What it means to be a Jew in Israel. . .

A May 24th AP photo shows Zaka volunteers praying at sunrise in a dedication ceremony of a Torah scroll in the ancient synagogue at Masada.



A wonderful chain e-mail has been circulating around over the past couple of months. All we know about the author is that it says it was written by an Israeli woman. (Malkah?) The e-mail also says Send this letter to as many people as you can. The Truth is the best means to counter misinformation. Misinformation? I think they mean LIES...





I am not the least afraid to go any place,

By bus or to a mall.

I didn't change or stop doing anything

I used to do before this mess began!





People tend to forget that twice the casualties

From terror get killed on the roads!

More people still die

From heart attack, cancer,

And other things,

They just don't show them on TV.



Don't misunderstand me,

There is a war going on,

It's not pleasant,

But, lets face it:



WE HAVE NEVER BEEN BETTER OFF!!!!



It's only TV and the media

That make people think

That the end of the world is coming.



Only 60 years ago,

They were leading Jews to their death

Like sheep to the slaughter!



No Country, No Army. 55 years ago!!

Seven Arab countries declared war

On the small Jewish State,

Only a few hours old!!



We were then 650,000 Jews!

Against the rest of the Arab world!

No IDF [Israel Defense Force].

No mighty Air Force,

Just tough people

With nowhere to go.



Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Egypt,

Libya, Saudi Arabia, attacked all at once.

The country the UN "gave us"

Was 65% desert.



The country started from scratch!

35 years ago!! We fought

The three strongest armies in the Middle East,

And wiped them out in six days.



We fought against

Different coalitions of Arab countries,

With modern armies,

And masses of Soviet Russian weapons,

And we still won!!!



We have today

A country,

An army,

A strong Air Force,

A Hi-Tech Economy, exporting millions.



Intel - Microsoft - IBM develop their stuff here.

Our doctors win world prizes

For medical developments.



We made the desert flourish,

Selling oranges and vegetables to the world.



Israel has sent its own satellite into Space!!

Three satellites all together!!.



We sit proudly,

With the US, with 250 million people,

With Russia, with 200 million people,

With China, with 1.1 billion people,

With the Europeans -- France, England, Germany,

with 350 million people,

The only countries in the world

To shoot something into space!!



Israel is today

In the world nuclear power family

With the US, Russia, China, India, France, and England.

[We don't admit it, but every one knows...]

To think that only 60 years ago,

We were led,

Shameful,

With no hope,

To our death!!



We crawled out of the burning ashes of Europe,

We won our wars here with less than nothing

in our hands,

We built an "empire" out of nothing.



Who the hell is Mr. Arafat

To make me Scared?

To make me be Terrified?



You make me laugh!

Passover was celebrated;

Let's not forget what the story is all about.

We overcame Pharaoh,

We overcame the Greeks,

We overcame the Romans,

We overcame the Inquisition in Spain,

We overcame the Pogroms in Russia,

We overcame Hitler,

We overcame the Germans,

We overcame the Holocaust,

We overcame the armies of the seven Arab countries,

We overcame Saddam.



Take it easy, folks,

We will overcome

The present enemies too.



No matter

Which part of human history you try!

Think of it,

For us,

The Jewish people,

Our situation has never been better!!!



So,

Let's Lift our Heads High,

Let's Remember:



Any nation or culture

That tried to mess around with us

Was destroyed - while we kept going!!!



Egypt?

Anyone know where their empire disappeared to?

The Greeks?

Alexander of Macedonia?

The Romans?

Does anyone today speak Latin?

The Third Reich?

Anyone heard any news about it lately?



And look at us,

The Nation from the Bible,

From Slavery in Egypt,

We are still here,

Speaking the same language!!

Right here, right now.



The Arabs don't know it yet,

But, they will learn that there is one God.



As long as we keep our identity,

We are eternal.



So, sorry for not worrying,

Not bitching,

Not crying,

Not being scared.

Things are O.K. here.



They surely can be better,

But still:



Don't fall for the media junk,

They won't tell you

That there are

Festivals going on,

That people keep on living,

That people are going out,

That people are seeing friends.



Yes, our morale is low,

So what?

It's only because we weep for our dead

While they enjoy the blood.



This is the same reason why,

We will win, after all.



You can forward this e-mail

If you choose.

To the whole Jewish community,

And to people throughout the world.



They are part of our strength.

It might help some of them

To keep their heads up high.



Tell them

That there is nothing to worry about.

Tell them to think BIG, and

To see the whole picture.



"See You Next Year in Jerusalem."