Praying for Gabrielle Giffords

It isn't every day that a Jewish girl is elected congresswoman in Arizona, but it had happened to Gabrielle Giffords. In fact, she happens to be the very first. She is the granddaughter of Akiva Hornstein, the son of a Lithuanian rabbi who had moved to Arizona from New York and had founded the tire business that she later ran before she entered into politics.

In 2006 she was running for Congress and won by a narrow margin. She was not bashful about declaring herself as being Jewish. In fact, she said, "If you want something done, your best bet is to ask a Jewish woman to do it. Jewish women have an ability to cut through all the reasons why something should, shouldn't or can't be done and pull people together to be successful."

Being that she has a Christian mother and a Jewish father, she hadn't always felt this way, but 10 years ago she visited Israel on a political trip and it turned out to be life-changing for her. She later sponsored a bill in the Arizona Senate eliminating the statute of limitations for collecting the insurance claims by victims of the Holocaust and their heirs.

She was in Israel again last month and also visited a synagogue, planning to return there this summer. After visiting Temple Emanuel Synagogue she told the congregation that the US must remain committed to Israel, realizing that it is the only Middle Eastern democracy. Just last week she wrote in Arizona's Jewish newspaper that there would be no peace before the Palestinian leadership and other organizations accept Israel's right to exist, most likely meaning that they should stop bombing Israel.

She's a brave politician to have come out to her conservative southern Arizona district that she was Jewish. She even changed over from the Republican she was to registering as a Democrat because she was unhappy with some decisions.

Then to be shot in the head by a 22 year old misfit who said that his most favorite book was Mein Kampf gives you pause to wonder if this killing spree wasn't induced by his being anti-semitic. He seems to be so mentally off, that pschologist Dr. Alan Lipman didn't give any credence to his political views. At this point Jered isn't insane, just has had an undiagnosed mental illness.

Women like her come along rarely. Here she was actively working at her job, doing with 100% of her capabilities, and she was the object of a deranged killer. With 6 others murdered in this shooting spree and 13 injured, one just wonders how things like this can happen.

The amazing wonder of it all is that Gabby is alive, and we can all thank her 20 year old intern for that who was so quick to run to her side and keep her from bleeding to death. In fact he stayed with her the whole time until she was wheeled into surgery, talking to her and holding her hand. This I learned from Fox News today. I noticed I had tears running down my cheeks as I listened to the reports. I believe his name was Hernandez, and he had known her for several years. I think he was like an angel sent to guard her.

40 years old and married to an astronaut. It sounds like an ideal life, but here Gabby is, a woman dedicated to helping her fellow man and neighbor, with her life on the line. We can only thank everyone involved with helping her from the amazing doctors to her amazing friends.

Fox News

http://www.haaretz.com/misc/article-print-page/jewish=congresswoman-in-critical-condition