Divah World

Gaza Heartbreak

Like my friend Danya, I know I should say something about the Israeli disengagement from Gaza, but I don't know what to say. It is so painful. Israeli forces had to seize control of a synagogue using force. A settler kills four Palestinians with no regrets and hopes that someone kills Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

So much violence. Jews fighting Jews. Terrorism on all fronts. Again, like Danya, I can only pray that somehow peace will come.

It just seems so far away right now.......

....but it's getting harder to imagine

Two items from today's news:

"Car bomber kills 28 near US convoy in Baghdad"  - the bomb detonated as a group of children were gathered around the vehicles when the bomb went off.

"Sharon orders reprisals for bombing" - more Israeli/Palestinian violence, more people killed as revenge for people being killed.

Seemingly, the cycle of war and bloodshed in this world just will not stop.......

Still praying for peace....

I just read the news of a suicide bombing in Israel. A 18-year-old member of the Islamic Jihad group has been identified as the bomber. According to the AP article, the group did release a statement saying it was committed to the cease-fire. I'm not sure what this means.

What I hope it means is that the peace process will continue for all sides. The article does say that it is in everyone's best interest that it does.

May the cool heads prevail---may they fiind a way to peace.

Assaults from Within and Without

Yesterday and today marked the beginning of the Hebrew month of Tammuz (when the month before is 30 days, we celebrate both the 30th and the 1st as Rosh Chodesh - Why? click here for an explanation).

Tammuz is the month when Jews mark a 3-week period of mourning--from the 17th of Tammuz, when the walls of the Temple in Jerusalem were breached, through to Tisha B'Av, the 9th of Av, when the Temple was destroyed. It's a time that brings awareness to the assaults on our spiritual center.

This year as we start Tammuz, we are reminded that there are assults to the world on many fronts. This year I awoke on Rosh Chodesh Tammuz to the news of the bombings in London. It's horrible in so many ways, on so many levels. My heart goes out to those who lost loved ones, people who lost their lives for no other reason but being at the wrong place at the wrong time. My heart goes to those who have ever lost loved ones to terrorism, for each new act makes their pain fresh.         

Common Ground

In this morning's SF Chronicle, there was a small AP story about a proposed soccer match in Mexico City between the Italian team Inter Milan and the Zapatista rebels, who always appear in ski masks. All proceeds would go to charity.

This brought to mind the legend from World War One of the Christmas Eve soccer match between the Germans and the English on the battlefield of Flanders--a legend that is true, although somewhat idealized at this point.

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the hard reality of sports, displaying the dark side and the toll it can take on the players. These two stories, one from the past, one from the present, bring to fore universiality of sports, the ability to find common ground. Even if the sentiments don't last, it's a start.