16th May 2025
Lag b’Omer 5785
Shabbat Shalom! Today is the 33rd day of the counting of
the Omer, the days between Passover and Pentecost (Pesach and Shevuot) and a
day of bonfires, barbecues and a halt in the restrictions of the Omer, similar
to the restrictions of Lent.
My cousin Debbie sent me this quote and I felt it fits so many of
the released hostages especially Eli Sharabi. ”Ernest Hemingway once said, “The
most beautiful people we encounter in life are often those who have walked
through fire.” They’ve faced defeat, endured pain, struggled with hardship, and
experienced loss in ways that most of us can scarcely comprehend. Yet, through
these trials, their true beauty emerges—not the kind that can be seen on the
surface, but the kind that radiates from deep within.”
Today we are trying a new format. I decided to avoid depression and
create a good news, bad news, good news format, starting with an informative paragraph.
Does that make sense? Are you happy with the mixing of good and not so good? It
sort of describes our seesaw life. I actually looked up “seesaw” on the
thesaurus synonyms and one description stood out above all others – “to perform
a nontranslational motion”. If anything described our world today that has to
be it!!
So after my traditional digression, back to Lag b’Omer. As I wrote
above, it all begins with the counting of the Omer and as a celebration of the
end of the plague that killed most of Rabbi Akiva’s students, it is said to be
a plague sent by the Almighty because they failed to treat each other with
respect, we celebrate that day, the 33rd day of the 49 days of the
counting. Today celebrations such as weddings are allowed and we light bonfires
because….. actually I’m not 100% sure where that came from. If anyone can give
me a logical explanation rather than a philosophical one, I’d be grateful especially
since we are in the middle of a Hamsin (heatwave) with strong winds and the
danger of a repeat of the forest fires is looming.
The traditional flame that is lit on Mount Meron to honour Rabbi
Simeon bar Yohai who initiated the ideal that students of the Torah forsake all
other activities, devoting their lives to the study of the Torah. Thus devout
Jews (mostly men) go up to Mount Meron where he is buried on this day. Sadly in
2021 far too many were allowed into the site and a tragedy occurred when a
grandstand collapsed and, in the rush to flee 45 people died. This year the
number is thankfully limited.
Yuval Raphael is a beautiful young woman with a wonderful voice and
she is representing Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest in Switzerland. As if
it not enough that she survived the Nova festival Hamas attack on October 7th
she has to deal with the pro-Palestinian yobbos who are demonstrating against
Israel. Her story, her description of the hours spent in the bomb shelter while
young people were murdered, raped and mutilated around her is beyond belief.
She hid under the dead bodies in that shelter for eight hours, acting dead after
a desperate phone call to her father who begged her to play dead. She says she retained
her sanity by singing and now she is representing Israel in a competition where
Israel-hate has been obvious and even encouraged. This year Palestinian flags
are allowed in the main hall but I promise you there will be more Israeli flags
and very vocal ovations! She is a warrior on a musical battlefield for sure. She is now into the final after a phenomenal
performance last night. There were some jeers at the beginning of the
performance, but Israel's Yuval Raphael was a superstar and the cheers at the
end were epic! What a survivor, what a phenomenal woman, what a true heroine.
Tzeela Gez z”l was a mother of three tiny children and on her way
to the hospital to deliver her fourth baby. She was travelling with her husband
to hospital for a caesarian section when a terrorist shot and killed her. He didn’t
know that she was a good, kind woman who helped those suffering from traumatic
events. He didn’t know that her three children have lost their mother. He didn’t
know that her husband had to bury his wife yesterday or that their baby is
fighting for his life in hospital. He didn’t know because he didn’t care. He
was so deeply inculcated with hatred by those the politicians who benefit from
death and destruction that he felt deep satisfaction that he had killed.
I’m so happy that Edan Alexander came home. I am thrilled that he
is reunited with his family; I was happy that his mother spoke her heart and
thanked President Trump; I wish all the Israelis who don’t have dual citizenship
were brought home by the Israeli government; I wish that no more soldiers would
die in a war against an unseen enemy which hides in tunnels and keeps our
hostages in vile conditions; I wish many things and yes, I am thrilled that
Edan is home and looks in relatively good condition, but wish that he had come
home because our government fought for him not the USA government. I’m sure that
you all love the exultation of hostages as they come home, but the truth is
that after those first moments they enter an emotional abyss from which it is
almost impossible to return.
Talking of hostages who manage to celebrate their release, Emily Damari
is a Tottenham Hotspur fan, a very serious Spurs fan! This week she went to a
match and was greeted by a sea of yellow balloons, placards with her symbolic
hand and cheers from the crowd. What a wonderful welcome!
Like it or not, the Trump visit to the region has been a great
success for the United States. I am not surprised by the warm reception from
Saudi Arabia, Israel and Saudi Arabia have been on good terms since the days when
Ehud Olmert was Prime Minister and the ground was laid for closer relations
with the USA. I am surprised at the apparent closeness with Qatar but then as I
have always said, one doesn’t need to negotiate or discuss with one’s friends,
one must, however, negotiate and discuss with one’s potential enemies.
President Trump moves in mysterious ways, he is undoubtedly unpredictable, but
I believe that his ultimate aim is to bring some semblance of peace to the
area. I wish him luck if he is serious about a US presence in Gaza. Neither
Israel nor Egypt succeeded in creating a workable society there and since
Netanyahu is against any intervention by the PA (Mahmoud Abbas wanted to take
Gaza back from Hamas) perhaps this is the answer – an outside, international force
that can control the hate teaching and its horrific outcome.
Yesterday we went to se a play at the Khan Theatre! Totally spontaneous
decision since the play was on at 5 in the evening. It was wonderful! It’s the
story of four Saftas (grandmothers) in assisted living and their habits, stories and
distress when sons and grandsons either don’t visit or let them down at the last
moment when they have already cooked their favourite foods. It is funny, sad
and brilliant. Upon leaving the theatre one sees large posters with each actor
talking about his own “Safta” from whom they took their characters. Brilliant.
We left the theatre and rove home past the President’s house. On our side of
the road were a number of families of hostages with the all too familiar
posters of their loved ones and one very active lady handing out yellow ribbons
for cars. Of course we stopped with a word of encouragement from Zvi and the lady
tied the yellow ribbon to our door handle. Zvi thanked her and she told us that
she had been there, opposite the president’s house, with the families every
single day since October 10th 2023. The very salt of the earth that
makes up the vast majority of Israelis.
On October 11th 2016, UNESCO had a preliminary vote on a
declaration that Israel, the occupying power, cease and desist all
archaeological excavations in the Old City. The declaration erased all Jewish
connection to the Western Wall (al Buraq Plaza) and the Temple Mount (Haram el
Sharif) on October 12 the declaration was passed, a stain on the once august
organisation which has gone the way of all UN organisations. What prompted
their declaration? Archaeological finds in David’s City that proved undeniably
the ancient Jewish presence.
I honestly do not know how Alon Nimrodi is able to get up in the
morning. His son Tamir has been in Hamas captivity for 587 days. Tamir, an Israeli
soldier captured in uniform, undoubtedly suffers horribly, as do all the
captives, and Alon has not heard anything from Tamir, no “ot haim” sign of life,
over all that period. The government has announced that one of the hostages is
no longer alive but not once during those 587 days has anyone from the
government, not one official phone call, not a message, not even a WhatsApp, nothing
to ease the pain of this father, this family. I am angry and ashamed.
Zvi and I have spent more time than usual beside our computers. No
we didn’t do it for pleasure, our office is in the “mamad” or safe room. We are
among the lucky ones because we have a mamad at home, in fact we have a mamad.
Many have to cower in their stairwells or make a run for the communal bomb
shelter until ten minutes have passed since the siren warning us that yet
another Houthi missile is overhead. Who are these dreadful people, pirates of
the high seas, killers, funded by Iran, given supersonic and hypersonic
missiles instead of food and education? They are not Yemen, although that
country is like a broken vessel, shards of what was a society breaking it apart
form the inside. Apart from one last week, the one that landed near the
airport, we get each one. The ten minute wait is to avoid damaged from pieces
of the destroyed missile.
This has been a great week in many ways. I returned to all my
courses, in fact managed to move in my movement class and create in my craft
class! It is so rewarding, so refreshing and a real boost to my confidence. I
am basically back in the saddle. It feels wonderful.
Today we will go up to the graves of Zvi’s parents, the beautiful
Kalman and Alla Raviv, to a very special area in the Givat Shaul cemetery
reserved for people who have received the high honour of becoming “Yakirei
Yerushalyim”. Since nobody receives the key to the City of Jerusalem this
honour is the closest equivalent and those who receive it have the honour of
being buried overlooking the city in a quiet and almost pastoral area set aside
for their families to visit the graves. Among those buried there are Naftali
Herz Imber, the Galician Jew who wrote the words that we hold so dear. Zvi will
recite the blessings, using the initials of each letter of the names Kalman and
Alla, and then will sing the prayer “El Rachemim”. A simple tradition but it is
important that grandchildren understand the purpose in life of their
grandparents that we do not lose their brave history in the formation of this
amazing country.
Almost Shabbat and high time for some music. Shabbat in Jerusalem
is so special. There is nothing like it in the whole wide world. The peace that
surrounds us no matter what the outside world is doing.
I wrote about Yuval Raphael but now you can see and hear her
incredible voice as she since her heart out for us, for Israel, for all of us,
in three languages. A New Day Will Rise. Just listen to the resounding applause
at the end!! https://youtu.be/R1J7nJXLKAg?si=NSaMkfmhVauEiQpo
"No More” Idan Amedi, is an Israel singer and actor, a very
special, humble, human being, left his many concert appointments on October 7th
and volunteered to do his miluim in the war in Gaza. He was badly injured, lost
two of his soldiers in his platoon. He was greeted as a hero by his fans,
indeed by Israelis everywhere, but refused the titled insisting he was just one
of many. His humility created this song. https://youtu.be/qQepsm0Rc0U?si=iuHujpAsW5QYtCqW
We are all the same. It is irrelevant from whence we came, all that
matters is that we came home. Today we talk about the Houthis forgetting that
they have taken over yemen, forgetting that Yemen was home to many Jews who fled
“On Eagles Wings” coming home. This is a Yemeni family celebrating Shabbat. The
music is different but the prayers are the same words that we, as a people have
sung for 5785 years.
https://youtu.be/pfVZilLTKz8?si=OjHleFUKU0C5uP8G
I wish you a Shabbat shalom. A peaceful weekend from Jerusalem the
golden city of our dreams and prayers.
Sheila
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