Dear Friends and Family,

It’s time to acknowledge April birthdays and my first salutation goes to our beloved State of Israel. YOU, Israel, deserve many accolades at your mere age of 64 years young. YOU are the only true democracy in your neighborhood, YOU invented life-enhancing and life-saving technology, YOUR female citizens have equal rights, YOUR press is free to openly criticize your governing body, and YOU allow religious freedoms within your borders. Yet for all this, your birthday gift this year is a Flytilla protest, Hamas rockets, Iranian death treats, boycotts and constant condemnation from the likes of the United Nations and the Methodist Church. I assume you would have preferred a simple fountain pen and a chocolate birthday cake but there is always hope for next year. Wave your flag and celebrate Israel’s 64th.

http://www.aish.com/h/iid/Israel_Wave_Your_Flag.html

Others celebrating April Birthdays are: Jon F (Jan’s bff and Detroit booster),Michelle R (missing our cute niece in Israel now), Lisa W (Marc’s babe and mom of 4 babes), Aviv L (our 4th babe), Carole L (Hillel pianist during our school days there), Nancy W (my Camp Sea-Gull childhood twin), Neal Z(Esther’s biker guy), Geoff K (my favorite and most reliable event planning friend), Marc S (Lori’s love and eye caring doc.), Pam L (good friend and regular Shabbat dinner attendee), Jo R (helps cure the world of Cancer and talented artist), David V (dad to 4 future Israel protectors), Shmulik K (sweet Israeli cousin), Paige M (sweet niece finishing her 1st year at Tulane), David H(Rose’s lucky guy), Emily L (my cousin who keeps our dermis safe and beautiful), Liat L (our daughter who bakes in Marquette), Abe S (my sister’s wonderful husband), Helaine Z (Andy’s better half), Linda K (Technion booster), Bonnie A (Ronen’s beautiful wife), Andy D (recent Reykjavik visitor with his wonderful family), Paula M (Camp Sea-Gull sisters and Jim’s love),Marcy L (Barnett’s babe), Wendy Y (big 5-0 wife of Rabbi Paul), Lisa B(Howard’s honey), Rick K (Chicago and JNF asset) , Illana G (Neighbor Saul’s baby daughter), Eric F (shares his attention with Gary and Dena), Laura F(daughter-in-law to across the street neighbors and daughter to wonderful Marion), Penny O (our favorite four-legged Orley), Don C (Keri’s BFF and Botsford’s booster), Edie S (Don’s darling), Amy G (neighbor crew), Barb T(Steven’s soulmate), Liz M (California artist), Keri C (Don’s darling and JN story development editor), Lisa SS (Tal’s BFF), Orly L(Gil’s gal and our neice doc.),Lisa KS (Camp Sea-Gull friend), Beth M (Steve’s southern bell inspiration).

Yasher Koach (Bravo) to Mona Elthahawy, an Egyptian-American journalist who (while covering the Arab Spring was assaulted and injured), continues to bring light to the world about the brutality, mutilation abuse (90% of Egyptian women) and discrimination of females in the Middle East. Brave souls like Mona are in short supply and need to be recognized. (thanks Ilan R. for sharing)

Another woman who has a very interesting story to share is Madeline Albright. She just completed an investigation of her secret childhood Jewish life and the fact that most of her family perished in the holocaust yet her parents never told her about the horrors.   Please view this fascinating video. Also, we are lucky to have an opportunity to meet Ms. Albright in person on Sunday May 6th. See Soap Box below for details. http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/47144314/ns/today-books/t/madeleine-albright-reflects-childhood-during-wartime/#.T5gjiO1Q3PK (Thanks Gail F. for sharing)

Sunday was Earth Day and more than 1 Billion people took part in helping to insure that a clean and healthy planet is accessible m’dor l’dor (from generation to generation). You, too, can do your part by coming to our home this Thursday May 3rd at 7:30pm to hear guest speakers Hon. Mark Schauer and Hon. Joe Schwarz, M.D. share with us on how to keep our Michigan environment safe. Please join our gracious Host Committee, Jackie Victor, Jocelyn Benson, Beth Gotthelf, Carolyn Tisdale, Mark Bernstein, Rachel Bendit, Jennifer Champagne, Laura Champagne, Bridet Mary McCormack, Wendy Bice and others for this wonderful event. Please see Soap Box below for more details.

Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Memorial day) was observed last week in Israel. It’s truly amazing to witness the minute of silence the whole country experiences. People everywhere stop what they are doing (driving, walking, working, shopping…) and stand in silence to remember the victims of the Holocaust when the countrywide siren is blared.  This tribute happens twice in Israel with the 2nd occurring this week for Yom HaZikaron, remembering fallen soldiers. Please join (Hannan and me, Ron and Stacy Klein and Rose and David Handleman) to participate in the Michigan Initiative to support the US Holocaust Museum by attending an event on June 11th at the home of Rose and David Handleman.

Speaking of a memorial silence, for 40 years, requests to the International Olympic Committee for an observance of silence (in memory of the Munich Israeli athletes murdered) have been denied. Please sign this online petition to encourage the IOC to institute this peaceful memorial.https://www.change.org/petitions/international-olympic-committee-minute-of-silence-at-the-2012-london-olympics# (thanks Sue C. for sharing)

Wishing you and your loved ones a Sweet and Peaceful Shabbat Shalom,

Lisa

Dear Friends and Family,

We are blessed and grateful for the abundance of condolence cards, emails, calls and shiva visits we received this week (both in Israel and Michigan). Continuous interaction with friends and family is the essence of living a meaningful and enjoyable life. Hannan’s parent’s lives were filled with the love of their family and friends and we are lucky to follow in their footsteps.

Hannan’s father lived to the age of 88 in a country that enjoys the 5th highest longevity rate in the world. Why do people in Israel, “a tiny country surrounded by many enemies” (quote credited to our son-in-law, Tzvi) live longer than citizens of the United States (38th) Norway (15th), Germany (20th) and Canada (12th) among many others?  There are several reasons for this phenomenon but one reason is NOT that Israel spends more on health care than other countries.  In fact, Israel spends 7.9% of its GPD on health care (to her full population), while the US spends 17.4% (to the lucky few with access to medical services).  So, why the discrepancy?  Here are a few reasons.  Research shows that intermittent stress strengthens your biological resistance and Israelis deal well with catastrophes and learn to move on easier.  Also, Israel is like one big family.  Israelis have a strong sense of connection to their neighbors and friends almost as if they were family.  Even within actual families, the bonds are well preserved with economic and emotional connections extending beyond age 30. Strong connectivity to others is very healthy for longevity. In addition, Israel is a true melting pot of Chulent (Shabbat Stew) in the sense that Jews from all parts of the world mixed genes to make Israelis more resistant to disease. The last two possible reasons for Israeli longevity are their constant pursuit of knowledge which benefits the health of the brain and their incredible sense of humor which allows them to laugh at almost anything… and everyone knows humor is the best medicine.

Coincidentally, while we were in Israel sitting shiva, a play in Tel Aviv was being performed by Olympia Dukakis, called Rose, about a women sitting shiva.  It was well received according to Olympia, who happened to be on our flight back to the States. She graciously agreed to record a VIP Shabbat Shalom greeting.

To view her greeting, please click here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5w0YJCQiI4E

This Thursday was Holocaust Remembrance day which marks the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau 67 years ago. Currently, there are just under 20,000 Holocaust survivors living in Israel but each day this number shrinks so it is vital we remember their stories and fight genocide across the world.

Wishing you and your loved ones a Sweet and Peaceful Shabbat Shalom,

Lisa

Dear Friends and Family,

The end of an incredible life occurred this week with the passing of Hannan’s father, my father-in-law and our children’s Saba (grandfather), Yosef Lis.  Yosef enjoyed a life of many delights yet also struggled and survived the hardships of Europe during WWII.  He was born in the Warsaw Ghetto and at age 14 he escaped with two siblings to Russia unwittingly leaving his parents and 3 older siblings behind to eventually lose their lives to the German killing machine.  The Russians sentenced him to hard labor in a work camp in Siberia for his continued commitment to Zionism.  After Poland was liberated in late 1944, he was released and traveled back to Warsaw in search of his family only to find the horrors.  There he realized his future lies in building a Jewish State.  He traveled to Italy and joined the Irgun (Etzel, the Zionist underground movement fighting to establish a Jewish homeland). He worked to smuggle death camp survivors into Palestine before boarding a ship himself.  His ship was intercepted by the British navy and sent to an interment camp on the Island of Cyprus.  There he trained, played soccer and met his future wife (Hannan’s late mother, Ester).  In early 1948 they were smuggled into Palestine which was about to gain independence as a sovereign Jewish nation.  As a young IDF solider, he fought bravely in the War of Independence driving armored trucks into besieged Jerusalem.  He continued as a driver for the national Egged Bus Company while as a reservist participating in the wars of 1956 (Sinai Campaign) and 1967 (Six Day War).  They raised two wonderful sons and were proud grandparents of 6 beloved grandchildren.  Their stories are typical of the generation who founded modern Israel and should be remembered as most have passed on.

We are in Israel now as the funeral is Sunday afternoon.  We will be back in Farmington Hills Wednesday evening and will be sitting shiva at our home on Thursday April 19th.

As this weekend brings an end to Passover (here in Israel it ends Friday evening), this is my last opportunity (till next year) to share with you two Passover particulars.

First, apparently my assumption last week of the Last Supper Seder is most likely mythical. Rabbi Mike M replied with an articulate well-versed 3-point rebuttal to my assertion. 1. if we started retelling the exodus story in the 2nd century that would have been after the Last Supper.  2. If it was during Passover, Jesus would have referred to bread as matzah (which he does not) and 3. the timing of the sacrificed paschal lamb doesn’t make sense.  If you are truly interested in this issue, please confer with your rabbi, as my paraphrasing (and understanding of religious issues) has much to be desired.

Second, Hannan shared this wonderful Passover story at both of our Seders, so if you were at either, sorry for the repeat.

David Ben Gurion went to the White House in 1954 to seek support for our newly established country of Israel.  He came upon resistance from, then Sec. of State, John Foster Dulles (as in the airport), who was not one of our best friends.  Dulles ask, after 2000 years of exile, how Ben Gurion and the tiny State of Israel could possibly represent all the Jews of the diaspora such as those from Poland, Russia, Yemen, Morocco and all corners of the world.  Ben Gurion politely replied by stating that 200 years ago, the Mayflower set sail to establish a new county that turned into the highly respected, most powerful democratic country in the world. He then asked Dulles to find 10 boys and girls from the DC area and ask them each the following questions. 1. What was the captain’s name on that journey?  2. How long did the journey last? 3. What did they eat on the journey? 4. How did the sea behave?  Most likely not one child will know that answers to any of the questions. Ben Gurion went on to state that over 3000 years ago, the Jews left on a journey out of Egypt.  He suggested to Dulles to find 10 Jewish children anywhere in the world and ask them those same questions about our exodus journey and you can bet all 10 will know who the captain was, how long the journey lasted, what they ate and how the sea behaved.

The sanctity of preserving our Jewish traditions is in the celebrations of our holidays.  Our matzah eating days are nearly complete with hopefully not too much intestines clogging. We look forward to our next holiday celebration.

Wishing you and your loved ones a Sweet and Peaceful Shabbat Shalom,

Lisa