Again Israel turns to mourning the dead, but this time the list of those killed has been slow in coming. As the bombs used in suicide bombings become more sophisticated, producing deadlier and deadlier blasts, it takes more time to identify the remains of the dead.
It was a loss that brought back the darkest days of Israel\’s war on Palestinian terrorism and the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon — and the next day it got even worse.
Six elite soldiers of the Givati Brigade, on their way home from a mission to destroy arms factories in Gaza City, died in a huge fireball Tuesday when their ordnance-laden armored personnel carrier went over a land mine.
On Wednesday, at least five more Israeli soldiers were killed in an attempt to retrieve the remains of the previous days\’ dead when their armored personnel carrier was hit by an anti-tank missile.
Years ago, one of my colleagues had the awesome task of officiating at the funeral of a 9-year-old girl killed by a car while riding her bicycle.
\”The Blessing of a Broken Heart\” gives the struggle a precious face and, at the same time, illustrates the power of Jewish faith, ritual and community to heal.
I got to wondering why Amanda chose to dump me in such a cold fashion when what preceded it was 10 months of passion. And the only thing I could come up with was that Amanda chose to take the easy way out — for her. She didn\’t want a confrontation, an argument or the pain of raw, exposed emotion; she simply left — and left me holding the big, unopened Pandora\’s box of sudden loss.
What have our military expenditures to do with the state of the states? After all, we are a long way from the guns vs. butter arguments, when we used to show how many new schools or hospitals could be built for the cost of one new aircraft carrier.
As a stand-alone goal, the removal of Saddam, even killing him, is morally justified. From the Jewish point of view, he is a rodef, a pursuer.
Neil Simon has always laced his plays with aspects of his own life and, at age 75, he takes on mortality — specifically the mortality of a creative writer — in \”Rose and Walsh.\”
The groundswell of emotion in response to Ilan Ramon\’s death has not only been a great inspiration for American Jews, it also has helped strengthen the bond Americans feel for Israel.
\”It\’s a state of mourning for the whole nation. Our school is no different,\” said Joseph \”J.P.\” Schwarcz, 18, a Yeshiva University freshmanin New York.
At the same time, Schwarcz was quick to note the distinct status of Israel\’s representative on board, Ramon, as a role model for Jews.
\”Throughout the whole week, our deans have come into our class and discussed with us how we should be just like Ilan Ramon,\” he said.
In mourning the tragic flight of the whole Columbia crew, Jews across America are especially touched by the loss of Ramon. Whether Jews saw him as pioneer or peacemaker, most saw him as the best of the Jewish people.
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