It's Started

(NOTE: This is a copy of the recent post on my political blog, http://ephratbreeze.blog.com/. I only add it here because it is that important.)

Last week I mentioned a meeting that our peaceful, democratically inclined neighbors held in Khartoum, Sudan. My exact words were:


“Certain intelligence sources report that the above “heroic act” was the first result from a secret Iranian funded meeting of Muslim Brotherhood heads in Khartoum, Sudan last week. According to these sources, Hamas, an offshoot of the brotherhood, is to launch a series of these attacks to ignite a third intifada. Brotherhood leaders attended from Egypt, Syria, Tunisia, Jordan and Great Britain.”

Today’s news headlines in Israel include the following:

• A woman was killed, 30 injured, in bomb blast at central Jerusalem 74 bus stop opposite Binyanei Haooma Wednesday afternoon.
• Hamas keeps up pressure. Fired five mortar shells into southern Ashkelon after Jerusalem bombing
• Second Grad missile from Gaza explodes in Beersheba earlier Wednesday
• Seven more mortar rounds against Eshkol and Shear Hanegev
• Beersheba schools and university ordered closed after Grad injured 5 people, damaged property
• Two more exploded in Ashkelon and south of Ashdod Tuesday night, several mortar rounds
• Palestinian barrage from the Gaza Strip has been non-stop for 11 days

Now just what is it that Hillary and Zippy are telling us about the peaceful muslim brotherhood that we’re supposed to believe?

We’re OK here in Efrat, for now.

That last post also mentioned “Hidden Miracles.” They are all around us, if we only open our eyes and look.

Of course, many people prefer to believe that every unexplained happening is a coincidence. These are the same people who deny the possibility of a Divine Creator of the world; it all came together as a result of  “evolution,” “accidents,” “primordial soup,” or whatever. After all, to believe in a Divine Creator might require me to believe in things like good and evil, instead of moral relativism and such.

But I digress. Sunday and Monday of this week were the Jewish holidays of Purim and Shushan Purim (in Jerusalem). Last week Irma went into Jerusalem, shopping with a friend. They agreed to go again this week, today. As a result of losing two normal weekdays, Irma forgot that today was Wednesday. She didn’t get to go to Jerusalem today and ride (like last week) the #74 bus that was involved in the terrorist bombing. Was this another hidden miracle from Purim, or a coincidence? We are grateful to our Creator for blessing us with another miracle.

Meanwhile, friends, as we here in Israel continue to be attacked by are “peace-loving” neighbors, we ask for your prayers; prayers to the Creator of the world, or prayers to the gatekeeper of coincidences. We are confident that He, in His mercy and Wisdom, will sort them out and give credit to both sets of prayers.

Also, thanks to all of you who support ARMDI and MDA, our emergency medical and ambulance services.

Happy Trails, Y’All
Mel

The Village Smithy

Under a spreading chestnut-tree

The village smithy stands;

The smith, a mighty man is he,

With large and sinewy hands;

And the muscles of his brawny arms

Are strong as iron bands.

From The Village Blacksmith, by Henry Wadsworth Longfeller

We residents of Efrat have our very own blacksmith. Actually, Elimelech Feigin is more than a blacksmith; he is a blacksmith artist and craftsman. Elimelech specializes in a form of artistic metalworking that lies somewhere between silversmithing and blacksmithing. His work might be better explained by examples of his artistry, of which this is one:

This beautiful rose started out as a small blank of iron, about 2 inches square, as shown below.

Through a series of steps, shown below, Elimelech turns pieces of iron, steel, copper or aluminum into amazingly beautiful works of art. His gallery/studio is in the basement of his home, just down the block from me. He makes many of the tools he uses andeach hammer or other tool has its own specific use.


Elimelech’s works of art include mezzezahs, menorahs, handrails and many other works of art. His customers come from Israel and other countries, and his works of art decorate homes and synagogues in Israel and around the world. His contact information is on his website: http://metalcombinations.com/.

Elimelich Feigin is another one of those “DearHearts and Gentle People,” who live in my home town (See my blog of that name - 1/21/11). I’m in awe of his talent and I’m very proud to have him as a friend.

His hair is crisp, and black, and long,

His face is like the tan;

His brow is wet with honest sweat,

He earns whate'er he can,

And looks the whole world in the face,

For he owes not any man.

Week in, week out, from morn till night,

You can hear his bellows blow;

You can hear him swing his heavy sledge,

With measured beat and slow,

Like a sexton ringing the village bell,

When the evening sun is low.

And children coming home from school

Look in at the open door;

They love to see the flaming forge,

And bear the bellows roar,

And catch the burning sparks that fly

Like chaff from a threshing-floor.

He goes on Sunday to the church,

And sits among his boys;

He hears the parson pray and preach,

He hears his daughter's voice,

Singing in the village choir,

And it makes his heart rejoice.

It sounds to him like her mother's voice,

Singing in Paradise!

He needs must think of her once more,

How in the grave she lies;

And with his haul, rough hand he wipes

A tear out of his eyes.

Toiling,--rejoicing,--sorrowing,

Onward through life he goes;

Each morning sees some task begin,

Each evening sees it close

Something attempted, something done,

Has earned a night's repose.

Thanks, thanks to thee, my worthy friend,

For the lesson thou hast taught!

Thus at the flaming forge of life

Our fortunes must be wrought;

Thus on its sounding anvil shaped

Each burning deed and thought!

Be well, Y’all,
Mel

Charity, Efrat Style

The Hebrew word for charity is “Tzedakah.” But, the word means much more. The word tzedakah comes from a word root (tzedek) meaning “justice.” In the Torah, the two words are intertwined so as to show that helping your neighbor is not just some nice thing to do, but is an action that is required by the Torah, a mitzvah.


In addition to being required, there are some “rules” or etiquette that goes along with the act of tzedakah. For one, the donor should be careful not to offend the sensibilities of the recipient; give anonymously, if possible; If not anonymously, give with a smile and a kind word, etc.

There is much discussion in Jewish religious literature about who benefits more from the act of tzedakah, the donor or the recipient. Just about everyone agrees that the blessings attached to giving, far outweigh anything that the recipient gets. In fact, some feel that the recipient is actually an agent of G-d in helping to spread Holiness.

There are tons of people throughout the world and also here in Israel with their hands out for help. In my little corner of the world, our neighborhood in Efrat, there is a very special lady who sits in our little strip mall every Friday to receive tzedakah. This little gray-haired lady never asks for anything, but she just might be one of the highest paid people in Efrat; not really, but she should be.

You see, she always has a super-friendly smile and warm words and blessings for everyone, including my dog, Bandit. I don’t know how many people come to her every Friday, but it must be hundreds. We all look forward to seeing her and giving tzedekah, but more important is the warmth that she spreads to all of us.

You see, this lady (probably not right to use her name) just seems like she MUST be one of G-d’s messengers. She radiates warmth and love to everyone, with an enthusiasm that infects everyone within 50 meters (about 55 yards).

How would you respond to a person, angel, like this? Probably like the rest of us; you’d give charity, tzedakah, with joy and love in your heart. And, like the rest of us around here, you’d go out of your way to receive a pre-Shabbat blessing from this messenger from G-d.

Thank You, HaShem, for the messengers and teachers that You send to us to teach us Your ways.

Be Well, Y'all
Mel



Almond Blossoms - Springtime in Efrat



Springtime in Efrat

According to the calendar and the position of the earth in relation to the sun, spring is still almost four weeks away. In Dottie’s garden, here at the Weiss home in Efrat, spring has arrived. The orange-colored things in the pictures below are called (I think) Chinese chrysanthemums. Irma got really excited about a week ago when they popped up out of the ground.

Irma’s/Dottie’s garden is sprouting other signs of life, also. Other flowers are starting to come up and the garlic is also coming up; yep, garlic; can’t have a garden without garlic – a staple in our kitchen.

The weather is starting to improve – getting warmer, that is. We still want rain – lots of it. We are getting to the end of our rainy season for this year, and we are still short of what we need. When the rainy season ends in a month or two, we aren’t likely to see any more for about six months. Unlike other parts of the world, the middle-east has been running short for the past seven years.

The last few days we’ve started to see the almond trees blossom. That’s a beautiful sight – delicate white blossoms turning to pink and then red as you go toward the center of the flower. Very beautiful, really. I apologize for not taking my camera on this morning’s walk for you all. I’ll try to remember on Sunday’s walk.

Enjoy the pictures.

Be well, Y’all
Mel

100 Year Old Florida Woman Saves Israeli Lives

Happy Birthday, Rose.

Rose is celebrating her 100th birthday this month. I’m not sure exactly which day is her birthday, but it doesn’t matter; she deserves to celebrate the whole month. Heck, Rose deserves to celebrate the entire year.

You see, Rose is one special lady.

Most people, when they get past a certain age (varies by person), they just kind of retire. Age becomes an excuse for not doing much of anything. However, Rose, in Boca Raton, Florida, is special. At 100 years of age, Rose is more active than many people half her age. She dresses nicely, walks with a quick step, smiles heartily and continues to exercise her sharp mind.

Rose raised a family. She is also an artist, having many of her paintings hanging in her own apartment, as well as other places. Rose is computer literate and has been actively trading on-line in the stock market for years. In addition, she has a long history of being active in community organizations wherever she has lived; an apartment full of award certificates, plaques and trophies testify to that.

Now what about saving Israeli lives? Well, many women in America and other countries donate their time and/or money to organizations that save lives or educate or feed people in Israel. They may help hospitals, schools, orphanages soup kitchens and more, and their work is vital and appreciated. They are helping to save or improve lives of Jews and non-Jews living in Israel.

Rose has done the same. What makes Rose so very special, is that today, at age 100, she is still active in helping to save lives in Israel. For the past several years, Rose has been president of a local Boca Raton chapter of American Red Mogen David for Israel (ARMDI). Rose has tried to retire from that position, but no one else will step up to replace her.

ARMDI is Israel’s national emergency medical and ambulance service as well as the national blood bank agency. They build and operate emergency medical centers, buy and operate ambulances, train emergency medical technicians and more. To Rose, helping to facilitate and encourage donations for ARMDI from her fellow residents of her home retirement village in Boca Raton is just too important to walk away from. She is well aware of the importance of what she does.

Israel is blessed to have people like Rose and others who help build hospitals and schools and do other important work. But to still be doing it with love and energy at age 100… that’s really special.

Thank You, HaShem, for giving Rose the strength and clarity to continue her important work.

Rose, thank you for the work you are doing. You are helping many others to donate to the health and safety of all people in Israel.

On my desk is an ARMDI greeting card from Edith and Ray that reminds me of the help Israel gets from our friends in Boca Raton. May G-d bless you, Rose, and Edith and Ray and Evelyn and Bea and Rhoda and Edna and Alice and all of our friends whose names aren’t coming to me at the moment. When we were with you all in Boca, we thought you were pretty special. Now that we are in Israel it REALLY shines through. Thank you who lead and thank you who join and donate. May G-d bless all of you.

By the way, we always remember you whenever we see an ambulance here in Israel.

Be well, Y’all

Mel

P.S. Let’s all take a moment to remember our friend, Irving, who recently passed away, just short of 100 years old. He also was a hard worker for ARMDI and other causes.

A Typical ARMDI Ambulance in Israel

…from the four corners of the Earth

…from the four corners of the Earth

מארבע כנפות הארץ...

At least four times every weekday (not  on Shabbat) in our Jewish prayers, we ask G-d to gather us from the four corners of the earth and return us to our land of Israel. Although I have been saying these words for years, I only recently started to realize that those words are coming true right now. It has been slowly happening over the millennia, but I can actually see it happening now.

Our move to Israel is one personal example of those words being fulfilled. The fulfillment of those words has really been happening on a larger scale during my lifetime. It just really hit home for me this week.

This week Irma and I attended the wedding of a young couple in Jerusalem. The groom is a son of Suzie and Chaim, friends of ours from Denver, who made aliyah about seventeen years ago. They now live in Efrat and we have spent a few happy occasions with them.

The wedding was beautiful – beautiful bride, good food, about 600 people – all the great trappings of a fine, first class wedding. For me, though, all that was overshadowed by the people. Two things really stood out for me.

First, there was Suzie and Chaim’s family. Here was four happy generations, from Suzie’s parents to Suzie and Chaim’s children and grandchildren enjoying this happy event, in Israel, where the three younger generations live in peace and happiness, among the people of Israel. My favorite moment at this event was when generations three and four (kids and grandkids) were performing a program – dancing and singing in honor of the newlyweds. Watching the proud, happy expressions of the grandparents and great grandparents was worth the price of admission. Wow!

But there was more, and it was this “more” that brought it all home to me. Many of the guests were people that I had known back in Denver, two home towns ago for me. Some of these Denver people had made aliyah at a young age and had seen their families – children, grandchildren - grow in Israel. Others made aliyah after they retired – some came to join other family members who had made aliyah.

All around us - at the table, in the room - it was the same story. There were other people who picked up and moved to Israel from America, England and who knows where. Since, arriving here, I’ve met people from all over the world who have moved here; North and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia and New Zealand – everywhere except Antarctica (haven't met a Jewish penguin, yet).

G-d may work His plan in a timeframe that seems too slow for us to comprehend, but He is working His plan. I am thankful to be here in Israel to see part of it unfolding. I hope to still around when Moshiach finally arrives.

Thank you, Suzie and Chaim for being our friends and inviting us to share in your simcha. May HaShem bless you and all of your family with health, happiness and all the best that this world has to offer and beyond.

Thank You, HaShem, for bringing us back to the land You have given us. May we all merit to see the rebuilding of the Temple and the coming of Moshiach, speedily in our time.

Shabbat Shalom, Y’all
Mel

P.S. I won't use a wedding picture here, because I haven't asked permission. Instead, here is a model of the Holy Temple – which sits on the awe-inspiring rooftop terrace  at Aish HaTorah overlooking the site where the real Temple stood for 1,000 years before being destroyed by the Romans.

Scale Model of the Holy Temple

Dear Hearts and Gentle People

I’ve been remiss* in keeping current with this blog. The main purpose of View from Efrat is to show you a bit about life in Efrat and in Israel.

This week Judaism celebrated Tu B'Shvat, the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shvat. According to our tradition, Tu B'Shvat is considered the New Year for trees in relation laws about tithing. If you haven’t heard about it, you’re not alone. Most people, including most Jews haven’t heard about it either.

Here in Efrat, as in much of Israel, there are small local celebrations. Irma and I were privileged to be able to participate in two of them.

On Wednesday night, Alissa Fried Harbater, Efrat Aliyah (immigrant) Coordinator and Bob Lang, Head of the Efrat Religious Council hosted a gathering of Efrat’s new olim (immigrants) at Alissa’s house. About twenty people attended. We enjoyed learning more about Tu B'Shvat, while we ate various Israeli fruits and shared recent experiences in Israel.

One of the purposes of that gathering was for us to meet each other and perhaps form new friendships. Of course, as whenever Jews meet for the first time, we played “Jewish geography.”** We’re invited to Shabbat lunch at the home of our new friends from Cleveland. Amazing!

Last night (Thursday), our little synagogue group got together at the local winery/restaurant for a tour and wine tasting in honor of Tu B'Shvat. We again had a beautiful time with friends from Efrat.

Living in Efrat is a very special, happy experience for Irma and me. We’ve never been happier and we each thank HaShem daily, several times a day, for bringing us to this beautiful place.

Often as I walk down the street, I start singing a certain song from my past. Most of you have never heard this song; you’d have to be older than dirt to have heard it (my brother remembers it).

When I was 7 years old (1949 – older than dirt), Mom bought us a record player*** and a couple of musical records. One record was some “brusha, brusha” thing about brushing your teeth. The other one was Dinah Shore singing, “Dear Hearts and Gentle People.” I must have heard it three hundred times. To me, this town of Efrat and this song go together. Take a minute to click on the link and listen. You're in for a treat. They don’t make music like this anymore.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1q5yyiaJV8Y

The quote below is the Biblical source for Tu B'Shvat.

Be well, Y’all
Mel

וְכִי-תָבֹאוּ אֶל-הָאָרֶץ, וּנְטַעְתֶּם כָּל-עֵץ מַאֲכָל..."

"And when ye shall come into the land, and shall have planted all manner of trees for food…" (Vayikra 19:23)

*For those of you who attended unionized schools, remiss basically means being negligent or slow in doing one’s job.

**Not really a game. Whenever Jews meet for the first time it goes like this; “Where are you from?” “Cleveland.” “Oh, Cleveland; I know someone from Cleveland. Do you know Jeff and Barbara Soandso?” “Yes, we lived across the street from them.”

***For those not older than dirt, before MP3 and music CDs (and cassettes and 8 track), music was sold on round vinyl plastic discs called records. In those days they were all 78 rpm. For more information, check Google or some other search engine.

A View from Efrat toward Bethlehem and Jerusalem

Bully Busters

I don’t usually write about religion or religious topics on this blog, because I don’t feel qualified or inclined to discuss religious issues with the world; also, I don’t want to try to change anyone’s belief system to mine. However, the problem of bullies is universal. Zev has suffered and worked with this problem and we can all learn from his experience.


My research says that about 70% of all people have been subjected to bullying. I know that I was, especially from age four to about age 11.

My knowledgeable Christian friends out there (Gill, Manny, Terry, David, Phairis or someone), please comment on this; although Zev’s Breslev viewpoint is to the “right” of mainstream Jewish teaching, I suspect some of your teachings also run somewhat parallel to what he is writing.

Explanations for “strange” words in his article can be found at google.com.

If you have a problem with my adding this information to this blog, please let me know and I will reconsider. Meanwhile, the link to this next article is:

http://www.breslev.co.il/articles/family/health_and_fitness/bully_busters.aspx?id=18091&language=english

Be Well,

Mel

P.S. Forgive me for dancing around the truth in the previous discussion about the victim’s identity. I didn’t feel it was my place to give it away.

Save a Life – Save the World

Our sages say that if you save a person’s life, it is as though you have saved the world. Maybe I can have some kind of effect.

Over one million people commit suicide every year around the world; about 34,000 in the U.S. There are twice as many suicides in the U.S. as homicides. It is a leading cause of death among teenagers and adults under 35. There are an estimated 10 to 20 million non-fatal attempted suicides every year worldwide, about 750,000 in the U.S.

One of the main causes of suicide is depression. Bullying is thought to be one of the main causes of depression in teenagers and young adults and is therefore thought to be one of the top causes of suicide in young people. That could be why some societies consider bullying to be a form of attempted murder. If you are a parent, you should be paying attention.

A friend of mine, Zev Ballen, LCSW, is a psychotherapist and writer living in Israel. An article he wrote on bullying was published on the internet. By a strange coincidence (or common example of “Jewish geography”), I’ve met and have spoken with the wife of the subject of this article. I consider it an important read, not just for Jews, but for anyone who is interested in what’s happening around them. Take a few minutes to read this.

By the way, Zev uses the word Totti. That is a Yiddish word meaning, “my Father.”

Here is the link: http://www.breslev.co.il/articles/family/health_and_fitness/the_emotional_terrorist.aspx?id=18022&language=english

Be well, Y’all

Mel

Powerful Days in Israel

Yesterday, Irma and I joined a community bus tour to Masada – a 2000 year old mountaintop fortress that has become a symbol of Jewish survival. Since we are celebrating the holiday of Chanukah, another symbol of Jewish survival, the tour was especially meaningful.


For me, the high point of the tour came near the end of the tour guide’s presentation. We were in the mountaintop synagogue and she was explaining how the zealots committed communal suicide rather than die at the hands of the Romans or become their slaves. It was time for Mincha (afternoon prayers) and another tour group arrived at the synagogue and began Mincha. I joined them in prayer. It was a very powerful experience for me.

On another occasion, Tisha B’Av, a day commemorating several tragic happenings in Jewish history, we joined a group bus tour to visit Machpela, the burial place of our ancestors, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, and Jacob and Leah. For me, it was very emotional, feeling that after 3000 years I was finally visiting my ancestors’ graves.

Every day I look out my window at the road between Jerusalem and the southern part of the country, where the Torah records that our ancestors traveled: to Beer Sheva, Hebron, Bethlehem, Ephrata (Efrat), and more.

All around us are reminders of our history in this land – this land that G-d has given us. There are reminders of our connection to the land, but there are also reminders of times when people tried to separate us from the land and destroy us: Babylonians, Greeks, Syrians, Romans and others. Today, in our fight for survival, we are facing Arabs, the UN, the CFR and others, including some of our own people.

Recently the Amish Church reversed a long-held position and announced their support for Israel and the Jewish people. We are thankful for their support and the support and well-wishes of others, including many other Christian and non-Christian groups. In reality, many of us are under attack by the same enemies.

When push comes to shove, though, we need to remember that G-d is still in charge and still sets the agenda. We, however, still get to choose our own responses and are ultimately responsible for those responses. We all need to pray for the wisdom to make the correct responses.

Be well, Y’all,
Mel

Israel's Flag at Masada