Yom Hazikaron
Today, the state of Israel honors the memory of its fallen, our soldiers and our people who fell in Israel’s wars and in the terrorist attacks.
From the moment the state was established, it has not ceased to wish for peace with its neighbors, and to the same degree, its enemies have not ceased from their aspiration to wipe it off the face of the earth
We are here thanks to Israel’s fighters who joined the struggle for our existence, thanks to those who survived the wars and thanks to those who fell. We do not forget, even for a second, that we are here thanks to the fallen
Today, while the accumulated threats against the State of Israel are greater than in the past, both the IDF and our security services are stronger than ever. We will continue to strengthen our security, we will continue to aspire for peace with our neighbors, and we will continue to ensure the future of our country. Thank you
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
I answered a similar question a while ago.
Today at university something happened to me that resulted me in thinking about my Jewish identity.
I made a new friend in my Arabic class and she asked me “where are you from?”
Every new person I’ve met at university has asked me this question. I suppose in a multicultural society like Australia, where everybody is originally an immigrant people are interested in knowing your roots. So far, most people have thought I’m either Greek or Egyptian. In case you didn’t know, I’m neither. I always answer, “I”m Jewish” and just continue on with the conversation.
However today, my new friend responded “But where are you from originally?”
I responded “My grandparents were from Germany and Poland”.
“So you’re mixed European?” my friend asked.
“Uhhh, I guess?” I said awkwardly and continued practicing reading Arabic words as if I was a six year old student.
To me, my Jewish identity is as much a nationality - after all I am part of Am Yisrael - as my religious beliefs. And most people I’ve met at university seem to see that too. But this girl was different and the more I think about it, the more I regret not explaining that part of my Jewish identity. I in no way identify as German and Polish - my grandparents were refugees because Jewish people were being systematically exterminated. Germany and Poland are drenched in Jewish blood. I could never identify with those countries.
Next time someone asks me this question, I’ll know what to answer. I won’t be afraid to say that Judaism is my national identity as well as my religious one. I shouldn’t be “awkwarded out” by that. It’s the truth.
A list of my direct ancestors who were murdered during the Holocaust. All of these people had relatives, siblings and parents who were also killed, just because they were Jewish.
- מינה בת יוסף - Mina the daughter of Joseph. She was killed in a concentration camp in France, although lived in…
This was my great-grandfather. He was sent to Auschwitz in August 1942, and we assume he was sent to the gas chambers immediately. He was 51 when he was killed. We have never found his remains. We assume that they are in a mass grave in Auschwitz.
My great-grandfather’s name is found in the Holocaust memorial (see other photo). The memorial is known as the “Wall of Names” and contains the names of 76,000 people deported from France to Nazi concentration camps during the second world war.
My mother received her first prosthetics today. This is a video of her the first steps she’s walked since December 2012.
I’m taking a break from blogging.
Why you may ask?
Blogging used to be something I was passionate about and I looked forward to. I loved writing new posts, rebutting people and engaging in online discussion. Now, I’m feeling kind of numb and apathetic towards blogging. My personal views and convictions remain the same and they have not changed at all. I’m just not feeling any passion or enthusiasm towards things that I used to love.
I’ll still be checking my dash everyday - what else am I supposed to do when I’m eating lunch by myself? I’ll also probably remain blogging on my secondary blog. I’ll see any mail you send me and will post things infrequently on this blog.
This isn’t a goodbye, it’s a lehitraot. Hopefully this break will result in me finding my passion again and I’ll be back blogging regularly sooner rather than later. In the meanwhile, Chag Kasher V’sameach.
So I’ve recently decided to treat anti-Semites/Holocaust-deniers/Neo-Nazis/etc like people who have a very serious mental illness. Because of the danger they are in, it is therefore important that we all say a Mi Sheberach for them. I’ve composed one in English below. (My Hebrew grammar isn’t the…
a) Are a Zionist.
b) Are totally missing the point of his cartoons
I don’t care about his pro-Palestine cartoons, but why does he have to bring up the Holocaust? That is an entirely different period of human suffering, and…
