‘Even if you give them every piece of land, they will continue to hound you.” The speaker is not some Israeli ultra-right-wing activist, but an Egyptian-born Muslim lawyer who converted to Christianity and was arrested, tortured, and sentenced to death.
He managed to escape, and in a stolen Jet Ski he drove from Taba, Egypt, to Eilat. He was arrested and imprisoned in Israel, but with the assistance of the United Nations, Timothy King, one of the founders of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, and the help of other organizations, he was released into the custody of the ICEJ, where he kept a low profile, and was employed as a translator for more than a year, until he received asylum in Canada where he now lives.
His name is Majed el-Shafie. An ardent human rights advocate, he is the president and founder of One Free World International.
Horrified by the October 7 scenes which he saw on television, he decided that as Israel had given him shelter, it was time to pay back by making a documentary film that tells the truth about the atrocities of that day, and the suffering of the families of the murdered and kidnapped.
He sought financial aid from his friends at the ICEJ, Bridges of Peace, and other organizations, and the result was an extremely powerful, emotionally moving, sensitive and thought-provoking documentary in which he interviewed affected family members, soldiers, Muslims who have no ax to grind against Jews or Israel and have publicly condemned Hamas, local Palestinians, and Israelis whose own sense of humanity causes them to deliver humanitarian aid to people in Gaza.
The film premiered this past Monday in Jerusalem’s Mishkenot Sha’ananim, in the presence of diplomats, representatives of Christian and Jewish organizations, relatives of victims of Hamas, and journalists.
ICEJ Senior Vice President David Parsons announced that the ICEJ, which hosted the premiere, would also help to fund the translation of the dialogue into Arabic, Farsi and Urdu. A member of the audience suggested that it would also be useful to have a Turkish translation.
Listing various terrorist organizations as well as those that are specifically acting against Israel, Shafie said that they all subscribe to the same evil ideology. He also said that the Palestinian people are not the enemies of Israel – it’s Hamas. Likewise, the people of Iran are not the enemies of Israel. It’s their leaders.
During his present stay in Israel, Shafie will be screening the film in schools, at diplomatic gatherings, and in Druze villages, prior to showing it to audiences abroad.
Herzog will not attend Trump's inauguration
■ IT APPEARS that President Isaac Herzog will not be attending the inauguration ceremony of President-elect Donald Trump, but he will be traveling to the US this month to address the United Nations on International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Of the members of Israel’s present hierarchy, he is the most suitable person to do so, although there are ministers and party leaders who are the sons of Holocaust survivors. Herzog is the son of an officer in the British Army who was among those who liberated Bergen-Belsen, and the grandson of a rabbi who, immediately after the Holocaust, rescued hundreds of Jewish children who had been hidden in Catholic convents and monasteries and ensured that they would return to their heritage and remain Jewish.
Well before he leaves for the US, Herzog will on Wednesday, January 15, receive the first batch of letters of credence for 2025 from ambassadors-designate Helena Paiva of Portugal, Xiao Janzheng of China, Dhan Prasad Pandit of Nepal, Bogdan Batic of Slovenia, and Ezra Cohen of Panama.
Australian Attorney-General to visit Israel
■ THE ANNOUNCEMENT by Australian Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus of his intention to visit Israel met with both criticism and speculation.
The speculation was that Dreyfus wanted to mend fences between Canberra and Jerusalem because relations between the two countries, coupled with the deepening spike in antisemitism in Australia, will be a cardinal issue in Australia’s upcoming elections.
The criticism came from colleagues in the Labour Party who thought that, in view of the Albanese government’s strong disagreements with Israel, it was not appropriate for such a high-ranking politician to visit.
On the other hand, how could anyone expect such a prominent figure who happens to be the most senior Jewish politician in the country to remain silent?
Dreyfus had initially planned to visit last year, but the visit was canceled for security reasons.
Jerusalem synagogue changes name
■ IT SELDOM happens that the name of a synagogue is changed. But sometimes it’s necessary in order to avoid confusion. The Shir Hadash on Emek Congregation in Jerusalem’s German Colony will from now on be known as Or Hadash.
But that’s not all that’s new. The congregation also has a new rabbi in the person of Rabbi Maury (Moshe) Kelman, who came to Israel with his family from the US eight years ago and joined the congregation. Then, after a while, the Kelmans set out as emissaries. Following their return to Jerusalem, and the splendid job he had done in community building abroad, Rabbi Kelman was asked to be the rabbi of the synagogue and he accepted.
A special kiddush will be held for him this coming Saturday, but he already got into the swing last Saturday, when he delivered a sermon in honor of Walter Bingham, who has been recognized by the Guinness book of records as the world’s oldest working journalist.
Bingham turned 101 on January 5, and the kiddush at Shir Hadash on Emek was initially planned for January 4, but the date clashed with the bar mitzvah of Meir Zev Canterman, the son of Rabbi Eli and Chana Canterman, the Chabad directors of Talbiyeh and Mamilla. Bingham and his daughter, Sonja Kent, have been close friends of the Cantermans for some 20 years and were not about to rain on their parade.
So they moved the kiddush for Bingham, who celebrates both his Gregorian calendar birthday and his Jewish calendar birthday in the various synagogues that he frequents. He has yet another celebration at home on January 19.
He quips that he’s back to 01 chronologically.
However, Rabbi Kelman preferred to focus on longevity and drew a parallel between Bingham’s life and that of Jacob the Patriarch. Both had suffered hardships in their youth, but in their twilight years had been rewarded with good things happening to them.
Bingham was very pleased to see the Billig family, who are his relatives and bear his original surname, along with the progeny of the friends of his youth in Karlsruhe, Germany, and was equally happy to see Eylon Levy, the public advocate for Israel, who was previously a government spokesman, and before that the foreign media spokesman for President Herzog. It was during that time that they met and became firm friends despite the generation gap. Levy especially came from Tel Aviv to wish Bingham well.
Levy recalled that when President Herzog, who was fascinated by Bingham’s ability to keep going at such an advanced age, invited him to the President’s Residence, Bingham came bearing a dagger that he had souvenired from a Nazi officer whom he interrogated after the war. Use was made by the military authorities of the fact that German was his mother tongue. Among the Nazis he interrogated was the influential Joachim von Ribbentrop.
No one with a knife in his hand had ever managed to get that close to the president, said Levy – “and there were no security people present.”
Carlebach memorials
■ SOMEONE ElSE who was born in Germany a year after Bingham was the late Singing Rabbi, Shlomo Carlebach, whose melodies are heard in congregations around the world, and which are also part of the repertoire of many cantors and singers, among them Yitzhak Meir Helfgot, Yisrael Hershtik, Aharon Razel, Yonatan Razel, Yehudah Katz, Chaim Dovid Saracik, the Solomon Brothers, Yitzhak Meir, Dudu Fisher, and Shai Abramson.
Carlebach was born on January 14, 1925, but celebrated the Jewish calendar date of the 18th of Tevet, which this year falls on this coming Shabbat, and no doubt there will be Carlebach melodies ringing out in synagogues around the world.
■ THE PHOENIX group, in addition to its comprehensive financial services, owns Israel’s largest private art collection, which includes more than 1,500 works of paintings, sculptures, video installations, and photography, which include the artistic creations of some of the great Israeli names, such as Reuven Rubin, Mordecai Ardon, Yehezkel Streichman, Lea Nikel, Menashe Kadishman, as well as those of lesser-known but highly talented artists.
The collection was the subject of a documentary film called The Collection directed by Ayelet Dekel and produced by Erez Ben Harush. Its world premiere screening at the end of last week to an audience of some 500 people, including financiers, leading businesspeople, academics, artists and heads of major organizations and institutions, was hosted by Phoenix chairman Benny Gabbay and the group’s CEO, Eyal Ben Simon.
Haredi troublemakers
■ THE ATTACK by an ultra-Orthodox gang against Maj.-Gen. David Zini was not the first time that haredi hooligans who want to evade army service had assaulted an IDF officer. Three of them were arrested, but how long were they detained?
Punishments for such lawless behavior are usually mild. Perhaps if they were more forceful, there would be a change of heart among the potential perpetrators. For one thing, their families would be denied any form of government subsidy. For another, those who have dual citizenship could be deported to another country. You don’t want to do your share defending the homeland? Then go live somewhere else. In addition, haredim from overseas who want to make aliyah should be screened more carefully. Likely troublemakers should be denied entry. Admittedly, it’s harsh, but if harsh measures are not employed, the status quo will last forever.
The sad part is that there are more haredi young men than is generally realized who would willingly serve in the IDF, if they were not afraid of being ostracized and even disowned by their families and their communities. Some haredi young men who have enlisted change back into their black haredi garb when returning home on leave, because they know what kind of a reception they would receive if they arrived in uniform.
Most of the haredi population arrived in Israel after the establishment of the state. When the country was under British rule, the haredim had few chances of being allowed to settle in the Holy Land. They should really give more thought to that and, instead of shirking their duty, should enlist in droves.
Former juvenile delinquent
■ IN AN ironic twist, the army is refusing to accept a 21-year-old young man who passed the preparatory course for IDF service, but in his younger years was a juvenile delinquent. He is now reformed and has paid his debt to society.
He telephoned social worker Dr. Gili Tamir, who has a phone in radio show in which she informs people of their rights and how to go about getting them. When the matter is too complicated, she deals with it herself, as she will in the case of this young man who wants to serve, and who was almost weeping after telling her that the IDF recruitment officer is not interested in what he has to say or the documents that prove that he is reformed.
American Jewish students
■ AMERICAN JEWISH student organizations are helping to strengthen Jewish and Zionist identity among young, impressionable people, by organizing large-scale visits to Israel during the ongoing war. The students have also been encouraged to volunteer for various projects. These hands-on experiences also help to strengthen their Jewish and Zionist identities and often propel them into Jewish community involvement.
Dozens of the American students who came to volunteer in Israel participated in a special initiative aimed at showing appreciation to the wives of reservists currently serving in combat zones in Gaza and Lebanon.
The project evolved from a collaboration between IS-Resilient, the Israel Resilience Network, and the OU-JLIC student association in the United States.
The volunteers visited the homes of soldiers from reserve units stationed in the Gaza and Lebanon fronts. The mission of the volunteers was to deliver gift cards and, more importantly, check in on the well-being of the wives, offering support and expressing appreciation for their sacrifices as they manage their households alone while their husbands are on the front lines.
M., a resident of Jerusalem whose husband is currently stationed at the northern border, shared her emotional feelings after the visit: “Just when I had hit rock bottom and felt completely overwhelmed, three sweet Americans knocked on my door. They spoke in broken Hebrew, like new immigrants, and handed me a card that said, ‘Thank you for your husband’s service and for keeping us safe all this time.’”
Hodaya Camargo, a student from Miami, explained: “After October 7, I felt like I wanted to do more. I was given the opportunity to visit families with husbands or sons currently in Gaza. I can’t describe the excitement I felt when I saw the light in the eyes of the women whose husbands are fighting right now. When we knocked on the door and asked how they were doing, it was such a meaningful moment for me. Personally, it was an incredible experience because I wanted to connect more closely with the people who are fighting for the entire Jewish nation.”
Gilad Gantz, one of the leaders of IS-Resilient Israel, said: “Having served for many months in the reserves, I know that the main concern of the soldiers is not about themselves but about the families they left behind. That’s why we saw great importance in reaching out to support the wives of the soldiers.”
IsraAIDs successes
■ AS MENTIONED previously in this column, regardless of its own problems, Israel continues to provide help to countries that have experienced catastrophes such as earthquakes, droughts, hurricanes, and wildfires.
IsraAID, one of Israel’s leading humanitarian NGOs, announced last Friday that its members will support efforts at recovery from the Los Angeles wildfires. Since the first of the wildfires broke out early that week, at least 16 people lost their lives, more than 10,000 homes and other structures were destroyed, and approximately 180,000 people were evacuated.
IsraAID’s emergency team has been assessing the situation and preparing to respond, once the fires have been contained. It will work with local partners to provide support for people whose homes have been damaged or destroyed. As of Sunday, the fires were not yet contained, and active firefighting operations were still under way.
The organization’s emergency response team will in all likelihood include both Israeli volunteers and humanitarian professionals, trained to support communities affected by the fires. Final plans will be confirmed once the fires are contained and the extent of the damage is clear.
IsraAID has extensive experience responding to emergencies in the United States, working frequently in partnership with the veterans-based disaster relief organization Team Rubicon, and deep ties with communities across the region.
Most recently, IsraAID partnered with Team Rubicon to respond to Hurricane Ian in Florida in 2022. IsraAID also supported communities following the Camp Fire in Paradise, California, in 2018, providing long-term psychosocial support for survivors, first responders, and community leaders. Since 2017, IsraAID has worked in communities affected by hurricanes in Florida, Texas, North Carolina, and Puerto Rico, as well as repeated wildfires in California.
“We are devastated to see the destruction from these enormous fires, and our hearts go out to all those who have lost their homes or been displaced,” said IsraAID’s CEO, Yotam Polizer. “We have long-standing ties to communities in Los Angeles and across California and have deeply felt the impact of this emergency.
“We are proud to bring our expertise and support all the way from Israel, even as we continue our work in Israel and abroad.
“At a time of ongoing crisis at home and around the world, we are grateful to be able to aid communities in their time of need. This is what we do: support communities experiencing crisis, no matter where they are.”
Learning Center for the Blind
■ THE HEBREW University of Jerusalem has announced the relaunching of its newly renovated Learning Center for the Blind, a pioneering initiative dedicated to supporting blind and visually impaired students. Established in 1996, the center has been a cornerstone of empowerment for students with visual impairments, ensuring equal access to education, integration into society, and successful entry into the workforce.
One only has to see how well and how quickly the blind and visually impaired navigate the streets when walking, or how they manage to find seats on the bus without seeing which seats are vacant, to realize the splendid work that goes into helping them to deal with a particular disability.
The inauguration ceremony of the renovated learning center took place on January 1, 2025, on the university’s Mount Scopus campus, just days before International Braille Day on January 4 – a global event celebrating the importance of braille as a means of communication for the blind and visually impaired. This timing underscores the center’s commitment to accessibility and inclusion, aligning its mission with the broader global effort to promote the rights and opportunities of the visually impaired community.
Originally designed to serve 70 students, the center now accommodates 130 blind students across all faculties and 30 additional students in pre-academic programs. Students benefit from a range of services, including academic support, employment preparation, and personal development.
While the center operates on the Mount Scopus campus, it has an extension on the Edmond J. Safra Campus in Givat Ram, and also provides services for students on the Rehovot campus.
One of the distinctive features of the center is its inclusive approach, with 37% of the students from the Arab sector of the population, which accounts for a significant representation compared to the general student population. This reflects the center’s commitment to addressing unique challenges and fostering diversity.
The Learning Center for the Blind provides individual study rooms and fully equipped workstations; advanced assistive technologies, such as screen-reading software and magnification tools; an academic library featuring braille, recordings, and magnification equipment; assistance with exams through readers, transcribers, or computers; courses on assistive devices, mobility, and orientation; and guidance for navigating university campuses with trained guides.
Students also receive academic counseling, dormitory accommodations, and workshops to prepare for job searches. An impressive 70% of the center’s graduates successfully integrate into the wider society and the workforce, according to the university.
Genealogist Chaim Freedman
■ JOURNALISTS WRITE in a vacuum, never knowing who reads what they write, and whether what they write will influence anyone.
Several weeks ago, this column carried an item about genealogist Chaim Freedman, now in his late 70s, who was worried about what would happen to the archive which is his life’s work, after he is no longer around.
This month, his worries about that are over. He was visited by a representative of the National Library of Israel, which houses the Central Archive for the History of the Jewish People.
Following due examination of his research material, he was informed that it is valuable, and that the library is interested in taking all of it, preserving it, and making it available to those members of the public who may be interested in its contents.
In a message of thanks, Freedman wrote: “This is a great relief for my mind, as I needed to take action now and not burden the executors of my will in handling the material.”
The National Library is in possession of some truly incredible collections, documents, and artifacts from wherever there are or were Jewish communities, no matter how small.
Something that individuals may not consider worth keeping may be a treasure, as far as far as the library is concerned.
For instance, with International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz on the immediate horizon, anything pertaining to prewar Europe, the Holocaust, or the search for relatives after the war could be of value to the National Library, to Yad Vashem, and to other Holocaust museums.
Someone may have an old photograph or postcard from Poland dated September 1939. They may wonder why they kept something so old, especially as the ink has almost faded. But for the National Library, Yad Vashem, and other Holocaust Museums, such a postcard or photograph might be a treasure.
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