From the Red Heifer to Chicken Envelopes

In Israel the changing of the seasons from summer to fall are unmistakable. There is a coolness in the air, clouds are in the sky, light morning showers sometimes fall, trees seem greener, and the chicken envelopes appear in the mailbox. Yes, it is that time of the year again for the traditional fall Jewish holidays.

In biblical times the Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur, was observed strictly according to the commands of the Law of Moses as written in the Torah. There was fasting, slaughter of the Red Heifer, scape-goating, and so forth. Everything was to be done exactly according to the minutiae God commanded Israel to do each year to receive national atonement. Today it is, um, a bit different (hence the chicken envelopes).

Some ultra orthodox groups have the tradition of killing a chicken just before Yom Kippur to symbolize the atoning animal sacrifices of the biblical commands since there is no Jewish temple in which to fulfill the injunctions because, after all, as Leviticus 17 states, without shedding blood there can be no atonement for the soul.

So, the tradition of these orthodox is to take a chicken (male chicken if you are male, female chicken if you are female [and two chickens if you are pregnant (which is an unusual Jewish concept of sin, pertaining to the unborn)]) and, while saying the appropriate prayers for forgiveness, twirl the live chicken around your head three times and then kill it and eat it just before the Yom Kippur fast begins.

Now not everyone in Israel has access to chickens, or really if they did they do not have time to go and perform this act. So instead, these orthodox groups send our said chicken envelopes with clear printed instructions for people to give 18 shekels (about $5) to pay for the cost of a chicken and an orthodox person will perform the chicken twirl for you. All you have to do is put the money in the aforementioned envelope, say the prayers as you twirl the money-laden envelope around your head three times, then deposit that baby in the mail and (assuming you fast appropriately), Voilà! Virtual atonement hath occurred.

So there you have the evolutionary transformation from the Red Heifer at the Holy Temple to chicken envelopes in the mail. Who would have thunk it could be done that way?

Baby Lilah

My brother, Paul, and his wife Gina received some bad news about their 2 month old baby girl, Lilah. Just this weekend they found out that she was born with several holes in her heart and the outlook is not good at all. Some info about her condition:

Lilah is in the ICU at Children's Hospital with what started last week as a cold and turned into a respiratory infection requiring IV antibiotics. After they were admitted to the hospital yesterday, they did a chest x-ray where it was found that Lilah's heart was enlarged. They then did an echo (ultrasound of the heart) yesterday evening and Lilah has been diagnosed with several cardiac defects. She has a ventricular septal defect (VSD - a hole between the ventricles), an atrial septal defect (ASD - a hole between the atriums) and Left Ventricular Non-Compaction (where the heart muscle is not "compact" and has many holes in it). The last defect is the most serious. Lilah is in congestive heart failure because of these defects and they are giving her medicines to manage the heart failure. They are going to start a central line (IV right to her heart) tonight, so they will be able to give her medicines and draw blood easily. They have had a very hard time starting IV's and drawing blood since they have been there, and it has been hard for Paul and Gina to watch Lilah be "poked" so many times, so hopefully this will be helpful.

Also, the Doctors feel like that there may be a "bigger picture" to all of this. They are consulting with Neurology and Endocrinology to run more tests and see what else may be going on. As far as treatment, right now they are working to stabilize her heart with medication and continue to run tests for more information.

Please pray for this sweet little baby.
PS - My father is back in the hospital and is deteriorating both mentally and physically. Please remember him, too.

The Real Israel

This is an account of a Lebanese Christian and her first encounter with Israel in a time of war with her country.

Dubious Milestone

Seven years ago the first rocket was shot from Gaza. Since then over 10,000 have been fired resulting in 22 Israeli deaths and over 3,000 residents fleeing the vicinity (make that "over 3,005"). The latest barrage was on Thursday.

At least 40 mortars and 25 Qassams landed in Israel, primarily in the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council, [and] a number of fires have broken out as a result.

Why? Earlier that day a house in Gaza massively exploded, killing seven (including a couple Hamas bigwigs and children) and wounding 40 others, many seriously. Hamas predictably blames Israel and angrily retaliates with the usual terror.

Except that's not what really happened.

Hamas on Friday claimed responsibility for an explosion a day earlier in a house in northern Gaza that killed seven Palestinians, one of them an infant girl.

An announcement Friday on the official Web site of Hamas' military wing says the group's martyrs died while putting the final touches on a plan to carry out a special holy war mission.

In other words, the bomb intended to be used on Israelis blew up while they were making it.

You'd think that the idea of assembling bombs in a house full of loved ones would bring a moment of pause at some point. And especially since this is the umpteenth time this very thing has happened.

It's a shame, Gaza. But one thing is for sure: it's just better to be away from it all. But we still pray.

UPDATE - As always, true to form, another rocket struck Ashkelon today, wounding at least one. This time it landed next to the open-air market, as shown in a previous post. And, as opposed to the pretext used above, there was really no reason the Gaza terrorists hit Ashkelon today. Just terrorists being terrorists. I guess.

The Prophet Speaketh

We had the honor today of having Israel's Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, visit, as the newspaper Ha'aretz termed it, our "rocket-plagued city". He spoke to our fellow residents, encouraging us to stay alert because the katyushas are "not a one-time thing" and

"The Grad is heavier than the Qassam, and we have no way of preventing these things (rocket attacks) from recurring."

Not what you want to hear, but that's the reality. He also added:

"...this is the reality of the past 60 years and we must show restraint and strength."

Strength, yes. Restraint, um, ok (although I'm not seeing how "restraint" stops anything but yourself).

Now for prophetic part:

A rocket fired from the Gaza Strip struck southern Ashkelon on Tuesday, ending a four-day lull in violence that began directly following the terrorist attack at the Mercaz Harav yeshiva in Jerusalem last Thursday, which left eight yeshiva students dead.

No injuries or damage from the rocket strike was reported.

The rocket landed in south Ashkelon only a few hours after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert toured the rocket-plagued city...

Ok, predicting that terrorists will fire their rockets again is not exactly going out on a limb, but you have to give Olmert credit for the timing after his prediction. And thankfully the rocket was only a smaller Qassam and not the aforementioned Grad (though Ha'aretz doesn't specify, only saying it was a "rocket").

Toward the end of his visit to the southern city the prime minister said "I am leaving encouraged. I did not come to make any promises to the residents, but to convey to them that the situation is complex and that we have no immediate solutions. However, I am encouraged by the fact that the municipality, the residents and the students are not afraid.

Not afraid? Everyone (that is, everyone) we have spoken with here is quite afraid. Maybe Olmert is just encouraging us, which is needed, but the reality is rather sobering.

(PM Olmert in Ashkelon's Barzalai hospital visiting a 10 year old boy from Sderot who was wounded by a Qassam last week)

Can't We All Just Get Along?

In a place desperate for any form or semblance of peace, a dubious Israeli Muslim leader is trying to stir the rage of his followers.

The al-Aqsa mosque [a.k.a. Temple Mount] was never the site of a Jewish temple, Sheikh Raed Salah, the head of the Islamic Movement's northern branch, said Monday during a press conference he convened in Jerusalem to respond to voices calling for the expulsion of Israeli residents of the city who participate in terror activities against Israel.

That's a big claim, seeing how one has to ignore all of the archaelogical and ancient textual facts proving what the world has known, even prior to the first Muslim appearing 6 centuries AFTER the SECOND Jewish Temple. Minor details, I know. Interestingly, this same Shiekh Salah was present at a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Nazareth last weekend.

(Salah is the bearded man behind the flag)

The Sheikh's rant continues:

He went on to deny any Israeli or Jewish historical claim to the city, denying that there ever existed a Jewish temple on the Temple Mount.

"The claims of the Jews are big lies and they have no right to any speck of dirt here," he said. ...

Salah's speech also attacked Jews, saying, "They want to build their temple at a time when our blood is on their clothes, on their doorsteps, in their food and in their drinks. Our blood has passed from one 'general terrorist' to another 'general terrorist.'"

He also said, "We are not those who ate bread dipped in children's blood."

Is it just me or does it seem that this guy is not looking to find some sort of common ground to work things out? Anyway, while at the demonstration in Nazareth we stood right next to him for a few moments, which was rather creepy. My wife was itching to set him straight on some things, but better sense prevailed that afternoon.

The Nazareth demonstration was actually a commemoration of a dead international terrorist leader, George Habash, who is affectionately known as "the father of modern airplane hijacking".

(The picture on the banner is the commemorated terrorist figure Habash)

Ever wonder why flying on an airplane is as restrictive and expensive as it is? Do you wonder who inspired Osama bin Laden to dream up 9/11? Thank George Habash. And just imagine seeing people gather to remember this man as a hero to be honored.

The Week After

Back in town now after the week away, Ashkelon is not the same city it was before. The map is now dotted with the sites where the rockets did their damage. People are preparing for the next round, be that sooner or later. Not so many are out and about as usual, especially in these warmer than usual March days. In the words of one resident:

On the counter of the old town district's Istanbul Restaurant is a bumper sticker reading, "We will win," and another that reads, "We're fighting for our home." I ask the owner, Rafi Levy, if he pasted those up in the last few days. "No, they're from another war, the last one in Lebanon. But they still apply today," he says.

A beefy, seemingly gentle man, Levy, 59, took over the restaurant from his father in 1976. He remembers being a young soldier during the War of Attrition "and getting shelled forever" by the Egyptians. Still, the spate of rockets from Gaza has shaken him somewhat. "On Friday night, I was lying in bed, sort of half-asleep, I couldn't really sleep, and then - boom! My grandchildren were with us in the house. It landed far enough away, there was no damage. But it's not a good feeling."

No, I can heartily concur it's not a good feeling.

He goes over to one of his regular customers, a lawyer, and tells him I'm doing a story on how Ashkelon is holding up. The lawyer's expression turns gloomy. "I hope this is a one-time thing," he says. "If it isn't, there won't be much left of this city."

We can only hope, but I doubt the terrorists have turned a new page in their rocket-firing ways. But the good (or bad) news is that at least one Ashkeloni isn't sitting idly by; he's taking matters into his own hands.

Ashkelon resident Moshe Nissimpor decided that the best way to halt rocket fire from Gaza - in light of what he terms the government's failure to do so - is some vigilante justice.

Nissimpor developed a homemade 200-millimeter ballistic missile which he planned to launch from Ashkelon into the Gaza Strip.
"From this day onwards, we will push back to the stone age every place which dares shoot missiles into Israel's sovereign territory," he said Wednesday. "It is time the world understood Israelis' lives are not expendable." ...

Nissimpor arrived at the Ashkelon Municipality building with the missile painted black and lettered "to Hamas, from the residents of Ashkelon" in red, and was planning to launch it.

Ashkelon residents gathered round to cheer him on and protest the government's conduct, but at the eleventh hour, police stopped him from firing the missile and seized it.

By the looks of it, that seemed to be a wise move for everyone involved.

On a more somber note, Ashkelon buried one of it's own yesterday.

[Staff Sergeant Liran] Banai, of Ashkelon, was driving the jeep when it rolled over an explosive device next to Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha, on the Israeli side of the border with central Gaza. He was taken to Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva in serious condition, and both his legs were amputated. Family members stayed by Banai's side for three days, praying for the miracle that would keep him alive. The doctors fought for his life, but lost the battle. ...

Many of the mourners were deaf. They came to the funeral in a show of solidarity with Banai's parents, Guy and Gila, both of whom are deaf, and wanted to find a spot from which they could read the lips of the eulogizers. ...

His commander said that Liran could have been exempted from combat duty because of his family situation, but had chosen not to because of his dedication to his country.

That's real dedication and we are thankful for those who are on the front lines trying to protect us all. Meanwhile, trepidation weighs heavily on everyone's minds. Especially when one sees the results of an attack in a favorite place we have frequented more times that I care to recall.
And some more images from a house that was hit.

What Exactly Does a Katyusha Do?

One of the many that hit Ashkelon this week:

Any questions?

Carling Cup FYI

I'll bet you didn't know that today in the UK is English soccer's first competition final of the season called the Carling Cup, which features two London teams, Chelsea vs Tottenham. This competition is UK soccer's equivalent of NCAA basketball's pre-season NIT tournament - the winner gets bragging rights of having won it, but all anyone cares about are the end-of-season glories. Did you know there is an Israeli connection? Besides an Israeli bench-warmer, the team is coached (excuse me all you proper Brits, I mean managed) by an Israeli named Avram Grant. Although he has a scowl that could dry up a river, he has an interesting family history (as most Israelis do).

Avram Grant's father Meir will be a special guest at Sunday's Carling Cup final just days after celebrating his 80th birthday.

Meir, a holocaust survivor of the Second World War, is Grant's idol and the 52-year-old Israeli has paid for his dad to see their Wembley showdown with Tottenham.

Grant knew nothing of his family's fate until one night, aged 15, he heard his father screaming in his sleep and rushed into his room to find that he was having a bad dream.

His father explained that he had been dreaming he was back in the Russian forest in which he had been forced to dig graves for his parents and five brothers and sisters as each, in turn, died of cold or starvation. Only he and one brother survived. [...]

Grant said: 'My father was 80 years old on Thursday so we are celebrating of course, and he will be at the game.

'I don't know if you know the story of my father but he is a great man, one of the greatest that I know. He is optimistic like I have never seen in my life and he suffered a lot in the age when he was young.

'He was a survivor of the holocaust and I am of the name of my grandfather that died in the holocaust. But what impressed me about him is that he always sees the positive things.

'Even now, he is optimistic. If you speak to him about the past, he says it was in the past but I live the future. He's only 80 years old. I wish him all the best. I love him.

'My father would accept everything in a positive way. Everything that happened in my life, I can only thank them for it. I have bought him his ticket - I think I can afford it!'

Meir was 13 when he and his family fled their native Poland in 1941.

'In 1941 we realised things were looking bleak in Poland and decided to take our chances in Russia,' said Meir.

'We were exiled to the far north. Guards dropped us off in a forest and said, `build a home or die'.

'It was minus 40 in winter and in such circumstances, people who are not young stand no chance.

'When I buried my father, I cut off my peyot [sidecurls] and removed my kippah. To survive, you must look forward in hope, never back.

'Avram is similar to me. He gets on with everyone and never argues but knows how to shout if people aren't working the way they should.'

Good luck, and may the best team win.


UPDATE - Tottenham beat Chelsea 2-1 after extra time (tied 1-1 at the end of regulation). Chelsea has the better team but was outplayed today. Avram was, well, the scowl says it all.If you want to lose a tournament, this is the one to lose. Cheers to Tottenham though (they beat United, you know).

This Is Only a Test

Something new to look forward to this week: Negev residents demand secured rooms. But instead of receiving said requested fortifications, we get this:

...officials at the southern town of Ashkelon are preparing to hold Qassam drills at schools. Security officials say that educational institutions have already been connected to the "Red Color" [rocket] alert system, and all that is left now is to make a decision on activating the system.

Though thankfully the kids now have *some* form of a protective measure (though I'm wondering if teaching them to dive under desks when incoming rockets set off the alarm won't create new anxieties for them), as discussed in an earlier post, apparently the rest of us will have to wait. And wait we will.