160909 Shabbat Shalom from Cardiff

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160909

9th September 2016

Shabbat Shalom from Cardiff, Wales! Actually in Welsh it would be Saboth da! I am in the UK visiting my family, the Welsh and English parts................ and loving every moment. Would you believe that by the time I get home I will have flown my 20th flight this year!!!!! I have absolutely no doubts as to where both my home and my heart are, but it is always good to come to visit the family first and foremost and the familiarity of my childhood. http://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/nostalgia/medieval-persecution-thriving-communities-long-11762749

Talking of childhood, my childhood friend Rabbi Jeremy Rosen, has written about sainthood. Sainthood, its relevance (or irrelevance) to Judaism and Mother Theresa in particular. Was her rushed canonisation a populist decision on behalf of the church or was it.................. read and see http://jeremyrosen.blogspot.co.uk/

The Paralympics was initiated by a Jewish refugee to the United Kingdom, a doctor, who fled Germany in 1939, without any English, began with a research position in Oxford and then worked in the Stoke Mandeville Orthopaedic Hospital. Watching the 1948 Olympics while helping a group of disabled soldiers in an archery competition he came up with the idea of the Paralympics. Dr Ludwig Guttman created the most important sports event. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/3NVTMSLr2ZT9XSFQzYYbcwf/ludwig-guttman-and-the-first-paralympic-games

Sadly the Olympic committee and the Brazilian Government do not feel the Paralympics are

​ commercial enough to be​

 worth 

​a great deal of​

 money. At least in the Paralympics the sportsmanship is absolute. In a qualifier for the World Cup in Italy the Israeli team suffered boos and Nazi catcalls when they entered the arena and even worse - outside sports - a Dutch Member of Parliament refused to shake hands with Prime Minister Netanyahu at a reception line in Holland. Just don't go to the reception but snubbing is hardly politic.

Khaled Abu Toameh is an exceptional man and an honest reporter - a true rarity these days. It seems he is afraid of nothing other than lies. He talks about the invisibility of Palestinian women - take note all your lefties! "To remove a womans name from a ballot ticket is like a wedding invitation without the brides name" https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/8861/palestinian-women

An excellent article from an unexpected source - the BBC - about the skills of Haredi men in learning computer science and their entry into the work force. My thanks to Yitzchok Katz for sending it to me. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-37300929

Incredibly another excellent BBC piece (if you don't look at the rest of the ME articles) is about Professor Gabby Barkay, our amazing and unstoppable friend, and his latest discoveries in the Temple Mount sifting project - if you haven't been there you should! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-37288925

I know how much you love my culinary tales so I thought you would like this Israel21c article http://www.israel21c.org/10-fabulous-food-tours-in-israel/

I hate to break all your preconceived ideas, but British food is phenomenal! Having travelled all over the place this year - I can promise you that food here is tasty, satisfying, sophisticated and of the highest gourmet standards. Oliver would not be given gruel any more.......... it would be a gourmet version with cut wholegrain oatmeal and fresh fruit!!! The fish is fresh, varied and from the sea or the rivers, not farm grown, the vegetables are flavourful - not Euroveg nor American exquisitely beautifu

​l​

 tasteless fruit! What do you mean I am biased - not at all............... just that the best fruit and veg in the world is British or Israeli. Well, stop pouting - do you have Cox's Orange Pippins, Loganberries, Tayberries or scrummy Bramley Cookers?

I will miss the quiet of Shabbat here - no traffic stops, no shops close, no aromas rise................ but that will come in 2 weeks.

Last weeks Shabbat lunch was a special one for many reasons. Canon Andrew White, Hano Ishaq and Steve Linde came for lunch - and for exceptional conversation. Of course I took Steve (former editor of the JPost) to see the photograph gallery in Zvi's office he was amazed but as Andrew and I spoke of our various adventures he felt he had entered an alternate universe!! Steve is an exceptional man himself - the only newspaper editor I have known whose entire staff speak of his as a mensch.

Time for music!

Actually thanks to Diane Steinffink the silliness continues with "Cold Chopped Liver" (to the tune of Old Man River. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5k0DAerBho8

This 

​next ​

song is a beautiful barmitzva boy Natanel singing "Dear Father in Heaven, you are with me even when I forget you, you gave me everything in life even when I sin, thank you for my life, thank you for tears and laughter" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhziOTdhDN4 

This week I will not

​ sit on the veranda to look over​

 Jerusalem, but I will be with my British loved ones - see friends of my childhood and after all, wherever we are in this world, Shabbat comes with us. As Zvi's amazing father, Kalman, always said "We carry G-d in our heart". Always carry Him in your heart - the manner of prayer is irrelevant, the prayer for the good of mankind is the key.

With love from 2 of the Silver Girls in Cardiff, sending love to all our family and friends.

Shabbat Shalom from Cardiff, Wales

Sheila