Not to be burned: Newsletter on the parashat Devarim for Tisha B’Av ›

An Israeli man places a flower on the grave of Moshe Silman at the end of his funeral in Holon on July 22, 2012. Moshe Silman died from severe burns after he set himself on fire during a social justice demonstration in Tel Aviv on July 14. Photo by: Oren Ziv/ Actviestills.org

To all our Muslim readers and supporters – RAMADAN KAREEM

This week we buried Moshe Silman z”l. It is difficult. Unfortunately, already on Sunday (22.7) we received the news of another man who had set himself on fire at the shopping centre in Yahud. We are all praying for his welfare and hope that people will not sacrifice their bodies, their flesh and their souls for the protest. We want a live protest that is a demonstration and there is no justification for dying on the streets.

Weekly parasha

Rabbi Yehiel Grineberg asks us not to despair and to do some soul searching: Dvar Torah to Parashat Devarim for Tisha B’Av.

The next week

Atias – if you will not come to the people the people will come to you: The demonstration will take place on Thursday, July 26^th at 20:00 in front of Ariel Atias Minister of Housing’s home on Hakablan Street, Har Nof, Jerusalem.

Sunday, July 28^th at 18:00.  Join us and the “Ma’abara” for the final hours of the Tisha B’Av fast, “From the Destruction of the Temple to the Loss of Home,” with Tisha B’Av Mincha, real life stories, study and conversation. Rehov HaShomer 7, Jerusalem. For more information call Rabbi Arik at 050-5607034 or Almog Behar at 050-7518905, almogbehar@gmail.com

The week that was

Watch: Rabbi Idit Lev talks with the press after Moshe Silman died in the hospital:

Rabbi Idit Lev, of “Rabbis for Human Rights, “and Yoss Baruch who was the one who escorted Moshe Silman at the “Hazit Ha’Haifait” (“Haifa Front”) and the eulogy at his grave.

Watch: The pressconference where Yoss Baruch  from ” Bet Ze Ohel – Ha’Hazit Ha’Haifait” and Rabbi Idit Lev from RHR read a statement from the family at the hospital and express our grief.

Memorial ceremonies for Moshe Silman took place in Jerusalem with activists from the “Ma’abara” and in Tel-Aviv, Hod Hasharon and “Hahazit Ha’haifait” activists in Haifa.

Rabbi Idit Lev from RHR and Dror Dvir from the Haifa Front refuse to take responsibility for what led to Moshe Silman’s suicide (the post is also published on the protest website)ץ

Guest article by Almog Bahar describing the attack in the media blaming the protest movement for the suicide (Hebrew). Drawing and song by Dudu Palma in honour of Moshe Silman.

Social Economic Justice

Aisha Sidawi describes an interaction of a citizen with the Central Bureau of Statistics (Hebrew).

Thank you to advocate Sharona Eliahu Chai from ACRI for helping us get our confiscated tents and other materials back from the Jerusalem Municipality. We reported last week that the Municipality confiscated all of the equipment when it took down the re-established “Ein Breira” tent encampment in Gan HaAtzmaut. We were told that the condition for receiving our equipment back was that we needed to sign a commitment not to set up additional encampments without permission. Most of the equipment came back OK. However, we are missing NIS 90 and an MP3 belonging to one person living in public housing, one of RHR’s professional banners is missing, and the Ma’abara’s generator doesn’t work.

Palestinian Rights in Occupied territories

The cutting down of trees, vines, and violence against shepherds, farmers and rights activists increased in the area of Gaber and Atawani (Hebrew).

Rabbi Yehiel Grenimann tells about the organization’s inundation by young volunteers from all over the world.

Now is the time – send a letter and demand: cancel the destruction of the village and the expulsion of the villagers, enable them to return to the lands that they were evicted from in the past and cease expropriating lands.

We are in the news

Rabbi Kobi Weiss wrote an opinion piece on “Walla” showing how the state of Israel cares more about the dead than about the living.

The work of Rabbi Idit Lev and RHR is mentioned in an article by Asher Schecter in The Merker, writing about incitement against protest activists. For Moshe Silman’s funeral and the eulogy given by Rabbi Lev: see NRG, Walla, Calcalist, NEWS 1, Mako, and the headlines of the week on Walla. Article in The Merker on Silman’s deterioration, press conference at the hospital after the news of silman’s death on Walla. Idit was also interviewed by all television channels in Hebrew and in English. ”

Shabbat Shalom