Greetings and salutations!

Well my friends (and whomever else may be reading *S*), at long last, a post to bring everything and everyone up to date! Just in case you’d been wondering, I am still in Israel. Anyway, thanks for tuning in – and now – on with the show!

The Trips
Aside from the near constant stream of interviews, which I’ll get into later, I did manage to see a few sites I hadn’t during my last visit to Israel. I finally was able to witness the heart rending spectacle that is Yad Vashem (a Memory and a Name) – the beautiful, if not disturbing, museum which holds the only complete visual and historical record of the holocaust and the times and persons involved. One could easily spend days pouring over every carefully preserved item. Unfortunately, our party was pressed for time, so we rushed through everything quite quickly.

Seeing articles related to Schindler’s List, including the list itself as well as Oscar’s tree in the Avenue of the Righteous, was quite interesting. The Hall of Names was also particularly haunting; a cavernous chamber full of the dossiers of many of those lost in Nazi death camps. I was actually able to move fairly easily throughout the exhibit, taking in what I could while observing those around me – different tour guides pursuing their agendas, a quiet Dutchman crying in a dark corner – but what really got to me more than anything else was The Children’s Memorial. Imagine walking through a dark tower full of mirrors reflecting a thousand points of candlelight. A melancholy musical selection plays as the names of the slain children are read out over the loudspeakers…earth shaking…..

A not quite so emotionally evocative, but nonetheless adventurous, journey was to the Herodian fortress of Masada. It is here that the Jews made their courageous last stand against their Roman conquerors following the campaign of 70A.D. It is also here that over 900 of them chose to kill themselves rather than surrender to a life of slavery. I had been sick the last time I had the opportunity to climb the mountain to the ruins of the once exquisite fortress, so I was glad to be able to finally make it.

The real story though, is of the night before when, for no sensible reason, Takako and I slept 'homeless style' outside Jerusalem’s city hall. I didn’t actually sleep much but I was comfortable enough with my sleeping bag. She, on the other hand, had a solar bag, several blankets, hot pads, 2 coats and a sleeping bag! Anyway, the fun only increased with the visitation of a security guard I was certain would send us packing – but wonder of wonders – not only did he not evict us, he actually brought us tea, rice cakes, and hot ramen! I couldn’t believe it – good times all around! Aside from all these trips, I was also thankful for the chance to make two different weekend jaunts to Haifa to see my new friends from Beresheet!

The Moshav
I have been staying, of course, at Yad Hashmona, the moshav where I lived in 2003. Though all my dear friends that were volunteers are gone (though I’ve caught up with Elisheva, Sari, and Nicolene at least), many of the members and other staff here remain close friends and I have enjoyed seeing them in this beautiful place again. It is particularly nice to see somewhat of my own legacy here. I campaigned for a good computer with broadband internet access for the volunteers – now they have it. I started a weekly movie night for the volunteers, which is still running strong.

The moshav is not without its challenges though. In some ways the volunteers are still mistreated. Political infighting amongst the members also has a negative effect which slows the transition that must take place in order for the moshav to survive. Traditional settlements are no longer required in Israel. Industrial contributors, along with those that cater to tourists, are the order of the day. Yad Hashmona has now been certified Kosher and has been visited by political titans such as Benyamin Netenyahu and Ariel Sharon. The night guards are still a group of guys with whom I enjoy hanging out a great deal {shouts out to Luke, Francis (vive le Canada), and Benjamin} but the carpentry has been all but shut down.

Other Israeli Issues
It has been relatively peaceful during my time here over the last month. I know when I was here before I found it ludicrous that the orthodox Jews weren’t required to go through security scans. Of course, after a bomber dressed up as one of them, that all changed and now they are scanned just like everyone else. Another odd observation I made while walking the markets of Old Jerusalem was that they sell an awful lot of toy guns here – seemingly dangerous in such an environment. Scarcely a week goes by and then this.

There was one bombing in Hadera a couple weeks back. The bigger news has been the 10th anniversary of the assassination of then Israeli Prime Minister Itchzack Rabin. This tragedy has been marked by newscasts, various public and government memorials, and a high profile visit from former U.S. President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, in order to honor and preserve Rabin’s legacy of peace. Of course, the Kempler Film, the only film to capture the assassination, the film that has not been seen by anyone in the Israeli public in the last 10 years, has once again resurfaced. I have to tell you, the parallels to the JFK affair are stunning! After reviewing the video as well as testimony from the trial of Yigal Amir (the lone gunman), it seems clear to me that conspiracy is the word of the day.

In entertainment news, Stephen Spielberg's captivating drama Munich is due out next month. It tells the story of the Mossad agents ordered to carry out a brutal mission in retaliation for the 11 Israeli athletes assassinated during the 1972 Munich Olympics.

News of the World
Of course, these days there are things going on elsewhere – and how! A triple bombing in Jordan has the Arab world reeling and finally starting to wake up to the indiscriminate hatred of terrorism. With continued earthquakes in the east and hurricanes and tornados in the west, global seismic activity is off the charts in an indication that SOMETHING is happening out there. With the increasingly hard line being taken by the Iranian government (against the will of the majority), their recent quake may be the least of their concerns. India also has experienced problems including another deadly train crash and bombings as well. This is just the tip of the iceberg of course and doesn't even address the growing global paranoia of a possible bird flu pandemic! Yes, it's still pretty interesting out there.

A little closer to home, it was recently Remembrance Day in Canada, the day we honor our veterans and the day marking the end of WWI. Also recently in the United States, Civil Rights inspiration Rosa Parks passed away. Our thoughts and prayers of thanks go out to all those who fought, in various ways, for the freedoms we enjoy so carelessly today.

Finally, before I forget, I want to make another prediction. As movie theaters continue to lose money across the board, it strikes me as odd that they haven't started to offer some sort of membership alternative to the standard pay-as-you-go idea. It would be pretty simple, for a monthly fee of perhaps as much as 50$, you could see as many movies as you like. I really think this could save the movie industry (look at the example of MMOG) and I know I would be one of the first to sign up. Look for this to be made an option within the next year.

The Jobs
Oh yes, that's right; I was supposed to talk about the job search. That is, after all (apart from the mission) why I came here, isn't it? Well the good news is that I was able to have SEVERAL interviews in locals from Ra'anana to Tel-Aviv to Jerusalem. I met with executives, recruiters, and HR staff. The majority of these interviews and even tests were tremendously positive experiences that ultimately led to what equated to job offers from IDT Global Services and Live Linx in Jerusalem and Compucall in Tel-Aviv. While I was overjoyed at receiving these offers, a bitter reality soon sank in. The fact is that none of these companies (including IDT which is US based) were familiar with the procedures involved with hiring foreign gentile (non-Jewish) workers.

You see, in order to work in Israel without being a Jew, the company has to file for the working visa on behalf of the employee. The visa, if approved, is granted exclusively for employment with that company. They must promise to employ you for a certain period of time and, should your visa not be renewed, they are responsible for making sure you leave the country within 15 days. Most companies seemed to trip up on that last point.

An insane trip to the Ministry of Interior office in Tel –Aviv netted me the correct forms which I then passed on to the companies who unanimously responded that their "lawyers would have to take a look." So, a long story short, the bureaucracy involved in getting work in Israel turned out to be worse than I could have imagined. It boggles my mind that the government is making it nearly impossible for people who want to SUPPORT the nation of Israel to do so in such ways, particularly when large amounts of Jews are LEAVING the country. In any case, while lawyers and executives ponder all these seemingly complex issues, I will return to Canada to continue writing chapters in the story of my life.

Remember
1 Timothy 5:1 - Do not rebuke an older man but exhort him as you would a father; treat younger men like brothers, 2 older women like mothers, younger women like sisters, in all purity.

Men
Prov 31:30 - Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

Women
1 Pet 3:3 - Let not yours be the outward adorning with braiding of hair, decoration of gold, and wearing of fine clothing, 4 but let it be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable jewel of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.

With Hope,
Joseph

Triple Bombing | Spielberg Munich | Bird Flu Pandemic