101022
22nd October 2010.
Shabbat Shalom
I very nearly used my broken ankle as an excuse not to write this week, but Rosa called to tell me that I only had an hour or so to decide before Shabbat and too many people would worry, especially Pola!!!!!
Incredibly on November 4th it will be 15 years since Yitzchak Rabin's assassination. Th Hebrew date just passed with a large gathering in his memory but strangely for me it is the dreadful 4th of November that I remember.
Just ten days prior we stood listening to him speak before a crowded Rotunda, the Hall linking the Senate and the House, as we celebrated the opening of the United States Jerusalem 3,000 celebrations. The day was especially historic since the previous day, as my husband sat in the gallery, the Senate voted overwhelmingly to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem!
Just ten days prior to his death I received my last hug from this shy, exceptional man who preferred his “wounded soldier” citizen to the room full of politicians.
Just ten days prior to his death when Israel felt invincible from without and within.
Just ten days before a Jew raised his gun and took away not only a Prime Minister but our innocence and our invincibility.
I find it odd that the left have made him their symbol, although he was far from left-wing; the press has chosen him as their idol although he would have shown them his feet of clay, and the right have vilified him for deeds he never did.
Yitzchak Rabin, son of Rosa Cohen, was the archetypal soldier; Israeli; Sabra; hero; man, and I miss his shy disposition and humility horribly.
May his soul rest in peace, his memory be preserved and his prayer for a safe and secure Israel be fulfilled.
This article by Israel's Ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, is an essential read. I give you a snippet and you can open the link to read it all.
An End to Israel’s Invisibility
By MICHAEL B. OREN Published: October 13, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/14/opinion/14oren.html?_r=1&ref=contributors
NEARLY 63 years after the United Nations recognized the right of the Jewish people to independence in their homeland — and more than 62 years since Israel’s creation — the Palestinians are still denying the Jewish nature of the state. “Israel can name itself whatever it wants,” said the Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas, while, according to the newspaper Haaretz, his chief negotiator, Saeb Erekat, said that the Palestinian Authority will never recognize Israel as the Jewish state. Back in 1948, opposition to the legitimacy of a Jewish state ignited a war. Today it threatens peace.
Today I received a message that The Australian reported that when Australian troops in Afghanistan requested help from Dutch Air Troops the Dutch refused help and Australian soldiers died as a result.http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/defence/dutch-refused-to-help-in-battle-digger/story-e6frg8yo-1225942059838
The Anzacs (Australian and New Zealand troops) have always fought for democracy and freedom in each war that their allies needed them from WW1 WW2 Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, et al. Apparently the Dutch have become infected with European PC'ism which is causing their near downfall.
The Dutch are investigating the Australian claims suggesting that they already had airfire cover from US and UK air forces. I hope the original report was wrong.
I have very little to report, today being the first day I have actually succeeded in hobbling and leaving my room to wander around with some independence. I am having great fun with my wheelchair which does amazing wheelies...... and thank G-d inflammation, infection and break are all doing well!! Visitors have been tended by my amazing husband and we all manage!
We have had wonderful visitors, one left one came....... Louise Gilbert with whom I worked in the UK, and Dr Kimball Taylor, yes our lovely friend Kim. Life will always go on as normal....... no dramas in this household.
Please remember that history is in the eyes of those who were there and those who wish to take credit for everyting. It was once said that history is the view of the victor but today history is the realm of the first to publish!! Avoid those who would sully your name, or the names of those who make history. They are not historians but rather mean spirited people who want to take history and make it their own.
I wish you Shabbat Shalom of optimism and hope, prayer, contemplation and joy.
With love from an ever beautiful, ever spiritual, ever charming Jerusalem
Sheila
Friday, 22 October 2010
Thursday, 14 October 2010
Shabbat Shalom letter from Jerusalem
101014
14th October 2010.
Shabbat Shalom
A further building moratorium or not? The United States President reneged on the Administrations promises to Israel on many levels and now makes yet another demand on us. Ten months without results and we are asked to serve another period where Israel pays the price but the Palestinians do not. I have said a hundred times, Israelis will accede to the US demands if the equivalent demands are made upon our enemies. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is willing to continue the building freeze on one condition, acceptance of our existence. It is like suggesting that a 62 year old woman who has dedicated her life to Tikkun Olam and excellence was never born and only if she pulls her home down will the world accept her being as a fact.
Silwan is part of Jerusalem, in the valley beneath the Old City, the Biblical Ofel, and populated over the last 70+ years by itinerant workers who came to the newly blossoming land and stayed. It is a quiet place of rare rebellion, predominantly Arab but not generally troublesome. Still photographs in the media showed a “settler” driving wildly into an innocent child throwing him into the air as if he intended to kill him. This video gives a whole new meaning to throwing your children under the bus. Lenny Ben David analyses the film clip, the photographers who just happened to be there, the organisers or producers of the scene and the people surrounding the children
http://cgis.jpost.com/Blogs/guest/entry/mohammed_dura_redux_posted_by
Why are the worlds “human rights” activists and the left wing media obsessed with the Palestinians yet close their eyes and hearts to the horrors of Darfur and the extreme human rights abuses of the very people who they proudly support. This is one explanation. http://www.theaugeanstables.com/2008/08/08/from-the-archives-dr-jacobs-argument-on-msm-coverage-of-human-rights-abuses/
George Galloway, the insanely opinionated former British Parliamentarian is back with another boat for Gaza - maybe we should call it Galloway's Galleon – this time no money, no medicines just people who hate Israel and love Gaza. Galloway's problem is that he has nowhere to land, nowhere to stay since both Jordan and Egypt have expressed their refusal very clearly and no-one to listen. Several crew members have left the ship leaving only the rat.
Ahmedinejad is continuing his state tour by repeating his implausible fabrications in Lebanon, this time stating that Israel controls climate change and of course that we killed assassinated Lebanese President Rafik Hariri , repeating the foul accusation that 9/11 was a US plot to detract attention from the economic state of the country. His megalomania now includes staking Iranian claim on Christian Lebanon, speaking as if he were the President of Lebanon not Iran, with Hezb-Allah his emissaries – the final nail in the Lebanese coffin?
The world watched the rescue of 33 Chilean Miners in a truly brilliant operation. As each man emerged from the tiny elevator to a great reception and I was amazed to see relatively healthy and rounded men. Miners are a special group of people, tough, determined and brave and this particular group were strengthened by another quality, a deep religious belief; as each man reached the light the first thing he did was fall to his knees and cross himself.
Personally I think we should bring the G-d fearing miners to Jerusalem and send Galloway and Ahmedinejad to spend a couple of months down a Chilean mine!!
Canon Andrew White will receive the Civil Courage Prize for his phenomenal work in Iraq, Baghdad in particular, to find the common denominator between all peoples, working together with Moslem leaders to bring some kind of sanity in an insane situation. Dearest Andrew we are beside you in your losses and so proud of you, your work and your outstanding successes http://www.civilcourageprize.org/honoree-2010.htm
British Author, journalist and broadcaster Howard Jacobson, self-proclaimed Proud Jew, won the Booker Prize for his book about “Ashamed Jews” entitled The Finkler Question - here is a wonderful quote
“Every other Wednesday, except for festivals and High Holy-days, an anti-Zionist group called ASHamed Jews meets in an upstairs room in the Groucho Club in Soho to dissociate itself from Israel, urge the boycotting of Israeli goods, and otherwise demonstrate a humanity in which they consider Jews who are not ASHamed to be deficient. ASHamed Jews came about as a consequence of the famous Jewish media philosopher Sam Finkler’s avowal of his own shame on Desert Island Discs.”
“My Jewishness has always been a source of pride and solace to me,” he told Radio Four’s listeners, not quite candidly, “but in the matter of the dispossession of the Palestinians I am, as a Jew, profoundly ashamed.”
“Profoundly self-regarding,” you mean, was his wife’s response. But then she wasn’t Jewish and so couldn’t understand just how ashamed in his Jewishness an ashamed Jew could be.” http://engageonline.wordpress.com/2010/10/12/jacobsons-demolition-of-the-ashamed-jews-wins-man-booker/
The new academic year began a week ago at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. This video was a tribute to the students by the students. Very funny, very clever. LipDub “Somebody to love”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPo-6kxgiDk
Latma has the knack of saying just what we all think but don't know how! Latma news – in Hebrew with subtitles The real Churchill. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1v2mabkafM and the shooting of the US soldiers by a Palestinian. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHM0Av5-EKc&feature=channel
The steadily rising profile of Israeli wines reached a global crescendo last month when Carmel Winery garnered the 2010 Decanter World Wine Awards trophy. The winery won the award for its red Rhone varietals in the upper price category.
http://israel21c.org/201010128381/culture/israeli-wine-steals-award-from-traditional-producers
On the 10/10/10 at 10:10 Zvi and I arrived at the Sigd ceremony at the Presidents Home - the 25th Anniversary of Operation Moses, the first Ethiopian Aliya. I was elegantly strolling across the lawn, admiring the surroundings, when I equally elegantly stepped into a deep pothole in the lawn and found myself sitting down.......elegantly!!!! I was even more elegantly helped by a wonderful young Ethiopian Scout-Master who gently helped Zvi to lift me up as the rest of the guests went about their business. The problem was that I turned in the unexpected act of sitting and my leg didn't! I really didn't think it was serious, just very very painful so we asked the paramedic to check me and he announced it wasn't broken, I had no intention of missing this historic moment and they carried me through a side door and sat me down with my ever growing ankle up on a chair.
I am thrilled that I didn't miss the ceremony, their stories of suffering and determination to come to Jerusalem, heroic, epic, harrowing and incredibly determined andPresident Peres response to each and every one of them honouring their Aliya. They are an exquisitely beautiful people and among those who arrived as young children to become Israelis were lawyers, doctors, professors and of course officers in all three "Chayals" (Army, Navy and Air Force)
By the time the ceremony was over everyone realised that I was in trouble and they let Zvi bring our car in through all the security to the reception hall and off we went get me x-rayed which I thought was a superfluous operation. We ran an impromptu entertainment programme during our hours wait for the x-ray and then amused the doctor during the x-ray, laughing until he announced that my ankle was well and truly broken!!!!
I am confined to bed for at least another 2-3 days and to the house for 2 weeks; Zvi is making me meals and decorating the tray with flowers, coffees and teas on the hour every hour and doing the washing and hanging the clothes and making sure the dishwasher is filled and cleared, girlfriends are visiting and my beautiful daughter is coming in to bathe me!
My consolation for being in bed is that I see Jerusalem from my bedroom window, my other veranda, white and beautiful in the autumnal sunshine. A few minutes ago that magical moment when the sun turns everything red made me catch my breath as it has for twenty years. Golden City, City of Peace, old and new, rolling endless hills and strange stepped housing to utilise every inch of what is ours, our Jerusalem. If we never build another building, are vilified and unrecognised it can never change the fact JERUSALEM IS THE CAPITAL CITY OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL, HEART OF THE JEWISH WORLD AND THE ONLY JEWISH CAPITAL CITY IN THE WHOLE WORLD.
Shabbat Shalom dear friends, Shabbat Shalom
With love from Jerusalem
Sheila
14th October 2010.
Shabbat Shalom
A further building moratorium or not? The United States President reneged on the Administrations promises to Israel on many levels and now makes yet another demand on us. Ten months without results and we are asked to serve another period where Israel pays the price but the Palestinians do not. I have said a hundred times, Israelis will accede to the US demands if the equivalent demands are made upon our enemies. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is willing to continue the building freeze on one condition, acceptance of our existence. It is like suggesting that a 62 year old woman who has dedicated her life to Tikkun Olam and excellence was never born and only if she pulls her home down will the world accept her being as a fact.
Silwan is part of Jerusalem, in the valley beneath the Old City, the Biblical Ofel, and populated over the last 70+ years by itinerant workers who came to the newly blossoming land and stayed. It is a quiet place of rare rebellion, predominantly Arab but not generally troublesome. Still photographs in the media showed a “settler” driving wildly into an innocent child throwing him into the air as if he intended to kill him. This video gives a whole new meaning to throwing your children under the bus. Lenny Ben David analyses the film clip, the photographers who just happened to be there, the organisers or producers of the scene and the people surrounding the children
http://cgis.jpost.com/Blogs/guest/entry/mohammed_dura_redux_posted_by
Why are the worlds “human rights” activists and the left wing media obsessed with the Palestinians yet close their eyes and hearts to the horrors of Darfur and the extreme human rights abuses of the very people who they proudly support. This is one explanation. http://www.theaugeanstables.com/2008/08/08/from-the-archives-dr-jacobs-argument-on-msm-coverage-of-human-rights-abuses/
George Galloway, the insanely opinionated former British Parliamentarian is back with another boat for Gaza - maybe we should call it Galloway's Galleon – this time no money, no medicines just people who hate Israel and love Gaza. Galloway's problem is that he has nowhere to land, nowhere to stay since both Jordan and Egypt have expressed their refusal very clearly and no-one to listen. Several crew members have left the ship leaving only the rat.
Ahmedinejad is continuing his state tour by repeating his implausible fabrications in Lebanon, this time stating that Israel controls climate change and of course that we killed assassinated Lebanese President Rafik Hariri , repeating the foul accusation that 9/11 was a US plot to detract attention from the economic state of the country. His megalomania now includes staking Iranian claim on Christian Lebanon, speaking as if he were the President of Lebanon not Iran, with Hezb-Allah his emissaries – the final nail in the Lebanese coffin?
The world watched the rescue of 33 Chilean Miners in a truly brilliant operation. As each man emerged from the tiny elevator to a great reception and I was amazed to see relatively healthy and rounded men. Miners are a special group of people, tough, determined and brave and this particular group were strengthened by another quality, a deep religious belief; as each man reached the light the first thing he did was fall to his knees and cross himself.
Personally I think we should bring the G-d fearing miners to Jerusalem and send Galloway and Ahmedinejad to spend a couple of months down a Chilean mine!!
Canon Andrew White will receive the Civil Courage Prize for his phenomenal work in Iraq, Baghdad in particular, to find the common denominator between all peoples, working together with Moslem leaders to bring some kind of sanity in an insane situation. Dearest Andrew we are beside you in your losses and so proud of you, your work and your outstanding successes http://www.civilcourageprize.org/honoree-2010.htm
British Author, journalist and broadcaster Howard Jacobson, self-proclaimed Proud Jew, won the Booker Prize for his book about “Ashamed Jews” entitled The Finkler Question - here is a wonderful quote
“Every other Wednesday, except for festivals and High Holy-days, an anti-Zionist group called ASHamed Jews meets in an upstairs room in the Groucho Club in Soho to dissociate itself from Israel, urge the boycotting of Israeli goods, and otherwise demonstrate a humanity in which they consider Jews who are not ASHamed to be deficient. ASHamed Jews came about as a consequence of the famous Jewish media philosopher Sam Finkler’s avowal of his own shame on Desert Island Discs.”
“My Jewishness has always been a source of pride and solace to me,” he told Radio Four’s listeners, not quite candidly, “but in the matter of the dispossession of the Palestinians I am, as a Jew, profoundly ashamed.”
“Profoundly self-regarding,” you mean, was his wife’s response. But then she wasn’t Jewish and so couldn’t understand just how ashamed in his Jewishness an ashamed Jew could be.” http://engageonline.wordpress.com/2010/10/12/jacobsons-demolition-of-the-ashamed-jews-wins-man-booker/
The new academic year began a week ago at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. This video was a tribute to the students by the students. Very funny, very clever. LipDub “Somebody to love”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPo-6kxgiDk
Latma has the knack of saying just what we all think but don't know how! Latma news – in Hebrew with subtitles The real Churchill. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1v2mabkafM and the shooting of the US soldiers by a Palestinian. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHM0Av5-EKc&feature=channel
The steadily rising profile of Israeli wines reached a global crescendo last month when Carmel Winery garnered the 2010 Decanter World Wine Awards trophy. The winery won the award for its red Rhone varietals in the upper price category.
http://israel21c.org/201010128381/culture/israeli-wine-steals-award-from-traditional-producers
On the 10/10/10 at 10:10 Zvi and I arrived at the Sigd ceremony at the Presidents Home - the 25th Anniversary of Operation Moses, the first Ethiopian Aliya. I was elegantly strolling across the lawn, admiring the surroundings, when I equally elegantly stepped into a deep pothole in the lawn and found myself sitting down.......elegantly!!!! I was even more elegantly helped by a wonderful young Ethiopian Scout-Master who gently helped Zvi to lift me up as the rest of the guests went about their business. The problem was that I turned in the unexpected act of sitting and my leg didn't! I really didn't think it was serious, just very very painful so we asked the paramedic to check me and he announced it wasn't broken, I had no intention of missing this historic moment and they carried me through a side door and sat me down with my ever growing ankle up on a chair.
I am thrilled that I didn't miss the ceremony, their stories of suffering and determination to come to Jerusalem, heroic, epic, harrowing and incredibly determined andPresident Peres response to each and every one of them honouring their Aliya. They are an exquisitely beautiful people and among those who arrived as young children to become Israelis were lawyers, doctors, professors and of course officers in all three "Chayals" (Army, Navy and Air Force)
By the time the ceremony was over everyone realised that I was in trouble and they let Zvi bring our car in through all the security to the reception hall and off we went get me x-rayed which I thought was a superfluous operation. We ran an impromptu entertainment programme during our hours wait for the x-ray and then amused the doctor during the x-ray, laughing until he announced that my ankle was well and truly broken!!!!
I am confined to bed for at least another 2-3 days and to the house for 2 weeks; Zvi is making me meals and decorating the tray with flowers, coffees and teas on the hour every hour and doing the washing and hanging the clothes and making sure the dishwasher is filled and cleared, girlfriends are visiting and my beautiful daughter is coming in to bathe me!
My consolation for being in bed is that I see Jerusalem from my bedroom window, my other veranda, white and beautiful in the autumnal sunshine. A few minutes ago that magical moment when the sun turns everything red made me catch my breath as it has for twenty years. Golden City, City of Peace, old and new, rolling endless hills and strange stepped housing to utilise every inch of what is ours, our Jerusalem. If we never build another building, are vilified and unrecognised it can never change the fact JERUSALEM IS THE CAPITAL CITY OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL, HEART OF THE JEWISH WORLD AND THE ONLY JEWISH CAPITAL CITY IN THE WHOLE WORLD.
Shabbat Shalom dear friends, Shabbat Shalom
With love from Jerusalem
Sheila
Sunday, 3 October 2010
Lester Rosenberg z"l
LESTER ROSENBERG Z”L
Once in a rare while a special Jewish leader emerges; he may be a world leader or a communal leader but what distinguishes his leadership is humility, humour and quiet wisdom. Lester was determination for Tikkun Olam and a deep love of Israel, Chicago and the United States. Lester Rosenberg z”l encompassed all of these qualities alongside his dear widow Norma.
At Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency meetings here in Jerusalem his smiling face lit up the room, ever beside his dear friend Robert Schrayer z”l. Last time I saw him we hugged and bemoaned Bobby's untimely passing “It is hard to be in Jerusalem without him but when I see you at least my memories are shared”
Lester suffered a car accident in March 2009 which left him totally paralysed but his incredible humour never left him. His visitors were cheered by him rather than he by them. His dear friend Joel Spreyragen kept me apprised of his situation with each visit to the hospital or with the family.
It was with deep sadness that we learned today of Lester's demise, he is a great loss to Jewish leadership and to the world. We share his family's sorrow and pray that they will know no more sorrow. May Lester's gentle soul rest in peace as he joins his best friend Bobby.
Sheila and Zvi Raviv
Once in a rare while a special Jewish leader emerges; he may be a world leader or a communal leader but what distinguishes his leadership is humility, humour and quiet wisdom. Lester was determination for Tikkun Olam and a deep love of Israel, Chicago and the United States. Lester Rosenberg z”l encompassed all of these qualities alongside his dear widow Norma.
At Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency meetings here in Jerusalem his smiling face lit up the room, ever beside his dear friend Robert Schrayer z”l. Last time I saw him we hugged and bemoaned Bobby's untimely passing “It is hard to be in Jerusalem without him but when I see you at least my memories are shared”
Lester suffered a car accident in March 2009 which left him totally paralysed but his incredible humour never left him. His visitors were cheered by him rather than he by them. His dear friend Joel Spreyragen kept me apprised of his situation with each visit to the hospital or with the family.
It was with deep sadness that we learned today of Lester's demise, he is a great loss to Jewish leadership and to the world. We share his family's sorrow and pray that they will know no more sorrow. May Lester's gentle soul rest in peace as he joins his best friend Bobby.
Sheila and Zvi Raviv
Wednesday, 29 September 2010
Chag Simchat Torah Sameach
100929
29th September 2010
Chag Sameach, Moadim le Simcha, Shana Tova and Happy Tabernacles
Britain, Italy, France, USA and Pakistan spent the last month wiping out an entire terror cell in Pakistan thus preventing a number of huge terror attacks in Europe - especially in the UK. They killed an entire cell of terrorists using unmanned drones to go in and pinpoint kill and no-one complained because no-one was aware. Why are those countries allowed to take out the killers and so save the lives of their citizens but Israel is not? We are constantly told that our pin-point killings of Hamas operatives, clear and present danger to Israel, are inhuman – maybe because Israelis are dehumanised in the press?
Barry Rubin wrote - Newsweek, in an article intended to tell us that any critique of the current government is a silly conspiracy theory, says that the Templars take their name from Solomon's Temple, the site of the al-Aqsa Mosque. Kind of makes you wonder if in future some day they will write an article saying that September 11 took place at the World Trade Center site of the Cordoba mosque.
The United Nations Commission of Inquiry into the Mavi Marmara incident came to foregone conclusions without most of the facts and whereby the only witnesses were the IHH people on board. When Israeli Supreme Court Judge Aharon Barak agreed to go to Geneva to be questioned on the legal issues the Commission suddenly announced that everyone had already gone home! http://blog.unwatch.org/index.php/2010/09/28/un-flotilla-probe-even-if-bin-laden-himself-were-on-ship-israels-blockade-still-illegal/
David Irving should start a new website called hatebook and get Ahmedinejad as his first friend. While Ahmedinejad was giving his hate filled speech in the United Nations in New York, a speech including Holocaust denial and accusations that the United States organised 9/11 to create political sympathy in the world David Irving was strutting in a Polish hotel room speaking to a full audience of 10 people from all over the world, stating that “everybody questioned the reports” coming out of Europe after the war and claiming that buildings were placed in Auschwitz after the war and that Hitler never knew what the place was anyway.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to the Plenary of the United Nations – not just as a speech but also in response to the hateful incitement of the speech of Ahmedinejad. The Prime Minister addressed Ahmedinejads denial of the Holocaust and also of his remarks concerning 9\/11 http://www.jewishpost.com/news/Benjamin-Netanyahu-Speech-at-the-UN.html
IDF navy boarded the yacht "Irene," which was taken to the Ashdod port for inspection of the cargo along with its passengers. The yacht was boarded without incident and no violence of any kind was used either by the passengers or the Israeli navy. Prior to boarding the yacht, the Israeli naval ships transmitted two warnings to its captain, making him aware that the Irene was breaking both Israeli and international law. How sad that these people divert the Israel Navy's attention from defending Israel and its citizens through their acts of provocation. This boat proudly claimed to be the Jewish Humanitarian Boat. Jewish boat? Humanitarian? Aid? Real Humanitarians would use their energy to help the Haitians who received less total aid to rebuild their stricken country than Gaza receives in one month!!!!
Succot, Tabernacles has been a crazy combination of parades, civic receptions in the huge municipal succah, children's events at the Bell Park, Sacker Park, the Carriage Theatre in the train station and so much more. Every park and funfair was filled to overflowing and the zoo had more animals looking in than looking out!!!! The Israel Museum had daily events for children and so did the Science Museum. Tonight the children will really go crazy as they follow the menfolk around the synagogues as they carry the Scrolls Book of the Torah to celebrate the end of the reading of the Torah and a return to the beginning following the cycle of life.
As we start a new Genesis, a new year, a fresh beginning, going back over the story of how we came to be as we do each year, each century, in every country of the world, let's pray that the world will see us for the marvellous giving nation we are and stop demonising Israel and dehumanising the Jewish people. All we want is to protect ourselves from the same terror that threatens the rest of the world, but ours is right here in our neighbourhood. In one way we are very lucky, at least we know who our enemies are.
I wish us all a wonderful year of greater understanding and if we cannot reach greater understanding of each other then at least a greater understanding of who our friends are.
With love from Jerusalem
Sheila
29th September 2010
Chag Sameach, Moadim le Simcha, Shana Tova and Happy Tabernacles
Britain, Italy, France, USA and Pakistan spent the last month wiping out an entire terror cell in Pakistan thus preventing a number of huge terror attacks in Europe - especially in the UK. They killed an entire cell of terrorists using unmanned drones to go in and pinpoint kill and no-one complained because no-one was aware. Why are those countries allowed to take out the killers and so save the lives of their citizens but Israel is not? We are constantly told that our pin-point killings of Hamas operatives, clear and present danger to Israel, are inhuman – maybe because Israelis are dehumanised in the press?
Barry Rubin wrote - Newsweek, in an article intended to tell us that any critique of the current government is a silly conspiracy theory, says that the Templars take their name from Solomon's Temple, the site of the al-Aqsa Mosque. Kind of makes you wonder if in future some day they will write an article saying that September 11 took place at the World Trade Center site of the Cordoba mosque.
The United Nations Commission of Inquiry into the Mavi Marmara incident came to foregone conclusions without most of the facts and whereby the only witnesses were the IHH people on board. When Israeli Supreme Court Judge Aharon Barak agreed to go to Geneva to be questioned on the legal issues the Commission suddenly announced that everyone had already gone home! http://blog.unwatch.org/index.php/2010/09/28/un-flotilla-probe-even-if-bin-laden-himself-were-on-ship-israels-blockade-still-illegal/
David Irving should start a new website called hatebook and get Ahmedinejad as his first friend. While Ahmedinejad was giving his hate filled speech in the United Nations in New York, a speech including Holocaust denial and accusations that the United States organised 9/11 to create political sympathy in the world David Irving was strutting in a Polish hotel room speaking to a full audience of 10 people from all over the world, stating that “everybody questioned the reports” coming out of Europe after the war and claiming that buildings were placed in Auschwitz after the war and that Hitler never knew what the place was anyway.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to the Plenary of the United Nations – not just as a speech but also in response to the hateful incitement of the speech of Ahmedinejad. The Prime Minister addressed Ahmedinejads denial of the Holocaust and also of his remarks concerning 9\/11 http://www.jewishpost.com/news/Benjamin-Netanyahu-Speech-at-the-UN.html
IDF navy boarded the yacht "Irene," which was taken to the Ashdod port for inspection of the cargo along with its passengers. The yacht was boarded without incident and no violence of any kind was used either by the passengers or the Israeli navy. Prior to boarding the yacht, the Israeli naval ships transmitted two warnings to its captain, making him aware that the Irene was breaking both Israeli and international law. How sad that these people divert the Israel Navy's attention from defending Israel and its citizens through their acts of provocation. This boat proudly claimed to be the Jewish Humanitarian Boat. Jewish boat? Humanitarian? Aid? Real Humanitarians would use their energy to help the Haitians who received less total aid to rebuild their stricken country than Gaza receives in one month!!!!
Succot, Tabernacles has been a crazy combination of parades, civic receptions in the huge municipal succah, children's events at the Bell Park, Sacker Park, the Carriage Theatre in the train station and so much more. Every park and funfair was filled to overflowing and the zoo had more animals looking in than looking out!!!! The Israel Museum had daily events for children and so did the Science Museum. Tonight the children will really go crazy as they follow the menfolk around the synagogues as they carry the Scrolls Book of the Torah to celebrate the end of the reading of the Torah and a return to the beginning following the cycle of life.
As we start a new Genesis, a new year, a fresh beginning, going back over the story of how we came to be as we do each year, each century, in every country of the world, let's pray that the world will see us for the marvellous giving nation we are and stop demonising Israel and dehumanising the Jewish people. All we want is to protect ourselves from the same terror that threatens the rest of the world, but ours is right here in our neighbourhood. In one way we are very lucky, at least we know who our enemies are.
I wish us all a wonderful year of greater understanding and if we cannot reach greater understanding of each other then at least a greater understanding of who our friends are.
With love from Jerusalem
Sheila
Friday, 17 September 2010
Yom haKippurim 5771
100916
16th September 2010.
The time for reflection is over and the time to beg forgiveness is upon us. Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.
If I have at any time offended you, albeit unintentionally, please forgive me
Forgive me for hasty judgement of our enemies, and for pre-judging people for their apparent alignments rather than their beliefs.
Forgive me for judging people by my standards and not their own.
Forgive me for expressing anger at our enemies rather than seeking solutions and anger at those who do nothing to defend themselves, ourselves or Israel. I sometimes forget that G-d understands human nature far better than I, He is slow to anger and does not expect the bigot to become lenient, the felon to reform or the killer to love, overnight.
Forgive me for not saying thank you enough. Thank you for friendship, loyalty to Israel, kindnesses; thank you for standing up to those who denigrate our amazing Israel.
We in turn have to forgive those who spoke untruths, scandal and hearsay about those we love and the country we love, if they are conscious enough to ask our forgiveness and thank G-d for true friends.
Praying for forgiveness and beating our chests it is not enough. Chanting is meaningless unless our prayers include the will to transform ourselves into better human beings and our world into a better world.
An awesome quiet will fall over the entire country, marking the uniqueness of this day. No cars, buses, trains, motor cycles; even the uge cement factory of Ramleh is open just 364 days a year. The only sounds to break the silence are the whoops of children as they cycle down empty roads and of course the ever diligent ambulances and doctors who are on call even on Yom Kippur. Homes attain an unfamiliar but welcome quiet as the television stations fall into silence too.
It was this silence that was broken by the sounds of telephones, whispered orders and cars in 1973, the Yom Kippur War broke out. Men in prayer shawls ran home to change into IDF uniform to fight an even higher cause – the survival of the State of Israel. Israel's neighbours attacked relying upon our unreadiness as a nation at prayer not at war. Maybe our fervent supplications were sufficient for Him to heed our prayers or maybe He was angry at our attackers for intruding upon on this Holy Day with their fanatical aggression, but we won that war. So while asking forgiveness, thank G-d for giving us the strength to fight for the State of Israel. http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/73_War.html
Just as Anwar Sadat waged war on Israel on Yom Kippur 1973 then bravely came to Jerusalem to speak before the Knesset, arm in arm with his former arch–enemy Menachem Begin, to create a lasting peace, so I pray that this coming year 5771 of the Jewish calendar we will see our enemies declare peace not war and finally recognize us as a Jewish State.
Gmar Chatima Tova
16th September 2010.
The time for reflection is over and the time to beg forgiveness is upon us. Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.
If I have at any time offended you, albeit unintentionally, please forgive me
Forgive me for hasty judgement of our enemies, and for pre-judging people for their apparent alignments rather than their beliefs.
Forgive me for judging people by my standards and not their own.
Forgive me for expressing anger at our enemies rather than seeking solutions and anger at those who do nothing to defend themselves, ourselves or Israel. I sometimes forget that G-d understands human nature far better than I, He is slow to anger and does not expect the bigot to become lenient, the felon to reform or the killer to love, overnight.
Forgive me for not saying thank you enough. Thank you for friendship, loyalty to Israel, kindnesses; thank you for standing up to those who denigrate our amazing Israel.
We in turn have to forgive those who spoke untruths, scandal and hearsay about those we love and the country we love, if they are conscious enough to ask our forgiveness and thank G-d for true friends.
Praying for forgiveness and beating our chests it is not enough. Chanting is meaningless unless our prayers include the will to transform ourselves into better human beings and our world into a better world.
An awesome quiet will fall over the entire country, marking the uniqueness of this day. No cars, buses, trains, motor cycles; even the uge cement factory of Ramleh is open just 364 days a year. The only sounds to break the silence are the whoops of children as they cycle down empty roads and of course the ever diligent ambulances and doctors who are on call even on Yom Kippur. Homes attain an unfamiliar but welcome quiet as the television stations fall into silence too.
It was this silence that was broken by the sounds of telephones, whispered orders and cars in 1973, the Yom Kippur War broke out. Men in prayer shawls ran home to change into IDF uniform to fight an even higher cause – the survival of the State of Israel. Israel's neighbours attacked relying upon our unreadiness as a nation at prayer not at war. Maybe our fervent supplications were sufficient for Him to heed our prayers or maybe He was angry at our attackers for intruding upon on this Holy Day with their fanatical aggression, but we won that war. So while asking forgiveness, thank G-d for giving us the strength to fight for the State of Israel. http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/73_War.html
Just as Anwar Sadat waged war on Israel on Yom Kippur 1973 then bravely came to Jerusalem to speak before the Knesset, arm in arm with his former arch–enemy Menachem Begin, to create a lasting peace, so I pray that this coming year 5771 of the Jewish calendar we will see our enemies declare peace not war and finally recognize us as a Jewish State.
Gmar Chatima Tova
Wednesday, 8 September 2010
Shana Tova 2010/5771
שנה טובה לכל עם ישראל וחבריה
A good year to all the people of Israel and their friends
My prayers for the New Year are for
tolerance and understanding
truth and recognition
generosity of spirit and of pocket
and self-love that rises above calls to war.
I pray that the world's children have a childhood
and their parents are able to raise them in freedom and determination to give back to our world.
Above all I pray that we, the Jewish people will find our unity, our common ground because we have enough enemies outside.
I wish you all a year of joy, health and fulfillment and is our tradition I hope that during the last year I have not offended anyone in my desire to extol the virtues of the most amazing country in the world- and if I have I beg forgiveness.
Shana Tova for 5771
Five thousand, seven hundred and seventy one years of tradition and we are still here and stronger than ever before.
NOW WE HAVE OUR OWN COUNTRY
A good year to all the people of Israel and their friends
My prayers for the New Year are for
tolerance and understanding
truth and recognition
generosity of spirit and of pocket
and self-love that rises above calls to war.
I pray that the world's children have a childhood
and their parents are able to raise them in freedom and determination to give back to our world.
Above all I pray that we, the Jewish people will find our unity, our common ground because we have enough enemies outside.
I wish you all a year of joy, health and fulfillment and is our tradition I hope that during the last year I have not offended anyone in my desire to extol the virtues of the most amazing country in the world- and if I have I beg forgiveness.
Shana Tova for 5771
Five thousand, seven hundred and seventy one years of tradition and we are still here and stronger than ever before.
NOW WE HAVE OUR OWN COUNTRY
Friday, 3 September 2010
Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem
100903
September 3rd 2010.
Shabbat Shalom dear friends. Shabbat Shalom as we enter the last period of Atonement before the New Jewish Year. Actually it is a misnomer because it is the seventh month of the year but as always, in Judaism things are not as they seem – but for very good reason! http://judaism.about.com/od/holidays/a/roshhashanah.htm
Everybody's eyes are on Washington as we watched King Abdullah, President Mubarak, Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas come forward to the rostrum with President Obama able to temper our cynicism with another portion of hope. Every one of the four Middle Eastern leaders came to the table aware that despite American pressure this dispute will not be settled in a day, a month nor a year.
PM Netanyahu spoke brilliantly of his willingness to go far in return for a secure and true peace and reminded those present of the heinous killing the day before next to Kiriat Arba, of Yitzhak Ames and his wife Tali, Kochava Even-Haim and Avishai Schindler. He knew that one of the first people on the scene was a ZAKA volunteer paramedic who discovered that his wife Kochava was one of the victims in this cowardly attempt to scupper the talks.
May their souls rest in peace and their families, especially the 7 orphans, know no more sorrow.
What complicates any attempt at a peaceful solution, is that Hamas, quite apart from encouraging children to celebrate in the streets over the "success" of killing Jews, has declared its intent to continue the killings.
All four of the leaders present at the Washington talks are serious – they all face the same enemy, including Mahmoud Abbas; they face Hamas, Hezb-Allah, Islamic Jihad, Al Qaeeda, Moslem Broterhood….. fundamentalists who are bent on changing the face of the M.E. and then Europe and the USA- all supported by Iran, the new and proud owner of a nuclear facility.
Among the elements which must be considered before any agreement can be reached – Before considering the "right of return" of Palestinian refugees to the 4th generation – the rights of 900,000 Jewish refugees from Arab countries who have never been compensated; before recreating history -historic rights, biblical rights, national rights; before talking of human rights - oppression, corruption, ethnic cleansing of Christians in both sectors of the PA and violent terrorism and the abuse of children by taking away their childhood and teaching hatred and war in schools. Deputy Minister Danny Ayalon wrote "As a descendant of a family forced out of Algeria, my father and I – and the millions of other Jews from families who were expelled from Arab countries after 1948 – are entitled to redress. " http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-EdContributors/Article.aspx?id=186742
When I explained the elements of the dispute that are not reported in the media and oft ignored by diplomats to a friend, her response was "The PA a kleptocracy ruled by armed thugs, cronyism and corruption running rampant, etc. not to mention HAMAS. It does remind me of someone who's delusional to make airy-fairy claims about "Peace" given the realities." While a large part of me agrees wit every word, we must try, we must move forward and leave our battles behind us; change as Sadat and Begin did, FOR A REAL PEACE.
Israel stands ready to provide 800 trucks a day to Gaza but there is zero demand for any goods by the PA more than 140 trucks maximum.From the slightly surreal to the ridiculous. Former MP George Galloway, not satisfied with being evicted by Egypt for his Gaza escapades, is now planning a "Free Gaza" Convoy and is trying to raise funding from a Florida Mosque. Do you think someone should tell him that Gaza is free of Jews, has been for years now, and that they don't need any food or aid because Israel is ready to provide 800 trucks of aid a day to Gaza but there is zero demand for any goods by the PA more than 140 trucks maximum. (Thanks to Barry Shaw for the statistics)
Finally on the news front to the utterly insane. Israeli Knesset Member Hanin Zou'bi: I Do Not Represent the State of Israel but the Palestinian Struggle In an interview for the website Elaph.com, Israeli Arab Knesset Member Hanin Zou'bi of the Balad party said that she sees herself as a representative not of Israel but rather of the struggle of the Palestinian people, and as such does not recognize Israel as a Jewish state. http://www.thememriblog.org/blog_personal/en/30001.htm Are we crazy? A few rights have been taken from her for lying and taking part in the Flotilla but if she doesn't represent Israel, she is in the Knesset under false pretenses and false oaths of allegiance. THROW HER OUT!!! I don't care how many screams come from the civil rights groups she is a traitor!
On Monday I went to the movies with our dear friends Rosa and Bernardo. We went to see the movie La Rafle – The Round up, about the rounding up of France's Jews during WW2. The presentation is astonishing, the acting excellent and the story excruciatingly true. It makes essential viewing as one realizes how easy it is to dehumanise, separate and then cull those with whom you disagree. On Tuesday I went to Mamilla with Irit Lev to see some of her sculptures which are on display. Mamilla Mall is always busy, always a hive of activity which inevitably involves eating, either sitting in the multitude of kerbside restaurants or eating the delicious ice creams as one walks. In Israel even a visit to the Botanical Gardens involves eating phenomenal salads!! Come to think of it, a visit to the Petrol Station in Nayot is a culinary delight for Zvi's Parliament!!
Last night Zvi came back from Argentina and Uruguay for the Jewish Agency. He visited schools, synagogues, homes, community centers and spoke of Israel, every aspect, every view and answered the inevitable questions. My husband is the best and I do not apologise for bragging!! His knowledge is so broad, is voice so clear, is vocabulary so rich and he makes it all sound so exciting and interesting even when he quotes historical dates and events!!!
Jerusalem is preparing for Shabbat. The roads are emptying, the houses fill with aromas of ethnic cooking representing not only the Ashkenazi epicurean delights but those of so many Arab countries from whence the refugees came – not refugees for long because they did not need to seek asylum they came home. The people of my generation understand what it meant to live in a world without Israel; the fragility of the Jewish situation whereby "The Roundup" could happen any time any where. We have to protect our country, we have to ensure that it really never happens again, because it can and it may if we don't stop the rot now.
For your New Years Tikkun Olam resolution, promise to stand up for yourselves, your beliefs, your rights and your people while always caring what happens to others.
Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem , heart of our world
Sheila
September 3rd 2010.
Shabbat Shalom dear friends. Shabbat Shalom as we enter the last period of Atonement before the New Jewish Year. Actually it is a misnomer because it is the seventh month of the year but as always, in Judaism things are not as they seem – but for very good reason! http://judaism.about.com/od/holidays/a/roshhashanah.htm
Everybody's eyes are on Washington as we watched King Abdullah, President Mubarak, Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas come forward to the rostrum with President Obama able to temper our cynicism with another portion of hope. Every one of the four Middle Eastern leaders came to the table aware that despite American pressure this dispute will not be settled in a day, a month nor a year.
PM Netanyahu spoke brilliantly of his willingness to go far in return for a secure and true peace and reminded those present of the heinous killing the day before next to Kiriat Arba, of Yitzhak Ames and his wife Tali, Kochava Even-Haim and Avishai Schindler. He knew that one of the first people on the scene was a ZAKA volunteer paramedic who discovered that his wife Kochava was one of the victims in this cowardly attempt to scupper the talks.
May their souls rest in peace and their families, especially the 7 orphans, know no more sorrow.
What complicates any attempt at a peaceful solution, is that Hamas, quite apart from encouraging children to celebrate in the streets over the "success" of killing Jews, has declared its intent to continue the killings.
All four of the leaders present at the Washington talks are serious – they all face the same enemy, including Mahmoud Abbas; they face Hamas, Hezb-Allah, Islamic Jihad, Al Qaeeda, Moslem Broterhood….. fundamentalists who are bent on changing the face of the M.E. and then Europe and the USA- all supported by Iran, the new and proud owner of a nuclear facility.
Among the elements which must be considered before any agreement can be reached – Before considering the "right of return" of Palestinian refugees to the 4th generation – the rights of 900,000 Jewish refugees from Arab countries who have never been compensated; before recreating history -historic rights, biblical rights, national rights; before talking of human rights - oppression, corruption, ethnic cleansing of Christians in both sectors of the PA and violent terrorism and the abuse of children by taking away their childhood and teaching hatred and war in schools. Deputy Minister Danny Ayalon wrote "As a descendant of a family forced out of Algeria, my father and I – and the millions of other Jews from families who were expelled from Arab countries after 1948 – are entitled to redress. " http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-EdContributors/Article.aspx?id=186742
When I explained the elements of the dispute that are not reported in the media and oft ignored by diplomats to a friend, her response was "The PA a kleptocracy ruled by armed thugs, cronyism and corruption running rampant, etc. not to mention HAMAS. It does remind me of someone who's delusional to make airy-fairy claims about "Peace" given the realities." While a large part of me agrees wit every word, we must try, we must move forward and leave our battles behind us; change as Sadat and Begin did, FOR A REAL PEACE.
Israel stands ready to provide 800 trucks a day to Gaza but there is zero demand for any goods by the PA more than 140 trucks maximum.From the slightly surreal to the ridiculous. Former MP George Galloway, not satisfied with being evicted by Egypt for his Gaza escapades, is now planning a "Free Gaza" Convoy and is trying to raise funding from a Florida Mosque. Do you think someone should tell him that Gaza is free of Jews, has been for years now, and that they don't need any food or aid because Israel is ready to provide 800 trucks of aid a day to Gaza but there is zero demand for any goods by the PA more than 140 trucks maximum. (Thanks to Barry Shaw for the statistics)
Finally on the news front to the utterly insane. Israeli Knesset Member Hanin Zou'bi: I Do Not Represent the State of Israel but the Palestinian Struggle In an interview for the website Elaph.com, Israeli Arab Knesset Member Hanin Zou'bi of the Balad party said that she sees herself as a representative not of Israel but rather of the struggle of the Palestinian people, and as such does not recognize Israel as a Jewish state. http://www.thememriblog.org/blog_personal/en/30001.htm Are we crazy? A few rights have been taken from her for lying and taking part in the Flotilla but if she doesn't represent Israel, she is in the Knesset under false pretenses and false oaths of allegiance. THROW HER OUT!!! I don't care how many screams come from the civil rights groups she is a traitor!
On Monday I went to the movies with our dear friends Rosa and Bernardo. We went to see the movie La Rafle – The Round up, about the rounding up of France's Jews during WW2. The presentation is astonishing, the acting excellent and the story excruciatingly true. It makes essential viewing as one realizes how easy it is to dehumanise, separate and then cull those with whom you disagree. On Tuesday I went to Mamilla with Irit Lev to see some of her sculptures which are on display. Mamilla Mall is always busy, always a hive of activity which inevitably involves eating, either sitting in the multitude of kerbside restaurants or eating the delicious ice creams as one walks. In Israel even a visit to the Botanical Gardens involves eating phenomenal salads!! Come to think of it, a visit to the Petrol Station in Nayot is a culinary delight for Zvi's Parliament!!
Last night Zvi came back from Argentina and Uruguay for the Jewish Agency. He visited schools, synagogues, homes, community centers and spoke of Israel, every aspect, every view and answered the inevitable questions. My husband is the best and I do not apologise for bragging!! His knowledge is so broad, is voice so clear, is vocabulary so rich and he makes it all sound so exciting and interesting even when he quotes historical dates and events!!!
Jerusalem is preparing for Shabbat. The roads are emptying, the houses fill with aromas of ethnic cooking representing not only the Ashkenazi epicurean delights but those of so many Arab countries from whence the refugees came – not refugees for long because they did not need to seek asylum they came home. The people of my generation understand what it meant to live in a world without Israel; the fragility of the Jewish situation whereby "The Roundup" could happen any time any where. We have to protect our country, we have to ensure that it really never happens again, because it can and it may if we don't stop the rot now.
For your New Years Tikkun Olam resolution, promise to stand up for yourselves, your beliefs, your rights and your people while always caring what happens to others.
Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem , heart of our world
Sheila
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