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Richard III, Leicester,old friends, burials & books

I left my hometown of Leicester over 45 years ago.



I married and moved to Jerusalem with my husband and family.

 
But although I no longer live in Leicester, I can never totally leave the city as my parents are  buried there. 

While in Leicester on a visit we decided to drive round and see some of our old schools

and past homes

Not to mention the site of my first job as a journalist –

OK I admit it I exaggerate. It was a school holiday job and I was more a gofer than a writer – but the bug was already planted and never gave up.

About six years ago I reconnected again when an old school friend Rosalind Adam  contacted me to see if I would contribute to a book she was compiling of memories of   post-war Leicester through to 1960.

So having returned to Leicester many times in the past few years both literally and psychologically, it wasn’t surprising that I found myself glued to the news media when the story broke about ‘the body in the car park’ . Could it really be the body of that much hated/ much maligned King Richard III?

And when it was proved to be the body of the old King, the question then was – where should he be finally laid to rest?

Again I found myself rooting for Leicester to be the designated burial site.The High Court finally agreed that he should indeed be buried there, as  he had been killed in battle in nearby Bosworth and had been ‘temporarily’  buried beneath the city for several hundred years.

And now for the full circle …..who was commissioned  to write a children’s book on the  history of Richard III?
 None other than my old friend Rosalind whose book will be out in a few week’s time.
Good luck with the book Ros – I’m sure it’ll be a tremendous success.

SUMMERTIME

The days are longer, the weather’s warmer, the sea and sands beckon.
If you live in the present, then this is where your thoughts are.

But what if you’re a writer? Writer’s can rarely enjoy the luxury of living in the present. We always have to be a few months ahead.

In fact right now I’m thinking of Autumn subjects such as Back to school ( and the vacation hasn’t even started yet!!) and Rosh Hashanah ( The Jewish New Year)



But don’t worry, that doesn’t mean I never get to enjoy the summer sun. It just means that when you’re all shivering in the winter…….





I’m writing about the sea, sun and the sands

and while you’re eating your apple and honey


I’m already writing about Pesach

A HAPPY AND HEALTHY SUMMER EVERYONE

AISH HATORAH, THE TEMPLE AND 9th AV

If location, location and location are the three  most important points in real estate, then Aish HaTorah’s Jerusalem World Center must have the world’s most prime spot.
Situated opposite the Kotel, the Western Wall, the remaining wall of the Temple which stood closest to the Holy of Holies of the  Temple, this beautiful new building is put to tremendous use.

Anyone, male, female, young, mature, from anywhere in the world is invited to drop in and  join a class or two, or three  of the constantly ongoing ‘Essentials’ program, just to get a taste of their Jewish heritage. No prior booking is needed.

Entrance is from the Jewish Quarter, off Misgav Ledach street and the classes take place on this entrance floor.
You don’t even have to take a class, you can just walk in and sit down and relax in the beautiful a/c  rooms.
You can also  take  the opportunity to watch some of the videos of the teachings of Aish’s dean and founder, Rabbi Noah Weinberg who passed away in 2009 a short time before the opening of the new center. Thousands of young Jews owe their Jewish identities to Rabbi Weinberg who gave his entire life to helping Jewish kids ( and not so kids) realize what pleasure, fun, inner peace and excitement they were missing by not learning about their Jewish heritage.


Look up and savor the incredible  glass sculpture by Dale Chihuly, the most successful and talented glass artist in the world. Entitled, “Fire and Water,” the multi-dimensional, two-story-tall sculpture encompasses the name of Aish HaTorah ( Fire of the Torah)


If you go up to the roof, apart from a breathtaking panoramic view of Jerusalem , the Kotel

and the surrounding hills such as Mount of Olives and  Mount Scopus …


there is also a  1.2-ton model of the Holy Temple .

It is constructed at a scale of 1:60, built with  authentic materials like gold, silver, wood and Jerusalem stone.
As we approach the Fast of the  9th of Av, the date of the destruction of both of our Holy Temples, there couldn’t be a better time to decide to learn what it is we are mourning and missing.
For more information about Aish click here.  

YAD VASHEM– Still so much to learn and remember

Yad Vashem in Jerusalem is the Jewish People’s living memorial to the Holocaust.

It safeguards the memory of those who were slaughtered and teaches future generations about the unspeakable horrors.

Many people think that if they’ve visited it once then there’s no point in going again – but they are so wrong. The area that Yad Vashem covers both physically and emotionally, is vast and there are new exhibits constantly being organized.
On a recent visit I saw  the shul/ synagogue.

Apart from being used for regular prayers it is also used for people who want a place to say  Kaddish, or to sit down and pray after an emotional visit.

It contains various items of Judaica from shuls all over Europe including  four Arks for storing the Sifrei Torah which all came from Rumania and were procured for Yad Vashem with the help of  Rumanian government.





Next door to the shul is a new exhibit to honor the Righteous Amongst the Nations who saved Jews during the Holocaust.


Inside there are five areas with seating to watch different films depicting the different ways in which people were saved, including those who took in children and returned them to the Jewish authorities after the war, those who hid families in cellars, countries where someone in the the government intervened and rescued them and those where both the Jews and the non-Jews were discovered by the Nazis and killed.

The stories are both fascinating and very moving and shed a new light on the history of Jews saved by Gentiles.

We then visited the new Learning Centre also known as the “Center for Major Questions Arising from the Holocaust,” which attempts to discuss and give opinions on  the many  theological, societal and military questions raised by the Holocaust.



Some are just not answerable, i.e. Why did G’d let the Holocaust happen, but are still discussed. Others are given a selection of answers from various appropriate people / authorities, i.e. Why did the Allied Air Force not bomb the tracks to Auschwitz.



Yad Vashem has also launched a new more urgent collection of personal items that are, or were,  in the possession of survivors. Our guide told us many stories of items that children of survivors thought were of not much interest, but for others provided an only link to their parents/ grandparents who perished.

Yad Vashem works very hard to trace people ( or their descendents) mentioned in letters/ notebooks or identified on photos it receives.

As Eli Wiesel once said- Anyone who listens to a witness, becomes a  witness himself.

WI-FI –YOU MUST BE KIDDING

Do you know what wi-fi actually means?

 

It means wire-free…you know… without any wires.

Did you hear me, I said without wires!!!

Would you like to come to my home and see just how many wi-fi wires we possess…dozens, probably hundreds..in bags, boxes, closets shelves, drawers …full to  overflowing with wires …with either an electric plug or a computer USB connection at one end and a  VERY wide variety of other connections at the other end of every shape, style and size.

I don’t know where most of them came from and I haven’t a clue what they belong to. But I’m convinced that if I throw any of them out- tomorrow I’ll be sure to need it.

This is a very small selection of wires I use every day for my so called wi-fi stuff either to listen to my MP3, download photos, recharge my Kindle and cell phone and various other necessary activities in this wi-fi age.

 

I remember when the word wireless meant just that – no wires. The radio ran on batteries – no ifs and buts.

Ah - life was uncomplicated in those days.

ISRAELI DRIVERS- THE GOOD NEWS

Israeli drivers have a pretty awful reputation – and I have to admit that it’s often warranted. But that’s why I’d like to point out two really  great professional drivers I met up with this week.

One was behind us  driving a juggernaut when we approached the road works near Malcha Mall in Jerusalem. Suddenly the road was blocked and we were diverted to another road without any explanation of where this would take us. Our driver, not surprisingly hesitated, and the truck which was quite close behind us had to brake and swerved to overtake us with just a hairbreadth of room.

We followed behind him and as we both stopped at  the  next traffic lights he climbed down from his high perch and came over to us – we assumed to give us a piece of his mind.

But no, we were very pleasantly surprised when he signaled to me to open the window and said “ I can see you were confused by the detour. Can I help?”


The second incident  occurred last night as I was standing at as bus stop inside Modiin Elite just after midnight waiting for the last bus back home to Jerusalem.
An internal bus passed by, and then another one pulled in. I waved for him to continue but he opened his doors.
“If you don’t want this bus then what are you waiting for?” the driver asked.

When I said I was waiting for the Jerusalem bus he signaled for me to get on . “ There are no more buses to Jerusalem from here. I’ll take you as far as I can towards the entrance to the town and with any luck you’ll still catch the last bus that leaves from there”.

And thanks to his thoughtfulness I did.

PANTRY PACKERS

Making a Difference on your vacation.

Next time you visit Israel set aside 90 minutes to help the needy.

Visit Colel Chabad’s Pantry Packers center in Jerusalem’s Talpiot neighborhood and spend some time  packing up  healthy food products for distribution to needy families all over Israel.

Pantry Packers’ stand at the recent Jerusalem Tourism Conference

After watching a video, explaining the importance of the work you’ll be doing, you’ll be given  your own apron, plastic gloves  and hat to keep everything clean. Then, using ultra modern equipment  you will pack, label and stack  family sized packages of food staples.

This organization provides 80 different food items to 5000 families every week.

 

Packing food for the needy in Israel

It’ll add meaning to your visit.

Call 02-6260035 to arrange a visit. It’s free and suitable for all ages.

Of course you don’t have to be a tourist to help.

Everyone is welcome.

TEMECH CONFERENCE 2013

Naomi Elbinger, conference organizer opening the conference
Many of the attendees at  The Temech Conference for Women in Business, which took place in the Ramada Hotel this week, have been looking forward to it since last year’s conference.

Being an entrepreneur can be a lonely experience and the information, insights, tips and skills, not to mention the networking opportunities we all receive at this conference give many of us the impetus we need to try that bit harder.

This year one of the main features of setting up a successful business that was stressed was building up your own brand- being instantly recognizable and letting your customers know what makes you one step ahead of any competition. What your business offers that others don’t.

Branding advice from new immigrant and  ultra successful  businesswoman Jamie Geller of ‘Quick and Kosher’ fame, halachic advice from Rav Yitzchak Berkovits, inspiration in her inimitable style from Rabbanit Yemima Mizrachi, networking groups  and various workshops in both Hebrew and English were all orchestrated perfectly by conference organizer Naomi Elbinger.

Yashar Koach to Naomi,  her talented staff of volunteers who worked 24/6  the weeks before the conference as well as the Temech supporters without whom the conference and organization wouldn’t exist.

We’re already looking forward to next year.

POPES, POLITICAL PARTIES AND PESACH

A new Pope has been elected, a new Israeli government has been formed (I think – but you never know there could be another crisis along the road paved with so many poor intentions!)… there are changes afoot in the world at large …



and I’m in my kitchen making Pesach.
This is the time of year when no matter what…Pesach has to come first.


The house is spring-cleaned- thanks to my wonderful daughters who left their husbands and babies and came to rescue me after I dislocated my shoulder … wot you forgot about that!!
And now we’re down to the real nitty-gritty a.k.a. chametz in the kitchen.
My husband still keeps hoping that I’ll find a packet of lamb-chops hidden away in the back of the freezer like we did once, about 15 years ago.


It was a small pack that my late mother had brought us  from England with just a few chops in – definitely not enough for all of our seven wonderful  children. And in any case, they wouldn’t have appreciated them… or so we kept telling ourselves.
So we gave them money to go out to the pizza shop and pamper themselves with pizza, ice cream, drinks and goodies …..and I cooked the lamb chops for our supper.

We did enjoy them – and the kids had the best supper of their lives.

So what terrible parenting sins do you  have to admit to – so many are committed during the week before Pesach

SHOULDERS ARE IMPORTANT

Yes they really are.
And believe me I didn’t realize just how important until I dislocated my left one over two months ago.

Fortunately  when I fell down the stairs my natural survival instincts took over and I shot out my arm to break my fall, thus saving my head.

At TEREM( that wonderful Israeli invention for emergency medical care) after giving me a quick shot of morphine, two big, strong doctors pulled and twisted my arm …until CLUNK:THUD  it slipped back ‘soundlessly’ into place.

That would have been fine had it stayed there…but when I raised my arm, it slipped out again…and we had to go back and have an ‘action replay’ of the whole thing.
After that my upper arm was strapped tightly to my body with strict instructions not to be moved for three weeks.

If you’ve never experienced anything like it then you won’t realize how frustrating it is not to be able to do so many things without help- from getting dressed to preparing a simple meal.
I did manage to maneuver my keyboard into a position that I could work at the computer.

I innocently  thought that after three weeks I‘d throw off the bandages and get on with my life…but it doesn’t work like that.
My upper arm had forgotten how to move…and it’s taking it a long while  to relearn. Physiotherapy’s helping a great deal but it’s still an unbearably slow business.



I’m getting lots of sympathy – and help…which is just as well with Pesach round the corner.
In fact there are some less-than-sympathetic souls who think I did it to get out cleaning for Pesach – like last year when I got double pneumonia between Purim and Pesach.

BUT IT’S  NOT TRUE – REALLY.


So that’s what I’ve been up to over the last few months.
What have you been doing?

WRITING UNDER FIRE - ISRAEL v GAZA

Some people can write their way through missile attacks, writing blog post after blog post full of what’s happening now, how it might continue, what should be done and informing the world about our situation.

I can’t.

I found myself paralyzed, as the missiles fell in their hundreds over southern Israel, then further north to Tel Aviv and eventually right near home in Jerusalem. The deaths the terrorists  were responsible for, and the massive destruction and havoc they caused to millions of people’s lives were well documented by hundreds if not thousands of bloggers in Israel.
photo credit Dror Einav

I’m not sure why I couldn’t put finger to keyboard.

I think it was because I was scared that my comments, predictions and thoughts  might come back to haunt me as  events unfolded. 

Now we have a cease-fire - for the time being . A cease-fire forced on us by outside pressure even as we know that although the IDF managed to make an enormous dent in Hamas’s arsenal of missiles, it still has plenty which can reach the heart of our country. And we know that Hamas will use the time to rearm with the help of Hezbollah and Iran.

So, as always, all we can do is to pray the The One Who is really in charge that He will continue to take care of us as He has done for the last thousands of years.

SITTING IN JERUSALEM–THINKING BOUT ‘SANDY’

This is a situation we’re just not used to.

Usually we in Israel are the ones who cause  worries for our friends and family around the world.

But this time we’re sitting in our warm homes, the sun is shining outside and we have running fresh, clean water and electricity.  And we’re worried sick about our friends and family in the USA. since hurricane Sandy smashed her way into their lives just  a week ago.

image courtesy of creative commons.
It’s been a sobering lesson to all of us.

No matter where you think you are on the social/financial scale, when the forces of nature hit, the damage is indiscriminate,  flattening the homes of the  rich and poor,  CEOs and street cleaners,  the religiously devout and  atheists.

You can prepare just so much, but then you have to sit and wait it out or flee and leave your home to the ravages of the hurricane.

You’re forced  to realize what Is important in life – and what can be replaced or rebuilt.

When I heard about people who refused to evacuate their coastal homes or even went to them specifically before the hurricane arrived, maybe believing they could keep the waves away with their forceful presence,  I began to think again about Jews who refused to leave Nazi Germany because they just didn’t believe anything would happen to them.

In one day the liveliest city in the world was reduced to a flooded, sightless wreck, a black soaking shell.

A week later life is starting to return to normal. But as these acts of nature become more and more frequent people are beginning to realize just how vulnerable we all are and how little we can really control in our own lives.

FOLLOW UP TO RICHARD III AND NAZI POTTERY

My last blog post got a lot of attention and was passed from friend to acquaintance to elderly relatives in an attempt to discover the answer to the mystery of the Nazi pottery that was discovered in the fields of the farm in Thaxted England.


We seem to have solved the riddle with this reply.

Asher Cailingold forwarded your email to me, as I might be able to shed a little more light on explaining the swastika emblem on some pottery found in a field in Thaxted Lodge.
I was on Bachad Hachsharah in England for many years, including 10 years (1944-54) at the Bachad farm in Thaxted, including four years (1950-54) as its manager.
There are two possible explanations:
1. When we took over the farm in 1944 - WW2 was still raging - we found a large hole in one of the fields. We were told that a plane had crashed there earlier in the war, but no one knew its identity. Thus it is possible that this was a German aircraft, which could explain the presence of some cup or other gadget on this plane.
2. During 1944/45, when we needed a larger number of workers, the Essex War Agricultural Committee supplied us occasionally with groups of German POWs, so this could be the source of this piece of pottery.
It was certainly not an item belonging to any of the German origin Chaverim.(members)
I hope this will satisfy your curiosity to some extent.
Well that seems a logical answer, even if it was less exciting than the version  my imagination conjured up.
                   …………………………………………………………………….


The identity of the remains that were excavated in Leicester are still a mystery.
We won’t know if it really is  King Richard III for another six to eight weeks as DNA testing can’t be rushed.

But that hasn’t stopped the authorities in Leicester from starting to cash in on the possibility that this really is the king and all that it would mean for the fame and fortune of this relatively quiet town.

Great plans for coping with the possible upsurge in tourism are already in the making as you will see from this report from the BBC.

Marketing this, possibly much maligned, king could be big business.

TWO ARCHAEOLOGICAL FINDS: RICHARD III and NAZI POTTERY.

I’ve always been fascinated with archaeology. I love finding tangible connections to our past, whether far distant or more recent.
Two findings this month really excited me – one of them hit international headlines as it is from over 500 years ago, with regal connections. The other was quieter, probably known only by a few people and from far more recent history.
The  first one was the recent discovery, in my hometown of Leicester, in the U.K., of what is almost definitely the body of King Richard III . He was an arch  villain of the British monarchy, believed to have murdered his two nephews to protect his position on the throne of England, and whose burial place was always unknown.

At the moment the results of the DNA check against a direct descendent are not yet in, but there are multiple physical signs on the exhumed remains that indicate that this is indeed the hated king immortalized by William Shakespeare in his play of the same name.
Which  English literature student doesn’t remember the famous words “ Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer by this son of York” spoken by Sir Laurence Olivier in that real old movie of the 1950s,  and just before his demise, wandering around unprotected  on the battlefield ….” A horse, a horse. My kingdom for a horse”
But we’ll all still have to wait patiently for another number of weeks for the final DNA results.
                        ------------------------------------------
The 2nd discovery didn’t really involve archeology, it was found lying around in a field in Essex.
The field was in Thaxted, a small farming area where, in the 1940s, many Jewish children, refugees from Nazi Germany, were taken by “Bachad” the forerunners of today‘s religious youth  movement, Bnei Akivah, to live and receive basic agricultural training before going to live in Israel where they went on to be the founders of  several religious kibbutzim.
One of today’s Bnei Akivah youth was hiking in the area, and realizing he was close to the original farm site in Thaxted, decided to continue and walk through the fields which many of his predecessors had lived and worked, over 70 years ago .
Seeing something shining in the grass he bent down and picked up a piece of pottery.


What an amazing discovery. This must have been lying around in the field for  70 years.
What was it? Well a search online brought me to the site of the china manufacturers mentioned quite clearly on the shard……. and to this picture

The swastika, emblem of the Nazi party has clearly been deliberately blocked out. Are they ashamed of their past? Were they scared they would be prosecuted if they left it on the site? Was it just because it’s politically incorrect?
But this is definitely the same motif that is on the fragment that was found.
Why would a refugee from Germany have a piece of pottery with the hated swastika on it?
I have no idea.
I can only guess that maybe this was from an item the children  were given as they left  Germany on the kindertransport. Most  of these children would never to see their parents again. All they possessed were the things in their little suitcases.
Perhaps they were given a last drink to take with them on their journey to the unknown and this was the only glass / cup that was available. Did he/she keep it because it was one of the last things they received from their parents?
Did the owner maybe smash it and throw it away because of the hated symbol ?
I don’t know if we’ll ever know. There are some ‘kindertransport’ children still alive so maybe one of them will see the photo and recognize it.
                                 ---------------------------------
As one ancient mystery looks like being solved, another recent  mystery is uncovered.