180427 Arava Tragedy, this week in view

180427

27^th April 2018

Shabbat Shalom dear friends.

This week promised to be one of good news and joyous events, or that is how it started.

Two days ago a group of wonderful young Israelis, boys and girls from a pre-military academy, set out on a trek in the Arava – to prepare them for their military service. They were thrilled and excited, recorded in their group WhatsApp prior to leaving. The first night they slept under canvas and then set off along the trail of a dried up river bed, a wadi, for the days trek. Very heavy rain fell in Jerusalem, exceptional rain, and when it rains in Jerusalem the waters rush down to the Negev and the Arava. There was a flash flood in the wadi, the waters simply rushed along the river bed in a torrent and 9 young people, 8 girls and a boy, were killed, 13 were rescued without harm and 2 were injured. One boy was still missing last night. The search and rescue emergency units of IDF units, MDA and all emergency units were involved in the event. While it is easy to condemn after the fact, the warnings were clear, two young people lost their lives in similar situations the day before, the decision to go on the trek was made without the permission of the Ministry of Education. Spring in the Dead Sea area is unpredictable, rains frequent, flooding too, not like this but nonetheless. May their sweet young souls rest in peace and their families not be consumed in blame but rather in healing.

The rains in Jerusalem were phenomenal – torrential rain, hail and constant lightening like a strobe. I have never seen anything like it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R44J6iv2LuM

On Sunday Jill and I went to the Israel Museum on the recommendation of my friends Dana and Betty who volunteer in the Museum. The exhibit, both disturbing and brilliant, is the work of Zoya Cherkassky, "Pravda" which means truth in Russian, describing, with scary clarity, her experiences as a new immigrant in Israel. Emigration is never easy leaving behind the familiar and learning to be accepted in a new society, and this exhibit - no you should see it for yourselves but be prepared. http://www.imj.org.il/en/exhibitions/zoya-cherkassky

The Simons Family from Sydney, Australia is a wonderful, active, Israel loving family and I love them. It came as no surprise that Robert's son Derek and his wife Toni chose to hold their son Guy's barmitzva in Jerusalem. It was a truly joyous affair beginning at the Davidson Archaeological Park, on to the Western Wall ending in a party to beat all parties on the roof of the Mamilla Hotel. Many family members came all the way from Australia for the event and we were thrilled to meet them one and all. Robert walked around with a big smile on his face; Guy gave a wonderful speech; Guy's buddies told us about him in a funny roasting; Anita danced the night away with Robert as did most of the guests and the food was delicious. A truly warm, friendly and sophisticated celebration.  Robert will receive an Honorary Doctorate from the Hebrew University for his years of loyal and hard work.

Jill and I met with my lovely Cardiff friend Susan Gaba Yakir in Aroma Coffee Shop, a wonderful friend and the best coffee in the world. Café Hafuch means upside down coffee, a work of art! Always in a glass mug so that one can see the design – dark dark coffee at the bottom, milky coffee above and white froth on top always with a design of a heart, a leaf or whatever the creation of the day may be.

On Tuesday we drove to Tel Aviv for a special celebration. Albert Avraham Marciano loves music and his birthday celebration at Zappa nightclub was just that, music. Avraham sang with many other artistes, including the phenomenal opera singer Yotam Cohen, and we sat enthralled. Rina and Yechiel Heller joined our table and we all had a special surprise when Avraham and Rina's daughter Shlomit got on stage. A painfully shy woman she opened her mouth and sang Changes – it was incredible, really goose bump time. Of course, being in Tel Aviv we went to see Zvi's son Amiad and Noga's beautiful children Ella and Yonatan, to take them out of kindergarten and play with them before heading off to Zappa.

Wednesday just happened!! Since the weather was already unpredictable I decided to invite the wonderful Joy Wolfe home for lunch rather than risk the rain and then it happened - I thought that Ruth Dudziuk-Justitz would enjoy the company and then Zvi called to say that he and Michael Meir were joining us…….. of course I had enough food because Jill and I made quick salads and my fish balls came out of the freezer, although the absolute hit was the fresh salmon in creamed horseradish!!!

A horrific car ramming in North Toronto left 10 dead and 15 injured. The motive is unknown and mental illness is suspected but the case is clearly still open. Whatever the motive the dead will never come back and those involved will never be the same. Could it be terrorism? Who knows. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/driver-who-struck-pedestrians-custody-toronto-police-say-n868466  

Two Presidents met in Washington and their relationship blossomed. President Macron of France and President Trump of the USA met to discuss Iran and the nuclear deal among many other subjects. It was clear that they and their spouses were on good terms. I love the "kissy kissy" aspect – men hugging and kissing is normal here in Israel and I totally approve. Perhaps more kissing and less shouting could improve our world. I never understood why men can't kiss – why on earth would a father and son shake hands? Hopefully something positive will come out of it.

Germany showed solidarity with its Jewish citizens when over 2,000 Germans demonstrated with kippas https://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Thousands-of-Germans-join-kippa-marches-to-reject-antisemitism-552751 It was a positive start but little was mentioned about the cancelling of a prestigious music award which went to a rapper spouting hatred for Jews. Perhaps the demonstrations would be more effective if they took place each week, on Friday, increasing in size.

And so it is Shabbat again. The country is in mourning for the beautiful lives lost through negligence, not intentional but negligence nonetheless. 9 families will light a memorial candle beside their Shabbat candles and ask why.

I realise that I wrote the week's events in reverse this week – our social calendar before news and so on but as I told Michael Meir, I don't write a newsletter to you I chat with you about Israel, our social life and things that affect our lives. I find it a conversation and I love it when you respond – it is really hard having a conversation on your own!

Tonight we will have a quiet Shabbat Dinner, just Zvi, Jill and I – or so the day starts. I never know how many we will be but I love entertaining and it is never a problem to find food! The secret is to love people – life would be so much better if we learned to love instead of hate. I am involved in three organisations which bring love to our world – two through education and one through pure love to bring calm to the troubled world of cancer patients and their families.

The basis is what you learn at home but education, what thoughts are filtered into ones head as a child, is the most important aspect of the future of our world. Not many people get to change the world through changes in education but Impact-se does it every day. http://www.impact-se.org/reports/  Then there is David Geffen and his organisation www.lovingclassroom.com and of course the Yuri Shtern Holistic Centre in Shaare Zedek Hospital and in our small clinic. http://www.israelgives.org/amuta/580475085 These three organisations are not famous, nor are they huge, they employ very few people yet they each change our world for the better. Selfishly I receive huge satisfaction from my involvement in all three because they are all about giving of oneself to help others.

Rabbi Hillel said "Love your fellow as you love yourself" which is said to be the entire Torah in a nutshell. This weeks Torah reading deals with all the rules for building a fair and loving society – as we leave the Torah behind we lose the love too.  Democracy has stringent rules in order to protect the rights of everyone – free speech is conceivably the most abused of all rules and has become an excuse for spouting hatred without paying the price.

So it is high time we spoke of music!!

Shlomo Artzi deservedly lit one of the beacons at the Independence Day ceremony on Mount Herzl, his songs are an integral part of Israel society. This song, sung with his son, tells it all with the words what is the cost? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAa0e7apG20

Finally a prayer, a plea a blessing all together VeHi Sheamda with Shwekey and Shloi Shabbat with translation into Spanish for all my friends who speak that beautiful language. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ip-1bKDfDq4

I wish you Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem, from our verandah overlooking the most beautiful city in the world

With much love

Sheila

  

180418 Israel 70

180418

18^th April 2018

Yom Ha Zikaron

Remembrance Day for the fallen in battle and terrorism.

Today politics are irrelevant. Today we mourn those who died defending us.

From nightfall yesterday until nightfall tonight the names of those killed through hatred will be shown upon our television screens, one at a time, their names and their photographs. Families will tell their stories because they mustn't be forgotten.

Israel's war is different on so many levels. Our enemy is not thousands of miles away, he is on our doorstep and he is within. Of course Tolerance – sovlanut can win through, but it is a long and difficult process.

I cannot but mention that there are two sectors of Israeli society which do not honour this day; who do not stand to attention during the wail of the siren – but even that is beginning to change.

Last night Zvi, Jill and I went to an extraordinarily Israeli event. The plant nursery in the Botanical Gardens clears space for some 300 people who sing songs written about our loss, beautiful songs, sad songs, special songs – some of which came with a personal story, all of which have a story.

In Israel we sing sad songs, we release our anger and grief through poetry and song, we tell our stories.

It all begins with a ceremony at the Western Wall, to which the families of those who died are invited – from the War of Independence, through the War of Attrition, 6 Day War, Yom Kippur, Lebanon 1 and 2 and the many battles in between. It is truly incredible that there are not more.

The day of mourning ends at nightfall when the entire atmosphere changes on a pin. As the last soldiers march out of the amphitheatre of Mount Herzl, the flag bearing soldiers march in and the celebrations begin. Dancing, singing, marching, music fireworks and sheer joy……….. we paid the price, we paid dearly, but here we are not just standing but thriving and giving to the world. We have a truly magnificent society, we tend to moan a lot but that's a privilege that only democracy can achieve.

Tonight will be extra special for me because I am going to the ceremony with my incredible grand-daughter Talia. I am so proud of her. She is a feisty strong young woman, at 11 she is thoughtful beyond her years and very proud to be an Israeli. She has also been driving Saba Zvi crazy for a whole year to get her into the celebratory ceremony!!! After all this year Israel is 70!

The torchlights at the ceremony are from many walks of life, each has given much to Israeli society in his or her own way. http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/14-torch-lighters-for-Independence-Day-ceremony-unveiled-549208

From Rabbi Jonathan Sacks https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=6&v=NgXurQd8e6s

 The unexpected miracle of modern day Israel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoizSL-TEJQ

What is it that drives us? Why are we so determined to survive and enjoy every second of life? What makes us the people who love to go out to cinemas, theatres, each others homes, parks and have a deep curiosity for other cultures and our own diverse land? I don't know but the joie de vivre, the love of fun……………..

Tell em another country where the President has an idea, a city invites 12,000 strangers to an auditorium to sing and they all not only turn up but sing in glorious harmony the most important song in the country!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=oxzR9Z-kG6Q

Shiri Maimon sings the famous song, the last song of Yitzchak Rabin before he was cruelly assassinated – the name is Song to Peace. The exceptional aspect of this song is that thousands of soldiers are singing to peace. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kr5wRdxBXgI

We all know Oseh Shalom but I came across this wonderful rendition of our prayer for peace from all over the world, choirs in One Voice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FB6JK8uE9s

I must get ready because Talia will be here soon. My eldest grand-daughter almost 12 and I am so proud to be going with her.

Tomorrow is a day of fun, barbeques……so many barbeques! The whole country celebrates.

Then we come to Shabbat and the Hariton Family who are coming for Shabbat Dinner. I am so excited!! Flory and Paul are old friends of Zvi's, from the days of Venezuela Keren Hayesod through to Florida, and I am proud to have been taken into the family!! They are here with their children and spouses which is double exciting! The lovely Michael Meir is coming too and of course Jill, who is one of the family – and Amiad and Noga and the children………. That's it for now!! We will be just 16 for dinner which as you know is a mere drop in the ocean for me……….. or drop in the chicken soup!!

Mazal Tov to our incredible country. Thank you for giving me a home that fulfills and challenges me, doesn't allow me to become complacent, insists I care for my fellow man and allows me to sing her praises because she is worthy.

Thank you especially for the two, no three, most exceptional new soldiers I know. Yahya Mahamid left his family in Umm El Fahem, was threatened with death but chose to love his country, serve Standwithus and then enlist in the IDF, his photographs show an entirely happy young man. The same with Mohammed Soabi (yes the cousin of MK Haneen) who together with his Mother and of course Standwithus, also enlisted recently – and of course our special and wonderful young man Tomer Silver, who although not connected by blood is our family and we love him. May they come home safely after serving their country with honour.

Tell me – Isn't she the most beautiful 70 year old you ever saw?

Finally, what else, HATIKVA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLB_mtoEZWY

Chag Atzmaut Sameach – Shabbat Shalom

180412 Holocaust Memorial Day, Syria, Iran and more

180412

12^th April 2018

27^th Nissan 5778

Holocaust Remembrance Day

Dear Friends, Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel. At 10:00 precisely all traffic stopped, pedestrians stood to attention and passengers stepped down from their buses, everything stops exactly where it is. The siren wailed in memory of those who perished in the Holocaust. This is a song of hope, sung by 300 Survivors and their families. The name of the song "Chai" - Live"

It has English subtitles

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vuh1-jDi7Qw

Today is a day of both mourning and celebration. Celebration? I hear you ask. That we survived as a people, at a cost that is unimaginable, but we survived, we built a nation and those who were barely alive after the horrors of the Holocaust, the Shoah, came to the nascent State and helped to build a country, a Jewish Country, where they built families. Surely the most incredible response to the killing machine of the Third Reich is to build a family and see your grandson among the Israeli pilots who flew over Auschwitz in Israel Air Force aeroplanes.

Zvi and his choir are already in Kibbutz Lochamei ha Ghettaot – the Kibbutz of the Ghetto Fighters – where they will sing at the closing ceremony.

Sassi Keshet is the Director of the Yiddischspiel Theater in Israel and he sang a beautiful song "Violin of Sorrow" or Violin of Hope- both in English and in Yiddisch.

English https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mU303LQcaEc

Yiddisch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcweB2wJ-AQ

Two news filled weeks have passed since I last wrote since last Friday was Pesach.

Prime Minister Netanyahu has made and unmade a few decisions, the most glaring was on the work seekers whereby he came to an agreement with the UN and then reneged. I always say that one doesn't know what really goes on when you are in the hot-seat but it confused everyone.

During that time Hamas has ordered a "Demonstration of Return" on their border, as always ready to send their young people to the front while staying back in their bunkers.

Israel admitted wiping out the Syrian nuclear facility during the Premiership of Ehud Olmert; Assad the Syrian leader has been using chemical weapons on his own citizens, killing another 200+ to add to the 500,000 already killed in a war that started 7 years ago and due to weak Western leadership has continued unabated and allowed Russia and Iran a strong strategic foothold. We also wiped out both Iranian and Russian bases…………. Shhhhhh

Syria is to head a UN committee on nuclear and chemical weapons disarmament……. I am not kidding, it is too ridiculous to be a lie https://www.unwatch.org/syria-chair-un-disarmament-forum-chemical-watchdog-calls-us-eu-walk/

Incidentally, one fact has been missed by all the media people in Syria. Syria was always an Alowite minority (the religion of Assad) and a Sunni majority – thanks to Iran it has now made a distinct switch to Alowite minority and Shia majority!

This one is not a belated April Fools, really. Hamas gathered and burned thousands of tyres on the border with Israel, causing an ecological disaster and at great cost… then………. Wait for it……….. complained that Israel was not sending them tyres for their vehicles!!!!!

One of our projects – Zvi and I – is mentoring a group of wonderful young politicians, headed by Ofer Berkovitch, who are now vying for the Mayoral race in Jerusalem. It is time for Nir Barkat to go and also time for a centrist coalition to take over. Enough is enough.

I often talk about Impact-se and the wonderful work done by that organisation to bring tolerance in education. Well, it is working. Enlightened Palestinians are showing a deep interest in changing the paradigm, of giving their children a chance in life for more than jihad. http://www.impact-se.org/reports/

Even more incredible, David Geffen, Founder of Loving Classroom, has transferred his belief that love really can conquer all into enormous success on the ground. What may seem "airy fairy" is in fact both down to earth and incredibly effective. No matter where, his method teaches children that they do not have to be cruel to survive – they can actually gain from caring, loving – see what David has to say…….. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7QHrbpezyw&feature=youtu.be

So Passover passed over!! During the seven days we had 50 visitors who ate at our home, which I must admit I loved even though it was often at Zvi's initiative!!! The dishes are all back in the store room, the kitchen has returned to its former glory and I rested for two days!!! From the family through Zvi's parliament and various lovely friends, after all, what is a festival without a houseful?

During Pesach we had a surprise phone call – Canon Andrew White was in town! His unexpected call told me that he was visiting the wonderful Lola and Norman Cohen the next day, which came as a surprise to them!! We went to see him armed with a chocolate cake to help Lola out with her visitor! Andrew found it very funny that because of Pesach he "couldn't find a room at the inn" and went to stay in Bethlehem – don't worry he slept in a comfortable bed not a stable.

On the 30^th of March we were grateful for Kinneret Chayas 17^th re-birthday – it is an incredible 17 years since she was horribly injured in a terror attack in Tel Aviv. Her revenge? She is not only alive, she is now a happily married lady with four amazing children – who said miracles don't happen!!

We managed to see my friend Sari Singer, who shares a love for KC with me – and a love for each other; we also saw Ceci Bayon and her parents all the way from Mexico. One really fun night with Fred and Joyce Claar at the First Station for supper, then we had dessert with Meira and Michael Partem and then danced to the band playing for everyones entertainment – to find that right behind us were Elaine, Marc and Amy Oppenheimer!!!  Gosh I love Jerusalem!

Two days ago I took my friend Ruth to Givat Zeev to finally meet my daughter Rachel. I am happy to say it was a great success!!!

Today I had one of my favourite visitors. Andrew Stone (aka Lord Stone of Blackheath) came for coffee "I don't want to eat, just a coffee and a croissant with jam or honey" Well the problem is that none of the coffee shops or bakeries was open last night so I had nowhere to go to get a croissant…….. so I got up early and made Brioche!!! I was so proud of myself! They really turned out wonderfully and we sat out on the veranda, Andrew, Zvi and I, talking about a myriad of amazing projects that he is far to humble to allow me to relate. Andrew is a truly effective, clever and fair person and what he is doing to ensure the security of his beloved Israel while ensuring the safety and prosperity of our neighbouring countries is phenomenal. Enough said!!

And so we go back to the normal run of things – for a few days anyway!

Tomorrow night Leor and the children will come for supper, including little Yuval who at 2 months old is not going to partake of the pea soup, chicken and dessert – not directly anyway.

Remember, even though the signs are written all too clearly on the wall remember Daniel's interpretation of the Biblical writing on the wall "Mene Tekel Upharsin" which predicted the fall of Balshazar and his kingdom. We are strong if we will only stand together – forget our differences and strengthen what draws us together, we share so much.

After all, as David Geffen would say "All you need is Love"  but that isn't the song I want you to hear – We Are a Miracle – Shwekey https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmyKFLQDHns

Finally, dear lovely people, the only song, the only words, the only anthem that can end this particular missive – Hatikva, The Hope. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMwSlp7I7IQ

Shabbat Shalom to each and every one of you.

With all our love from Jerusalem, the dream that came true.

Sheila