?For Your servants have cherished her stones and favor her dust.? (Psalms 102:15)
I?m just barely getting over my migraine over Migron and now the White House is demanding clarifications with regards to Israel?s plans to develop existing communities in the Golan Heights (and you thought we lived in a sovereign country).
I wish this nation had the self-confidence and chutzpah to stand up and respond, ?Okay, America, and the rest of world, you want clarifications?
?Stay off my land and get out of my internal politics! Is that clear enough??
But something tells me that until we merit wise and competent leadership, a more diplomatic approach may be called for.
So, I?ve devised the Horowitz Family Accords to serve as an example and clear illustration of one of the many beneficial plans and aspirations of the Golan residents and others who live in and love the Land of Israel.
First some background information.
History:
Boys will be boys, and what started out as toddlers innocently springing up and down on my sofa, became youngsters bouncing off the walls of our apartment in Jerusalem. Plastic Lego gave way to hamsters and goldfish. Surprisingly, my daughter joined in on the fun with her brothers, and showed no aversion to my eldest son?s fixation with creepy-crawly things. Our tight quarters were soon invaded with an assortment of both local and exotic, animate and inanimate, objects like birds, lizards, scorpions, fossils, rocks, cacti, the occasional stray dog, an iguana and a small python.
Where I come from, a woman wouldn?t dream of anything less than a 5-star accommodation when vacationing. But since living in Israel, I?ve done plenty of time sweltering in a tent pitched in the desert sands. I do it because of the great pleasure I derive from knowing that my children swelter in luxury hotels and could care less about the difference between their salad fork and dinner fork.
One night, my eldest son stormed out of his tent, in his underwear, complaining of the heat. I watched in amazement as he pulled down some dry branches from a nearby tree, arranged them, and slept on them - like a baby. No sleeping bag, no sheet, no nothing - Tarzan lives (or perhaps a bit of Yaacov).
A short time thereafter, the nature guy called me out to our balcony (I almost tripped on the turtle). He looked at me and said, ?Mom, I love G-d and I?m not taking off this kippa, but I can?t sit in between four walls and study Gemara.? He pointed to our magnificent view of the Jerusalem forest and said, ?I need to be with the rocks, trees and animals.? And so, we sent Shlomo to learn in the Golan Heights, at a place where he could study Torah and hike the length of the the country - from the Hermon to Eilat and back again.
When another son told me that he wanted to be a shepherd, my husband and I thought about it, and figured that it wasn?t such a bad profession for a young Jewish boy.
It was clear that this family had outgrown the confines of Jerusalem, and it was time to move-on.
The Place:
What can I say. Two and a half years later, we breathe clean air, drink pure water, say Kiddush over great wine and marvel at the snow-capped summit. We haven?t yet built our dream house, but the sugar cane is higher than the roof of our temporary dwelling, a half dozen goats are frolicking with the chickens, we?ve got a pet wolf and I?ve got irises blooming in January. I?d say we?re settled. We also have lots of dreams.
The Plan:
My husband has an acupuncture clinic here and he dreams of establishing a free clinic and a rehabilitation center for people with chronic pain. I?d like to build on to my husband?s endeavor by adding a therapeutic center for the arts. I?d like to encourage people who have been hurt and traumatized by terror to express and heal themselves through creative means. My daughter attends my husband?s classes and volunteers with autistic adults. She?s determined to assist people with addictions through a combination of yoga, massage, martial arts and counseling.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch (which, at present, consists of two rather run-down two-room homes).... The shepherd takes care of the small, but growing, herd with his brother, who wants to be a an organic farmer. He had a great little crop of corn and butternut squash this year and claims that one day he?s going to provide enough organically grown produce for the whole country. I believe he will. Another son just got his tractor license and has a good head for numbers and logic - which goes well with farming. Yet another one wants to be a chef and have a vegetarian restaurant, which, of course, blends well with goat?s cheese and organic vegetables.
Now, Shlomo wants to create a tropical rain forest up here. It?s no joke, as he?s successfully growing a variety of exotic plants and medicinal herbs. And, he?s got the fauna to go with the flora. Some I?ve seen, like the igauna, snakes and hundreds of Vietnamese walking sticks. Others, like the tarantula, I?ve only heard about. And then there are some things that I wasn?t supposed to know about, like the Madagascar hissing cockroaches (but I understand that they?re essential to maintaining the delicate ecological balance).
My daughter and I figure we can integrate all of the family?s gifts and realize our dreams. The Golan Center for Healing and Art wouldn?t be complete without a rain forest, petting farm and organic restaurant.
We know that the we face an uphill battle with government red tape, fundraising and local politics - the usual stuff. But nevertheless, we?ll get there by building stone by stone.
However, what I refuse to accept is any interference by the U.S., E.U. and U.N. in the family plan.
Clarifications:
Our plan for our little spot in this word is economical, ecological, compassionate, benefits the region, is peaceful and fair. It just isn?t political. Which means that we won?t be needing your loan guarantees, peace proposals, settlement freezes, withdrawal maps, evacuations, demilitarized zones, foreign troops, coalition partners, and cease-fire arrangements. I guess that means that you diplomats, envoys, emissaries and so-called ?world leaders? won?t have anything to do here (but remember, there?s always the Oxford speaking circuit).
Oh my! What will the world media do? Well, I understand that our plan is rather provincial and hardly the stuff that the press can sink their teeth into. But hey, there are other regions of upheaval in the Middle East, as well as in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. I?m sure you you can find a pack of murderers who are in need of attention and create some havoc - you?re good at that.
As for the Syrians, well, you guys have repeatedly proven your intentions. You?d like to perch yourselves on these heights with your ballistic missiles and either launch a war or take potshots at the Jewish farmers, fisherman and communities below. So I?m not willing to give you a speck of dust or stone from here.
Lest you think I?m totally inflexible, as a good will gesture, I will be happy to offer you several Madagascar cockroaches, a few wild boars, and maybe our wolf, which just trampled my irises.
I?m just barely getting over my migraine over Migron and now the White House is demanding clarifications with regards to Israel?s plans to develop existing communities in the Golan Heights (and you thought we lived in a sovereign country).
I wish this nation had the self-confidence and chutzpah to stand up and respond, ?Okay, America, and the rest of world, you want clarifications?
?Stay off my land and get out of my internal politics! Is that clear enough??
But something tells me that until we merit wise and competent leadership, a more diplomatic approach may be called for.
So, I?ve devised the Horowitz Family Accords to serve as an example and clear illustration of one of the many beneficial plans and aspirations of the Golan residents and others who live in and love the Land of Israel.
First some background information.
History:
Boys will be boys, and what started out as toddlers innocently springing up and down on my sofa, became youngsters bouncing off the walls of our apartment in Jerusalem. Plastic Lego gave way to hamsters and goldfish. Surprisingly, my daughter joined in on the fun with her brothers, and showed no aversion to my eldest son?s fixation with creepy-crawly things. Our tight quarters were soon invaded with an assortment of both local and exotic, animate and inanimate, objects like birds, lizards, scorpions, fossils, rocks, cacti, the occasional stray dog, an iguana and a small python.
Where I come from, a woman wouldn?t dream of anything less than a 5-star accommodation when vacationing. But since living in Israel, I?ve done plenty of time sweltering in a tent pitched in the desert sands. I do it because of the great pleasure I derive from knowing that my children swelter in luxury hotels and could care less about the difference between their salad fork and dinner fork.
One night, my eldest son stormed out of his tent, in his underwear, complaining of the heat. I watched in amazement as he pulled down some dry branches from a nearby tree, arranged them, and slept on them - like a baby. No sleeping bag, no sheet, no nothing - Tarzan lives (or perhaps a bit of Yaacov).
A short time thereafter, the nature guy called me out to our balcony (I almost tripped on the turtle). He looked at me and said, ?Mom, I love G-d and I?m not taking off this kippa, but I can?t sit in between four walls and study Gemara.? He pointed to our magnificent view of the Jerusalem forest and said, ?I need to be with the rocks, trees and animals.? And so, we sent Shlomo to learn in the Golan Heights, at a place where he could study Torah and hike the length of the the country - from the Hermon to Eilat and back again.
When another son told me that he wanted to be a shepherd, my husband and I thought about it, and figured that it wasn?t such a bad profession for a young Jewish boy.
It was clear that this family had outgrown the confines of Jerusalem, and it was time to move-on.
The Place:
What can I say. Two and a half years later, we breathe clean air, drink pure water, say Kiddush over great wine and marvel at the snow-capped summit. We haven?t yet built our dream house, but the sugar cane is higher than the roof of our temporary dwelling, a half dozen goats are frolicking with the chickens, we?ve got a pet wolf and I?ve got irises blooming in January. I?d say we?re settled. We also have lots of dreams.
The Plan:
My husband has an acupuncture clinic here and he dreams of establishing a free clinic and a rehabilitation center for people with chronic pain. I?d like to build on to my husband?s endeavor by adding a therapeutic center for the arts. I?d like to encourage people who have been hurt and traumatized by terror to express and heal themselves through creative means. My daughter attends my husband?s classes and volunteers with autistic adults. She?s determined to assist people with addictions through a combination of yoga, massage, martial arts and counseling.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch (which, at present, consists of two rather run-down two-room homes).... The shepherd takes care of the small, but growing, herd with his brother, who wants to be a an organic farmer. He had a great little crop of corn and butternut squash this year and claims that one day he?s going to provide enough organically grown produce for the whole country. I believe he will. Another son just got his tractor license and has a good head for numbers and logic - which goes well with farming. Yet another one wants to be a chef and have a vegetarian restaurant, which, of course, blends well with goat?s cheese and organic vegetables.
Now, Shlomo wants to create a tropical rain forest up here. It?s no joke, as he?s successfully growing a variety of exotic plants and medicinal herbs. And, he?s got the fauna to go with the flora. Some I?ve seen, like the igauna, snakes and hundreds of Vietnamese walking sticks. Others, like the tarantula, I?ve only heard about. And then there are some things that I wasn?t supposed to know about, like the Madagascar hissing cockroaches (but I understand that they?re essential to maintaining the delicate ecological balance).
My daughter and I figure we can integrate all of the family?s gifts and realize our dreams. The Golan Center for Healing and Art wouldn?t be complete without a rain forest, petting farm and organic restaurant.
We know that the we face an uphill battle with government red tape, fundraising and local politics - the usual stuff. But nevertheless, we?ll get there by building stone by stone.
However, what I refuse to accept is any interference by the U.S., E.U. and U.N. in the family plan.
Clarifications:
Our plan for our little spot in this word is economical, ecological, compassionate, benefits the region, is peaceful and fair. It just isn?t political. Which means that we won?t be needing your loan guarantees, peace proposals, settlement freezes, withdrawal maps, evacuations, demilitarized zones, foreign troops, coalition partners, and cease-fire arrangements. I guess that means that you diplomats, envoys, emissaries and so-called ?world leaders? won?t have anything to do here (but remember, there?s always the Oxford speaking circuit).
Oh my! What will the world media do? Well, I understand that our plan is rather provincial and hardly the stuff that the press can sink their teeth into. But hey, there are other regions of upheaval in the Middle East, as well as in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. I?m sure you you can find a pack of murderers who are in need of attention and create some havoc - you?re good at that.
As for the Syrians, well, you guys have repeatedly proven your intentions. You?d like to perch yourselves on these heights with your ballistic missiles and either launch a war or take potshots at the Jewish farmers, fisherman and communities below. So I?m not willing to give you a speck of dust or stone from here.
Lest you think I?m totally inflexible, as a good will gesture, I will be happy to offer you several Madagascar cockroaches, a few wild boars, and maybe our wolf, which just trampled my irises.