It is quite obvious that the nation refuses to be cowed by terror. Last Thursday and Friday, many synagogues published notices advising members that on the instructions of the Home Front Command, there should not be more than 50 people attending services and that people should not congregate in the street after services.
Attendance in a number of synagogues was far in excess of the usual Saturday average. At Hazvi Yisrael, the overflow service went to the adjacent pergola; but the overflow was so great, that the service spilled out into the street.
Nearby Sokolov Park, which on Saturday mornings is filled with children playing on the swings, slides, and seesaws, was totally empty on October 7; but last Saturday, there were some half-dozen children with their parents, and two of the many benches in the park were occupied by senior citizens.
Emergency meeting of Jerusalem church heads
■ AN EMERGENCY committee of the patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalem met last week for prayer and consultation over the humanitarian crisis that has overtaken Israel. The meeting was called at the initiative of the Greek Patriarchate of Jerusalem, headed by Theophilos III.
A statement released by the Jerusalem Patriarchate says: “We are witnessing a new cycle of violence with an unjustifiable attack against civilians in Israel. Tensions continue to rise, and more innocent and vulnerable people are paying the ultimate price as the dramatic amount of deaths and destruction in Gaza show.”
At the same time, the committee was concerned over the evacuation from the north to the south of Gaza of 1.1 million people – including all members of Christian communities – within 24 hours. “This will only deepen an already disastrous human catastrophe,” declared the committee. The time factor was later extended to 48 hours, which in reality does not make much difference. Many civilians who have been in touch with members of the committee have told them that there are no realistic ways in which they can evacuate to safety in any direction.
Universities denounce Hamas
■ THE ASSOCIATION of Universities in Israel has issued a joint letter denouncing the violence of Hamas and calling on academic institutions around the world to join them in condemning the heinous acts against civilians that were perpetrated by Hamas terrorists.
The letter, addressed to colleagues and heads of universities globally, highlights the unprecedented brutality of the attack against Israeli civilians and soldiers and seeks to underscore the importance of unequivocal condemnation. It also contains a plea for unity and a firm stand against terror, emphasizing that education and academia should be pillars of moral responsibility, actively rejecting acts of violence against civilian populations.
Hebrew University president Prof. Asher Cohen, who together with other university presidents is one of the signatories to the letter, asserted that there is no room for moral equivalence in the ongoing situation.
The professors unanimously reject the notion that there are “good people on both sides,” emphasizing in their letter that “this was an act of singular barbaric violence which must be thoroughly renounced!”
Great Synagogue opens fund for Israelis from the South
■ ALTHOUGH HE does not live in Jerusalem, Malcolm Hoenlein, president of the Great Synagogue, is a frequent visitor to the capital and was in the country for the Tishrei holy days.
Following the Hamas invasion of the southern kibbutzim, the Jerusalem Great Synagogue opened an urgent emergency fund dedicated to helping residents of the South and to provide for other emergency needs, including medical equipment. Hoenlein appealed to American Friends of The Jerusalem Great Synagogue to make tax-exempt donations to the emergency fund, to this address:
The American Friends of Jerusalem Great Synagogue
c/o Shapiro and Shapiro
3145 Coney Island Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11235
Together with synagogue vice president Zalli Jaffe and Suzie Patt Benvenisti, a representative of Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Hoenlein visited wounded soldiers who were being treated at Hadassah Hospital.
In coordination with the hospital’s CEO Prof. Yoram Weiss and Benvenisti, monies raised through the emergency fund will also be used to purchase whatever is required by the hospital.
Volunteers under the direction of Rebbetzin Debora Korff are working long hours to prepare relief packages for the soldiers. Hundreds of packages have already been delivered.
In addition, the synagogue has established a soup kitchen, where again there are many volunteers preparing meals for delivery to soldiers and evacuees.
Shimshon Leshinsky: A Jerusalem foodie
■ BEST KNOWN as a foodie, who likes to meet and greet people over a plate of something tasty or inside the kitchen of a popular eatery, Shimshon Leshinsky has developed a fan club of Facebook friends who depend on his culinary commendations.
On a recent walk along Ben-Yehuda Street, he met Facebook friends Nellie Neeman-Bochner and her husband, Glen, who made aliyah from Cincinnati a month ago. He was delighted to meet them face to face, especially because of their positive, upbeat attitude toward Israel at a time when some people are taking off to more peaceful environments.
It was probably the worst time to come on aliyah but also the best time to integrate into the country by joining one or more volunteer groups. “They are full of optimism and love. Nellie has been on Secret Jerusalem for a while trying to get a feel for Jerusalem. She follows my posts and recognized me. We will overcome our enemies. Am Yisrael chai,” wrote Leshinsky on his Facebook account.
During this traumatic period, some people managed to get married, including Leshinsky’s friends Tamar Fest from Australia to Aaron Greene of the US. It’s good to be able to spread a little happiness during this incredibly sad time.
Pray for the IDF
■ THEY’RE NOT trying to ram religion down anyone’s throat, but it never hurts to say a prayer. Sometimes some of the things we wish for come true. Pamela and Aba Claman, founders and ongoing supporters of the organization Thank Israeli Soldiers, are aware that a lot of them will be reciting the Shema every evening at 8 p.m. Israel time.
The Clamans have asked for Jews everywhere to join soldiers in reciting the first verse of the Shema as they pray for the safe and speedy return of hostages and of all soldiers fighting Hamas. They feel that a simultaneous rendition will be another sign of the restoration of Jewish unity.
“When Jews fight with each other,” they write on social media, “Hashem sends Amalek. Let us put aside all our differences and pray in unison.” Even atheists and agnostics have to give in on this one. Who could refuse to pray for the safety of the abducted hostages or the soldiers who fight for Israel’s continued existence? A prayer will certainly not hinder, and it could possibly help.
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