160902
2nd
September 2016
Shabbat
Shalom dear friends. Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem. Gosh it is wonderful to
wake up on a Friday morning to the sunrise over this city and hear the clatter
of pots and pans as the cooking begins. Men and women bring the traditional
dishes of their dispersion and prepare them to celebrate Shabbat, irrespective
of depth of religion, it is all about tradition. More of that later, first I
must first perform my duty of informing you of what really happens in our
region, then we can have fun with the myriad of dishes which make up our
society.
We are all guilty of generalisation. Americans
believe that anti-semitism is confined to Europe without looking at their own
campus situation; Europeans believe that Americans are unwilling to take the
plight of others into account but don't really do anything about helping
themselves; Australia is so far away they don't care about anyone; Asia is lost; China is insular with an eye to
taking over the world; Russia, well that is a long story of corruption and the
Arab world……. Oy Vey. You see? In one paragraph I generalised just about every
nation! When you consider individuals you realise that there are those who are
aware, tolerant, erudite in all societies. Please read this excellent article
about the other Europe. There are other voices in Europe by Ariel Bolstein http://tinyurl.com/jrknxd5
Talking of generalisation, did you know that Arab Israelis
compete on equal terms in all sports? I loved this story of the team captain of
bell ball representing Israel in the Paralympics in Rio next week http://m.jpost.com/Israel-News/Sports/Legally-blind-Arab-Paralympian-proud-Israeli-patriot-464686#article=10363M0MwNEFBMjE4OEM5RkFGRTZBQURBQzJCNkQxOEY3NEU=
Khaled Abu Toameh is a truthteller, however painful.
This week he wrote about the 3,500 Palestinians killed in Syria without a word
from the worlds media, because they were killed by Arabs not Jews. https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/8821/palestinians-syria
The millionaires rocket blew up. The Zuckerberg/Musk
financed, Israeli designed satellite was within a rocket which simply blew up
during a test. The why and wherefore will follow. I do not usually quote
"The Sun" newspaper (rag) but their report was perhaps the fullest. https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/1710969/elon-musk-explosions-heard-at-cape-canaveral-space-centre-during-test-firing-of-spacex-rocket/
As a people we tend to be somewhat paranoid, but with good reason,
as the joke goes "Just because you are paranoid doesn't mean no-one is
after you"! Rabbi Jeremy Rosen speaks about the John Loftus book which
sets out precisely, accurately, the multitude of times foreign governments –
including yours – have tried to blame Israel for their own spying blunders. Yes
I know we also spy on others but let's face it, everyone is spying on everyone!
http://jeremyrosen.blogspot.co.il/2016/08/the-secret-war-against-jews_26.html#links
We are not a perfect society. We are made up of people from disparate
nations, albeit through enforced dispersion by many Empires. From Russia and
Yemen; from Morocco and Bulgaria; from Kurdistan and New York………… ad infinitum.
Each new wave of immigration had its problems being absorbed, which is natural.
Emigration and the ensuing immigration, even when coming home, is not an easy
process. You go from being important to being impotent, the only thing you
bring with you is your accent. It has been hard for the Ethiopian community.
The children have adapted brilliantly flying high but, an ignorant sector of
Israelis have never fully accepted them. I know that some of you hate it when I point
out faults in our society but if I ignore the faults then my reports are not
valid. I am ashamed of any form of racism, but extra angry about this one. I
promise you that as of this week I intend helping our dear friend Danny Adino
Abebe, a senior journalist in Israel of Ethiopian parentage, to overcome the
misconceptions. I want him, indeed many young successful Ethiopians to go into
schools and ask each child where their parents came from, what hardships they
suffered in their country and then tell of his peoples hardships. I pray it
works.
When
we were in Holland we met with Gerda and Herman Schotanus (Herman was
key to the refurbishment of the Montefiore windmill in Jerusalem) and as we
talked of world leadership today Gerda quoted the story from the book of Daniel
and his interpretation of Xerxes dream. The
Statue had a head
of gold, a torso of silver, hips of copper, legs of iron and feet of clay.
The interpretation can so easily relate to today where sadly our leaders take a
body of gold and silver yet at the end they all have feet of clay.
Gene
Wilder z"l. A proud Jew who made us laugh with his sad
face and sudden hilarity. An actor who insisted he was not a comedian, he will
be missed. Surely the Frisco Kid was a brilliant teaching tool of Judaism! A
dear friend, Martin Myers, sent me this poem by said Mr Wilder, lamenting his
lack of Yiddisch. May his soul rest in peace.
A YIDDISH POEM by Gene
Wilder (Jerome Silberman)
Yiddish was the secret
code, therefore I don't farshtaist,
A bisseleh maybe here
and there, the rest has gone to waste.
Sadly, when I hear it
now, I only get the gist,
My Bubbe spoke it
beautifully; but me, I am tsemisht.
So oi vei as I should
say, or even oy vai iz mir,
Though my pisk is
lacking Yiddish, it's familiar to my ear.
And I'm no Chaim Yonkel
, in fact I was shtick naches,
But, when it comes to
Yiddish though, I'm talking out my tuchas.
Es iz a shandeh far di
kinder that I don't know it better
(Though it's really
nishtgefelecht when one needs to write a letter).
But, when it comes to
characters, there's really no contention,
No other linguist can
compete with honorable mentshen:
They have nebbishes and
nebechels and others without mazel,
Then, too, schmendriks
and schlemiels, and let's not forget schlemazel.
These words are so
precise and descriptive to the listener,
So much better than
"a pill" is to call someone 'farbissener'.
Or - that a brazen woman
would be better called Choleria,
And you'll agree
farklempt says more than does hysteria.
I'm not haken dir a
tshainik and I hope I'm not a kvetch,
But isn't mieskeit
kinder, than to call someone a wretch?
Mitten derinnen, I hear
Bubbe say, "It's nechtiker tog, don't fear,
To me you're still a
maven, zol zein shah, don't fill my ear.
A leben ahf dein
keppele, I don't mean to interrupt,
But you are speaking
narishkeit.....
And ...A gezunt auf dein
kop!"
Another good friend, Elisabeth
Gelb, takes on all subjects concerned with Israel and Judaism. She is a
great warrior and a super person. A subject close to her heart right now is
that of Jacobs Sheep. Interested? Read on http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/father-raymond-j-de-souza-jacobs-sheep-make-aliyah
Yosef came to sleep over
last night. Since he is 11 years old I was thrilled he still wants to be with
us! We sat together, talked, enjoyed each other, went out for a pizza and I realised
that I am the luckiest Safta (Grandma) in the world. Between us we have 13
grandchildren each and every one of them a pearl, and Yosef will always be our
first. He met Zvi's cousins Victor and Mirtah Solnitsky and Prof. Yitzchak
Srugo yesterday as we sat in a restaurant in Mamilla and I noticed that Victor
was very taken with Yosef. I loved it when he turned to Yosef and carefully
explained to him that the world rests on his shoulders because we didn't do a
good job…….. Shmor al ha Olam Yeled.
Soon, I will take him
home to help his Mum prepare
for Shabbat. Undoubtedly the aroma of fresh Challot will waft down to the
street as we approach their apartment. My daughter is a brilliant cook a real
balabusta and all the children join in the preparation for Shabbat. That is how
traditions are passed on, by doing things as a family. Next week I will be with
my sister Doreen and her family for a Welsh Shabbat then the following week I
will be with my son Gideon, daughter in law Stephanie, Sammy, Olivia and
Zachary for an "English" Shabbat. I love hearing Gideon's strong
baritone belt out the Kiddush as we sit around the table together. Tradition!
Diane Steinfink sent me a wonderful link about modern Jewish
music – or rather the Jewish contribution to music. It is fascinating and very
surprising. After all, whoda thought that White Christmas was written by a Jew?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Time to cook, as much as
I enjoy talking to you. Zvi and Yosef are sitting in their pyjamas playing
dominoes and if I don't move they won't either!!!
Before I begin the
preparations for Shabbat,
I will go and sit on our hammock and contemplate the View from our Veranda. We
shared that view with Judy and Harvey Sternberg last week and they confirmed
the number of lemons on the little tree, the fact that there is a humungeous
orange on the orange tree, the pomegranates and of course the kumquats to say
nothing of the flowers and herbs. They were as enchanted as I am each time
afresh, by the phenomenal view. Jerusalem lays before us in her beauty and
diversity for our delectation each day anew.
I suppose that this
weeks music choice must be about Jerusalem otherwise the Segway will be incomplete.
The Ethiopian community
in exile dreamt and prayed about one place. Jerusalem. This song tells their
story https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKcRKzbSeJM
Usually I give you
traditional music – this time I am going against convention! Matisyahu and
Jerusalem https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYr4Fz14C6w
Oh alright……… If I
forget thee oh Jerusalem……. How could I not? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Irm-0IKPGic
Shabbat Shalom to all,
wherever you may be, to you, your family and your loved ones.
I wish my beautiful
friend Arlene a full and painless recovery. I love you dearest friend.
With love from
Jerusalem.
Sheila
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