SHAKESPEARE HAD IT RIGHT!

 Shakespeare said this long ago. "Lord, what fools these mortals be."

Apparently, we human beings persist over the centuries to act in direct contrast to that which is beneficial to us, which is the truth, and which adheres to some of the best and necessary attributes of Mankind. In fact, every time we thrust these traits aside, downplay their importance or build upon their treachery, we lose a piece of ourselves. Over time we lose so many pieces that we do not recognize that man in the mirror, staring back at us.

 We do not know anymore who we are, where we stand on anything in definite manner. Finally, we turn to the only pathway we have left open, and it is a manifestly ugly, selfish one, the accrual of wealth and power, as if that can replace the honesty, truth and allegiance we have discarded along the way.      Our sense of fair play and benefit for societal needs, to fulfill the obligations laid upon people to aid those in need, to be considerate of all others, to not merely favor justice but to pursue it. 

The relations between man and man are very specific and widespread, most obviously of concern to us and to those with whom we interface. It is only with a sense of trust in the other that we can move forward. But what happens when we break that bond, spoken or unspoken? What happens when our word cannot be trusted and worse, is meaningless. Worst of all, the ensuing friction and mistrust, particularly when it is present among and within one's own entourage, the outcome is assuredly to be one of negativity, always ramping up, building on that which came before. 

Such a situation now suffuses the globe. Basically, we have turned on our own tails and concentrated on chewing away at ourselves, denying the obvious damage resultant. We have become self-consuming cannibals refusing to admit that we are indeed dangerous. Even as blood stains our mind, body and soul. Even as we cannot recognize ourselves anymore for the ugliness of our insides, that which is claimed as replicating the features of G-d, has even now been overwhelmed and its face of ugliness, betrayal, and selfishness have overpowered the superficial outer face we present to the world at large. The hypocrisy is clear, our adherence to the worst of Mankind overcomes all with its rank odors of rot and disloyalty and well, here we are.

The history of the inhabitants of Earth is awash, overflowing with examples of traitors, those who sell out their own for some gain, generally a filthy one stinking of betrayal of their own, their religious beliefs, everything they once held as sacred, worthy of any sacrifice. These people have engaged in an ugly commerce, selling their eternal souls for temporary gain, committed to the Devil and in so doing have trashed their loved ones, their friends, all who trusted them and their supposed loyalty.

At present, my focus is not on traitors in general, but rather on those who have betrayed their own, a perpetually challenged and embattled people, outnumbered, outweighed, yet always punching way above those limitations. Why these people within choose to be traitors, to be cursed by their own for endless centuries, is indeed a puzzlement, but there it is. These betrayers come in all sizes, shapes and level of destruction as a result of their perfidy.

I simply do not understand how they can live with themselves. Is the resultant uproar, minor or major, which results from their announcement or obscene action all that important to them? Is it merely an innate trait within and we are proving the verity of Shakespeare's statement? Can these traitors claim a lack of control as a defense should their perfidy be uncovered and blame assigned where it belongs?

 What possesses these people? It boggles my mind! It sears my soul. Anger grows apace, along with shame, for these traitors are of the family of my people. They have violated the injunction to always remember that all of the Jewish nation is responsible for all the Jewish nation. When push comes to shove, it matters not whether one belongs to a different sect or wears certain clothing, or any apparent difference. That is why we go above and beyond to rescue or ransom captives, even if absolutely unknown to us. Or will have welcome mats out for travelers stranded and in need of food and shelter. Why do they turn their backs to all of this?

How could some have spied for Iran, the self-declared and avowed enemy of Israel, outspoken of their intent to destroy Israel? How? I do not get it! How could they shame their people so carelessly and expose them to such danger?  How? Why? Have those dangerous idiots who claim they speak for fellow Jews even as they sell them down the road so enamored of their less than fifteen minutes of fame, as a picture of them holding a derogatory poster and flaunting a keffiyeh, the latest fashion trend, endangering themselves and others, calling for their own demise - is it all worth it?  Never mind that wise statement - "To thine own self be true"? And don't they make their parents proud, oh, so proud. I cannot fathom how they can stand to get up in the morning and look at themselves in the mirror and at night, see what further damage they have etched upon their souls. 

By this behavior they think they can ensure their own safety should it all heat up to yet another boiling point - they are ever so wrong. Those perfidious actors and all those attached to the film industry who signed the letter condemning Israel for defending itself, for going way above and beyond all other western nations to minimize harm to civilians who are not even truly "innocent" civilians, will reap the consequences of that rank stupidity and betrayal. In the interim they will bear not praise but disgust, have made an emphatically bad buy.  When the clock comes round again, they will understand what they have brought down upon themselves and how well they deserve it. 

But I believe the worst is when politicians who prostitute themselves before voters, especially for the large Jewish vote, to get their votes and promise   the sun, the moon and the stars, lies all, with that motivation. Then, when in office, bare the truth to the world. The piece of filth now running for mayor of NYC is a prime example of this behavior. Open antisemitism. Praise for those who accuse Israel of anything they can think of and more. Well, he and his ilk will see the results of his lies and hate for the Jews. They who voted for him will now see that was an act of betrayal for themselves and the Jewish people and all those who know better. 

 And a final message to Bernie Sanders who is insane, so mentally challenged in his rabid condemnation of Israel, in his deranged rants and raves, his lies, his trivialization of the Holocaust, so crazed is he that words to describe him and his ugly shouts and self-hate are impossible to find. He   disgusts us all. May he reap what he sows.

Those dudes who have turned on their own have forgotten the lessons of yesterday, the ugliness, the pain, the blood. They forget the todays of not so long ago, and even now filled with mortal attacks upon Jews, more threats, more ugliness. They place our tomorrows in jeopardy. Grave jeopardy. May G-d turn His face away from them and towards the rest of His people who pray for His help and are loyal to the good of the world.

WHO ARE WE?

  Who are we? What are we? Are we valued for what we can weigh and measure by the minerals and chemicals, the weight of the bones, or are we something more than that which is inside the physical container? Are the innards more important than what we see as revealed to us on the outside or might we value the thoughts and creations of that which is actually impossible to hold up and say, "Here is the mind. Here is the soul". In fact, what do we really mean when we come across an evil person, one who seems to demonstrate barely anything related to the humanity of humans. When we call, deem, a person a soulless person, what do we actually mean by that? 

When he came together, getting all the scoops of whatever was contained on the pre-birth assembly line, was his life determined - A full scoop of brains, a scoop of goodness, and one capable of tainting all that was good within. How do we measure what a person is, what a person's possibilities come to mean to that person? Was this, in fact, one whose fate was already etched in stone, to be labeled a soulless person meant only to bring misery and sorrow to the planet? 

What do we have within us? If one is overly weighted with one trait or inclination over another, can a person generate enough willpower and take what could be considered negative and by virtue of hard work and overcharged turbine effort, morph it into something that is of great benefit to humankind rather than a further addition to the stockpile of all that which can harm rather than help, things that wake up faulty traits and thoughts? 

Can we, for example, take a driving sense of ambition and rather than give way to the possibly evil created and enabled by this intense need, this almost mad need, and direct it into a positive path? If the answer is a wary yes, a maybe, then the human race has a chance. However, if that possibility is not deeply ingrained within a human, considering the inborn innate flaws of a person, the errors made by the brain and even the soulless emptiness within some precluding any possibility of positivity of contribution, then what are the chances, the odds, of people to actually initiate a difficult reformation, a need to better themselves and the world we live in? 

I wonder, I really do, if somewhere along the line of continuing creation a misprint took place. This misprint spread over time and took over the need within a person to leave behind a legacy of goodness and generosity, an acceptance of all mankind as people, no one better, no one worse. All deserving common rights and the respect of others. Somehow, somewhere, we lost that invisible part of homo sapiens which actually distinguished it from   other models of Man, and we are the worse off for it. Furthermore, that misprint did not end, but found a warm welcoming home within, settled down and made a life for themselves, a life too often built on the backs of others.

That interchange had other facets as well, negative and positive paths crossed and recrossed, canceled each other out and while at times this proved to be of great advantage and service for the world, and it moved forward, at other times not so much. At those times Mankind moved backwards, allowed good within to sour and dark thoughts of hate grew apace, and took deep root within Mankind. 

Such a time is now. We have done so: very obviously, very raucously, with a heavy coating of hate and emphasis on differences between, rather than similarities among. We have recreated ourselves in so deep and intensive a manner, have redefined ourselves so grossly that we are losing sight or have actually lost sight already of who, what we are, where we belong and where others feel we belong as well and mighty clashes have grown up in response to those concerns.    

  For example, me. I now have a different me inside.  For most of my life I was sure of who I was. I was an American Of that I was sure and yes, of course, I was Jewish as well. But that had nothing to do with who I was, am(?) and the first word of that definition was American. Born, bred, made my life here. Again, why not? Why would I expect it to be any different?  No, no doubt about it. I proudly pledged, sang all the requisite patriotic songs-an American, always.   

And again, why not? I was born here. I expected to finish here as well.  Why would I think there would ever come a time when I would think differently, when that change was forced upon me, when it became quite clear, the evidence mounting, evidence that old ugliness truly does not wither away from disuse and neglect, from obviousness and clarity of vision.  That hate has a resilience beyond all reasonability that you will hate and/or be hated. It is toxic, long lasting and ever present and growing, infusing Hate with ever more power and popularity, more hate that one can ever imagine. 

Through the centuries it has evidenced itself many times over. Even in America. Nastiness of petty level. But we were wrong, as we ignored it, hoping it would go away. It did not and the perpetrators were emboldened and went further. Violence, attacks on the street, harassment, threats in real life and online, on social media. Serious vandalism, invasion and death. Yes- death. A somewhat   hidden virus renourished, empowered to do its worst. Like Topsy in Uncle Tom's Cabin, it just grew.  

Someone, many a someone, wants to kill me. 

Kill me because I was, am, a Jewish woman, a member of the Judaic faith, of a people of many faces and colors, ethnicities, but all Jewish, with the same prayers, the same dreams.

WE ARE TARGETS OF HATE.

ALL JEWS ARE TARGETS.

So why then do we see Jews prominently displayed, up front and center at demonstrations supporting the very ones who want to kill them. Who say it openly, that their aim is to kill ALL Jews, their enemy. And cheer for the brutal murderers of Hamas.

Why stand with those who have killed so many other Jews and would as easily step on you as they would an ant. You stand with those who have already murdered your soul and now would have your body as well.

Why do you wear the kaffiyeh, equivalent at this point to the wearing of a swastika pin in the early years of Nazi Germany, indicating support for those who would kill you and your friends.

So again, I ask -

Why are there Jews colluding in their own degradation, growing isolation, and prominent targets of deadly violence and hate leading up to their own rain of insults from supposed friends and professors who incite the very spasm of violence rampant on college campuses. Who violate their every oath and responsibility and duties of a true teacher.      

And no- appeasement does not work well. 

History has tragically taught us so. 

Folks, WHO ARE YOU?

WHERE ARE YOU IN THIS BATTLE, YES, BATTLE, FOR THE SOULS OF HUMANITY?

WHERE ARE YOU? BODY AND SOUL.

I know where my yesterdays were. They were with my ancestors in Europe, fighting to stay alive, defying all those who wished to see them dead and gone.

They did not get that wish nor will any of the haters of today.    

My tomorrows remain within a great cloud of uncertainty and peril. But apparently there is a whole lot more than that simple answer. Even though that should not be the case.

More tomorrow,

 Am I an American? Yes, I am.

But I am so much more than that.  

  

SOMETIMES

There are those times, the times we don't like very much, the ones we try to avoid and deny as much as possible and as much as reality allows. However, there does come a time when that mirror beckons, and it cannot be ignored nor bypassed. When we do take , or get, that narrowed eyes look, so indignant that we are forced to do so, the worst is yet to come. 

We all know that to blame a victim is wrong. It excuses the offender and makes the victim feel even more alone, more frightened and more demeaning and hateful of oneself. Very much moving in the wrong direction, and off balance, at a bad moment. Feeling alone and deserted, (and quite frequently correct in that feeling, unfortunately), it is at precisely such a moment in time when one needs a protective set of arms and time to digest that ugly disturbing vision, that awful knowledge that you are alone.  

People you know, who should know better, and indeed DO know better - and that includes you, for twisted, foolish, false reasoning, even perhaps a streak of  cowardice, of fear, a refusal to stand firm or better yet, acknowledge, assess and reassess, and then turn to that mirror nearby and see the truth, watch the  mirror lose its clouded, dark appearance, feel shoulders returning to where they belong. 

Then attend to the problem and do that which is necessary, and in timely manner.   

What is the issue at hand? Antisemitism, or JewHatred, so venomous, so widespread, so trendy and so threatening to life, limb, and property. It has become, boils down to, pure kernels of vicious homicidal hate which feeds upon itself and, on the pain, fright, and fear that its targets feel.

This ancient never dying trope is constant, ever is the  ready to be used in moments of nasty need: scapegoating; blame for a weak economy; for frightening weather; for wars raging round the world; for drugs; for crimes; for a dead-end job; a mean boss; as carriers of disease, the reason behind all epidemics and pandemics; a cause of death in exponential numbers, and for hopeless futures.   

People feel frightened and hopeless, search far and wide for a reason. It cannot be understood, defying the natural rules of the world; there must be a source. That reasoning is held tight and leaned upon at times of need; evidently now is such a time.  Hate speech encouraging violence, approvals of crossing red line boundaries, disregarding the rules of civilized society, and here are the Jews, an ancient nation, origin long ago in the midst of time. It has managed to survive any and all impediments, forever. 

In fact, it has outlived all those other nations, large  and small, ancient and modern, who have oppressed and defeated Jews, exiled them from their homeland, denied their right ever to that homeland, and chased them from pillar to post. round the world, nation after nation, Empires large and small.    How does this happen? How is it possible to be defeated - badly defeated, time and again. From frightfully close successes of total extermination. It cannot be normal. These people must be kin to the Devil, emcees from Hell. Therefore, one and all    are entitled, even encouraged and encouraging, in the growth of JewHatred, in its constant repetitive resurrection, to be wielded with great glee and greed. With malice aforethought.

 This nation of Jews has a staying power beyond all other nations. When they must, they hunker down and emerge, alive, and if not well, then determined to heal and time and again, do just that. They pull themselves up and rebuild, outliving the varied oppressors so desirous of their extinction. Not really possible, not natural, against the Laws of Man and Nature and therefore, we obviously must be correct and confident in belief of success, righteous in their connection to the Devil and all his henchmen, blessed in their goal and aim at work, for surely, these Jews are clearly, very definitely. worthy, of oppression and isolation, an anathema, a pariah, to all on this earth.

Yes, this life can be interesting and very, very difficult. Particularly, if one does not know how much longer this intolerable existence, this onerous hardship will continue - -and for Heavens's sake -why, why!!!  We were promised much by Our Lord, Our King, Our Father, the One Above.

We were to be His Children. To be loved, guided, and chided, but always as a loving Father, always with love for the Child, Obedient and Grateful Servants of a kind Master, who saw to our needs with kind heart and open hands. He was to be Our Eternal King, we His Forever, Eternal, Loyal, blessedly lucky Subjects, attuned to His every need and fair, unbiased rule of law in courts of equal laws, demands and responsibilities, 

Led by non-corruptible, knowledgeable judges, complemented with self-refilling 'mercy machines', these courts would be the talk of the world, role models for true justice, for all, and we Jews would be the progenitors of this system, along with much   else we have already contributed to the world and will continue to share, along with new advances.   

Just as we have always done, from introducing the first codified and clear system of justice and equally appropriate clearly delineated consequences of violation, to the advanced tech, medicines and techniques, procedures to repair that which could  not have been remedied before. All the provided mutually beneficial and satisfactory agreements, the creative arts, all fields of sciences, including the many awarded Nobel Prizes.  Certainly sounds like a good deal for all concerned., 

Once again, questions asked and developed and no   strong connection as to answers, or the relevance and relationships, no answers to the topic or the questions and concerns raised in the posting, nor in the title, for that matter.

Who has laid blame on whom? Why? Were the complaints and accusations correct and if so, why or why not? Equally of interest, at least to me, and in the clarification of my own thoughts, and for that alone, and for so much more, come back tomorrow and see where we get - or at least where I will attempt to go in my efforts to sort myself out,   clarify issues, define my borders, and help  some of my readers clarify their own thoughts, and/or expand those thoughts and understandings as we travel together along the same road. 

Travel is always better with company.

 Come along with me 

As we return to our yesterdays and take from them what we need for our travels  

of Today, the years of our lives as we strive to formulate a living, working plan of doable,  achievable, desirable and beneficial outline for the lives and possibilities awaiting us in our 

           Tomorrows.           

Never too late, never too old.

1492, SO FAR AWAY, YET SO CLOSE

 Columbus had a great year that year, but not all were so lucky. Not at all.  It was a most important and consequential year, but not a great one, certainly not one to wish, or to relive, or to gift to another. In that year in the temporary culmination, a climax of a sick, vile, toxic and  ongoing hatred in the world, following years of persecution and brutality in the Kingdom of Spain, in 1492, and a bare few months later, in Portugal as well, the Jews of both were exiled, even if there was merely a slight suspicion of one being of Judaic origin. 

They were needed by the others to be gone, banished, persecuted and killed, starved and tortured in dungeons, 'courtesy' of the Inquisition, burned alive in auto de feus, courtesy of the loving arms and hearts of the  Catholic Church, poisoned, strangled, as a 'gift'  of 'mercy' if they converted before they were set afire, children kidnapped, and forcibly converted - whatever worked. Whatever made them happy. A great success indeed, for they simultaneously stole the wealth of the persecuted, destroyed much of their own culture, even as they tried to destroy that of the Jews, lost the wisdom of their Jewish advisers, even their adventurous seamen (Columbus?) who 'discovered' the New World and enriched them unbelievably.  But as they were Jews, they were to be hated, killed, and do the best, the very best efforts, of highest hopes, that they do not reappear. 

This endemic, pandemic hatred of the Jewish nation continued, thrived for centuries, as they were denied rights and legitimacy, ramped up in murderous attacks. denied as well, the right to live, to breathe, to be Jews.  The Jews of Spain and Portugal in 1492 scattered - to Italy, the New World, Poland, England, France, Germany, and Russia, even joined their brethren who had remained within their ancient Homeland, once and for always, the State, the Nation, of Israel, the land of the Jews, promised to them by their G-d. There they remained in a minority, or in those countries of Galut, the Diaspora, the Exile, until the same filth arose, their stay became denied, ugly and finally fell victim to physical violence, vitriolic denial of right to live, to exist and then ascended once more to unacceptable and intolerable levels of most hostile manner.

This ugly, miserable, bloody and most blood thirsty phenomenon beyond all sufficient terminology to describe, has continued to this day and is, in fact, in a period of ugly growth once again. People are calling for the death of Jews. Yes, death, not 'merely, to remove them from Israel, or other nations of the world, but to again kill them. Whenever they exist, wherever in existence.  Subterfuge and euphemisms to try to hide that end goal fail, and  it is clear, as clear as a mirror, that after almost a century after the grossest, unable to be described nor believed nor understood massacre of the Holocaust, 6 million Jews slaughtered in most cruel and inhumane manner, never ever having been this critical and brutal before, 2/3 of them slaughtered, how did a repetition of a same ugliness, a same hatred, a same desire to kill, to disappear - reappear. 

From the nations of the West and East, the Moslem lands, of all continents, wherever found, forever, of all time, the goal was to succeed in erasing all Jews, all traces of Judaism and its existence, its glorious contributions to the world at large, in every field of endeavor whatsoever. 

To create a time when Jews could not believe that they would survive, not for a minute, not for a second, not another hour, let alone a year or two years, for 10 years, or to take another breath, enmired so were they in yet another unbelievable horror, a period of ugliness and bloodletting  again, unbelievably, but oh so real, an insane desire, an attempt to rid the world of a nation, a people, who have only done much to better it, to benefit it, to raise the world to a higher level. To once again burn Jews?  To seek them out again? To be killed, to again, fall prey to the most horrendous manners of death? To live a death of such evil, one that shakes an entire body, riddled through with a fear and horror incapable of existence and yet, there it is again,

October 7, 2023. 

Evidently, once again okay, approved of, the burning of babies in ovens, again, to kill little boys and girls, to emulate and even better the Nazis' attempts to disappear entire cities and villages, almost entire nations, with perhaps leaving a remnant 10% of its Jewish population remaining.  

We cannot and will not take this lying down, as a given, accepting it as a deserved and inevitable fate. We have never done that, never been accepting it as such. never have been totally defeated, nor left without hope. Temporarily defeated at times, yes, but we have always come back, defeated those who hoped to disappear us, to make us gone, forever.  We have never lost     our Faith and Trust in our Lord, nor lost Faith in His Promises to us. Throughout the centuries, we have fought for our rights, fought for our land, reminded all His Children of all that those Promises mean to us, to the children of our future, those promises and words and all that we have never forgotten - our land, this Promised Land. We have carried it down over 3000 years - in our history and our prayers, in our literature and our music and songs. Nor will we ever forget, nor ever cease to do so.

We will never forget who we are. We will never forget what the world has done to us. 

We will never forget our right to live, to be free, and that is precisely what we have done throughout the centuries, no matter how horrid the lives we led, no matter how false the promises of others. No matter how cruel the actions pressed against us.

Am Yisrael Chai.

The people of Israel live.

 So it has always been, 

So it will always be.

Lanetzach.

Forever.

We will walk upon the surface of this world, this earth, forever.

 We will endeavor to do our best for it, for ourselves and for our Lord. as we keep faith with each other. Forever.

To bring back, rebuild ourselves, return from the dreadful deeds suffered by the   victims of the terrors of the Inquisition, the unspeakable moments of pogroms, of the unspeakable blistering horrors and Hell of the Holocaust, to relieve its awfulness, and that of a terrible unimaginable October 7th, 2023, of its total unexpectedness, its paramount evil, its work of the Devil, the godawful attempt to make us relive the blistering Hell of the Holocaust,  its grief, its absolute unholiness,  as we once again, were, are, slaughtered, brutalized but still gave of ourselves to help. Picked ourselves up and rebuilt that which he had, have, lost, even as which continues to be lost, even as we continue to hold true to all that we are, all that we were and forever are instructed to be. Know always that if you, the haters, prefer the original 1492, desirous in your sick mind, to duplicate, and to be evil of heart and deed, to repeat them, by all means have at it, for you will be all the worse for it. That is a promise, one based on the Holy Words, Promises, Faith and Trust that we share with our Lord.

Forever and ever.

1492 REDUX?! THE FIRST ONE WAS INSUFFICENT?!

 Some people cannot tolerate blood on their hands or the thought that they might have contributed to blood being spilled and staining some other person's hands. Some actually feel the stain and weight of blood weigh heavily upon them. They are unable to bear the burden, the offense, the sin. They are unable to bear it and it's the pressure. In the aftermath, they swear a sacred oath to never again do anything which would lead to that result. They would never, ever, be responsible once again for such a horror. 

They would live the rest of their lives as good people, respectful of others and their right to live, decently and safely. They would seek peaceful solutions and avoid, shun, as much as possible Hatred, hate speech inciting awful, mortal violence, and insinuations that lead to the spelling of blood and desperate destruction. To wounds never healed, only remaining as wounds to body and soul, the violator and the violated, suffering from wounds festering with pus and infection, injuries never to heal. Never to be forgotten. Never to be forgiven.

History is rife with the blood of millions soaking the ground, ugly periods of time, lasting years, brother against brother, nation against nation, sections of the globe versus other sections of the globe. So intense so bitter, so deep were these differences that even attempts to grow scabs over them failed to remain intact. Too often the very causes and end results of one war led to the horrific presentation of the next war and the next and the next, even given characterization as "Hot" and "Cold". Men boasted of their prowess of killing, became heroes in the name of their expertise in slaughter, were admired by women, and idolized and hero worshipped by the young who wished to grow up to be them, and made careers out of these desires and actions.

And nothing has changed, has it?

 Nothing.

 Nothing at all. 

No, I am incorrect.

It has changed.

So much more for the worse. 

Ever more fatal, frightening, unchangeable except for the worse. More in numbers killed and wounded, property hopelessly destroyed, and consequences portending woe and a future unimaginable for humanity, as we knock ourselves back to prehistoric times, perhaps to the Big Bang, or see an unclothed man and woman walking in a garden with apple in hand. We are so suffused with such hostility that we leave ourselves no may out. 

No one to blame for this other than our own selves.  We refuse to hear, ears deafened, or see, eyes blinded, tears cascading but going undried.  Feelings are all hostile, as we live in wells of pessimism of any meaningful improvement within our lives or those of anyone else to come. Not now and most probably not for any future of mankind. Beneath it all, under the false fronts we wear, we live in fear and horror, almost totally hopelessly immersed in oceans of doubt, in black wells of pessimism of any meaningful improvement within our lives or those of anyone else. Not now and most probably not for a future of mankind. 

 After reading all of this, you are shaking your head in puzzlement. What does 1492 have to do with this posting? I have written words of our yesterdays, of our todays, and even of our problematic tomorrows. However, no 1492 other than in the title and once in the posting so far. 

 SO - 1492?

YES. Come back here tomorrow and all will be made clear. That is a promise. From me to you

    

    

WHAT WAS THAT YOU SAID?!

This morning while quietly perusing the paper and enjoying my bowl of cereal, I nearly choked on said contents of said cereal bowl. I don't know why, as I should be accustomed and immured to what made me choke, but here it is. In the world of nations, beating down on each other: Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia, Ukraine, Russia, Armenia, ad infinitum ad nauseum and not to exclude those who are fighting within. Venezuela, Brazil, Hungary, the U. S, Israel. These lists can go on and on and on in most cases, even for centuries. It is just awful particularly in the poor nations, with those who have little waging war against those who have even less. Or nothing at all. Where it is a rite of a twisted manhood and culture to go out and rape some girls or kidnap them to be slaves Who'll take what little they have and then steal them away too, from their families and their own culture, their very lives.

So why then does an idiot woman, idiot being a generic term of reference to all politicians these days, why does this EU Commission chief aver oh so earnestly, in a State of the European Union address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, this such aggravating catering to the worst of the worst statement? 

 “What is happening in Gaza has shaken the conscience of the world."

Say what? What is going on in Israel has not shaken the soul of the nation, of the world? So, I guess all those people having bombs and missiles rain down upon them, into the homes where they live, into the places where they work, into the underground schools of their children, rained down upon Ukraine by Russia.... Nah, that's okay too. It doesn't bother us. Nor pictures of the ongoing horror of Somalia and Sudan where people walk around like skeletons. Where women are subject to rape as a daily occurrence, as children are born and die almost in the same breath. Sure, nothing to bother the soul here.

And why is that? How has a terrible massacre of Jewish civilians, cadet soldiers of age 18 and 19, newly inducted, no weapons with them, women and children, infants in arms, the elderly, the foreign workers, Bedouin workers of long duration, victims all,  on a Saturday, a holiday of rejoicing, dancers,  devastated, savagely brutalized in an outrage, perpetrated upon them by terrorists on a quiet October morning. An attack, a planned massacre waged upon these civilians.

Entire families burned alive, shot, massacred, babes in ovens, women and girls raped so violently their very pelvic bones shattered. And so many of the above taken as hostages, as bargaining chips - the living, the barely living, and the dead. All fodder for the ugliness and brutality of Hamas and their adherents, all those oh so CLEARLY NOT innocent civilians, the ones shooting off guns, attempting to mutilat  the hostages and shrieking with joy: "Allahu Akhbar " for their 'victory'. Friends getting together. Entire families burned alive. Babes thrown in oven. Sister and brother roped together with wire and set afire. The mother raped and shot. Finally, the father killed.  

 This outrage was perpetrated not only on the living but also on the dead as well. The genitals of women were shot up and mutilated, as were the men's, even as women's pelvic bones were broken so savagely were they attacked. Men were beaten bloody for daring to try to defend a woman next to them. They might not even have known her. But these people did the right thing, carried their wounded with them, and for their troubles, and their caring, were shot, or burned in ambulances and dumpsters where they were incinerated. Hamas beasts were determined not to leave a soul behind, not the dead, not alive.

 They took with them many of the remaining living, wounded, terrified and even the dead from various places in the small communities of the Gaza Envelope of southern Israel and for what?  Not enough that they attack and kill civilians, but to be ghouls and vampires to take back dead bodies? But we know why, do we not? To serve as hostages, to hold these captives as bargaining tools. Tools of negotiation. You want 5 hostages back? Well, maybe we'll give you, maybe we won't. Maybe they'll be dead. Maybe they'll be alive. Maybe we'll stop in the middle and for each of those that we release, we want 1000 of your security prisoners. Yes, the ones who perpetrated violent bombings and terrorist attacks upon Israel. Within Israel, Be it a school or cafe or at corner kiosk. Or bus stop, all places open for our savagery. We want those heroes.  

But of course, anything I mentioned above has nothing whatsoever to do with something that   "touches the soul” of Europe. At least according to you and your cold hearted selves. Well, screw you, Europe. For we know what touches your soul. Nothing. Nothing at all, unless it can be turned around and used against people of the Jewish nation. With all the civilians being 'killed horribly and starved', our hostages in Gaza are starving to death, literally, presented to the public as walking skeletons, as Holocaust holdovers And basically, the world said, **** you all. It's just another Jew.  What difference does it make?

On the other hand, when it comes to Hamas and the terrorists within, and their inhumane policy of embedding themselves within civilians, be it in hospitals, in schools, be it under your baby's crib, it matters not to the 'soul'. Their civilians, not too many at that, so many buy into the Hamas poisoned litany, and in their bloody hands and cooperation they deserve their deaths. So why do you cry for them, for those used as shields, as targets, as tools of war, for propaganda to display falsely to the world, claiming they are innocent victims of Israel even as it was Hamas, their own, who placed them in dangerous loss of life situation. Hamas.

 As tunnels were dug under their homes, exits and entrances in their living rooms, arms depots beneath cribs and beds of their children. Patients in the hospitals died because they were used as Hamas bases and armories, places from which to ambush, requiring the IDF to take action, for one fights an enemy where the enemy is- their choice, their decision, their responsibility. The same with the schools and community centers.  Both on the surface and underneath.

Then they cried piteously re the slaughter, the very one they engineered. Fell to the knees and wailed to Allah to save them, for the Europeans to save them. From the very war they started so beastly and brutally, in manner and intent.

Too bad!! One gets what one began and deserves.

 But the world, as usual, bought every single lie, every single excuse and forgave them their misdeeds, blaming the results of those misdeeds, the deaths of civilians, and placed it upon those broad shoulders of Israel. Jews do come in handy do they not? Even as they dare to defend themselves, they are cursed for doing just that, are damned for doing anything and everything that any nation would do if and when attacked or awaiting definite attack upon it and indeed so has been done  throughout history. But no, it is only what the Jews do their "misdeeds”, "war crimes”; only the defensive actions of Jews strike the 'soul' of Europe. Europe. 

I hope this is not news to you, for if so, where have you been living - in a cave? Just make sure that the cave does not have any of Hamas or any 'innocent' Palestinian civilians within, kest you be fed into the maw of Hamas's war machine. Without a doubtful moment. Two days ago, there was a horrific terrorist attack in Jerusalem, at a time of commuting. Streets were packed with cars and people waiting on the corners to cross, people waiting to get onto a bus. Two animals driven by a third animal from East Jerusalem, got out of the car, climbed onto the bus and the rest ... Dead. Wounded. Those to die of wounds. This has been going on since the beginning of time and we will stand still no more, hoping you finally understand right from wrong. We have as much right to exist, as much legitimacy to be a nation, as proper a right to live in our own homeland as any and all do others.

 

A culture where a young man calls home in great glee from his victim's phone and says, "Be proud of me. I killed 10 Jews with my own hand. Yes, I'm coming home to show you the video." And his father stood on the other end of the phone and cried tears of joy and pride for that was his son, a Muslim hero, a hero of Hamas so bravely killing women and children. But it doesn't count for too much, for tsk, tsk, goes the world for at least an hour or two that day. After all it was only the Israelis, the Jews, barely touching the soul of the people of the world. 

But when Israel goes on defense and when Israel  goes on offense so as to prevent such another action, well there goes the soul of the world, in so manifestly wrong a manner. Forgotten they have all that we Jews, that we Israelis, have contributed to the world, in science, in chemsty, in medicine, in the arts, in architecture, to safety as we took on defense of the world attacking the nuclear reactors of Iran and Iraq, in defending Red Sea shipping lands from the Houthis. As we introduced the first set of codified laws of justice. To the Bible and the three major religious sects, Judaism and the two deriving from it - Christianity and Islam. And so much more. And all we ask is recognition, respect and peace.

And yet, with all this, with all the anger I feel, I also hear the words of an old favorite song written and sung by a star of Israel and by many others. It is called Yeheyeh Tov, the faith that it will come. someday, peace, and then, yehiyeh tov, it will be good. It is a song of longing for peace, the sentiment of so many Israeli folk songs. The longing for peace, the end to war, never ever to recur.  A plaintive voice, in  plaintive voice, trying to convince himself and the audience that it will be good It will be peaceful. It will be a good time to be alive.

 Despite all the bloodshed in Europe, that continent drowning in our blood, deafened by the cries of mothers and fathers as their children were slaughtered before their very eyes, or kidnapped, or consigned to the claws of Nazis and their collaborators, over six million dead, disappeared, two thirds and more of Europe's Jews gone, in spite of all they had undergone, their sentiment was "It will be good. We will go out there. We will find our husbands and wives, our children, our parents, our aunts, our uncles, our cousins, some distant relatives and rebuild We will rejoin in marriage. We will build anew, have children marriages and have new children, rebuild.  

Why? Because we have faith in our Lord. We have faith not only in our loyalty to Him, but in His loyalty to us. He promised us our land. This was made well known throughout the generations of   Earth, this promise made to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, the Mothers and every single Jew down the line, down the millennia, down the ages. In fact, to anyone who has read the Bible.  

So really, members of the European nations, do you think we give a fig about your soul that you claim has been wounded?  You claim to cringe at the sight of so-called starving people. Well, take Evyatar from his dungeon Hell beneath Gaza and compare him to someone out there, of the Palestinians, choose randomly, as many as you wish, and you will not see anyone starving. Rather, you will see people walking with big bags of food slung over their shoulders, carried under their arms, wheeled along in carriages, bicycles and cars. And you will see Hamas stealing from their own and Israeli soldiers giving out food to the enemy. The same people who not only watched with joy when my people were slaughtered by the boatload and you think we're going to worry about what touches your soul? Sorry, folks. We will do what we have to do, what we are entitled to do, that must needs be done.

We, the Jewish people, know the time will come when there will be peace and no more war. We have sung of that for millennia, contributed that verse to the world. It will be realized. It will be activated, totally, completely, fully without having to constantly fight, without having to constantly look around to see where there are those who would kill us. We do not have to explain to people why we   have the right to live. Why we do not have to justify ourselves living in our homeland.

Am Yisroel Chai - Lanetzach.  

The nation, the people of Israel live - forever.  

 Through yesterday, 

into today, 

and for all the tomorrows to come.

Keep your hypocritical soul. 

It is worthless as it is now.

A BOX OF NEEDLES

 This is the first time that I have heard that expression. It came in the midst of a confusing search for the bad guys and all the while the good guys, deep in their efforts, find themselves adding more needles to be found before they might actually have success in their endeavors. The more needles to be found, the more complicated and difficult the reaching of a satisfactory solution or conclusion. If one has ever searched carefully for a missing needle, one knows the likelihood of the sharp end of that needle finding you before you find it. Imagine the difficulty of finding a box of needles. Ouch!!

I believe that this difficulty of finding those needles and eliminating their possible woes to the seeker is even more frustrating when the needle is spotted. You are so sure you are headed directly to it, to pick it up and place it where it needs to be placed or discarded.  And then -it seems to disappear, burying itself in a pile of clothes, and a new search must be initiated, adding to the tension.  

Imagine the frustration when you are told to call off the search. Maybe you made an error or were seeing things that were not there. But you know they are and also know well the peril they portend unless we find them and display them. A better method to keeping these misplaced needles must be found and circulated to all concerned. That is the most difficult thing to do for so often there is resistance to the truth. The obvious truth. 

It is not pleasant to be notified of past errors of needle hunts and then to be educated as to that error already committed and all that must be done and in place in order to alleviate negative complications. How that process is initiated and carried out bodes either good or bad for what is to follow. These needles must be found and removed from any position where they could cause harm, deny solutions of true consensus, and an understanding hence allowing for repairs of the fabric of the globe. Reached without force, without suppression and without censorship. Difficult and possibly long till a satisfying end of trail is seen, but it must be undertaken if we and the rest of the world are to find, to make, a future for all of us. One where these elusive needles are few and far between.

There's not a single person or a single nation that has no needles. It is either seeking or hiding them, often engaged in a false or discouraging search for them. These needles range from minor, almost totally insignificant, to needles carrying huge loads of worries and woes especially for those who are unaware or are engaged in denial. The needle drawing blood from an individual's finger is generally found and removed from play, though it might cause harm and hurt. Unfortunately, it is not that simple when a much larger needle is present.

There are many such troubles and needles in the world today, unfortunately with many here or originating here, in the United States, affecting us both internally and externally. When a president stands there boasting of money forced in payment to us from other nations, there is a very obvious needle at play. It is piracy, blackmail, whatever term you so desire, but that is the truth. Other than in size, there is no difference between that policy and the Barbary Pirates or the modern-day Somalian pirates. There is something very wrong about that, no basic difference, and bodes no good for the future, if any, of this embattled world of ours. 

 Blackmail. Pure and simple. In theory, in intent, in results, in principle. No different from the gangs demanding payment from storekeepers for "protection". Surely a huge box of needles speaking of loss of soul, of proper principles of life, and it all drips down and rolls back up again, replaying itself, reburying the needles. Second verse, same as the first. Again, and again and again.

Yet another box of huge extremely sharp needles needful of discovery, digging out and neutralization has invaded our lands and in fact the lands of an already blood-soaked Europe, of millennia duration. We have not learned a thing, and still, today, continue to try to refute, but fail to do so, the warning of Pastor Niemöller who warned the world re the persistence of these needles leaking hate and poison, for once the Jews were done, "there was no one left to speak for me".  Nor for any of the world, ever, for all are targets of these toxic needles. 

I must confess that for the first time in my life I am afraid. Despite all the history I've studied, despite all the literature read, despite the facts I always knew, of the powers of this malicious side of humanity, despite my pilgrimage to the sites of barbarity and to the former homes of my slaughtered relatives, I thought-hoped- we had learned a lesson. Evidently, I was wrong. 

Now, well, now it takes a deep breath of exhalation of the fear and a deep inhalation of courage to walk into the airport with a shirt of pro-Israel slogan or anti murderers or have my necklace of charms of Judaic context, visibly and proudly worn. To be the target of crude remarks and gestures, and I fear, not so much for me, but for the generations to come. 

But what I, and all of us, must understand and know, very deeply know, that there is a difference today. The attitudes towards our haters and their needles, the ones they continuously sow and reap, are different. We know the truth and their hate. The cut of their words. Their sword which connects the two.  We know that we must resist this ugliness in every which way, manner, form, every facet to be addressed, to be confronted, trashed, buried forever, so deep they will defy discovery and will for eternity remain dormant.    

Active confrontation, even combat, if necessary, must be waged against all the rusted, poisonous needles of mankind and its history If we do not, we are only guaranteeing their return, their rediscovery by those who would use them to regenerate all the ills and troubles of the world. To the detriment of all. We must be proactive. We must dig for those needles. Bear the pain of the stings they inflict upon the diggers, for they could deliver far worse if we abandon our duty, our "must do", if we are to negate any opportunity of a return of such barbarity, of inhumanity beyond words of proper weight to describe.  

At present, I am sad, horrified to say, we are fighting an apparently losing battle. We must do more, educate better, be proactive, and find and neutralize those damned needles. Understand that the demonization of immigrants is merely the continued demonization of any so deemed "others” so perceived, presented to the public at large, are to be the designated targets of hate. There is no difference - we were all immigrants. 

I think that what raises the most fear in me is the similarity of what happened in Germany, Italy, Hungary, basically most nations of the world, to what is happening now in this nation facing the demands and mad desires of a wannabe dictator, senile and demented as he is, as our democracy teeters under attack, especially from those within  consuming us even as our outside enemies grow stronger, angrier, more defiant. 

How many more wounds must we suffer? Are there any left among us who can resist the bloody freedom of hatred let loose? Bold enough to know that which we must do. Of courage to do so? 

Will we?

Will you?

Will I?

Many of our yesterdays we were able to do so. 

Our todays were all the better for that.

Our Tomorrows looked even better.

Until ......

Well, you can fill in the blank(s).

NO POST TODAY

 DUE TO TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES, THERE WILL NOT BE A POSTING TODAY. SEE YOU ON WEDNESDAY

SELL BY DATES

  Once upon a time shopping was a whole lot easier than it is today. You went to the shelves to pick up what you needed or wanted, (not necessarily the same), put it in your wagon and paid for it. Today, standing by any chosen item, one can begin to think that there is either a requirement or a custom to do this: pick up item, preferably from the back of the lot, gaze at sides, bottom and top, replace and redo with another of the item, shake head and pick up one's choice. What is this custom?

It is a sell by date comparison. It is a shopper's awareness that the fresher ones will be put in the back, hoping that people will simply come by and pick up one closest. I suppose it works often enough for the practice to be continued but those of us of a certain age can easily recall the time when sell by dates were non-existent and we had one less criterion over which we obsessed. Yet we survived. Today one can find these dates on practically everything from soup to nuts, edible and non-edible, and most mind boggling, on items which have no deterioration over time.  Yet there are those dates, front and center. The sad thing is how we buy into that and pursue that which need not be pursued. In so doing we fritter away time and effort where they are wasted rather than where there is desperate need of such input. And then we wonder why a project is late and/or of secondary quality. 

 Without a need to be cruel, sell by date usage and functioning can be applied to human beings if done properly. We wonder why, when there are so many ways in which we can differentiate the ability of one to carry out one's responsibilities without demeaning the one being evaluated.  Using such a system would allow for continued productive contributions from most, as misplacement due to physical demands or age restrictions or experience necessity would be halted. Each person would feel and work better when talents and abilities are   suitably matched. A person would not feel discarded, but rather valued and the atmosphere of the workplace and the morale of workers within would much improve and a happy comfortable workplace is conducive to more productivity and willingness to work in tandem, rather than in competition.

Some positions require knowledge, ability and desire to use tht knowledge to contribute to others, to help people, to make techniques easier to use, or to carry out and carry on. To make use of the experience, the knowledge, the insights of one's life's work, highlighting top of the line contributive value rather than emphasizing one weakened. Age, physical stamina, experience, ability and willingness to give over the benefits of one's experiences to one more capable at this moment to fulfill all necessities. 

Use rather than, discard. Value rather than demean. Thrifty rather than wasteful. Know and acknowledge sell by dates but also the longevity and flexibility of others. 

Now sit back and review your life, your experience in the workplace and in various organizations. Who, when and where could have benefited from the evaluation and the application of sell by the dates of ability to fulfill a position to the best of one's capability, to fit the needs of the entity and to allow for flexibility and transfer of knowledge to others without discarding all the positive that remains, all the too valuable to lose and so difficult to rebuild.

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.

  All with much to contribute. With much to build upon, all with the provision of hope.

Maybe one day to be appreciated.

                

WHO'D A THUNK?

Who'd a thunk that today, in 2025, after years of growing awareness that there is just something, many somethings wrong, with that guy in the White House, that we can still, so easily, disconnect with reality. That we can still manage to unlink our connection to independent thought and evidence and instead adhere to the idea of controlled and repressed thinking. 

From a democratic nation to one-man authoritarian rule. That we would actually again submit to “rule" of this nation by one who has not been elected, nore was ever in position to be so chosen. It is when the president becomes visibly and/or mentally incapable of leading this nation and those duties and responsibilities are assumed by the partner. In American history it is the female hostess or First Lady of the land, who does this. Woodrow Wilson. Ronald Reagan. Joe Biden? Melania, (not even a citizen by birthright(!) and I believe there were one or two more in the same situation. In some cases, it was a well-known but denied and ignored situation while in others it was accepted as such, particularly in those administrations where the Cabinet members took over the rule and made the decisions. Not a great situation, no matter where one looks. 

We are at present right in the midst of such a problematic administration. While the eyes of the nation have been opening slowly, finally seeing what we, those of us who have seen the truth for ever so long, that we now have as our practically speaking president, a foreign-born woman whose loyalty to this nation is untested. So well indeed have we accepted her that she was emboldened enough to answer her poor befuddled husband's question. "What did she say? Even as she clued him in as to that answer, she cannot do that for what follows, for the inanities, the absurdities, the rambling round the merry go round responses that emit from his beleaguered severely misfunctioning brain. 

His henchman in the cabinet and the leadership of the Republican Party and in the houses of Congress have glommed onto this opportunity. All the while they pass off these extremely dangerous moronic proposals of policy and Constitution challenging Executive Orders, as his. But they do not always cone from his befuddled and overtaxed mind but actually from theirs, and not a great difference between them. In public, they continue their behavior as Craven Toads and take major hits to their dignity but actually they may be the ones controlling of the mighty powers that remain to us. That, my friends, that is an extremely frightening proposition, a scenario of reality which I am too afraid is actually true, and well along its way on this one-way road to Perdition. 

If we do not all wake up and smell the coffee, see the truth, read between the lines, evaluate current reality and understand what is happening and what it portends for the future, well, perhaps we need, all of us, to get on some new Mayflower and find some new land and rebuild from scratch. If you continue to deny the truth, I suggest you do this before you jump ships.  Watch as many of his pathetic conferences or meetings with the dignitaries of other states and nations. 

Clock in on how they behave towards him. Are they spaced out or paying attention? Are their eyes elsewhere other than on his face, in absolute wonderment that this is the man with whom they are negotiating, this remnant of a once upon a time thinking human being. Analyze the faces of his members of the houses of Congress and of his cabinet and other appointees who suck up to him in public, smile and chuckle on command but speak to him in baby's tone and tempo Anyone who has been a parent or a coworker or a subordinate know this is how one talks to a child or to one incapable of understanding words of more than one syllable, or the context and consequences of it.

This is our current situation. It is not the first time that this has occurred and probably will not be the last. However, it is the first time that this nation has been in such as this one. One where all the evil energies converge and create a damaging synergy which we had better shed quickly or forever we will be forced to hold our piece. 

Yes, before you take up finger and type and say I am forgetting his current support of Israel, no, I am not. This is just about his only policy which I am hoping and praying and pleading and doing whatever I can to see that he follows and acts, not just talks.

 However, I am not only a supporter, a citizen, of America or Israel, but I'm also a citizen of the world, and as goes the world, so do we. Somehow, sometime, somewhere, and very soon, we must come to some kind of accommodation and understanding. At present, we are ceding our influence and our waning power to command and possible influence. Our grip on that wheel of the ship of state is becoming less controllable even as the wild shoals and sandbars grow in number and size. We have lost our maps to the safe channels through troublesome waters, and it is proving to be of great difficulty, if not impossible, to resurrect.

Once upon a time all those yesterdays ago, we had respect and dignity. As much as we always criticized our leaders, we always had faith in their loyalty to this nation. We had a trust in this leader that is missing today, glaringly so. Be the failure on purpose or by accident, it matters not.  He needs to be removed from positions where he might cause harm irreparable and then what? No. The answer is not to elect such a person, and if that grievous error is made, then to correct it as soon as possible and rectify any damage caused in the interim.

We have legal means enough to remove this man and any other such man or women who follow in his paths. Disenchant them of any mistaken visions they have of such being the truth. Do what is needed with care and wisdom and with appropriate speed. Any dilly dallying along the way will only lead to more troubles and woes, all become enmeshed together and even Alexander the Great will not be able to slice his sword through that Gordian Knot.    

Prevention is worth an ounce of care. The problem is that we have so many ounces of care weighing upon us that we must deal with consequences before we can even begin to get at those prevention rules. The sooner, the better.

It is a great time to start.

We have lost the time of  yesterday.

We are greatly challenged today.

But the true worry is for the tomorrows to come.

THERE COMES TIME

 The title statement is one applying to most things in life Fashion trends. Book favorites. Acceptable behavior or nonacceptable. All things reach that ending, sometimes naturally, sometimes not. At times it is welcome while at other times it is most unwelcome, but we all must learn to live with those endings. Many these endings actually give birth, an impetus to new ideas, spark new questions or approaches resulting in new invention or improvements in ones we have. Research into many areas is encouraged and theories on everything are studied and expanded upon. That is science That is what our best labs in universities and research hospitals and companies should be all about Unfortunately, that is not so.

Today we have ignoramuses. Today we have people who are afraid of moving forward for they are not even at the place we are at today, but have fallen way, way behind These are the ignorant ones of anti vaxxer belief. These are the one who refuse to admit that the United States needs fresh blood, fresh brains, fresh thinking, fresh ideas. That is called immigrants Those immigrants are also called upon, and most necessary, to work in the fields of construction and tourism, hospitality and agriculture, to educate their children and see them contribute to society.

 However, once again, we are shooting ourselves in our feet by chasing them out. Stop. No, not chasing, but throwing and first imprisoning in most inhumane conditions. Families are ripped apart. A full planeload of only children is to be dumped in some strange country. Why does this country agree to this? Because Trump has threatened them with dire consequences if they refuse oblige him in this policy.   

 These types of behavior are of sheer ignorance and approaches points and charges of illegality and brutality. That's the question so, why the hell are we doing this? I have spoken out about this till my face turns blue in the face and I get the same answers and mind you - these are not my answers. These are people who are criminals or drug ridden, infested with the worst germs ever. Are after our money, our homes, our children. I want to show this out and down money our homes. This is most unfortunately, quite reminiscent, quite mirroring of the same attitudes that the Nazis held out and urged people to adopt and act upon. Frankly, I see no air visible between them, other than the fact that they have not yet approached that level and built openly acknowledged concentration camps with methodology of slaughter and murder and extermination. Give it time.

How have we forgotten the origin and the development of this nation? How have we forgotten our civics courses where we discussed the ethos of our nation and its proper course of development, including errors that it made? How have we forgotten the times when it opened its doors and gates to those in desperate need and how many times have we forgotten and beaten mea culpa   when we shut those gates in their faces?     

 How have we forgotten that we are immigrants? All of us, and if not this generation than the one before, the one before that. How have forgotten that? I ask all of you out there which generation in your family came as immigrants. And yes, I know you're going to tell me they worked hard. But most do and want the same - opportunity to make their dreams come true. Why do we think it our obligation, our right to deny this dream? Criminal - then yes, deport, but if not, make them welcome and invite them to partake in this wonderful American dream.   

All this hatred, all this animosity all this determination to hold all in the world deeply and closely to our bodies, refusing to share its bounties, Might consequently actually be harming ourselves as we shut down the doorway to the new which might actually benefit us. If someone can actually explain this to me, truthful data, I would do my best to believe, but for the life of me there is no truth here. There is only hate There is only animosity. There is only contempt. And there is a total forgetfulness in the minds of all, that pursuit and persecution eventually devolve upon everyone for Each group is fed upon in its turn and when one group is done this viral slithering hate moves to the next available group. No exemptions, no pity, no escape.  When one group is done, it merely advances its slithery slimy onto the next available meal. Yum, yum!

All the yesterdays of mankind. All of the todays built upon those yesterdays, with optimism for them and for the tomorrows - we have got to choose and quickly. The time is of finite duration.

SO. IS HE? IF SO, WHAT ELSE IS NEW? HO HUM...ZZZZZZZ

  Really? Truly? Is that the case? If so, it's all old news, for anyone with the modicum of honesty and intelligent thoughts, willing to believe what he knows is true, rather than deny it for convenience's sake, knew way back in the run for 2016, even before that, the man was nuts! Nuts in his extreme behavior, in his wording and ideas and certainly damage to intelligence blaring from his weird writing. Not to forget his imbecilic smirks and perpetual prissy mouth moue. 

All one had to do was take all of this together, one nice, neat weighed together package and the clear picture was seen. All of what he said. All of the lies he sent forth and all the contradictions he employed in order to make his way into the Oval Office. His weird posture and hair habits. His clumsy walk and body build. The very strange and illiterate writing.  The constant occasions when either reading a pre-written speech, or his wild pony rides off the path laid down before him, when he segues into long passages of totally disconnected, discombobulated rantings and ravings. 

To tell the truth it was and actually is, even more so as we have seen him double down on his insanity, in his second term in office. It was frightening enough to see a candidate in the throes of growing dementia; How much more frightening when that same weirdo is the actual elected one in the Oval Office? When that lacking person stands before the nation he supposedly leads and the nations of the Western world where he is also presumed to be a leader, the world stands aghast and realizes its survival is at a duel at noon level. Oy!! It is enough to induce insanity, great confusion even within an eminently sane and sensible person, let alone to exacerbate the already cooking and boiling insanity and present insanity within that degenerating mind.

 Even the most powerful truth avoiding mind must see the actuality, the sad reality. The danger ever growing until one day, most probably soon, the possessor of said muddied mind does something unable to be reversed or even ameliorated in some degree. The physical outward symptoms are clear as is the insane obsession with his hair, changing hairstyles, dying it, as if it obscures the truth of his dangerous deficiencies of his age.  Shuffling feet, awkward walk, clearly off balance. Bloated body. Swollen hands and feet. Body held at odd angle, severe bending over to the side to hear the voice addressed to him at conferences. Now we have his very raspy, hoarse voice and he continues to veer off topic, and lose his temper when displeased.

He needs to be constantly reinforced as to popularity and adoration by the people. - even as the polls prove that ever so wrong. Nor can he keep track of what he says, of his activities and scolds all those he deems responsible when caught in his own contradictions, and please, not to forget his constant audience who stand behind him and smile and grin on demand or who actually drop their work, as much as it is, to stand before him for an entire afternoon, their job to be front and center to praise him and smile for him. To remind him how great he is.  Ugh! All creeps and dangerous incompetents to the worst degree possible. 

Moreover, he is deeper into dementia than Biden eve was and at least there were some intelligent people in that group. Here all we have are undesirable, indigestible brownnosers possessed of errant and weird theories such as RFK Junior spouts forth. Or economists who have no clue as to what this field is and how to work it, how to make it safe for the nation. Et alia for all the more that can be said here.   

Most frightening is the way that this nation has lost its ways, its moral basis, forgotten its foundations, the principles which gave rise to the first true democracy of the world. We have lost our pride. And we have lost the respect from the other nations of the world as we do not remain true to who and what we are supposed to be. We have shed the nobility of our purpose on this earth. There is a deep loss of quality and caliber of so-called public servants as they aim to attain and amass power, who serve only themselves and their master, currently Trump. 

He is the one who wishes to turn this nation from democracy to authoritarian government and is well on the way to achieving that goal. He despises all who oppose him. He plots revenge and worse upon them. At present, he is held back only through a judiciary which is standing on its rights and its powers given to them by the Constitution, but the question remains, how long can they withstand all that he throws against them as he continues to load the decks with puppets who do his bidding. 

Under his rule, there is blatant disregard for laws. There is corruption within the government. There is imposition of federal forces upon cities and state. There are many outrageous actions taking place as he has written so many edicts, Executive Orders, an insane number of them, demands of a dictator wannabe, all of which contain nothing that bodes good for the populace. He has donned a deep enveloping cloak of inhumanity, of disrespect and disregard of the rights of people and how they should be treated. He deliberately has forgotten the dream of America and subverted it to a nightmare grown beyond all possible acceptability.  Into a deterioration clearly ugly, filthy in its activations and declarations and motivations.

In fact, there is only one area in which he has retained some connection to sanity and to righteousness of cause. He supports Israel, or claims he does, even as he takes credit upon himself for things that happen, not only by his power alone. But the question remains; the man is mercurial and his swapping of opinions and changing of minds is too often there and in play. How long till his already increasing impatience goes beyond his accepting of it and he turns? I sincerely hope not, but his trustworthiness is more apparent in its absence than in its presence. I hope that he continues on this at least one path of correct activity and opinion and support of a constantly embattled nation whose people are targets of hate throughout the millennia of the world.  I wish I were more confident that he is even capable of doing so, so deep in the throes of a growing dementia that he is.

Yesterday we had frightening times.

Today they persist in remaining.

As for tomorrow, we can only hope and pray and watch and act very carefully. 

And trust in the Lord, our G-d and His promise to us - of a homeland of our own.

Forever. 

AND THE MISBEAT GOES ON AND ON

  When I woke up this morning, I was not clear as to my exact location. It did not look like Florida nor like the plane we have been traveling in since it felt time forever and more. Nor was it one of my children's homes and so where in the name of Dickens are we? Prying my eyes open a bit more I confirm the place, giving me great happiness as well as a great big moan for it equaled up to one place both timely and welcome as well as back ache warning. All the unpacking!! 

Just then I heard confirmation as the sweet sounds of the shofar blown each and every morning in the month of Elul. Heart and soul hear the call to prayer, to atone for violations of the past year, to repent and ask for mercy and forgiveness from   Hashem and all whom we have offended during that time. How blessed it is to hear that sound every morning as those notes come wafting through my window. In the land given unto the people of Abraham, to my people all those millennia ago.    Music in my ears along with the sounds of children playing outside and the banging of hammers as indeed, 'shavu banim ligvulam' - your children have returned to their land. In which we lived, which we visited, the same land for which we prayed, the nation which provided haven for Jewish refugees, those persecuted, and those who returned in full free choice, for each one knows the call of the heart, the State of Israel. The land we have been called upon year after year to defend, for survival and for rescue of those held captive in a death in life in the caves and cells of the enemy.

We have also been called to defend ourselves politically in an extremely hostile political world. Organizations such as the United Nations and all of its subordinate branches also incorporate within their very souls an antagonism, even hatred of Israel and of Jews in general. It has supported physically, emotionally, financially and militarily those who fought against Israel, those who hate Israel, those whose final goal in life is to destroy that nation, it's people within and the related population in all the nations of the globe.

There was no shame among them as at one and the same time they claim those borders in totality, with   Jewish citizens able to remain - under their Sharia rules - and at other times they admit their true desire to be Judenrein, not a Jew to be had within those borders. Not within Israel as it was nor even among the living in the world at large, admitted by a leader of this cause, who stated clearly that "our war is not against Israelis but against all Jews."

Worst of all is when they are aided and abetted by the Anti-Semitic leaders of both the West and the East who've decided to join in the chorus of hate and shed their flimsy outer coating hiding their anti -semitic beliefs - France, England, the Netherlands, Germany, Japan, country after country barely one hesitating to join that ugly choir of hate, that modern, open revelation as alive and quite well,  that this ancient and evil hatred has never been truly forsworn nor defeated, not desired to be so. 

Israel has been held to an unlivable standard of behavior, impossible to achieve, yet demanded so of Israel. They are to relinquish any formation, any format of self-defense as any other nation would have it. Lives taken by the soldiers of Israel is verboten, as Israel must fight a war where none of their enemies fall - so demanded and so criticized when naturally it does not take place. It cannot.

 The enemies themselves are violating all the rules of warfare, even as they receive the sympathy of the world once it is clear that Israel has overcome their forces, on the way to yet another victory in another war forced upon them, this one in a most vicious and war rule violating as ever has occurred, attempting to achieve Hitlerian depth of ugliness and barbarity. Even as those who invaded Israel claim justification and victimhood, and gin up false numbers and statistics and states of life that never were, and the world believes, full immersion into their falsehoods.   

Furthermore, the very fate of Israel is glommed onto by a world which hates it. France and Saudi Arabia are initiating a conference in New York State of all places, where they will discuss the solution of a two states existence in Palestine and guess who has no presence, no voice there? This has been happening for almost two years as nations other than Israel discuss its state and its dismemberment.

This cannot continue, and yet no one moves to admit that fact and instead moves on with scoldings and lectures and beliefs of impossible to believe lies. It is a condition which can not much longer exist for it is brutal and problematic as ever and unless a fair and eqitable solution with full acknowledgement of the right of Israel to exist, its legitimacy, its true nationhood, even as attested to within the political world by the Balfour Declaration (hello, England) and the United Nations - yes, that very same organization-then neither will there be a Palestine for Israel will not, cannot write itself off.

It did not do so - neither yesterday nor today. 

It will certainly not do so for the tomorrows to come.

Never. 

NEVER!

 

WHO, WHAT, HOW ARE WE? WHAT MAKES US TICK?

  And so, to continue the saga, to help one and all understand who the Jews are, what makes up our substance, what drives us, what is important to us and why is that so - to understand all that you have to take a step back from yesterday's posting. Only then can one begin to understand what those answers are and why.

We must return to the time of the Romans, the people who destroyed our second Temple, who exiled us from our homeland, who mistakenly thought they had for once and for all defeated that pesky little nation state and the people within who held off that Empire for years. Their greatest treasures were taken by Rome, and some remain  allegedly within the depths of the Vatican. Much of the population were led off into slavery, yet many remained, The simpler people, the ones who did not cause fear to Romans for they had no power, no wealth, no possibility of rebellion and would probably be destroyed by the harsh conditions of their land.  

Foolish thinking, and  history has proven so, that, despite all the oppression and persecution and bias and repression and suppression, the Judeans remaining in their conquered land remained for centuries, were joined by others, welcomed those who throughout the millennia made religious journeys to their Holy Land.  The Jews scattered around the world in Diaspora, Galut, determined to survive and not merely barely, but to build families, communities, to remain true to their faith, their G-d, to trust in His Promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to all their descendants - a homeland of their own, in perpetuity. All the while they struggled to live, even prosper, a very difficult thing to do within the strictures placed upon those of Jewish origin, but they did. Invited in by rulers who knew that Jews increased the profitability of any nation in which they resided, who lent the ruling authorities gold coin, these same rulers refused to repay and exiled the very same ones who had saved them in time of need. France, England, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and on and on, throughout the centuries, it mattered not. Used as practice targets for swords during the Crusades or burned at stakes as heretics or in the Tower of York in England, or accused of treachery as was Dreyfus, or accused of blood libel, as were many, including Mendel Beilis, accused of economic malfeasance and lack of morality, as depraved less than human creatures, and finally, the most powerful attempt to totally extinguish their light via the Holocaust. 

Ironic, as Jews were the ones who introduced a system based on morality and truth, who elevated the necessity to chase justice, vigorously, to aid the needy and the poor, to welcome the stranger in the midst, who defined the traits of a good ruler, who set up a system of justice complete with compassion and responsibility. Even when exiled from a land into which they been invited, their invitations rescinded or made null and void, and restrictions placed again upon them - forbidden to own land, to follow certain professions, survive we did, and many times were able to educate the children as well. If the world has any complaints about why it is that they were known for lending money to kings and rulers, it is because that was the only profession in many countries they were allowed to pursue.   

 When able to, the Jewish people sought better places. Made their our way to nations where   citizenship was granted, where efforts and industry were appreciated. Hard work, educating the children, and contribution to the nation. However, all the while, loyal to adopted nations and serving in their armed forces, always there was a chill down the spine, a hunching of shoulders in tension as to when the next axe would fall, for so history has taught us. Nasty remarks, employment and education quotas - it took decades and decades to erode, to overcome this and we now see that those moments, those experiences of unease, are there, remaining directed at us, for us. Simply take a look around and see what we see, hear what we hear. Know what we know

Back to the Romans. Contrary to their thinking, the Jewish people remained attached to their homeland. No matter where they were in the diaspora their prayers were in the direction of that homeland Wishes to return remained for the millennia. Many returned from the barren threatening lands of Europe and turned to rebuilding their homeland where they could work hard and prosper and where they could follow injunctions to defend themselves against those who would refuse their homeland to them, to fight within the rules of God but to know that fight for survival was of utmost importance. a ninthenameof survival. 

Unfortunately, the armed forces of Israel have Been held to a double standard fight but do not wound or kill anyone No destruction of any property or infrastructure no matter what is being hidden inside or beneath support the "civilians” of the enemy and never mind the fact that many are not so. No collateral damage at all allowed despite the fact that most of the fighters are embedded among their own civilians. The responsibility for their deaths falls upon the shoulders of those who enable that zone of safety.   

Throughout history. We have often been warred upon but have laid down roots, shoulders to the wheel, noses to the grindstone and worked hard, and took care of their own and always followed a dream where they would be free, respected. Time and time again the Jewish nation pulled themselves up, stood straight and tall, with faith in their Lord, that the promise would be kept. To be returned to that homeland, to live within, to build it up, to defend it, and to be free from hate and violence.  For millennia we waited, patient but determined and we made the land of desert and swamp into a thriving nation replete with contributions to the world, even as it took in the persecuted Jews from nations round the world, as Jews of all nations returned home. A homeland as all other nations desired and had or fought for.  

Through all the millennia the Jewish people have learned that there was no one better than themselves to themselves There is no one else who will fight to the last rock left to throw at the enemy? Other than themselves there is no one better to build their pride, to know that they are the descendants of brave and determined people and will be true to their heritage. and their responsibility to defend themselves, to be responsible for themselves no matter how hard, no matter how long.

Now, 2025 almost two years exactly from the heinous massacre of women, of children, of mass rape, of starvation, a revival of Holocaust conditions with hostages still remaining barely hanging on, with all our offers, with all our righteous demands, Hamas plays dangerous games even as the  world revives the oldest hate  - JewHatred.  

Even as we approach that two-year anniversary, we will remain strong and we will remember who we are: one nation, one people. No matter how much arguing, how much we air our disagreements to others we are one. 

We are Amcha - your nation, my nation.

The password of recognition during the Holocaust.

  Today we all need to remember Amcha.

The yesterdays and todays unfortunately have begun to resemble each other. But we will refuse to allow that to shatter the optimism of our tomorrows.

Read the history of which I have omitted much. It tells the truth.

Please note there will be no posting tomorrow, as flight again. I will return on Wednesday.

Stay safe, stay true.