22nd of November 2024
21st Heshvan 5785
Shabbat shalom to you, wherever you may be in this upside down
world. Prepare yourselves for a long missive!
Charles Dickens wrote “The Law is an Ass” in Oliver
Twist, meaning that the law, when applied too rigidly or too flexibly, can be
blind to the realities on the ground and the requirements for justice. The Law most
represents a donkey (ass) when an international court is misused to forward
political aims, ignoring true criminals or criminal leaders in this case, and indicts,
for the first time in its history, the leader of a democratic state.
For those who still don’t know of what I write, The United Nations
(already a big question mark) International Criminal Court has decided to
indict both Prime Minister Netanyahu and Former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant
for war crimes. Who knows, we are not perfect but war is a dirty and cruel
state, however, the question that has not been asked is who started this war?
Who slaughtered, raped, burnt and kidnapped? Who rained rockets, missiles and explosive
drones upon whom? Who is the true criminal, the one or ones who should be
indicted? Why? Why Israel? Understand that it is not the Israeli Prime Minister
on trial, it is the State of Israel and our very existence.
The last time that the International Criminal Court attempted to
indict Israeli leaders, Canada and Australia had leaders who were 100%
supportive of Israel and they fought the decision; both countries are now led
by so called “liberal” leaders. At that time, we had a strong, brilliant
Attorney General, Adv. Yehuda Weinstein, a fighter for justice, who succeeded
in quashing the indictment. Sadly, that has not happened in this case, so far. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-830139
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King said “Injustice anywhere is a
threat to justice everywhere."
Last week, IMPACT-se published a new report which highlighted the endemic links between
UNRWA’s education system and terror organizations. The report analyzed
extremist institutional teaching material taught in UNRWA schools in Gaza,
where Hamas commanders and operatives have been doubling up as UNRWA school
principals. Perhaps that is a good place to start in the ICC!
61 years ago, on the 22nd of November 1963,
an American President, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, was assassinated while driving
in an open car through Dallas Texas. 61 years! As the announcement came over
the television news, our doctor came downstairs to tell us that my incredible,
beautiful Mother, Betty Silver, has passed away. The tragedies may not be
compared, but for me, for my family, the two are inexorably linked.
800. 800 IDF soldiers have lost their lives fighting for
this little country’s survival. We cried, horrified at the number of families,
mostly young families that lost husbands and fathers. We cried on Wednesday and
another four soldiers died since then. 804. Unbearable. 804 soldiers, 101
hostages, we must find a way to end this war without endangering our future.
Incidentally, the world has blamed Iran for supplying new weapons
to Hezb-Allah, soldiers on site have discovered up to the minute RUSSIAN
weapons in the Hezb-Allah arsenals.
As you know, I am not a great fan of the current version
of Prime Minister Netanyahu. His brilliant past as a spokesperson for Israel is
marred by those he chose to stand with in his Cabinet. No, I’m not talking of
the Haredi Members of the Knesset, that’s a different internal argument
entirely, I am talking about the extremists whose views are tearing us apart as
a society. When settlement leader Daniella Weiss, without the knowledge of the
Chief of Staff or the Southern Command, was taken in an IDF vehicle into
northern Gaza to scout out where to build Jewish settlements, something is
horribly wrong; when Ben Gvir and his party spout hatred, don’t accept Arab citizens,
something is horribly wrong, and I know some of you feel I shouldn’t mention
such things, but today we are not out in the Diaspora where we must keep our
mouths shut, here we can complain. It’s a bit like the new immigrant from
Russia who was asked to answer questions about his aliya. It went thus “How was
life in Russia – I can’t complain. How was the availability of food in Russia –
I can’t complain. Was it tough to be under a dictatorship – I can’t complain. Finally,
Sergei, how is life in Israel? You can answer with as many words as you wish.
Life in Israel is hard, as a new immigrant I need to start life afresh. So, you
are saying that life in Israel is harder than in Russia. – No but here I can
complain!
Talking of “out in the Diaspora” life in countries
that not only accepted their Jewish communities but welcomed them with open
arms has become difficult for Jews. Canada is one example but Australia, Australia
was the place that families who went through the Holocaust found peace and the
good life as far from Europe as they could possibly get. The communities of
Melbourne and Sydney have given to their chosen home, not only in their love of
country, but by building hospitals, medical research centres, museums, being
good citizens in every way. Suddenly, they hear “From the River to the Sea”
even Death to Jews. Synagogues, Jewish centres and restaurants are being
attacked and those who remember the Holocaust know where that leads. As in Canada,
the situation is exacerbated by a, so called liberal government, that has
allowed what former governments would have shut down in a flash. It makes me
sad. I have many Australian friends, some are like family, some are family, and
they really do not deserve the situation. We talk about the takeover of Europe,
but sadly it is time to look at ourselves.
Gosh, I hope I haven’t depressed you but I know
that you rely on me to be honest, and honesty requires reporting the truth, not
a prettified version. However, as Monty Python used to say (I love Monty
Python, so clever) Now for something entirely different. Actually, when I think
of Monty Python, not just the television programmes but perhaps most of all
their movies, it reminds me of the days when nobody, no political party, no
religion, no colour, was out of bounds for their humour. They were as far from
Woke as possible and none of us took offence!
Women in the Bible are often brave, strong, warriors
for justice. Those that are specifically named even more so. When a little girl
is born or she has her Bat Mitzva (coming of age), she is blessed thus “May she
grow to be wise and strong like our matriarchs. May God make you like Sarah,
Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah.” Or “May you be like Ruth and like Esther” is
added since these women were strong and feisty. So it is today. Israeli women do not take a back seat in the IDF,
they are fighters, pilots, on the front line and that includes religious women.
The only difference being that their battalion is women only, for obvious
reasons. Israeli women are strong like their matriarchs and respected as
Abraham respected Sarah. (this week’s reading from the Torah, Chayei Sara Genesis 23:1-25:18 )
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-830063
Did you know that the Kafiyya and its
pattern are not Palestinian at all? The kaffiya comes from Mesopotamia and represents
the fishing culture of that country until it was overcome and the people were
forced to convert to Islam. This is fascinating. I had no idea until my friend
Monica sent it to me. I hope you have Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/thetravelingclatt/reel/DCg7T9_tE1n/
Shlomo Artzi, arguably Israel’s most popular singer for the
last 40 years has his birthday this week. Actually, if I may digress (when don’t
I digress?) Over 12,000 tickets for the reunion shows of the “The 16th Sheep”,
a group with Yehudit Ravitz, Gidi Gov, Yoni Rechter and David Broza, sold out
within minutes of going on sale Tuesday morning. What is amazing is that the
group, all are over the age of 60 yet youngsters fought to get tickets, sitting
on line for hours! Hakeves Hashisha-Asar (The Sixteenth Sheep) is based on
a children’s book written by Yonatan Gefen z”l and set to music.
Back to Shlomo Artzi, is now over 70 but his young
audience knows every word of every song and sing along with him at packed
concerts. So the first song, my first choice is his latest production. He sings
of a simpler world with the sun in our pockets. The subtitles are in Spanish
but if you click on the subtitles box there is an English translation https://youtu.be/ZMmT6lTMC4Q?si=7wI69fUtsG1yW0rn
The late Uzi Hitman wrote a children’s song, a prayer
to the Almighty called Elohim Sheli, My God. He asks the questions of a child with
the words of all of us. https://youtu.be/uVr1Qdp-tI4?si=_Oz8wJ2baNxdqeq6
The Israeli search for the next singer to represent Israel in the Eurovision
Song Contest has shown incredibly talented young singers, this week, Daniel
Weiss’ sweet voice made us all cry. Daniel is from Kibbutz Be’eri the South
of Israel and on October 7th his father Shmulik was killed outright
and his mother Yehudit was taken hostage and killed. Daniel is barefoot because
growing up on Be’eri he was always barefoot and it represents the freedom of
kibbutz life. By chance that he was not in the family home on that fateful day.
Here he sings Ani Gitara – I am a guitar which was his father’s favourite song
that they used to sing together. https://youtu.be/z8JrHEVGykA?si=l5TUKu0txghLEfGj He ends his song with the words “Mother,
Father, thank you”
Take a breath, I know the tears flow.
And so to Shabbat, the day of rest. The Sabbath. For some of us it
is on Saturday and for some it is on Sunday, the seventh day, all depending
upon from where one counts the beginning of the week. I often think of our
similarities, our beliefs, our determination to live in a just world, in a
world of kindness, and I believe that we must somehow fight to get that back. Our
belief in values, in respecting the other, those who differ from us, should be
paramount in our lives and somehow it has been pushed into the background by
the imposition of different, less tolerant, views. So perhaps this Shabbat,
this Sabbath, we not only pray for a kinder world but actually employ the bases
of our beliefs.
Growing up in Wales our friends were of every colour and
creed. Being one of few Jewish girls in my high school we had a Jewish assembly
each morning as the main school had a Christian religious assembly, then were invited
to join in the last part which included the Lord’s prayer and the Welsh
national anthem. Sadly, all of the above no longer happens, apparently religion
isn’t woke. Sorry, that was meant to be positive, so, growing up in Wales
showed me that respect for each other is the basis of a free society. All our
neighbours knew that we kept our Sabbath and they kept theirs and it was truly
beautiful.
We never needed to be ashamed of the Mezuzas (the littles boxes on Jewish entrances)
on our doorposts
Gosh that was digressing with a capital D, but I want to say that
we have to re-introduce love of our identity back into our lives. So, I send
you love, I send you a Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem. I especially send love to
Herman and Gerda, our beautiful friends from Holland, from the Dutch Christians
for Israel, who never fails to lift my spirits with their love and support and
to Kim Taylor who is now flying home after joining the Jewish Agency
Conference.
With much love
Sheila
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