Democracy isn't easy

1st December, 2022 Shabbat Shalom dear friends. For the first time in 23 years I don’t know how to begin this week’s missive. In fact, I don’t know how to approach this week’s missive, because it is not in my nature to criticize Israel’s potential government, even when I disapprove of their policies, but this week, I am lost for words. Prime Minister Designate Benjamin Netanyahu is making choices that alienate Diaspora Jews, making it harder to identify, making choices that harm our allies of all faiths out there in the big wide world, making it harder and harder to defend our position and easier to give up on us. Of course we aren’t teaching children to hate and no politician will influence the Israeli textbooks! Of course our schoolbooks honour everyone who lives here and our children in the state schools hear every side of the argument, everybody’s narrative, but the perception both inside and outside Israel is that we are falling into a black hole of exclusion. I can assure you that we are not! If you still have doubts please read the independent reports on Israeli textbooks by Impact-se https://www.impact-se.org/reports-2/israel/ I listen to the stories that Zvi has to tell of his days in Israeli politics, days when Likud had the full range of conservative political thought and Avoda (Labour) was mainly concerned with social issues and building the country, but everyone was also a patriot and felt included in the process. In those days it was the good of the whole rather than the zealous determination to force everyone to conform to their ideals. It’s all too easy to blame the election process, even easier to blame the participants, the party leaders who either led a weak campaign or no campaign, but the unthinkable happened and we are being led down a path of extremists led by a weak Prime Minister who is willing to sell his soul to stay in power. I am deeply disappointed and very disturbed because I love this country, and I believe that the vast majority had no idea of what lay ahead of them. How is it possible that the man who fought so hard to bring Natan Scharansky, the world famous dissident, to Israel now wants change the law of return, the very basis of our existence? Even more incredibly, Avi Moaz is a party of one! Yes, his party has precisely one seat in the Knesset! This article in the Times of Israel explains the situation far better than I. https://www.timesofisrael.com/he-campaigned-for-soviet-immigration-now-avi-maoz-is-poised-to-fight-against-it/ I love this country, I’m incredibly proud of our achievements in every sphere; our ability to withstand horrific terror attacks from our neighbours whose sole aim is to erase us from the map, all of us whatever our faith and of course, our ability to reach out to help any and every country in trouble from both natural and man-made disasters. I cannot imagine living anywhere else, this is my home, but I fear for the next generation who may not feel that same pull, that same allegiance. Like it or not, this is our only home, our only country which has been taken from us too many times and although we may dislike our politicians, we cannot abandon our love for Israel because it doesn’t suit us at the moment. Just as in every other country, we simply have to work to repair what may be broken. I was searching for a ray of light, something to lift my mood and found it in Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. PM Sunak has pledged to put BDS outside the law and to strengthen Britain’s ties with Israel. The law banning BDS was in the Tory manifesto in 2019 and he intends to ensure it makes the statute book. https://www.jpost.com/bds-threat/article-723736 On a very different subject, but in a strange way, a subject that holds a great deal of hope and gratitude for change. This is International Recognition of Violence Against Women Week, which may sound depressing but it isn’t really. Finally recognition of the situation, the new generation of women understands that violence takes many forms, not just verbal and physical violence but also financial violence/submission, something that my generation never ever understood. Withholding financial support, control by withholding the woman’s access to money, even if it is her own, hiding financials, is just as painful as a beating but without the physical scars. It demands submission. This generation will not be a Dorcas, they will have the strength to fight back. Eric Idle, the fabulous, funny and highly irreverent Eric Idle of Monty Python fame, when told he has to clean up his act, has asked to be cancelled rather than change his humour. Of course it is coarse, irreverent, anti-society, rude, everything that made Monty Python and all the incredible gang so funny! “The Life of Brian” was funny because it laughed at all religions equally and there are few in this world who have never sung “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”. In his statement he said “It sounds a bit like the French Revolution committees, who said, 'off with his head'. I think a lot of bullying goes on in the name of decency.” This week I’ve been searching out Zvi’s family, sadly none of who survived the Shoah, on a few internet sites, particularly one call Kav haDorot and Geni. We discovered that his eminent grandfather, Rabbi Zvi Mordechai Rybak, had a nickname, Mordka! I cannot think of anything that would make my lovely husband happier than to discover that after all, he has a first cousin The weekend began with a visit to the Jerusalem neighborhood of Bet Hakerem for a lecture on the 100th anniversary of the “shchuna” neighborhood. In fact, Bet Hakerem has many memories for both of us. I first discovered Bet Hakerem on my first visit to Israel on a Youth and Hechalutz Tour in 1963, when we slept in the David Yellin Teachers Training college. For Zvi it was next to his childhood neighborhood and the school where his mother was headmistress. His children grew up on the main street, and later on we lived there so we were fascinated to hear the stories of the founders whose descendents spoke. From there we went to our friends Ronit and Yossi for Shabbat lunch and at home I had the sheer joy of watching the baby blessing of my gorgeous great niece and nephew, Eilah and Ezra by Zoom, in far off Wales. Mazal Tov to my brother Ronnie and sister in law Sandie and all the family. I’m trying to get back into normal life again, although I still can’t drive and have a huge neck brace/construction which tends to frighten all comers!! So on Tuesday evening we went to a very small theatre in the Bell Park (created to celebrate 200 years of USA) where two friends, Eli Yaron and Itzik Mussachi were performing. The troupe performed excerpts from Bustan Sefaradi, written by President Yitzchak Navon, The Policeman Azulai and many others. It was great and they found me a comfortable seat! Yesterday Rachel, Talia and Ayala came to watch “Pride and Prejudice” with me while Zvi watched the World Cup in the other room. Sadly we couldn’t find the original 1995 version with Colin Firth but the Keira Knightly one did very nicely. Talia needs it for her baccalaureate and we thoroughly enjoyed it! I was actually very pleased to spend last night with my daughter since it is the 59th anniversary of my beautiful mother’s passing away and those three girls are very good at hugging. Zvi and I went to the cemetery for the memorial to our wonderful friend Shmuel, Sammy, Benalal who was killed in the horrific bombing in Mali 5 years ago. Shmuel was a larger than life man, intensely intelligent, in Mali at the request of the World Bank to advise them on how to change their education systems. He’s always in our hearts. Zvi’s son Leor, Shiri and the four girls are coming for Shabbat Dinner and we will try to steer the conversation away from politics. The menu is slightly, actually very different from usual and will suit the somewhat chilly weather. Split pea soup, then herbed Barbunia parcels and salmon in lemon sauce, quiche, various salads, some sort of potatoes and the regular “pasta without anything” for the fussy member of the family! I decided to go berserk on the desserts. Chocolate mousse, crepes with maple syrup and a Victoria sponge cake…… I think they will be happy. I love it when the apartment is full and Leor always clears everything up, rinsing and loading the dishwasher exactly the way I like – soldiers without wasting space! He will make sure I won’t have to work. Netflix, I think most of us became addicted to Netflix during the Covid period of isolation, it probably saved our sanity! However, Netflix are about to screen a Jordanian movie that is unacceptable. It is a movie that in some ways compares a young Palestinian girl to Anne Frank and the insinuation therein. This movie will, undoubtedly exacerbate an already problematic world. Please sign this letter to Netflix management demanding to remove the film. It's easy and takes just 30 seconds. Put you name in the box >>> Click START WRITING >>> Click SEND LETTER >>> Done ! https://actionnetwork.org/letters/netflix-removfe-the-antisemitic-blood-libel-film-farha?source=direct_link& My grateful thanks to Martin Lindenfeld for drawing it to my notice My thanks to Judith Nusbaum for this song. As the weather gets colder, the trees lose their leaves and the skies darken, Shalva sing on the beach. I love it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZ9Pg-G7o40 I am very proud to give you this particular song as a tribute to the best of British humour, in the phenomenal Royal Albert Hall, “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” with Eric Idle. I dare you to refrain from singing along! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrdEMERq8MA With everything that is happening around us, I had to finish with one special song, Ayn li Eretz Aheret – I have no other country. The lyrics written by the late Ehud Manor ring out our love of Israel and our need to support change, but whatever, to love this incredible little country https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0bPgPs40zc&t=42s 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. I will not stay silent because my country changed her face I will not give up reminding her and sing in her ears until she will open her eyes 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. I won't be silent because my country has changed her face. I will not give up reminding her and sing in her ears until she will open her eyes I have no other country until she will renew her glorious days Until she will open her eyes 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. I wish you a Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem. With love Sheila