Shabbat Shalom from Sheila - Canon Andrew white in Jerusalem

141114

14th November 2014

Shabbat Shalom dear friends.

Moshe Dayan once said "If you want to make peace, you don't talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies." That is the reason that the Israeli Prime Minister met with Mahmoud Abbas and then with  King Abdullah in Amman under the watchful eye of John Kerry. The storms brewing all over Israel over the last couple of weeks needed to calming with a large dose of oil onto trouble waters. The Israeli police and security services announced that despite the heated situation the police and security services of the Palestinian Authority are still co-operating on all issues. The incitement of young Arabs within Israel is extreme and in the Judea and Samaria it is their education and deep disillusionment with their own and all leaders. When the PA chooses it is perfectly capable of calming the situation and that is what Mr Netanyahu was discussing in Amman - to ensure that the Status Quo on the Temple Mount will not be breached.  

Turkey, President Obamas military ally in the northern Mediterranean, is becoming more and more radicalised thanks to Erdogan. US marines, on leave in Turkey, were attacked by young Turks who attempted to put plastic bags over their heads, attacked and reviled by Turks in port. http://edition.cnn.com/2014/11/12/politics/turkey-navy-sailors-bags-over-heards/

I don't want to talk politics this week. Not for a bit anyway! I want to tell you about our trip to Massada with the choir!  We all drove down to Massada and went up together in the excellent cable car - then learned the history of Massada with Eva, our dear friend who is also a guide, as we walked the footsteps of the Jews who gave their lives rather than lost their Jewish identity. I thought I knew the history of the Herodean Fortress but Eva enlightened us all with her wonderful stories, making it more personal. After our descent we drove to the Youth Hostel in Ein Gedi, basic accommodation but it didn't really matter since the views were breathtaking and the company outstanding!! 

Zvi's two little grand-daughters were having a great time being the centre of attention! Most of us didn't rest, it was much more fun in the quadrangle, chatting and singing. Then I went with the little girls to light the Shabbat Candles, gosh I love to see their little faces reflecting those special flames. The Shabbat meal was so much fun, lots of singing Shabbat songs and Zvi of course did Kiddush and the children helped him bless the Challah, the plaited loaves. A young group of students on their gap year asked to join us and we all did a very fun version of Grace after meals. From supper we went to a truly fascinating talk by Secret Service man who explained his work which entails "turning" potential and real terrorists so that they sing about their cohorts. I found it so fascinating - yet again began to wish I was a spy!!!!

Shabbat morning, after services and breakfast, we walked through Nahal David, right next to the hostel, the river bed that King David walked 3,000 years ago. The nature reserve is full of gazelles, wild cats, groundhogs, and other creatures native to the area. It was gorgeous and some of the bravest choir-members stood under the waterfall!!!! One of our choir-members was the director of the reserve until he had a near fatal accident and he was able to explain the flora and fauna with Eva's geological knowledge it came to life! After Shabbat lunch we rested then heard a fascinating talk on sink-holes along the Syria/Africa rift and how to change the ecostructure to turn a problem into a solution. The geologist was a fantastic man from the Kibbutz. The journey home was easy and as we arrive home I set about making "bubbelech" (fluffy pancakes) for the little girls before they were collected to go home.

Yesterday my world lit up. Our wonderful friend Canon Andrew White came for lunch.  When Andrew comes he always brings his team of Hanna and Terry, great people, and we invited Elihu Ben On, an excellent journalist who spoke to Andrew in Baghdad many times ( Elihu speaks to Israelis and Hebrew speakers all over the world on a multitude of subjects); Hanan Rubin, one of the young people we mentored for the City Council and he was fascinated by Andrew and had a great rapport with Hanna who lives in Jerusalem; finally I decided to surprise Andrew with Lola and Norman, two wonderful people who came on Aliya many years ago and have been instrumental in their work for Christian/Jewish relations.

In the evening we met with Madeleine and Martin Lewis and went to hear a debate between Canon Andrew White, Rabbi Michael Melchior and journalist Melanie Phillips. The event, organised by Europeans for Israel and held in the historic Jewish Agency building in the centre of Jerusalem.

Melanie opened the debate on the emotive subject "Can religion be a force for good in the region". Her emotive eloquence rang true with  the audience and her love of Israel was transparent. Next came Canon Andrew, a voice of pragmatic reason backed by his infinite belief in the Almighty and his innate love of the human race. Andrew understands the dangers, (the FATWA on his life has risen to $56,000,000) and who understands the demands and desires of who he faces after many years in Iraq and Israel but does everything possible to bring the power of love into the situation; Rabbi Melchior spoke with equal eloquence but many of his views were not conducive with a Jewish democracy. His views were far further than I could imagine for a man who studied the Torah for so many years. 

Canon Andrew spoke of the violent history of the church toward Judaism proving that the leading theocratic group is inevitably dominant and when religion goes wrong everything goes horribly wrong - which brought us to the Islamic fanatics today. Andrew described the talks with the PA and indeed with all the extremists as pulling out the thorns and replacing them with flowers.

In principle the decision was that the language of politics is a language of interests but the language of religion is the language of values - thus if we can talks as religious equals we can gradually reach some kind of respect - mutual respect.

I feel very honoured to have been part of this event - both Melanie and Canon Andrew spoke for me, spoke words of determination and hope. Wherever Canon Andrew walks he leaves a trail of hope that is absorbed and changes lives and thoughts for the better.

Please look at Canon Andrew's book - Older Younger Brother – the tragic treatment by Christians of the Jews - http://frrme.org/product/older-younger-brother/

Almost Shabbat. I have to run and put the final touches to the table. Just Zvi and I this evening and we will be eating Shoshana's gift of Kubah Hamusta soup - its bright beetroot colour calling us to partake of the delicious, meat filled dumplings. A traditional Kurdish dish it brought a great big smile to my face!!! http://www.ottolenghi.co.uk/kubbeh-hamusta-shop

Now for music - music to lift our hearts from the ever growing truth around us. The most Jewish of music is the niggun, a song without words, because words are unnecessary! Enjoy this one Niggun Simcha - happy tune  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRVMISuMns0

The second is Jewish songs of prayer - the first is Eshet Chayil - Woman of worth that every Jewish husband worth his salt sings to his wife on Friday night telling her how amazing she is - worth her weight in rubies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3B-kAFls9MU

Shabbat Shalom dearest friends

Love you and Jerusalem awaits you

Sheila

-- 

If the media does not inform us we must inform the media

Sheila's blog http://shabbatshalom-theviewfrommyveranda.blogspot.com/

Facebook      Sheila Silver Raviv
Involvement   http://www.impact-se.org/   http://www.yurishtern.org.il/eng/content.php?id=17

Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem - Naftali Frankel, Gilad Sha'ar and Eyal Yifrah, Andrew White,ISIS,

140627

27th June 2014

Shabbat Shalom dear Friends. I hope this letter finds you well and that your loved ones are well too.

As you can well imagine we are all deeply involved in the search for the 3 boys so cruelly kidnapped by Hamas. The incredible work done by the IDF and the Shabak have born fruit but we still don't have the boys home for Shabbat with their families. We know it was Hamas, we have the names of the terrorists, who are recidivist prisoners on terror charges,  Marwan Kawasme and Amar Abu Aysha are from Hebron and longstanding Hamas members. The Shin Bet added that both were wanted as soon as security forces learned of the kidnapping. http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Shin-Bet-reveals-identity-of-two-main-kidnappers-360738

Thanks to UN Watch and the excellent work of Hillel Neuer, the mothers of the three boys,  Naftali Frankel, Gilad Sha'ar and Eyal Yifrah, spoke before the United Nations. What incredible strength. http://blog.unwatch.org/index.php/2014/06/24/mother-of-kidnapped-israeli-teenager-neftali-frankel-addresses-un/

As the IDF continues the military operation in Judea and Samaria following the abduction of the three Israeli teens, Israeli doctors of Save a Child's Heart (SACH; <http://www.saveachildsheart.org/>) continue to save the lives of Palestinian children at the Wolfson Medical Center in Holon. Why? Because we honour and respect life.

Canon Andrew White reports the horrendous slaughter continuing unabated in Iraq and the horrific plight of Christians.  Canon Andrew, aka the Vicar of Baghdad, is a light in a dark dark region. How sad that for the lack of one single word Babylon is burning - what word? Tolerance. Tolerance is sadly missing in todays world and we are all expected to follow one route to prayer, one route to God, one route, one manner, one regime. How sad, all for the lack of tolerance. There are, as I said, beacons of light and this week Canon Andrew presented The Prize for Peace and Reconciliation in the Middle East to Lord and Lady Carey the former Archbishop of Canterbury and his wife for their untiring work for peace and understanding in this troubled world. Congratulations. 

ISIS is now threatening the USA if they defend Iraq. These threats have been delivered through messages on ISIS's #CalamityWillBefallUS hashtag and feature images of the 9/11 attacks; dead American soldiers; the body of slain U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens; a threatening message from Anwar al-Awlaki, the late leader of Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP); and the Nick Berg beheading video among others. "We will kill your people and transform America to a river of blood". Know that these ar enot empty threats, they mean every word. http://www.investigativeproject.org/4440/emboldened-isis-threatens-americans

David Cameron, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, believes that wider surveillance is essential for Jihadist groups in the UK. In the debate Liam Fox, Former Minster of Defence said "The whole area of intercept needs to be looked at. We have got a real debate, and it is a genuine debate in a democracy, between the libertarians who say the state must not get too powerful and pretty much the rest of us who say the state must protect itself." 

The Jerusalem Forest suffered a huge fire two days ago. From Hadassah Hospital to Yad Vashem including the neighborhood of Kiriat Yovel. Homes evacuated, fire damage but most importantly, thanks to the incredible work of the Jerusalem Fire Service nobody was seriously hurt. The weather didn't help, searing hot and windy, but the police and fire investigators are certain it was arson. Fires simply don't start in 6 separate areas at once. 

The Jerusalem Light Festival took place all last week. I thought you would enjoy seeing two videos - one of the Damascus Gate https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjVhRw0JuZo and the other of the "Circus"on the Rothschild House https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGLj7VHYbt0

As promised, our wonderful friend Dr Kimball Taylor, http://children-of-israel.org/ arrived all the way from Cardston, Alberta and we dropped him right into the Raviv lifestyle. Our quiet Shabbat dinner grew (of course) and was fascinating. Ambassador Zvi Mazel and his authoress wife Michelle; Eli and Eva Yaron and Sharon and Reuven Rosenfelder. I loved the direction of the conversation and the beauty of the night, the moon made its appearance again to the delight of all of us as we sat at the Shabbat table out on our veranda.

The most spectacular moment of the week was when Zvi fell, like a log, diagonally, from the pavement right into Arlosorov Street in Tel Aviv. Of course in my usual crazy fashion I jumped into the road and did my Superwoman act of stopping traffic. Thank G-d a million times there was no car on that incredibly busy road and after Kim checked him thoroughly we went back to Jerusalem. Bruised, scratched but other than that.............

Shabbat with the Bettsaks, Sam and Debbie, visiting from Atlanta and then both Kim and Zvi were deeply involved in the Keren Hayesod and Jewish Agency Congress.  Decisions made for the future of the Jewish World had a simple thread throughout - the link between Israel and the Diaspora must be strengthened based on the premise that life outside Israel is becoming increasingly uncertain. On our 18th wedding anniversary there was no time for romantic dinner for two, actually there was no time for anything during the Congress. Instead we went to the Knesset as  the Prime Minister and Knesset Speaker Edelstein welcomed us  to the Knesset Chagall Hall for a reception to honour Jimmy Tisch as  he leaves his position as Chairman of the Board of the Jewish Agency. Both spoke of the 3 boys and of the essential link between Israel and the Diaspora. I love, but love going to the Knesset. Not only is the entrance beautiful but the Chagall Hall with its huge tapestries is truly magnificent.  The tapestries form a triptic telling the story of Exodus - exquisite 

http://www.knesset.gov.il/tour/eng/tour7.htm

On Tuesday morning we took Kim to the Bible Lands Museum (well worth a visit) to see the Book of Books Exhibit. It was fascinating in fact so fascinating that Zvi went back for a third time with Sam Bettsak determined that Sam would also enjoy it - well worth it. http://www.blmj.org/en/template/default.aspx?PageId=16

I went to my little grand-daughter Ayalas graduation ceremony - graduation from kindergarten of course!!! I was so proud of her as she sang and danced with perfect precision for the entire hour show. She was so beautiful! Even at this wonderful and happy celebration her Teacher, Noa, reminded us to say Tehilim for the 3 boys. 

Last night we went with Sam and Debbie to a beautiful event to honour Naftali Frankel, Gilad Sha'ar and Eyal Yifrah and their families. Before the concert Danby Meital gave me some yellow ribbon to give to passing people. I stopped one lady who told me that two of her sons was in the IDF and searching for them in the Hebron area.  Noa Voss, daughter of Sharon Voss who initiated the evening,  sang Tehilim in her beautiful soprano, another singer  sang Shlomo Carlebach  which was fun and yet spiritual https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGJSRKATDIs then came Shira. Shira Golan sang so many beautiful songs but the one that really touched my heart was - Ha Ish ve ha Or - The Man and the Light. May the heavens open to all our prayers for the safe return of the three boys, an end to the tears and prayers of their mothers and a return home for all the soldiers who search for them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwbXLeZetcU

We ended the evening by going to "The Tahana"which was originally an Ottoman then British train station and now is the "go to" place in Jerusalem. Despite the late hour all the stalls were open, the restaurants seething, the dancers who come each Thursday evening to Salsa, Rumba and Tango to their hearts delight laughing and smiling, and the kids on the beach - yes they even brought a beach to Jerusalem for the summer - enjoying a wild graduation party  and families enjoyed the activity while just out for a stroll.  Sam commented on the fact that at 11 o'clock at night the  place was still rocking!!!!

I haven't given you a Pat Condell video for a while which is a major oversight on my part. Here is one of his latest offerings - I think you will love it - I did!!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHC8KC5cLs8

And so to Friday - as Shabbat comes closer I must go and prepare our home for the bride - the bride of Shabbat. Tonight it will be just my Zvi and I. He is now at his Parliament, solving the major problems of the world while I just report them. In a few minutes I will prepare the table, the challah and the wine, the beautiful dishes and the traditional white cloth then when my work is done I will sit out on veranda, swinging on the hammock and watch Jerusalem slowly take pause from the hustle and bustle of daily life and prepare for Shabbat. 

The Torah portion this week, V'Yegash is incredibly appropriate, it talks of Josephs betrayal by his brothers which forced him to spend most of his life in a foreign land and their ultimate meeting when they came to beg for food to discover their brother. Rather than remaining in jail Joseph became a high officer in Pharoahs court - he took what he had, he strived despite his initial captivity and never forgot from whence he came. He didn't want revenge for his suffering he wanted his father to come and see him. He wanted his father.

My prayer is that age old prayer Shema Yisrael - Hear Oh Israel. It is a prayer that goes up to heaven - it is a prayer from our hearts - make it a prayer for our boys that they come home safely. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfF6-TkAnBM

I leave you with the words of the three Mothers - Mothers just like you and me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGl_nqzAwPw&feature=em-subs_digest

Shabbat Shalom dear friends. Shabbat Shalom

Sheila

​​

-- 

If the media does not inform us we must inform the media

Sheila's blog http://shabbatshalom-theviewfrommyveranda.blogspot.com/

Facebook      Sheila Silver Raviv
Involvement   http://www.impact-se.org/   http://www.yurishtern.org.il/eng/content.php?id=17

Shabbat Shalom letter from Jerusalem

100513

13th May 2010.

Shabbat Shalom Dear Friends



Last week I wrote about lunch with our dear friends Keith and Dee Beville from Australia and of their lifes work within the Australian Jewish Community. If my words suggested that they were dissatisfied with any of the institutions or organisations, please know that it was unintentional. Their contribution should not be tainted by my poor choice of words which was meant to indicate their excitement for the future rather than a criticism of the past or present. My apologies.



Israel has joined the prestigious OECD which sounds more like a psychological problem than a monetary organization!!!!! http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/IsraeliEconomy/Economic_News/FM-Liberman-welcomes-OECD-resolution-10-may-2010.htm



Prof. Gabby Barkay spends his life sifting through history, digging up proof of every aspect of our time in this amazing Biblical Land. In celebration of Jerusalem Day he was joined by several Members of Knesset to work on the mounds of rubble he saved from extinction from the Temple Mount http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=175342

Dr Barkay not only received permission to redeem the 700 truckloads of our history as reported in this article - he initiated it, went himself to dangerous sites deep I the PA to ensure its return when others claimed the earthworks dug out by Sheikh Raeed Salah were lost forever. He worked tirelessly on the first several truckloads with virtually no funding. An outstanding speaker who inspires all who listen to his "adventures" with the past, Gabby is an exceptional specialist on Jerusalem. Thank you dear Gabby for going where others fear to tread!

A short while ago I became aware of rumours that Ezekiels Tomb in Iraq, south of Baghdad in the village of Al Kilf had been severely damaged. http://www.thejc.com/blogpost/save-ezekiels-tomb-now My information came trough the Julius family in the UK. I wrote to Canon Andrew White who spoke to the locals who claimed it was not true. Unwilling to accept hearsay evidence, upon his return from a lecture tour of the States, Andrew drove 3 hours with 30 bodyguards to check out the site for himself.

On Tuesday, as I was sitting in one of Jerusalem's interminable traffic jams I received a phone call from Canon Andrew White at Ezekiel's tomb!!!! I could barely see trough my tears and nearly bumped the car in front of me. He was shouting down the phone that everything was perfect and the Hebrew letters intact and he managed to obtain a promise from the local Mullahs that the site will not be touched and all will be well. What a man!!!!

On that same Tuesday Andrew was awarded the prize for the best Christian book in Britain "The Vicar of Baghdad" and on Wednesday he received the first ever Iraq Peace Prize presented by Grand Ayatollah Hossain Al Sader. The Grand Ayatollah said that "nobody had served Iraq like Canon White, the fact that he has been in Iraq for so long searching for peace is an encouragement to all Iraqis of all faiths".



On Tuesday we celebrated the 43rd Jerusalem Day, a multi-faceted celebration of the re-unification of the City of Jerusalem after 19 years of division between Jordan and Israel from 1948-1967. On that fateful day the tearful voice of Motte Gur "Har habayit beyadenu" the Temple Mount is in our hands fulfilled Nomi Shemers prediction that the shofar would once again be blown on the Temple Mount. Little did we know that the Temple Mount would be retaken within Israel by those who try to remove evidence of our history from the holy site.

The day was also a memorial for those who fell in the Six Day war to free Jerusalem for all faiths as well as a celebration of our City of Gold, Capital of the State of Israel. The Veterans March in the centre of town was joined by scouts and young soldiers and representatives from amny union and organizations; the ceremony on Givat ha Tachmoshet and a http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=175319

Jerusalem is an exquisitely beautiful, fascinating mosaic made up of a rainbow of colours and creeds. Jerusalem is also Israel's biggest city with over 774,000 residents http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUeXtem8uBQ&feature=fvw



The Ethiopian immigration to Israel has a romantic ring but it was a tortuous journey for a people who suffered horrific anti-Semitism, exile to a remote mountain region – even branding, yet throughout their suffering they prayed to come back to Jerusalem. A Ceremony on Mount Herzl in recognition of the struggle of Ethiopian Jews to come to Israel and to commemorate those who died on the walk to Sudan http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3888718,00.html Shlomo Gronich and the Sheba choir tell the story of the "Masa" the journey from Africa to Israel, of the moon in the sky over the desert as they walked endlessly and painfully toward their destination "One last push and we will be on our way to Jerusalem" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FjtD3mKrIE&feature=related and Zahava Ben gives us an Eastern hue to the Golden City http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msXQJoE9igg&feature=related



What is a Jew? How often have you heard the question without getting an acceptable answer? Kobi Oz produced this wonderful recording of "I am a Jew" Ani Yehudi which includes the full scope, ambit, range and rainbow of Jews. I love it!!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Zw7Kico7Oo&NR=1



Last week I forgot to write about the highlight! Maccabi World Union opened its congress with an outstanding evening at the Cameri theater in Tel Aviv. We took over the theatre for an extraordinarily exciting rendition of Fiddler on the Roof with Natan Datner. Phenomenal evening and gorgeous crowd of people. Well done Eyal Tiberger – Kol ha Kavod and Chazak ve-Amatz!!!!



This week has been a joy. My sister Eddies close friends Andrea, Larry, Nici and Sol flew all the way from Toronto to learn about Israel for themselves. They went North and South and then settled to a few days of the Sheila Tour of Jerusalem. We did just about all the places I talk about including Gilo, Beit Safafa, Ben Yehuda, Mahane Yehuda, shopping in the Old City, the new city and the mall (!), the Herzl Museum, the Supreme Court and so much more and they were so excited about every place that it was a joy for me to spend time with them. Of course we ended up wit a celbratory supper at "Zion ha Gadol" wit my jet-lagged husband!



Zvi came home from a wonderful trip to China with the Hora Jerusalem Dance Troupe where together with David D'Or they opened the Israeli Pavilion at Expo Shanghai. David d'Or's most famous song is "T'shmor al ha Olam Yeled" (Take care of the world my child) where he bewails the fact that we didn't do a good job of watching over our world and it is now up to the children - with the wonderful line "If all the love in the world ends only you can keep it going" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC6KiNORXqY&feature=related



I pray that our children will understand to keep our world from harm and notice that we didn't do a good job. I pray that their rebellion will be to prove that they can do better.



I want to wish my cousin Hannah and her new husband a wonderful marriage and apologise for the fact that I didn't manage to go to the sheva brachot. I hope that next time they will all come to our veranda and have a celebration together. Mazal Tov Bobby, Eleanor, Jean and Stuart!!!





Shabbat Shalom to you all from Jerusalem. Jerusalem which has blossomed, grown and become open and free for 43 out of her 3,000 years, becoming more beautiful by the day. Not bad eh?

With much love

Sheila

Shabbat Shalom letter from Jerusalem

091224



24th December 2009.



Shabbat Shalom, and a truly wonderful Festive Christmas Season of joy and love.



I don't intend depressing anyone this Festive week but have to address two subjects. This is the link to my "No Room at the Inn" letter concerning the plight of Christians in the Palestinian Authority http://shabbatshalom-theviewfrommyveranda.blogspot.com/ We can't continue to ignore the situation - we have to make the media and our leaders take this on.



The IDF recognises the situation and has given all Christian Palestinians unlimited access to Israel during the Festive Season http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=46771



The other subject on every Israelis heart is Gilad Schalit. It appears to be such a simple decision – give "them" what they want a get Noam and Aviva's son back home – but it isn't. Israel has already set a precedent of talking to terrorists unlike other allies because we cannot break our promise of bringing our soldiers-children home. It is so complex a decision that PM Netanyahu has had daily consultations with the most senior of military and diplomatic experts. It is a decision of Solomonic proportions; how many master terrorists can you release for one young lad? What are the risks? Where should the terrorists be deported on their release – knowing they fully intend fomenting hatred wherever they may be? How many Israelis will die as a result of their release? The simplistic approach does not work – the demand that they be released and the IDF, Mossad and Shabak be more alert is naïve, they do a brilliant job already but the risks change. On the other hand we all need to see Gilad at home with his family since that is what we stand for and who we are.



It is 70 years since the SS St Louis was turned away by the American, Canadian and Cuban governments who refused to accept the Jews. The tragic journey from Miami Beach to Antwerp is legend and the story is told in Resolution 111 of the United States Senate. http://thestlouisproject.com/?p=491 The story was brought to me by Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, great friend of Israel and the proud recipient of an Award by the St. Louis Project. Zvi and I are proud to call Ileana friend.



One of the greatest paradoxes of all time is why the Jews are always (or almost always) the scapegoats when they are the biggest givers to our world. In this interview with George Gilder he addresses that question and hopefully answers it as he did in his book "The Israel Test" Why hate the Jews in what he deems the Golden Age of Palestine? Because they failed the Israel test! http://www.road90.com/watch.php?id=PeTgdgQZmH



We went to a concert on Tuesday night in the Henry Crown Hall of the Jerusalem Theatre. "Life and Peace" presented and supported by Italian cities and the President of Italy and given in Bethlehem and Jerusalem. An amazing evening of brilliant musicians and great music the crowing glory was the phenomenal musical and emotional interlude of "The Intercultural Journeys Ensemble" consisting of a young Arab-Israeli violinist, Hanna Khoury, in a wonderful, "loud" suit (black on black stripes so shiny I swear I could see my reflection!) and a very soberly dressed Jewish-Israeli cellist, Udi Bar-David with Puerto Rican percussionist Rolando Morales-Matos. They played n perfect unison melding Yiddish Shtetl, Israeli and Arab melodies in a stream of harmony and joy, smiling at each other exuding love. It brought tears to our eyes and a standing ovation from the audience. Most of the invitees were Christian representatives of all denominations including the Nuncio of the Vatican. An audience filled with kipot, dog-collars and cowls.



Jerusalem will not have a White Christmas but many of my readers on the East Coast of the US and in Europe are snowed in and snowed under, but we had a Wet Chanuka instead! The sun is shining and the weather crisp as Jerusalem goes about her regular business giving tribute to those for whom this is the Holiest of Seasons.



Let's make a New Year resolution for 2010. Although I would never demean the influence of wonderful organizations such as MEMRI, Honest Reporting, Media Watch and so many others who have a profound effect on all of us and on the media – let's do something different. I was taught that if you speak badly of others then their sins reflect back upon you so let's start sending out positive news, positive vibes about us, without referring to our neighbours or their errant ways. Instead of pointing the finger outward let's wave our hands to draw attention to our own achievements on the scientific and the diplomatic level, on human rights, one big celebration on all the good things and the good news that happens here. Let's stop whining about the way the world treats us and start reminding them of how we treat the world!!!



Finally I want to send a special greeting to a very special man. Canon Andrew White, the Bishop of Baghdad, a pragmatic yet hope-filled curator of good relations between the faiths, is actually going home for Christmas. Andrew called me from Amman on his way to the UK and I was so thrilled with the effectiveness of his latest MS treatment in Baghdad. His voice came over the wires loud and clear. "Hey Andrew, have you given up the booze, you sound amazing?" "Yup" he answered "gave it up for Christmas!" No slurring and his voice of reason can again ring out to the world. Bless you Andrew you are one of a kind.



May G-d Bless you and keep you safe from harm – Shabbat Shalom, a blessed Holy Day, happy birthday to my big sister Eddie in Toronto and a happy anniversary to me! Christmas Day will be 18 years since my official Aliyah to Israel. Chai, chai chai!!! Always did have a sense of history and humour since I actually arrived here on April Fool's Day!!!!



With love from the heart and soul of our peoples, Jerusalem the truly Eternal City of David, son of Jesse; psalmist, romantic poet whose poetry lives on in the language it was written, 3,000 years ago in this City of Gold.



Sheila