Nova Exhibit NYC

 When I first heard that there was going to be an exhibit to remember the Nova music festival massacre  I really did not want to go. I was afraid that it would be too intense. Two days after  four hostages were rescued from Gaza, there was a hate demonstration in front of the festival exhibit  and I  thought now I have to go . I went last  Monday. 

 I'm very glad that I went. It was very intense  and very meaningful . The exhibit was created by survivors of the massacre. There were pictures of those were lost.  The videos were not too graphic. It tells and shows what happened while respecting the deceased. 

  A few things really stuck with  me . The  pop up tents. Same darn pop up tents as the campus hate encampments. Things can be used for love or for hate.  The other thing that really stuck out was was how very young most of the people at the nova festival were, Sure , we see the faces of those who were massacred, and we see their ages.  Until I saw the endless photos on the memorial walls with photos  of the massacred people it didn't really sink in.   One young man was a triplet conceived through IVF. Others died trying to save others. There would be obituaries  saying the deceased was  such a lovely boy,  . It was then that it sunk in how young most of these victims were. 

   The Nova Festival was on the last day of Sukkot and on Simchat Torah. There were a few tables of clothing and other things left behind. Among the shoes, phones and tote bags were kippot and  siddurim. There was a book called Hashem loves me.  

   In one area I found a bunch of pictures of sisters Roya and Norelle Manzuri  and  Norelle's boyfriend Amit Cohn who were murdered at the Nova festival. On the back of the picture  there was tefillat haderech.- the  Jewish travel prayer. Next to the pictures there was  a note saying please take one of these to remember our children , I'm just tearing up  just writing this . I took a card and will most certainly think of them when I use this when I travel. I will think of all of those who so tragically lost their lives there.  . 

   At the end of the exhibit there is a wall with the faces of the Israeli hostages and a few videos about them. There are also notecards where one can write condolences and place the cards at various points in the exhibit.  There was an area of art that people made to remember those who were murdered and even poems of hope for the future. There also is an area where one can sit and collect one's thoughts . 

    As I am writing this the exhibit has closed in NYC. I suppose I have to thank the hate demonstraters  of June 10. They made sure that I saw this exhibit. Scooter Braun , the facilitator f this exhibit extended  this exhibit because he felt that it was important more people see this exhibit. I am not sure that any of the brainwashed were in attendance but the extended opening gave time for more people to memorialize this atrocity and for that I am grateful. 

In Search of Other Reasons...

      When  I was a kid I never understood why  though American society demonized the Nazis  I didn't get the impression they were condemning them because of what they did to the Jews. To me this was the main reason to despise them. As time went by I learned more about the Nazis and found that Jew hatred was not their only evil though still the most heinous to me until this day . I think that this is why when people through around the word Nazi that though an insult , the insult isn't the same as if I would use it as a slur.

       Andrew Cuomo's covid policies put covid patients back in nursing homes but ultimately stopped being governor due to accusations of sexual harassment, not really his biggest sin.

     Claudine Gay stepped down from her position due to accusations of plagerism but not for her belief that words are violence but not when they are words of violence against Jews 

       The world is backwards. I think that a hope for the world to condemn Hamas is to find another reason for them to want to eradicate them than the  wanting  to genocide Jews and destroy the west  and then they will be on our side. The world is so upside down these days.  

        

        

Purim

      Society these days is so messed up. The only true binary is men and women and yet somehow that has become contraversial  yet with other things there can only be one derech otherwise one gets shut down or cancelled Only one way to look at covid 19.. If one doesn't have the same point of view as the special people decree then people don't even consider your opinion . Makes me feel like I'm living in the twilight zone. And all this has been going on before October 7.

    The saddest part of the post October 7 world is that it didn't surprise me, I just was hoping it wouldn't reach this place. . I am most confused by those who are trending onto the pro Hamas train. At first I thought they glommed on because they hate or are indifferent to Jews, and  actually knew what they were rallying for. I thought the university had taught them the why . Now I realize that they are brainwashed but don't really know what it is they are participating in. I keep waiting for the trend to pass. I wish that I could explain to them what is really going on. I try to enlighten those I know who are open to hearing the truth. 

     The demonstrations of hate feel like a gut punch . Though there are fewer pro Israel rallies  they are all the more powerful. They bring me hope. As much as I am disturbed by the destruction and the hate of the other side, when I see the humanity of the Jewish people and our allies I realize that though its a tough fight I know that I am on the right side and I am proud of us. Despite my trepidation I see that we are standing our ground. We are supporting each other . I see celebrities who were always known as public Jews really stand up for Israel in a way even they may not have thought was possible. I had read an internet troll comment who was annoyed by all of the "C" list celebrities who are speaking up for Israel . I smiled.. This is why it is the most awesome. They are out there shining in the most important way possible . I am so impressed with their sincerity and it helps keeps my spirits up to follow them. 

      I am ready for Purim to come and for an end to this war and a victory for the Jewish people. and for the road to a return to a new normal that actually is normal. 

      

Heartbreak

After the October 7 massacre in Israel I have not been able to get my thoughts together. There is so much to say and its hard to know where to start. I am so disturbed by the brutal massacre and mutilation as well as heartbroken by the abduction of 250 civilians. I lived in Israel for 2 years after high school. I went to a girl's yeshiva . Though it did not make me want to immediately make aliyah, it did give me a strong bond to my Jewish homeland. A few things have really stood out about Israel that have stayed with me for all of these years. In Israel there is a deep respect for older people . When I was eigtheen and went on buses in Jerusalem, if you did not stand up and give your seat to an older person there was someone religious or secular telling me to give them my seat. I have NEVER seen this anywhere else. On Israeli independence day everyone you knew or did not know would bop each other on the head with baby toy hammers. Not sure if this is still a tradition, but it was years ago. In what other country would this happen and you would not be afraid? None I have ever heard of. It was amazing to be in Israel and see Rachel's Tomb, Masada, Maarat Hamachpelah, and the kotel. All of these places I had just learned about in school had came to life. Machaneh Yehudah (the Jewish farmer's market) has the most incredible melange of produce and spices . I remember there being a pita bread oven on the premises that made the freshest most tasty pita bread I have ever eaten. When I lived in Israel it was before pita bread had been mainstreamed in the United States. Though I haven't visited Israel in years , Israel is still close to my heart. This is why what has happened there since 10/7 is most painful. I have friends and relatives who live in Israel. Watching people rip down the pictures of the Israeli hostages has been so upsetting. So many loveley people have posted pleas from their friends and relatives for their release. Many have postd videos of those who were taken hostage so we can get to know who they are. Others have posted memorial videos of those who were so tragically murdered. All of this makes me cry , but it also has made me feel closer to Israel. A few people have posted vigils of the hostage square in Tel Aviv where family members hold vigil for their loved ones who are being held hostage. The most touching is to hear them saying havdalah together at the end of Shabbos and seeing them sing shalom alechim by the Shabbat table set up for those who are held hostage. One can delude ones self living far from Israel that one does not know personally any of those who were taken hostage One of the shuls near me hosted an evening with two brave daughters of one of the hostages spoke. As it turns out one of the hostages from the Nova festival is the nephew of someone who was in my cabin in summer camp many years ago. He is also the cousin of a good friend I had when I was nine years old. I am praying for the end of this war, for peace , for the return of all of the hostages, the elimination of hamas and for peace and sefety for the Jewish people

Horton Hears A Who.

I have many thoughts and fears aboout the war in Israel. It was such a major shock to hear about it in shul on Shmini Atzeret. It made the yizkor service I participated in a bit more intense . Over the years the progessives have been getting more cozy to the anti Israel crowd .The last major confilict had a lot of protests in Manhattan which were chilling. This time around the casualties from Hamas were like a gut punch. There were even more people siding with Hamas but in the weirdest way. So many young college students are spewing such hatred but I get the feeling they don't really know what is going on they just have been told by the wrong people what side they should be on. They seem relieved they have someone they think they can safely hate. The irony is their hate for America has caused them to be on the side of people who would love to bring their downfall. People who hate the west and aside from hating Jews those they are siding with hate Christians just as much . These useful idiots don't realize they are joining a cause hell bent on ruining their way of life. Being Jewish I have been davening as much as possible. All of this that has been going on is a bit too apocolyptic to me. Its not that I am in complete shock its just that I was really hoping that the state of affairs the world is in now would not have happened . As a Jewish person I feel a lot like my community is whoville and we are waiting for Horton to help save us. Or I guess its just an analogy to wanting Hashem to save us. We have to do the best we can to save ourselves and our society but it feels so big and that only Hashem can truly save us. Despite every fear I have been having lately I am heartend by the brave people who have been exposing the names of the useful idiots who have been ripping down the posters of the kidnapped Israeli civilians. I am heartend by the brave souls who have confronted them . I am heartend by the young man who educates stuedents about how hamas doesn't have American liberal values and some of the kids would realize they aren't as informed as they thougt on this issue. Its bad that they have been indoctrinated but I feel that for many of these people its not too late to save them from the dark side. The truly wonderful thing that I have seen lately is the solidarity and unity of the Jewish people in NYC and arouhd the world . So many inspiring words have been imparted. So much love has been sent to our bretheren in Israel. So many beautiful rallies for Israel with so much emotion and love. So many pulling together in any way they can to help Israel. We Jews love life and I am proud to be part of a people who love life . I pray for peace and a victory for Israel , for the Jewsish people and for all good people all over the world .

The Future

Recently at work I had the least triggering conversation with co-workers in a long time. Each was showing pictures of their nieces and the baby fever was ignited. One wanted to supress the baby fever because she wanted to go to graduate school. Finally . Normal conversation. No politics, no disease talk. Just normal speak that could be discussed in any generation . I have hope for the future. Literally.....

Time Passages

Lately I have run into a lot of older people that I haven't seen in a few years and I have noticed how much they have aged. Some are losing their memoriesa , others have aquired difffernt disablitiles. It makes me realize how fleeting life is and how much it is important to appreciate what we do have when we have it . Sadly its hard to internalize because often we don't focus on a particular gift of human functioning until we lose it. I suppose general gratitude is in order, kind of like the simple morning prayers we say when we wake up. Its kind of crazy that we don't always internalize gratitude for ones general health until experience more of life, but better late than never.