Shabbat Shalom letter from Jerusalem

110610
10TH June 2011


Shabbat Shalom dear friends. I hope this letter finds you well.

The Shabbat dinner party I described last week went off like a dream. The conversation was delightful as were the guests and it felt somehow right to introduce our new friends to old friends and mix the past with the present making new future friendships. The mix of origins reminded me of dinner parties in the States, Canada or Australia where many are immigrants from other countries, the only difference is that here we all came home. The guests came from Morocco, Canada, Wales, Belgium and of course right here in Jerusalem, Palestine.

Palestine, Palaestina. The name was changed by the Romans to eradicate all resemblance and memory of the Jewish era of Judea and Samaria; they were less successful with the name Jerusalem, attempting to call her Ilia Capitolina, but Jerusalem is so musical, so prayerful, so powerful that they did not succeed. Now the “Palestinians” are insisting that the prayer “If I forget thee oh Jerusalem” is a Christian prayer and not Jewish at all!!! http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=157&doc_id=5133

Rabbi Jeremy Rosen has written an excellent piece about Jerusalem this week – well worth reading the words of a dove, a religious dove but as he says not a suicidal dove. http://jeremyrosen.blogspot.com/2011/06/jerusalem.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+jeremyrosen%2FtAYl+%28Jeremy+Rosen%27s+Blog%29

This week you are getting only good news. I am tired of the Syrian situation whereby everyone shouts and no-one does anything. I cannot but think what they would all be saying if Israel behaved in the amoral and inhumane fashion of Bashar Assad – the highly sophisticated, soft spoken and seemingly mannered tyrant whose cruel regime is still running rampant in Syria – a country created when the entire Middle East “divvied up” this time by the French a country which created the strongest links with Iran and Iraq of Saddam benefitting his country with armaments that no-one quite knows about. The refugees fled to Turkey where they will not be welcomed with open arms. Gosh and I said no politics eh?

Actually there are some good politics too. Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is at the forefront af a Congressional move against the declaration of sttehood by the Palestinians and the cessation of American financial aid to any government including Hamas. Prime Minister Steven Harper has yet again chosen the side of moral truth and sided with Israel publicly and openly – KOL HA KAVOD TO CANADA

Danny Adino Abebe is a handsome young reporter who began his journalistic career in the IDF and works with Yedioth Aharonot, one of the 3 majors newspapers in Israel. Danny is from Ethiopia but just as his identity never bothered him so it has never impeded his progress. Easily identified by his dreadlocks and enormous smile at any major event, Danny feels that many Ethiopians use their colour or origin as an excuse not to succeed - read all about Danny in this marvellous article by Ruth Eglash http://www.jpost.com/Features/InThespotlight/Article.aspx?ID=224185&R=R1

Shevuot , the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost was wonderful. We were invited to friend both on Erev Shevuot – the night before Shevuot – and for Shevuot Lunch. It always fascinates me how different families have different traditions all of which include cheeses, milk, quiches, fish, anything but meat- but Zvi raised the question Why?
Why when we are expected to celebrate all festivals with meat and plenteous dishes do we stick to white foods – milk foods, on Shevuot. Most of us learned about receiving the Torah and not knowing how deeply the question of the calf in its mothers milk took us.......but no......... Zvi's response was much more interesting. Halav......... milk..... is made up of three hebrew letters hey, lamed and bet. In gematriah – the mathematical calculations of hebrew letters this adds up to 40. Moses was atop Mount Sinai for 40 days and 40 nights while receiving the Torah. Since Shevuot is the celebration of receiving the Torah – ergo milk!

In a few minutes I will leave for Ramot to collect my little grandchildren Yosef and Talia from their schools and take them home to play for a while before Shabbat preparations take over my mind. From Ramot we drive out to Givat Zeev on the main road, passing Samuels Tomb and driving down the long hill to Givat Zeev – named for Zeev Jabotinsky, one of the major founding fathers of modern Israel. Despite the searing heat of a Sharav or Hamsin, the air atop the mountain is fresh and the views spectacular. Givat Zeev is a pretty town, basically a dormitory neighbourhood of Jerusalem, although CNN and the BBC would call it a settlement! The homes are white, just like Jerusalem, and the local Arabs walk freely and tend their land, crops and animal herds without anyone bothering them – unlike Arab towns which do not allow Jews within a stones throw – literally.

The drive back home is even more spectacular as one climbs again to Samuels Tomb on the opposite side of the road one is taken aback by the panorama – a spectacular carpet of white buildings as far as the eye can see as Jerusalem, Israels Capital City and the the largest by far, spreads out before one in splendour. The number of towers is growing, once only the Augusta Victoria Hospital, St Georges, the Hebrew University on Mount Scopus and those few in the centre of town stood proud of the homes, now one has the Holyland Tower, the Calatrava Bridge, and many hotels and offices – Jerusalem is not only a city of ancient stones – Jerusalem is a thriving, bustling city of three-quarters of a million people whose ethnicities form a glorious rainbow evident in our skyline.

Each and every visitor to our home is mesmerised by the view. Jerusalem is so special, so heartwarming, spiritual, contentious and thoroughly embedded in our souls that to see her laid out before us is a gift of such magnitude that we must never ever forget her “If I forget thee oh Jerusalem, let my right hand becoem useless and my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth”. The Palestinians can say what they wish – we know that this came from Psalm 137 "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion." The psalm mourns the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonian army in 586 BCE, is part of Jewish tradition and liturgy and has appeared in Jewish sources for thousands of years. Before you consider their statements check out their lies.

I wish you Shabbat shalom and those who are preparing to arrive for the Presidents Conference on Tomorrow – see you there.

With much love from Jerusalem, the most beautiful city in the world.
Sheila

Shabbat Shalom from Sheila

091113

Friday 13th November, 2009.



Shabbat Shalom! I hope you are well.



Just because we are paranoid doesn't mean no one hates us! Israelis, are the major cause of instability in the world and the annihilation of the "Palestinian People". President Shimon Peres' visit to South America has been cancelled due to security considerations and Brazilians have likened Peres to Hitler. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3804608,00.html Those who do so are ignorant of the past, gullible to the cant of the present and are using their hatred to change the future. Shimon Peres of all people. Born in Poland he came with his family to the nascent State in 1934, to become one of the most respected Statesmen in the world, highly educated, known for his unstinting, although sometimes contested, efforts toward peace in this arena. If there is anyone today to be compared to Hitler then choose an ignorant, vicious xenophobe like Ahmedinejad. They would do well to read the words of Ambassador Yoram Ettinger http://yoramettinger.newsnet.co.il/Front/NewsNet/reports.asp?reportId=220981



To see the Dore Gold – Richard Goldstone debate at Brandeis University last week please click on this link http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1257770030998



The murders at Fort Hood have raised many questions and fears. An educated man suddenly becomes a religious fanatic and kills 13 people, maiming many more while screaming "Allah U Aqbar".



Misinformation suggests that poverty begets terrorism but that is far from the truth. Most of the major terrorist leaders are not only wealthy but highly educated, a surprising number are medical doctors. In this arena wealthy leaders keep the ordinary people in poverty to maintain power over them. In Fort Hood, the United States of America, an educated psychiatrist who served his country in the military was inducted into a vile sector of a religion which is becoming more and more violent and killed in the name of that religion. The press and government reports chose to remove the word Jihad from their texts. Political correctness will be the death of us – literally. We are not new at the PC game as Daniel Pipes writes so well http://www.danielpipes.org/7737/sudden-jihad-inordinate-stress-ft-hood



Sadly we have our own, though very rare, insane terrorists. Yaakov Teitel came on Aliya from the United States. He kept up the appearance of a normal, kind man, father of 4 married to another English speaker. He was far from normal, he killed an Arab out for a walk, two border policemen and maimed the child of a Messianic Jew. http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/world/man-of-hatred-shocks-the-land-he-calls-home-20091106-i25x.html At the risk of being extreme – I hope he rots in jail for going against everything that Judaism maintains.



Ban Ki Moon has finally urged the Lebanese Government to implement Security Council Resolution 1701 and disarm the Hezb-Allah. The Lebanese Government, however, is acting out of fear of retribution and chosen to ignore the call. How short our memories can be. Lebanon, "Pearl of the Middle East", Christian Democracy, has become a battleground which is in danger of a rout by the Moslem extremists – Hezb-Allah – Allahs Warriors. Another piece of misinformation is that the Middle East is a single fight between Moslems aka Arabs and Jews aka Israel, but this is far from the truth as the Christians of this area will tell you. Dr. George Habash, a Christian Arab from Lydda, did not understand the ever growing monster he gave birth to by aligning his FDLP with the PLO in the late '70's.



President Abbas is thinking of stepping down. His Presidency has no country and he and his would be his allies recognise that if he steps down, elections will be held and Hamas will win. It is essential to understand that Gaza and the West Bank have nothing in common. They came from different countries; they hold different views and West Bank Arabs spent a great deal of time in and with Israel learning that there is a better way. A contiguous Palestinian Authority would destroy even the minimal democracy which exists on the West Bank. For this reason, and maybe only this reason, Israel and the USA are hoping that Abbas will recant on his intentions.



Yesterday saw the dedication of the Keren Kayemet (JNF) Israeli Memorial to September 11th. We met beside Binyanei Ha Uma in Jerusalem for the short ride to the site, and inevitably leaving very late which gave me the opportunity to talk to the assembled folk and make new friends from New Jersey. We drove out of town, under the Calatrava Strings Bridge (inspired by Davids Harp and the 70 names of Jerusalem in the Tenach) toward Mevasseret Zion. At Mevasseret we turned sharply off the road and began a "Safari" through the Judean Hills arriving at the site, nestled in the hills, apparently solitary yet visible from the main Jerusalem Tel Aviv highway. The Memorial itself is a Bronze American Flag at half mast and buried underneath it in a glass box is a metal beam from te World Trade Centre. Representatives of the countries of victims of that terrible day were there and also the families of Israeli victims. Politicians spoke, poets recited and singers sang and all I could think of was of the day that America was raped of her innocence and this war was to be fought every day, at home, on her soil, not thousands of miles away.



I went to Mahane Yehuda this week! Zvi and I met our friend Rachael there for breakfast in the trendy coffee shop. Always a paradox we sat eating highly sophisticated food while the usual "tumult" of yelling costermongers, the "allo allo" of the push-carts bringing in fresh produce carried on around us as in the earlier days of this colourful market. After breakfast we went shopping. First stop was the cheese shop whose selection would satisfy any epicure. The colours are easy transmit http://images.google.co.il/images?q=mahane+yehuda+market+photos&oe=utf-8&rlz=1R1RNFA_en___IL340&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=YRv9Srn5D8igjAfdrKyLCw&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBIQsAQwAA

But the aromas are something else – you have to be there. Have you ever smelled Hawaiij? Or fresh cinnamon sticks…not the usual neatly curled ones but the fiery broken twiggy ones which give ten times the flavour. Halva? Halva of thirty different varieties. Mangoes and passion fruit vie with papaya and guava, which in turn are overtaken as one passes the fish shop where the ladies shout out to David how they want their fish cleaned, cut and chopped and with what and in what proportions. Every time I go to Mahane Yehuda I promise myself that I will buy only what I need. I am so restrained in a supermarket but here…. every piece of fruit calls to me in its ultimate ripeness and picked-from-the-vine freshness.



The variety of people matches the variety of produce. Burkas beside men in long black garments and payot (earlocks), free spirited, miniskirted teenagers beside the "Taliban" Jewesses who cover themselves from head to toe and then put scarves over their capes so that not a single outline of their bodies is visible. Religious affiliation is expressed by style of head covering or lack of it! I pray for the day when I can freely shop in a market in Ramallah or Gaza City in the same way that the young Moslem women shop in Mahane Yehuda.



Tourism reached an all time October high for Israel. Keep coming – we want to see you all!!!!



I wish you Shabbat Shalom, Salaam and Peace from Jerusalem.

Love

Sheila