by Esther Korson
Well, these ‘reflections’ are not always going to be about items in the news, that’s for sure! But sometimes, things that are happening here are such a true reflection of life in this land that I simply have to share them! And events that happened yesterday show perfectly different aspects of life in this little land. Israelis are known to be warm-hearted, outspoken, innovative and kind. The news I’m going to share reflects it all! Now to yesterday’s newsworthy events!
Yesterday began the seven days of “Shiva”, the week of mourning where family members and friends traditionally visit grieving families.
(Information from IBA English News TV) “From early morning grieving Israelis began arriving at the Sharon family’s Sycamore Farm in the Negev where the 11th Israeli Prime Minister and IDF General was buried on Monday. Sharon’s sons Gilad and Omri said it was their father’s will that his funeral and week of mourning be open to the Israeli public at large, the public that he loved so much.
The police and security forces made special arrangements to enable this and the security deployment will continue as long as the gates on the farm remain open.” (Two rockets were fired from Gaza on Monday just after the end of the funeral ceremony aimed in the direction of the ranch but landed in open places causing no injuries or damage. An Iron Dome rocket defense battery has been deployed in the area).
“Sharon is considered by most Israelis to have been a military hero and a courageous leader. Some of the visitors laid wreaths on the grave. Others paused for a moment of silence and shed a tear or recited a prayer. It was clear that all were very moved by the death of a man whom they considered larger than life.”
Some of the visitors gave brief comments to the cameras. A man tearfully said, “I feel very saddened by the loss of Ariel Sharon. I think he was a great leader…and we’ll miss him a lot.” Also tearfully, a woman said quietly, “I agree with almost everything he did. He was like a father to the people of Israel, in my opinion.” A man who had arrived from his home in Nes Ziona in the centre of the country said that he came to express the deep admiration that he has for Sharon. His wife Rachel simply said, “The heart is broken…”
A steady stream of visitors will without a doubt continue to arrive at the ranch from all around the nation during the remainder of the Shiva week. It is a sad time for us all.
Yesterday was also the 65th anniversary of the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament. The Knesset opened its doors to the public and lots of activities were planned. We’re such a new/old country!
A 46 year old Filipino caregiver living in Israel for the past four years named Rose Fostanes loved her work in caring for the elderly, but always dreamed of being a professional singer. She had watched “X-Factor” faithfully and continued dreaming. This year was the inaugural season for “X-Factor Israel” and so she somehow had the courage to audition. From that very first audition, she captured the hearts of Israelis! “I used to have a very poor self-image,” she explained in an interview. “But so many Israelis recognize me now on the streets and show such love that it has given me self-confidence!” And last night, after having passed through many eliminations but still in the running, she sang Frank Sinatra’s iconic song “My Way”! From her very first audition all the way through to last night, Rose received applause and standing ovations from the awed judges and the cheering audience. She won the ‘X-Factor Israel” competition and is now heralded as the star singer in Israel! Isn’t that fun?
And last but least on yesterday’s news—“Real View Imaging” announced that they had successfully completed a clinical study that allows doctors to view live action 3-D holograms of, for example, their patient’s beating heart to help them during surgery. Experts say that this holographic technique could pave the way for a new era of intervention medicine. The technique does not require special eyeglasses and creates real images rather than illusions. It actually recreates the image into free air so that the doctor can hold and interact with the image. It’s not an illusion, it really reconstructs the image. Being able to see the anatomy in real time is going to improve the way surgical procedures are done and the time it takes to perform them. It was amazing to see it in action! The doctor was actually holding his patient’s beating heart in his hand, could turn it around, etc. Company officials say they have reached the point where science fiction has become a reality!
For you, then, a few reflections of life…
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