356
27th of September 2024
Shabbat shalom to everyone, each and every one of you. Perhaps the greeting Shalom has deeper meaning now than almost any time in our history.
I thought about writing a tirade about the farce playing out in the current session of the United Nations, but it has become boring, not worth the time it would take to describe the lack of credibility, the inanity of the speeches and the voices that are given a microphone to express their lies and calumny toward this tiny, really tiny, stretch of land. Josep Borell is a disgrace and when the Palestinian Authority Chairman/President Mahmoud Abbas, the representative of a non-existent country, stands before the plenum and declares that Israel should be stripped of her membership, I believe that the UN reached the end of its useful life.
Time and again we hear that our war is with Lebanon, but that is not true. I have been reading about the Hezb-Allah take over of that once beautiful, free, Christian country. It makes fascinating reading. Not only the assassination of Prime Minister Hariri but the gradual insertion of the extremists into the Lebanese government. The agreement was to split the Premiership, that is Prime Minister and Presidency, between the Christian sector and the Hezb-Allah and Shia Moslem sector to make for even handed governance. Nasrallah has been the leader of Hezb-Allah since 1992 and it is their growing presence in southern Lebanon that has time and again created conflict. Why? Hezb-Allah is Shia Moslem and has the unwavering support of Iran, inn fact, their policy and arsenal come directly from Iran. We do not, I repeat, do not have a war with the people of Lebanon, unlike Gaza, there is a firm and strong opposition to Iran and her proxies within the country as both the Christian (who want their country back) and Lebanese Druze are against the conflict. Because this is the Middle East, it is complicated but I hope it has helped you a little bit.
I’m sure you have heard that Hezb-Allah has a huge arsenal provided by Iran, nothing new in that but this week we found out, predominantly through the Israeli media and the IDF, that they built huge homes, luxurious home with pools and hot tubs in the manicured gardens, installed families in those homes, but with a twist. Each family that moved into that home had a large space on the top floor in which, wait for it, there was a cruise missile! Seriously, families with children living in specially built launch pads for cruise missiles aimed at Israeli towns and villages, capable of reaching Tel Aviv and the South. Unbelievable.
The pinpoint killing of Hezb-Allah leaders shows the accuracy of our Air Force as one sees a specific apartment in a large building is the only one damaged. Among those targetted this week, Ibrahim Awil who was responsible for the 1983 bombing of US embassy in Beirut in which 63 people died including 17 Americans. If you thought that we, Israel is the only target for these killers, you are wrong. We are the excuse, you are the target.
Did you know that the Mossad, that much maligned Israeli security service whose name translates as the “organisation”, succeeded in preventing no less than 50 major incidents worldwide, attacks on Jews and Jewish communities? Well, they did!
Hannah Arendt was one of the most influential political commentators of the 20th century. I quote
This constant lying is not aimed at making the people believe a lie, but at ensuring that no one believes anything anymore. A people that can no longer distinguish between truth and lies cannot distinguish between right and wrong. And such a people, deprived of the power to think and judge, is, without knowing and willing it, completely subjected to the rule of lies. With such a people, you can do whatever you want.”
It is almost a year since the tragedy, the massacre at the Nova Festival and the farming communities of the South of Israel by drug and religion crazed Hamas terrorists who laughed and sneered as they committed unbearable savagery. The National Library of Israel has created a visual exhibit of each and every one of those killed to make sure that each has a name and a face. https://www.nli.org.il/website/VIDEO4K_3840X2160_SIFIRIA_MEMORIAL%20SLIDSHOW_23_9_EN.mp4
356 days. Almost one year, and there are still hostages in dire conditions, barely surviving if at all. 356 days since they have seen the light of day. Why were 1,200+ terrorists freed for one soldier, which resulted in October 7th, but none for 101 human beings?
Rabbi Jeremy Rosen so often expresses my/our thoughts in his posts. This is just one thought that has been going through the minds of even the most pious of Jews over the last year
“There is a well-known story of The Court Assembled to Judge God in Auschwitz. A story attributed to several different sources and locations and maybe myths, but powerful, nevertheless. It was assembled to judge God for what was happening around them at that moment of humanity’s utter shame. They found God guilty for what was happening to the Jewish people. But having done that, they all got up and went to pray the afternoon prayer. “ https://jeremyrosen.com/2024/09/should-god-atone-too.html
I’m sure it’s an age thing but I had never heard of Montana Tucker, but now that I have I will follow her. Here she stands together with Loay Alshareef carrying signs calling for peace and understanding. Sounds like all the others. Just watch this and I promise you will be surprised. Both Montana and Loay are polite and thoughtful. https://youtu.be/ZuxesbLMkvY?si=vZ2sMBU9zXGMuGK2
Today Zvi went to his granddaughter Ella’s school to tell her class about the invention of his father, the exceptional Kalman Raviv. Kalman was a sports teacher in Jerusalem and he used to take the children for a run in the mornings but was concerned about the traffic, even in 1950! He had the idea to place the older children at all the crossroads on their route, with sticks in their hands to stop the passing traffic and let the children pass by. So it was and it became the “Mishmeret ha Zahav” all over the country, 3 years before the legendary Lollipop Ladies of Britain and 4 years before crossing policemen in the States. Apparently the usually somewhat verbal class sat in rapt attention at the story and even requested a photograph with Zvi at the end!!! It’s a fascinating story and I am happy to send it to those who request.
I had so many thoughts I wanted to express today. How I sit on our veranda and life in our area continues in its natural pastoral manner while our friends in Haifa, Timrat, Khawaldi, Daliyat al Carmel, are being bombed in a constant terrifying manner, but something happened today that changed my thoughts and direction. My dear, dear friend, Saville Martin Myers, aka my children’s Uncle Mart, passed away in the night. I am grateful that I got to see him while I was in London and we talked about being family, our children more like siblings than friends and his wonderful wife Valerie, Val, was my closest friend, and always will be. Ever hopeful, ever kind, Martin z”l was the epitome of friendship, always ready with a smile and a kind word, which made me think about what that word, friendship, means. I am unbearably sad, finding it hard to write about him in the past tense but grateful that my memories, every memory, is sweet. My heart goes out to my amazing friend Valerie, to their boys Gary and Julian and families, and the wish I could be there to hug them all, although that would hardly take away their pain.
Friendship means support without judgement, standing up for your friends when they are attacked, either verbally or physically, in fact just being there whenever you are needed. Friendship is a smile; friendship is listening; friendship is caring; friendship whether for a person or for a people, is caring enough to find out what they need and fight against bullying, lies and calumny. Friendship goes both ways, something many forget.
Valerie, Martin and our family spent our High Holidays together. In fact we saw each other virtually every day and cooked together for every festival, bar mitzva and synagogue event. So when I think about Rosh Hashanah, which begins on Wednesday night, I think of the joy of being our family.
I must concentrate on what I wish you, what I wish our upside down world, this Head of the Year, this time of contemplation, contrition, repentance and absolution. What does it really mean in our everyday lives? When we say the Selichot (forgiveness) prayers do we suddenly become a forgiving, generous person or do we have to work at it? As we reach the Day or Atonement (Yom Kippur) is it like entering the confessional and a priest giving us a task to clear our souls of sin? Actually no, we are only forgiven our sins if we truly repent and change. It’s a bit like a promise that we make without thinking about its consequences and then choose to forget to fulfil. While Rosh Hashanah is joyous, we are constantly reminded, in the service, of our duty to be a better person. So here goes, my wish for you.
I wish you patience with those who are less quick, less able
I wish you kindness, to those who differ and those who disagree
I wish you a world where listening is equal to speaking
I wish you the ability to dispense love, because it is far more effective than any drugs
I wish our world a greater understanding of what is important; for our youth to realise that Tik Tok isn’t real life; that just because someone is popular it doesn’t make them right.
That dissent be replaced by unity, especially between the different sectors within our own faiths
That we learn to be brave and ensure that the world knows that we are proud of who we are and where we come from.
Indeed, I wish you peace of mind and leaders who will bind us, unite us, teach us how to behave and not cause greater divisions which embolden our enemies.
If you want to add some good thoughts please do, I am always ready to receive your thoughts.
Leonard Cohen was a proud Jew and his love of Israel was apparent. He wrote lyrics for Rosh Hashanah to the music of the Sound of Silence https://youtu.be/5u_0EvgQYp4?si=bTPCnDaX_T0Q41YF
B’Shana ha Baah, In the coming year. Hopeful, upbeat, something we need so much. The Maccabeats with one of my favourite songs https://youtu.be/5WsWouCsbaQ?si=LJ3galwBFYZmy-Ap
Harel Ska’at sang this song in the Israeli song contest. It isn’t new, it is a love song to our beautiful land, our Israel. Hineini kan, I am here. https://youtu.be/RtisIZhaiag?si=ap25H2vlsZGa8V7H
Shabbat shalom dear wonderful friends. Shabbat Shalom in the true sense of the words, Shalom Aleichem, Alsalam Alaykum, la paz sea contigo, la paix soit avec vous, may peace be with you.
With love from Jerusalem, the centre of our world.
Sheila and of course Zvi who returned from Mexico where he met all his family and old friends
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If the media does not inform us we must inform the media
My Websitehttp://www.theviewfrommyveranda.info/Facebook Sheila Silver Raviv
Involvementhttp://www.impact-se.org/