In the euphoria over the reaching of an agreement between Israel and Hamas and the joy of those families who will be reunited with their loved ones, let’s not forget the families who instead will make preparations for funerals. And let us not forget the suffering of innocent people in Gaza.
Photographs of Gazan women hugging each other and their children have been all over social media. We were so focused on the suffering the war imposed on our own people that we tended to overlook the suffering of Gazans.
Also, let us not forget the dedication of people such as outgoing US President Joe Biden, his Secretary of State Antony Blinken, his National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and so many others who devoted themselves to the release of the hostages and a permanent ceasefire.
Israel owes a great debt to untold numbers of people from around the world who mobilized themselves for a variety of causes on Israel’s behalf.
This is something that can never be taken for granted especially during the huge spike in antisemitism, anti-Zionism and actions that are so reminiscent of Nazi Germany in the 1930s.
It will be extremely tempting when the hostages come home to do everything possible to compensate them for the deprivations they endured. It is important to remember that both their mental and physical health is fragile, and too much of anything can tip the scales.
Let us not forget what happened to starving prisoners whose digestive systems could not cope with the food that the allies gave them when liberating the camps at the end of the Second World War. After surviving so many harsh conditions, many died from overeating. Let’s be careful to see that this does not happen again.
Upon Trump's inauguration
■ FRIENDS OF Zion founder and president Mike Evans is a strong supporter, personal friend and adviser to US President-elect Donald Trump, whose victory at the polls he publicly celebrated. On this coming Monday, the day of Trump’s inauguration, FOZ will host a reception to celebrate his return to the White House and the Oval Office. They will also live stream the inauguration ceremony.
Pushing for resolution
■ ON HIS third visit to Israel and the Disputed Palestinian Territories, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who returned to London this week, continued to push for a resolution to the conflict as ceasefire and hostage talks continued.
He reiterated that the situation in Gaza is dire – the fighting must stop now, hostages must be returned immediately and unconditionally, and all sides must take the opportunity to open a pathway to an immediate ceasefire, lasting peace, and stability.
Lammy discussed regional security with key partners in Israel and the Palestinian Authority, and emphasized in meetings with Israeli ministers that Israel must avoid civilian casualties, protect civilian infrastructure including health facilities, allow unfettered aid into Gaza through all land routes, and ensure the UN and its humanitarian aid partners can operate effectively.
Discussions included holding Iran to account for its hostile and destabilizing behavior across the region, including through its political, financial and military support to proxies and partners.
Lammy met with families of British National Emily Damari and three hostages with strong UK-links, Eli Sharabi, Oded Lifschitz and Avinatan Or. He listened to the families’ campaign and made clear the UK’s support for further progress on a ceasefire deal that gets the hostages home immediately and unconditionally.
During his meeting with PA President Mahmoud Abbas, Lammy reiterated the UK’s steadfast support to the PA and the Palestinian people and emphasized the need for a reformed and strengthened Palestinian Authority.
He stressed that the UK will play its full diplomatic role in ending this conflict and supporting a two-state solution, with a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state.
A warm greeting
■ THAI MINISTER of Labour Phiphat Ratchakit Prakarn, who was in Jerusalem this week, did not stay in the hotels usually frequented by visiting government ministers and heads of state and government.
Together with his delegation, he chose to stay at the Theatron Hotel, which is almost directly opposite the Jerusalem Theater, the Jerusalem Bar Association and the rear entrance to the President’s Residence.
He was warmly greeted by Sheldon Ritz, who is the representative of the hotel’s owners. If the name seems familiar, Ritz was previously the general manager of the Vert Hotel, and for many years was the person in charge of dealing with diplomatic missions, royals, heads of state, and government leaders of nations with a tradition of having their top ranking representatives stay at the King David.
Climate change matters
■ AMONG THE people who joined in congratulating solar energy pioneer Yossi Abramowitz on being awarded the Society for International Development – Israel Prize was President Isaac Herzog, who is deeply interested in environmental issues, global warming and climate change.
In a letter that he sent to Abramowitz, Herzog noted that the SID-Israel award, which is the country’s highest international development prize, acknowledges Abramowitz’s exceptional contribution to climate innovation, and views his prize as a further luminous mark for the State of Israel. It also confirms Abramowitz’s Nobel Prize nomination by 12 African countries.
Even though it was not awarded to him, the satisfaction in seeing the benefits of the gifts that he and his partners have given to Africa are worth more than a Nobel Prize, because those benefits multiply themselves every minute of every hour of every day.
SID is the premier organization that unites civil society, government institutions, academia, private companies, and independent experts in the field of international development and humanitarian aid.
The award recognizing Abramowitz’s leadership was presented to him this week at SID-Israel’s annual meeting.
Ambassador Eynat Shlein, head of Mashav, Israel’s Agency for International Development, said at the event, “I was delighted to present this award to Yossi Abramowitz, an entrepreneur, a dreamer and a doer, who became a beacon of vision, knowledge, and implementation in the Israeli international development community. Mr. Abramowitz is actively creating change, bringing light and energy to those in need.”
An ever-changing world
■ IN AN ever-changing world in which technology is taking over the work of human beings, people are becoming increasingly isolated. One of the early examples was when the computer took over from the typewriter.
People no longer had to work out of offices, but could maintain remote contact while working from home. For millions around the world, that put an end to office camaraderie and all that such relationships entail. It also reduced the chances of finding a soul mate.
On the other hand, it gave fresh impetus to marriage brokers, who stepped to compensate for the lack of social interaction.
Among the best known in the Jewish world is Aleeza Ben Shalom, star of the hit Netflix series Jewish Matchmaking.
Ben Shalom recently teamed up with matchmaking platform Shagririm Balev (Ambassadors of the Heart) to teach hundreds of people how to best secure a Jewish future by learning how to help Jews marry other Jews.
In a dynamic event held at the Nefesh B’Nefesh Campus in Jerusalem, she enlightened a diverse audience from across the country on the tools they need to make the best matches possible.
“I was looking to make a major impact and I believe we need a Jewish matchmaking movement, “Ben Shalom said. “I wanted to collaborate with people who have a similar mission. While everyone is not a matchmaker, everyone can make a match.
“Shagririm Balev has the same philosophy. I wanted to do this with them and all the other supporters because we want to reach out to as many people as possible to secure our Jewish future through marriage,” she said.
“We have soldiers on the ground fighting, so we’ll have a land, but will we have a people? Marriage is the only way to secure our future,” she insisted.
The event included a networking session for both professional matchmakers and aspiring ones, and was then followed by a Q&A session with Ben Shalom, who gave the participants practical advice that touched on topics like how to handle burnout after many years of unsuccessful dating and advice on how to seek out the most appropriate matches.
“We wanted to empower everyone to know how to make a match,” said Ayelet Glatt, international coordinator of Shagririm Balev.
How does the platform work?
■ GLATT ALSO explained how the platform works. Essentially, the social-technological initiative dedicated to helping individuals within the Orthodox Jewish community find their life partners is set up by a carefully curated group of ambassadors – 1,000 volunteers in total – who have pledged their time and personal connections to help those who are close to them find the love of their life. Since its establishment in September 2019, some 345 couples have stood under the bridal canopy thanks to the network, so much so that on average, a Shagririm Balev couple has been getting married almost every five days.
The network was born out of a student computer science project at the Jerusalem College of Technology, which developed into a student social activity strongly supported by the head of the school’s Beit Midrash, Rav Yosef Zvi Rimon. The platform thrived at the college, which prides itself on providing a healthy balance of Torah and secular studies.
In its infancy, the platform was initially exclusive for JCT students.
Now, through partnering with World Mizrachi, it is expanding its initiatives, not only within the entire National-Religious community in Israel, but beyond Israel’s borders as well.
As such, Shagririm Balev has grown by leaps and bounds among Jews in English speaking countries.
In Israel, many Anglo immigrants have expressed interest in the platform, because when they arrive in the country and search for a community, many have difficulty meeting new people.
“We’re so proud that JCT is part of a legacy of helping Jews find their life partner, building a future together and strengthening the fate of Am Yisrael [the Jewish people],” said Stuart Hershkowitz, chairman of the college’s Executive Committee and Shagririm Balev co-founder.
“JCT is not just a higher education institution. In fact, the college has always played a significant role in addressing social issues facing the Israeli population. There’s no greater honor than helping one find the person that they choose to spend the rest of their life with.”
A first-ever convention
■ WHILE MUCH of the world will, on Monday of next week, be thinking about the changing of the guard in the US administration, the Israel Educational Travel Alliance will be holding its first-ever convention in Israel, where member organizations will discuss the future of educational Israel travel programs in the aftermath of October 7 – and how such programs could significantly impact on Israel’s economic recovery.
A consortium of over 100 Israel educational travel organizations, programs, and philanthropies housed at Jewish Federations of North America, IETA includes groups such as Birthright Israel, RootOne, Masa, and Passages.
These programs are critical to Israel-Diaspora relations, and the decisions made at the convention could have significant implications for those ties going forward.
The opening will take place in Jerusalem’s Yehuda Hotel from 6:30–8:30 p.m. and will include remarks from JFNA President and CEO Eric Fingerhut, Jewish Agency for Israel CEO and Director-General Yehudah Setton, Birthright Israel North America VP Elizabeth Sokolsky, and CEO of The Jewish Education Project for RootOne David Bryfman.
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