Apple trees and pears were in blossom On the river hung the morning mist Young Katyusha stepped up on the high bank, Of the river steep bank in the mist. On the bank Katyusha started singing Of a proud grey eagle of the steppe, Of the one Katyusha loved so deeply, Of the one whose letters she has kept Oh, you song, you bright song of a maiden Fly you by the sun, fly like a bird To the soldier on faraway border From Katyusha bring a greeting word. Let him think of simple native maiden, Let him hear Katyusha's clear song He will guard the land of dear homeland And their love Katyusha will keep strong. Apple trees and pears were in blossom On the river hung the morning mist Young Katyusha stepped up on the high bank, Of the river steep bank in the mist.

Unfortunately some Jews learn only the hard way! While Tzefat Jews, mostly Mizrachi, have always known the bloodthirsty ways of the Arabs, either by living with them, or hearing it from their familys. It's almost impossible to walk a block in the old city of Tzefat, without seeing one or more plaques to some 18-25 year old who died there. I visit about once a year, and yet, reading those memorials about fellows Jews who I never knew, brings sadness, and sometimes tears to my eyes. I think, what about this 18 year old had he lived. Would I talk to him, his family and kids, and then I become overwhelmed by the reality, that I would never meet him, he would never have a family for me to meet, and he died fighting for the JEWS of Tsefat. Unlike today's leaders, he was not a PC dope, or a politician interested only in their image. This brave soldier only knew, that the arabs were trying to kill every Jew in Tzefat! Unfortunatly, it's taken years , Katushas, and casualties for Haifa's liberals, to realize the same thing. Our only choice: a) They push us into the sea. b) self-defense, as long as they try to push into the sea, we try to push them into the sea, until they give up their goal, or are in the sea!

...but we never forgot where we came from, never! I´ve been there many times and every and each one of them I could experience the uniqueness of Tzfat and iis meaningful to me. If your relatives lived in Tzfat during the 20s and 30s, probably they knew mine; teh surnames are Amar and Hazzan, they´d come form North Africa generations earlier. As a Diaspora Jew, I feel very anxious, frustrated and impotent in a situation like this, there is simply no concrete measure I can take to help. Let us pray and hope that Israeli leaders will take the best measures possible and that all hayalim will do their job without being harmed, so that peace can return to the Galil, together with the 2 soldiers so cowardly kidnapped by Hizballah terrorists - as my Grandpa Yakov used to say, imach shemam!

Flavio, I think you're coward. Stop your b.s. praying and come to Israel to join the IDf. You're like every other jew who call him in the diaspora. Show your true love instead being in sao Paolo playing with some Brazilian tangas..!!!!

one another. I've been privledged to visit there twice for Shabbos and that will be my home when I make aliyah. B'H only one Jew died and at least he was able to die in a holy city in the midst of wonderful religious Jews.

Well, yoav, is very easy to call someone a coward if you don't now him or his personal/health/age/$/family condition. I feel sad and sorry for you; if your heart is filled with hate, you should direct it to the ones that really deserve it, f.i, Hizballa/Hamas/self-hating jews etc etc, not to one of your own brethren who cares for Israel even from far away. Grow up, my friend, and learn to respect the others; this is the kind of sin'at chinam our people does not need!

People around the world need to realize that Israelis have many colors and that the terrorists are trying to murder all of them. Everyone in Africa should see a little bit of himself in Israeli shoes.