NOSES AND FACES

 Maybe it's me. perhaps I am the only one not to understand the motivation behind the worst laws ever. In addition to being the kind of action which is "cutting one's nose to spite the face", it is pure prejudice, stupidity, dangerous in so many ways. Particularly as a harbinger of worse times, of fascist time and rule here in the once powerful determined bastion of democracy. Somewhere along the way, beginning with small, just about unnoticed steps, we lost our way, lost our determination as a united nation. Unfortunately, the broken compass we were using to find true North, broke down, unbeknownst to us, and presently we are in the worst badlands ever. 

Exacerbating the situation is the sad but true new gun regulations or should I say lack of regulations. Have a mental health problem, depressed and need to do some shooting, preferably at some living beings, all the better to release your inner pressure? Do not let the lack of a gun stop you. Oh, not to worry for the nice morons in the state legislature, led by the fascist DeSantis, foresaw the problem and took care of it. Such excellent proactive thinking. Always thinking of others and their burdens.  Such a good ole boy, that Ron is. Easy  peasy. Simply enter the store, find what appeals to you, that will do the job, buy it, walk out with it and heaven help us but is that not gunshots? And screaming! Just another day in America.

Continuing this oh so sterling record, Ron has pushed through, quite easily what with his herd of sheep in the legislature, is the one which has very swiftly, oh so efficiently, cleared the sacrosanct territory of Florida of all evil, criminal, drug ridden, diseased illegal - gasp! - immigrants. Think of the results as the fun begins. Extra work for the movers as the families flee. Not to omit the families of LGBTQ+ who have already fled, along with their brains and economic powers and stimulation. So that is good, right? Purifying society for us? Always thinking of us, that Ron. 

Well, not really as those fleeing are the crop and farm and manufacturing laborers. The ones willing to work in the heat - for your landscaping, for your home repairs. For deliveries. For starting new businesses that aid the economy, that grow. They are the ones who repair your tech items as you hold it bewildered wondering what the heck do I do? and Oh, so impressed by these tactics and results. And do not forget the higher prices as we plow crops back under, or tarp the roofs after a hurricane, or cannot find someone to clear the resultant mold! Yes, aways thinking of others, he is.

Can you imagine how gifted the world will be if he should become President! How blessed the people of the world will be such a gift to humanity!

No joke. This guy is a clear and present danger to the future of America, as a country, as a place of refuge and welcome, as a land of dreams and their fulfillment, as a beacon to the nations of the world seeking to be democratic.

This can only be done, be taken care of, avoided, only, only, only by a concerted effort to block his way. There are enough crazed people out there, such as Greene who barreled up to the Capitol brandishing a mammoth gun. There's another one who needs, desperately so, intervention and a long stay in a rehab facility. There are too many like her that come along with him.

Let's reject him together, the only way to succeed. The only way in which we fulfill our manifest destiny in a better, more inclusive manner. (Gasp - a forbidden word). And Heaven forbid you actually use that shocking word - period - until your children are in college - even if you are in the midst of a punctuation lesson!

No - it is together we must be.                      Together we must act.

This is not the America we are supposed to be nor the Americans we can be, that is upon us to be.

Let us reject him and his, together and together rebuild America.

Together. Together. Together.

Together we can

HEAL THE WORLD.

HEAL YITZY!

Yitzchak Elimelech ben Chana Sarah

May he be granted refuah shelaymah bimheyrah beyameinu. 

May he be granted a timely and complete healing.

May he always remain on the road of faith, healing and strength.

May we all walk on that same road.

May Hashem hear all our voices raised in prayer. 

Amen. Amen.

THE DOT AT THE END OF THE SENTENCE

  Life can get mighty confusing soon, particularly in Florida as restrictions go into place as of July 1 and the enactment of DeSantis new rules. They are overwhelmingly fascistic in origin and intent that even some good rules are lost within the miasma of hate emanating from the other new laws. These new laws serve to perpetuate bias, to reduce the rights of people, censuring them and the literature available to them. It cripples the economy of Florida, with the critical labor of immigrants disappeared - Poof! 

These immigrants will be chased, hunted down, forced to show papers, or face detention and expulsion. All for the of the 'criminal' act of seeking refuge from hate, from death and persecution, from impressment of their children into gangs, from economic conditions conducive only to death by starvation. Immigrants being hunted, demeaned, dehumanized, holding camps, 'concentration points' and then what - enforced labor till death, following Hitler's ideas, creating new "Jews" available for those so flawed they cannot be without someone to persecute?! Think not that this cannot be. It surely can - and already is to a shameful extent. As for the employers, Heaven help them!

Ignorance and failure to think things through are familiar traits of DeSantis. He who boasts of his control of the government, who dreams of it, urged on by his wife, definitely the shadow behind the throne and the brains of his ugly campaign. Not to forget his very young children already being inculcated with hateful propaganda, shlepped along on the exhausting campaign trail, when they should be at home, with friends, in school, at play, not appearing dressed as little adults smiling falsely for the camera. Nothing works better than early planting of prejudice and twisted thinking. 

As for the economy of Florida, well, just wave goodbye. Employers threatened with exorbitant fines, jail time, all sorts of lovely consequences should they hire illegal immigrants. You know, those who pick the crops, who package them, who fix the roofs and other damage from natural disasters, who keep the economy in working order as so many others refuse to return to work, and certainly not to any jobs producing or requiring physical labor and lots of sweat in the heat, natural and political, within Florida. 

More frightening, threatening all, is DeSantis's promises to redo the Constitution, changing it as he wills and wants. Take away the "native born" provision of citizenship - uh, Constitutional, Ron. No go. Other rights, like to vote, to live a life as one chooses, raising families, the right to medical care as one wishes for oneself - Nope. Ron does not like that. And there goes yet another segment of Floridian economy. Brains and hate cannot live in the same room without real problems. 

Worry not, though, as dear Ron has created a solution to arising problems. Simply go to the store, one of your daily errands, purchase a gun. Sure, no investigation, no safety classes, no restrictions. Then when you are annoyed by something, simply whip out your handy dandy gun and BLAM! Problem solved. Argument about a line, at the supermarket, at child pickup, or simply for breathing - BLAM!! Yup. Just like the return of the good old America of the West. Yup. Simple, folk driven justice. Think of the money saved by canceling courts. The judges were all corrupt anyway, and if they were not, who needs them!

Wondering about the title? Well, that is simple. Evidently, until a child graduates high school, they are not allowed to hear the word period within the halls of education - such a misnomer as all benefits from an educated citizenry will indeed be cancelled. Oh such a lovely future Ron has planned for all of us Americans and all he needs is your vote. And ignorance and hate will reign supreme.

Oh, the title, right? Well, there is a punctuation mark, quite important, a dot at the end f a sentence called a .....(no one around) ...period. Uh oh, the camera picked that up. Gotta' run. Got my go bag with me. And, of course, my gun. See ya'. Whenever.

This is a fight for all of us together. I care not, it matters not, whether we are on the same side of every issue. All that matters is that those who believe in a true America, in a nation that is forward thinking, that cares for all, that ensures the rights of and for all humans and oh heck, rights for proper care of animals, for the right to make one's own health decisions, well together is the only way to ensure its survival, against all common enemies- foreign and domestic. What an unusual concept these days. The truth. Period!

Oops, I said it again. Incorrigible, I guess.

Is that Ron's voice? 

Gotta' run. Remember -

Together. Together. Together.

Together we can

HEAL THE WORLD.

HEAL YITZY!

Yitzchak Elimelech ben Chana Sarah

May he be granted refuah shelaymah bimheyrah beyameinu. 

May he be granted a timely and complete healing.

May he always remain on the road of faith, healing and strength.

May we all walk on that same road.

May Hashem hear all our voices raised in prayer. 

Amen. Amen.

LAST ONE OUT ......

  ... is supposed to shut the door after closing the lights, taking one last look around, and then locking the door. All safe and sound, awaiting the return of those who live within those walls. A simple ritual giving one confidence to leave treasured items behind, safe within the comforting walls of home. And off we go to magically fly our way to an expected? hoped for? wonderful week in the sun, the mountains, the shore, wherever. It is away.

These days, things are different. Many of us leaving the home engage in more complicated activities. Talking to the woman who lives within blue tooth Wi-Fi enabled devices. Giving her instructions as to timing of lights, locking and unlocking via specifically timed codes. Complicated indeed and there are times I long for the old days when I would insert a key in the appropriate slot, turn it, and locked! 

After checking of course that all utilities were off, no devices left on, and by the time one walks out the door, rolling along massive overpacked suitcases of oh so much that could not be left behind for the week one would be away. Finally, after waiting through gazillion delays, searches for crews whose work hours have not timed out, your rear end numb from those seats designed to torture, on shaky legs, you stand at the gate, hiding your extra item to carry on, finally find your seat, and cram in your luggage not snatched away at the gate. 

Within those desperately necessary carry ons and multitude of bags containing purchases made during the hours? days? you have spent in the airport, are those absolutely necessary items should you be delayed yet again, or land on a deserted island, or find yourself afloat in the sea, or land in a strange foreign land greeted by uniformed, nasty looking dudes. You will face it all and survive, for the carry-on contents will see you through. 

And on to the worrying for the next few hours before landing in the right airport, receiving all your luggage, in one undamaged piece. But worry remains. What about the hotel or the relative's home? Is it clean, quiet, or are you next to the elevator which shakes the building or in a space where you will sleep on a broken sofa in the midst of a living room filled with noisy relatives, all anxious to hug you and all you want, long for,  is to go home! As for your relatives, they are awaiting farewell time so they can return and text each other how bad you look or some nasty comment or two or three. 

By the time the week is over, turning out to actually be fun, all you needed to be human again was a night's sleep and a few more hugs from mom and dad or sibling or that baby nephew or niece. Still, there has to be a better way, maybe a staycation next time? Nah! Anyway, time to reverse the trek and off we go.

Those of us leaving for vacation over the next few months, enjoy. Be safe. Turn off that damn phone. Hide your laptop. Get into the space for joy and happiness. Appreciate what you have. And not to worry. The world and all its aggravation await you. It ain't going anywhere - we hope!!

Of course, the togetherness the week of vacation is a different kind of togetherness, but a powerful, most necessary one. Not to forget the continued, strong togetherness which has helped Yitzy.

Together we can

HEAL THE WORLD.

HEAL YITZY!

Yitzchak Elimelech ben Chana Sarah

May he be granted refuah shelaymah bimheyrah beyameinu. 

May he be granted a timely and complete healing.

May he always remain on the road of faith, healing and strength.

May we all walk on that same road.

May Hashem hear all our voices raised in prayer. 

Amen. Amen.

FISSURES AND CRACKS OR IS IT MORE?

  Anyone's head spinning, faster and faster, so much so that the eyes are confused and the mind overwhelmed? Well, join this not so merry club - or just keep bumping into walls whose foundations are broken, the structure trembling, and you? Stumbling in the dark, not quite sure where the way out, to safety, is to be found. Or if it even exists.

Sometimes I wonder if all this is a horrid dream, a vision of a future gone awry, or merely a blip in the road, one easily overcome. The problem though, is that dreaming is a wishful thought as we recognize the godawful reality of it all and then wonder how the hell this happened. When did we all lose sight of ourselves, of rules of civility, of decency, of growth of knowledge, of freedom to read and think, without real time growing censorship? How did we arrive or walk ourselves into actual fear of a takeover of this country's governing apparatus ... uh, wait a minute - did that not already take place? My bad. Furthermore, how to even explain all this venom internally and externally when countries, enemies, allies, as so intertwined that when the iconic butterfly flaps those wings, there is indeed an effect on the other side of the world. 

We read of fissures and cracks in the walls of Putin's dictatorship. Uh huh. Perhaps we had better look closer at the cracks and fissures within and without our own walls. Putin will rise or fall, depending on the spirit or lack thereof of the Russian people. The end result? Not much. We have all been there, done that and come almost full circle, back to dictatorship in Russia and former SSRs, be it generic, communistic, socialistic, fascistic - whatever name rings your bell. If Putin goes down, well, so somebody else rises to the top of the scum of Russian elites, perhaps even Prigozhin. Same difference and same end result.

No, my great fear is that my high speed once list of unthinkable events is outdated, for the future is upon us, now, in the present, front and center and moving swiftly. It is a filthy snowball containing within the traitors to their country and the people within, the Constitution revisionists, bigots, incompetents, the demented, wishy-washy, power-hungry morons. They have tampered so with the structure of our country, attacked our supporting walls with so many sledgehammers and drills that our entire building is trembling, its underpinnings unreliable at this point.

The mortar of trust and faith in our institutions, in the people we elect who then appoint others to offices and positions, has eroded, been eaten away by the acid we spill on it in increasing amounts. The supply of said acid apparently infinite in quantity.  This erosion of mortar is fixable only by the harsh realization of what must be done. A full, thorough, ruthless cleansing of the government. Corrupt judges, from local village to SCOTUS must be 'unbenched', replaced with truth-seekers and souls of honor. Members of Congress who have exhibited and demonstrated via their invective spewing mouths and their abhorrent behavior, disregarded their oaths to the nation need to be censured, impeached, defrocked of offices, along with their camp followers at all levels. 

This is indeed a harsh view of a future which must become real and now. How to install this program, how to organize, carry out and reassure the people that we are still America, only returning to what we were, taking out the trash, well, way beyond my pay grade. I only know, feel it deep in the marrow of my bones, that we are fast approaching the point of no return. If we do not act now, decisively, promptly, we will be unable to act later. It will be the antidemocratic cudgels and hammers and the mortar of the blood of the imprisoned which will reshape our institutions in a most misshapen form. 

No, folks, I have not gone off the tracks. My trolley is still functioning quite well, on the tracks, albeit a tad, well, more than a tad, slower and squeakier. Here are the words of a famous author who has written a different kind of book in his Cross series. It is not a murderer perse se that Sampson is seeking, but the murderers of the nation, before they complete their dangerous circle of treason, within scary seconds of success. The chief villain, who could not complete his plan without the aid of disgruntled traitors, uses the current situation as excuse and justification.

"The people are tired, frustrated, angry. They don't trust the president, Congress, or the media. The nation is divided, crumbling, and we're steps away from armed insurrection by various different populations."

And his plans?

To use the army, declare martial law. 'Preventive detention'. Monitoring of the media. Supervisors everywhere. Military escorts for 'dangers' to the new government. Decimation of opponents. A total restructuring of our country, the loss of the Republic we have kept for so long, to maintain, keep strong for its citizens and for the world. 

     Are these words not familiar? The worries, the malaise of the nation are true. The elephant in the room is whether or not we truly want to keep our nation, fight for it, or simply want to let go, tired, without following the thread to inevitable repression and oppression which would follow as night follows day.

 I hope to G-d, I, and so many others are incorrect, that we need to have more faith in the strength and integrity of our institutions, in the people of the nation. That soldiers will not turn on their fellow citizens. Time will tell. I hope positively.

I hate to even mention Yitzy after such an awful scenario. However, he is always in my mind and heart. Always in so many who have linked together and been there for him. Yesterday he was able to go to a local amusement park with friends (and father) and be a child again. The videos of the day were marvelous and tear inducing. To see that grin on his face again. We pray for continued progress and good results from the next six months of chemo.

Together. Together. Together.

We must act together, in concert, in harmony.

Together - Together we can achieve it all. 

Together we can

HEAL THE WORLD.

HEAL YITZY!

Yitzchak Elimelech ben Chana Sarah

May he be granted refuah shelaymah bimheyrah beyameinu. 

May he be granted a timely and complete healing.

May he always remain on the road of faith, healing and strength.

May we all walk on that same road.

May Hashem hear all our voices raised in prayer. 

Amen. Amen.

"MY COUNTRY, 'TIS OF THEE..."

  "Sweet land of liberty..." Over a decade ago this was one of the patriotic songs sung daily at every gathering, in every school, anywhere patriotism needed to be exhibited.  All sang lustily, imbued with a unity of a national response to a horrific attack on and in our country. We have never ever fully returned to what was considered 'normal' and in doing so, or not doing so, our entire national ethos has changed drastically. The unity then is now extinct, gone, seemingly forever, as our nation turned over the next decade to cannibalism of its own body politic. My country, rather than a firm statement of pride and belonging, now actually became a question. 

That question? Is this actually, forever, "my country"? Do I belong here? Am I welcome here? Will that welcome last or has it already lost its shine and warmth? Is the Lady of the Harbor actually a standing representation of a present-day hypocrisy of the dream of America, the land of hope, the land of welcome, the land where all things were possible. Perhaps naive, but what else did so many oppressed from round the world have other than that dream of a refuge, where a future was possible. Where the welcome mat, a tad tattered round the edges still remained at the entry door. Not perfect by any means, but better than anywhere else.

My parents were born here. My grandparents came here all by themselves still in their teens, seeking a better life, where they could breathe free. I was third generation, second to be born here. My great grandson is three more generations on - fifth to be native born. As a kid growing up I was American, full blooded gung-ho Yankee. No doubt ever. Yes, I was Jewish, lived in a world which was replete with Jewish people and customs, but above all else, no contradiction - I was an American. Period. We Jews were home. No fear for our very lives. No death camps. No ghettos. American,  I pledged allegiance every day in school and sang to my country, "of thee I sing".

These days I am seriously contemplating purchase of an apartment in Israel. Thinking how once unthinkable, that at my age a need for refuge might be imminent, unwelcome in my native-born country to whom I once sang, to whom I pledged my allegiance. Today, my allegiance is not welcome by purveyors of villainous and violent hatred, millennia old. A hatred invoked by those born with twisted souls and hearts, dining on this foul poison. 

I. Would. Need. A. Haven. From.  America! 

No way! But yes way. Growing antisemitic waves threatening life and limb, security, futures. Once again. Why must it be this way? Today, outside forces have made me, deemed me, Jewish but emphatically not American. In fact, my very presence threatens the nation. This despite the sacrifices of lives and the contributions we have made for this country and to the world. 

The strains of "Anatevka" resound in the air, a constant background noise, reminding me, all of us, that our refuge is never assured. The only country in the world which welcomes me is Israel. Hence apartment hunting. Practically, economically, emotionally, a difficult idea. I love Israel, have pride in it, supported it, but I am an American, though apparently there is a growing school of thought which denies that. 

So, where do I go? Where is refuge?

Europe? Rife with antisemitism, vicious, violent. Arab lands where Jews lived for thousands of years? Already chased out or living in terror. Asia? To Russia with its 'proud' history of antisemitism? Or tiny countries proving their worthiness by taking on the antisemitic policies of larger nations? South America? Uh-huh - first check in with the emigres from Venezuela and Argentina, etc. 

Do we revert to hiding who we are, follow the advice of be a Jew in your home, but not in the streets? Ignore the fact that America and the European Union have had to appoint ambassadors and officials tasked with fighting antisemitism? As the practices of Judaism such as kosher slaughter or the brit milah, are condemned, under the guise of humane concerns? Feh!!!  

Is Israel perfect? No. No country is. There are underlying tensions and behaviors which cause me great unease and concern. But there it is. Front and center. The only country that says to me -    "Welcome  home."

Would that America recalls that once I thought I was. Perhaps with a reassuring undertone of always having another option, not necessarily to take up that option, but still - to know it is there... 

A wish, a dream, that all of us, all the sane people of the world, would unite, form a strong front and campaign not only against Jew hatred, but against all these wasteful, harmful, spiteful prejudices and biases that have no basis in fact or truth. 

Would that all together we would grow up and do what must be done. 

Would that we all seek deep within ourselves and discard all needing immediate disposal if we are to enable futures for all mankind. 

Would that we all remember, together, that we are all humans, bound to the same embattled planet, our fates joined together. 

Would that we all choose the good leader, the one for the long haul, rather than one who promises all and delivers only bitterness, hate and ruin. 

Together. Together. Together.

We must act together, in concert, in harmony.

Together - Together we can achieve it all. 

Together we can

HEAL THE WORLD.

HEAL YITZY!

Yitzchak Elimelech ben Chana Sarah

May he be granted refuah shelaymah bimheyrah beyameinu. 

May he be granted a timely and complete healing.

May he always remain on the road of faith, healing and strength.

May we all walk on that same road.

May Hashem hear all our voices raised in prayer. 

Amen. Amen.

BEATS ME!!

  Understanding or making sense of the whys and wherefores of life, that is. The older I get the more confused, particularly with the devolvement of civil behavior and understanding and practice of proper ways to proceed.  At times, taking a step back, I wonder where the hell were their parents?   Evidently not a one of the maxims of life's proper behaviors seemed to be known to them. The same ones my parents drilled into the very core of my being. Nothing complicated - simply an awareness of the peoplehood of others and the simple, but difficult task of treating others as you wish to be treated. To respect others as you are to be respected. Simple, yet apparently difficult. 

As we dehumanize others, so we are dehumanized until peoplehood, points of unity, are discarded and the end results are not pretty. We try to ignore the thunderous, yet silent screams of the oppressed. We shield our eyes and souls from the flashing warning lights of danger ahead. We limit our vision to that which benefits only ourselves even as it harms others. We justify that behavior by saying we all need to watch out for number one. They can watch out for themselves. Not our job nor responsibility. Yet they so are.

 When we tote up our lives at introspective moments, particularly as one ages, we will see the red and the black totals of our lives. Do we wish to have lived a life where the glaring red of debits shouts out even as the black assets are anemic, faded? 

Often too late we make the obvious discovery that it is our lives and the lives of our loved ones which have been damaged, worth less than their true intrinsic value. The many shortcuts we have taken through life have come back. They were never gone, merely biding their time for the just ripe moment to return. Too late the realization that short cuts leave behind sharp remnants which linger and intrude into our lives with often disastrous consequence. Achievements are undone, devalued and advantages turned to dust or disadvantages. The worthy becomes degraded, our efforts diminished or discounted.  And we wonder. We cry. We regret. We try to redeem ourselves, to replace that which has been discarded and trashed. Can we actually undo what has been done? Maybe. Some. Not all. 

Look back, into the distant and not so distant past. What has given you the most satisfaction in life? That which seemingly just came to you, no merit, or that which you attained only via hard work and sacrifice. It is simple to understand. The piece of wood discarded, splintery, solitary, when joined with similar pieces, polished, revised, repurposed, becomes an article of beauty and use - and that is life. 

When we take on a complex jigsaw of many pieces and work hard at it, avoiding the pitfalls of the 'almost' but not really the correct piece, the result is a beautiful scene. Not a misshapen result which will never be right. Only with precision and efforts, avoiding the temptation to force a fit, can we look forward to a job well done and a beautiful, well-earned result.

Life is that jigsaw oh so difficult to fit together, smoothly, no 'off' results which demand retracking to correct. It is the piece of wood ugly and useless from which we create beauty. Hard work, at times intense, difficult to withstand, to persevere, is the way we must take if life is to end in the plus column for assets rather than the red of disaster and troubles.

Hard work, even intense work, does not always bring instantaneous results. In that case one can despair, wonder where it all went wrong. Patience is the answer. Hope is the answer. Somewhere along the line it pays off. Nor should one expect the payoff, so to speak, to be of monetary value. Many times, the reward is intrinsic, rather than extrinsic. It is a great feeling to see a positive, fruitful result from one's hard and substantial efforts to do the right thing. 

Personally, for me, at this stage in life, sliding down the other side of the mountain, bit scary at times- no, more than a bit - I do look back. Worth millions was the light on a child's face with a dawning understanding of a piece of literature or a difficult concept in grammar. It was a satisfaction when a formerly lackadaisical student morphs into an excellent one and a shy one begins to speak out and contribute. It is the growth of children at a difficult time of life, as they try to figure out exactly who they are and what they want to be, define the important values in life rather than the ephemeral. To know, to feel, to hope that I have made a positive contribution toward that child, those children, my educational kids, well, it is good. The recent remark of a parent of a former student was a great gift to me. Thank you. You know who you are. 

All of this, life, cannot be lived in solitary loneliness. Often difficult to find a place for oneself, it is a search well worth the effort. To work in tandem with others, to appreciate the positive synergy, to be a part of something is a great feeling, a good reward, no matter the size, big or small of one's contribution. 

And so once again we come back to the theme of togetherness, the ability of a unified group achieving more than a lone individual. Yes, one must be ready to speak up, to go against the crowd when it needs to be called out, but always, find another and another and another to walk with you, beside you, for it will strengthen you and your efforts.

We have seen those efforts pay off within our personal lives. The togetherness for Yitzy is heartwarming, given him and the family a lift, an encouragement. To know that one is not alone in a struggle, such a difficult, dreadful struggle, well, there are no words. 

The power of this togetherness has certainly helped Yitzy get on a positive and hopeful path towards a complete healing. With yet another grueling six months of chemo left before we will receive an answer, the one we hope and all of us, you, me, all together, pray for.

Please, keep it going.

Together. Together. Together.

We must act together, in concert, in harmony.

Together - Together we can achieve it all. 

Together we can

HEAL THE WORLD.

HEAL YITZY!

Yitzchak Elimelech ben Chana Sarah

May he be granted refuah shelaymah bimheyrah beyameinu. 

May he be granted a timely and complete healing.

May he always remain on the road of faith, healing and strength.

May we all walk on that same road.

May Hashem hear all our voices raised in prayer. 

Amen. Amen.

IN THERE SOMEWHERE

 The wife of Jack Hanna remarked that though he is increasingly lost within the terrible darkness of Alzheimer's, he is there, inside somewhere. I am not sure how much comfort or truth there is to that statement, but perhaps it might give comfort to the dear and near of the afflicted. However, no euphemisms can explain away the terror at the thought of this miserable end disease, any type of dementia, whatever the cause. The results are the same: the person is lost. 

Does that person have a consciousness of what once was? Apparently, while first falling open victim we need to understand that the dam has been breached, the destructive flood freed to wreak its horrors. What remains are the bits and pieces of a life, with mop-up duties remaining. The comprehension of the victim, knowing he/she is descending into that long dark night, lessens with time, thankfully. The invasion has taken place and we are only now recognizing that fact, with the gems already long gone. Call it what you will, call it neurologically diverse, it is what it is, a permanent irreversible change has taken place. No one benefits from this other than the nursing home owners who fill their beds with the helpless, those careening down a steep hill with the inevitable crash awaiting. The hapless caught up in this tragedy can do nothing but keep the victim comfortable, free of pain, treated in a humane manner, and remember the being that once was and is no more. 

With difficulty and sacrifice, we manage, even as the circles grow within the roiled waters of dementia. However, what do we do with the growing pandemic of national dementia. Nations and their caretakers, the population within, are also increasingly lost as their past history is perverted, their future disassembled, ever farther away from positive possibilities. Be it Fascism, authoritarianism, megalomaniacal leaders, skilled manipulators of society, or frightening terrorizing dispensers of brutality. It results in increasingly demented behavior on a national and international scale. The megalomania of the head of state consumes the ethos, the legal and moral backbone of the nation. Left behind is a manifestly ugly broken scenery, remnants of a 'once upon a time'. Nor can we make it 'comfortable', neither in the short nor long run of it all. This afflicted nation begins a dangerous harmful shamble through life, taking down other nations with it in a growing, seemingly impossible to avert crisis of pandemic catastrophic measure.

However, using the somewhere in there philosophy, we can hope that on a national basis, we can successfully, though not without difficulty, combat, defeat the infection before it blossoms into irreversible life shattering proportions. We must delve into our pasts as a nation, remember the pride we had on its founding, the improvements made over the years.

We must recall and reinstate a time when we wanted, demanded reform of our legislative, executive and judicial personnel. When we rebelled, revolted, at the imposition of laws while legal, were definitely immoral. It was on us to cancel those criminal laws and refresh the air and ethos of a nation. Hitler's laws were illegal, no matter the attempts to disguise that. Slavery was and is immoral and certainly not legal. Neither is human trafficking in whatever form it dons. Corrupt officials, from former should not have been President, or crooked legislators, or immoral justices of every level openly either solicit or receive bribery in many formulations and all decry attempts to right this wrong, claiming immunity via their position. The murderer of his parents and then claiming deserved mercy as he is now an orphan.

A growing international network of far right extremists gathering the reins of power must be halted. Ever growing bodies of laws which legalize hatred and seek to turn back the clock to evil times must be stopped in its track as we remind people of the power for the good that laws can serve. When legal wrongs are revealed, the curtains pulled back and the lies bared for all to see. So slavery was abolished. Women were given the right to vote. Child labor was outlawed. Social safety nets were enacted, as we grew into a better nation.

However, the virus, the causation of dementia on a global scale proved too powerful to fully eliminate. It continued to grow in so many places, inducing despair for its captive audiences. The only positive way to defeat and continue to defeat this virus is education, open, free, complete. Uncensored, with open discussion, ideas allowed entry room and air to breathe. Education which will help children develop critical thinking skills, swift, insightful minds, an ability to discern truth from lies, and a huge capacity for recognizing - and accepting - the humanity of all. Then, and only then can we slog toward victory, as these new citizens work together as responsible adults, with an understanding that we, the inhabitants of this embattled besieged threatened and challenged planet must commit to working with togetherness, denying the ever growing demented thought that we can do it alone, go it alone on this path that will break us all.

Somewhere in there we have the memory of better times, of better leaders, of a caring, non-fractured nation, of a time when we knew we must always strive to improve, to grow as people, as nations, as a unified planet. 

Together we can find those memories, those curative ideas and pathways. 

Together. Only together.

The future is so not a go it alone path. Rather, it  must be walked together. Learn to talk together. Repave, rebuild, expand - together. The strength is generated from within, by the synergy of the many, far more powerful than a sole vice barely heard, drowned out by the cacophony of the universe. Yes, the individual must be bold and inspire others with that shining courage and morality. The power of one + one + one + one is more than four as it joins together, melds, and morphs to form a new, more powerful, louder entity.

Together. Together. Together.

We must act together, in concert, in harmony.

Together - Together we can achieve it all. 

Together we can

HEAL THE WORLD.

HEAL YITZY!

Yitzchak Elimelech ben Chana Sarah

May he be granted refuah shelaymah bimheyrah beyameinu. 

May he be granted a timely and complete healing.

May he always remain on the road of faith, healing and strength.

May we all walk on that same road.

May Hashem hear all our voices raised in prayer. 

Amen. Amen.

THE SOUNDS OF MUSIC

  Last night I was roaming the rooms seeking what, I could not have told you. Nothing tempted me -not jigsaws, not preparing for a major painting on a large canvas, not even one of the many books that I am looking forward to reading. The place for me seemed to not yet having been invented. Desperate, I turned to the list of Tivo'ed programs and there it was. The answer. A concert from 1974 featuring John Denver, one of my favorite all time singers. I settled in and prepared to enjoy.

However, I did more than enjoy his wonderful music in passive moments of enjoyment. I guess it was teacher mode intruding into my life, never seeming to leave behind the temptations, the instincts, of an educator. To take from a book, movie, song, play, a lesson, a discussion, a prodding of audiences to think, deeper beyond surface enjoyment.  Music speaks to the soul, to the heart and mind and we must allow the 'extra' in if we are to fully enhance the experience.

Thus, the penetration of his words into my soul and into my brain. Listen to the lyrics as they flow swiftly via the musical score. Then be astonished at the evolvement of the meaning of these words, from their first impression to the meaning now. Life changes us, stresses differing items and categories at various stages of our lives. We hear it differently, and therein is the beauty, the power of music.

The music of the night is heard throughout the day and the years. We can try to block the notes and their inspirations and messages but somehow, they break through. History teaches us that.

Now back to the Rocky Mountains and their beauty, 'living', alive, never to die according to the words of his song. Beautiful shots of water flowing clearly, in volume, of lovely walks, are replaced in one's mind with current pictures of these same mountains, now challenged in its life via over settlement, vicious forest fires, droughts and overuse of water. How much damage we have inflicted, trashing this natural G-d given beauty in this world. We wonder, are the scars, the suppurating wounds on Nature, outer symbols, a kind of Dorian Grey reflection of our inner souls, the impurities grown within? If so, we had better take warning and soon.

"Follow me where I go, what I do, who I know
Make it part of you to be a part of me
Follow me up and down, all the way and all around
Take my hand, say you'll follow me."

We sing along, voicing these lyrics, once so inspiring to young stalwart hearts, stepping out on the paths of adulthood, thinking, knowing, they knew it all, their optimism strong. Surely, they would either be the one people followed or they would find the right person to follow. The sunshine on their shoulders would indeed make them happy. However, when the brightness revealed the flip side, the harm that an excess of even the good, the altruistic, carried too far, extremes, can cause, tears did come to the eyes. And so, they cried, as  bitter understandings hit their physical, mental and emotional eyes. 

Life was not as simple as it once had been. The opening verse of the song impacts their minds - the difficulty of truly loving someone, allowing the fulfillment of the wish, indeed, the necessity, to mesh with others, to indeed follow one's dedication to a positive outcome, dreams and realities meshed together. A difficult, challenging slog through life.

Denver's songs appeal to the young and optimistic, the ones out to change the world, as well as to the other end, those on the shady side of life, having lived long years, fought the battles and won some wars, gained benefits and gifts even as costs were too high at times. These are us - whose music now reformats itself, new favorites. The bombastic, pounding catchy rhythms are now playing second chair to presently poignant statements of repairing the damage we have left untouched, the new we have caused, how little all our efforts amounted to. How much we had left behind for others to now take upon their shoulders.

We sigh at their naiveite. We smile slowly as we and they sing the same songs. We sing of yesterdays, todays and tomorrows from differing viewpoints. These kids think these are separate entities while we know that they are one, a flowing river which often backtracks on itself, or grows new sandbars and has hidden dangerous life threatening currents. While we continue to love, cherish and sing the fast, the loud, the marching songs with remaining inspiration, we also sing along with songs of memory, of the truth of life.

 Once, "those were the days, my friend, we thought they'd  never end" but they did. Some of us sold out, others continued the struggle. Some created, some taught the new generations, some messed around with the world. Some even reconfigured themselves finding new depths within. 

We must now help those coming along how to choose music. When to mesh with it  and when to separate from it. How to use music for the good, not for incitement to violence and hate. Not for exclusion but inclusion, To hear the pleas of lyrics as they remind us that we are all the same - like it or not, admit it or not. We need the music of the future to be fit for the world, to find and encourage and sing of that which unites us rather than what separates us. Not the music of the rat-a-tat music of discordant notes, of the boom of explosions, the cries of the wounded. The music must be that of taking time to understand, to mesh, to join together to achieve global interests of  saving this planet and emerging from these struggles as better people. To respect the music of others.

Music, properly applied, can add to the serenity necessary in our complex world. Music is needed to smooth transfers of knowledge and power from generation to generation. Songs of defiance to those who would impede progress and push hate - We Shall Overcome. The song The Partisans of the Forests and Ghettoes. 

It is the plaintive plea of "Country road, take me home, to the place where I belong" - even as we are perhaps not exactly sure where that place is. So we try to find the proper country road, hear its music and tread its path together.

Not an easy country road it requires us to walk alongside each other, not ahead, not behind, but alongside. The music is to remind us that we are walking the same, staring at the same stars, dreaming the same dreams, hoping and praying for the best for  our kids.

So we pray together. We hope together. We continue on that path and who knows....

Listen to the sounds of the music.

Together.

We must act together, in concert, in harmony.

Together - Together we can achieve it all. 

Together we can

HEAL THE WORLD.

HEAL YITZY!

Yitzchak Elimelech ben Chana Sarah

May he be granted refuah shelaymah bimheyrah beyameinu. 

May he be granted a timely and complete healing.

May he always remain on the road of faith, healing and strength.

May we all walk on that same road.

May Hashem hear all our voices raised in prayer. 

Amen. Amen.

WAS, IS, AND THE GAP BETWEEN

  I get tired, oh so tired, the tiredness that isn't so much physical, but emotional, mental, a despairing of a situation seemingly without any hope at all of ever reaching a just end, or any ending at all. Merely to keep on rolling in the mud, covering truths, and ignoring justice and historical facts via public words. Words within lies. Words with hurt aforethought. Words which are simply inadequate in attempts to convey more than anger. It is a grief of the millenniums, a grief that bewilders so many. 

It carries within the grief of historical truths and ugliness. It carries within the heavy burden a Jew carries, faces, from the moment of birth into a hostile world. Long besieged, long a victim of hypocrisy and violent prejudice. Long victim to those whose open preferences are extermination of them and their families, from the youngest to the oldest. People flinch today as they see babies smashed against walls, thrown into the air and caught on a bayonet's sharp point, even pulled apart, or lined up on a grate to be fed into the ovens, a sight which continues to haunt my nights - and days - after viewing it in Auschwitz museum. The elderly were thrust into gas chambers, demeaned, broken, and mothers were forced to hold their children by the hand as they were shot, dropped into mass graves, destined to die in agony.

 A world racked by a thin veneer of guilt at allowing this to happen, as they stayed silent, playing deaf, dumb and blind, re any expression of revulsion and ultimatums to stop, placated their implicit guilt by voting for the establishment of a State of Israel, much truncated from the original promise of Balfour, certainly contradictory to the words of promises of the Bible they claimed to venerate. This orphan nation was sent out into the world, facing multiple armies who invaded forthwith, at the same time absorbing refugees from the Holocaust, refugees fleeing from Arab lands where they had lived for centuries. The world? Silent. Banning weapons sales to a desperate nation with immense burdens. Hoping that others would do the job for them, free of blood.

 That was - and still is. Other nations or peoples are allowed, backed up, in demands for their own nations, down to small segments, a neighborhood of a city in demanding the right to secede and form their own city-state. A return to the world as it was prior to WWI, you know, the war to end all wars that did not quite live up to that expectation.

In the meanwhile, over there in the Middle East, was a parcel of land begging for inhabitants to come, live and improve the land, reverse its bloody history as a battleground between Moslems and Christians, ignoring the historical truth of actual belonging to neither of those combatants, but rather to the Jews who were forcefully exiled. Even as they continued to pray for its return, redemption, and continued to visit, settle, live and learn through the centuries. 

A hope that sustained them through their bloody persecuted history, through restricted, threatened lives imposed upon them by others. Given a misnomer of a name after the Plishtim, a tribe of ancient times, long extinct, who actually lived in the area of Gaza, it was not a land where life was easy, where there was a continued carpet of orchards and lovely, tidy little farms. No, it was a land where some were able to support themselves as they lived on land of the great pashas of Damascus and Aleppo who rented these parcels to poor Arabs from Syria so as to generate income. The iron keys waved around as proof of ownership are for sale by the dozens in every antique store, in both Arab and Jewish shuks, markets, keys to a door in a rented home as every renter has a key. 

That was. Now what is? The same in different form. The assorted media cry crocodile tears over the poor 'teenagers' who throw stones, rocks, boulders, concrete blocks, firebombs, firecrackers, stab, kidnap, attack such oh so dangerous places as restaurants, schools, synagogues, parks and then run to their homes where they claim sanctuary and parents praise their bloody actions, vow to throw in their other children, provide aid and encouragement to them, and then complain when their homes  are demolished and they are sent away from those they would prefer to kill rather than live with in peace! 

At Israeli funerals there is only grief, no shooting, only wonder at the continued hate, the support of the world for the violence and bloodshed, the one sided 'evaluation' and demands of the situation. We cry to the heavens - Ad mahtai, Hashem - till when, O Lord, till when?"

Yes, there are those who would take bloody revenge. Yes, there is anger. Yes, there is unassuaged grief. Yes, there is a desire to end this once and for all. Yes, there is a determination that no, never again, will we allow ourselves to be bereft, robbed of our homeland. We are entitled to one, equal among world nations. We are entitled to dispute claims of a never quite historically real people, whose population is actually more within Jordan than in Israel. The west bank is a remnant term when it described that part of TransJordan. Its proper name is actually its Biblical names of Yehuda and Shomron, where tribes were assigned territory.

The teenagers of Israel, like the victims of yesterday's murderous attack, - why are they discounted, not recognized as being minors, enumerated as victims? Even as the supposed innocent teenagers of the Arabs are mourned as teens, as if they were not in a place of violence, seeking to kill and maim of their own volition and/or the cynical cold use of them by their own elders, who shelter and hide themselves among civilians.

Our children are robbed from us, like the teens in yesterday's attacked car, or the teen daughters in a car with their mother, or the three schoolboys kidnapped and murdered in cold blood, or the teens in restaurants, in crowds at end of services in a synagogue, or attend a targeted school. Even as our elderly and middle-aged, and all, Jews and non- Jews alike, are caught in this bloody, violent net.  

We bleed too. Shylock asked that question long ago - "Do we not bleed?"  We do indeed. And we refuse to continue to do so in order to please the world who will sympathize, maybe, with an endangered Jew, but as a Broadway show said, "A Jew who is a winner is a disgrace." Too bad. Never again is not an empty hot air balloon, but rather are words of intent and consequence. We will not bow to what was and what unfortunately continues as 'is'. We will make a different 'will be' and hopefully, the rest of the world will join in.

Together we can face these issues. Together we can conquer those who wish violence to continue, selfishly for advantages it gives them. Together, in silence, finally, no sounds of arms, no bloody shrieks of pain, no cries of mourning, no hot dangerous bombastic terms but blessed silence as we gather our thoughts and come up with true possibilities, not dangerous demands of no reality and no trust. Surely, somewhere among all of us, all the people of the world, there must be at least some who can do this. I certainly hope so, for we are in a true tinder box situation and the box is heating up.

Together, in a thunderous silence with sensible, thoughtful resounding words we can do this. If we want to. If we understand the consequences of not doing so. Together the right way. The way to life, not blood and death.

Am Yisroel chai!

The nation, the people, live.

We must act together, in concert, in harmony.

Together - Together we can achieve it all. 

Together we can

HEAL THE WORLD.

HEAL YITZY!

Yitzchak Elimelech ben Chana Sarah

May he be granted refuah shelaymah bimheyrah beyameinu. 

May he be granted a timely and complete healing.

May he always remain on the road of faith, healing and strength.

May we all walk on that same road.

May Hashem hear all our voices raised in prayer. 

Amen. Amen.

OH, WOULDN'T IT BE LOVERLY!

  Imagination is wonderful. It allows the mind to wander even as the body is trapped somewhere, be it in a boring classroom, a waiting room, or simply passing the time. Some of the imagined venues and events are sheer entertainment or the wishes of one's wildest dreams coming true. Winning an Olympic Gold Medal, having that winning ticket to a billion dollar lottery and changing the world - all glorious, and even perhaps the nudge, the elbow in the ribs needed to push that fantasy into a reality, or close to it. That is a triumphant "wouldn't it be loverly" as the loverly becomes, or approaches reality.

On the other hand, there are not so pleasant fantasies. These point to the hollowness of a person's soul, to huge deficits to be found in one's thinking and plans for a future, a selfish one at that. These dreams call out, shout out, for attention, but we generally have scoffed at the possibilities of their realities - much to our detriment. We have ignored them time and again and are in the midst of one such state of denial right now. Wake up time is upon us. The alarm is sounding loud and clear. The question is why are we deaf, willingly deaf, to its clarion calls? 

History is rife with examples of consequences, good and bad, of ignoring wake up calls. The people of Jericho ignored the noise pollution of the trumpets as those crazy Israelites marched around their walls, trumpets blaring - until the walls came tumbling down. Attila the Hun and his hordes were thought to be of no real challenge, until the hordes stood at the gates of so-called civilization. Marie Antoinette miscalculated badly with her cake advice. Hitler was judged a joke, to be easily controlled, good for the country. Look what happened. We have wars to end all wars even as they breed new wars. And we have the violence, the chasms in society, as Trump rose to the fore, top of the swamp scum, and now his acolyte, DeSantis, is upon us. 

 Turning on his mentor, his Yoda, pardon the comparison, DeSantis attempts to outtrump Trump. Boding no good for us. At all. We are accepting of his anti-"woke" ravings, even as we remain asleep at the wheel, allowing our ship to stray into dangerous waters. Trump and his tainted glory will be as a gnat to a dinosaur if DeSantis triumphed in his quest to rule the world, first step - AmeriKa.

His wouldn't it be loverly dream is a dear G-d how awful scenario for the rest of us. Those, yes, woke to the fact that we are not perfect and must speak up. We have gone astray in some areas, neglected building on our strong points, fallen numb to the fact that we have a role to play on this planet. Denying that is not a very good idea.

Oh, wouldn't it be loverly if we could indulge, had the power to grant DeSantis his wish, in one of his hubristic venues of glory to Ron. All hail to Ron in his twisted mind clearly expressive of his dangerous truth of body and soul. The crass self-importance!

 "DeSantis said he’d like to have been among the original disciples of Jesus Christ. 

“These guys all went out and they dedicated their life to spreading the gospel,” DeSantis said. “I look back at that and would loved to have been able to be there with them.” 

There are many people running around these days with G-d complexes, false claims of first cousin to the Lord or best buddy to the disciples or a conduit, a fixer for humanity, knowing G-d like a brother. As the British say, "bollocks" to that! Read again what he said and now read the response which puts him in his place. 

the “sheer arrogance” of that statement ... 

“Just imagine for a second if alongside Peter, John, James and co., there had been a Ron,” ... envisioned how that might’ve gone:

“A Ron who every time Jesus helped the poor and used loaves of bread and fish to feed the hungry Ron was like, ’You’re too woke, Jesus. You’re too woke. Let them pull themselves up by their own bootstraps.′ Every time Jesus said, I don’t know, we should embrace refugees and migrants Ron was like, ’Stop all the wokeness, Jesus. Send them to Martha’s Vineyard. The Holy Land is where woke goes to die.’” 

“The truth is that the Jesus of the gospels and his disciples were way too left-wing for Ronald DeSantis,”  

Will we keep him in that place, yet another failed false prophet looking out only for himself, stepping on all in his journey to complete hubristic madness. No people, no country, caught in a cycle of violence and despair are immune to the dangers of self inflated and appointed messengers of G-d. Rather than saviors, they trashed their own country, murdered their own fellow citizens, all in the name of a twisted wouldn't it be loverly dream, one that stinks to the high heavens, reeks of danger. Ignoring it is not the proper attitude. it does not 'go away'.

Some advise appeasement. Been there, done that, and check out the history books and analyze the results of that policy. Severe scoldings roll off the back like rainwater on a water repellent jacket. No, the only true path is to admit we were wrong, negligent in our duty to guard this nation from enemies within as well as without, and repudiate all who propose otherwise. 

DeSantis is a prime example of a man who does not understand the concept and necessity of togetherness. To go it alone is only to postpone disaster and failure, even as the false leader wreaks havoc upon the nation. It has long been a useful phrase - "No man is an island" and we use it here. No man can stand alone. It is inevitable failure, though the interim between triumph and downfall can be long and hard. Let us turn aside from him, this budding fascist.

Let us value togetherness. Yitzy said to thank all of you who are walking along with him, together. He feels stronger because of all of you, sure he is going to get better because of your prayers and wishes. Being together with him. 

I second that.

And wouldn't it be loverly for this to happen:

 the togetherness for Yitzy, a powerful, helpful, blessed togetherness.

Let us continue. 

For the sake of all of us.

For our children and grandkids.

 For us.

We must act together, in concert, in harmony.

Together - Together we can achieve it all. 

Together we can

HEAL THE WORLD.

HEAL YITZY!

Yitzchak Elimelech ben Chana Sarah

May he be granted refuah shelaymah bimheyrah beyameinu. 

May he be granted a timely and complete healing.

May he always remain on the road of faith, healing and strength.

May we all walk on that same road.

May Hashem hear all our voices raised in prayer. 

Amen. Amen.