Grandma's army

For a country that has to spend such a huge, disproportionate   slice of the national   budget    on defense needs in order to exist, Israel can still be considered as the People of the Book. A fledgling state which resolved to make the most of the only resource it had – human intellectual capital – with results far exceeding what anyone could have imagined. Abba Eban once wrote that the Jews gave humanity the notion of “civilization. “ For 3,000 years, the creative tension between the People and the Book generated philosophy and law, offered models of piety and morality and defined a discipline leading to personal commitment and communal compassion.” In the words of Ben Gurion : "In Eretz Israel [the Land of Israel] arose the Jewish people, in which was formed its spiritual, religious and national image, in which it created national and universal cultural treasures and bequeathed to the world entire the eternal Book of Books…" Ben Gurion also wrote: “Anyon...

Books are made of paper which, of course, comes from trees . Today, a very special festival, celebrated by all sectors of the Israeli public, is the New Year of trees (Tu Bishvat). David Gefen writes in this weekend’s Jerusalem Post: “Tu Bishvat has a beauty of its own – a time when we continue to ensure that our land will grow and develop through afforestation.” To commemorate the 70 th  year of the State of Israel the Jewish National Fund published a call to all Israeli citizens: “Whether we are from the right or the left, religious or secular, new immigrants or veteran citizens, let’s all give back to Mother Earth. This year we celebrate Tu B’Shvat as a symbol of unity.” As I write these words - from  kindergartens to Senior Residence Homes, trees and other green plants are being planted all over Israel. There are also Tu B’Shvat events being celebrated in every part of the country.  It is written in the Bible “When you come into the land you shall plant….” ...

Few things in life are as satisfying as a good book. This week, and maybe the next, I am deviating from my usual subjects to write about this other passion of mine. Although I have been living in Israel for the past 62 years, my mother tongue is English. That has remained my preferred langue for reading, the exception being books concerning Judaism. Going back a long way, when we were young parents, before we were invaded by TV, smartphones, etc., it was a daily practice to read to the children before they went to sleep. I remember that I loved the Dr. Seuss books just as much as they did! Something special happens when a loving parent shares a story with a youngster. “Reading is fun” is the message we send to our youngsters when it is an anticipated part of each day.  Not only fun, reading is the cornerstone of self-esteem, accomplishment and even a simple pleasure, that is lifelong. In those days, a bookcase was usually in pride of place in every home which loved boo...