בס''ד

Good-bye Dear Rocky…. Patches, Welcome to the Family!

A year and a half ago June, our sweet dog Rocky passed away. Rocky was a ‘Heinz 57 mutt’ and we got him as a newborn pup. He lived for sixteen years. In dog years, 1 human year for every dog year is 7 years…so in dog years Rocky lived to be 112 years old. And you could see his age on his face.

He was our first dog and a beloved member of our family.  I never believed I would be a dog owner and develop such an attachment to an animal.

How we came to getting a dog in the first place is a story in itself.  When our son Eli-Chaim was 6 years old he asked us for a dog. My husband told him that our lease doesn’t allow pets, but if we ever moved to a farm he could get a dog. [we were living in a hi rise in Hamilton, Ontario].

Well that answered satisfied Eli-Chaim and we thought the matter was closed.  Us move to a farm…you got to be kidding!

 

But as they say, man plans and G-D decides…6 years later we found ourselves living on a kibbutz in Gush Etzion, Israel.

One of the chaverim [kibbutz member] dog’s was pregnant and Eli-Chaim went and asked if he could have a pup. She told him that if his mother or father would phone and say it is okay, then he could have a pup as he was the first to ask.

Eli-Chaim came home and waited very patiently for Avraham to come home from work.  The moment he came into the house, Eli-Chaim said,“daddy do you remember what you said about living on a farm and getting a dog.  Well we live on a kibbutz, this is just like a farm. So now I can get a dog right? Chana’s dog is pregnant and I asked her for a pup. She wants you or mommy to phone her and say okay.”


Avraham was taken back that Eli-Chaim actually remembered the conversation and told him that he remembered. Since we made a practice of always keeping our word to our children, Avraham phoned Chana and he said it would be okay for Eli-Chaim to get a pup.

We were told that the puppies were due in three weeks and they had to nursed for seven weeks. Chana told Eli-Chaim she would let him pick a puppy when they are born.

Three weeks later, it was Pesach [Passover] and three pups were born.  Eli-Chaim went to choose his pup. He decided that the first one that came to him, he would take. 

Chana told Eli-Chaim that he could visit everyday to play with his pup but could only take him home after Shavuot. [7 weeks later] Eli-Chaim named his pup Rocky.

And so we became dog owners. We told Eli-Chaim he was responsible to walk the dog twice a day and to feed him. Eli-Chaim loved Rocky but the novelty of looking after him lasted a month.

Eli-Chaim and Rocky
5 years old.


 By then, I was attached to Rocky. I would walk him in the morning and Avraham and I would go for a walk in the evening with the dog. 


Rocky was truly a member of our family. Our grandchildren loved him and he loved them. The kibbutz kids would come and visit. Everyone knew how gentle he was.

No matter where we lived, it didn’t take long for Rocky to become a ‘star’ in the neighborhood. Both kids and adults who were afraid of dogs learnt very quickly that they didn't have to be afraid of Rocky. Everyone wanted to pat him and he was very obliging. Rocky would just sit and let them pat away. 

After Rocky’s passing, friends asked me when I was getting another dog but I couldn’t think of it. Our Rocky was so lovable, good tempered and just a carpet…….. no other dog could be like him. 

Time passed and my daughter told me that she had a phone call from a cousin whose dog was pregnant and they were looking for families to take the pups. Was I interested?

After getting the details we said yes.  In the middle of July the dog gave birth and when the pups were two and a half weeks old we were invited to come and choose our pup.  

Patches 2 1/2weeks old










All the pups were so sweet. Originally, we want only a male but the owner told us that the females were easier to care for and better temperament. The pup we chose was beautiful. She has the most magnificent large black eyes that looks like she is wearing too much eye liner and white fur with large brown patches. We named her Patches.

When Patches was 5 ½ / 6 weeks, the owner called and said to come and take her home. I really wanted to wait until she was 7 weeks but I was told that she is hardly nursing and already getting a little dog food.

Saying goodbye to her mother was the saddest sight I ever saw. Her mother nuzzled her and seemed to be kissing her good-bye. Patches was licking her and didn’t want to go. I wanted to cry……..  

Patches's Mom

I'm so tired!











Coming home with such a young pup is like coming home with a new baby. Your life stops and every moment is spent with the pup. There is so much to learn. My husband thought she was part Beagle [the owner didn't know]and he researched the internet. Our vet confirmed that she is a Beagle mix.


Patches is now 4 months old. She is smart…probably too smart for her own good....totally trained, stubborn, sleeps all night and the word ‘no’ or my socks and my skirt bottom moving makes her bark like crazy. She thinks that my toes are her toys. She is afraid of anything that moves.

When you pick her up and tell her you love her, she is full of kisses. Patches loves treats and children and our grandchildren love her.  She loves to park herself in front of the treat shelf and wait…….

Both Patches and our family are still learning about each other. I know we have one very special dog and when we get out of the puppy stage [won’t be soon enough] Patches will be something else.

Relaxing on the rocking chair






















Patches today!
She thinks the sofa is hers.



 A couple of weeks ago I saw this Puppy note posted on a dog site. [Beagleworld]. I don’t know who wrote it…but I would like to share it with you…….  




I am a Puppy, This means that my intelligence and capacity for learning are the same as an 8-month-old child.

I am a Puppy; I will chew EVERYTHING I can get my teeth on. This is how I explore and learn about the world.

Even HUMAN children put things in their mouths. It's up to you to guide me to what is mine to chew and what is not.

I am a Puppy; I cannot hold my bladder for longer than 1-2 hours. I cannot "feel" that I need to poop until it is actually beginning to come out. I cannot vocalize nor tell you that I need to go, and I cannot have "bladder and bowel control" until 6-9 months. Do not punish me if you have not let me out for 3 hours and I tinkle.  It is your fault.As a Puppy it is wise to remember that I NEED to go potty after: Eating, Sleeping, Playing, Drinking and around every 2-3 hours in addition. If you want me to sleep through the night, then do not give me water after 7 or 8pm. A crate will help me learn to housebreak easier, and will avoid you being mad at me.

I am a puppy, accidents WILL happen, please be patient with me! In time I will learn.
I am a Puppy, I like to play. I will run around, and chase imaginary monsters, and chase your feet and your toes and 'attack' you, and chase fuzzballs, other pets, and small kids. It is play; it's what I do.

Do not be mad at me or expect me to be sedate, mellow and sleep all day. If my high-energy level is too much for you, maybe you could consider an older rescue from a shelter or Rescue group. My play is beneficial, use your wisdom to guide me in my play with appropriate toys, and activities like chasing a rolling ball, or gentle tug games, or plenty of chew toys for me.

If I nip you too hard, talk to me in "dog talk", by giving a loud YELP, I will usually get the message, as this is how dogs communicate with one another. If I get to rough simply ignore me for a few moments, or put me in my crate with an appropriate chew toy.
I am Puppy; hopefully you would not yell, hit, strike, kick or beat a 6-month-old human infant so please do not do the same to me. I am delicate and also very impressionable. If you treat me harshly now, I will grow up learning to fear being hit, spanked, kicked or beaten. Instead, please guide me with encouragement, and wisdom. (For instance, if I am chewing something wrong, say, "No chew!" and hand me a toy I CAN chew) better yet, pick up ANYTHING that you do not want me to get into. I can't tell the difference between your old sock and your new sock, or an old sneaker and your $200 Nikes.

I am a puppy and I am not perfect, and I know you are not perfect either. I Love you anyway. So please, learn all you can about training, and puppy behaviors and caring for me from your Veterinarian, books on dog care and even researching on the computer! Learn about my particular breed and it's "characteristics" - it will give you understanding and insight into WHY I do the things I do. Please teach me with love, and patience, the right way to behave and socialize me with training in a puppy class or obedience class, we will BOTH have a lot of fun together.

I am a Puppy and I want more than anything to love you, to be with you, and to please you. Won't you please take time to understand how I work? We are the same you and I, in that we both feel hunger, pain, thirst, discomfort, fear, but yet we are also very different and must work to understand one another's language, body signals, wants and needs. Some day I will be a handsome dog, hopefully one you can be proud of and one that you will love as I am a Puppy, and I am a creature with feelings, and drives much like your own, but yet also very different. Although I am NOT a human in a dog suit, neither am I an unfeeling robot who can instantly obey your every whim. I truly DO want to please you, and be a part of your family, and your life. You got me (I hope) because you want a loving partner and companion, so do not relegate me to the backyard when I get bigger, do not judge me harshly but instead mold me with gentleness and guidelines and training into the kind of family member you want me to be.

much as I love you.

Your Puppy.

Until next time

Miriam

בס''ד
Waiting For the Other Shoe to Fall.......
 

Once again, for the past week and a half, the cities and towns in Southern Israel have been under mortar, kassam and grad missile attacks coming from Gaza.  

Large cities like Beer Sheva, [the capital city of the south] Ashkelon,the port city of Ashdod and the smaller communities,moshavim and kibbutzim have been bombarded with rocket attacks almost daily. One day, we had 90 rockets.

Over the past ten years that the south has been under siege, Hamas and other splinter groups have sent tens of thousands of rockets. Sedrot has a museum of rockets sent to their area.

When the incoming rocket siren goes off, you have between 15 and 30 seconds to find shelter. Shelter can be in the form of a street bomb shelter, a joint bomb shelter in the basement of an apartment building or in a store. Homes built after 1991 have a private safe room mamad in the house or apartment.

street public bomb shelters

In Beer Sheva and Ashkelon, the military has set up the air defense system known as iron dome  which has worked quite well intercepting short range rockets and keeping them from exploding. Because these iron domes are very expensive, presently we only have two in the south.This morning as I was posting this blog, the siren went off near Beer Sheva.

Homes have taken direct hits, cars have been destroyed, adults and children have been injured from shrapnel. Some injuries have been life threatening. Many citizens of the south both adult and children are suffering from shock.We have had deaths. One man died leaving a pregnant wife in her 9th month and two small children. Another tragedy were two couples going on a weekend vacation to Eilat. One of the couples were waiting for the birth of their first grandchild. And they stories go on... 

The sounds of the sirens and the booms from the rockets are so loud, your ears hurt. In my home, the windows and doors rattle when there is an explosion.  You can feel the vibration on the floor. 

One day last week, my family was rudely awakened at 4:40 a.m. by a warning siren. We have 15 seconds to go to the safe part of our home. We heard two explosions and about ten seconds later we heard another explosion.   

You never know when or where the next attack will be. It’s like ‘waiting for the other shoe to fall’. 

We have seen some miracles. In Beer Sheva, a school took a direct hit, causing extensive damage, but because it is summer vacation, no children or staff were in the school. I shudder to think the injuries or G-D forbid death that could have occurred if school had been in.  

On Thursday, the new school year starts. Parents will have just one more thing to worry about as they send their precious children to school. Will their school be attacked? My grandchildren's school in Kfar Maimon, has been on the receiving end of many kassams. Our children learn in fortified classrooms. 

In Ashdod, a group of men had just finished saying their morning prayers in a shtiebel [a small house of learning] when the siren went off. Most of the men  were able to get out, but several were still inside the building when it took a direct hit. A rocket came through the roof and lodged itself into the floor. Miraculously it didn't explode.

The debate goes on as to how to put an end once and for all to all the attacks. Military action or restraint. Our politicians debate, argue or point fingers but don’t really have any suggestions. All the while, us citizens are sitting ducks.

The Jerusalem Post http://www.jpost.com/  has this poll question.

How would you rate the government's response to terror attacks in South?

 Good, they eliminated attack's perpetrators without causing needless escalation
Bad, they should launch large operation to root out terror infrastructure in Gaza
Bad, they should show more restraint in the face of international scrutiny
Average, government response will neither improve nor exacerbate  situation.

I'm not sure 

As of this morning [August 28th] from a total of 29,621 votes. 

Try to find a diplomatic solution to reinstate the cease-fire.          8.04%

The only way to end the rocket fire is to eliminate the rockets and those firing them.                                                                                    80.69% 

Israel's neighbors should share responsibility for regional safety.   8.58% 

None of the above.                                                                  2.70%  

Do you have an opinion? Want to have your say? Write to our Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu bnetanyahu@knesset.gov.il  or the defense minister Ehud Barak ehudb@knesset.gov.il  

They need to know what their citizens are thinking.

Until next time.......

Stay safe!

Miriam 

Postscript

In the August 30th online edition of the Jerusalem Post there is a report that as of next week defense minister Barak will deploy a third iron dome near Ashdod. The report goes on to say that by the end of 2012, Israel will have nine operational iron domes. 

 בס''ד
 A Time of Sorrow

During the long hot days of summer, six weeks after Shavout, are The Three Weeks. A time of sorrow for the Jewish people. We are now in the second week of The Three Weeks.

The first day, the 17 Tammuz [July 19^th] was a day fast. The last day, the 9^th of Av, [August 9^th] is Tish B’Av. Starting from the previous evening, until the evening of the 9^th is a 25 hour fast. Seven weeks later, is the start of the Yamim Noraim [Days of Awe] beginning with Rosh Hashana and ending with Yom Kippur.

There are many laws pertaining to the three weeks.  To learn more about time, I would like to recommend The Three Weeks Aish 

A couple of years ago, I wrote a poem called Tish B"Av, A Day of Sorrow. 

A day of sorrow,

the 9th of Av.

corresponding this year to

August 9th

The blackest day,

we Jews know.

Hashem commanded us to fast

and to give up our comforts.

We read Megillah Eichah

Lamentations

And say kinot.

Why do we have this terrible day?

Is it because we cried for nothing so long ago?

Hashem said “you want to cry,

I’ll give you something to cry about.”

So many tragedies

have struck

the Jewish people 

on the 9^th of Av.

Many were murdered on the 9^th of Av

in pogroms and the Holocaust

for no other reason than

they were Jews. 

We have suffered all through our history

Moshiach, Moshiach, where are you?

“We need you now”, our people beg

To restore our nation to its glory.

 

Today we have our homeland

Eretz Yisrael.

The land Hashem promised to

Avraham Avinu.

Please, no more fighting

Jew against Jew

or speaking lashon hara.

An united front

is what is needed

to prove

that we are worthy

of His gift.

 

And Tish B’Av

will be no more…..

Have an easy fast.

Until next time

Miriam                     

בס''ד

The Tenacity of a Rabbit

In my last blog Our Special Flower Garden, I wrote how Avraham and I had moved to a house on Yishuv Ma'agalim and worked very hard to clean up our neglected  yard. When we were finished, we made a nice flower garden. Our problems came when our neighbor's three rabbits decided that the flowers that we planted were delicious and ate or destroyed over 30 plants. 

When we spoke to our neighbor, he told us he can’t cage the rabbits because they are too fast and they know how to get out of the cage. Basically, he told us to live with it.

We goggled rabbits and looked for ways to discourage them. One tip was to spray a mixture of vinegar and dish soap on the flowers. Another was to sprinkle tiny thorns all over.

We called the man responsible for animal control from our Moatza [regional council] for help in trapping the rabbits. Bottom line, rabbits are almost impossible to trap. Best he could do was speak to the neighbor and tell him it was against the law to allow the rabbits to run freely and he should cage them.

Our neighbor changed his story and told us that the rabbits were not his but that they made his yard their home.

He then gave us some hot red pepper chips and said to sprinkle them heavily everywhere and that the rabbits would stay away because the smell is to strong for them.

Well, that worked for a couple of weeks.

We started off with three rabbits. For the past couple of weeks only the beautiful black rabbit with a drop of brown running down his back is around our house. I don't know what happened to the other two. Maybe some kids caught them.

‘Our black rabbit’, is the most tenacious rabbit I have ever seen.  He is so sure of himself, that he will let you get close enough to him to let you look into his eyes, but the minute you try to catch him, he is off…. This rabbit is always five steps ahead of us. Imagine if people were as tenacious as this rabbit.

The American Heritage Dictionary gives this definition for tenacious: Holding or tending to hold persistently to something, such as a point of view.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary says that tenacious means persistent and maintaining, adhering to, or seeking something valued or desired.

 

This little rabbit wants our flowers for whatever reason and is determined to get to them no matter what he has to do.

If our Israeli politicians would be this tenacious in standing up for what is in the best interest of Israel and its Israeli citizens, our country would be much stronger in the eyes of the world. We would have respect!

Personally, I don’t really care what the world thinks…..Israel has to do what is in our interest regardless of what the Americans, Europeans or Arabs says.

Our politicians need to learn how to say no, this is not in our interest. As long as we bow down to the world, Israel will always be the ‘friar’ country. The world is trying to push us into a peace agreement with a lie. The Palestinian Heritage story is the most fictional story around that is believed by the world. 

The world refuses to look at their ‘history’ and our history. We have been a nation for more than 3,000 years. Jerusalem has been our eternal capital for all this time. The Palestinians only started to mention Jerusalem after the ’67 war.

The left of the country are siding with our enemies. They too don’t understand how precious our land is. Education is the key to all the answers. Our children must be taught to love the land. We need educators who teach with tenacity that our land is precious and must be protected at all cost and not given away.

A couple of years ago, the IDF made a discovery that many of their draftees had never been to our capital Jerusalem. Imagine that! These young people were born here and never visited Jerusalem. It is mind blogging.

Today, part of the basic training is a field trip to Jerusalem and the Kotel. [Western wall].

I hope that we solve our rabbit problem and I pray that our Prime Minister and his government learn to stand up and say no, not this time! This is what is in our best interest and we are going to do………………

Until next time!

Miriam

בס''ד

Our Special Flower Garden

This coming Sivan /June, my husband and I will G-D willing celebrate our 44th wedding anniversary. Since the beginning of our marriage, except when we made Aliyah and rented a house on my children’s kibbutz, we lived in a duplex or apartment building.Never, did we have to look after the grounds and do any gardening.

I grew up in a house and when my husband and I were dating, several times Avraham would help my father a”h garden. Whether it was weeding or planting shrubs in the rain, it was always an enjoyable experience.

This past September, we rented a house on my daughter Devorah's yishuv in the Negev.

We have land all around our house with fruit trees growing on the side and in the backyard.

The grounds had really been neglected for many years. We told the owner that we would look after the fruit trees. He in turn told us to help ourselves to the fruit.

The front of the house was the real problem. I wanted to make a flower garden, but before I could start, I had to weed and clean up all the garbage that was over flowing and had accumulated over the years.

Cleaning up was no easy job. Using a hoe, and all the bending and picking up, was certainly giving us our daily exercise. The ground was so hard, even with wearing work gloves, I had blisters on my fingers..

After several hours of work, we were starting to see some results. We were so tired but it was a good tired, working this piece of Holy land.

I have a good imagination, and I could picture what I wanted our garden to look like. I would make the perimeter of the garden with large rocks and use brown lava rocks in between the plants. The rocks were easy to find, but boy
were they heavy. We had a good supply of the lava rocks which we found all over the property.

Next came the planting. A neighbour gave us some tall cactus to get our garden started. In the center of the garden we planted a branch from a water cactus that had broken off from my daughter’s plant. Around each plant, I encircled them with small white rocks. My little garden was taking shape and looking good.

All we were missing were flowers. We are renting our house, and the owner of the house is a farmer who grows flowers. I asked him for some flowers. He said sure! I thought he would bring us a few flowers, but instead, to our shock, he brought a bag of more than sixty different types and colours of flowers.

We had our work cut out. Moetzi Shabbat, the night of Lag B’Omer, Avraham, Eli-Chaim and myself started planting. Avraham and Eli-Chaim dug the holes and I planted. We worked like team work. I told them where to dig, they dug, I planted. One after another.

The air was all ready getting smoky and smelly from the bonfires around us, but I really wanted to finish at night. During the day, the sun is too strong and hot too work.

We planted forty beautiful flowers. I scattered the brown lava rocks everywhere, Avraham watered our flowers and we all enjoyed looking at the garden we had made.

I had a feeling of real satisfaction. I felt so privileged to live in Eretz Yisrael and have an opportunity to work and enjoy our Holy land.

But, my happiness changed to sadness a couple days later when we discovered one morning that a neighbour’s rabbits had gotten into our garden during the night and ate or destroyed most of the flowers. I wanted to cry.

When Avraham spoke to the neighbour, he acknowledged that his rabbits cause problems, but said he didn't know what to do with them. He tried to cage them, but they are fast and smart and know out to get out.

Basically, he said politely, live with it!

And so dear readers, if you know a way to keep rabbits out of the garden, please write a comment at the bottom of the blog and let me know how!

I now know how Farmer McGregor felt, in the story The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter, when Peter kept eating his veggies in his garden.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tale_of_Peter_Rabbit

Until next time!
Miriam

בס''ד
A Day of Remembrance......
Yom HaZikaron 
It is four a.m. and I am so wide awake thinking about the ceremony that I attended just a few short hours earlier. I had to post a blog.........


In the 17 years since I made Aliyah, I have watched many Yom HaZikaron programs on television. Never have I felt so moved, so touched and connected as I did last evening, when I attended a ceremony on our Yishuv in Ma'agalim.


The program started with Maarvi [the evening prayer] in the shul. While the men were davening [praying] the women and children were gathering on the shul promenade.


Chairs had been set out and the feeling was one of anticipation knowing that at 8:00p.m. sharp, the siren would sound and Yom HaZikaron would officially start.


For the past several years, a siren meant that a grad missile was on the way and people needed to take shelter. But not tonight! Tonight, the siren meant that the men and women who fell defending our country were going to be remembered and honored.


 As the men came out of shul and found their seats, the master of ceremonies, was calling everyone to order. The siren would be momentarily.


Everyone rose, stood quietly as the familiar, blaring air raid siren, filled the cold night air for one minute. In the background, we could hear the last few seconds of the sirens from the other moshavim in the area.


The program started with the lowering of our flag to half mast. Several men were called up one at a time to say appropiate readings. The names of the fallen from the yishuv were read. Even though I didn’t know these people, I felt much sorrow, knowing they died defending my land.


A slideshow was shown commenorating all the funerals our country has had to endure in it's short 63 years.


A music tribute to a young chaiyal [soldier] was also shown. Several years ago, when this soldier was killed, his family took all his letters and with his own words, a song was composed. Music was added later and a well know Israeli singer, recorded the song. What a moving tribute!


When the Rav of the Yishuv was called, everyone stood up to give him covet   [respect]. Rav Moshe Elkabetz has been the rav for many years and is very well respected and loved. He spoke about his friend who was in Hesdar with him [a combination of Torah learning and army] and had died in war. His sadness was written all over his face. The Rav's remarks were short,and to the point for he knew that this was not the time for a long drasha [speech/lesson].


What I found interesting, our yishuv is a Sephardic yishuv. My husband and I are Ashkenazim. It is our minhag [custom] to stand for the prayer El Male Rachamim and Kaddash, but not the custom of the yishuv. 


When these two prayers were been said, we stood up along with a couple of other people fulfilling our minhag. Although, our minhagim are different, the bond that holds us together is that we are all Jews and Israelis and we live harmoniously together.


Torches were then lit by family members of the fallen.


A special tribute was paid to Major Eliraz Peretz a”h who lived in Yishuv Eli, in the Shomron. He was killed in the Castlead- Gaza war and was the deputy commander of his elite Golani Brigade unit. http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-+Obstacle+to+Peace/Memorial/2010/Victims/Eliraz_Peretz.htm 


Taking video from Israel channel 2, the major’s mother Miriam was interviewed. This is the second son she has lost to war. Around me, not a dry eye was to be found.


An hour later, the program ended with the singing of Ani ma-amin and  Hatikva.


I am so proud to be an Israeli. When we came home from the ceremony, I lit our yarheitz candle to remember those who gave their life defending my country, so that I and my family can live in our G-D given homeland. 


Am Yisrael Chai!


Until next time
Miriam

בס''ד

Remembrances and Celebrations

Today in Israel is Yom HaShoah. While the world celebrates the death of one mastermind terrorist, Osama bin Laden, we the Jewish people remember man's inhumanity to man. Six million Jews were murdered in cold blood. Why you ask? For no other reason than they were Jews.

The Nazis marched from town to town, city to city, country to country rounding up Jews. They didn’t ask if you are Orthodox, Conservative, or Reform. They considered us one people. JEWS!

This is a lesson for today.

We are one people, G-D’s chosen people and we must never forget this.

                  _______________________________

Next Monday, on the 5th day of Iyar [May 9th] is Yom HaZikaron. Our Memorial day for the men and women who lost their lives defending our precious country. Yom HaZikaron is usually on the 4th day of Iyar but because of Shabbat the day before, the government moved the remembrance up one day.


The remembrance starts Sunday evening with a two minute siren. A second siren will ring Monday morning during which Israelis stop everything including driving and stand in silence, commemorating the fallen and showing respect.


The official ceremony to mark the opening of the day takes place at the Kotel [Western Wall], at which time the flag of Israel is lowered to half staff.


Monday evening, our flag is once again raised and Israelis everywhere proudly sing our national anthem. It is now Yom Ha’Atzmaut, Israel Independence Day, commemorating its declaration of independence in 1948. This year we are celebrating 63 years of independence.


And celebrate we do with flags hanging from balconies, cars, and windows. The smell of bar b’que is everywhere. Families travel to our national parks to have picnics and a wonderful day is had by all.


For me and my family, living in Eretz Yisrael is both an honour and privledge. Yes, many have to give up the so called good life in the 'old country', but I can tell you from personal experience, life in Israel may be a struggle but the personal satisfaction that you receive walking it's holy streets  and living on percious land gives you a much better life.
 
COME HOME and enjoy the good life!

Several years ago, I wrote a short poem called OUR FLAG.
Our flag, our flag
oh, what a sight!
To see you proudly
dance in the wind.

Your blue and white colors
so very distinctive,
makes us grateful
we live in this wonderful land.


Our history is long,
many wars we have known.
May the Hand of Hashem
watch over our brave young soldiers,
as they diligently defend your honor.


Oh flag, oh flag
What a proud and beautiful sight!


   ________________________________
Israel's National Anthem
HaTikvah ("The Hope")
The words to Israel's national anthem were written in 1886 by Naphtali Herz Imber, an English poet originally from Bohemia. The melody was written by Samuel Cohen, an immigrant from Moldavia. Cohen actually based the melody on a musical theme found in Bedrich Smetana’s "Moldau."

Kol ode balevav

P'nimah –

Nefesh Yehudi homiyah

Ulfa'atey mizrach kadimah

Ayin l'tzion tzofiyah.

Ode lo avdah tikvatenu

Hatikvah bat shnot alpayim:

L'hiyot am chofshi b'artzenu -

Eretz Tzion v'Yerushalayim.
As long as the Jewish spirit is yearning deep in the heart,

With eyes turned toward the East, looking toward Zion,

Then our hope - the two-thousand-year-old hope - will not be lost:

To be a free people in our land,

The land of Zion and Jerusalem.

http://www.stateofisrael.com/anthem/

Until next time......
Miriam 

בס''ד
My Friend Catherine

               
Over the lifetime of this blog, I have written three pieces on seniors. The introductory blog:  Grandparents are Special , The Third Generation and Is "The Third Generation" Really "The Golden Age"? 

I would now like to tell you about my friend Catherine. The start of my journey with this special lady began a year ago last April when I replied to a posting on my local e-mail list. The posting title was A woman seeks help….. I clicked the posting and read………

Shalom,

A woman who is hospitalized at the Geriatric Center in Netivot is seeking a volunteer who can come and talk to her in English and a volunteer who can accompany her from time to time to the Lehava Center (across the road from the Geriatric Center). You can call………..

Years ago, before we made Aliyah, I worked in Shalom Village, an assisted living / nursing home in Hamilton, Ont. Canada and spent many personal hours being a volunteer visiting and running programs for the residents. I developed a very special respect and interest in the elderly.

When we made Aliyah I wanted to continue volunteering with the elderly, but because my Hebrew is poor, I wanted to visit someone who spoke English. The social services who run volunteer programs couldn’t find anyone for me to visit.

Reading the posting I immediately contacted the person who posted the note and asked for some background on this lady.

I was told her name is Catherine and she is an American who has been living and working in Israel for some time. Because of circumstances beyond her control she is now residing in the nursing home. Catherine only speaks English and she has no family living in Israel. Her sister lives in France and her son is in the states. I made arrangements to go and visit her the next day.

The nursing home in Netivot was built by the Lotto Corporation. It is a relatively new building [about 7 or 8 years old] and is beautiful. The lobby has a tasteful ceramic floor with a nice center pattern. Bright orange and red curtains and modern chairs and a couple of small tables adorn the lobby.  

In one corner there is a piano. Opposite the front door is a door that takes you out to the most beautiful gardens where the residents and their guest can enjoy the outside.

I met Catherine in the common area of her ward. This is a large room with wall decorations, photographs, background music and where the daily activities take place. There are several tables that sit eight and each person does his or her own thing.


Catherine was reading a book when I introduced myself and said I would like to visit her and hopefully we could become friends. We then went to sit in the lobby so that we could get to know each other.


She asked my how I came to know she was in the nursing home and I told her about the e-mail notice. She seemed to be very surprised but pleased.


I told her a little about myself and my family and asked her about herself and her family. Catherine came to Israel as a temporary resident in 1982 and lived with her sister Ellen and her father on Ellen’s farm. She later applied for Aliyah status.


Catherine’s professional life was amazing. During her first years in Israel, she taught English at a local elementary school.


She worked for many years as the Chief Editor of one of Ben-Gurion University's international research journals, where faculty members published their scientific articles in English for colleagues around the world to read.

She also edited and prepared copy-ready pages (in English) of entire academic books for publication by German presses -- sometimes working over a year with the Israeli authors of such books to rewrite sections into good and understandable English.

Catherine told me about her love for animals and how she would take in dogs and cats whose owners didn’t want anymore. Sick animals would be nursed back to health.

It didn’t take long to recognize that Catherine is a very intelligent and caring person. I enjoyed my visit with Catherine and asked her if it would be okay with her if I visit her again the following week. She agreed.

And so started my relationship with this amazing woman and thru her I now correspond with her sister Ellen, her son and other family members.

 Ellen told me that Catherine was much appreciated -- even beloved -- by so many faculty members in Beer-Sheva at Ben Gurion University, and also by article contributors from Hebrew University and Tel-Aviv University.

Because of the original posting on the e-mail list, Catherine found two more friends who visit with her regularly and are totally dedicated to her.

Last Thursday was Catherine 75th birthday. Her new Israeli friends made her a birthday party gathering at my home. Our little party grew from 6 to11 almost overnight. I was amazed and so pleased at the people who wanted to attend and honor Catherine.

Each of us wrote a birthday greeting and I had the family also send birthday greetings and photos. I compounded all the greeting into a special birthday book and presented it to Catherine at her party.

This is the poem that I wrote for Catherine’s book.

Dearest Catherine
What a privilege
to we had to meet you
and call you our friend.

You are a special lady
with a rich background.
Oh, how we wish
we had known you in your prime.

Leah and Ellen have told us about
your accomplishments professionally
your kindness to animals
and your love of Israel.

Today is your birthday
Mazal-Tov and Happy Birthday ad120!
May you be blessed
with better health
happiness and fulfillment.

My visits with Catherine have taught me to appreciate everyday…the good , the bad and the hard days. Nobody knows what tomorrow will bring.
_______________________________________________________

Update regarding my last blog about the small Tefillin. We are still waiting to have the Tefillin checked. I have spoken to a sofer and a Rav from Chabad. Both said that they want to examine the Tefillin carefully but because they know they are very old, want to be able to give them the time they deserve. They both told me that they will check the Tefillin. When and if they do, I will write that blog.

Wishing everyone a חג פסח שמח וכשר. [a kosher and happy Pesach]
Miriam

בס''ד
Life……An Odyssey of Discovery……..Part 1


My husband Avraham’s father a”h passed away thirty-six years ago. One of the few possessions that he has from his father was his tefillin.


Now these tefillin are not like any other tefillin that you see. They are so tiny, that they can fit into the palm of your hand with room left over. They measure 2.2cm square. In comparison my son’s tefillin are 3cm square and my grandson Gilad’s tefillin are 4cm square. We never knew why they were so small and neither did anyone else.

Note the red box cover.  
 
 
 
 
 
 







For the past thirty-six years, the tefillin have been in a dresser drawer. Truefully, we really never paid to much attention to them, they were just a keepsake.
 
This past December 2nd 2010, in the Shabbos edition of Hamodia [an English language religious newspaper], there was an article by Chana Sorele Teitelbaum called Chashmonaim..Under The Czar. With the permission of the author and Hamodia, I have posted her article and pictures at the end of my blog.
 
The article speaks about the hardships that the Jews of the day had to under take, that the boys were drafted into the Russian army at age 12 and stayed for twenty-five years. The goal of the Czar was to obliterate any and all connection to Yiddishkeit.
 
Some of these boys [at great risk for their life] would have a tiny pair of tefillin that they could hide in their uniform pocket.
 
In the article was a picture of the tiny tefillin. When my husband saw the picture he was stunned and said to me, these look like the tefillin that my father had.
 
And so the search for his family’s history began. We contacted all of Avraham’s cousins trying to connect what we knew [which wasn’t very much] and what they knew.We found out that my husband’s grandfather had written a brief history and one of the cousins had the letter.
 
With this information, we discovered that the family name was Guttman not Goodman. The name was change by the Canadian immigration. We learned that his grandfather was sent away from Odessa by his father at age 12 because he was going to be drafted. An older brother [we don’t know his name] accompanied him. There is no mention as to why the brother wasn’t drafted.
 
We learnt that at first they went to France and then after some time boarded a boat to Canada settling in Montreal. We also learnt that my husband’s grandfather had a sister [we don’t know her first name] who was married to a Rav or Mohel by the name of Goichberg and lived in the Bronx N.Y. If this name means anything to anyone or if you know of a family by this name, would you please let me know?
 
The brother didn’t like living in Montreal, returned to Russia, joined the Russian army and was never heard from again.

With the information we were gathering we still didn’t know the names of Avraham’s great grandparents or anything about them. We researched the database of Jewish Gen including the archives of Odessa. We checked the passenger logs from The Ships Lists archives trying to find the ship Avraham’s grandfather and uncle came to Canada on. I checked the archives of Canada immigration looking for landed status as I knew that they settled in Montreal.

We were at a dead end. I knew that Avraham’s grandfather died and was buried in Montreal and so I had an idea to call the only Jewish funeral home [they are still in business] at the time and see if they could help me.

Sure enough, they were a fountain of information. We learnt the names of Avraham’s great grandparents, Yisroel and Rachel Guttman, some dates and where they were from.

Now back to the tefillin. We now believe that the tefillin that Avraham always believed were his father’s, were not in fact his father’s, but his grandfather’s. If we are correct, then these tefillin are 120 years old. If not, and they are his father's then the tefillin are 88 years old. 

We spoke to a Sofer and asked him to come and inspect the tefillin and give us his opinion.

I sent a note to the author thanking her for writing this article telling her about the tefillin we have and giving us just the push we needed to research our family.

She wrote back to me saying that her husband said we should have the Sofer check  'yud' on the 'shel yad'. In the three pairs that they [the author and her husband] examined, the yud is attached to the box in a very complicated way, thus making it extra mehudar. Also the width of the 'retzios' in even in the narrowest parts is no less than 2mm, size of a barley, the necessary shiur mentioned in Halacha.
 
Sitting at the computer looking for information became a real passion. I was determined to find out everything I could about my husband’s family and my mother’s family a”h. A cousin of mine had already researched and made a family tree of my father’s family history.
 
Someone asked me why I was spending so much time researching the histories. I told them that the information although very interesting for Avraham and me, it was not really for us but for the next generation and all future generations. Everyone needs to know where they came from. With intermarriage at such an alarming rate ones ‘yichas’ [background] is so important.
 
The search is still on. I contacted The Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue in Montreal requesting whatever information they have on his grandfather. I am assuming that the family were members because my father-in-law and all Avraham’s uncles had their Bar Mitzvah’s in this shul. One uncle was also married there and Avraham’s grandfather is buried in their cemetery.
 
Until next time……….
My next blog will be part 2. The Sofer’s Report……
Please feel free to post your comments.
Miriam

Once again I want to thank Chana Sorele Teitelbaum and Hamodia for allowing me to post their article and pictures.

CHASHMONAIM UNDER THE CZAR

By Chana Sorele Teitelbaum
The artifacts shown in this feature are owned by a British antique collector who acquired them during his travels in his former hometown in Hungry. An expert on antiques as well as a student of the manufacture of menorahs, he determined that those shown in this article, which he discovered in an antique shop are genuine. He found the tefillin in the sheimos section of an old cemetary whose renovation he arranged for. Also found at that time were valuable documents proving that these artifacts belonged to the Cantonists.


Two thousand years have not dimmed the intensity with which Yiden perform the rituals of Yiddishkeit. The lifesaving tactic of quickly substituting a game like dreidel while sefarim and other religious articles were hidden from the eyes of the enemy, is one that the Jewish nation has used throughout the centuries - from Jews threatened by the Inquisition, to those suffering first under the czars and then behind the Iron Curtain. With unbelievable commitment and inner strength, Jews have resolved to see the 'light', no matter how outside forces attempted to extinguish it.


Yidden living under oppressive rule of various czars were determined to avoid demands that they abandon their religion. Undaunted by evil decrees, they devised ways to continue living as G-D fearing Jews despite the danger. Among these determined individuals were some Kantonisten or Cantonists- Jews who were forcibly drafted into the czar's army as mere children and were required to serve for twenty-five years. These heroes of the mid-1800's managed somehow to see light even in their darkest moments.

  
In these photographs, we see testimony of the incredible mesirus nefesh displayed by Kantonisten in Czarist Russia.  These historic Jewish artifacts belonged to Jewish youths who served in the Russian army for long periods against their will and who were forced to give up their Yiddishkeit.  Had they been found with these religious items in their possession, they would have been killed immediately.  Instead, the innovative young men crafted for themselves palm sized menorahs and minature pairs of tefillin that could easily be concealed inside their uniform pockets or worn under their helmets. In times of crisis, they would turn to these religious items as a segulah for safety or to pray for a miracle.
 
What is remarkable about these soldiers is that did not perform the mitzvos of tefillin and lightning Canukah candles simply to fullfill the miniumum requirements. From these artifacts it appears that they were extremely well versed in halachah [laws] and that they invested their knowledge and love for Yiddishkeit in the performance of these mitzvos, to ensure that their observance was mehudar [extra observant].
 
The Kesher of the tefillin was made with a tiny sliver of retzuah and connected to the tefillin itself in a brillant masterpiece of handicraft that would normally be impossible due to its miniature size.
 
One menorah has only 'four' cups [indentations] for eight candles, but, as is discussed in Shulchan Aruch, this very rare menorah, which cantains eight notches for the wicks is deemed kosher.