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      by Batya Medad
      A Unique Perspective by Batya Medad of Shiloh
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      Batya Medad made aliya from New York to Israel in 1970 and has been living in Shiloh since 1981. Recently she began organizing women's visits to Tel Shiloh for Psalms and prayers. (For more information, please email her.)  Batya is a newspaper and magazine columnist, a veteran jblogger and recently stopped EFL teaching.  She's also a wife, mother, grandmother, photographer and HolyLand hitchhiker, always seeing things from her own very unique perspective. For more of Batya's writings and photos, check out:

      Shiloh Musings

      And:

      me-ander


      Tevet 10, 5769, 1/6/2009

      Modern Bandage Winding


      With today's accepted norms of cleanliness, people who want to help the troops on the frontlines don't wind bandages, but there's plenty to do.

      Yesterday, I joined dozens of men, women, youth and children packing A Package from Home. The logistics of the undertaking are tremendous, as was the enthusiasm of the packers. We met at 1pm at the Beit Knesset HaNasi in Rechavia, Jerusalem. We were told that we had to be finished by 4pm, and that there would be eight hundred, 800, packages. By 2:30 the packing was completed and the room was being returned to it's synagogue set-up.

      The photos didn't load to the blog; I'll post them on Shiloh Musings, G-d willing, but here are a few videos of the packing. They should give you a good idea of what a tremendous mitzvah this organization, A Package from Home, does.



      Tevet 8, 5769, 1/4/2009

      I'm Going To Be Sick


      Last night, I ran out of the livingroom.
      Please pray for wisdom to our leaders and the success, safety, recovery when needed of the IDF and civilians in the crosshairs.

      I couldn't listen to the broadcaster continue to say, over and over:

      "Israel's aim isn't to destroy every missile and launcher in Gaza. It's to affect their morale, so they won't want to attack us any more."

      Yep, you heard/read right. Again, just like Olmert-Livni's first war. They haven't a clue. All of our armed might, bombs from planes etc only increase the morale of the terrorists. They love it, and they consider it an honor to die, especially, when they know that Israel won't finish the job. And especially when they know that Israel will give them medical care.

      The Arab terrorists think Israel is run by a bunch of soft-brained idiots and they're right. At this time, Hezbollah is rearming in the north. Do you honestly think that those international troops are stopping them? And when this war is "over," the Hamas will do the same. And then this map will be like a nice dream, because the terrorists will have bigger and better missiles.

      If anyone has a similar map for the north of the country, I'd love to see it.  It would be interesting to compare them and discover what isn't in rocket range.

      Here's the official IDF statement.  It ends with a plea for "peace," rather than stating that we plan on totally defeating our enemy, so they will never dare attack us any more.

      We have a wonderful army and well-trained soldiers, but the Extreme-Loony-Left politicians and media are running the country.  Please pray for wisdom to our leaders and the success, safety, recovery when needed of the IDF and civilians in the crosshairs.

      My correspondents in the south of Israel are posting on Shiloh Musings, so please keep checking to see what's new.



      Tevet 5, 5769, 1/1/2009

      Blogging About The War


      It's at times like this, a war/campaign/operation, when you see amateur journalists on blogs like mine competing with major mainstream media.  This blog is barely a tiny corner of the Arutz 7 enterprise, but Shiloh Musings is my very own news magazine.  When I started it over four years ago, it was mine and mine only.  But within a short period of time I realized that my individual voice wasn't enough, especially now.  Shiloh may be "the eye of the storm" in the big picture, but right now, I'm far from the crosshairs, bli eyin haraa.

      That's why I've been asking others to blog on Shiloh Musings. Scroll through recent posts and you'll read of how ordinary people in the south of Israel are coping with the Operation Cast Lead war. English Teacher, Esther, of Netivot and the talented mother-daughter duo, Sara and Shifra of Nitzan, Disengagement DP's from Neve Dekalim. I also have reports by the well-known Anita Tucker, who's in the Ein Tzurim DP camp.

      In addition, Ellen Horowitz, of the Golan, contributes hard-hitting expose`s and reports from the Christian world of missionaries and the Catholic Church's quest to take over Mount Zion.

      I sincerely thank them for sharing their feelings and knowledge on Shiloh Musings. And I hope that the others who have blogging rights there will add their voices.

      This blog, The Eye of The Storm, isn't updated as frequently--multiple posts daily, and I can't offer others the blogging rights they have on Shiloh Musings.  So, if you'd like to read more, please click Shiloh Musings.

      Thanks



      Tevet 3, 5769, 12/30/2008

      Yes, It's A War



      At least the enemy is treating it like a war and attacking on all fronts. Southern Israel is being blitzed by Arab terrorists who launch missiles at us.

      Innocent Israeli civilians are being killed and injured, their homes damaged, their peace of mind destroyed.  Many of those in the crosshairs are Disengagement DP's, presently living in flimsy cardboard faux villas, creatively named by Kadima founders, "carravillas."  They are among those now blogging on Shiloh Musings.  I consider it a good contrast to my overwhelming cynicism concerning this Election Campaign War.

      In other parts of the country, Arab terrorists are attacking civilians.

      And Israel continues to shtopp the Gazans with food and other supplies.  Even worse, we're welcoming the wounded into our hospitals, instead of telling them and their families that they must pressure their leaders to end the terrorism. It's dangerous and perverse to be so kind to enemies. The Gazans supply the terrorists with supplies and recruits. The terrorists are Arabs, nor Martians.

      This is no chess game. It's for real. The attitude of the government and media remind me of the days when war was a sport, entertainment and people would bring chairs and parasols to watch the battles.

      The Arabs want to destroy us and they're not shy about saying so. The only effective defense is to destroy the the terrorists, their leaders and their supplies!

      Refuah Shleimah
      A Complete Recovery
      To All Our Injured


      Tevet 2, 5769, 12/29/2008

      They Haven't Called


      I blogged my joy on Shiloh Musings at the agreement between Hatikvah, Tekuma and other Land of Israel  faithful to run on a joint list, the renewed National Union,  in the upcoming Israeli Elections.  I sent out the link with, hint!  Hint! my phone number and an offer to help.  No call yet.
      Just please don't ask me to bake cakes.

      No, I'm not expecting to be the "female on the list." Who would vote for me?

      In a small political party, anyone who thinks they deserve to run for Knesset should bring a nice big dowry  of supporters to vote for the party.

      I've been involved in various Israeli political groups over the 38 plus years we're here in Israel.  When we were new off the boat, yes, literally, since we made aliyah by boat, my husband and I went to a young Cherut meetng.  That predated the Likud.  They went around the room listening to everyone's opinion.  I worked hard formulating my thought in Hebrew in my head, but they skipped me.  I was the only female there, and I guess they thought I was just a silent partner.

      About a year later we heard of English-Speaking Cherut, so I joined that.  Nobody stoped me from talking, but they usually asked me what my husband thought.  The same questions were aked of my in English-speaking T'chiah, so I left politics for a number of years. 

      But I never stopped observing it.  And in recent years, I blog about it.

      Now I'd be very happy to get out the votes for the renewed National Union.  Just please don't ask me to bake cakes.