My mom and bro just booked up their flight tickets. They're going to be here in 7 weeks, on June 20th. YAY!!! And they'll stay for 4 weeks! I'm so excited... can you tell? ;-))
In a very different note... We've decided it's time to stop smoking! So... we're going to finish the cigs we have, and in 4 days - NO MORE SMOKING! I'm not so excited about this one, since I know it'll be terribly hard to do... but... in the long run I know it's what we MUST do... and we'll feel much better. So, keep your fingers crossed for us. This time, we're going to do it!
Lorien said it @ 10:52 AM MT l
Monday
April 26 , 2004
Happy Birthday, Israel!
As odd as it sounds, loss and joy go hand in hand in Israeli life. As soon as Remembrance day ends, Independence day (and the celebrations) starts.
Israel started in 1948 with 806,000 people. Today's Israel has 6,780,000 citizens. 56 years of Independence, but no peace yet...
We have to continue our hopes for peace, even though it seems far away. Without hopes, there was no state of Israel to begin with!
Happy birthday, Israel. My heart is still and always with you.
Lorien said it @ 01:22 PM MT l
Sunday
April 25 , 2004
Izkor (Remember)
Remembrance Day for the Fallen of Israel's Wars will begin tonight at 8:00 pm Israel time.
21,782 people who lost their lives along the years will be remembered...
Israelis will stop everything for 1 minute at 8:00 pm and will stand in silence...
only sirens will be heard...
For 1 minute - the world is going to stand still around Israel... when we let our fallen brothers and sisters know we remember them... with a tear.
..............................
The next poem (translated to English, from The Department for Jewish Zionist Education site) is one of the more known and loved remembrance day poems, by Natan Alterman. The fallen are talking to the nation...
The Silver Salver
Poem by Natan Alterman
The Earth grows still.
The lurid sky slowly pales
Over smoking borders.
Heartsick, but still living, a people stand by
To greet the uniqueness
of the miracle.
Readied, they wait beneath the moon,
Wrapped in awesome joy, before the light.
-- Then, soon,
A girl and boy step forward,
And slowly walk before the waiting nation;
In work garb and heavy-shod
They climb
In stillness.
Wearing yet the dress of battle, the grime
Of aching day and fire-filled night
Unwashed, weary unto death, not knowing rest,
But wearing youth like dewdrops in their hair,
- Silently the two approach
And stand.
Are they of the quick or of the dead?
Through wondering tears, the people stare.
"Who are you, the silent two?"
And they reply: "We are the silver salver
Upon which the Jewish State was served to you."
And speaking, fall in shadow at the nation's feet.
Let the rest in Israel's chronicles be told.
Lorien said it @ 10:10 AM MT l
Friday
April 23 , 2004
I wanna share
I wanna share my yesterday's sunset with you
Just because
For some people...
(Ok... for me...)
It's so much easier to share Nature's captured images
Than the sights of one's soul
I wanna share my yesterday's sunset with you...
Will you show me your tomorrow's sunrise?
Lorien said it @ 09:52 AM MT l
Thursday
April 22 , 2004
Freecycle
Did you hear about Freecycle? What a neat idea!!!
The worldwide (!) Freecycle Network is made up of many individual groups across the globe. It's a grassroots movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. Each local group is run by a local volunteer moderator (them's good people). Membership is free.
No money exchange hands here. You give stuff for free, you get stuff for free... and your/others garbage becomes someone else's new treasure. I wonder what I'm going to find on the Calgary's group. I've signed up with them yesterday, and already got 3 E-mails today, loaded with stuff that people want to give away, or ask for. Gotta go down to the basement and see if we have something we want to get rid of... And yea, there's a group in Tel-Aviv as well *s*.
That will do some good for mother earth, don't you think? After all, it's Earth day today.
Lorien said it @ 07:26 PM MT
Monday
April 19 , 2004
Feeling a part of
After I wrote the post yesterday I called the Jewish center to ask if there's going to be a ceremony there, and they said "yes". We drove around the city for a while, and around 6 PM we arrived at the Jewish center.
The Jewish community in Calgary is quite small... around 7,000 members + some 2,000 Israelis. Most of them live in the SW side. We live in the NE side, so we don't meet any Jews in our neighborhood.
I was surprised to see few hundred people arriving at the center to attend the ceremony. Many were older people, dressed nicely,accompanied with their kids and grand kids... whole families came to the memorial service. Later I heard some who talked Hebrew, so there were few Israelis there as well.
The ceremony took place at the yard by the Holocaust memorial corner. Few people talked, few read poems. The message was that we (Jews) have to be active regarding the "never to forget" part. We have to record and tell our story, we have to act to teach it to the next generations, we have to act against the rising anti-Semitism. The great danger comes from the European intellectuals, academia people who try to minimize the importance of the Holocaust by demanding that we move forward and beyond it. We can't do that... We must remember this catastrophic event in our history, since we can't start to grasp the importance it holds in our future.
I stood there with my people, and I felt so a part of... I knew I belong with them, and even though I don't live close to them, I'm still a part of a proud nation who never again will let anyone kill it without fight. I was proud... and I wasn't alone.
Later we drove to the Beth Tzedec synagogue, which belongs to the Reform faction, and had some more moving moments. The ceremony began with Holocaust survivors walking into the synagogue's main hall with candles in their hands, accompanied by family members. More speeches, songs (in Hebrew as well, and I sang... boy how I sang! *s*).
The ceremony ended with a group of people - young and old - carrying the Israeli flags and walking around the hall... and of course, the Israeli national anthem A-Tikva (Hope).
You won't believe it, but Joe hummed the A-Tikva with the rest of us, and here and there even sang the words he already knows. I was so thankful to my gorgeous guy for taking part at this event with me... and for me.
Lots more photos here, and if they're not there anymore, check here.
Lorien said it @ 09:40 PM MT l
Sunday
April 18 , 2004
We will never forget them... You shouldn't either!
Holocaust Remembrance Day started in Israel almost 2 hours ago (8 PM Israel time). On this day, the Israeli nation officially commemorates and remembers the six million Jews murdered by the Nazis and their helpers during WW2, as well as those who rose up in revolt against the Nazi barbarism.
I know someone, a guy who works with Joe, that claims "the numbers of Jews declared murdered by the Nazis (6 million) are just blown out of proportion". Yea... It makes me sad how a person believes in something which is nonfactual with so much passion, without bothering to read, or rather bothering to read "facts" that support his ignorance.
But he didn't invent this claim. Here's what Holocaust deniers say in general, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Holocaust revisionists make some or all of the following claims:
1) There was no specific order by Adolf Hitler or other top Nazi officials to exterminate the Jews, although their incarceration in concentration camps and use as slave labor in factories had that effect. 2) The Nazis did not use gas chambers to mass murder Jews. 3) The figure of six million Jewish deaths is an irresponsible exaggeration. 4) The film footage shown after the War was all specially manufactured as propaganda against the Nazis by the Allied forces. 5) That the claims of what the Nazis supposedly did to the Jews were all intended to facilitate the Allies in their intention to enable the creation of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. 6) That though crimes were committed, they were not centrally orchestrated and thus the Nazi leadership bore no responsibility for the implementation of such a policy. 7) The historical proof for the Holocaust is falsified or deliberately misinterpreted. 8) There is an American, British or Jewish conspiracy to make Jews look like victims and to demonize Germans. 9) The overwhelming number of biased academics and historians are too afraid to actually admit that the Holocaust was a fiction; they know they will lose their jobs if they speak up.
..............................
I knew a lady who was a survivor from Auschwitz. Her name was Bella, and she was our neighbor in Israel (She died few years ago). Every year on Holocaust Remembrance Day she used to tell me her story, how she participated in the Death march, and survived the ordeal. Her dreadful life with her dreadful memories always stroke me hard, and even though it was terrible to listen to her, I never went away... out of respect... and understanding that she had to tell... and I had to hear it. Real report from a real person was always better than a text book.
..............................
I also know an Israeli guy who's son participated in Steven Spielberg's The Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation project as a photographer. This foundation was started in 1994 by Steven Spielberg as a result of requests from Holocaust survivors who contacted him both during and after the filming of his Schindler's List movie, asking him if he could provide a forum in which they, too, could tell their stories. Spielberg then established the Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation, with a goal to make it possible to anyone who desires to check the online archive of Holocaust survivors' accounts. There are more than 50,000 accounts on this site... enough reading material for 100 lifetimes... unless one don't want to know the truth.
..............................
Today we remember that 60 years ago there was a group of twisted brains who decided that it was time to exterminate all Jews. Until the last Jew is named is this years theme aims to name all six million victims of Nazi genocide.
The Holocaust no longer serves as a deterrent to anti-Semitism and therefore awareness must be strengthened, Chairman of Yad-Vashem (The Holocaust Memorial Authority), Avner Shalev, told Maariv Online on the eve of Holocaust Memorial Day.
The ceremony at Yad-Vashem tonight at 20:00 will officially commence the day of remembrance, which this year will focus on naming all six million victims of Nazi genocide - Until the last Jew, until the last name. The purpose is to emphasize the importance of collecting all names of the murdered, as a reaction to the Nazi plot to destroy all Jews until the very last one of them.
In order to complete the list, Yad-Vashem will upload on its Internet site the current list containing about 3 million names. Yad-Vashem calls on the Jewish people worldwide to make every effort to add names of victims so that there memory would forever be remembered.
We will never forget them... You shouldn't either, because by forgetting - we allow history to repeat itself... The Jewish nation - as all other nations - can't allow it.
Lorien said it @ 12:40 PM MT l
Tuesday
April 13 , 2004
I can walk you to his seat...
I've got an E-mail from Carrie Devorah, the sister of Chezi Goldberg. Chezi was murdered on January 29th, 2004 bus bombing in Jerusalem, with many others. Carrie's E-mail touched my heart so I decided to share it here:
May 5th a bombed bus shell, raveling from Israel to the Hague is arriving in DC. The bus is my brother Yechezkel Goldberg's last ride. He along with other commuters were murdered in it January 29th. The bus will stand May 6th at the Reflecting Pool, west side of the Capitol. And then it will tour America.
The permit to display the bombed out bus shell, Egged Bus 19, was applied for by Christians For Israel. What makes this bus unique to DC, is I am a Dupont Circle resident, I am able to point and say 'this is the bus my brother was murdered on,' then I can walk you to his seat, point to where Chezi sat,and to where his murderer Ali Jara sat, directly in front of him. My bluntness at the Hague, will continue here. I will then say, "this time it is me. Terrorism doesn't discriminate. Next time it may be you."
This was not a murder of Jews, it was a murder of commuters, Arab, Jew, Christian, whoever was on the bus. Ali Jara did not warn Christians, Arabs and people in Israel for religious pilgrimages off the bus, keeping Jews on. He murdered himself, along with the 11, in the spiritual capital of the world, the Holy Land to Jews, Christians and Muslims.
Links:
1) Because, if you don't cry, who will? 2) Chezi Goldbergs family, friends and community photos 3) More photos of the Goldberg family 4) Photo Essay: Scenes from The Hague
Christians For Israel, Christian Zionists, will be touring the bus 'wherever we are asked to take it.' They are working with ZAKA, the Israeli volunteer corps who gather, best as they can, bodies for burial - my brother, his fellow travelers and even their murderer.
Chezi's prominence in global Judaism is what makes this accidental choice of bus for the American tour, distinct. He was a columnist with a Jewish Weekly, read by thousands around the world. His editorial, If You Don't Cry Who Will' continues to circle the globe.
The program for the bus arrival and continuing tour updates are posted on the Christians For Israel website.
Sincerest Regards Carrie
Lorien said it @ 07:40 PM MT l
Wednesday
April 7 , 2004
He's reading my mind
Flowers always make people better, happier and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine to the soul." Luther Burbank.
Monday, Passover night, turned out to be festive after all. I told myself I can prepare nice lunch and celebrate with Joe before he goes to work, so I did.
While I was preparing the meal, I asked Joe to go to the store (4 minutes walk) to get me some milk and other stuff I needed. "Lunch will be ready in about 20 minutes", I said. "If you can find this no-alcohol wine there, bring a bottle".
He left, and I was doing my thing, putting a white tablecloth on the table and taking out the nice dishes... and thinking: "I wonder if he's going to bring me flowers... He knows how much I love flowers, especially in holidays... Let's see if he thinks about that". And I took the flower vase out of the cupboard and left it on the counter.
Time went by, already 30 minutes, and the guy is no where to be seen. Since launch was almost done, I phoned him to see where he was. "I'll be there in a sec", he said.
I looked out through the kitchen window. He parked the van, came out, and I could see he wasn't holding any flowers in his hands, so I put the vase back in the cupboard quickly, and opened the door.
"Oh, sweetie", he told me... "I was trying to pick up flowers for you, but there where only lilies there, and they didn't look good at all...". His face looked sad.
"You know what?", I said. "Hop on the van and go to Safeway, but be quick about it, since lunch is almost ready. You'll feel better if you find some nice flowers, I know... and anyway, I thought you'll think about bringing me flowers, and the thought counts the most, right?".
So he came back with a gorgeous pot of lilies, and we had a nice lunch with no-alcohol wine and yummy stuff for Passover.
Now... that's not all. Last night I had cravings for Tim Hortons hot chocolate. It was around 10:15 pm, and I thought: "Let's call Joe and ask him to pick up the stuff on his way back from work". I didn't do it right away since I was watching something on TV and there was still time till he left work at 11:00 pm. Later I went to the washroom, and while there I heard a big bang... like a car door closing. Looked outside the window, and there was Joe, coming home a little early... and in his hands... a carton tray with stuff from Tim Hortons.
I knocked on the window, and when he looked up, we both had huge smiles on our faces.
Why am I telling you all this? Well, it's a bit scary, isn't it? I mean, if he can read my thoughts so well and so often, I should be careful with what I let my little brain ponder about, no? ;-)))
Lorien said it @ 01:43 PM MT l
Sunday
April 4 , 2004
Passover
Passover is one of the three most important holidays in Judaism. It is a holiday commemorating the fight for liberation and freedom. At this time we remember and tell the story of our ancestors' exodus from Egypt, the story of slaves coming out of bondage and starting their lives as a free nation by heading back to their homeland.
The fight of the Jewish people for the right to live as free nation in their homeland started more than 3,000 years ago, and sadly - still continues today. Will it ever end? I can't answer this question, and sometimes I fear I won't live to see the day, but at this time of the year, while the story of Passover echoes inside me, I feel confident that whatever sustained us for thousands of years, will take us through present troubles as well.
We are here to stay, no matter what harm other nations of this world wish us!
Happy Passover to all who celebrate starting tomorrow night. May you have the most wonderful times with your families.
Lorien said it @ 09:22 AM MT l
Saturday
April 3 , 2004
Too speedy? Too slow?
My brother: A police radar caught me while driving.
Me: Oh? How much were you above? Did you get a big fine?
My brother: I was cruising along in the street, and saw the police car from a distance. While getting close to it I saw the policeman aiming a radar gun at me, and while I passed him he said: "Hey, you're driving 20 kph".
Me: So? Was that too slow for him?
My brother: I told him I knew... I have a speedometer on my bikes...
Me: ................................... Oh shit... Hahahahahahaha... I guess he was bored!
(I love my bro... even when he's pulling my leg *s*).
Lorien said it @ 10:07 AM MT l
Thursday
April 1 , 2004
This time of the year
My mood is getting better with the changing weather, and that's a good thing! I was already able to have few nice long walks outside, wearing only a T-shirt, breathing in a light breeze and allowing the sun to caress my face and arms. It's a wonderful soul-lifting feeling, no doubt... one I was longing for for a long long time.
I know it's not the end of winter here, oh no! It'll snow again, it'll (hopefully) rain a lot from now on, but the chance to go down to -30C is very slim right now, and that makes me happy.
Mom is already talking about her upcoming visit. She's getting ready, buying stuff she thinks she needs, and this also contributes to my good mood. Mom and bro will start shopping for tickets right after Passover... and I can hardly wait *s*.
Passover night is next Monday, April 5th. For me it'll be a regular day since Joe is working, but I find that I'm learning to take things as they are, accepting them instead of fighting them, and this time the holidays blues doesn't strike me so hard in the gut. I guess that's another outcome of me accepting the changes in my life and being satisfied and happy with what I have.
I have past memories of a lifetime from Israel to sustain me, and they will do.