Shachar

Dateline Jerusalem — I voted for President via overseas absentee ballot.

Although I have been sick (sore throat and bad cough), I went out and walked to the Post Office in the thunderstorm we had here in Israel in order to mail my ballot.

Dateline Jerusalem — I read an article a couple of weeks ago about the Iranian dirty bomb on a ship headed for Israel that was hijacked by Somalian pirates.

I was unaware at the time that the hijacking occurred on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.

Dateline Jerusalem — There is something to be said about short engagements, especially when they become long marriages. In the religious Jewish community in Israel, as well as in certain communities in the U.S., dating is not like that in the rest of society. Men and women are separated, not only in prayer, but in schools, and activities as well. Therefore, couples either meet because a friend has a sibling or relative who they think would be a good match, or couples go to a shadchan, a matchmaker.

Dateline Jerusalem — Lately I have not had to cook. I have been invited out to friends for lunch and dinner. They all are at my same level of religiosity. They all say the same prayers, sing the same songs and perform the same rituals.

Dateline Jerusalem — I just read an article that was published in the Jerusalem Post, one of the major newspapers in Israel.

The topic was the patriotism of Israelis. The statistics were a result of a recent survey. The conclusion was that Israelis remain proud and patriotic in spite of all they have to deal with by living in Israel.

Dateline Jerusalem — This year is 5769 although most of the world thinks it is only 2008.

The Jewish New Year, which started last week on Rosh Hashanah is not celebrated by fireworks, noise-makers, parties or champagne.

Dateline Jerusalem — Like the United States, Israel is a melting pot of many nationalities, ethnicities, religions, and cultures. Although most of the Jews were either killed or exiled after the destruction of the First Temple and Second Temple, some Jews remained in the land. In fact, there has always been a Jewish presence in Eretz Israel (the Land of Israel).

Dateline Jerusalem — It is said that when Moshiach (the Messiah) comes, all the dead will be resurrected and the starting place will be the Mount of Olives.

Jews have been buried there since biblical times until now, except for about 19 years, from 1948 to 1967 when it was under the control of Jordan.

Dateline Jerusalem — Today I went to Kever Rachel (Rachel’s Tomb) in Beit El (also known as Bethlehem) where the matriarch Rachel, Jacob’s favorite wife, was buried. The other matriarchs (Sarah, Rebecca, Leah) were buried with the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Cave of Machpelah in Hebron.

Dateline Jerusalem — Today I toured the Ayalon Institute, a national historic site just north of Rehovot, Israel.

What was allegedly an ordinary kibbutz in the years between the end of World War II and Israel’s War of Independence in 1948, was actually a highly secret underground munitions factory, operating under the vigilant eyes of the British.

Between 1938 and 1942, machinery for the production of bullets was smuggled from Europe into Lebanon and eventually made its way to Eretz Israel.