Batya Medad Apr06

This afternoon a couple of young teenage girls were miraculously saved. They were waiting for a ride on the road near Rechallim, north of Jerusalem. A car stopped and two Arabs tried to force them in. One succeeded in escaping, but the other didn't. Baruch Hashem very soon after an army vehicle arrived and took chase. The girl was released. One of the reasons we have to "tremp," hitchhike, is because the public transportation is insufficient. The public transportation is horrendous from some yishuvim. There is no public transportation at all between Beit El and north of the T-junction, meaning none to Ofra, Shiloh, Eli, Maale Levona etc. There are numerous educational institutions, especially large high schools in these communities, and the students and staff come from all over the area. Students, staff and ordinary people of all ages are forced to "tremp" and stand on roads.

Even the buses from Shiloh and Ofra going south which pass the T-Junction to Beit El won't let us off there. We have to rely on unpredictable rides. There's no way parents can enforce "only take a bus." I'm a teacher, and I have to "tremp." In addition, the schools are getting much less government support, and the high schools have eliminated the free bus service which once existed for all students and staff. To make matters even worse, the local council has instructed its drivers not to pick up hitch hikers. So we have no choice other than "tremp." Rechallim is the location of the murder of my friend Rachella Druk of Shiloh over 15 years ago, when we were all going to a demonstration to encourage Yitzchak Shamir, then Prime Minister, to be strong and defend us at the Madrid Conference. Three buses left Shiloh, and terrorists shot up the second one, murdering Rachella, Yitzchak Rofeh, the bus driver, and injuring others, including Harel Bin Nun, who was later murdered in Yitzhar.

Well, not quite so little. I’m referring to those teenage boys I teach. Some of them are a bissel large, but I can’t let myself notice that, or I’d never be able to control them. On a good day they are adorable, but on other days… I look forward to retirement. Those little darlings respect strength. Every few years I have to prove I’m no weepy middle-aged wimp and hope that my reputation won’t need quick renewal. One year I wrestled a chair from a six foot two (about 1.85 meters) senior. He wasn’t one of my students but had walked into my classroom to “borrow” a chair. That’s one of my “no no’s.” “This is no storage room,” I boomed. “You had better give that chair back and if your teacher needs one, he should go to the maintenance staff like I do!” I grabbed that chair like a mother lion fighting for one of her cubs, with my young impressionable freshmen watching in awe. Finally the senior slunk out chairless. Ok, he figured that it didn’t pay to fight such a nutty lady over a chair, even with an audience. I’m probably older than his mother. Sometimes I buy their respect with more skill and dignity. One day, all dressed up for my son’s high school graduation, I approached the school and saw some of my students shooting hoops. They passed me the ball; I prayed real hard, and the ball went right into the basket, after a professional looking tap on the backboard. Of course, they may not have realized that I used to be a gym teacher; though my specialty was Creative Dance and Creating Games with Dead Balls. My proudest moment was at a teachers training session when we were having an informal basketball game. I found myself holding the ball, surrounded by all the tall, agile athletes. Then I caught the eye of my teammate, one of the other rare short and dumpy teachers. Figuring that there was no way that I could throw the ball to him over the octopus arms threatening us, I just rolled it to him. Perfect catch! The time has come for me to find a new success to buy respect. All the witnesses to my previous ones have graduated, and boys need proof before they fully accept a teacher. This year I threw out almost half my seniors, since they hadn’t done enough work in previous years to have a chance to pass the finals. I told the administration that I only care about those willing to work, and if a student only walks in to the classroom to disturb, he’s not welcome. It took a while until everyone understood that I was serious, and nobody appreciated it more than the remaining students. Once they knew that I would fight for them they worked harder.

I teach English as a Foreign Language, EFL, as it’s known in the profession. It’s a very difficult job, especially since I generally get the weaker students, those whose native language skills are poor. And it’s so much more difficult to learn grammar, literature, composition etc in a language you barely understand. It took me quite a while to comprehend why they looked blank when I gave examples from Hebrew grammar. Simply, they don’t know Hebrew grammar. That propelled me on another quest, to try to change the general curriculum. Now I buttonhole everybody I know involved in elementary and junior high school education telling them that there must be radical changes in the foundation curriculum. Young parents are also targeted. I urge them to take a good look at what their children are learning and how. And of course, I tell them not to be shy and not to trust the bureaucrats. Obviously, I don’t win any popularity contests. OK, sorry, this isn’t very funny. But let’s think of it differently. If the curriculum and teaching methods were what I say they should be, I would never have been asked to teach. That’s because a number of years ago, during an unpleasant period of unemployment, I was asked to “do what I could” with a few failing high school students, even though I had never taught English before. After a few minutes of training and lots of encouragement, I began teaching the “little darlings,” and as the saying goes: “The rest is history.” Different laws for different people

Only the most naive of us really believes that we're all equal under the law, regardless of where we live. In the states, OJ S. and Michael J. were declared innocent, even though the evidence, except to their fans and juries, showed something else. In Israel, we also have seen left wing and pro Disengagement politicians get away with major corruption when those at the other end of the political spectrum are held to stricter standards. And jailed teenage Arab terrorists were able to do their state final exams, while the Jewish anti-Disengagement teens were forbidden. Apparently, in America, there's also different tax law for different types of millionaires. It'll break your heart to read this, nebich.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/16/opinion/16augustine.html?th&emc=th

TRUST

Do you trust Michael Jackson, even though the American jurors declared him innocent? Would you let your son, grandson, brother or any other young male you care about sleep in the same bed together with Michael Jackson? Tonight, on the Israeli TV news one of the commentators very wisely said that he couldn’t understand how any normal responsible mother permitted her son to lay together in bed with Michael Jackson or any other adult male. As a mother, grandmother and suspicious by nature adult, I agree. But I couldn’t help but wondering why all those outraged broadcasters and social and political experts can’t transfer this wisdom to our political and defense situation. I have a few very simple questions, which to my mind are very similar. Do you trust that the Arab terrorists Israel keeps releasing will be law abiding and avoid participating in terrorist activities against Jews and Israelis? Would you want any of your loved ones near them? Do you trust Abu Mazen to protect Israeli cities after Disengagement? Would you want to live in Sderot, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Yad Mordechai and the Southern Negev after Disengagement? http://www.israelnn.com/news.php3?id=83862 Do you think that the Arabs will be satisfied after the Jews of Gush Katif and the Northern Shomron are made homeless? Now for a different question: Have the Arabs promised peace in exchange for Gush Katif and Northern Shomron? If anyone can honestly answer yes to these questions, then I guess they should pack up their young sons, grandsons, nephews and brothers and send them to Neverland to sleep with Michael Jackson. If you can honestly say that you trust Yassir Arafat’s successor, Abu Mazen, then trusting Michael Jackson’s should be real easy for you. Michael Jackson may be a tad peculiar, and he may even be some sort of pervert, but remember: the godly American System of Justice declared him innocent of any crime. According to the jurors who spent months together listening to the sort of testimony that kept “peeping Tom’s” reading the tabloids, Michael Jackson was innocent. He didn’t commit any crime at all. He wasn’t even convicted of serving alcoholic drinks to minors. This was all “child’s play.” Michael Jackson was just an innocent victim. That’s what happened this week in America, the country idolized by many Israelis. This week the Jewish World celebrated the holiday of Shavuot. Shavuot is the holiday that commemorates the Jewish People’s acceptance of the Ten Commandments, which encompass, symbolize all of the mitzvot, the G-d given commandments. Tradition tells us that all Jewish souls, who would ever exist, were together at Mount Sinai. We all said: “Na’aseh v’nishma,” “We will do and we will listen.” First we promised, without reading the fine print, without even knowing what we were agreeing to. As Jews our laws and standards are set. They were given to us thousands of years ago, and we agreed. They are for all of us. There’s no jury to decide according to someone’s celebrity if he’s guilty or innocent. No other country has the right to determine of borders and our means of defense and commerce. While the rest of the world may celebrate or condemn Michael Jackson, we have more important things to worry about.

King David, the women before him: This is about King David's maternal line and the love of his life. We get all sorts of Parshat Shavua, Torah Portion of the Week pages/stories/summaries/lessons. Some good and some I'd like to rip up. Today was one of those days. Tomorrow starts the Shavuot holiday when we read Megilat Ruth, Scroll of Ruth. The one I read was so far from the truth. It gave a very censored/re-written version of the text. The truth is that Ruth, following her mother-in-law Naomi's instructions, seduced Boaz. The text is very clear about it. Boaz was one of the relatives of their dead husbands who could return their property or rights, if there was a child. Now, Ruth wasn't the only woman who seduced a man to become one of the maternal line to David. Tamar seduced her father-in-law Yehuda when he didn't marry her to his third son. Leah, in cahoots with her sister Rachel, slept with Yaakov and married him. Yehuda was one of their sons. Ruth, herself, descended from Lot and his daughters who made him drunk and slept with him in order to get pregnant, since they thought that they were the last people alive on earth. And, read the text carefully, it was Batsheva who was the aggressor with King David. Their relationship/marriage eventually produced King Solomon who built the Holy Temple. And this week's parsha included the Sota, a woman accused by her jealous husband of being unfaithful. The magic potion only works against her if her husband was a perfect husband. And then reading the Haftara about the birth of Samson. His mother was alone with the angel, but her husband trusted her and didn't take her to be tested. Just some food for thought when I really should be cooking for Shavuot or at least washing dishes.

Trekker: My trekker is repacking his bags to revisit last summer's haunts in rural Rhode Island. Is there any other type of Rhode Island? He'll be guarding the kids and staff of JORI. And the nest re-empties...

The Olympics to Queens? Sure, why not? The great World's Fair was in Queens twice, so why not the Olympics? Mayor Bloomberg came up with a quick alternative plan, which is most probably better than his original one.

Healthcare: I've been in Israel since 1970, and honestly, I think we have an easier life here, especially in a yishuv like Shiloh. Kids have more independence from a younger age. It's much more like my childhood in idyllic Bell Park Gardens, Bayside, NY in the 1950's. One of the major differences between Israel and the USA is healthcare. In Israel there are a variety of programs and "sick funds," as their called, and even a very part-time worker or those not employed are covered. There are special "well baby clinics" called "Tipat Chalav," a drop of milk. Every child is covered and gets develpmental tests, vaccines, etc. When my kids were little, I think I paid a symbolic fee after they were born. Whenever I read something like this NY Times article, http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/13/opinion/13krugman.html?th&emc=th I'm reminded again, how lucky I am. And it also reminds me to make sure that before I go to the states this summer (returning with a Nefesh B'Nefesh flight), I sign up for the special travel insurance through my sick fund!

Success and Inspiration: I just couldn't wait to brag about my success in counting the full 49 days of the Omer, from Pesach until Shavuot. It's only the last couple of years, witht he help of cellphones and internet that I've done it. Other years I wasn't even close. But after reading
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/12/opinion/12kristof.html?th&emc=th
I feel like I've done nothing with my life. I'm not the type to complain of suffering and difficulties, and Baile Rochel shows us the bright side. But really who am I compared to the woman featured in this article. Read it and tell me what you think and feel.

Hevel Havelim #24: Just in time, the latest http://mirty12.blogspot.com/2005/06/milk-and-honey-haveil-havalim-24_12.html is posted. There are lots of new, at least for me, blogs mentioned. Take a gander and Chag Sameach (though not at the same time!)

Take me back...

Take me back to the ball game
take me back to my youth...

I remember when Shea Stadium was new and and the "World's Fair" was the event. My brother and I went on the second day, since we figured that the first would be too crowded. I returned many times, since it was the best place for a teen and only a short ride from Great Neck on the LIRR. Now, since NYC's mayor Bloomberg lost his bid/attempt to build an enormous sports stadium in Manhattan, he's thinking of rejuvenating Shea. Anything to bring the Olympics to Olympian New York City!
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/11/sports/othersports/11olympics.html?th&emc=th

Dr. Frankenstein’s peace

I’m assuming that you all know the classic story of Dr. Frankenstein, a great scientist who discovered the “secret of life” and decided to “create a man.” This morning as I was davening Shacharit, the morning prayers, suddenly I noticed a phrase that appears in many, but this morning it stood out: Baruch Atah…oseh shalom uvoray et hacol.” “Blessed are You…Who makes peace and creates everything.” Then the phrase “Hu oseh shalom,” “He makes peace,” kept going through my mind, the words and an old song taken from the words of the Kaddish prayer, “Hu ya’aseh shalom aleinu, v’al col Yisrael, v’imru, AMEN!” “He will make peace for us and for all the People of Israel, and respond: AMEN!” And then what should appear soon after on the computer screen? “President Katzav: Painful Sacrifices for Peace Needed.” (www.israelnn.com, 3/2/05). We’re being plagued by Drs. Frankenstein trying to play G-d. Dr. Frankenstein meant well when he created his man, but we all know about good intentions.

“It is melancholy to reflect that Mankind has suffered more from ill-judged philanthropy than [from] calculated malice. The road to Hell is no less harrowing for being paved with good intentions.” (Giles St. Aubyn, biography of King Edward VII. I’d say that the greatest fault in the entire Zionist “enterprise” has been this compulsive search for “peace.” We’ve endangered our existence, time after time. We’ve wasted the lives of our soldiers, letting them die for nothing, by “returning” land to invaders and being so “noble” that self-respect is unknown in the Israeli psyche. Even our “greatest leaders” have been infected by this syndrome. Herzl said: “If we will it, it isn’t a dream.” And he was right. The problem is that his followers kept adding “if’s.” “If the British approve…;” “If the Americans approve…;” “If the United Nations approves…;” And then even worse, the desperation for “peace.” When Menachem Begin, in 1976, finally broke the Labor monopoly on the premiership of Israel, instead of implementing a program to encourage Jews to live in all of the Land of Israel, he decided that his priority was “making peace.” As if Israel was responsible for the unceasing war. “And so reborn Israel always strove for peace, yearned for it, made endless endeavors to achieve it,” he said in his Nobel acceptance speech. Begin’s rationale was that he would give away the Sinai and destroy the Jewish communities there in exchange for the recognition and guarantees that the rest of the Land of Israel would remain as part of Israel. All that did was start the intifada, a war of grinding terror against Jews all over the land. The more the Israeli government offered, the stronger the terror became. Oslo, which gave the Nobel “P” Prize to Rabin, raised terror even further, and then during Ehud Barak’s short and weak rule, when he offered even more to the Arabs, terror became a daily nightmare for Israelis. And it didn’t end there. He was succeeded by Arik Sharon, who had promised Israel security; but instead of security, he, too, got bitten by the “peace” bug and decided to turn thousands of Jews into refugees. Without demanding anything in return, he declared that Jews in Northern Samaria and Gush Katif were to be thrown out of their homes, businesses, and schools. Dubbing these “painful concessions,” he says he wants to be considered a man of peace. “I have been portrayed as if I want wars, and the truth is other than that,” he told an Egyptian newspaper.

In T’hilim, Psalms 125:5, King David says that there will only be “Shalom al Yisrael,” Peace upon/in Israel,” “when the corrupt element is removed from Israel…the nation will enjoy external peace and security.” The Frankenstein story is a tragedy. All of the people he loved were killed as a result of his creating a “man.” Recently people have asked me if my home in Shiloh is one of those being given to the Arabs. My answer is simple. If, G-d forbid, it ever comes to that, the country won’t survive. “Oseh shalom b’mromav, hu b’rachmonav ya’aseh shalom aleinu….” “He Who makes peace in His Heights, He, in His compassion, will make peace on us….

A miracle

Do you see a pattern?

Distinguishing Between Day and Night”

Baile Rochel: The Little Darlings

Take me back...

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