Distant Echoes (Aloha Reef V1) By Coble Colleen
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UN Exposed
The UN exposed!
Today we hear of yet another anti-Israel resolution passed by the United Nations. Like most Jews, I’ve lost count of the total they’ve handed down since Israel’s formation, but it must be getting close to the number of square-miles in the shrinking Jewish State.
Before you give this resolution the slightest bit of credence, watch this speech given by the director of UN-Watch, Hillel Neuer, in March 2007 – and which the UN banned!
Mr. President,
Six decades ago, in the aftermath of the Nazi horrors, Eleanor Roosevelt, Réné Cassin and other eminent figures gathered here, on the banks of Lake Geneva, to reaffirm the principle of human dignity. They created the Commission on Human Rights. Today, we ask: What has become of their noble dream?
In this session we see the answer. Faced with compelling reports from around the world of torture, persecution, and violence against women, what has the Council pronounced, and what has it decided?
Nothing. Its response has been silence. Its response has been indifference. Its response has been criminal.
One might say, in Harry Truman’s words, that this has become a Do-Nothing, Good-for-Nothing Council.
But that would be inaccurate. This Council has, after all, done something.
It has enacted one resolution after another condemning one single state: Israel. In eight pronouncements—and there will be three more this session—Hamas and Hezbollah have been granted impunity. The entire rest of the world—millions upon millions of victims, in 191 countries—continue to go ignored.
So yes, this Council is doing something. And the Middle East dictators who orchestrate this campaign will tell you it is a very good thing. That they seek to protect human rights, Palestinian rights.
So too, the racist murderers and rapists of Darfur women tell us they care about the rights of Palestinian women; the occupiers of Tibet care about the occupied; and the butchers of Muslims in Chechnya care about Muslims.
But do these self-proclaimed defenders truly care about Palestinian rights?
Let us consider the past few months. More than 130 Palestinians were killed by Palestinian forces. This is three times the combined total that were the pretext for calling special sessions against Israel in July and November. Yet the champions of Palestinian rights—Ahmadinejad, Assad, Khaddafi, John Dugard—they say nothing. Little 3-year-old boy Salam Balousha and his two brothers were murdered in their car by Prime Minister Haniyeh’s troops. Why has this Council chosen silence?
Because Israel could not be blamed. Because, in truth, the despots who run this Council couldn’t care less about Palestinians, or about any human rights.
They seek to demonize Israeli democracy, to delegitimize the Jewish state, to scapegoat the Jewish people. They also seek something else: To distort and pervert the very language and idea of human rights.
You ask: What has become of the founders’ dream? Of Eleanor Roosevelt, of Rene Casssin, of John Humphrey, P.C. Chang, Charles Malik, who assembled here in Geneva sixty years ago? With terrible lies and moral inversion, it is being turned into a nightmare.
Thank you, Mr. President.
——————————————————————————–
REPLY BY UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL PRESIDENT LUIS ALFONSO DE ALBA:
For the first time in this session I will not express thanks for that statement. I shall point out to the distinguished representative of the organization that just spoke, the distinguished representative of United Nations Watch, if you’d kindly listen to me. I am sorry that I’m not in a position to thank you for your statement. I should mention that I will not tolerate any similar statements in the Council. The way in which members of this Council were referred to, and indeed the way in which the council itself was referred to, all of this is inadmissible. In the memory of the persons that you referred to, founders of the Human Rights Commission, and for the good of human rights, I would urge you in any future statements to observe some minimum proper conduct and language. Otherwise, any statement you make in similar tones to those used today will be taken out of the records.
and …. ZALMI’S FOOTNOTE
The UN is a farce. How can you take seriously an institution whose Human Rights Council is chaired by Nigeria, slated by the US state department as one of the worst offenders in state oppression of its citizens with executions, amputations, forced female circumcision, child slavery, human trafficking, torture and extortion.
Its so-called ‘relief works branch’, UNRWAH, has done more than even the jihadists to prolong the suffering of Palestinian people by keeping the refugee camps going when their occupants could – and should – have been resettled decades ago. (The Palestinian people have received more US/EU aid per capita than any group in the history of mankind. Had all this money not been stolen by Arafat and embezzled for arms procurement, every Palestinian family would now be living in a detached home with a Merc in the drive.)
There are dozens of documented complaints of UNRWAH complicity with Palestinian terror groups. Their peacekeepers too are entirely useless, turning a blind eye to Hizbullah’s massive re-arming and building of new war tunnels on Lebanon’s border with Israel.
All the while, their useless freeloading ‘observers’ in Israel scoot around Israel in their brand new white UN landrovers living the ‘Life of Reilly’ screwing Jewish prostitutes and pubbing every night. All at taxpayers’ expense. They pay no taxes, no parking fines, no-nothing.
And let’s not dig up the scandal of the UN’s former Secretary General – Nazi Wermacht officer Kurt Waldheim – whose chutzpah of standing for a 3rd term was blocked by China’s veto.
Nazis, Islamists, antiSemites, despots and serial abusers of human rights: that’s what you’ll find lurking behind the glass walls of the UN building.
It’s high time the leading democracies of the world set up an alternative body of democratic states which can be taken more seriously.
And Now For Something Completely Different–But Still Important From: judybalint
January 11, 2009
Filed under Blogroll, Israel, Temple Mount, http://shekinahshome.blogspot.com
And Now For Something Completely Different–But Still Important
Posted by: “judybalint” judy.balint@gmail.com judybalint
Fri Jan 9, 2009 11:08 am (PST)
Temple Mount Sifting Project: From: Dr. Ron Beals, Volunteer
While many people consider Monday a “blue day” this past one was utterly tremendous. It
was a very cool (30° F) morning as I set out for the Temple Mount Sifting Project. This
project is located in Emek Tzurim. This area is better known to many by the name of the
Valley of Jehosephat. It is located between Mount Scopus and the Mount of Olives.
Since we were expecting guests at the site I decided to walk to the local supermarket to
get some bourekas to have with our “morning tea.” The aroma in the market bakery was
totally overwhelming but I restrained myself and finally boarded bus 19 to the Hebrew
University where I would begin the mile long walk down the hill to the work site.
O arrival, I deposited my treasures in the office and saw Dr. Gabby Barkay, Dr. Prag (an
English archeologist with special experience in Israeli and Jerusalem exploration) and Scott
a volunteer at the site who teaches archeology at a Sugarland, TX school. Dr. Barkay is the
Professor of Archeology at both the Bar Ilan and Hebrew Universities. He is well known in
international circles for his archeological work as well as for being the director of this
reclamation project.
Dr. Prag was here to investigate the work that is being done. They were soon joined by
Zachi Zweig, one of the primary investigators and the major instigator of this project. He
has done extensive investigation on Temple Mount archeology.
Ater their tour through the project we all took a break for tea and were treated to a two
hour discussion and commentary on the archeological endeavors in Israel, in Jerusalem
and specifically what had been done near the Temple Mount. The names of notables like
Robinson, Robert Hamilton, Kathleen Kenyon and others were flying around like “old
friends.”
As the discussion continued Dr. Prag was extolling the great work that Dr. Barkay and
Zachi Zweig were doing. Then Dr. Barkay made a comment that was absolutely
astonishing.
It seems that all the extensive work that has been done has been in the vicinity of
Jerusalem’s Temple Mount. But there have never been any real archeological digs on the
Temple Mount itself or dealing with artifacts from the Temple Mount.
There are many academic flaws with this project since the materials have been removed by
the Islamic Wakf and are not located at the original site. Yet, the work of this project is
the first evaluation of materials and artifacts directly from the Temple Mount and therefore
of extraordinary importance.
For centuries after the destruction of the Temple, either foreign rulers or the Islamic Wakf
have forbidden any work on the mount itself. In addition they have never allowed access to
the site or to anything underground.
Now, for the very first time, this project is sifting, finding and evaluating artifacts that
were excavated from the Temple Mount by the Moslem Wakf and deposited in a Jerusalem
valley. There were no archeologists to oversee these activities nor was there any
assessment of the damage that this destruction was doing to the Temple Mount and it’s
history.
To me this was a stunning revelation. I have read Biblical Archeology Review and other
information about the Temple and the Temple Mount. But I had never realized or thought
about the fact that at no time had anyone been allowed the opportunity to actually explore
the site itself or look at the artifacts that were there. It seems ironic that the most
significant place for Judaism and Christianity has never had the opportunity to be
scientifically and archeologically scrutinized by experts.
What is perhaps even more ironic is that this project has and is being funded almost
exclusively by private donations. However because of the current state of economics and
the world political situation, the funding has almost “dried up.”
During the past few months the funding for this has been dramatically reduced and they
have had to terminate a large number of the staff. They have continued this project
mainly with volunteers and a skeleton staff. Last year at this time there were usually about
six or more staff members working diligently daily. Now there are usually two to three
members.
One of the truly wonderful aspects of this project has been the educational component.
There is a small area designated for groups to come to visit. Frequently both school and
tour groups come to where they can experience the artifacts that have been removed from
the very “House of God” from Solomon’s and Herod’s times.
School groups are actually being taught the validity of the Biblical account and that this
land and particularly this Temple Mount was existent and is their heritage. They also have
the opportunity to experience the project by helping sift through buckets of dirt and rocks
and find real artifacts. The response is dramatic.
It is my hope that some may find this work important enough to help support these
efforts. For those who would like to see more about what they have done go to:
http://templemount.wordpress.com/ .
These reports are a great way to follow the progress over time. Toward the bottom of the
page is information for those who would like to participate by contributing to this ongoing
and worthwhile project. Contributions to the Ir David Foundation and the many initiatives
it supports are tax-deductible in the United States.
Checks should be made payable to:”Friends of Ir David”. Please specify that the donation
is designated to the Temple Mount Sifting Project. Please also send us a notice of your
donation to: tmsifting@gmail.com
Mailing Address:
Friends of Ir David
1300 Flatbush Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11210, USA
The US address will provide a tax deductible receipt. Be sure and specify that it is for the
Temple Mount Sifting Project.
Ronald D. Beals, MD
IN ISRAEL: 12A Mendele, Jerusalem, 050-881-4136
**************
IN US: East Texas Biblical Prophecy Forum
9030 Old Hickory Rd.Tyler, TX 75703, 903-561-6274
But it’s … for the children!
January 10, 2009
Filed under Business, Constitution, Freedom, government interference
But it’s … for the children!
Posted: January 10, 2009
1:00 am Eastern
© 2009
It’s happening once again. Amidst the tanking economy, I’m stunned to introduce HR 4040, the Consumer Product Safety “Improvement” Act of 2008. It is without question one of the most amazing pieces of horse manure ever to get signed into law. Allegedly kind and benign on the surface (after all, it’s …for the children!), in reality it imposes such strict and unrealistic testing requirements for lead and other contaminates on any and all children’s products, that in one stroke it shuts down entire industries.
We’re talking all children’s products. Clothing. Toys. Books. Furniture. CDs. DVDs. Anything, in fact, that children will use is now banned unless it’s brand new and/or certified toxin-free.
You think I’m fooling, right? You think I’m exaggerating? How I wish I were. Read it for yourself. Here’s an excellent summary that explains it in English rather than Politicalese. Here’s an L.A. Times article that discusses it.
This came about after the rash of (mostly) Chinese-made toys contaminated by lead paint that flooded the U.S. last year. Forty-five million toys were recalled. In a knee-jerk response to these legitimate safety concerns – and rather than doing something sensible, like banning imports of Chinese-made toys unless they passed scrutiny – our benevolent government decided instead to ban all sales of children’s items unless they pass inspection. “Inspection,” by the way, means independent third-party testing and certification for each and every item sold. Every single pair of children’s jeans that sells at Goodwill for $1.99 must be tested at a cost of oh, say, $150 apiece. Move over to the next pair of jeans on the rack, and unless they are exactly, precisely the same (including the same size), then you’re looking at another test requirement. Stooooopid.
So if these items can no longer be sold, what happens to them? Elementary, my dear Watson. All these items must be thrown away. Not sold, not traded, not given. Thrown.
The environmental impacts are staggering. Walk into any large thrift store and look at the racks and racks of children’s clothes. See the huge numbers of books. Look at the shelves of children’s shoes. Browse the departments full of furniture. Now gather up every last item – everything – and throw it in the landfill. Multiply this by every thrift store in every city – as well as every mom-and-pop establishment specializing in gently-used children’s products – and you have what amounts to a landfill crisis. This isn’t speculation, folks. By law, this is what must happen. Environmentalists should be screaming over this. They have every right to.
In fact, someone’s been screaming because news just came down that thrift and consignment stores are now exempt from this ban on selling untested clothing. While I’m relieved to hear this rather arbitrary decision, it doesn’t lift the law from small businesses that sell new clothing and children’s products. Every little home business that makes, say, diaper wraps or cloth dolls or wooden toys or modest clothing for girls is going down the tubes.
If you are “caught” racketeering in illegal children’s products, you can be fined upwards of $100,000 and receive possible jail time. Craft fairs are going to tank. Grandpa can no longer make toys in his workshop. Grandma had better not sew any dolls’ clothes. Yeah, great idea – let’s turn our seniors into criminals.
The problem lies in HR 4040’s broad wording. Rather than specifying specific problem sources (such as China) and imposing regulations on those sources, it targets every possible seller of children’s books, toys, clothing, shoes, furniture, CDs, DVDs, etc. Everything. Yard sales. eBay. Amazon.com. Craig’s List. Library sales. Even Freecycle.
So in an economy that is shaky to the point of depression, our government – in one stroke of the pen – is looking at bankrupting an enormous sector of our population and causing extreme hardship for the rest.
The creepy thing is how few people were aware this law existed; otherwise the protests would have started long before this. The term “sneaky” comes to mind. Suddenly, we are faced with a deadline only weeks away (Feb. 10). This is gonna take a lot of screaming if we’re going to get this law modified or (better) revoked.
There have been some modest concessions. It’s been acknowledged – duh – that some things just don’t contain lead, such as wood, cotton, silk, wool, hemp, flax and linen. So far, it appears that products made of these items won’t require testing.
But wait, there’s more. Let’s say you sew an organic cotton dress for a child, but you use polyester thread. Alarm! Alarm! Now the garment needs testing! And heaven forbid if you put snaps, a zipper, or buttons on that dress. Those individual components will need to be tested. By independent third-party labs. At exorbitant costs. And if you make another cotton dress, then that dress must be independently tested too. See how this works?
Naturally, anything made with “mixed” fabrics, i.e. a cotton-polyester blend, will have to be tested.
And books, for Pete’s sake. I don’t know about you, but there’s nothing I enjoy more than going to a library sale and buying armfuls of beautiful, used books to enrich my children’s minds through literature. But literacy is now less important than the remote possibility my 10-year-old daughter will eat her books and become sick. So books will be subject to testing because of the component parts – glue, bindings, paper, inks. Libraries can no longer hold book sales because children’s books might be sold. Used bookstores would have to dump all their children’s selections. Amazon.com has already notified its vendors that they must comply with the new law by providing lead-testing certificates. There can be no more homeschool curriculum fairs because used books change hands all the time. See how this works?
This is lunacy. Absolute pure lunacy.
Normally I don’t put out a call to action in my columns, but this piece of bullpoop can’t be ignored. I’m serious, folks – this will bankrupt huge industries, small businesses and individuals. If you’re low-income, it means your children will be dressed in rags because you can’t afford to buy new clothes, especially clothes with a jacked-up price tag reflecting the new testing requirements.
Remember this – whenever you hear somebody bleating, “But … it’s for the children!”, you can assume they’re telling the adults to go to hell.
Call to action
* E-mail your representative and remind him or her that we don’t vote for people who bankrupt our nation. If words fail you, here’s a sample letter you can follow.
* Call your senators. Naturally, you won’t get to talk directly with them, but an assistant will answer the phone. If you’re nervous, prepare a script in advance and always be polite. But these idiots … er, elected officials will only understand the depth of our anger if we flood the phone lines.
* Send a letter to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Be polite (cuss words aren’t polite, tempting as they may be), but pin their ears back by informing them what compliance with this law will do to the economy. Like they care.
* Sign the petition. Pass it on to friends.
* Spread the word. Only by passing the word can we multiply the strength of our protests.
My deepest thanks to the readers who brought this issue to my attention.
Patrice Lewis is co-founder of Don Lewis Designs. She and her husband have been in business for 14 years. The Lewises live on 40 acres in north Idaho with their two homeschooled children, assorted livestock and a shop that overflows into the house with depressing regularity. Visit patricelewis.com.
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=85735
Tribute to Jill Austin-Jan. 9,2008
A TRIBUTE TO JILL AUSTIN
Keith Luker
Jan 10, 2009
Jill Austin now in Glory…face to face reality…a Tribute to this beautiful woman written by Sarah Allis Yang.
A Seed Falling To The Ground…
I had the privilege of spending the final week of Jill’s life on earth with her. I am so grateful that God divinely orchestrated such precious time with my spiritual mama though we both didn’t know it at the time.
We had many meals together, shared lots of smiles and stories, but more importantly shared with such vibrancy our hopes and dreams for seeing the arts and creativity once again restored to our Beloved Creator.
I shared with her a dream I had a couple months ago that got her excited about doing dramas again. In the dream, Jill was just getting off a plane in California from Kansas City. As she arrived, she handed me a flyer with characters such as Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty all over it. She wanted to put on a conference where each of these stories would be told prophetically to the church through drama, film, music, and the arts. It was to call the Bride of Christ to come out of bondage into our rightful place as His royal sons and daughters through creativity.
I think that is why it’s been so difficult to let her go. I’ve had to wrestle with the thought that her destiny was somehow aborted. But I was reminded of the Scripture:
I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. (John 12:24)
As she poured out her heart and vision for the arts to be restored this final week, she was surrounded by young people. She would share stories of her “Empty Cradle” drama about abortion that used to be seen by 8000 people in one weekend during the 70’s and 80’s. Jill would tell us that people would flood and weep in the altars during her performances because the heart of God was so vividly displayed.
We couldn’t keep our mouths shut as she spoke as we were filled with excitement, screaming, “YES, THIS IS WHAT WE BURN FOR. THIS IS WHAT WE WANT TO DO. YOU’RE PUTTING LANGUAGE TO OUR DREAMS!!!! DRAMA, ART, MUSICALS, FILMS, TV, DANCES, SONGS THAT DISPL AY GOD’S HEART.” Her dreams came alive within us as she spoke and we left every meal with a passionate resolve in our hearts that said, “Let’s do this!”
I believe that her destiny is far from being aborted but is now being handed over to a generation to be multiplied as we honor this steadfast forerunner.
A Prophet of the People
Another moment that lives on in my memories of Jill happened just a few days ago on January 2nd, 2009. Jill and I were having dinner at Higher Grounds Cafe when a young man out of nowhere bowed down to introduce himself to Jill. He raved at how much she has blessed him and his friend through her ministry.
Jill was clearly embarrassed by his gushing remarks but she continued to ask his name, where he’s from, and genuinely took interest in getting to know him and his friend. We even rode over to the Luke 18 Conference with them.
When I asked her about that whole experience and if it’s hard to stay humble, she said, “Going through everyday life keeps you humble.” She later whispered in my ear during worship, “You know how Princess Diana was known as the people’s princess, I want to be known as a prophet of the people. I want to be with the people.”
I believe that desire came to pass in such an unexpected way just a few days later. As she fought for her life, literally thousands in the body of Christ throughout the world stopped what they were doing to intercede and cry out on her behalf. People20were glued to their iPhones and laptops, awaiting news of their beloved Jill. Day and night, their hearts went out to her, full of love towards a woman who they encountered once in their lives but it changed them forever.
Although the loss of Jill is sudden and tragic, I believe it happened the way she would’ve wanted it to be… dramatic. In her finale, she once again gripped the hearts of the people, made us weep, and ultimately led us to gaze upon the one that she loves, Jesus Christ, who’s arms she rests in both now and forevermore.
Take a bow, Jill, from the balcony of heaven, and know you’ve moved us once again with a story about you and your beloved Master Potter
The Mascot Mark Kurzem
If your interested in purchasing The Mascot from the last post, here is a link that will help.
Rivkah
The Mascot,
Mark Kurzem
Kurzem immediately recognized his father’s handwriting: He wrote all in capitals without punctuation; that was because, the author noted, his father had grown up in Eastern Europe during World War II and had had no formal schooling.
But the author was alarmed at finding the note. He’d just spoken to his parents on the phone a few days earlier; they’d been at home in Melbourne, watching TV. Father and son had spoken about Mark’s leaving soon for Tokyo, where he’d spend four months doing research. Then the elder Kurzem grew quiet. Mark promised to call again before his departure. His father gave a nervous little cough, which his son understood to mean that something was bothering him, but neither said a word.
Now his father was in Oxford.
Mark had been trying, without success, to get his parents to come to England, and then perhaps take in a little of Europe — a place his father hadn’t visited since he left in 1949. As Mark said, his mother was always “keen” on the idea, but the elder Kurzem insisted that the past was the past. Australia — his “lucky country” in the sunshine — was his home, and he had no desire to go back in time.
‘An Aura of Sadness’
Daphne was a next-door neighbor, and Mark went directly there. He found his father nodding off. He and his neighbor tried not to disturb him, but then they heard him stir.
“He had raised his head slightly,” Kurzem writes, “and fixed his strong eyes on me with curiosity. I took in his familiar impish features: his arched eyebrows and his high and rosy cheeks gave him a permanently mischievous air. But I was struck by something else — it was as if I’d captured his image in a photograph and glimpsed an aura of sadness.”
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| Alex Kurzem in his Wehrmacht uniform, 1943. |
It was early evening before the pair left Daphne’s place, and the entire time Mark had been troubled by his father’s impetuousness. As they entered the apartment, Mark reached down to pick up the battered brown case his father always carried, but the older man grabbed it first.
Continues the author: “He had always been protective of his case — it was an unstated rule that nobody apart from him should ever lay hands upon it. He took it with him everywhere, clasping it so closely under his arm it might have been grafted to his rib cage.
“It was all he’d brought with him from Europe at the end of the Second World War. In it he carried his few meager belongings: mementos from his childhood in Russia and Latvia.”
Although the case had been a feature of Mark’s childhood, and he and his brothers had known that it contained important photos and documents, no one had ever seen the inside of it. “When he was at home, my father invariably kept the locked case in the bottom of his wardrobe, hidden beneath my Catholic mother’s family Bible to give it extra and somewhat superstitious security. He kept the keys to the case in his pocket and out of the reach of me and my brothers … . Of course, his air of mystery gave the case an almost totemic power over our imaginations that was never more strongly felt than when my father decided to tell us a story from his past, using the case as a prop.”
When asked, Mark’s father didn’t see what was so unusual about him showing up in Oxford. He did confess, however, that Mark’s mother knew nothing about this sudden jaunt, thinking he was in Sydney attending to a sick friend. And, for a time, that’s all the information Mark received about the visit.
Just Two Words
After a few days together, the elder Kurzem announced that he was leaving, that it was necessary since Mark’s mother would be wondering why he hadn’t returned from Sydney. The two men then decided to spend their last day together in London, and have a meal at a restaurant that served the kind of Eastern European dishes Mark’s father loved. While they were waiting for the food to be served, the elder Kurzem admitted that he’d begun to remember things about his childhood.
Mark was shocked because for so long his father said that he had no memory of his ancestral home or his parents, only his recollection of fleeing into the forest while his mother, his little brother and other townspeople were being slaughtered by the Nazis. He was only 5 years old at the time.
Now he told Mark he remembered two words — “Panok” and “Koidanov” — but he didn’t know if they were names of people or places. Yet he considered them to be the keys to his past. He hadn’t told his wife, not wanting to worry her. He had told his son, he said, because he wanted him to help figure out what they meant.
So begins the journey at the heart of The Mascot. What Mark Kurzem slowly discovers as he delves more deeply into the past is that, after his father’s ordeal in the Byelorussian forests, trying not to be eaten by wolves, he was picked up by a band of Latvian SS soldiers. The boy imagined that he would be killed immediately, but for some reason, one of the soldiers took a shine to him, and he was transformed into this military group’s mascot. He was given a Nazi uniform that had been tailored especially for him and was made a little “corporal.” He even “starred” in a Nazi propaganda film.
This is only the top layer of the story Kurzem tells. Both the past and how it is slowly uncovered are tales of unending drama with truly tragic implications.
Kurzem is not a professional writer per se, so don’t expect elegant prose or any real ease in the telling of this complex narrative. It would appear that he plunked a tape recorder in front of his father, then transcribed the man’s words verbatim, using large chunks of dialogue to tell the tale, rather than, at times, stepping back and dramatizing it.
Having said that, Kurzem does a number of things remarkably well. The portrait he gives us of his father — awakened at nights, pacing the floor, literally racked by memories — is both harrowing and unforgettable. And though not a practiced nonfiction writer, he was smart enough to know that the story had a propulsion all its own, and that he should follow its momentum. Some veterans writers don’t know to do that.
In the end, The Mascot is as much a Holocaust story as it is a tale about identity, about learning just who and what you’re made of, no matter how rigidly you’ve tried to reimagine yourself in a sunny new country. And this search for identity does not end in triumph.
When Mark asks his father in the final pages of the book if it would have been better if the past had never been stirred up, the elder Kurzem says: “I honestly don’t know, son. Even after 60 years it unsettled me in a way that I could never have imagined. I thought I was in charge of my life but it wasn’t so. How I survived even now dictates my life, and all I can do is follow at a safe distance, chained to it. It’s as if there are two persons in my body. There is the Alex everybody knows and there’s another Alex who was a secret. They’ll have to learn to accommodate each other again.”
His son adds: “There was no resolution, no absolution, no moving on, no getting over it, no pop-psychology solution. Only an accommodation of the past. My father had somehow known this all along.”
Perhaps the saddest thing of all is that Mark’s mother (who was not Jewish) was similarly tortured by all this probing into a troubled past and, apparently, died from the stress of the experience, her son thinks, before he could complete the book.
The Mascot, appropriately, is dedicated to her memory.Purchase below:
The Mascot: Unraveling the Mystery of My Jewish Father’s Nazi Boyhood
The Jewish Exponent
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Spirit, Mind and Body: And More From Shekinah’s Garden & Backwoods Mercantile
January 9, 2009
Filed under Backwoods-Mercantile.com, Blogroll, Health, organics, www.shekinahs-garden.com
I realize after the New Year we all think of ways to make lasting changes to better our lives and live for our Creator. Today I am sharing some helpful tools to do just that.Also I have added lots of new clothe diapers, natural laundry aids,etc to Backwoods-Mercantile. Even if you don’t have little ones at home maybe pass the information on to someone you know that has little ones and uses clothe diapers.Or maybe you’d just like a more natural alternative to laundry soap for your family. I have bulk sizes to soon be available as well.Have a great weekend and I will be in touch soon.
Thanks for your support and friendship!!
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GAZA – TRIGGER FOR WHAT?
| Blood Covenant of Adonai Y”Shua Ha”Mashiach |
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| One New Man Call
Dear praying friends,
Thank you for your concern and prayers in light of the hostilities in southern Israel. For those who have inquired, we are glad to report that our loved ones who are serving in the Israeli armed forces are well, though some are in harm’s way. We do have family members whose homes are in range of Hamas rockets and whose children are spending the nights in bomb shelters. Thank you for your prayers for them, for all who are in danger and are suffering, for the Messianic Israeli soldiers involved in the fight and for the small “endangered” Christian community in Gaza.
Many reliable and detailed intercessory reports and prayer letters are coming out of Israel daily and there is no need to add to them. We will simply state the facts and comment on them in order that the intercessors can understand the “big picture” and stand firm in God’s purpose during this present turmoil. Why? Because “Our God is the God of salvation; and to GOD the Lord belong escapes from death.” Psalm 68:20.
FACTS & FIGURES FOR THE PURPOSE OF PRAYER:
1. God has no pleasure in death or human suffering and we grieve with His Spirit. War is never pretty, though it is sometimes unavoidable and even necessary as history proves.
2. Rockets and missiles have been launched unprovoked into southern Israeli communities from Gaza for the last eight years (!) keeping thousands of children sleeping in bomb shelters nightly and often missing school, while the local economy suffers.
3. Nearly 10,000 (!) Hamas rockets and mortars were launched since Israel pulled out of Gaza in 2006, keeping half a million Israelis in range of deadly missiles exploding among them on a daily basis.
4. On December 19, 2008 Hamas refused to extend the tottering six month cease-fire agreement and began to target Israeli villages, towns and cities. On Christmas day alone, eighty (80!) mortars and missiles were fired from Hamas territory into Israel.
5. Before launching the present anti-terrorist offensive, Israeli officials dropped leaflets and made nearly 100,000 phone calls to Gaza residents warning them to move away from the battle zones in order to minimize civilian casualties.
6. Hamas, on the other hand, deliberately and strategically seeks to increase Palestinian civilian casualties by storing weapons in homes and public buildings and by conducting terror operations from densely populated neighborhoods in order to win the public relations war. Life is cheap according to Islam, and Gaza sources confirm that Palestinian civilians are held at gun point by Hamas militants and herded to the front lines of the fighting in order to either prevent Israeli action or “gain” more graphic footage of civilian casualties. Either way, it’s a win/win situation for Hamas.
7. Homeland security warnings have been issued in the USA after Arab language researchers have intercepted terrorist communications indicating the intent to target Jewish organizations, synagogues and facilities throughout the world. The terrorists’ target list include “all that belongs to the Jews worldwide,” stating that surprises are in store for the Jews and that what “Hitler did to you is nothing compared to what these surprises will be.”
Recent lone-wolf attacks in Denmark and France are apparently the model for this new wave of anti-Jewish terror worldwide, and US security experts indicate that the potential of terror attacks ranges from small firearms to Improvised Explosive Devices (IED). Suicide bombers have also been called for. Logic indicates that such anti-Jewish wave of terror could spill over to any other pro-Israel groups, including Christian Churches, organizations and individuals supporting Israel. How many of Israel’s friends will still stand with her when the cost rises?
8. Israeli military action will cease the moment Hamas stops firing and the international community assumes serious responsibility monitoring their activities.
9. While the conflict goes on, the Palestinian population of Gaza continues to receive its electricity, water and basic food and medical supplies from and through Israel, as it has had for years. There is NO humanitarian crisis in Gaza today as dozens of truckloads of supplies are rolling in daily through the Israeli checkpoints. The (little reported) scandal is that Hamas fighters steal and confiscate many of these supplies to further their terror activities, and sell the leftovers to Gaza’s residents who should receive this aid freely.
The reader should appreciate the insane nature of Hamas, keeping the Gaza Arabs deprived, grossly unemployed and destitute, parading them as one the world’s most dysfunctional people groups relying entirely on international aid for their livelihood and on supply lines from the very nation they seek to destroy. Go figure the Islamic logic.
10. As we write this report, Hamas Internal Security Apparatus (ISA) is conducting executions and maiming of dozens of Palestinians suspected of aiding Israel and supporting the moderate Palestinian Authority of Mahmoud Abbas. Many are shot in the legs while others have their hands broken to discourage “treason.”
11. Meanwhile, Israeli forces have destroyed a large amount of Hamas infrastructure, weaponry and capabilities while sustaining only minimal casualties. Ground forces have the main Gaza cities locked down and surrounded in an effort to stop the rocket attacks, reducing them to “only” 35 per day earlier this week.
12. International efforts for a cease fire continue toward a draft proposal that both sides can agree upon. Regrettably though, given the past historical record of previous cease fire agreements with Islamic elements whose agenda is the annihilation of Israel, a cease fire agreement will not last long.
13. This clash is but another chapter of the long saga of conflict between the forces of darkness and God’s word and purpose. As in the progression of natural child birth, while rest and respite come between the contractions, these contractions will only increase in intensity and proximity in preparation for the birthing of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. There is more trouble on the horizon.
SCRIPTURAL PERSPECTIVE
The conflict with Hamas in Gaza is likely, sooner or later, to “spill over” to the northern front with Hezbollah, getting worse before it gets better. The intercessors, therefore, must arm themselves with patience and stamina for the long haul. What we see unfolding in the Middle East these days is the prelude to the final biblical battles, leading the world toward the final act of human history and the return of the Son of God, Yeshua, as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Scripturally, the birth pains preceding the coming of the Lord all speak of God’s intense judgments over the nations of the earth which include an avalanche of natural disasters, a number of devastating wars focused on Israel and Jerusalem, international totalitarianism in the spirit of imperial Rome, and a global harvest of the souls of the redeemed drawn out from the growing darkness. For all practical purposes, adding together Islam’s increasing belligerence, Russia’s muscle flexing, America’s gradual decline and the rise of anti-Israeli sentiment around the world, the hour may be much later than many would consider.
GAZA – TRIGGER FOR WHAT?
The million dollar question is who is using Hamas to pull Israel into this conflict which the terror organization knows it can’t win? Who is standing to gain from such a blood bath that can easily spill northward toward Lebanon and Syria and develop into a regional war? Only Iran fits the bill! The main backer, supplier and trainer of Hamas forces in Gaza and Hezbollah forces in Lebanon, Iran would like to lure Israel into a costly regional conflict involving Hamas, Hezbollah and possibly Syria in order to escape the inevitable Israeli air strikes on their nuclear facilities. Should the Lord permit this escalation of hostilities, the world will soon be rocked by the first prophesied Israeli-Muslim war.
Viewing the current hostilities through the prism of prophetic scriptures, the next Middle Eastern war is already on the horizon. This will be the war that will bring down Islam’s madness and pride, setting free millions of souls from its hideous bondage. According to scripture, the nations surrounding Israel will be dramatically defeated and disastrously impacted never to recover following an all out Israeli effort to survive. A regional distress of this magnitude, threatening the majority of the world’s present oil supplies, will create a global trauma of such enormity that will cause an international response along the lines of the Ezekiel 38-39 Russian-led coalition invasion of Israel.
According to God’s word, however, this global campaign to annihilate Israel will end dramatically with overwhelming divine judgments devastating the invading armies as the Lord magnifies His name in all the earth while pouring out His Spirit upon the embattled Jewish nation. Israel will be awakened, yet through much suffering. The end will then be near as the Jewish people struggle to comprehend and enter into their calling while undergoing great trials; the world will continue to slip into gross darkness under global deception; and the final war of Zechariah 12 will lay the ground for the return of our Lord Yeshua in person to establish His Kingdom on earth. Are you ready for the possibility that the world as we know it to be is likely to drastically change in our lifetime? Are your priorities, decisions and treasures invested in the right kingdom?
NATURAL & SPIRITUAL THIRST
Water shortage in Israel is at its most severe level in recorded history, and the Lake of Galilee, Israel’s national water reservoir, is at an all time low level at 214.06 meters below sea level. The lake’s water level has been dropping by an average of one meter per year since 2004, and the water level is so low today that the Jordan River is actually disconnected from the lake itself, and baptism at the traditional site is possible only by artificial pumping.
Not only has rainfall been insufficient in recent years, resulting in this all time low level of the Lake of Galilee, but the coastal aquifer as well as many of the main wells have been at maximum levels of pumping for too long and are at risk of contamination by sea water. Apart from grace from heaven, the only solution to Israel’s increasing water crisis are the desalination efforts that, to date, supply only a small portion of the national water demand.
We have seen the Lord’s hand move with power and speed in past years when the intercessors took a solid faith-filled stand for rain in Israel. Will you stand with us again, praying according to His word of promise, saying “but the land which you cross over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water from the rain of heaven, a land for which the LORD your God cares; the eyes of the LORD your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year.” Deuteronomy 11:11-12.
THE HARVEST OF MUSLIMS
As we move forward into the end-time judgments of the Lord, the intercessors must learn to think and pray according to the mind of the Lord and not according to our natural instincts and logic. Consequently, the ultimate issue in these progressive Middle Eastern wars will not only be Israel’s survival as the scripture confirms many times, but how these wars will impact the millions of souls trapped by the demonic principality of Islam.
Historically, the “god” of Islam has maintained its control through military dominance, intimidation and violence, having killed more than 100,000,000 “infidels” so far. This is the reason why the very existence of a sovereign Jewish nation in the heart of the Arab world is a disgrace and an affront to the Muslim faith. Defeated by the judgments of the God of Israel in the coming wars, Islam’s insane and self-destructive tyranny will diminish, setting hundreds of millions free to consider the Gospel of our Lord.
2009 has the potential to unfold from bad to worse (naturally speaking) unless the Lord’s mercies will hold back the inevitable judgments. Much is depending upon the intercession of the saints. · Pray for the believers who are engaged in combat these days. · Pray for the Gospel message to be heard with faith among the Jewish people in Israel and throughout the world. · Pray for the millions of souls who are under Islam’s bondage. · Pray for America whose economy and standing in the world are greatly shaken, and who is more vulnerable to terror attacks now than before. · And pray for your soul and your household as we all must set our eyes upon eternal things, preparing our hearts for the Lord of the whole earth who is drawing nearer with each passing day.
WHAT CAN BE DONE?
At the very end of this age, after God’s terrible judgments have cleansed the earth from her filth, John wrote, “And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude and as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, ‘Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.’ And it was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.” Rev 19:6-8.
The Bride of Christ emerges among those coming triumphantly from God’s judgments. She is clothed in white garments in preparation for her Heavenly Bridegroom; garments which are made of righteous acts. What are these garments? Righteous acts are those acts we do, or don’t do, because of our faith.
As Hebrews 11 shows, these righteous acts include offering excellent sacrifices (vs. 4), building an ark on dry ground (vs. 7), relocation & dwelling in temporary housing for years (vs. 8-9), conceiving a baby in old age (vs. 11), dying well (vs. 13), blessing others (vs. 20-21), giving vision and instruction (vs. 22), disobeying unrighteous authority (vs. 23), choosing humility and suffering (vs. 24-25), keeping God’s commands (vs. 28), passing safely through catastrophic calamities (vs. 29), identifying with and aiding Israel (vs. 31), performing great exploits (vs. 33-35), enduring torture, injustice and abuse (vs. 35-38) and obtaining a good testimony (vs. 39). According to scripture, all these are acts of faith that form the Bridal garments. Where is your faith today?
ACTS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
In the coming days, as the shaking increases all around us and touches all things, the only “currency” that will remain stable and even increase in value will be the “righteous acts of the saints.” More than a perfect theology, an impressive office or flawless testimony, the real end-time assets will be your actions, your faith-filled deeds, the work of your life as you touch, serve, display and extend the love of Christ to others. Many times in the scriptures the Lord assures and exhorts us that we will be evaluated and rewarded by the quality of our deeds; the rudiment virtues budding out of our very lives, reminding us that “faith without works is dead!” James 2:20.
Neither theological apologetics nor academic knowledge or external appearance will do us any good on judgment day. As it is written, “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.” I-Cor 3:11-15.
REMEMBER ISRAEL
As a practical expression of your faith, while watching and praying with God over Israel’s struggles, will you consider supporting Messianic Believers in Israel through our ISRAEL FUND? With your support, we targets those persecuted for the Faith, people of excellence, and those with hearts to do great things with God as He establishes His testimony in Israel during these turbulent times.
We also want to thank you for standing with us in this ministry through your prayers and giving. ONE NEW MAN CALL ministry is supported by friends of the Ephesians 2:14-15 vision, calling Jew and Gentile to dwell as one in God’s Olive Tree. To learn more, to support this work, or to provide direct financial support to Messianic Believers in Israel, contact us at the address below. Thank you.
In His grace,
REUVEN AND MARY LOU DORON (C) 2009 One New Man Call
One New Man Call P O Box 164 Hayfield, MN 55940 USA
Ministry Contact: OneNewManMail@aol.com
Forward, Reprint & Use Agreement: You are welcome to forward, reprint and use these messages, provided that you cite original source and contact information.
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Posted By Rivkah to Shekinah-Mercantile & Backwoods-Mercantile & Yizreel’s Garden at 1/08/2009 08:20:00 PM
Kibbutz Nir Am: Living with Kassams
Kibbutz Nir Am: Living with Kassams
Posted by: “judybalint” judy.balint@gmail.com judybalint
Wed Jan 7, 2009 11:40 am (PST)
Thanks to ESRA On-line for this message from Marcell Bar-On of Kibbutz Nir Am:
“NIR-AM is situated on the Northwestern border between Israel and the Gaza Strip. The
kibbutz consists of 120 adult members and 60 children. Nir-Am was one of eleven
kibbutzim established along the Gaza border and surrounding areas between 1943-1945
for the purpose of settling the land and securing the border. It was the first kibbutz where
subterranean fresh water was found, a discovery that made it possible to successfully
settle the Northern Negev Region.
My husband’s parents were both members of the small group of 22 young Zionists who
founded the kibbutz in 1943. At the age of 17 Asher made his way, mostly on foot, to
Israel, having escaped the Nazis in Russia. He never saw or heard from his family again.
Rachel and her brother were put on a train to Israel by their parents in Bratislava,
Czechoslovakia. Her whole family perished in the Nazi concentration camps.
Nir-Am’s location – between the Northern Negev town of Sderot and Beit Hanoun, the
Palestinian town where most of the Kassam rocket attacks originate – has been
devastating for our community and has turned a small piece of heaven into a living hell.
Every bomb that falls in Sderot travels over our kibbutz, and almost every bomb that falls
short, falls in Nir-Am, both in the living areas and in our fields. Nir-Am has suffered more
attacks than any other community outside of Sderot. Since 2000, 90 Kassam bombs have
fallen among the houses and childrens’ houses of Nir-Am and another 500 have fallen in
the surrounding fields, killing livestock and setting our crops on fire. When the news
reports speak of bombs falling in `open areas’ it usually means that they have fallen in
Nir-Am.
The attacks are unprovoked, unpredictable and continuous, and their effect has been close
to catastrophic for us, both economically and psychologically. Our every action, our every
waking moment, is geared toward minimizing the impact of living under enemy fire. Our
first concern is always for our elderly and our children.
My son Gabi, who turns ten in December, was three years old when the bombings started
and doesn’t remember life without Kassam bombs. There are no reinforced rooms in our
homes and the old communal shelters cannot be reached in the 5-10 seconds it takes a
Kassam bomb to travel between Beit Hanoun and Nir-Am.
So our family does what all the other families do; when we hear the “Tzeva
Adom” (red light) alert we huddle in a small windowless area (in our case, a small passage
between bedrooms), our bodies and the tiled roof the only barriers between our
children and the incoming bomb. We silently count the seconds to impact and I often need
to remind the children to breathe – they are frozen in total terror. And we pray
that this time, too, we will be spared.
The effect has been most obvious on our children. At home, bedwetting, aggressive
behavior, extreme mood swings, insomnia, loss of appetite… and at school, lack of
concentration, absenteeism, hyperactivity, outbursts of anger and physical and verbal
aggression.
But no one is spared the psychological warfare of which we are all victims, almost as many
adults are in counseling as are children in an attempt to cope with the harsh reality of our
daily lives. In fact, as parents we carry the additional burden of guilt for not being able to
protect our children, we feel responsible for what is happening to them.
Driving with car windows open, even in the heat of summer, so that one can hear the alert
and perhaps have a chance to stop the car and get to some kind of shelter…
children playing outside, always acutely aware of exactly where the nearest house or
tree is, so that they can run for their lives and find what inadequate and pitiful protection
they can… cell phones for every child of school age so that we can stay in contact with
them when they are not at home and can call to see whether they are safe after every
bomb has fallen… how can I describe the long moments waiting for my child to answer
the phone after a Tseva Adom alert?
Due to repeated and deliberate targeting the elementary school has been relocated
to Kibbutz Ruhama, an affiliated kibbutz out of range of the bombs. There our children
attend classes in temporary trailer-type rooms and this facility will be their school for
the next few years until a new reinforced school can be built for them. There are no
playgrounds and no recreational facilities or sports fields, but they are safely out of
range… at least during school hours.
Economically, the impact has been no less severe. In Nir- Am, the various businesses
have all been affected and we have lost more than $1.3 million in income over the past
few years as a direct result of the Kassam attacks. This is an enormous loss in our terms.
The Government has completely failed to come to our aid where it counts most, the
protection of our loved ones. For seven years we have been waiting in vain for reinforced
rooms to be built in Nir-Am, our Government is unable or unwilling to fund this project.
And so to our personal Chanukah miracle. On the first day of Chanukah this year,
at 6.30am, a Kassam bomb fell less than five meters from where my son Gabi
and daughter Mayan were sleeping. I had been busy in my home office
when the Tzeva Adom alarm sounded. I could not hear the children running for
our little “safe corner” and I immediately realized that they had not heard the alarm
and were still asleep in their beds, even as the bomb was on its way from
Gaza.
I ran in the direction of their bedroom, shouting for them to wake up, as I reached
the bedroom door they jumped from their beds but a second later the bomb
struck. It did not explode upon impact, but penetrated deep into the soft
earth and later had to be retrieved with the help of a bulldozer.
Our personal Chanukah miracle had just occurred, had the bomb fallen one
week earlier, before the first winter rains when the earth had still been hard,
it would have exploded on impact and the result could have been catastrophic for
our family.
It is in the tradition of the pioneering spirit of our kibbutz founding members
that we have not spoken out to World Jewry until now but have chosen to
carry the burden of our situation in silence, hoping that our Government
would come to our aid. However, I feel that it is of utmost importance
that our plight is brought to your attention and, therefore, I have chosen
to send you this story of our life on the Gaza border.
I thank you for your interest and concern and for taking the time to learn
more about our situation. Please feel free to contact me at marcellu@nir-am.org.il.
Marcell Bar-On was born in South Africa and met her Israeli husband, Uzi, when she
was 25 years old. Uzi, Marcell and their four children are members of Kibbutz Nir-Am (an
agricultural community).
Kelly, 21 years old, completed her National Service a year ago, Dana, 20, completed
her National Service in January, Mayan and Gabi are both pupils at Sha’ar HaNegev,
the local regional school, where Marcell teaches English to grades 1-7.
The View From Sderot
Posted by: “judybalint” judy.balint@gmail.com judybalint
Wed Jan 7, 2009 5:04 pm (PST)
Dear Jerusalem Diaries friends,
These are extraordinary times in Israel, so we’ll be sending out more messages than usual
to try to give you a more complete picture of the situation here.
What follows is the blog of my friend, documentary film maker Laura Bialis, who made
aliya to Sderot last year:
Please continue to pray for our soldiers.
Judy Lash Balint, Jerusalem.
Moderator
——————————
Wartime in Israel: What it looks like from Sderot
January 6th, 2009
These have been interesting days. For the last week, I’ve wanted to write my experiences
and share them with all of you. To be honest, it’s been hard to concentrate. I’ve been busy
— I’ve been trying to capture as much as possible with my video camera. I used to have a
crew, but my two usual shooters are afraid to come to Sderot right now. So I’m on my own,
except for my husband, who has become my assistant cameraperson because he won’t let
me out of his sight. We’ve made a pact to try to stay together as much as possible so we
don’t worry about each other.
I want to describe what it looks like – and sounds like –- from here.
Every morning, we are awakened by the Tzeva Adom alert. This is one of the most bizarre
air raids in history. It starts with the click of a loudspeaker, and then a calm woman’s
voice says “Tzeva Adom (Color Red), Tzeva Adom (Color Red)” over and over again. The
alert has been difficult to hear at times, especially if you were playing music or watching
TV. Last week, two soldiers from the Home Command Unit appeared at our door and
handed us a home beeper system that goes off two seconds before the Tzeva Adom alert.
So now the loud beeper sound is added to the repertoire.
The moment of the alert, my husband Avi and I jump out of bed and run to our Mamad –
our bomb shelter. We huddle there and hug each other waiting to hear the explosion.
Sometimes it’s a distant thud. Sometimes it is terrifyingly close, and our house shakes.
After about twenty seconds, it’s over. They say that you have a fifteen second warning.
Actually, it varies. And once in a while, you will hear a Qassam land without a Tzeva Adom
alert. Those are the worst times, because that means there is a very decent chance that
someone has been hurt.
Here in Sderot, we are accustomed to Tzeva Adom alerts on a weekly and even daily basis.
But last week, the situation reached a new level. On Wednesday, December 24, we received
over 60 rockets. The following Saturday, we heard a new sound – airstrikes. It was a
strange moment. Finally, after eight years, Israel was taking action. Since then, the
Qassam attacks have been endless. In the old days, we knew there could be a Tzeva Adom
alert. Now we know there will be.
This week, there have been approximately 10 Tzeva Adom alerts in Sderot every day
(some days more, some days less.) Keep in mind – each Tzeva Adom is accompanied by
two to four exploding rockets.
So this is how we live. We stay alert at all times. If Avi takes a shower, I need to be nearby
listening for the alert, ready to grab him out of the shower if need be (and vice versa). If
we drive somewhere, we tune our radio to channel 104, the army channel. All Tzeva Adom
alerts are broadcast on that station, so you can immediately get out of your car and run
for cover. We also drive with seat belts off, and windows open, just in case. (Several of the
people who have died from Qassams were in their cars when the attack occurred.)
Where do we run? Well, Sderot is pretty well prepared. There are bomb shelters of every
shape and size everywhere you look – almost every ten meters you have one. The idea is
that you are always within fifteen seconds of a shelter. However, this concept is flawed in
its execution. Some areas are covered with shelters. But some residential streets have
none. If you are on a residential street in the middle of a Tzeva Adom alert, you run into
the nearest house. This is what happened today. As we heard the alert, we saw a flash of
two people in front of our house. We ran, opened the door, and the two young guys
followed us, running into our bomb shelter. We waited to hear the explosions, they
thanked us and were on their way.
Another issue – not all homes have bomb shelters. In fact, several of my friends don’t have
one, and fifteen seconds are not long enough for them to reach the public shelter. They
usually crouch under a stairwell hoping everything will be okay.
But ironically, Sderot is probably the safest place in Southern Israel at the moment.
Because now the entire South is being hit: Ashkelon, Ashdod, Be’er Sheva, and Netivot,
among others… We have friends in these cities, and when the bombs started to fall there,
they were in shock for days. They are less prepared than us. There are not bomb shelters
lining the streets of these towns, but fewer, larger community shelters where now many
people are sleeping. While we definitely feel a sense of solidarity, the fact that large part of
the country is living much like us – running for shelter and fearing for their lives – creates
a whole new sad reality.
When I first came to Sderot I didn’t run to the shelter. The threat seemed so random. It
seemed almost impossible that you were going to be hurt. The fear of Qassams is
something that takes a while. It grows on you. Because now, I know too many people with
near misses. I have a friend who reluctantly left his bed to go the shelter. He was lucky he
decided to go, because the Qassam landed directly on his bed, where he had been
sleeping a few seconds earlier. I have another friend who miraculously survived a Qassam
hit on her house. She is okay after massive rehab, but she has shrapnel in her brain that is
too deep to remove. And I have friends who have seen people killed by Qassams – right
before their eyes.
I often feel that the international press doesn’t get it. They make light of the rockets.
Because when you come to Sderot for one day, the attacks seem random and you feel
somehow immune from harm. The words “amateur homemade rockets” that I see written
in most major news publications, make the threat seem less serious. But the fact is, these
rockets are nothing other than bombs, falling from the sky, designed to kill civilians. And
they do.
The press usually focuses on the number of dead people. If these Qassams are really
dangerous, why haven’t more people died? Good question. Thousands of lives have been
saved by the 15-second warning system. With over 10,000 rockets that have landed in
this area in the past eight years, there would most likely be hundreds killed if not
thousands. But the fact that we know when the rockets are coming, saves our lives. Still,
is this any way to live? Can you imagine this happening in any city in America or Europe?
On Sunday, I filmed a home that had been completely destroyed that morning. It was a
small, three-room place. No bomb shelter, but miraculously, the room where the owner
took cover wasn’t hit. The rest of the house was demolished. I’ve seen tons of footage of
destroyed homes in Sderot, and filmed in broken houses. But I had never set foot on fresh
rubble just a few hours old. I was shaken. That house was struck by a Qassam, which is
approximately 6-8 kilos of explosives attached to a metal tube with fins.
Last night we were informed of new intelligence that Hamas intends to begin shooting
Grads into Sderot. Grads are twice the size of Qassams and are what Hamas uses to bomb
the further cities like Ashkelon, Ashdod, and Be’er Sheva. Now you know why my
cameraman has headed out of town
