201106
6th
November, 2020
Shabbat
Shalom! Wish you all a good weekend. No point in worrying, what may happen, or
may not……it already has!!
I sense
that the world in general and the USA in particular is in a state of turbulence, agitation with
extreme conflicting emotions roiling inside her. Here in
Israel we have seen it before, 25 years ago, when opposition leaders incited
its followers to the extent that a Prime Minister was shot to death,
assassinated, when leaving a peace rally. He looked so happy up there on the
stage, singing in his rough gravelly voice, his usual shy expression
complemented by a huge smile, singing about peace. Indeed the song was Shir
l'Shalom, a song to peace. Yitzchak Rabin was not a left-winger, he didn't keep
a flock of white doves to release every time he spoke, indeed he was very much
a Zionist of the old school, what in Hebrew one calls a "bitchonist",
Israel's security was paramount, but as a former Commander in Chief of the IDF
he also understood that Israel couldn't continue the animosity without trying
to reach some form of agreement. What I am trying to say is that words killed
Yitzchak Rabin. I see a repeat of those words here and I definitely see a
repeat of the abusive verbal incitement in the USA.
Back to
the subject in hand, who will be the next US President, which way will the
final count of the votes go and will the people accept the result or will they
riot? Perhaps the final count will show that out of about 330 million citizens
of the US the decision of who will be the next President will be counted in the
thousands. When Trump was elected the left, the far left rioted, will the right
riot now if Biden wins? I lived in the US in the '60's, falsely remembered for
flowers in one's hair and free love, the number of riots and killings was
horrendous, and two great leaders, Bobby Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King
were assassinated. It piqued my curiosity of civil unrest in the US. I was
staggered when I read the list, the very long list. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_incidents_of_civil_unrest_in_the_United_States
It
takes courage to accept defeat, whether it is an argument with one's spouse, in
court or in national elections. It is a sign of true democracy to accept the
leader you didn't choose. We will not know who will lead the free world for a
few days, so please, please, remember that what you want more than anything
else is for the USA to get someone who cares more about his country than about
himself. One of my favourite quotes is this "A
politician looks forward only to the next election. A statesman looks forward
to the next generation."
Vladimir
Putin's
family has asked him to step down from office as his Parkinson's Disease takes
a turn for the worse. The man whose machismo knows no bounds appears to have
reached the end of his political road, taken down by his health not his
opponents.
Benjamin
Netanyahu's determined
effort to sully the reputations of all the officers of the law and judiciary,
almost all of whom he chose in the first place, seems to have reached an all-time
high, with some of his closest allies in the Knesset using threatening language
on air against Avichai Mandelblitt, the Attorney General, if Mandelblitt
doesn't drop the indictments against Netanyahu.
Perhaps
the world order is changing, but let it be through legal channels not through
riots, hatred and death.
Going
back to that fateful evening, the 4th of November 1995, in the
centre of Tel Aviv, when Yitzchak Rabin was assassinated by another Jew, I ask
myself whether we have learned any lessons. Yitzchak Rabin was loved by
Presidents and Princes, Kings and Prime Ministers, they all came to his
funeral, President Clinton coined a phrase "Shalom Haver" and for a
short time our stunned country stopped the words of hate, but I see them rise
again, I see the extremism that killed Yitzchak Rabin, the man I was so proud
to call friend, raise its ugly head again. A temperate political climate is
slipping away in Israel and in the USA. The quiet rallies of those who want to
see our Prime Minister face his accusers in the Court of Justice have become
louder and the right wing "La Familia" have become more and more
violent in opposition. I watch the "discussions" on television and
hate the fact that instead of elegant debate always descend into screaming
matches which giving a terrible example to those who watch. So no, I don't
think we have learned any lessons from the earthquake of Rabin's assassination
and I pray that we come out of this period intact. I disagree with the
behaviour of my Prime Minister but I would never wish him, indeed anyone, harm.
Well
that was a bundle of fun wasn't it? I assumed that you would want me to tell
the truth, even when it isn't what you want to hear.
On
November 2nd 1917 British Foreign Secretary Lord Arthur James
Balfour sent a letter to Lord Rothschild, prominent member of the Jewish
community and close friend of Chaim Weitzman, expressing his and Prime Minister
Lloyd George's firm belief in the need for a Jewish homeland. That letter came
to be known as the Balfour Declaration the very basis of the establishment of
the State of Israel.
The
6th of November 1962
saw the UN finally condemn the cruel Apartheid regime of South Africa; 1860,
Abraham Lincoln was elected President; 1917, Lenin led the Bolshevik
Revolution; 1985 the Iran Contra Affair; 1989 Lech Walensa led the Solidarity
rebellion. What will history have to say about November 6th 2020?
I often
talk about our wonderful friends/family, Ira, Valeri, Tomer and Shelly, and
this week we have some wonderful news about Shelly. She passed her officer's
course and had the ceremony just in time before the skies opened and the rain
fell. Due to the pandemic we couldn't actually go to the base but it was
recorded on Zoom. So proud of you Shelly!!
Shelly's
family made Aliya in 1991 just one year after I made Aliya – Aliya literally
means to go up, to ascend, to rise by coming to live in Israel; to become an
Israeli citizen. The Israeli Government has decided to commemorate Aliya, from
before the declaration of the State of Israel until today, by creating
"Aliya Day". I always remember that when Zvi spoke of Aliya (today he
is on the Aliya Committee of the Jewish Agency) he said "We mustn't forget
that even when one moves from village to village one loses one's status, and
when one moves from country to country the only thing that stays with you is
your accent as you tackle a new language, a new society and a new social
standing." It is obviously true, unless you decide to remain stuck in a
society of people who came from your country of origin, but unlike other
countries it isn't a matter of relocation, one is coming home. Zvi's parents
made Aliya, before the State, in 1934 and 1935 respectively, leaving their
families behind. They became part of society here because so many of their
friends had done the same brave Aliya, the lucky ones who realised that Europe
was becoming more and more dangerous for Jews. Their Aliya saved their lives as
the 3rd Reich took every single member of their family who remained
in Europe, believing things would get better. Jews from North Africa, 900,000
of them who fled oppression came home on Aliya, indeed some came on the wings
of eagles (from Yemen), and in recent years the Aliya from both Ethiopia and
the FSU. An ever growing number are coming voluntarily from Western Countries
as young Jews realise what a wonderful life they can build for their children
right here in this tiny piece of land of opportunity. Read about it here https://www.jpost.com/opinion/celebrating-israels-revival-on-yom-haaliyah-569522
Did you
know that the Sea of Galilee, the Kinneret, which had suffered drought
which led to a disturbing lowering of her waters, is already pretty full after
last winter's rains and now, after the rains of this last week, her waters are
rising beautifully and winter hasn't even arrived yet! The rains were wonderful,
accompanied by noisy thunder and spectacular lightening. The coastal towns got
the brunt of the rains, streets turning into rivers and car parks into lakes,
admittedly not of monsoon standards but after complaining that the rains would
never come we got a month's worth in one day!! I am not sure if it is my Welsh
upbringing but I love the rain! In fact if it rains again this evening I'm
going to put on my gabardine mac (and for the Brits amongst you I'll put on my
wellies too) and go for a wet walk!
This
morning we woke to sunshine! The pinkish, white stones of Jerusalem are
glistening after the rain. Always beautiful the city is even more wonderful
after the dust of summer has been washed away. The sand of Sahara sand storms
and summer dust has been washed off our veranda and the trees, herbs and
flowers have revived after the never ending heat. This week Rachel, Yosef,
Talia and Ayala came to visit and we cut the first ripe orange off the little
tree. There are two more which will be picked by Leor and Amiad's children –
one for each family! Today is little Ori's 9th birthday but
unfortunately we can't go to celebrate thanks to Corona.
I was
so thrilled to find this article in the Times of Israel which told the story of
the Harlem Yiddisher Cantors. Click on the music as well as reading the story.
It's wonderful! https://www.timesofisrael.com/yiddisher-black-cantors-from-100-years-ago-rediscovered-thanks-to-rare-recording/
Shalom
Aleichem, the song that welcomes Shabbat. I wish you Shalom, Shabbat Shalom,
Peace, Pax………. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szSb2abAaWU
The
song that Yitzchak Rabin sang on the stage just minutes before his
assassination was a song of peace. Here Shiri Maimon sings it for you with
translation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kr5wRdxBXgI
We wish
you a Shabbat Shalom, a peaceful weekend, one that sends a message of
togetherness.
With
love
Sheila
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