“I’m a Jew living in Barcelona. Europe is shocked about all the terrors attacks, and told the Jews to put away our symbols. That’s why I will not put my Magen David away! I’ll wear it with honor, because I’m Jew and Im proud of it! All the Jews around the world, don’t hide! Be proud of yourself, if our grandfathers didn’t hide with Nazis, Romans… we are not going to do it against ISIS or anyone. Amen.”
The picture above is so powerful for me personally. My parents left the former Soviet Union, so my brother and I would not experience discrimination based on our culture, tradition, religion, and becasue on our passport our nationality said Jewish. God Bless America, where my parents were able to work hard, send us to college, and I found my way back to Judaism. It was illegal in the former Soviet Union, you could be arrested, the year my parents got married 1972, they had Jewish music at their wedding, and the year after it became a crime.
Every Jew has a different connection, and I am not talking religion, I am talking identity, culture, background, and history. I find the story below so beautiful because even though the Israeli sports minister does not keep Shabbat herself, because she is representing Israel in the Olympics in Rio, she wants to honor it. She will be unable to attend the ceremony in Rio because her hotel is too far to walk, and for security reasons, they could not get her a closer hotel.
I love the quote:
Yesterday is history
Tomorrow is a mystery
Today is a gift
Shabbat helps us be present,
The picture below is about working on ourselves first, and then inspiring everyone around us,
Shabbat Shalom,
Coach Yulia
