Unforgettable Short Stories by Ayelet Tsabari

Ayelet Tsabari's short stories, published under The Best Place on Earth were a literary revelation for me. My aim was to purchase her recently published memoir, The Art of Leaving, but got a bit lost into the recommendations of my Amazon algorithm and challenged by the descriptions of some of the stories. Convinced, I purchased the short stories first and since then - yesterday afternoon - couldn't put them down.

I am not a great reader - and not a writer either - of short stories. I am in love with big, long stories and I rarely get the literary enthusiasm for couple of pages only stories. Especially when it comes to accounts defined by a specific identity and geographic realm, I prefer those boundaries to be journalistically clear, simple in order to allow in the good filling of the story. 

Ayelet Tsabari succeeded to achieve it in a very entincing, I dare to say even addictive way. The stories do have a clear geographical reference - Israel - and a frame - Jewish life, mostly of Jews of Mizrahi (Oriental) origin, specifically Yemeni. Within this matrix, memories are created, unique stories are told and existential crisis or questions are occurring. At the end, frequently the reader is left out, as it seems that once you are reading the next one, in the previous one there is still a life going on, you are not privy to. Thus, expectations and inner discussions are created. 

There is always a tension - mostly between the new and old, the traditional lifestyle versus the modernity liberation, the silent revolt against the Askenazi establishment - around which each of the stories are created, but those tensions are gently, fuel the story and nicely make the balance. 

After becoming familiar with Tsabari's writing, I am very curious to read more about the sources of her writing, her own life story and therefore can't wait to start reading her memoir. 

Rating: 4 stars

The Jewish Wedding Now, by Anita Diamant

Since 1985, The Jewish Wedding by Anita Diamant sees a new edition, aimed to include the latest changes and understandings of the Jewish life in the last years, including the acceptance of same sex marriages. 'Jewish weddings are grounded in the past, but they have always been the stuff of the irrepressible present'. 

Written in an accessible way, with many interesting Biblical and tradition-bounded examples, the book offers valuable insights into both the preparation process and the event as such, covering very important elements, such as the content of the ketuba, how to split the costs or dealing with tests for identifying possible genetic diseases. My list is considerably random and reductive but it is up to the reader to find out a lot of other intersting aspects. This is one of the many merits of this book: it is hardly an aspect of the Jewish Wedding left uncovered and I wish there are such valuable resources covering other important moments of the Jewish life circle too. 

It also doesn't matter if you grew up Jewish or not or if you are part of a conservative or more liberal congregation: it creates bridges between different traditions and interpretations of the Jewish law being also a hard work of anthropolotical-like research and inquiry. If you are a person who, regardless of your own background and personal choices, you want to learn, this book will open your mind to a whole range of diverse customs, many of them newly introduced following the new society trends. 

The book is mostly focused on the main checklist, without covering particular traditions and community rules, but such a particular focus would have divert from the main aim which is The Jewish Wedding in general, and not specific Jewish wedding(s).

A book recommended to anyone curious about how the Jewish Wedding are organised or just looking for a complete overview of this important life event. 

Rating: 4 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

#Weremember: Maria Forescu

Photo credit: Wikipedia

Today is the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, another occasion to remember every of the 6 million innocent people murdered only because they were Jewish. A sad moment in the history of humanity which took place less than a century ago. The date commemorates the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp, by the Russian troops.

Hopefully, there were survivors who were strong enough to share with us the stories of the horrible lack of humanity humans can be capable of. Most of the people who were sent to the camps didn't survive though and it is our duty to remember them, because our memories of them keep them alive. 

One of the many who were sent to death and didn't come back was the actress and singer Maria Forescu, whose full story is relatively less known. I first read about her during a recent visit at the German Film Museum in Potsdamer Platz, Berlin, where her activities and short details about her life, mostly undocumented, are mentioned. 

She was born in Czernowitz, nowadays Ukraine, at the time part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, in 1875, as Maria Füllenbaum. She changed her family name into one sounding Romanian in order to avoid the obvious anti-Semitic intolerance at the time. She attended a boarding school in Paris, studied music and singing as well as drama at the Prague Conservatory. She secured a position at the Viennese Carl Theater as an operetta singer. She was on tours all over the world, including the Theatre of the West in Berlin or the famous Metropolitan. Since 1915, she decided to leave the singing career, moved to Berlin and dedicate all her energies and talent to the film, playing in various movies famous at the time, including Zwischen Nacht und Morgen or Danton, both launched in 1931. In total, she acted in around 160 films, only few of them archived. She was married with Harry Piel, an actor himself together with whom she appeared in many movies.

In 1932, her career was shortly cut by the racial laws of the Nazis. She decided to stay in Berlin, ending up completely isolated and expelled from the main professional organisations. After a short time during which she found refuge together with other Jews in Motzstrasse in the Wilmersdorfer borough of Berlin, she was sent to death, probably Buchenwald concentration camp where she died at the end of 1943.

Traces of Jewish life in Angermünde

In the region of Brandenburg, close to Berlin, there are many traces of Jewish life and even well settled communities, many of them destroyed during Shoah. The question regarding the choice of Jews to settle in those area has some simple answers: many of them where waiting for an eventual opportunity to make it to Berlin, or they just wanted to take advantage of the relatively tolerant - non-Catholic - ambiance and use the trade routes to Poland and other Central European destinations.

As his part of Germany used to be during the Cold War part of the communist world - the GDR - if a minimal, if any denazification, many of the traces of Jewish life disappeared. The idea of the German communists was that most of the perpetrators were actually in the 'West' therefore the biggest number of victims were on the other German soil. After the reunification, more efforts were directed towards recognizing the victims and traces of Jewish presence in this part of the country, hence the big number of mentions about Jewish life in Brandenburg and elsewhere in the ex-communist realm.

During a short weekend visit to Angermünde, on the Pushkinallee, I encounter a mention regarding the former Jewish cemetery in this locality, The Jews established here at the beginning of the 19th century, with 1709 the year of the first Jewish presence. In 1835 it was bought a piece of land that was used as a cemetery until 1936. After the intensification of anti-Semitic attacks, the cemetery was took over by the state and the space used for various destinations, among others as a garage. As in many cases in Brandenburg, Prenzlau for instance, the stones were took away by the locals and used for their own constructions.

There are no Jews or signs of Jewish presence in the nowadays Angermünde, only a short historical mention about their presence here, installed in 1996.

Visiting the Great Synagogue in Jerusalem

I wanted to visit the Great Synagogue in Jerusalem for a very long time, an important visual and spiritual benchmark in the city. Very often, the building on King George Street is the meeting point of various tourist groups as well as of young soldiers who stop here for a short prayer and tour before going back to their duties. The building, aimed to send a message of respect of the 6 million Jews murdered during Shoah but also of resilience of the Jewish people against all tragedies, is relatively new, being built only 25 years ago. It relies exclusively on donations.

Besides the synagogue, with 850 places for men and 550 for women, the synagogue hosts also an impressive collection of mezuzah, covering more than half century and various geographical locations. The visits are free of charge and various guided tours can be also organised regularly. The predominant rite is Askenazi, but near the entrance, the Heichal Jacob Sephardi synagogue is available. The choir and hazzan are renowed in the entire world for the special synagogal artistry. 

Above the aron koidesh, the impressive stained glass windows, the work of Regina Heim, display Biblical and everyday life Jewish stories. In the women section, more stained glass is displayed. A 3-tone chandelier is offering a dazzling view. When I visited, there was no service and thus, I missed a lot of emotions and special impressions that are usually created in this holy space.

All round the week, classes for both men and women are organised, and the sound of prayers is filling the space. But one can also pray alone, in one of the quiet corners, in your very private space where you can talk to Hashem. I don't know why it took me so long to see this synagogue, but I believe that when I went there, it was the right moment to do so. 

Yom Yerushalaim in Jerusalem

"There is no better place to celebrate Yom Yerushalaim than Jerusalem", my friend from Tel Aviv told me, a sound of jealousy in her voice. Indeed, I was wondering myself of my luck, of finally being in Jerusalem on this occasion. With a limited time and not in the mood to follow the official celebrations path - concerts and public gatherings in various parks, I decided to just go out in the central area and watch the people.

From noon on, groups of young people with Israeli flags started to enter the city, mostly from Gush Etzion and Shomron, singing and dancing in the street. The spirit of joy from the 28 Iyar in 1967 when after thousands of years, the holy city of Jerusalem was united again was in the air.

For some religious communities, Yom Yerushalaim is considered even more important than the Yom HaAtzmaut, with the Hallel prayer recited and day-long celebrations organised. This year, despite the heat, the joy embraced the streets and the groups of youngsters were joined by stand-byers of all ages and degree of religious observance. Such moments show the unity despite the many differences. Indeed, I was very lucky to spend this very special day in the very special city.  

'They stole our childhood'...

'When I come in Europe with my family and watched my child going to school I realized that I never had my own childhood. I haven't been to school, I haven't play with other children, I have not toys and did not know to play at all'. My friend, a child survivor, dared to tell me about her life and memories. She haven't talk about this with her own son and avoids to repeat this story in public. 

My mother haven't lived long enough to reach that moment in life when you want to get the memories out of yourself and share it with the others. When the stories are too far away to hurt. But we never understood why she never played with us, why she never had toys and childhood friends. We not even misunderstand her, but we accused her of being cold and not a good mother and not loving us enough. Disappointing us, even in her afterlife.

My big S. said today: 'I was so lucky to be born not too late for getting to know Shoah survivors'. This, coming from a teenager who is still trying to find out herself, first by completely breaking up with her traditions and family customs, tells something about the emergency of sharing over and over again the stories. 

Suffering is incomprehensible and so are the ways of life during terrible times. For my children and the memory of my mother and many other like her whose pain was too big to share it, we need to bear witness. We, the children with toys and school and childhood. 

Jewish stories in Aleppo: Picciotto family

There were many illustrious Jewish families in the Middle East, and Picciotto remains until today a famous brand. Present in Syria, Egypt or in Beyrouth, they arrived in the area from Livorno at the end of the 18th century. In Aleppo, they settled in Khan al-Gumruk. Besides trade, members of the family were amongs the first consul in the city for the Holy Roman Empire shortly after they relocated in the region. Apparently they did a good job, as the Austrian Empire enobled them in 1806, one of the first Jews to receive such a honour.

One of the most important figure was Esdras de Picciotto, who held the position of of Austrian consul general. In this position, he presided over the Catholic services in the city, part of his obligations being also the enthronement of the Apostolic Vicar of Syria. In 1818, his brother, Eliahu, was designated as vice-consul of Denmark, while the other brother, Raffaele, was the consul of Russia. Ironically, at the time, both the Russian and Austrian Empire were strongly anti-Semitic and on their territories, life of the Jews were a cheap commodity. Other members of the family took the positions as consuls of Sweden, the Netherlands, Prussia and Spain. Moise de Picciotto, for instance, was representing 5 countries at once: Austria, Prussia, Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium.

In time, they become very wealthy and influential, giving loans to many powerful or simple citizens of Aleppo. In the 19th centuries, they created their own bank.

Members of the family are still alive nowadays mostly in Switzerland, keeping alive their love for Aleppo and the Middle East in general.

The information from this article is mostly based on the research on Aleppo, by Philip Mansel that will be published at the end of April. The edition house house granted me the book via NetGalley.com. It is a detailed overview of the life in and history of Aleppo, but get caught in the usual stereotype about the happy harmony between Jewish and Muslim communities in the Middle East, ignoring the many 'blood labels', frequent at the end of the 19th century, and pogroms against the Syrian Jews. The book is not about Jews in Syria, after all. 

Walking through old Brownsville with Alfred Kazin

I have a weakness for post-war books about Jewish Brooklyn, describing with acriby the old and the news, the changes between generations while some things still stay the same. It is that combination between sadness and despair and hope that impresses me. 

Kazin's A Walker in the City has not only a clear literary value due to its beautiful and vivid descriptions, but also a sociological and anthropological importance, documenting the life of various generations of immigrants and their interactions with the outside world. It studies with the journalistic acriby people coming and going, the new generation and the old residents, or the social and religious network. 

The success of the residents of Brownsville's part of Brooklyn was confirmed by their departure from here. 'We were at the end of the line. We were the children of immigrants who camped at the city's back door, in New York's rawest, remotest, cheapest ghetto (...)', he described his native neighbourhood. When new people are coming, like the mysterious Solovey family, chosing this place after a life in big cities in France or Italy, there are soon to enter the big family of failures. 

He describes his school years, learning with rigid teachers, or the bar mitzvah preparations, reduced by some learning by heart practice. Although he is a socialist believer, and part of a secular family, he is curiously looking for some chasidim that might be a diversion to the distant religious practices, but there is no one around. But despite this, there is a feeling of togetherness shared at the family table every Friday evening: "We had always to be together: believers and non-believers, we were a people. I was of that people. Unthinkable to go one's own way, to doubt or to escape the fact that I was a Jew. I had heard of Jews who pretend they were not, but could not understand them". As he will outline later on: "Jews were Jews. Gentiles were Gentiles. The line between them had been drawn for all time". In later public appearances, he will said: "I was by temperament created for the idea of revolution, in the sense of making the world over and creating a new society".

The most terrible word is aleyn, alone. "Socialism would be one long Friday evening around the samovar and the cut-glass bowl laden with nuts and fruits, all of us singing tzuzamen, tzuzamen, ale tzuzamen!"

The first American born of the family, he is supposed to over achieve as a confirmation that the efforts of the parents of moving in this strange land, far away from der heym, were not in vain. "It was not for myself alone that I was expected to shine, but for them - to redeem the constant anxiety of their existence". Different perception of der heym shows the dramatic differences between generations and explains the strong American identity of 2nd or 3rd generation of Jewish immigrants. For Kazin, it was a 'terrible word". "I associated with that old European life only pain (...) and hopelesness". 

His life in Brownsville involves going out of the ghetto often searching for books, sharing his long love for reading and literature. As he will later confess: "Literature has been my lifework, my passion and oddly enough my 'profession'". "My idea of heaven is to settle down in a jet with a book, a notebook and a Martini" he said in an interview and he shared to the world his part of heaven through his books and literary analysis. 

The thing with lashon hara

I hate to spread lashon hara or to be part of any gossiping, but when I am myself the subject of such an encouter, it makes me feel really sick. Night after night, I keep thinking hard, sometimes with tears in my eyes, what I did wrong. Why I have to be singled out, again, and bring people to lashon hara? Why people that I know are good just gave up to the temptation of spreading half-truths? 

It happens often that I just want to stay in my corner, my face in my siddur and forget about everything around me. But it is not possible and it should not be that way. How you can make mitzvot when you are isolated in your cubicle? I have to go out, talk with people, try to help and then, out of nowhere, it happens again. Someone is annoyed but something he or she - most often she - pretends I was doing or doing wrong. And this comes from someone that it is not even part of my daily group of acquintances or friends. Someone that is not close enough to give me a call and ask me directly: Listen, I think you did wrong, or I do not agree with what you've done. As simple as that. If you really care and want to help me how other way it is than to talk to me? Every time it is the same pattern. I just feel excluded from a conversation that concerns me and only me. 

Oh, and once I am told about someone that has something against me by people who were shared directly or second-handly the great information, I am left to deal with another big problem: How I should really react to this? The natural reaction is to pick up the phone and clarify the issue directly. But anger is such a deadly poison...As I know myself very well, my words can harm much more than the words threw against me. Do I want to really hurt? Is this wise to do it? I keep running in my head imaginary dialogues with the person, that varies from excuses for doing imaginary mistakes to harsh replies from the buttom of my heart. 

How I end up in fact? In most cases, I am trying to forget, keen to be more careful the next time, sad and unsure if in fact it is not better to stay in my corner longer the next time. But I know I will not, so I suppose that life should just keep going on... Till the next time. 

Customs of Tu B'Shvat

Tu B'Shvat or the New Year of the Trees is an agricultural-related holiday with a heavy kabbalistic symbolism. For me, it is one of the most beloved holidays because it announces that the winter will finish soon, but also for the hard work of every year for finding that new special fruit (still not found what I am looking for this year). 

There are a lot of customs associated to this holiday, some of them introduced recently or after the creation of the state:

- On this occasion, children are planting trees or money is collected for planting trees in Israel.

- It is preceded by Shabbat Shira, when it is assumed that the birds are returning from the warm lands. Seeds are left for the birds on this occasion. It is usual to prepare kasha as part of the Shabbes meal.

- According to Magen Avraham, "It is custom to eat many different kinds of fruits" on this occassion, for saying as many brachot as possible. The new fruit is for  the shekianu. The fruits should generally include shvat haminim, the seven species of the land of Israel: grapes, olives, dates, figs, wheat, barley and pomegranate. Rabbi Isaac Luria mention 15 varieties of fruits corresponding to the 15 of the month of Shvat, when this holiday is celebrated - according to Beit Hillel. The rabbis from Tsfat mention 12 fruits, corresponding to the number of possible permutations of the letters used for Gd's name. Thus, to the 7 species are added: apples, almonds, walnuts, carob and etrog. Rabbi Eleazar used to say that he rather eat less during the year for savig money for eating as many new fruits as possible on Tu B'Shvat. 

- Tachnun is omitted from the Shachrit and Mincha in this day and also from the Mincha the afternoon before. Rabbeinu Gershon says that because this holiday can be compared to Rosh Hashana, fasting is not allowed on this occasion. In Responsa Yehaveh Da'at 1:81, Rav Ovadia Yosef z''l concluded that although it is customary for the bride and groom to fast on the day before the wedding, if this day fallls on Tu B'Shvat, they do not have to fast.

- The custom developed in Tsfat and first used among the Sephardic communities is to celebrate the holiday with a seder, similar with the seder Pesach. There are some similarities, like: drinking white wine at the beginning and red at the end - parallel with the 4 cups on Pesach, or to say a version of MaNishtana (this was introduced relatively recent, by Nogah Hareuveni of Neot Kedumim in 1979).

- Some of the usual meals served on this occassion include many fruits and vegetables, such as vegetarian pilaf, salads - including fruit salad -, fruit compot, almond cakes, couscous or lamb stew with various vegetables. 

- There is customary to eat now the etrog from Sukkot, either raw or in various combinations.In this day also one can pray for a beautiful etrog for the next Sukkot. 

- According to some customs, carob is eaten on this occasion. Considered the food eaten by Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa who knew how to bring miracles. The last Lubavitcher Rebbe recommended during the Gulf War the consumption of carob by the population as a protection against the possible life threats. 

- On Tu B'Shvat the age of the trees for tithing is calculated. It also marks the beginning of the fiscal year of agriculture.

- The erev Tu B'Shvat is considered a time for learning and it is customary to spend the time in Torah study. The tree is actualy a symbol of Torah. 

What about you? Do you have some special customs for this holidays? Feel free to share!

Sparkle of chessed

I was again in one of those situations when the unexpected and inimaginable is happening, out of millilards of people in the world, exactly to me. My domesticated side was requesting me to welcome everything with a good big graceful smile. After all, gam zu le tova, isn't it? My fighter side of the brain was commanding me to do not give up and revolt. While I was caught up in this left versus right dispute, more bad things were happening to me, but hopefully the focus on the brain debate helped me - again and again - to go smoothly through this new trial.

What really happened and why is the topic of a separate discussion that I am not ready to develop yet. What matter is something completely different what happened: the sparkle of chessed from simple unknown people. That woman that brougt me hot water for preparing the food for my baby, or that guy that called another friend to help me carry the very load luggage, or that woman that started to search with me the little sock that I lost, or that religious guy that brought me a sandwich for the night. And many others. In those moment of darkness they brought the light into my life. 

The dispute right versus left is still running out on the back on my head, but now I know for sure that out of everything the chessed won. So, maybe it is gam zu le tova after all. 

The mysteries around Birkat HaRofeh

Source: chazin.com

On the desk of my children physician stays a glass support with the words of the Birkat HaRofeh, the doctor's prayer. Having many doctors in the family myself, I know how important is the role of the physician in one's life. For centuries, we relied on science not on superstition, developping permanently the methods aimed to cure and save lives.

Praising Gd for creating the human body, this blessing replaced the Hippocrat Oath in some medical schools in Israel. For a successful doctor, this is an usual gift from a healthy ex-patient. When someone finishes the medical school, a piece of art with harofeh is a common gift. 

The origin of this birkat harofeh is not very clear somehow. Traditionally, it is attributed to Rambam (Maimonides). However, recent researches assumed a much more recent date, attributing the birkat to Dr. Markus Herz, a German pupil of Kant and a friend of Moses Mendelssohn. Before him, there were other authors of the physicians's prayer, such as Asaph Harofeh (in the 6th century). Rabbi Judah Halevi, Jacob Zahalon or Abraham Zacutus. However, the current version appeared in print in a German version from 1783, with the first Hebrew version available only in 1790. The English version was published only in 1841. 

Understanding the history is always important for understanding ourselves. More information about this mysterious bracha can eventually shed more light on the history of Jewish medicine as well. 

Memories of Jewish life in Lüneburg

I was just on the way to the train station heading back to Berlin, after spending some time in a big park nearby, where a lonely youngster was chilling on his own in the grass enjoying listening to loud Nazi music. I had had an intensive day of travel across this city, that was kept unharmed by the WWII bombs. Lüneburg was after the war the headquarters of the Belsen Trial, against former officials and functionaries of the Third Reich, held by the British Military Tribunal and more recently this spring, of Oskar Groening, former guard at the Auschwitz concentration camp. But the picturesque streets and joyful retired people enjoying their coffee made you ignore these troubling historical episodes.
As usual during my trips in Germany, I was looking for traces of Jewish life but there was nothing left, except this memory engraved on this bloc of stone, tucked between heavy bushes. Often the case in Germany, these memories are everything what is left from the Jewish life.
The first traces of Jewish settlement in Lüneburg, a trade city with an important salt production a commodity as valuable as the gold and other precious materials, date back in the 13th century. After the 1350 Black Death, Jews were killed and their properties took by the locals. A couple of decades later, at the end of the 14th century, Jewish life was back in the city, the local documents mentioning the existence of a mikveh and of a synagogue. But as usual, life was not easy: during the 16th century, Jews were the victims of at least 6 expulsions. They remained there though, and from 1680 they received the "protection" status. As the people were getting wealthy, a bigger synagogue, in the North German Gothic style was built at the end of the 19th century, between 1892-1894. This large synagogue was constantly desecrated between 1927-1930. This situation pushed many Jews to exile, an exile that in fact gave them the chance to survive. On 1st of October 1936, there were only 36 Jews left. The final services of the synagogue took place in 1938, the 30th of October. Shortly after the building was destroyed. 11 Jews from Lüneburg were deported and lost their lives.
Ten years ago, local newspapers published advertising of Jewish tours taking place in the city. Learning about the past is always useful and there is a lot to learn about the risks of being resilient and stay in the wrong place against all odds. 

Brit mila in Germany

If this blog was silent for a long time, there is a motivation and it has to do with the mental and physical challenges before welcoming a new baby to the world. The baby b''H arrived, a bit later than expected, but shortly after Kol Nidre. After the happiness of becoming the new boy neshama to the world, second in line were the worries about preparing him for the challenges of being a Jew.

The first step: brit mila.When you are living in Israel or in big communities, finding a right mohel, being sure that there is a synagogue where to go, inviting people in due time etc. As brits do not have a high occurence here, due to the limited number of new Jewish children born, I considered that it is very important to find a mohel with the proper medical knowledge besides the religious background. Another challenge that needed a bit of research and a lot of phone calls (if interested to find a recommended mohel in Berlin area, do not hesitate to get in touch via the blog).

According to the halacha, the brit should be done the 8th day after birth, including on Shabbat or yom tov. The problem appears when the kid had a small infection and you need to overstay in hospital and thus, to miss the deadline. Normally, the brit can be done any time after and if it was delayed once, it does not matter when it is done. However, the sooner the better, so the search continued with high intensity after being out of hospital with the baby. 

As we tried to follow both the tradition and the medical requirements, asking doctors if the child is good enough to go through the brit was normal. Less normal was to agreee with the message read on the faces of the non-Jewish doctors when explained that we are questioning the medical condition of our son because we want to make the brit: from pity to disgust. This explains the support of some German medical representatives after the 2012 court decision Cologne according to which brit was considered "a serious and irreversible interference in the integrity of the human body", not justified by the freedom of religion and the rights of parents. One prestigious chief doctor in a very respectable hospital in Berlin outlined during a short discussion that the opinions against the brit are not necessarily a German trademark. Of course, as history showed it already on several occasions, forbiding the brit is a trademark of anti-Semitism across centuries. 

The less expected answer come from a hospital that we initially considered as a possible support during our search where we were told that the brit is done there only till the 18th day and that only after 3 years. The more we asked the more we realized how pitiful we are for being away from the place when you do not have to explain why your kid does not have yet a name and why it is so important to have the brit done. A place where being Jewish is enough.

Questions learned during the 9 Days

Every year, the sad period of the Nine Days culminating with the Tisha B'Av, are an occasion for bringing back more humility and restraint and a reconsideration of all the things that I might think there matters but in fact are not that important as I thought. In the last ten years, after the death of my mother on Tisha B'Av, the event is an even straight invitation to more reflection. Years ago, on a Tisha B'Av, I realized how much I want to learn more about Torah and decided to be part of an intensive program of learning that I keep following till today.

But I will not talk about my mother now, but about what I decided to think more about in the last weeks. For happy health reasons, this year I did not fast, but tried to limit as much as possible my eating activities and did not prepare something special during the day. The focus of the nine days this time was how we, as Jews, we can be wise enough to realise that fighting against each other, although both parts may have right, is toxic for our soul. How money and prestige and other vane promises can be put aside when it comes to the understanding and respect of our fellow Jews. Destroying - including a Temple - is so easy, no matter how many years were spent for the complicated building process. 

Can we be better person with the others? Can our leaders have more vision and see the risks of disunity before they decide to be part of a conflictual situation? Can we think twice before accusing or judging someone? Can we dare to give the advice and share our opinion when we feel that something to be decided can endanger our Jewish unity?

These are the questions that will need a long answer and more consideration in the next months. For now, the time of mourning is over and it is time to enjoy the rest of the summer and get ready for the hagim season, with its mysteries and secrets of the New Year that it is about to start soon!

Understanding the yovel year

This year is the shmita year in Israel, following the Torah rule according to which the land should be let to lie every 7 years. 7 shmita years are considered the jubilee. However, although we are required to observe the shmita, we are not requested to observe the yovel until all the Jewish people will dwell in the land of Israel, according to their portion assigned to them as tribes. Practically, since 600 BCE, when the tribes of Gad, Reuven and almost half of Menashe went into exile, the yovel is no more applicable. It occured the destruction of the second Temple and the disbandment of the Sanhedrin.

According to Rambam (Mishne Torah, 10:15), the laws of letting the land rest on the yovel year are the same in all respects, to the laws for shmita years. Whatever agricultural work is forbbidden in the shmita year is also forbidden in the yovel and whatever is permitted in the shmita year is also permitted during the yovel. In both cases, the requirements regarding not working the land are similar when it comes to the release of the land. 'You shall make a shmita means' to refrain from plowing, sowing and reaping, leaving the land to rest, 'to make the day of Shabbat'. 

However, which do have their own mitzvot, with some slights differences are between the two. During the yovel years, the indentured servants should be emancipates and during the seventh year, all the debts should be canceled which is not required during the jubilee. 

There is a shmita of the money and a shmita of the land, as a year when all economic development, from the financial to agricultural activities are meant to stop. 'All the work should stop' during this Shabbat Shabbaton. 

The exile occured as a consequence of ignoring these requirements too. According to Gemara on Shabbat 33a, 'As a punishment for incest, idolatry and the non-observance of the years of shmita and yovel, exile comes into the world: (the Jews) are exiled, and others come and dwell in their place'. Thus, according to Vayikra (25:10), the jovel is only observed when all the 12 tribes of the Jewish nation are living in Israel, when the Jewish nation will be back again: "And you shall sanctify the fiftieth year, and proclaim freedom throughout the land for all who live in it", most specifically when each tribe is living its assigned part of the land. 

Rambam, in Mishne Torah, Hilchot Shmita VeYovel (10:4,8) made his own calculations of the years since the destruction of the Temple, but assumes that his calculations are not relevant anyway. Although not even Torah observant Jews are keeping the yovel year, there are some opinions according to which the yovel can be in fact respected because each of the 12 tribes is already represeted in the land, even only partially. 

'The Stuff of Jews'

What happened with the material culture of the Jews mostly living in Central and Eastern Europe, but also in the North of Afrca, during and after Shoah? What happened with their former properties, cemeteries and material memories in those places emptied on purpose of their Jewish population? After so many years, those and the children of those who survived then terrible times should consider themselves lucky to still be alive, but old memories and stories about those memories are still persistent and many questions are left unanswered, maybe for ever. These very interesting topics were discussed at the end of March at a workshop organised by the Center for Research on Antisemitism, Technical University in Berlin, sponsored by the Volkswagen Foundation: 'The Stuff of Jews: Political Economics and Jewish Material Culture, 1945-Present'.

Approaching the fact and stories from Poland, Romania, Czech Republic, Germany, Algeria and North of Africa in general, from an academic perspective, the interventions, held by academics from Europe, US and Israel outlined various aspects of the post-Shoah Jewish life. Interesting information were shared about the situation of Jewish properties in places where Jews were no more - synagogues and cemeteries, the difficult and sometimes controversial aspects of the restitution process, or the struggle to maintain Jewish memories in places where Jewish identity continues to be under threat, many years after most Jews left (such as the North of Africa). 

Each academic story brough some new fragments of history of the complicated histories of Jewish communities in these lands. Often following opportunitistic reasons and without a constant reliance of laws, the states after the end of the war made tremendous efforts, with some successes, to appropriate Jewish goods and properties, either at the community or individual level. Very often, they considered these properties as their own goods and unfortunately, many consider to keep them till today. There are many nuances, of course, and each situation should be considered individually. In some places, especially in Poland, organisations - supported by the state - were create in order to help the preservation of the Jewish heritage. Although Jews left for decades, their memories can still be included as part of the material memories. 

However, memories about these small things that may make your identity, as childhood toys or old furniture or even that chair that you loved as a kid...all these are gone for good and they may be lay somewhere in an Antique shop, after those who took over the Jewish properties did not need them any more. But what really maters is to stay alive and start writing beautiful stories about those lost toys that you left in the old country. This is also part of our destiny, probably. 

There is always something to remember

One day before the celebrations of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, on just another grey cold day of the usual long German winter, I was accompanying my friend for a walk in the West Berlin. It was the day of the weekly open fair in her area and we wanted to take some fresh air and reconnect with the street vibe, after her long sickness.

An energetic woman, a former survivor as a kid of the forced labour camps in Eastern Europe that succeeded to reach the shores of the then-Palestine before the creation of the state, my friend enjoys talking with the vendors in her impressive German. 

A lively ambiance on the streets, that defides the unpleasant weather, with mostly people in their retired years, curious about prices, ordering some Turkish products for the late lunch or just spending some time outside their homes. This is the usual mood and age spectrum in the conservative, quiet and predictable West Berlin.

We made a stop at the fruits' stand, with many tempting sorts from all over the world and we started to ask about different fruits and their proveniences. (Don't expect any bargaining at  these markets!) Suddenly, a chat between one of the vendors and an old lady starts whose topic I somehow missed, but anyway, it covered the very exciting issue of fruits and their production. Noticeable, it ended with the old lady sniffing with a casual smile on her face: "Hahaha Arbeit macht frei!" Mesmerized, we both stopped from debating how much does it last to bring fruits from South Africa to Berlin and starred in shock at the lady. The vendor kept laughing at her very good joke. 

We exchanged looks and cursed the witched trying to figure out how old was she at the time of the camp or maybe her genealogy too. 

But honestly speaking, all these details didn't matter, the indifferent smile and her self-contained sniffining when she said those words were enough for me, at least. It was just another example of a reality that you cannot touch it if you are in the full admiration of the cheap bubbling life of Berlin as seen from the bar and disco scenery from the English speaking Eastern Berlin.

What the next year will stand for?

Regardless how brave I pretend I am or how optimistically I gaze at the future, with an idiotic smile on my face, this beautiful 5774 was a year of failures. On exactly old plans, starting with this blog and ending up with the domestic mess. Nothing really went on as I was expecting at the beginning of the year. Nothing at all. 

Put into a larger life perspective, this was the most challenging year of my life and I bet will have a lot of more consequences to deal with in the next weeks and months. I'm not that naive to pretend that everything should go smoothly always, but not that pessimistic either to believe that it's perfectly fine that everything you want to do is deemed to a happy failure. 

Not even my terrible will to overcome difficulties and always survive is not it used to be, perfectly turned into small little pieces by the stubbornness to accept a very distorted reality. Probably I wanted too much and was used always to receive what I was looking for and the challenges of the last months were completely out of my usual context. 

Now, when I am done with the overexposure of the recent past, and still hope that things can be changed for the good, or that everything happened was always, but always for the good, I cannot be fully supportive of my dreams and plans. 

Does it make to plan anything after all? Not that I'm suddenly the prey of a dramatic turn of faith and entering a dark age stage of nihilism. As for now, I decided to take a completely new attitude to life: getting less and less involved in planning. After so much planning and worries and too much thinking about what will happen if, I decided to give up. This year, a shmitta year, I don't look after the fruits, just will go and on with my life.

Who knows?