Squiggles... aka Detours

Life's not simple...

It doesn't matter what we plan, it's hard to get places without detours.

Recently, the bus trip to a from Jerusalem for us in Shiloh has been getting longer. We have to go via Ma'ale Levona. It's a place nearby, just south and a bit west of us. The view from the road is gorgeous, as long as it's daytime. They actually have two ins and outs aka roads. One is from the north and the other from the south.

A couple of years ago, the road from the south was repaired, so Ma'ale Levona only had access from the north. And now they are fixing that road, so Egged has determined that when Shiloh and Ma'ale Levona are on the same bus route we always go through Ma'ale Levona. That adds just over fifteen minutes to our travel time. There are people who, before paying, ask the driver if he's going there, and if the answer is "yes," they prefer to tremp, hitchhike or even wait for the next bus if there's no choice.

I try to take it in stride, get a seat with a good view and remind myself, that at least I'm not standing around waiting for a ride or bus. And I'm happy that they have bus service... even though sometimes it's an effort to see the bright-side.

Shabbat Shalom u'Mevorach
May you have a peaceful and blessed Shabbat.

PS This park statue in Jerusalem reminds me of that road sign.

What is This?

We, the Rosh Chodesh ladies, noticed these at Tel Shiloh last week. Does anyone know what tree/fruit it is?

Running From Giants, A Book Review

Running From Giants: The Holocaust Through The Eyes of a Child by Margareta Ackerman is the perfect Holocaust book for those who want to get to the very gist of that terrible time in history. It's a very quick read and suitable for children. Actually, I think it was really written more for children than for adults.

Running From Giants is not a history book. It's a memoir of the author's grandfather told and written through the eyes of a child. Even though though Srulik was an old man when he finally told the story to his granddaughter, he expressed himself as if he was back in his amazing childhood. Obviously it's the story of a survivor. To get a taste of the book, here's part of an interview the author published:

Maya: Do you ever think about your past?
Srulik: I think about it frequently, how else?
Maya: Then how do you manage to stay so happy?
Srulik: Because I went through such a difficult, scary life. Because of this I greatly value life. Because of this I am happy.
I heard similar sentiments expressed by others, but I know that this cannot be the whole story. So often we do just the opposite! We attribute being miserable today to things that happen in our past. Surely, something is missing.
I try a different approach.
Maya: How do you stay happy on a daily basis?
Srulik: You need to learn to be happy from any success. Any success at all. Even good weather counts. When some misfortune happens, we need to view it with humor and think of it as temporary. Distract yourself with something. Think of something else.

It didn't take me long to read Running From Giants: The Holocaust Through The Eyes of a Child. I ended up reading it on the bus, to a from a trip to Jerusalem. I don't have a "tablet" and kept hearing that there were awful traffic jams. So I took the lightest book with me. It's only 81  pages. I definitely recommend it.

Not only is it suitable even for young children, but the author has prepared study guides which can be used in the classroom or even at home to help children get the maximum out of the book.  It can be bought through Amazon.

Family Time Touring, Yes, Suitable for the 9 Days

My cousin and his wife have actually come to Israel for the first time. After lots of indecision and discussion they got on the plane and came. I spent two days with them.

In Jerusalem we went to the Old City, including the Kotel.

And then, after lunch, we went to Yad Veshem.

I'm not the greatest of tour guides. So the next day my daughter joined us, and we trekked up to Haifa to meet my uncle's officer from the time he had been one of the American volunteers on the illegal immigrant ships. Uncle Izzy was the "Pharmacist Mate," aka "the doctor" for ships filled with thousands of Holocaust survivors on their way to the Land of Israel.

Then we went to the Clandestine Immigration and Naval Museum where we walked around and got a more complete idea of his contribution to the State of Israel.

By car it was a short (just two hours) ride from Ofra, plus picking me up in Shiloh to Haifa, but with traffic and all it took me almost double to get back home by bus via Jerusalem. At least I had time to eat some soup before the Tisha b'Av fast and brush my teeth.

HH in Aliyahland, Read All About It!

This week's Havel Havelim is hosted by Tzivia in Aliyahland. Havel Havelim is the long-running international Jewish blog carnival that floats from blog to blog and coordinated on our facebook page.

There's a nice variety to blog posts included. Check them out, comment and share.

Thanks to Tzivia! Next week it'll be hosted by Esser Agaroth.

PS I'm a firm and dedicated supporter of blogging. It's a way to get your opinion out. Consider your blog your very own magazine or newspaper. It keeps me sane, poor but sane. But I doubt if I could ever be rich...

If Only....

If only I was thinner and younger, I'd get these...

At least I have fun dressing the manikins at work.

Kosher Cooking Carnival, How about some Comfort Food in Av?

Sorry about the delay, but my life has been a bit busy.
And yes there's a war going on, not that it has much impact in my daily life.
This is the Chodesh Menachem, may it be a comfort, Av Kosher Cooking Carnival the monthly blog carnival about kosher food.

I've been running the Kosher Cooking Carnival ever since a recipe carnival rejected my recipe, because that week's edition had "ham" as its theme. KCC usually gets posted around Rosh Chodesh, the beginning of the Jewish Month. We organize on our facebook page, which you can join if you want. And volunteers are accepted to host. Please read the posts, comment, share and of course share the carnival itself. A blog carnival is an internet magazine made up of blog posts, articles from other blogs. On our facebook page will be information about the upcoming host. To send in your link for Ellul edition at Frugal and Kosher, by Aug. 25 email to ester@kosherfrugal.com, or to ask questions email me shilohmuse at gmail dot com.

Thanks to all of you who sent me your links.  Yours are listed first; afterwards those I found on my own. Now for some posts/recipes:

Leora Fermented Daikons – Daikon Pickles
Tzivia With love from Israel: mega-easy pareve “rogelach”
and Things that are weird in Israel #10: Celery
Challah Maidel Spicy Orange Glazed Tempeh
Chilled Spiced Peach Mango Soup
Next month's hostess Frugal and Kosher Shabbat Menu

My advice for breaking the fast. Soup, of Course, for Breaking the Fast or Any Time
Restaurant review: Lovely Lunch at the Israel Museum
Doug IPA Day in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem
Ruti Bal'mer BYOB and B BBQ... A good time was had by all.

The Kosher Cooking Carnival can include blog posts about all aspects of kosher food from halacha, customs, menus, cookbook or restaurant reviews and even recipes!

Yesterday, The Third Kennes Shiloh (Conference)

I had a wonderful time at  Shiloh Conference #3 כנס שילה Kennes Shiloh, yesterday. Read all about it.  The post ncludes lots of pictures, like these, but many more.

Two Flags and The Tzaddik (Holy-Man) in Disguise

Considering that I blog more about tremping (hitchhiking,) you should know that I also take buses. It depends on what comes first. Two days ago, when I made it to the bus stop at the Shmuel Hanavi corner in Jerusalem, I discovered that it would be almost an hour until the next Shiloh bus was due, so I took a #143 to the "city line" and had fantastic tremps home. But yesterday a Shiloh bus #148 arrived at the stop at the "top of" Ramat Eshkol just minutes after I got there, so I took the bus home.

I sat in the front seat behind the driver for a few reasons.

• It was unoccupied.
• I like to look out the front window.
• I had to pay the "second installment*" of the fare mid ride, so the closer to the driver the better.
• Officially, those seats are reserved for the "elderly," and now I'm pension age, so unless a couple of passengers incapable or walking further into the bus would get on, it's set aside for me and my peers.

Sitting in front gave me a front row view to all aspects of the ride home.

Everything had been quiet and routine until we just passed Givat Assaf, the Beit El Junction when suddenly the driver stopped on the road. None of us had seen anything to warrant stopping. And if there had, G-d forbid, been a terror attack, instructions are to drive away as quickly as possible. 

Not only did the driver stop the bus, but he quickly climbed out. No, he didn't find a corner to pee, which has happened over the decades. He bent down and picked up an Israeli Flag which he had noticed had fallen down from the poles near the junction. 

He placed it carefully near the flag he has on display in the bus and told us that the Israeli Flag is holy. He just can't abide the thought of one lying on the ground.

And that wasn't all. As we pulled out of the Ofra bus stop and security gate he noticed some people running from afar to catch the bus. And he waited for them. At the same time a woman in a nurses uniform got out of a tremp just across from the bus. She approached and asked if the bus was going to her destination, which it was. She was so grateful. Not only had the driver waited for those who were running to catch us, but because of that a young nurse was able to make it quickly and safely home.

And, no, in case you were wondering, this driver did not wear any of the signs of outward religiosity, not in his clothes, accent, hairdo or head-covering. It's obvious to me that in terms of Derech Eretz,  the Laws of Behavior between man and man, this man lived a "mehadrin" life.

What a wonderful Jewish people we have here in Israel!

*My Jerusalem ticket's "transfer" was good until the Ma'avar Michmas gas station stop, and only then did I have to pay the lower fare to Shiloh.

Fitness Starts Young, Bicycles

Yesterday when I was walking down the hill to Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh I swa this lovely sight.

Yes, it's so nice to see all those bicycles. It makes sense for the kids to store/park their bikes there, because the houses on that side of thee road, actually both sides, need to be accessed by a long flight of stairs. This way the kids can ride their bicycles without having to schlep them down the stairs, which can be dangerous besides annoying.

And then when I got down to the Shiloh Hakeduma tourist site I found a bicycle parked right under the sign which has a map.

And one of the featured attractions is a bicycle path.

Never Too Many Prayers... Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av and Ellul at Tel Shiloh

Yesterday was Rosh Chodesh Menachem (may it be a comfort) Av, and as I do every Rosh Chodesh, I went down the hill to Shiloh HaKeduma, Tel Shiloh, where the ancient, the Biblical Tabernacle House of Prayer had stood for almost four hundred years. I was joined by two generations of women from Shiloh and Eli.

Actually, considering the war going on, I was expecting to see many more women for our group prayers. But many of my neighbors like to go pray at the site of the Mishkan, Tabernacle whenever they want and don't always find my group's time all that convenient.

A note to tourists and potential tourists from abroad and from Israel, Shiloh is one of the least affected aka safest places in Israel right now. Tel Shiloh is open to visitors daily. Shiloh HaKeduma is a recognized archaeological site. 

Guided tours can be arranged through the Shiloh HaKeduma, Ancient Shiloh office. Email visit@telshilo.org.il  or phone 02-994-4019.

You can easily make a day of it. There's even a bicycle path for those interested.

Next month's Women's Rosh Chodesh Prayers will be 

Wednesday August 27, 2014. Please save the date.

Women's Prayers at Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh Rosh Chodesh EllulWednesday August 27, 2014
1st of Ellul 5774, 8:30am
Tour of Tel Shiloh & Dvar Torah, Short Torah Lesson
Please come and invite family, friends and neighbors

תפילת נשים ראש חודש אלול בשילה הקדומה, תל שילה
יום ד' 27-8 א' אלול תשע"ד 8:30
יהיה דבר תורה קצר וסיור בתל
 כדאי לבוא ולהזמין חברות, משפחה ושכנות

Mark your calendar, and join us. For more information, please contact me, thanks.

You're welcome to join our facebook page.

Negative Space, Like Outer Space... 52 Frames Weekly Photography Challenge

Here's my "negative space" photo:

I didn't use any special effects. I didn't even crop it. I didn't even play with the camera's settings. I shot in in Automatic.

What do you think?

אֵלֶּה מַסְעֵי "These are the Stops" and These are this Week's Blog Posts in Havel Havelim

Cross-posted on Shiloh Musings

In terms of Weekly Torah Portions, we've just finished the Book of Bamidbar, In The Desert aka Numbers, but here in the Holyland, there is still a war going on. I'm finding it very difficult to concentrate on putting together this edition of Havel Havelim.

Please make my efforts and the efforts of all of the bloggers included worthwhile by sharing this post far and wide. Sharing means to send the link to lots of people. It also means to read the posts, comment and share them individually, too, please and thank you.

Havel Havelim is the weekly international Jewish blog carnival. A blog carnival is an internet magazine. Havel Havelim is well over a decade old and has been floating around the internet from blog to blog ever since Soccer Dad, who no longer blogs, started it. We now organize ourselves and communicate via our facebook page. If you need more information contact me by email with "HH" or "HH Info" as subject shilohmuse at gmail dot com . Next week's host is Tzivia, Adventures in Aliyahland submit before Shabbat to tzivia@aliyahland.com. Please send her your link (from this week) with a blurb/short explanation, thanks.

Remember:

You don't need to be a blogger to enjoy, read and share Havel Havelim!!"

Just to make things clear, I don't necessarily agree with everything in the posts included here. The International Jewish blogging community includes a great variety of opinions. Bloggers, if you want to be included, please send your link to the host of the week. Otherwise there's little chance we'll find you. Enough with the explanations; on with the show!

12 Jerusalem Scenes with Israel Under Fire, "So much more going on that media does not share or show."
Complete the Mission! Sayyem et HaMissimah! סיים את המשימה
ILLUMINATIONS OF RAV KOOK-HARAV HA’NAZIR AND THE SCROLL OF WAR AND PEACE, In the aftermath of the Holocaust and during the brutal battles of the 1948 Israel War of Independence, HaRav HaNazir TZ”L was moved to write a document that he called “The Scroll of War and Peace.”
The Lowest of the Low: Who We're Really Dealing With
MK Elazar Stern's "Kosher Style" Restaurants!
Only in Israel: About 20,000 Attend Funeral of Sean Carmeli, HaYa"D, Lone Soldier

Shiva for Sean Carmeli, "Sderot, Beer Sheva, and a hero's shiva. Way to cram in a ton of emotion in a single day... but then, that's Israel, sometimes."
Jews in America! Get on the Next Plane while you still Can!
The Show Must Go On
Rosh Chodesh Av on Monday, Remember Menu Change! The "nine days" start tomorrow!
What Are You? A Soldier of the State or a Jew, a Soldier of Hashem?

Welcome Home to the New Olim
The Danger of Foreign Intervention
It’s not the journey, it’s the purpose
SHOPPING DURING THE WAR
My Walk, and the Tragedy at the UN School
Crazy Two Weeks
Painfully Deja Vu, Terror Attack at the Bus Stop Memories of a terror survivor...
Toda Raba Dear Soldiers.........
Look Jon, Concrete Tunnels!
Child Abuse
Locked Out of Har HaBayit, The Temple Mount, Just Because I'm a Jew!

Dry Bones

Again, I'd like to remind you to read, comment and share the various posts I've included in this edition of Havel Havelim! May this be a truly wonderful week for all of us!

The War is Getting to Me

Yes, it is. Tonight I just can't concentrate on what I have to do. I should be putting together this week's Havel Havelim, the weekly international Jewish blog carnival which I've agreed to host. And later on the week I also have committed myself to the do monthly Kosher Cooking Carnival.

Living in Shiloh, I really can't complain. In many ways the war which I'll call "Complete the Mission! Sayyem et HaMissimah! סיים את המשימה" is really far away. OK "far" by Israeli standards of distance. We've never heard the boom of an enemy missile. The Hamas Gazan Arab terrorists don't have us in their rocket launcher sights. B"H, bli eyin haraa, they aren't aiming at us.

But we can't ignore the war. There isn't a family here that doesn't have someone intimately involved in this war, whether a soldier, son, daughter, relatives, friends etc. Whether they're fighting in Gaza or living in Ashkelon, everyone is in danger. We all feel it.

Sorry for the kvetch.

If you have posts to send in for either of the blog carnivals, please send to shilohmuse at gmail dot com. More information is on our facebook pages, Havel Havelim and Kosher Cooking Carnival.

G-d willing may this be the week of our great victory over the enemy Gazan Hamas Arab terrorists.

Guest Post: SHOPPING DURING THE WAR by Janet Clare

SHOPPING DURING THE WAR

by Janet Clare

Being glued to news sites 22/6, for weeks has depleted my food supplies, so this little piggy went to market in Jerusalem today, and here are some observations on the effects of this war .

Ma'ale Levona

First, the bus drivers are almost all grandpas, my peer group, cuz the young ones have been called up. I was the last Ma'ale Levona person to get on the bus to Jerusalem I tottered to my seat, grabbing onto everything that was nailed down, when I noticed we weren't careening down our narrow, windy mountain road as usual since "Gramps" was waiting for me to sit before stepping on the gas. Nice. Once settled, many of the passengers hit their cell phones for the latest news, while everyone else eavesdropped and commented on the reports. The little Cohen girl in front of me read out that Brazil had closed its embassy and withdrawn its staff today and that the US State Dept. was now letting their airlines fly to Israel again. She read this to her grandmother, seated next to her in Hebrew and French. French is heard a lot now because so many have moved here after finally being convinced by the Jew-beating,/stabbing, synagogue and shop burnings that have occurred there.during the "poor Palestinian"-"Jews to the ovens" 'demonstrations'..

As soon as we arrived in the outskirts of Jerusalem, I transferred to the light-rail Every window that I could see on my side of the train had spider-web like cracks in its picture windows. Arabs had rioted in their neighborhoods of Jerusalem a few weeks ago, resulting in millions of dollars worth of damage in destroyed tracks and burnt-out stations. The lines had been fixed, but the stations not as yet rebuilt. I had heard that the trains would not be stopping in those Arab neighborhoods in the foreseeable future,, but, in fact, we did.. So much for "tough love".

All the shopkeepers, actually everyone on the streets, were so friendly and upbeat; like one big united family. Two semi-famous Hareidi guitarists were harmonizing American pop songs when I passed, and without skipping a beat, sang out:

"Lady with the grin. We see you grinning!" 

I gave them a thumbs up behind my back, still grinning.

My butcher at the shuk said:

"Leave your heavy bags here; finish your shopping; then pick them up on the way out." Which I did. Nice. 

While taking turns sitting on the one stool, we customers of Benzi, the meticulous, thus slow, master watch-fixer, had a half-hour discussion with him about the best watches around the world. (Surprise: China's among them.) More nice encounters ensued.

On entering the central bus station for home, I encountered teens enthusiastically asking for donations (with receipts) to buy supplies for the soldiers, and people were giving big! I found I had two hours to kill before the next bus home, (not only drivers, but our bullet-proof buses had been called up, so service to M.L. was a bit sporadic.) So I went back outside to sit under a shade tree. A soldier girl sat next to me. She had been helping out at the Gaza Front, but got injured when something big (not a rocket), fell on her and broke some bones (my military Hebrew understanding is not great.) So getting out of hospital, she said, with some shame, that she wished she was further back now, cleaning weapons. I said, in my non-existent diplomatic way:

"Good" I'm glad you're safer Let our warriors protect you and the People of Israel. They want to and you deserve it." I thanked her for her service to the Nation. Then said, "BTW, you were injured while honoring the Name of G-d! You've earned a lot of points Upstairs." Surprised 'non-religious' look; then big proud smile.

Then, a soldier boy sat down on my other side, so I asked were he was coming from. "The South."

"Gaza?"
"Not anymore. 13 guys in my Golani unit were killed by a Hamas RPG."
"What happened?"
"They were all in a (something big, military, but not a tank). They put an antennae up for (some computer/satellite?) connection and were spotted. Then targeted." 

Anyway, soldier boy had quit college in the States to come to Israel to join the IDF. He and his parents (still in the States) have lived in Philadelphia, New York, Californian, and South Carolina. So be proud of your boy, America! But he's home now. He has an Israeli girlfriend in the Golan, and an apartment he hasn't seen for 6 weeks in Jerusalem. And he's still not going to see it because he was on his way to a base to guard in the Shomron. He bids farewell as his girlfriend has shown up for 10 minutes together before he catches his bus to base.

Nearby, teens were selling IDF support bracelets, Israeli flags, and T-shirts with "Together We're Strong. We love Israel. We support the IDF'. I bought a shirt and some bracelets for my son's family in CA. They later came over and gave girl soldier a chit for some coffee and food at a young people's cafe. I had a bus to catch now so bid her farewell and of course, an invite to M.L. for R'nR. (There's not much else in our quiet village but a petting zoo, grocery store and beautiful views "from the river Jordan to the sea"). She agreed and wish me "Shabbat Shalom" as I do you.

SHABBAT SHALOM!!!

Janet Clare has lived in Ma'ale Levona, Israel, which is just northwest of Shiloh, for many years. She calls herself a ""Hilltop Grandmother." 

In her words: 

But one of the most meaningful things I've ever done is to plant a garden and hold on to a bit of land in Eretz Yisrael. So that's why I like judge, prophetess, military commander Devorah's response when asked for her blurb, "I'm a mother in Israel".

Rosh Chodesh Av on Monday, Remember Menu Change!

I've been so strongly concentrating on the fact that I'd like to have a lot of women joining us on Monday, Rosh Chodesh Av for prayers at Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh, that I forgot that Rosh Chodesh Av heralds a serious menu change, at least for Ashkenaz Jews.

Just as my husband was leaving for work and shuk (fresh produce) shopping, he asked if he would need to make his regular chicken soup for the week, something smaller or none. I had totally forgotten that for us, the first day of the month of Av means that our menu changes from a daily poultry or meat meal to that of fish or possibly cheese, yes, the "Nine Days."

Between the war, work and other important items crowding my old brain, I had totally forgotten that. Sefardic, that's North African and "Spanish" Jews only begin these restrictions on the week of Tisha B'Av, the 9th of Av, which is almost a full week later this year.

Now I have to decide whether or not to refreeze some of the thawed chicken or cook and then freeze it. I already have a lot of cooked chicken in the freezer, which means that I'm probably better off just refreezing it to cook at a later date.

Ladies, you're invited to join us at Tel Shiloh, the site of the ancient, the Biblical Tabernacle, Mishkan, where Chana successfully prayed for a son to lead the Jewish People from the anarchy of the days of the Judges to having a king. The first two Kings of the Jewish Kingdom were anointed by her son Samuel the Prophet, Shmuel HaNavi.

Women's Prayers at Tel Shiloh Rosh Chodesh Av
Monday, July, 28, 2014
1st of Av 5774, 8:30am
We start dovening together with Hallel. Pray Shacharit at home or come early if possible, please.
Tour of Tel Shiloh & Dvar Torah, Short Torah Lesson
Please come and invite family, friends and neighbors

תפילת נשים ראש חודש תמוז בתל שילה
יום ב' 28-7 ב' אב תשע"ד 8:30
מתחילים את התפילה ביחד עם הלל. נא להתפלל שחרית בבית או לבוא מוקדם אם אפשר, תודה
יהיה דבר תורה קצר וסיור בתל
כדאי לבוא ולהזמין חברות, משפחה ושכנות

You're welcome to join our facebook page. Tel Shiloh is open to visitors daily. Guided tours can be arranged through the Shiloh HaKeduma, Ancient Shiloh office. Email visit@telshilo.org.il  or phone 02-994-4019.

PS The Shiloh area is now considered among the safest in the country. We, bli eyin haraa, aren't being targeted by the Hamas Gazan terrorists. This is the time to come and enjoy Shiloh.

52Frames Focuses on Men and Women

I really had fun with the past two 52Frames themes, or "challenges" as I refer to them. For last week we needed a picture of women or a woman. And for this week, as you can guess, I needed a man or men.

I wanted an interesting looking woman, and that's usually a euphemism for someone "elderly." I wanted someone whose face told a story. One of my neighbors fit the bill perfectly.

Don't you think so? She's a very special lady who has done many amazing things in her life. I took her picture at the local ulpan, which is once a week for Shiloh's senior citizens. By the way there are a number of weekly activities for senior citizens here which are conducted in Hebrew with translations when needed into English and Russian.

The following week, pretty obviously, I needed a picture of a man or men. A few weeks ago when I had checked out future themes and discovered it, I decided that I wanted a picture of a young father with  a baby. Then as war preparations heated up here I thought that I should take pictures of some milu'imnikim, reservists, like the ones I'd been seeing  in Yafiz buying socks and other supplies. So I took my camera to work with me, but by then no uniformed soldiers showed up. I guess they were on the front already.

I was starting to get nervous, since the deadline was quickly approaching. Then, when I was in the shoe store awaiting customers I noticed a young man walk into Rami Levy, the discount supermarket. Not only was his baby strapped onto him, the way I had envisioned, but I know the young father. I couldn't just abandon the store, but a short while later when I had a short break I rushed in to look for them. When I found them, I asked if I could take their picture. I offered to find an angle that would make him unidentifiable, but he said that wasn't a problem.

I shot a whole slew of pictures while he and the baby smiled rather consciously. Then he bent his head and gave the baby a kiss. The only problem was and is that light in the corner. So I asked him to do it again and took photos from different angles, but they weren't as nice as this one. I cropped it as much as I could, and here it is:

These two pictures have gotten the best reactions of all of the pictures I've ever taken for the group. It's going to be hard to top them.

Only in Israel: About 20,000 Attend Funeral of Sean Carmeli, HaYa"D, Lone Soldier

Sean Carmeli, HaYa"D

Yesterday morning we read about the lone soldier from the small Texas town nobody had ever heard of who had been killed in Gaza trying to destroy the Hamas terror infrastructure, Sean Carmeli. Later in the day, emails and facebook messages kept arriving in Hebrew and in English asking that people come to his funeral.

Israel values all of its soldiers; they are our children. Israeli kids are raised knowing that after high school they will be drafted. (I'm not getting into the chareidi draft issue here.) Religious girls frequently take the option to do Sherut Le'umi, National Service and volunteer in all sorts of places, schools, hospitals, memorials etc. Young men who are exempt for various medical reasons quite often petition the IDF to be accepted as official soldier volunteers and get positions suitable for them.

And then there are the new immigrants and foreign IDF volunteers who come to Israel either just to serve or knowing that their choice to be Israeli means that they will be drafted and serve in the army without a mother waiting at home to do their laundry and make sure there's hot food for them. They are the true idealists, and Sean Carmeli was one of them.

When an Israeli born and raised IDF soldier is killed, his funeral is attended by his family, childhood friends of all members, fellow students and those from the neighborhood and more. Funerals here for whomever, no matter what the reason of death, are usually humongous. Here in Shiloh, a small funeral, quickly arranged on a Friday before Shabbat can have a minimum of fifty to a hundred people, and the larger more public funerals, like the triple one for the three teenagers murdered by Arab terrorists a few weeks ago are attended by hundreds of thousands. Compare that to a very recent funeral in New Jersey for a policeman killed, Fallen Jersey City Police Detective Melvin Santiago laid to rest.

JERSEY CITY - The Jersey City police officer who was shot and killed while responding to a report of an armed robbery was laid to rest today.
Hundreds of police officers from around New Jersey and surrounding states came to St. Aloysius Church to pay their final respects to Melvin Santiago. 

IDF Staff Sgt. Sean Carmeli was laid to rest accompanied, honored by about 20,000 people.

twitter

HaMakom yenachem...
May G-d comfort his family and friends

A Few Jewish Bloggers and Lots of Opinions and Posts, Havel Havelim

Esser Agaroth has put together a great, varied and interesting Havel Havelim  this week. I highly suggest that you check out the various posts he has included.

Havel Havelim is the weekly international Jewish and Israeli blog carnival. It's possibly the oldest blog carnival in the world. It's certainly the oldest Jewish one. I've been participating for well over a decade. We are using our facebook page to organize it, volunteering to host and publicizing the weekly editions.

I'll be hosting next week's Havel Havelim and I'll also be hosting it. You can send in your links from this week before Shabbat to shilohmuse at gmail dot com with "HH" as subject, thanks.

There's another Jewish blog carnival which I started, the Kosher Cooking Carnival, which includes posts on all aspects of kosher food. We coordinate KCC on facebook, too. The big difference is that the Kosher Cooking Carnival is monthly and appears on Rosh Chodesh, the beginning of the Jewish Month. Next month is Av and begins on this coming Monday. Send your links to me at shilohmuse at gmail dot com with "KCC" as subject, thanks.

Let nobody tell you that blogging is dead. You don't have to be a blogger to enjoy blog carnivals! They are great internet magazines for all to read!