ONE one One ONE

1
My son just told me it's 1/1/11.
Well, that's pretty incredible.
Firstly, I didn't know it was the secular new year. He reminded me.
Secondly, I was so thrilled that I didn't know.
B"H, proof that Israel really IS a place that revolves around the Jewish year and Jewish times.
But, I'm sure one one one one has some great significance.
For me, it's easy.
One is Hashem, the G-d Who created the world.
One is the People of Israel, for whom G-d created the world and who are the chosen people.
One is the Land of Israel, the blessed land, the land that G-d gave the Jewish people as an eternal inheritance.
One is the Torah of Israel, the blueprint of the world. The entire world revolves, day turns to night and night turns to day, because the Jewish people somewhere are keeping the Torah and keeping the world alive.
One is the Holy Temple, may it be rebuilt in our days.
One is me.
One is you.
Each one of us can make a difference in our family, our community, our world.
Each one of us can keep the world spinning, can bring happiness to others, can do loving kindness and make the world a better place.
One one one one.

Visiting Choni The Circle Maker

With the drought continuing in Israel, everyone is mighty worried. There are mass prayer rallies, childrens prayer rallies, even prayers with Arabs and Jews together, and even with secular and religious Jews together. (Hm, could this drought actually be bringing out something good in society?)
There are visits to graves of holy people throughout the country.

Recently Israel's Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi HaRav Yona Metzger traveled to Hatzor to visit the grave of Choni HaMe'agel, Choni The Circle Maker.

That's kind of an odd name, but it was well deserved.

During the time of the Mishna during the room of Queen Shlomtzion, there was a great sage named Choni. The Jewish people were suffering from a devastating drought and they way to the holy Choni to intercede on their behalf with G-d.

Choni prayed for rain, but nothing happened.

Suddenly, he took a stick and drew a circle with it. He stepped inside the stick and called out to Hashem that he would not leave the circle until it rained. Sputters of raindrops came down from the sky, but Choni called out again that this was not the kind of rain he desired. Then dangerous buckets of rain fell. Choni exclaimed again that this was not the kind of rain he wanted. And finally G-d made it rain just perfectly.

Therefore, now when the Jewish people are suffering so badly from years of drought, who better to aske to intercede on our behalf with G-d Al-Mighty than Choni himself.

Rav Metzger told the gathering I was attending (the Women's Kashruth Convention in Efrat) that the name Choni is a strange one. However, perhaps from this uncommon name, we can learn something of Choni's power. The name Choni has the same root as the word VAYACHAN. It is written in Exodus 19:2, "Vayachan sham Yisrael neged ha'har." (And Israel encamped there, opposite the mountain.) The famous commentator Rashi notes here, ""like one man with one heart".

HaRav Metzger said, "This is the lesson we must learn from Choni. It is time to stop fighting amongst ourselves. If we want the miracle of Choni, our nation must be like one man with one heart."

According to the Ascent of Safed website:
http://www.ascentofsafed.com/cgi-bin/ascent.cgi?Name=choni

You can visit Choni's gravesite too.

To get to the gravesite of Choni by bus from Safed or Tiberias, one must first travel to Hatzor by Egged bus #459, which runs about every 40 minutes from 6 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. From Safed or Kiryat Shmona one can catch bus #511. At the "Canyon" or Hatzor's central bus depot you can catch the local #2 bus to near the gravesite. The #2 bus runs about every 20 minutes until 9 p.m.
Of course, private transportation along these routes will deliver one right up to the dirt path leading to Choni's kever. Take the main highway out of Tsfat east toward Rosh Pina, then Route 90 north for another five or ten minutes until you reach the main entrance to Hatzor. Follow the entrance road to the very end until it turns into a dirt road. The signs from there clearly mark the way to the burial site.

Chatting with Hebron's Yehudit Katsover

If you read the previous blog, you know that I spent a fascinating day in Hebron. The primary reason for my trip there was to view the breathtaking photography exhibit by renowned photographer Gershon Ellinson about the rebuilding of the Jewish community in Hebron from 1969 to today. The exhibit is on display now in the Machpela Visitors' Center and will continue there for the next few months.

It is a must-see.

I toured the exhibit with both Gershon and Yehudit Katsover, co-owner of the Machpela Visitors' Center (previously the Settlers' Restaurant) and Zionist national activist.

Yehudit, a woman of action for the past thirty years, was one of the mothers who entered Beit Hadassah in 1979. In recent years she has been active in the struggle to redeem the abandoned Israeli Army base of Shdema; the struggle to save Netzer, the Jewish land between Alon Shvut and Elazar; and the latest struggle over the abandoned Adurayim Army Base.

Yehudit is also the co-owner of the Machpela Visitors' Center, which is hosting the Gershon Ellinson photo exhibit, Stakes in Hebron.

After our tour of Gershon's dramatic photos, we sat down in the restaurant and chatted.

"We're in a struggle for Jewish identity," Yehudit told me. "Who are we and why are we here?"

This question impacts on everything, including the struggle for Judea and Samaria.

Yehudit explained that after the Six Day War in 1967, two distinct groups were born: Gush Emunah, which sought to build Yesha (Judea, Samaria and Gaza), and Shalom Achshav (Peace Now), which sought to stop settlement building.

Yehudit noted that lawyer and right-wing activist Eliyakim Ha'Etzni says, "It's all about who will win the game Stone/Paper/Scissors. [A stone breaks the scissors, but a paper covers the stone.] Throughout the past decades, we worked on Stone-building, but we didn't put any efforts into Paper-hasbara (public relations). The left was always busy with hasbara, and we haven't explained our case."

Yehudit continued, "I was involved in all kinds of activities, but I didn't pay attention to the media. Slowly we have come to understand how the media works."

While we were drinking our coffee, Yehudit said, "We had the zechut (merit) to make history and not witness history."

Then she thought, the garinim Torani'im (the nuclei of religious young people who move into non-religious neighborhoods) are our paper. So are Arutz 7 and Galei Yisrael.

"I am optimistic," she said.

So am I.

Photos by Israel Katz

What Happened to Beit El Baraka?

"Stop!"
"What?"
"Stop. Stop. Pull over."
We had just left Gush Etzion on our way to Chevron with famed veteran photographer Gershon Ellinson. Gershon has an absolutely priceless photo exhibit at the Machpela Visitors Center in Hebron. (Unbelievably breathtaking collection!! You must visit the gallery in the Machpela Visitors Center at the foot of Me'arat HaMachpela. But that's another story.)
We were excited to visit the photo exhibit with the photographer himself, but we had hardly driven for five minutes when Gershon told us to stop on the road, right before the Arab town of Beit Ommar.
Now, this is the problem with photographers. Everything looks fascinating to them. They've got to photograph it all. Besides that, photographers see a scene from all angles, and it makes them very curious. They see things that normal folks, like you and I, would probably never pick up. So unless you're a photographer too (which my husband is), you could go a little crazy when you've got one around.

Back to Beit Ommar…
Since most people only know Beit Ommar from the violent demonstrations there, I wasn't too thrilled to stop. But then again, we were armed …with our cameras.
Gershon told us to photograph the building on our right. Its gate said, "Beit El Baraka". On the road between Chevron and Gush Etzion, Gershon probably passed Beit El Baraka thousands of times in those years when he lived and worked in the City of Our Patriarchs.

In one of its gilgulim (reincarnations) the property used to be an agricultural school, he said. Well, that would make sense. Emek Bracha (Valley of Blessing) is renowned for its fertile soil. The Gush Etzion Winery has one of its most innovative fields situated in one section of Emek Bracha.
The Valley of Blessing is mentioned in Chronicles II 20:26. After a miraculous battle fought by G-d against Israel's enemies – Ammon, Moav and Seir – Judah's King Jehoshaphat gathered the people in Emek Bracha…"for they blessed Hashem thee, hence they named that place Emek Bracha until this day."
And the land upon which Jehoshaphat made his blessing is still blessed and exceedingly fertile today. Emek Bracha is surrounded on its periphery by the Jewish towns of Carmei Tzur, Bat Ayin, Kfar Etzion and Alon Shvut and by the Arab town of Beit Ommar. Once Beit Ommar was a Christian town. I looked, but I couldn't find it statistics for today's population.

Beit El Baraka

The Beit El Baraka building seemed abandoned. Its main building was closed up tight, behind barbed wire, and its smaller buildings were smashed with broken windows and shattered glass. I could imagine lots of teenagers walking around its large green grounds in better days, circles of friends playing guitar around a small campfire. But that was then and this was now.
A small sign hung above the door of the building, that it was once a Presbyterian Center, but perhaps there were no more Presbyterians in the area, so they closed up shop. The signs on Beit El Baraka were written in Arabic and English. Gershon insisted that the sign once had Hebrew as well. Since he's got a photographic memory, I had no reason to doubt his word.
According to a Presbyterian website, "Beit El Baraka, formerly a hospital established by Dr. Thomas Lambie in the late 1940s, received its license as a Pilgrim Youth Hostel in April 1995, after ten years of government paperwork. The spacious facilities with modest rates are available for local and foreign groups for camps, retreats and tours."
I wondered what happened to Beit El Baraka. I found a google earth picture captioned, "Beit El Baraka American tuberculosis hospital, rebuilt to hostel, now abandoned." I guess it had many lives in its time.

The Presbyterians bought the property for a church in 1947 to work among the Arab Christians of the area. It had weekly Sunday services, prayer meeting, Ladies’ Bible study, children’s classes and youth work. It even had a summer camp.

I actually called Miss Joan Davenport, who was listed as the person in charge of the place, representing the Independent Board of Presbyterian Foreign Mission. I emailed her too. Thus far no response.
Her web page (from some unknown year) said, "Joan is Director of Beit El Baraka with the overall responsibilities of administration, hospitality to guests, campers, tourists, and overseeing of the buildings and grounds maintenance. Joan Davenport has many years of experience and her knowledge of Arabic helps her in her diversified ministry in the Holy Land. Pray for help to come and strengthen Joan’s hands and help in this Christian ministry for G-d’s glory."
The site explained, "In December 1995 the Palestinian Authority extended its rule over Bethlehem, which is part of the West Bank, where our mission property is located. The Arabs enjoy more freedom and an easing of the tension. Pray that God will help the Arab Christians as they face new complexities in their young nation."
That was an understatement. It hit me especially hard today, since I had just watched a Latma video on the difficulties of Christians in Moslem areas.

The page continued, "Baraka Bible Presbyterian Church is mature and under Arab leadership….Pray for spiritual growth and unity in the Baraka Bible Presbyterian Church."
Lastly, "Pray for the completion of the sale of Beit El Baraka."

So, either the property was sold or a sale never succeeded, because this beautiful piece of real estate stands abandoned and ready for some terrific organization to turn it into a college campus, a high school and a summer camp.

There are so many yeshivot, universities and high schools struggling for space today. Anyone looking for a great property??

The Sweetest Wake-Up Call

The phone rang this morning at 7:50 AM.

Now, that might be fine for your house, but I stay up pretty late every night, and even if I'm awake, I stay in bed until 8:30 AM (except Wednesdays 6:00 AM and Thursdays 8:00 AM - but those are different stories). Anyway, that's the rule.

But this morning, the phone was ringing and ringing, and for some reason I popped out of bed to answer.

It was my two-and-a-half year old granddaugther Chana.

Last week was a very busy week with all kinds of family emergencies, and I had so many that I had to attend to, I never got to work on VOICES Magazine, which is my job in the real world.

So, this week I told my kids and grandbabies that I couldn't help them or see them, because I had to work. And I hoped they'd remember me until next week.

By Sunday night (last night) I was already depressed because I missed my grandchildren so much. I called around from house to house and spoke to whomever I could. But most of the kids were already sleeping. I left messages, "Savta loves and misses you and has to hear your voice."
I guess my daughter-in-law heard my message, and this morning before they left for preschool, my granddaughters called.

They were all bouncing ane exhuberant and full of the day's first blossom.

And they sang songs for me. Rivka, who's five, knew all the words to a really long and complicated song. And Chana tried to follow along.

They sang and sang, and laughed and laughed.

They brought sunshine into my room, even before 8:00 AM, and they brought light into my life.

Happy Day.

[Warning - no one else try calling me before 8:30 AM. :)]

Cars and Curtain Calls

We are told very often what a terrible poverty-stricken life the Arabs of the Palestinian Authority suffer. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu always says that when the Palestinian Authority can raise the quality of life of its residents then there will be peace.

And peace is what everyone wants.

So it was with great curiosity that I answered the email of one of my readers. He noted that he had been driving along and saw a big beautiful car with Arab plates and the letters umtpal.com. He asked me to follow it up, and I did.

http://www.umtpal.com/ is the website of a very upscale automobile dealership, the United Motor Trade Company, with branches in Ramallah, Shechem, Bet Jala, Bethlehem, Gaza and more. The cars on sale are Audis, Volkswagens and Skodas - beautiful expensive cars. Folks who could afford those cars were anything but poverty stricken. Was that a hopeful sign? Perhaps the economic situation in the Palestinian Authority is doing well. I hope it goes well for the State of Israel too.

While looking through the UMT website, I happened upon a line, "We are represented by our branches and dealers nearly all over the PNT."

PNT?

I had heard of the PA, but not the PNT, so I googled it. I never found an explanation that I think is appropriate for this website, but I found something else.

What kept coming up in the search was the Palestinian National Theater, "a Palestinian non profit cultural institution which strives to create and to develop a unique cultural life in Jerusalem, by way of producing and presenting artistic, educational and entertaining programs that reflect the aspirations of the Palestinian people."

Holding down a theater company is a very impressive and difficult task. I know, because I have been involved in theater for almost ten years now through my theater company, Raise Your Spirits, and my dance production company, DAMES of the DANCE.

The PNT had several theatrical productions listed on its website and short clips from its productions, which looked well done.

They had local themes, and even Ghosts by Henrik Ibsen. Ghosts is one of Ibsen’s most powerful works, but also one of his most controversial, dealing openly with the ‘‘ghosts’’ of the past and taboo topics like social diseases, infidelity, etc. I was surprised to see those performed by an Arab theater company, but I'm sure it was a big success.

The last entries in the PNT were from 2006 and I found myself rooting for them to continue their theater company. Bringing theater to the public is another sign of normalcy.

And if the Palestinian Authority has a population that can afford the snazzy new cars offered by the UMT, I certainly hope they have the means and intent to continue theater and culture for their people.

When I founded the Raise Your Spirits theater company in 2001, it was out of a desire to give women chizuk (strength) in the face of Arab terror. Since then it has continued to brighten the lives of about 40,000 women. A community that supports theater is a healthy community.

The Cough that Ate New Hampshire

Well, it didn't actually eat New Hampshire, but it sure felt like it.

About a month ago, or was it even before that, I came down with a really really bad cold. Evidence - no blogs for weeks, 'cause I was too weak to hang out by my computer.

Then I got back on my feet, the cold subsided, but, yuch, I had a bit of a relapse.

I don't know why. So, I'm performing in the newest Raise Your Spirits production of JUDGE! The Song of Devora once a week, and rehearsing for DAMES of the DANCE 4 - Am Yisrael in Eretz Yisrael four times a week, so what?

In between I've been trying to do my real work on VOICES Magazine. I've even tried a bit of mothering and grandmothering on the side.

Well, the cold went away, but last night the cough reappeared.

I tried to go to sleep, but the cough got worse and worse. My poor husband who gets up at 5:30 AM had to listen to my hacking away most of the night, and I felt really bad.

Finally at 3:30 AM, I must have just collapsed from exhaustion, B"H, and the cough subsided.

It's 10:48 AM and the cough is nowhere to be found, but come 10:48 PM, welcome back.

Cough cough.

Stay warm. Stay packed with vitamins. Stay well.