You can't keep a good Jew down.

Yom shishi, 12 Iyar 5772.

Hey, holy Yidden!  Specifically, holy Israelis!  Wanna feel a little national pride?

Israeli para-athlete Moran Samuel won an international rowing competition in Gavirate, Italy. The organizers weren’t expecting her to win, so they hadn’t bothered to secure a recording of the Israeli national anthem, “Hatkivah.”
When Samuel found out there would be no anthem played when she was on the podium, she asked for the mic and started singing herself.  (Quoted directly from the blog 6 Degrees No Bacon Celebrity Roundup.

This is the indomitable spirit that makes me proud of my People.



And speaking of the resilience of the Jewish people...

With much gratitude to all of the people all over the world who have been praying for my dear friend Stella -- aka Tzuriya Kochevet bat Sara -- I would like to amplify the good news shared by her husband Yarden.  As Yarden says, "I know it's sefira [a period when many Jews do not listen to music, due to our collective pain at the loss of 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva to plague], but sometimes you just gotta sing."  Please share Yarden's joy over the latest news at his blog post Gotta Song in My Head.  It will lift your spirits.  Hodu Lashem, Ki Tov, Ki L'Olam Chasdo!  (Thank Hashem, for he is good.  His loving-kindness is forever!)

Please feel free to share any examples you have of uplifting stories in the lives of Jews you know, in the Comments section.  You will add to the happiness, and publicize the miracles.  Nice way to go into a Shabbat!

"Palms Up"

Yom sheni, 25 Tamuz 5768/28 July 2008, Monday.

Okay. I've given in. I am now a proud owner of "the national shoe of Israel."

Crocs really are not as bad as I had thought they would be. The "made in China" thing put me off for a while. Mostly it was the fact that, when I went to their web site, there was no mention of Israel amid the many nations they served. That really brought out my nationalistic ire. But, as each kid came home with a pair... and I started to think of the wisdom of a shoe with lots of spiffy little air holes to let the feet "breathe"; and then my Soldier Boy's new bride actually found SIZE 14 (which is also what his father wears)... what could I do? The fact is, they are a darned comfortable shoe. There is a mashal here for the life of an Israeli. We can stand on principle, and sometimes that is the right thing to do. I think that applies to Gush Katif, and the Golan, and Amona, and Shdema. And then there is the time to say "yadaiim maaleh" -- palms up. "Zeh lo chashuv." -- It's not that important. As my dear husband says, "You have to pick the sword you want to die on."

Crocs aren't my sword.

I may wear them to the next protest about keeping Shdema Jewish. Yeah, I like the symmetry of that.