30th January 2025
2nd of Shevat, 5785
482 days since 7th of October
Shabbat Shalom
I don’t know how to express my horror at the scenes yesterday
morning as we watched what was meant to be a joyous moment as two more hostages
were released. We stared open-mouthed in disbelief, then in a deep nauseating
fury as the bloodthirsty, baying, gloating mob seemed to engulf the two
Israelis. I honestly thought they would not get to the Red Cross vans alive.
They were paraded, a final humiliation as if 16 months of bondage, of being
held in inhuman conditions, was not sufficient. We saw Arbel, her terrified
face occasionally visible in the mob, but Gadi seemed to be engulfed and we
thought he was lost. Incredibly, as they sat in the Israeli Air Force
helicopter, he simply hugged Arbel, a hug to tell her it was alright, they were
going home. Gadi Moses was kidnapped without his hearing aids or glasses. He
spent 16 months in captivity, hearing and seeing little, yet, while surrounded
by a baying mob he held his head high. His first words when he finally stepped
off the helicopter were “I want to rebuild Nir Oz” the kibbutz from which he
was kidnapped on October 7th. https://youtu.be/w80ZXXjk5wk?si=XwVU40HLBDNwuQi4
Each and every one that returns is met with love, not just from
their family but from the entire nation. One scene that struck at my
heartstrings was that the four observers who returned less than a week ago, Liri
Elbag, Daniela Gilboah, Naama Levi, and Karina Arayev, were busy making posters
to welcome Agam Berger home. As soon as Agam had reunited with her family, they
met her in the hospital and the five girls hugged and wept in relief that all
the observers who survived the storming of their base had come home.
Last week I described our national mental state as like a tsunami
of emotions, the sheer unadulterated joy at seeing families reunited, praying
that they can overcome the diabolical trauma of the last 16 months, grieving the
young lives lost, the names of the soldiers who fall and realizing that we have
a government that is, for whatever reason, incapable of doing what they are
meant to do – protect our people. As Lucy Aharish stated, “someone who
cannot bring 90 people home cannot govern 10 million”.
Western leaders suggest that various countries in the region take
in Gazans until the basic structures of Gaza can be rebuilt. They really don’t
understand, cruel as it may sound, nobody wants them! No country in this region
will take responsibility for a people that has had hatred inculcated into every
aspect of their lives for 50-60 years! Gazans have nothing else; the concept of
free thought has been brainwashed out of them replaced by a bloodthirsty demand
for vengeance. It is something that few leaders understand, or choose to ignore
and put the onus on other countries, especially on Israel, to come up with a
solution.
Education either raises people up beyond all expectation, teaching
them to live full and worthy lives, or it can drag them down into a Sargasso
Sea of hatred and despair. Hamas thrives on the self-fulfilling prophesy of hate-filled
education. Impact-se revealed this week that Hamas is already prepared to go
back to the schoolbooks that bred generations of violence, culminating in the 7th
of October. Thus Israel has banned UNWRA from East Jerusalem.
George Orwell wrote “The further a society drifts from truth the
more it will hate those who speak it.” So it is in too many Western societies.
University campuses in the USA and the UK; Australia, is suffering from the
syndrome of hating truthtellers, Canada too, both countries suffering from Woke
governments who would not know the truth if it hit them in the face, which is
precisely what is happening now. Most of Europe is waking up but it may well be
too late and Scandinavia is lost.
This week the world outside Israel commemorated International
Holocaust Day, the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz by
the Russian troops. Ironically the 27th of January was declared
International Holocaust Day by the United Nations, that man-made body which has
not, in any way, shape or form, tried to prevent another Holocaust. Ceremonies
were held in Jewish and non-Jewish communities worldwide, with great
dignity. However, not everywhere. In a
ceremony in Dublin, the Irish President Higgins made a sly comparison between
the Shoah and Gaza (Palestine) an unconscionable comparison. There is no
comparison to the calculated and organised decimation of the Jews of Europe, ethnic
cleansing. Those who make that comparison are blind, deaf and stupid. The
burgeoning population in Gaza denies genocide and to suggest that Israel had
genocidal intentions is to turn the truth on its head. Sadly, the sole
intention that binds the Palestinian people is the genocidal dissolution of
Israel.
And so to our week
On Monday evening we met Nancy and Harry Bloomfield in the gorgeous
and delicious Eucalyptus Restaurant, right opposite the walls of the Old City
in the Artists quarter of Chutsot ha Yotser. I love the food prepared by the
Chef Owner Moshe Basson. All food is based on Biblical herbs and recipes and
although Moshe, an old friend, was not there last night Zvi called him so that
he could say hello to Nancy and Harry. The conversation is always lively when Harry
is around and it bounced from current politics to English language, especially concerning
the word Verandah, which is yet another English word emanating from the Indian
during the Raj, and my use of said verandah. However it was fun and delicious
as always, Nancy and I hobbling through the ancient stones to return home.
On Tuesday I had a wonderful surprise guest as Sharon Voss came to
visit! I really love Sharon but somehow, despite both of us moving out of
central Jerusalem to the rural beauty of this area, we don’t seem to get together.
I was very excited when Sharon actually like my rather strange creations in
Crafting group!!!
Wednesday and Rachel and Yosef, together with Yosef’s friend
Raphael, drove down to an army base beside Gaza to present the soldiers with 30
warm jackets that friends had contributed. They were absolutely thrilled. The
timing was right because the next day they went into Gaza where the nights are
cold and anyway, they deserve every gift that they receive. These incredible youngsters
put their lives on the line to protect us.
Last evening we met up with friends on Gaza Street. Really, not
only called Gaza Street but the private home of the Netanyahu family is just
down the road. Many streets in Jerusalem begin at the Old City and were the
roads to Bethlehem, Hebron, Jaffa etc, the roads that merchants travelled with
their wares. Anyway back to Gaza Street aka Azza Street. I had a rather
problematic day so decided to go with Zvi to meet his musical friends for a
bite to eat. As usual the subject turned to the history of Jerusalem – well hardly
surprising since Zvi really is an expert – and what everyone calls the “old
Knesset” on King George Street. Apparently Ben Gurion had no intention of
moving the parliament from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem until there was a final
political arrangement with the Arabs. However, he heard rumours that the Arab
population intended making Jerusalem, the Holy City, into their symbolic city,
so decided to move the Knesset to Jerusalem. The first sittings were held in
the Jewish Agency building, and on March 13th 1950, the Knesset moved to
Froumine House, a former biscuit factory on King George Street and Knesset
sittings were held there for more than 16 years when the current Knesset
building was dedicated in 1966.
When someone that you love passes away it doesn't matter how old or
how young it's always a shock. Tema Gaba z”l represented my childhood, my parents friends
and everything that was good about the community and Cardiff in South Wales. At
the incredible age of 102 she kept all of her daughter Susan's close friends
listening in rapt attention to the stories she brought from our hometown,
stories about our families and our parents that we thought were forgotten. I
love the fact that after many many years living in Israel she still had that
lovely lilting Welsh accent that warmed my heart. We will talk about her
with great fondness, her smile and her penchant for lovely hats, for many years
to come. May her soul rest in peace and the family be consoled among the
mourners of Zion
I forgot to tell you that last Shabbat Zvi and I crossed the road
to the Nature Reserve for a little walk in the glorious fresh air that our area
is famous for. We set off under blue
skies and crisply cool air and then almost immediately I saw it! The huge
almond tree that I saw last week in my movement class, standing proud with its
pinky white blossom, harbinger of spring and better things to come. As we walked
we found wild cyclamen, both light and dark pink, seemingly emerging from the
stoney ground, proving that things here can grow if left to their own
devices. We met people along the way “Shabbat
Shalom” and “B’sorot Tovot” which is a wish for good news.
Tonight Zvi’s boys and their families are coming for Shabbat
Dinner. Once they walk through the door they don’t allow me to move! They serve
the food, clear the table, put everything back in its place and turn what could
be a working night into a very enjoyable one.
And so to music.
Shiri Maimon is an Israeli singer with a beautiful voice. She has
used that voice to spread the word of the plight of the hostages and to sing
this amazing song “I’m Coming Home” https://youtu.be/f5-q8x8ERnM?si=Ee9yPu1pmu7L7YmE
Stevie Wonder sang this song many years ago and it has been my
favourite, among many favourites, since I first heard him sing in concert.” A Place
in the Sun”. Listen to the words and you will see how appropriate it is for
these troubled times https://youtu.be/f5-q8x8ERnM?si=Ee9yPu1pmu7L7YmE
The words of the final song need no complicated translation because
they repeat the blessing “Shabbat Shalom Umevorach” A blessed and peaceful
Shabbat, over and over again and is what we all sing before getting down to the
serious stuff of blessings over the wine, the Challah (bread) and then the
meal. It is a joyful way to bring everyone to the table. The late Rabbi Shlomo
Carlebach sings https://youtu.be/Zh2Dv_W-Xqw?si=km97JEUyLY8gtWdz
I often write about Rachel’s children because I see them most
frequently but I am equally in love with my grandchildren outside Israel, Sammy,
Olivia and Zachary in London, Joshua and Callie in New York, Zvi’s
grandchildren Amit, Gili, Ori, Yuval, Ella and Yonatan here in Israel but don’t
live right next to us and I am equally proud of each and every one of them,
bless the day they were born. There is something so special about
grandchildren, the Hebrew expression “basar besari” the flesh of my flesh probably
expresses it best of all. The fact that these human beings are the result of
our children is a miracle! Grandchildren are our future, the future of life on
earth, so teaching them to love, the think, to rationalise and to make this world
a better place is the most important inheritance we can leave behind us. It’s
all about education and every day we understand that education to think for
themselves can change the direction of everyone around us is a step in the
right direction.
I think back all those years ago when Pastor Mike Evans knelt
before Kinneret Chaya and told her “You can turn your scars into stars and
bitter into better” and that is what we have to do now. We cannot seethe, turn
our anger into a sick society and call for revenge, we have to prove our own
strength and teach, teach, teach.
This weeks Torah reading speaks of the death of the first born, the
plague that broke Pharoah, the plague that finally forced him to set the Jewish
slaves free. We do not need to impose plagues, the time has passed, we are free
and here in our own land. We just have to learn to stand tall in the face of
adversity. However, one thing, the first law God asked of us upon leaving
Egypt, was to honour a Jewish calendar, Jewish months (lunar) and so we do
until today. Today is the second day of the month of Shevat, 5785.
We await the release of the three hostages who are due to come home
tomorrow. I pray that they will not have to suffer the baying mob of yesterday
and will come home safely to their loving families.
Shabbat Shalom dear friends. Stay strong, stay safe and stay close
Sheila
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