Sunday, September 9, 2012
IDF Stories: Louis Miller, Paratrooper
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When Louis Miller first visited Israel in 2007, he decided that he was going to be a paratrooper in the IDF. Five years later, he did it. Watch him fulfill his dream.
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Israel: Where US vets come to heal
The unique Heroes to Heroes Journey to Israel gives America’s disabled veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan a spiritual and physical new start.
The 10 team members and two coaches of Heroes to Heroes 2012 visiting the 9/11 memorial in Jerusalem. Photo by Eilon Levy.
The pressure sleeve on Harrison Manyoma’s arm relieves the physical wound he received in combat in Iraq. For relief of his emotional wounds, he came to Israel.
“I’ve only been here five days so far and I feel at peace,” says Manyoma, a 35-year-old Houston US Army veteran who was injured during a 2004 tour of duty. “I have been able to interact emotionally while at the same release things that have been in my heart and my spirit.”
Manyoma is one of 10 former soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or traumatic brain injury (TBI) visiting Israel from August 30 through September 9 with the American charitable organization Heroes to Heroes.
Founder Judy Schaffer of New Jersey explains that Heroes to Heroes Journey to Israel is designed to educate, motivate and stimulate discussion and bonding between American disabled veterans and Israeli peers, as a springboard for emotional and spiritual healing.
“It’s a way for them to hash out their experiences with people who understand them and are basically fighting the same war but on a different front,” Schaffer tells ISRAEL21c. “There’s an instant feeling of camaraderie despite language differences. They want to help each other and work together.”
Participants aged 25 to 42 are visiting holy and tourist sites, memorials and facilities for disabled veterans. They talked with Israeli leaders – including an unscheduled half hour chat with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who wrote on his Facebook page, “I met today with a group from Heroes to Heroes that arranges encounters between Americans and Israelis who were wounded in combat. In the course of the meeting I told them: ‘This for me is a very moving moment because you are the greatest freedom fighters.
You share the same experiences, defend the same values and face the same threats.’”
Remarkable strides
Halfway through their trip, participants and their coaches were already describing tangible changes.
“We’re watching people make remarkable strides in just a few days,” says Schaffer. “One member of the team told me that his battle buddy, who is with him, never shares his feelings about being shot in Iraq, but he shared with their Israeli roommate the first night. That was huge.”
The vets find a level of comfort among Israelis that is often lacking at home. Virtually everyone they speak to, including therapists, is a fellow veteran.
“In the United States, less than 1 percent of the population serves [in the military], so we don’t have as good a hold on our own history and there is a great lack of respect for veterans in our own communities,” explains Corey Gibson of Indianapolis, who was a flight medic and triage nurse in Iraq and “fell in love with Israel and the program” after participating in the first Heroes to Heroes last year. He went along this time as a coach.
“A lot of the guys have taken to the sprit of community and service that all Israelis have,” says fellow coach Nicholas Auletta, a West Point graduate who did three tours of duty in Iraq. “Everyone is watching out for each other here. Everyone has served and has a lot of pride in what their country is about.”
An immediate sense of relief
Manyoma told ISRAEL21c that he was looking for a spiritual lift, and he has not been disappointed.
“The highlight that touched me the most was seeing the birthplace of Jesus. I never in a million years expected to be in Bethlehem,” he says. “And at the Western Wall, we all wrote a note [to put into the cracks] and I lay my hands on it and prayed. There was an immediate sense of relief, something I’ve never felt before. Being on this trip with Heroes to Heroes, I feel one step closer to my own identity.”
Jason McBride, 31, from San Diego, echoed that sentiment.
“Being a combat veteran with PTSD, I try to find ways to deal with that, and faith is the biggest focus for me, as for probably the majority of the group,” says McBride, who served with the 82nd Airborne Division in 2003 in Iraq. “One of the biggest things I was hoping to get was a deeper understanding of my faith and to take that to the next level. Seeing holy sites, memorials and museums gives you deeper sense of purpose.
There’s a holy aura here.”
Gibson explains that combat often triggers a spiritual crisis as soldiers try to reconcile their beliefs with the things they witness. For him, Heroes to Heroes “gave me some closure and reintroduction to where I came from. It showed me the way Israel treats its veterans and takes care of them, and pointed to some areas in our own system where we could do better to nurture these guys emotionally and physically.”
Schaffer gets referrals from all branches of the US armed forces, and demand is high. For many disabled vets, she says, “Israel is the only place in the world that can help, and in a short period of time. We see how much Israel is a healing place, so we’re hoping we can bring five teams a year. It all depends on funding.”
Supported mostly by private donors, Heroes to Heroes requires participants to pay only for incidentals and lunches on their Israel Journey.
Source: ISRAEL21c
The 10 team members and two coaches of Heroes to Heroes 2012 visiting the 9/11 memorial in Jerusalem. Photo by Eilon Levy.
The 10 team members and two coaches of Heroes to Heroes 2012 visiting the 9/11 memorial in Jerusalem. Photo by Eilon Levy.
The pressure sleeve on Harrison Manyoma’s arm relieves the physical wound he received in combat in Iraq. For relief of his emotional wounds, he came to Israel.
“I’ve only been here five days so far and I feel at peace,” says Manyoma, a 35-year-old Houston US Army veteran who was injured during a 2004 tour of duty. “I have been able to interact emotionally while at the same release things that have been in my heart and my spirit.”
Manyoma is one of 10 former soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or traumatic brain injury (TBI) visiting Israel from August 30 through September 9 with the American charitable organization Heroes to Heroes.
Founder Judy Schaffer of New Jersey explains that Heroes to Heroes Journey to Israel is designed to educate, motivate and stimulate discussion and bonding between American disabled veterans and Israeli peers, as a springboard for emotional and spiritual healing.
“It’s a way for them to hash out their experiences with people who understand them and are basically fighting the same war but on a different front,” Schaffer tells ISRAEL21c. “There’s an instant feeling of camaraderie despite language differences. They want to help each other and work together.”
Participants aged 25 to 42 are visiting holy and tourist sites, memorials and facilities for disabled veterans. They talked with Israeli leaders – including an unscheduled half hour chat with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who wrote on his Facebook page, “I met today with a group from Heroes to Heroes that arranges encounters between Americans and Israelis who were wounded in combat. In the course of the meeting I told them: ‘This for me is a very moving moment because you are the greatest freedom fighters.
You share the same experiences, defend the same values and face the same threats.’”
Remarkable strides
Halfway through their trip, participants and their coaches were already describing tangible changes.
“We’re watching people make remarkable strides in just a few days,” says Schaffer. “One member of the team told me that his battle buddy, who is with him, never shares his feelings about being shot in Iraq, but he shared with their Israeli roommate the first night. That was huge.”
The vets find a level of comfort among Israelis that is often lacking at home. Virtually everyone they speak to, including therapists, is a fellow veteran.
“In the United States, less than 1 percent of the population serves [in the military], so we don’t have as good a hold on our own history and there is a great lack of respect for veterans in our own communities,” explains Corey Gibson of Indianapolis, who was a flight medic and triage nurse in Iraq and “fell in love with Israel and the program” after participating in the first Heroes to Heroes last year. He went along this time as a coach.
“A lot of the guys have taken to the sprit of community and service that all Israelis have,” says fellow coach Nicholas Auletta, a West Point graduate who did three tours of duty in Iraq. “Everyone is watching out for each other here. Everyone has served and has a lot of pride in what their country is about.”
An immediate sense of relief
Manyoma told ISRAEL21c that he was looking for a spiritual lift, and he has not been disappointed.
“The highlight that touched me the most was seeing the birthplace of Jesus. I never in a million years expected to be in Bethlehem,” he says. “And at the Western Wall, we all wrote a note [to put into the cracks] and I lay my hands on it and prayed. There was an immediate sense of relief, something I’ve never felt before. Being on this trip with Heroes to Heroes, I feel one step closer to my own identity.”
Jason McBride, 31, from San Diego, echoed that sentiment.
“Being a combat veteran with PTSD, I try to find ways to deal with that, and faith is the biggest focus for me, as for probably the majority of the group,” says McBride, who served with the 82nd Airborne Division in 2003 in Iraq. “One of the biggest things I was hoping to get was a deeper understanding of my faith and to take that to the next level. Seeing holy sites, memorials and museums gives you deeper sense of purpose.
There’s a holy aura here.”
Gibson explains that combat often triggers a spiritual crisis as soldiers try to reconcile their beliefs with the things they witness. For him, Heroes to Heroes “gave me some closure and reintroduction to where I came from. It showed me the way Israel treats its veterans and takes care of them, and pointed to some areas in our own system where we could do better to nurture these guys emotionally and physically.”
Schaffer gets referrals from all branches of the US armed forces, and demand is high. For many disabled vets, she says, “Israel is the only place in the world that can help, and in a short period of time. We see how much Israel is a healing place, so we’re hoping we can bring five teams a year. It all depends on funding.”
Supported mostly by private donors, Heroes to Heroes requires participants to pay only for incidentals and lunches on their Israel Journey.
Source: ISRAEL21c
Israeli Lacrosse Team Qualifies for 2014 World Championship
Just over two months since making its debut in international play, Israel’s men’s lacrosse team has qualified for the 2014 World Lacrosse Championship to be held in Denver, Colo.
Israel became the 28th nation eligible to compete in the World Championship due to its stellar play during its inaugural participation in the 2012 European Lacrosse Championship this summer in Amsterdam.
The men’s team swept its competition in pool play with a 4-0 record, finishing with a 7-5 record that included exhibition games, en route to an eight place ranking in the tournament.
Overall, Israel won four of its seven matches in tournament play including a close victory over 10th place Wales by a score of 14-12.
On the basis of performance in the European Championship, the Israel Lacrosse Association was awarded full membership to the Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) earlier this week.
Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States Armed Forces Completes His Visit to Israel
The United States Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral James A. Winnefeld, departed Israel today after completing a two-day visit. Admiral Winnefeld was the guest of the Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the IDF, Major General Yair Naveh.
The United States Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral James A. Winnefeld (right) seen with IDF Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen Benny Gantz (left).
During the course of his visit, Admiral Winnefeld met with a number of senior military officials, including the IDF Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Benny Gantz, and visited a number of key military cooperation sites across the country.
Admiral Winnefeld serves as Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and is the second-highest ranking officer in the United States Armed Forces.
The United States Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral James A. Winnefeld sits with high-ranking security officials of the IDF.
Nepal and Israel issue joint Everest, Dead Sea stamp
Nepal and Israel have released a joint stamp depicting the highest and the lowest places on earth – Mount Everest and the Dead Sea.
The stamp bears a picture of Mount Everest, towering at 8,848m (29,028ft), and the mineral-rich Dead Sea, at 422m below sea level.
Israeli Supermodel Bar Refaeli Featured in Rapper Kanye West’s New Single
by Dudi Caspi
After conquering the cover of “Sports Illustrated” and launching her own fashion line, Israeli supermodel Bar Refaeli is now making a splash on the rap music scene. The 27 year old beauty is mentioned by Kanye West in the lyrics of his brand new single “Clique”, on the upcoming collaborative studio album “Cruel Summer” out September 18.
The project is set to include R&B and hip-hop artists John Legend, Common and Kid Cudi, as well as Jay-Z and Big Sean, both of whom collaborated with West on “Clique.”
The song, which leaked a few days ago, and was formally released to radio stations Friday, includes West rapping the line “S*** is real/ got me feelin’ Israelian like Bar Refaeli, Gisele/ No, that’s Brazilian”. Refaeli took her appreciation and nonchalance to social media yesterday, posting on her Twitter page; “Shutout from @kanyewest on his new track ‘Clique’ no big deal!! ”.
It was just two months ago that Refaeli was caught by paparazzi hanging out with West and his girlfriend, reality star Kim Kardashian, in the streets of Paris, an event which might have inspired the rap lyrics. The three were there attending Paris Fashion Week. It remains to be seen if the Israeli stunner will make a cameo appearance in the accompanying music-video.
Israel’s Hadas Yaron wins best actress at Venice Film Festival
From left, producer Assaf Amir, and actors Yiftach Klein, and Hadas Yaron arrive for the premiere of the movie ‘Fill The Void’ at the 69th edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, Sunday. Photo by AP
The festival’s main award – the Golden Lion went to South Korean director Kim Ki-duk’s shocking drama ‘Pieta.’
Hadas Yaron won the best actress award at the 69th Venice Film Festival on Saturday night. Yaron stared in Fill the Void, a film by director Rama Burshtein that received rave reviews in Variety magazine, Hollywood Reporter and Screen Daily.
Yaron is the first Israeli to win best actress at the Venice Film Festival.
The festival’s main award – the Golden Lion went to South Korean director Kim Ki-duk’s shocking drama “Pieta.”
The Silver Lion for best director went to Paul Thomas Anderson for ”The Master,” inspired by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. The film’s stars, Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman, shared the prize for best actor during the ceremony on Saturday.
Fill the Void, produced by Assaf Amir, tells the story of an 18-year-old Haredi girl who is happily looking forward to an arranged marriage, when her sister dies. She is then pressured to marry her bereaved brother-in-law instead, forcing her to make a choice.
“Pieta” follows a young loan shark as he goes about his business maiming debtors to collect insurance money. His ruthless course is interrupted by a stranger who claims to be his mother and his acceptance of her opens in him a sense of pity for his former victims.
Source: Haaretz.com
Israel Honors The Philippines for Saving Jews
Manuel Luis Quezón (August 19, 1878 – August 1, 1944) served as president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1935 to 1944.
As the Philippines commemorates the 134th birthday of Manuel L. Quezon, he is also honored by thousands of Jewish families who have survived and prospered because they found a home in Manila at the darkest time in their history as a race.
It was a point of no return.
German and Austrian Jews—1,200 of them—narrowly escaped Adolf Hitler’s gas chambers just before the German dictator rounded up 6 million Jews who were eventually tortured and murdered in his concentration camps.
“The mob was screaming bloody murder: ‘Kill the Jews!’” recalls child refugee to Manila John Odenheimer who saw Nazi storm troopers rampaging through their Jewish neighborhood.
“We caught the last train out of Berlin, they closed the border after us,” recalls German refugee Guenther Leopold, whose house was smashed and ransacked by Nazi soldiers. “There was nothing left (but broken) glass on the floors.”
The year was 1940. On the other side of the world, a Filipino leader opened his country to fleeing Jewish refugees when no other country would take them.
President Quezon opened the Philippines’ doors to up to 10,000 Jewish refugees.
“We went to the Philippines because it was the only place that gave us a visa,” recalled Harry Brauer, one of the Jews who escaped captivity, during that black period of ignorance and anti-Semitism.
The German and Austrian Jews were given visas to work in Manila.
‘Moral courage’
Manuel Luis Quezón served as President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1935 to 1944. Photo US Library of Congress
“Other countries did not think [saving the Jews] was that important, I don’t presume to say,” said Quezon’s daughter Zeneida Quezon Avanceña.
“But I know dad had the moral courage to do it because he believed in the sanctity of human life and the right of people to live as they believe they should.”
The dramatic rescue plan for the Jews was devised by three men who mapped out a strategy over weekend nights playing poker and smoking cigars.
They were: Quezon, who would sanction the Jews’ official entry and even donate his own land in Marikina and Mindanao for their settlements; American High Commissioner to the Philippines Paul McNutt, who risked his political career convincing US government officials to issue thousands of working visas for Jews to the Philippines; and Herbert Frieder and his sons, owners of the Philippine-based Helena Cigar and Cigarette Factory, who provided jobs in their factory for the Jews, raised money to transport them to Manila, found them housing and schools for their children.
‘Open Doors’ monument
Quezon was the President of the first democracy in the “Far East,” extending safety and liberty to the Jews who would set up the first democracy and Bible-believing state in the Middle East.
The tradition of freedom of worship and support for the biblical “chosen people” would manifest again seven years later when the Philippines became the only Asian nation to vote in the United Nations for the partition of Palestine and the recreation of the state of Israel. Many of the refugees to Manila eventually resettled in Israel.
Photo by The Embassy of the Philippines
The Filipinos and Quezon are honored in Israel by an attractive and imposing “Open Doors” monument in Rishon Lezion Memorial Park just off Tel Aviv built in 2009.
It commemorates the historic and spiritual ties between two peoples scattered among the nations, united by their commitment to freedom, humanitarian principles and faith in the God of the Bible.
The story of the Jews’ dramatic escape from the Holocaust and their resettlement in the Philippines is recorded in the book “Escape to Manila,” written by refugee Frank Ephraim.
A film that records that modern-day Exodus, titled “Rescue in the Philippines,” is being produced by Frieder Films and 3 Roads Communications.
Source: globalnation.inquirer.net
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