Josephus, Kippurim and a Great Restaurant

 

18^th September, 2026

7^th of Tishrei 5787

ז׳ בְּתִשְׁרֵי תשפ״ז

 

The Jewish year in Hebrew is תשפ״ז (in Hebrew letters are also numbers so it is 5787) and if we use the initials can mean Golden Year. Let’s pray that comes to fruition.

 

Shabbat Shalom, Shana Tova (a good New Year) Hatima Tova (May you be enscribed in the Good Book) and finally and most important of all I wish you a better year, a kinder year, one in which we spend more time listening than posturing. As my Mother taught us “God gave you two ears and one mouth, remember to use them in that proportion”

 

We are getting closer to Yom haKippurim, aka Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the day in which we are supposed to recognise all our sins, and the sins of those around us near and far, and promise to change, to repent, to make amends, to expiate, because human conflict should not be perpetual. It is so much more than a confession, it is a promise to change. I was thinking about the mutually destructive internecine battle of words and political rhetoric that is destroying our peaceful existence and my thoughts went back thousands of years to the words of the only written source of the time of the Romans and the destruction of the Second Temple through “Sinat Hinam”, unwarranted hatred.  

 

Flavius Josephus was born Yosef ben Mattityahu in 36 BCE.  Josephus was a Roman/Jewish historian and military leader. He was born in Jerusalem, which was then then part of the Roman province of Judea, to a father of priestly descent (Cohen) and a mother who claimed Hasmonean royal ancestry. Josephus holds the first and the only place among the native authors of Judaea. He recorded  “The Jewish War”

 

“A three-cornered faction fight in Jerusalem as one party split into two. We should not be far wrong if we described this like a maddened beast driven by lack of other food to devour its own flesh. It was as if to oblige the Romans they were destroying all that the city had laid up against a siege. They flung themselves at each other’s throats, and almost all the grain- enough to support them through many years of siege – went up in flames. Unhappy city! What have you suffered from the Romans compared with this?” It sounds so familiar, scarily so.

 

Just 135 years after Josephus death came the ill fated Bar Kochba revolution, the Romans won crushing victory. As a result they changed the name of Judea to Syria Palaestina, which became Palestine, and so the mistaken identity of this tiny sliver of land began.

 

NAZA the new Gaza film by Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, won the Special Jury Prize at Venice and received a standing ovation of at least 25 minutes.  I am furious. If you want applause, prizes, Oscars or Golden Globes, particularly in Europe, making a film portraying Israel as uniquely monstrous is a very good place to start. NAZA presents many disturbing testimonies from Israeli military “insiders”, however, this is a documentary of accusations without any evidence, verification, confirmation, validation, corroboration, substantiation, nothing, nada, to back up their claims. Ironically the film brought a horrified reaction from Israelis but is ignored by the rest of the world.  The former hostages want to investigate the supposed movie-makers.

 

On an utterly different note, last night Zvi and I finally used a very special birthday present a dinner at the Rooftop restaurant overlooking the Old City. It was elegant and rather special, not only because of the delicious food, but because of the wonderful professionalism of the staff and, of course, that phenomenal view. Our waitress was very special and I promised to write about her. Shirel, meaning song of God, is a student of Mechanical Engineering here in Jerusalem and as is the tradition of Israeli students, she is working in a restaurant, but what a restaurant! The dinner was a gift from Zvi’s musical friends for his 80th birthday. It only took us 18 months to actually get around to using it!

 

We parked under Mamilla Shopping Mall and, as we emerged from the lift, we seemed to enter a completely different world. Suddenly we were surrounded by thousands of predominantly young people, observant and secular, all making their way towards the Kotel for Selichot — the special prayers asking for forgiveness before Yom Kippur. The singing and dancing had already begun, and the atmosphere was absolutely infectious. Selichot can be said in a synagogue or even at home, and different Jewish traditions observe them for different lengths of time — Eastern communities often begin much earlier, while Ashkenazi communities traditionally begin shortly before Rosh Hashanah.

 

Trying not to be trampled by the enthusiasm of the younger generation as they surged towards the Old City, we stood there smiling and taking it all in. From an elegant rooftop dinner to a sea of singing, dancing young people heading to the Kotel, it was quite a Jerusalem evening — and a very special one.

 

These last few days are particularly meaningful in the Jewish calendar. We are in the Days of Repentance, the days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and tonight we light the Shabbat candles to bring light to a very important day, Shabbat Shuva — the Sabbath of Return. In the middle of all the prayers and traditions, we are simply being given a moment to stop, look back at the year that has passed and think about where we might have gone wrong, and where we might do better. Shuva means “return”: a return to ourselves, to the people we love, to what really matters, and perhaps to the values we sometimes lose sight of in the hectic schedules of everyday life. It is not about being perfect; none of us is. It is about recognising our mistakes, asking forgiveness where we need to, forgiving others where we can, and trying to begin the new year with a slightly kinder and better version of ourselves.

 

As Yom Kippur approaches, just two days away, I’ve been looking back over the past year, at what I’ve written, said and done, and perhaps most importantly, at what I should have said or done and didn’t. The prayers of Yom Kippur ask us to atone for the past, but also to prepare ourselves for the future. Although Yom Kippur is uniquely Jewish, the ideas of repentance, forgiveness and making a fresh start are ones that Christians, and people of many other faiths, can share.

 

So, if I have hurt or offended you, disappointed you or simply let you down in some way, I am truly sorry. None of us gets everything right, and I certainly don’t. Our friendships mean far too much to me not to say mechilah, please forgive me.

 

As we enter this most solemn of days, I wish you and your families a meaningful Yom Kippur, good health, love, kindness and peace — and the strength to begin again wherever it is needed.

 

Some of the most beautiful music is sung on the eve of Yom Kippur. Here Lt Colonel Shai Abrahamson the IDF Chief Cantor, sings Kol Nidre, the prayer that signifies the commencement of the Yom Kippur prayers.

https://youtu.be/Qj5rouyKZ9Y?si=4_ghHx4DhfrT0Wgt

 

Avinu Malkeinu, My Father my King, Cantor Azi Schwartz sings the prayer that is central to the service. The haunting music and words beseeching forgiveness are profound. “Hear our voice Oh Lord, with pity, and compassion and accept our prayer”

https://youtu.be/0a3mSHSjW30?si=AszEC15KhZ0qTBJT

 

Yaakov Shwekey sings a blessing for the young soldiers of the IDF. This was a concert in 2013, little did we know what our soldiers, young and old, would suffer during and after the massacre of 2023. The Shabbat of darkness and cruelty, the 7^th of October, 2023. We must all beg for their forgiveness, especially our leaders but also the leaders of the IDF, Shabak and Mossad, for not recognising our enemy. They were warned. The words of this song ring true"He who blessed our ancestors, our holy ancestors, may He bless the soldiers of Israel, the soldiers of Israel."

https://youtu.be/suKZK8O_x2s?si=vb9RgCppj1xV9N1_

 

Just as I finished writing it happened, the skies opened and the brilliant, cleansing rain fell. Perhaps it will wash away our sins, give us a clean start…. and thoughts of a new beginning as our elections near.

 

I wish you a beautiful weekend in which you love and are loved. Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem and the wet and glistening View from Our Veranda

Sheila

 

 

Shana Tova Niv

 

10^th of September 2026

28^th of Elul, 5786

25 years from 11^th September, 2001

One day before 5787

 

Shabbat Shalom and a peaceful and sweet Rosh Hashana.

 

I was going to write a simple New Year message, but you know me, nothing turns out the way I planned it! Rosh Hashanah is celebrated on the first day of Tishrei which is actually the seventh  month, which means that my random musings are an inherited Jewish issue!! Anyway, until yesterday evening and a young man named Niv, you were going to get a short note and I was going off to continue my cooking, table setting and general preparations for the 20 people coming to us for the Friday night/ first night Rosh Hashana meal. Niv simply blew my mind away, causing deep emotions to surface and admiration beyond all expectations, a surge of empathy, pride and respect. A deep understanding the behind politics and the general cacophony of criticism, there are real heroes on our doorstep. That is my Rosh Hashana message. Forget the cacophony, live with the pride.

 

So last evening the Bet Halochey hOr, literally translated meaning "House of the Warriors of Light." The wellness centre at the heart of our estate, held a Rosh Hashana Fair full of goodies. A few of us chose to go to the auditorium to hear a talk by a young man named Niv, a young man with a magical smile which clearly hid enormous tragedy. Niv stood on the stage alone and behind him, on the screen, were the words, you can’t see it on me, can you? With before and after photos. Niv suffers from severe PTSD,

 

When Niv was about to enlist, he could have used both his mother’s influence and his own brightness to go to a top intelligence unit but he chose to follow in his father’s footsteps and join the Engineering Unit. Not just the Engineers, but a special unit call “Yahalom”. Yahalom meaning Diamond; short for Special Operations Engineering Unit is the elite special operations unit of the Israel Defense Forces the unit specialises in complex, high-risk engineering and covert combat. He arrived at the site of the devastation of October 7^th and into Gaza where he worked virtually non-stop, refusing to rest until his job was done, until late November 2024 when his body simply collapsed. Why on earth would I tell you this story when all you want is to prepare your chicken soup and kneidlach and think sweet thoughts? Because Niv represents so much of what we are.

 

Yesterday, as he stood on the stage, speaking quietly and naturally, he told us about the retreats in Panama. Without a structured transition, that gap between war and peace can become dangerous. In uncontained environments, the search for quiet can slide into disconnection, and the absence of boundaries can lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms, including substance use, isolation, and emotional collapse. He showed us photographs of surfing, swimming exercise and fun, but spoke about the psychological support programmes. He and some friends began a programme of their own, an “ozen kashevet” a listening ear for others who suffer PTSD.

 

As I heard him speak, I felt that this is a story I recognised, but from where? Then the penny dropped; my granddaughter Talia had volunteered in such a place when she was in Panama this summer! I called her immediately and she asked for a photo of Niv and yes, she had met him and heard him speak when she was at the retreat in Panama.

 

Niv’s story is the one you will never hear on CNN, BBC, or read in the Guardian or NYT but it is a story of heroism beyond politics, of loyalty beyond necessity and the story that isn’t told unless you really listen. Niv and friends created a Website called HATITUDE and they created hats (HATitude) and Tshirts. Niv is one of the models! https://hatitude.co.il/en

 

Perhaps one of the most hopeful things happening in our part of the world is the work of IMPACT-se. Work that gives hope for change in 5787. With enormous gratitude to our CEO, Marcus Sheff, and his remarkable team, we have not simply exposed intolerance in education; we have worked to change it. Through our educational programmes, tens of thousands of children in Judea and Samaria and Gaza have been introduced to ideas of tolerance, coexistence and respect for others, with the help of Professor Mohammed Dajani Daoud. 93,500 Arab school students in East Jerusalem are learning through this revised curriculum. Ultimately, real change begins in the classroom, with the next generation. https://impact-se.org/

 

My wish for you, dear friends, is that this will be a year of kindness, wellness, love, gentleness to others and to ourselves; and the strength to believe in ourselves, irrespective of which direction we pray in, what language our blessings, what colour our skin, how we dress, rich and poor alike. Perhaps to think of the bravery of Niv, who through his pain thinks only of helping others to stand on their feet and reach out to others.

 

The aromas of chicken soup, roast beef, various meats and treats fill the air, each apartment bringing its culinary traditions with it. The table will be set soon, the red, juicy pomegranate seeds in their little dishes, the apple and honey beside each plate, the blessings will be recited over the sweet challah, the wine and a multitude of symbols which have blended from the various countries and absorbed traditions of our dispersion.

 

The Maccabeats sing a song which encapsulates the meaning of these Holy Days. https://youtu.be/pn9QgBNgl1w?si=u19JgFEKRuTbib_U

 

Bob Dylan, not only poet, songster but in many ways a prophet, sings of how the “Times are aChangin’” https://youtu.be/90WD_ats6eE?si=n52mdwaP6PADgday

 

From Boys town in Jerusalem which gives boys from disadvantaged backgrounds in Israel with the education, support, and love they need to build a brighter future. A truly happy song about peace…. May the one who creates peace on high bring peace to us and to all Israel. And we say: Amen.. https://youtu.be/cPMjE5sToQg?si=36ezV8LDwikNx6T9

 

Thank you for listening to my musings over the years. Please God in 5787 I will have only good news to report on “The View From My Veranda”

Sending you all, each and every one of you is precious to me, much love from Jerusalem. Shana Tova!!

Sheila

 

 

 

 

From Twain to Penitence

 

4^th of September 2026

22^nd of Elul 5786

 

Good morning! Shabbat Shalom! How are you? I’d love to hear from you so that I don’t need to worry about you…

 

Mark Twain, like Winston Churchill, wrote many things, mostly very positive, about the Jews. This one is fascinating.

“He has made a marvellous fight in this world, in all the ages; and has done it with his hands tied behind him. He could be vain of himself, and be excused for it. The Egyptian, the Babylonian, and the Persian rose, filled the planet with sound and splendor, then faded to dream-stuff and passed away; the Greek and the Roman followed, and made a vast noise, and they are gone; other peoples have sprung up and held their torch high for a time, but it burned out, and they sit in twilight now, or have vanished. The Jew saw them all, beat them all, and is now what he always was, exhibiting no decadence, no infirmities of age, no weakening of his parts, no slowing of his energies, no dulling of his alert and aggressive mind. All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?”

 

I want to tackle a very positive question about perception and truth, sometimes diametrically opposed. Perception can be very misleading, because the way we see life in general and politics in particular, depends entirely on the information we receive. For instance, the suggestion that Israel is an apartheid state, something oft repeated by people who have never actually been here, is a complete fallacy, or am I also adding to the disinformation? Let me take you into an Israeli hospital, where Jewish, Arab, Muslim and Christian doctors, nurses and patients work and are treated alongside one another every single day; to a law court where lawyers of every ilk, ethnic background, argue in one language, Hebrew; to the Supreme Court where an Arab Moslem is one to that rare group and finally, which Arab countries have Jews in their parliament? because we do! We argue, we disagree, sometimes get angry with each other like any family, but we also live together and share a thriving, exciting and wonderfully diverse country. Perhaps it is time the world came and saw that Israel and changed perception based on truth.

 

Another misconception based on misinformation is that all Arab/Palestinians are terrorists. Not only is that untrue, but Impact-se has made huge inroads into re-educating young students in East Jerusalem. The Impact of Impact-se’s work is exceptional. ”Eight years ago, IMPACT-se quietly undertook what many believed was an impossible task: a reformed curriculum for East Jerusalem schools that removed Palestinian textbook incitement, antisemitism, and glorification of violence, replacing it with tolerance, education about Jews, and recognition of Israel. “The real-world impact of this initiative has been extraordinary.

The program was implemented carefully and discreetly, in partnership with the Jerusalem Education Administration, a joint Jerusalem municipality-Israel governmental body responsible for operating Jerusalem’s public education system. Although strongly opposed by the Palestinian Authority and condemned by the Arab League on two occasions, today, approximately 93,500 Arab school students in East Jerusalem are learning through this revised curriculum.”  https://impact-se.org/

 

From the hope of re-education (thus changed perceptions) to a man who has always been a potential leader of the Palestinians from behind. He may just bring a glimmer of hope to Gaza. Mohammed Dahlan, the former Fatah leader who broke away from Abbas, is reorganising his Democratic Reform Bloc and seeking a larger role in Gaza ahead of the Palestinian legislative elections. Dahlan is educated, pragmatic and, during years in prison, learned to speak fluent Hebrew; he was involved in the negotiations for the Oslo peace process. Perhaps, after so many years of the same old, destructive, leadership, a different voice is exactly what is needed.

 

Another misconception is that Turkey is a stabilising element in the Middle East! Two consecutive headlines on the front page of one newspaper say that Huckabee hopes that Turkey can be as stabilising force and the other says that the Israeli Navy is acting to deter Turkish maritime aggression. How on earth are we supposed to know what's the truth when the same newspaper carries both headlines on their front page? Erdogan is taking Turkey to the brink of war with all its neighbours

 

Are you worried about your children/grandchildren’s education? 3 million children started school in Israel yesterday; including our grandchildren! The big question, is whether they're being taught or whether they're being educated. It's a question the parents all over the world are asking. Teachers are just not the powerful influencers on our children’s lives that they once were. Should they be paid more or are the teaching colleges not doing the job?

 

One direct diplomatic and military result of our changing relationship with Turkey is our much warmer relationship with Greece. Relations were once extremely poor, particularly under Andreas Papandreou in the 1980s. In fact, Greece helped evacuate Arafat and the PLO from Beirut in 1982 and Tripoli in 1983. How times change! As our relationship with Turkey has deteriorated, our ties with Greece have gone in the opposite direction. This week Israel and Greece signed the phenomenal $3.5 billion “Achilles Shield” defence agreement, for a multi-layered Greek air-defence system using Israeli technology. I find it quite extraordinary to think that a country that once helped Arafat leave Beirut is now turning to Israel to help protect itself. History really does have a funny way of turning full circle.

 

Rosh Hashana, literally the head of the year, is coming around again. Strange because it feels as though it was here last week!! Thousands gather each evening at the Kotel (Western Wall) for Selichot, Penitential Prayers, specific and heart wrenching prayers to clean one’s soul of former sins. The Sefarad (Spanish) tradition demands one whole month of atonement whereas Ashkenazi tradition demands just a week. This total period lasts for 40 days which directly mirror the 40 days that Moses spent on Mount Sinai pleading for God's forgiveness after the sin of the Golden Calf, a period that also ended on Yom Kippur. Fascinatingly, the same words are repeated every day. My prayer, every year, is that the penitential prayers are not simply repeated by rote but that hearts are opened, repentance is real and the schisms in society are healed. It is true that we may be a contentious people, but we are also a loving people.

 

Elections never bring out the best in people and these particular elections have already brought out the less attractive side of the contenders. I don’t like extremes. I have never liked extremes and I particularly dislike extremes in politics. We need a party with a leader who is just that, a leader. I don’t care if his English is perfect, there are translators; I care that he/she will lead us down a secure path, without rhetoric, with policies that first and foremost draw us together and heal the wounds of the last too many years; policies to find a solution to the question of Haredi conscription;  policies to stop our constant warring factions; to find a solution to the wars on our borders; stopping the wasteful, extravagant, profligate overspending due to scopophobia and paranoia of our leaders and feeding the desperate situation of housing, food and education.

 

The supermarkets are overflowing with people shopping for Rosh Hashana, and prices are already creeping up. It is tempting to blame the retailers, but this time there is a much sadder story behind it. Israel’s remarkable agricultural water system has been hit by micro-algae, believed to have come from the Nile Delta, blocking the water our farmers desperately need. After everything they did to bring their farms back to life following the war, they are now watching their crops wither and die. It is heartbreaking and of course, that shortage reaches our pockets, really tough for families already struggling. Our drinking water is completely safe and potable however; this is a problem affecting agricultural water, not the water coming from our taps.

 

Actually, I love shopping before the festivals because the cornucopia, the vast selection of local produce is phenomenal! Not the shortage of tomatoes etc. but the mangos, big as footballs, pineapples, watermelons, cantaloupes, peaches, nectarines, grapes, kiwis……I could go on and on and there are pots of pomegranate seeds ready separated – those bright scarlet pomegranate seeds that represent everything good for the future on the Rosh Hashana table.

 

I hope to get to Rachel today, although I admit I’m a bit rushed, but just sitting around her table, listening to their incredibly fast speech in a mixture of English and Hebrew, and generally absorbing family that it is worth stopping everything and going. This afternoon our village has a street party! Lots of games for the children, food trucks, storytelling, generally lightening the mood and preparing us for a great Shabbat and Rosh Hashana. Zvi has gone off to his parliament in the Botanical Gardens where the main topic of conversation will be the upcoming elections. Tonight we are just the two of us, a rarely quiet Friday Night and then tomorrow evening we are going downstairs to our wonderful neighbours where they have invited friends to hear Zvi recount the story of the birth of the battle for Soviet Jewry.

 

I think we have covered almost everything, but I also know that your favourite part is the relaxation of great music!

Our first song is not only lively and fun but it is also highly appropriate. BaShana HaBa'a (Hebrew: בשנה הבאה, "Next Year") is a 1970 Israeli song with music by Nurit Hirsch and lyrics by Ehud Manor. “Wait and see how good it will be next year”  https://youtu.be/wb0Y8DSa3oU?si=eT5FwkTOguHPofhG

 

To ensure a sweet new year we not only eat those pomegranate seeds but the meal begins with the blessing over wine, then challah then we have an apple slice dipped in honey to ensure a sweet year. Actually, my family always dipped our Challah (bread) in honey too so our family had a wonderfully sweet year! https://youtu.be/FlcxEDy-lr0?si=4iupHbsGzd5hNrSc

 

Now to something entirely different.

Koolulam and the people of Be’eri, the kibbutz that suffered so desperately on October 7^th, 2023. Listen to the words, read them, understand the mentality of people, our people and the determination to survive and thrive. https://youtu.be/hptZdP_hulY?si=KAylWdz_zGNdddHL

 

Perhaps I should go back to the beginning of this letter and Mark Twain’s words. We will survive, we have survived worse, but this time it is not in jus tone country, not in just one continent and it is not really the simple folk who are the danger, it is the supposedly intellectual upper echelon who are the most gullible to the hate machine. Let’s change it! Stand tall. Be who you are, whatever your race or belief. Don’t bend you head in fear.

 

As you already know, it’s hard for me to leave you! One last word, honestly, but an important one. I feel more and more the importance it is to know the stories of our parents and grandparents, not only the stories of the Shoah, but what came before it, because this hatred did not suddenly begin in 1939. I had interviewed Zvi’s parents but was sadly lacking in knowledge about my own parents. I discovered so much about my own father through conversations with my siblings, especially my eldest sister Eddie. I learned that this quiet, remarkable man had escaped the pogroms of Poland and, while only a child, had crossed Europe alone in search of safety in Britain. Had we not talked about his life, his extraordinary story might have disappeared with him. We owe it to the generations who came before us, and to those who come after to keep their stories alive.

 

That’s it, honestly! I wish you a beautiful weekend with time to look at the beauty around us all, even in the middle of the city, but most beautiful of all “The View From Our Veranda” Thank you for being my friends for so long.

 

With much love from Jerusalem, from Israel but most of all from our home to yours

Sheila