After This Blog–The Deluge!

Article first published as http://technorati.com/lifestyle/article/after-this-blog-the-deluge/

 

Even as Sky News carries regular reports of a Middle East drought of “biblical proportions”, the much anticipated  downpour is lashing against my office window here in Karmiel, Galilee.

The 24-hours of intermittent rain “followed by showers” we enjoyed on Monday and Tuesday suddenly reappeared in vengeance  as the Sabbath began.

Whether the joint prayers of spiritual leaders from this area’s three major faiths have helped, I dare not opine. However, our personal pre-Sabbath preparations included storing fragile patio furniture and plant containers until spring.

The emergency service, Magen David Adom has gone on a higher alert and ordered ambulances to be deployed in every district of the country. This is due to an Israel Meteorological Service forecast of the first serious storms of the season to include hail, high winds and torrential rain.

MDA personnel may have to deal with hypothermia as the IMS warns temperatures will plunge with the possibility of snow on Mount Hermon and sleet in other mountainous areas.

There will be steady rain tomorrow with a chance of flooding in low areas of the North, some rain in the Centre and a chance of sandstorms in the South. There may also be winds of up to 100 k.p.h., with lightning and hail. Sunday is also expected to be stormy, cold and windy but the rain and winds will decrease gradually with a chance of flooding on Monday.

The Israel Electric Corporation has asked consumers to secure any light objects that could be borne aloft by high winds and damage electric lines. It warns that if a line is brought down in a storm it may take time to restore power.

The storms may also cause trees damaged by last week’s fire in the Carmel Forest Reserve to fall down while the rain may erode soil in places no longer secured by trees.The area has been closed to non-residents until 26 December and the Agriculture Ministry has asked the public to avoid going there.

Technorati Tags: Israel,Rainstorms,Magen David Adom,Israel Meteorological Service,Israel Electric Corporatiion,Carmel Forest Fires,Damaged Trees,Agriculture Ministry

msniw

‘The Rains Came’

So Far: Too Little–Too Late!

The irony won’t have escaped anyone:

If only the overnight and early morning rains had occurred five days ago, we would have been spared the almighty conflagration with its loss of life and property.

Further, it is my painful duty to pass on the news of the passing of Haifa Police Commander Ahuva Tomer, 52.

Ms Tomer, the first woman in Israel to head a police station, died this morning from the 90% burns  she suffered in the fire on Thursday.

She had caught the full blast of the blaze while driving behind the bus carrying Prison Service cadets that became an inferno and caused the majority of the 43 deaths.

Arutz Sheva reported: “ … though doctors fought valiantly to save her life, and even noted a slight improvement in her condition yesterday, the situation worsened over night and she succumbed this morning. She is the 43rd victim of the fire, which claimed 36 Prison Service cadets; two other cadets are alive but in serious condition”.

• The photographs show the mist and rain from our flat in Karmiel early this morning. Although it has become quite cool, we have had no more rain for some hours and unwanted “sunny intervals”!

Technorati Tags: Rain.Carmel Forest Fires,Police Commander Ahuva Tomer,Deaths,Arutz Sheva

msniw

Carmel Clean-Up Begins Even While Final Fires Rage

Article first published as http://technorati.com/lifestyle/article/carmel-clean-up-begins-even-while/ on Technorati

The Israeli authorities may be feeling bloodied and bowed but the terrible task of cleaning up after the Carmel Forest fires has begun even before the final flames have been extinguished.

During an extraordinary 24 hours in which Palestinian Authority President, Mahmoud Abbas has offered help and sincere condolences and several people have been arrested in connection with setting fires, the costs of the past three-and-a-half days’ inferno are thus:

• More than 40 dead
• Dozens of severe burn injuries

• Five million trees destroyed.

• More than 12,300 acres of land wiped out.

• Three communities ruined. 

• Seventy-four buildings burned on Kibbutz Beit Oren, the Ein Hod artists’ village, and the Yamon-Ord boarding school, and a further 173 buildings partially burned.

• Almost 17,000 people  evacuated from their homes, from Israel Prison Service facilities,  hospitals and military jails

• NIS 3 - 4 billion – the equivalent of $700M or £445M.

But the Israel Treasury says some of the money will be paid by insurance companies.

“The figure is the estimated payment to homeowners whose property has been damaged, cleaning up the damage to the Carmel National Park, and the increased funding that will be given to Israel's firefighting efforts as a result of the fire”, according to Israel National News – Arutz Sheva.

"It's true that there are a number of sites where the fire is still active and we are concentrating our efforts there, but generally speaking if you look at the whole area of operations, it's better, more optimistic," fire-fighters' spokesman Boaz Rakia said.

He added that while it would take days to extinguish the fire completely, he hoped it might be brought under control today.

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld confirmed two teenage brothers have been arrested on suspicion of causing the fire through negligence. There are unconfirmed reports of other arrests.

While some Israelis are bitter and some Facebook users have described the catastrophe as “the new intifada”, many others are already starting the arduous job of cleaning up and re-building their lives, even before the final flames are doused.

Police have already authorised evacuated residents of Nir Etzion, Ein Hod and Ein Hawd to return home but those from  Beit Oren have been ordered to remain away.

 

• Shimon Dayan, who was among early victims of the fire, was buried at Karmiel Military Cemetery yesterday at 1.00 p.m.

 

Technorati Tags: Carmel Forest Fires,Israel Treasury,Palestine Authority,President Mahmoud Abbas,Israel Prison Service,Ein Hod,Nir Etzion,Ein Hawd,Beit Oren,Boaz Rakia,Micky Rosenfeld

msniw

Carmel Forest – Before and After The Fire

Sights and Sounds of Natural Israel

The tranquil Carmel Forest  before the fire…

 

 

 

Carmel Forest Fire

Joel Chapter One

(Verse Seven)

“He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree: he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white.”

… and during the conflagration

Technorati Tags: Carmel Forest,Youtube Videos,Before and After The Fires,Sights and Sounds of Natural Israel,Fierce Fires

msniw

Did Terrorism And Arson Cause Northern Israel Blaze?

  Article first published as Did Terrorism And Arson Cause Northern Israel Blaze? on Technorati.

It is becoming clear that arson or even terrorism may have helped to fan, if not actually cause the fires which continue to engulf large areas of northern Israel.

Moreover, Israel's enemies like Hezbollah , who are "overjoyed" by the disaster, are taking the opportunity to celebrate it as a P.R. coup and to make the world perceive Israel as incompetent.

After an initial inspection, the authorities believed the conflagration in the Carmel Forest area included deliberate acts of arson as the fires broke out at several locations and may have included the regular but illegal burning-off of toxic substances in rubbish heaps at the Arab town of Ossafia.

However, Police Commissioner Dudi Cohen, who hopes the fires will be extinguished today (Saturday), now believes it started at one site. His investigation teams will also know later today whether the disaster began as a result of negligence or arson.

The fires leapt out of control in high winds, killing more than 50 people, including a fellow resident of Karmiel, Shimon Dayan (29). Many more were savagely burned and are now lying in Haifa hospitals in a critical condition.

The pretty Haifa suburb of Denia where my cousins live was among the danger areas but I was assured that although some nearby roads were closed and properties there evacuated they had not been personally affected.

  My British-born cousin echoed concerns expressed about official incompetence. “We are thankful for the help that is coming into Israel from all over the world as it is quite clear we do not have the resources here to fight a fire of this scale”, he said.

Israel has enjoyed a swell of unprecedented - and surprised - international concern and active help even from countries with which it customarily has strained relations like Turkey, Egypt and Jordan. Yesterday, Premier, Benjamin Netanyahu announced a National Day of Mourning to mark the catastrophe, possibly the worst blaze in Israeli history. 

 

Mourning for the losses of the fire

Despite all efforts, the sort of howling, withering winds redolent of England’s Yorkshire Moors have hindered rescue efforts. It appears from the view I have at Karmiel – about 18 miles north-east of Haifa - that the flames and smoke are being pushed out to sea. The sky here is still  cloudless blue but a pall of smoke lying over Haifa Harbour has obliterated what is usually a perfect view which allows us often to see ships in dock.

 

 

 

 

 

So those of us left with the leisure to contemplate, are asking if the blaze has indeed been caused by arson, terrorism or  plain stupidity.  Only time, patience and a formal enquiry will even begin to sift the truth from the ashes of despair.

What began as a delightful Chanucah week with local school kids enjoying a  musical parade along our street on Thursday has turned into the ugliest holiday in modern Israeli history showing what can happen when a blaze generates more heat than light.

Technorati Tags: Northern Israel,Carmel Forest,Fires,Haifa,Ossafia,International Help,Firefighters,Turkey,Jordan,U.K.,Arson,Terrorism

msniw

Chanucah Sameach!

 

With greetings from a still fantastically warm and sunny Israel to all family, friends, acquaintances and a growing band of readers stretching from Indonesia to Indianapolis, U.S.A.,  and Bolton, U.K. to Buenos Aires, South America.

Thanks for your support!

May you all have a week filled with light, love and as many doughnuts as you can reasonably eat!

“Baruch Atah Adashem, Eloheinu, Melekh Ha'olam Shehecheyanu V'kiyimanu V'higi'anu Laz'man hazeh. (Amein)

“Blessed are you, Lord, our God, Sovereign of the Universe, who has kept us alive, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season. Amen”.

Shalom

Natalie Wood

Technorati Tags: Chanucah Sameach,Light,Love,Thanks,Doughnuts

msniw

‘The Most Kindest Cut Of All’?

This article first appeared as “Nothing To Be Cut Up About!” on Technorati

When Prince William and Catherine Middleton discuss starting a family, the possibility of  circumcising any boys may be  on their agenda. The British Royal Family has a long tradition requiring that all male children be circumcised.

However, I’ve also read that:

“Princess Diana for some reason best known to herself was opposed to circumcision and refused to allow either William or Harry to be done. There were reports at the time which suggested that both the Queen and Prince Philip were very annoyed at this”.

In the west there is a remarkably low incidence of injuries and deaths following male circumcision, be it purely surgical or for religious reasons, as performed by specially trained Jewish mohelim  or   Moslem ritual circumcisers.

But now  a group of American anti-circumcision activists is  petitioning for a ballot measure that would ban circumcision in San Francisco.  If the group acquires sufficient signatures, local voters would see an anti-circumcision bill on their ballots within 12 months.

If it became law, the measure would make circumcision procedures illegal within San Francisco city limits, except in the case of extreme medical emergencies. 

The protestors say the law would protect innocent, defenceless children from the abuses of their parents, like any other child welfare law.

Extremists may well view the surgery (or ceremony) as ritual abuse, even mutilation, or otherwise take the eminently sane view expressed by most Jewish and Moslem parents that when it is performed early enough (after eight days in Jewish tradition, unless the boy is ill) there is nothing to worry about and it is a simple way of marking the child’s entry into our respective traditions.

So let’s look at the pros and cons of male circumcision only, because I view so-called ‘female circumcision’ as so incomprehensibly awful as not to be worth debating in this context:

Against:

• Any surgery for any reason is potentially lethal.
• Circumcision for religious reasons may indeed be viewed as ritual ‘mutilation’
• Ritual circumcision is an antiquated tradition and it may be argued that it brings gratuitous suffering to a tiny infant as it is performed without medical anaesthetic.

In Favour:

• It is  a medically approved practice and has proven to be healthy, not only for men but also for women, as in the Jewish community (I am unable to write authoritatively about the Moslem community) there is very low rate of cervical cancer.
• The ceremony is neither ‘mutilation’ nor ‘abuse’ but  a tiny material sacrifice that the child makes marking his entry to his community.
• It is the child’s first proof of his covenant with God and he cannot be frightened in advance of the procedure as he is too young to understand what is happening to him.

I’ve heard said that the boys often appear fractious at the ceremony. But no baby likes to have their nappy (‘diaper’) removed and I understand that a Christian baby may seem unhappy at his christening – simply because he dislikes the feel of  water suddenly sprinkled on his head.

I charge that the entire process is far more of an ordeal for the adults than for the children – which is certainly why Jewish mothers are usually advised to absent themselves during the actual ‘cut’.

Which brings me to a personal story: The communal mohel at the synagogue to which I belonged in Manchester is a fine, well-known senior surgeon in his working life. He does not have a rabbinical diploma like his counterparts serving Orthodox Jewish communities in the U.K. Far from earning a personal income from this work, he encourages the families involved to make a donation to the synagogue.

I remember being present at several circumcisions he has performed. One was on the son of my close friends and another was when he supervised a fellow surgeon as he performed the operation on his own son. I thought both men were enormously brave for those few moments and can report that the ‘infant’ is now well into his teens, having celebrated his barmitzvah about 18 months ago.

So back to  ‘Frisco: I can’t see an anti-circumcision law being passed without a fight. There are very big Jewish and Moslem populations in the area. Both are highly politicised and wield a lot of clout. Like the lack of rain in Israel this summer and autumn, the row could be a way of bringing the two communities together. Let’s see!

… And who’s plated up, looking good enough to eat? None other than my great-nephew at his Pidyon Ha’Ben in  Jerusalem this summer. The ceremony’s title translates as “The Redemption of the First Born Son”. It takes place in Jewish tradition after the circumcision, when a baby is 31 days old and involves buying him back from a Priest for five silver coins. Now everything begins to gets complicated, so please don’t ask me to explain more!

 

Technorati Tags: Prince William,Catherine Middleton,Male Circumcision,Royal Family,The Queen,Prince Philip,Jews,Moslems,Mohelim,Ritual Circumcisors,San Francisco,Protests

 

msniw

The Taking Of A Toast And Tea

My paternal grandfather, it is said, was in the kitchen at 6.30 sharp every morning ruling over his teapot like a despotic and jealous mandarin.

I am also famously addicted and am invariably portrayed in the family as a dozy dormouse curled up gently sozzled among the dregs of an over-sized tea cup.

 

 

The last time I was in my home-town, Birmingham, U.K., I demanded not one, but two cups of the old brew which has more resonance for me than any dozen of Proust’s madeleine biscuits.

No wonder then, when dear friends from Manchester visited us in Karmiel last month they brought with them an outsized box of tea bags which I keep firmly locked in the safe bearing my name.

It can only be because I am away in relentlessly warm and sunny Israel that I missed hearing the run-up to Britain's “International ‘A Nice Cup of Tea Day’” which took place yesterday.

In Britain they (the middle class ‘they’ anyway) still take their tea and tea-time very seriously and I have discovered that “each day  day we sink 165 million cups of it. It’s our national drink – classless, timeless and tasty”.

If it’s supposed to be a classless pastime, what sort of a peasant takes Earl Grey tea with milk? It should be drunk with deepest concentration, solely black with lemon – no children, no pets – and definitely no dunking of any sort of biscuit allowed!

The feature I read listed all sorts of grand hotels where one may sit in sumptuous surroundings, enjoying a full traditional English afternoon tea with everything from thin-cut crust-less sandwiches to crumpets. Certainly I remember doing that when Brian and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary amid the fading splendour of Brighton’s Grand Metropole Hotel.

Another fab watering hole has to be Bettys at Harrogate, Yorkshire (if you can get a table!) which was opened in 1919 by Swiss confectioner Frederick Belmont. Bettys has branches elsewhere, but so far as I know they all offer a range of about 50 different teas and as many sandwiches and sticky cakes as you can eat.

Now here’s a thought: If there’s a regular market and I could stay awake long enough to put the kettle on, I might be persuaded to open an English-style tea-shop here in Karmiel and call it … “The Dormouse”.

Technorati Tags: Tea,grandfather,Proust,Karmiel,Manchester,International A Nice Cup of Tea Day,Earl Grey,Brighton Grand Metropole Hotel,Bettys,Harrogate,Yorkshire,Frederick Belmont

msniw

Grated–Sated–Eight-ed!

The Double Down Latke Sandwich

It’s almost Chanucah so it’s time for more self-indulgence than self-recrimination.

Back in Britain – and the United States - it’s also time for latkes (deep fried potato cakes) but  here in Israel, it’s doughnuts or go very hungry for a week.

In fact, having an instinctive dislike of deep-frying, I’m more than a mite miffed that I’ve not yet seen oven-ready button sized frozen latkes available in Israeli supermarkets like those provided as a Jewish alternative to oven-ready chips by the UK kosher foods manufacturer, Rakusen.

What’s more, as I’m also fed up with “cat’s-in-the-cupboard” jokes – native-Hebrew speakers haven’t a clue to what this alludes -  I’m ringing the changes with this latke recipe - a spoof version of Kentucky Fried Chicken’s ‘Double Down Chicken Sandwich’!

The deliciously decadent  ingredients include smoked salmon (‘lox’) but as a sea-green vegetarian I suggest that a ripe avocado may substitute very well and that other vegetables like broccoli or swede may be used instead of potato.

There’s also a great idea in the method: The potatoes are kept white by being grated directly into water and then wrung out  in a kitchen tea towel. The video makes the process look like a tug-of-war but again I suggest that a “ricer” may be just as effective – what’s more it requires far less effort!

Double Down Latke Sandwich

Ingredients:

1 pound potatoes
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon flour or matzo meal (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper
grape seed, olive or peanut oil
lox (smoked salmon)

crème fraiche or sour cream
chives or green onion, chopped
chopped lettuce, optional

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 250 deg., F 120 deg., C.

Peel potatoes and coarsely grate directly into a large bowl of cold water.

Soak potatoes one – two minutes after last batch is added to water, then drain well in a colander.

Spread grated potatoes, garlic and onion on a kitchen towel, roll up and wring out as much liquid as possible.

Transfer potato mixture to a bowl and stir in egg and salt.  If it’s too runny add a little flour or matzo meal.  Too dry add a little bit more egg.

Heat a large frying plan. Add enough oil to cover the bottom plus a bit more. Get the oil hot but not smoking. Use a spoon to add potato mixture into pan, spreading with the back of the spoon into 3 or 4-inch rounds.

Reduce heat to moderate and cook until undersides are very well browned, about 5 minutes. Turn latkes over and cook until undersides are very well browned, about 5 minutes more.  You want walnut brown, not beige.

Transfer to paper towels to drain and season with salt. Add more oil to skillet as needed.

Keep latkes warm on a wire rack set in a shallow baking pan in oven.

To make the Double Down, spread crème fraiche on one side of a latke, pile on lox and onions, spread some crème fraiche on another latke, then make into a sandwich.

------------

Good or what?

Other Foodaism fans have written variously and thus:

‘… Personally I blame my ancestors for the cholesterol problem …’
 ’ … Excuse me while I barf. Also, it’s difficult enough to find non-kosher creme fraiche, but kosher? I don’t think it exists in the US …’

‘… This is hilarious AND looks fabulous! ….’

With thanks to Rob Eshman, Jay Firestone and gang from Jewish Journal and the Foodaism team.

Technorati Tags: Chanucah,Latke Recipe,Rob Eshman,Jay Firestone,Jewish Journal.com,Foodaism

msniw

Turning Full Circle With Those Family Rings

Article first published as http://technorati.com/lifestyle/family/article/turning-full-circle-with-those-family/Turning Full Circle with Those Family Rings on Technorati.

Well it happens in families! Learning that Prince William proposed to Kate Middleton with his late mother’s ring reminded me of my own solemn but utterly pleasurable duty when my niece and nephew-in-law announced their  engagement in London.

I was unable to attend the ultra-Orthodox Jewish celebrations but delivered – by special courier from Manchester – my own mother’s engagement and eternity rings as it had been her earnest wish that her beloved granddaughter should have them.

The timing could not have been better as my niece went on to have them remodelled respectively into an engagement ring and earrings in time for her chuppah (Jewish wedding) and was still showing them off months later at the special  party following the birth and circumcision of her first born son.

But back to Wills and Kate: News of their engagement was also wonderfully timed. No wonder it was greeted with much thumping of the table at Government Cabinet level.

A glorious Royal marriage is something  the beleaguered British populace may anticipate with relish.

I’m sure I’m not the only one to believe that the young couple’s romance has already lasted longer than many marriages largely because they’re both sensible, stable, mature - and anxious to make their relationship work.

Furthermore, it is obvious that Prince William is desperate for the secure and steady home life denied him and his brother during their parents’ troubled marriage.

Now I’m probably talking heresy when I suggest that while  Kate Middleton has a smashing figure and wonderful clothes-sense she is not stunningly pretty.

She has something far more important: She exudes what we term in Yiddishised Hebrew as innate ‘chein’ – a charming grace which glows from every photograph and which I’m sure will win her as many hearts as the late Princess of Wales.

Moreover, I guess that the nuptials will be somewhat understated compared to the Royal romps of the 80s. This would echo the post-war wedding enjoyed by the Queen and Prince Philip and be in line with with the U.K.’s economically straitened circumstances.

After all as I write, Prince William is only second-in-line to throne and not the immediate heir as was (and is!) Prince Charles when he married the former Lady Diana Spencer in 1981.

But none of this matters. If my husband and I are an example, the British ex-pat community in Israel is every bit as happy and excited about the news as everyone else worldwide.  Mazeltov!

 

Technorati Tags: Prince William,Kate Middleton,Charles,Diana,rings,Ultra-Orthodox Judaism,Chuppah,British Cabinet,Yiddish,Hebrew,Chein,Israel

msniw

Two more murdered in Israel’s culture of road deaths

 

Day after miserable day, the toll of deaths and injuries on Israel’s roads grows apace. But you read of them only when the incident is particularly dramatic or they involve a celebrity.

The latest horror saw off two young IDF soldiers: Staff Sergeant Ayman Kayzal (possibly ‘Kayzel Iman’) died outright while Lieutenant Michal Zohar died of later from head injuries.

I feel personally moved by Michal’s passing because her best friend  is the granddaughter of one of my lovely new acquaintances in Karmiel.

The incident happened late on Thursday when a truck ploughed into a crowd waiting at a bus station in Acco (‘Acre’). At least 11 others were also hurt in what police believe was a deliberate attack.

Haaretz.com reported:

“Three more of the injured were in a critical condition and had been transferred to nearby Nahariya for treatment, paramedics said. Police arrested the truck driver, a local father of three aged 45, as he tried to flee the scene in his vehicle, which was halted when security guards from the neighbouring train station fired pistols at the truck's wheels.

The driver later admitted intentionally crashing the truck before refusing to see a lawyer, police said.

“Members of his family who gathered outside the police station where he was being held said he had a history of psychological problems.

“Acco has frequently been a flashpoint for violence between Arab and Jewish communities who share the northern coastal city, and police quickly removed the arrested man from the scene, fearing an outbreak of mob violence.

“But there was no apparent nationalist or racist motive for the attack, which they were not treating as a terror incident, police said. The driver appeared to have been distressed by a family dispute, although it was unclear what what led him to launch the attack”.

The Jerusalem Post reported that the driver was identified as 45-year-old Gabriel Hen whose remand was extended until November 21.

“Police in the North have said Hen, a Jewish resident of Acco told detectives during questioning that he deliberately rammed his truck into the bus stop.

“’The Shin Bet [Israel Security Agency] and the police killed my kid,’ the suspect told police during interrogation, when asked to explain his actions.

“A subsequent police check revealed that the man has two children, both of whom are alive and well. Police said the background to the attack remained unclear.

“After the incident, the driver fled the scene on foot, and got as far as a kilometre before being arrested by police.

“The incident was attended by senior police, including Northern police district head, Commander Shimon Koren who told reporters there that the driver had left a trail of carnage, colliding with vehicles before crashing into a bus stop.

The J.P.’s statistics prove that more than 330 people have been killed on Israel’s roads during 2010 but I’m bound to say that the Israel Ministry of Transport and Road Safety, for all its huffing and puffing, simply doesn’t treat the situation seriously.

I’m forever riding  on buses driven recklessly or bad-temperedly. On Motze’i Shabbat (Saturday evening) last weekend our driver into town chatted on his mobile phone for the entire journey while one afternoon this week another driver stopped our bus in the middle of the road to intervene in an altercation among a group of young passengers.

If my own family is any guide, the general feeling is that it’s matter of culture; that terrorism is treated much more seriously than road safety and that the necessary money is not set aside to tackle the issue.

I’m beginning to think they are right. Let’s examine what happened at the Knesset’s “National Day for Personal Responsibility for Road Safety”:

Nurit Grossman of the Anashim Be'Adom action group says – my interpretation – that on the day she and her organisation were treated with disdainful contempt by transport ministers.

Grossman received an Award for a Citizen Advancing Road Safety on behalf of her group but the politicians and civil servants departed after making self-congratulatory, self-aggrandising speeches and before the awards were made!

I quote from her speech at Anashim Be’Adom’s own recent annual conference:

“The reception in the Knesset was very appropriate, but we were disappointed by the ceremony itself. The Minister of Transport and Road Safety, and the Minister of Communications complimented each other and themselves – and then left the hall before the presentations.

“And apparently no time was left for the prize winners to make their speeches. We have sent both our thanks and our recommendations to the National Authority for Road Safety for next year's ceremony, which include holding the awards presentation at the beginning ( it is either a sign of contempt or a lack of respect for the Minister of Transport and Road Safety and other Ministers to leave once they have made their own speeches).

“It is also important for the Ministers at least once a year to hear what the public think of their performance, in particular from those who give much of themselves in the cause of Road Safety”.

Technorati Tags: Israel Road Accidents,Acco,Karmiel,Bus Drivers,Bus Station Killings,Haaretz.com,Jerusalem Post,Gabriel Hen,Shin Bet,Police,Commander Shimon Korenoren,Israel Ministry of Transport and Road Safety,National Day of Personal Responsibility for Road Safety,Nurit Grossman,Anashim Be'Adom,National Authority for Road Safety

msniw

IF YOU SEE HER – CONTACT THE POLICE!

Until a half-hour ago, I had never heard of, let alone seen a photograph of this lovely young girl. But my heart missed a beat when I saw it and then read the accompanying message on Facebook.

So, although I am never likely to talk with, let alone meet her mother, Rachel, I’m reposting the appeal in the hope that someone who knows Jackie Buyher will see her and ask her to contact Rachel, who begged: 

“PLEASE CROSSPOST...URGENT! My daughter, Jackie Buyher, has been missing from the... northwest side of Evansville, Indiana, USA since Wednesday, November 03.  She is 16 years old, about 5' 6" tall, sandy brown hair (straight, shoulder length), hazel eyes, and weighs approximately 120 lbs. Friends that I am in contact with, as well as school officials, have not seen her since that day. A missing person's report has been filed with the Evansville Police Dept., and recently has expanded to a nation-wide alert. If anyone has seen her, or think they may know her whereabouts, please dial 911 and report any information you may have to the Evansville Police Department.

Why should I react like this? Well, I am human and what’s more I’m meeting young adults like Jackie every week at a school in Karmiel, Israel.

All have so much to offer and life has much to give them in return but at their age we all think we’re immortal. It just ain’t so! Meanwhile, let’s hope that this story has a happy ending. I’ll let you know.

Technorati Tags: Jackie Buyher,Rachel Buyher,Crosspost,Facebook Appeal,Indiana USA,Police

msniw

Lucky For Some

Green Fingers for a Lucky Bamboo

We’d only just arrived in Karmiel and our delightful white-walled flat was almost bare.

How could I begin to cheer it up before our shipment arrived from the U.K.?

A florist in Rabin named “Bucket” (yeah, it took me a couple of weeks to work it out!) came to the rescue with a pretty miniature ‘Lucky Bamboo’ decorated with pebbles in an attractive dark pink glass pot.

But only a few weeks later, the lovely leaves began to yellow. Had the plant had too much sun? No. It sits in a shady spot on the breakfast bar.

Had it been overwatered? I don’t think so.

However, it had been watered with ordinary tap water and I should have used the spring or filtered variety.

Now read the experts:

“As millions of "lucky" consumers around the world have discovered, Lucky Bamboo makes the perfect house or office plant.

“It needs little care - only about an inch of water and little direct sunlight to keep it happy and thriving...

“What is ‘Lucky Bamboo’?

“Known for centuries as Lucky Bamboo, the plant is not a bamboo  (botanical name: Dracaena) but a resilient member of the lily family that grows in the dark, tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia and Africa.

“How Much Care Does Lucky Bamboo Need?

“Keep water fresh by changing it every week, and always keep water levels at approximately an inch from the base of the canes. Lucky Bamboo prefers plenty of indirect sunlight and room temperatures at 65-70^o.

“Although opinions differ on feeding, your Lucky Bamboo is a living organism, so it makes sense to  add a mild solution to the water occasionally such as African Violet fertilizer. Since growth can be controlled by feeding, small amounts of fertilizer will keep the plant at a manageable size.

“Why Are the Leaves Turning Yellow?

Two of the most common factors are:

“1.) Too much direct sunlight

“2.) Too salty or heavily-fluoridated tap water. Give your new Lucky Bamboo a thriving start be sure to keep it away from direct sunlight, and water only with filtered or natural spring water.

“Why Is It Called "Lucky" Bamboo?

“Along with its ease of growth, Lucky Bamboo has long been associated with the Eastern practice of Feng Shui - or the bringing of natural elements of water, fire, earth, wood and metal into balance within the environment. Lucky Bamboo is believed to be an ideal example of the thriving wood and water element, with the addition of a red ribbon sometimes tied around the stalks - which is believed to "fire" the positive flow of energy or chi in the room.

“The number of stalks also has meaning : three stalks for happiness; five stalks for wealth; six stalks for health. Four stalks, however, are always avoided since the word "four" in Chinese sounds too similar to the Chinese word for "death"!

“Can I Take Cuttings from Lucky Bamboo?

“Yes. New stalks can be propagated from the original plant by using a sharp knife to cut through a stalk - just below the joint. Place the cutting in fresh, clean water. A fine mist spray to stalks is sometimes suggested to stimulate new bud growth.

“How Do I Re-pot Bamboo?

“Like any other houseplant, Lucky Bamboo can be transferred to a vase or pot two inches larger than the original, or planted permanently into a loose sand or soil mixture that provides lots of bottom drainage. To avoid root rot, be careful to let the top of the soil dry out between waterings.

Technorati Tags: Lucky Bamboo,Dracaena,Lily Karmiel,Rabin,'Bucket',Feng Shui,Plant Care Instructions,Cuttings,Re-Potting

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My Neighbourhood Named For Yitzhak Rabin

The original name for my neighbourhood in Karmiel was a very flowery

" רמת טללים" - 'Dewy Heights'. 

It was changed to 'Ramat Rabin' after the assassination 15 years ago, of Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin. The Hebrew calendar date of his death - 12 Cheshvan 5756 -  was marked earlier this week while the secular  anniversary is 04 November.

 

Rabin's official portrait will feature on the home pages of the entire 'Perfectlywrite' series, up to and including the secular anniversary of his passing.

Meanwhile, our elegant,  modern neighbourhood began life in 1998 with a target population of 10,000. Twelve years on, it has become one of the most sought-after areas in this beautiful north Galilean city and building, much of it clad in imitation of traditional 'oolite' ('Jerusalem stone'), continues even as I write.

At the official memorial ceremony for Rabin held at Mount Herzl, Jerusalem earlier this week, President Shimon Peres - once Rabin's co-Prime Minister - called for differences to be solved democratically.

He also eulogised the assassinated Nobel Peace Prize laureate, commemorating his contribution to the nation and the untimely nature of his death.

"We will not forget that you were murdered. You were murdered by an evil man who planned to kill the nation's spirit," Peres said, addressing Rabin.

"Your legacy, Yitzhak, was the contribution of a statesman truly leading  a nation: not to look back in rage, but forward with faith. You earned the faith of a nation".

On Tuesday night, several thousand youngsters gathered at Tel Aviv’s Kikar Rabin to take part in a memorial ceremony organized by the Israel Scouts to mark the 15th anniversary of the assassination.

Speaking at his official residence (Beit Hanassi), Peres lit a memorial candle at a ceremony known as Ner Yitzhak ('Light of Yitzhak'), commenting that it was a candle dedicated to peace, to a promise whose flame would never be extinguished.

Yitzhak Rabin Fact File:

  Yitzhak Rabin (1922- 1995) was an Israeli politician and general and the fifth Prime Minister of Israel, serving two terms in office, 1974–1977 and 1992 until his assassination in 1995. In 1994, Rabin won the Nobel Peace Prize together with Shimon Peres and PLO leader,Yasser Arafat.

On November 4, 1995 Rabin was shot to death by a Jewish assassin, at the end of a mass demonstration in Kikar Malchei Yisrael in Tel Aviv in support of the peace process.

There will be those reading this piece who refuse - all differences considered - to be 'dewy eyed' about Israel's heroes - indeed those of any state.

They will say, quite understandably, that Rabin was as much a man of war as peace and that at the time of the first Palestinian Intifada, he threatened to quell the unrest with 'force, beatings and might' or as another story has it: "We will break their bones."

However, his wife, Leah Rabin, insisted in her memoir, Rabin - Our Life, His Legacy that he never said it. Other versions claim that Rabin made the statement in order to encourage soldiers to refrain from shooting at stone-throwing Palestinians.

But whatever happened during the 1980s, by the time of his assassination, Rabin had all the  hallmarks of a man of peace. Since his death, it may be argued that, as is common in such circumstances, an almost unhealthy aura of sanctity has developed around his memory. But the week of his yahrzeit (Hebrew memorial) may not be the time to investigate.

 

Technorati Tags: Karmiel,'Dewy Heights',Ramat Rabin,Yitzhak Rabin,Jerusalem Stone,Shimon Peres,Nobel Peace Prize,Israel Scouts,Ner Yitzhak,Leah Rabin,First Intifada,Yasser Arafat

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‘Eat Pork and Save the Planet’!

It seems that where life  in the U.K.doesn’t get darker, it get dafter.

The Daily Telegraph reported today that the Foods Standards Agency has published an edict proposing to save the planet with increased consumption of pork, eggs, yogurt and beer.

Now read on:

“Diets should change to help the planet with beef replaced by pork, cheese by eggs, ice-cream by yoghurt and whisky by beer, according to research for the Food Standards Agency.

Photo: ALAMY

“Eating less beef, sugar, and cheese, as well as drinking less tea and coffee, were recommended, as well as eating more pulses and cereals

“Scientists from the University of East Anglia analysed existing data on the nutritional and environmental effects of different kinds of foods.

“Eating less beef, sugar, and cheese, as well as drinking less tea and coffee, were recommended, as well as eating more pulses and cereals.

“Other recommendations included eating more seasonal produce to reduce transportation and switching to microwave ovens and pressure cookers to use less energy in preparing food.

“The report suggests that schools, hospitals and other public bodies should be expected to lead a change in national behaviour by putting food on their menus which has contributed little to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

“The report noted: "The highest GHG emissions are associated with beef, cheese, coffee, tea and cocoa consumption."

“It continued: "The way we as a society, and as individuals, choose to mitigate climate change as regards food, will also alter the way we eat."

“UEA was at the centre of allegations last year that it had manipulated climate change data to magnify the problem.

“Its report, called Food and Climate Change, could raise opposition among those who enjoy eating produce from around the world at any time of the year.

“However, the recommendations will be welcomed by vegetarian campaigners and those who support organic farming, which is recognised in the study as producing food that is lowest in harmful emissions.

“A spokesman for the National Farmers' Union said: 'It is simply not true that fruit and vegetables are a better climate option than meat and milk. You have to look at how these crops are produced in terms of the energy used for growing and transport."

“The report was commissioned by the Food Standards Agency to try to change the way people cook and eat”.

Related Article - Smell of bacon offends Muslims – not to mention Jews and vegetarians – but we’ve long since learned to put up and shut up! By the way, I think someone should advise the gurus at the FSA that pork is neither kosher nor vegetarian while eggs and yogurt (unless the yogurt be made from soya) do not suit a vegan lifestyle. Oh, dear!

Technorati Tags: Food Standards Authority,edict,bacon,pork,vegetarian,Muslims,Jews,climate change,National Farmers' Union

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My Brother’s On The Mend!

My Shabbat (weekend) was kick-started by an outstandingly good piece of  news. I spoke to my brother yesterday!

Julian, who as many of you are aware, was severely injured in a traffic accident near his Ramot Bet, Jerusalem home on Monday 06 September, was able to enjoy a full telephone conversation and even mentioned recuperating at home within the foreseeable future.

He has been at the Ein Kerem Hadassah Hospital since the accident, which happened when a woman drove through a red light on Golda Meir Avenue, crashing into a moving van.The driver of the van lost control of the vehicle and drove onto a traffic island where Julian and several other people were standing.

Now it’s time to thank the scores of people – close relatives, friends, warm acquaintances from the U.K. and the United States as well as Israel  – even shocked strangers and my virtual friends on ‘Facebook’! - who all offered prayers, good wishes and on-going encouragement when they heard the  news.

It would be invidious to single out people by name, instead I’ll mention organisations, communities and their leaders: So, in no particular order, on behalf of the family I offer more thanks than I can express to:

• Prof. Charles Sprung and his team at the Intensive Care Unit, Ein Kerem Hadassah Hospital, Jerusalem.
• Julian’s devoted friends from the synagogue near his home in Jerusalem led by Rabbi Kannai.
• My  own congregation, Kehillat Hakerem in Karmiel where regular prayers were offered by Rabbi Reuven Resnick and a neighbouring community, The Beit Knesset at Amit led by Rabbi Mike Schultz.
• Sha’arei Shalom North Manchester Reform Synagogue led by Rabbi Norman Zalud.
• Menorah Cheshire Reform Synagogue led by Rabbi Brian Fox.

Technorati Tags: Julian Wood,traffic accident,Jerusalem,Ein Kerem Hadassah Hospital,U.K.,USA,Israel,Rabbi Kannai,Kehillat Hakerem,Rabbi Reuven Resnick,Rabbi Mike Schultz,Shaarei Shalom Synagogue,Rabbi Norman Zalud,Rabbi Brian Fox,Facebook

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