Grapevine, December 13 2023: Spreading the light

The annual Hanukkah reception at the White House has become par for the course since it was introduced in 2001 by George W. Bush. The number of flowers represents the number of hostages who are still being held captive in Gaza.

In countries other than the United States, the lighting of Hanukkah candles by public figures, especially heads of state or government, is often dependent on the relations between the government of that country and its local Jewish community and the State of Israel.

The dramatic change in Argentina is but one example.

In Germany, which has stood solidly with Israel and whose leaders have condemned antisemitism in every shape and form, Chancellor Olaf Scholz lit the candle on a giant Chabad hanukkiah at the historic Brandenberg Gate on the first night of Hanukkah, saying that he wished the candle would shine far beyond the site and for much longer than eight days.

His remarks were delivered at a time when antisemitism is on the rise not only in Germany, but throughout Europe. Scholz was one of several world leaders who came to Israel in a demonstration of solidarity following the Hamas massacre. After him came German President Frank Walter Steinmeier, who went to Kibbutz Be’eri accompanied by a delegation that included German Ambassador Steffen Seibert. The ambassador was back at the kibbutz this week and tweeted that he was again stunned by traces of the cruelest violence. It once more saddened him to think of the innocent people who were killed or abducted, as well as those still in captivity. “Germany will help Beeri recover,” he promised.

Another world leader who came on a visit of solidarity was French President Emmanuel Macron, who since then has been highly critical of Israel and seems to have yielded to Palestinian pressure. Nonetheless, he has been very vocal on the subject of antisemitism and demonstrated his respect for the Jewish community by inviting France’s Chief Rabbi Haim Korsia to light the first Hanukkah candle at the Elysee Palace. A video of the candle-lighting ceremony, with Macron looking on, sparked political outrage on both the left and the right, as France maintains a distinct separation between religion and state. Even Jewish community leaders were critical of Macron’s making an exception to the rule.

Yitzhak Rabin's younger sister evacuated from Kibbutz Manara

■ AMONG THE senior citizens evacuated from the north and the south was Rachel Rabin Yaakov, 98, the younger sister of assassinated prime minister Yitzhak Rabin. Yaakov, a resident of Kibbutz Manara who each year attends the Ner Yitzhak ceremony at the President’s Residence marking the anniversary of Rabin’s death, missed out this year because there was no ceremony due to the war. Together with other senior citizens, she was evacuated to Beit Hadar within Kvutzat Kinneret, where she was photographed on Sunday as she lit the fourth Hanukkah candle. Incidentally, she was not the oldest person present at the candle-lighting ceremony, according to Yediot Aharonot reporter Israel Moskowitz and photographer Efi Sharir. Joining her were fellow Western Galilee residents Avraham Gershon, 101, from Kibbutz Metzuba; Tirzah Michaeli, 101, from Kibbutz Lehavot Habashan; Sarah Rapoport, 99, Vered Banai, 93, and Hava Weinberg, 92, from Kibbutz Manara; and Hannah Ron, 85, from Kibbutz Nahal Oz.

“At our advanced age, we have lived through many difficulties,” Yaakov told Moskowitz, “but to leave our homes for a temporary dwelling is not a pleasant feeling.” She is also concerned that if her home is hit by a Hezbollah missile, she will have no place to return. What she misses most is the security that used to be but is no more.

For all that, she has no doubt that all the evacuees from Manara will eventually return.

Beit Hadar is a sheltered living facility that was established well before 1948 when the State of Israel was proclaimed. Its current manager, Yael Dromi, is thrilled to be able to host some of the builders of the state whom she regards as the pioneers of the nation.

Canadian Jews discover the reality of miracles

■ HANUKKAH IS one of the miracle festivals, and to quote founding Israeli prime minister David Ben Gurion, “To be a realist, you have to believe in miracles.”

Canadian Jews have certainly discovered how true this is. After the Sabbath morning service last Saturday, Marsha Wachsman, who chairs the Hazvi Yisrael congregation in Jerusalem, told the following story, as imparted to her by her niece, who was there in Ottawa and took photos, which she sent to Jerusalem.

There was a large rally in Ottawa last week, with Canadians coming together from all parts of the country in a show of solidarity with Israel. There were busloads and private cars, even though 17 drivers of one particular bus company had called in “sick.” Many people had traveled for hours to get to the venue and then stood for two and a half hours in the freezing cold to demonstrate their support for Israel. As the rally was coming to an end, snow began to fall, and the rally participants could not believe their eyes. Many of the flakes were in the shape of a Star of David. In the still photos and videos sent by Wachsman’s niece, the Star of David snowflakes are clearly visible in women’s hair.

A poignant fast on the 10th of Tevet

■ THE FAST of the 10th of Tevet commemorates the siege of Jerusalem by King Nebuhadnezar of Babylon, which led to the destruction of the First Temple and the conquest of the Kingdom of Judah.

The 10th of Tevet also commemorates calamities in other periods of Jewish history; since the Holocaust, it is also a day of mourning and remembrance for loved ones whose place of burial is unknown.

The 10th of Tevet, which this year falls on December 22, will be much more poignant than in recent years because not all those in Israel who lost their lives on October 7 have been identified; it is not known whether some of the missing are dead or alive, and the burial places of some of those who were confirmed dead remain unknown. Presumably, Chief Rabbis David Lau and Yitzhak Yosef will conduct large-scale ceremonies to honor the memories of those murdered in the Hamas massacre.

Former US ambassador calls PM Netanyahu "a clear and present danger"

■ IT COMES as no surprise that Martin Indyk, a former US ambassador to Israel, should be negatively disposed toward Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he has criticized in the past. But to tweet that Netanyahu is “a clear and present danger to Israel and should resign before he does any more damage” is hitting below the belt.

Despite his expertise on Middle East affairs and his long relationship with the Brookings Institute, as well as the fact that he is now a distinguished fellow at the Council of Foreign Relations, which is a think tank specializing in US foreign policy and international relations, Indyk does not know all the facts. Many Israelis including in Netanyahu’s own Likud party believe that he should step down, but not before the war against Hamas is over. Indyk should know the perils of changing horses in midstream. Also, to keep on harping about Netanyahu clinging to power does a disservice to the prime minister and the war cabinet. Whatever his faults, Netanyahu was and is an Israeli patriot. If Benny Gantz and Gadi Eizenkot thought differently, they would not be sitting at the same table with him.

Messages to Mom from the battlefield in Gaza

■ IN A pre-digital era, Army Radio ran a program called Dash LeIma (Regards to Mom), in which soldiers sent greetings to their mothers courtesy of the radio station. With the advent of cellphones, soldiers could send greetings via social media platforms. However, those stationed in Gaza are unable to do so because transmission between Gaza and Israel has been suspended. KAN 11 and Reshet Bet broadcasters Guy Cotev and Daniel Elazar, who happened to be in Gaza last week, recorded greetings in the Dash LeIma style and relayed them to anxious mothers. The moral of the story is: “Don’t throw out the baby with the bath water. Some old-fashioned things are worth preserving for emergency situations, when more sophisticated and updated equipment and services are unable to function.

A medical miracle at Hadassah Hospital

■ HADASSAH MEDICAL Center in Jerusalem has a long record of treating wounded soldiers and even performing medical miracles when it seemed that all hope was lost. Such was the case with Roni, a 20-year-old soldier in the Nahal Brigade who had already been discharged when Sara Netanyahu, the wife of the prime minister, visited Hadassah last week to light the first Hanukkah candle with wounded soldiers who are well on the road to recovery.

“Roni fought the battle, and we at Hadassah fought for his life and succeeded,” says the Hadassah director, Prof. Yoram Weil.

Doctors in the Orthopedic Trauma Unit, had no doubt that they would make every effort to save Roni’s life. Seriously wounded by a severe gunshot in his leg, Roni had been evacuated to Hadassah by helicopter.

In the early morning hours of October 7, Roni set out on patrol from the Sufa post, where he was serving. While he and a team of soldiers were on the ground, a prolonged barrage of mortar shells was fired from Gaza toward Israeli territory. “The firing was incessant” he recalls. “We decided to drive to the outpost as fast as we could with missiles falling next to us all along the way. The car I was driving was shaking.” 

During that hectic drive, the three soldiers in the car realized that in addition to the missile fire, there were numerous infiltrations through the border fence. “We quickly understood that we were at war,” says Roni. They eventually reached the Sufa outpost but the terrorists arrived in the area at the same time to infiltrate the base.

“The terrorists were in cars and on motorcycles in front of us. There were many more of them than us, so we decided to turn around, take cover, and fight them from there,” he continues. As they turned to find a better location, they noticed an RPG missile heading in their direction from the bushes. The missile hit the car, but the three soldiers managed to get out and continue fighting.

“After a short time, Maj. Roy Chappel and Staff Sergeant Tomer Mizrahi, the two fighters who were with me, were hit and killed. I was left alone in the field facing dozens of terrorists,” Roni says.

He sought cover after taking a bullet to his right leg while fighting alone. Realizing the magnitude of his injury, he tried to keep stepping on it but couldn’t. “I hopped on one leg until I reached the bushes and hid there. I made myself a tourniquet until the bleeding stopped.”

While he continued fighting, some soldiers reached him and succeeded in loading him onto a vehicle. A military medic treated him while the others covered for him and continued the battle.

Eight hours later, Roni was evacuated by helicopter to Hadassah Ein Kerem. Prof. Meir Leibergal, director of Hadassah’s Musculoskeletal Division, operated on him immediately upon his arrival. “Roni arrived at the hospital with a multi-systemic injury where the significant injury was to his right leg. When we removed the tourniquet, the muscle was in bad shape, and a lot of toxic substances were released into the body. He was in mortal danger, and we decided to fight for his life and his leg,” says Leibergal.

 Over the next week, doctors tried to remove dead muscles and preserve what was possible from the leg, but Roni began to develop a life-threatening infection. “We made a very difficult decision. We understood that there was no escape, and we had to amputate the leg in order to save his life,” explains Prof. Weil.

“It was important for us to insist that the amputation be below the knee so that his future functional limitation would be as minimal as possible, and on the other hand, the life of this young man was before our eyes. We, of course, did not give up.”

Roni underwent 12 surgeries by orthopedic and plastic surgery teams, during which they managed to overcome the infectious situation and preserve the knee, which will help him later on to cope with the new reality. After the surgeries, Roni was hospitalized in the orthopedic department, where he is now being treated as an outpatient until he begins rehabilitation.

“Roni fought the battle and we fought for his life,” Weil reiterates. “He still has a long way to go in rehabilitation, and I wish him great success. I have gotten to know a combat soldier who does not give up and who has taught us all what determination is, and I am sure that he will continue to do the same.”

After two months of treatment at Hadassah, Roni finally went home. “My life was saved. I received my life back and would like to thank Hadassah Ein Kerem and the entire staff, physicians, nurses, and social workers for their dedicated care. I was hospitalized here for a long time and always felt that I was in the best hands and that I was being treated in the most professional and humane way. When you arrive in such a critical condition, that’s what makes the difference.”

Judging by the happy smiles on their faces and those of their families and hospital staff, everyone at Hadassah was happy to see Sara Netanyahu on the first night of Hanukkah and she was glad to see them, knowing how close a brush they had with death. “You are our heroes, the Maccabees of our time,” she told them, adding that she and the entire nation are praying for their speedy and complete recovery. As they have done all over Israel and many places abroad, Chabad provided the Hanukkiyah.

Sara Netanyahu visits rescued soldier

■ THIS WEEK, Sara Netanyahu went a little further afield to Kiryat Gat to visit Ori Megidish, the IDF lookout soldier rescued from Gaza by Israeli forces.

Netanyahu embraced Megidish warmly and was pleased to learn that the soldier is in excellent condition, mentally and physically. Megidish told Netanyahu that during the entire period in which she was a hostage, she kept telling herself – even when she was afraid – that she would not allow anyone or anything to defeat her.

Reuven Rivlin, President and film buff

■ FORMER PRESIDENT Reuven Rivlin is a movie buff who often attended the film festivals hosted by the Jerusalem Cinematheque. His late wife Nechama was also very keen on movies, as is the current lady in his life, Sarit Tzemach, with whom he has been keeping company for a little over two years. Rivlin and Tzemach were among the hundreds of people milling at the Cinematheque last Saturday night for the opening of the annual Jewish Film Festival, and Rivlin joined Cinematheque manager Roni Mahadav Levin in lighting the Hanukkah candles. Hanukkah is arguably the most widely observed of Jewish festivals because the only prohibition is not to use the light of the candles instead of just looking at them. All other Jewish festivals are cloaked in numerous rules and regulations.

The story of the rescued tefillin

■ ZAKA VOLUNTEER Haim Otmatzgin can’t stop telling the story of the rescued tefillin (phylacteries). Ariel Zohar was the sole survivor of his immediate family. His parents Yaniv and Yasmin, together with his sisters Keshet and Tchelet, were murdered during the Hamas invasion of Kibbutz Nahal Oz.

Ariel was saved on that fateful morning of October 7 simply because he had decided to go jogging.

As he jogged along, he saw Hamas terrorists infiltrating the kibbutz, and in his fright, he ran to the nearest house, which happened to be that of the local security officer, who immediately rushed him into the safe room. The officer went outside to defend the kibbutz and was fatally shot. Meanwhile, a terrified Ariel, who was two weeks away from his 13th birthday, spent hours in the safe room before he was rescued and taken to the home of his grandparents in Rishon Lezion.

Ariel’s home on the kibbutz had been set on fire by Hamas but was not totally destroyed. When Zaka volunteers told him that if there was anything in the house that he particularly wanted to keep, they would go and get it, he asked for only one thing. His grandfather, an Auschwitz survivor, had been given a set of tefillin by his own father, who was murdered by the Nazis. Somehow, the grandfather managed to keep the tefillin and bring them to Israel. He gave them to his own son, who in turn gave them to Ariel. He was planning to use them at his Bar Mitzvah.

Ariel knew exactly where the tefillin were. A ZAKA team, led by Otmatzgin and escorted by special forces, went to what was left of the Zohar home and used the few minutes available to find the tefillin. Fortunately, they found them and managed to deliver them to Ariel. The boy’s grandfather wept, saying that he was only 14 when he witnessed the murder of his own parents and that he never imagined in his worst nightmares that the same fate would befall his grandson.

Ariel celebrated his Bar Mitzvah a little later than scheduled – exactly two months after the October 7 massacre. His relatives tried to make it as happy an occasion as possible. The guest of honor was former Chief Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau, who was even younger than Ariel when his parents were murdered by the Nazis. Lau, who was liberated from a Nazi death camp, told Ariel that since then, he has had a good life and that he was sure that Ariel would also have a good life because he is surrounded by so many people who love him.

Otmatzgin was tremendously impressed by the fact that the only possession that Ariel had requested was the set of tefillin. It was unusual for such a young, traumatized boy to think of fusing the past with the future. In asking for the tefillin, which would be integral to his passage into manhood, he had chosen life.

Bar-Ilan University marks 2 months since hostages were taken into captivity

■ WHILE SO many people were lighting Hanukkah candles and talking in symbolic terms about how the light banishes the darkness, the administration, faculty, and staff at Bar-Ilan University decided to mark two months since the Hamas massacre by planting 137 flowers in a newly established campus garden to be known as the Garden of the Returning Hostages. The number of flowers represents the number of hostages taken captive to Gaza on October 7.

 “We are cultivating this garden as a symbol of our hope for the speedy and safe return of the hostages in Gaza. The 137 flowers we are planting today, one for each hostage, will bloom until they return,” said Bar-Ilan University President Prof. Arie Zaban. Chrysanthemums and yellow snapdragons, which bloom year-round, were planted. Some of the flowers were purchased from nurseries in southern Israel.

In recognition of Hanukkah, a university event preceding the planting focused on the journey from darkness to light. Prof. Eitan Okun, a researcher at Bar-Ilan’s Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences and Gonda Brain Center and a member of the emergency squad of Kibbutz Alumim in the Gaza Envelope, spoke about the nightmare he experienced on October 7.

Independently, and later with the IDF, the Alumim squad fought off dozens of terrorists, preventing their entry into the residential section of the kibbutz. Okun is currently on reserve duty and continuing his research into the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

 According to data collected by BIU, approximately 5,000 people from the Bar-Ilan community are now in the reserves or have been evacuated from their homes. The university’s emergency fund, which stands at NIS 12 million, will assist them with tuition and subsistence scholarships when they return from military duty.

“Whether they are reservists or their family members or students evacuated from their homes, we have been standing by their sides over the past two months. We will not leave anyone behind,” said Zaban.

Minister Gantz visits evacuees at Dan Panorama

■ SOME OF the hotels in which evacuees are being accommodated are not exactly hospitable, but the hotels in the Dan chain are doing whatever they can to make them feel welcome and comfortable. On the fourth night of Hanukkah this week, war cabinet member Benny Gantz was the guest of honor at a candle-lighting ceremony at the Dan Panorama Tel Aviv, which has become the temporary home of 1,100 evacuees from Sderot, Kiryat Shmona and Kfar Aza. Also present were MK Orit Farkash-Cohen, President of the Israel Hotel Association Eli Cohen, and Lior Haimovitz, general manager of the Dan Panorama.

Deborah Lisptadt to address Ministry of Foreign Affairs event 

■ PEOPLE WHO prefer to get their political and security information in English rather than in Hebrew will have an additional opportunity on Thursday, December 14, at 1.30 p.m. Israel time, when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Institute for National Security Studies join forces in a special event commemorating the expulsion of Jews from Arab countries. Following greetings by Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, the keynote addresses will be given by Deborah Lipstadt, US Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, and Katharina von Schnurbein, European Commission Coordinator on Combating Antisemitism and fostering Jewish Life. There will also be a panel discussion featuring INSS researchers with concluding remarks by Michal Cotler-Wunsh, Israel’s Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism. Titled Beyond the Battlefield: Contested Narratives in the Arab World, the event will be broadcast on the INSS website and social media platforms.

greerfc@gmail.com