Shabbat Shalom letter from Jerusalem

110422

21st April, 2011


SHABBAT SHALOM AND A PEACEFUL AND CONTEMPLATIVE EASTER.

I APOLOGISE FOR THE CAPITAL LETTERS BUT SINCE I SENT MY COMPUTER FOR REPAIR AND REMOVAL OF A PART I DIDN'T NEED IN the FIRST PLACE - I DON'T HAVE A WORKING 'SHIFT' BUTTON --- WE WILL OVERCOME.

THE JEWISH WORLD IS IN TURMOIL AS HEZB-ALLAH WARNS THAT THEY WILL ATTACK US WHEREVER WE ARE IN THE WORLD – ESPECIALLY ISRAELIS WHO ARE OVERSEAS. WHILE WORLD LEADERS ARE TIED UP WITH THE VARIOUS 'REBELLIONS' IN MANY OF OUR NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES HEZB-ALLAH IS TAKING THE OPPORTUNITY TO THREATEN BRINGING ARAB CHAOS TO YOUR COUNTRY. IF ISRAELIS ARE KILLED OR HARMED THAN YOU CAN BET YOUR BOTTOM DOLLAR THAT THE MEDIA WILL CLAIM IT IS OUR FAULT.......... AND EVEN MORE SO IF THERE IS 'COLLATERAL DAMAGE'. THEY SPREAD THEIR EVIL THICKLY ON THE BREAD AND BUTTER OF THEIR JEWISH DEHUMANISATION.

THE ARAB WORLD IS IN TURMOIL AS DEMONSTRATORS FIGHT EVIL TYRANTS AND ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALIST GROUPS WAIT IN THE WINGS FOR THE HIATUS BETWEEN CORRUPT GOVERNMENT AND REFORM IN ORDER TO JUMP IN AND TAKE OVER – ENSURING THE 'IRANISATION' OF THE REMAINING RELATIVELY SECULAR STATES. ISRAEL IS NOT THE ONLY TARGET OF THESE ORGANISATIONS BUT WE MAKE A REASONABLE FIRST COURSE.......... EUROPE AND THE AMERICAS ARE THE SOUP AND THE GREAT USA THE MAIN DISH. WE NEED TO ACT BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE GREAT LEADERS NEEDED TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS – GREAT MEN LIKE WINSTON CHURCHILL.

THE RED CROSS ADMITS THAT THERE IS NO HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN GAZA – FINALLY. http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=217460

JOURNALISTS ARE UNDER INTENSE ATTACK IN THE MIDDLE EAST. THE HATRED FOR THE WEST IS EXPRESSED IN ATTACKS ON JOURNALISTS http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110421/media_nm/us_media_journalists_1

KHALED ABU TOAMEH IS A RARE JOURNALIST WHO WRITES AND SPEAKS THE TRUTH OF WHAT HAPPENS IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD. HE BRINGS ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT DESPITE A PA BAN ON PALESTINIANS WORKING IN THE 'SETTLEMENTS' MANY DO AND THEY EARN TWICE AS MUCH AS THEY CAN WORKING FOR ARABS. http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=217506&R=R3

JUSTIN BIEBER CAME TO ISRAEL AND ARGUED WITH THE PAPARAZZI – TWITTERING WILDLY ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO HAVE PRIVATE TIME IN HIS RELIGIOUS SITES. HE THEN CANCELLED HIS APPOINTMENT WITH OUR PRIME MINISTER BECAUSE HE REFUSED TO MEET CHILDREN FROM SDEROT WHO WERE TO BE AT THE MEETING SAYING THE REQUEST WAS TOO POLITICAL AND THEN CLAIMED THAT MR NETANYAHU WAS TO BLAME. C'MON JUSTIN – MEETING CHILDREN WHO HAVE SPENT TEN YEARS IN BOMB SHELTERS TO GIVE THEM A SMILE IS TOO POLITICAL........... BET YOU WOULDN'T HAVE SAID THAT ANYWHERE ELSE.

ISRAELI WINES HAVE COME A LONG LONG WAY SINCE THE DAYS OF SICKLY SEET KIDDUSH WINES. DANIEL ROGOV, EPICURE AND WINE MAVEN, IS A VERY TOUGH MAN TO PLEASE BUT HE WAS DELIGHTED WITH A NEW WINERY CALL ASIF. SEE WHAT HE HAS TO SAY AND ORDER SOME. http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=38753&sid=4e0619051ab28fa65e7f25d97e392208

MY DEAR FRIEND RABBI JEREMY ROSEN LOVES QUESTIONING AND DELVING INTO JUDAISM WITH RARE CURIOUSITY. THIS WEEK HE APPROACHES THE QUESTION OF 'KITNIOT' OR PULSES ON PASSOVER – THE GREAT SEFARDI/ASHKENAZ DIVIDE. WELL WORTH READING, AS ALWAYS.
http://jeremyrosen.blogspot.com/


SEDER NIGHT WAS WONDERFUL. WE HAD FAMILY AND 'LIKE' FAMILY AS WE SAT AROUND RELIVING THE TRADITIONS OF HISTORY, RETELLING THE STORY AND RECOGNISING OURLIFE AS FREE PEOPLE.......... NO LONGER SLAVES AND NEVER AGAIN TO BEND TO THE WILL OF OTHERS. OUR DINNER SERVICE, THE LAST REMNANT OF KALMANS – ZVI'S FATHER – LIFE IN POLAND, WAS SAVED FOR ANOTHER DAY SINCE WITH 25 PEOPLE AND MANY CHILDREN WE CHOSE TO USE DISPOSABLE DISHES.............. EXCEPT FOR THE CHICKEN SOUP OF COURSE.

AS SOON AS OUR TABLES WERE SET AND THE FOOD COOKED I WENT TO THE NEIGHBOURS TO CHECK ON THEIR DISHES AND GIVE AND RECEIVE HUGS AS WE ALL WISH EACH OTHER 'CHAG PESACH KASHER V'SAMEACH'. OUR GUESTS ARRIVED WITH GREAT EXPECTATIONS OF A MEMORABLE EVENING. IRA AND VALERY ARRIVED FIRST WITH TOMER AND SHELLY. NO SOONER WAS TOMER THROUGH THE DOOR WHEN HE ASKED WHO WOULD ASK THE FOUR QUESTIONS ' MA NISHTANA' SINCE NOW HE WAS BAR MITZVA HIS YEARS AS THE PRIMARY QUESTIONER WERE OVER – WE PROMISED HIM THAT ALTHOUGH THERE WERE LITTLE CHILDREN HE WAS STILL ALLOWED TO 'HELP' THEM. AS IT TURNED OUT ZVI'S LITTLE GRAND-DAUGHTER AMIT AND HER NEW BEST FRIEND NAAMA FROM HAIFA DID IT ON THEIR OWN – PROUDLY SITTING ON SABA-DOD'S KNEE. FOR SOME GUESTS IT WAS THEIR FIRST 'REAL' SEDER AND THEY LOVED THE SCENTS OF THE TRADITIONAL FOODS AND AT THE EXQUISITE SEDER DISH THAT CAME FROM MY PARENTS HOME. AFTER THE FOUR QUESTIONS CAME THE RECITATION OF THE STORY THEN BLESSINGS ARE MADE OVER THE MATZA, THE WINE, THE PARSLEY IN SALT WATER, THE GREATED HORSERADISH TO REPRESENT THE BITTER TIMES, MY ZEIDY'S CHAROSIS – COMBINING – WHICH IS MADE IN BULK SINCE EVERYBODY WANTS MORE – AND FINALLY THE FOOD........ THEN A QUICK VISIT FROM THE ELIJAH, THANKING G-D FOR OUR MEAL AND THEN THE SONGS. WE HAVE A VERY SPECIAL VERSION OF ONE SONG 'CHAD GADYA' – ONLY ONE KID. AS WE SING OF THE KID, CAT,DOG, ETC ETC WE MAKE ANIMAL OR FIRE ENGINE NOISES APPROPRIATE TO EACH VERSE ENDING WITH A HUGE CHEER AS G-D SAVES US ALL.

AS I GO ON MY MORNING WALK AROUND THE NEIGHBOURHOOD EVERYONE SMILES 'CHAG SAMEACH – BOKER TOV' AS WE TRY TO WORK OFF OUR CONSTANT MATZA SNACKS. PARKS ARE FILLED WITH PORTABLE BARBEQUES, FATHERS WIELDING SPECIAL PLASTIC FANS TO ENSURE A GOOD BLAZE, MOTHERS TAKING A WELL EARNED REST AND CHILDREN AMUSING EACH OTHER AS THEY TURN THE PATHS INTO CYCLE TRACKS AND PLAY ON THE GRASS. EVERY SINGLE SPACE IN THE FOREST, HILLS AND ROADSIDES IS BARBEQUE WORTHY AS FAMILIES ENJOY THE OPEN SPACES AND THE WONDERFUL SPRING WEATHER – NOT TOO HOT AND NOT TOO COLD. HOTELS ARE FULL TO OVERFLOWING AND THE MALLS AND ARCADES ARE FILLED WITH HAPPY FOLK – SOME SURPRISED AT THE CHANGE AND SOMEWHAT LIMITED MENUS OF FINE RESTAURANTS.

I JUST WENT ONTO THE VERANDA AS A GUST OF WIND BLEW DOWN A PLANT POT AND I BREATHED IN THE RICH SCENT EMITTED BY THE MASSES OF WHITE ORANGE BLOSSOM ON OUR INCREDIBLY SMALL ORANGE TREE. AS I LINGERED IN MY FAVOURITE SPOT I WAS HAPPY TO SEE THAT THE TRAFFIC IS LESSENING AND JERUSALEM IS WINDING DOWN AS IF HOLDING HER BREATH AS SHABBAT NEARS. THIS IS AN AMAZING CITY IN EVERY SENSE. THE SHEER VARIETY OF HER RESIDENTS AND THE VIVACITY OF A MILLION DISCUSSIONS – BIBLICAL, POLITICAL, REGIONAL AND GLOBAL ALL CARRIED OUT WITH MUCH HEAT AND GESTURING, EVEN AS THEY LEAVE THE SHOPPING MALL. SLOWLY SLOWLY THE NOISE OF HUMANKIND ABATES AS THE BRIDAL VEIL OF SHABBAT 'SHALOM' FALLS OVER THE GOLDEN CITY OF JERUSALEM

IT HAS TAKEN TWO THOUSAND YEARS TO RETURN FROM OUR DISPERSAL AND COMPLETE OUR FREEDOM FROM BEING SLAVES AND UNDERDOGS. WE WILL NEVER EVER BE SLAVES AGAIN BUT WE NEED YOU TO PLAY YOUR PART TOO. ONLY THE SILENT BECOME SLAVES AND THIS PESACH LET'S PLEDGE TO ENSURE NEXT YEAR IN JERUSALEM – B'SHANA HA BA'AH BE YERUSHALYIM HA B'NUYA.

CHAG PESACH SAMEACH – A TRULY BLESSED EASTER
WITH LOVE FROM JERUSALEM
SHEILA