A recent article on Aish.com, “Scholastic’s Map without Israel,” describes how the Scholastic Books publishing company is correcting its book Thea Stilton and the Blue Scarab Hunt. Scholastic, the world’s biggest publisher of children’s books, included a map of the Middle East, with the glaring omission of the country occupying its center, Israel.

The article noted many other examples of “mistakes” of not including Israel on maps:

“We all make mistakes, but when one error is repeated so often, it can make one wonder – just how much of a mistake is it? In a world where Israel’s very existence is too often threatened, erasing it from maps is an intolerable mistake that educated people should not make.”

 

map This is the map that was in the Thea Stilton book.

Israel is in the news quite often, and it is such an important state! It couldn’t have been “forgotten.” Could it? This isn’t an easy mistake.

אִם אֶשְׁכָּחֵךְ יְרוּשָׁלָיִם, תִּשְׁכַּח יְמִינִי.
תִּדְבַּק לְשׁוֹנִי לְחִכִּי אִם לֹא אֶזְכְּרֵכִי,
אִם לֹא אַעֲלֶה אֶת יְרוּשָׁלַֽיִם עַל רֹאשׁ שִׂמְחָתִי.

Speaking of Israel, no one seemed to want to attempt the riddle from the past two weeks, so I’ll tell you the answer now: D. – in Givat Mordechai, parallel to Shachal Street, in Sulam Yaakov Garden. Here’s a picture:

sulam Yaakov

Pretty, isn’t it? The artist Ezra Orion called it “Ma’alot,” or stairs, but it became popularly known as “sulam Yaakov.” Notice how the steps slant down, in order to discourage climbing it. That would be a long fall!