Dateline Jerusalem — This week Jews throughout the world will observe Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the holiest day of the year.  For 25 hours we fast from food and water, dress in white clothes and wear no leather shoes. We ask for forgiveness for our sins and hope that our prayers will be accepted, and that we will be sealed in the Book of Life, Health, and Prosperity for a year of goodness and happiness.  We wear white because it symbolizes purity. We are reminded of the promise that our sins should be made as white as snow.  We do not wear leather shoes because in ancient times they were considered a luxury, a comfort. This is a time for afflicting ourselves.  Leather also reminds us of the primordial sin of Adam and Eve. Gold is not worn because it reminds us of the sin of the Golden Calf.  Yom Kippur is a day that celebrates our relationship with G-d.  

Especially in Israel, we have much for which to thank G-d.  This past year has been trying, with kidnappings of our youth and rockets, missiles and mortars launched at our cities.  In spite of this, it was a year of miracles and the knowledge that G-d continues to watch over us and protect us. Although it seems the world has gone mad, being in Israel is a reminder that there is sanity and goodness despite the evil in our midst. 

“Do not forget!” We are commanded to remember what Amalek did to us as we came out of Egypt.  From ancient times, Jews have been fighting an eternal war against the nation of Amalek, a nation whose inbred hatred of Israel took every opportunity to attack the weak of Israel, the sick, women, children, elderly, those without weapons and who could not defend themselves.  Since it is an eternal struggle, the nation of Amalek continues to plague us.  

Although the ancient nation of Amalek has assimilated into other nations, their cowardly, despicable behavior in attacking innocents manifests itself against Israel today.  Just this week in Jerusalem, Jewish nursery school and kindergarten children playing outside in their playgrounds had to be rushed into bomb shelters. Masked Arabs attacked their schools with Molotov cocktails, rocks and fireworks.  How vile can they be that they terrify and attack innocent toddlers who cannot protect themselves?  A school bus full of children recently was attacked by Arabs. This sounds like the modus operandi of Amalekites, doesn't it?

Last week on Rosh Hashana, one of the holiest days of the year, while Jews were in synagogue praying for peace, Arabs vandalized 40 graves in the Mount of Olives, an ancient Jewish cemetery.  Graves were desecrated, gravestones smashed with sledgehammers. This was not the first time. During the 19 years Jordan had control of Eastern Jerusalem, Jordanian soldiers used the gravestones to build a road through the cemetery and obscenely treated the graves as urinals.

G’mar chatimah tova!  May you be sealed in the Book of Life, Health and Prosperity.  May the year 5775 be a peaceful, happy year.

L'hitraot.  Shachar