they surged towards the Old City, we stood there smiling and taking it all in. From an elegant rooftop dinner to a sea of singing, dancing young people heading to the Kotel, it was quite a Jerusalem evening — and a very special one.

 

These last few days are particularly meaningful in the Jewish calendar. We are in the Days of Repentance, the days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and tonight we light the Shabbat candles to bring light to a very important day, Shabbat Shuva — the Sabbath of Return. In the middle of all the prayers and traditions, we are simply being given a moment to stop, look back at the year that has passed and think about where we might have gone wrong, and where we might do better. Shuva means “return”: a return to ourselves, to the people we love, to what really matters, and perhaps to the values we sometimes lose sight of in the hectic schedules of everyday life. It is not about being perfect; none of us is. It is about recognising our mistakes, asking forgiveness where we need to, forgiving others where we can, and trying to begin the new year with a slightly kinder and better version of ourselves.

 

As Yom Kippur approaches, just two days away, I’ve been looking back over the past year, at what I’ve written, said and done, and perhaps most importantly, at what I should have said or done and didn’t. The prayers of Yom Kippur ask us to atone for the past, but also to prepare ourselves for the future. Although Yom Kippur is uniquely Jewish, the ideas of repentance, forgiveness and making a fresh start are ones that Christians, and people of many other faiths, can share.

 

So, if I have hurt or offended you, disappointed you or simply let you down in some way, I am truly sorry. None of us gets everything right, and I certainly don’t. Our friendships mean far too much to me not to say mechilah, please forgive me.

 

As we enter this most solemn of days, I wish you and your families a meaningful Yom Kippur, good health, love, kindness and peace — and the strength to begin again wherever it is needed.

 

Some of the most beautiful music is sung on the eve of Yom Kippur. Here Lt Colonel Shai Abrahamson the IDF Chief Cantor, sings Kol Nidre, the prayer that signifies the commencement of the Yom Kippur prayers.

https://youtu.be/Qj5rouyKZ9Y?si=4_ghHx4DhfrT0Wgt

 

Avinu Malkeinu, My Father my King, Cantor Azi Schwartz sings the prayer that is central to the service. The haunting music and words beseeching forgiveness are profound. “Hear our voice Oh Lord, with pity, and compassion and accept our prayer”

https://youtu.be/0a3mSHSjW30?si=AszEC15KhZ0qTBJT

 

Yaakov Shwekey sings a blessing for the young soldiers of the IDF. This was a concert in 2013, little did we know what our soldiers, young and old, would suffer during and after the massacre of 2023. The Shabbat of darkness and cruelty, the 7^th of October, 2023. We must all beg for their forgiveness, especially our leaders but also the leaders of the IDF, Shabak and Mossad, for not recognising our enemy. They were warned. The words of this song ring true"He who blessed our ancestors, our holy ancestors, may He bless the soldiers of Israel, the soldiers of Israel."

https://youtu.be/suKZK8O_x2s?si=vb9RgCppj1xV9N1_

 

Just as I finished writing it happened, the skies opened and the brilliant, cleansing rain fell. Perhaps it will wash away our sins, give us a clean start…. and thoughts of a new beginning as our elections near.

 

I wish you a beautiful weekend in which you love and are loved. Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem and the wet and glistening View from Our Veranda

Sheila

 

 

Shana Tova Niv

 

10^th of September 2026

28^th of Elul, 5786

25 years from 11^th September, 2001

One day before 5787

 

Shabbat Shalom and a peaceful and sweet Rosh Hashana.

 

I was going to write a simple New Year message, but you know me, nothing turns out the way I planned it! Rosh Hashanah is celebrated on the first day of Tishrei which is actually the seventh  month, which means that my random musings are an inherited Jewish issue!! Anyway, until yesterday evening and a young man named Niv, you were going to get a short note and I was going off to continue my cooking, table setting and general preparations for the 20 people coming to us for the Friday night/ first night Rosh Hashana meal. Niv simply blew my mind away, causing deep emotions to surface and admiration beyond all expectations, a surge of empathy, pride and respect. A deep understanding the behind politics and the general cacophony of criticism, there are real heroes on our doorstep. That is my Rosh Hashana message. Forget the cacophony, live with the pride.

 

So last evening the Bet Halochey hOr, literally translated meaning "House of the Warriors of Light." The wellness centre at the heart of our estate, held a Rosh Hashana Fair full of goodies. A few of us chose to go to the auditorium to hear a talk by a young man named Niv, a young man with a magical smile which clearly hid enormous tragedy. Niv stood on the stage alone and behind him, on the screen, were the words, you can’t see it on me, can you? With before and after photos. Niv suffers from severe PTSD,

 

When Niv was about to enlist, he could have used both his mother’s influence and his own brightness to go to a top intelligence unit but he chose to follow in his father’s footsteps and join the Engineering Unit. Not just the Engineers, but a special unit call “Yahalom”. Yahalom meaning Diamond; short for Special Operations Engineering Unit is the elite special operations unit of the Israel Defense Forces the unit specialises in complex, high-risk engineering and covert combat. He arrived at the site of the devastation of October 7^th and into Gaza where he worked virtually non-stop, refusing to rest until his job was done, until late November 2024 when his body simply collapsed. Why on earth would I tell you this story when all you want is to prepare your chicken soup and kneidlach and think sweet thoughts? Because Niv represents so much of what we are.

 

Yesterday, as he stood on the stage, speaking quietly and naturally, he told us about the retreats in Panama. Without a structured transition, that gap between war and peace can become dangerous. In uncontained environments, the search for quiet can slide into disconnection, and the absence of boundaries can lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms, including substance use, isolation, and emotional collapse. He showed us photographs of surfing, swimming exercise and fun, but spoke about the psychological support programmes. He and some friends began a programme of their own, an “ozen kashevet” a listening ear for others who suffer PTSD.

 

As I heard him speak, I felt that this is a story I recognised, but from where? Then the penny dropped; my granddaughter Talia had volunteered in such a place when she was in Panama this summer! I called her immediately and she asked for a photo of Niv and yes, she had met him and heard him speak when she was at the retreat in Panama.

 

Niv’s story is the one you will never hear on CNN, BBC, or read in the Guardian or NYT but it is a story of heroism beyond politics, of loyalty beyond necessity and the story that isn’t told unless you really listen. Niv and friends created a Website called HATITUDE and they created hats (HATitude) and Tshirts. Niv is one of the models! https://hatitude.co.il/en

 

Perhaps one of the most hopeful things happening in our part of the world is the work of IMPACT-se. Work that gives hope for change in 5787. With enormous gratitude to our CEO, Marcus Sheff, and his remarkable team, we have not simply exposed intolerance in education; we have worked to change it. Through our educational programmes, tens of thousands of children in Judea and Samaria and Gaza have been introduced to ideas of tolerance, coexistence and respect for others, with the help of Professor Mohammed Dajani Daoud. 93,500 Arab school students in East Jerusalem are learning through this revised curriculum. Ultimately, real change begins in the classroom, with the next generation. https://impact-se.org/

 

My wish for you, dear friends, is that this will be a year of kindness, wellness, love, gentleness to others and to ourselves; and the strength to believe in ourselves, irrespective of which direction we pray in, what language our blessings, what colour our skin, how we dress, rich and poor alike. Perhaps to think of the bravery of Niv, who through his pain thinks only of helping others to stand on their feet and reach out to others.

 

The aromas of chicken soup, roast beef, various meats and treats fill the air, each apartment bringing its culinary traditions with it. The table will be set soon, the red, juicy pomegranate seeds in their little dishes, the apple and honey beside each plate, the blessings will be recited over the sweet challah, the wine and a multitude of symbols which have blended from the various countries and absorbed traditions of our dispersion.

 

The Maccabeats sing a song which encapsulates the meaning of these Holy Days. https://youtu.be/pn9QgBNgl1w?si=u19JgFEKRuTbib_U

 

Bob Dylan, not only poet, songster but in many ways a prophet, sings of how the “Times are aChangin’” https://youtu.be/90WD_ats6eE?si=n52mdwaP6PADgday

 

From Boys town in Jerusalem which gives boys from disadvantaged backgrounds in Israel with the education, support, and love they need to build a brighter future. A truly happy song about peace…. May the one who creates peace on high bring peace to us and to all Israel. And we say: Amen.. https://youtu.be/cPMjE5sToQg?si=36ezV8LDwikNx6T9

 

Thank you for listening to my musings over the years. Please God in 5787 I will have only good news to report on “The View From My Veranda”

Sending you all, each and every one of you is precious to me, much love from Jerusalem. Shana Tova!!

Sheila

 

 

 

 

From Twain to Penitence

 

4^th of September 2026

22^nd of Elul 5786

 

Good morning! Shabbat Shalom! How are you? I’d love to hear from you so that I don’t need to worry about you…

 

Mark Twain, like Winston Churchill, wrote many things, mostly very positive, about the Jews. This one is fascinating.

“He has made a marvellous fight in this world, in all the ages; and has done it with his hands tied behind him. He could be vain of himself, and be excused for it. The Egyptian, the Babylonian, and the Persian rose, filled the planet with sound and splendor, then faded to dream-stuff and passed away; the Greek and the Roman followed, and made a vast noise, and they are gone; other peoples have sprung up and held their torch high for a time, but it burned out, and they sit in twilight now, or have vanished. The Jew saw them all, beat them all, and is now what he always was, exhibiting no decadence, no infirmities of age, no weakening of his parts, no slowing of his energies, no dulling of his alert and aggressive mind. All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?”

 

I want to tackle a very positive question about perception and truth, sometimes diametrically opposed. Perception can be very misleading, because the way we see life in general and politics in particular, depends entirely on the information we receive. For instance, the suggestion that Israel is an apartheid state, something oft repeated by people who have never actually been here, is a complete fallacy, or am I also adding to the disinformation? Let me take you into an Israeli hospital, where Jewish, Arab, Muslim and Christian doctors, nurses and patients work and are treated alongside one another every single day; to a law court where lawyers of every ilk, ethnic background, argue in one language, Hebrew; to the Supreme Court where an Arab Moslem is one to that rare group and finally, which Arab countries have Jews in their parliament? because we do! We argue, we disagree, sometimes get angry with each other like any family, but we also live together and share a thriving, exciting and wonderfully diverse country. Perhaps it is time the world came and saw that Israel and changed perception based on truth.

 

Another misconception based on misinformation is that all Arab/Palestinians are terrorists. Not only is that untrue, but Impact-se has made huge inroads into re-educating young students in East Jerusalem. The Impact of Impact-se’s work is exceptional. ”Eight years ago, IMPACT-se quietly undertook what many believed was an impossible task: a reformed curriculum for East Jerusalem schools that removed Palestinian textbook incitement, antisemitism, and glorification of violence, replacing it with tolerance, education about Jews, and recognition of Israel. “The real-world impact of this initiative has been extraordinary.

The program was implemented carefully and discreetly, in partnership with the Jerusalem Education Administration, a joint Jerusalem municipality-Israel governmental body responsible for operating Jerusalem’s public education system. Although strongly opposed by the Palestinian Authority and condemned by the Arab League on two occasions, today, approximately 93,500 Arab school students in East Jerusalem are learning through this revised curriculum.”  https://impact-se.org/

 

From the hope of re-education (thus changed perceptions) to a man who has always been a potential leader of the Palestinians from behind. He may just bring a glimmer of hope to Gaza. Mohammed Dahlan, the former Fatah leader who broke away from Abbas, is reorganising his Democratic Reform Bloc and seeking a larger role in Gaza ahead of the Palestinian legislative elections. Dahlan is educated, pragmatic and, during years in prison, learned to speak fluent Hebrew; he was involved in the negotiations for the Oslo peace process. Perhaps, after so many years of the same old, destructive, leadership, a different voice is exactly what is needed.

 

Another misconception is that Turkey is a stabilising element in the Middle East! Two consecutive headlines on the front page of one newspaper say that Huckabee hopes that Turkey can be as stabilising force and the other says that the Israeli Navy is acting to deter Turkish maritime aggression. How on earth are we supposed to know what's the truth when the same newspaper carries both headlines on their front page? Erdogan is taking Turkey to the brink of war with all its neighbours

 

Are you worried about your children/grandchildren’s education? 3 million children started school in Israel yesterday; including our grandchildren! The big question, is whether they're being taught or whether they're being educated. It's a question the parents all over the world are asking. Teachers are just not the powerful influencers on our children’s lives that they once were. Should they be paid more or are the teaching colleges not doing the job?

 

One direct diplomatic and military result of our changing relationship with Turkey is our much warmer relationship with Greece. Relations were once extremely poor, particularly under Andreas Papandreou in the 1980s. In fact, Greece helped evacuate Arafat and the PLO from Beirut in 1982 and Tripoli in 1983. How times change! As our relationship with Turkey has deteriorated, our ties with Greece have gone in the opposite direction. This week Israel and Greece signed the phenomenal $3.5 billion “Achilles Shield” defence agreement, for a multi-layered Greek air-defence system using Israeli technology. I find it quite extraordinary to think that a country that once helped Arafat leave Beirut is now turning to Israel to help protect itself. History really does have a funny way of turning full circle.

 

Rosh Hashana, literally the head of the year, is coming around again. Strange because it feels as though it was here last week!! Thousands gather each evening at the Kotel (Western Wall) for Selichot, Penitential Prayers, specific and heart wrenching prayers to clean one’s soul of former sins. The Sefarad (Spanish) tradition demands one whole month of atonement whereas Ashkenazi tradition demands just a week. This total period lasts for 40 days which directly mirror the 40 days that Moses spent on Mount Sinai pleading for God's forgiveness after the sin of the Golden Calf, a period that also ended on Yom Kippur. Fascinatingly, the same words are repeated every day. My prayer, every year, is that the penitential prayers are not simply repeated by rote but that hearts are opened, repentance is real and the schisms in society are healed. It is true that we may be a contentious people, but we are also a loving people.

 

Elections never bring out the best in people and these particular elections have already brought out the less attractive side of the contenders. I don’t like extremes. I have never liked extremes and I particularly dislike extremes in politics. We need a party with a leader who is just that, a leader. I don’t care if his English is perfect, there are translators; I care that he/she will lead us down a secure path, without rhetoric, with policies that first and foremost draw us together and heal the wounds of the last too many years; policies to find a solution to the question of Haredi conscription;  policies to stop our constant warring factions; to find a solution to the wars on our borders; stopping the wasteful, extravagant, profligate overspending due to scopophobia and paranoia of our leaders and feeding the desperate situation of housing, food and education.

 

The supermarkets are overflowing with people shopping for Rosh Hashana, and prices are already creeping up. It is tempting to blame the retailers, but this time there is a much sadder story behind it. Israel’s remarkable agricultural water system has been hit by micro-algae, believed to have come from the Nile Delta, blocking the water our farmers desperately need. After everything they did to bring their farms back to life following the war, they are now watching their crops wither and die. It is heartbreaking and of course, that shortage reaches our pockets, really tough for families already struggling. Our drinking water is completely safe and potable however; this is a problem affecting agricultural water, not the water coming from our taps.

 

Actually, I love shopping before the festivals because the cornucopia, the vast selection of local produce is phenomenal! Not the shortage of tomatoes etc. but the mangos, big as footballs, pineapples, watermelons, cantaloupes, peaches, nectarines, grapes, kiwis……I could go on and on and there are pots of pomegranate seeds ready separated – those bright scarlet pomegranate seeds that represent everything good for the future on the Rosh Hashana table.

 

I hope to get to Rachel today, although I admit I’m a bit rushed, but just sitting around her table, listening to their incredibly fast speech in a mixture of English and Hebrew, and generally absorbing family that it is worth stopping everything and going. This afternoon our village has a street party! Lots of games for the children, food trucks, storytelling, generally lightening the mood and preparing us for a great Shabbat and Rosh Hashana. Zvi has gone off to his parliament in the Botanical Gardens where the main topic of conversation will be the upcoming elections. Tonight we are just the two of us, a rarely quiet Friday Night and then tomorrow evening we are going downstairs to our wonderful neighbours where they have invited friends to hear Zvi recount the story of the birth of the battle for Soviet Jewry.

 

I think we have covered almost everything, but I also know that your favourite part is the relaxation of great music!

Our first song is not only lively and fun but it is also highly appropriate. BaShana HaBa'a (Hebrew: בשנה הבאה, "Next Year") is a 1970 Israeli song with music by Nurit Hirsch and lyrics by Ehud Manor. “Wait and see how good it will be next year”  https://youtu.be/wb0Y8DSa3oU?si=eT5FwkTOguHPofhG

 

To ensure a sweet new year we not only eat those pomegranate seeds but the meal begins with the blessing over wine, then challah then we have an apple slice dipped in honey to ensure a sweet year. Actually, my family always dipped our Challah (bread) in honey too so our family had a wonderfully sweet year! https://youtu.be/FlcxEDy-lr0?si=4iupHbsGzd5hNrSc

 

Now to something entirely different.

Koolulam and the people of Be’eri, the kibbutz that suffered so desperately on October 7^th, 2023. Listen to the words, read them, understand the mentality of people, our people and the determination to survive and thrive. https://youtu.be/hptZdP_hulY?si=KAylWdz_zGNdddHL

 

Perhaps I should go back to the beginning of this letter and Mark Twain’s words. We will survive, we have survived worse, but this time it is not in jus tone country, not in just one continent and it is not really the simple folk who are the danger, it is the supposedly intellectual upper echelon who are the most gullible to the hate machine. Let’s change it! Stand tall. Be who you are, whatever your race or belief. Don’t bend you head in fear.

 

As you already know, it’s hard for me to leave you! One last word, honestly, but an important one. I feel more and more the importance it is to know the stories of our parents and grandparents, not only the stories of the Shoah, but what came before it, because this hatred did not suddenly begin in 1939. I had interviewed Zvi’s parents but was sadly lacking in knowledge about my own parents. I discovered so much about my own father through conversations with my siblings, especially my eldest sister Eddie. I learned that this quiet, remarkable man had escaped the pogroms of Poland and, while only a child, had crossed Europe alone in search of safety in Britain. Had we not talked about his life, his extraordinary story might have disappeared with him. We owe it to the generations who came before us, and to those who come after to keep their stories alive.

 

That’s it, honestly! I wish you a beautiful weekend with time to look at the beauty around us all, even in the middle of the city, but most beautiful of all “The View From Our Veranda” Thank you for being my friends for so long.

 

With much love from Jerusalem, from Israel but most of all from our home to yours

Sheila