the jewels

It’s been very difficult to write .

So many thoughts.

So many feelings,

 since October 7

A day where humanity lost its footing

Again.

I am  a child of children of the Holocaust.

How can this happen 

Again.

On  the very land that my father fought for in the 1948 war : The War  of Independence.

On the  land that became our parents new “ Mother”, a  true homeland,  after being orphaned by the Holocaust.

Thought the world was educated on hate and racism and its nefarious damage ?

 Our mother lectured in many schools and Universities on her experience  in the Holocaust,her journey, her life mission,  and maintaining faith despite staring directly into the eye of pure evil . She also mentored students from overseas who came to do work through the DC Holocaust Museum ,and shared  her story in interviews and films about how she finally escaped war torn Europe.

Our parents taught us not to hate. They  witnessed first hand exactly what that can do to the world, to society , to humanity.

But hate ..

It  was just subdued .It was always there right  under the surface .

 I once asked  our mother  at the time when BDS  had just started to rear  its ugly head,  as the early  anti Israel protests began in Europe ,

I asked her  ; “ What do you think about all this ?”

She answered : “ I’m not surprised, I  just did not think it would happen so fast”

And here it is.

We were constantly told by our parents to always remember and..  to never forget what happened.

Educate the world.

After the October 7 th evil massacre, and madness, and the world’s twisted  response  to this evil,  and its  shocking atrocities..I  simply lost my words.

Three weeks later  I was able to write one poem:

Finding Beauty in the Broken

By A. Weinberg 

“Finding beauty in the broken

Too many fools have spoken

Have I lost my voice

Do you want to hear

What is your choice

I need to shut this door

Can’t do this anymore

Going to look up at the leaves

Look up at the sky

Just so tired of asking the whys

What should I be now

What should I feel now

What should I hear now

What should I see now

Finding beauty in the broken

Just finding beauty in the 

Broken

Innocence has been stolen

Nothing is right

But we can move towards the 

Light

Move towards the light

Because there is beauty in 

The broken “

 Several months later things were continuing. The absurdity and hate kept spewing.

But we began to heed the words:  WE will not be silent this time.

Let the world know.. educate them.. remember.. don’t let them forget.

For they have truly lost their footing.

 A few weeks ago one of my children asked me  ; “ Momma .. what do you think of the world ? It seems to have  descended down a path to utter crap !”

I  replied : “ Look  for the jewels ..there are always jewels.

Look at the sky, the leaves, flowers, the natural beauty..a kind  human gesture.. for these are the jewels.”

Speaking of jewels.. We all know that during the Holocaust  most looked the other way as well . However there were some who were righteous.  Although not large enough in number however they did stand out, and did what they could to try to hide Jews, save children, slip them food and more, following a moral human compass.

I keep waiting to hear from some of the freed hostages that there were a few righteous ones that helped them, attended to them.. comforted them..The Red Cross ?

Nothing ? Where is their humanity, their morality?

People who celebrate others pain , what is that?

Well there are some precious Jewels.

The Jewels who stand up  , those that stand up for true values,  for the truth .

The Jewels  who have a positive effect on the world.

You will see them, you will recognize them reflecting through the dirt.

 And lets just recognize that Israelis ,   Jews , despite their suffering,  pain and displacement , continue to  step up.  They celebrate life. They want life  and they are the jewels that reflect the light .

If only the world would clear up their minds, re educate and decide to become jewels..  how pretty that would be.