SHANDA

 No, not one of the newfangled names nor a misspelling of one. In fact, it is not a name at all, not even English. It is a word from the Yiddish lexicon, its true understood implied conveyed meaning is not actually translatable. It is a word which has accompanied the Jewish people wherever they found themselves and used to convey powerful emotions and a statement of reality, on a personal level or a national level. Whatever the situation is, no one actually aspires to reach the level at which shanda is the go-to term, for it sends a chill though every Jewish body, or at least those who accept reality and do not hide behind, beneath, within false realities which history has already disproven. In fact, when shanda level is reached, one must prepare for disaster. Not merely problems, even severe ones. Nope, shanda is a level unto itself.

Defined in English dictionaries as a shame, a disgrace, it is so much more than that. Beyond that term lay the land where one falls off the map into the area where "there be danger or there be monsters". And monsters there are indeed and aplenty. The worst level of monsters, the top of the genetic chain of monsters. People.

 There are problems and there are Problems. Even a child falling off the right track, an economic pressure within a family or society. Marital disaster. All terrible. But all not on the level of shanda. Shanda is that level in which and beyond an existential crisis is not impending, but actually in process. Pandemics are one instance. But the worst shanda is that born of hate. A hate whose bloodlust is insatiable. It cannot be explained away. It defies destruction, hides beneath ugly rocks in ugly minds, taught to the next generation, surfacing during a time of anticipated success, absolutely the antitheses of humanity. No obvious answers or solutions. It defies sanity and reason, has no factual underpinning. Despite uncountable reams written about it, the answers evade discovery - if people even desire answers. 

The chief word which leads to a true shanda is HATE. Dark, unexplainable, violent hate. Contagious to the nth degree. When the shanda level is broached, that hate has triumphed and global peril perhaps unstoppable, has reached the explosive temperature for the core to explode.

Why hate? Hate blinds people to truth. It appeals to the worst of humankind, gives one legit outlets of bloodlust. It is omnivorous, consuming all in its path, fooling those not yet on the menu, but that point will be reached. That is a guarantee.

Today the world has reached shanda. Hate is rife, is globally rampant. Incubating since the latest   shanda, the Holocaust, it has broken through again, its blood hunger as strong as ever, perhaps even more. In fact, the entire world appears to have bought into the oldest hatred of all, the producer of the shanda level down through the millennia - Jew hatred. No matter the disguises and false denials, that is the truth. Jew hatred. Ugly. Bloody. Frightening more than can be understood by one who is not a Jew.

The hatred is not to be satisfied by the slaughter of millions of Jews. No, for that is not enough it appears. The rest of the world seems to have bought enthusiastically into the plans of Hamas, an entity which openly, victoriously, demands an end to Jews. Period. Not here. Not there. Not anywhere. 

And the world has bought into it. Not merely by standing by and silent, but in actual, physical, homicidal, political support, enthusiastic at that. A violent Jew hatred, targeting the young, the helpless, the elderly, the women, civilians - an obvious war crime and hear the roaring, deafening silence in response. No, I was wrong, for there is a reaction - a world marching in vocal vitriolic support of it. A stated goal, vocal and in print, boastfully, heard in their mesmerizing incessant chants of murder, of genocide.  

 And the world marches on. And on. Jews are threatened, harmed, their properties vandalized, their safety and very presence in universities questioned. Physical harm is ramping up. And the supposed leaders of society - well, just take a look around. Decide.

 Do you see Hamas representative   of your beliefs?

Do you support violations of any civilized rule of humankind? 

Do you equate war with civilian slaughter? 

Do you equate offense and invasion with defense? 

Do you agree with the use of human shields, and then blame it on the foe, disavowing all responsibility?  In fact, are the people innocent -as they voted for Hamas, cheer it as it parades dead naked women through the streets, condone its egregious, heartless actions?

Do you agree with this?  " Jews can be beaten, kidnapped, raped, beheaded, and burned alive in their homes, and so long as the pogromists are Palestinians, the assault will be excused or justified by many claiming to speak for the wretched of the earth.'    

       Yes, I AM FRIGHTENED. Again and again and how much longer are we to take this? Jabotinsky wrote and spoke after the Kishinev pogroms thus: “Israel, will you not listen?/There is no support or aid from strangers/There is no shame like the shame of trembling/And surrendering to the whip/To the demeaned, bent and bowed:/Throw away scorn, and once more blossom.”   Israel fights for its survival and for all world Jewry. For all the victims that would follow, in this time of shanda, feeding the ever open, hungry maw of hate. Those Jews who think collaborating with the enemy will protect them from sharing the proposed fate for Jews, well, think again, read history, think again.

 Today, shanda runs throughout the lands of the globe. Personally, I resent the anger these animals have engendered within my soul. It leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. I despise them for their inhumanity, for the hate they have forced me to feel. I resent having their ugliness foisted on me. Let them slake their bloodlust on their own; they have done that often enough in the past, present and probably will in the future. 

Finally, I seethe at the waste of so many resources necessary to advance research in medicine, in environment, in so many areas if we are to fix this   broken world of ours.   In particular, I look at my Yitzy and cry at the lack of sufficient   funds for research, to find ways to eliminate child cancer. Why should Yitzy and others with cancer have to suffer consequences of their ugliness, the drain they are on society and positive progress.

Raise our voices loud and strong for all who need the One Above to hear and repair. To answer our pleas positively in a timely manner. these are the positives outcomes we should be paying attention to striving for achievement.

From our mouths to G-d's ears and huge heart and I sincerely hope he is paying attention!

I plead and pray.

And beg.

Please join with us and raise your voice as we ask for healing. Please. Please.

Answer the pleas of so many, now multiplied by so many, so much. Heal our Yitzy, our so sweet treasure. We need him more than You. 

 HEAL, CURE YITZY

YITZCHOK ELIMELECH BEN CHANA SARAH

DEAR G-D, I PLEAD WITH YOU.

HEAR US.