Happiness on Israel's Independence Day

Yesterday was the second anniversary of this blog.

It was also Israel's Remembrance Day.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3540586,00.html

Our local synagogue commemorated this day, in which Israel's fallen soldiers are remembered, with a dignified service, culminating with the blowing of the shofar. The evening blended into Israel's Independence Day and 60th birthday, celebrated with dancing and singing into the night:

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/981681.html

This afternoon, I sat outside reading a splendid book, entitled Happiness, by Matthieu Ricard, the Dalai Lama's official French translator:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/matthieu-ricard-meet-mr-happy-436652.html

As the songs continued into today, and I was asked to prepare a fruit salad for a Shabbat at friends, who could envisage anything more joyful than contemplating Israel's 60th on a glorious May day, whilst reading a book of pure wisdom.