# 320 – Pioneers, Iran and Poland

Pioneers, Iran and Poland

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Saturday, we went to the theatre. Saw ‘Signs of the Way’, a biography of Naomi Shemer, Israel’s ‘Queen of Song’. This was meant more in the composing sense, rather than the singing, although, when performing, she sat at the piano and sang.

What did she have in common with Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Rabin? All 3 were my neighbours. I really can tell ‘neighbourly’ stories about each of them.

But – slightly more important – they were also pioneers. These great persons lived in our times; yet were part of the building of Israel, which, in May, celebrates only 70 years independence. It’s an illustration of how young this ‘pretty good example of Western civilisation’ is. And how small it is…Who else amongst you has had such illustrious neighbours?

Naomi Shemer grew up, like so many others, on a kibbutz. (Reminder: According to my definition, the kibbutz was the socio-capitalist manipulation of Communism, used to build a country almost from nothing. It was the sensible system used by intelligent people who saw that the theory of Communism works well, as long as it is viewed objectively, and controlled by non-Communists).

Naomi’s talents were discovered by musical academics, who invited her to study in Tel Aviv. Initially, there was much resistance, mostly economical, from her brothers and sisters in Kibbutz Kinneret, located next to the sea and its lovely nature.

Naomi escaped to Tel Aviv, and the rest is history. Her songs have been the backbone to the life of this country. Her ‘Jerusalem of Gold’ is almost our official anthem. And there’s the warm story of a special song she wrote for Nathan Sharanksy, perhaps 10 years before he was finally released by the Soviets and allowed to come to Israel. On that day, and not before, it was finally performed.

Iran

You may have noticed that the temperature in the Middle East has risen since Sunday morning. An Iranian drone entered Israeli airspace. Israel shot it down. Israel attacked the base in Syria from which the drone was launched, and also several military targets connected with the attack. Syria succeed in shooting down an Israeli plane, the first such casualty since 2006 (and Israel has not denied that there have been well over 100 such air attacks in that period).  The pilots ejected and landed on home soil. One is severely injured.

So the stakes have risen. Iran continues to assist Assad in Syria. If/when the war in Syria is over, Iran will not retreat. They will claim the spoils of war, as is done in most such cases. Israel cannot and will not accept this lying down. Already, Iran’s blatant support for Hezbollah in Lebanon is a thorn in Israel’s side – and a threat to peace across the Middle East. Hamas in Gaza is an Iranian puppet. Hezbollah is fast becoming one. But now located in Syria, threatening to populate the border area with Israel…not acceptable. Now one can understand Israel’s reluctance to give up the Golan Heights.

And behind all this, dear Mr. Putin. On one side, he’s become quite buddy-buddy with Netanyahu. But his support for Assad and for Iran is there to be seen. He’s in a very critical position now. He does not want – or at least he is not ready to support all-our war in the Middle East.

These are dangerous times…

Poland

There are 2 basic definitions for ‘new history’. The first is when new facts are uncovered. The second is, like Poland, you decide you do not like the way history is written, and you just re-write it.

Some of you may have read that Poland recently made it illegal, punishable by imprisonment, to state that the concentration camps were Polish. They now claim that they are in no way to blame for the camps, that so many were located in Poland because of the great numbers of Jews in Poland. No other reason.

This is – how can I say it gently – crap.

Aviva’s older brother wrote a poem. I translated it. It appeared in the weekend newspaper –

In June 1942, A ghetto was established in Sandomierz.   Hundreds of Jews from the surrounding district were sent there.

Over 3,200 of them were exterminated in Belzec concentration camp.

Hundreds were murdered by the local citizens.

1.2.2018: The Polish Parliament clarified this evening the Holocaust Bill, which forbids blaming Poland for any crimes committed during the Holocaust.

THE HOWLING

BY ALONI  ZMORA

2.2.2018

Translated from Hebrew: Stephen Pohlmann

The citizens of the lovely town of Sandomierz

Up on the hill, above the Vistula,

Swear that they can hear the howling.

It floats in the air above the town,

Weaving through the alleys and above the roofs,

Squeezing through all the windows

Disturbing the slumber of the Polish people.

It disturbs their dreams.

At midnight, this night and every night,

Lea’le stands at the window of her home in Sandomierz.

The last of the Jews is bundled into the town square

Crushed onto the cobblestones next to the Church.

This is what happened to her in the year 1942

Since then, every night, at midnight

She rips open the silence with her howl

Lea’le, Lea’le, Lea’le

February 11, 2018

Saturday, we went to the theatre. Saw ‘Signs of the Way’, a biography of Naomi Shemer, Israel’s ‘Queen of Song’. This was meant more in the composing sense, rather than the singing, although, when performing, she sat at the piano and sang.

What did she have in common with Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Rabin? All 3 were my neighbours. I really can tell ‘neighbourly’ stories about each of them.

But – slightly more important – they were also pioneers. These great persons lived in our times; yet were part of the building of Israel, which, in May, celebrates only 70 years independence. It’s an illustration of how young this ‘pretty good example of Western civilisation’ is. And how small it is…Who else amongst you has had such illustrious neighbours?

Naomi Shemer grew up, like so many others, on a kibbutz. (Reminder: According to my definition, the kibbutz was the socio-capitalist manipulation of Communism, used to build a country almost from nothing. It was the sensible system used by intelligent people who saw that the theory of Communism works well, as long as it is viewed objectively, and controlled by non-Communists).

Naomi’s talents were discovered by musical academics, who invited her to study in Tel Aviv. Initially, there was much resistance, mostly economical, from her brothers and sisters in Kibbutz Kinneret, located next to the sea and its lovely nature.

Naomi escaped to Tel Aviv, and the rest is history. Her songs have been the backbone to the life of this country. Her ‘Jerusalem of Gold’ is almost our official anthem. And there’s the warm story of a special song she wrote for Nathan Sharanksy, perhaps 10 years before he was finally released by the Soviets and allowed to come to Israel. On that day, and not before, it was finally performed.

Iran

You may have noticed that the temperature in the Middle East has risen since Sunday morning. An Iranian drone entered Israeli airspace. Israel shot it down. Israel attacked the base in Syria from which the drone was launched, and also several military targets connected with the attack. Syria succeed in shooting down an Israeli plane, the first such casualty since 2006 (and Israel has not denied that there have been well over 100 such air attacks in that period).  The pilots ejected and landed on home soil. One is severely injured.

So the stakes have risen. Iran continues to assist Assad in Syria. If/when the war in Syria is over, Iran will not retreat. They will claim the spoils of war, as is done in most such cases. Israel cannot and will not accept this lying down.

Already, Iran’s blatant support for Hezbollah in Lebanon is a thorn in Israel’s side – and a threat to peace across the Middle East. Hamas in Gaza is an Iranian puppet. Hezbollah is fast becoming one. But now located in Syria, threatening to populate the border area with Israel…not acceptable. Now one can understand Israel’s reluctance to give up the Golan Heights.

And behind all this, dear Mr. Putin. On one side, he’s become quite buddy-buddy with Netanyahu. But his support for Assad and for Iran is there to be seen. He’s in a very critical position now. He does not want – or at least he is not ready to support all-our war in the Middle East.

These are dangerous times…

Poland

There are 2 basic definitions for ‘new history’. The first is when new facts are uncovered. The second is, like Poland, you decide you do not like the way history is written, and you just re-write it.

Some of you may have read that Poland recently made it illegal, punishable by imprisonment, to state that the concentration camps were Polish.

They now claim that they are in no way to blame for the camps, that so many were located in Poland because of the great numbers of Jews in Poland. No other reason.

This is – how can I say it gently – crap.

Aviva’s older brother wrote a poem. I translated it. It appeared in the weekend newspaper –

In June 1942, A ghetto was established in Sandomierz.  

Hundreds of Jews from the surrounding district were sent there.

Over 3,200 of them were exterminated in Belzec concentration camp.

Hundreds were murdered by the local citizens.

1.2.2018: The Polish Parliament clarified this evening the Holocaust Bill, which forbids blaming Poland for any crimes committed during the Holocaust.

THE HOWLING

BY ALONI  ZMORA

2.2.2018

Translated from Hebrew: Stephen Pohlmann

The citizens of the lovely town of Sandomierz

Up on the hill, above the Vistula,

Swear that they can hear the howling.

It floats in the air above the town,

Weaving through the alleys and above the roofs,

Squeezing through all the windows

Disturbing the slumber of the Polish people.

It disturbs their dreams.

At midnight, this night and every night,

Lea’le stands at the window of her home in Sandomierz.

The last of the Jews is bundled into the town square

Crushed onto the cobblestones next to the Church.

This is what happened to her in the year 1942

Since then, every night, at midnight

She rips open the silence with her howl

         Lea’le, Lea’le, Lea’le

Stephen