Sheila Raviv: Israel-PROFOUND CONTRASTS
Shabbat Shalom to one and all
Tomorrow night, we welcome the month of Iyar, a time that tradition associates with both natural and spiritual healing. It is said that the generation that left Egypt found healing during this month, a quiet reminder that recovery is a slow process but a positive one.
Iyar is also a month of profound contrasts. It carries the deep sadness of Yom HaZikaron, as we remember those who gave their lives, followed almost immediately by the joy and celebration of Yom HaAtzma’ut, marking the miracle of Israel’s independence. And woven into it all is Lag b’Omer, with its bonfires, weddings, and moments of light and community. It is, in many ways, a reflection of life itself here — sorrow and joy standing side by side, and through it all, the enduring hope for healing.
And so, as this new month begins, we offer a simple and heartfelt prayer: Oseh shalom bimromav, Hu ya’aseh shalom aleinu v’al kol Yisrael, v’imru Amen — May the One who makes peace in the heavens bring peace to us, to all Israel, and, we hope, to everyone, irrespective of race creed or colour.
What does a ceasefire really mean? Is it simply a pause, a moment to catch our breath and go for a walk with fear of a siren or does it carry the fragile hope of something more lasting? We want to believe in the possibility of quiet, of stability, of a future where Israel might reach a more enduring understanding with Iran and its proxies, as some of the Gulf states have managed. And yet, there is an uneasy question that lingers: are we asking too much, expecting a theocratic regime to change its nature?
And then there are the people of the north, towns and villages, Bedouin, Circassian, Jewish and Druze communities, either finally come out of their shelters or waiting to return home, if their homes are still standing, and wondering whether “home” can ever again feel safe. The word return itself is heavy with memory. I think back to being 17, in 1963, on my first trip to Israel, standing with friends with Lebanese soldiers at a simple barrier, taking photographs in a world that felt, if not perfect, then at least open and human. It is almost impossible to reconcile that memory with where we find ourselves today, and yet it is that memory which quietly reminds us what once was, and perhaps, what we still long for.
By the way, we have never and will never have any conflagration with the people of Lebanon. Don’t listen to the populist media, we have a fight with the interlopers, with the Ayatollah’s proxies, with Hezb-Allah who while we were still mourning October 7th, began raining missiles upon us.
Israel marked Yom HaShoah this week, once again that familiar seesaw of emotion, grief and memory alongside fleeting moments of shared humanity. Zvi was in a local mall when the siren sounded at precisely 10:00, that long, piercing wail that stops everything. And in that silence, he noticed Arab Israeli women standing with heads bowed beside their Jewish neighbours. It was a simple, deeply moving moment. Which is why it felt all the more painful to hear voices dismissing the day; when Shas leader Arieh Deri suggested that, as a Mizrachi Haredi, this mourning was not his, it jarred. Because Yom HaShoah is not only about history, but about memory, responsibility, and the fragile unity we cannot afford to lose.
I was thinking, it does happen occasionally, that most languages need a whole collection of words just to get through the day: hello, goodbye, take care. And then there’s Hebrew, which manages perfectly well with one word, shalom, meaning all of the above, yet its literal meaning is “peace.” Wherever you are in the world, if you’re Jewish, chances are you’ll be greeted with “shalom, how are you?” — which, when you think about it, is rather lovely, especially as so much of what we say, sing, and pray comes back to that same yearning for peace. These days, Israelis start greeting friends and strangers with “Shabbat Shalom” from Wednesday, which feels a little premature, I start on Thursday, but quite honestly, any greeting that wishes peace to everyone one meets, works perfectly well whenever they smile at me.
I’m worried about you. Even when missiles rained on our heads, I was worried about you. I look at the leaders of Spain and Italy and I’m not surprised at their encouragement of anti-Semitism, after all they haven’t acknowledged the Inquisition or Mussolini’s collaboration with Hitler, but when I look at the natural allies of Israel, countries that welcomed and honoured their Jewish community, the USA, UK, Australia, Canada, and see what is happening there it frightens me. I have so many loved ones in all of those countries and I feel that they are threatened, not just verbal insults, graffiti, but physical danger from insane hatred on the part of both extremes, left and right, and the Islamist extreme faction (not normal hardworking Muslims). I believe that each of the western countries should accept asylum seekers, anyone whose life is in danger; we must provide a safe haven for those who need it; but, and here is the big moral but, there must be a form of checking someone’s background, not racial profiling, for everyone who wants to emigrate from a war torn country or just wants to relocate from anywhere in the world, to ensure that they will be an asset to their new, adoptive country. Having visited Ellis Island where starving new immigrants were first deloused, heads shaved, showered, then had a medical examination and even if their problem was simple conjunctivitis, sent back from whence they came, I don’t want to return to such extreme restrictions, but simple checks there must be – for all.
Gosh I got serious! Only because I care so deeply about all my friends who live outside Israel.
Each year, Barbara Sofer writes a column with the number of things she loves about Israel according to Israel’s birthday. I tried to find her column for this year with 78+1 reasons but it isn’t online yet!! However here is her 77+ of last year and I will add my own “thing I love about Israel”. I love the way that the moment that we reach peace, or even an agreement with any country, Israeli curiosity sends them to explore that country, in fact our curiosity is the momentum and motivation for discovery and research in every field. https://www.jpost.com/
A quick rundown of events
1. Shari Arison celebrated 20 years of her “Good Deeds Day” initiative
2. The leader of the mission to the moon, Dr. Jessica Meir who brought her 2 personal items on board, a Magen David and socks with a Magen David!
3. Jared Isaacman is the Director of NASA which sent the astronauts on this incredible mission. (How do I know the last two items? Because our incredible friend and friend of Israel Roy Saloman and his partner Binnie made sure we knew, having written to Jared to congratulate him)
4. I love that the moment we had a ceasefire, Israelis went out to enjoy both food and nature.
5. On a less welcome issue, IMPACT-se’s latest report on Pakistan’s national curriculum reveals entrenched hostility towards Jews, Israel and the United States and strong allegiance towards Iran. Hardly an impartial negotiator.
6. Good news. Israel Wins 2026 IIHF World Championship A dominant 5–2 victory over Iceland in Sofia, crowns Israel as Division 2B champions, the greatest achievement in Israeli hockey history.
7. My newsletter is on www.IsraelSeen.com thanks to Steve Ornstein
8. Former Ambassador Yoram Ettinger wrote a fascinating demographic study https://theettingerreport.com/
9. Israeli judoka Itzhak Ashpiz won a bronze medal at the European Championship in Tbilisi
10. An Israeli was arrested at Taba airport for putting on tefillin: ‘It is forbidden to pray in this terminal’
11. Tomer and Sheli ran the 5k in the Jerusalem Marathon. The full Marathon was cancelled due to exceptionally hot weather and pollution (yukky sand from the east)
12. Today is Friday which means tomorrow is Shabbat and this week, unlike many weeks before we stand a chance of really meaning the greeting/prayer Shabbat Shalom
And so to music
To honour those who fell, I give you a song composed by a soldier who fell in Gaza. Gam Ki Elech “Even If I Go”, a song composed by Yossi Hershkowitz z’l while he was fighting in Gaza where he fell in battle, performed by Yonatan Razel and Col. (Res.) Golan Vach at an event for the incredible One Family Organisation. https://youtu.be/aG6FtUcO1Lg?
K’shey Ha Lev Bocheh, When the heart cries. Sarit Hadad gives it her all, every word a prayer https://youtu.be/kBVPYTzoiPU?
Miri Mesika is not just a singer, to go to one of her performances is to be absorbed into her personal magic. She is fun, dances without her shoes, introduces us to her husband who is her musical director and here she sings Hope a simple song of what we all want https://youtu.be/kBVPYTzoiPU?
So Zvi has gone to his parliament, back in the Botanical Gardens after a break thanks to the Iranian missiles. Today they are celebrating four birthdays together, one will bring wine and they order pizzas and sweets in their own private room, hopefully managing to talk about birthdays instead of politics!!!
I hope to go to Rachel and see the children who are no longer children, to hear their news, to give and get hugs and of course to have my freshly baked bread roll (bulke) with egg salad and a really good cuppa (Yorkshire tea of course) I will come home to my newly found shloof (sleep) after lunch! Too hot to potter in the “garden” except a quick visit to smell the wonders of the orange, lemon and lime blossom and generally enjoy. Maybe I’ll hold off until the cooler evening.
I can’t resist! I have to give you one more song, the song that sums up life in Israel as no other. I know you won’t complain because it’s Koolulam, sung with the gusto of those who love this land, the only Jewish state in the world. Just look at the faces of the crowd, the sheer enjoyment of the song that says it all. Al Kol Eleh with the wonderful Shlomi Shabbat this is the spirit of Israel! We take the Honey and the Sting because we love this place we call home. https://youtu.be/oxzR9Z-kG6Q?
Shabbat Shalom to one and all. I always say I don’t care in which direction you pray, as long as your heart is in the right place.
Jerusalem isn’t clear on the horizon but it’s enough to know it is there. So, Shabbat Shalom and love from the View from My Veranda of the Jerusalem Hills and the beautiful trees on the other side of the valley.
Sheila https://www.
