pARANOIA, DIOKOPHOBIA OR PLAIN TRUTH

 

PARANOIA, DIOKOPHOBIA OR PLAIN TRUTH

 

1^st of May 2026

14^th of Iyar 5786

 

 

Shabbat Shalom Dear Friends! Shabbat Shalom and a happy May Day.

 

As a child I remember dancing around a May Pole, well actually it wasn’t me dancing around a May Pole but I remember film and photos of young people weaving and plaiting the ribbons which then magically untangles! Such wonderful, innocent memories. I wish children today could have those memories rather than glued to their phones alongside parents equally glued; but then I always was a dreamer.

 

Back to cruel reality and the acceptable antisemitism around the world. I learned yesterday that the police in Sydney, Australia, were warned about an attack on Jews before Bondi Beach, but didn’t take it seriously, not because they hate Jews, but rather because they didn’t believe there would be an attack of this nature in Australia. Perhaps the police felt it was paranoia whereas it was, in fact, a well based case of diokophobia, the technical term for the fear of being chased. Thus it was in Michigan, Manchester and now London. What causes it? This intense, often groundless dislike is also described as animus, malice, enmity, bile, vitriol, and prejudice, but is far simpler than that; it is well coordinated and planned antisemitism, taught, viewed, read and above all the uncontrolled use of TikTok and the like.

 

Perhaps it is coincidence, perhaps not, but the attack on Jews in London coincides with the anniversary of Adolf Hitler’s suicide alongside Eva Braun April 30^th in 1945.

 

There is something rather unsettling in the echoes of history. After the false messiah Shabtai Zvi betrayed the hopes of so many by converting to Islam, countless Jews were left devastated. For some, the disappointment was so profound that they abandoned not only him, but in some cases their connection to Judaism itself. The sense of betrayal ran that deeply. At times, I can’t help but wonder whether we are witnessing a modern version of that same painful phenomenon; the danger of misplaced faith, grand promises, political certainty, or ideological extremes that ultimately leave ordinary people disillusioned. Once again, many are being asked to place their trust in narratives of redemption, only to find themselves facing the far more familiar reality of Israel continuing its enduring struggle for survival. My concern is not simply political, but communal. For Jews around the world, particularly those already wrestling with identity, rising hostility, and moral confusion, profound disappointment can become deeply corrosive. When controversial governments or troubling decisions create alienation, there is always the risk that some may distance themselves not merely from policy, but from their peoplehood itself. History reminds us that disillusionment can have lasting consequences, and that is why clarity, honesty, and a grounded sense of Jewish continuity matter now more than ever.

 

Israelis, in particular, and Jews in general have a seemingly natural tendency toward positivity and hope, after all that’s the name of our Anthem, and seeing a gathering of forces of the Israeli Opposition represents hope and renewal for us in Israel. Instead of infighting, Lapid and Bennett have joined forces and Eizenkot will probably join them. It doesn’t mean that our enemies will suddenly love us and we will live in everlasting peace, but it offers a more positive vision of change. A vision of a government that doesn’t use the “divide and conquer” policy, a strategy employed by this or any government to create or exploit internal divisions to maintain control, often leading to deep social fracturing. What so many of us long for is not uniformity, but unity, a return to being a strong, resilient society capable of holding many different views while still recognising our shared future. In a country as diverse and passionate as Israel, that may be one of the most hopeful visions of all.

 

The country is in turmoil over the killing of a young man on Yom Haatzmaut. Eight or nine youngsters were using the spray party foam to celebrate our Independence; hardly a problem, but they were doing so inside a pizza parlour and Yemanu Binyamin Zelka z”l  who was on the night shift, asked them to stop spraying inside the shop. They went away then came back and stabbed him to death. This is Israel where youngsters grow up with a sense of responsibility, it is something that we have never seen, but it is happening. Something is happening that Israelis don’t understand; something frightening is happening where youngsters feel they can kill someone with impunity. They have been caught and will undoubtedly serve long prison terms, but they killed Yemanu and ruined their own lives, and the lives of his and their families.

 

Enough! Enough doom and gloom, let’s look on the bright side!! For one, we haven’t needed our safe room for some time now! Yes, I am sitting typing, writing to you in that room and true that I haven’t drawn back the heavy, metal guard across the window, but life has returned to normal and we look forward to Lag b’Omer, the 33^rd day of the counting of the Omer, 49 days between Passover (Pascha) and Shevuot (Pentecost); a period very similar to Lent in its restrictions. Many young couples marry on Lag b’Omer because they can have music and dancing at their celebrations. Youngsters’ light bonfires and camp out, beside their bonfires made of carefully gathered wood and twigs, although the glorious weather has dried the earth and grasses making it a problem in terms of starting bush fires. I suppose every good thing has its setbacks which can be solved by following the rules. This festival expresses our positivity more than any other because it is a celebration of the passing (yahrzeit) of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai (Simon son of Yochai) a master of Kabbalah and author of the Zohar who instructed his students to mark the day with joy rather than mourning. The bonfire represents that light that Bar Yochai brought to the world. Haredim celebrate in Meron near Shimon ben Yochai’s grave by lighting a special beacon and dancing.

 

Things are changing in the Rabbinical Court. For the first time in Israel’s history, and thanks to a High Court emergency injunction that ended a delay of several hours, three women took the rabbinical exam administered by the Chief Rabbinate on Monday. The Rabbinate begrudgingly allowed women to take the test, which is given to men seeking rabbinical ordination, after a landmark High Court decision in July, following a years-long legal battle. The exam is part of the series of tests on Jewish law taken by rabbinical candidates.

 

The State Department’s determination that PA textbook incitement should carry real consequences, based on our research, is gratifying, and a testament to IMPACT-se’s determined work over many years alongside multiple administrations in Washington is finally paying off. European Parliament urged a funding freeze over PA textbook hate. The vote comes after the PA’s repeated empty assurances to the EU that textbook reform has been implemented, claims that are clearly and consistently contradicted by IMPACT-se’s research.  You can check it out on our website www.impact-se.org

 

Talking of Impact-se, the New York Post wrote about our research into Iranian textbooks. https://nypost.com/2026/04/25/world-news/iran-released-vile-textbooks-instructing-children-to-destroy-great-satan-us-and-israel/

 

Congratulations to Israeli epee fencer Dov Vilensky for winning the gold medal at the under 23 European Championship in Italy!  Raz Hershko won gold in the Judo European Championships. Gymnastics (Osijek World Cup): Artem Dolgopyat won a gold medal in the floor exercise at the World Cup in Croatia. Every week another Israeli athlete wins gold; it’s in our DNA to compete in sport, despite all the jokes to the contrary!!

 

So what’s happening in our world? Next Wednesday Zvi is singing with his choir at the Jerusalem Theatre with the exceptional David De’Or. Of course, this means that he has been out most evenings at rehearsals to ensure harmony.

 

Last Saturday an old friend of Zvi’s came for afternoon tea with her husband, and it was fascinating to hear stories of Zvi’s period in university and his many adventures in charge of culture which, of course, led to his organizing demonstrations for the Soviet Jewry, the first in the world in 1969, his argument with Golda and the start of the Soviet Jewry Campaign “Let My People Go”. That was a digression of a proud wife, definitely allowed!! Anyway, we sat at the table with the usual challah, cheeses, egg salad, dips and crudites etc, and they barely ate we were so immersed in the stories. Anyway, they left and the Friedman Family, Merle, Frank and Kevin who came to help his parents move in to the new apartment, arrived, ready to go out for a meal together. We looked at the laden table and we all decided that we prefer to stay and natter about everything, including the fact that Merle and Frank’s move into their new apartment is imminent. Much better than any restaurant. I also discovered that Frank and Merle love Matza which eased the problem of what to do with leftover Matza from Pesach!!

 

I have been meeting friends in our local coffee shop, within the wellness centre, run by three young people who suffered extreme PTSD after the Nova Festival. I also went to Abu Ghosh to the plant nursery and bought a whole load of flowers to plant. They are still tiny but beginning to acclimatize to their new surroundings to give us the pleasure of their bright colours.

 

Tomorrow, we celebrate Gili’s, our granddaughter’s 17^th birthday! I’m making antipasti and one thing is for sure, between the Raviv’s and myself, the tables will be laden!!

 

What is happening in our world, the clear hatred that has emerged, is on my mind all the time. Our wonderful friend Canon Andrew White has call for unity, for Christians to openly support their Jewish communities; he recognises the need for us to come together, to share love for each other, to recognise the lies, the calumny, for what it is and ensure that we teach our children to honour each other. His leadership, his true Christian love is heartwarming and, in many ways, makes up for the hatred out there.

 

If there is anything we must learn from these last months, maybe years, if that we must learn to accept those different from ourselves, be they people who vote differently, people who pray differently, people who look different, and to read beyond headlines; to teach our children that what they see on TikTok may be exciting but it may also be untrue, inciting them to hate; teach them to question and to judge rather than be judgmental.

 

Today, Zvi is in Jerusalem, taking a young Italian Christian to see the beauty of Jerusalem old and new; to see the multicultural aspect of a city that carries the weight of the world on her beautiful shoulders. At 12 he will go to his parliament, back in their private room in Caffit, in the Botanical Gardens. I wonder what they will talk about?

 

This Shabbat, let your thoughts take you to a better place, remember that you don’t have to be Jewish to light a candle, to say a prayer. After saying the prayer for Shabbat I always say a prayer for my family, for the world’s children while allowing the glow of the candles to warm my face and my heart. It does well to remember that the light from those Shabbat candles can light the world if we just strike the match of tolerance.

 

I started this missive with the world “Shabbat Shalom dear friends” and that is what I wish you. From our veranda to your home, I wish you a peaceful mind and a warm heart. With much love from Jerusalem, the heart of our world.

Sheila

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mimosa, Milei and Rembrance

 

23^rd April 2026

6^th Iyar  5786

 

Shabbat Shalom! A happy St. Georges Day to one and all. St George is the English patron saint who, according to the legend, fought a dragon. Today, on St Georges Day, we all need to pledge to fight the dragon of antisemitism and hatred.

 

Until when? Until when?

Until the strength of Israel in its land will condemn and defeat in advance any enemy attack; until the most enthusiastic and bold in any enemy camp will know; there are no means to break the strength of Israel in its land..." 

Moshe Beilinson

 

I love this time of year. The trees start to blossom, the gardens suddenly find their colour again, and as I drive along, the wild mimosa along the hedgerows seems to wave at me, a bright cheerful yellow, as if there isn’t a care in the world, uplifting, and for a moment you can almost forget the chaos that surrounds us, until reality hits us in the face. At times it feels as though we have too friends in the world, friends turn their backs and some countries we thought we could rely on are quietly stepping away, internal politics carrying more weight than friendships. All of which makes it all the more uplifting that the President of Argentina came to visit, prayed at the Western Wall, sat next to the PM at the Ceremonies on Mount Herzl and signed the Isaac Accords, a covenant of Judeo-Cristian nations. It may seem a small step, but perhaps the beginning of something much bigger in South America.

 

The mimosa cheerful yellow mimosa and the sense of uncertainty as our world becomes less stable. Maybe that’s the point, maybe Mother Nature is try to teach us a lesson about . Even when everything feels unsettled, flowers still bloom, nature reawakens, quietly reminding us that things can change, hopefully, for the better.

 

When I was in school, in the geography lesson, we learned that there are 6 seas and 5 continents, but since then there are all sorts of changes and additions. For instance, North and South America are considered two separate continents; India is still a sub-continent but Australia is a continent by itself. I could go on and on but then I’d lose you before I reached the point!  So, let’s think a minute; Asia is made up of predominantly Islamic countries that are not tolerant to other religions; Africa has either tolerant Christian countries or Islamic countries that are not tolerant to other religions; North and South America and Australia are Christian countries that are tolerant to other religions; Asia is interesting because it has many Muslim countries but most are relatively tolerant. Europe, including Scandinavia, is a predominantly Christian continent (still) that has had its moments of intolerance but their statutes are tolerant. So can someone tell me why, if all of those continents are jam packed with Muslim, Christian, Hindi countries, why is it that Israel, a tiny dot on the map, is such an inconvenience? What about India? Well that’s another story completely. The vote on Indian partition was in 1947, just like ours, India was split into Muslim areas (East and West Pakistan) and Hindu India, with India allowing freedom of prayer for all. Today India has the same situation as Israel without the Iranian element. Strange that no-one ever writes about it.

 

Two soldiers defaced a statue of Jesus in Lebanon. I was fuming, furious at their audacity, their ignorance, their lack of respect for the Lebanese Christians. The perpetrators (those who watched without acting) were punished and I thought the punishment was insufficient, but here is the incredible part; several deeply pious Christian friends, leaders of their communities, not only wrote to me to forgive the soldier, who they say was frustrated, in a war situation, but Christian leaders asked President Herzog to forgive him. The IDF has since replaced the statue with a truly beautiful replacement, I am still cross, but I loved the reaction of my dearest Christian friends, friends of Israel.

 

What should have been a serious and necessary moment at the High Court of Justice descended instead into chaos on Thursday, as a hearing on petitions calling for a state commission of inquiry into the atrocities of 7 October was disrupted by attempts to force entry into the courtroom and a pro-government crowd gathering outside demanding access. Proceedings were halted and the justices advised to leave for their own safety — an unsettling scene at a time when calm, clarity, and accountability are so badly needed. Precisely because of the scale and trauma of what happened on 7 October, the need for a full, independent state inquiry is not a political luxury but a national necessity — one that must rise above noise, pressure, and division if we are ever to understand, and to move forward.

 

 

We have not drawn back the huge metal plate that covers our window in the safe room/study. The cease-fire is just that, not a peace agreement with Iran, which will never be forthcoming, and I will never trust the Houthi pirates or Hamas and Hezb-Allah. I can’t quite get used to the idea that the messages on my phone are just about AliExpress or deals on Amazon. I go to classes without fear, but make sure I know where the shelter is; strange really because it was just a month out of all the years that I felt so safe. I still feel safe, protected, much more than you do. Friends tell me that they have never felt so unsafe. Applications for Aliya have quadrupled as so many people are buying properties in Israel. Life for Jews has become unsafe, perilous, and so many do not yet recognise the writing on the wall.

 

Despite it all, or maybe because of it all, our athletes have, yet again, performed miracles. Everyone is talking about that proud Israeli, Deni Avdija the amazing Allstars basketball player. His baby-face is everywhere as he scores again and again. Israeli Judoka Raz Hershko has won yet another championship as she was crowned European Champion with dominant 52-second final win.

 

This last week was one of incredible contrast. On Saturday afternoon, a few friends came for a spontaneous afternoon tea, the kind I love, and then on Monday evening, after the night siren to remind us of the nearly 30,000 human lives lost in battle and in terrorist attacks, Zvi sang at the annual evening of sad songs in the Botanical Gardens Plant Nursery to commemorate Remembrance Day. No matter how many times I hear the siren, the wail of distress throughout this land, it gives me chills. It is a stark reminder of the innumerable families that cry, the families that can never be built, the children who may never know their fathers and the parents who bury their children. Each and every one of the 30,000+ souls lost appear on our television screens for 25 hours. Too many wars that we never wanted.

 

Tuesday night and the mood changes, nay veers in a totally different direction as we celebrated out 78^th birthday. The massive ceremony on Mount Herzl is the domain of the Speaker of the Knesset, he alone is supposed to preside over the proceedings, but for the last several years it has been taken over by the Prime Minister. Nonetheless, it was impressive. Although more than 2 hours long, it is well worth watching. https://www.youtube.com/live/msBZvw4UjH4?si=25zq9jkCC_HYfvW0  

 

Zvi and I went to the Jerusalem Theatre for a concert, a most unusual concert with conductor Eli Yafe, the conductor of the Great Synagogue Choir. Just as our emotions veered in all directions so the musical miscellany was a pot pourri of genres. From Verdi to Vivaldi, from Elgar to Rimski-Korsakov with a resounding finale of variations on Shir Hamaalot! The Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra was out in its full glory, and glory is the only word for their talent, accompanied by a tenor and baritone.

 

On Yom HaAtzma’ut itself we went to visit Joanne and Chuck Greenblatt. Actually, I knew their daughter Hannah from my Movement class (she is much more lithe than I) and she kept saying that Zvi and her Dad definitely have a lot in common. Anyway, we went to visit them and what a delightful surprise it was! They are both over 90 and sharp as tacks, still very active and although Chuck and Zvi didn’t have that much in common, we found out that Chuck has been working on essential research, for many years, with Mark Spigelman, a dear friend! We would have loved to stay longer but we had promised to go to a showing of a fascinating movie, an all Israeli movie Scenes of Jaffa, a comedy about a group of Eastern Jews and their quirkiness.

 

And so to Shabbat. Why am I writing today? Because tomorrow morning we are driving to Ashkelon to attend the Azkara, annual visit to the cemetery, for Valeri, Ira’s husband, Sheli and Tomer’s father, who died so suddenly three years ago. May his soul rest in peace.

 

Some of the most beautiful songs are sung on Remembrance Day

When Nomi Shemer heard the Beatles Let it Be she wanted to translate it into Hebrew as is, but she was persuaded to write her own, very Israeli version and it is absolutely beautiful. Sung by Hava Alberstein. https://youtu.be/yDyHGjawbL4?si=Mtu8DQ-QKIwv36Jp

 

I have talked about Idan Amedi, who went to serve his country, his Israel, on October 8th 2023 and stayed until badly wounded. A quiet man, he wrote this song about his pain. Following his recovery from severe injuries sustained in Gaza in January 2024, Amedi has been actively involved with existing organisations, particularly those focused on supporting victims of terrorism and bereaved families.   

https://youtu.be/DNEhUrnUo94?si=LhEZy69Grq9zsvdd

 

Two of my favourite things in Israel, Jerusalem and Shlomi Shabat, come together in this beautiful song. A tribute to Jerusalem, surely the  most beautiful, fascinating, spiritual city in the world. Enjoy! https://youtu.be/_kQCTlFuCqQ?si=NXZ_VR8hwtOIr3UF

 

My wish for you for this Shabbat is that you find inner peace, time to contemplate, to think of all the incredible blessing of everyday life.

 

With much love from Jerusalem and the View from Our Veranda

 

 

Profound Contrasts

 

17^th April 2026

29^th of Nissan 5786

 

Shabbat Shalom to one and all

 

Tomorrow night we welcome the month of Iyar, a time that tradition associates with both natural and spiritual healing. It is said that the generation that left Egypt found healing during this month, a quiet reminder that recovery is a slow process but a positive one.

 

Iyar is also a month of profound contrasts. It carries the deep sadness of Yom HaZikaron, as we remember those who gave their lives, followed almost immediately by the joy and celebration of Yom HaAtzma’ut, marking the miracle of Israel’s independence. And woven into it all is Lag b’Omer, with its bonfires, weddings, and moments of light and community. It is, in many ways, a reflection of life itself here — sorrow and joy standing side by side, and through it all, the enduring hope for healing.

 

And so, as this new month begins, we offer a simple and heartfelt prayer: Oseh shalom bimromav, Hu ya’aseh shalom aleinu v’al kol Yisrael, v’imru Amen — May the One who makes peace in the heavens bring peace to us, to all Israel, and, we hope, to everyone, irrespective of race creed or colour.

 

What does a ceasefire really mean? Is it simply a pause, a moment to catch our breath and go for a walk with fear of a siren or does it carry the fragile hope of something more lasting? We want to believe in the possibility of quiet, of stability, of a future where Israel might reach a more enduring understanding with Iran and its proxies, as some of the Gulf states have managed. And yet, there is an uneasy question that lingers: are we asking too much, expecting a theocratic regime to change its nature?

 

And then there are the people of the north, towns and villages, Bedouin, Circassian, Jewish and Druze communities, either finally come out of their shelters or waiting to return home, if their homes are still standing, and wondering whether “home” can ever again feel safe. The word return itself is heavy with memory. I think back to being 17, in 1963, on my first trip to Israel, standing with friends with Lebanese soldiers at a simple barrier, taking photographs in a world that felt, if not perfect, then at least open and human. It is almost impossible to reconcile that memory with where we find ourselves today, and yet it is that memory which quietly reminds us what once was, and perhaps, what we still long for.

 

By the way, we have never and will never have any conflagration with the people of Lebanon. Don’t listen to the populist media, we have a fight with the interlopers, with the Ayatollah’s proxies, with Hezb-Allah who while we were still mourning October 7^th began raining missiles upon us.

 

Israel marked Yom HaShoah this week, once again that familiar seesaw of emotion, grief and memory alongside fleeting moments of shared humanity. Zvi was in a local mall when the siren sounded at precisely 10:00, that long, piercing wail that stops everything. And in that silence, he noticed Arab Israeli women standing with heads bowed beside their Jewish neighbours. It was a simple, deeply moving moment. Which is why it felt all the more painful to hear voices dismissing the day; when Shas leader Arieh Deri suggested that, as a Mizrachi Haredi, this mourning was not his, it jarred. Because Yom HaShoah is not only about history, but about memory, responsibility, and the fragile unity we cannot afford to lose.

 

I was thinking, it does happen occasionally, that most languages need a whole collection of words just to get through the day: hello, goodbye, take care. And then there’s Hebrew, which manages perfectly well with one word, shalom, meaning all of the above, yet its literal meaning is “peace.” Wherever you are in the world, if you’re Jewish, chances are you’ll be greeted with “shalom, how are you?” — which, when you think about it, is rather lovely, especially as so much of what we say, sing, and pray comes back to that same yearning for peace. These days, Israelis start greeting friends and strangers with “Shabbat Shalom” from Wednesday, which feels a little premature, I start on Thursday, but quite honestly, any greeting that wishes peace to everyone one meets, works perfectly well whenever they smile at me.

 

I’m worried about you. Even when missiles rained on our heads, I was worried about you. I look at the leaders of Spain and Italy and I’m not surprised at their encouragement of anti-Semitism, after all they haven’t acknowledged the Inquisition or Mussolini’s collaboration with Hitler, but when I look at the natural allies of Israel, countries that welcomed and honoured their Jewish community, the USA, UK, Australia, Canada, and see what is happening there it frightens me. I have so many loved ones in all of those countries and I feel that they are threatened, not just verbal insults, graffiti, but physical danger from insane hatred on the part of both extremes, left and right, and the Islamist extreme faction (not normal hardworking Muslims). I believe that each of the western countries should accept asylum seekers, anyone whose life is in danger; we must provide a safe haven for those who need it; but, and here is the big moral but, there must be a form of checking someone’s background, not racial profiling, for everyone who wants to emigrate from a war torn country or just wants to relocate from anywhere in the world, to ensure that they will be an asset to their new, adoptive country. Having visited Ellis Island where starving new immigrants were first deloused, heads shaved, showered, then had a medical examination and even if their problem was simple conjunctivitis, sent back from whence they came, I don’t want to return to such extreme restrictions, but simple checks there must be – for all.

 

Gosh I got serious!  Only because I care so deeply about all my friends who live outside Israel.

 

Each year, Barbara Sofer writes a column with the number of things she loves about Israel according to Israel’s birthday. I tried to find her column of this year with 78+1 reasons but it isn’t on line yet!! However here is her 77+ of last year and I will add my own “thing I love about Israel”. I love the way that the moment that we reach peace, or even an agreement with any country, Israeli curiosity sends them to explore that country, in fact our curiosity is the momentum and motivation for discovery and research in every field.  https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-851471

 

A quick run down of events

1.     Shari Arison celebrated 20 years of her “Good Deeds Day” initiative

2.     The leader of the mission to the moon, Dr. Jessica Meir who brought her 2 personal items on board, a Magen David and socks with a Magen David!

3.     Jared Isaacman is the Director of NASA which sent the astronauts on this incredible mission. (How do I know the last two items? Because our incredible friend and friend of Israel Roy Saloman and his partner Binnie made sure we knew, having written to Jared to congratulate him)

4.     I love that the moment we had a cease fire Israelis went out to enjoy both food and nature.

5.     On a less welcome issue, IMPACT-se’s latest report on Pakistan’s national curriculum reveals entrenched hostility towards Jews, Israel and the United States and strong allegiance towards Iran. Hardly an impartial negotiator.

6.     Good news. Israel Wins 2026 IIHF World Championship A dominant 5–2 victory over Iceland in Sofia, crowns Israel as Division 2B champions, the greatest achievement in Israeli hockey history.

7.     My newsletter is on www.IsraelSeen.com thanks to Steve Ornstein

8.     Former Ambassador Yoram Ettinger wrote a fascinating demographic study https://theettingerreport.com/category/jewish-arab-demographics/

9.     Israeli judoka Itzhak Ashpiz won a bronze medal at the European Championship in Tbilisi

10.  An Israeli was arrested at Taba airport for putting on tefillin: 'It is forbidden to pray in this terminal'

11.  Tomer and Sheli ran the 5k in the Jerusalem Marathon. The full Marathon was cancelled due to exceptionally hot weather and pollution (yukky sand from the east)

12.  Today is Friday which means tomorrow is Shabbat and this week, unlike many weeks before we stand a chance of really meaning the greeting/prayer Shabbat Shalom

 

And so to music

 

To honour those who fell, I give you a song composed by a soldier who fell in Gaza. Gam Ki Elech “Even If I Go”, a song composed by Yossi Hershkowitz z’l while he was fighting in Gaza where he fell in battle, performed by Yonatan Razel and Col. (Res.) Golan Vach at an event for the incredible One Family Organisation. https://youtu.be/aG6FtUcO1Lg?si=FwNL7XFFXmqsyyML

 

K’shey Ha Lev Bocheh, When the heart cries .Sarit Hadad gives it her all, every word a prayer  https://youtu.be/kBVPYTzoiPU?si=puxvSaHDta5Gloo5

 

Miri Mesika is not just a singer, to go to one of her performances is to be absorbed into her personal magic. She is fun, dances without her shoes, introduces us to her husband who is her musical director and here she sings Hope a simple song of what we all want https://youtu.be/kBVPYTzoiPU?si=puxvSaHDta5Gloo5

 

So Zvi has gone to his parliament, back in the Botanical Gardens after a break thanks to the Iranian missiles. Today they are celebrating four birthdays together, one will bring wine and they order pizzas and sweets in their own private room, hopefully managing to talk about birthdays instead of politics!!!

 

I hope to go to Rachel and see the children who are no longer children, to hear their news, to give and get hugs and of course to have my freshly baked bread roll (bulke) with egg salad and a really good cuppa (Yorkshire tea of course) I will come home to my newly found shloof (sleep) after lunch! Too hot to potter in the “garden” except a quick visit to smell the wonders of the orange, lemon and lime blossom and generally enjoy. Maybe I’ll hold off until the cooler evening.

 

I can’t resist! I have to give you one more song, the song that sums up life in Israel as no other. I know you won’t complain because it’s Koolulam, sung with the gusto of those who love this land, the only Jewish state in the world. Just look at the faces of the crowd, the sheer enjoyment of the song that says it all. Al Kol Eleh with the wonderful Shlomi Shabbat this is the spirit of Israel! We take the Honey and the Sting because we love this place we call home.  https://youtu.be/oxzR9Z-kG6Q?si=cFmFPVwdNKVOxSTw

 

Shabbat Shalom to one and all. I always say I don’t care in which direction you pray, as long as your heart is in the right place.

 

Talking of having your heart in the right place, I’d love to hear from you. People say “I love your newsletters” but you don’t write to me. Please, just let me know that you enjoy or even if you want something different, or like our friend Pablo Nankin, just send a note “Gut Shabbes”.

 

Jerusalem isn’t clear on the horizon but it’s enough to know it is there. So, Shabbat Shalom and love from the View from My Veranda of the Jerusalem Hills and the beautiful trees on the other side of the valley.

 

Sheila

    

The Day After

 

10^th April, 2025

 

Shabbat Shalom. Shabbat with a slight hope for shalom, slight but certainly more than for the last four Shabbatot. Passover and Easter have gone by and now it’s the Armenian Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter. On Tuesday Israel will have a different siren, the true wailing siren of Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day.

 

What do I feel is happening now? I feel that two wars have been and still are taking place. One is painfully real, fought with missiles, military intelligence, and a regime in Iran that openly speaks of expanding its revolution and reshaping the region in accordance with its ideological vision — a vision that seeks dominance, influence, and ultimately the spread of its theocratic model far beyond its own borders.

The second war is quieter and far more insidious, played out over years in television studios, universities, and editorial pages, where half-truths replace reality and events are carefully reshaped until Iran is spoken of as though it were somehow prevailing. To accept this narrative requires ignoring what is plainly visible: a weakened military machine, a fractured command structure, and a regime struggling to maintain its grip. Successes are minimised, setbacks magnified, and each development reframed to fit conclusions formed long before the first missile was launched. It is a deeply sad reflection of our times that alongside the real war there is also a war against clarity and honesty, a politically driven narrative that too often casts Israel as the problem rather than recognising the nature of the threat it faces.

 

Iran is the winner for now. The received legitimisation; they are not politically or militarily weakened; the Houthis and Lebanon are still sending missiles; they remain with their uranium and to top it all they have control of the Straits of Hormuz using it as a toll road. Shipping will cost the Gulf States dearly and us too, and by us, I mean everyone, raising the cost of living and putting money into their coffers.

 

I can’t help thinking about the weakling leaders of the UK and France, Starmer and Macron, whining about Israel fighting Hezb-Allah without mentioning Hezb-Allah launching rockets and missiles every hour, destroying the north and I have only one thing to say to them “If you aren’t in, stay out”

 

Yaacov Katz wrote “Israel and the US have, at the most basic level, dramatically degraded Iran’s military and nuclear infrastructure - missile stockpiles, production sites, launchers, naval assets, air defenses, scientists, commanders, and more. That is no small feat. But the real question is what comes next.

The next two weeks of negotiations will determine whether those military gains can be translated into political success - removal of the 460 kg of highly-enriched uranium, real limits on future missile development, and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz. So is this the time to celebrate victory? No.

Is it the time to mourn defeat? Also no.”  What Winston Churchill said in 1942, is true for us all now. 

"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." 

 

What do I hope will emerge from this dreadful war, which has touched not only Israel but many of the Gulf states, the countries of the Abraham Accords, and those that border us? I hope that Israel will look beyond the immediate conflict and consider building relationships with a wider range of neighbours — not only strengthening ties with Abraham Accords partners, but also seeking meaningful agreements with Lebanon (not Hezb-Allah), Syria and the Palestinian Authority. Perhaps, out of this painful chapter, there may come an opportunity to shape a different future, one in which cooperation replaces hostility and our children, and theirs, can inherit a more stable and hopeful region. Perhaps the “Day After” will include teaching children of this region respect for the other. Perhaps Impact-se (www.impact-se.org ) will be able to complete its aim of teaching children to respect those different from themselves.

 

I just heard of a wonderful tradition in Jerusalem many years ago. Jewish and Moslem families exchanged food gifts on the last day of Passover. Moslem families sent Jewish friends a siniyah (a round copper bowl) filled with fresh bread, goat's butter, and honey. Jewish families returned the bowl with matzot (unleavened bread) and homemade jam. Some say that this tradition of exchanging gifts on the last day of Passover has been preserved to this day. Perhaps, maybe, possibly, conceivably if my last paragraph were to become reality we can reinstate that tradition?

 

By the way, last word on Pesach - Lina Landau gave the best answer as to why it took 40 years to walk from Egypt to the Promised Land and it is “Because Moses, being a man, refused to stop and ask the way!”

 

Going back to traditions and Passover, Maimuna. What is Maimouna and what is its origin? The Maimouna Festival, a predominantly North African and Moroccan Jewish Festival, which falls on the last night of Passover and entails a great deal of sugar, honey, nuts, baking, costume and décor beyond belief. Tables are filled with symbolic foods and flowers, originally commemorating the anniversary of the death of Maimonides' father, Maimon ben Joseph. Maimonides was one of the most prolific and influential Torah scholars of the Middle Ages, born in Cordoba. Homes open doors and are filled with guests, visitors, neighbours celebrating in Moroccan dress and the end of eating Matzo! Women (yes, it is almost entirely a woman’s job, by choice) prepare weeks ahead and keep aside during Pesach then politicians of every origin visit the biggest tables! It is without doubt the most colourful festival but frustrating for people like me who are allergic to nuts and trying to keep their A1C down!

 

Yom HaShoah has taught the Jewish people painful and enduring lessons, yet at times it feels as though the wider world has learned very little. We recognise the warning signs of racism, the dangerous thinking behind eugenics, and the steady process by which Jews are once again singled out, bullied, and attacked in places where they once felt safe. What is particularly distressing is when influential cultural voices, especially in Hollywood, use their fame to promote simplistic and ill-informed narratives that inflame rather than enlighten. Influence carries responsibility, and Yom HaShoah reminds us that careless words and fashionable ideologies can have real and dangerous consequences.

 

For anyone who has not experienced Yom HaShoah in Israel, it is hard to convey its emotional power. When the siren begins its long, haunting wail, the entire country comes to a standstill; cars, buses, trains, pedestrians, all frozen in a moment that feels as though it carries the pain of generations, an echo of a time when humanity itself seemed to stop. When the siren fades, the question remains: have we truly learned? The language of hatred, the ease with which Jews are once again singled out, is deeply troubling. Yom HaShoah is not only about remembrance, but about responsibility to speak out, to stand firm, and to ensure that silence never again allows hatred to grow.

 

So here we are back to normal for the time being. After being very careful to limit our travels and check where there are shelters or roadside cover when driving anywhere, it feels strange to get in the car and just go wherever we want. Now that the missiles have, at least for the moment, fallen silent, spring in Israel is quietly doing what spring does best, inviting us back outside. March to May is a gorgeous time of the year, when the rains turn everything green and lush, wildflowers appear everywhere and nature reserves are again within reach. The Mevasseret nature trail down to the dam and reservoir opposite our home has come alive with wild cyclamen, lupins, and dozens of tiny, determined flowers pushing their way through the soil, a gentle reminder that life carries on regardless.

 

It feels like the perfect excuse to swap the pyjamas of the mamad for outdoor clothes and head out to places like the Deer Park in central Jerusalem where the Gazelles are now producing babies, the Botanical Gardens, always a favourite and for the more adventurous, Ein Gedi’s desert oasis, Ein Prat, the pools of Gan HaShlosha, the Haniya Spring in the Judean Mountains, or Einot Tzukim near the Dead Sea, the lowest nature reserve in the world. After weeks of sirens and uncertainty, a little fresh air, sunshine, and the quiet beauty of an Israeli spring may be exactly what we all need.

 

I’m thrilled to tell you that finally and at last I am going to visit Rachel and family today! Of all the things I missed, that is number one. The climb over Nebe Samuel (I just found out that there is a wonderful trail with that glorious view over Jerusalem, right there opposite Samuel’s Tomb; down the other side of the hill, Ramallah on my right and Jerusalem on my left. If I’m lucky the camels are out in the field before the traffic lights. I swear that from the top of the steep hill I can smell the wonderful aroma of baking Challot, or is it anticipation? Past the petrol station and its shops, both Israeli and Palestinian owned. I love to stop there and go into Nehama’s bakery where a multitude of people head for the freshly baked challot, burning hot from the ovens and then treat the children with a felafel next door.

 

Tonight, I’ll light the Shabbat candles knowing that we can sit down and have a quiet Shabbat meal without fear of interruption from that horrible hatra’a. Tonight, it’s just us and tomorrow our lovely friends Nattie and Yoel Zonszein are coming for lunch. I’m so excited because we haven’t seen each other for at least a month because neither of us was willing to travel to or from Tel Aviv. I’m especially excited to show Nattie our veranda, she loves plants and things that grow as do I. The little orange tree is smothered in fragrant blossom, the lime trees too, but they defy nature by carrying beautiful ripe green limes, small growing limes and blossom all at the same time and of course the grape hyacinth and rununculus, calaniot.

 

I am very proud that Steve Ornstein has asked me to post on his beautiful website, Worth checking this out! https://israelseen.com/author/s-raviv/

 

You know how much I love music, especially words that have deep meaning. Well, this song has few words but those words say it all. Song for Shabbat https://youtu.be/nWMmrVF0fy4?si=vIGjEzi9pPR1AsoX

 

If I were to choose someone who exemplifies the war since October 7^th 2023, it would not be a politician, not even the Chief of Staff, it would be Idan Amedi. His musical career was just taking off but without a second thought he joined his comrades in Gaza, He was badly injured, burned, lost his comrades, but came back to visit the families of those who lost their children, injured soldiers in hospital and so much more. He was known for the theme song of Fauda until then. Here it is. https://youtu.be/WqmtMDlo7Y0?si=neo3QMYemoKkAnDl

 

Koolulam decided to honour women. This war has shown us the power of women, not only in the shadows, supporting families, working, taking care of the home while their husbands fight for our existence. Israeli women fight, whether as soldiers, as paramedics in Magen David Adom, creating NGO’s to care for the families of fallen soldiers and so very much more. Here joined by Rita.  https://youtu.be/pB8LhGTvI5c?si=nuiuz_v7v4Zn63Xk

 

Yom HaShoah, the commemoration of a time when the purpose was that Jews would be eradicated from this world, genocide; but here we are! Alive and kicking, literally kicking back. No matter how hard they try to wipe us out we reappear and this time with our own country.

 

Mustapha Ezzarghani, a Moroccan Moslem wrote - Zionism is not what you think it is. And the louder people shout about it, the less they seem to understand it. Zionism, at its core, is not a slogan, not a party, not a government, not a man. It is the belief that a people—after centuries of exile, humiliation, and erasure—have the right to return, to exist, and to shape their own destiny in their ancestral land. That is not extremism. That is dignity.

 

Shabbat Shalom dear friends. Enjoy your weekend, enjoy your Shabbat and your Sabbath. With much love from the View on Our Veranda, that magical view of Jerusalem on the horizon. May we live in peace, we deserve it.

Sheila