By GREER FAY CASHMAN (L-R) Michal and President Isaac Hezog and Rabbi Benny Lau listen to Prof. Ruchama Elbaz(photo credit: COURTESY 929)
Female hostage's aunt speaks out
The Bible Study Group 929, headed by Rabbi Benny Lau, is an organization named for the 929 chapters in the Bible. It encourages the study of a chapter a day, five days a week – preferably in a gathering of people of mixed backgrounds and different expressions of Jewish religious observance.
Launched at the President’s Residence close to a decade ago, it continues to meet there on a monthly basis with the participation of President Isaac Herzog and his wife, Michal. Its most recent meeting was devoted to the story of Esther and the saving of the Jews from elimination by the wicked Haman, who, name-wise, is one letter of the alphabet different from Hamas.
Discussions at these meetings draw parallels and contrasts between the Bible chapter being studied and the present situation. Michal Herzog, who has become a significant voice for Israeli women and women in general, commented on the strength and power of women that have surfaced during the current war against Hamas. He said that women represent a vital force in the nation.
She said it is important for women to be an integral part of the decision-making process, urging them to be seated around the table and given key, influential positions. If this happens, she declared, “we will be stronger as a nation and a state.”
Lau made the point that too many people work on a purely sectoral basis and seek to lead in accordance with the beliefs and mission of their sectoral group, whose philosophy they attempt to impose upon others. Very few people are willing to serve the interests of all by incorporating the whole picture as opposed to that of their own group.
Prof. Ruchama Elbag, the aunt of Liri Elbag, who is among the Israeli hostages still captive in Gaza, has become the spokesperson for her family. “I am known as Liri’s aunt,” she said, adding that it is a title she would gladly relinquish if the hostages were brought home.
Liri Albag (credit: Courtesy)
Israel Prize ceremony will continue as planned
It is thanks to a woman, Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara, that this year’s Israel Prize ceremony will go ahead as usual, despite the efforts of Education Minister Yoav Kisch to either cancel it, change the categories that had been decided for this year or postpone the awards till next year.
Baharav-Miara notified Kisch that she would not defend his decision if the matter returned to court. Unable to get the support he required to make the decision effective, Kisch backtracked. As far as is known, all the categories will remain intact except for one that he added.
Kisch, whose attempt to deprive the adjudicating committee’s choice of Mellanox cofounder Eyal Waldman of the award in entrepreneurship – because Waldman had been an active figure in protesting judicial reform – aroused a storm of controversy.
A large proportion of the public was angry that Kisch had chosen to introduce political divisiveness into the Israel Prize, especially at a time when the emphasis is placed on national unity with slogans such as “Together we will win.”
Nonetheless, Kisch will make a last-ditch effort to persuade honorees to agree to postpone the ceremony until later in the year or till next year.
Life after the Supreme Court
There is life after the Supreme Court; sometimes, it can be much more fun. Before embarking on a legal career, former Supreme Court President Esther Hayut was a singer in the entertainment troupe of the IDF Central Command.
Throughout the years, she kept up the friendships she made there, occasionally jam-sessioned with them, and engaged in a regular Whatsapp connection. Hayut, then known as Esti Avni, joined the entertainment troupe in 1972 and sang with its members to the troops in Sinai during the Yom Kippur War.
They got together again this week at the Meitar Auditorium in Ramat Gan to launch Ronit Ophir’s new album, The Power of Song.
Mark & Spencer closes its stores
The sad news about Marks & Spencer, established in Leeds in 1884 and one of the UK’s best-known retail chains, is that it is closing 110 stores and changing its focus from food and clothing to primary food.
The good news is the relatively large number of Jews who were saved from Nazi persecution, atrocities, and death by the intervention of Simon Marks, the son of Michael Marks, the founder of M&S, Israel Sieff, and Harry Sacher, who were the three partners in M&S and were proud Jews and ardent Zionists.
Separately and together, the trio contributed much in various spheres to the founding and development of Israel. But what they did in the 1930s to save Jews from Germany and Poland is not widely known.
This week, British-born and trained lawyer Laurence Becker, who lived in Jerusalem and spoke to the Israel Branch of the Jewish Historical Society of England, revealed some of it. The topic attracted great interest, and before Becker took to the microphone, the buzz of British-accented English could be heard throughout the hall in the Hibba Center.
Becker, who has a law office in Jerusalem, decided a few years ago to take a break and devote himself to volunteer work. Many state and national institutions depend on volunteers to keep going smoothly and professionally. Becker was sent to the Zionist Archives.
Heirs to deceased estates often inherit photographs and documents that date back to the early years of the Jewish return to Zion. Not knowing what to do with them, the heirs, rather than throw them out, deliver them to the Zionist Archives in the hope that the people in the photographs will be recognized and that the documents may contribute to the knowledge of history.
Becker was initially assigned to sort photographs until one day, a large package of documents arrived from Lewis Cohen's estate. No one at the Zionist Archives had ever heard of him, but because all the documents were in English, Becker was tasked with going through them.
In the span of six years, he reviewed 25,000 documents, which collectively presented a fascinating tale of Jewish desperation, ingenuity, and influence. Some of the audience members were the offspring of people who had been beneficiaries of what Marks, Sieff, and Sacher had accomplished through their connections in high places and their philanthropy.
Two granddaughters of Israel Sieff were also present. Cohen had been the accountant for M&S and had been put in charge of all the correspondence related to rescue efforts. It was Becker’s first-ever appearance as a public speaker, and he acquitted himself quite well.
Emergency MIT delegation to Israel to commence
What is behind the forthcoming visit to Israel by an emergency delegation of MIT professors? Believe it or not, they’ve come to attract Israeli university graduates, or more accurately, post-doctoral and graduate-level scientists, to MIT.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is indeed prestigious, and many Israelis would give their eye teeth to study there. Its most famous Israeli alumnus is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
But there’s a catch to the recruitment that begins next week. Money to support the Israeli students has to come from Israel.
The esteemed group of academics is on a fund-raising mission to support the Israelis who will be accepted. At a meeting in Tel Aviv on Monday, March 25 at 4 p.m., Professors Retsef Levi, Ernest Fraenkel, and Or Hen will share some of their research activities spanning operations, computer science, biology, particle physics, and more.
Their visit is under the auspices of Israel’s Ministry of Health. For additional information and to register, access meetup.com/mhealth-Israel
Disapproval of Israel's diplomatic choices
It's not just disapproval by certain movements and governments of Israel’s activities in Gaza that is causing headaches to some Israeli ministries; it’s also disapproval of Israel’s diplomatic choices.
Fortunately, there was no hassle over the appointment of Ofir Akunis as Israel’s next Consul General in New York. There was no problem in getting him to accept it because New York is arguably the seat of the largest Israeli Diaspora community, plus the genuine Diaspora of Jews who were born and are living in the Big Apple.
But as mentioned previously in this column, former Ma’aleh Adumim mayor Benny Kashriel has been disqualified as Israel’s next ambassador to Italy because his domicile is in the disputed territories. It was nothing personal.
It was just a matter of political geography. But in the more recent case of Ethiopia rejecting one of its native sons who was due to return next month as ambassador of Israel, the rejection is absolutely personal.
It’s not as if former Likud MK Avraham Nagusa was the first native Ethiopian to return as Israel’s ambassador. The first, Belaynesh Zevadia, was appointed in February 2012. The Gondar-born graduate of Hebrew University was also the ambassador to Rwanda. She came to Israel in 1984 as part of Operation Moses and was the first Ethiopian immigrant to enter Israel’s Foreign Service.
But Nagusa, who was active in encouraging Falash Mura to come to Israel and who was openly critical of the Ethiopian government, was declared persona non grata and barred from entering the country of his birth.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry must now find alternate postings for the two men, and if none are available, the Prime Minister’s Office will have to find some form of compensation. If this happens, there will be the usual foot-dragging, during which time there may be new elections and a different administration in office.
The two men, loyal Likudniks but not professional diplomats, will be left in the lurch.greerfc@gmail.com
