HOMELAND, FAKE NEWS AND GREAT WOMEN
30th January 2026
12th Shvat, 5786
Shabbat Shalom dear friends, Shabbat Shalom.
International Holocaust Day has been and gone but hatred and dehumanisation remain. Norwegian lawmaker Joel Ystebø has nominated Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, for the Nobel Peace Prize, in recognition of its vital work in Holocaust education and remembrance. “In a time when antisemitism is once again gaining a foothold in public discourse, Yad Vashem reminds us of what is at stake if hatred and lies are allowed to pervade, I believe that the Nobel committee should take a stand on antisemitism”
There are many dark issues I could quote but I was excited to see that Former Conservative Minister Sajid Javid has become Chair of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT), setting out his determination to get the number of school children engaged with learning the lessons of the Shoah, the Holocaust, back up to levels “higher than ever before”. Sajid Javid was born in the UK to a Pakistani Moslem family who chose to follow his heart and head not the flock.
Zvi and I are hooked on Homeland which is based on the acclaimed Israeli series Hatufim (English: Prisoners of War), created by Gideon Raff. There are several episodes dedicated to the devastation caused by fake news and its relevancy to today was absolute. It is worth reminding ourselves that the real enemy is not President Trump, however divisive his style may be, but the Iranian Ayatollahs and the network of proxies they command. This regime has spent decades exporting hatred, violence, and instability far beyond its borders, into the Middle East, Europe, and now US universities. Through funding, propaganda, and relentless ideological conditioning, they have succeeded in poisoning the minds of young people who mistake extremism for justice and intimidation for moral courage. Personalities come and go in politics; ideologies rooted in repression and destruction are far more dangerous, and our attention should be fixed on them.
We finally took down the yellow ribbons on our doors and cars. Ran Gvili z”l has finally come home; his body returned for burial after 843 days of unbearable pain for his family. Ran’s body was found through the painstaking work of the dental teams of the Israeli Coroners Research Institute, who worked through 250 bodies in the blood-stained ground of Gaza, an unthinkable task. For his family, the waiting is over; for all Israelis, the questions remain. The Gaza war may be over, but what now? Can we rediscover the glue, the common ground, that once held us together, before grief, anger, and the divisive policies of this government split us apart? Will we ever learn the truth of the days, weeks and months leading up to October 7th?
When Itam worked late in the Impact-se offices about 5 years ago and found the UNWRA curriculum online, a result of schools in Gaza closing due to Covid, none of us fully comprehended the ramifications. Impact-se immediately began to research the material in great depth and the resulting report took the world by surprise. https://www.impact-se.org/wp-content/uploads/Review-of-2022-UNRWA-Produced-School-Materials.pdf It took the world a horrendous rampage of evil on October 7th to understand our discovery. Western leaders have withheld funding, albeit temporarily, and the evil that is UNWRA has come to light. This week the UNWRA HQ in Jerusalem was pulled down. A small start but a start nevertheless.
We |Israelis find a disturbing comparison to today’s chjoiceof some sectors of our society.
On January 25, 2026, over 600 evangelical churches representing around 1,100 leaders worldwide, participated in the third annual Solidarity Sunday, organized by the Eagles’ Wings ministry, to oppose rising antisemitism. The initiative featured Jewish speakers in churches across the U.S., Canada, Brazil, and other nations, alongside a global broadcast from Buffalo, N.Y
Perhaps you already knew about the Evangelical support for Israel (often mistrusted and misunderstood) but you were almost certainly unaware of the LDS (Mormon) support of Israel. In a groundbreaking act of interfaith co-operation, Rabbi Jarrod Grover of Beth Tikvah Synagogue in Toronto led a nine-day humanitarian mission to Israel that brought together Jewish participants and 10 young adults from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as part of Birthright Israel Foundation’s Birthright Volunteer program and marked the first time it formally included non-Jewish participants.
I was fascinated by this week’s Torah reading and its unmistakable heroine, Deborah. A formidable leader, she does not hesitate to curse the people of Meroz for failing to come to the aid of their nation at a critical moment, a rebuke delivered through an angel. Her song also challenges the tribes who chose the comfort of flocks and ships over responsibility and courage. It is a timeless reminder that leadership demands action, and that standing aside in moments of danger is a moral failure. 85 million Anglicans welcome a woman, Sarah Mullally, a former nurse, as the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Deborah stands as a powerful biblical reminder that strong female leadership is nothing new.
Since we are talking of women, brave, strong women, I have one hard question on my mind, admittedly one of many; who will remember the girls, the tatspatiniot, the observers, who saw the warning signs, reported the unusual activity on the Gaza border, and were ignored? They did their duty with quiet courage, yet were left without protection, and on October 7th 2023, many paid with their lives. Their voices were clear, their vigilance unwavering, and their fate unbearably tragic. They deserve to be remembered not only for how they died, but for the truth they saw, the responsibility they carried, and the failure that abandoned them. Only an independent inquiry can find the answer.
The Pentagon’s 2026 Defence Strategy Report described Israel as a model ally. In previous strategy reports that sought to balance relationships across the region, Israel is at the centre of American strategic thinking. The report defines Israel as a “model ally”: “a country that does not ask the United States to fight on its behalf, but one that demonstrates both the willingness and the capability to defend itself independently, and is therefore deserving of unequivocal support.” Perfect ally we may be, but unlike all our allies, this war is on our own doorstep and the question on all Israeli lips, irrespective of political leanings, creed or colour, is “will the war restart and if so when”
Did you know that ecology is a central element of Judaism and has been for thousands of years? We even have a festival in which we plant new trees, not surprisingly known as the New Year for Trees! That respect for mother nature and her effect on our climate has brought Israel to the first place, worldwide, for increasing its number of trees planted annually. I remember, as a child, being taken out of Sunday school to plant a sapling and this year, for my 80th birthday, I decided to recreate that act with grateful thanks to my siblings, Eddie and Ray, Doreen, Ronnie and Sandie and my beloved daughter-in-law Karen, who clubbed together to buy me a tree of my choice. I chose a large fejoyia (is that how you spell it) tree which is framed by the huge window of our new extension. The tree stands tall, representing the strength and fruitfulness of this amazing country, standing firmly in its pot. When the nurseryman came to deliver it, he decided to plant it for me, not in his normal tasks, “because it is you”, surely the greatest compliment.
The celebrations of last week continued into this week, starting with a visit to an Air Force base to visit our granddaughter, Amit. The meeting site was quite beautiful because in every camp in Israel, every Soldier has somewhere to meet the parents a picnic area specially designated with picnic tables with special chairs and a lavish picnic, traditionally the picnic consists of schnitzels, multiple salads and humus. This country is exceptional because we understand that our soldiers need their family support because
our Wars are not thousands of miles away.
Next a wonderful, joyous wedding of Rachel’s husband’s nephew. It was a happy, traditional wedding, a family affair as the young couple arrived at the runway which led to the chuppah, the wedding canopy. First Noam was accompanied by his father and future father-in-law, followed by the bride and her mother and future mother-in-law. Then Noam gently lifted his bride’s veil, a symbolic reference to the story of Jacob, who worked seven years to marry Rachel, only to be tricked by his father-in-law into marrying her older sister, Leah, because she was veiled. The groom lifts the veil to make sure she’s the right one! Then to the canopy where the Rabbi sang the blessings, followed by members of the family who shared the seven blessings, followed by the breaking of the cup as the groom stamps on it. There are so many explanations for this strange tradition, two of which are – that it represents the fragility of marriage and the other is that it we should never forget what caused the destruction of the two Temples. The official part over, the entire room swamps the dais and then it is food, food, and more food with loud music at which point the older guests leave and the youngsters dance the night away!
My friend Jill had a great week. We went to Jill’s former kibbutz (I think I told you last week) and then Jill met with her young friend Uriel, after which Rachel picked them up and headed off to the Kotel. Jill and I went to the marvellous Orchid Farm and Coffee Shop where we had a delicious brunch and I chose the Orchids that were a birthday present from my children’s father and his wife Barbara We then went on to the plant nursery (with Rachel) to choose the aforementioned Fejoya tree! On Wednesday morning Rachel and I took Jill to the airport for her journey back to the UK. I won’t say her journey home because this will always be her real home. On Thursday morning I returned to my Mind and Movement class in our community centre. It was very special and culminated in our guide, Gali, asking me, as a birthday treat, to choose the music for the final 20 minutes. The first song was an easy choice, the song that my Mother sang to me, I sang to Gideon and he in turn sings to his son Sammy, You Are My Sunshine, followed by All You Need is Love and Hey Jude, Sailing by Rod Stewart, If I Had a Hammer, We Shall Overcome which Gali understood were all songs of hope for a better world. I ended it with Aretha Franklin’s Respect, what we all pray for.
Tonight, we have 8 friends for Shabbat Dinner, if it all works out a four course meal, most of which is already in the fridge or ready to go. Everyone loves Zvi’s kiddush (blessing over the wine) and the bread before tucking in to what I hope will be a delicious meal with stimulating conversation. Tomorrow morning, we will be at a lecture in the next village by Or Heller, a brilliant and brave military and war reporter. After that we will celebrate our granddaughter Ella’s 13th birthday, the wonderful Ella, daughter of Amiad and Noga. Yes, a crazy schedule but we love living life that way. I pray that we will never slow down.
Songs. Did you know that song in Hebrew is the same as poem, both are Shir. Anyway, songs for today.
“Somewhere Over the Rainbow” was written by Harold Arlen with lyrics by Yip Harburg in 1939 for the movie Wizard of Oz. Written about the Jewish dreams, to become the symbol of the Jewish dream for a homeland. https://youtu.be/PSZxmZmBfnU?si=pNcp65beVtN3V90u
I’m sure that it’s a generational thing but Zvi and I both love Tom Lehrer. This one is so clever. National Brotherhood Week! https://youtu.be/aIlJ8ZCs4jY?si=2qLzpGQbCwalgMLr
Dreams and cynicism over….. Tribe of Brothers and Sisters sung by the much maligned Israeli Police (where are police not maligned) https://youtu.be/OwVhpiQzlUM?si=cIEJAd_oQ5W4d8-J
I wish you a peaceful Shabbat, without hate and the repercussions of lies. In this unpredictable world one thing is constant and that is love. If we love enough, teach love, speak love, reach out with love, we can make a small but significant dent in the sea of hate. Remember the power of one?
Shabbat Shalom and love, lots of it, from Jerusalem and our veranda
Sheila
Involvement http://www.impact-se.org/
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