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 .

Black guy asks Hasidic Jew to sing (completely unexpected)

This is so awesome!! If people would just sing together there would be more peace in this world. I just LOVE the energy in this video. I feel like there are a lot of kind hearted people in this world but they are not being highlighted. Therefore I am going to help spread some light and shared this lovely ray of sunshine. Your welcome.

Second Time Around

       I had not watched the presidential inauguration on television since I was in high school until 4 years ago when I broke my shoulder on January 19 and the presidential inauguration was the next day. I had forgotten how exciting and boring inaugurations are. This year I was unexpectedly able to watch the inauguration as I have been furloughed from work. 

         Inauguration day is so full of hope for the president and its often all down hill after that as presidents are human. I hope that it is different this time but I am afraid that it will not be. 

        One fun fact I heard today is that George W Bush, Bill Clinton and Donald Trump were all born the same year. I have also heard that deaths come in threes. 

The freedom tower

          As many fear the dissolution of America due to irreconcilable differences I pause to remember how when Ronald Reagan was running for president everyone thought he was  old to run for president at 69 and how in 2016 the candidates were both 70 and age was never the issue and how this year with a 74 year old candidate and a 78 year old candidate age was not given much thought.  Seems that ageism in politics  has faded, coincidentally more than intentionally. 

           Is the rising age of our presidents a sign that things aren't working? They say that wisdom comes with age, but does it seem our elder politicians are wiser or does it  seem that they are more senile or stubborn or cranky? Is it that younger people see the folly in Washington and are opting out of politics?                                                                                                                                                                       

          When I was younger and watched presidential inaugurations it did not seem that chaos followed.  Then again, I wasn't paying attention to the news then. 

           I pray that things get better regardless of whether or not I watched the inauguration. I pray that those who have been trying to divide the United States for the past 12 years stop.

 

Kotel

     All the fighting about which Jews have the last word about who could pray at the kotel was so uncomfortable to listen to . Living in the United States I am so used to live and let live  in regard to non orthodox forms of Judaism. The kotel is a holy site for all Jews. The fact that Jews with different ways of expressing Judaism still hold this site dear is significant. Baseless hatred for our fellow Jews is what caused the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash and our galus.
     Now this war on the temple mount and more senseless deaths.

I have never seen the kotel this empty during the daytime. So sad. I pray for peace sooner rather than later. I love Israel. I pray for achdus of Jewish people everywhere and peace for all of us. 

Terror

      I am still in shock about the terror attack at the gay nightclub in Orlando a week ago. I am glad that  it was Shavuot when it happened so I could not listen to Obama's statement or any newscaster's  opinions for a few days.
      I have a few thoughts that I would like to share. I do not think that increased gun control laws would have stopped this attack. Hello. Terrorists have ways of securing guns to do nefarious things. I myself do not own a gun nor do I want to. What if the bouncer at the Pulse club in Orlando had a gun and knew how to use it? Maybe the devastation would not have been as great.
      The funniest reaction I have heard is that the LGBT community is upset that people are making this such a universal tragedy instead of just  an LGBT tragedy. To this I say, " Huh? " Isn't that what they want? Don't they want the whole world to be shocked and saddened because this was a horrible act to happen to people not just that its a horrible act to happen to LGBTs ?
        As for our fearless leader Obama, all I can say is that the snippets I have heard of his reaction is more upsetting than the actions of the terrorist. He still thinks that if we all joins hands and sing "Kumbaya" there will be peace. I guess it works for him because he and Michelle can escape quickly to their secure bunker if necessary. What about the rest of us?
        The terrorist last week was on a no fly list . He was known to be belligerent and apparently he wasn't being watched well enough because this still happened. Its good news bad news. He didn't appear on the terror scene out of the blue, but its rather horrific that no one was able to stop him .
         I do think that the number 49 is significant in this massacre as this shooting happened on the first night of Shavuot. Shavuot is 49 days after Pesach. The Jews had descended to 49 levels of toomah before matan torah. I don't know how to process all of this , but I am sure some rabbi already has. If I bother to look I will probably find one of their guesses.
        I am sending condolences to the friends and families of  those who were murdered in terrorist attack in Orlando. I wish all those who injured in the attack a refuah shelmah. I wish all of us a peaceful world.

Peace

     Right around 9/11 I was really enjoying living in NYC. Nothing like a massive  terror attack to ruin one's relationship with the city one lives in . Its taken me a long time to like it here again.

 I visited the Queen's Museum today which has a large sculpture of the world in front of it. It really made me think a lot about the world not just the city that I inhabit. Its a wondrous world that we all get to live in. We need peace here on earth  and to all try to get along. This of course is much easier said than done.  

Shabbat Shalom

     After a really tough week full of bad news I am wishing everyone a good Shabbos and a better week next week. I am praying for the speedy recovery of Mrs Sassoon and her daughter and for the healing of the entire Sassoon family. I send my condolences to the Sassoon family. I cannot even imagine what kind of pain they are experiencing. To lose one family member is devastating, To lose seven all at once .... Words cannot define...
     Because of this horrific tragedy so many more people know about the laws of not cooking on Shabbos than had before . I realize some people may feel it was more of a chillul hashem than a kiddush hashem, but I think its more of a kiddush hashem. It has opened dialogue that had not been there before. It makes my mad dash home to prepare for the arrival of shabbos more understood by my co-workers. I was fortunate enough to have only been met with good will while discussing this tragedy this week. People of all faiths were so sad to hear of the loss of seven children, especially those who have small children. So sad how sadness often unites people more than joy does.
      Have a good Shabbos full of Shalom and Bracha.

Rallies Scare Me

       There is something that always makes me a little nervous about rallies be they for Israel or save the whales.  There is always that underlying feeling that they could get out of hand. Aside from not understanding what their mission even was,  Occupy Wall Street unnerved me. But still until recently these rallies have ultimately been fairly tame.
        Lucky for us now that there is a black president there seems to be even more civil unrest, not unlike when there were the Crown Heights riots when David Dinkins was mayor of New York City. I do not think that they directly incited any of the tensions but I do not think that it is a coincidence that such unrest has occurred when either of them have been in office. First there was Trayvon Martin, then there were Ferguson riots and now the Eric Garner protests. It seems with the last two the emotions are at a fever pitch. There were riots incited by the death of Michael Brown and there were protest all over the country in a way I do not remember ever happening in my lifetime. Shortly after the pandemonium in Ferguson was the Eric Garner verdict. There have been massive protests in New York that I have fortunately have been able to avoid . People get a little crazy when these things happen. I think that there is an even deeper problem than racism in these cases  which is why I opt not to join up with the protesting masses. There often is police brutality with people in general. It is not just with non-white people. I also feel like these protests have taken on a life of their own. Case in point the burning down of twenty-nine businesses in Ferguson. I do not see the police arresting anyone who burned down those buildings. A bit scary don't you think?
        When I used to think about Arab spring and what is going on in France I could not understand how  these things could happen. With the tempo of the protests in the United States... . Well lets say I am less than calm. I think its time for me to take up saying tehillim for world peace.

Mendy J- Sim Shalom (Official Music Video) מענדי ג'- שים שלום

   When we said Sim Shalom  during shmoneh esreh today it made me remember the old men singing it in shul when I was a kid. This video is an update on the tune that they sang in my shul as a kid, but this version is equally enjoyable. With all the unrest in the world this is such a lovely song for peace.  

Boycotts

     Everyday I hear of another company that is anti-Israel and we should not buy from them. Sad to say, there really should be a list of those companies that are pro-Israel because I am getting dizzy hearing the list of those that are anti-Israel or pro-Palestinian .
      I find it hard to listen to the news.... So much anti-Semitism. Its the three weeks no less. I pray the war is over before shabbos nachamu. I hope the world is at peace before shabbos nachamu. There is so much to be resolved. We can only do what is in our power to help bring peace . We also must pray. A lot. 

Pray for Peace on the 16th of Tammuz

    By now many of you may have seen this video posted, but I thought that I would post it anyway.
     What is going on in Israel right now , right before 17 Tammuz and the three weeks is terrifying. It is also a bit surreal. It kind of feels like the end of time and that the world is going to change . Kind of like 9/11 , but this time it is focused on Israel and Jewish people specifically. In France there were pro-Palestinians who herded Jews into a shul , threw rocks at them and chanted "Death to the Jews". Fortunately the police stopped them before it got worse. This is not good.
       When people say "Never Again" in regards to the Shoah, unfortunately today we are seeing this unfold. Being anti-Israel is always code for being anti-Jewish. Hopefully this war will end soon, like yesterday. I do not even want to visit where my fears have taken me.  I believe Israel will get through this and become a force to be reckoned with.
       My fears lie with Obama as president of the United States in the longest seeming presidency ever. When tragedy hits people show their true colors. Sometimes one would prefer not to see who some really are. Other times people surprise you for the better.
      I pray for peace for all people around the world. I pray for the safety of our brethren in Israel, France, the United States and Jews everywhere.
      I hope that I won't be just holding my breath for good news for the future and that peace will really materialize.

Miracles

A rocket hits a gas station but does not blow up because they had a tank of benzine which is less likely to blow up than just gas. They were able to cool both tanks quickly so they did not explode. It is truly a miracle.
   Have a good Shabbos. Let there be peace in Israel.  . 

Oseh Shalom Bimromav.....

    Usually the gentiles at work do not really speak about middle east politics. This week was different. One of my co-worker's children was in Israel for  a  Birthright Israel trip and was due to return last night  (he did)
so everybody was looking online and actually had an interest. It is always frustrating when middle east politics are discussed at work because they don't have my perspective as a Jew and I don't always have patience for what they have to say. Many have no clue why anyone would want to visit a country like Israel where war on its shores can be a possibility. They do not understand the Arab Israeli conflict and it can be hard to explain. They do not understand the strong answer  to the Holocaust that Israel is.
     I admit that I am not sure that I want to move to Israel, although I have not completely ruled it out either. I do want to spend time there again. It is a very special place and a very special place to be Jewish, The holidays come alive there. The chumash comes alive there.
      I pray that the war in Israel will stop soon and that peace will prevail.

Patriot Day 9/11/13

     When I opened my calender to September this year I noticed that September 11 is now called Patriot Day. I am not sure exactly why, but it will always be merely 9/11 to me.
       It has been 12 years since one of the most horrific tragedies in my lifetime. It was the first day in my life when I experienced lack of appetite. And yet , life has moved on.
       On 9/11/01 it had seemed like time had stopped. I woke up 9/12/11 and wondered what next? Could life ever go on normally again? I went to work the next day and realized it could except for the fact that no one could stop talking about what had happened the day before.
     September 11,2001 was an extraordinarily beautiful day. The day before it had rained non-stop, which accentuated just how sunny and beautiful September 11 was. It just goes to show that just as tranquility does not always prevail on  a sunny day, tragedy does not always occur on a rainy day. Attractive people aren't always kind and less attractive people sometimes are more genuine.
      I cry for the families who lost loved ones during the attacks. I cry for the loss of our collective innocence.
      May we be inscribed for a year of peace, health and harmony.
     
      

Noise

     I don't know if its age or just my aggravation level, but New York seems a lot louder lately. It makes me feel like I'm ready to move to a quieter environment. I love the energy of NYC, but I am finding it a bit overwhelming . The other day a summer camp was aboard a subway car I was in. The noise level was so loud that  I began to understand why road rage exists. I of course changed cars at the next stop to gain some serenity.
     Every coffee shop I enter is blasting with  music. I can't read and drink in peace.
      I'm going away for Rosh Hashannah, unfortunately its not soon enough.

remembering those who perished on 9/11

 this is one of the makeshift memorials that were erected in union square right after 9/11. May we never forget those who perished . May we never forget those who died trying to help those who were trapped. May there never be another terrorist attack as large  as the one on 9/11/2001. May there never be another terrorist attack ever. I pray for peace. 

the process of inner peace

     Peace is so necessary . Inner peace as well as world peace. When one does not have internal peace one cannot rest. I know that I need to make changes. All around me so many things have changed. My social circles have changed. Never ending unrest at work. I need to change but it is so hard to move. For some people change is so simple , for others familiar chaos sometimes is mistaken for comfortable. Change is like foul tasting medicine. You know it will help but the process may not be so smooth.
      Change is often needed to achieve inner peace. Sometimes it is just a decision one makes despite environmental unrest. 
        Have a peaceful shabbos. I hope that I will too.

subway antics

      The subway acrobats are on the train all afternoon and evening long on the Q train and I am not happy about this.  For all of you who aren't familiar with them there is a group of teenage or early twenties  young men who crank up their boom boxes and dance on the the subway as well as hang from the ceiling and poles . I find it extremely disruptive. I usually try to sit on the ends of the car so I am not in the thick of the movement. Even they themselves proclaim that they will "try" not to injure anyone but once they did.
     The worst is when I am on the train and they get on the train at canal street and I don't realize that the subway acrobats are going to be on the long stop between canal street and dekalb . I am not sure why there hasn't been a crackdown to remove them from the trains. The only saving grace is that unlike the early morning preacher lady who used to stay in one car preaching about Jews and non-Jews in an ascending crescendo these guys are only in each car for one stop so I don't have to switch cars to get away from them.

      All I want when I am riding the train is a little peace and quiet.  I suppose that's too much to ask.

Oseh Shalom

    in honor of the celebrate israel parade i am posting this song. the celebrate israel parade will be marching down fifth avenue from 57th street until 74th street in manhattan tomorrow between 11am - 4 pm. if you cannot attend there will be live streaming online on the salute to israel  website from noon until 3 pm.

for arguments sake

i hate arguing with people. this is not to say that i always agree with others or that i never share differing opinions with others. for some people dissent is a sport. if they aren't verbally sparring with someone they feel dead. i find bickering unsettling and unpleasant. i  run like the wind away from debates  unless it is necessary. i prefer to discuss  the things that bring people closer together rather than those that rip people  apart.