29th of March 2024
Shabbat Shalom, a blessed Good Friday and a Holy Easter.
I remember the time when we used to think it funny to say “Chaos reigns
and we all get wet” but I stopped laughing on October 7th. Chaos
reigns in an ever confused and threatening world. Chaos in a world of inverse
morality. Of course, it’s scary but please don’t give up hope, there are still
an awful lot of good people who are trying to right the wrongs.
I started this missive counting my fears and concerns
instead of my blessings, our blessings, and I just deleted a half hour of
writing! It’s not my way, it’s not what you want or need to hear, so let’s try
to turn the news on its head and look at the good side of bad news.
President Biden is conceivably the greatest friend, US
President, that Israel has ever known. An unapologetic Israphile who has put
his determined support before his further political aspirations. His recent statement has been misinterpreted.
He never said that the IDF mustn’t enter Rafiah, he said he wants a day-after
plan.
There is much shouting about Shifa Hospital. All I can tell you is
that Shifa is a hospital like Mengele was a doctor. No hospital I know hides an
arsenal of anti-tank weapons, RPGs and is a bolt hole for terrorists.
The Israeli Supreme Court came to the decision yesterday that
young, physically fit Haredi men are no longer automatically exempt from
military service and Yeshivas whose student do not enlist to the IDF (places of
Jewish learning) will no longer receive government funding. What can possibly
be positive about angering an entire sector and risking the fall of the current
government? It gives the young Haredim an opportunity to be part of the country
they live in – to be acceptable by all. As to causing the fall of this
government……… say no more.
It may not be in the news, but the war in the north is
heating up with hundreds of rockets destroying Israeli towns and villages
irrespective of who lives there. The UN
directive that there be a 30 kilometre no-go area north of the border was
broken years ago! Southern Lebanon has become a Shiite stronghold (contrary to
UN resolution 1701) since King Hussein exiled Yassir Arafat and his cohorts
after an attempted coup in which the King killed some 10,000 PLO supporters. Thank
heaven most towns and villages have been evacuated but imagine being told that
you are leaving your home for an unknown period “for your own good” and after
six months of your family all living in a hotel room you discover that what was
your home is a mere shell. That’s what the residents of Kiriat Shmona and many
other towns and villages, face.
Israeli heroes come in all shapes and sizes
Amit Soussana, a beautiful young Israeli lawyer, was
captured by Hamas and for 5 long months kept quiet about her captivity. She
chose to tell her horrific story of rape and abuse to the New York Times, hardly
a pro-Israel media outlet. A heroine indeed
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/b1nn8yxyc
Idan Amedi, Israeli
singer and personality, joined his soldiers on October 7th and was
terribly injured. He spoke openly of his recovery, the psychological turmoil,
in a single interview, asking to be left in peace. This week he was invited to
light a torch at the forthcoming ceremony on Yom Ha’atzma’ut (Israel’s
Independence Day) for bravery and refused it with the words “If they want to
present me with the honour for my music or words, I would accept it with pride
but not as a hero because there are many heroes and I am just one of them”
Kinneret Chaya Boosany Twig is my personal heroine. Tomorrow is the 22nd
anniversary of the terror attack on “My Coffee Shop” on Allenby Street in Tel
Aviv. Kinneret was critically injured that day, found by paramedic Itzik
Kochav, rushed to hospital with a 2% chance of living, changed her name to
Kinneret Chaya (Kinneret lives) and after a three year recovery supported by
her parents, siblings and entire family, and despite all medical knowledge of
burn victims, is now a happily married mother of four amazing children! One day
I will publish the story, having recorded almost every day of her recovery and
determination to have a bright and beautiful future.
The young people of Israel are my heroes! In the world happiness index for under 30’s, Israel
came in second. Why? Because unlike young people in the West, they know what
they want, they know why they are here, they have served their country and come
into adulthood with a sense of community, responsibilty and family. For some
reason that I cannot fathom, they may be tattooed all over but they are heroes
one and all.
After the Yom Kippur War, Zvi had arrived home for a few hours from the front and
was in the shower when suddenly he heard huge crash! His mother was in the
kitchen listening to the news when the death of soldier Zvi Raviv was
announced. She knew that he was home, knew that it was a different Zvi Raviv,
was even making him food but to hear it announced was more than her frayed nerves
could handle. This week, history repeated itself when we received several phone
calls after the news that soldier Lior Raviv had fallen in Gaza reminded us of
the greatest fear of every parent. Thank heaven our Leor Raviv is too old to
fight, was safely working crazily in his office and is doing well.
Despite calls of genocide, I just wanted you to know that the Gazan population has
increased tenfold over the last years. Despite calls of starvation, the number
of food trucks, aid for Gazans, has increased enormously, of course it is all
appropriated by Hamas but know that we are not the guilty party here. The ones
who are not starving are the Hamas leaders who live in luxury in Qatar, $11
billion worth of luxury https://nypost.com/2023/11/07/news/hamas-leaders-worth-11bn-live-luxury-lives-in-qatar/
Since my attempt at positivity is not complete please read an excellent
article about the sheer brilliance of Hamas media strategy. It is a must-read. https://www.futureofjewish.com/p/the-stunning-dystopian-strategy-behind
Eitan Chitayat speaking about the fact that Israel’s fight against
terror is also America’s fight, and that of the West. https://youtu.be/ikbCfCaYzik?si=YWBCtfVtUdPDY6ii
April the first for me is one of the most important days of my life,
after the births of my children of course! It is the day I officially made
Aliya. April 1st 1991 was no April Fool’s Day for me! I will never
forget that Zvi came all the way in to the gate to take me upstairs to the hall
where I would be given my ID card, my Teudat Zehut, my Israeli citizenship. I
had no idea what the future held but knew that I was finally fulfilling a dream
I held since 1963, my first visit to Israel. I have seen wars and Intifadas,
lost loved friends, watched the world turn on its head hating my beloved
country, but have never, for one moment regretted coming here, being at the
fulcrum of the Jewish people. I have had unbelievable adventures with Canon Andrew
White (we both had dreams of being spies); been taken to secret sites by Malcolm
Hoenlein; helped Zvi in his many ventures to promote phenomenal causes in
Israel and abroad; become Chair of the most effective educational research institute
(www.impact-se.org ) that has changed
the way that children see those different to themselves in most of our region;
seen Zvi’s children marry and become parents; felt the ultimate joy when Rachel
not only came to live here, proudly Israeli, but to be present at the births of
all three of her children. No regrets, of course it is hard being far from my children
and grandchildren in London and NYC and my siblings, but despite being a huge
price, the cause of more than one tear, it is one I learned to live with.
Since my Aliya I have seen miracles every day
Think about the miracle of the Russian Aliya, which as you know Zvi and Yona
Yahav were catalysts. The Russian immigration is conceivably the single most
important happening in Israel’s history, bringing fine scientists, doctors,
teachers, politicians and some of the bravest of brave soldiers in the IDF.
They are hard-working, hungry for culture and know the difference between
oppression and democracy and enjoy the ability to speak freely.
As we enter the month after Purim and before
Passover, the shops are filling with Pesach foodstuffs. Cereals are
disappearing, snacks are changing, slowly the shelves will be scrubbed clean
and paper laid down to bring in the new Passover foods, the variety and
possibilities dependent upon whether you are of North African origin or
European origin (actually we are all from here before the dispersion but that’s
another argument entirely). North African and Ethiopian Jews are allowed to eat
Kitniot or legumes, such as rice, lentils etc, over Passover whereas the
European Jewish diet is far more limited without those luxuries. Many young
Israelis have changed from Ashkenaz to Sefardi believing that such rules are just
too difficult. I feel as they do but cannot bring myself to make a change that
both my parents and Zvi parents would have raised their eyebrows! I’ve prepared
my shopping list but have yet to begin cleaning cupboards ready for changing
the dishes – yes that too! Nobody said it’s easy being a traditional Jew but my
goodness, the feeling that everything is new and sparkling and “different”
makes I all worthwhile. We have a relatively small Seder Night (the first night
of Passover and traditionally the site of the Last Supper) So far we will be
just 16 so our table will extend sufficiently to accommodate us all. Any other
details will wait for a couple of weeks!
I started the last paragraph because my
prayer, our prayer, is that the remaining 133 hostages will come home, that
they will sit with their families whose suffering in inconceivable, that the
warmth of the table, the familiarity of the service, the familiar reading of
the Haggadah (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haggadah
) will ease their pain of being held by
cruel and depraved captors. We can but pray, we can but hope that the
intervention of others will bring about their return, alive or dead.
This week was much as normal with delightful
sidetracks. On Tuesday Noy came to visit! Noy and her friend are collecting
Grandma recipes and she came to watch me make my Mother’s and Grandmother’s
recipe for bread pudding. She intends bringing a group of others to watch and
learn so that these recipes aren’t lost. On Wednesday, Rachel and I went to the
plant nursery to choose our summer planting. It is an interesting pant nursery,
in Givat Ze’ev, owned by two Palestinian brothers whose parents live in Canada.
Yesterday was really wonderful. We drove to Ra’anana to our lovely friends
Merle and Frank Friedman for a delicious lunch. The other Guests were Naomi and
Tuvia, two amazing people. Naomi created Bet Issie Shapiro following a dream of
her late father Issie and Tuvia brought hydrotherapy to Israel. I told you,
Israeli heroes come in all shapes and sizes. Since our clocks went forward last
night I am running late but determined to go to see Rachel and the children as
soon as I finish!
And so to song, to music, because if it truly
is the food of love, we all need it.
Idan Amedi writes beautiful words, the words
of a man who loves his country, fights for his country yet prays for peace.
This song is not new but it could have been written yesterday. No More, words
and music by Idan Amedi https://youtu.be/qQepsm0Rc0U?si=u9oBj2cGMisj5lKs
Vehi Sheamda is a song and a prayer recited on
Passover. It tells that no matter how many times we have been the subject of
hate, put into slavery, the Almighty always comes to save us. Yaacov Shwekey
and Shlomi Shabbat https://youtu.be/qnnKFpiP1hs?si=gBg_7KE1XjqiUSRk
Finally, Stand By Me sung by Music Travel Love
and a singer from Abu Dhabi whose name I should remember, but I think his name
is Arqam. I just love this https://youtu.be/4ONfrkskNp4?si=cXKFnQfwYucwW3d7
Dear wonderful friends. I wish you a peaceful
weekend, whether you pray in Synagogue, Temple, Mosque, Church or Cathedral is
irrelevant, pray for a kinder world, pray for kindness.
Shabbat Shalom from OUR beautiful Jerusalem
Sheila
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