28th April, 2022
27 לחודש ניסן, 5782
יום הזיכרון לשואה Holocaust
Remembrance Day
Never
Again? Really?
Never again yet as I stood on the veranda with Zvi at 10:00 this morning,
whereas in the past every car stopped, not a person moved, during the 2 minute
siren which wailed over the whole of Israel. This morning it was only 50%, many
cars just kept going on the highway. One cannot say they didn't hear or didn't
know because the siren was on the radio, all around us. Either the drivers
didn't relate to the Shoah or even worse, they feel it is in the past, gone and
forgotten. In a Jewish world where what is happening in Ukraine is equated with
the Shoah in too many communities it is not surprising that our children and
grandchildren do not relate. The Survivors of the purgatory that was the
Concentration Camps are passing away and their stories are untold for most.
Never again? I'm not so sure.
"Never Again" is so banal, in
fact it really means nothing since it is happening again, over and over again
anti-Semitic louts around the world see fit to beat up Jews, or should I say
"Obvious Jews". What an odious expression that allows complacent Jews
to join in the derision toward fellow Jews who dress differently. The Jews who
are at the forefront and it has nothing to do with their mode of dress or their
beards and earlocks or payis or payot….It's irrelevant what you call their
hats, skullcaps or long coats, they are you and me. It has once again become
socially acceptable to deride and harm Jews, so what does never again mean? How can we expect
those thugs to respect "Obvious Jews" when too many of our own deride
them and speak of religious or observant Jews with disdain.
As
I write to you there is a memorial ceremony in the Knesset called "To Each
Person a Name" Members of Knesset, including the PM, the former PM and
Speaker of the Knesset all stood and read out names of their family members who
were killed, murdered in the most organised and cold-blooded manner imaginable.
Whether from Thessaloniki, Tripoli, Bialystok, Lodz or Paris, each had lost
many of their family, leaving only their parents to continue the family. Former
Minister Ofir Akunis ended his horrifying litany of family members lost to the
Nazi death machine and whereas the others all said "May their souls be
blessed" he added "I will not forgive nor forget"
This
is a week of mourning which changes to joy. The mourning continues with the
deep sadness of young lives lost in the constant fight against terror since
well before Independence. Yes I know everyone thinks that the terror is a
consequence of the founding of the State of Israel but it began long before,
the killing in the Arab riots of 1920, 1929 and 1936. 1929 in which 133 Jews
were slaughtered and over 300 injured, mostly in Hebron. In those riots the
British evacuated the Jews of Jenin for their own safety but you will never
here of the Jewish community of Jenin and the fact that they never saw their
homes again. The joy? Independence Day, Yom HaAtzmaut. After the solemn
ceremonies both at the Western Wall and the Mount Herzl Cemetery, in fact
military cemeteries throughout Israel of which there are just too many; parents
visiting of graves of their children and children the graves of their parents;
a day of absolute mourning with sirens and silence both evening and morning and
suddenly, in a flash, Mount Herzl becomes a ceremony of jubilation, song, joy
and fireworks! We know how to mourn but we also know how lucky we are to have
our own country and to whom we owe the enormous privilege of a Jewish Home.
Hatikva – The Hope, is Israel's National Anthem.
Hope, that belief that the future will always be better; Hope, Tikva, which
helped those who survived the horrors of the Shoah to lead wonderful lives here
in the land of hope. The young men and women of the IDF are the future of
Israel and of the Jewish people as they go forward into the world with a
confidence that past generations never attained. https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Incredibly,
one Survivor, aged 90, served as godfather (Sandak) at the Brit Milah of his
49th great-grandchild this week. That is true vengeance of the
sweetest kind – to survive insurmountable evil and thrive here in Israel.
Last
week the European Union requested a debate between www.impact.se
CEO Marcus Sheff (with Arik Agassi) and the Palestinian Minister of Education
concerning the Palestinian refusal to improve their textbooks, refusal to
remove hate and introduce tolerance in education. The Palestinian Minister
Awartani backed out at the last moment, leaving just Marcus to present the
argument for Tolerance in Education, citing the success of Impact-se with many
countries in the MENA region. Despite two virulently anti-Israel Members of the
UN the members listened carefully to the presentation and are now contemplating
demanding changes in the Palestinian curriculum or they will face defunding.
After
the loneliness of Pesach with Corona we have made up by having non-stop visitors
– in other words taking advantage of our temporary immunity! Ira and Valeri with
Tomer and Shelly came for the second chag of Passover once Zvi and I had tested
negative for Covid; as Passover ended we visited two Mimounah celebrations in
our little neighbourhood amazed as always by the incredible display of sweet Moroccan
nutty delicacies, stuffed sweetened fruits and delicious home-made muflettas,
fried in butter and soaked in honey. Considering that Zvi is diabetic and I
have a nut allergy it was a visual delight although I ate a couple of
muflettas! We had a fabulous, if short visit from my wonderful friends Judith
and Marcus Hallside and yesterday tried out a new restaurant in Kiriat Anavim
for breakfast with friends – it was absolutely yummy. Last evening Zvi,
together with Dr. Motti Friedman and pianist Ronit Banit performed in an
Assisted Living home in Jerusalem. They sang beautiful songs in Yiddish to the
delight of the audience, accompanied by Hassia who sang beautifully. Among the audience
was out lovely friend Prof. Gabby Barkay who many of you know as one of
Israel's foremost archaeologists. Today our friend Carmen came for lunch after
an emotional visit, with Zvi, to the Hadassah Hospice where our dear friend
Frida is spending her last days.
It
is appropriate that
just before Holocaust Remembrance Day each building in our complex is
displaying an Israeli flag. This country is so much more than just a country,
more than a refuge, more than a haven, more than the most argumentative and
innovative population, argumentative because now we can! Politicians may try to
split us into sectors, and leaders may try to split us into sects but this is
home! It makes me furious when I am told by young Jews that they don't relate
to Israel as in this report in the Jerusalem Post "1/4 American Jewish millennials distance themselves
from Israel" https://m.jpost.com/diaspora/
I
hope you don't object to my rambling but then most of you are used to it! Today
there are movies about the Shoah, stories from Survivors and their families and
music, sad music. Next Tuesday night and Wednesday photographs of the young faces
of those killed in fighting and by terrorism will be on a constant display on
our televisions, again stories of bravery and most of all music, sweet, sad
Israeli music.
Before
the music I almost forgot to tell you about the well-deserved nomination for Danny
Adeno Abebe's book From Africa to Zion has been nominated for a major
literature prize https://www.amazon.com/Africa-Zion-Danny-Adeno-Abebe/dp/9652012866
Just
as the IDF choir sang Hatikva; on the first Shabbat after the 15th
of April 1945 when the British Troops liberated Bergen Belsen the survivors
sang Kiddush and then, spontaneously, they sang Hatikva https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWOkML4A8sU
The words have changed because now we sing about a Jewish country that exists,
not just the dreams of a broken people.
Ein
Li Eretz Aheret
– I have no other country – is one of the most beautiful songs of Israel. This
beautiful rendition by many Israeli singers is so emotive I had to give it to
you even though it is in Hebrew. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtR6HF3MQKw The lyrics by Ehud Manor carry a deeply important
message that even though this country has gone through many changes, we have no
other country. The chorus is
"I have no other country, even
if my land is aflame
Just a word in Hebrew pierces my veins and my soul -
With a painful body, with a hungry heart,
Here is my home"
Since
you love the music I want to give you one more song. Heveinu Shalom Aleinu
– We brought Peace Among us. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5d_i2F2LlF8
Jewish and Moslem artists singing together in a prayer for peace
I
wish you a Shabbat Shalom and pray that the world has learned a lesson. That lesson is one of Tolerance, of empathy,
of understanding that we are all different and tha tis the beauty of mankind
With
much love from Jerusalem
Sheila
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