BAR MITZVAH IN THE DESERT

Last Thursday saw us off to a very early start from Jerusalem to attend the Bar Mitzvah of our son-in-law’s nephew which was planned to take place on top of Masada.  Masada has changed greatly since we last visited a good many years ago and has become much more visitor-friendly, thankfully, without spoiling the uniqueness  of the site.  At the base of the plateau, there is now a spacious visitors’ Centre containing shops, cafes and restaurants and  a film on the history of Masada is shown before the ascent to the top in the modernized cable car.  We were welcomed on our arrival by a sandwich buffet in one of the newly-built restaurants and were accompanied during our whole time there by three musicians playing traditional Jewish and Israeli music on accordion, saxophone and darbuka (also known as a goblet-drum) and periodically sounding blasts on a huge shofar.  The music together with the beautiful weather, gave a very festive air to the occasion. On reaching the top we walked across the plateau to the remains of the Zealots’ Synagogue where the service took place and Jonathan performed his Parasha .

Accompanied by the musicians we then walked across to where a Torah scribe, enclosed in a small glass cubicle set into a cave, sat, seemingly oblivious of the watching tourists, as he meticulously copied the words of the Torah onto a new scroll, using a quill and vegetable ink, just as was done in Roman times.  The bar Mitzvah boy was allowed to go inside to watch the scribe at work and after being given an explanation of this sacred art, was given the honour of helping to add a letter, his hand on top of the sofer’s.

Then it was back to the cable car for our descent and return to the coach which had brought us from Jerusalem.  We knew that lunch was the next item on the agenda but as the bus travelled through the barren desert at the foot of Masada we had no idea where it was going to be served until, suddenly, in front of us, in the middle of nowhere, there appeared an open tent with bright rugs covering the floor and tables beautifully laid as one would expect in a smart restaurant.  Where the meal of barbecued meats and the wonderful variety of salads and vegetables, was being prepared was a mystery as the food appeared on the buffet tables as if by magic and it was a magical feeling to be sitting and eating in the middle of the desert in the midst of family and friends.  This was certainly a different and exciting way to celebrate a Bar Mitzvah and we are sure that all the guests enjoyed the unusual experience as much as we did.

THE KINDNESS OF CHRISTIANS

Last month we wrote about the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem and we are again, this month, writing on the theme of Christians and Israel.  We have had a depressing few weeks, researching the theme of anti-Semitism and anti-Israel attitudes in the church in the U.K. and have contacted various church members and officials whom we have got to know over the years, to help us in preparing a report on the subject for the British Ambassador to Israel who is in denial on the subject. The response was actually worse than we expected, replies containing such phrases as “….only this week I had a letter from someone who had been supporting Christian Friends of Magen David Adom  but has decided not to continue because of ‘the wickedness of Israel.’”  “In my own denomination (Church of England) there is a great deal of anti-Israeli sentiment which becomes anti-Semitic.”  “There is a relative tolerance of anti-Semitic leaflets coming from the fringes of the Islamic community (not always sufficiently condemned by Islamic leaders) which have a clear anti-Israel  tone to them ….expressed in the kind of rabid tones that would not have been accepted here since the 1930s  .….repeating such fabrications as contained in the ”Protocols of the elders of Zion.”  “As a speaker on Israel I find constantly I am meeting hostility and it does come near, or even become, anti-Semitism rather than a sensible critique of Israel and her government.” Not pleasant reading.

VISITS FROM DUTCH & GERMAN CHRISTIANS

On the other hand, we have also had number of heart-warming experiences with Christians from Germany and Holland. We have just received a visit from a group of Germans consisting of a young man, who incidentally is undergoing a conversion course and hopes, before too long, to be officially Jewish, accompanied by three young Christian women.  They are all volunteering at a home for severely physically and mentally handicapped adults here in Gilo and it appears from our conversation with them that they are doing this very demanding work with love and devotion.  We have also had a visit from our long-time German friends, Hans & Elke about whom we have previously written an article. They come back year after year to visit and give financial help to Holocaust survivors that they have traced as having been saved from a bombed barge in which the Nazis were trying to remove the evidence of their crimes, before the Russians invaded Germany and would discover the death camps.

Also this week, we spent a delightful evening with four Dutch Christians, the parents are old friends as each year they rent an apartment opposite us while they volunteer with Holocaust survivors, having previously spent many months in Jerusalem while studying at ‘Ulpan’ to enable them to communicate in Hebrew with the recipients of their kindness.  This time they brought their son and daughter-in-law who are visiting, to meet us.  A highly intelligent young couple, anxious to learn more about Jewish beliefs and practices and with whom we had a fascinating discussion on the differences and similarities between Judaism and Christianity.

THE NEW ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY

There is, however, some good news while on the topic of the Christian church and that is the recent appointment of Justin Welby, the present Bishop of Durham, to the position of Archbishop of Canterbury.  Having met this very erudite but extremely approachable man a few years ago when he was a Canon at Coventry Cathedral and visited us for supper with a group of young people, we have remained in touch with him and feel sure that Anglo-Jewish/Christian relationships can only benefit from his being the head of the Anglican Church.

 

NEWS ABOUT ISRAEL THAT YOU ARE UNLIKELY TO FIND IN THE MEDIA

 

·        Israel is making a major effort to maintain the fabric of civilian life in Gaza despite the situation of current hostilities.  Today , 18^th November, the Kerem Shalom Crossing was opened for humanitarian aid and eighty truckloads of food and medical supplies were transferred. There are no food shortages in Gaza, only the entry of weaponry or dual-use building materials are banned.

 

·        Israel is continuing to supply five million cubic metres of water to Gaza despite the continuing rocket attacks on Israeli civilian areas.

 

·         Israel is supplying 125 megawatts of electricity to Gaza from the power station in Ashkelon.  Israel Electricity Company workers are in constant danger as they repair cables and installations that have been damaged by Gazan rocket attacks while having to wear helmets and flack-jackets to protect themselves from fire from the very people for whom they are trying to maintain a supply of electricity.  Soldiers have to be called in to protect the workers from gunmen from Gaza as they work.  Gaza, however, continues to suffer from power outages due to a deliberate policy of Hamas which opposes the importation of fuel from Israel.

 

·         With the remarkable success rate of interceptions, the Israeli developed “Iron Dome” system is attracting attention from many corners of the globe.  Here are a few facts about the system: Cost of project approximately, $0.65 billion; cost per interceptor, $50,000 (note that 2 are fired for each planned interception): success rate currently 90% over 265 missiles intercepted.

(From Haifa Diary)

·       During the last few days, Hamas terrorists have fired more than 100 rockets and missiles per day at Israeli cities.  Israel launched operation Pillar of Defense to destroy the terrorists’ launching points and rockets.  Footage broadcast by Hamas on its Al-Aqsa TV, documents what Israel has been reporting – that Hamas is launching its rockets from residential areas, near civilian homes, essentially using the civilians as human-shields.  In the past, Hamas has expressed pride in its  policy of  using civilians as human shields and during the Gaza War (2008 – 2009) eye-witnesses explained how they became human shields when Hamas used their property as a launching site for rockets.

            Click on:  http://www.palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=157&doc_id=8024 for more information and pictures.

(Palestinian Media Watch)

·       The President of Ghana recently congratulated the Israeli government for sending in experts in a rescue mission to help rescue people who had been trapped under the debris of a collapsed shopping mall. Madam Sharon Bar-Li, the Israeli Ambassador, led the eight-member team plus a sniffer-dog and a great deal of technical equipment. Due to their efforts many of those trapped were rescued. Israel decided to help because they have experts in this field and have already sent such rescue teams to countries all over the world. Just before sitting down to write this, a rocket, fired from Gaza which was intended to hit Jerusalem, landed instead on the outskirts of Bethlehem. Israel’s first action was to offer rescue and medical help if needed!

·        In spite of the current situation, Israeli hospitals continue to treat dozens of patients of all ages who come to Israel from Gaza to get healthcare that is unavailable to them there, and are making provisions for accompanying persons. “We at Rambam Medical Centre are taking care of sick children and adults, and we are not looking at their religion or where they come from. At the moment, we have four – a baby girl in the nephrology department, two children in oncology and an adult in urology,” Rambam director-general Prof.  Rafael Beyar said. “Family members accompanied them,” he said. “It’s absurd that we are doing this at the same time Israelis are being attacked, but there is no other way. We are used to it. We are very far from politics.”  Beyar also said that he had received no reports of any tension among Jewish and Arab personnel in his medical centre. “We are used to working together to save lives.”  Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Centre said 50 patients and their accompanying relatives from Gaza are now hospitalized – both children and adults. Most of them are cancer patients. The relatives live in the hospital’s hotel, and there is a hospital employee who serves as a contact person and helps them.

http://www.jpost.com/Health/Article.aspx?id=292503

·        How fortunate that due to the constant rocket attacks, all Ashkelon schools were closed at the time that a rocket landed in this classroom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE FEAST

 

To Christians, Succot is known as The Feast of Tabernacles, or just, The Feast.  Every year since 1980, during this festival week, the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem has organized what has become Israel's largest tourist event and this year was no exception.  Around 6,000 Evangelical Christians from 90 different countries, have been staying in Jerusalem and apart from the usual western countries, there have been participants from more distant places such as Bolivia, Botswana, Cambodia, Latin America also Africa and Asia.  The theme of this year's Feast was The Spirit of Prayer and Supplication from Zecharia 12:10 and during the week-long celebration, participants went on tours of the country, attended seminars and prayer services, including a day of prayer for The Peace of Jerusalem, and had opportunities for volunteering.  They showed their love and support for Israel publicly when they took  to the streets, as they do each year, enthusiastically waving Israeli flags, in the annual, Succot week, Jerusalem March There were also evening events that were notable for their pageantry in music and dance.  One of these evenings was designated, Israeli Night when a special programme was arranged for an invited audience of Jewish Israelis. It was a hugely enjoyable evening, apart from the wonderful orchestra, choir and dancers, one speaker after another praised Israel and declared their love and support for our country and the entire Jewish people.  Balm to the soul for those of us working in 'hasbara' who are daily bombarded with recordings of hate-filled speeches and accusations against Israel of racialism and Apartheid.

Most moving among the speakers was Umar Melinde from Uganda, the Christian Pastor, a convert from Islam,  who had acid poured over his head by Moslem extremists chanting, "Allah Akbar."  Umar, his face concealed by a mask, is having his terribly damaged face reconstructed free of charge at the Burns Unit of Sheba Medical Centre, he talked about the wonderful kindness he has experienced in this country and his great love for Israel.  The Director of Sheba Hospital joined him on to the stage and was presented with a donation of $10, 000 Dollars by the ICEJ, to help the continuation of the Sheba Burns Unit.

 

Among the many other speakers was the Pastor of the Baptist church in Bethlehem whose church has been fire-bombed 7 times.  It was amazing to hear an Arab declaring his love for Israel and the Jewish people, he spoke with great sincerity and impressed us as being an incredibly brave man who is prepared to risk his life for his beliefs and to stand up for the truth.  South African member of Parliament and member of the Israel Christian Allies Caucus, Kenneth Meshoe, gave a rousing speech against the allegations of Apartheid in Israel, saying he knew the real meaning of the word and saw no evidence of it in Israel where he had witnessed people of all creeds and colours on buses, in shops, and in hospitals, all mingling freely. Amid great applause, he told how he had been instrumental in the repealing of the anti-Israel boycott in South Africa.  Other speakers who received resounding applause, included Josh Reinstein, Director of the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus, recently named as one of the world's 50 most influential Jewish leaders.

A film was shown about the wonderful Haifa home for elderly Holocaust survivors, about which we have written previously, which was built and is maintained by the ICEJ in partnership with the local charity, Yad Ezer L'Chaver.  A  group of the home's residents was in the audience and received a standing ovation when they were asked to stand up and show themselves.

This was altogether the most encouraging and heartwarming evening from which my young Israeli friend and I, came away feeling strengthened and cheered by this unusual outpouring of love and support towards our, too- often, maligned little country.

FACTS ABOUT ISRAEL THAT YOU ARE UNLIKELY TO FIND IN THE MEDIA

 

(Courtesy – Carmel Medical Centre)

·          Carmel Medical Centre in Haifa recently hosted the first annual Advanced Medical Clowning International Seminar. Dream Doctors, Israel’s leading medical clowning organisation currently has 70 clowns operating in 20 hospitals and clinics around the country.  Participants who came from Holland, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Russia and the USA took part in lectures workshops, round-table discussions as well as visits to hospitals.

(Thanks to Haifa Diarist)

 

·          Due to the successful clean-up of the Kishon River, once considered the most polluted in all Israel, wild life is beginning to return. This includes one of the rarest species of duck in Israel, the marbled duck, which was in danger of extinction.  A study conducted in the Jezreel valley in the 1990s showed only four of them to be in existence but this year, 112 of these beautiful ducks were found living in one reservoir alone.

(Jerusalem Post)

 

·          The week of Succot was the time for Israel’s largest tourist event this year, 7,000 Christians arrived in Jerusalem to take part in “The Feast” which has been organised annually by the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem since 1980. This year, taking part were Evangelical Christians not only from the western countries but from more distant places such as Bolivia, Botswana, and Cambodia, also Latin America, Africa and Asia, 80 countries in all.  During their stay the participants attended seminars and tours, as well as evening events which were notable for their pageantry in music and dance.  One evening of the week was designated “Israeli Night” and a special programme arranged for the enjoyment of an invited Jewish audience. This year, the theme of the entertainment was The Spirit of Grace and Supplication  from Zecharia 12:10.  The audience was entertained by a wonderful orchestra, choir and talented dancers.  Umar Melinde from Uganda, the Christian Pastor who converted from Islam and had acid poured over his head by Islamist extremists, made a moving appearance.  Umar, who is having his face reconstructed , free of charge, at the Burns Unit of Sheba Medical Centre talked about the wonderful kindness he has experienced in Israel and his love for the country.  The Director of Sheba Hospital was also present and was given a donation of 10,000 Dollars by the International Christian Embassy.

 

Pastor Umar Melinde with David Parsons, the ICEJ Media Director

·         British Christian contacts who visited us last week expressed great surprise that in Israel we do not have separate hospitals for Arabs and Jews. It seems the Apartheid slur is hard to combat. Recently four young Gaza residents suffering from kidney insufficiency have been receiving life-saving therapy at Ramban Childrens’ hospital in northern Israel where they have spent several months while waiting for kidney transplants.  Without this specialist treatment they would probably have died. They have been treated with updated forms of dialysis which are especially suited to children but not available in the West bank and Gaza.  Their parents have spent time at the hospital where they have received instructions from the hospital staff on how to perform the treatment themselves and will receive all the necessary equipment when the children are able to return home which we hope will have happened by the time this is published.  Over the past year, the pediatric Nephrology Unit has cared for many Palestinian children from the West Bank and Gaza who have arrived at Rambam medical Centre with various kidney diseases.

 

·          Among thirty-four NGOs receiving funding from the Ministry of Environmental Protection are a monkey sanctuary, and non-profit organisations caring for cats, dogs, horses and donkeys.  Organisations also receiving funding this year are ones focusing on animal welfare education, prevention of animal abuse and Israel Animal Watch that establishes off-duty volunteer policemen to protect animals from neglect and abuse.  The highest amount of funding will go to the Tel Aviv branch of the Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

 

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Our Diamond Wedding Anniversary

 

At the end of August we celebrated our Diamond Wedding Anniversary at Ticho House. Here are some family photographs of us together with our daughters and grand-daughters.

 

 

 

BEIT TICHO

Tucked away in the very centre of downtown Jerusalem, just off the bustling Jaffa Road and overshadowed by a  block of flats in the process of construction is a small oasis in the form of a beautiful garden which belongs to one of the first buildings in Jerusalem to have been built outside the city’s walls.  Beit Ticho or Ticho House, has been for many years an excellent fish and dairy restaurant and the garden is a favourite venue  for summer parties Over the years, we have enjoyed many wedding, Bar and Bat mitzvah celebrations there.  On  summer evenings, the garden is the perfect place to eat, in cooler weather the dining room is always warm and cheerful, the excellent quality of the  fish and dairy menu never varies.

Ticho House was built in 1880 by an Arab dignitary, Aga Rashid Nahishibi who built it as a summer villa. Among the house’s first occupants was the family of a notorious antiquities forger by the name of Shapira whose daughter described the house in her memoires, La Petite Filles de Jerusalem. In 1924 the house was bought by the Ticho family, Dr Avraham Albert Ticho and his cousin, Anna, were born in Moravia, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, at the end of the last century.  Dr. Ticho studied medicine in Vienna where he specialised in ophthalmology, Anna studied art, also in Vienna.  In 1912, Dr. Ticho came to Jerusalem to open an eye-clinic, Anna followed him and they married in the same year.  They converted the lower floor of the house into an eye-clinic which served the population of Jerusalem, rich and poor alike, until Dr. Ticho died in 1960.  At first, the then barren landscape of Jerusalem had such a negative impact on Anna that she was unable to draw or paint at all but during the time that her husband was stationed in Damascus in World War 1, she took up drawing again.  On their return, as well as serving as assistant to her husband in his clinic, she began going out into the Jerusalem landscape, using different mediums to record what she saw.  Her work became widely acclaimed and examples are displayed in many museums around the world.  Our particular favourites are her delicate paintings of spring time scenes in Jerusalem portraying almond blossom in full bloom.  She won many awards for her work, among them the Israel Prize which she received in 1980. She continued to live and work in the house after her husband’s death until her own death in 1980, when, as a token of her love for Jerusalem, she bequeathed it together with its library and collection of art of antique Chanukah lamps, collected by her husband, to the people of the city to serve as a public centre of art.

Now Ticho House, as well as being a restaurant, is the downtown section of the Israel Museum, part museum, part, art-gallery and also has an extensive library of books about Jerusalem, art and literature.  It is also the venue for concerts and varied cultural events. If you have not already visited it, both for a delicious meal or to enjoy Anna Ticho’s paintings and sketches and the various other collections, we strongly recommend that you do so.