Grapevine June 22, 2021: Environmental issues mark queen’s birthday bash
Guests were somewhat surprised on arrival, not to be greeted by the ambassador and his wife, Yael Banaji, standing on the patio leading to the downstairs garden.
By GREER FAY CASHMANBRITISH CHARGÉ D’AFFAIRES and deputy chief of mission Mark Power.(photo credit: BEN KELMER)
Even though he wasn’t there in the flesh, he was there in spirit, and anyone reading the tweet by British Ambassador Neil Wigan, and unaware of his absence, would have presumed that he wrote it while hosting the annual queen’s birthday reception.Wigan tweeted: “Wonderful to be celebrating #QueensBirthday again properly – with a Green theme this year for #COP26.” Immediately following this tweet was one from UK in Israel, the text of which was: “We’re so happy to be celebrating the #QueensBirthday after last year’s break, at the Ambassador’s Residence in @ramatgan. The theme is the #environment, ahead of @COP26 hosted by UK in November. #qbp #TogetherForOurPlanet.”Guests were somewhat surprised on arrival, not to be greeted by the ambassador and his wife, Yael Banaji, standing on the patio leading to the downstairs garden. Nor was there a reception line at the bottom of the stairs, though chargé d’affaires Mark Powers was standing by the side, engaged in conversation with those of the arrivals who recognized him. It happened that the ambassador had gone to England for surgery, and was due back in Israel this week.But the queen’s birthday festivities had been organized long before his departure for the UK. Although the date could not be changed, the number of invitees could. The most familiar embassy staffer milling among the guests was Jacqui Milliner, the manager of the residence, who has been there for almost 30 years, starting with Sir Andrew Burns, and continuing with Sir David Manning, Francis Cornish, Sir Sherard Cowper Coles, Sir Simon McDonald, Sir Tom Phillips, Matthew Gould, David Quarrey and now Wigan. The five ambassadors who were knighted were elevated to the peerage, following their service in Israel.Milliner revealed that when the event was initially planned, health restrictions were still being meticulously observed, and a relatively small number of people had been invited. But once the constraints were lifted, the embassy could go ahead and invite many more people – which it did. But then it had to go back to the sponsors of the festivities, because funding for such events does not come out of embassy budgets, but is provided by local or global companies that do a lot of business with the country represented by the embassy in question.In view of the fact that the UK is hosting COP26, the UN Climate Change Conference, in Glasgow November 1-12, the theme of this year’s queen’s birthday reception was environmental, with the refreshments following suit in that they were all vegetarian or vegan.Power apologized for the fact that the traditional fish and chips, which are a popular part of the fare at such events, were taken off the menu. So, for that matter, was Stilton cheese, which remains a palate pleaser for ex-Brits living in Israel.Entertainment was provided by the widely popular Shalva Band, which was photographed over and over again by people in the crowd. It’s a pity that blind singers Dina Samieh and Anael Khalifa could not see the reaction of the crowd, nor could they hear it, because other than via a microphone, the garden sounds were muffled.Percussionist Tal Kima, who displays the unbridled affection that is common among many people with Down’s syndrome, recognized a certain former Israeli diplomat and after the show scampered off the stage and enveloped the man in a loving bear hug, which was reciprocated.British Defense Attaché Col. Jim Priest was master of ceremonies. A video of Prince Charles, known for his environmental concerns, had him urging the world to address critical issues facing the planet, “not the least of which is climate change.” Calling for action, the Prince of Wales declared: “The time for talking and arguing is past.”Power remarked on how happy everyone was to be celebrating in person. It would be impossible to mark the queen’s 96th birthday, he said, without paying tribute to Prince Philip, who was fond of Israel, and who was a great environmentalist.Power emphasized the importance of working together to reduce the carbon footprint, noting that the science and innovation element in the UK’s relationship with Israel can play a huge role in developing the services needed for climate change. In this context, he mentioned vertical farming.Representing the government of Israel was newly installed Environmental Protection Minister Tamar Zandberg, who came suitably attired in a classic floor-length green gown. Had she been a man, no one would have commented on what she was wearing, but she did choose to fit in with the theme and with her portfolio.But it was her speech that earned her many kudos. Refraining from the usual platitudes of shared values and bilateral exchanges, Zandberg – for want of a better word in English – talked tachles, as they say in Yiddish. She came to an event dedicated to climate change, and she explored the subject from different perspectives, drawing the conclusion that environmental reform is not a threat but an opportunity for business and industry, as it is in their own interests to reduce greenhouse emissions.“We must decrease out dependence on fossil fuels by turning to renewable energy,” she insisted. “We cannot wait until it’s too late. Climate change must be recognized in relation to our safety and security.”The applause, when she finished, was not merely out of politeness; it was definitely a sign of approval.■ AMONG THE Australian Jews from various walks of life who were listed in the queen’s birthday honors were a rabbi and a choirmaster who each engage in interfaith work. Rabbi Yaakov Glasman, former president of the Rabbinical Council of Australia and New Zealand, was honored in recognition of his significant services to Judaism and to interfaith dialogue. Choirmaster Adrian Robert Bartak, in addition to conducting synagogue and other Jewish choirs, is a former member of the executive of the Victorian branch of the Council of Christians and Jews.Also in relation to Australia, albeit not the queen’s birthday, is a live online farewell to Jewish Agency Chairman, President-elect of the State of Israel Isaac Herzog. The event will be hosted on Wednesday, June 30, at 8 p.m. Australian time, by Lance Rosenberg and Jeremy Leibler, the president of the Zionist Federation of Australia. Exactly a week later, Herzog will become Israel’s 11th president.■ IN MARCH of this year, Michael Berenbaum, a Holocaust scholar and one of the founders of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and Jonathan Ornstein the New York-born director of the Krakow Jewish Community Center, published an op-ed in The Jerusalem Post calling for the creation of a Holocaust Survivor Day to celebrate the lives built by survivors despite what they had endured during the Holocaust.They pointed out that, each year, there are several commemorative events condemning Nazi atrocities and mourning the loss of millions of lives, but no day of celebration for those who survived, built families and careers and contributed to society. “Survivors represent the best in all of us, the best of the human spirit. They are our treasure and our light, and we must shine that light into every dark corner of our world,” they wrote.They called on the world to join them in celebrating the inaugural Holocaust Survivor Day on June 26. The date coincides with the 95th birthday of one of Poland’s best-known Holocaust survivors, noted historian and journalist Marian Turski, which this year falls on Shabbat, so the celebration has been brought forward to Thursday, June 24. Turski has long been acknowledged as the moral conscience of Poland’s Jewish community.At a commemorative ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, Turski, who survived Auschwitz and Buchenwald, said: “Auschwitz did not fall from the sky. It began with small forms of persecution of Jews. It happened; it means it can happen anywhere. That is why human rights and democratic constitutions must be defended. The 11th commandment is important: Don’t be indifferent. Do not be indifferent when you see historical lies. Do not be indifferent when any minority is discriminated against. Do not be indifferent when power violates a social contract.”With rising antisemitism in the world, survivors, who are living icons of the triumph of good over evil, need to alert the world to what could happen again anywhere and at any timeHolocaust Survivor Day in Israel will be celebrated on the morning of Thursday, June 24, at Habimah Theater in Tel Aviv, where participants will receive a videotaped message from Herzog. Live speakers will include Foreign Minister Yair Lapid whose father, Tommy, was a Holocaust survivor who was a noted journalist, politician, director-general of the Israel Broadcasting Authority and justice minister of justice; Social Equality and Pensioners Minister Meirav Cohen; Gideon Taylor, the president of the Claims Conference; Gad Ariely, the chairman of the Israel branch of the World Jewish Congress; and author and journalist Zvi Gil, who is a Holocaust survivor.Participants will also see a play, Whereabouts Unknown, written by the late Nava Semel, whose parents were Holocaust survivors, and whose father, Yitzhak Artzi, was a political activist. Semel was deeply involved in the welfare of Holocaust survivors and in perpetuating the memory of the Holocaust.The play is about immigrants to Israel in 1949 who had lost close relatives in Europe during the Holocaust and who listened to daily radio broadcasts in which people were searching for family members. These broadcasts facilitated reunions that otherwise might never have eventuated.Holocaust Survivor Day in Israel is supported by the Holocaust Survivors’ Rights Authority, the World Jewish Congress, the Social Equality Ministry, the Claims Conference, the UJA Federation of New York and the Center Organizations of Holocaust Survivors.■ COINCIDENTALLY, JUNE 26 is also the date on which president Shimon Peres, in 2014, received the Congressional Gold Medal and, in an address to the US Congress, said:“After our War of Independence, Ben-Gurion suggested I go the United States to learn English. ‘Study the American dream,’ he told me. So I did.“I learned that America is not a land for the idle. It is a home for the daring. The American dream is about hard work, pioneering spirit, can-do attitude. I learned that the two great bodies that sit under this iconic marble dome – the Senate and the House of Representatives – offered a tiny Israel, struggling for life, an unbelievable and unbreakable friendship.“You helped Israel out of its loneliness. You helped Israel overcome our small size in a tough neighborhood. You helped us maintain a resilient democracy, to become strong enough to take risks for peace. Whether through military assistance and security cooperation or through diplomatic and moral support, you sent us a clear message: that we are not alone.“On behalf of all the people of Israel, I want to thank my friend and Israel’s friend, president Barack Obama, for standing by our side with an unshakable commitment to Israel’s security.On July 24, 2014, Reuven Rivlin was sworn in as Israel’s 10th president. Before completing his tenure on July 7, when he hands over to Herzog, Rivlin will leave for the United States next week on a farewell tour, and will meet with President Joe Biden, whom he has known for quarter of a century. During his visit to the US, Rivlin will also have meetings at the UN and will meet with leaders of American Jewish communities, in addition to other items on his itinerary.When US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Rivlin on May 26, he brought with him an invitation from Biden. At the time, doubts were raised in various quarters as to whether Rivlin, who still had a number of commitments to fulfill, would be able to go to the US while still in office.A similar dilemma had confronted the peripatetic Peres, who nonetheless had managed to get to the US almost a month before the conclusion of his term.■ EVEN THOUGH he chose not to become politically active in Israel’s current climate of political unrest, it does not mean that former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot does not have his finger on the pulse, and his own ideas on issues crucial to Israel’s safety, security and future development.Eisenkot will feature, live, in conversation, with veteran military correspondent and analyst Yoav Limor in the Friday One on One Update series at the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation, 132 Kedem Street, Tel Aviv-Jaffa, on Friday, July 2, at 10 a.m. They will discuss a variety of subjects under the title of “A fresh look at a changing world.”■ DESPITE THE fact that Israel’s sixth president was born in Ireland, and that Israel’s first Ashkenazi chief rabbi had previously been chief rabbi of Ireland, relations between the two countries have not exactly been harmonious. For all that, Irish Ambassador Kyle O’Sullivan has agreed to introduce Jewish Historical Society of Ireland chairman Yanky Fachler at the Zoom lecture of the Herzliya Cultural Group at 11a.m. on Thursday, June 24.Fachler, who was born in the UK, moved to Israel, where he lived for 30 years before transferring to Ireland, where he is a writer, broadcaster, public speaker and published author. His topic will be: “From gun runners to footbridges: Irish Jewish Lord Mayors.”■ IN VERBAL shorthand “stuff” is a word that has come to mean thoughts, feelings and experiences. Choreographer and dancer Lena Rykner has translated “stuff” into an emotional dance piece about life, which premiered two years ago in Jerusalem and has since been performed in Venice and Singapore. Rykner was also invited to perform in Austria, Belarus and Taiwan, but these performances had to be postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.Dance lovers attending the Jerusalem Art Festival on the evening of June 24, at Machol Shalem in the Talpiot neighborhood, will have the opportunity to experience Stuff in more ways than one.■ UNCERTAIN AS to whether it could celebrate the 123rd anniversary of its country’s independence in the same manner as in pre-COVID-19 years, the Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv took a low-key approach, but one of profound significance for a number of honorees from the local Filipino community, who were publicly acknowledged for the sterling work they do on behalf of their fellow Filipinos, and the important contributions they have made to their welfare.“Freedom is not free. Our freedom as a nation was hard-earned, by the blood and sweat of those we call our heroes,” said Ambassador Macairog Alberto, following the embassy’s traditional flag-raising ceremony.“We face different challenges now, and today we recognize our new heroes – those who are working at the front lines to make sure that all of us continue to be able to enjoy our freedom as Filipinos.”The ambassador lauded four individuals from the Filipino community, recognizing their tireless efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of their kababayan (fellow countrymen and women) through volunteer service: Rosewyn Parungao, president of the Filipino Federation of Community Organizations in Israel; Lourdes Levi, president of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption – Israel Chapter; Emma Feliciano, president of the National Alliance of Filipino Community Organizations in Israel; and Marc Plenos, president of Overseas Filipino Workers – Global Movement for Empowerment.Alberto also acknowledged the efforts of two Israelis, well known in the Filipino community for their work in protecting and promoting the welfare of Filipino workers: Simha Salpeter, a Kaanib ng Bayan awardee at the 2010 Presidential Awards for Filipino Individuals and Organizations Overseas; and Dr. Gonen Haba, a doctor whose clinic caters to the needs of migrant workers in Tel Aviv.The ambassador also hosted a modest cocktail reception at the chancery as a gesture of appreciation for local partners that had worked closely with the Philippines in sustaining Philippine-Israel relations throughout the pandemic in 2020.Prior to the reception, the ambassador awarded three more individuals: Rina Cardema, an Israeli woman who had acquired Filipino citizenship, for her steadfast support of the embassy’s cultural and tourism promotion projects; Dr. Miriam Ofek, a former Filipino working as a medical doctor in Israel, who had volunteered her expertise to hold a special briefing on the COVID-19 vaccine for Filipino trainees under the Granot Agrostudies program; and Boaz Waksman, the Philippine honorary consul in Ashdod, for his dedicated efforts to ensure that Filipinos in southern Israel were safe during the recent Israel-Hamas conflict which was initiated by Hamas in May 2021.At the reception, Chief of State Protocol Gil Haskel commended Alberto’s significant achievements in furthering Philippine-Israel relations in the six months since his arrival in Israel: “We believe that your appointment here signals the importance that the Philippines gives to its relations with Israel,” he said. “We look forward very much to continuing to work with you to deepen our relations.”■ AT THE annual Hebrew Book Fair, Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai is often seen talking to authors. This year, he became one of them, and was seen autographing his autobiography, From Hulda to Tel Aviv. Huldai took his surname from Kibbutz Hulda, of which his Polish-born parents were among the founders. Best-selling author Amos Oz was also a resident of Kibbutz Hulda, where he chose to be buried.■ THE FEDERATION of Moroccan Jews, headed by Sam Ben Chetrit and Rabbanit Bruria Zvuluni, hosted an evening to honor the head of the Moroccan diplomatic mission, Abderrahim Beyyoud.Among the guests were Israel Prize laureate Miriam Peretz, who recently ran in the race for president of Israel and was a most gracious loser; and National Security Adviser Meir Ben Shabbat.The event, which featured many well-known personalities of Moroccan descent, was held at Jerusalem’s Marrakesh restaurant, which specializes not only in authentic Moroccan cuisine but also Moroccan decor and special Moroccan-style events.greerfc@gmail.com
