220603
3rd
of June 2022
Shabbat
Shalom! I hope you are well and that your week left you smiling
For
those of us who love Queen Elizabeth the 2nd, Wasn't yesterday's
ceremonial event glorious? Everything from the various regiments of the Guards,
the horses (and the truck that went around collecting their residue) the crowds
in the Circle and the Mall, the sheer joy of the occasion and finally the
Queen, Her Majesty is such an appropriate title for a truly majestic lady, and
her family appearing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to the roar of joy
from the crowd. This 96 year old stood throughout the fly past (I loved the aeroplane
formation of 70 in the sky) bending to explain what was happening to her great
grandson and chatting away with her son, a smile breaking out on both occasions.
Her leadership may be titular but her example is supreme.
The
police were everywhere but did not touch anyone and smiled constantly, alert
but polite and discreet. As they say you can take the Brit out of Britain but
not Britain out of the Brit!! I love Israel, wouldn't live anywhere else but
Britain is best at creating an atmosphere of pomp and circumstance without
exaggeration or bling!
So
to this week in the world of the mundane, everyday life of us ordinary folk.
Perhaps
I'll start at the end then work back, not backwards but…..you know what I mean!
Yesterday
I had a phone call from the CEO of www.impact-se.org
, the research institute of which I am so proud to be Chairman of the Board.
Anyway, Marcus Sheff (CEO) called to update me on so many advances that I
couldn't stop smiling for hours. Open the link and you will see the incredible
advances made by the team in the sphere of Tolerance in Education in th entire MENA
region and of course Israel, all sectors. More and more Islamic countries have
come to the realization that if they want normalization in their relations with
the West (as opposed to Iran) they have to change the way they teach their
children – hate teaching cannot continue. Indeed hate teaching is against the
Koran and against the basic tenets of their religion.
Let
me go back to the beginning!
Since
our "limousine" breathed its last drop of petrol, after 19 years of
excellent service (a tiny Daihatsu whose paintwork had long given up in the
Israeli sun) and two busy people tried to manage with one car, we went to look
at alternatives. Electric? Hybrid? Petrol? We are still deciding! I was at home
while Zvi went to a rehearsal for ……..wait that comes later!
One
Monday Gaby Hirsch, from Shalva, came for a cup of coffee to help me decide
when to organise the official opening of Dr. Dan's Room, the incredible Studio
for Music, Dance and Drama in the name of my beautiful son Daniel who was killed
in an accident two and a half years ago while riding through Central Park. https://give.shalva.org/daniel
In
the afternoon we went to the shloshim (30 days after someone passes away) of
our dear friend Frida z"l. Here in Israel the tombstone is laid after 30
days, not a year as in the Diaspora. It was very moving, a beautiful ceremony
and since Frida was a singer with an exceptional voice, we al sang her
favourite song, which coincidentally is mine too. Lelechet Shevi Acharaich – a love
song to Israel. https://youtu.be/FQLU1a-rnGA
Tuesday
and I had lunch with the Queen of Cardiff. Tema Gaba is an institution, a wonderful
incredible lady celebrated her hundredth birthday this week. I love sitting and
talking with her, enjoying her world of knowledge and sweet memories of my
parents. Tema, like the Queen, served in the British Army during WW2 and any
opportunity to hear her tales of those times lights up everyone who knows and
loves her. I wish you could meet her, a wonderful Welsh Lady! Unlike the Queen
there was no big celebration, no fly past, no Grenadier Guards, just joy in knowing someone who really did
humble but great things in her life.
Wednesday
Zvi had another rehearsal……. Yes you already know, that comes later…and I
managed to sneak in a quick visit to Rachel and the children to be renewed with
their hugs. You would think that the climb up to Samuel's Tomb and the view,
the panorama of Jerusalem laid out in front of me, would become everyday, but
it doesn't. Each time I look out over my city I am amazed anew. Such incredible
beauty, even the new city, built of gleaming white stone, is beautiful
stretching before me in a huge jigsaw of hills, houses, highrises and cranes –
yes the national bird of Israel is the building crane! We just don't have
enough housing especially as the wave of new immigrants is growing,
surprisingly from the USA and the West.
Finally
we come to Thursday and the truly magnificent concert of the Cantus Choir of
the Jerusalem Academy of Music was held in the YMCA theatre. The YMCA is
conceivably the most beautiful building in Jerusalem. Situated opposite the
King David Hotel its cupolas and towers, arches and gardens dominate the eye
and the atmosphere is wonderful. The theatre has a high, decorated cupola and a
full proscenium arch with a second cupola behind it. One by one the choir filed
onto and up on the stands and magic happened. Each and every song, conducted by
the beautiful and talented Ronit Banit, resounded from the stage to the full
audience. We were captivated. I'll try to make a YouTube for you. Instead of
going out to a coffee shop our friends Eva and Eli came to us for coffee and
cheeses and we had such a lovely time.
The
funny part is that the city was empty because there was a huge and very well
organised, joyful Gay Parade nearby in the Bell Park. We feared that nobody
would get to the concert because of the level of traffic and lack of parking,
but in fact, I came straight into the city from the Hebrew University on Mount
Scopus with barely another car on the road and suddenly, right at the gate to
the YMCA a perfect parking spot was waiting just for me!
Another
fascinating fact about the Gay Parade. For many years it was held in various
Israeli cities but not in Jerusalem, for a million reasons, but it was a Haredi
Mayor who made the decision to allow the Gay Parade in Jerusalem and apart from
one tragic incident when a crazy man killed a young participant , Shira Banki z"k
who as marching to support friends, it has been a wonderful and colourful
addition to the Jerusalem calendar.
Talking
of parades, after the Flag Parade last week and the disruption caused by two
factions of the extreme right, Defence Minister Gantz is considering declaring both Lehava and La Familia terrorist organisations.
I
did an upside down missive this week – I felt the need to write about lovely
things instead of only politics and shootings.
Uri
Zohar, a major player on the Israeli stage and screen, passed away yesterday at
the age of 86. Zohar began as a secular Jew, became a Haredi Jew yet never lost
his tolerance for the opinions of others and continued to influence many. Together
with Arik Einstein, two of his children married two of Einstein's children, he
made an iconic skit called Lul, about the various 'Aliyas" to Israel
showing that nothing is new and each new wave of immigrants has to adapt to
life here, as everywhere. Brilliant and very funny! https://youtu.be/PVDrqFGfAdY
I
learned something this week, in fact today, from an article written by Liat
Collins in the Jerusalem Post. I hadn't realised that the Ottoman Empire, which
occupied this land for 70 years, expelled the Jews of Jaffa in 1914. Moslems
were allowed to return to Jaffa but Jews were not and they are mostly buried in
Kfar Saba. https://www.jpost.com/opinion/
Almost
the end of the Counting of the Omer, nearly the Feast of Weeks, Shevuot. Rabbi
Jeremy Rosen describes beautifully the relevance of Shevuot, of the words we
use and the kindness we should express. If you want to understand the real
meaning of Shevuot, of the festival and of the reading of the story of Ruth,
beautiful Ruth who chose to be a Jewess and became a true Jewish heroine by
following her mother in law Naomi. "Shevuot is so much more than
"Whither thou goest I goest" https://jeremyrosen.com/2022/06/shavuot-2022.html
This
weekend and Shevuot which follows on the tails of Shabbat we will be eating
only milk products – no meat or chicken – more of a tradition than a law.
Cheesecakes galore, blintzes of every description and the supermarkets sport
shelves after shelves of Israeli cheeses hard, soft and white varieties,
yoghurts, creams, butter and the world famous Israeli cottage cheese which
unlike its namesake in the rest of the world, has no "marbles" it is
soft and creamy and like all the cheeses there is a 5% alternative which tastes
just as good! We have a crazy schedule of friends and family, because this is
Israel and everyone invites or is invited for the festivals. Barely a table
lays bare, all burgeoning with delicacies and most with 10, 15, 20 and 30
diners! We are a country that entertains at home, rather than restaurants. We
are a country of great cooks, men and women cook at home, usually a combined
effort, and a very informal manner. Children are very much seen and heard and
part of the scene, never sent to bed at 6 o'clock they join in conversations,
unless it is boring and turns to politics in which case they are excused to go
and play until dessert!!
Time
to go and prepare the food that I will be taking with me to each home. Herb and
lemon baked salmon for tonight; my yummy lemon cake for tomorrows brunch (one
comes home from the synagogue and immediately eat rather than waiting until
lunchtime); blintzes and crepes for
tomorrow evenings holiday meal. No cooking for Monday evening after the
festival ends because we are going to the annual party in the home of Meme and
Liora, a party that was on hold during Corona (Covid-19) and has joyfully come
back on the scene.
You
already had one song right at the beginning of this missive so let's find two
more!
This
is one to join in! Everybody, no matter what their faith, knows Hava Nagila.
Here Harry Belafonte and Danny Kaye sing together https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZutenWFKSlE
The
next song is my mantra, Smile sung by Nat King Cole, his voice reaches into the
depths of my soul and the song, the song has so much deep meaning and an
important message. Here with clips of the inimitable Charlie Chaplin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rkNBH5fbMk
I
wish you a good weekend, on Sunday Christians celebrate Whitsun, or Whit Sunday
the British name for Pentecost, the seventh Sunday after Easter – you see, we
have so much in common. The counting of the Omer (between Passover and Shevuot)
is 49 days and Pentecost is…..7 weeks! When I was a child this was a Christian
festival but has since changed its name to Spring Bank Holiday. Not sure that
is progress but that's today's world. Jews will be celebrating Shevuot and the
giving of the most important laws of today's society, the 10 commandments and
they social laws that every society abides by today.
Shabbat
Shalom to you, Chag Shevuot Sameach and loads of love in your life, through
friends, family and just people who pass by
With
love from beautiful Jerusalem
Sheila
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