Beyond the headlines: A weekly glimpse into the Israel you won’t read about in the news - opinion

It truly feels like we are living inside a chapter of the Bible. Yesterday, when news started to come in about the crash of the Iranian president's helicopter, I saw that some people were quoting the verse from the Book of Proverbs, written by King Solomon: "When the wicked perish, there is joy."

When righteous people perish from the world, we are sad, and unfortunately, this happened a great deal since October 7th. But on the other hand, here is an opportunity to rejoice. When the wicked perish from the world – there is joy in the world; it is cleaner, purer, and better here without them.

But there is another verse, the last verse of the Haftarah, that will be read in synagogues during this coming Shabbat: "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is there anything too hard for Me?" We are used to asking, "What will be?" and getting answers from panels of retired commentators and experts. This verse reminds us that we do not exclusively determine the plot, and with all due respect to the experts – reality often surprises.

Sometimes, unfortunately, we have difficult scenarios. Still, sometimes, events amaze us for the better: the progression of history toward a positive direction of success that we hadn't even imagined.

May we be blessed with many more good news stories far beyond what we expected.

Has anyone given you anything to pass along?

In the airport, on my way back from London, I was asked the usual question by the customs agent: “Has anyone handed you anything to give to anyone?”

And the truth is that my answer is a resounding “Yes!”  “Someone” has given me something precious: an abundance of support, concern, love, prayer, and feelings of unity from the Jewish community of London directly to Israel.

It was a privilege to be among the 40 speakers from Israel to travel to Britain on behalf of “Mizrachi UK” It was a privilege to see how the huge turmoil since October 7th has inspired people to do more: One person is making aliya; another is organizing a rally; someone else is organizing a special prayer service, and challah bake; another is bringing the families of hostages to speak here, and yet another is raising funds and organizing solidarity missions to Israel.

Yael Jackson, from the London suburb of Borehamwood, helped organize an event attended by many more people than expected (as usual, they were looking for more chairs!). She shared the following insight:  “A few years ago, the Covid crisis separated us. Never before had we felt so isolated and alone. By contrast, the current crisis has brought us together like never before. People we’ve never seen before have come to be with us. We’ve never been so united!”

Sderot then and now: Spot the differences

This composite photo of Sderot from October 7th, 2023, alongside that of Sderot from Independence Day 2024, tells our story. To quote the prophet Micah: “Rejoice not against me, my enemy; although I have fallen, I will rise…”Kosher … and the Beauty of Shabbat

At the start of the war, a soldier on reserve duty came to Muzi Anidger’s restaurant and was disappointed to find that it did not have kosher certification. Then and there, Muzi decided to make all the necessary changes so that his restaurant would be eligible for kosher certification. Since then, he’s delighted tens of thousands of customers in northern Israel with his offerings.

Disproving all the naysayers, six months later, when it was time to renew his kosher certification, Muzi announced to all that he was continuing to run the restaurant according to the laws of kashrut and Shabbat.

“I always served fantastically delicious food, and it was actually kosher,” Muzi wrote to me. “The only obstacle to receiving kosher certification was that the business was open on Shabbat. In the last half year, I learned to love Shabbat and the serenity that it brings to body and soul.

Our family once again experiences togetherness. The peace and the great atmosphere led me to understand that there is nothing that can compete with Shabbat.”

Who said that the inspiration brought on by the war would be short-lived?

A response to the ‘Holy Stickers’

Sara Shapiro teaches at the Hebrew Academy in Marlboro, New Jersey. In response to my article about the “holy stickers” that can be found all over Israel with messages from those who lost their lives since October 7th, she sent me the following: “Based on your idea, I decided to do an activity with my middle-school students.

We prepared a special ‘Yizkor plaque’ and included selected quotes in Hebrew and English. So, even if we can’t come to Israel right now, we’ll still be able to benefit from the impact of those messages.”  

Translated by Yehoshua Siskin, Janine Muller Sherr.

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