Dear Friends and Family,

As you read this email, I will be touring Eretz Yisrael (aka. The Land of Israel) with several wonderful women on our Federation’s Women’s Department Mosaic Mission.  With my neurosis to constantly plan ahead, I wrote this at my home desk and sent it to my system to be delivered to you Friday 6:00am (before my Thursday evening departure).  Next Friday’s Shabbat Shalom will be sent from Israel, though I’ll be home when you read it all thanks to the modern miracles of airline and internet technology.

For much of the 3 years that I’ve been writing these Shabbat Shalom emails, I had consistently included a prayer for Gilad Shalit.  His plight was the reason I started the Soap Box.  We were fortunate to be in Israel a year ago, this week (celebrating Ariella and Tzvi’s wedding) when he was released,  so I thought you would enjoy an update on Gilad and read about his first public interview where he talked about his life in captivity.  http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4291227,00.html

We, in Michigan, have 6 proposals to consider at the ballot box. The one that gets my blood boiling is Prop. 6 regarding our International Bridge between Windsor and Detroit.  Here are some facts. The bridge will cost $2.1 Billion with Canada footing most of that cost and lending Michigan our portion of $550 Million which we will pay back with toll revenue.  Every living past MI governors and our current governor supports this (no brainer) deal as we are in definite need of a new bridge. Mr. Moroun (who owns the current bridge) has spent $10 Million to fight this effort with Prop. 6 (and its flat out advertising lies) that (if passed) will require all future crossings (bridges or tunnels) to be stalled and weighed down by state and local elections.   Please vote (a big fat) NO on Prop. 6 and share this info with others.

While I have elevated the Prop. 6 issue above my Soap Box section (due to its importance, hoping other Soap Box issues will not be jealous), this next issue is also very important.  Please take a look at this NYTimes article regarding Women’s rights and choice.  Our Supreme Court justices are aging and the next president WILL appoint 1 or 2 new Judges.  Let’s make sure they will appoint Judges who will protect Women’s Rights as well as all of the other concerns in our lives. Please take a look at this article: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/16/opinion/if-roe-v-wade-goes.html?_r=0

And speaking of Women’s Rights, here is an update on Malala Yousafzai, the brave 14-year-old Pakistani girl who’s only crime was to fight for the rights of education for all Pakistani girl.  As you recall, the Taliban shot her (in the head) and 2 of her friends.  She survived and is now being treated in England but her enemies are now waging a war on her reputation.  http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/16/after-a-bullet-in-the-head-assaults-on-a-pakistani-schoolgirls-character-follow/

Bless you boys!  The 4th game will be played while we are in transit to Israel.  Go Tigers.

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

Lisa

Dear Friends and Family,

Exactly 25 days and counting till The Election.  After Nov. 6th I pledge a long reprieve from political discussion, but for now, much needs to be addressed.  We have two choices for president.  If you are a conservative right leaning person, then your fella is Mitt Romney.  If, however, you are a centrist or left leaning voter, please don’t let lies cloud your vision regarding President Obama’s steadfast support of Israel.  Please sift through the rhetoric and find the truth. As you know,  Hannan was born and raised in Israel and served in the IDF.  His whole family plus many of our friends live there.  He reads every article concerning Israel in both the American and Israeli press.  We own a home in Haifa and spend a considerable amount of time there.  Here are 4 reasons we support President Obama and trust him in his unwavering support of Israel:

1. Pres. Obama has provided more military support, loan guarantees, intelligence sharing and military collaboration (including access to our most advanced weapons system) than any past administration.

2. He has led the effort (with the support of our allies) to penalize and sanction Iran with crippling effects on their economy.

3. He has used military power in attacking insurgents in Pakistan, finding and killing our enemies throughout the globe so when he repeatedly states that ALL options are on the table against Iran, he has a track record to prove it.

4. Israel’s leading defense experts (including Minister of Defense Ehud Barak) have acknowledged that the security cooperation between the US and Israel has never been so extensive.

Click here for more detailed information regarding President Obama’s support of Israel

By the way, here is a list of Israel visits by US Presidents:
Harry Truman: no visit
Dwight Eisenhower: no visit
John Kennedy: no visit
Lyndon Johnson: no visit
Richard Nixon: sixth year of presidency (not till 2nd term)
Gerald Ford: no visit
Jimmy Carter: third year of presidency (to sign peace accord with Egypt)
Ronald Reagan: no visit
George H.W. Bush: no visit
Bill Clinton: 4 visits-in the second, third, fourth and sixth years of his presidency
George W. Bush: 2 visits-in the eighth year of his presidency (not till 2nd term)

Bravo to our economic recovery as the Jobless Rate diped below 8% (7.8 to be exact) and it has consistently been declining.  We should ALL welcome this optimistic trend regardless of your party affiliation and ostracize those conspiracy theorist for their partisan rhetoric. It is imposible to rig those numbers.

And these numbers don’t lie either:
800,000 jobs lost in Jan. 2009.
114, 000 jobs gained in Sept. 2012
8,000 Dow Jones Jan. 2009
13,000 Dow Jones Sept. 2012

Could these numbers be better…sure.  Maybe if ANY cooperation could occur in the congress, we could speed these numbers alone.

A soul-searching March of the Living took place last month as Nazi descendent converged on Polish Concentration Camps to try and comprehend and repent for the actions of their ancestors. Here is the moving video produced by an Israeli film crew, who were the only Jews along for the journey.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIq9d-gC91U

Happy Birthday Today:
Bunky E (Original Shabbat regular)
Bob B (Photographed the Beatles in Detroit in the 60s)

I share a 10/24 birthday with:
Karen A (Neal’s partner)
Paul B (Uncle Marvin’s cousin)
Irving N (Barbara’s long lasting love)
Helene C (Tim’s lovely lady)
Jim S (Hy’s dad)
Kevin Kline and Jonas Salk

Also, Happy October birthdays to:
Karen K (Joel’s love)
Mark S (Honorable MIBB member)
Chiara R (our Amsterdam niece)
Josh B (TI Israel Teen Trip rabbi)
Lisa M (Ima of Bat Mizvah Zoey)
Lisa BW (past Franklin Fairway neighbor)
Idan P (favorite Israeli houseguest)
Ron O (Chiropractor dad with future Chiropractor daughter)
Alison S (British mom to 3 sons)
Kerry D (DC environmentalist soon-to-be newlywed)
Yoav R (MI Shaliach who is missed)
Jocelyn B (Brilliant Detroit protector)
Ronnie E (Serendipitously shared visit in Toronto and Montreal)
Leora BL (co-Hillel Alum)
Rachel W (Irwin and Ruth’s granddaughter)
Brian K (Fern keeps him in shape)
Yehoshua L (best Israeli brother-in-law)
Deborah and Ester (Mom/daughter birthday buddies)
Kevin D (AA Nephew and new Teacher)
Matthew B (Cousin Gymnast)
Rick R (Katie and Beth’s favorite fella)
Leora R (2013 Ross Grad.)
Patti T (artist with a Jewelry family)
Steve P (next rep. in Grand Rapids)
Wendy RB (spotlights our Detroit Jewish History)
Anessa K (busy mom of 2 sons)
Miryam R (NextGen leader)
Brad B (Diane partner)
Bob B (Brad B’s uncle)
Randy O (Penny’s papa and Diane’s partner)
Julie Z (Betsy NY PA)
Doron L (Adina’s favorite fella)
Rachel W (New Resident of DC)
Marion F (Shares grandkids with our across the street neighbors)

Lastly, I wish a speedy recovery to the brave 14-year-old Pakistani girl, Malala Yousafzai, who’s only crime in the eyes of the Taliban (who shot her) was to promote education for all girls of Pakistan.  14 year old girls all around the globe are persecuted, raped, denied equality, tortured and mutilated JUST because they are girls. These atrocities must stop.  Bravo to all of the Malalas out there.  They need our support.

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

Dear Friends and Family,

As always, with 2 Jews comes 3 opinions on the reason we dwell in temporary huts (called Succot) during this week’s Jewish Holiday (appropriately named) Succot. My favorite explanation, discussed at the Succah dinner graciously hosted by Simcha and Esti, is to remind us that our brick and motar houses are also, just, temporary dwellings as our true home is our family and wherever they are. Our family is spread between both US coasts from New Jersey to Oregon and many in Israel, but in the meaningful words of Billy Joel “a home is just another word for you”

Here are more lyrics to that wonderful song:

“If I traveled all my life
And I never get to stop and settle down
Long as I have you by my side
There’s a roof above and good walls all around
You’re my castle, you’re my cabin and my instant pleasure dome
I need you in my house ’cause you’re my home”  

And to listen to this magnificently beautiful song (1976 version), please click below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4D40r-E7yk

Speaking of Billy Joel, did you know that 30 years ago this week BJ’s “52nd Street” was the first commercially produced and mass marketed CD (aka: Compact Disc).  Yes, ABBA was the first CD pressed but it was not released till later that year.

10 years ago, there were 400 thousand Holocaust Survivors and today that number has decreased to 200 thousand.  The decline is inevitable but once they are all gone, they must not be forgotten. A new tribute to these heros is for family member to tattoo their death camp numbers on their own arms. These are personal decision that exhibit a powerful statement.

Now is the time to sell off your Iranian Rials.  Their nosedive is drastic and their economy is tanking due to the world’s pressure and sanctions. Let’s step up the “squeeze” so we can non-violently prevent their development of nuclear weapons.

BRAVO to Julia’s dad, William Louis-Dreyfus, on his NYTimes full page ad (and $1 Million commitment) to preventing voter suppression. For more info: http://www.brennancenter.org/

Also BRAVO to CA Governor Jerry Brown on signing a bill to ban sexual orientation altering (Gay to Straight) therapy for minors.

Last week’s Sara Silverman’s video (Let My People Vote) link was cut off so here it is and again with it’s warning of curse words:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypRW5qoraTw

And Samuel L. Jackson didn’t want to be outdone so he got into the game (curse words and all) with his “Wake Up” ad:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=og35U0d6WKY&sns=em

I must admit, I was disappointed with this week’s Presidential debate.  The next round is Thursday Oct. 11th at 9:00pm for the VP debates.  If anything, they should be more entertaining with Ryan and Biden as the players.

Wishing you and your loved ones a Sweet and Peaceful Shabbat Shalom and Hag Succot Sameach (Happy Succot Holiday),

Lisa