Yona Baumel dies at 81

Yona Baumel dies at 81 | Israel | Jerusalem Post

Yona and Miriam Baumel were very special people. They made aliya in 1970, with three children. In fact they were the only people like that I actually knew in New York who made aliya as a family. (Let me explain, I knew lots of people here who came from New York, but I hadn't met them in my 'old' life in New York. I knew lots of people who came from New York when they were young and have lived here and had families.) These were people who I had met at my friends' house, someone's uncle and they made aliya - in the middle of their lives.

And then, they became the center of a terrible tragedy. Many Jews have suffered loss and certainly American olim have had their share of fallen soldiers. But the story of Zach Baumel is more than loss. It's the uncertainty of his fate, the gnawing sense that Tzahal did the unspeakable, the unforgivable and gave up for dead a living soldier.

We may never really know what happened to Zach and the sense that this in some way could have been handled differently has to leave us all feeling guilty. There was never closure for Yona Baumel and now Miriam faces this new loss alone. We should all be crying with her.

May the family find comfort among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

Don't forget

Take a moment to sign this petition:

Doesn't it make more sense to withhold aid to Gaza in exchange for Gilad's safe release? Isn't that a better idea than releasing hundreds of terrorists and murderers?

It is in the best interest of democracies everywhere that kidnapping not be used for extortion.

How can the American government give financial aid to an administration which flouts international law and the Geneva conventions of war?

Oy Vey - I'm IT

Batya of Me-ander (and several other blogs) has tagged me with this meme . She and her significant other over at My Right Word (among others) are my oldest friends who blog. They both have been friends of mine for longer than anyone wants to admit and both are experienced blogger. So Winkie consider yourself tagged.

Now to the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.


1. I am not a self-starter! I started blogging because Batya had her blog set to receive comments only from other bloggers. So I dutifully opened a blog to leave a comment.

2. I don't always pay attention to detail! Almost immediately I forgot what I called my blog and had to open another one. So somewhere there is a orphaned blog looking for a blogger.

3. I don't mind admitting I don't know everything! I have been seeing people do memes and although I knew what people do when they do one I never knew what the word itself meant. But isn't that why the good lord gave us Google? So here it is:

The term Internet meme is a neologism used to describe a catchphrase or concept that spreads quickly from person to person via the Internet. ... (courtesy of: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme)

which sort of sounds like the flu, doesn't it?

4. I have been in Israel a long time! How long? So long that I remember when folks here in Israel waited (sometimes 7 or more) years for telephone lines to their homes. When you wanted to tell someone something you went over and left a note on their door (or maybe actually found them at home).

5. You can see me in a movie with Yehoram Gaon. I am in Independence Park in Jerusalem baby-sitting a bunch of lovely blond kids. One of them is doing a somersault on the grass. Today she is a doctor.

6. I am a really objective judge of children. My grandchildren are the best looking and most intelligent bunch of kids on the planet.

7. I can't carry a tune very well. But that doesn't stop me from singing.

8. I can't draw very well either. That has stopped me from drawing.

9. I have never been to Mexico! But my grandfather's brother went there and I do have some cousins there.

10. I hope no one ever tags me again. I have run out of concepts to spread quickly over the Internet.

Like I said, I tag My Right Word, Life In Israel, In the Pink, Frum Satire and three others who I will have to think of after I post this.