Our First Anniversary

Irma, Bandit and I have been living in Israel for one year, now. People ask us how we feel about the change. Well, I can only speak for myself, but Irma pretty much agrees, although she might use different words. (You’d have to ask Bandit directly, but she acts happy.)


My feelings are related to the teaching of a Rabbi of antiquity, Rabbi Jacob, who said:
“better is one hour of blissfulness of spirit in the World to Come than the whole life of this world."

I feel that, although I had a good life prior to moving to Israel, the year I’ve spent here, because of the increased spirituality of the land and the people, is better than the world we left behind. In fact, there is such a high level of spirituality attached to the land, that three of the world’s major religions started here.

That’s not to say we don’t have good feelings about what and whom we left behind. On the contrary, we do. We left behind some very special people, friends and relatives in Colorado, Florida and Michigan. We are grateful for the love and help and friendship that we experienced, and that we continue to experience with them.

But, as I might have said about sixty years ago, “enough of the mushy stuff.” What else is there about living in Israel?

For one thing, Israel is a very modern, technically advanced country. That means it has modern cars, busses, trains, highways and planes. Israel also has cell phones and computers and modern medicine. In fact, Israel is the world’s leader in cell phone and computer and medical technologies. So, we have all of today’s modern goodies.

On the other side, Israel’s history goes back farther than that of probably any other country in the world. Our connection with this land goes back about 4000 years. Our fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were walking the hills and valleys just outside my window 4000 years ago. They are buried about 25 miles south of here.

People from various civilizations have tried to conquer, murder or convert our people during all of our history; Arameans, Amalikites, Egyptians, Greeks, Syrians, Babylonians, Persians, Romans and who knows who else. Then, when our survivors were scattered throughout the world by the conquerers, people in our host countries did the same; in England, France, Russia, Poland, Spain, Hungary, Germany and others, up to the present day.

The land that was ours went from one conquerer to another over the centuries. For many years it was held by the Turkish empire. About 100 years ago, a group of Jews bought a piece of barren land (around what is now Tel Aviv). Shortly after that, Great Britain took over the land that is now Israel and the Arab countries, after the Turkish empire lost a war. The land was split up into various countries, and eventually, with a UN vote, the modern state of Israel was founded. The country of Jordan was formed for the “Palestinians.”

OK, “what else?” Let’s start with some of the commonly held ideas that some of the world has about Israel. You need to be aware that much of the world gets their ideas about Israel and everything else from political and media sources that are controlled by big, very big, MONEY.

The world is being told false stories about Israel using terms like slavery and apartheid. Israel is being accused of all sorts of crimes against humanity. Most of those lies start with the UN Human Rights Council, which is made up mainly of representatives of Arab countries. In fact, just a few years back Kadaffi (or Quadafi or however they spell it today) was HEAD of the UN human rights organization.

Now, here is something you probably didn’t know. There have recently been a couple of major discoveries of natural gas just of Israel’s coastline. There is enough natural gas to make Israel, not only self sufficient, but also a major exporter of natural gas.

In addition to natural gas, Israel has the world’s second largest reserves of oil shale, putting it about even with Saudi Arabia in oil reserves. Nobody thought much about oil shale because it was always to expensive and dirty to extract the oil. However, new Israeli technology makes it environmentally clean and price competitive with regular oil wells.

It’s funny how nobody cared about Israel ten years ago, but now that it could be a world class energy producer, everyone wants to destroy us. That’s not really true; people have wanted to destroy Israel from day 1. It probably has something to do with introducing One G-d and morality to the world.

Major historic events are happening all over the world today; earthquakes, floods, sun spot activity, global magnetic shifts, revolutions, anarchy and everything else. Many believe that everything just happens as one long string of coincidences. Some of us believe that the Creator of the world, Blessed be He, plays a major role in all of this.

Irma and I are here in Israel because the Creator gave this land to Abraham and the Jewish people and He continues to control the destiny of the world. We also know that many of our friends feel the same way.

Enjoy the links and pictures below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHStBGk_D8Y  Israel Innovation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjfFpFW9OdA&feature=related  Hatikva

Be well, Y’all
Mel

A Neighborhood View

Our Neighborhood Strip Mall

A View From Our Neighborhood

Another View of Our 'hood

A Street View In Jerusalem - Building a Light Rail System

A Back Street in Jerusalem - It's an Old City

Parking in Jerusalem? Forget It

The First Wedding We Attended - Very Special

A View Across the Valley From Efrat

Our Flag Flies over Masada

Irma on a Camel - Trip to a Bedouin Village

Two Happy New Immigrants, Just off the Plane - 3/16/2010

A View of Irma's Gardening Talent - In Memory of Dorothy

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