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Shirley Zwick, Shprintza bas Yosef, died peacefully in her sleep on January 13, 2010, 27 Tevet 5770 at the age of 49. Below are the eulogies presented by her two brothers at the funeral. Rabbi Michael P. Strasberg officiated at the funeral and burial. Agi and Israel Zwick were unable to attend the funeral because they were in Jerusalem visiting their children.
By brother Israel Zwick
Thursday January 14, 2010, Meadow Park Rehabilitation Center, Fresh Meadows, NY
Shirley was my little baby sister, 12 years my junior. Born to a sick mother, she lacked much of the maternal care, nurturing, and feminine influence that a little girl needs. She had to depend on the three males in her family, a father and two older brothers to raise her. Though we tried, we couldn’t compensate for the loss of a mother. Shirley grew up different from other girls her age.
I wish I could tell you about all the wonderful things that she accomplished in her life, but I can’t. She leaves no flock of children and grandchildren, no published writings, no fortune to bequeath to a university or hospital. Yet she left us with valuable lessons that will endure forever and change our lives.
The closest analogy to Shirley’s life is the story of Bontshe Shveig by Yitzhak Leib Peretz. Written in Yiddish, the story describes a man who endured a life of suffering but accepted his troubles silently. When greeted in the afterworld and offered his choice of reward for his virtue, he asked only for a hot roll and fresh butter for his daily breakfast.
Stricken with a neurodegenerative disorder, Shirley had to endure a number of surgeries, chronic illnesses, and disabilities. Like her mother, she had to endure numerous hospitalizations and subsequent medical treatments, but at a younger age. Consequently she couldn’t marry, have children, or hold a job. But she was never angry or bitter. All she ever asked for or expected were a few basic comforts: a room that she could call her own, simple food items, or a basic recreational activity. She never asked for a trip to Disneyland, the latest fashion clothing, or the newest electronic gadgets. Shirley was happy when my wife brought her a new pair of pajamas and some fresh vegetable soup, when I brought her a few items from the supermarket, and my brother sent her a new CD or DVD.
Despite her physical handicaps, Shirley was able to develop enduring social relationships. She gravitated to others who also had some form of disability or anomaly. Her caring and kindness were readily apparent so she developed mutually beneficial relationships with a number of individuals that lasted many years to her final days. Even when she had to forego her apartment to live in this rehab center, she sought out those that were even less fortunate and tried to help them in any way she could. She did this so frequently that she was often mistaken for a staff member instead of a patient.
Like Bontsche Shveig, Shirley leaves us with an appreciation for the true eternal values and virtues of life. She teaches us that happiness doesn’t require fame, fortune, or power. One can achieve happiness with a few devoted friends, the satisfaction of helping others, and an appreciation for the simple comforts in life. Happiness can be simply the ability to walk outside on a sunny day and enjoy an ice cream, which Shirley could not do.
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Judaism, Recent Posts, Zwick's Picks on January 15, 2010 - כ"ט טבת תש"ע at 12:52 pm
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How to get international support for the Jewish settlements
In his usual tongue-in-cheek style, Israel Zwick presents a plan for obtaining international acceptance and support for the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.
By Israel Zwick, CN Publications, December 21, 2009
Though he lived in Chicago, Barack Obama is probably too young to be familiar with Elvis Presley’s sentimental hit song, “In the Ghetto,” about a boy growing up in a Chicago ghetto. He probably is also unaware that the term “ghetto” originally referred to an area in Venice in the 16th century where Jews were confined. Jewish ghettos continued to be established throughout Europe through the end of World War II. Barack Obama may also be unaware that for the last 150 years there have been small Jewish settlements in Montana, where Jews have no cultural or historical attachments. So what does any of this have to do with Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria?
Knowing the dire conditions of urban ghettos, it unlikely that a humanitarian such as Barack Obama would support the establishment of ghettos for any ethnic group. President Obama would most likely also support the rights of Jews to establish settlements in Montana even if they have no historical connection to the land. Yet by insisting that Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria are illegitimate and should be “frozen”, Obama is confining the Jews in Israel to urban ghettos and denying them the right to establish communities in areas where they have strong religious, cultural, and historical attachments.
The USA, UN, and EU, continue to insist that Jewish settlements in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza are illegal and should not be continued. The settler movement has responded with lengthy legal and historical treatises confirming the rights of Jews to live in these areas. All to no avail. The “international community” has decided that this is all “occupied Palestinian territory” and Jews have no right to establish communities there. Of course, Arabs insist on their rights to live anywhere they want to within Israel, Europe, or North America. Only Jewish settlement should be restricted.
Jews have already been expelled from over a dozen countries in the Middle East where they used to have thriving communities. When Jews want to move into Arab areas in the Galil, Negev, or Jerusalem, they are accused of “ethnic cleansing.” The southern city of Eilat has become an expensive tourist resort for wealthy Europeans that few native Israelis can afford. That restricts most of the Jews in Israel to living in “urban ghettos” along the narrow Tel-Aviv to Jerusalem corridor and along the Mediterranean coast. Yet Barack Obama, who would surely support the rights of Jews to live in Montana, sees no problem with denying them the right to live in their ancestral homeland. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Humor, Judaism, Middle East Report, Opinion, Recent Posts, Zwick's Picks on December 21, 2009 - ד' טבת תש"ע at 11:20 am
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By Israel Zwick, CN Publications, October 25, 2009
Since the signing of the Oslo Agreement in September 1993, the international mantra for peace in the Middle East has been “two-states for two peoples; the two-state solution is the only solution.” Unfortunately, the last 16 years has brought only more death and destruction with scant progress towards a resolution of the conflict. Now some of the original proponents of the two-state solution are saying that perhaps it isn’t the most practical solution after all. From simply an administrative, economic, and pragmatic perspective, it doesn’t seem to be a practical solution. In this era of globalization, pluralism, and diversity, establishing two microstates in an area of 28,000 sq. km. appears to be an anachronism. There is an increasing realization that the establishment of another Arab Muslim state on Israel’s border will only create more problems, not solve them. It will reduce economic viability and create conflicts over resources.
While initially this understanding seems encouraging, the alternative proposal is even more ominous. There have been a significant number of proposals from both the Arab and Israeli peace groups that advocate a one-state solution, meaning that Israel should be replaced by a binational Arab and Jewish state. It sounds good: Jews and Arabs will live together in peace with equal rights for all. It’s easy to do, they say. We already have one airport named Ben Gurion, so we’ll build another airport and name it Yasser Arafat Airport. Who really needs all those streets named “Weizmann” and “Herzl?” It’s too confusing. We’ll just rename some of them “Nasser” and “Abdullah.” We’ll just add a red crescent to the flag, add a few Muslim holidays to the calendar, modify the national anthem a bit, and poof, there you have it. Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity for all. Peace, harmony, and tranquility will abound. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Middle East Report, Opinion, Recent Posts, Zwick's Picks on October 25, 2009 - ז' חשון תש"ע at 6:24 pm
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“Perhaps the Peacemaker-in-Chief should speak with the people most involved. Then he may learn that the Palestinian Arabs don’t really want their own state, they just want to complain about not having one. That way they can obtain the benefits from being a poor, suffering, disenfranchised, stateless people.”
By Israel Zwick, CN Publications, October 18, 2009
The internationally acclaimed peacemaker, Barak Hussein Obama, is now eager to achieve tangible results from his peacemaking efforts. Most likely he will concentrate his efforts on trying to get Palestinian and Israeli leaders to sit down together at a table for final status negotiations. Israel will concede land to the Arabs, dismantle Jewish communities, and a peace agreement will be signed. When the Palestinians have their own state, Hamas and Hezbollah will no longer smuggle weapons and threaten Israel. Iran will cease efforts to build a nuclear weapon and will instead become a world leader in alternative nuclear energy. The entire Middle East will become an exemplary model of peaceful coexistence and mutual cooperation. There will be peace and harmony throughout the region. How wonderful!
There is a small, minor snag in this ambitious plan. While the Israeli leaders are ready to go back to the table, the Palestinians still insist that Israel must first cease all settlement activity in eastern Jerusalem and Judea. They refuse to abandon their demands for a capital in Jerusalem and the “right of return” of millions of Arabs to the State of Israel. Israeli leaders could never agree to these demands if they want the Jewish state to survive. That begs the question, “Are the Arabs again missing a valuable opportunity to establish their own state, or perhaps they don’t really want their own sovereign state?” Could it be that the great Peacemaker-in-Chief is actually misinterpreting the will of the people? Let’s find out. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Middle East Report, Opinion, Recent Posts, Zwick's Picks on October 18, 2009 - ל' תשרי תש"ע at 10:05 pm
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See Also: Broken Record Response
By Israel Zwick, CN Publications, August 10, 2009
“If Israel is such an “oppressive, racist, apartheid state,” then it would be logical to assume that the Arabs should be eagerly lining up to emigrate to any of the 21 nations of the Arab League where they would presumably have more freedoms and civil liberties. But they are not.”
As I sit and write this, I am nearing the completion of a six week visit to Jerusalem, Israel. I come here with my wife twice per year because two of our children and all of our grandchildren live here. When we come, we don’t live in hotels or ride tourist buses. We rent an apartment in a residential area, buy food at the local markets, and travel with public buses, vans, or taxis that may have either Israeli or Arab drivers. Because we travel on a tight budget and we’re environmentally conscious, we don’t buy newspapers but get all of our news and information from the Internet. I have become especially fond of Google News because it enables me to get news selected by region from a variety of sources and I can search for topics of interest. When I enter search terms such as “war, ethnic conflict, liberation movements, refugees,” this is what I discover.
There are about 5000 different ethnic groups living in 190 countries, some of which number in the millions and make up a large percentage of the host country. Many of these groups are suffering from oppression and denial of civil rights.
There are a number of wars going on right now in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Most of these involve Muslims. The wars and conflicts are causing large numbers of deaths and injuries among civilian populations. Everyday innocent civilians are killed in conflicts, usually by Muslims. Children are dying from disease and starvation.
There are scores of active liberation movements struggling for self-determination
There are millions of refugees and internally displaced persons around the world living in deplorable conditions.
However, if I search Google News for the terms “war crimes, war atrocities, humanitarian crisis, and violation of human rights,” I get thousands of articles related to the Arab-Israeli conflict. This is what I read:
Israel is an oppressive, racist, apartheid state that consistently violates Arab rights
Israel is responsible for 60 years of suffering of the Palestinian people
The Palestinians are struggling for liberation from the brutal, illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands
Israel violates international law by establishing settlements on “occupied Palestinian lands.” The established Jewish communities are “obstacles to peace.”
Israel is guilty of vicious war crimes and atrocities against the Palestinian people
Israel is committing ethnic cleansing and genocide against the Palestinian people
Israeli military forces continuously commit brutal aggression against the suffering Palestinian people
Israel is responsible for the horrid humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the West Bank
Israelis grab precious natural resources for themselves while denying them to the Palestinians
Israeli military occupation is responsible for the economic hardships in Gaza and the West Bank
Israel is a gross violator of human rights
Israel deserves to be boycotted commercially, militarily, culturally, and academically for its violations of human rights and international law.
Israel’s illegal occupation of Arab lands is responsible for most of the strife in the Middle East
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Middle East Report, Opinion, Recent Posts, Zwick's Picks on August 10, 2009 - כ' אב תשס"ט at 5:18 pm
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Compiled by Israel Zwick, editor, CN Publications
Sources: Wikipedia – Persecution of Bahai
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persecution_of_Bah%C3%A1%27%C3%ADs
www.bahai.org – persecution
http://www.bahai.org/dir/worldwide/persecution
Main article: Bahá’í Faith by country
See also: Bahá’í statistics
Bahá’í sources usually estimate the worldwide Bahá’í population to be above 5 million. Most encyclopedias and similar sources estimate between 5 and 6 million Bahá’ís in the world in the early twenty-first century.
From its origins in the Persian and Ottoman Empires, by the early 20th century there were a number of converts in South and South East Asia, Europe, and North America. During the 1950s and 1960s vast travel teaching efforts brought the religion to almost every country and territory of the world. By the 1990s Bahá’ís were developing programs for systematic consolidation on a large scale, and the early 21st century saw large influxes of new adherents around the world. The Bahá’í Faith is currently the largest religious minority in Iran.
According to The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2004:
The majority of Bahá’ís live in Asia (3.6 million), Africa (1.8 million), and Latin America (900,000). According to some estimates, the largest Bahá’í community in the world is in India, with 2.2 million Bahá’ís, next is Iran, with 350,000, and the US, with 150,000. Aside from these countries, numbers vary greatly. Currently, no country has a Bahá’í majority.
The Bahá’í religion was listed in The Britannica Book of the Year (1992–present) as the second most widespread of the world’s independent religions in terms of the number of countries represented. Britannica claims that it is established in 247 countries and territories; represents over 2,100 ethnic, racial, and tribal groups; has scriptures translated into over 800 languages; and has seven million adherents worldwide [2005]. Additionally, Bahá’ís have self organized in most of the nations of the earth.
The Universal House of Justice is the supreme governing institution of the Bahá’í Faith. It is a legislative institution with the authority to supplement and apply the laws of Bahá’u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá’í Faith, and exercises a judicial function as the highest appellate institution in the Bahá’í administration. The institution was defined in the writings of Bahá’u'lláh and `Abdu’l-Bahá, Bahá’u'lláh’s successor, and was officially established in 1963 as the culmination of the Ten Year Crusade, an international Bahá’í teaching plan.
Its nine members are elected every five years by an electoral college consisting of all the members of each Bahá’í National Spiritual Assembly throughout the world. The Seat of the Universal House of Justice and its members reside in Haifa, Israel, on the slope of Mount Carmel.
This summary gives an account of the persecutions that have beset the Iranian Bahá’í community since the Islamic revolution in 1979. The summary includes a report on the secret government plan to reduce the community to its ultimate eradication…
http://question.bahai.org
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Middle East, Middle East Report, Monotheistic Religions, News Articles, Recent Posts, Zwick's Picks on June 11, 2009 - י"ט סיון תשס"ט at 10:38 am
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By Israel Zwick, CN Publications, January 5, 2009
Editor’s Note: Prior to World War II, there was a town in Eastern Europe called Chelm. The elders of the town were known as the Wise Men of Chelm because of their renowned aptitude for solving daily problems. As a result of the turbulence in Europe during world War II, the Wise Men of Chelm relocated to Geneva, Switzerland where they established the Dialogue for Regional and Economic Cooperation, commonly known as DREC. The group was frequently called on to use their unique wisdom to resolve world crises. CN Publications has been able to obtain a transcript of their last meeting.
Chairman: We are convening today by special request of the distinguished representative of Hamastan, Professor Ahmed Kheshbon, who is concerned about the attacks on his territory from neighboring Yidenland. Professor Kheshbon would like us to intervene and put an immediate stop to the attacks on Hamastan.
Shmeryl: Mr. Chairman, before we begin the meeting, I would like to request that the window be closed, it’s very cold outside.
Chairman: Yes, Shmeryl, I am aware that it is cold outside, but if I close the window, would it get any warmer outside? I’m sorry but I have to deny your request because it makes no sense. Before we continue with today’s agenda, I would like to call on the Secretary to read the minutes of the last meeting.
Secretary: The first item on the agenda was a complaint that the funds that were given to Hamastan to build schools, hospitals, and housing were being abused and misdirected. Apparently, one of the contractors hired to build housing cut down some logs on top of a mountain and instead of rolling the logs down the mountain, he hired his family members to carry them down. So to avoid accusations that our funds were being misappropriated, we provided more funds to carry the logs back up the mountain and then roll them down.
Then we discussed the problems with the food program that we provided to feed the poor, suffering, hungry Hamasniks. Apparently, thieves broke into the warehouse that stored the food, carted it away on trucks, then sold it in the open market. So we appropriated more funds to buy more food but this time we built concrete walls around the food so that the thieves couldn’t get in. The only problem was that the legitimate administrators of the food program couldn’t get to the food either. So we appropriated more funds to buy ladders that were placed all around the concrete walls. This satisfied everyone and the problem was resolved.
Chairman: Now we would like to hear Prof. Kheshbon from Hamastan University explain why he asked us to convene this special meeting.
Prof. Kheshbon: Well apparently, several groups of a few bad boys were shooting some homemade firecrackers across the border into Yidenland, you know how boys can behave. The Yiden became overly upset about the small amount of damage and casualties that these firecrackers caused and started bombing our buildings, inflicting heavy damage and casualties. Now, we can accept that the Yiden might want to retaliate a bit, but it should be proportionate.
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Fun Stuff, Humor, Judaism, Recent Posts, Zwick's Picks on January 5, 2009 - ט' טבת תשס"ט at 1:24 pm
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By Israel Zwick, CN Publications, October 20, 2008
SETTING: Tel Aviv barroom
TIME: Saturday night, October, 2008
Avi: Hey Benni, are you following this Presidential campaign in America? What do you think of it?
Benni: I’m not following it very closely because I’m not an American citizen and can’t vote, but you’re an American citizen so whom are you voting for?
Avi: I’m not sure, it’s a tough choice between Cindy McCain and Michelle Obama, they’re both good-looking women. I haven’t decided yet.
Benni: But the Republicans also have Sarah Palin so it’s two attractive women against one.
Avi: I guess you’re right, so I’ll vote Republican. Say, do you think that with a nice Jewish name like Sarah she could be one of our girls.
Benni: You’re probably getting her confused with Linda Lingle, the Jewish governor of Hawaii. Sarah Palin is Governor of Alaska and she’s Christian.
Avi: Well, Jewish or not, she’s definitely matza chain b’enai, much more appealing than the other candidates, and easy on the eyes.
Gilad: You guys are demonstrating that Mel Brooks was right when he said in one of his satirical movies that it’s all “bullshit, bullshit, bullshit.”
Avi: What do you mean, you think it’s bullshit who becomes President of the United States, it’s the most powerful position in the world.
Gilad: No, I mean this campaign is bullshit. Both candidates are distorting statistics to their benefit, making promises that they can’t keep, and presenting proposals that will never come to fruition.
Benni: So what’s so unusual about that? What makes it different from any other election campaign in the USA or Israel?
Gilad: This election is important and there are major differences between the candidates. The American people need to realize that there are different skills involved in running a successful campaign and actually being President.
Avi: What’s the difference, if you think it’s all bullshit anyway?
Gilad: To run a good campaign, it helps to be an energetic, motivating speaker who can inspire hopes and dreams in the people and encourage them to donate money to the campaign. Being President requires different skills. When an issue arises, the President sits down to discuss it with the appropriate advisers, which may include Cabinet officers, military leaders, intelligence agencies, and Congressional leaders. He needs to gather information from many sources, evaluate the data, and use his knowledge and experience to make a decision on a course of action. Then he has to inspire confidence in the American people and Congress to accept his decision and follow through on it. So the American people have to choose which candidate will make the right decisions, not necessarily which is the best speaker or debater.
Avi: You mean I shouldn’t just vote for the best-looking First Lady?
Gilad: Unfortunately, many Americans will vote like you by just looking at superficial characteristics without evaluating who can actually make the best decisions for the American people. There are a number of factors to take into consideration.
Benni: It isn’t any different in our country, it’s the same bullshit. For the last two decades, every Israeli Prime Minister has been talking about making peace with the Palestinians and nothing ever comes of it, it’s all diplomatic bullshit.
David: In Israel, there is a better word for it. Instead of bullshit, I would call it “tukhes.”
Avi: What are you talking about, I understand bullshit, but what’s tukhes?
David: Do you mean that you young Israelis don’t even know what tukhes is? Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Fun Stuff, Humor, Middle East Report, Opinion, Recent Posts, Zwick's Picks on October 23, 2008 - כ"ד תשרי תשס"ט at 12:10 am
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CN Publications Editorial, August 3, 2008
By Israel Zwick, Editor
Ever since Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced his impending resignation last week, there have been intense attacks against him in the Israeli press from both the left and the right. Essentially, the commentators and analysts are saying, “good riddance, can’t wait to see you go, leave now, don’t wait, you’re the worst that we’ve ever had.” Our readers may have noticed that we have not published any articles attacking Ehud Olmert personally or his government policies. Some are asking why this is so since Israel is now in such a precarious situation with its surrounding enemies. Perhaps a note of explanation is due.
First, most of the criticism in our articles and editorials have been reserved for the “sonei yisroel,” those that want to dismantle the Jewish state and leave the Jews wandering around the world again without their own sovereign state. There are so many of those in the UN, EU, USA, and even in Israel, that most of our efforts have been involved with refuting their lies, distortions, and biases. That leaves little time or effort to criticize those who have been entrusted with the task of defending and securing the Jewish state. Yet, there are still reasons for commending Olmert, instead of condemning him. He’s entitled to at least some approbation instead of opprobrium.
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Middle East Report, Opinion, Recent Posts, Zwick's Picks on August 3, 2008 - ב' אב תשס"ח at 12:32 am
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By Israel Zwick, CN Publications, July 15, 2008
See Also: Al-Quds Times
Author’s Note: It is common knowledge that Israeli intelligence agents monitor the meetings of Arab leaders. Recently there was a secret meeting in Tehran that the Israeli agents missed. Fortunately, an anonymous source sent a transcript to CN Publications.
Editor’s Note: Though the following story is fictional, most of the details provided are true and have been vetted from a variety of sources.
CHARACTERS:
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of Iran
Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), President of the Palestinian Authority
Bashar Assad, President of Syria
Ismail Haniyah, Hamas leader in Gaza
Hassan Nassrallah, Hizbullah leader in Lebanon
TIME: the present
SETTING: secret underground concrete bunker somewhere in Tehran
Ahmadinejad: My dear friends, I have asked you to come here so we can discuss how we can finally eliminate the Zionist entity from our midst. It must be completely wiped off the map of our region, which belongs solely to the people of Islam. It has become evident that those martydom operations, which killed 20 or 30 Zionists riding in a bus or eating in a restaurant, would not be sufficient to drive them away. On the contrary, it only strengthened their resolve. What we need is to mount a full multimodal assault involving military, political, social, and economic measures that would completely devastate the Zionist entity. To that end, we have been supporting both Shiite and Sunni insurgencies against the American and Zionist enemies. We have been developing our Shahab-3 missile that will soon be able to reach the enemy with both conventional and nuclear warheads. If we shoot 100 missiles and only one in five reach their target, we can cause significant death and destruction to the Zionists.
For the last few years, I have been providing you all with financial and military assistance for your efforts to defeat the Zionist enemy. I have gathered you here to obtain a progress report of your efforts and to hear your plans for the future. Ismail, let’s start with you. What have you been doing in Gaza with all the money I gave you besides shooting off all those harmless firecrackers?
Haniyah: First of all, I wouldn’t minimize the effects of the rockets and mortars that we have been firing on a daily basis. We have succeeded in reducing the Zionist population and military along the border. We have disrupted their lifestyle and economy. The Zionists don’t want to live or work within the range of our rockets. Their industrial centers are threatened and they have to spend huge sums on security.
Now that they have agreed to a temporary truce, we are using the time to develop our military forces and arsenal. We have an army of 20,000 men with 30,000 rifles, 6 million rounds of ammunition, 230 tons of explosives, and scores of advanced anti-tank and anti-helicopter weapons.
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Fun Stuff, Islam, Middle East, Middle East Report, Opinion, Recent Posts, Zwick's Picks on July 15, 2008 - י"ב תמוז תשס"ח at 4:03 am
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