Opinion: Please pray for Israel

Message from Louise: I was very moved by the following conversations that I wanted to share it with our readers, given what is happening in Israel right now. — Louise Oleson, editor of the Devils Lake Journal

It started with this emailed message:

Good evening all,

…..I have written about Ellen’s & my involvement over the years with the Sons of Jacob Jewish cemetery located not far from our former farm home…..we have met folks from all over the world who have visited this simple country cemetery….in 2013 Joanne Yelnick & her son came to visit from Israel and a new friendship was formed…..I have often compared these friendships to a rock being thrown into a pond and how the ripples continue travel outwardly.

…..had contacted Joanne Yelenik & her son Daniel (a Rabbi) on Sunday at their homes in Israel to see how they were doing ….in 2013 they flew from Israel to Winnipeg where they rented a car & drove down to visit the Sons of Jacob cemetery…..since that year we have continued our correspondence & friendship….with the current carnage in Israel had worried about them….below is a note I just received a bit ago….am also attaching the full page ‘letter to the editor’ the Grand Forks Herald printed in 2013 after she wrote a letter to the editor about their visit.

….have also received a separate note from Daniel that he & his family are safe also.

..thought you all might enjoy reading, the city they live at in Israel is mentioned in Joanne’s letter to the editor.

….for more information about the Sons of Jacob cemetery visit www.sojnorthdakota.org

….you will notice Joanne never writes out the full word ‘God’ she explained to me it is part of the Jewish religion to write the word in this manner…. ‘Stan’ is the grandson of Rachel Calof & lives in St. Paul~~~~

enjoy~~~~

— from Mike Connor, Devils Lake, ND

Dear Mike, Stan, and all connected to Sons of Jacob,

Our family here in Israel are, thank G-D, well. Our Land, country, people are resilient, thank G-D, strong and of good courage, at the same time we are devastated. To see the face of evil so directly acting out, and in our homes, on our own land, the destruction, death, suffering they have caused is quite simply beyond words. We know from the Torah and also the just completed festival of Sukkot that the only protection is the protection of the Creator. On our Shabbat, the zealotry of darkness came to our land in the reality of Hamas and what they not only willingly do, and did, what they planned for, knew they were going to do. Children shot in front of their parents, Sisters and brothers kidnapped. Enough. This evil must end B”H.

How redeeming to think of Sons of Jacob, of all of you, of our family, of all our connections, thank G-D. Sons of Jacob is the voice of humankind in compassion, understanding, learning and living together to honor and dignify life. That is the Jewish way. That is the only true human way.

I have to smile, to laugh, because here in Israel when I tell our story and our connection with Sons of Jacob, I often have to explain what and where is North Dakota. Smile. Both Daniel and I have become true ambassadors for the beauty of the state, and particularly for the history and place of Sons of Jacob as a historical landmark attesting to both the Jewish history in North Dakota and the extraordinary relationship there between Jews and Gentiles. Witness Daniel and my, and our family’s friendship with Mike and Ellen, our caring for and about each other, our praying for one another, and now praying together for the safety of Israel.

Remember my famous tale from our trip in 2013 that when Daniel and I and our cousin, Philip, from Winnipeg, Canada came close to Sons of Jacob, we stopped at a gas station where I entered to buy drinks. The lady at the counter asked if I was a visitor, and I replied, “yes,” and told her a bit about the purpose of our trip, about how we were struck by the beauty of the state. She asked, and where are you from, to which I responded, “My son and I live in Israel. We are from Israel.” She looked shocked and astounded. I did not quite know how to take that. She then went on to say, “Oh, that’s so wonderful. I sit here each day and I think about this question and now I can ask you. How is the ingathering going?” Her words sent chills down my spine and brought tears to my eyes. Whatever her motivation, her thoughts were on the safety of Jerusalem, and the bringing to Israel of the Jewish people. Yes, North Dakota for us is a cherished place on the map of the world.

The video which we created with Dale Bluestein, the fantastic professional imaginative videographer Mike recommended to us, about our trip and our own family history is also on the SOJ excellent website, and for that we are very very grateful.

Blessings for health, safety, joy, gladness, friendship, kindness B”H. .

Thank you for your words, your emails of concern, our special connection.

Warmly with affection and high regard,

Joanne

So, I (Louise) contacted Joanne and asked if I could publish her message in whole or part in the Devils Lake Journal and this is how she responded to me:

Hello dear Louise Oleson,

How touching and beautiful for such a thing to happen as for you to write me of your desire to publish my letter whole or in part in the Devils Lake Journal. I would be honored and delighted. Of course, and please if you could, send me a copy of the paper. This tale will become part of my narration of the true wonders of North Dakota.

I grew up in Brooklyn, New York hearing stories from my mother about Devils Lake. The name alone charmed my imagination as I thought of my ancestors who settled there from the Ukraine in the 1800’s with the promise of Land Grants. From those tales, dear Louise, came my son’s research many years later of our wondrous connection to Sons of Jacob cemetery and our later visit there, and my son and I and my cousin standing at the grave of Shalom Calof, my great great grandfather who is buried there.

In these so very dark times in our land of Israel, your letter came as we say from shmayim, the heavens, as a circle of caring and humanity. Imagine me, smile, a daughter in some way of Devils Lake to find herself in her own words appearing there in print. My mother, who died only five years ago in Israel at home in her bed connecting to us with her very last breath, at 105 years old, would be, and, smile, in heaven is, thrilled by your gesture and this turn of events.

Mike Connor, bless him, has the touch of gold, along with Ellen. Everything he does is a good deed with good flowing out from it.

Thank you, Louise Oleson. Please pray for us, and know that, as we say in Hebrew, all will be well, G-D willing. Yours is a good sign and we here need those signs of a loving good humanity; we have been yet again so bruised.

Please let me know how things work out for the paper piece. Keep in touch as you like, and know that here in Israel in my home and the home of my son, his wife and family, you are a very welcome guest when you visit Israel, may it be soon in times of safety and gladness, G-D willing.

Blessings for health, joy, well being B”H.

Warmly,

Joanne (Jackson Yelenik)

(Note from Louise: You will note that the name for G-D is the way that Joanne writes the name of the Almighty. It is out of respect for her religion that I did not change that to the way we Gentiles would write it.) She asks us all to pray for her and for what is happening in her country. Please join me in doing that.