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February 22, 2012
Warren Richey: How Supreme Court ruling on Texas could reduce affirmative action across US
Philip Moeller: Hard time determining your current and future savings needs --- and even harder still, executing a plan? Here's what to do about it!
Menachem Wecker: In Tough Job Market, Law Grads Use J.D.s for Nonlegal Work
February 21, 2012
Michael Doyle: Supreme Court to hear arguments on whether a lie is protected speech
Neela Banerjee: NSC wants rules on research that could lead to biological weapons
Fred Weir: Fearing West, Putin pledges biggest military buildup since cold war
February 17, 2012
Kristen Chick: After surviving sectarian mob, Egyptian Christians expelled from village
Eryn Brown: Microchip is a new means of medicating
February 16, 2012
SeaWorld of Pain : Watch Wyatt Cenac, a black comic, confront "whale freedom rider" Lisa Lange of PETA and make her squirm ( LENGTH: 5 minutes)
Jason Koebler: Antibiotics Do Nothing to Cure Sinus Infections, Study Says
February 15, 2012
Jeffrey Fleishman: Women were at the vanguard in the protests that ousted Hosni Mubarak. Meet some who refuse to wake up from their dream --- the mullahs and military be damned
Richard Simon: 'The check is in the mail' could soon be a legal excuse
Liz Bowie: Debate on whether cursive writing should still be taught
Jason Koebler: Super Plants: Could Re-Wired Plants Be the New Cancer Killers?
Susan Johnston: Strategies to preempt unwanted calls or other communication from collectors
February 14, 2012
Dennis Prager: Chris Christie on Israel --- and What It Means to Be a Leader
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: Shariah's police? Interpol's honoring of Saudi warrant could lead to arrest of Americans
The Kosher Gourmet by Matt Armendariz: VEGETABLE CRUMBLE is a simple, satisfying dish of tender eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes and onions crowned with a savory buttery topping and a sprinkle of fresh herbs
February 13, 2012
Binyamin Rose: Back to the Bunker: How a life-risking act by a Christian family during the Holocaust saved a family and built a thriving community a world away
Menachem Wecker: Business Schools Teach Real Estate Despite Troubled Housing Market
February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
Where We Live
By Andrea Simantov
An open home — physical and spiritual — is a hallmark of the world in which we live
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Lately, my children have rephrased the question "Are we having any guests?" to "Who's coming for Shabbos?" And inwardly I'm smiling because I know that despite all the trappings of "coolness," my kids can't get enough of new faces, stories, and plenty of table singing while they also relish the opportunity for a bit of showing off as each one serves the dish that he or she has prepared. I stopped cooking approximately four months ago, because one daughter graduated from chef school and is in charge of entrees and side dishes, the youngest daughter does the baking — breads, cakes, cookies — and the boys create all the salads.
Each summer, prior to the upcoming academic year, we make a general calculation of who the regulars will be. Children of family members and good friends are often in Israel for a year after high school, studying in different yeshivas and women's seminaries. We try to rotate the invitations and make certain that these young people know that, for at least a year, we can be relied upon for a hot bean-and-barley cholent or unsolicited advice on myriad life-in-Israel topics. This year we are enjoying Rachel in much the same way we felt attached to her sister, Meira, only a decade earlier; Adam is a frequent guest, following in the footsteps of his brother, Jonathan, who was a familiar face two years ago. And sometimes our guests bring guests, making the meals even more memorable.
On Friday night, Rachel mentioned something that really got me thinking. She told me that before moving to Jerusalem, she casually mentioned to a Manhattan co-worker that she had knocked on her neighbor's door the previous Thursday morning, explained that she was going to be alone for Shabbos, and asked if she could join the family for dinner. Her neighbor seemed very happy and apologized for not having personally invited Rachel earlier.
The co-worker was stunned. "What?" she asked. "You know your neighbor? Do you know other people in the building? Where did you find the guts to do that?"
She shared this story with us because she knew that we'd understand how confusing she found the question, because we all come from this same, inter-connected world. And in turn I shared with her that before I moved into my current home, I made certain that the people in the adjoining apartments were People-Like-Us sorts, i.e., Grandchildren-running- in-the-hallway-may-I-borrow-a-cup-of-sugar- or-your-entire-apartment-while-you're-away types. The sounds of plastic chairs being dragged and bounced in the stairwells means that someone is having guests, and dropping in unexpectedly for coffee and dessert on a wintry Friday night is not bad manners. It is expected.
In the early days of Operation Cast Lead, the entire country awakened to learn about a nearly unfathomable horror that had taken place on the outskirts of the Jabaliya refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. Three soldiers stealthily entered a house in which they believed murdering terrorists were hiding.
The very sensitive heat and movement detectors of an Israeli tank sensed the presence of people in the enemy building and, talking aim, fired a shell with lethal precision.
One of the three dead soldiers was Staff Sergeant Nitai Stern, and he was 21 years old. An adorable boy with an almost-corny grin, he had a large cadre of buddies who were high-spirited, charming, irreverent, intelligent, and good to their mothers. I not only know this from the local press coverage; I know this because counted among Nitai's closest friends was my own son, Nate.
The military cemetery at Har Herzl was a carpet of mankind as people from around the country gathered to bury two exemplary young men on a chilly but sunny Tuesday afternoon. (The third, Yousef Moadi, was from a well-respected family in the Druze community; his uncle, Sheik Jaber Muadi, is a former Knesset member and minister. Yousef was buried in the village of Yarka.)
I try never to imagine myself in the position of Nitai's parents, having to remember a zesty, joy-filled child whose death did not result in making our country even one-teaspoon safer. I am too superstitious to even "go there" and am not the only Israeli parent who has developed an uncanny ability to transcend unbearable reality at the drop of a hat when things feel too scary around these parts.
No one gave me a checklist for comforting a generally-closed child when his good friend dies; every boy in this country who stands next to the fresh grave of a soldier knows that only fate stands between him and a headstone. I needn't have worried about the aforementioned checklist, however, because it was Nitai's father, Reuven, who offered succor to my son, Nate, and the other buddies with bear hugs and loving pats on the cheeks every day in the shiva (mourning) home.
In an early interview, Reuven Stern answered an interviewer's inquiry about whether there was anger at the "unnecessary" death of his boy. He responded that, "He was my boy. This is a very difficult time; all of Israel is grieving." His cousin added, "Nitai was a warrior for the people of Israel, a hero, and a martyr. We are so proud of him. We know he was fighting the war of his people."
Who are these heroic parents that appear so ordinary when I pass them on the streets or jostling on a city bus? Rabbi Amos Netanel said at the funeral of his son, Jonathan, "He died for Kiddush HaShem (sanctification of G-d's name). He did what he had to do, proceeding with courage and might. Wherever he went, he had integrity and morality." And the family of Sergeant Dagan Vertman listened attentively to the officer who informed them of their son's death but expressed no anger. They inquired on the details of the incident but stated over and over for the press that they understood the fighting conditions in the area and that during massive combat, sometimes tragedies occur.
The last night of the mourning period, the boy who had shot the shell that killed Nitai arrived at the shiva (mourning) house, accompanied by his parents. Reuben Stern embraced him and asked him to please sit with his own family. "You must forgive yourself," he told the shaken young man. "From this day forward, you are also my son."
An open home — physical and spiritual — is a hallmark of the world in which we live. One step, one day, one person at a time, the intrinsic concern we feel for one another is, I believe, a testing ground for whether or not we merit being beloved unto others.
A family from Ashdod is scheduled to move in with us for a while, at least until the family members feel safe enough to return home. We aren't the only Jerusalemites who are tossing out a few extra mattresses at the time of this writing. Pot-luck suppers, blanket collections, sending dry socks to the front lines, home schooling, and amateur magic shows in bomb shelters: no one will ever be able to honestly say that he or she could not find a way to be part of the glorious fabric called 'Israel.'
This is where we live. Pull up a chair. There is always room at the table.
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JewishWorldReview.com contributor Andrea Simantov is a Jerusalem-based columnist and single
mother of six. Comments by clicking here.
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Life's footprints
A pear for my father
To raise a man
Ruth's gift
Baywatch Babe Baskets and Eminem's evil Israeli twin
Springing into Tu B'Shevat
Chanukah: The quintessential female holiday?
© 2009, Andrea Simantov. This column first appeared in Orange County Jewish Life
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