170623
23rd
June 2017
Shabbat
Shalom dear friends. I hope this missive finds you well and if you do not feel
good today then tomorrow will be better.
I
decided to stay away from politics wherever possible this week, just to tell
you about our week and what we did. I must, however tell you about a very sad
incident that happened next to the Damascus Gate last Friday. Young soldiers of
the Border Guards stand beside the entrance to the Damascus Gate where most
Moslems from outside the Old City walk to go to pray on the Temple Mount. This
is the month of Holy Ramadan and worshippers come from all over the country and
from Gaza and the PA.
The
Damascus Gate
is arguably the most beautiful of the gates of the Old City http://www.jpost.com/Travel/Around-Israel/Sites-and-Insights-Gates-of-Jerusalem
. Once upon a time Jerusalemites used to go opposite the gate for the wonderful
pitta, before casually wandering in the Jewish Musrara area just nearby. That
was before Yasser Arafat began his incitement of course.
Last
Friday as they stood watch to ensure the safety of the worshippers. One of the
guards, Staff Sergeant Hadas Malka, aged 23 took a selfie and sent it to
her friends before three young men began stabbing her all over her body.
Despite the best efforts of the ambulance paramedic- incidentally a Moslem
Israeli who fought to save her despite risking his own life - and hospital
staff they ultimately succeeding in their desire to kill and be killed in the
name of Allah and ISIS. http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Hadas-Malka-killed-by-terrorist-at-Damascus-Gate-remembered-as-loving-brave-warrior-497112 May her sweet soul rest in peace and her
family be consoled among the mourners of Zion.
Sadly
the BBC headline
did not mention Hadas z"l, it stated that the IDF shot 3 Palestinians. The
headline was so outrageous that Jared Kushner joined Mr Netanyahu in ensuring the
headline be retracted – but in the meantime millions of adherents to the
disinformation of the BBC already thought Israel had cruelly shot innocent
Palestinians again.
One
more thing – after all the shouting and yelling about the situation of the
European citizens who are in the UK for a long period and made their lives
there – Corbyn followers convinced that they would all be thrown out, Theresa
May said yesterday that it simply isn't true, anyone who has been in the
country for over five years will not even have to go through any procedures to
stay in the UK.
In the
meantime ISIS blew up a famous mosque in Mosul (Nineveh); a 6.8 earthquake hit
Guatamala; tens of people died in a bomb attack on a bank in Afghanistan; In
Venezuela police shot at close range at protestors in a peaceful rally; Prince
Harry says nobody really wants to be the King or Queen of Great Britain and the
Commonwealth but they would serve dutifully; Pyongyang announced that President
Trump is a bully for complaining about the treatment of an American student who
was imprisoned and ill-treated for taking a poster off a wall – and he
ultimately died – while simultaneously testing a ballistic missile which they
say is aimed at the USA; Woody Johnson, owner of the New York Jets and
billionaire has been chosen as the US Ambassador to the UK – not the first time
it has happened, remember Joseph Kennedy? OK so who thinks that a heatwave is
of importance? In the general way of the world it is the least of our
worries!!!
Uzi
Wexler
z"l passed away this week. Those who live outside Israel, and many who
live in Israel, believe it was Teddy Kollek who made Jerusalem blossom. In fact
it was the brilliant foresight of Uzi Wexler who brought the Hi-Tech industry
to Jerusalem and so very much more. A man who believed in Tikkun Olam and acted
on it. Sadly missed
OK I
promised to tell you about our week, so will begin with after Shabbat on
Saturday evening when we travelled to Tel Aviv, to the home of Gideon and Dafna
Fisher to an event thanking the supporters of Beit Lessin Theatre in Tel
Aviv. We aren't among the glitterati who support but we were invited nonetheless.
There I was thrilled to meet Sasson Gabay who you have seen in hundreds
of movies without knowing who he is. My very favourite movie of his is
"Band's Visit" a wonderful story of hope https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWYlLb0jm8U
On Monday
I went to a conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs called "Echo
Chamber – a conference on hate speech on the internet" and if I may
use the very British expression, I was
gobsmacked! The most effective presentation was by the Simon Wiesenthal Center
who, unbeknownst to me have a very strong presence in fighting hate speech on
the net and work closely with the authorities, most recently with Scotland
Yard. I had no concept of the vast number of websites that young people reach
each other or the complexity of finding them and their incitement of young
gullible minds. http://digitalhate.net/index.
Incidentally, if someone has ever written something
libelous about you on the net, a new law gives you the right to have it
removed. The Right to be Forgotten http://searchengineland.com/google-right-to-be-forgotten-form-192837
While I was at the conference Zvi went to see Gilad
Levian, the Director of the Italian Synagogue and Museum in the Centre
of Jerusalem to see a wonderful new exhibition about the Jews of Venice, When
the Jews were finally allowed to live in Venice they were given a specific area
to live in and theretofore the term Ghetto was coined for the Jewish areas.
Ghetto however was the name of the major foundry in the said area. http://ijamuseum.org/museum/the-museum/the-museum/
Tuesday saw us walking toward the Knesset, across the forecourt, scene of many ceremonies attended in our past,
festooned with Israeli flags, to an event hosted by Member of Knesset Yaacov
Perry, former Chief of the Israeli Secret Service. MK Perry is head of the
Israeli music lobby in the Knesset and chose to honour choirs from all over
Israel. Of course the first person to appear before us was Shuli Natan who is
known for just one song, but what a song!!!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HofjyNJi2ZE
The event finished early so we decided that on the
way to collecting the car we would go and see…………….. Wonderwoman!!! What
can I tell you. It isn't the greatest movie I ever saw, although entertaining,
but I am so proud of Gal Gadot that it is irrelevant. She decided, quite
rightly, that she had nothing to be ashamed of and proclaims her Jewish, Israeli,
IDF personality with pride, answering inane questions like "Did you learn
your fighting skills in the IDF"? with amused truth "No, it is a
defence force not an attacking force". Thrilled that many Islamic
countries chose to ban the movie but it isn't because she is Israeli – it's
because she is gorgeous, strong and doesn't need a man to fight her battles!!!!
Despite my telling you not to complain about the
weather but, boy oh boy is it hot!!! In fact next week, as a welcome for the
Jewish Agency Board meetings, it is going to be 40 degrees in Jerusalem.
F-O-R-T-Y degrees that is 104 degrees Fahrenheit!!!
Today is our wedding anniversary! 21 years ago Zvi and I stood together under the chuppah (wedding canopy)
beneath the skies of Jerusalem, opposite the Old City walls, after Zvi had
signed the Ketuba (marriage contract) in Alan and Bonnie Cohens home. The
chuppah poles were decorate by my children and the poles were held by Leor,
Amiad, Gideon and Valeri Silver. Rachel and Jill were my maids of honour and my
lovely cousins Jean and Stuart were my proxy parents while Zvi's parents Kalman
and Alla stood beside him. We held the party in Yismach Melech Street outside
Alan and Bonnies home (it helps to know the residents representative) and we
had wonderful music and catering. We closed the street off with police barriers
(ooooops is there a statute of limitations on "borrowing" them from
the road?) Friends from all over the world were here for the Jewish Agency
meetings and it was a truly joyous occasion. To stand on a balmy evening, the
walls behind us singing "If I forget thee oh Jerusalem" and as Rabbi
David Rosen proclaimed us married and Zvi broke the glass, 400 shofars sounded
from the rehearsal ceremony for the lighting of the City Walls right next to
us!!!!!! Our lives are full, our children have grown and have children of their
own, sadly many of those who stood beside us have gone, but our lives are full
and our purpose for Tikkun Olam untarnished.
Tonight we will celebrate with friends who were not
at the wedding but have come to mean a very great deal in our lives. They each
work hard to make change for the good. I won't name them but know that we are
having a totally "Yiddische" meal – Borscht, gefilte fisch, veggie
cholent, herring, potato kugel, tsimmes, red cabbage, Jerusalem kugel….. most
of which I made (without gluten for one guest) but there are some things that
are simply best from Mea Shearim!!! Zvi raced from the house first thing this
morning and went to collect the gefilte fisch we ordered, and came home with it
piping hot!! The menu will be in Yiddisch, Ruti don't tell the others! Zvi and
I simply love to celebrate, we love to have people in our home because a house
without friends isn't a home, it is a house. I will also have another place
setting ready – just in case. That is what my Mummy taught me, always keep one
place setting ready so that if an unexpected guest arrives you can fit them in
without a fuss.
Tonight our lovely Kim arrives from Cardston, near
Calgary, Alberta Canada. Dr Kimball Taylor is purportedly coming for the
Jewish Agency meetings – but really it is for a hug and to see his beloved
Jerusalem.
That's it! A crazy week again, but a fascinating
one. And so to music – the most difficult choice of the week! So much to choose
from.
The first song is dedicated to my Zvi – even if he forgot to bring me flowers!!! Erev Shel Shoshanim https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SxSmMUFsNM
Duo Re'im, Yisrael and Benny, were guests at our wedding and gave us a phenomenal performance as
our gift! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dz6TOgI4JIA
So to the aroma of all the Heimische delicacies I
need to get back to my preparations. I wish you a Shabbat filled with good
deeds and kind people, of tolerance and joy
With love from our beautiful Jerusalem. Tonight we
will stand on the veranda, looking at the twinkling lights of a vibrant city, a
city we dreamed of for 2,000 years and today lays before us as living proof
that hope wins.
Hatikva in the Holocaust
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zA7ihcXGzQ
and sung by the progeny of survivors https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T885WA_PGJI
Sheila and her Zvi and their veranda
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