100615
18th June 2010.
Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve. George Bernard Shaw
How does one choose a Jewish leader? Does one open it up to the highly talented and connected people who have given their lives to Israel and heed the opinion of world Jewish leaders or do you choose anyone with a title who is willing to take on the position? Despite the clear fact that youngsters are leaving their communities and organisations in droves…… apparently it is always the second choice – second best. Details upon request!!!!
We don't always get it right – but this is a country of innate self-analysis. The official inquiry into the resettlement of Gush Katif has announced what we already knew – that we did a lousy job of resettling the people who left Gaza for peace. The country was unprepared and the people of Gush Katif were not given land to restart their lives and to this day some are unsettled. We failed them.
Can you imagine the difference in world reaction to the Mavi Marmara et al if those marines had been American and the USA saw their soldiers being beaten within an inch of their lives by Afghanis? Where was the outcry when Maggie Thatcher's Britain sank an enemy ship. Enemy in waiting: why we sank the Belgrano - Times Online As the HMS Conqueror closed in on the Belgrano, the Argentinean Cruiser was well outside the British-imposed Total Exclusion Zone of 370 km radius from the Falklands and was in neutral international waters. http://wikimapia.org/2449374/Wreck-of-ARA-General-Belgrano USA embargo on Cuba has extended for decades and it was only after hardening the embargo that Clinton chose to allow humanitarian aid in.... but the US coastguard still sinks refugee boats in international waters http://shestories.com/2010/01/04/coast-guard-cuts/
Politicians who risk their position are rare but this week we saw several. Members of Parliament David Amess and Nick Boles both questioned the Foreign Minister concerning the double standards applied to Israel when human rights are non-existent in the Gaza Strip and PA.
Congressman Mike Pence speaks on the House floor. "Mr. President, Whose Side Are You On?" A short but powerful one-minute message from the Congressman sowing is anger at Obama for not supporting Israel's clear right to defense against the terror organization of Hamas in Gaza. WeJew Jewish Video Sharing Megasite - US Congressman To Obama - Whose Side Are You On? And former Spanish Prime Minister José María Aznar. Support Israel: if it goes down, we all go down Anger over Gaza is a distraction. We cannot forget that Israel is the West’s best ally in a turbulent region http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/opinion/columnists/article2559280.ece
The Haredim (ultra-orthodox) are demonstrating in Israel. There are a number of issues for the sometimes violent demonstrations. One is the continuing argument about digging roads, hospitals, homes because when you dig you may find bodies – albeit ancient pagan remains; recent riots are because Haredi schools do not allow Sefardi/Mizrachi students to come to their schools and the Supreme Court ruled this as racist and the parents chose to go to prison rather than allow their daughters to learn with Eastern Jewish girls and their cohorts are rioting in protest. This problem must be solved in Israel, not only of Haredim who believe themselves above the law but also of Israeli Arabs; they must become an integral part of society. Rights demand obligations; to become part of the defence of this country and to become part of the taxpaying public- one must be a participant and not an aggressive bystander. If we are not careful the backlash will cause our children to hate Judaism and then we will lose our ancient rights to this land.
Iranian "AID" ships are on their way to Gaza and despite the fact that Egypt is our partner in the embargo she had to allow the ships into the Suez Canal; ironically due to an international law instigated to protect Israel's right of passage!!!
I have often spoken of our friend Dr Gabby Barkay and his brilliant decision to recover the remains of the earth removed from beneath the Temple Mount by Raeed Salah – yes the same Raeed Salah who was on the Mavi Marmara. This was not refuse but rather sacred soil – every grain of it is our history. The Temple Mount was violated by the WAQF yet although the soil was extracted illicitly we are learning so much from the sacred soil they discarded. http://www.thelandofisrael.com/world-famous-dr-gabi-barkai-with-news-you-will-not-belive/
My niece Sophie is a brave young woman!! She not only teaches in an inner-city London school but on September 5th 2010 she will be supporting Meir Panim by abseiling downs Earls Court building! She will enjoy panoramic views across London from the top, before abseiling 20 metres / 66 feet to the bottom. Meir Panim is the largest supplementary welfare services agency in Israel. For more information or to donate, please visit http://www.justgiving.com/Sophie-Silver
And now the latest song from the LATMA stable, The Three Terrors. Lets make it a hit! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmffgIqlAYA&feature=player_embedded
Our dear friend Saul Same is here in Israel again all the way from Melbourne Australia. Saul is one of the finest people I have ever met, loves Israel, loves Australia, reached the top in all fields yet remained a mensch. Saul, who is over 90, brought his little sister Julie with him and we took them to the Mamilla Mall and walked along to see the incredible lights in Old city, along with hundreds of thousands of people from all over Israel and the world. Huge tulip-like likes filled the Jaffa Gate entrance and holographic bells rang on the tower of the Dormition. Eleven o'clock at night and the streets were heaving with a Jerusalem rainbow of people of every sect, cult, religion, denomination, origin and belief…. Oh how I wish that CNN and BBC would show that side of our life; the utter freedom of movement for all. I'm sorry I don't have this years video but this is amazing too http://en.lightinjerusalem.org.il/2010/
I am so excited!! My beautiful friend Arlene is coming today with all family and we get to spend Shabbat Dinner and tomorrow with her and her husband Milty. Sorry Fegie….. my turn!!! I am not sure we will go anywhere since tomorrow promises to be HOT! I love it when the air-conditioned newsreaders announce that it will be hotter than usual for the season…… How hot is hot? Anyway we decided to spend the day out on our veranda, looking at Jerusalem; maybe sip a cocktail or two and talk about our love of Israel. Arlene will cry when she sees that I haven't taken down our big Israeli flag since Yom Haatzmaut (Independence Day) and neither have most of our neighbours! I already see her sitting and quietly smiling as she looks out over Jerusalem, the whiteness of the buildings sparkling in the searing heat and the green of the myriad of trees which intersperse the white. We will hear children playing in the quiet streets and fabulous aromas will rise up to our veranda from the entire neighborhood beneath us. The cuisines of Moroccan, Tunisian, Polish, Kurdish, Iraqi, Romanian, Anglo-Saxon and French cooking blend into one mouthwatering mélange – Israeli cooking – the culmination of the dispersion is a truly wonderful epicurean delight!!!
I am late today and so I can already sense Shabbat's approach. The bride of Shabbat always wears white in Jerusalem and she seems to smooth herself out and look up to the heavens in preparation for her visit to our homes. The shopping mall is closing its gates and the offices ended their work day. The buses race, resoundingly empty, to the nearby terminal to give themselves and their drivers a day off.
Shabbat, we all need a day of rest, Sabbath, Sabbatical, to recharge our spiritual batteries, to reconnect with our families and think over our week.
I wish you Shabbat Shalom, sweet recollections and joyous promise.
With love from Jerusalem, centre of our world.
Sheila
Showing posts with label leadership. Show all posts
Showing posts with label leadership. Show all posts
Friday, 18 June 2010
Wednesday, 2 December 2009
Shabbat Shalom letter
091202
2nd December 2009.
Shabbat Shalom is coming early this week since I am off to visit my London grandchildren tomorrow at the crack of dawn. I spend one week immersed in them and rarely see anyone else or do anything else and am happy, satisfied and loved!
David Ben Gurion was a founding father, but was sorely mistaken in his belief that once we have a country we no longer need Zionism. The implication of the word may have changed but the significance remains. Today it means that we understand why we came back and that if we do not pull together it will be a different "gerush" (exile) but an exile nonetheless – and probably no less bloody.
IDF Chief of staff Gabi Ashkenazi expressed the malaise of our society at a conference with school principals. It is the malaise of Israeli society, which I care about as our standard bearer, and Western society in general.
"We witness the problems young people take with them into the army, from excessive alcohol consumption to dropping out of the education system.
"There are soldiers who do not know the country and its heritage. A
third of the soldiers visited Jerusalem for the first time within the
framework of their army service. There are soldiers who think that we conquered Masada in the Six Day War. There are immigrant soldiers who don't know the language."
Our youngsters do not understand why Israel is, where it is or why, because neither parents nor teachers have bothered to spend the time to teach them. We take Israel for granted, both here and in the Diaspora. We have forgotten how to be proud of whom we are which is why we whisper to ourselves when leaders emasculate Israeli leaders – when Italians and Swedes dare to tell us to give our Capital City to the Arabs! Unless we learn to be proud of our heritage and stand up to be counted we stand to lose everything. Israels survival does not depend upon the phenomenal advances in science and hi-tech nor its brilliant doctors nor its agriculturalists who teach the poor countries to feed themselves – Israel's survival depends upon us being proud of who we are – Jews and Christians alike.
The Jewish and Christian leaders who have the guts to really lead with brilliant initiative are few and far between. I can think of maybe half a dozen that stand head and shoulders above others. If our leaders cannot lead from the front we must lead from behind. Lobby, lobby, lobby.
We had the painters in this week; they came from Bethlehem, Christian Arabs from Bethlehem. They told us tales of unspeakable persecution, of loneliness, of their desire to attempt to fund their children scholarships to local universities so that they can get out of what is now a 90% Moslem city.
B. came into our study and was able to put a name to every photograph of every Israeli leader from B-G to BiBi – few of our Israeli friends could do so with such confidence. We are their hope. C. stood on our veranda – the one I always talk about – and said "You do realize it isn't ours, the world has given it to them already. Jerusalem is not Jewish, Jerusalem is not Christian, Jerusalem is Moslem because no-one will stand up and say otherwise."
It looks as if it will really happen – Gilad Schalit will come home. http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/About+the+Ministry/Behind+the+Headlines/Behind+the+Headlines-+Six+months+in+terrorist+captivity+11-Jan-2007.htm The last video sent to his distraught parents showed him even frailer than his natural boyish frame and it broke his parents heart. The captors promise and renege so frequently that we are scared to believe it will really happen and not be just another ploy like the Hezb-Allah return of dead bodies. The price is heavy, maybe too heavy – the long list of prisoners for whom freedom is demanded includes many masterminds behind terror attacks. They underwent trial and were convicted of triple and quadruple life sentences but will spend their lives in freedom in Europe planning Israel's downfall. But that is who we are. Israel doesn't leave her boys and girls behind – if a child s taken prisoner he is brought home.
Life goes on as always. We laugh, we cry, we shop, we create and go to theatre and we eat fabulous local food We don't sit and mope, this is a society which knows how to live life to the full but we are aware of the dreadful lies being told about us and it hurts. To quote Shylock "When you prick me do I not bleed"?
I am off tomorrow at the crack of dawn in time to see the scarlet sunrise over the Jerusalem skyline before heading off to Ben Gurion Airport. For one whole week I will wallow in babies smiles and giggles and innocence and have long talks with my amazing daughter-in-law, argue hotly with my adorable son and try to see a few friends. It will rain, skies will be grey and I will love every second! Being with ones children means one always misses the one you are NOT with but relishing the one you are.
I can but think of my friend Jill. When asked about her feelings toward Israel she said "Israel is my Mother and my child. I feel protected as by a Mothers love and feel intensely protective as one is of ones child."
Shabbat Shalom to you all
Sheila
2nd December 2009.
Shabbat Shalom is coming early this week since I am off to visit my London grandchildren tomorrow at the crack of dawn. I spend one week immersed in them and rarely see anyone else or do anything else and am happy, satisfied and loved!
David Ben Gurion was a founding father, but was sorely mistaken in his belief that once we have a country we no longer need Zionism. The implication of the word may have changed but the significance remains. Today it means that we understand why we came back and that if we do not pull together it will be a different "gerush" (exile) but an exile nonetheless – and probably no less bloody.
IDF Chief of staff Gabi Ashkenazi expressed the malaise of our society at a conference with school principals. It is the malaise of Israeli society, which I care about as our standard bearer, and Western society in general.
"We witness the problems young people take with them into the army, from excessive alcohol consumption to dropping out of the education system.
"There are soldiers who do not know the country and its heritage. A
third of the soldiers visited Jerusalem for the first time within the
framework of their army service. There are soldiers who think that we conquered Masada in the Six Day War. There are immigrant soldiers who don't know the language."
Our youngsters do not understand why Israel is, where it is or why, because neither parents nor teachers have bothered to spend the time to teach them. We take Israel for granted, both here and in the Diaspora. We have forgotten how to be proud of whom we are which is why we whisper to ourselves when leaders emasculate Israeli leaders – when Italians and Swedes dare to tell us to give our Capital City to the Arabs! Unless we learn to be proud of our heritage and stand up to be counted we stand to lose everything. Israels survival does not depend upon the phenomenal advances in science and hi-tech nor its brilliant doctors nor its agriculturalists who teach the poor countries to feed themselves – Israel's survival depends upon us being proud of who we are – Jews and Christians alike.
The Jewish and Christian leaders who have the guts to really lead with brilliant initiative are few and far between. I can think of maybe half a dozen that stand head and shoulders above others. If our leaders cannot lead from the front we must lead from behind. Lobby, lobby, lobby.
We had the painters in this week; they came from Bethlehem, Christian Arabs from Bethlehem. They told us tales of unspeakable persecution, of loneliness, of their desire to attempt to fund their children scholarships to local universities so that they can get out of what is now a 90% Moslem city.
B. came into our study and was able to put a name to every photograph of every Israeli leader from B-G to BiBi – few of our Israeli friends could do so with such confidence. We are their hope. C. stood on our veranda – the one I always talk about – and said "You do realize it isn't ours, the world has given it to them already. Jerusalem is not Jewish, Jerusalem is not Christian, Jerusalem is Moslem because no-one will stand up and say otherwise."
It looks as if it will really happen – Gilad Schalit will come home. http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/About+the+Ministry/Behind+the+Headlines/Behind+the+Headlines-+Six+months+in+terrorist+captivity+11-Jan-2007.htm The last video sent to his distraught parents showed him even frailer than his natural boyish frame and it broke his parents heart. The captors promise and renege so frequently that we are scared to believe it will really happen and not be just another ploy like the Hezb-Allah return of dead bodies. The price is heavy, maybe too heavy – the long list of prisoners for whom freedom is demanded includes many masterminds behind terror attacks. They underwent trial and were convicted of triple and quadruple life sentences but will spend their lives in freedom in Europe planning Israel's downfall. But that is who we are. Israel doesn't leave her boys and girls behind – if a child s taken prisoner he is brought home.
Life goes on as always. We laugh, we cry, we shop, we create and go to theatre and we eat fabulous local food We don't sit and mope, this is a society which knows how to live life to the full but we are aware of the dreadful lies being told about us and it hurts. To quote Shylock "When you prick me do I not bleed"?
I am off tomorrow at the crack of dawn in time to see the scarlet sunrise over the Jerusalem skyline before heading off to Ben Gurion Airport. For one whole week I will wallow in babies smiles and giggles and innocence and have long talks with my amazing daughter-in-law, argue hotly with my adorable son and try to see a few friends. It will rain, skies will be grey and I will love every second! Being with ones children means one always misses the one you are NOT with but relishing the one you are.
I can but think of my friend Jill. When asked about her feelings toward Israel she said "Israel is my Mother and my child. I feel protected as by a Mothers love and feel intensely protective as one is of ones child."
Shabbat Shalom to you all
Sheila
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