Have We Become The "Jews of Silence?"

Yesterday afternoon, a small group of AFSI activists visited me in Shiloh. Among them was the tireless Helen Freedman and the legendary Glenn Richter, of SSSJ.  My husband and I first met at SSSJ's 1967, Tisha B'Av "Fast-In For Soviet Jewry," organized by Glenn and Yaakov Birnbaum.

My guests were very concerned.  Why is there so much silence?  Shiloh along with most of the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria are in danger.  Olmert has pledged to destroy us. Why aren't we out in the streets demonstrating?  Why are we so silent?  Behind their words, I could hear the fear that we had, G-d forbid, given up.

No, Baruch Hashem, we haven't given up.  Like the Biblical Chana who prayed to G-d with actions, rather than spoken words,  we are busy building our homes, our communities, praying to G-d, since it is a waste of our energies to make human sounds.

Isn't that the lesson we learn from Chana?

Chana's prayers are fullfilled.  The son she had prayed for in Shiloh is soon born, Shmuel HaNavi, Samuel the Prophet.  He's the leader who helps the Jewish People through the transition from tribes to a nation.

We all must focus our prayers on HaKodesh Baruch Hu, the One G-d.

Shabbat Shalom

"Israel should become like every other country"

Israel's Interior Minister Shitrit wants Israel to be "like every other country." 

Isn't it enough that we have prostitution, drug addicts, murderers, alcoholics and every other crime and personality disorder?

That statement of Shitrit's reminds me of the ancient Biblical national crime at the time of Shmuel Hanavi, Samuel the Prophet.  G-d had been waiting for the Hebrew People to ask for a king to obey the mitzvah of establishing a King, but instead, they asked for a king "like all other nations."  And we got King Saul who, sounds familiar?, fought David instead of Amalek and the Philistines.

Now Shitrit wants to limit/restrict/change immigration, forget about the mitzvah of aliyah, to "good people," no crooks and no protexia to someone just because he may be Jewish.

Shlomo HaMelech, King Solomon was right, as he repeated many times in Kohelet, Ecclesisastes, "Nothing's new."

We sure live in Biblical times...

Hunger-Striking for His Grandchildren

I was at the Striking Teachers Demonstration today near the Knesset, in Jerusalem.

There was a man there, of my generation, holding a sign that said:

I'M HUNGER-STRIKING FOR THE SAKE OF MY GRANDCHILDREN!

Recently, I had blogged about "mother's love," (http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2007/10/mothers-answer.html) and here I was, just a few steps from this determned looking man.

Even though I was in a red strikers T shirt, I "changed my hat" to that of blogger/journalist to discover more.  He answered my American accented Hebrew with Russian accented Hebrew:

"Are you really hunger striking?"

"Yes"

"Who are you?"

"I'm a school principal in Tzrifin.  My children have all graduated university, and now I'm worried about my grandchildren."

Whenever I read about education in the states, I read complaints about how it's "dumbing down."  It seems like no place could kids pass the tests from ten or twenty years ago.  They just don't know as much. 

The Israeli Government, delusional as usual, is convinced that young academics are the cure, and they want to force us, the about to retire age-group, out.  I didn't see too many young teachers at either demonstration.  I also overheard some teachers talking about how some of the universities no longer have enough students to train as History Teachers, so they closed the department.

And this sign says:

WHOEVER WANTS TO CHANGE PLACES WITH ME, GET UP, AND TAKE IT!

Now, in all honesty.  I love teaching.  It's challenging and rewarding.  I've worked at all sorts of jobs and on the whole teaching my high school teenage boys, or attempting to each them can be a lot of fun.  I enjoy it more than all the other jobs I've ever had.  But that doesn't mean that the government can pay such a low wage and offer difficult conditions.

Must get to bed.  Tomorrow I go to my favorite "students" after work, to my grandchildren, of course!

I'm Not That Dumb!

Please, take a look at these maps, a good look.

Now, did you look at the numbers, the distances?

Do you honestly think that Israel could survive if we allow Condeleeza Rice's dream to come true?

Do you honestly think that there's room for another Arab State in the Land of Israel?

Do you honestly think that Israel should take any more advice from US's Bush and the rest of the international busybodies?

Do you honestly think that Israel should attend the upcoming "conference" no matter what they call it?

Do you honestly think that Israel's present government is leading us in the right direction?

Or do you honestly think that something "stinks?"

Don't be shy.  We have a country to save!

The Doctor Prescribed Aliyah!

The best Vitamin there is!

Before my parents, ad me'ah v'esrim, flew back to New York, it was decided to check that my father was really healthy enough to make the trip.  After a bit of networking with Israeli friends, my mother decided to take him to the Shaare Tzedek Emergency Room.

The head doctor checked him out.

Baruch Hashem, bli eyin haraa, he passed all the tests.  Regardless, the doctor gave them a prescription:

"Make aliyah!"

Considering that most of their descendants are here in Israel, and the visit to Shaare Tzedek's Emergency Room confirmed the high level of medical care available, making aliyah would definitely be good for their health!