Remembering

There is no way to describe the pain and difficulty that envelops Israelis as Memorial Day descends with a minute long siren. For a country still struggling after 59 years to find some peace and quiet, this day is a solemn reminder to the heavy price we've paid in order to 'be a free nation in our land.'

This past summer's war left us with more stories of bravery and camaraderie. Be it the heroism of Lieutenant Colonel Ro'ee Klein z"l or the commitment of Michael Levin z"l, our boys once again proudly stood up and were counted in the most trying of circumstances. But sadly, yet again, their blood helped irrigate the soils of this holy land. And so, as I listened to names and speeches during Ra'anana's memorial service, I wondered to myself how the families of our beloved fallen are looking at this. In our eyes, they're heroes, heroes who gave up their lives in order to let us fulfill ours. But what about their loved ones' eyes? Was it 'worth' leaving behind his parents to cry on his grave for years without end? Was it fair to leave his children to be raised without a loving, caring father? I don't have answers to these questions - it is not for me to judge or even try to really rationalize. But I do know however that these soldiers gave up their, as well as their families', happiness and future so that we could have ours. We are here, and will continue to be here, because of the sacrifices these brave souls have made. May the memory of our 22,305 fallen heroes be forever blessed.

Here are the faces of our fallen from the Second Lebanon War:



A highway in Israel during the 2 minute siren:



"We remember our fallen, on this day, and every day"
IDF Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi.

Being Jewish by Yair Nitzani

A funny satire of the '3 types' of Jews in Israel:

כוורת - נתתי לה חיי

Kaveret, one our greatest bands, was the first Israeli band to put some humor in their songs. Here is one of their classics, I Gave Her My Life:



... those were the days ...

Holocaust Memorial Day

As the day ushers in the pensive thoughts of a time when my people were tertiated, I leave you with Mark Twain's elegant assessment of a small people's remarkable tale of survival throughout time:

If the statistics are right, the Jews constitute but one quarter of one percent of the human race. It suggests a nebulous dim puff of stardust lost in the blaze of the Milky Way. Properly, the Jew ought hardly to be heard of; but he is heard of, has always been heard of. He is as prominent on the planet as any other people, and his importance is extravagantly out of proportion to the smallness of his bulk.

His contributions to the world's list of great names in literature, science, art, music, finance, medicine and abstruse learning are very out of proportion to the weakness of his numbers. He has made a marvelous fight in this world in all ages; and has done it with his hands tied behind him. He could be vain of himself and be excused for it. The Egyptians, the Babylonians and the Persians rose, filled the planet with sound and splendour; then faded to dream-stuff and passed away: the Greeks and the Romans followed and made a vast noise, and they are gone; other peoples have sprung up and held their torch high for a time but it burned out, and they sit in twilight now, or have vanished.

The Jew saw them all, survived them all, and is now what he always was, exhibiting no decadence, no infirmities of age, no weakening of his parts, no slowing of his energies, no dulling of his alert and aggressive mind. All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?

[The above was written by Mark Twain and first published in HARPER'S magazine, September 1887.]

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The following link allows you to look through the Yad Vashem databases for your family members who died during the Holocaust.

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It is very disappointing that during this day, a large segment of Israel's Jewish population refuses to acknowledge the one minute long siren in remembrance of the 6,000,000 Jews who perished in the holocaust. Instead of standing silently in honor of our nation, the ultra orthodox carry on as they do during Memorial day (for our fallen soldiers). For a people who claim to 'practice' our faith, perhaps a quick lesson in 'sinat chinam' (free hatred) and its role in the destruction of the Second Temple should show them why their actions are so harmful to this country and her fragile unity. One of the reasons the ultra orthodox do not stand for the siren is due to the fact that it is not a religious ritual. However, should this really take precedence over 'shalom bayit' (peace within the home)? Why they'd rather infuriate a large majority of this country who sees this as a complete lack of respect is beyond me.

Jews of Arabic/Spanish descent (Mizrachi/Sephardi) have different customs from Jews of Eastern European descent (Ashkenazi). During kadish, Sephardim can sit while Ashkenazim will stand. However, halacha (Jewish law) stipulates that in another congregation, one must stand/sit depending on the congregation's traditions out of respect. Perhaps the ultra-orthodox should take a step back and remember, that unity amongst the Jewish people is extremely important for our survival and their behavior continually hurts it. And as they're members of our congregation (Israel), they should respect the ways the congregation and how it goes about remembering the holocaust, or our fallen. Is that too much to ask of our brothers?

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The Greatest Final Ever

As Liverpool could very well be on the exact same path (Chelsea in the semi-finals, and if we win, Milan in the finals) they took on their amazing run to #5 in Istanbul, I thought it would be nice to re-live that amazing night on May 25th, 2005. It's a night no Liverpool fan will ever forget. A night which produced an insurmountable deficit, a night which produced one of the greatest renditions of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' and a night which gave us six historical minutes. Enjoy:



Let's make it #6 in Athens

רוצה מצוות

For those who understand Hebrew, a funny song about religious Jews in Israel ...

Arik on 'Jewishness'

I started talking about the pioneers of Petach Tikva, the first Zionist settlement. Who were these very earliest pioneers? They were the most orthodox Jews from Jerusalem wearing 'shtreimels,' the dark fur hats of the Middle Ages. After Petach Tikvah came Hibat Zion in the 1880s, also settled by orthodox Jews during the First Aliyah. The Second Aliyah immigrants who arrived prior to World War One were inspired by the social movements fermenting in Europe and especially by the Russian Revolution of 1905. But beneath the veneer they too were yeshiva 'buchers' - students who had received their education in the Jewish religious schools of Eastern Europe. After World War One came the Third Aliyah - our parents. And that was a generation of true rebels. But for all their revolutionary fire, they knew in their bones what it mean to be Jewish. They knew their culture, they spoke Hebrew. If I had mastered the richness of this language as my father did, I would be exceptionally proud. So that was a generation of rebels, but rebels with deep roots in Judaism.

The problem started with our generation. Because we were the sons and daughters of rebels, we had no Judaism in our upbringing whatsoever. The result was that our generation in a way lost its roots, the first to have done so. What did we know about Jewish wisdom? What did we know about Jewish contributions to the world or about the Jewish presence here in Israel? Very little. Were we taught to be proud that we were Jews, descendants of those Jews who through the ages had fought to the death for their beliefs? No, we were not taught these things. Instead, with our generation there was an attempt to create not Jews but New Israeli Men and Women. In the process we were disconnected from those earlier generations whose Jewishness was inscribed in their hearts.

And the outside world saw this too. I remember back in the 1950s and '60s when I was traveling abroad I felt the desire by others to consider me not a Jew but as an Israeli, to draw the distinction. You are an Israeli, they seemed to say. They, those people over there with strange clothes and strange ways - they are Jews. And in a way it felt easy to be accepted like that. But it was also dangerous. It was a signal that we had lost our Jewishness. And I for one, even then, never believed we would really be able to survive here if we were nothing more than Israelis. For our attachment to the land of Israel, our identity with it, comes through out Jewishness. I am a Jew, I thought then, as I think now. That does not mean I am a religious man. I am not. When it comes to practicing Judaism, there is much I do not know. But I do know for certain that above everything I am a Jew and only afterwards an Israeli and the rest.

Arik Sharon

Never a truer word spoken by the man. The harsh assessment of the last paragraph is one we all need to heed: We must understand why we're here. We must understand that our future depends on realizing the path paved by the generations that came before us. Let us not forget that, as the last sentence says so eloquently, we are Jews above everything else - and that's what should unite us and guide us through good times and bad times in this country.

'In Every Generation ...'

While there are many mitzvot (commandments) that one is obligated to fulfill during Passover, one of the ones that always challenges me is the requirement that 'in ever generation, a man is obligated to regard himself as though he personally had gone forth from Egypt.' Perhaps Ze'ev Magen's Personalizing History is a good 'starting point' in trying to relate to the difficulties and accomplishments that our people have felt then and now, as we've struggled and overcome the obstacles that have been placed in our paths:

See, you personally were born quite recently. You haven't existed, built, climbed, fallen, lost, won, wept, rejoiced, created, learned, argued, loved and struggled for thousands of years. Nevertheless, you, my friend, happen to have lucked out. You are a distinguished member of a nation which has done all those things, and more. You have special eyes, eyes that can see for miles and miles. If only you will it- enough to work at it- you can extend your arms and touch the eons and millenia, you can suck up the insights and bask in the glory and writhe in the pain and draw on the power emanating from every experience of your indomitable, indestructible, obstinately everlasting people.

This is not an ability acquired solely through learning or reading (although this is a major ingredient, I hasten to emphasize); it is first and foremost a function of connection, of belonging, of powerful love. If you reach out and grasp your people's hands - you were there. You participated in what they did in all places and at all times, you fought their battles, felt their feelings and learnt their lessons.

You tended flocks with Rachel and slaved in Potiphar's house with Joseph; you sang in the wilderness with Miriam and toppled the walls of Jericho with Joshua; you carried first fruits to the Temple Mount; and were mesmerized by Elijah on the slopes of Carmel; you brought the house down on the Philistines with Samson, fought the chariots of Hazor under Deborah, and danced before the ascending ark with David; you went into Exile with the prophet Jeremiah and hung your harp and wept by the rivers of Babylon; you defied the divinity of Nebuchadnezzar with the courage and cunning of Daniel, and vanquished the might of imperial Persia with the wisdom and beauty of Esther; and studied law and lore in the vineyards of Yavneh with Elazar ben Arakh and Bruria; you were with Judah the Macabbee at Modi'in, with the Zealots at Masada, with Akiba in the Roman torture chamber and with Bar Kochba at Betar; you devoted your life to Torah at the yeshivot in Babylon and philosophised by the Nile with the circle of Maimonides; you were crucified for refusing the cross in the Crusades, and were turned into ashes for stubbornness in the fires of the Inquisition; you were exiled from the shores of Spain by Isabella, and chased down and raped in the pogroms of the Ukraine by the hordes of Chielnicki; you went to Safed's fields to greet the Shabbat bride with the Ari, Isaac Luria and went into Galicia's huts to seek the ecstacy of the fervent Baal Shem Tov; you fled the Black Hundreds across Russia's plains, and were welcomed by the Statue of Liberty at the gates of Ellis Island; you filed into the gas chambers of Bergen Belsen, and were hurled into the flames at Mathausen and Sobibor; you parachuted into Hungary with Hannah Senesh, and fought back in Warsaw with Mordechai Anilweicz; you were shot with your family in the forests of Poland and dug a mass grave and perished there at Babi Yar; you revived your dead language, you resurrected your sapped strength, you returned to yourself and renewed the lapsed covenant, you arose like a lion and hewed out your freedom on the plains and the mountains of your old-new land.

Throughout all of this and so much more you were there with them - and they are here with you. This is the thrust of the Passover Hagaddah when it exhorts: "In every generation a person must see him / herself as if s/he personally left Egypt." This is the intention of the Talmud when it whispers - based upon a strongly suggestive Bible verse - that we were all present and accounted for at the foot of Mount Sinai in the desert, over three thousand years ago.

Chag Sameach to everyone .... חג שמח לכולם

This n' That

A few comments on articles that appeared in the weekend edition of Haaretz:

-Teddy Kollek, Jerusalem's mayor from 1965-1993 who recently passed away, was evidently a spy for the British during the mandate era. Kollek "provided British on a regular basis with intelligence obtained by JA about the Etzel's [the Irgun's] plans, helping the British to crack down on its figthers." Kollek's involvement in 'The Season' needs to be discussed openly, along with others (like David Ben Gurion) who were involved in willingly betraying their Jewish brothers. It still boggles my mind how in a time where Nazi Germany was busy eradicating European Jewry, the Jewish Agency was helping the British hang more Jews.

-Last week, Israel's left was again up in arms over the legal purchase of a house in Hebron by Jews. The two Palestinians who sold the house have both been arrested. It seems that the PA's legal system "call for a death sentence for anyone found guilty of selling land to Jews." Interesting how this doesn't remotely bother our leftists? A future Judenrein Arab country? Sheesh, Hitler would be proud.

-Another interesting story in this weekend's edition centered around the story of Meir Feinstein (z"l) and Moshe Barazani (z"l), the two Irgun fighters who committed suicide together in Acre Prison rather than be hung by the British. Feinstein had given their British guard, Thomas Henry Goodwin, a bible, where he inscribed, "As you stand guard, before we go to the gallows, accept this bible as a memento and remember that we stood in dignity and marched in dignity. It is better to die with a weapon in hand than to live with hands raised". They asked him to walk away so that the explosion wouldn't hurt him. Goodwin's son will now be returning the bible to Israel. (On another note, Menachem Begin, in his last written words, would ask to be buried next to these two heroes).


Monday night is פסח (Passover). I wish all of you a Chag Sameach and enjoy the matzah and charoset! A cute clip from YouTube in tribute to the festival:

Peyton Manning on SNL

The United Way ads have been a part of NFL broadcasts for as long as I can remember. Here's a fantastic skit from last week's Saturday Night Live, starring Indianapolis Colts QB, Peyton Manning:



Clip courtesy of The Anaconda

A Bright Future

Despite the lack of attacking play throughout the 90 minutes, Israel's respectable 0-0 draw with England should have left most Israeli fans with a taste of what could very well be a very strong national team in the near future. England, despite a strong line up, failed to create much against a resolute Israeli back line - and were it not for the much expected defensive mentality shown throughout the night, Israel may very well have beaten an England team that was there for the taking. Despite this, Israeli football fans should be excited about a team full of young, up and coming stars who were not afraid to stand up to their far more experienced English opponents.

Three of the young stars that will be representing Israel in the u21 championships in Holland next summer continued to impress on the international level. Toto Tammuz, Yuval Shpungil, and Ben Sahar all played roles in tonight's draw and looked like they belonged. Shpungil, who struggled early on on with Aaron Lennon's pace, managed to contain the dangerous winger rather comfortably the whole second half. Shpungil, who is far more adventurous while playing for Macabbi Tel Aviv, will grow in stature as he develops his confidence in the international game. Tammuz, with his pace and power, was Israel's most dangerous player. He came close to scoring twice in the game, once forcing Robinson into a good save with a good shot and once heading just wide as he beat three English defenders to an Amit Ben Shushan cross. His inexperience is currently his worst enemy, but with time, Israel may have quite a player leading its front line. Tammuz will most likely one day be partnered by Ben Sahar (pictured below), who at 17 is Israel's youngest ever international. Despite only 20 minutes on the pitch, Sahar showed he belonged with some nice touches. The sky is the limit for this kid - it's only that Chelsea are the ones who will most likely benefit.

Although the aforementioned 3 performances were good, Israel's best player on the night was 25 year old Tal Ben Haim. The ragged Bolton defender was phenomenal, continually frustrating England's pacey strike force of Wayne Rooney and Andrew Johnson. Ben Haim was unbeatable in the air and ensured that Israel kept yet another clean sheet on its home field.

Israel's next game is on Wednesday against Estonia. The game is a must win if Israel intends to qualify for the Euro 2008 championships. However, this fan is excited by the best generation of youngsters this country has ever produced, with a majority of them yet to be included in the national team set up. Israel will most likely not qualify for Euro 2008, but with the continued progress of these kids, I fully expect a strong (& hopefully successful) challenge for 2010's world cup.

Progress

The plans for the wedding are coming along very nicely. It hasn't all sunk in just yet, but every time we see a wedding while we scope out a band or hall, I get that feeling of excitement as I start aniticpating how exactly my wedding will come along. Last night we finalized the date and hall of our choice. Talya and I will be getting married on July 30th at Limon, a wedding hall near the city of Rosh Ha'Ayin. The next course of action includes finding the band, a photographer and writing out the invitation. Exciting stuff, I know.

This weekend, England will be playing Israel in a Euro 2008 qualifying match. I have a good feeling about the game - I think a 2-1 win is in the cards. It's going to be a rocking atmosphere and some of Israel's brightest young talent will have another chance to shine and show their mettle. Toto Tammuz, Ben Sahar and Amit Ben Shushan may all feature in a game that the losing team will bid adios to their chances of qualification for Euro 2008. Good Luck to Israel!

I finally agree with Olmert

In yesterday's speech to Kadima Party's governing council, Ehud Olmert finally said something that I can back unequivocally. After the non-stop barrage of lies & flip flops over the last few months, my trust in this government had eroded to absolute nil. However, that didn't stop me from agreeing with Olmert, who correctly claimed last night:

I'm an unpopular prime minister, the polls say so. I think they are right, I am indeed an unpopular prime minister."

Unfortunately, that was not his entire speech. He continued to say:

"Even though some think this is hunting season, I am sorry to disappoint my detractors, but I am here to work. I have no intention of betraying the trust that was given to me, and let there be no mistake: I intend to be working for you for a long time yet."

Well, Olmert does have work to do. He has to write a resignation speech and be prepared to clean out his office and for the sake of this country, I hope that this man's 'long time' is a few weeks or months.

If I forget thee, O Jerusalem

Matisyahu's Jerusalem:



"If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand wither, let my tongue cleave to my palate if I do not remember you, if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy." (Psalm 137, 5-7).

The Truth Behind Tom & Jerry

Just when you thought you've heard it all ...

Engagement Party I

Well, part 1 of 3 was a lot of fun. Click here for some photos from the night. Enjoy!

When will he return ...

“Please do your best to get me out of here, because Lebanon is no place to be, and I really want to see you all -- no one should have to remain in captivity when there are other alternatives... Yom Kippur is approaching and I will be praying together with you.... Let’s hope that He will help the leaders make the right choices. But you can also help.”
Ron Arad in a letter to his wife, Rosh Hashana 1987



"The sword is worse than death, famine is harder than the sword, captivity is worst of all..."
Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Bava Batra 8b

Happy Purim

I wonder what the Jews of Persia thought a thousand years ago when a suddenly modest queen was beheaded. Did they realize an amazing rescue operation was in the works against a sworn enemy, or did they just chalk it up to coincidence? Fast forward to today, and we have another Persian death sentence hanging over our heads. But call me an optimist, I am not in slightest bit worried. Many have tried as Mark Twain so famously pointed out, and all have failed. So, I bid all of you celebrating in the 'walled cities' Happy Purim and may we all celebrate many more happy occasions in Israel.

Why I love the Druze ...

Yup, they never cease to amaze me with their loyalty and love of Israel:

Druze, Circassian forum: Israel should remain a Jewish state
By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent

The chairman of the forum of the Druze and Circassian authority heads, Nabiah Nasser A-Din, on Thursday criticized the "multi-cultural" Israeli constitution proposed by the Israeli Arab organization Adalah, saying that he finds it unacceptable.

"The state of Israel is Jewish state as well as a democratic state that espouses equality and elections. We invalidate and reject everything that the Adalah organization is requesting," he said.

Adalah recently wrote a proposed constitution classifying the State of Israel as a "bilingual and multicultural" country rather than a Jewish state.

Adalah's proposal essentially abolishes the Jewish elements of Israel, but allows the Jewish majority to maintain its character through educational and cultural institutions.

According to Adin, head of the Kasra Adia municipality, the fate of Druze and Circassians in Israel is intertwined with that of the state. "This is a blood pact, and a pact of the living. We are unwilling to support a substantial alteration to the nature of this state, to which we tied our destinies prior to its establishment," he said.

"All the members of the forum stand behind me on this issue, but want to see full equality with the Jewish population of the state," he added. "I hope that the state of Israel will treat us differently, better than it does today."

The proposal, entitled "The Democratic Constitution," also states that Arab Knesset members will be able to bring about the disqualification of bills that impinge on the rights of Arabs, and calls for majority and minority groups to split control of the government in such a way that will strengthen the Arab minority on issues relating to the character of the state.

The following is not a knee jerk reaction, but one that was formulated after seeing their villages and befriending a Druzi guard in Arad ... The Druzi community is still not adequately taken care of by the Israeli government despite an active and positive role within our country. This needs to change - they deserve better and our government should make the necessary adjustments in the budget to start providing more support to the Druzi population in Israel.

This Date in Jewish History

15 years ago - Menachem Begin z'l, Israel's 6th Prime Minister, passed away.

One of the greatest leaders in modern Jewish history ... If only today we had him as our leader ... If only ...