‘Sweden is a friend of Israel,” declared outgoing Swedish Ambassador Erik Ullenhag at the Swedish National Day reception that happened to coincide with D-Day.
Acknowledging that Sweden and Israel have their differences, as all good friends do, he underscored that while there is disagreement on humanitarian aid to Gaza, Sweden speaks up for Israel in matters of security and Israel’s right to defend itself.
When Sweden supports the idea of a two-state solution to bring the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians to an end, it is not because Sweden is against Israel but because Sweden is convinced that Israelis and Palestinians can find a way to live together in peace, he said. “The tragedy we live through now forces us to try something new.”
Ullenhag expressed his deepest condolences to all Israelis, “particularly those who have lost loved ones” in the October 7 atrocities perpetrated by Hamas and the subsequent war between Israel and Hamas, which is continuing.
Turning north to the war between Russia and Ukraine, Ullenhag said that Sweden has consistently supported Ukraine, not merely because the colors on the Ukrainian flag are the same as those on the flag of Sweden, but also because Ukraine is fighting both for its independence and for the freedom and independence of Europe.
Ullenhag will complete his tenure in Israel in August after eight years in the Middle East. He was previously ambassador to Jordan.
His next posting will be as consul general in New York, where one of his colleagues will be Israel’s consul general, Ofir Akunis, whom he knows well and whom he is looking forward to meeting again.
Traditionally, a minister in the Israeli government represents the government at the national day receptions hosted by ambassadors and charge d’affaires, but there was no minister present on this occasion, and apparently, they have been absent from the few other national day receptions held this year. In the past, they worked on a roster system, which, it seems, may have fallen by the wayside. The government’s only representative was Chief of State Protocol Gil Haskel, who did not address the crowd. Former ministers Dan Meridor and Rabbi Michael Melchior, who were on opposite sides of the political spectrum during their years together in the Knesset, were among the guests. They engaged in animated conversation for most of the reception, occasionally interrupted by people who came to exchange greetings.
In tribute to the Abba Reunion, there was an interesting Swedish music display plus a quiz on Swedish songs, organized by the Swedish Institute, which distributed blue fans to bring relief from the humidity. There was also a video of the outfit chosen for Miss Sweden in the Miss Universe contest. The sparkling costume was created by Israeli theater costume and fashion designer Aviad Arik Herman.
It is customary at such events for the national anthems of the host country and Israel to be sung or played, and where countries are members of the European Union, the EU anthem based on Beethoven’s 9th Symphony is also sung or played.
For the occasion, Swedish opera singer Uls Bergstrom came to Israel and gave a stirring rendition of the Swedish National Anthem, knew Hatikvah by heart, but had to read the lyrics of Ode to Joy, the EU anthem, as he sang.
Influencing opinion
AS IF Israel does not have sufficient problems during this period of multiple crises, an article in The New York Times by one of its award-winning investigative journalists, Sheera Frenkel, revealed Israel’s secret effort to shape US opinion. Other countries engage in similar campaigns, using fake accounts on various social media platforms to inundate legislators and other decision-makers with posts implying that, as citizens of the country in question, they urge parliamentarians to vote a certain way on a specific issue. In Israel’s case, the focus was primarily on US lawmakers, particularly those who are Black and Democrats.
According to the article, the operation was carried out by the Ministry for Diaspora Affairs. Frenkel confirmed this with former and current members of that particular ministry. Frenkel also spoke to American lawmakers who received the fake posts from Israelis posing as American citizens. In short, it’s not a pretty story, and it doesn’t augur well for Israel.
Some 17 or 18 years ago, Frenkel lived in Israel and worked for The Jerusalem Post as its Knesset reporter. It’s amazing to see how many well-known journalists were members of the Post’s editorial staff early in their careers. Some even returned, directly or indirectly as in the case of Ron Kampeas, the Washington Bureau Chief of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA), Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic; David Horovitz, the founding editor-in-chief of The Times of Israel, along with TOI staff members Amanda Borschel Dan, Haviv Rettig Gur, Amy Spiro, Jessica Steinberg; Judy Maltz, Allison Kaplan Sommer, David Rosenberg and Anschel Pfeffer, who all write for Haaretz; Calev Ben David, who is on staff at i24NEWS; Arieh O’Sullivan, who can be heard on KAN’s English-language Radio; Joel Rebibo the English language editor of Hamodia; Israel Kasnett, Ruthie Blum, Edgar Lefkowitz, and Jacob Lappin at Jewish News Syndicate (JNS), and Gwen Ackerman, Bloomberg News. And that’s only a short list. Some of these names also appear in bylines in other publications. There are many ex-Post people who are either no longer working as journalists, having reached a peak in their careers, and others who went to other publications but are now deceased.
Journalists
ON THE subject of journalists, Judy Lash Balint, a news correspondent for JNS, won the Simon Rockower Award for Excellence in Writing about Health Care for her article on Sheba Medical Center helping a 35-year-old woman become the first woman in the world to deliver four children following ovarian tissue cryopreservation.
VETERAN PHOTOJOURNALIST Karen Benzian, whose photos appeared for many years on the news and feature pages of The Jerusalem Post, has changed her focus and prefers to concentrate on nature, mainly birds. An exhibition of photographs of her feathered friends will open on Thursday, June 13, at 6 p.m. at the Nil and David Bird Observatory in James Rothschild Boulevard, Jerusalem. Benzian believes that nature is good for the soul.
OF COURSE, many people for whom journalism is not a career write just as often as professional journalists, with their names appearing on op-eds, letters to the editor ,and occasional feature articles.
One such person is Rabbi Shimshon Nadel of the Kehilat Zichron Yosef Synagogue in the capital’s Har Nof neighborhood, where he has served since 2016.
His articles on Jewish Law, Jewish History, and Religious Zionism have appeared in Tehumin, Hakirah, The Journal of Halacha & Contemporary Society, Segula, Kol ha-Torah, Kolmus, Makor Rishon, The Jerusalem Post, Torah Tidbits, and the Jewish Press.
Nadel is one of three finalists in Hazvi Yisrael’s search for a rabbi for their congregation. Actually, there are four congregations that he has to serve – all under the one roof.
Last weekend, he and his wife Na’ama were hosted by the congregation, and met afterwards over refreshments so that he could properly introduce himself and answer questions.
He arrived at the synagogue in the garb of the ultra-Orthodox, which apparently disturbed one of the congregants who asked if it reflected his views. “I’m not married to the frock” he replied, and promptly removed his black frock-coat. He also disclosed that he plays guitar and is familiar with Jimmy Hendrix and the Beatles. He’s also a fervent Zionist who believes that everyone (including a new bridegroom) should put their weight behind national security and serve in the army. It is up to the leaders to show an example, he said. He also condemned the violence against Arab residents of the Old City of Jerusalem carried out by some participants in the annual Jerusalem Day Flag Parade, and he made the point that while it was important to carry the flag proudly, there was no need to be provocative or upset the neighbors. As for who holds sway in Jerusalem from a Jewish standpoint, Nadel recalled that in biblical times, Jerusalem did not belong to any particular tribe, but to all the tribes. Today, it belongs to all Jews, whether religiously observant or not. “We may be divided in matters of faith,” he said, “but we are united in matters of fate.”
Asked what he plans to do in the first year if he gets the job, he replied that he would learn about the needs of the congregation so that he could adapt to them, as well as learn each congregant’s name, because he strongly believes that a congregational rabbi is also a community rabbi and has to be there for the community 24/7.
Cartoons
WELL KNOWN artist Sali Ariel, the wife of internationally respected cartoonist Yaakov Kirschen, who for many years delighted Jerusalem Post readers with his amusing, thought-provoking cartoons, has not exhibited in a while. The reason: Her husband had a long spell of ill health that required hospitalization and surgery, but he appears to be doing better now. The other reason was their depression over the current state of affairs in the country; a year ago, they undertook the arduous task of relocating from their three-story home in Herzliya Pituah, where they had lived for years, to their present residence in Kfar Saba. Aside from the time and effort involved, there was also the challenge of cultivating new friends and interests. She was fortunate to be accepted as a member of the Kfar Saba Artists’ Association, which goes by the name of Aman Be’Iro – an Artist in his city.
Last week, the association held the opening of its month-long annual summer exhibition at the Artists House Gallery in Kfar Saba. A former president of the International Women’s Club, of which she is still an active member, Ariel invited some of her friends from there. Among those who came were Pam Stone and Rebecca Young, who are connected to the US Embassy, Pamela Meron, and Varda Priver Zussman, who came with her husband Arnon. The exhibition will remain on view till July 6.
By the way, for those of Kirschen’s fans who have not caught up with him, these days, his cartoons appear on JNS.
Comparing city polices
WHY ARE Jerusalem police more even-tempered and better-mannered than police in Tel Aviv? Following reports that police in Tel Aviv had used unwarranted and excessive violence against Dr. Udi Baharav while he was administering first aid to an injured woman, who was among the Saturday night protesters calling for new elections and the immediate return of the hostages, Israel’s President Isaac Herzog demanded a comprehensive, in depth investigation. Speaking at the annual Jerusalem Unity Day ceremony that he was hosting, Herzog said that he was greatly disturbed by the report. In a radio interview, Baharav said that when police tried to prevent him from treating the women, he explained that he was a doctor and that he was performing his duty. But the police were not interested and roughly pushed him aside. He had expected them to clear a path to make it easier for him to treat the woman. Instead, they closed in on him and accused him of assaulting a police officer. In the interview, Baharav said that doing such a thing was totally uncharacteristic for him and against his nature. He was dragged away from the scene in a brutal fashion, thrown into a van with other people who had been detained, and interrogated somewhere between 3 and 4 in the morning.
Health Minister Uriel Menachem Boso and members of the Israel Medical Association were also greatly disturbed that a physician was prevented from helping a patient and arrested on a false charge.What if the woman he was treating had been seriously ill and died because police had denied her the medical aid she needed. Would Minister for National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir have been charged with involuntary manslaughter? If not, where does the buck stop?
Ben-Gvir can’t play head honcho when it suits him and shirk responsibility when it doesn’t.
A musical interlude
GETTING BACK to the Jerusalem Unity Prize ceremony, the musical interlude was provided by the Shalva Band with lead singers Anael Shira Khalifa, who is visually impaired, and Dina Samte, who is totally blind. As a duo, the two young women were always good together, but over the years, their technique has improved, and so has their self-confidence. Today, they are totally professional, and their singing is unbelievably good. They sang a soul-stirring prayer for the welfare of the state and the return of the hostages, and earned a spontaneous standing ovation. They added a little patriotic fervor to their act, with Anael Shira wearing a white dress and Dina dressed in deep blue.
Packed schedule
THIS COMING Sunday. June 16, is a very busy day, with numerous events taking place morning, noon, and night. One would never know, judging by the variety of activities, that Israel is presently embroiled in a war on both its northern and southern fronts.
To raise money for Laniado Hospital’s protected maternity room in memory of Henry Hirsch, the Friends of Laniado is holding a New Orleans Dixieland and Jazz benefit concert, featuring the IsraDixie Band and Avraham Felder. The group has played at jazz festivals in Israel, the UK, the US, Germany, Holland, Ukraine, and more.
The concert, which begins at 8 p.m., will be held in Ir Yamim, Netanya, at Tefilat Yamim, located at the corner of Beni Berman and Uzi Hitman Streets. The entrance is on Uzi Hitman Street.
Tickets, at NIS100 each, can be reserved by phoning 972-9-860-4785.
A moving repetoire
A DIFFERENT kind of concert is taking place at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art on Tuesday, evening, June 25.
HaZamir Israel, the Israeli arm of HaZamir, the New York-headquartered International Jewish Teen Choir, founded and directed by Matthew Lazar, will perform at Recanati Hall in the Tel Aviv Museum of Art.
Matthew Lazar, a conductor and interpreter of Jewish music, is one of the leading figures of the Jewish choral movement of North America, and he has taken his talents further afield.
HaZamir Israel, composed of 100 talented singers from across the country, will perform a moving repertoire that resonates with current episodes in Israeli and Jewish history in the making.
Operating under the aegis of the Zamir Choral Foundation, HaZamir is yet another means of strengthening bonds between Jewish teens from Israel and the United States through their mutual love of performing Jewish music.
There are nine HaZamir choirs in Israel: Hasharon, Beit She’an, Jerusalem, Karmiel/Misgav, Ashkelon, Ofakim/Merhavim,Yeruham, Dimona, and Gan Yavne. In the US, there are 26 chapters that earn a shared repertoire and gather multiple times annually as one international choir. The highlight of the HaZamir calendar is the annual HaZamir Festival in New York, drawing hundreds of teens from Israeli and American chapters. After three days of intensive rehearsals, HaZamir performs a gala concert at iconic venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Metropolitan Opera House.
This year, in the wake of the events of October 7, HaZamir has taken on even deeper significance. For many of the singers, the project has become a safe haven, providing stability and community amidst the chaos and fear that has gripped Israel. The 300-plus singers on stage in Carnegie Hall last April all wore hostage discs and yellow ribbons.
All the alumni, most of them Americans, wore yellow scarves denoting the same message: to bring the hostages home to Israel.
A powerful moment occurred when the entire Carnegie Hall audience rose in prolonged applause to honor and support the HaZamir Israel members, who were given the opportunity to perform one song on their own.
“When there are no more words, music can fill the silence,” said Vivian Lazar, director of Hazamir International. “During these darkest days, the HaZamir program brought some light to a generation of HaZamir Israel teens who experienced the unthinkable. The lyrics that HaZamir sang this season reflect the prayers and the resilience of these remarkable young people who rebuilt their spirits with passion and compassion for each other and for our Homeland.”
Noa Argamani
AMONG THE people murdered or kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, were many foreign nationals, several of whom were not dual citizens of Israel and another country. The diplomatic representatives of the countries involved were active in attempts to secure the release of the citizens of their respective countries, whether dual nationals or not, and were in regular contact with Israeli authorities to do whatever they could for the Israeli captives. A notable exception, according to local and foreign media reports, was China, which, when asked to help bring home Noa Argamani, whose mother, Liora, is Chinese, responded in the negative on the grounds that Noa is only half Chinese. Numerous attempts were made by Israel’s Foreign Ministry and the Israel Embassy in Beijing to persuade the Chinese authorities to act on Noa’s behalf, but they wouldn’t budge.
Official Chinese news agencies, in reporting Saturday’s rescue operation, failed to mention Noa by name.
One suspects that the attitude would change if she happened to win some prestigious international prize and that the Chinese would then claim that she had Chinese roots.
A note on resilience
AMONG THE words most uttered in Israel these days is “resilience,” the Hebrew for which is hossen. It’s as if resilience is some magic commodity that helps both the individual and the nation to overcome all challenges and obstacles. The word resilience is followed by expressions such as “together, we will win” and “united we are strong; divided we are weak.”
At the beginning of the war, such utterances were morale-boosting, but after eight months, they are becoming meaningless lip service. While some politicians and others are calling for unity, the nation is once again becoming fragmented, angry, and even violent.
It’s not just a matter of politics and policy. It affects everything, including culture.
The Israel Association of Museums, which will hold its annual general meeting at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art on Sunday, June 16, will discuss the importance of social and cultural resilience during periods of crisis and examine the role of museums and what their future role should be during such times.
Museums are much more than exhibition halls that feature objects linking the past to the present. They also host conferences, literary events, concerts, theatrical productions, openings of art exhibitions, film screenings, and more. In this respect, they are affected by politics, economics, regional crises, and attitudes abroad to such crises.
Performing artists have canceled appearances in Israel. Budgets have been slashed. Overseas museums have reduced or canceled their ties with Israeli counterparts as well as canceling group and individual exhibitions by Israeli artists. Israeli performing artists have either been booed or had their performances canceled…. And the list goes on.
The situation is much more serious than is generally realized.
Speakers at the IAM meeting will include, among others, Tania Cohen Israel, director of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art; Psychiatrist Dr. Amir Mandel, who will talk about the effects of cultural deprivation; Dr. Smadar Shefi, curator of Contemporary Art at the Bialik Museum; and Dr. Aya Luria, director and chief curator of the Herzliya Museum of Contemporary Art.
A meeting of this kind would be incomplete without participants having the opportunity to feast their eyes. The event will also include exhibition tours of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art.
Food for thought
NOT ONLY are visual and performing arts food for the soul, but they are also gastronomic art. The look and taste of something we enjoy is not merely food per se; it also does something for the soul. That’s why ORT Dan Gourmet College has enlisted the services of Chef Eran Shwartzberg, one of Israel’s leading pastry chefs, to head the new professional pastry chef course at ODGC.
Shwartzberg, who has worked with some of the top chefs in Israel and abroad, has a 30-year career in creative cooking, primarily in the patisserie realm.
At ODGC, he will run the weekly, 14-lesson Bakemaster Pro course, beginning on Monday morning, June 17, and he will continue to mentor graduates of the course. To register, telephone 1-700-502-999.