January 9-16

As of this writing we are finishing the third week of the Gaza war. It is has been a time of really crazy emotions here, with an unprecedented 90+% Israeli support for this effort. The Peace Now people and the like have been conspicuously quiet. I mean, who in their right mind could honestly say to an Israeli pollster that Hamas is not a deserving target for the reckless way they have endangered the Israeli population in the south, not to mention their long history of homicide bombings and their charter commitment to the destruction of the State of Israel. Even today, when a bizarre coalition of left wing organizations here applied to Attorney General Mazuz to investigate IDF ‘war crimes’ (which was rejected) they did not mention the incursion itself as a problem or an illegal war or any of the other names we hear in the liberal western media. At present, as you are aware I am sure, the Egyptian peace initiative is being finalized with the input of both major players plus the US, the Hamas absentee leadership is posturing (“Israel is desparate; they have endured more casualties than we have”) and the ante is being upped in Gaza as we speak. Hopefully by next week it will be quieter on all fronts, but especially in the cities of Sderot, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Be-er Sheva and all points in between.

I would like to share an essay I wrote with you, about the coverage of the situation. If you want to read it, you can find it here (paste into your browser or go t the blog home page):

http://mazers-in-jerusalem.blogspot.com/2009/01/war-under-microscope.html

Enough politics for now. There was lots of life in Jerusalem….

Talk about amazing. Ariel and I went to the great synagogue on Shabbat morning to hear our friend, Cantor Yaacov Motzen, daven with the great synagogue choir. For those who have never been to the great Synagogue in Jerusalem, it is very unique. It has a large, beautiful sanctuary with a high cavernous ceiling and excellent acoustics for a massive room. The services are very formal, characterized by elevated liturgical music and a very experienced professional choir. The music is beautiful, but for many, the mix of formality, choir and elevated cantorial chanting can give the services an almost performance-like aspect that at times can take the feeling out of the prayer. In contrast, those who know Yaacov know just how unique he is. A real scholar of Judaism who studied in excellent Yeshivot, he is blessed with a phenomenal voice and a very deep kavanah (hard to translate; probably “deep religious intensity” is the best). When he sings, you feel it. The congregation was spellbound and captured in his rendition of the prayers. Two highlights, very pertinent to the times in Israel; a beautiful spirited rendition of the prayer to watch over the soldiers of the IDF (I had never heard that one). The second was his moving Yizkerem (found in the prayer Av harachamim; for the text and translation see here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Av_HaRachamim ). The centerpiece of this composition is a melody he composed when his brother was killed in the war in 1982. The stirring melody plus the emotional rendition of the words of the prayer had everyone deeply moved. When he ended with an upbeat Adon Olam full of great harmonies (note to Rabbi Ebbin: I hope the congregation has this one down pat by now!) everyone practically applauded (which isn’t really very cool in shul, except in Chomedey…).

Afterwards, Ariel and I polished off a cholent and appropriate beverages and talk over lunch. It was great to just chill and catch up on how much he has grown with the experience of this year in Israel. Since it was Ariel’s birthday this week (#18!) we did some celebrating, with a dinner at Sheyan Chinese restaurant including Elan and Nomi of course. Shoshana slept through the whole thing, to which I was very disappointed, but her parents greatly enjoyed having a great meal uninterrupted. At least on Tuesday I got to play with her, as we continued our Tuesday dinner and g’marrah sessions. To get to watch from week to week Shoshana’s growth and new tricks is tremendous. She is now pulling herself up to stand in her crib. This is accompanied by terrific smiles and games of peek-a-boo. You’ve seen her in her high chair (check out last week) and now she is enjoying more solid foods. Now an “only in Israel” moment. I went to the pharmacy with Elan to get some formula and baby cereal. Among the pure rice, pure wheat, pure barley and pure corn etc for 4-6 month olds, there was, for 9 month old babies, Chocolate baby cereal! Who would want to eat anything else?

In the lab, I continued to make good progress, plus we started a “spin-off” project based on our data, with our old neigbohr from Denver, Reuven Or. Reuven is head of bone marrow transplantation at Hadassah Medical center, and recently was awarded the Menachem Begin Prize for contribution to Israel’s society. He, along with Magen David Adom, established the first national cord blood bank for transplantation in Israel. That is quite an accomplishment anywhere, but especially in Israel, where everyone wants to be the head of everything and own their own fiefdom! To bring people together and cooperate is a real feat and Reuven definitely deserves the prize.

Part of this entry is being written at 2:47 AM on Thursday night. Why, you ask? Because, I just got back from Ariel’s yeshiva. The yeshiva has a Thursday night program for the first year guys, with a “Mussar Schmooze” (rough translation: Lecture on morals and attitudes, but it sounds better in Yiddish/Hebrew) and then a Kiddush (at 2 AM). There is a sponsor every week, and this week we sponsored in honor of Ariel’s birthday. Some may remember I sponsored in September in honor of Shoshana. It was pretty impressive how fast a bunch of guys can polish off plates of chicken nuggets and kugel, and of course there was a birthday cake. It was accompanied by great singing and happy birthday wishes and then the kids go off to learn some more Torah. Me? I went home, but it was fun and exciting so I am writing till I start to doze…zzzzzzz

This Shabbat we are all going to be in different places. Elan and Nomi in Moddiin with her parents, Ariel to friends in Moshav Nevei Aliza, and I am going to see Ronen and Michal Sela in Talmon.

Please have in your prayers Gilad Hillel ben Bracha Mirel, Naama Bracha bat Devorah, Tamar Dina bat Smadar and all the wounded members of T”ZHAL.

A very Happy Birthday to Sylvia Fruchter and to Zev Kessler! (and don't to forget Ariel Mazer!)

Have a Shabbat Shalom and keep warm!