151211 Chanuka, Canon Andrew White, ICEJ, CAMERA

151211

11^th of December 2015

Shabbat shalom dear friends. We send love from our home to yours.

Apparently I may have a problem with my original sheerav@gmail.com address, according to a google warning, so in the future you may well receive the letters from sheerav2 or sheerav3 or even sheerav4 so check your spam in case it is rejected! Remember you can always find the letters on my archives http://shabbatshalom-theviewfrommyveranda.blogspot.com/

It has been a beautiful week filled with visiting friends for Hanukah candle lighting, sharing the beauty of this service and relating the miracle – no, not the miracle of one day of oil for the "Ner Tamid" the eternal flame of the Temple lasting eight days but rather the miracle of the unbelievable victory of a tiny people against a colossal and powerful Empire, who tried to oppress us. We need such leaders today, leaders who give us enough confidence to fight back against the ever increasing vision of an oppressive Caliphate.

I have been guilty of comparing the incessant violence in other places, be it in California or Timbuctou, with the relatively rare violence in Israel, however, as my son Gideon said "But Mum, in Israel it is different because they are specifically targetting Jews" Of course he is right about the insane teachings of the PA and Imams who encourage children to kill Jews, but I what about other parts of the world? – it is a Judeo-Christian problem.

Canon Andrew White came to visit yesterday, with horrific stories of kidnappings, killings and oppression which make one realise that it is not a local issue, it is a pandemic, deadly plague. Canon Andrew sees the very worst and cruelest situations, and in order to save the lives of many has to meet the most evil of human beings; Andrew is worried, worried that the situation is getting beyond control. I agree with him, admire him, know that unlike our leaders he will continue to give people hope, hope that someone cares enough to fight back in the most civilised of fashions – with love and succour.  Andrew is working with Shachar Zahavi of IsraAid on several projects– one of my better Shidduchs!!!!!!!

It was good to make him laugh and allow him respite from his exhausting work. His MS doesn't stop him reaching out with enormous reserves of love – defying Maslows Hierarchy of Needs and proving that one does not need to be healthy, rich or political to be philanthropic; generosity of spirit is not dependent up wealth. Of course this prolific author with millions of Frequent Flyers from his non-stop determination to spread the word of goodness, came armed with his latest book "My Journey So Far", I can't wait to read it!!!

Zvi and I went to the Christian Embassy in Jerusalem for Chanuka lighting by a lovely Rabbi and heard Anat Berko, IDF Officer, Physician and Member of Knesset, speak of her family, who fled Iraq after 2,000 years of tolerance and freedom in that country, and found safe haven here at home, in Israel. She said that it was appropriate that we celebrated Chanuka together in the Christian Embassy for what starts with the Jews continues with the Christians. Sadly her words have already proven true. It is always a joy to visit the most beautiful home of the ICEJ and talk to excellent people like Jay, Meridel and David Rawlings and Tim and Martha King.

Israel's outreach to those in need is known, the IDF's role less so, but watch this incredible video and report from the British Daily Mail newspaper on the highly dangerous operation to save the lives of Syrians horribly injured, irrespective of which side they fought on. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3315347/Watch-heart-pounding-moment-Israeli-commandos-save-Islamic-militants-Syrian-warzone-risking-lives-sworn-enemies.html

Ynon Magal is a Member of Knesset (at the moment under a cloud) who chose to respond to the Arab Members of Knesset who criticize Israel…… in Arabic – absolutely brilliant https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-VlD67b4t0

Maccabi USA President, and our dear friend Ron Carner sent us thoroughly disturbing letter yesterday. Ron was invited by the wonderful American Jewish leader Dr Malcolm Hoenlein to a Conference of Presidents function, to meet and hear an Israeli Member of Knesset speak. The Member of Knesset's name is Ayman Odeh of the Joint List, Arab and Jewish Party. Apparently MK Odeh arrived at the building in NYC, was told that the Jewish agency also has offices in the building and refused to enter – and to speak to the waiting group of dignitaries. This man who benefits from the open Jewish democracy called Israel, who swore allegiance to Israel on his induction, refused to enter a building because the Jewish Agency has an office there? What kind of aberration is that? A total abuse of his position and his citizenship, to say nothing of his lack of diplomatic nous. I think it is time to enforce their pledges to uphold the state which they abuse.

We have a truly delightful guest this week, his name is Michael Meir and Michael loves  and breathes Israel – of course! We haven't had time to take him everywhere but yesterday he went on the Ir David (City of David) Tour. He came home thrilled with the detailed explanations and sheer magic of the place. It really is an important stop of your Jerusalem visit http://www.cityofdavid.org.il/en/tours/city-david/city-david-tours-biblical-jerusalem

Yesterday was four days in one! Zvi and Michael went off to the Old City in the morning while I made antipasti – of course I do each of about 10 separate vegetables in a different fashion because that's what I do, and it took hours and hours. Then we went to friends for Chanuka lighting, which was a joy, then carried on to another candle lighting and an excellent briefing by Hadar Sela on bias in the BBC. It is so obvious, overt and unchecked that it demands careful sifting to find the most important issues to chase. CAMERA and Hadar are doing a fantastic job in BBC Watch. We know that the BBC is not alone in its bias but to understand that the English broadcasts are pro-Israel by comparison with the Arabic and Urdu programming is disturbing. Please see http://bbcwatch.org/ Hadar told the select group that the most important thing to do is complain, in concise terms, to their complaints department and COPY YOUR LOCAL MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT. If the politicians realise how many people are disturbed by the content of the BBC they will ensure that changes are made in order for the BBC to retain its public charter and receive the licence monies. We were invited thanks to Lola Cohen who with her husband Norman initiated many, many aspects of Israeli hasbara emanating from Israeli.

After the CAMERA briefing we set of for the Scottish Church in Jerusalem for a concert of classical Spanish Choral Music. The highlight was when a young guitarist walked onto the stage and played. His hands created heavenly music, his proficiency and love of the instrument clear and his talent unequalled. When I complimented him we found a common love of John Williams and Julian Bream!

As we walked out of the Church we were greeted by a truly magnificent view of the Old City walls, lit in Blue and white with an interchanging Chanuka display…………. It simply took my breath away. I couldn't help but feel that it was unfair that a church so anti-Israel that they refuse to sell the work of Israeli artisans in their gift shop, should have the gift of this view. Ironically, when the church sold off some of its land the Begin Centre was built and as they excavated the land for building our dear friend Professor Gabby Barkay found a tiny rolled up piece of -------- what? A dirty, very tiny, piece of scrap metal? When carefully unfurled it turned out to be the earliest and only ever example of a silver priestly blessing. Divine retribution for their anti-Israel stance – Of course!!!!!!!!

What is Chanuka? This video really explains the true meaning well worth watching "New Yorks Great Chanuka Blackout"  http://www.aish.com/h/c/mm/New-Yorks-Great-Hanukkah-Blackout.html#.VmQzASRZFTU.mailto

A Jewish man gave a refugee family a lift from Vienna to Budapest. On the way, to pass the time he sang – indeed he sang to them in Yiddish. This is a true gem, a rare and special video showing the one at a time, through kindness we can make a difference – on one family. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2YAvEMA0Ig&feature=youtu.be

I love having Michael with us. Michael and his late wife Rivka, are very important in our lives, indeed Rivka is still with us in spirit and Michael is just a very special person who loves Israel and is curious, wants to learn and know and see and do. Tonight we will have an Italian Shabbat Dinner with Zvi's son Leor and his lovely family (hence the antipasti) who adore Michael. It will be Amit's 9^th birthday and she is incredibly excited about seeing him.

There is a supermarket in Jerusalem called Osher Ad. Osher Ad is a Haredi supermarket but they have great stock and is really inexpensive……… they even import Costco products and sell them here!!!!! It has wide aisles and the most well set out displays. Of course that isn't what fascinates me though, it is the variety, the rainbow of both customers and workers. Haredi and Moslem; black, white and brown; simple and scholarly; jeans, hijab and sidecurls - and that is just the staff!!!!! The same goes for the customers, happily enjoying the convenience and familiarity.

Actually I only told you about a couple of our Hanuka candle lighting experiences this week!!! We lit candles and sang great songs at the Yuri Shtern Holistic Care Center; at Yossi and Nitzas with friends and of course at home, just Zvi and I, quietly contemplating  the light emanating from the Chanukiah, praying that its light would spread out ….. one can but hope.

Your first song is Chanukah oh Chanukah in Yiddish – love it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_m4HcefDsU

The second is a cute Chanukah songs from an American perspective, Six13 singing Dreidle Spin  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goE4tVIM3vk

The third is pure Shabbat and very Jewish. I dedicate it to all my girlfriends and the men lucky enough to marry them.  It is called Eshet Chayil mi yimtsah – Noble Woman who can find – and every Jewish husband should sing this to his wife on Erev Shabbat, Friday evening. This Yaakov Shwekey singing in honour of good women the world over. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQKy65rzBVM

Shabbat Shalom dear friends. Shabbat Shalom from our home to yours, from our veranda and its incomparable view of Jerusalem as she quiets down in preparation for the joy of Shabbat. I wish you peace and strength, the strength to stand up and fight, to be a Maccabee.

With love

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

150116 After Charlie and the snow, Nigeria, Canon Andrew White

150116

16th January 2015

Shabbat Shalom dear friends. I hope and pray you are feeling safe this week, safe to go to your schools and synagogues without fear and without needing police protection.

I am not Charlie. I have never insulted Mohammed, never drawn a picture of him nor am I ever going to, and truthfully I found most of the Charlie Hebdo cartoons quite vile but then that is the job of a satirical magazine. Jews and Christians didn't come out very well in their magazine but we didn't go on a rampage of blood and gore to avenge the honour of our leaders. On my FB page I wrote Je suis Niger, je suis Syria, Je suis Bali, Je suis Sydney, Je suis Israel, Je suis Phillipines, Je suis Iraq, Je suis................ etc.

I am horrified that nearly 3,000 innocents were butchered by Boko Haram in Nigeria this week and the Western media barely mentioned it. Why, because they are innately racist and care only about those who look and think like them, Western Pinko Wets (to quote Margaret Thatcher). Many of the major media news outlets have created the situation we now find ourselves. Their clear lack of condemnation, indeed the condemnation of the victim in the Middle East has been carefully and methodically turned into the aggressor and the aggressor into the victim, a wily, consistent and arch plan by those who don't want to lose their Arab funding. If there are more terror attacks then BBC, CNN, France 24, to say nothing of the NY Times, Guardian and LA Times, need to take their portion of the blame for not having the courage to tell the truth.

Al Qaeeda took the momentum created by the Charlie Hebdo incident to carry out their plan to attack a Jewish School but when one of the terrorists had a car accident he killed the policewoman who stopped him and went to the nearby HyperCasher instead. It was not by chance because that was a very Jewish neighbourhood. Four people died in that attack, although one must say that the worker who saved the lives of others by pushing them into the cold storage was himself a Moslem, as were two out of three policement that were cruelly killed. 

It has been suggested by Francois Hollande, that Mr Netanyahu hijacked the events but when the four families asked to have their loved ones families buried in Jerusalem, how could he refuse? If anyone hijacked the solemnity of the march it was Mahmoud Abbas who grinned his way to the front of the marchers, without telling anyone that in the PA they celebrated the killings. 

The French Prime Minister on the other hand, spoke out that there was not enough outrage, mourning is fine, standing up for free speech is fine but outrage is sorely missing. http://www.algemeiner.com/2015/01/14/we-havent-shown-enough-outrage-french-pm-issues-blistering-denunication-of-antisemitism-video/

This is an open Letter to the French President by A Palestinian Journalist in Ramallah. The writer remains incognito for his own safety  http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/5050/letter-president-france

Last night a massive terror attack was thwarted in Belgium - should we all say Je Suis Verviers http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30840160

The US Consulate in Jerusalem is a most unwelcoming place for Israelis and their most recent move is to replace their Israeli guards for Palestinians. It is against Israeli law to arm Palestinians but apparently the Consulate is above the law. http://www.timesofisrael.com/us-consulate-in-jerusalem-arming-palestinian-guards/

And to think we were worried about corruption in Israel when the ultimate corruption is in Argentina. President Christina Kirschner's Foreign Minister Hector Timmerman, who was saved by Israel during the rule of the colonels. A severe critic of Israel he then led the cover up of Iran's part in the terror attack on the AMIA in order to "make a geopolitical move closer to the Islamic Republic of Iran, and to establish full economic ties" and to help alleviate "Argentina's energy crisis through a 'grain for oil' deal."  http://www.investigativeproject.org/4735/prosecutor-argentinian-president-plotted-to-cover  

Stephen Ryde's Letter from London Here is his latest fortnightly blog for the Jerusalem Post from the 11th January.  http://www.jpost.com/Blogs/The-Ordinary-Londoners-Letter-from-London/Letter-from-London-10th-January-2015-19-Tevet-5775-387747

Since we are talking of London, or of Britain I was distressed to read this article from the Telegraph newspaper. Somewhere between the Holocaust and 2015 it became OK to blame Jews again http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/11345643/Paris-shootings-anti-Semitism-Its-OK-to-blame-Jews-again.html

This video made me happy. It is called I know which side I'm on - thanks Sally Safdie http://www.jspacenews.com/israeli-video-side/

On Monday I met with Sari Singer, my dear friend from Bedford, NY. Sari has been in the States for many, many years but her heart is and always will be in Israel. It was fun to see her with our grandchildren and to talk of Kinneret Chaya who will always bind us together. I love Sari.

Last Friday night's meal was deferred to Shabbat lunch. Jerusalem was cut off from the world by about 2 centimetres of snow!!! Actually I am very proud of the police who decided to close the main roads to Jerusalem, the roads are wide and excellent but Israelis do not have special tyres nor do they have the experience of snow driving. While the night and early morning proved lethal, roads covered with ice, the day warmed up and the sun came out and our guests arrived. Sadly Canon Andrew and Terry did not make it to the synagogue in the morning because I told him not to leave home until the ice melted so he prayed at home. They came to us which is all that mattered!! 

I made all his favourite foods and the very few friends who came to eat were entranced by him of course. We also had our lovely friend Prof. Gabby Barkai because a) he is fascinating and b) he helped Andrew and I enormously in the refurbishment of Ezekiels Tomb in Iraq. If I don't tell you that Harry and Nancy Bloomfield came back from Herzliya specially to come to us for lunch I would never be forgiven so now you know that they came together with Shauli and Rochele Lotan and Daniel and Jill Meron and of course Terry and Hanna. My only major gaffe was that although I made tsimmes, potato kugel, chicken soup and kneidelach that he loves, Andrew was very upset with me and refused to start the meal until I brought out his favourite - gefilte fish with chrane (horseradish sauce) - and the other men stood by him! I thought they were going to start chanting and making posters!!! Of course I found a trust jar of very good but ready-made gefilte fish and good humour returned to the table!!!

One visitor, a diplomat, told me something that horrified me. He said that he was in Washington when President Obama came into office and was staggered when friends in the American Foreign Service told him that the first White House directive to them was to remove the words "Islamic Fundamentalism" from their lexicon.

I had a wonderful birthday!!! The day began with Rachel, Yosef, Talia and Ayala singing and then with a phone call from Amman, Jordan and the really melodic tones of Canon Andrew White and Terry Jones singing Happy Birthday!!! The day continued filled with blessings and singing from the other grandchildren - Sammy, Olivia, Zachary, Amit, Ori, Gili, Joshua, Callie, Ella and I would be lying if I said that baby Yonatan sang because he is only 8 months old, but I am sure he smiled!

According to our tradition I went to lunch with my girlfriends, Betty, Dana and Frida, to the Botanical Gardens of course! When I arrived I managed to grab a table next to the lake, the beautiful gentle winter sun warming my body. The other three arrived and we ordered our amazing Oreganatto Salads and a delicious long focaccia served with fresh tehina and began to eat and chatter. Suddenly the chatter turned to chattering teeth as the sun went behind the most enormous cloud so we looked at one another and grabbed a table inside - looking out of the window at the lake instead!!!!! In the evening we went for dinner with our lovely friends Rosa and Bernardo Romanowsky and we raised the average age in the Sushi Bar by at least 200%!

I sometimes forget that most of you don't know what an amazingly entertaining city this is, quite apart from the museums, Biblical sites and antiquities. The best restaurants, fun clubs, great bars (yes even a number of Irish bars sporting Guinness) and a general nightlife of promenading. We, like all Israelis, love to go out and enjoy a good coffee, a great meal, be it a fine white-tablecloth restaurant or a felafel or schwarma on the street. We love life and our children come with us - babysitting is not a huge business in Israel because we take out children with us!!!!

I think that is the basis of the difference between us and our neighbours. It is the reason we have succeeded where they live in poverty. We love life, we honour life, we determinedly lead our children to be better than us, we push ourselves to be better than our forefathers and we are constantly busy with Tikkun Olam.

I wish you Shabbat Shalom from a cloudy Jerusalem where even the clouds are beautiful!

With love

Sheila 

By the way, Canon Andrew gave me an autographed copy of his book Older Younger Brother - The tragic treatment of the Jews by Christians. a fascinating read. http://frrme.org/product/older-younger-brother/

-- 

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

140307 Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem. Boat capture, Purim, Welsh evening, PM in LA, Canon Andrew White

140307

7^th March 2014

Shabbat Shalom dear Friends. I hope this missive finds you well.

I am happy to start on a high note, as usual because we have a wonderful friend by the name of Canon Andrew White. Nothing stops that man, not war, illness nor cynicism. Andrew had a successful meeting in Cyprus which brought together Iraqi Moslems, Christians and Jews and a similar Israeli mix, just to talk. Talk and try to discover their similarities rather and accept their differences. Andrew, the only man who seems to be doing it right. Maybe because he comes from a place of love not from politics. Andrew is now in Jerusalem – I knew because the ambiance is a fraction lighter. Sadly the hope that Andrew engendered through this important conference is dashed when one remembers the absolute despair and carnage in Andrews beloved Iraq.

NYU, that bastion of freedom and high learning held a secret anti-Israel pro-BDS meeting. It is a distressing sign of the times whereby freedom of speech is thus abused to incite hatred. Pure and simple. Can you imagine a proud “hatefest” were announced against any other country or people?http://www.tabletmag.com/scroll/164938/nyu-holds-secret-anti-israel-conference

It sounds dramatic, indeed it is dramatic, when the news media screams out the headlines "Israel captures boat with Iranian missiles bound for Gaza" but the truth is it represent many months of hard graft. 

IDF intelligence has been monitoring the activities of the contents of the boat 

from its source in Syria through the long and tortuous route to the Red Sea. 

Shayetet 13 is the elite unit which took the ship without any resistance from the 

Captain. They found several dozen advanced Syrian M-302 missiles, with a range 

of up to 200 kilometers (125 miles) and a payload of up to 170 kilograms (375 

pounds). Even that is not the whole story, the drama is greater than it appears. 

Israel and the United States Intelligence Services have been working closely 

throughout and it was Israel's decision to capture the ship and the Americans 

acceded to their wish. So much happens beneath the surface. The cooling of 

relations has always been at the political, not the military or intelligence level. 

 http://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-intercepts-major-iranian-weapons-shipment-to-gaza/

What strikes me as incredible is the convoluted machinations of the warmongers in their attempt to wreak havoc – a Panamanian ship, Turkish crew, missiles and a veritable arsenal of evil made in Iran, sent to Syria, through Iraq and Sudan into the Red Sea............. and the fools demonstrating in NYU still think Israel is the problem!!!!

The new Crimean War has taken the headlines here in Israel. As Americas leadership is weakened Russia is becoming stronger and stronger. Rabbi Jeremy Rosen again hits the nail on the head.

“As I watched the Sochi Winter Olympics, I thought of Putin’s long shadow was cast, malevolently, over the construction, the management, and the security of the event. I wondered what act of aggression he would get up to next. His smirking, self-satisfied, bullying presence thumbed a nose at the civilized world as he gloated over his support for totalitarian regimes in Chechnya, Syria, Moldova, and Georgia. His malevolent involvement in other countries and the blatant way he suppresses and imprisons opposition at home are chilling. His KGB nature reveals itself for what it is. Well, now we know. A leopard and his spots! “ http://jeremyrosen.blogspot.co.il/

The AIPAC Conference came and went. Vice President Joe Biden spoke before the plenum and many events took place, undoubtedly taking important decisions but without the publicity which usually accompanies the AIPAC events. Our wonderful friends David Efron and Kathy were very excited by events there so I am certain that it was simply a case of lack of publicity.

Apparently the cooling of Israel/USA relations is deeper than Presidential level and we have always known that the State Department (like the British Foreign Office) is cool toward their closest ally, but has taken a sinister turn with visas being denied for anyone who served in Israeli Intelligence.http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.578127

When Ambassador Danny Gillerman left his position as Israel's Ambassador to the UN I thought we could never do as well, let alone better, but I was wrong. Ron Prosor, former Ambassador to the Court of St James has done a truly phenomenal job as Israel's Ambassador to that once august organisation. http://www.jpost.com/Features/In-Thespotlight/JPost-conference-preview-Ron-Prosor-on-Israel-and-the-United-Nations-344030

Not only Syria! Israeli medical teams are not only helping victims of Syrian warfare (over 500 patients to date) but also in the Ukraine. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/178162#.UxmzwD-SxLc

Alice Herz-Sommer did not just survive the Holocaust, saved by her exceptional musical talent, she endured unbearable tragedy and continued to smile, to exude love and to produce joyous music until her death in London last week at the age of 110. Her life and vivacious personality were her revenge. The film of her amazing life won an Oscar, surely the greatest and sweetest revenge of all.  http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/jewish-world-news/1.577630

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “Bibi” had dinner with the gliterattti of Hollywood, of those who love Israel anyway. In an informal dinner at the home of Israeli businessman Arnon Milchan. Truly star studded it included Leonardo di Caprio, Barbara Streisand, Robert de Niro, Kate Hudson, Keanu Reeves and many many more. One must not underestimate the influence of these stars .http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4494923,00.html

Talking of the PM's visit to LA – After the Oscar victory parties, another international star attended the world premiere of his latest film on Tuesday evening. The star was none other than Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, and the title of the television film is Israel: The Royal Tour. The PM, along with some 500 guests, attended the premiere screening of the film expected to significantly increase tourism to Israel. Get a preview of the movie here http://www.jpost.com/International/Netanyahu-attends-world-premiere-of-his-film-in-Los-Angeles-344332

Gosh, so much news that I didn't leave much room for personal stuff!

Last Shabbat, since the children came late, Zvi and I went for a glorious walk in “Emek ha Matsleva” The Valley of the Cross. Zvi feels that I am more than a little over-enthusiastic , my excited photography at anything that seemed wild and colourful - shkediot (almond blossom), rakafot (wild cyclamen) and calaniot- wild anemones........... and the most beautiful flowers of all, the children running around in delight at the wild flowers.

Sunday evening saw me driving to Netanya via my lovely friend Averil in Herzliya. Our purpose was to arrive in plenty of time to meet up with our past – our wonderful past as Welsh Jews. You can imagine the excitement of all concerned as we saw people who had somehow dropped from our lives over the last 20/30/40 years. Gerald and Mimi Rapport did us proud as Gerald paraded in his amazing Welsh Dragon Sweatshirt. The tables were set with Welsh Dragon napkins, daffodils and the walls festooned with flags. Imagine, a group of Welsh people, mostly religious, happily celebrating St David's Day – the Welsh National Day. As I look for facts to give you about this Saint I found that he indeed came to Jerusalem because it was believed that if you came to Jerusalem all your former sins were dissolved.

I just got back from collecting the children from school and taking them home before Shabbat. As we neared Givat Zeev we suddenly saw a colossal flock of goats tended by small children. At first I was excited and then wondered why those children were not at school – apparently bettering oneself is not high on the priority list of their parents. So sad because I want everyone in Israel to have equal opportunities but without education............

That's it for now folks. I have to put the finishing touches to Shabbat, set the table and put the food out and of course get all the Purim goodies ready for the children. Masks to colour, boxes for their Mishloach Manot and goodies! Purim, truly a story of heroism over greed. The story of Queen Esther, her fine Uncle Mordechai, a rather stupid King and his evil Vizier who feared the Jews and wanted them killed (yeah yeah yeah – heard that one more than once eh?). Mordechais brains, Esthers beauty and the Kings love for her saved the Jews and taught the evil, greedy Vizier Haman a lesson. Where on earth are Esther and Mordechai today?

https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/holiday9.html

So dear friends. Let's make this year into Purim, let's stand up and speak out. We can either bow down to the king or be clever and woo him to understand the evil of his advisors.

For Shabbat I chose three very different songs, with the incredible voice of David D'Or. One is Amazing Grace which he sang for President Obama in our Presidents Househttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trsYJowcEMQ the second is the prayer Avinu Malkeinu (Our Father Our King) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1xxg4022rM and finally a very special version of the song which welcomes the bride of Shabbat. Lecha Dodi. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gx4IaNQGo4I Enjoy

With much love from wonderfully balmy, warm and beautiful Jerusalem, about to turn golden as we near Shabbat.

Sheila

PS I want to brag about my nephew Steven and his beautiful wife Claire. They are not only invited to the Palace for a Royal Garden Party, not only won the award for the best display in Britain but................. have been recognised for their amazing works too!! Bravo to you – I love you! 

Ezekiel Unscathed - Shevua Tov

100516



Sunday 16th May 2010.



In my last Shabbat Shalom I told you all about Canon Andrew White's visit to Ezekiel's Tomb in Iraq. His excitement and delight at the condition of the tomb, after the rumours and multiple articles to the contrary, was such that he called me another twice from Iraq to express his joy and of course to wish me Shabbat Shalom!



Jonah Mandel interviewed me about the Tomb and about Andrew for the Jerusalem Post and this is the resulting article. Unfortunately in the print version they called me Sheila Regev but Jonah immediately corrected it in the internet version!

http://www.jpost.com/JewishWorld/JewishNews/Article.aspx?id=175556



Since further good always comes out of such acts of selflessness I am happy to report that Andrew and my determination over the last 10 years to expose the plight of Christians in the PA may well come to fruition since Jonah is also preparing an article and hopefully we will work together on it.



Have a wonderful week and if anyone wants to see photographs of Andrew at the Tomb just go to the Facebook site WE LOVE CANON ANDREW WHITE where I placed them!



With love from Jerusalem

Sheila