Jerusalem Diaries:In Tense Times

How Much Celebrating Can Jerusalem Take?

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Lash Balint) — Sun, 20 May 2012 21:25:00 +0000

The 45th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem draws to a close-- Yom Yerushalayim 2012 winds down, the official ceremony at Ammunition Hill leaves the trenches barren again; the fireworks fade over the Old City; the strains of the Student Concert in the park waft away; the Carlebach Chai Concert at the Jerusalem Theater lets out; the tens of thousands who marched through the city and gathered at the Kotel drag themselves home...

But the sweet sounds of "If I forget you, Jerusalem" remain. Click below to listen...

Some images from the day as Jerusalem returns to "normal."

Apologies from Bibi and family

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Lash Balint) — Mon, 07 May 2012 18:02:00 +0000

Right after I posted yesterday's blog about the conclusion of the shiva for Prof. Benzion Netanyahu z"tl, I ( and everyone else in the neighboring streets...) received a letter (see below) from the Prime Minister and his brother and sister-in-law apologizing for the inconvenience caused by the hullabaloo surrounding the shiva.

In the letter, the Netanyahus explain that they made the difficult decision to hold the shiva at the family home on HaPortzim Street instead of at the official residence, "out of our desire to honor our father's request and his memory. Here we were raised as kids and teenagers and here our father did his research, was creative and worked for sixty years.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your good neighborliness and the assistance you offered our father from time to time and in recent years."

Signed,

Benjamin and Sara Netanyahu,
Ido and Dafna Netanyahu

Netanyahu Shiva Draws to a Close

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Lash Balint) — Sun, 06 May 2012 17:16:00 +0000


Clearing the security barriers from in front of the Netanyahu shiva home

By 9 a.m this morning, most of the security equipment in front of the Netanyahu home on HaPortzim street just down the road from me had been cleared.

As the Netanyahu family got up this morning from their 7-day mourning period following the death of Prof. Bentziyon Netanyahu, life in the 'hood began to return to normal.

It'll be strange not to see and hear the motorcade arriving every Friday afternoon as Bibi would come to visit his father before Shabbat. Everyone in the neighborhood would always know when a major speech was in the works as the prime minister would come to consult with his father the night before.

The last time I saw Prof. Netanyahu in public: Last Purim, March 26 2012 on Jaffa Road

During the shiva, thousands came to pay their respects, as the Netanyahus observed the traditional ritual at the home where Bibi and his brothers spent a good portion of their childhood.

Street posters announcing the death of Prof. Netanyahu

Interesting that Bibi chose to sit shiva at his former home, while Sara Netanyahu preferred to receive condolences after the death of her father Shmuel Ben-Artzi at the Prime Minister's official residence on Balfour Street.

Everyone who passed through the Netanyahu home was subject to the strictest security, even when Bibi himself was not there, between 2p.m-4p.m, when he went back to his office every day to attend to a few pressing affairs--setting election dates for example..

Press coverage was huge--ranging from pseudo-psychoanalytical comments about Bibi's personal and political relationship with his father to interesting observations by journalists like Ariel Kahana who noted how the shiva was conducted according to halachic requirements, with a minyan gathering three times a day, punctuated by divrei Torah.

Meanwhile, just down the street at the Horshat Hayarayach open space, oblivious to the comings and goings of most of the country's machers, city workers were busy cutting down the grass for the bonfires of Lag B'Omer to take place this Wednesday evening.

Trimming the grass in advance of Lag B'Omer

Yom Hashoah: Remembering Them...

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Lash Balint) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 19:06:00 +0000

As Yom Hashoah--Holocaust Memorial Day descends on Israel, I remember the grandparents I never met: Avraham and Ida-Yehudit Ehrenreich, who perished at Auschwitz, September 1942 and Bertha and Wilhelm Leschziner, killed at Treblinka, 1942.

Some words in memory of my uncle Isi Ehrenreich who passed away during Pesach


Bertha and Wilhelm Leschziner, daughter Gerda

Ida Yehudit and Avraham Ehrenreich


Memorial at the Paris Holocaust Museum. My grandparents, Abraham Ehrenreich and Ida Ehrenreich, deported from Drancy to Auschwitz are listed there.

10 More Ways You Know Pesach is Coming in Israel

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Lash Balint) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 19:19:00 +0000

Chag Pesach Sameach wishes courtesy of the Tel Aviv Municipality. Photo: Goldberg@flickr.com

Yesterday I posted 20 Signs of Pesach in Israel on the Times of Israel...but I left it at 20 because a blog can only be so long...

So, to get an even better feel for the atmosphere in Israel, where you can feel Pesach in the air, here are another few ways you know the holiday is approaching:

1. Hat tip to long-time Jerusalem Diaries reader and old friend Ron Allswang who pointed out a link between two of our pilgrimage festivals--Pesach and Sukkot: according to Ron there's a minhag or custom on Erev Pesach to burn the Lulavim (the palm fronds we wave that poke people in the rear when riding the bus during Sukkot!) with the chametz...so don;t be surprised to see people wandering around with lulavim on Friday morning.

2. Another Sukkot-Pesach link--(think joy of water-drawing): Anyone who has not experienced erev Pesach traffic jams in Israel has not experienced a true traffic jam. With almost 90 percent of the population taking part in a Seder and the entire country taking vacation, the traffic volumes are at their peak on erev Pesach.

3. Organizations that pass out food boxes to needy families came in for sharp criticism this year as Social Affairs Minister Moshe Kahlon slammed the practice of making the poor line up to receive charity while TV cameras roll. Kahlon suggests passing out supermarket debit cards to preserve a modicum of dignity for those in need.

4. A pre-Seder seder organized at the Mevasseret Tzion Absorption Center caters to those experiencing their very first Pesach in Israel. Hundreds of Ethiopians, whose stories could make up a new exodus narrative, took part in the event. Immigration officials believe that this coming year will bring the last of those with Jewish ancestry from Ethiopia to Israel.

Jewish Agency seder . Photo: Jewish Agency for Israel

5. Back in 2000, Israel's Brandman Research Institute found that 43 million people hours were spent nationwide in Israel's cleaning preparations for Passover. How did that break down back then? Of those cleaning hours, 29 million were done by women and 11 million by men. Persons paid to clean filled out the remaining 3 million hours. Anyone care to wager whether those proportions have equalized out in 2012?

6. Speaking of men and Pesach...A few years ago, former Sephardi Chief Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu issued a ruling that Viagra may be taken on Pesach provided the pill is encased in a special empty capsule so that the drug itself is not in direct contact with the body.

7. Need to stock up on household goods? Pre-Pesach is the time to do it, as stores compete to offer rock-bottom prices on dishes and cutlery. The 50 NIS price ($13.50) for a perfectly nice set of dishes for 6, kind of makes up for gas prices, which stand at an all-time high of almost $8 per gallon.

8. Bank Hapoalim, which like every bank in Israel charges a fee for every single transaction, redeems itself slightly on Passover by underwriting free entrance to 45 sites, museums and attractions throughout the country during chol hamoed.

9. For some reason, it's become expected practice for companies to give their workers gifts on Passover (and Rosh Hashanah...) The Tovanot Market research firm found that some 1.5 million workers in Israel receive gifts from their employers at this time of year. Most generous is the Dead Sea Works whose workers get a check for NIS 1780 (about $475) + an iPad2.

10. The array of activities in Jerusalem during Passover is truly astounding. Click here for the most comprehensive listing.

And most of all--celebrate! This is the season that am Yisrael became a nation.

Facing Life's Tragedies: Toulouse and Israel

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Lash Balint) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 16:14:00 +0000

Today's funerals in Jerusalem for the four latest Jewish victims of Muslim terror were heart-wrenching. The unbridled pain of Miriam Monsonego's brother; the wailing of the friends and relatives and the sobbing eulogy of Chief Sephardi Rabbi Shlomo Amar were hard to take, but tragically, not a unique occurrence in this country.

Relatives of the Sandler and Monsonego families at their funerals in Jerusalem

Little more than a year ago, thousands of mourners gathered to take their leave of the Fogel family from Itamar, parents and children, likewise slaughtered in cold blood by Arab terrorists. No, those who in their stunned grief call for French Jews to make aliya, cannot bear to acknowledge that Jewish children in Israel are murdered here too, just because of who they are. Yes, we live in a sovereign Jewish state with a strong army to protect us, but they're no match for those whose will is to kill Jews wherever they may be found.

In the face of such dark evil, however, there is light and hope from ordinary Israelis who have created extraordinarily effective frameworks to help those affected by terror and illness to go on.

Whether it's the One Family Fund and the Koby Mandell Foundation that provide amazing emotional and physical support to those affected by terror, or l'havdil, the Tishkofet-Maagan initiative that exists to stand by those stricken with life-threatening illness and their families, or one of the many uplifting projects created in the memory of fallen soldiers, such as the Bayit Shel Benji, they all speak volumes about the strength and fortitude of Israeli society and the life-affirming values that unite us as a people.

The memory of Rav Yonatan Sendler, Gabriel and Aryeh and Miriam Monsonego will be a blessing.

Jerusalem Marathoners Brave Rain, Hail, Wind and Cold

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Lash Balint) — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 09:57:00 +0000

Planners of the Jerusalem Marathon were counting on a beautiful, mild, sunny mid-March day for the event that drew 12,000 runners from all over the world.

Rainy start on the marathon course

But runners who showed up at the start line before 7 a.m were greeted by cold rain and high winds. As the morning progressed, they were hailed on a few times before the sun peeked out in a few scattered outbursts.

On many Jerusalem streets, traffic was non-existent as the runners slogged by. Owners of cars parked on closed streets found flyers on their windshields telling them when their vehicle would be liberated.

The lead runner, accompanied by a motorcycle entourage, seemed oblivious to the conditions as he streaked toward the finish line hours ahead of the stragglers.

Also oblivious to the hoopla, were a couple of Arab women who are regulars outside the local supermarket on Friday mornings, selling their home-grown produce.

These women managed to get past the traffic blockades to get into Jerusalem

Many of the security personnel along the route pulled long shifts and did not seem gripped by the same fervor as spectators who could head home when the rain and hail started up again.


"I have to stand out here for how long while these crazies run around the city in the rain??"

A security guy takes refuge from the hail


Along the route officials yelled encouragement and tried to direct the runners to the right course--the half or the full marathon. Not always successful--many runners went the wrong way as spectators obscured the signs.

The faces of the runners tell the story--lots of pain; lots of gain for those who trained and dressed for the conditions..

Magen David Adom stood by with little to do...

Magen David Adom volunteers


A number of women ran the course in skirts and leggings

Some observant men ran while others were spectators...

Running the half marathon

...and other religious kids enjoyed walking through the empty streets as if it were Yom Kippur.

Benzion Netanyahu, adviser to the Prime Minister, out and about at 101

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Lash Balint) — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 09:27:00 +0000

Amidst all the Purim frivolity in Jerusalem, one moment stands out. Walking along Jaffa Road with a couple of friends after taking in the Ben Yehuda Street Shushan Purim carnival, I spotted 101 year-old Prof. Benzion Netanyahu, father of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, happily enjoying the day out in the company of his carer.

Prof. Benzion Netanyahu on Jaffa Road on Shushan Purim. Photo: (c) Judy Lash Balint

Prof. Netanyahu, who will celebrate his 102nd birthday on March 25, lives down the street from me in a modest Mandate-era home.

Almost every Friday, and before every important speech, his son, the prime minister, arrives to visit, accompanied by his full security detail and several decoy vehicles with shaded windows. A large blue curtain slides between the street and the front door so the PM is not exposed to anyone's view; the SWAT team guys lounge around the street chatting casting an occasional eye over the passers-by and some 40 minutes later the entourage reassembles and races up the street while faceless voices order any vehicle in their way to move aside on the narrow streets.

Prof. Benzion Netanyahu (l) with his son PM Benjamin Netanyahu

Prof. Netanyahu, a Warsaw native, is a retired history professor who is considered one of the world's leading experts on the Jews of Spain. He was Zeev Jabotinsky's secretary for a time in the late 1930s, and was very active in the Revisionist Zionist movement.

I for one, find it reassuring that someone like Prof. Netanyahu is among Bibi's advisers as the prime minister is on the verge of making momentous decisions about whether or not to launch a military attack on Iran or how to deal with the renewed onslaught of rockets and mortars from Gaza.

Jerusalem Prepares for Shushan Purim

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Lash Balint) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 13:40:00 +0000

Selling Hamantaschen in the shuk

As the rest of the country gets ready to read the megillah and start celebrating Purim, those of us in Jerusalem and Hebron--walled cities, wait until tomorrow night to get to Shushan Purim.

But the shuk Machane Yehuda was packed today as Jerusalemites emerged into the sunshine to stock up on supplies for Mishloach manot and the Purim seuda, that will take place here on Friday...

Stocking up on supplies for mishloach manot

Some people like theirs pre-packaged

Gotta find somewhere to put all those mishloach manot goodies

Purim spirits--on sale!

"Remember the half a shekel. You can donate here" says the sign

The BBC Loves Israel!

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Lash Balint) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 18:36:00 +0000

I never thought I'd see the day--the BBC has a delightful half-hour radio broadcast that's 99 percent positive about Israel.

Host John McCarthy, who waxes enthusiastic about his visits to Haifa, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, interviews several women in London with Israel connections and experience. They chat about the Israel Trail; the delights of zimmerim; Tel Aviv's cultural offerings; off-beat things to do; Jerusalem's Old City vibe and Israel's incredible culinary scene.

Apart from one passing reference to the poor Palestinians in Hebron, the entire show passes with nary a negative remark...This has to be a first in the annals of the Beeb.

Tweet your comments to Radio 4 @BBCR4Feedback

Tu B'Shvat--Good Excuse to Visit the Shomron

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Lash Balint) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:24:00 +0000

Tu B'Shvat dawned hazy and cold--not exactly inviting conditions to travel north to plant saplings on a hilltop in Samaria--but a bus load of shivering Jerusalem-area residents set forth early this morning to mark the holiday by touring several communities in the Shomron (Samaria) and ending the day by planting some spry new trees as the sun broke through the haze.

Shechem from Mt Gerizim

From the top of Mt Gerizim, we get a bird's eye view of the city of Shechem below. Today, the world knows the city as Nablus, not Shechem--the place mentioned in the bible (Genesis 12: 6-8) connected to Abraham. The growing Arab metropolis is currently designated as Area A--under Palestine Authority control and out of bounds for Israelis.

Once in a while, in the dead of night, the IDF makes an exception and accompanies devoted Jews who want to pray at Joseph's Tomb on the edge of town.

The dome of Joseph's Tomb (center) on a Nablus street

This morning, we looked down at the ancient Tel of Shechem from Mt Gerizim and picked out the domed tomb surrounded by more recent Arab buildings.

Not far from the summit of the mountain is the Samaritan village, where a few hundred Samaritans supposedly descended from the ancient Samaritans of biblical times maintain their unique religious traditions. In recent years, the Samaritan Passover has become something of an exotic tourist attraction amongst Israelis, and the Samaritans host thousands of visitors in the village.

In the Samaritan village, Mt Gerizim

The scenery in this part of the country, particularly at this time of year, is spectacular. The green hills, scattered with blossoming almond trees, terraces of wizened olive trees and the occasional vineyard are stunning. Even in the hazy late morning, the views over the Tirzah Valley from the community of Eilon Moreh are breathtaking. On a clear day, you can see all the way to Mt Hermon and the Carmel mountains near Haifa.

The Tirzah Valley from Eilon Moreh

Looking over the Tirzah valley that leads all the way down toward the Jordan Valley, it's easy to understand the strategic importance of a place like Eilon Moreh, founded some 32 years ago and today home to some 200 families. As we drive through the hilly community, lively groups of schoolkids on their own Tu B'Shvat outings wave as we pass.

On to Givot Olam--one of Israel's leading organic farming ventures. Located on a remote hill reached by a winding road through the community of Itamar, Givot Olam is one of the most surprising enterprises in the Shomron. Today, in honor of Tu B'Shvat, the place was mobbed. Busloads of Israelis from all over the country came to gape at the goats, enjoy the beautiful scenery and taste the outrageously delicious organic products that were flying off the shelves. Hit of the day was the hot chocolate drink made from goat's milk--essentially liquid chocolate pudding...

Enjoying the sunshine and the food at Givot Olam

Spring at Givot Olam

Back down in Itamar, we stopped in front of the deserted former home of Udi and Ruth Fogel, z"tl, who were murdered along with three of their six kids in a brutal terror attack in March 2011. A few minutes later, we piled out of the bus to join hundreds of others who came to a hill nearby to plant saplings in memory of the Fogels.

The Fogel home, Itamar

Itamar is one of 31 Jewish communities scattered through the Shomron, one of the most beautiful and historic parts of the country, and unfortunately, one of the least visited and least understood.

Sitting at a table on the patio of Givot Olam together with a group brought there by Mishkefet--an Israeli organization dedicated to bringing visitors to see the reality for themselves, I overheard a conversation between two middle-aged women from Ashdod. " I don't believe what I'm seeing. I can't believe I'm sitting here on a beautiful hilltop in the Shomron--completely relaxed, enjoying myself! I thought only crazy people lived up here."

Tu B'Shvat Doings in Israel

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Lash Balint) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:26:00 +0000

Tonight and tomorrow Israel celebrates Tu B'Shvat--the New Year for Trees. I realize that apart from the fruticas celebrations in the Sephardi community, Tu B'Shvat isn't much of a holiday outside Israel, but here, the New Year for Trees is an opportunity to physically connect with the land and it's bounty.

Tu B'Shvat at Sataf, near Jerusalem. Photo: Judy Lash Balint

Never mind that this year the Histadrut is threatening to darken our Tu B'shvat with yet another in a series of general strikes, most of the country's kids and ayone else who can get out of work will be out planting trees, taking care of nature-related projects, and enjoying the first blush of the white and pink blossoms of the almond trees that invariably bloom right on cue every Tu B'Shvat.

I'll be heading off to the Shomron with World Likud for a rare visit to Sebastia, among other places (haven't been there in 14 years...) full report and photos after the tiyul.

Another creative Tu B'Shvat initiative is from the folks who brought the popular Bananagram word game to Israel. They have a special Tu B'Shvat game for Hebrew speakers/readers that promises to be a hit--try playing the game after a few glasses of wine that are part of the kabbalistic Tu B'Shvat Seder that's become popular here.

And watch those calories as you enjoy the bountiful array of dried fruit that fills the shuk and supermarkets here. There's a huge amount of sugar (and sometimes additives too) in dried fruit. "Treat it like candy," advise Israeli dietitians in advance of the holiday.

Fun way to learn about Jerusalem-Jerusalem Scavenger Hunt!

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Lash Balint) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 17:55:00 +0000

There are all kinds of ways to learn about Jerusalem, but one of the latest, most fun ways to see the city in a different light is through a new initiative thought up by enterprising young Jewish educator Tali Tarlow--the Jerusalem Scavenger Hunt.

Instructions!

Yesterday, Tali invited a group of Israeli bloggers to take part in one of her customized scavenger hunts in the Old City, and twelve of us showed up from all over the country on a crisp sunny morning to get to know one another and the Jewish Quarter better.

Tali and madrich, Jeremy.

Armed with our source book, a map, and instruction booklet, we broke up into teams of four with a designated photographer, reader, organizer and scribe, and set off to scavenge around some of the more interesting nooks and crannies of the Rova.

Scavenger hunter near the Menachem Tzion Synagogue

It took us about two hours of exploring to answer all the questions and find all the sites on our list, and to be the first team to arrive at our final destination, in front of the Rothschild House in Batei Machse Square. Tali and her team was there to meet us and close the morning with an inspiring wrap-up to our explorations.

Figuring out the final clue...

The Jerusalem Scavenger Hunt is a great activity for anyone visiting Jerusalem with teenagers, students or groups interested in learning more about the city "out of the box"--there's a scavenger hunt for the historic Nachlaot neighborhood too and more projects in the works...

Jerusalem Does Kosher Wine....

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Lash Balint) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:33:00 +0000

As the center of the Jewish religious world, you would think that Jerusalem would have hosted a kosher wine festival before--but no, the first Jerusalem Kosher Wine Exhibit took place just this week at the Binyanei HaUma convention center.

At the entrance to the kosher wine exhibit

With a steep entry price of 70NIS per person (my press card got me in for free) it was surprising to see such a turnout. On the second day of the two-day event, hundreds of smartly dressed observant Jews of every persuasion showed up to sample dozens of wines at the booths set up by the country's leading wineries.

The ratio of men to women was about 2:1, and the ration of ultra-orthodox to knitted kipa types was about the same, plus it was an overwhelmingly young crowd.

Apart from the well-known established wineries like Barkan and Carmel, there was good representation from some of the newer boutique wineries, many located in the Shomron, such as the Shiloh and Gvaot Wineries. The wines I tasted were all superb--I'm a Merlot fan, myself, and almost all I sampled at the Exhibit were smooth and sophisticated.

Dear Visitor! Say the blessing for the creator of the vine when you go in, and the blessing of thanks for the fruit of the vine when you leave."

Almost all of wineries in Israel today have tours--so check out the websites and put at least one on the agenda for your next Israel visit.

I was at the Mony Winery not far from Beit Shemesh recently--a great place to relax and visit...

8th night of Chanukah: How we do it in Jerusalem

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Lash Balint) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 11:29:00 +0000

Every Chanukah I head off with my camera to the (almost) all-pedestrian neighborhood of Nachlaot and Zichron Moshe to take in the beautiful sight of the dozens of outside chanukiot shining with light outside fancy, remodeled single-family homes (mostly owned by English-speakers) and the modest hovels nearby occupied largely by Haredi families and yeshiva students.

This year I waited until the final day of the holiday--a crisp, clear evening--and here are some of the results: (Click here for the complete set)

Nachlaot at dusk

Chanukah in the Machane Yehuda shuk

Lighting the last candle..

Zichron Moshe courtyard

Chanukah pilpul

An Israeli reservist writes from the Israel-Egypt border

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Lash Balint) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 06:56:00 +0000

Acquaintances in Efrat sent over this moving account about Israel's policy toward African refugees written by their son who is doing reserve duty on the Israel-Egypt border.

Read and contact the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, in Washington DC at


Telephone	202 296 5191
Fax	202 296 5660
Email	usawa@unhcr.org

My name is Aron Adler. I am 25 years old, was born in Brooklyn NY, and raised in Efrat Israel. Though very busy, I don’t view my life as unusual. Most of the time, I am just another Israeli citizen. During the day I work as a paramedic in Magen David Adom, Israel’s national EMS service. At night, I’m in my first year of law school. I got married this October and am starting a new chapter of life together with my wonderful wife Shulamit.

15-20 days out of every year, I'm called up to the Israeli army to do my reserve duty. I serve as a paramedic in an IDF paratrooper unit. My squad is made up of others like me; people living normal lives who step up to serve whenever responsibility calls. The oldest in my squad is 58, a father of four girls and grandfather of two; there are two bankers, one engineer, a holistic healer, and my 24 year old commander who is still trying to figure out what to do with his life. Most of the year we are just normal people living our lives, but for 15-20 days each year we are soldiers on the front lines preparing for a war that we hope we never have to fight.

This year, our reserve unit was stationed on the border between Israel, Egypt and the Gaza Strip in an area called “Kerem Shalom.” Above and beyond the “typical” things for which we train – war, terrorism, border infiltration, etc., this year we were confronted by a new challenge.

Several years ago, a trend started of African refugees crossing the Egyptian border from Sinai into Israel to seek asylum from the atrocities in Darfur. What started out as a small number of men, women and children fleeing from the machetes of the Janjaweed and violent fundamentalists to seek a better life elsewhere, turned into an organized industry of human trafficking. In return for huge sums of money, sometimes entire life savings paid to Bedouin “guides,” these refugees are promised to be transported from Sudan, Eritrea, and other African countries through Egypt and the Sinai desert, into the safe haven of Israel.

We increasingly hear horror stories of the atrocities these refugees suffer on their way to freedom. They are subject to, and victims of extortion, rape, murder, and even organ theft, their bodies left to rot in the desert. Then, if lucky, after surviving this gruesome experience whose prize is freedom, when only a barbed wire fence separates them from Israel and their goal, they must go through the final death run and try to evade the bullets of the Egyptian soldiers stationed along the border. Egypt’s soldiers are ordered to shoot to kill anyone trying to cross the border OUT of Egypt and into Israel. It’s an almost nightly event.

For those who finally get across the border, the first people they encounter are Israeli soldiers, people like me and those in my unit, who are tasked with a primary mission of defending the lives of the Israeli people. On one side of the border soldiers shoot to kill. On the other side, they know they will be treated with more respect than in any of the countries they crossed to get to this point.

The region where it all happens is highly sensitive and risky from a security point of view, an area stricken with terror at every turn. It’s just a few miles south of the place where Gilad Shalit was kidnapped. And yet the Israeli soldiers who are confronted with these refugees do it not with rifles aimed at them, but with a helping hand and an open heart. The refugees are taken to a nearby IDF base, given clean clothes, a hot drink, food and medical attention. They are finally safe.

Even though I live Israel and am aware through media reports of the events that take place on the Egyptian border, I never understood the intensity and complexity of the scenario until I experienced it myself.

In the course of the past few nights, I have witnessed much. At 9:00 PM last night, the first reports came in of gunfire heard from the Egyptian border. Minutes later, IDF scouts spotted small groups of people trying to get across the fence. In the period of about one hour, we picked up 13 men - cold, barefoot, dehydrated - some wearing nothing except underpants. Their bodies were covered with lacerations and other wounds. We gathered them in a room, gave them blankets, tea and treated their wounds. I don’t speak a word of their language, but the look on their faces said it all and reminded me once again why I am so proud to be a Jew and an Israeli. Sadly, it was later determined that the gunshots we heard were deadly, killing three others fleeing for their lives.

During the 350 days a year when I am not on active duty, when I am just another man trying to get by, the people tasked with doing this amazing job, this amazing deed, the people witnessing these events, are mostly young Israeli soldiers just out of high school, serving their compulsory time in the IDF, some only 18 years old.

The refugees flooding into Israel are a heavy burden on our small country. More than 100,000 refugees have fled this way, and hundreds more cross the border every month. The social, economic, and humanitarian issues created by this influx of refugees are immense. There are serious security consequences for Israel as well. This influx of African refugees poses a crisis for Israel. Israel has yet to come up with the solutions required to deal with this crisis effectively, balancing its’ sensitive social, economic, and security issues, at the same time striving to care for the refugees.

I don’t have the answers to these complex problems which desperately need to be resolved. I’m not writing these words with the intention of taking a political position or a tactical stand on the issue.

I am writing to tell you and the entire world what’s really happening down here on the Egyptian/Israeli border. And to tell you that despite all the serious problems created by this national crisis, these refugees have no reason to fear us. Because they know, as the entire world needs to know, that Israel has not shut its eyes to their suffering and pain. Israel has not looked the other way. The State of Israel has put politics aside to take the ethical and humane path as it has so often done before, in every instance of human suffering and natural disasters around the globe. We Jews know only too well about suffering and pain. The Jewish people have been there. We have been the refugees and the persecuted so many times, over thousands of years, all over the world.

Today, when African refugees flood our borders in search of freedom and better lives, and some for fear of their lives, it is particularly noteworthy how Israel deals with them, despite the enormous strain it puts on our country on so many levels.

Our young and thriving Jewish people and country, built from the ashes of the Holocaust, do not turn their backs on humanity. Though I already knew that, this week I once again experienced it firsthand. I am overwhelmed with emotion and immensely proud to be a member of this nation.

With love of Israel,
Aron Adler writing from the Israel/Gaza/Egyptian border.

Another Jerusalem House Demolition

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Lash Balint) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 15:38:00 +0000

The Jerusalem municipality demolishes illegal Arab buildings. And every time they do, reporters are alerted and go running out to film the scene of destruction. Interestingly, because of the stringency of Israeli legal procedures to determine whether a building is legal or not, only a small percentage of the thousands of structures built without permits scattered through the eastern part of Jerusalem are demolished. Only 2000 have been demolished since 1967.

This afternoon, I witnessed the demolition of the annex of the prestigious Yarok Yarok Flower Shop on Hanassi St, not 100 yards from the Presidents Residence in Rehavia. Like many structures built by Arabs in eastern Jerusalem, this was built without a permit and therefore demolished. And yes, police and city officials were there to make sure the Jewish owners or their neighbors didn't riot! Not a reporter to be seen, however, nor any representative from the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions..

Gilad comes home: Our neighbors celebrate: Israelis March in Jerusalem

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Lash Balint) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 12:45:00 +0000

As Gilad comes home and the country unites in thanksgiving that despite his obviously frail state, he is at least able to walk under his own steam and is finally reuniting with his family. Reports now emerge that he needed medical treatment during the helicopter ride to Tel Nof Air base, but he was able to hug his parents and salute Prime Minister Netanyahu. President Shimon Peres issued pardons to the terrorists released in exchange for Gilad and in his personal note to each one of them, Peres wrote:

The voices of the terror victims and the deep grief of their families burns all of our hearts. I would like to note that my decision in this matter to exercise my authority in no way pardons or forgives these murderers and criminals. I do not forgive and forget.

Meanwhile, my colleague Yishai Fleisher who lives in Maale Hazeitim in eastern Jerusalem, documented the reaction of his Arab neighbors to the release of the first batch of terrorists.

Israeli police protect Arab demonstrators in eastern Jerusalem

Celebrating release of terrorists in front of Mt of Olives cemetery. All Photos: Yishai Fleisher

Today is also the annual Jerusalem March that brings tens of thousands of Israelis from all walks of life to the capital to fulfill the commandment to come up to Jerusalem on Sukkot. Life goes on in this most meaningful of places...

Marching through Jerusalem

Marching from Mt Zion


"Great to have you coming home!" Photos: ©Judy Lash Balint

Confirmation: Jerusalem Sbarro Murderers to be Released

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Lash Balint) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 09:33:00 +0000

Arnold and Frimet Roth report that they received confirmation this morning that the murderers of their daughter Malki, 15, and fifteen other Jews will be included in the prisoner "exchange" for Gild Shalit.

The accomplices were originally sentenced to 16 consecutive life sentences and never expressed remorse for their act.

Shalit deal: "How can they sleep at night?"

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Lash Balint) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 16:36:00 +0000

Read what Frimet Roth, whose daughter Malki, 15, was killed in the Sbarro terror massacre in Jerusalem in 2001 has to say about the Shalit exchange deal:

Malki Roth: photo taken the night before she was killed

Along with the entire nation, I am relieved and happy that Gilad Shalit will be returning home imminently. But I am shocked and deeply pained that this is being achieved by the mass release of cold-blooded murderers.

One of them is Ahlam Tamimi, a proud terrorist and the unrepentant murderer of my fifteen year old daughter, Malki. Tamimi transported the 10 kg. bomb, handed it to her accomplice and then led him on foot to the door of the target she had selected, Jerusalem's crowded Sbarro restaurant. Seven men and women and eight children perished. 130 people were injured. She was sentenced to sixteen terms of life in prison.

Tamimi declared that she does not regret what she did. She actually smiled when told the number of children whose lives she took.

With today’s decision to free the terrorists, prime minister Netanyahu, a savvy politician to the core, conveys to us his disdain for the lives of ordinary citizens like my Malki; his disrespect for Israel's justice system; and his lack of regard for the soldiers who faced death in order to apprehend the terrorists about to be freed.

Which rational soldier or police officer is going risk his life in the future to defend us from the monsters like Tamimi, sworn to murder still more Jews?

Which rational soldier or police officer is going risk his life in the future to defend us from the monsters like Tamimi, sworn to murder still more Jews?

The prime minister is quoted this morning saying that his "heart goes out" to Israel’s many terror victims. His actions and those of his cabinet suggest otherwise. How can they sleep at night, knowing the peril they have brought onto their people?

Shalit Release: Choose Life? Whose Life?

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Lash Balint) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 06:57:00 +0000

Very distressing to see the singing and dancing going on at the Shalit tent outside Netanyahu's office a few blocks away from here as the announcement that Israel had agreed to release more than a thousand terrorists, including hundreds who were serving life sentences for terror attacks such as the Sbarro carnage in Jerusalem in August 2001.

The partying is pretty obscene given what is inevitably coming down the pike...Rejoicing that Gilad's name will forever be linked with the next terror attack??

Celebrations at the Shalit tent in Jerusalem last night

What are the chances that we'll see another family sitting in exactly the same position as the Shalits a year from now, now that all these murderers will be running around free..what exactly is the deterrent now against more of the same Hamas war crimes??

Sure enough, this morning Hamas' Khalid Mashal "promised" his people that this would not be their last effort to "liberate" all their prisoners--now there's a real surprise! I was actually surprised that Reshet Bet carried it on their broadcast...

As several commentators have noted--the death penalty for terrorists is one answer..why are our tax shekels paying for murderers of Jews to sit in jail watching TV, studying for degrees and eating kosher food?

An unimaginable ordeal is almost over for the devastated Shalits whose lives will never be the same...but save a bit of sympathy for the Cohens, Levys, Ohayons, Goldbergs etc who will be sitting in the same chairs over the next few years.

17 Ways You Know Sukkot is Coming in Israel

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Lash Balint) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:11:00 +0000

(Ron A, this one's for you!!)

1. The tourists have landed! Overwhelmingly religious, English and French speaking, they jam the city’s take-out places and restaurants. The well-dressed visitors may be seen in packs wandering up and down Emek Refaim Street and through the glitzy Mamilla Mall talking to their friends on their Blackberry or IPhones in English at top volume.

2. The clang of metal poles and the sounds of hammering are practically constant as Jerusalem’s apartment dwellers hurry to erect their sukkot and squeeze them into small balconies, odd-shaped gardens and otherwise derelict rooftops.

3. Almost every non-profit group worth its salt has scheduled a fund-raising and/or familiarization event for the intermediate days of Sukkot, aimed at capturing the attention of the wealthy temporary Jerusalem residents.

4. Real estate agents are taking a deep breath before their busiest week of the year as they prepare to pitch their over-priced wares to eager foreign buyers. Each of the many luxury residential building projects around town has managed to put up billboards depicting the completed construction and inviting prospective buyers for a tour of an unfinished building site.

5. You can’t get on a bus or ride the light rail without being poked in the rear a dozen times by someone’s stray lulav.

6. The sweet smell of etrogim in Jerusalem’s Machane Yehuda is overpowering. Huge crowds descend on a lot on Jaffa Road near the market to vie for the most shapely lulav and etrog.

7. One enterprising bookstore is offering “Machzor rentals” for tourists who inadvertently left their holiday prayer books at home.

8. You’ve never seen such gaudy sukkah decorations in your life—unless you’ve been to WalMart on Christmas Eve. Kiosks manned by bearded Haredim are selling gold, green and red tinsel hangings, made in China and exact replicas of Christmas decorations in the old country.

9. Huge piles of schach (palm fronds for the roof of the sukkah) cover major city squares, and citizens are invited to take as much as they need for free.

10. The usual throngs of traditional Jews are expected at the Western Wall for the thrice-yearly observance of the ancient ritual of Birkat Cohanim –the Blessing by the Priests–that takes place during the intermediate days of Sukkot.

11. Thousands more Jerusalemites and visitors will stand in line outside the official Presidential Residence on Hanassi Street in Talbieh to press the flesh with President Shimon Peres. Traditionally every Israel president opens the residence on Sukkot (this year on Monday morning, October 18) to greet the citizenry.

12. Like Christmas tree lots back in the US, empty city lots all over Jerusalem are taken over to sell sukkot of every size and description. Some are marketed by large companies and feature the latest space-saving technology and hardiest materials, while others are simpler affairs made of tubular piping and fabric walls. Every kosher restaurant in town has a sukkah of some kind and each boasts bigger and better holiday specials to entice customers.

Kosher Burger King on Ben Yehuda Street used to have its own sukka..

13. Since the entire week of Sukkot is a national holiday you’ll have a tough time deciding which festival/event to take part in. There’s the Fringe Theater Festival in Akko; the Haifa International Film Festival; The Tamar music and arts fest at Ein Gedi; the Storytelling Festival in Givatayim and the Gush Etzion Jewish Music and Theater Festival to name just a few.

14. Touring the country is another favorite Sukkot activity and every political group is promoting trips to “See For Yourself.” Hebron is a perennial favorite for the intermediate festival days as the Isaac Hall in the Cave of the Patriarchs that’s normally off-limits to Jewish visitors is open for the holiday.

15. Not to be left out are those tenacious Christian friends of Israel—this year the International Christian Embassy of Jerusalem (ICEJ) will bring thousands of people from 100 nations to attend their 32nd annual Feast of Tabernacles celebration. The Christian contingent dressed in costumes of their country of origin will also take part in another annual Sukkot event, the Jerusalem March, where tens of thousands proudly march through several routes in the capital on October 18th. On Friday the 16th, all 6000 Christian visitors will actually head down to Ein Gedi near the Dead Sea to vote en masse by SMS for the Dead Sea as THE wonder of the world! www.votedeadsea.com

Not everyone is happy about the Feast, however. In 2007 Israel’s Chief Rabbinate’s Committee for the Prevention of the Spread of Missionary Work in the Holy Land issued a ruling forbidding Jews from participating in the Jerusalem march organized by the ICEJ. The committee wrote in its decision, endorsed by both chief rabbis that halacha forbids Jews to participate in any of the Christian sponsored gatherings.

16. Another prominent group of tourists set to arrive are refugees from the young American frum singles scene who make an annual migration to Jerusalem from the Upper West Side for Sukkot. Discreet meetings of earnest, well-scrubbed, modestly dressed twenty-somethings take place in all the major hotel lobbies.

17. And speaking of refugees–spare a thought for those 1,700 families expelled from their homes in Gush Katif back in August 2005. More than six years on and hardly any of them are yet living in permanent housing. Neither they nor Israelis living in the south or in Northern Israel near the Lebanese border will need to be reminded of one of the essential messages of Sukkot –the flimsiness of our physical existence and our reliance on God for sustenance and shelter.

Yom Kippur Descends on Israel

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Lash Balint) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 11:54:00 +0000

Ben Gurion Airport closed at 1 p.m today and won't reopen until three hours after the end of Yom Kippur tomorrow night. Public transportation all over Israel grinds to a halt by 2:30 p.m. Men of all ages can be seen on the streets of Jerusalem with towels thrown over their shoulders as they head to and from the mikve.

In the streets later in the day, men hurry along with towels to the nearest mikveh (ritual bath). Many have already started building their sukkot (booths) in readiness for Sukkot, the one-week festival that starts the week after Yom Kippur. Sukkot structures of all kinds have sprung up on balconies, street corners and in front of cafes. The final decorations and the schach covering will be added right after the conclusion of Yom Kippur.

Over the past few days, the streets in and around the Old City, Nachlaot, the Bukharan Quarter and Meah Shearim have been completely packed with people hurrying to and from selichot. Curious secular Israelis by the hundreds take part in pre-dawn Selichot tours, where they look in on dozens of congregations where the faithful are immersed in penitential prayers chanted to ancient melodies.

Eli Luzon at the selichot concert

A selichot concert last night put on by the Jerusalem Municipality at Kikar Safra was standing room only as thousands took part.

The busiest kiosks on the streets are those selling shoes made from fabric or plastic–to comply with the prohibition against wearing leather on Yom Kippur.

Strains of chazanut waft out of many windows, as many radio and TV stations broadcast operatic renditions of the well-known Yom Kippur prayers in a variety of styles. Almost every radio and TV channel also features a physician prescribing pre-fast measures to stave off headaches and ensure an easy fast, and advice on the best type of food with which to break the fast.

Many of the rabbis providing commentary on Yom Kippur in the Israeli media emphasize the festive nature of the day–not only the obvious solemnity. Be happy, we’re told, that God grants us this grand opportunity to get a new lease on life–the possibility of teshuva (return) shows that Judaism is optimistic and forward-looking and allows for the reformulation of both our interpersonal relationships and our relationship with God. Singing and dancing are the de rigeur ways in which many congregations here, especially those at yeshivot, end the Yom Kippur day expressing joy at the soul having been uplifted.

While polls indicate that 71 percent of Israeli Jews between 18-35 will fast, non-observant Israelis are also getting ready for Yom Kippur.

For the past 12 years, the a group of progressive orthodox rabbis under the Tzohar banner have been hosting open Yom Kippur tefillot for communities all around Israel. Over 50,000 people attended last year and more are expected this year.

Tzohar has out together a special Machzor and detailed handout explaining the rituals, the meaning of the prayers that take place during the reverent day to ensure it is a meaningful and encompassing experience for all.

The daily Yisrael Hayom newspaper included the handout in their holiday edition. Radio ads inviting people to community centers for Yom Kippur tefillot note that " no one group owns Yom Kippur--it belongs to all of us."

There's no traffic apart from emergency vehicles on the streets of Israel on Yom Kippur, so it’s become a traditional time for mass outings on bikes–new and old. Kids and adults enjoy the one-time freedom of movement for two-wheeled transportation.

There’s also the obligatory rehash of stories from the 1973 Yom Kippur War in the press. Every year, commentators review the intelligence failures and questionable political decisions that brought Israel to the brink.

As the siren sounds marking the start of the Day of Reckoning and news reports are quieted for at least 25 hours, you may be sure that our prayers will include a plea for a better year than the one before. Beyond that, who knows?

The Shofar: Not Just for High Holydays

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Lash Balint) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 12:50:00 +0000

16th century shofar from Central Europe inscribed with the Hebrew word cherem--excommunication.

Ask Jews anywhere around the world what they associate with the shofar, and chances are they’ll make mention of the high holydays—hearing the blasts of the ram’s horn and its call to introspection and repentance on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is a quintessential Jewish experience.

An exhibit entitled Sound the Shofar: A Witness to History that opened on September 7 at Jerusalem’s Bible LandsMuseum gives the shofar a whole new meaning.

As curator Dr. Filip Vukosavovic explains it, the shofar is one of the most ancient Jewish symbols and has been in use for 3,000 years. But you won’t find a biblical commandment to blow the shofar on the high holydays—what may be found, according to Dr. Vukosavovic are seventy-two mentions of the shofar in the Bible: many of those citations are related to use of the shofar in battle. Whether to announce an imminent attack; rally the people to battle; anoint a king or just to praise God, as suggested in Psalms, the blasts of the horn of a kosher animal became a symbol of Jewish peoplehood and could be heard on an almost daily basis in ancient times.

True to its name, the Bible Lands Museum’s Witness to History exhibit opens up a world of knowledge about how the shofar served the Jewish people in times of celebration and sorrow; triumph and devastation.

At the entry to the compact temporary exhibit (on view until February 2012) are life-size depictions of the animals from which kosher shofars are fashioned. The goals of the exhibit, according to Dr. Vukosavovic are to explain what constitutes a shofar and to see history through the prism of the ancient Jewish symbol.

As he begins to explain that a kosher shofar may be made from any one of 140 animals, Dr. Vukosavovic is careful to point out to visitors that this is not a judaica exhibit, nevertheless, there are some fascinating and unique Jewish artifacts on display.

There’s a Jewish tombstone from 4^th-7^th centuries CE Caesarea depicting a lulav, menorah and shofar; a shofar from the 17^th century used in the former Czechoslovakia to excommunicate errant members of the community. It’s inscribed with the Hebrew and Aramaic words for excommunication--cherem and shamta and is the only one of its kind ever found.

A significant portion of the exhibit is devoted to the shofar in the modern era, and visitors may watch a fascinating 9-minute film describing how courageous young Jews defied the British who in deference to supposed Arab sensibilities, forbade the blowing of the shofar on Yom Kippur, and see the actual shofar used by Chief Rabbi Shlomo Goren at the kotel on June 7, 1967 to proclaim Israel regaining control over the Western Wall.

The shofar used by Rabbi Shlomo Goren to proclaim the liberation of the western wall in June 1967

According to Dr. Vukosavovic, the famous shofar has been stashed away by Rabbi Goren’s descendants and until now, no one has asked for it to be put on display.

In his memoirs, Rabbi Goren described how this particular shofar became the one used on that unforgettable day.

“My own shofar was burnt and I knew we were about to liberate the Old City and reach the western wall on the same day. At around 4 a.m, I ran to my father-in-law, the Nazir Rabbi of blessed memory. I knocked on his door and when he opened it, I said simply, “I need a shofar. We are going to liberate the Western Wall.” He was overcome with emotion and started to cry. He climbed onto the table as his shofar was hidden in an inaccessible cupboard. He gave it to me and I ran with it to the Rockefeller Museum and from there dashed to the Lions’ Gate.”

Still, as Museum Director Amanda Weiss points out, it’s not just momentous occasions that evoke memories of the shofar. “Everyone has a shofar story,” she explains. The Museum invited prominent Israelis to contribute their personal stories and several are on display at the exhibit.

If you have a personal shofar story to be included in the forthcoming Shofar blog, send it to pr@blmj.org .

9/11: Welcome To Israel

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Lash Balint) — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 21:34:00 +0000

Apologies for formatting--click anywhere on the article to zoom in or out...

This is a piece I wrote for the NY Post the day after 9/11...still relevant today?

Here's how Arabs in eastern Jerusalem reacted to 9/11...