Calling all NIFI Supporters! Please let us have even more news and photos of your Israel-related activities for inclusion on our website. We have been overwhelmed by your responses so far! Contact us at: nifriendsofisrael@ymail.com
Latest news
Minister’s vote of confidence
NIFI Co Chair Terry McCorran has returned from a 5 day Trade Union Friends of Israel delegation to Israel. One of many highlights of the trip for Terry, who was on the delegation in a personal capacity, was meeting Government minister Isaac Herzog, the son of Belfast-born Chaim Herzog, sixth president of Israel, and the grandson of Rabbi Isaac Herzog, who held his first position in Belfast. Here Terry presents the minister with the Belfast coat of arms. The Minister was very interested in NIFI and greatly welcomed our work. He confided that he would very much like to visit Belfast one day and see the place where his father was born. To read Terry’s comments on his trip click onto the link to the Trade Union Friends of Israel website
http://www.tufi.org.uk/delegation-blog/
Let’s speak Hebrew - in Belfast!
Shalom and welcome to Northern Ireland to Itamar Handelman-Smith, an Israeli writer and journalist now living in Belfast. Itamar is giving private lessons in Hebrew, at all levels, from beginners to advance. Itamar can also act as a guide to the vibrant and diverse culture of Israel. He is UK correspondent of Ha’ir Magazine, which is part of the famous Ha’aretz Media group in Israel. Itamar would also be very happy to teach groups, on demand. To contact Itamar email him at itamar.handelman@gmail.com
From Belfast to Jerusalem
“Affordable, exciting, edgy, sophisticated and utterly unique.” That’s the view of Israel as a holiday destination by award-winning travel writer John Trew. John’s account of his visit to Jerusalem is featured in November’s edition of Northern Ireland Travel News – free from most travel agents or 50p from the shops. But beware, picking up John’s article may cost you a lot more as its hard to believe many will put it down without resolving to pay Israel a visit. John describes the unforgettable experience of being blindfolded on the way into Jerusalem so that his first view of the Holy city was from the Mount of Olives, overlooking the Temple mount. He freely acknowledges his mind used to wander during Bible classes back in Sydenham half a century ago, but John claims Jerusalem as “the single most historically fascinating city I have ever enjoyed in a lifetime’s travel.” Bearing in mind there are few places he hasn’t visited as a professional travel journalist this is praise indeed. Flights to Israel, just started with easyjet, from under £200 rtn!
Support from far and wide
NIFI has no offices, no staff costs and no expense accounts! We rely on the dedicated support of those who attend our meetings or otherwise support our cause. For example, Eon Lewis, lives thousands of miles away in Canada. However, he grew up in North Belfast and his late parents, Kenny and Sadie, were stalwarts of the Belfast Jewish community. On hearing about NIFI, Eon was only too happy to help us and as a printer and designer he has provided us with businesscards and letterheads, all free of charge. We would like to thank Eon for his tremendous support and to thank everyone, from near and far, who give practical support to NIFI, ensuring it goes from strength to strength.
NIFI in Coleraine
Copyright Paul Chapman
Israel’s ambassador to the Irish Republic, Zion Evrony, visited Coleraine on Thursday October 8 as guest of Northern Ireland Friends of Israel. The ambassador was welcomed to Coleraine by the mayor, Sandy Gilkinson, at the borough offices. Over 160 attended the meeting which followed, at the Lodge Hotel Coleraine.
They came from Donegal, Tyrone, Londonderry/ Derry city and county, north Antrim as well as the Coleraine area. The audience included Israelis living in Northern Ireland, representatives of the Belfast Jewish community, church members from all denominations, academics, businessmen and trade unionists and members of the public.
The local MP, Gregory Campbell, voiced his support for Israel.
The ambassador spoke on Israel’s Quest for Peace. Iranian-born, HE Zion Evrony, described the nuclear threat from Teheran as a serious one for Israel, the entire region and beyond. The audience was entertained to Israeli songs by local singers and a lively question and answer session ensued.
NIFI co chair Terry McCorran said: “When we held our first events in Belfast we were bowled over by the numbers of people who came down from the North West to be with us. We decided the least we could do was hold our next meeting here. This is NIFI’s first step into the North West but with this level of committed and enthusiastic support we will be holding more events here soon.”
Welcome to Coleraine! The Mayor, Sandy Gilkinson, meets HE Zion Evrony and wife Rita.
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This Med Coast Is-Raeli Magniv.
Travel Journalist John Trew (right) with Dr Karen Trew behind, pictured at an Israeli wine promotion (they are both teetotal!) in a Tel Aviv Restaurant with their new Israeli friends,from far left, Benjamin-Gad Ninnayi , Director of Hosting Operations, Israel Ministry of Tourism, Zvika Abramovich, tour escor/driver, and Irit Doron, regarded as one of Israel's best tour guides.
Israel’s Mediterranean coast features prominently in this month’s
Northern Ireland Travel News (Oct 2009), thanks to award-winning travel writer John Trew. John explains why Tel Aviv is his kind of city, with magnificent beaches, incredible nightlife and cultural vitality. He also visited the Bahai temple in Haifa and the Arab quarter of Acco. In fact everything John saw was “Magniv” – Israeli street slang for “stickin’ out”. John says he and his wife Karen “felt much safer in Israel (where street crime and misbehaviour is rare) than in any other country we’ve visited in years”. Next up, John will be writing about the second stage of his Israel trip, to the Holy City of Jerusalem.
NI Travel News costs 50p at newsagents and is free from many travel agents.
If any NIFI supporters are organising tours to Israel John will be pleased to send you the contact details of tour guides etc
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The Case for Israel in Bangor
Bangor West Presbyterian church kindly hosted a screening of the feature documentary, The Case for Israel. The film, presented by leading American lawyer Alan Dershowitz, is a vigorous defence of Israel – for its basic right to exist, to protect its citizens from terrorism, and to defend its borders from enemies who wish to destroy it.
Local organiser and NIFI supporter, Ivor McClinton, introduced the film and Bangor-man, Colin Nevin, spoke of his experiences of living and working in Israel for over ten years. The event was attended by church members, members of neighbouring congregations and from the Kehillat Shalom fellowship in Donaghadee.
NIFI co chair, Terry McCorran, also spoke. He said “we were delighted by the turnout and by the obvious warm and wholehearted support for Israel of the people attending”.
The photographs show a presentation to Rev David Bailie, on behalf of the church, of a Tallit, a traditional Jewish prayer shawl. The shawl is to be displayed in the church as a reminder to “pray for the Peace of Jerusalem”.
The following day the church participated in the International Day of Prayer for Jerusalem, which involved over 200,000 churches this year from 175 nations, including Northern Ireland (see http://www.daytopray.com)
Bangor is the first venue for showing the powerful Dershowitz film, setting out Israel’s case, which will be screened by NIFI at various centres across Northern Ireland.
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First all Ireland Israel conference – by ICEJ
The Irish branch of the International Christian Embassy of Jerusalem is proud to announce its first ever all-Ireland conference, on 15-17 January, with keynote speakers coming from Israel and USA.
The conference reflects the growth of ICEJ in Ireland, which is a non denominational grouping for all Christians who share a love and concern for Israel, and has its international hq in Jerusalem.
There are options for both residential and day visits to the conference. For more information please go on to the ICEJ website www.icej.ie.
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Congratulations to Diane Dodds MEP
NIFI extends warm congratulations to Diane Dodds MEP who has been appointed to the European Parliament’s Delegation to Israel. Mrs Dodds is the first Northern Ireland representative ever to be appointed to the body. Diane says she is looking forward to working towards “developing closer links between Northern Ireland and Israel” and working closely with the various Israel-related groups in the parliament. She regards it as a moral as well as a political obligation on the part of the EU to support Israel as the most democratic country in the Middle East. NIFI wishes Diane every success in her important new position and is confident that her appointment will contribute enormously towards strengthening the many connections between the peoples of Israel and Northern Ireland.
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Yochai’s amazing new family!
Sep 29, 09
Yochai is one lucky boy – he has recently been adopted by Kehilat Shalom in Northern Ireland, whose esteemed members love Israel and the Jewish people and seek to help its most vulnerable children.
Kehilat Shalom’s generous donation will help provide Yochai with a new Kangaroo Feeding Machine so that the food he eats gets digested properly. As he continues to grow and realize his potential, his million-dollar smile is dedicated to all his new family members!
Says the charity Aleh: May they be blessed with a sweet new year filled with goodness, prosperity, and peace!
Join Aleh’s Adopt-a-Child Program, and make a real difference in the life of a severely disabled child in Israel today!
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Don’t miss out: Visit the Land of Israel!
Did you know there are more pilgrim tours per head to Israel from Northern Ireland than from any other part of the UK? Here experienced teacher and tour leader Desi Maxwell shares his thoughts on his many visits to Israel.
Desi is a teacher of the Bible who believes its possible for Christians of all denominations to reach a deeper understanding of the biblical text by appreciating its Jewish background. This regard for the Jewish origins of the Christian faith leads Desi to visit Israel as often as he can, where he leads tour groups from Northern Ireland and elsewhere. Desi’s teaching on “Jesus in his world” has proven inspirational and challenging to Christian groups in NI, and his DVD on the subject was shot in Israel.
Desi writes: “Ever since reading about Yeshua (Jesus), the Torah-observant Jew opening eyes, instructing minds and igniting fires in the hearts of his disciples by teaching through TaNaK, (Torah, Neviim and Ketuvim), I have been excited and want to share the richness of the Hebrew Scripture and mind. Moreover, the four written gospels are complemented by the so-called ‘fifth gospel’, namely the land of Israel itself. To walk in the wilderness, sit in the Galilean hills, climb the southern steps of the Temple Mount, stand in David’s city or gather in the synagogue at Gamla, are all experiences that give us a ‘feel’ for the context of the Scriptures.
For more information on Desi’s teaching go to www.xplorations.co.uk
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Political Correctness kills!
According to Belfast-born writer Martin Sieff, political correctness kills in the Middle East.
Martin, who grew up in North Belfast and attended Belfast Royal Academy was formerly a foreign correspondent for the Washington Post and is a pulitzer prize nominee. His latest book, The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Middle East, is bound to have Palestine Solidarity campaigners and Friends of Israel activists reaching for more than a glass of water.
Martin believes the west will regret the day when the current crop of dictators who govern the Arab states are toppled. He believes attempts to impose democracy on the likes of Syria, Libya and Saudi Arabia are doomed to failure and will result in even worse despotic rule. He dates Islamic radicalism to no earlier than the Iranian revolution in 1979 and heaps scorn on the idea that suicide bombers are motivated by a sense of hopelesness.
Its Martin’s belief that the best basis for any form of stability in the region is a strong Saudi Arabia – we wonder what readers of this website will make of that assessment.
Martin has no time for the boycott Israel brigade and points out that Israel remains by far the most democratic nation in the Middle East. He attributes much of the opposition Israel faces to anti-Americanism rather than love of the Palestinian people. He points to the total whitewashing of Hamas’s rule in Gaza as an example of how so called Palestinian supporters care little for democracy and equality in Palestine.
There is certainly plenty to discuss from Martin’s thought provoking and cogently written book – available from Amazon!
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Israeli razmatazz in Belfast!
The Israeli American football teams were in Belfast in September for an 11 nation international tournament. Playing the non contact version of the game, known as Flag football, the Israeli women’s team came third in the competition and qualify for the world championships in Canada in 2010. The men’s team was not so successful but both teams thoroughly enjoyed the Belfast trip and were incredibly appreciative to those who cheered them on. NIFI made presentations to the teams and co chair Terry McCorran said: “I have to say I was overwhelmed by the warmth of the teams and coaching staff. The point was to make them feel welcome, in fact they made us feel part of them. It was a pleasure to join them”. The Israelis obtained permission not to play their games on Shabbat, the Jewish sabbath, and therefore faced a crowded fixture list on the other days of the competition.
Magnificent donation
The Donaghadee-based Christian community Kehilat Shalom (Community of Peace) has made another magnificent donation to an Israeli charity. They have donated $500 to Aleh, which is Israel’s largest network of residential facilities for children with severe physical and cognitive disabilities. This gift will contribute towards the cost of specialist feeding equipment for a severely disabled boy called Yochai. The congregation’s Hebrew instructor, Jim Clint, whose wife Nauszika incidentally gave birth to a boy called Jonathan Israel this weekend, said it was a privilege for his community to support this charitable cause in Israel. Kol ha Kavod, a very well done to the community, and a mazal tov, warmest congratulations, to the Clint family!
Hebrew Language Study
During July (2009) James McKeown, formerly of the Belfast Bible college, joined an international group of students to learn Hebrew at the Summer Ulpan (language school) in Haifa University. James reports:
“A more diverse group of students would be difficult to find: the participants came from 33 countries and their ages ranged from 18-62! However, we all had the same desire – to read, speak and understand the Hebrew language. Classes were held each morning 8.30 – 1.00 and, except for the beginners, tuition was entirely in Hebrew.
“Learning a foreign language is always challenging but the professional teaching and guidance offered in Haifa University provided an excellent, supportive environment that made it a pleasure and a privilege to learn.”
Not everyone can go to Haifa to learn Hebrew and so James is organising local Hebrew workshops in Northern Ireland with a special focus on Biblical Hebrew. They will be held on two evenings each month beginning in September. For details please visit James McKeown’s website: www.hebrewworkshops.com
Dr James McKeown: "Learning Hebrew needn't be difficult"
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Its good to be able to thank NIFI supporters for their help. Valerie Corbett is one of Northern Ireland’s leading calligraphers, who accepts commissions from around the world, and has provided her services to NIFI free of charge. Valerie’s website http://bridal-calligraphy-by-valerie.freeservers.com/photo.html includes a simple and moving tribute to Tali Hatuel, a young Israeli mother, who together with her four daughters and unborn son, were deliberately murdered in a terrorist attack. This incident is sadly forgotten by most of us, but not by Valerie. Valerie says: “I think of the Hatuels often, beautiful Tali and her little girls. I want people to see their faces”.
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Derry-born artist Martin Doran explains his “homecoming” to Israel and its influence on his work.
Martin Doran
BA Fine Art – Goldsmiths College, London UK
I was born in DerryCity, N.Ireland. I have lived in different parts of the world but always returned to Ireland for rest and recovery with dear family and close friends.
I now live in Kent, but return often to paint the rugged ancient landscapes of the north-west, scenes that were imprinted in my visual memory from childhood. Works begun en plein air are often subject to the sudden changes of Atlantic weather fronts… rising winds and rain can lend their own drama to the painting process!
I first visited Israel in 1984.
Although this was a time of much turbulence in the land, upon my arrival in Israel I experienced the feeling that I had “come home”.
During that visit I stayed with a cross-section of the population from Eilat to the Lebanese border, and that deep sense of home-coming only grew in intensity as the trip progressed.
Several years later I was fortunate to return and stay in Jerusalem for an extended period; working with the terminally ill at the St. Louis – French Hospital, and then to initiate and coordinate Project Ezra with Bridges for Peace, assisting incoming Russian immigrants fleeing persecution and at last able to leave the Former Soviet Union.
My Israeli “home-comings” are precious to me and still season my life and work. Jerusalem remains close to my heart and I pray for her peace daily.
My work is based upon notes & sketches made on site, experience and memory, prayers, hopes and aspirations….
…“next year in Jerusalem”
Oseh Shalom bimromav, hu ya’aseh Shalom, aleynu v’al kol Yisrael, v’imru Amen.
May He Who makes peace in high places make peace for us all and for all Israel, and let us say Amen.
www.martindoran.co.uk
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“Israel’s an important part of our story. An important part of practically every Jewish story”. Larne-born actor Harry Towb died last month in London. He was one of a number of talented artists produced by Northern Ireland’s small Jewish community. In a tribute, BBC Northern Ireland broadcast a documentary he presented in the 1980s, called Odd Men In, profiling the Jewish community here. Harry went to Israel for the programme where he interviewed Belfast Jews who had made aliyah (emigrated to Israel). He also got to interview the then president of Israel, Chaim Herzog. Harry tracked down veterans of the refugee farm in Millisle Co Down who came to NI in the 1930s to escape Nazi persecution. Some of them made their homes after the war in Kibbutz Lavi in the Galilee – where they ploughed the land “the Irish way” they had been taught by agricultural instructors at Millisle.
The late actor Harry Towb
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The Sala-Manca Group At The International Symposium Of Electronic Art, Belfast
The Sala Manca Group, a group of independent Jerusalem-based artists, presented a keynote speech at the International Symposium of Electronic Art held in Belfast in August. Addressing an audience of electronic art industry professionals, the Sala Manca Group considered the question of “What’s Hidden behind the Pastoral Responses, Strategies and Actions in a Conflicted Land(scape)”. The event took place at the Waterfront Hall, Belfast on 28 August.
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Kehilat Shalom (Community of Peace) in Donaghadee has very generously donated $500 to Israeli charity Yad Ezer, which provides hot meals to hundreds of Israeli children and others living below the poverty line.
The Christian community, formed in 2007, and which attracts about 40 people to its regular services in Donaghadee, has raised over £4,000 for various Israeli causes, including assisting two Russian teenagers to make aliyah (emigrate to Israel).
Teacher of Hebrew for the community is NIFI supporter Jim Clint, who lived in Israel for most of the 1990s, first as a kibbutz worker in the Jordan valley, and then on the staff of Beit Immanuel hostel in Tel Aviv. Jim’s Hungarian wife Nauszika is of Jewish descent on her father’s side.
Jim says: “I believe Yad Ezra is a very worthwhile cause as it gets food on the tables of those a lot less well off than us”. The community was delighted to receive the following reply from the charity:
Dear Kehilat Shalom,
Please accept our sincere gratitude for your generous contribution to Yad Ezra VeShulamit. The knowledge that there are kindhearted individuals like you supporting our work provides us with the strength and confidence to continue with our important task of easing the suffering of impoverished Israelis.
You are invited to visit us whenever you are in Israel, especially on Thursdays when we package and distribute food baskets for needy.
In the merit of this great mitzvah, may you and your loved ones be blessed with all the blessings in the Torah.
Gratefully yours,
Ariel Lurie, Chairman
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The International Christian Embassy of Jerusalem, Irish branch, held their “Meet the People Tour” to Israel in March, where they visited many of the projects the organisation has supported during the year. Tour leader, Brian Silvester, took the tour to see the Christian desk at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial centre in Jerusalem, a project for Holocaust survivors in the Golan and a day service for disabled people in the Jezreel valley. They also paid a solidarity visit to an Arab Christian pastor in the Bethlehem area who has been firebombed and shot at for his support for an accommodation between the Arab community and the Jewish claim to the land of Israel.
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The annual Milk Cup football tournament saw three Israeli youth teams participate this year as well as a Palestinian team making its debut. Results were mixed with the much fancied Israel under 19 squad failing to make a major impression in the elite competition. Junior teams from Maccabi Haifa and Tel Aviv also took part, with NIFI supporters from the north west coming out to cheer on the youngsters, as well as the Football Academy of Jerusalem, made up of boys from the Palestinian Territories.
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Irish league champions Glentoran FC fly to Israel on a plane filled mostly with Jews emigrating to Israel with the help of Nefesh b’Nefesh, an organisation dedicated to assisting Jews who want to start new lives in their historic homeland, and the Jewish Agency. Glentoran played Maccabi Haifa in a UEFA Champions League qualifier. Over 800 Jewish people from the UK will move to Israel this year with the help of Nefesh b’Nefesh.
Glentoran fly with Nefesh b' Nefesh
