Tu B' Shevat and Tidings

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Hey Folks... so I know I have been MIA lately, and well, theres lots of reasons for that. But, I have a few entries to add now, so it should catch you up on most things.

I meant to write this weeks ago, but February passed with a blink of an eye. In the beginning of February was the holiday of Tu Be’shevat. This is the holiday of trees, and in general, the beginning of spring. Kind of like the American Labor Day, with a religious combination. Traditionally, you go and plant a tree, and eat lots of the fruits and seeds from the trees, from nature. I spent the weekend with my cousins for Shabbat. Saturday, we had a big lunch with my cousins from Rishon, their uncle and cousins, and the grandparents. Zev, the grandfather, is the patriarch of the family here. We had a great big lunch, and everyone gave toasts, lots of l’chaims (cheers). Traditionally, there is a seder (just like on Passover), but with all sorts of fruits and nuts. We didn’t do a seder, but we did have all the appropriate foods. We sang lots of songs, and Zev told us stories about the family, and about Israel. It was a great Shabbat.


On, February 23, Zev died. Zev is my grandmother's first cousin. It was expected, but unexpected at the same time. He was 86, and not in great health. Anyway, the reason I tell you this, is not to make you sad, but because I wanted to tell you a little bit about Zev's life, because it is a part of the history of Israel.

Zev is from Drahev, in what was Czechoslovakia, but is now the Ukraine. He came to Israel in 1939 at the age of 16, all by himself. He came with a zionist youth organization (trying to create the state of Israel for the Jews). This, and other zionist youth organizations were bringing young Jews to the land of Israel to cultivate and develop it, and to convince the British and UN to give this land to the Jews. He left behind his entire family, of 9 brothers and sisters, and parents, and nieces and nephews. He came to live his Zionist dream. Not long after he left home, the holocaust started, as we all know. All but one of Zev's sisters, Feiga, were killed in the holocaust by the Nazis. Feiga, along with my grandmother, went through concentration camps, including Auschwitz, and survived together.

Zev joined the organization Etzel once in Israel. Etzel was a right wing, zionist organization, that fought the british through any means possible, sometimes including terrorist attacks. I don't know details of his particular involvement, but I do know he was heavily involved, and might have even been in a British prison for his actions. This was during the end of the British Mandate period. In 1947, the UN voted on the partition plan for Israel and Palestine. The Jews accepted the plan, and the palestinians didn't. This then started the War of Independence of the Jews against all of its surrounding Arab neighbors. Zev fought in this war, with Etzel. In May 1948, israel was officially declared a state, and the Zionist dream came true.

Zev was aprt of the creation of the state of Israel. He lived in south Tel Aviv initially, with other members of Etzel. He later moved to Ramat Gan, where the government of Israel got its start and developed. He worked at a textiles facotry in Petach Tikva for most of his adult life. Over the years, he had children, and grandchildren, all born in Israel, my cousins who I now spend time with today. They are sabras (which means natively born in Israel). His family is the Zionist dream.

Over the years, Zev has witnessed and been a part of the history of the State of Israel. He has watched the wars come and go, the politicians and heros come and go. He watched his son and daughter fight in the wars, and now he watched his grandchildren serve as well. I wish I had more details to share with you, because you can not imagine the stories he could have told.


Anyway, forgive me for this not so happy entry, but I just wanted to share this with you.

Thanks.

Love,
Leah

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