13th June 2025
Shabbat
Shalom, or is that the right expression under the current circumstances. Let me
begin at the beginning
It
is now 03:22 and Zvi and I are sitting in the Mamad, the safe room, watching
the news, as Israel attacks the Iranian nuclear facilities. I realised that the
telephone warning was different to the usual siren and when we opened the news
we discovered that we will be here for some time, possibly for hours rather
than the usual 10 minutes or alternatively, close to the mamad for a few days.
STATE
OF EMERGENCY DECLARED ACROSS ISRAEL: Israel adjusts homeland security
guidelines as reports indicate Israel begins strikes on Iran. The guidelines
include:
•
A ban on educational activities,
•
A ban on gatherings,
•
A ban on workplaces operations, except for essential sectors.
This
is a developing story.
We
have attacked several military targets throughout Iran including nuclear
facilities and we must be alert to the possibility of a major Iranian attack.
Suddenly Greta Thunberg and her stupid little boat seem utterly irrelevant, not
that she every presented a danger. For the next few days we must expect a
response. The Iranian Chief of Staff Muhammed Bakhri has been killed. Going
back to bed but staying aware, no deep sleep tonight and tonight’s Shabbat
dinner with all the children is definitely cancelled.
This
operation
against Iran’s nuclear and missile programs, has been in the preparation stage
for many years according to security experts, including building a drone base
inside Iran and smuggling precision weapons systems and commandos into the
country. The effort hinged on tight joint planning between the IDF and the
Mossad intelligence agency. According to the official, Mossad agents set up a
drone base on Iranian soil near Tehran. The drones were activated overnight,
striking surface-to-surface missile launchers aimed at Israel. Vehicles were
also smuggled onto Iranian soil, indeed a brilliant plan called “Operation
Rising Lion” although I would have said Lioness because it is the lioness which
strikes if her babies are threatened.
All
operations, planned over the last few years were in full co-operation with the
USA. We killed IRGC and military chiefs and the IDF intercepted Iranian retaliatory drones.
We
just got some good news! The Israeli Home Command just issued a new order that
we do not need to stay close to our safe rooms and protected areas because we
destroyed the Natanz Nuclear Facility which was the one aimed at Israel.
Hospitals
are still preparing basement parking to receive patients and schools, concerts
and parties are cancelled, but the immediate danger is over. All planes have
been evacuated from Ben Gurion Airport to Cyprus and Hungary, just in case.
Hopefully
that means I can go back to reporting current news and our week’s activities!
Greta
Thunberg. Poor thing.
Talk about a damp squib. First of all they had virtually no aid on board,
secondly she, indeed all of them, were given the choice of a few days in jail
or deportation. Some of the braver ones chose to be in prison but she broke her
golden rule of never flying (ecology and all that) and got on a regular El Al
flight, sitting near the back to the amusement of other passengers. Nobody
bothered her, but she looked woebegone!
The
major debate in the Knesset, indeed throughout the country is the haredi enlistment.
Through many years of avoiding the issue it is now breaking us apart. Every time
we hear that another young soldier dies fighting in Gaza, irrespective of how
one feels about that continuing fight; every time another young family sees
their father being called up again and again, some serve 500 days in reserve
duty because we don’t have enough soldiers, every time yet another hostage is returned
for his/her funeral, the anger rises. It can’t be just an issue of Torah study
because the Torah specifically says that we must rise to defend ourselves, it
also cannot be because they spend precious time praying because outside Israel
pious Jews pray and earn a living, it is sadly, or has become sadly distain for
our country. Yet again I am not generalizing and more and more young Haredi men
identify with Israel, but the hard core do not. It makes me so sad because it
is not the compassionate Judaism I grew up with.
Penny
Wong, the Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs, decided to make a
unilateral statement banning two members of the Israeli Government to the dismay
of the opposition and many members of her own party. One cannot say that Wong is
uninformed because it is a choice. Wong, a member of the LGBT community is so
misinformed that she has no understanding that if she lived in any of the countries
she supports she would not only be excluded from politics she would almost
certainly not survive, since all members of the LGBT community are disposed of.
Wong doesn’t speak for the vast majority of Australians. A country that
welcomed many Jews after the War. Indeed the indigenous Australians are very
supportive of Israel recognising that we are the indigenous peoples of this
land.
Actually,
if I may just address that subject, most of you, if not all of you, live on
land occupied by either the present rulers or past rulers. Look into your own
history before condemning ours. Nova Peris, spokesperson for the
Australian Aboriginal community says it much better than I.
“Jewish
people are not colonizers—Israel is their homeland. To deny the Jewish or
Israeli connection to the land of Israel is akin to denying the massacres that
happened in Australia against us Aboriginal peoples. Both narratives are rooted
in deep histories of suffering, resilience, and cultural survival. The Jewish
connection to the land dates back thousands of years, including significant
events like the conquest by the Babylonians in 586 BCE, which led to the
destruction of the First Temple and the exile of many Jews. Later, in 70 CE, the
Romans destroyed the Second Temple, marking the beginning of the Jewish
Diaspora. After the Roman conquest, the Romans renamed the region “Palestine”
as a means to erase the Jewish presence and ties to the land of Judea and
Israel, similar to how Australia was once named “New Holland” during European
colonisation in an attempt to redefine the land.”
The
Syrian scene is fascinating. The new regime is clearly extreme Islam, the most recent
edict states that women must wear burkinis on the beach so as not the show any
lily white skin. The new leader, formerly a member of the Syrian Al Qaeda, left
that deadly organisation years ago and now goes by his real name, Ahmed
al-Shara. He has swapped his military fatigues for suits and has embarked on a
charm offensive to convince foreign leaders and his fellow Syrians that he can
repair his shattered country and lead it toward democracy. Anything is better
than the murderous Assad regime, father and son, who slaughtered 500,000 of
their own people.
Of
course there is more to be told, the Houthis are getting really boring. They
know that we will all go into our safe areas and they are highly unlikely to
achieve their aim of killing Israelis – please note that I say Israelis not
Jews – indeed an Arab home was hit last week. This is not a boring country but
oh my goodness it’s such a beautiful country. We are an argumentative people
but that’s because we care deeply, even while arguing, nay fighting each other,
if anything happens we will run to one’s aid.
So
last night we went to a fabulous concert in Bet Shmuel in Jerusalem. Miri Mesika
is considered the most representative Israeli singer but I didn’t really know
her music other than the fact that she has a wonderful voice and appears on the
panel of the Israeli Star is Born. Well, what a surprise! She is phenomenal! She
has a fabulous voice and give a great performance, dancing across the stage and
managing to capture her audience. Most of the youngsters knew every word of her
songs and she encouraged them to sing along. Her husband is her musical
director and a brilliant pianist, and we loved it! Actually there were several
concerts last night; Shlomo Artzi was near us in the Mevasseret Arena, there
was a huge open air concert in the Sultan’s Pool, but I don’t know who it was
and right nearby and rather noisy wedding! All I know is that we couldn’t find
parking so we called a friend and Alan Cohen let us in to their private parking
nearby!
Other
than that, I had all my usual courses, but each was with a difference. My
creativity class is very special and this week it was exceptional. Upon arrival
we were each given 8 postcard sized pieces of card and asked to decorate it on
one side, as a greeting card. Once decorated we were asked to write a blessing
to each of the 8 women without looking at the artwork. We then sat around a
table and each woman lit a candle and gave a one word blessing to those in the
room and the world. Then we each read out our blessings to that person. It was
so moving not at all schmaltzy, very special, then we all sat around for our
delicious end of term feast. Everyone contributed at least one delicious
element.
So
what more can I say. Obviously Zvi’s parliament, a rehearsal and the children
coming for Shabbat dinner are all cancelled, after all, Iran is hardly a stable
country and their actions are hard to predict. Luckily I managed to put all the
meat that I bought yesterday at a wonderful local butcher, into the freezer and
am about to make a special dinner for Zvi and I. Our neighbour Hannah just
popped in, she was going to the same rehearsal as Zvi and then down to the
Arava to her daughter, but her plans changed and she is staying home and her
youngest daughter and her brand new husband came to stay and are busy making
Shabbat!
We
live in unpredictable time, irrespective of where we are in the world. Somehow
good is bad and bad is good; we live in a world of instant gratification where
nobody actually researches the truth, they read headlines, irrespective of
their veracity, and forget the words that follow. In fact, young people learn
history from Tik Tok etc, a sphere very cleverly manipulated by those who know
no better and those who know full well what they are doing.
So
let’s get down to music, because it is after all the food of love
Song
of Hope by Shiri Mesika. It really tells it all. HaTikvah is not only our
anthem it is our life. What would we do without hope. https://youtu.be/9eDzojXuMZY?si=AiOq9K1PM-wmvbSo
Neta
Barzilai has come a long long way since she sang “Toy” in the Eurovision Song
contest. No longer wearing strange clothes, singing strange songs, she shows
her natural talent in this rendition of Chai. She brings us the very essence of
Israel, the very essence of the Jewish people. https://youtu.be/iOPYui6f630?si=sgKKK--0nkWh2eVX
The
final song is a plea asking you to understand that while we fight, often with broken
heart, your support, your understanding can repair our broken heart. Omer Adam
and Ishay Ribo sing “Only you can turn our mourning into dancing” https://youtu.be/PcJ_cXib_TU?si=TQaw2wfm7CFzJM6d
What
a dramatic missive this week! Dramatic but hopefully one that explains that we
cannot simply sit back and allow our sworn enemies, those who demand the
destruction of our tiny piece of land. We are better than that.
I
calm myself by walking around our veranda (OK Harry, so it may not officially
be a veranda, wait, I checked it out on the thesaurus and I’m right!) and touching the hibiscus, the incredible
flowering plants whose names I don’t know, the sweet smelling citrus blossom,
the tomato seedlings, the acorn squash plants, the apple tree and best of all
the orchid plants that are about to flower for the fourth consecutive year. We
cannot allow enemies of freedom to take over this beautiful world. We have to
ensure that the good people, the vast majority of citizens on the five
continents are allowed ot live in freedom.
Shabbat
Shalom dear wonderful people. I love you for your support, for you ability to
go beyond the headlines. Barry my love, I know it’s a long letter but I know
you can manage to read it all!
With
much love from Jerusalem
Sheila
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