My documentary: the side of life in Israel/Palestine that will amaze you!

Earl Shugerman

Please view my documentary about my life in Haifa, since I immigrated to this wonderful city in 2007. It has earned its title of "The City of Peaceful Coexistence".
Leaders throughout the world support these efforts. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ws6kaH0EDUw

Good And Evil: Israeli and Palestinian Claims to Statehood.

Golda Meir once said: “I prefer to stay alive and be criticized than be sympathized”.

In his recent speech at Bar-Ilan, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeated his passionate claim – the occupation is not the root cause of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He stated that the process by which the conflict started in actual fact in 1921 on the day on which the Palestinian Arabs attacked the immigration hostel in Jaffa. “Clearly, this attack was not about territory or settlements; it was against Jewish immigration to the Land of Israel,” he said.

Netanyahu also mentioned the Arab rejection of the 1947 United Nations Partition plan, which predated the occupation as well as the Arab hostility toward the State of Israel prior to 1967. The Palestinians have yet to formally recognize Israel. Just two of our neighbors Egypt and Jordan our right to exist.

Indeed, the conflict between the Jewish settlement in the Land of Israel and the Arabs did not begin in 1967. Arabs long ago viewed the Jewish settlement and state as foreign bodies. They began to fight them as soon as it became clear that the Zionist movement’s political goals included the establishment of a political entity in areas they considered to be theirs.

The roots of the conflict lie in the fact that the Arabs are not a mob, stated Bibi, but are part of a national movement. These two national movements have demanded sovereignty over the same territory. So if Netanyahu was trying to make a historic point, he was right in my opinion. The roots of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are not in the occupation of 1967 but date back many centuries. The struggle for control of the holy land can be traced to Biblical as well as historic roots.

The historic and legal rights of the Jewish people to claim the State of Israel, including its eternal capital Jerusalem as its national homeland, date back more than three thousand years.

G-d promised this land to the patriarch of Judaism, Abraham. In my opinion, this is the most important and binding of the claims. History has shown that Judaism cannot flourish spiritually or physically without its home in the Promised Land.

The early history of the Jewish people’s connection to Israel begins in the Book of Genesis, Chapter 12. God first speaks to Abraham, and continues through to the end with the death of Jacob and Joseph. This segment can best be described as the development of the “family” of Israel, which, in the Book of Exodus, will become a “nation.”

God said to Abram: “Go from your land … to the land that I will show you.” (Genesis 12:1)There has been a continual presence of the Jewish people in the land of Cnaann for nearly three thousand years. Even after the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD, and the beginning of the exile, Jewish life in the Land of Israel continued and often flourished. Large communities were reestablished in Jerusalem and Tiberius by the ninth century. The Crusaders massacred many Jews during the 12th century, but the community rebounded in the next two centuries as large numbers of Rabbis and Jewish pilgrims immigrated to Jerusalem and the Galilee. Prominent Rabbis established communities in Safed, Jerusalem and elsewhere during the next 300 years. The Talmud and other Jewish teachings were compiled in the Galilee and other parts of the area.

The city of Jerusalem is, was, and will remain the spiritual center of Judaism. The Western Wall or Kotel is a remnant of the ancient edifice that surrounded the Jewish Temple’s courtyard, and is one of the most sacred sites in Judaism. According to the Tanakh or Bible, Solomon’s Temple was built atop the Temple Mount in the 10th century BCE and destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. The Second Temple was completed and dedicated in 516 BCE. Two thousand years ago Jews were expected to pray in The Temple. According to classical Jewish belief, the Temple acted as the figurative “footstool” of God’s presence and a Third Temple will be built there in the future. Many of the religious practices and customs in modern Judaism trace their origin back to the ancient Temples in Jerusalem.

By the early 19th century which was years before the birth of the modern Zionist movement there were more than 10,000 Jews living throughout what is today Israel. The 78 years of nation-building, beginning in 1870, culminated in the legal reestablishment of the Jewish State and homeland in 1948.

Israel’s international and legal claim to be the Jewish homeland validated the promise of the Bible. The Balfour Declaration of 1917, the League of Nations Mandate, which incorporated the Balfour Declaration, the United Nations partition resolution of 1947, Israel’s admission to the UN in 1949; the recognition of Israel by most other states support Israel’s legal, moral, and political right to be an independent and recognized nation.

The 1947 United Nations Mandate for Palestine did indeed divide the British colony into a Jewish and Arab nation. Every Israeli leader since Ben Gurion accepted this resolution. Those who reject this resolution negate the right of both nations to their homelands.

Do the Palestinians not have the right to a homeland? Many are not terrorists or a threat to the State of Israel. The Palestinians now control much of the territory granted to them by The United Nations Partition Plan.

The law states that the residents of Israel and Palestine have the legal right to their national homelands! The majority of citizens on both sides of the border want their own and independent nations. Why should this right be denied to them? Israel has been the spiritual, religious, and national homeland of the followers of Judaism for thousands of years. Many Palestinians trace their roots in the region back for centuries as well. Why should these historical rights be denied?

I sincerely hope and pray that the leaders in this region will learn to respect these historical, spiritual, and legal realities and reach compromises that lead to peace and justice for both nations! Both the Jewish and Palestinian people have the right to live in peace, safely, justice and with dignity. Neither side is entirely good or evil or right or wrong but nations claiming their rights to independence.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ws6kaH0EDUw  This is life in Haifa where Jews, Christians, Muslims and others work together to promote.unity and peace.

Sukkot Chabad

We are home. The Jewish people have returned to our ancient homeland after a two thousand year exile. We have learned a tragic lesson from our bitter history. It is only when we are a free and safe people in Eretz (the land of) Israel that can we can truly enjoy and celebrate our faith. The journey became thousands of years ago in the Sinai Desert.

For forty years, as our ancestors traversed the Sinai Desert, following the Exodus from Egypt, we were sheltered by a cover of miraculous "clouds of glory" shielding us from the dangers and discomforts of the desert. We remember G-d's kindness and reaffirmation of our trust in His providence by dwelling in a sukkah--a hut of temporary construction. It has a roof covering of branches and can be located anywhere that we choose. For the seven days and nights of the holiday we eat all our meals in the sukkah and otherwise regard it as our home. Some celebrants choose to sleep in the temporary dwelling.

Sukkot is also called The Time of Our Joy. There is a special joy that pervades the festival which includes a nightly Water-Drawing Celebrations, reminiscent of the evening-to-dawn festivities held in the Holy Temple Jerusalem housed our most revered sites three thousand years before the rebirth of the Jewish homeland in 1948. People fill the synagogues and streets with song, music and dance until the wee hours of the morning.

I celebrated Sukkot this year at the main Orthodox Synagogue in my community. The Sukkah was built by our local Chabad community, but visitors came from all streams of Judaism. There were also a few visiting European Christians who stopped by to share in our joy. We ate Hummus and Pita, Burekas, Falafel, and drank a bit of Vodka. There was a lot of singing, dancing and kids running about. Our group of roughly fifty celebrants included old friends and a few new ones. My favorite visitors were the Rabbi Levey’s six children aged one to eleven years old.

This is my seventh year in Haifa. As an Oleh Chadash or new immigrant to Haifa, many challenges exist to succeeding in building a new life. There is the need to learn a new language, understand a different culture, make new friends and find employment. However, the joys of celebrating my faith in this wonderful city have make it all worthwhile.

Chabad "Open Shul," at Yom Kippur

The sun began to set, and the Neilah or closing Yom Kippur service drew to a close. Rabbi Levi Tzeitlin's voice grew stronger and more eloquent with each sentence that he spoke.  This was due in part to the inherent emotions inspired by our prayers during the Jewish Day of Atonement. There was also a palpable sense of excitement aroused by looking at the throng of more than forty congregants from several streams of Judaism and many personal backgrounds. We joined together to celebrate the most solemn religious event of the Jewish year. Yom Kippur is the last of the ten days of penitence that begin with Rosh HaShanna or The Jewish New Year.

We were holding our first annual "Open Shul," a makeshift, yet comfortable, Bet Knesset or Synagogue. The public was welcome to attend a free prayer service In the Dan Panorama Center. It is an upscale hotel and shopping mail located in the Mercaz or center neighborhood of Haifa. The services were appreciated by all those who attended.  We had received permission to proceed just a week before Yom Kippur. Our Rabbi Levy, with the help of his valued assistant Zecharya Gonsher, scrambled around Haifa to secure an Aron Kodesh, Torah, prayer books, and everything else that we needed including refreshments to break the fast. Fasting is expected during this solemn holiday. We try to atone for the sins of the past year and commit to do better for the coming one.

I believe that due to the open atmosphere, and vibrant personalities of both staff members, that we received positive feedback and many thanks from those who attended. Chabad which is a large Hasidic movement is known for its hospitality, expertise, optimism and emphasis on Jewish spiritual growth.

In addition, Gonsher, who heads the "English Speakers of Chabad Panorama" branch, was able to give instructions and inspirational words to the number of Anglos or English speakers who attended.  In an area lacking English language spiritual programs many of those attending expressed gratitude for this thoughtful act.

The successful program plans upcoming services which include a number of Shabbatot, upcoming holiday celebrations (including a Sukkot gathering), and other educational events throughout the year.  The goal is to serve the vibrant and exciting English speaking population in The Carmel Center. I live in the community and enjoy the convenience of walking to activities. Many of my friends new and old share the same point of view.

"When the country shuts down and everyone goes to vacation on Chag Sukkot, an exhausted Rabbi Levi and I could easily convince ourselves to do the same...." says Gonsher, "However, after seeing the appreciation and satisfaction of our make-shift congregants, well, it gives us the inspiration and strength to push forward and have another event in the Sukkah.  We look forward to expanding our services and programs exponentially, and hope you all can be in touch.  Chag Sameach!"  

For needs, assistance, and anything Jewish, please feel free to contact the Chabad Panorama, Panorama Center, Sderot HaNasi 109, Carmel Center, Haifa.  Rabbi Levi Tzeitlin (chabadp2@gmail.com), 077-411-2770, and for English Speakers, Zecharya Gonsher (ChabadPanorama@gmail.com), 058-5454-770. On Facebook: English Speakers Chabad Panorama. 

The Horrors of War, the Longing for Peace

The horrors of war cannot be described strictly from the aspect of pure physical suffering. How can you ever truly describe in words the loss of a child or a parent due to a bomb strike or as a result of terrorism? Tragically, the people of Israel and Palestine have endured more than sixty five years of warfare. The struggle for the control of Palestine started long before the 1948 United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine. One of the saddest parts of this conflict is that both sides have been the victims of injustices from outside of the region. Centuries of foreign conquerors and political exploitation have brought misery to Jews, Muslims, Christians and Druze in this part of the world.

Israelis and Palestinians both are fighting for their right to self-determination and security. The constant fear of an imminent outbreak of fighting, children sleeping in safe shelters, parents unable to work and support their families, and fearing for the safety of friends and loved ones have been a way of life in this region for decades.

I was honored to be chosen by The Focolare, the largest Catholic outreach movement in the world, to write an Israeli perspective on the recent fighting with Gaza.

The round of fighting in the south, which took place last fall, has been very depressing because of the fact that it had to happen. There has been no political way of getting the Hamas terrorists to stop firing explosives at our civilians.

This, tragically, has been the history of life in Israel since the Jewish people returned to their ancestral homeland in 1948. Many of my friends and neighbors have fought in several wars. Many of them spent their early childhood sleeping in bomb shelters.

I am particularly saddened by the fact that I know many Palestinians through interfaith activities.

We all hoped that when fighting would end there would be some important changes in our lives in both Israel and the Palestinian territories. Most of us yearn for the day when the people who have been enduring such rocket fire will be able to live normal lives. The missile attacks have spread from the south to much of Israel, including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Citizens throughout Israel were living in constant fear of missile and terrorist attacks.

Our friends and neighbors in the Palestinian territories are suffering from our need to defend our right to exist. We were and are all saddened by the deaths and injuries of everyone on both sides of this battle. We were bracing ourselves for the worst, yet hoping for the best.

Defeat in this region is not an option for Jews. The greatest hope is for a political settlement. Peace treaties will surely involve compromise. Peace will allow our children and grandchildren and their grandchildren to live without fear of being bombed. They will attend their schools safely, without the need for air raid sirens and bomb shelters. We would rejoice to see our Palestinian friends and neighbors live in peace and dignity with us. I am convinced that most Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Druze citizens in our region yearn for the fighting to end.

Until that day, we in Israel do not despair of the situation, and we make the best of what has been, until now, a satisfying and fulfilling life within the shadow and pain of the constant state of military engagement with many enemies.

New Hope for Peace in Israel/Palestine?

The horrors of war cannot be described strictly from the aspect of pure physical suffering. How can you ever truly describe in world the loss of a child due to a bomb strike or a parent as the result of terrorism? Tragically, the people of Israel and Palestine have endured more than sixty five years of warfare. The struggle for the control of Palestine started long before the 1947 United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine.  One of the saddest parts of this conflict is that both sides have been the victims of injustices from outside of the region. Centuries of foreign conquerors and political exploitation have brought misery to Jews, Muslims, Christians and Druze in this part of the world.

Israelis and Palestinians both are fighting for their right to self-determination and security. The constant fear of an imminent outbreak of fighting, children sleeping in safe shelters, parents unable to work and support their families, and fearing for the safety of friends and loved ones has been a way of life in this region for decades. Hopefully, this current round of talks will produce movement toward peace.

I was honored to be chosen by The Focolare, the largest Catholic outreach movement in the world to write an Israeli perspective on the recent fighting with Gaza.

This current round of fighting in the south has been very depressing because of the fact that it had to happen. There has been no political way of getting the Hamas terrorists to stop firing explosives at our civilians.

This, tragically, has been the history of life in Israel since the Jewish people returned to their ancestral homeland in 1948. Many of my friends and neighbors have fought in several wars. Many of them spent their early childhood sleeping in bomb shelters.

I am particularly saddened by the fact that I know many Palestinians through interfaith activities.

Hopefully by the time the fighting ends there will be some important changes in our lives in both Israel and the Palestinian territories. Most of us yearn for the day when the people who have been enduring such rocket fire will be able to live normal lives. The missile attacks have spread from the south to much of Israel, including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Citizens throughout Israel live in constant fear of missile and terrorist attacks.

Our friends and neighbors in the Palestinian territories are suffering from our need to defend our right to exist. We are all saddened by the deaths and injuries of everyone on both sides of this battle.

We pray that a ground war be avoided. However, no one knows which way this engagement will turn. We are bracing ourselves for the worst, yet still hoping for the best.

Defeat in this region is not an option for Jews. The greatest hope is for a political settlement. Peace treaties will surely involve compromise. Peace will allow our children and grandchildren and their grandchildren to live without fear of being bombed. They will attend their schools safely, without the need for air raid sirens and bomb shelters. We would rejoice to see our Palestinian friends and neighbors live in peace and dignity with us. I am convinced that most Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Druze citizens in our region yearn for the fighting to end.

Until that day, we in Israel do not despair of the situation, and we make the best of what has been, until now, a satisfying and fulfilling life within the shadow and pain of the constant state of military engagement with many enemies.

Here I Am Again, Alone.

By Sharon Amov and Earl Shugerman: Sharon is an eighty six year old widow and recent immigrant to Israel. I immigrated to Israel at the age of fifty nine alone as well. She is from California. My home was in Colorado. Below Sharon tells her story:

My dear husband died a few years ago. I was desolate. The loneliness was overwhelming. I missed him terribly. For many years I struggled to regain my balance, and then I decided to move to Israel, to live near my daughter and family. They made aliyah or immigration to eretz Israel fifteen years ago.

I remember my flight to Israel, peering out of the airplane window, viewing the outline of Israel's shoreline. Many people in the plane were clapping as we approached the landing field. My response was a combination of quiet joy and apprehension.

“What will it be like to actually LIVE in Israel” I thought to myself? I have visited my daughter and my family s often, but always with my husband. To reside alone in Israel....although I had made the decision seemed absolutely unreal to me.

Southern California was my home since birth. I was eighty-four years of age and frightened. Terrified might be a better description.

My daughter and son-in-law would be waiting for me in the public area. I picked up my luggage and off I went to my uncertain future.There she was, my one and only daughter....waving at me, all smiles. Perhaps she expected me to be exactly as she had last seen me, a year or so ago. And I expected her to be as I had last seen her. Oh our expectations--how very difficult, if not impossible to meet.

How unprepared I was for the depth of pain, separation from relatives in the United States, and lifetime friends, along with familiar voices and places. I missed the beautiful beaches, the familiar shopping malls, and even the traffic jams at rush hour.

We manage to arrive at the car in the airport parking lot, numb with our own overwhelming feelings. We drove to the nice little house that my daughter and son-in-law had prepared for my arrival. The physical work of making a house into a home ahead lay ahead of me. The mental and emotional work would be a daily project.

I plopped right down in the middle of relationships and lives that have been going on without me for fifteen years. I knew that my main priority would be to keep myself separate and still stay close to my loved ones. How very difficult that is especially in a new homeland.

We went for a drive, to once again see the lovely Israeli countryside. I lost my way in the twisting roads, unfamiliar buildings and lush green fields. The people seemed helpful but not overly friendly.

We returned 'HOME'. I sat alone and the enormity of my move to Israel engulfed me. How would I find a comfortable place within my family again? How would I make new friends, develop interests and start anew at my age Well, we shall see what the future shall bring.

However, in the meantime, here I am again, alone...