Yisrael Beytenu Part 2

Hello, I've got something to tell you.

Shlomo (the man who is hosting my stay in Jerusalem in case you forgot) set up a nice presentation/Q&A session for Israeli Knesset member Robert Ilatov. Shlomo & Mr. Ilatov have been friends for a long time & was most welcome among most of those who attended the event.

Fyi the Israeli Knesset is a group of 120 members who form the house of representatives or parliament for the State of Israel. Mr. Ilatov is one of them. 

Unfortunately, I still am not fluent in Hebrew therefore I couldn't catch much of the discussion. I could tell by the volume & tones of voices, it got heated towards the end. Luckily at the end of the meeting I met a man who spoke Spanish & he was able to explain a bit to me. Unluckily, he spoke an Argentinian Spanish at about 74mph. Most of the discussion was about the recent bad rap that the Yisrael Beytenu party has been getting because of a few unwise members. I assume that Mr. Ilatov had to do a lot of explaining & defending.

Mr. Ilatov was not the only reason that these people came together though. 

Everyone knew Shlomo one way or another.There was an attentive group of Ethiopian Jews in the audience but most the those who attended were Bukharian Jews.

Shlomo (who is one himself) had warned me that Bukharan Jews are very big on family, God, music, food and Vodka. The matrons are big on traditional dancing & matchmaking. I wish that you could have seen their disappointed faces when I told them I was Mexican/Guatemalan & only spoke English. They were sure that I was Bukharan. It took them a few minutes to regroup & approach me again. They asked many questions in Hebrew & Russian pointing to my ring finger. I think one of them snapped a photo of me to show some brother, son or nephew. Who knows. It was very amusing & embarrassing.

Ahem, anyways, it was an interesting night. It was an honor to be among these people. The air was like that of a family reunion. Feel free to peruse my photos below, I've added captions this time.

-K

Kiev, Ukraine

in

Hi, it's me again. If, in fact, you did not know what a kind of little globe trotter I've turned into, I spent a weekend in Kiev, Ukraine. When the idea was first presented, I was wary & indecisive. 

You may ask me, "Isn't Ukraine a hotbed of conflict right now? Haven't you seen the news?"

I know, I know, I have seen the news. BUT, did you know that Ukraine is about 233,000 square miles? Did you know that the conflict recently is in Eastern Ukraine? Did you know that the region of Kiev is about an 8 hour drive away from Donetsk? 

I'm not trying to be a smarty pants because I didn't know myself. And for those who already knew all this, I salute you. What's happening is terrible. I am still trying to make heads & tails of it.

My host here in Israel assured me that I would benefit a lot from this little trip. Now that I have gone there & back again, I can honestly say that he was correct. The people that I met & spent time with were so kind, generous & informative. There is nothing that uplifts & inspires me as active Church members do. They took me around the city & treated me like a princess. If any of you are reading this, a million thanks! I will never forget you.

Naturally, I took many photographs. The photos I present to you now are those from a peace protest that I went to with Dr. Gregorii Kommendant & a few others. The mood was very somber. The march started in front of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kiev & ended at Independence Square. There were speeches made but it was all in Ukrainian so it was all Greek to me. Gotta love those accents though! 

The trip was over way too fast. But, I hope to return and/or help in some way. I am praying to see how & when. 

-K

Yisrael Beytenu

Hi there,

On Tuesday I was invited by my host to attend a political meeting organized by Yisrael Beytenu. The meeting was held in Ariel, Israel. It was an awesome opportunity that I just couldn't turn down! We hopped onto a hired tour bus & made the hour-long journey.

Mr. Avigdor Liberman was the main speaker of the night. Everything was in Hebrew so I didn't understand much of what was going on but I was still a happy camper being in the midst of so many reporters, photographers, bodyguards and their politicians. I saw a few familiar faces like Mr. Shady Khalloul & Israeli Knesset member Mr. Robert Illatov. Most of whom I saw were dressed so classy that I was glad that I had opted for my zoom lens, heels & lipstick. 

The next day I searched the news for the English version of Mr. Liberman's speech & found that he spoke on many topics about Israel's tough situation. He dispelled rumors & encouraged those who associated themselves with the party. Fyi, Elections in Israel are coming up soon. 

Among the 800 people present at the meeting, I would not be surprised if I was the least informed. Nevertheless I am very glad that I was able to be present & witness what goes on in the political side of things. I hope it won't be my last exposure.

Anyway, Happy New Year. Let's fill up the next one with positive accomplishments :)

K

Hanukkah in Jerusalem

in

Hi all, I'm still here in Jerusalem during the wonderfully long lasting Festival of Lights. These are the photographs that I have taken throughout the 8 days in Jerusalem. Work has been abundant at the Center so I struggled to find time to go out & revel in the celebratory atmosphere that took over the country.

Each night we gathered around Shlomo while he lit the candles & sang the blessing. We sat around the Menorah, drank nana (mint) tea, ate sufganiyot  (donuts) and other sweet things while listening to Shlomo tell outrageous stories from his life & of Israeli history.

On Hanukkah Shabbat, I visited both local Ashkenazi & Sefaradi synagogues. I noticed the difference between the two; the different styles of song & the general atmosphere. Although I couldn't understand most of what was being said & sung, I knew it was all to worship the King of the Universe, the great miracle maker so I sat in silence, awe & reverence. I am just so glad to have been able to experience Hanukkah here with the Jews, God's people. 

Miss you lots & I truly wish you were here with me.

K