Patriotic Necklace "Our Hearts are With IDF Soldiers--Am Yisrael Chai"

About a week ago I heard a news report that the discount supermarket businessman, Rami Levi, was being attacked by the "Get the Hostages Out NOW" crowd, because he was selling diskettim, tags to be worn like a necklace, that say "Our Hearts are With IDF Soldiers--Am Yisrael Chai" for NS5-. The antigovernment "Get the Hostages Out NOW" are selling theirs for NS30. It's a fundraising gimmick for them, while Rami Levi insists that he's only covering expenses. Once I found out that a friend would be in a branch of Rami Levi, I gave her ns20 and asked her to buy me four!!

I'm mostly home in Shiloh with people who see the politics as I do. My friends, my neighbors mostly understand the connections between the various anti-Bibi, antigovernment, anti-judicial reform crowd and the "Get the Hostages Out NOW" leadership and backers.

Today, when in Jerusalem, I saw other friends who just don't get it. One put up a sign demanding that the government free the hostages NOW! I told her that it bothers me, since the demand goes against the needs of the country to defeat our cruel, perverse enemies. Then she shocked me even more by insisting that putting of the sign unites everyone. I was incredulous, reminding her that it separates us. 

"Follow the Money" I begged of her. I hope she thinks more about it.

After that upsetting conversation, I ran into someone who isn't a close friend. We began to talk. She loves my new necklace. We talked a little politics and discovered that we see today's issues about war, hostages etc. identically. Since I was still upset by my earlier discussions, I told her how better I now felt to know that she sees things as I do.

Yes, even jewelry can be political. Everything is political. Israel's at war.

True, I Haven't Been Posting Much

Have you noticed that I haven't posted much? It's ironic that until a couple of years ago I posted daily on both my blogs. Now I can skip a week or two and not even realize it.

What have I been doing?

I've been crocheting as much as I can. I've discovered something fantastic. People will buy my crocheted hats when I offer to donate the money to a charity, tzedakah. I'm going to try that with some of the bags I've crocheted.

I've also crocheted a few "bowls" to use for mishloach manot for Purim. On the Purim holiday we give food gifts, so my bags and bowls are very useful. I've been packing them in my crafts for the past few years.

A friend had suggested hats for tzedakah, and that's another reason I crochet a lot. I've bought some yarn for winter hats on sale recently. You can see me in the picture below wearing one of the hats. I bought more of the same yarn, because a friend wants one just like it.

To be honest I've found it easier to find topics for Shiloh Musings. That's because the politics here is so upsetting, I've had to write about it. Not that post all that frequently there either.

Don't get me wrong. I do stay busy besides crocheting and Facebook etc. I study Tanach/Bible and do mosaics once a week in the program here for senior citizens. 

My Tanach/Bible studies are online, Google Meet and also in Jerusalem. I've been in a study group for about ten years. We used to meet once a week, and now, ever since the COVID lockdown we've been meeting almost every day, though not in person. We used to use Zoom, but now it's Google Meet. I'm also in a monthly Book Club. And I take a short walk at least once a day.

What keeps you busy? Have you missed my blog posts?

I Voted for The Second Time.... This Year

I was excited to see that there were three instead of the usual two voting stations in Shiloh this time. That's the "good news."

And for "better news" or Gd forbid "bad news," we're waiting.



I'm not a fortune teller. I can't predict what will be. I can just pray that it will be good for the State of Israel and the Jewish People.

-- hitting the fans?

I'm having trouble decided whether this post belongs on this blog or Shiloh Musings. Is it a women's issue, sexual abuse, or Israeli politics?

One of the top female Labour Party politicians, Colette Avital, has not only denied a rumour that she was/is a having an affair with Teflon-coated-Shimon Peres, but she has now publicly accused "someone powerful--no name" of having made unwanted and uninvited sexual advances.

This is at the same time that Israeli President Katzav's Impeachment hearings are beginning for the same sort of crime, and to make matters even more complicated, both Peres and Avital are opposing candidates, in a large field, to replace him as President.

What I find very disturbing is that The Jerusalem Post article about it was hard to find, hat tip to "protexia," and I didn't see any reference to it on the other Israeli news sites. Maybe if I had been online last night I would have found more. I presume that Peres's Teflon is protecting him, since the accusations against Katzav and Ramon got much more play, even though the accusers were anonymous and unknown to the Israeli public.

Ladies, the lesson is that the media will believe the guys they like and, your accusation will be ignored, but if the media is searching for dirt, they'll help you with revenge.