THANK YOU, RABBI DAVID WOLPE

 It is not often that one can find a piece of writing which could have come from one's own pen or keyboard. I have found such a piece, written by Rabbi David Wolpe, an amazing man, a Rabbi, an author of many books, of which I possess several. While I do not always agree with what he writes, this article published in the Jewish Journal could have had my name as author, though obviously, Rabbi Wolpe says it better and with more authority. I present it, or rather the first part, to you for your perusal. Please read it all. Simply type in the title and it can be found. It is a profound piece which writes of hard truths and an even harsher reality and a deep concern for a future. It is entitled

 My Year at Harvard

 Rabbi David Wolpe took a one-year position at the Harvard Divinity School. What he found was an institution rife with antisemitism and anti-Zionism. Now he tells his story.

 The first day of the holiday of Sukkot was a week before the Oct. 7 attack. Each year the Divinity School at Harvard, to its credit, erects a Sukkah. Remarkably, the only ceremony marking the holiday was run by a group that called itself “Jews for Liberation.” As a Visiting Scholar I was new to campus and decided to attend my first Divinity School event. There was no lulav or etrog, traditional symbols of the holiday. Hebrew prayers were omitted in favor of English songs.  But before even this exiguous ceremony began, we were told by the student coordinator for whom the ceremony was intended:

"This is a safe space for anti-Zionists, non-Zionists and those who are struggling with Zionism.”  Wow, I thought. My first Divinity School event is a Jewish one in which there is no safe space for people like me. 

Like many people, I had a somewhat idealized image both of Harvard and of the position of Jews in the United States. I stood in the Divinity School chapel and marveled that this was the spot where Emerson had delivered his famous address, “The American Scholar.” Here was a plaque to the great American Preacher Theodore Parker whose sermons Emerson called “a streak of rockets all night long.”   I passed by storied halls and pictures of illustrious alumni.  But as the days passed, in the pit of my stomach was a gnawing sadness mixed with dismay. I began to understand, as I visited these places with my kippah on my head, that I might be the kind of Jew that this place was not eager to see

Then came Oct. 7. As the world knows, campuses exploded into protests and became a focus of worldwide attention.  The Divinity school was swept up in the maelstrom. The “apartheid wall” — an art installation claiming Israel is an apartheid state and calling for divestment from any business or institution associated with the State — was removed from Harvard Yard, where it had stood in previous years, and found a congenial home on the grounds of the Divinity School. The explosion and its implications, of course, went far beyond that corner of the university. 

When I packed my bags in September and moved across the country, the air was still warm and I felt a little like a student again. After 26 years as the Senior Rabbi of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles, I retired and was serving for one year as a visiting scholar at Harvard’s Divinity School. The move promised a reunion across the generations. My parents grew up in Boston and we used to come here when I was a child to visit my grandparents. Although I had not returned here as an adult, and never attended Harvard, it was a kind of homecoming. Cousins appeared whom I had never met nor knew existed. I expected a year of family, quiet study, teaching and writing. Nothing turned out to be quite what I thought it would be.

The Divinity School has a very strong Protestant tradition, but is nonsectarian. Today you will find self-identified pagans, Buddhists, Sikhs, syncretic faiths, as well as Judaism, Islam Christianity, and many others. The notice boards are a pastiche of workshops in psychedelics, gender studies, ancient languages and slam poetry.

I was aware that the Divinity School had a reputation for being politically left even among the leftist bent of higher education.  The usual explanation was that graduates, unlike those in other departments of the university, did not have to enter corporations or businesses that moderate any ideological excesses. Additionally, the Divinity School was both geographically and ideologically the most distant from the business school. These were the avatars of Harvard idealism. Or, as one professor wryly put it, “The Woodstock of Cambridge.

During orientation we all stood before the students and presented our classes for the coming year. The dean who ran the session with skill and wit, told us all where her office was located. Later that day I happened to wander by her office. Her front door was dominated by a poster reading “Democracy is not Occupation” in Hebrew, English and Arabic. For the curious, no, I don’t recall during my time seeing a poster or protest concerning the Chinese treatment of the Uyghurs, the Syrian treatment of the Yazidis, the oppression of the Rohingya in Myanmar, or even a forlorn hope that Tibet might be restored. With hundreds of millions of literal slaves in the world from North Korea to Mauritania to Eritrea, America’s racial problems, gender questions and the plight of the Palestinians seemed to be the only issues that gripped the conscience of students and faculty.

The day after Hamas’ brutal massacre of some 1,200 Israelis, 33 campus organizations issued a statement blaming Israel for its citizens having been raped, brutalized and burned alive. The following day I received a call from the Harvard President, Claudine Gay. She was clearly shaken by the events. Only two months into her term, the University was suddenly facing what one old hand told me was “undoubtedly its greatest crisis.” Gay was contemplating possible responses.  We spoke for a while and it was a good conversation:  I suggested some resources to acquaint her with the history of the conflict and the story of antisemitism. She asked if I would serve on an antisemitism committee. I said yes without thinking — why wouldn’t I? I felt proud to have stepped onto campus two weeks before and suddenly have a way to contribute something meaningful.

To her credit, and the credit of the advisor to the committee, Provost (now interim President) Alan Garber, those appointed to the antisemitism committee were both committed to Israel and to free speech on campus.  We took the meetings — almost all on Zoom — seriously. I think it is fair to say we began under the impression that our advice would be heeded.

The conversations of the committee were confidential, since it was advisory. Each of us was glued to the news day and night and much of the communication concerned the latest developments in the unfolding war and the world’s reaction to it. Our task was clear: To encourage Harvard to enforce university policies already in place, institute transparent punishments for those who broke the rules, set up a decent and responsive reporting system for infractions, and take antisemitic speech as seriously as racist or homophobic speech. We offered longer term suggestions in terms of hiring and administrative and policy changes. It took skill and will, but the solutions to the immediate problem were not that complex. Effecting deeper ideological changes would take longer. 

Yet day after day we received reports on the ubiquitous faculty and student WhatsApp groups of hostage posters defaced or torn down, students subjected to cruel and sometimes blatant antisemitic statements on internal channels of communication, protests that violated the school’s own policies, and in the favored inversion, defining Israelis as that which has most cruelly afflicted Jews, widespread Nazi imagery. 

More than one student showed me the vile images on Sidechat, the internal Harvard communication channel. When a Jewish student pushed back they were overwhelmed by a torrent of shame, abuse and accusation. Eventually many of the Jewish students went silent. 

In a place where discourse and argument should prevail, certain suggestive silences took their place. In silence and stealth, hostage posters were ripped down and defaced. Complaints from Jewish students to the administration were met with silence. On my way to class I saw a student published newspaper: “Harvard Daily: The Genocide Edition.” On internal Harvard messaging and on X, tutors in a student house were writing about “Judeonazis.”

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a good place to stop, and I entreat you all, urge you all, to find the article and read it to the end. Well worth the time. Harsh truths but better to know than fool oneself and try to bury one's head in the sand. To know is to be informed, to be prepared and perhaps have a period of time during which we can try to fix the situation, at least to a livable degree. Maybe. Who the hell knows!

 

THE ELEPHANT-DONKEY FESTIVAL

    It cannot be ignored, can it? The pathetic parading of elephant and donkey, a baring of their nakedness and presumably indifferent or unknowing or uncaring of its own debasement and ignominious state of being. And what was it? A scandal? A sad comedy scene? Or perhaps a remnant, a reminder about a once upon a time nation of striving to be a Camelot albeit always a tad tarnished along the way Still retaining within a glow. at times able to break through and resurface and remind us of what once was in mind with hard work and determination. The dream held high before us. Still, it retained an inner glow, maintaining, retaining, enough energy to resurface and reset, remind us of shreds of hope containing enough within its battered selves to restart engines and find its way home. 

Who was that elephant? Who was that donkey? What is their relevancy? How and why did they make their way last night into the homes of so many.  Was that intrusion worthwhile? Perhaps, if it aroused enough thoughts and ideas? Perhaps, if we heard its words reminding all that democracy remains alive and well only when there is new fresh enthusiastic input by the populace. However, when that populace loses its motivations, its enthusiasm, and fails to remember that successful democracy always seeks the high road, a better way, a step forward, what remains is a sad remnant of what once was and what could have been.  

The elephant used its bulk to continue to push lies, ugly lies which boasted of achievements never achieved, and spewed forth lies at least 30 which I picked up and his nastiness oozed out of his scaly skin and all I could think of was the movie and TV show V and the evil lizard people. The donkey, standing tall and erect, could not hide his weariness nor his soft and hoarse voice, very low, often unable to be heard clearly. He is not evil, merely old in the way people are and could better serve as a statesman but not as President. I do not support his entire program, but at least there is humanity within and an effort to serve others and do them well, whereas Trump is simply EVIL. The cognitive ability of the elephant is more gone than present and is overlaid heavily with selfishness and clear desire, even a need, to step all over others and always gain his objective - a better world for Trump! All is subjugated to that end.   

1776 - 2024. A great ride and now to be ignominiously terminated, dead end? That thought saddens and frightens me at one and the same time.  The steps taken forward. -reversed. The ills of the past - revived. Are we to become a pathetic imitation of what once was, a sad reminder of what could have been? A once proud and dignified, energetic nation turned into a shadow of itself with its leaders consumed by personal hatred of each other. Consequently. the debate often deteriorated. to kindergarten schoolyard insult fest and shame on all of us. 

I am not optimistic about our ability to turn this nation around, to turn to sanity and find a unity of sorts. 

America, America, wherefore hast thee abandoned us and how have we abandoned thee?

Optimism in short supply, chain links of delivery weakened, links brittle.

What do we do now? What can we do? What do we actually want to do?

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Yitzy, stay safe where you are and let your purity remain as is. Miss you so.

Always and forever. Always and forever.

OH, I'M SHOCKED!

,"The Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down part of a federal anti-corruption law that makes it a crime for state and local officials to take gifts valued at more than $5,000 from a donor who had previously been awarded lucrative contracts or other government benefits thanks to the efforts of the official.".

 Really? Are we stupid? Are we totally dense and impervious to clearly "something rotten in the state of Denmark", to a decision glaringly smacking, stinking, of the corruption that has now been enshrined in our society.  Corruption has now been given the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. Bribery has been declared kosher, no problem for such transactions. Simply rename it gratuity.

To call it a "gratuity" after a contract awarded, doesn't quite disguise its truth though, does it, nor quell its nasty smell of rot and corruption. Long ago outlawed, illegal no more. Thanks to our not so upright "Gang of Six" who see nothing wrong in reinstating approval and allowance for bribery. A giant step for mankind indeed and never mind that it is in the wrong direction - backwards. A refreshing return to old, treasured values of the glorious past of our nation.  A matter of our Justices of the Supreme Court once again doing their diligent work, role models for all to admire and emulate. For sure.

Of course, unsurprisingly, spiritual Kavanaugh ensures clear understanding of its parameters and legality. "The question in this case is whether [the federal law] also makes it a crime for state and local officials to accept gratuities — for example, gift cards, lunches, plaques, books, framed photos or the like — that may be given as a token of appreciation after the official act. The answer is no,"   We are ever so grateful for his explanation. Baldly put, legalese aside, here it is in plain language: "the justices drew a distinction between bribery, which requires proof of an illegal deal, and a gratuity that can be a gift or a reward for a past favor. They said the officials may be charged and prosecuted for bribery, but not for taking money for past favors if there was no proof of an illicit deal". 

 Six of one, half a dozen. No Difference in meaning at all. Perhaps we will have a change of fashion as some public officials will have dire and immediate need of deep pocketed clothing. A wonderful side effect for the economy as purchases will be made in droves. Just wonderful! In addition, we have two experts in this area, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, who know how to parse the lines of gratitude from open bribery. Wonderful again!  For sure our ex-President Trump, that stalwart individual, can explain the distinction between gratitude and open bribery. Evidently, so it has been alleged, that many nations and entities were ever so grateful for the privilege of paying through the nose for stays at various Trump properties. Smell the roses yet?

Furthermore, we have rediscovered or regained the drive to be true to the ability of all people to rise in society. The dream of America. How else can we explain the appointment and present position of Judge Aileen Cannon. Inexperienced. Incompetent. Missing pieces of jurisdictional realities and information necessary to properly conduct supervision of important cases, as with that of Trump, who incidentally appointed Judge Cannon to her current position. But never you mind as for sure, she will grow on the job. The American way. Let us hold our heads up high, yet another glaring example of resurrected True American Values. Ah, the glorious treasures of the past, revalued and are we not so ever grateful for their resurrection. 

How beautifully it all meshes together, in the same revaluation of so much else. For example, we have the cancelation of the rights of women who evidently do not have the ability to decide for themselves what they wish to do with their own bodies. But never mind, as there are always men around who eagerly accept the role of a 'master of the house'. We should be ever so grateful being saved from our own selves. Wonder if a gratuity is called for. 

Or remark upon the return to the past of Jim Crow laws, albeit the use of thin veils to soften the edges and hide the truth. Not really doing well as expected in that attempt. However, we have returned with great pride and success to the old-fashioned American grit, to another old and treasured value. Antisemitism. So current, so trendy, so liberating. Present day Americans have been quite adept at this as they revive and reenact and support good old antisemitism. So invigorating. Evidenced on the streets of a city in New Jersey. On the streets of LA in front of a synagogue. In the murders at the Tree of Life. The growing threats and violence. The pungent odor of antisemitism rank in the grounds and hallways of universities. 

 Americans have generally been quite adept at enacting and supporting good old antisemitism. Of late we have returned to those glorious days of yore, ramped up by over 300 percent. In fact, so much better are we these days that we have provided room for growth and melded so proficiently, so smoothly, the old and evil canards of the past with the new version. The destruction of Israel, and its dehumanization and delegitimizing. Denial of a right to exist as a Jewish nation. It calls for the isolation and outlawing of Jews, the denial of the Holocaust -not so bad anyway, right?  So great has been this growth that it has now engendered a new name, more fitting. JewHatred.  Music to the ears of true American patriots.  

 "America, America, G-d shed His Grace on Thee". And pretty damn soon as the Devil has already grown strong roots here. 

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Yitzy, any ideas? But never you mind. Just be happy in your new home and in the embrace of the family there with you. Be happy and rest easy. 

Our love for you only grows, never ever will it diminish. That is a truth -

Always and forever. Always and forever.

WHO'D A'THUNK?!

  So, if somebody would have told me that at this point in time, I would be questioning the continued existence of the United States of America as she was, as she is supposed to be, I would have assumed that there had been a disconnect somehow, somewhere in their mind which had led to confusion and disorientation. I certainly would not have supported their view. However, today, today's reality, tells us otherwise, for they would have been correct. More than correct for we were already on the precipice of abandonment and destruction, worse, a purposeful destruction, of the entire concept of America. 

That precipice was crumbling quickly, unstable and disappearing beneath our feet at an amazing rate. In fact, I am wondering if our supposed leaders had already gone over that precipice and we, the herd that followed, blindly, followed their lead and right over that precipice we went. Reverend Jones Kool-Aid in new presentation, though the end result is the same- death. Death of a nation. Death of a world order. Death bodily and intellectually. A huge step backwards, one extremely unlikely to be reversed and undone.   

The term originalism is defined as such: "the constitutional text ought to be given the original public meaning that it would have had at the time that it became law". The American public is generally unfamiliar with its impact upon us, quite clueless in fact, to its impact upon this nation if officially the policy of the nation, the law of a newly emergent throwback to nasty times, an abandonment of all that has been achieved over the centuries.

 If followed to its full intention as interpreted by the nasty originalists of our day, mean, selfish, boding no good for this nation, we are in fact "canceling" ourselves, our history, the wisdom and lessons of centuries, and all realistic hopes for a better world in actuality. Quite a sour outlook for our future, but so we will have enabled unless we quickly, almost instantly, knock ourselves on our collective heads and see the Truth as it is and as it will be and stop in our tracks, call out whoa! Only then can we try again to move forward rather than continuing on the backwards paths we have chosen of late, too often, too demoralizing and inimical to freedom as it should mean and be in truth and reality. 

It must be based on the true originalism of the concepts our Founding Fathers, in fact, of every man, woman and child sacrificed in its name, for its perpetuity. To do otherwise is to dishonor their deeds and doom ourselves. It is to demean and degrade the boldness and intent of the original originalists: the Constitution is and must remain a living document changing over time, improving upon itself as it was meant to be, as it should continue to be, as it must be. The consequences otherwise will be terrible to contemplate. The Constitution is and must remain a living, changing document meant to continue to further the progress of mankind and this nation in particular. It is meant to grow with the times rather than remain an ossified useless document that only ensures the loss of freedom and the loss of rights and the loss of progress for humanity.  

A bold step of its time, the writers of the Constitution, those who voted on its creation and implementation, meant for a truly new entity to be born - a democracy, a political entity which would serve the people rather than an elite group. It would lessen the impact of privilege and allow for upward movement for the population. It would indeed become a glowing lamp of hope and freedom for those in need and we are all those people.

 The details were not necessarily all they should have been. However, written and taken in the context of the times, the Constitution is and should remain a most remarkable document. It was not meant to be static. In fact, it was meant to be exactly the opposite to grow with the people, to change with the people, to meet the needs of the people of the then and of what will be. 

Unfortunately, the so-called Originalists of today are exactly the opposite of what was meant to be. They are pushing for the exact opposite, to remain a static nation with hard earned rights of women, of children, of all political thinkers and toss aside all positive actions onto the trash heap of history, and even resurrect our most awful missteps.  No one is recommending wild and improperly versed changes, but our Originalists, the writers of the Constitution understood that times and needs change and provided a pathway for those changes via an informed electorate. We have certainly fallen short and in other ways grown in the use of that provision for change. And that is the way of democracy. To grow, to change, to err, and to amend. The originalist of today wish to totally contravene the truth and intent of true patriots and supporters of democracy, even if flawed as we look back with different vision. Without that, that understanding, we would not be who we are today. In fact, we would never have been. Imagine that!

Over the generations, we have tried to improve ourselves. Generally, we have succeeded: from George Washington who turned down the crown to Abraham Lincoln of a nation "of, by and for the people", to Teddy Roosevelt and his national parks system to Woodrow Wilson's quest for peace. to FDR, to JFK, who inspired so many. And now where the hell are we? Where are the like today?  Where are they? Where are the like today? We are plagued by a most selfish, incompetent, corrupt group of insane or nearly insane seekers for themselves. No concept of honor. No concept of statesman. No concept of impartiality. No concepts of decency. Selfish legislators. And judges who have never met true justice up front and personal.  

  We are who we have made, whom we have enabled and accepted. To change the situation is simple. Look deep within the mirror, through our eyes, deep into our souls and decide. Make a decision. What will we choose? What do we actually wish for the future for ourselves and for our children? It is upon us. It has always been upon us. We get what we deserve, a simple concept. Democracy is only saved via the efforts of its people. Are there fulfillment and acceptance of their responsibilities? Without that, we will have nothing. Perhaps we have reached that status already. Responsibilities shirked give rise to inevitable consequences.    

Where do we go from here? How do we stop the onslaught of dangerous ignorant thought and misinformation? How do we relearn to define the outlines of a better pathway into the future. How do we undo the damage of the past decade. Is it even possible to do that so egregious have been the failings of our leaders and our own stupidity in denying all that we have seen right before our lives. Claiming the Emperor is indeed clad in stunning clothing even as he walks naked and bareassed  before  our unseeing eyes. 

I do not know where we go from here. I do not know if it is possible to go anywhere other than where it will be worse. As an American I feel tossed aside by what was, what should have been, my country. As a woman I feel defiled and consumed by anger.  As a Jew I am now cloaked with uncertainty and fear and dense confusion as to how the hell I and the nation, I and my people   have gotten to this point. And if there is any possibility of true reformation, of true interpretation of the Constitution, of an originalism which is meant to be the originalism of the thinkers and fighters for our nation's destiny. Am I optimistic? Definitely not. Are we beyond the point of no return? That remains to be seen. But if we are to avoid reaching that point or if we are to be able to turn back, then we had better do it mighty quickly. Like now.

That means think before you pull that lever or X that box, or circle the name. Demand your rights. Do not let others turn you aside in their own ignorance and hate. Do not be afraid to demand your rights, but do not step on the rights of others. Free speech but not words of hate and incitement to violence. The acceptability of moving onward and upward but not by stepping on the people along the way. In other words, to be a decent caring human being who sees and knows the shared humanity of all of us. Have we lost this ability? Even this desire to be better and do better. That remains for each and every individual to seek deeply within his or her soul. Seek the truth and acknowledge it. Then   make your decision. Hopefully to be a true Originalist. Hopefully to be a true American. Hopefully to be a true human believing that all are endowed with certain inalienable rights and act upon that belief. 

Who'd a'thunk!    

GET IT? GOT IT? UHHH...NOPE!

That would be a definite no. I do believe that no one has gotten it. No one can make sense of this entire mess that is now the best definition in one word of the status of the world, the state of current affairs in and of the United States, and the status of current descriptions of the Middle East, particularly that touching upon, or rather obsessed by, delusional views of Israel. How is the world once again in the grip of a Flaming Cold War? How in the name of God are we to explain or 'get' the fact that here in the United States, in 2024, we have a pitched battle between supposed pro-Palestinian, in reality pro Hamas, hence supportive of murder, rape and carnage and Jewish people being physically denied access to a synagogue. In the streets of Los Angeles!!! 

To the world, this awful shame is presented as a mere moment in time, insignificant in the long run. Merely a blip, of no true relevance to the world. To the nation, this unthinkable clash, its horrendous reality and frightening portent of an ugly future, is to be seen as a mere moment in time, deserving of momentary mention.  The print media joins in with a designation of the "incident' as "yesterday's news already. Even as the streaming of it all returns to obsession with the all-important lives of the glitterati. Such are the values of the current times.

Holocaust survivors and their families are once again looking upon versions of the streets of Berlin, of Vienna, of any country subjugated to the rule of Nazism. And they shudder at this repetition of a cursed history, never ever to be replicated in reality, But LA was not a scene of movie or TV.  It was, is, a shameful reality, the America of today - Today!!! Nope, I absolutely do not get it. Nor should any decent human being get it.  

Yesterday's New York Times presented a complete picture of the confusion and negativity and blindness of the world, A full page presentation of the growth of a new Nazism, a new fascism, quite healthy, within Germany. Rather ironically or stupidly or unthinkingly or deliberately, on the first page was an article decrying the woeful lack of sympathy of Israelis for those "poor innocent civilians" of Gaza. My eyeballs popped out of their sockets in disbelief. Even as the voices and the blood of the Israeli civilians, of the babies, of the elderly, cried out to the heavens, are we supposed to feel guilt at our survival, our grief, our determination to rescue those hostages, now perhaps fewer than 50 alive, with that number swindling hour by hour? Should we have simply exposed our necks to the knives and cooperated in our own deaths? Are we to have sympathy for those who instigated this war, who perpetrated this ugliness, this obscenity?  

The "innocent” civilians who aided and abetted, who joined in with great glee and bloody knife? With boastful voices, who paraded the naked bodies of the slaughtered through the ranks, the crowds of cheering Gazans? Who aided and abetted the constant onslaught of words and deeds of Hamas against Israel? Who declared long and loud over and over and over again their intent to totally destroy Israel and the Jewish population within, a first step upon an attack of world Jewry? Whose famine that never was - not in two days. Not in two more days. Not in two more days. Not in two more days after that nor six weeks after that nor imminent, almost upon, coming, ever coming -that never was. Yet the nations of the world joined in with loud hectoring accusatory words and claims of criminality, all directed at Israel, and by growing extension to include all Jews. Wherever and whenever.   

Who had voted in Hamas as a government? Who had allowed them to maintain control and power? Who had cooperated with Hamas in the digging of that huge network of tunnels? Who had allowed the usage of civilian infrastructure as human shields for Hamas? Who had cooperated with Hamas in the use of their living rooms, of the children's bedrooms, of their stores and their schools, of their mosques?  Who volunteered to take in a captive or two into their homes and do their worst? Try to achieve the greatest depth of the depravity? No. Jewish blood will no longer be cheap. No, there is no sympathy for the "poor, innocent put upon Gazans". Certainly not as we bury our dead, our best and brightest, killed because of those Gazans now whining for sympathy. The deaths, the destruction, could have never been, should have never been - if only.

The world remains in its self-built fortified deafness and blindness, wallows in ancient tropes long deserving final denial. It ignores the lessons and truths of history.  These 'innocents" with bloody hands, dripping knives have forgotten the warning: lay down with dogs and get up with their fleas. And whose fault is that? The sooner the world learns and accepts the truth, the sooner we can stop the heaving and retching of the world. Perhaps then, just maybe we might find a pathway to peace and justice. Maybe. Possibly. Hopefully. Wishfully.

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Yitzy, the world is a puzzlement. The king of Siam was indeed correct with that statement. Perhaps upstairs, the puzzles are explained, understood and solved. Not so much of that down here. If you can, it would truly be nice if you could send us a clue or two.    

In the meanwhile, there is no puzzle about our love for you.

 Always. and forever. Always and forever. 

 

          

A LETTER

  Dear Lord, 

How are You? Are You home? I hope You have opened this letter quickly. The news conveyed is urgent. So, tell me: Are You home? Are You awake? Are you listening? Put away your game console. Stop Your streaming. Halt Your social media adventures.

Close the door, open Your eyes and ears and Your heart to the plaintive voices of those who continue to trust and believe in You. Are You home for us, for those who remain loyal to You?? Are You home for those of us who struggle at this point to literally keep the faith? If so, then where do we look for proof, for the truthfulness of that statement? Where do we look for and see the visible signs of succor, the aid, we desperately need to see, especially if we are in fact to literally keep the faith, keep its candles lit, allow the glow of those lit candles to light the world and allow for some optimism for, of, a future. Even a wisp of a sense of eventual aid will allow us to keep hold of our belief in a faith so challenged by the events of our times.   

Giving up on that faith would be giving up on You. We struggle against that. But we hear nothing. You cannot assume us to be a nation, a people, practitioners of an ancient faith if the deity we worship clearly has abandoned its adherents, its worshippers and allowed the worst of times to besiege them. Moments when You pay attention to Your people are few and far between if any indeed are perceivable to the eyes of humankind. We ask why the hell not? Why have You gone silent and ghosted us? Why have You allowed the forces of evil to dominate and to grow constantly in exponential rate? How and why have You allowed people down here, Your creations to follow the lure of evil? As we blind ourselves and deafen our ears to words of truth.         

Is it our fault that this is the current situation? Maybe. Perhaps. Probably. We have a big hand in it, for sure; however, You the Creator, allowed these weaknesses and openings for them to become the dominant traits in our lives. Are we responsible for their lure, enough to overpower all else? Who created us? Who endowed us with life and set in place this flaw? Perhaps You misjudged the power of humans to overcome temptations as your Angels did. Perhaps, but to be human is to be human. Hence, we are not always, too many times, unable to resist that lure to the wrong side of the road.  

 In desperation too many have succumbed to those wrong paths and engaged in worship of deities not there, who cannot respond to the desperate pleas because they are nonexistent. But where else are they to turn, for the original Creator has apparently abandoned us on stormy seas of little possibility of survival. Desperation, as water, will find its own level and negative outcomes are assured. 

With broken desperate and strong hearts Your creation is bowing down to these other lords and allow them to rule our lives. It brings death upon us, to people we love, to people we know and to the future. Actions and deeds of seeming insignificance generate powerful consequences and we sink even further into hopelessness along with a sense of abandonment. Nor can we find a way back. We cannot find our way back.  Certainly not without help. Certainly not without an extended hand to grab us and help us to pull ourselves out of the ugly quicksand which covers us up to our necks.                A chain of reactions which pose no good for the receiving end ensues, giving rise to yet another link in a miserable chain. In the meanwhile, the chain of generations of those who continue to believe in You despite all the harm that occurred to them, to their families in the past, in the present and most probably in the future, who continue to trust in You - well, Lord, here's the point: Where. The. Hell. Are You?

 Yes. Some of us might have abandoned you, but you are greater than us. You are the creator. You, Lord created us. You inevitably have allowed for this possibility. Thus, you have at the very least, some of the responsibility to rescue those You set up for a great fall. Lord, hear us. For if You do not, if You are out on vacation, if You persist in ghosting us, well, where will Your believers be then? How much longer till You remember us, turn Your eyes and ears and attention to us?  Only You have the power necessary to stop this ugly path of humanity, where bloodlust and hate dominate. Only You, for Your creations have grown weak and unable to do so. Where the hell are you? Where the hell were you and where the hell will you be in these critical moments? I don't know. All I can do is ask. I was trying my best. And yes, my best is not enough. I know that, I admit it. However, there are many others far better than I who are also calling upon You, raising their voices amid confusion and anguish. Where is their God?   

Lord, what is going on with you? Why are we fighting battles we have fought before, and our victories set aside?  Your people, Your creations have grown weary. Is there any hope? Are there to be moments, more than moments, perhaps hours, days, years, decades, of relief or are we to constantly be tested and found failing? Do You not feel the anguish, hear the screams of pain, feel the depths to which people have fallen in their despair? Where are you?  We call upon you as wayward children do to the parents who love them. Always.   We are too small, too powerless. to deal with the evil upon us all by ourselves. It has indeed gone far, this abandonment - on both sides - but You are the greater One are You not? Help us. Hear us. Save us, even if from ourselves. Taste of their tears. Staunch the blood of their wounds. Allow even whispers of hope to penetrate into the miasma so thick around them. You are the last chance we have. At the very least, send us a sign.         

Return to us so that we return to You.                         -------------------------------------------------------------  Yitzy, your earthbound tasks have been fulfilled and you were called home, perhaps to take on new responsibilities, to help those of us who have been left behind. We need your ears. We need your eyes. We need your voice. We need the voices of the Angels around you. Remind the Lord that we are His children. He is our father. The Angels are our heavenly siblings. Remind them of that. They are our last resort.

 Through it all, though, there is one constant. That is our love for you.

 Aways. and forever. Always and forever.        forever.

                   

 

 

  

WHAT IF?

  ... Wishes were horses.? So goes the old adage which generally arises where we are enmeshed in a situation desperately needful of magical thinking and its realization. If only those what ifs would, should, have come true life would be ever so much better. Unfortunately, fairy godmothers and genies residing in lamps have disappeared, leaving us bereft of actualization of magical thinking. Those thoughts can only become true via application of real thoughts and possibilities and a heck of a lot of elbow grease and clear thinking, all malice left outside the door. Reality. Compromise and understanding. Knowledge that tells us the true situation and the true what ifs resulting from either mulish destructive stubbornness or conversely, actual real-time rational adult thinking and application. Everyone a winner and everyone a loser.

 If we don't change things up the worst will indeed happen. No number of wishes will change that. Countless people throughout history have found out the truth of that and lived with the consequences. However, there is another side to "what if?", that one referring to dreams, possibilities, wherein new realities become possible, where once thought impossible of actuality. These are the 'what ifs" of dreams, found in idealists, even in the cynical jaded realists who somehow manage to find that last sputtering spark of hope, of 'what if' generated hope and dreams possible. 

Shepherding these pie in the sky 'what ifs' requires real hard work. Lots of sweat, lots of arguing, lots of compromise and lots of growing realization that yes, those perhaps what ifs are actually changing, taking on different shapes, allowing for positive "what if'? The problem is where do we find those willing and capable of doing such shepherding? Where do we find those who are capable of going out there and somehow banging sense into that great, washed and unwashed electorate out there, enmeshed in their various swamps of fetid thought and deeds where stubbornness and anger and hate dominate. Can we see and encourage, enable, the last remaining sparks of hope to rise once again, to rekindle the dying wicks? Can we? Do we even want to do that or are its opponents too powerful to overcome? I have my doubts. I truly do.

Even with the best of intentions in mind and in deed, is it actually possible to reformulate those what ifs? What if the BBC stopped being so grossly overtly shamefully pro-Palestinian meaning Pro Hamas, meaning pro murderers, pro-child killers. What if its newscasters actually spoke words of truth? Could the world tolerate such a shock, or would it crack in pieces and fly off straight into the great big void out there? Can it be possible for the cousins of the world to recall their familial connection and build upon it. When will Russia recognize that fact? When will the Arab and Jews recall that they all come from the same source - the forefather Abraham. When are we all going to realize that the various tribes of Africa all share the huge rich lands of that continent, wealth enough for all. When is the world, if ever going to divest itself of that stinking hate that festers within? Is it not better, more productive to feed populations rather than kill them or starve them? Here I refer to the Sudan area, real and brutal, and not to the cry wolf supposed famine that never happened and never was in Gaza. 

When are the nations of the world going to realize that we Jews are here to stay? We are not going anywhere. We have never, in fact, gone anywhere, try as you might. What if? What if? What if? A true and lasting peace between Israel and the Arab and Muslim nations. What if the world of Europe gave up its tired, vicious, ever revolving JewHatred? What if? What if? Could there in fact be peace among nations, and we could all beat swords into plowshares. Well, if when and what, I wish I knew. I wish I knew. But think, imagine - peace, ending slaughter and no more lakes of bloodshed and tears of mourning. What if? When if? Again, I wish I knew. I wish someone knew. Two someones.

At this point, however, I cannot even wrap my mind around this, so unlikely it is. And yet, it must happen, for this bloodletting cannot continue. We are wiping out generations. We have yet still to learn that there are no winners in war. Only those who have perhaps suffered less than the sufferings of the defeated. We must find another way, another passage. Find a recognition of our shared humanity and shared fate on this planet. What if we indeed were able to do that? What if and what could we not do at that point in time if we harness the power of all of our minds, focus on the good and the positive rather than on building better, stronger, bigger, armaments and weapons. Just imagine. We must make it so. It must be.  

What if the world actually silenced the spewers of hate and no compromise? We could then, the rest of us, repair and rebuild the world which desperately is in need of new bricks, new foundations, new mortar.

I don't know. Well, I know that I am discouraged. I see that anger on the faces of people. I see the confusion. I read of the incidents driven by the enmity of others. Why must this be the only way?  If we would all simply look in the mirror and then look at the reflection of our enemies in the mirror and understand that we are one. One humanity. No more, no less. We are all part of that humanity. Cousins, albeit at times very distant cousins, but cousins, nevertheless.

 We cannot have all that we wish, all that we want. All that is, in fact, ours. What if we all compromised? What if, What if, indeed?

THE MOMENT OF DECISION

Those moments have been arising of late quite often, so. often that one cannot pay attention to all at the same time. Hence the pick and choose attitude of the day. The choice might be by accident or might be deliberate. But in any case, too often, the result is the same. A disconnect amongst the pieces, the pixels of the picture Results in a distortion of the view scene. This skewed representation. affects the moments of decision. However, when all is not seen, all cannot be taken into account. The result is a distorted, deliberate or accidental, response. The entire chain generated by these faulty pictures and faulty understanding and reasoning carries forward these omissions.

These omissions and distortions. are causative of further skewing. Too often these phenomena give birth to situations of no true solution. Tense situations demanding answers remain unable to be properly and truly addressed and there goes another wallop to the basic foundations of varying societies. Each omission, each lie, each information deprived decision drives divisive nails ever deeper. 

The result is a hyper Gordian Knot with no one able to untie it. The only apparent solution almost inevitably involves and creates increased levels of hatred against all 'others' as defined by those in charge. A most hostile situation birthed, the ability to resolve it peacefully is rendered nigh unto impossible and almost inevitably results is an ongoing situation of a status quo of simmering and open violence.  

The moments of decision are plentiful around the globe. Someone made an egregiously erroneous decision based on faulty input and self-destructive delusions. Massacres, brutality, kidnappings, sexual violence, mistreatment and torture to the point of death of anyone and everyone, from the smallest babe to the oldest person, all are considered fair 'game'. Never the right answer, and quite often a situation which could have been resolved sooner via wiser and clearer heads not filled with rage and hate. Yet too often the negative pathways are chosen and followed to an inevitable dead end. True conclusive equitable answers are never to be found and/or brushed aside, and that awful chain gets yet another rusty link and another and another.

I borrow the words of a wise man who told me "The psyche of the world has been hijacked". How succinctly stated, how simple the realization. In truth, somewhere, somehow, sometime the majority of the world has lost its marbles. Sanity has gone out of fashion. Insanity, disbelief, even antagonism towards truth now prevail and ugly extremes and urges of violence are encouraged. And fulfilled.  

“Yuden verboten”. Jews are forbidden. Some might say that rings of the past; unfortunately, that would be incorrect. Today that sentiment of Jews forbidden has grown legs, many legs and run rampantly and toxically round the world. Memorial stones to commemorate victims of the Holocaust are vandalized. Swastikas. and vile words of hate and ignorance are painted on buildings. Chants of hate ring round the world. Violence ramps up. And here we go again in a most undesirable 'game' of reruns of blood and hate.

Once again, the policy is to isolate Jews. Presented via a thin disguise as 'political' criticism of Israel, it quickly discards that useless disguise and openly moves from so called legit criticism to inclusion of all "Zionists" worldwide and finally, the truth. JewHatred it is. Clear. Simple. Plain. Undeniable.    Blood libel revived. Chants of hate resound. The Plan to isolate Jewry proceeds apace. All contact with the State of Israel is forbidden, verboten. The tag of 'Zionism" as a derogative is    painted, slathered upon all Jews. That backfires, for we Jews are proud to be Zionists, to support Israel, to love it, cherish it, as our ancestral homeland and a haven for persecuted Jews round the world, even as their homelands reject them. The old evil emerges from its fetid swamp. It is now openly Jews who are verboten. No participation be any arena or competition: cultural, educational, academic, scientific, in conferences and research.  none at all. Juden Verboten. Jews Forbidden. 

We know who you are, who are our friends? We neither forgive nor forget. We cannot speak to you of forgiveness for the wrongs you have done to others, for that is their right. What we can do is welcome them home, from whatever exile, from whatever harm, from whatever injustice We will make them secure We will make them safe and we will seek justice for them.   

Understand. that the blood of Jews has been spilled over and over and over again. To the point where every step in Europe sloshes with their blood. Yet we are here and here we will remain. Until the next world arrives, be it via our deaths or via the coming of the Messiah But here we will remain. Am Yisroel Chai. The nation of Jews lives. Forever. So, history has shown so history has recorded. So history has taught us. And should have taught you.

We know our friends and as for our enemies - "Mene,Mene, Tikaal Oohfarsien." You have been weighed and been found lacking. The inevitable will follow and once again, history has taught us so. We know so. All of you now preening and so prideful at your immersion in that trendy fad of Jew Hatred, know that it all comes back to lay heavy upon the shoulders of the wrongdoers. Understand that consequences do arise, wherever and whenever, for we can never run away from our deeds and words.  AOC and ugly Squad members, put that in your pipe and smoke it. Jamal Bowman, you cannot seek an old picture of you with a rabbi and thus claim you are not anti-Jewish and anti- Israel. Your words speak for themselves. Loudly and clearly. We know who you are. We know what you are.  So does the rest of the decent world. 

   The words of the new Jewish Israeli professional welterweight MMA champion say it all. He enters the ring with open display of who he is. Ditto for me and ditto for most of us. 

 "This is a huge part of my motivation to fight and win. I wanted to show people that I’m a Zionist, that I’m Jewish, [and] we can fight,”

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Yitzy, my delicious boy, we will be okay, we will be safe. We always will love you. Three undeniable facts.

Always and forever. Always and forever.

 

AND I WATCHED AND WAITED FOR IT

For what, you are asking. Well, unfortunately, I was waiting for a giant rogue wave of. despair. A despair so deep that I could only describe it with the Hebrew word 'Yeyush'. It can be translated into despair, but it is far deeper than that. The wave hit    and knocked us off our feet and then dragged us back as it ebbed. why? No way out as we tumbled helpless in the tons of raging water. No way out. 

We are right back in one of the same vicious repetitive cycles of history. These cycles bode no good for Jews nor for the world in general. The balance of the world., certainly the balance in so many lives of people, are a tilt, wildly askew.  And apparently at least at this time the possibilities of reset are not there. Not in the reality of America and the world since the presidential campaign for 2016.  after which the unspeakable, the impossible, took place. and a joke of a man, a pathetic imitation of a man with an oversized ego and criminal tendencies took office. Suddenly we were awash with crookedness and actions of only harm. Our path forward sprouted potholes so deep, they could not be repaired. Any path forward became almost impossible. Hence navigating in the world was even the more difficult and more hopeless.

 We now have two doddering old men, long ago past their sell by date. One is a nice old guy battered by the winds of fate. He is desperately trying to recreate a world in which he feels comfortable, familiar and hopeful. Unfortunately, that world is no more. The other doddering old fool is more than that. He is a vicious man, a criminal, indicted with more to follow. He is a man with absolutely no compassion. Nothing is beyond his reach. He judges all by how it affects him and his supercharged oversized ego, his narcissism.      

I think to myself, I wonder, stare into space. How the hell has this happened? How has a big, beautiful country, yes, a stumbling giant at times, many times, shed the map in use and turned to an evil GPS which directed us into myriad areas of danger? No room to maneuver, nor to go in reverse to safety. The generally benevolent uncle and guardian of the world lost his balance and took the world along with him. America today has lost its power. Lost its will. Lost its ethos. Is embroiled. in the useless attempts to negotiate with those who openly advocate for its destruction.  We forget to remember what happens if we fail one to stand firm. Waves and tides of Evil, of injustice, baseless hatred. We are in bogs of unexpected quicksand and have forgotten how to emerge safely from its grip. We squirm and move and only push ourselves deeper and deeper into it.  Desperation grows. We call out for help, but those cries fall on deafened ears.    Hence the Yeyush, the existential despair. Those who do have the ability to pull us out of the quicksand and the bog we have made of our lives   are too busy amassing wealth, status symbols, power and forgets that when I'm asking wealth. accumulating power symbols, all of which will be for naught when the world implodes and explodes.  

Pick up a paper today. Any newspaper of quality and compare them with those of years ago. The same old, the same cycles and even the same names at times. We have learned nothing at all. And always and forever the baseless hatred of Jews. Anywhere, anytime. in any format possible.  Yeyush is upon us and certainly upon me, even as I know that there is still so much. good that remains in this world. The innocence of babies. The pure sound of their giggles. People who continue to reach out their hands to aid others for no recompense other than knowing that they have done the right thing. But is it enough? Can we overcome and beat back and finally cancel all this hate, this rush to violence?  Can we recall and practice humanity? This morning not really sure about that at all. In fact, I come down on the side of too little too late. Too much too early.

 What is to be done? How can we aid those who fight for their freedom, for better lives, for a world for their children? Why can't we turn our eyes and ears and arms to those who deserve our sympathy?   Why do we not shout to the heavens?  Wish I knew the answer and the cures.       

I will fight this despair today and concentrate on the happy, the good.  Would that the world would do the same at every level. Unfortunately, we never seem to coordinate our efforts. And we forget that the power of many united is the power of many that can destroy the wrong. and get the world back on its feet again. Solidly planted. 

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Yitzy, sweet boy, golden boy, of whom no one could speak evil and who never spoke a word of evil. Perhaps you can explain from above all that has been happening in this world. Wherefore are we forsaken yet again? Why are we once again subjected to existential threat? Why and why and why?

The only why which never needs to be asked.is why we love you. 

Always and forever. Always and forever.

 

NO KIDDING!

 "We have an emergency!" was stated at a White House press conference as a reporter passed out from the heat in the room. Jean-Pierre rather unwittingly appropriately responded, "You are correct. It is hot in here,” “Um … I think we’re okay. I think we’re okay. And does anybody need water" 

Rarely have truer words been spoken. Most certainly we do have an emergency. Far more widespread and more serious than that within that room, it is an emergency within our nation, within the nations of the world, and for sure within ourselves. It is an infection, a filthy disease which consumes us. Its malignant cells spread far and wide. There are those who welcome it with open arms. and blackened souls, eager to spread the illness and insure a demonic hopeless future, if any future at all. This prognosis does not bode well for humanity as we allow hatred to consume us from the inside out, destroying all bridges of possible return behind us. 

In fact, it is not so much an emergency as a bursting of a long festering wound breaking through the last line of defense. It has become a pandemic as every nation on this globe, every individual, to some degree, as it consumes our souls, turns our hearts to stone and our humanity is lessened. Its ugliness, its rotten stench manifests itself more and more every day and volumes of toxicity pour forth from greedy, rapacious insatiable mouths.  

 Perhaps there is an innate need to hate. Perhaps it is a liberating feeling as societal restrictions on behavior are vacated. Anything goes. Sanity is redefined. We have set fire to the world. It is a fire which consumes the positive and reinforces the negative. Yes, we indeed have an emergency here. Water alone will not quench it. I fear only fierce fighting, blood in the streets will be the only manner in which we can restore proper societal order. We do indeed have an emergency and present actions and consequences bode no good for anyone.

This state of being is the to be expected growth and acceptance of negativity emanating from individuals who have lost the idea, the desire, of connectivity. It can be seen in yesterday's blog when I spoke of such behavior within our community. However, it does not remain within small communities. It grows, expands and stopping it seems to be a futile desire, a useless effort as the force of its ugliness overcomes all. Unless we act promptly, strongly, I believe, even as I desperately desire not to believe so, that we are standing on a precipice, crumbling beneath our feet and below are rocks and dangerous currents waiting to break and consume all who fall into its grip.

o far and wonder what will be as Penn Cage has triumphed before over massive evil, but always at great cost. Will this novel be the same? Will we follow that road to self-destruction, light the matches and pour the gasoline, feed our own greed at the cost of disaster to others? Will we discern truths, of both sides, and work something out or is it too late?

 Have we in fact lost "fealty to the American ideal" as Cage thinks? I am right there with him even though some of the apologist narrative found in many new books is a tad annoying at present, overemphasizing the Black vs White narrative, ignoring the fact that there are other issues at fault, at the center of the growing flames which must be addressed and acknowledged, along with the Black vs White arena.  The destructive synergy of these hate pods. are far more evil, far more than the sum of their parts. They are actually a whole, for the seed and the root are the same: the need of some to hate, to demean, to be beasts within their human skins. Far too powerful in our current world. 

We are consuming ourselves, cannibalizing our society, disregarding or not seeing truths which should be evident. One of the first steps which must be taken in combating this blindness is to address our broken system of education in this nation and in the world. When the heads of our educational systems are themselves faulty, pocked with hatred, how can we expect anything other than poisonous results? When the college professors are raging with anti-Israel and Anti Semitism within their supposed educational classrooms, how can we expect education to take place rather than propaganda, including the supposed to be impartial college newspapers!  

The arrogance of hate is overwhelming. When the head of the Nevada System of Higher Education can state openly, blatantly of his own antisemitism, of his hatred of Jews and denial of the depths of the Holocaust, what can we expect of those who work beneath him?   " We have a small group of people because they were set upon in World War II, have the notion that they could set themselves up in a higher position than anyone else in the United States." He told Jewish students re the rife vicious antisemitism to "get in line". 

Wherefore art thou Socrates, Plato, Mark Twain, George Washinton, et al, wise heads of the ages who spoke well of Jews and other groups facing prejudice and violence, who spoke of tolerance and democracy, of equality and rule of law? Certainly not within the burgeoning groups of hate we are fostering these days. 

Tomorrow, we continue and move forward and speak of the heroes of today, those who speak out against the dictators running their countries, those who hate democracy, who imprison and kill all who defy them. They are the heroes of the day and the paths forward for humankind. If and when we ignore them, we do so at our own peril.

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Yitzy, we have a long hard slog if we are to save this planet and ourselves from ourselves. We must end the harm we do it and to the people who live upon it. A helping hand from Above would go far in our battle.     

Miss you. Always and forever. Always and forever.       

OH HELL YES!!!

    Oh, for sure, no doubt about it. Not in my mind, nor in the minds of many around the world. Can you recall the most favorite question when on a family trip? Yes, that one: “Are we there yet?” Generally, the answer was "No, not yet, but soon". Asked as the car pulled away from the home, the count was generally lost somewhere along the way. Part of the trip. Part of the memories, perhaps annoying at the time, but funny when looking back.

 However, the are we there yet question of this posting is neither funny nor part of fond memories.   "Are we there yet?" in this instance is quite offsetting and a causative factor of the angst of the world. Are we there yet? Maybe yes, maybe no. If not, damn close to it. Too close and every time we approach that point, the point of no return, and manage to pull back, too often at five minutes to midnight, or less than that, the risk, the possible, even probable risk of no return, no refund, no exchange, the world shudders. At present there are so many issues to which we are nearing at rocket speed, even warp speed, and it is becoming more and more apparent that the reverse gear is broken and inefficient, no qualified repair people on hand.

Yes, perhaps there is an element of exaggeration, I will grant you that, but not by much. Certainly not when there are multiple myriad configurations which must be taken into account, and when we do, the gauge begins to reach the red level of imminent danger unless immediate steps are taken. Are we there yet? Yes, for some trips and not yet for others, but nearly so. Skipping the minor irritants such as finding it impossible to find a human on the other end of a help call, here are my personal qualms of end of trip causalities. Bet we would have enough similarities to fill a large union set of a Venn diagram.

So, on to bigger, not better, and are we there yet? Yep, we most certainly are there, and there has become here. Where is here? It is my place of residence, where the world has intruded and violated its serenity. The problem can be remedied but should not have grown into such a monster of sorts. It is common sense that rules are there for a reason and when challenged, blatantly, selfishly, even to the point of endangering others, well, we are most certainly there already. This is true round the globe, wherever groups of people are together. And when rules are sensible and moral.

I reside in a midlevel retirement development, nothing fancy, but quite pleasant. Of course, as with the rest of the world, we have concerns about security, about rising traffic, about scenes which disturb, and is not necessarily perfect. But we do come, or have come, pretty damn close to it. Rural like surroundings. Reasonable. rules in place. Entertainment which rivals the theaters outside our development and lots of activities. 

However, unfortunately, there are too many recent arrivals, renters and owners, who refuse to obey the laws and rules in place for our safety. Sure, we might find them annoying at times but when one stops to think about it, without rules it would be chaos. Evidently some nouveau arrivals fail to understand that or deliberately bypass requirements and the result is not pretty. The results are ugly. The shine of the development is tarnished and scratched. Its rural setting is trashed, and certainly the safety of the residents is attacked, hammer and tong. 

The development's population is of beautiful variety, a Heinz 57 community of different ethnicities, races, colors, religions, national origin.  Generally getting along, there are those who refuse to understand that we live in that kind of a development and cooperation and neighborliness is important. This development is not a place of investment. Nor a place to make a quick buck. It is a home. My home. The home of many. 

We certainly do not appreciate any who endanger it and lessen the quality of life we enjoy. What it most definitely does is create cracks within the foundation of this development, raising the temperature to an intolerable level. That pressure gauge whistles louder and louder and it is becoming unpleasant as negative emotions are rising dramatically, with many residents beginning to feel as if the development is under siege. 

Owner, renter, this is your home too. The rules which make this development, these homes beautifully livable, must be respected and followed.  Do not disrespect the laws and rules of the development and the County nor your neighbors. Do not trash homes and environment, no matter the length of stay.    

 Certainly, at this stage in our life, we should all have learned that life and choices made have consequences. These consequences can be nasty and can hang around far longer than is pleasant, like the guest who never leaves. In the name of all who live here, please, remember, this is our home. This is not your choice nor your right to redesign our home, to violate our lives via your irresponsibility and/or indifference to our welfare.

Tomorrow, I will continue on this topic, on this path of issues that concern us, which affect us greatly. In both our personal and public lives. These are national issues. And yet, personal issues along with it. These are international issues. These are issues rimed with an ugly detritus of constant nasty weather. Stay tuned folks. See you all tomorrow.

Stay safe. Seek happiness and hug your loved ones. 

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Yitzy, life is unfair. We know that, but we can take comfort knowing that you are far away from the angst and insecurity of this world. That helps us deal with the huge gap you have left in our lives.   

That gap and that love will be, are, 

Always and forever. Always and forever.     

BROTHER, DO WE NEED HELP- AND FAST!

 Code Blue! Code Red! STAT! Whatever works is just fine, no matter the color chosen.   The problem is that we are so inundated with emergency calls with cries of alarm, of impending danger and apocalypse almost upon us, that we don't hear any more. We see and hear nothing at all until it smacks us right in the face. Then we wonder why. Why were we caught with our pants down? Why were we caught with our thumbs where they shouldn't be? Why did we not pay attention?  In fact, how the hell did we get to this place? Where and when was the first misstep? Have we reached a point of no return?

The above are questions in need of answers. Perhaps we need to reorient our search. Stop looking backwards and start looking forward. Where is a safe place for us to put our feet? Where is a place in the road which allows us to move forward. Are there any places along this road for us and for others who wish to walk alongside?  Perhaps a leader will arise from their midst. How might we expedite that?  All of these questions and more have their answers remaining still in the shadows some deep into the darkness.

I believe that one of our problems, which in turn leads to other problems, is that one can't talk straight anymore. We don't want to say the truth. We don't want words that have ugly connotations.  We do not want to say words of truth due to a ridiculous, destructive desire to erase that truth if it is ugly. However, that pretense only leads to more ugliness and plays into the hands of those knowing how to take advantage of naive souls who think denying evil erases it. It does not. Try as one might to disguise it by going around it or softening it, actually exacerbates the situation. Wrong way down a one-way street. A dead-end street at that.

Unfortunately, even as we soften words of condemnation, yet of truth, we ramp up and allow for the usage of ugly, terrible words. Words of untruths. Words which cut deep, deep into the soul of their targets as well in those who actually use them. The ugliness taints all that it touches. Written in indelible ink. We immerse ourselves in cruelty, in disparagement of others and we ourselves turn into what we supposedly are fighting against. That monster in the abyss is our reflection.   

That brings us back to the title and the first lines of the blog. We need help, apparently unable to start the engines of reformation of society nor keeping it fueled up and on the go. Instead, we fall prey to those who shout the loudest and the longest and are, in fact, the worst of the problem. Where and when are the boundaries of free speech? When does speech cross the line? That famous red line. Does free speech mean the right to scream out words and mesmeric chants of hate, of incitement to violence? Does that free speech enable one to be a traitor and not pay the consequences? Why our blind eyes and deafened ears even as society is being dismantled. Surely words of hate, words which incite violence, words of treachery, shred the boundaries of "free speech". Even so we seem to avoid the truth as we hang disguising shades and confusing terminology all round it. As we pat ourselves on the back for being such open souls. Even as that speech threatens the very existence of its target.

When is a felon not a felon? In the 57th edition of the style book of The Associated Press, a brand-new chapter dealing with criminal justice   quite generously ever so kindly disavows the words convict, felon and incarcerated. Apparently, those who have achieved that stage of life are too delicate to accept the facts and reality and need words of amelioration and lessening of their current state of affairs. How many crimes do we redefine, excuse and soften?  Are we are forgetting, in that softness to the criminals, to be kind to the victims of these crimes.  Who is being dehumanized here? Who is being discounted? How have values become so distorted? Serving good does not entail a must of enabling evil. We must be careful not to dismantle sane societal guidelines in the name of progress, for then that progress actually induces regression rather than progression. To be kind to a criminal in the hope of rehabilitation does not mean one is to be cruel to others. 

  When a raging mob of lunatic traitors scream and shout as they break into the Capitol with malice, mayhem and murder in mind and intent, they are exactly that. We have ginned up a whole category of new words to disguise the facts, the truth, and in so doing, we enable those who wish to destroy us. When an ugly mob stands and shouts “Pro Palestinian.” words, the truth is right there just below the chants. Palestinians are suffering under the cruel rule of some mass murderers and thieves and the incompetence of the Palestinian Authority.   The truth of is that they are supporting murder.   Hate. Kidnapping and servitude - slavery, pure and simple. Dehumanizing their victims.  They are murderers. and that is what those chanters are pro. 

We are preventing truth from sharing its light and enabling progress. We have become not only part of the problem, but also activators, catalysts and woe upon us. Indulging the deluded and allowing for cynical evil characters to have room to maneuver, we have allowed danger to encroach further into our territory, our lives, our futures.

I favor an end to this ugliness. I so deeply wish and pray for an end to the war that Hamas instigated with its brutality and bestiality. But with whom can we talk? With whom to compromise? Who can we trust? I don't know that there were any answers of validity and chance of success. Yet somehow somewhere a leader must arise. 

The question of the day. Is there in fact any possibility of opening up this blocked booby-trapped road? Is a fair and equitable settlement   possible allowing for peace and quiet, even if warmth never arises? Can live together? Can life go on to a future to be envisioned with hope? One   day. Some day. We will be able to use words of truth rather than disguise. 

However, the enemies of Israel must know. that she does not surrender. She is not perfect. No nation is but she is certainly far better than most. She is a home for Jews persecuted. She is a home for those wishing to return to their ancestral homeland. She will never, ever surrender. Not to evil. Not to those who persist in vile JewHatred. No more. Ever.

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Yitzy, you left behind a troubled world needing help - now. Surely, there must be some Angel there who understands that we are in need and in danger. Immediate aid. Surely there must be some angels courageous enough to take on the Big Guy and insist He wake up. and care for His children. NOW! Code Blue!! Red Alert! 

We missed you this past week when we were together for the holiday but there you were, in our hearts, in our memories, on our sweatshirts, and in the beautiful nest of a robin on our tree. I know you loved that.

As we love you.

Always and forever. Always and forever.

      

 

 

TEACHER, TEACHER

 That is what we need today. We need a teacher who will insist on the precise use of language and the truth of language. Only then, when we understand exactly where we are, how we got here, and more important, most important, how the hell we get here, can we get out of this mess. It seems impossible at this point in time. We are so deep in the quicksand of hate, of death and blood and violence that we cannot move any longer. Our feet are wrapped in  blood-soaked sand acting as permanent concrete.  Our arms are reaching out, seeking help, seeking some way out. But there is none. None. They have all withered from disregard and neglect. 

Nevertheless, we must continue to reach and seek, hoping, praying, that we have not blown our last chances for peace, a fair one. No more new war plans being formulated in one room, even as a peace treaty is being signed in the other. The world in abstract and the world in reality, in the hearts and minds, in the very breaths of every individual making up that world all cry out for a true cessation of enmity and slaughter. 

There must be, has to be, some way of reaching a fair and workable treaty. The world in abstract and the world of reality, must, of necessity, be meshed, all sides giving a bit, surrendering some demands, reconfiguring livable, doable solutions.  If not, no one will have anything. The madness will continue unabated, the blood will soak the lands of the world, and all will lose all. Everything.

It is a most difficult thing to give up on a dream and to compromise and reshape its reality.  Nevertheless, dreams can be reconfigured and can come true even if not exactly the one we had dreamed. Is it not better to have most of what we want, of what we need, rather than have nothing of anything? This path to a reality, if not ideal but livable, is a bitter reconciliation, even a resignation to reality. Difficult indeed. Heartbreaking beyond description. Perhaps even impossible to achieve, a dream of peace, finally. Yet we must, for there is no alternative other than death and more blood and more death and more blood and no hope at all.

For Jews that would be a very bitter pill to swallow. There would be no disguising the pain it would cause, no matter how it would be presented. However, the modern fighters for a homeland were willing to compromise greatly for the sake of a homeland. We, today, can do better in the size and future if, if, we all understand the bitter necessity of compromise, painful as it would be. 

A great deal of persuasion and explanation and reality would need to be poured into the debates of the matter, some details can be tweaked, but what other choice do we have. Does a massacre solve the situation better? Why can we not take and make use of the growing resentment of the civilian population caught in a crossfire. Not of their making, but rather of their supposed false leaders who have reneged on every promise other than to create more and more pools of blood. Civilian populations are caught in deadly crossfires and the result is more death, more hopelessness, and more hostages to a bitter fortune. 

Fanatics on all sides would need to be contained. The results of a firm peace, a solution as equitable as possible, would hopefully draw initial opponents into agreement and appreciation of a peace for all sides, enabling them to expend energies on positivity - to growth, to betterment for all, for a world with a future. Fanatics on all sides would need to be contained and reality allowed to change their minds as the benefits of peace become ever more apparent. Imagine the air of the Middle East cleansed of the stink of weapons and hatred. A breath of refreshing air for the entire world.

It would not be easy. It would cut deeply into both sides. Painful compromise and disappointments, but it is so much better to have most of that dream intact than none of it at all. Yes, it would be unfair, but history has taught us that our homeland for which we have been fighting for millennia is attainable only, only if we heed the necessity of compromise and understanding, of a truth that one day all our dreams and hopes will come to a truthful fruition and there will in deed, in fact, be a complete return to a complete Nation of Israel in its entire Homeland. 

It would be unfair. So much blood has been shed. So much loss has been incurred. So much hope expended. And yet I now feel compromise is the only way in which we can possibly build any kind of livable reality, allowing for two states to exist side by side. If not in friendship, then in neutrality, a cold reality and knowledge of what had been before and what could come again. In this instance, a cold reality is better than the warmth of bloodshed upon the Earth.  

How do we do this? Bigger, better, brighter heads are necessary in order to formulate such a peace. Deep must be the understanding, the desire and need for a treaty, a recognition of what must be.  Painful for both sides, that compromise must be made. Neither side can continue this bloodletting. Neither side can continue to churn up hate leading only to more disappointment and horror, to anguish, a loss so deep it can never be spanned.  Disappointment. Horror. Anguish. Our children taken from us, wounds we inflict upon each other, the lifeblood pouring forth, soaking the land, with only grief and darkness resulting.

Someone somewhere must have the solution. Some brain holds the key. Some lungs hold the breath of sanity. Will we find them? Do we even want to find them? Do we understand the necessity of finding them? Do we, can we, understand the bitterness of what we will need to swallow. I don't know. But we cannot continue to lose the numbers of losses which amount to ever more grief and waste, a waste of the best and brightest among us. How many more tears to soak the land? How many more to die? How much more grief to be inflicted upon families? The price for peace will be bitter, but perhaps it is the will of G-d and we are again too stubborn to comprehend that fact. A hard slog.   Opponents will be many. But it is the only way to continued reality and existence in any kind of a livable positive future. It breaks my heart but how many more young lives are to be lost? There must be sane minds on the other side as they grow in opposition to the destruction wreaked by Hamas. Perhaps now is the time. Perhaps. Maybe. Maybe.----------------------------------------------------------------    Yitzy. Many people will be unhappy with what I've written today. I am not happy with what I have written today. I so fiercely desire an entire homeland but we will appreciate andaa value what we have earned and its cost in blood and faith. But perhaps this is what God wishes. Perhaps he wants us to understand that things cost and that we had better understand that principle if we desire to move forward. 

 Sweet boy, I wish I knew the answers.The only answer I do not know for sure is that we love you and miss you.

 Always. and forever. Always and forever.