Thursday, June 30, 2005

The Important Things in Life


I was glad to see a wide condemnation of the 'spikes and oil' tactics of the more extreme orange elements yesterday. Now we await what should be an automatic condemnation of the Hezbollah attack on Israel yesterday that killed Corporal Uzi Peretz z"l. In 2000, the UN completely verified Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon and if they are to be at all respected as an honest organization, the world body must place the blame where it is due.

Sometimes however, we get so wound up in blocking and unblocking roads, engaging and disengaging and counting colored ribbons that the really important aspects of life fall by the wayside.

Yesterday was a special day in my family. It was our daughter's first birthday.

My daughter, the sabra, born in Jerusalem, the historic and beautiful capital of the State of Israel. I never thought that my first child would be born here. What a privilege! Here, in Yerushalayim where my grandfather Joshua Ben-Porath z"l was also born. Jerusalem to New Zealand and back again. Grandad never met Gila but I know how incredibly proud he was of his grandchildren who fulfilled the Zionist dream in this old-new land. I hope soon to bring Gila to play with my grandmother who resides in New Zealand.

So I have an Israeli daughter, one year old yesterday and I don't mean to sound like an extremist, but she really is beautiful, cute and mightily intelligent. I am so thankful to my wife and to G-d for bringing such a masterpiece of creation into my life.

As generations of Israeli parents have prayed before me, I do hope that Gila grows up to explore a kinder and more peaceful world than we live in today. At the least, she will grow up in a Land so terribly longed for over countless generations and where she will be able to stand proud as a Jewish Zionist and enjoy her Judaism without restriction, pain or embarrassment.

Despite the wonderful efforts and love of my parents, those were small pleasures that I never enjoyed as a youngster.

Send Gila a birthday wish or give us a comment...


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