Independence Day: Alternative Beacons

On the eve of Independence Day (Wednesday, April 29 this year), there is an official ceremony that includes the lighting of 12 beacons representing the 12 tribes of Israel. People are chosen to light them and it all takes place at Mt. Herzl with an army parade and the full establishment present, military and civilian.
The peace camp organization Yesh Gvul conducts a parallel alternative ceremony at Emil Gruenzwig Square, named for a peace martyr who was murdered while demonstrating against the first Lebanon war 27 years ago. A set of alternative beacons is lit for a better, a more egalitarian and a peaceful Israel in which human rights are protected.
This year I was invited to light one of them, which I regard as a great honor. In some sense, I am representing both Amnesty International/Israel and the entire human rights community. I append what I chose to say as my lighting speech.

Hebrew

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dfth2zgw_0drnk94g2

English

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dfth2zgw_14x2qwtgz

It was an extremely exhilarating and emotional experience for me. My friends from the Amnesty section showed up as well as my family, daughter, son in law and of course, my partner Yosefa. She took the above photograph of me lighting the beacon.

I was honored to share the stage with several representatives of important organizations and with human rights defenders and people who struggle against impunity of war criminals, for gender equality and for a just future for us and our neighbors, including Bassam Aramin and Michael Sfard.

Mr. Aramin is a founding member of Combatants for Peace, an organization of Israelis and Palestinians who are striving to end the conflict in which all of them have taken part. His ten year old daughter Abir was killed by Israeli soldiers a few years ago.

http:// www.combatantsforpeace.org/

Mr. Sfard is a lawyer who has devoted great efforts to bringing Israeli army officers who bear responsibility for war crimes before the bar of justice both at home and abroad. He serves the organization Yesh Dinthat struggles for the defense of human rights in the occupied territories;

http://www.yesh-din.org/site/index.php?page=about.us&lang=en

It is indeed a matter of pride to have been chosen to stand amongst them.

P.S. For the Hebrew readers among you I recommend the site, where I have a brief comment:
http://www.on-the-left-side.org.il

Pesach (Passover) and Ma'ayan turns seven

Pesach (Passover) 5769 (2009) was marked by the belated celebration of Ma'ayan's seventh birthday with a family dinner on the last night of the holiday at my house in Hofit. As you can see, his mother came up with a kosher for Pesach cake and he had the canonical photo op with his Saba.
A week earlier we had a Seder at Zohar & Danny's house with eleven participants of whom none were left behind in Egypt. In addition to the traditional Haggada, we used a modern one with emphasis on the social and human rights content of Pesach.
Just before the holiday, I made a flying trip to the US to attend a Cassini (Saturn orbiter) workshop in San Antonio TX plus a brief weekend with old friends in Summit NJ. It was the sort of ping pong trip that provides double jet lag.

Tonight we will pick up our friend Renee who is coming for a visit from France. Tomorrow back to the real prosaic world and the hard work of retirees. Who ever said that retirement leads to empty time and boredom? Yosefa and I are finding the opposite.

An appropriate song for Passover

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-tOFLxX2bg
That was the performance by Chava Alberstein
Here are the words for the Hebrew speakers--a translation to English will follow:

חד גדיא

ביצוע: חוה אלברשטייןמילים: חוה אלברשטייןלחן: עממי
דזבין אבא בתרי זוזיחד גדיא חד גדיא
קנה אבינו גדי בשני זוזי
םכך מספרת ההגדה
בא החתול וטרף את הגדיגדי קטן גדי לבן
ובא הכלב ונשך לחתול שטרף את הגדי שאבינו הביא דזבין אבא בתרי זוזיחד גדיא חד גדיא
ואי מזה הופיע מקל גדול שחבט בכלב שנבח בקול הכלב שנשך את החתול שטרף את הגדי שאבינו הביא דזבין אבא...
ואז פרצה האש ושרפה את המקל שחבט בכלב המשתולל שנשך לחתול שטרף את הגדי שאבינו הביאדזבין אבא בתרי זוזי חד גדיא חד גדיא
ובאו המים וכיבו את האש ששרפה את המקל שחבט בכלב שנשך החתולש טרף את הגדי שאבינו הביא דזבין אבא בתרי זוזי חד גדיא חד גדיא
ובא השור ששתה את המים שכיבו את האש ששרפה את המקלש חבט בכלב שנשך החתול שטרף את הגדי שאבינו הביא דזבין אבא בתרי זוזי חד גדיא חד גדיא
ובא השוחט ששחט את השור ששתה את המיםש כיבו את האש ששרפה את המקל שחבט בכלב שנשך החתול שטרף את הגדי שאבינו הביא
בא מלאך המוות והרג את השוחט ששחט את השור ששתה את המים שכיבו את האשש שרפה את המקל שחבט בכלב שנשך החתול שטרף את הגדי שאבינו הביא דזבין אבא בתרי זוזיחד גדיא חד גדיא
ומה פתאום את שרה חד גדיא? אביב עוד לא הגיע ופסח לא בא.
ומה השתנה לך מה השתנה?אני השתנתי לי השנה
ובכל הלילות בכל הלילות שאלתי רק ארבע קושיות הלילה הזה יש לי עוד שאלה
עד מתי יימשך מעגל האימה
רודף הוא נרדף מכה הוא מוכה
עד מתי ייגמר הטירוף הזה
ומה השתנה לך מה השתנה?אני השתניתי לי השנה
הייתי פעם כבש וגדי שלי והיום אני נמר וזאב טורף
הייתי כבר יונה והייתי צבי היום איני יודעת מי אני
דזבין אבא בתרי זוזי חד גדיא חד גדיא
קנה אבינו גדי בשני זוזי
ושוב מתחילים מהתחלה.

And in English: Chad Gadya - Chava Alberstein (1989) Dizavin abba bitrei zuzim, chad gadya, chad gadya. There was a kid [baby goat] that our father bought for two zuzim, so it says in the Haggadah. And then came a cat that devoured the kid, the little white kid that our father bought. And then came a dog that bit the cat, that devoured the kid, that our father brought, dizavin abba bitrei zuzim, chad gadya. And then a big stick appeared, that beat the dog, that bit the cat, that devoured the kid, that our father bought, dizavin abba bitrei zuzim, chad gadya, chad gadya. And then erupted the fire that burnt the stick, that beat the dog, that bit the cat, that devoured the kid, that our father bought, dizavin abba bitrei zuzim, chad gadya, chad gadya. And then came the water, that extinguished the fire, that burnt the stick, that beat the dog, that bit the cat, that devoured the kid, that our father bought, dizavin abba bitrei zuzim, chad gadya, chad gadya. And then came the ox and drank the water, that extinguished the fire, that burnt the stick, that beat the dog, that bit the cat, that devoured the kid, that our father bought, dizavin abba bitrei zuzim, chad gadya, chad gadya. And then came the ritual slaughterer, that slaughtered the ox that drank the water, that extinguished the fire, that burnt the stick, that beat the dog, that bit the cat, that devoured the kid, that our father bought. And then came the Angel of Death and killed the ritual slaughterer, that slaughtered the ox that drank the water, that extinguished the fire, that burnt the stick, that beat the dog, that bit the cat, that devoured the kid, that our father bought. Dizavin abba bitrei zuzim, chad gadya, chad gadya. But why are you singing Chad Gadya? Spring isn’t here yet and Pesach hasn’t arrived And what has changed for you? What has changed? I have changed this year For on all the nights, on all the nights [a line from “The Four Questions,” a song sung during the seder] I asked only four questions Tonight I have another question: How long will the horrible cycle continue? The pursuer and the pursued The beater and the beaten When will this madness end? And what has changed for you? What has changed? I have changed this year I used to be a serene little goat Today I am a panther and a predatory wolf I’ve already been a dove and I’ve been a deer Today I don’t know who I am Dizavin abba bitrei zuzim, chad gadya, chad gadya. Our father bought a baby kid for two zuzim We are starting from the beginning again Chava wrote this song in 1989 and it was censored by the official media. Food for thought.

Save the Polar Bears from Oil Drilling in their habitat

Please act on this cause, it is unacceptable that trivial amounts of oil that can be taken out of the polar regions should cause the extinction of this species.