Grapevine July 12, 2024: Important visits

NOT FOR the first time, President Isaac Herzog expressed his concern over the physical and vocal violence that has erupted among opposing sectors of Israeli society.

At a meeting this week with heads of local and regional councils, held at the President’s Residence, Herzog said that while he was in favor of the right of citizens to hold protest demonstrations, which he sees as part of a healthy and vibrant democracy, he worries when they lead to violence, which he sees as a dangerous situation.

He told his guests that it was their duty to ensure that demonstrations were held in complete accordance with the law.

Russian visits

■ RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR Anatoly Viktorov this week met with Elena Trufanova, a Russian citizen released from Gaza last November with what the Russian Embassy states was “active assistance.” Trufanova’s son Alexander, along with other Russian nationals, is still being held in Gaza.

Viktorov assured her that, since the very beginning of the unprecedented escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the rescue of hostages who are Russian citizens has been one of Russia’s top priorities.

Turkey relations

■ THE ANTI-ISRAEL vitriol spouted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has not resulted in the severing of relations between Israel and Turkey, though they are at a much lower point than two or three years ago and Israel has imposed an embargo on Turkish imports.

Despite all that, the Turkish Embassy is hosting a reception next week in celebration of Turkish Democracy and National Unity Day.

Unlike most events of this type, it will occur in the morning rather than the evening and on grounds considerably smaller than the Turkish President’s Residence.

Writing workshop

■ IN THE past, not enough attention was paid to the grief of a brother or sister at the loss of a sibling murdered by terrorists or who fell in battle in defense of the country. The focus was on bereaved parents, spouses, and children.

But siblings, especially those close in age, have a very special relationship, which has become more evident since October 7 as they try to recapture the character and spirit of the lost brother or sister through poetry, music, and memoirs. Many who want to do this don’t quite know how.

Recognizing this need, Beit Avi Chai in Jerusalem introduced a weekly Wednesday evening writing workshop for bereaved siblings. In his regular newsletter, Beit Avi Chai director Dr. David Rozenson advises that the workshop is about grief, beauty, clarity, absurdity, life after death, and the seam line between laughter and crying.

Given the fact that siblings are spread all over the country, it would be beneficial for other cultural and educational organizations and institutions, such as the literature departments of universities, to introduce a similar program, which would not only aid the bereaved families but also add to Israel’s literary output.

Among the fallen and murdered young people were talented poets, writers, and composers whose creative work was discovered on their computers after their deaths.

In several cases, the families have published some of the material and have even enlisted well-known musicians to arrange the compositions and write lyrics.

Biblical stories

■ THE FAMOUS quote from the biblical story of Ruth and Naomi, which begins “whither thou goest, I will go,” applies very much to married couples, and it’s usually the wife who goes where the husband goes. That was what happened when Ofir Akunis took up his role as Israel’s Consul General in New York.

His wife, Adi Akunis, who has been the longtime director of external relations at the ANU Museum of the Jewish People and CEO of the Friends of the ANU Museum, and who has an admirable CV testifying to her involvement with major Israeli and Jewish causes, decided to go where Ofir goes, although he left Israel a few weeks earlier.

At an emotional farewell event attended by the museum team and a large representation of the Friends of the ANU Museum, there was an official changing of the guard.

Adi Akunis is succeeded by Hamutal Einhorn, who also boasts an impressive CV. The two worked together in recent weeks in order to achieve a seamless transition.

Einhorn, a gifted project manager, innovative linguist, and media expert with television experience, is the ideal person to step in where Akunis steps out.

Geographically, Einhorn didn’t have too far to go. She previously worked at Tel Aviv University, and the ANU Museum is located within the TAU grounds.

 The farewell was part of a Jazz Night on the roof of the museum, which was also attended by displaced residents from the north and south of the country who are currently living in temporary accommodations in Tel Aviv.

In reviewing her eight years at the museum, Akunis said it was a privilege to be part of the team that brought the museum to its present status. This was something in which she took great pride, she said.

Yehuda Raveh, chairman of the Friends of the Museum, warmly thanked Akunis for her service, noting that the ANU Museum is the largest of its kind in the world and, most importantly, tells the story of Jewish identity. He praised Akunis for all the innovations she had introduced and welcomed Einhorn, who, he was confident, would quickly fill Akunis’s shoes.

Einhorn said she was excited to join the museum team and expressed optimism about the future, despite the harsh realities confronting Israel and Jewish communities abroad.

Among those present were Irina Nevzlin, chair of the museum’s board of directors; Dan Tadmor, director of the museum; Tova and Sami Sagol; Gideon Hamburger; Talia and Gadi Ze’evi; Ben Pasternak; Gad and Eti Proper; and many others who are avid supporters of the museum.

Chances are high that Nevzlin and Akunis will see each other in New York in September at a gala event honoring Ambassador Alfred H. Moses in recognition of his outstanding contributions to Jewish life, his devotion to the ANU Museum, and his role in bringing the Codex-Sassoon Bible to Israel and the ANU Museum.

The guest speaker at that event will be former Jerusalem Post editor-in-chief Bret Stephens, who is presently an editor and opinion columnist for The New York Times.

Important conferences

■ MEGA CONFERENCES in Israel, especially those on important subjects, typically feature an in-person address by the president of the state or a videotaped message from him, as well as speeches by or interviews with several ministers.

Strangely, at next week’s conference on the future of the national economy, the president is excluded, and the only minister featured is Interior Minister Moshe Artbel.

One would think a conference on such an important topic would highlight the presence of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Economy Minister Nir Barkat, among other heads of relevant ministries, but it seems that neither is participating.

However, leaders of government opposition parties, including Avigdor Liberman, Mansour Abbas, and Yair Golan, will attend. The most expert participants will be Hanan Friedman, president and CEO of Bank Leumi; Amir Yaron, the governor of the Bank of Israel; and Shai Babad, a former director-general of the Finance Ministry who currently serves as president and CEO of Strauss Industries. High-ranking officials from a broad range of Israeli industries will also be in attendance.

In her address, retired Supreme Court judge Anat Baron will explain how other issues, such as the protests, the justice system, and the battle for Israel’s image, affect the economy.

Classical music

■ SLIPPEDISC, the most famous classical music news site, reports that Dan Ettinger, who has been the director of the Stuttgart Philharmonic since 2015, has resigned for personal reasons that were not specified.

Ettinger, 53, who was previously an assistant to Daniel Barenboim, is also the music director of the Teatro San Carlo in Naples and the Israel Opera.

October 7 

■ GENERALLY SPEAKING, the most exciting news for any married couple is that the family is in expansion mode. But for Jerusalem lawyer Esther Hinden, the news that she was pregnant with her third child, though welcome, was somewhat less than exciting because her husband, Omer, was doing reserve duty in the army.

When she heard the sirens on October 7, she realized something very serious was happening, but as a Sabbath observer, she wasn’t sure what. She took her two children to a neighbor’s shelter. The neighbor was not religious, and the television was on with up-to-date reports.

It was clear to Esther that it might be a while before she could see Omer again. However, she had not anticipated that the war would last for so long.

She spent most of her pregnancy alone, worrying about where Omer might be fighting and praying that he would return home before the baby’s birth.

He made it just in time, and he was present in the delivery room at Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center when he heard his new son’s first cry. The baby was born on the exact nine-month-anniversary of the war. Omer was exhausted after 200 days of fighting, but he was so happy to be present at the birth that his fatigue melted away.

Hospital staff were no less delighted than Esther that both parents could together welcome the new member of the family.

Staying in Israel 

■ ALTHOUGH a large number of Asian and African students and workers headed home in the immediate aftermath of October 7, a considerable number chose to remain in Israel. In the interim, most of those who left have returned to Israel, along with others who are here for the first time.

During this past week, 630 African and Asian students from 11 countries who have been studying at the Arava International Center for Agriculture Training received their diplomas in the presence of African and Asian ambassadors; members of the Arava Regional Council, headed by Meir Tzur; some mayors of local councils that are part of the 15-member regional council; and representatives of Israel’s Foreign Ministry.

Among the diplomats in attendance were Alex Gabriel Kallua, ambassador of Tanzania; Albert Kendagor, ambassador of Kenya; and Mukhtar Mammadov, ambassador of Azerbaijan. Foreign Ministry representatives included Tamar Yarden, who heads the department for the advancement of foreign agricultural students, and Dudi Levy, who is in charge of the Foreign Ministry’s Asia and Pacific Department. The most outstanding students received handsome grants.

A new government in Britan 

■ BRITAIN’S NEW government is wasting no time while getting the show on the road. Less than a month after taking office, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy is due to visit Israel next week for meetings with government officials.

There has been speculation that the current administration will not follow the previous government’s policy of siding with Israel on matters involving the International Criminal Court.

As far as we know, the issue is under consideration but no decision has yet been made.

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