AS THE WORLD TURNS

  We have all seen, probably many times over, a depiction of the world turning at an angle calmly going forward on its axis, as it is supposed to do. It is, in fact, how our planet maintains its stability and keeps our weather, our environments, and in fact, our very existence and survival in a welcoming situation rather than in a hostile one.  We who inhabit this planet, and all the other lifeforms, are responsible for its maintenance and its respect.

Unfortunately, we human have fallen down on the job and have taken along with us on this suicidal run, many of these other life forms. A great tragedy, but do we pay attention, give positive lifechanging attention to this matter? Some, a very few of us actually attempt to draw the eyes of the inhabitants to this issue, but too many, mired in their destructive greed and grasping hands ignore it, shove it to the side, accuse others of crazed thinking, wanting only to go backwards rather than forward.

However, that's not the truth of the matter and we're constantly denying that truth, that harsh reality of time running sort, stomping on those who come forward with it.  And as time goes on, at faster and faster pace, we can expect a change and that sublime picture may undergo major changes. 

Its calm, long lasting, life preserving and reassuring adherence to its axis driven rotations will wobble more and more, destabilize on its rotation and well, we can expect the changes we are already facing, to grow more life threatening and destabilizing. One day, soon enough and possibly, perhaps probably, too late, and we will take a look around and understand what we have done. What we have allowed to be done to our home.

I don't even know if our existence will be long enough to see how the world actually turns in different manner. We have already well advanced the consequences of our misthinking and self-destructive actions. Now we intend apparently, to initiate once again, yet another openly world involving war, with terribly efficient and deadly weaponry. 

At its end, if there is to be an end, we will have become a place of destruction and horror. People will struggle to barely survive, band together in tribes returned to bare existence, armed with stones and sticks to defend their territory. That attempt to survive becomes even more treacherous and uncertain as our axis rotation degrades and the consequences ensuing will be ours, impossible to avoid or fix or do anything other than to suffer under the deteriorating conditions.

 Too late, we will wonder how and why we got into the situation. And how and why and if we actually survive, if we plan to survive, humanity must understand that the fault was not, is not, in others but in ourselves. If we all had paid attention, had demanded attention to be paid as the world turns, how it is turning, and connected all the dots, we could have saved ourselves. 

At present I believe it is a coin toss, one of the heads I win, tails you lose category. A situation no matter what we do, will be too little, too late, too small minded, too narrow in concept and extent. It would have been different if we had paid attention to the world and the people around us. If we had paid more attention to those whom we chose - or accepted- as our leaders. If we would have stepped up and forward and actually participated in decisions of important issues but we did not and woulda, coulda, shoulda is not going to be a winning choice here.

How is it possible to pick up a paper this morning and read how Iran and the United States actually traded shells, three hitting tankers and the other hitting a navy vessel. How is this possible? How is it that almost exactly three years later we will be marking the brutal horror of the 3rd anniversary of October7 massacre.

So many Israelis, from infant to elderly, brutally, cruelly, chased and slaughtered, burned alive. With cheers of the murderers sounding clearly and insanely in the bloodstained air of the Gaza envelope. Reeking of the spilled blood of Jews once again. Ever Again. Or the raucous cheers of victory of those not "innocent" Gazans who joined in the cheers, in tne brutality, who boasted of it in phone calls home, who paraded their loot stolen from those they murdered. who turned a dance festival into yet another site of brutality against Jews.

 Only this time we received not even a wit of sympathy, of empathy, of outcries against this brutality. No, what we got instead was anger that we had not only survived, but that we had fought back at immense hostile thousands, beat them back from whence they had crawled, like the insects and beasts who live only to wreak harm against others.

 Not sympathy but accusations, condemnations, approved masses of chanting haters, including some of our own people, calling for an end to Israel and all Jewish people round the world. We received the acquiescence of universities and governments round the world who had allowed themselves to be invaded by haters of the Jewish nation, whose Jewish students walked in fear once again. 

What we got instead was cries and screams of hate. Hate that the Jewish nation was able to survive this brutal surprise attack. Hate that the people of Israel, the Jewish people around the world, did not, in fact, give up, that they are even stronger than ever. 

We need now to understand the realities of life. Not to look for excuses. Not to explain why Jews are good people, good for the world. No, it is for them to figure out and adjust to our reality. It is us, the Jewish people to understand who we are, who we have always been and who we must always be.

 How did we suddenly find out how many within the Jewish people are haters of the own identity. Trying ever so hard to be the "good Jew”. The truth is that no matter how much energy you expend in denying yourself, in engaging in the fruitless and not necessary explanations of why Jews are good people. Why we are good for the world.  Why we have driven much that is good, proper, and moral for the world. To be considered a "good Jew", to deny all that makes you Jewish, to deny heritage and pride, to deny one's history, and in fact, the history of the world, is futile, endlessly demeaning, for to the Haters of the World, you will never be accepted. Never.  

As the world turns -

be it 

yesterday

today 

tomorrow - 

know who you are -

be proud of that -

internalize all those values and pride and care not for the Haters.