170811
11th
August 2017
Shabbat
Shalom dear friends.
As I
looked at the date I suddenly remembered that a saga began on this day – a romantic
saga. On August the 11th 1935 two incredible people held their wedding in Walm
Lane Synagogue in London and a young fashion designer chose to leave the hip
centre of design in the West End of London for the simpler beauty of Wales to
start a family and raise four children in a fairy tale environment. Yes, Betty
(Regina) Glicker became Betty Silver as she stood under the chuppah and married
her Jack, the were to become my parents. They set the standard on many levels,
of how to express love. I always remember how our family room had a traditional
3 piece suite, two armchairs and a sofa, and we children used to sit on the
sofa and my parents in the armchairs to watch the television on our 12"
screened Baird, black and white television. Before long, Mummy would remove the
seat cushion from the armchair and lay it on the floor next to Daddy and sit
with her head on his knee as he stroked her hair. Simultaneously he would hook
his leg over the arm of his chair and with his slipper he would tap tap tap on
the carved dark oak fire surround next to him which drove her crazy! Such is
marriage, the amazing with the annoying – it all depends on the ratio!
Talking
of ratio
– a very strange event took place this week. Prime Minister Netanyahu and
the Likud party held a huge rally in support of the PM, basically against
the judicial system and the police, because of the projected charges of
corruption and misuse of power against Mr, Mrs, and young Yair Netanyahu. I
can't remember such an event although many people in power faced investigations
and worse – but to be the main speaker at an event which suggests that the
judicial system and police are colluding to bring your government down is more
than a little surreal. That famous line from Hamlet "The lady doth protest too much, methinks."
Comes to mind. Equally from Hamlet is the famous quote "Something
is rotten in the state of Denmark."
Denmark to North Korea is quite a leap and hardly a leap
of faith. Both Democrats (Clinton) and Republicans (Bush) signed nuclear proliferation
treaties with North Korea which should
have been a bitter example to President Obama in the case of the treaty with
Iran. Broken promises and dire threats began with attacks on South Korea and
now their ballistic missiles are capable of reaching your land and certainly
mine. Kim Jong-Un https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Jong-un
is not what one would call the most stable personality on the world stage. He
is a demagogue, with aspirations to world domination. His outbursts are made
all the more frightening by the strange staccato language of his lackeys in the
media who make announcements to strike fear in the hearts of his people and all
of us. We are not used to straight talking, if somewhat ineloquent, statements
from the White House. We are used to elegant, wordy, diplomatic statements
which have sadly been ineffective; perhaps a bit of straight talking is what is
needed. I am reminded of the elegantly eloquent but equally spontaneous
President Kennedy in the Cuban Missile Crisis. The standoff was no less dangerous
and the threat on the USA's doorstep. By not backing down and clever use of the
power of rhetoric, the missiles removed by Russia without consulting Castro and
the threat slowly disappeared. Castro would never be Americas friend but that
is better than a state of war. http://nsarchive.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB393/
Sunday
night the Feinsod family returned to stay with us. Silvia, Avraham, David and
Alex carefully prepared for Alex's bar mitzvah beside the Kotel the next
morning. His actual bar mitzvah took place in Mexico but his dream was to say
his brachot (blessings) beside the Kotel – and his parents obviously wanted to
make his dream come true. Zvi organised a Rabbi and Silvia did what she does
best – raced around finding everything she wanted to make his special occasion
perfect, right down to a kippa (skullcap) with his name embroidered on it!!!
They set off early with Zvi and after a few hiccups managed to meet up as Zvi
determinedly grabbed a table for the Sefer Torah and family only to find that
Avraham had beaten him to it! The ceremony took place to great joy with members
of the Mexican and Israeli family. I met them later in Mamilla for breakfast and
everyone seemed very satisfied. I was extra thrilled to see Rosie, Jaime and
family there – Rosie promised me some of her phenomenal Mexican catering any
time I want! In addition some frozen avocado and tortillas so I can make guacamole
any time I want!!!
We seem
to be continuing themes today so I will continue with the Mexican theme and
take you to a very special ceremony and award to one of the most amazing men in
the Jewish world. Daniel – Danny- Liwerant is a good man. He is a
leader, an example, a man who has given his life to the Jewish world in general
and to Latin America in particular. Yesterday the Latin American Olim Society
chose to give Danny a special Yakir award for his unending support. The title Yakir
means dear or special – and Danny is just that. The ceremony and those who came to honour
Danny show love for the man. Danny is a mensch, as Zvi's school friend they
have remained tight friends and Zvi loves and admires Danny enormously. A man
of his word who understands that our Jewish world needs strong leaders who are
willing to stand up and be counted. http://www.kh-uia.org.il/En/Aboutus/struct/World-Executive/Pages/Daniel-Liwerant.aspx
Mario
Lev
is the motor and the heart behind the OLA (Olim Latin America) Society. An
incredibly kind and humble man he made it his project to help those who came on
Aliya to become acclimatized and absorbed into Israeli society. Natan
Scharansky and Greg Masel (Chairman of KH) spoke and both remembered being new
Olim. Greg made me laugh when he realised that Natan, Greg and I were the only
people in the room who couldn't speak Spanish!!! His memory of Aliya, like
mine, was of the British Olim Society Offices in Jerusalem. After a full week
of standing dutifully in the queue for the bus Greg noticed the same sign I
found in the office "10 ways to become an Israeli" Number 10 stated
clearly that you become an Israeli when you are the last in line for the bus
but the first on board!!!!!
I
cannot speak about Danny without mentioning his wife Judit. Judit is
wonderwoman in real life. Professor Judit Bokser Liwerant is Professor of Political Science at the Universidad
Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM); Distinguished Visiting Professor at The
Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Member of the Mexican Academy of Science and a
Member of the National Research System; Principal Editor of the Mexican Journal
of Political and Social Science and Co-editor of the Brill Book Series on
Jewish Identities in a Changing World, Despite all this Judit is an incredibly
supportive wife, mother and grandmother… and friend.
Just as I whispered to Judit that I was surprised
Zvi had resisted getting up to sing in Spanish with the young vocalist – he did!!
To the surprise of the delighted audience he sang in his incredible bass
baritone – thrilled as the response!!!!
One hears about incidents all over the world
where women in hijabs are harassed in the street (to say nothing of Jews with
kippas) I thought this video of women in hijabs in Israel was pertinent https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbYopiz6sLg In Israel no hijab is derided or removed from
fear. Pertinent? Well Rabbi Jeremy Rosen discussed the question of hiding
ones Jewish or Israeli identity for fear of being harassed or attacked. Have we returned to
pre-1939 fears? Are we trying to be inconspicuous? Would I still walk around
London with my Ani Zioni badge? Have we become the archetypal Uriah Heep character,
submissive and compliant rather than daring to stand up? Perhaps one should
take our bravery from Shylocks speech in the Merchant of Venice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th7euZ30wDE
Another
option is to take on the might of Twitter like this amazing young man https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzMTBINlLFU
This
weeks parasha
– Torah reading is Eikev and it describes how Moses upbrades his people, he was
so disappointed that they displayed ingratitude and disobeyed the word of G-d
after He had sustained them with manna and guided their path, yet they still
built the Golden Calf. Gosh is it ever appropriate today?
So we
are off to Tuscany with Zvi's boys and their families. We will rest and play,
swim and walk, enjoy the beauty of Tuscany and search out history. I may not
write next week so please excuse me. I pray that there will be nothing
important to break into our rest time.
Music
Sometimes
understanding the words of a song is irrelevant. So it is with Yiddish, the
language of my forefathers which is so expressive it needs no more. Dudu Fisher
and Sassy Keshet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeG0YFFjGGw
Od Yavo
Shalom Aleinu ve al coolam - means Peace will come to us and to everyone. It is
a prayer, a yearning, a plea – Shalom Salaam https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4HViPVymlo
The smells
and sounds of Shabbat have begun in our neighbourhood; the air redolent with
the aromas wafting through the air, evocative of the provenance of each family.
Morocco and Kurdistan each have their own Kubeh soup – essential pre-Shabbat
lunch even on steaming hot days of summer. One is sour with celery and lemon,
the meaty dumplings satisfying hunger and the other is sweeter, rich red with
beetroot. Tunisian hamin with brown eggs and lots of beans and fiery fish
chreimeh; Yemenite Kubana and Jachnun (if you never tasted jachnun with grated
tomatoes you haven't lived); Ashkenaz chicken soup, gefilte fish, cholent and
roast chicken; and probably that singularly Jerusalem delicacy that I am
learning to like Jerusalem kugel. It is a weird combination of sweet and
peppery, made with noodles and oil, and eggs it is conceivably the least
healthy dish yet is also incredibly popular!!!
So
that's it! Are your tummies rumbling
with the thought of all that epicurean travel in one country? No burgers, fish
and chips or pasta for us………… although we love them all – it's not Shabbat and
it's not tradition!!!!
Shabbat
Shalom dear friends. With all our love from our beloved Jerusalem
Sheila
A
special Mazal Tov to my niece Sophie and her new husband Rhys and to Ronnie,
Sandie, Adam and Deborah. So sorry I couldn't be with you but my heart was
right there.
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