Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion was one one of the few Israelis attending the dinner that President Reuven Rivlin hosted for foreign dignitaries attending the conference on Holocaust and antisemitism.
By GREER FAY CASHMANMAYOR MOSHE LION has gifted Jerusalemites of all stripes with new places to park themselves. (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion is used to rushing from one event to another, but sometimes it’s a little awkward. This was the case last Wednesday, when he hosted foreign journalists at a reception in Zedekiah’s Cave and then had to excuse himself so that he could rush off to the President’s Residence; he was one of the few Israelis attending the dinner that President Reuven Rivlin hosted for foreign dignitaries attending the conference on Holocaust and antisemitism at Yad Vashem the following day. At the President’s Residence, Lion took the opportunity to speak to several presidents about moving their country’s embassy from Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan and Herzliya to Jerusalem. He didn’t receive any negative answers, just diplomatic ones, the bottom line of which boiled down to “in the course of time.”Several countries own extensive property in Jerusalem on which they can build embassies if necessary. Even with the diplomatic answers, Lion sensed that most of the people he talked to have a spiritual or emotional attachment to Jerusalem.In addition to all the cranes on the horizon throughout the city, signifying that Jerusalem is reconstructing itself, lots of benches are appearing in city streets and parks, including in suburbia, giving people not only the opportunity to rest, but also for those living in apartments without balconies, to have somewhere nearby where they can enjoy fresh air. This was already off to a good start under former mayor Nir Barkat but has accelerated under Moshe Lion. One would hope that he would also add public toilets to his plans for urban renewal.There is an acute paucity in Jerusalem, which not only has the largest population in the country, but also the largest number of Christian pilgrims who have very few places in which to relieve themselves when nature calls. Not all hotels are willing to allow non-paying guests to use their facilities.Busy though he is in his work as a general practitioner, Dr. Michael Goldsmith is an avid runner, and always makes time for a daily run. He also advises his patients to run if they can, but if not, to at least walk as much as possible, because movement is an important component for good health. Not only is Goldsmith a runner, but his children and grandchildren are also long-distance runners, and this year, for the first time, there were three generations of the Goldsmith family participating in the seventh annual Akim relay run from Jerusalem to Eilat – a distance of 370 kilometers. The runners are sponsored and the proceeds help people with intellectual disabilities to improve the quality of their lives and to find their niche in mainstream society. This of course, is also helpful to their families.This year there were 70 runners altogether and they raised a total of $275,000.Among the runners were students of Shalem College, where Goldsmith’s daughter Gila Rockman, as director of Service and Citizenship, heads all social activism and student volunteer projects.It was natural if Rockman was running, that she would inspire her students to do the same.Her brothers Ariel and Ronen were also among the runners, as were her son Yoel and nephew Matan Goldsmith. These are not the only children in the family, and it is quite possible that next year there will be an even greater representation of the Goldsmith family on the run.As a matter of interest, in addition to running, something else that members of the Goldsmith family have in common is an ability to read the Torah. They all have good, clear voices and are in demand by several synagogue congregations in which there is no permanent reader.It's hard to believe that two years have passed since the legendary Toby Willig, who was known for finding the good in everyone she met, passed away. She was already well over 90 and suffering health problems, so her death was not exactly unexpected. But she was such an optimistic, enthusiastic, gregarious and highly intelligent individual who strongly believed in inclusiveness and pulled so many people into the open circle of her life, that she is sorely missed. Among her many activities was the establishment of an Emunah lecture series, which following her death was taken over by her good friend Marlene Werner, and renamed The Toby Willig Lecture Series. During Toby Willig’s lifetime, the lectures were held in the evening, but as most of those attending are getting on in age, and prefer not to go out at night, the memorial lecture will be held at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, February 4 at Emunah Jerusalem headquarters, 6 Arlozorov Street. Admission is free of charge. The speaker will be Rabbi Gerald Werner, whose topic is “Torah Lessons from the Life of Toby Willig.”
