The buck stops here?
AS SOMEONE who spent several years, including part of his youth in America, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must surely be familiar with the expression attributed to US president Harry S. Truman, “The buck stops here.” Both the Meron and October 7 tragedies took place on Netanyahu’s watch, and yet he continues to avoid responsibility. You can’t be the man in charge of the future of the nation, and not be responsible. Netanyahu has done some admirable things in his time, and these should not be forgotten. But neither should the less than admirable things that he has done, which are the ones that count at the present time.
THERE IS little doubt that the Jerusalem Marathon provided a pleasant diversion for evacuees stuck in hotel rooms in the capital, but perhaps when planning next year’s marathon, organizers will look more closely at the calendar.
It has been noted in the past that the route should be changed so as not to interfere with major traffic arteries. Traffic is bad enough on a Friday even when buses are running regularly. But when traffic on main roads is suspended, it makes life difficult for people who do their weekend shopping on Fridays – especially, during winter months for those who shop at Mahaneh Yehuda market.
On Friday, the marathon coincided with the actual date of International Women’s Day and interfered with plans of many women all over the city, who planned to attend IWD events in other neighborhoods or in other parts of the country. Newly re-elected Mayor Moshe Lion, who is a great fan of urban renewal, and has encouraged real estate development resulting in scores of multi-story towers that will bring thousands of additional residents to the city, must know that traffic problems will get worse, not better, and should give serious attention to finding alternative routes for those events that cause inconvenience to residents of the inner city. The same goes for mayors
THERE ARE few greater thrills in life than saving the life of a child. The fact that he had done so was the good news awaiting 23-yearold reservist Nadav Azoulai on his THE PLETHORA of International return home from several intensive Women’s Day events is uniform months in Gaza. Two years only in terms of gender. The variety earlier, he and his twin brother, of activities and special niche Noam, had been contacted by the groups is amazing. Ezer Mizion Bone Marrow Bank
Women have shown admirable because they had been deemed bravery, resilience, and resourcefulness suitable donors for a two-monthold during Operation Swords of baby with cancer. They both Iron, so it goes without saying that unhesitatingly underwent the tests many organizations highlighted to ascertain that they were indeed these attributes as they apply to suitable, but in the final analysis it both soldiers and civilians, particularly was Nadav who was the donor. The to those held hostage by baby, Hodaya Rosenfeld, recovered Hamas. Among the organizations after prolonged treatment, that placed special focus on women but neither she nor her parents who had displayed such qualities were aware of the donor’s identity. was that of Reichman University Once she was healthy, a meeting alumni. was arranged, but then Nadav was
Danielle Aloni, who, together called to Gaza and the meeting had with her five-year-old daughter to be postponed until a few days Amelia, was held captive by ago when Hodaya and her family Hamas for 49 days, spoke about met with Nadav and his family at her experience and of how she Beit Oranit, the Ezer Mizion facility had explained to Amelia that she in Petah Tikva. belongs to a special group of children There was instant chemistry taken from Israel and “we between the two who were aptly are now in Gaza and we are safe” named. Hodaya means thanksgiving because “our captors are watching and Nadav means donor, over us and that they are good people.” volunteer, or philanthropist. Meeting Aloni thinks that her daughter Hodaya gave him an inexplicable “has an inner resilience that feeling of contentment, said surprised me and left me speechless. Nadav. After being surrounded for She had her moments of months with death and with evil, breakdown, but when it comes to it was so good to see this little girl, heroism, Amelia is the real hero.” brimming with life after having
Other “Iron Women” whose stories been so close to death. were told included: Col. Karni JNF UK is associated with several
Guez, the commander of the tank projects in Israel and has taken unit that fought Hamas on October more upon itself since the October 7; Dr. Kokhav Elkayam, director 7 massacre by Hamas in areas that of the Dvora Institute; head of are part of the Gaza border region. the Civilian Task Force on Hamas “JNF UK is proud to assist in the Crimes against Women and Children, rehabilitation of Gaza envelope and a lecturer at RU’s Lauder communities,” said Jonathan School of Government, Diplomacy, Galon, Israel director of JNF UK. and Strategy; RU graduate Sapir He was speaking after the return of
Zohav Hamami, who is the widow the youth of Shlomit to the village of Lt.-Col. Asaf Hamami; and Dr. they had missed so much during
Efrat Baron Har-Lev, the director their time as evacuees.” As soon as of the Schneider Children’s Medical the residents of Shlomit contacted Center. us, we immediately mobilized to
Each woman presented a different help. We will be happy to receive aspect of the war, and of how further inquiries from other communities she was personally affected. that need rehabilitation.”
The event was moderated by Gili The Shlomit youth leaders initiated
Dinstein, CEO of Reichman alumni, the speeding up of restoration of other cities in which annual marathons and parades take place. who said: “These Iron Women serve as an inspiration to us all.”
and rehabilitation work that was being carried out with the help of JNF UK. Some of the youth participating in the project lost their fathers in the October 7 attack. It is now therapeutic for them to join in the efforts to restore their village.
LAST DECEMBER, a B’nai B’rith International solidarity delegation of BB leaders from the USA, South America, and Europe led by the organization’s long-term Executive Director Dan Mariaschin came to Israel and became so immersed in volunteer projects, that Mariaschin did not have time to meet with more than a few members of the local BB leadership.
When Ilan Shchori, a member of the BB executive committee, chairman of BB’s Tel Aviv Regional Council, and international relations adviser to BB Israel President Emanuel (Mano) Cohen learned that Mariaschin was returning to Israel in February for the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, he asked if it was possible for him to meet with the presidents of all the BB lodges in Israel. A luncheon meeting was duly arranged at the Mandarin hotel in Tel Aviv, which was
attended by more than 100 local presidents as well as members of the BB Grand Lodge. This was an introductory meeting to discuss BB Israel’s expansion initiative to broaden its international activities and to facilitate closer contacts with BB leaders around the world.
Cohen and Shchori each spoke of the importance of wider contacts between BB Israel Lodges and those of other countries within the context of the Jewish world’s Together program, which aside from embarking on joint projects and ventures, is an important means of fighting antisemitism and racism by learning from each other’s experiences in the aftermath of October 7.
Mariaschin’s reaction was one of enthusiastic support.
AMONG THE exhibitors in the upcoming Jerusalem Biennale running in the capital from March 10 to April 29 and directed by Ram Ozeri, is internationally known photographer Joan Roth, whose works will be among 30 exhibitions of varying art forms that collectively come under the heading of contemporary Jewish art.
Roth’s exhibition, which
includes some of her early works, goes on display at the Black Box Gallery on March 11
More than half a century ago, Roth set herself a photographic mission to make Jewish women visible.
Judging by the tribute she received from the late Alice Shalvi, the founder of the Israel Women’s Network and author with her late husband of an encyclopedia of Jewish women, Roth has obviously succeeded.
Shalvi wrote: “Joan Roth has the gift for seeing the significant moment, the meaningful gesture, the fleeting look which conveys an in-depth character, a lifetime of experience, an entire culture... Joan’s gaze is a female gaze and, in the capacity to penetrate below the surface to the essence of women’s lives, it is a feminist gaze which does not objectify but rather empathizes, sympathizes, identifies with the subjects of her work.”
For the purpose of this exhibition Roth has blown up photographs that were originally printed in a considerably smaller size, The new dimension also creates new impressions.