191019 Succot, Lightening, Kurds and friends

191017

17^th October 2019

Shabbat Shalom, Moadim leSimcha, Happy Feast of Tabernacles!

I am so confused with all the days of Festivals that I am not sure what day it is, but then it must be Thursday because I have an urge to write to you, and Friday when I send it!

The international news centred around the much criticised US withdrawal from Northern Syria. Suddenly after 500,000 civilian deaths everyone woke up.  To try to put things into perspective is not easy but basically it all centres around a despot, a tyrannical leader called Bashar Al-Assad who inherited his position from his father. Anyway, there were rumblings of dissent as Assad's regime became more and more tyrannical and a rebel force began amongst the people. They were soon overpowered by radical, Iranian backed groups, including Hezb-Allah; then in came the Russians to fight alongside the tyrant Assad; this produced a back-lash and the Iranians came in with their sidekicks the Turks. In time the Turks became the strongest force in Syria…………… and yes, Assad is still there. In the meantime some half a million ordinary Syrian citizens died, an unidentified number from chemical weapons – but that was from Assad whose strength was encouraged by Iran. As I said last week, don't even try to judge actions in the Middle East by Western standards because it doesn't work – you cannot transfer the same policies because the situation is so complex. This is the Middle East. What I truly don't understand is why everyone concentrates on this neighbourhood when thousands die weekly in Nigeria, Yemen, Libya, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ongoing_armed_conflicts#/media/File:Ongoing_conflicts_around_the_world.svg and the major cause of death in children in those conflict zones, indeed in the world, is unpotable water!!!

Last night Mike Pence announced a Turkish cease fire (albeit 5 days) in Northern Syria in an agreement brokered by the USA. Everyone laughed at the Trump letter to Erdogan for its "illiteracy" and childish language. Well who's laughing now? Apparently it worked! https://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Pence-Turkey-will-pause-operation-to-allow-Kurdish-withdrawal-604996

Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, released his 2019 annual report to the UN General Assembly. It is the first UN human rights report wholly dedicated to anti-Semitism. It thoroughly and thoughtfully examines and documents anti-Semitic violence, discrimination and hostility that, in Dr. Shaheed’s words, are “increasing in magnitude” and creating a “climate of fear” in Jewish communities worldwide. The report finds that anti-Semitism is “toxic to democracy” and “threatens all societies in which it goes unchallenged.”  https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/un-finally-confronts-anti-semitism-as-a-human-rights-problem/

I posted an observation on Facebook on the miracle that is Israel that all four leaders of the Blue and White Party are the children of Holocaust Survivors – indeed three of them were IDF Commanders in Chief! The question that arose from that post was whether they are able to lead and give our young people the motivation for a Jewish State, with the emphasis on Jewish, because that motivation is all but, lost both In Israel and the Diaspora. Since we come from a generation that forgot to tell their children, and before us a generation that needed to forget, we raised a generation that is ignorant of its past, thus does not know how to build the future. 

News in short and in no particular order

1.     MP Dame Louise Ellman, a Jewess, has quit the Labour Party after 55 years, saying Jeremy Corbyn is "not fit" to become Prime Minister.

2.     Dreadful fires hit in two places in California

3.     A family of five was playing on Zikin Beach in Southern Israel when lightening struck them. All were electrocuted and a 14 year old died

4.     Many thousands of Christians came to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles annual parade organised by the ICEJ

5.     Venezuela, Libya and Mauritania have been elected to the UN Human Rights Council. One has a dictator who has plunged his country into poverty and the other supports slavery!

6.     Gal Gadot and her husband have formed a production company to produce a film about Irene Sendler who saved thousands of children during the Holocaust. Gal Gadot herself will play the title role about a real life Superwoman.  

7.     PM Boris Johnson and the EU both announced that a Brexit deal has been reached but the stumbling block is over Eire and Ulster.

8.     Trump threatens Erdogan with economic sanctions if he continues his aggression in Syria.

9.     Andile Gumbi (36) held the lead role in the South African production of Daniel, the Musica at the Jerusalem Theatre when he suddenly fell ill and was rushed to Shaare Zedek Hospital where the doctors are fighting for his life

As I told you last week, we have been Succah hopping all week. Starting with Amiad and Noga, Yonatan and Ella for Friday night, then lunch with Rina and Yechiel, a quick visit with the Yekutieli family where Sammy took me to his veranda and explained his fascinating interpretation of the view and showed me an amazing book of his family's history; upstairs to Rachel and Yossi for a surprise 70^th  birthday supper for Yossi. Sunday Shiri and Leor and the girls; Monday, singing with the choir in the Succah of Rafael and Baya in Har Gilo which is even higher than Jerusalem and gave us a spectacular view of the forked and sheet lightening over the city – spectacular but it sent many people running into the house! In fact bits of Succah could be found all over the place from the subsequent strong winds; Tuesday and all the Ravivs were the Ishpuzim in Rachel and Igals Succah where Rachie put on a spectacular spread and Ayala, aged 10, gave Zvi's grandchildren a course in making Slime!! The girls came back to us to stay and in the morning Zvi took them on the light rail to Mahane Yehuda which they absolutely adored!

  

Wednesday, at the Kotel (Western Wall) the ceremony of Birkat ha Cohanim, the Priestly Blessing, took place. About 120,000 people gather to hear it. It immediately took me back to my childhood and the festivals where my Daddy and my brother would go outside for the start of the ceremony when the Levites (teachers) would help them prepare to go up onto the dais to bless the community. The men of the Silver and the Katz family would stand up there, at first facing us and then turn away, cover their heads with their prayer shawls and turn back to the community reciting the ancient words. One was not supposed to look at them during the blessing but hey, this was my Daddy and I loved looking at him and was so proud of his important role. He used to bless me every morning anyway as I stood with him as he said his morning prayers. Here is the massive ceremony at the Kotel https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=XfGwbEy2I2s  

Yesterday the first of our current guests arrived and what a joy it was! Merle and Frank Friedman are from South Africa and are in the process of moving to Israel. I loved their first reaction – to go straight out onto the veranda and take photos! Merle loves flowers so when she saw the display of hibiscus blooms, the geraniums, pelargoniums, my special fuchsia plant called Valerie and the array of culinary herbs she was in seventh heaven! In the morning Zvi took them to the "open" Succah in the President's Home, which I understand was absolutely spectacular with Israeli agriculturalists cutting tree-fresh fruits for everyone. After the Presidents home they went to the Islamic Museum where they were wowed by the exceptional clock collection, then home for lunch. Last night we all went down to the Pais Basketball Arena for a wonderful reception for the ICEJ Tabernacles celebrations. It was wonderful to see old friends Jay and Meridel Rawlings, Malcolm Hedding and of course Tim King, all the original founders of the ICEJ. Tim gave me an update on his incredible daughter Anna who first became very well known as a model with her fiery red hair and beautiful face, gave up her career to volunteer for the IDF, became an Honorary Citizen, got her Master's degree in Conflict Management and most importantly gave Tim a beautiful grandchild!! The show afterwards was absolutely spectacular.

So to Shabbat, followed by the last days of Succot and time to take down the wind-blown succot and store it for another year, such is the cycle of festivals. The final and then first festival of that cycle is Simchat Torah – literally the joy of Torah – when we dance, sing and throw sweets to children for the sheer joy of coming to the end of our weekly Torah readings and make ready to begin all over again with the story of the creation and of course Adam and Eve, which brings us neatly to Rabbi Jeremy Rosen's writings – Sin is not such a big deal! He also explains that the famous and sinful apple of the story could have been an orange, or a grape or fig!!! http://jeremyrosen.com/2019/10/sin-not-such-a-big-deal.html

You already know my Friday routine – I wake early, write my letter to catch you up with the week, tidy the house, set the table for Shabbat, prepare food then go to Rachel to see her and the children and get my hugs then back home over the hill of Samuel's Tomb, see the panoramic view, down to Ramot to get anything that's missing from tonight's menu……….. oh tonight……. We obviously have Merle and Frank, Prof. Gabby Barkay who will regale us with tales of his Sifting Project https://tmsifting.org/en/brief-introduction-to-the-project/, Zvi's Mexican cousin Sergio Verbitsky and his new wife and Mika and Aharon Sarig. Oh boy, I haven't even started to cook so I really ought to find some extra special songs then go to get organised!!!

I was looking for songs appropriate to Simchat Torah and then, of course, this song by Koolulam came up called Good Deeds Day – It should be good for you! I love it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlkMPQl-vDI

You know this song, I've given it many times, but this version it exceptional – Salaam, Shalom, Peace https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMomBbCyDlI

HaTikva, The Hope – we must never forget who protects us and our incredible young people

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQCu9kl68Tg

With all our love and blessings from Jerusalem, the most beautiful city in the world, open to all and loved by most.

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach, Feast of Tabernacle Blessings

Sheila

191004 Knesset, Rosh Hashana and old friends

191004

4^th of October 2019

Good Shabbes, Shabbat Shalom, Shana Tova, Hatima Tova………. So many blessings but then one can never have too many!

I have to admit I wasn't going to write to you today, I was going to wait until next week and Yom HaKippurim, but I have so much to tell you that I decided to go ahead anyway!!

Let's get the insanity of politics out of the way and I will try to use language appropriate to this time of repentance!!

Let's begin at the end, or rather the middle. I love watching Members of Knesset, old and new, at the swearing in ceremony. All they have to do is stand up and say "I swear" in response to the Speakers oath, but it amazes me how a slight change in intonation or stance can say so much! The Members of the Arab Joint List were not present at the swearing in – and the knee-jerk reaction is one of anger and shrugged shoulders, but although the timing was inappropriate, the purpose was clear. All of them joined a quiet, well organised demonstration against internecine violence in the Arab community, town and village, which has reached terrifying proportions. Only two days ago three brothers died in a family feud, shooting in the street. Their claim is that the police do nothing about it and the government is lax in its response. While agreeing in principle, it must be remembered that policing these areas is not simple and the Arab community must also work toward helping the police in their job. I would suggest that an amnesty for giving up all illegal guns would be a good start.

Three major changes in the Israeli political map occurred yesterday.

1.     The long lasting leadership of Benjamin Netanyahu over the Likud Party is being challenged by Gidon Sa'ar, one time protégé who Netanyahu sent packing.

2.     Speaker of the House Yuli Edelstein announced that Netanyahu was willing to take a leave of absence if indicted.

3.     Yair Lapid announced that he is willing to step down from the leadership rotation of Blue and White thus lessening confusion, leaving Benny Gantz and Netanyahu as the potential Prime Ministerial rotation – if Netanyahu will still be in the game.

4.     PM Netanyahu is undergoing hearings at the Ministry of Justice with Attorney General Avichai Mandelblitt. The hearing involve several accusations of illegality.  

President Rivlin gave a deeply emotional speech at the opening of the Knesset Session asking all parties and participants to act responsibly and come forward with a logical coalition because Israelis are tired of confusion and need unification of purpose among their leaders.

Rosh Hashana this year was very special – Zvi discovered a way to take out the pomegranate seeds without getting the juice all over the walls!! It really is incredible! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUJ9VCbTX4Q

I love the Rosh Hashana foods, the ceremony and the sense of starting over. First night and the table looked pretty spectacular, if I say so myself! Two things were different this year, firstly, we learned about the Rosh Hashana Seder Plate, a beautiful Sefardi tradition that we adopted it https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/a-sephardic-rosh-hashanah-seder/ ; the second was indeed special, we had two soldiers at the Seder, both of whom we have known since before they were born! Tomer and Shelley, whose parents Ira and Valeri became members of our family after emigrating from Moscow, making Aliya just one year after I made Aliya, and now their children are both in the IDF. It really was a joyous evening and Zvi's grand-daughters were thrilled that in my family one doesn't only have apple and honey but also challah with honey! The weather was perfect so all our windows were open and Zvi's beautiful Kiddush resonated all over our neighbourhood!

The first day of Rosh Hashana was restful, basically spent in prayer and relaxation, and of course setting the table for the second night. We decided to be spontaneous and a wonderful mix of friends came to spend the festival meal with us. The normal chatter and getting to know one another changed when Dvorit (prompted by Zvi) asked her husband Meishi Schreiber to tell the story of searching for and finding his great-grandfather's grave in Germany, a fascinating tale of detective work. As he finished Gabby Barkay told the story of his birth in the ghetto in Hungary and his ultimate arrival in Israel after which the normally quiet Shaul Perlberg began to tell the story of his childhood in Belgium.

When he was just two and a half years old Shaul's mother understanding the danger of her child being Jewish, asked an elderly neighbour to keep little Shaul (or his taken name Paul) as if he were her grandson. Apparently another neighbour told on them and a Gestapo bully came to the old lady's apartment and ask if she was harbouring a Jewish child. When she denied it he said "There's only one way to discover if he is a Jew" and tried to pull down the child's trousers. Having been taught by his parents that no stranger was ever allowed to do such a thing, little Shaul pulled his trousers back up. The "tug of war" went on for a few moments and the old lady's dog, sensing his little friend's distress attacked the Gestapo officer who fled from the building. How such a tiny child had the initiative to fight is incredible. Shaul was taken to an "orphanage" and at the age of five, war ended, and the child didn't know whether his Mother was alive or dead. One day, a group of adults came to the orphanage to search for their children. Shaul was walking down the stairs, looking very different to the two year old his mother had saved by giving him to the neighbour, when he saw her and ran into her arms. They came to Israel where his Mother remarried with another survivor and they made the decision to remove all memories of the Shoah, all papers and relics, to the extent of having the numbers removed from her arm. However, Shaul used to listen in to the conversations his mother had with her contemporaries and gradually put together the whole story.

Remember the story of the trousers and the Gestapo? Well Shaul went on to become a highly respected urologist in Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem. He and Zvi met when Zvi was a Sergeant in charge of an IDF field hospital during the Yom Kippur War and Shaul was one of his doctors –Shaul met his wonderful wife Raya there too. Shaul and Raya have four children and two grandchildren, he says that's one for each million slaughtered.

So you see, sitting around a Rosh Hashana table with friends can teach us so much about the strength of a two year old under the most dire of conditions and his ability to turn tragedy into healing.

We must learn from the past. As a people we tend to be complacent, to enjoy the present and believe everything will be alright, but just as my wonderful Father used to say "Don't expect God to come and rescue you every time, you have to use the intelligence he gave to all of us to understand your situation"  Shaul's story, indeed Meishi, Gabby and Shaul's stories are a lesson to all of us, now. Look around you and don't just react, preempt!

Perhaps one of the most important teachers of our generation was Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King. Since more and more African Americans are following Islam and have become perpetrators of racist crime, perhaps now is the time to quote the great man. He knew that both peoples were shaped by the tragic experience of slavery. He knew that both peoples were forced to live in ghettoes, victims of segregation. He knew that both peoples were subject to laws passed with the particular intent of oppressing them simply because they were Jewish or black. He knew that both peoples have been subjected to oppression and genocide on a level unprecedented in history.

And so to Kippur. If at any time I have hurt or offended you I beg forgiveness, I promise it was never intentional. A time of contemplation and atonement the eve of Yom Kippur has deep meaning. Here Rabbi Jonathan Sacks explains https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hW-cSrxQ1IU

Unetanei Tokef is a prayer said on Yom Kippur and here Shai Abrahamson, the Senior Cantor of the IDF sings to the background of scenes from the Yom Kippur War of 1973, the war that took Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir by surprise, it is said because she did not listen to her Chief of Staff.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyBToUaon2w

A very different Kol Nidre, "all vows" the opening prayer of Yom Kippur, from a pious man who never fitted description! Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFxv_gI70ZU The words are written in Aramaic and represent all the vows and promises that are made null and void as we enter a new sense of responsibility.

Finally, as they used to say on Monty Python, time for something entirely different. My prayer is for understanding, tolerance and vowing to change our perceptions. Shalom Aleinu as you've never heard it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5d_i2F2LlF8

May you be written in the Good Book for health, contentment and the determination to fight for your identity in a world that is becoming harder and harder.

Gmar Hatima Tova

With much love from Jerusalem, from Zvi and I and all our family.

Sheila