23rd May 2025
Shabbat shalom to one and all
It happened again. Two young people were shot and killed for one
reason only, because they were Jews. Don’t be fooled by the whole “Free
Palestine” call of the killer, this entire diabolical situation is anti-Semitism
raising its ugly head yet again in the guise of supporting the underdog. Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim were leaving an event at the
Jewish Museum in New York when the attacker shot them, a beautiful couple,
deeply in love, Yaron intended proposing to Sarah when they were next in
Israel. Such hatred, such unreasonable, unfounded hatred carefully stirred up
with careful grooming by a twisted news service and constant disinformation.
One must ask the question, how on earth was this man, known to be unstable, able
to get a gun. My question is who gave it to him and who sent him on his mission
of death. As to this beautiful young couple, it only leaves to say May their
souls rest in peace.
Last Saturday night, Yuval Raphael took the Eurovision stage not
just as a performer, but as a survivor. At 24, having lived through the horrors
of the October 7 Nova festival attack, she stood in front of Europe and
sang “New Day Will Rise”, a raw, aching prayer woven in English,
French, and Hebrew. Her voice carried the weight of loss, the courage to keep
going, and the hope of healing. It wasn’t just a performance; it was her heart
speaking. And when the votes came in, placing her second, the message was
clear: the world heard her and felt every word. The people, as opposed to
the judges, spoke!
Israel received 12 points (the top score) from audiences in
Azerbaijan, France, Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, Sweden, Portugal,
Britain, Spain, Switzerland, Belgium, Australia and rest-of-world votes.
Additionally, Israel received 10 points from audiences in Ireland, Cyprus,
Finland, San Marino, Norway and Czech Republic.Yuval Raphael is a star!!!
Nuseir Yassin is an Israeli Arab, Or as he wishes to be
described, an Israeli Palestinian born in the town of Arraba. Nuseir created Nas
Daily which has become a huge information machine, and a positive machine on
the net. I want you to see this video in which he explains his
Israel/Palestine. A different point of view. https://youtu.be/oNW2p0nTEto?si=lZR4cYCtIIcLl2dY
I had a go at writing about our current situation by asking ChatGTP
how to describe it.
From Israel's perspective, the nation faces an agonizing dilemma:
the imperative to rescue hostages held by Hamas versus the goal of dismantling
the militant group to ensure long-term security. The trauma of the October 7,
2023, attacks, which resulted in over 1,100 deaths and the abduction of
approximately 250 individuals, remains a deep wound in the Israeli collective
consciousness. The ongoing captivity of hostages, many of whom are believed to
be held in underground tunnels, starved and beaten, continues to haunt families
and the broader public. While military operations aim to pressure Hamas and
secure the hostages' release, these actions have led to significant
international condemnation due to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The United
Nations and various countries have criticized Israel's tactics, citing the dire
conditions faced by Palestinian civilians. Domestically, Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu is under pressure from both international allies advocating
for a ceasefire and right-wing coalition partners opposing concessions. This
internal and external pressure places Israel in a precarious position, striving
to balance the moral obligation to protect its citizens and hostages with the
strategic necessity of neutralizing threats, all while navigating complex
geopolitical dynamics
I have yet to summarise President Trump’s visit to the Gulf States.
His policy of America First is undoubtedly part of it, after all he is the
American President not the Israeli President, but since he is definitely an “out
of the box” thinker, time will tell us the results.
President Joseph Biden has been diagnosed with metastatic prostate
cancer. President Biden was possibly the most important American president in
his love of Israel equal to Ronald Reagan. A fine man, a true Zionist (yes, I know many
love to paint him otherwise) and a highly intelligent leader. I was horrified
at the suggestions he suffered from dementia and worse. Demonising the man who
leads the politics you don’t embrace should not be a reason for derision and
distasteful language, it is a reason for working to support someone who does
embrace your views. I wish him better; I wish kindness to a man who gave
himself to his country and now needs support to heal his cancer.
Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day) is celebrated on the 28th day
of the Hebrew month of Iyar. This year, 5785, it falls on Sunday, May 25,
2025. Who can forget that day, during the Six Day War, when the IDF Paratroopers
finally reached the Western Wall and General Motta Gur uttered the words “The
Temple Mount is in our hands”? Today most of the world has forgotten that the Eastern
part of Jerusalem, in fact most of the areas around Jerusalem and land claimed
to be Palestinian, were in Jordanian hands since 1948. Jews were thrown out,
Jewish sites were destroyed, the cemetery on the Mount of Olives demolished and
the Church of the Holy Sepulchre left to fall apart (when I was in Israel, in
Jerusalem, on Rosh Hashanah 1967 I saw that with my own eyes) Jerusalem Day
celebrates the unification of this great city, finally Jews could visit the
holy sites, could pray on the Temple Mount, touch the Western Wall, could walk
the very stones that King David walked when he wrote his psalms. We will
celebrate although the truth is now somewhat different and our dreams of
praying on the Temple Mount are no longer viable.
Today was not only the liberation of Jerusalem, it is the birthday
of Bob Dylan (Robert Zimmerman; The day when Eli Cohen, a Mossad Agent, was hanged
in Damascus; Operation Solomon, the covert mission to bring Ethiopian Jews home took place on May
25 1991. One aeroplane. A 747, carried over
a thousand people; As a sidebar, or in other words I digress, Zvi and I had the
honour of being invited to the Diplomat Hotel to meet the most dignified group
of people I have ever met. Knowing that they had no luggage (allowed just one
and a half kilos on the packed aeroplanes) with only the clothes they stood up
in, we went first to Mahane Yehuda and bought bags upon bags of underwear. Upon
arrival we saw hundreds of people in their Shabbat clothing, white robes, and
one man who stood above and out from all the others, the Kes, or Rabbi. I can
never forget the beauty of the people, the calm dignity of people who had never
seen a car let alone an aeroplane, standing quietly. We had been given a rose,
a single rose when we arrived and as the late Uri Gordon came into the hall,
each of these beautiful people held their rose out to him. No yelling, no
whooping, just a silent appreciation of the man who led the mission. I am so
proud to see that the children of those who arrived from Operation Moses in
1984 and further missions, have become an integral part of Israeli society
Zvi and have visited Jordan many times, six times to the Royal
palace where we and the entire group, were treated “royally”, even provided
with tours and kosher food. Imagine my distress when an Impact-se report
describes October 7th as Palestinian resistance. The report was
heartbreaking, especially when you consider that if the Hashemite Royal Family
were not protected by Israel they would no longer exist. Please read the
report. https://www.impact-se.org/wp-content/uploads/Review-of-Jordanian-Textbooks.pdf
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem celebrates 100 years since its
founding. From a few buildings on French Hill it has grown into an
internationally renowned place of learning and innovation. Probably 40% of its
students are Israeli Moslems, studying every subject under the sun, scullcaps beside
shayla and hijab, multicoloured headscarves beside traditional black costume;
the Hebrew University has become a symbol of diversity. Zvi and I went to a
wonderful celebratory concert at the Jerusalem Theatre, featuring the Jerusalem
Symphony orchestra and a number of brilliant singers. They sang Shabchei
yerushalyim,
Lakum mahar b’boker, Avinu malkanu and Shir hamaalot and the
orchestra played the song of the Hebrew Slaves from Verdi’s Nabucco. It was a
spectacular evening.
Australian Jews are going through a difficult time at the moment,
actually I cannot think of a Jewish community that is not going through a
difficult time, but I am in awe of their resilience and determination to come
to Israel during this time of war. I told you about the excellent group brought
by Keren Hayesod a couple of weeks ago, and this week we had lunch in Tel Aviv
with Keith and Deidre Beville from Melbourne. This week we will visit the new
Museum of the Jewish Soldier in Latrun and of course they will come to us for
Friday night dinner. Reaching the fine age of 90 has not stopped Keith from
coming to Israel and neither age nor war will stop him from coming. As I have
told you all time and again, even in wartime this is still the safest place
imaginable.
The words of our first song praise Jerusalem but so much more
Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem;
Praise your God, O Zion. Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem;
Praise your God, O Zion.
For He has strengthened the bars of your gates;
He has blessed your children within you.
Praise your God, O Zion.
Shebachi Yerushalyim https://youtu.be/K3dX1elMLy4?si=b6XbdjWHgR6oXqW-
In 1979 Israel won the Eurovision Song Contest with a wonderful
song of hope in the days when it was all about the song and not politics.
Halleluya! https://youtu.be/jKbvuYRR35E?si=TZaW_vg2E4Q7xbYS
The Party is Over is a song better known as “To Rise Tomorrow with
a New Song” I loved this rendition by a choir of wonderful children! In many
ways it is the story of Israel, of the Jewish people. We fall and rise, always
rise even as our enemies disappear from history. We should all rise each
morning with a new song in our heart, to start again from bereshit! https://youtu.be/q-U5yTtJu38?si=Mg0nlIVFNim3-1we
It is nearly Shabbat after a crazy week! Lunches, concerts,
lectures on Gaugin, visiting friends, friends visiting us, actually I want to
tell you about an impromptu visit by some friends who live on our estate. Five
women each with a fascinating story of family history including one neighbour,
actually a neighbour whose apartment overlooks our veranda, her name is Hinda,
and she told of her family’s history beginning in Lodz, in Poland, through Russia,
and several European countries to arrive in Israel at the age of 10. Hinda worked
for many years in the Jewish Agency and knew many people that Zvi also knew. As
is my habit when someone new comes to our apartment, I took her to our study,
where Zvi was busy writing. She was impressed by our “wall of fame” but her
expression when she saw the poster of the very first demonstration ever held,
in the world, to free Soviet Jewry with the headline “Let My People Go”. Her
amazement grew when she learned that Zvi, together with Yona Yahav, started the
entire struggle for Soviet Jewry, beginning on that day when they were both
students at the Hebrew University. “It’s thanks to you that I am here today”.
Such emotion and joy that Hinda was in our house, is my friend, enjoys a
wonderful life with her husband Itzik, because two cheeky students refused to
take no for an answer from Golda Meir when
they knew that Jews were suffering in far off Soviet Union, longing to come
home.
So our world is not becoming any kinder, but we can hold our hope
and prayer and rise tomorrow morning with a new song in our heart. I am
travelling to Tel Aviv this lunchtime, to the home of Lea Ressler, to meet with
friends. Zvi is going to his parliament in the Botanical Gardens and then we
will meet up for our Shabbat Dinner in the peace and quiet of our own home. Of
course I will wander out to our veranda where the little apple tree is weighed
down with the burden of dozens of ripening fruits. Actually, that little apple
tree is yet another example of hope. So many people told me that an apple tree
cannot thrive in a pot and here it is. Proof positive that one should never
listen to the doubters!!
Shabbat Shalom dear friends, I pray that your Shabbat will be
peaceful.
With love from Jerusalem, the centre of the world.
Sheila
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