29th May, 2026
13th Sivan, 5786
Shabbat Shalom, a holy Eid Al-Adha, a Blessed Armenian and Orthodox
Pentecost. A peaceful weekend to all whether you celebrate all of the above or
not.
When I planned today’s letter, missive, I was worried that I wouldn’t
manage to be my usual optimistic self, then I sat down at the computer,
realised that Zvi had pushed back the protective iron cover to the window and
lo and behold, in the meantime the little almond tree had not only grown, but
was laden with green, fluffy almonds. The promise of a fine crop; added to that,
the little Sunbirds came to visit their sweet water feeder, the male tweeting
happily to call his friends to come and drink; my new raised herb garden with a
few herbs moved to their new home and I bought basil, dill and sage. I now have
a full English folk song in Parsley Sage Rosemary and Thyme! My mood has lifted
despite the situation.
Another aspect of my life that has lifted my mood is our
relationship with the Emirates. When I say “our” I mean Impact-se. Not only
have the Princes opened an office for us in Abu Dhabi, but it includes a
researcher and have contributed enormously to our successes in changing the
attitudes of the moderate Muslim countries by taking hate out of their school
books. If only we could take hate out of the minds of most Western countries.
Temu and AliExpress sell everything on the cheap, which
is fine, indeed I use their services from time to time, including my raised
herb garden, but I really didn’t expect Hezb-Allah to buy their drones,
intended as toys, and convert them into explosive elements of war to terrorise
the Israelis in the North of our country. Don’t think they harm and terrorise
just Jews the Muslim, Christian, Druze, Circassian, Bedouin Israelis are just
as scared, suffer just as much from sleepless nights disturbed by sirens and
worse still, from drones that fly so low and are so small that there are no warning
sirens.
The United Nations has reached new lows. Not that the
Iranian regime has been accepted on their Committee for Women’s Rights, but
they now declared Israel as a sexual abuser in wartime, along with Hamas! Can
there be anything more ludicrous, can there be anything more damaging?
Mayor Mamdani has managed to reach yet another low by
refusing to attend New York’s Israel Day Parade. Previous mayors understood
that attending, often even leading the parade, was about far more than
politics; it was a statement that New York stood proudly with one of its
largest and most vibrant communities. This refusal feels sadly symbolic of the
atmosphere now creeping across a city once celebrated for embracing every faith,
nationality, and background imaginable. What troubles me most is not only his
decision, but the fact that none of his views were hidden. He made his
hostility towards Israel perfectly clear long before the election, and yet many
Jews, still chose to support him. I confess I struggle to understand that. One
does not have to agree with every Israeli government policy to recognise when
rhetoric crosses into something far more troubling. Perhaps that is the real
sadness here: watching a city with such a rich Jewish history become
increasingly comfortable with attitudes that would once have been unthinkable.
Sometimes it may appear that one has overcome all hurdles and
formed an alliance with unexpected countries, even when they agree to take hate
out of their schoolbooks, then they apparently turn, take a hairpin bend decision
to ally themselves with your sworn enemies.
One of the quieter but deeply important aspects of the
current regional situation concerns the Kurds, who so often seem to end up the
tragic losers in Middle Eastern politics. Israel reportedly favoured greater
Kurdish involvement inside Iran, seeing them as a counterbalance to regimes and
movements committed to war against Israel, but Erdoğan, terrified of
encouraging Kurdish nationalism within Turkey, strongly opposed the idea. With
Trump maintaining close ties to Erdoğan, threatened with the closing of
American bases in Turkey, the plan he initially approved, was dropped. The
result has unsettled Gulf states such as the Emirates and Saudi Arabia, who
increasingly wonder whether America would truly stand beside them in a major
conflict. Meanwhile Erdoğan appears to be steadily positioning himself as
leader of a broader Sunni alliance, with unmistakable dreams of renewed Ottoman
influence. In this particular struggle, Turkey may well feel it has emerged the
quiet winner, while Israel and the Kurds once again pay the price.
There was something almost absurd about watching Gaza
flotilla activists loudly proclaim a humanitarian mission, only to admit that
the voyage was never really about aid at all, but about provoking Israeli
soldiers and creating headlines. Even more remarkable was seeing some of them
arrested in Libya before ever reaching Israel, while those so eager to condemn
Israeli “cruelty” suddenly became rather quiet. Spain warmly praised the
activists as victims, yet seemed far less vocal when Spanish police themselves
used force against demonstrators at home. It is precisely this double standard
that so many Israelis find so exhausting. At the same time, we must have the
honesty to condemn disgusting behaviour within our own society. The recent Ben
Gvir incident, with its ugly atmosphere of provocation and hatred, shamed
Israel and handed ammunition to those already determined to vilify us. Loving
Israel surely means being able to defend her against lies from outside while
refusing to excuse behaviour from within that betrays the values we claim to
uphold.
Talking of upholding values, Judeo-Christian values, and of the
extraordinary country we created. I find myself once again troubled by many in
the Haredi leadership. Not all the Haredi community by any means, because many
live lives of kindness, faith, and quiet dignity, but by the dangerous idea now
being encouraged by some leaders that Torah study alone absolves one of
responsibility for the defence of the nation. I believe deeply in prayer. I
believe it has sustained the Jewish people throughout centuries of exile,
persecution, and survival. But our history and our Bible are filled with our
heroes and heroines who prayed and fought when necessary. Today our soldiers,
our reservists, our exhausted IDF are carrying an almost impossible burden
through a desperate shortage of manpower. Surely it is time to understand that
one can pray, study Torah, and still serve the nation in countless ways that
protect lives without abandoning faith. Judaism was never meant to separate us
from our people, but to bind us to their fate.
An interesting dilemma for the international legal
community but a dilemma that creates a whole different question. Antiquities
that are found in the disputed territories which of course are Yehuda and
Shomron, or belong to the Palestinian Authority. There are two questions here
one the archaeologists are all Israeli and have Jewish content the other
question arises that in the past Jewish proof of thousands of years of being in
this area have been destroyed
OK now that I have thoroughly depressed every one of you
lets learn something most don’t know. A young man threw a dart in the world map
and got on a plane to the darts chosen destination. What he found there amazed
him and his Instagram followers. He came to Tel Aviv/Jaffa. What he found was a
community of every faith, every creed and a great deal of fun, food and
excitement. https://www.instagram.com/reels/DY41AJUM7L7/
If you don’t know Eitan Chitayat you really
should watch all of his videos and clips. He is not aggressive in his love of
Judaism, Israel and Freedom, he explains and proves. A rare and special man.
Here he created a video explaining to Jewish children what is happening in this
confusing and confused world that the hatred they may experience right now we
have survived many worse situations, survived and thrived. Hate burns itself
out. Please listen to his amazing sense and show it to your children and
grandchildren. This too will pass. https://youtu.be/NKVpq3OGn9Q?si=lzJ_9qQVntCMZgxm
Perhaps the most important aspect of this disturbing world where it
feels like the inmates are running the show, is that we, the sane and optimistic
people of all faiths should stick together, should support one another because
united we stand. Bill Withers wrote this song more than 50 years ago and it has
never held more meaning than today. Lean On Me. https://youtu.be/dtC1W-6hwIU?si=AEz8hkI7U0PGDZqJ
Our Father who is in heaven, Protector and Redeemer of Israel,
bless the State of Israel, the dawn of our deliverance. Shield it beneath the
wings of Your love; spread over it Your canopy of peace; send Your light and
Your truth to its leaders, officers, and counselors, and direct them with Your
good counsel. Strengthen the defenders of our Holy Land; grant them, our God,
salvation and crown them with victory. Establish peace in the land, and
everlasting joy for its inhabitants. Remember our brethren, the whole house of
Israel, in all the lands of their dispersion. Speedily bring them to Zion, Your
city, to Jerusalem Your dwelling-place, as it is written in the Torah of
Your servant Moses: Avinu Shebashamayim the ultimate prayer for Israel
sung by Cantors Azi Schwartz, Netanel Hershtik and Yaakov Lemmer . I guarantee to
bring a tear to your eyes. https://youtu.be/vFFcLjbc-1E?si=9dhe6ZX_zRK-2Pmd
Idan Amedi is from a huge Jerusalem family, an entire tribe, but he
stands out, not only because he is a brilliant singer songwriter but also
because when the call came two and a half years ago he responded and was
seriously hurt in Gaza. It took him time to return to performing recently,
after a period when his PTSD kept him out of the highlight. He stayed out of
the highlight refusing to accept the title of hero and chose, instead, to sing
at the funerals of each of the slain hostages and many of the slain soldiers;
preferring to give solace rather than receive applause. Last night he performed
in our local amphitheatre. Here he tells an important story. https://youtu.be/qQepsm0Rc0U?si=7QzX9aLnIEn1aHJt
This has been a very special week. On Shabbat
Zvi and I went for a glorious walk in the Nature Reserve opposite. The path is
very uneven, literally as nature intended it, the rocks and stones worn away by
thousands of footsteps, the verges filled with indigenous trees and flowers,
olive trees that seeded and created new trees hundreds of years ago and air to
fill one’s lungs and renew energy. People passed us with their dogs “Shabbat
Shalom” or “Yom Tov lechem” some were surprised that two people of a certain
age were capable of walking the difficult path and congratulated us, I’m not
sure if I enjoyed their labelling us as Old Timers, but we walked on, holding
hands, until we reached our destination. The one weather-worn bench under an
ancient pine tree giving us the view across the whole valley. In winter it is a
reservoir overflowing into the Beit Zayit Dam but in summer the rich fertile land
left behind becomes green and the vineyard extends for miles. I returned to our
Moadon, our club for people of a certain age where we do a really tough chair
workout for an hour and are then rewarded with breakfast together. I go twice a
week and thoroughly enjoy the company and stories of the older members, especially
Violetta, an incredible 95 year old lady, born in Bulgaria, who vividly
remembers the war, WW2, and always arrives in beautiful clothes, colourful
dresses, lipstick and a smile. A feisty lady with incredible warmth. The Moadon
is organised by our local Council and is great fun.
I met my lovely friend Susan the other day. It was wonderful being
with her although our choice of coffee shop was unsuccessful. Next time I will
take her to Motzeleh which has the best breakfasts ever, made on the spot with
a huge choice. Other than that , I went
to my Movement class and met our lovely group of friends and that’s me this
week. Zvi of course went to his two choirs for rehearsals, meetings of the
Jerusalem Academy of Music and today is on a tour of Kibbutz Ramat Rachel with
his parliament.
I am about to leave to see Rachel and family the aroma of her incredible
challot reaching me long before I actually arrive. First of all, I must go toward
Abu Ghosh and on to Kiriat Anavim to my favourite petrol station to fill petrol
and then on the road over Nebe Samuel, Samuel’s Tomb, the highest point in our
area with its incredible panoramic view all the way to Tel Aviv, Rishon LeZion and,
of course, Jerusalem, it’s ever changing skyline with more and more high rises,
as modern Jerusalem grows and thrives.
As we light our Shabbat Candles, an act of faith whatever your
faith, I feel that light enters my little circle, my little world. As the
warmth of the flames lights my face, so I believe that for every candle lit we
can light our entire world with kindness.
Be strong, this too will pass. It always does.
Sheila
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