4th of July, 2025
Shabbat Shalom! A happy Fourth of July
I hope this missive finds you well.
Finally, yesterday, Prime Minister Netanyahu and his wife Sarah,
went to visit Kibbutz Nir Oz. Kibbutz Nir Oz, an agricultural community right
on the border with Gaza, suffered the worst of all the diabolical attacks by
Hamas on the 7th of October, 2023, 636 days since Hamas slaughtered
and kidnapped one quarter of the members, men, women, children, old, young, in
a most cacodemonic, barbarous attack seen in modern times
Einav Zangauker. Mother of Matan 24, who was kidnapped from his Nir
Oz home by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023 and has been held hostage in
Gaza ever since, 636 days, Einav has been one of the most outspoken
demonstrators against the government and Prime Minister Netanyahu. We can’t
imagine the pain and anguish that she lives with every single day. One could
imagine Einav unleashing a public display of her anger and grief, and no one
could blame her for it, but the opposite happened. Einav embraced the prime
minister and his wife in a moment of strength, dignity and unity.
They were guided by Gadi Mozes, the truly magnificent 80 year old gentleman,
who after 482 days of dire captivity by Hamas, has only one concern on his
mind, to rebuild Nir Oz. Gadi, a farmer, expert in growing potatoes, discovered
that his partner Efrat Katz, and her daughter, had been murdered right outside their
front door.
My emotions are confused. The PM was shown the destruction, but in
a very sanitized form after over 20 months, but he should have been there at
the beginning, to see the bloodstained walls, the burned cars, the stench, the
tragedy in its deepest form.
I wish I didn’t have to tell you about the next incident, and I am
deeply ashamed of the young hooligans, nay terrorists who claim religion as
their raison d’etre, not only attack, burn and destroy the crops of local Arabs
but now began to attack IDF soldiers who protect them. IDF soldiers were beaten
and even choked by the rioters, with several soldiers and an officer lightly
wounded by the end of the incident. These young men have no concept of Judaism,
of acceptance of what Israel is, in fact they drove their cars on Shabbat to
perform their ghastly acts. I am ashamed of them and believe they should be
sent to jail alongside all the other terrorists. Sadly they are encouraged by
Ben Gvir and Smotrich who is responsible for internal security.
And so to the world, the big wide world which is not looking pretty
for us. Glastonbury, a festival that spoke of love has become a symbol of
hatred and we are reminded of days gone by when anti-Semitism had a different
face, when good manners hid an innate dislike of anyone who was not like us.
Jews didn’t have the advantage of a romanticized appearance because we didn’t
and don’t have a uniform, unlike so many other “exotic” religions and regions,
yet we are different, yet so very similar. Millenia of persecution has taught
us to find solutions, we really don’t have problems that we can’t solve,
however slowly. Perhaps that resilience is what draws hatred. Who knows but now
New York, that symbol of fast action openness is facing the possibility of the election
of a racist, supporter of Hamas, as Mayor! I’m not sure how you face that one. I could go
on but you all know what I’m talking about. Maybe going back to the days of Peter
Stuyvesant who tried to ban Jews from New Amsterdam.
Education. As you know education is the top of my list for change,
indeed it is the reason I chose to chair Impact-se (www.impact-se.org ) because
although we may not have control over what our children learn at home, we can
at least help them to judge what is the truth. That is not an option for
children in Gaza or indeed in the Palestinian Authority. Watch this video (I
hope you have Instagram) https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLpsiJuOdco/?igsh=MTRuamczcWY3d3Z5Nw%3D%3D
and see the surprise and dismay on the faces of young people in the USA when
they see the education in those areas.
Peace? Peace is a tough one, truce is better and cease fire is
possible. If you remember there are at least three stages to “shalom or salaam”
in the Moslem tradition. Hudna, Salaam and Sulch (cease fire, a longer
ceasefire which can be considered as peace and finally forgiveness). Right now,
we are praying for an agreement between Israel and Hamas, it is all over the
news but we have been disappointed so many times. Many nations are working on
an agreement, led by President Trump. I happen to believe that there is hope in
a meeting between representatives of both the USA and Iran too, in fact, I
believe that in the middle of a very dark period there is a glimmer of hope. Unpublished
and only just happened, an Israeli team went to Damascus to meet with Syrian
officials towards reaching a ceasefire agreement with Syria and her inclusion
in the Abraham Accords. Oman has announced their interest in joining the
Abraham Accords too. Isn’t it odd that the countries in our region want to open
their hearts to new allies while the West gets deeper and deeper into
antagonism.
I heard a story today, a truly magnificent story. One of my
favourite childhood memories (I can’t remember if I told you) was every morning
I would stand under my Daddy’s Talit (prayer shawl) as he said the morning
prayers with the tefillin (Phylacteries) on his head and hand. He would say the
prayers and I would say the Shema. This story brought back so many sweet
memories I had to tell you.
As missiles rained down on Israel, a spark was reignited 5,000
miles away. Rabbi Levi Lezell of Chabad of the South Shore got a call. Philip
Levin, a 98-year-old former NASA engineer, wanted to see a rabbi. “I drifted
from it all,” he told Rabbi Lezell. “But when the attacks in Israel started, it
all came rushing back, the fear, the hate. I remembered getting beaten on the
school bus just for being Jewish.” The Rabbi asked if he’d like to put on
tefillin. “I’ve never had the chance,” Philip replied. As the straps were
gently wrapped, he whispered: “I remember these. My father used to put them on
every morning before milking the cows.” At
98 years old, Philip had his bar mitzvah, because the Jewish soul never fades.
Talking of missiles raining down, Rachel and I sat out on our
veranda this week, chatting laughing telling stories, so happy that the war
with Iran was over, when to our utter amazement, the extremely loud “hatra’a” the warning sounds came over our
cellphones, an incoming rocket in our area! The warning was quickly followed by
the siren on our phones and then the siren in the area. Rachel, Zvi and I were
back in the safe room, Rachel trying to find out where her family was and if
they are near a shelter! The world has to understand that the Houthis answer to
no-one, receive arms from Iran (perhaps that dried up) and attack British and
American cargo ships like the pirates they are. The Houthis have destroyed
Yemen and no threats matter because death is not a deterrent. However, there is
a positive angle even to that missile! For the very first time it was shot
down, neutralized by the brand new laser intervention. A few dollars instead of
tens of thousands.
Our lovely friend Adrian Davis sent me an article from the
Telegraph, a very important British newspaper. One paragraph struck me and it
could relate to just about everywhere. It related to the changing face of
Britain which is turning it from a polite, tolerant and very British society to
an angry one. I repeat what I have always said - now I am ashamed of Britain,
but perhaps no more than I am ashamed of Canada, Australia, the USA and most of
the European countries, but Britain? The British always stood up for its
British character, its openness and accepting of those who differ, but no
more. Weak, uninterested and complacent Brits have allowed a
cancerous growth to metastasise and eat away at that wonderful
Britishness. So sad
Well, that made us miserable so I really need to change tune but
sometimes it is hard!
How about this? Just a week after their lab was destroyed by an
Iranian missile, Israeli scientists published a discovery that would
revolutionise cancer detection. Researchers at the Weizmann Institute developed
a simple blood test that can predict leukemia years in advance, no painful bone
marrow biopsy needed. It almost didn’t happen, because the missile strike hit
the very building where the research was underway. But the
samples survived. And so might millions of lives. This test doesn’t just
detect early signs of leukemia, it also picks up on risk factors for heart
disease, dementia, and other age-related illnesses. You just can’t keep us
down, we will always rise again.
I want to tell you a very Israeli, or maybe just a very Jerusalem
story. I have a beautiful ring that was my late mothers, given to her 88 years
ago by my father. It has two interchangeable sides and sadly the rings which
allow the changeover wore out with time. I took it to the only jewellers that
everyone trusts, Meltzer’s on a tiny road between the thoroughfare of Jaffa
Road and the Russian compound. The shop is barely the size of a box room and is
absolutely filled to the very doorposts with customers. I went with Zvi to
collect my ring and he was staggered at the turnover! The shop was started by
Zacharia Meltzer z”l and run by his children, everything in there is on trust. Repairs
are kept in little white envelopes with the first name of the owner, no written
records, and when I asked them to just tweak the fastener on a bracelet, they
sent us away for half an hour, the ring on my hand, nothing paid, no name given
and absolute trust in place. The old values still hold, the noise and bustle of
once upon a time are apparent and it is an adventure to go there and watch
young couples choose their engagement rings, new mothers their maternity rings
and everyone knows that they can rely on Meltzer’s to be honest.
Gosh I have so many stories but it’s time to get ready for Shabbat.
Zvi’s wonderful cousins Yossi and Rachel are coming from Kfar Saba and will
stay overnight: Ora and Avner and our neighbour Hannah is coming with her newlywed
daughter and husband to lighten the evening with fun stories of their honeymoon.
We will eat outside; the balmy Jerusalem evenings are perfect for outdoor
dining. A light meal is definitely in order and in this case a gluten free and
mostly lactose free menu is demanded. It’s so easy once you know how! Before
anyone gets to sit down they must have a tour of the “estate”. Quite apart from
all the trees which I describe ad nauseum, the tomato and sweet pepper plants
are about to produce, the butternut squash is slowly creeping across the floor,
the strawberries are thriving and the newest addition, baby loquat trees from
my friend Averil, are getting nicely settled in. OK I have to tell you that the
apple tree has the most delicious apples ever!!!
This week I decided to create a Koolulam festival! When searching
the net for great songs for you, I realised that all and every one of their
songs are the epitome of hope.
That so very Israeli expression Yihyeh Tov – It will be good – is translated
into a wonderful song. https://youtu.be/Vz0nzie4uFw?si=83OPeVtM57YNUvgu
The next one is dedicated to the hostages, both the traumatised who
returned and those still in horrific captivity. Sung to the Madonna song Like a prayer Bring
them home https://youtu.be/6y2laYXcBdU?si=CS5M5W4hyrXBkQKT
One Day we will be left in peace. One day we will live life in the
sun. One Day by Matisyahu sung in the exquisite YMCA in Jerusalem. No more war,
no more bloodshed. Amen https://youtu.be/AHEAG0Fsgxg?si=Zz4gYhfIIXmPvxH6
Shabbat Shalom dear friends. I have to repeat that writing to you is
so important to me and I hope that you feel the same way. Do write to me, I
love hearing from you, knowing how you are and what you think.
Be well, be safe, this too will pass.
With love
Sheila
