tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40110466542007214662024-03-23T04:45:10.164-06:00Abq Jew ® BlogA view of Jewish life in Albuquerque and beyondAbq Jewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05790168328499207929noreply@blogger.comBlogger1448125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4011046654200721466.post-57471635514775362062024-03-18T13:50:00.006-06:002024-03-20T09:55:37.244-06:00Live! The NM Jewish Journal!<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">A Rainbow of Hope</span></b>: Yes! We happy New MexiJews have a new, independent [online] paper, the <a href="https://www.nmjewishjournal.com/" target="_blank">New Mexico Jewish Journal</a>, keeping us connected with news, arts, culture, and spirituality. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #351c75; font-size: x-large;">Live in New Mexico!</span></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.nmjewishjournal.com/the-new-mexico-jewish-journal-is-now-live/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="NM Jewish Journal" border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="960" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBB2o472y79nT0eTwv38UqUtV0XFJ_7YwF4E69rikAVSn_CivWqMX5sH5XjvLzmyFzcN_vqBhCB1KIkRWX-gJHd0ovf3jBjEQlm0qXJkQhrHXsr9hZXNV5HxxnmKcfCalU4S5r6JDkn5WUvu4-0IwXHocHGpCFeC0fQzDW1ITnkty5_jA7Fm3bn5j-NPE/w400-h256/RAINBOW---.png" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-size: x-large;"><b>New Mexico Jewish Journal</b></span></div><p>You may remember those terrible days in November 2022 (see <a href="https://www.abqjew.net/2022/11/train-wreck-at-federation.html" target="_blank">Train Wreck at Federation</a> and <a href="https://www.abqjew.net/2022/11/the-federations-last-day.html" target="_blank">The Federation's Last Day</a>) when the Federation's wheels came off and the whole kit and caboodle hit the sand.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.abqjew.net/2022/11/train-wreck-at-federation.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Train Wreck Federation" border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="390" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3l7Uc9TnSl291ZEiqOcR4mEMnNqUrK_SAV5l0Ov-EIOcMPTkZPLaOLgTtkGD6tXsofRHN4FrQZGT7YfgKpeF5mHoGa34Ul6W4Fj0HXsizfn0HQ5qz8nvama2IDwjbM7nSd0tI0arIRDeHsQTI0M0wpNJzCm30USilWYcCTSJPMhIy1RcqN5f2ISDFoQ/w346-h400/Train%20Wreck%20JFSNM.jpg" width="346" /></a></div><p>Among the collateral damage inflicted upon the New Mexico Jewish community by the Federation's demise was the defenestration of the <i>New Mexico Jewish Link</i>, which suddenly found itself without a publisher. Or an editor. Or writers. </p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.nmjewishjournal.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="NM Jewish Link" border="0" data-original-height="233" data-original-width="768" height="121" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4EpQBYyoA4ipOlD6W1XvA4r1jtl37M3VvAPXuP5Pi47xq0bIf-UpvRwEiMXYuxQw6UWuTkyHK6Lor8cfzM4q3R2pRkMK5eA6EqXvsFJa1PZAwOnjc-3e_y4HdjJm9zAhMwYG2Lnvzib_Dg9Jw3iBgKUc-oqACOss82yl2lAT1zHFBh_LwxhdB8EKK0pw/w400-h121/New%20Mexico%20Jewish%20Link%20Logo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />You may also remember that Shlomo Karni founded the <i>New Mexico Jewish Link</i> way back in 1968, just as <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> was graduating high school. And that it had been going strong for more than 50 years when it met its untimely end.<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://myelink1.yolasite.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="NM Jewish eLink" border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="800" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRkbbdz8Qnz4ButE1TnIYAGJZmeXMVThmG51uaX8bkN8dgHtSm3gpkWlZ7CByfF5bXN3MLlPKfeYXvXgiMj-G2eGk_Kev447kPvyyISuJm0R5fOogRepQvPLtYwrfsTWB0w2HAUecJ983QsxSs06YqOURJAZLvwj6OvawuFOr3gkiE2xohhJqKipZB6cU/w400-h266/eLink%20Web1b.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p>There was even a time (2014-2016) when the <i>New Mexico Jewish Link</i> went online and added the <i>New Mexico Jewish <b><span style="color: #cc0000;">e</span></b>Link</i>. Yes, <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> was the Webmaster. There was even talk of dropping the paper edition altogether - which never happened. Instead, the <i>New Mexico Jewish <b><span style="color: #cc0000;">e</span></b>Link</i> was dropped.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.nmjewishjournal.com/join-us/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Sandhill Cranes" border="0" data-original-height="263" data-original-width="367" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Rs8oyl7UJSB221VpQa3SQ5yWe8cXm3oajjc0SPqv0aB90F2NZoLyDCOwgCDndXnkjp61FY6PAyNQbAJPLW2ebaHsA4uuLETlGCwLGMGWxdhGU3QsFh8-1ZzTY4NJn3OwMM9oZcIkFSGqwWHVvxdfklr7xzLbEkm3MGwYNzzIIBBnwiYbAeKIfSSofEM/w200-h143/ScreenHunter%20125.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">And thus, it is with great pleasure that </span><b style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #073763;">Abq Jew</span></b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"> announces the exciting development you've all been waiting for:</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-size: x-large;">Live in New Mexico!</span></b></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.nmjewishjournal.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="NM Jewish Journal" border="0" data-original-height="301" data-original-width="812" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU-0_AA3UntClcWAb5frx3untlwE5pgQdWup3Djv6a72gofkM4j1wBuB6kjCM2UhZj1Y83a9jxryOnPolMdJrxCnEJMYk7QFmVmFvUc9rgcLpK1Pd-ykbrm6nkqyR_ryGnQidpkppRD4JfRSRyadbD4z59i9QkDjKGkcdv9kXnYvP50o7kH_02tWlfHLE/w400-h149/New%20Mexico%20Jewish%20Journal1b%203d7aad%20812w.png" width="400" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">New Mexico Jewish Journal</span></b></p>The force behind the creation and development of the <i>New Mexico Jewish Journa</i>l is - no surprise here! - renowned photojournalist Diane Joy Schmidt (see July 2019's <a href="https://www.abqjew.net/2019/07/asylum-seekers-in-albuquerque.html" target="_blank">Asylum Seekers in Albuquerque</a>, et al).<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://dianejoyschmidt.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Diane Joy Schmidt" border="0" data-original-height="428" data-original-width="468" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgel-NZAHeCHGRKdpTC7JiixTpEJHmRllaBed8e0HrAKMLwVYr4wgkh3P6pQsYTKZ4ZualXBCMce2yxzRptTNRAtdmBIzHCcppuCKVIXrzD3ydZ6-jLHfU_vIWhewS7EQtXJSMCRjrZQ9sFC2N0EfZyV3-DJT7BCvxTyLioUB0JkuNyPX51Vmf3nurcSBg/w400-h366/Diane%20Joy%20Schmidt%20468b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>On the New Mexico Jewish Journal's <a href="https://www.nmjewishjournal.com/the-new-mexico-jewish-journal-is-now-live/" target="_blank">website</a>, Diane writes:</div><div><blockquote><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Many in the community have wanted to see a new publication happen. I was the senior writer for the <em style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;">Link</em> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; letter-spacing: -0.19px;">for over a decade and finally, felt compelled to do something.</span><span style="font-size: large; letter-spacing: -0.19px;"> </span></blockquote></div><div><blockquote><span style="letter-spacing: -0.19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This past November, I gathered a group of ten<b><span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;">*</span></b> Jewish citizens from across the state and we began meeting online to discuss creating a paper. The volunteer group included journalists, editors, writers, professionals and board members of Jewish organizations, and a rabbi/chaplain connected across many Jewish groups. Her wisdom helped us bridge our differences in those first meetings.</span></span></blockquote><p></p><blockquote><span style="background-color: #fbfbfb; color: #15171a; font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.19px;">We agreed that, yes! we want a new, independent paper, and to call it the </span><em style="background-color: #fbfbfb; box-sizing: border-box; color: #15171a; font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.19px; margin: 0px;">New Mexico</em><span style="background-color: #fbfbfb; color: #15171a; font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.19px;"> </span><em style="background-color: #fbfbfb; box-sizing: border-box; color: #15171a; font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.19px; margin: 0px;">Jewish Journal: keeping us connected with news, arts, culture and spirituality</em></blockquote><p></p><blockquote><p style="background-color: #fbfbfb; box-sizing: border-box; color: #15171a; grid-column: main; letter-spacing: -0.19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: calc(28px*var(--content-spacing-factor, 1)); overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Our mission statement is <em style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;">to connect, inform, enrich and celebrate the vibrant and diverse Jewish communities of New Mexico and the region</em>.<span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></span></p></blockquote><blockquote><p style="background-color: #fbfbfb; box-sizing: border-box; color: #15171a; grid-column: main; letter-spacing: -0.19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: calc(28px*var(--content-spacing-factor, 1)); overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Our editorial policy will follow the Society for Professional Journalists Code of Ethics, with a commitment to maintaining journalistic independence and the highest standards of accuracy and fairness. </span></p></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.nmjewishjournal.com/about/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Sandhill Cranes" border="0" data-original-height="236" data-original-width="869" height="109" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1xVorOse14NDo0Davxyv9rgefsQ2-2uHed2H1oeo113PwgqiAJ3MWLl7OnBZhxNUhkLm4dJ-yDgcMt-dWEb94fVWxFpTxWXjl6Ao3dNmzkg9FjzTl_gm-wGQ3QGmKEQF7KBUfHZKFHLc5BvC6GotiaVysFYme2r0vH-pJusjwwkLKGC1Xctz8buIfZfE/w400-h109/Sandhill%20Cranes%20Blue.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><blockquote><p style="background-color: #fbfbfb; box-sizing: border-box; color: #15171a; grid-column: main; letter-spacing: -0.19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: calc(28px*var(--content-spacing-factor, 1)); overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For our theme I chose the Sandhill Cranes, who winter in New Mexico along the Rio Grande and who have been here on earth for more than two million years.</span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></p></blockquote><blockquote><p style="background-color: #fbfbfb; box-sizing: border-box; color: #15171a; grid-column: main; letter-spacing: -0.19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: calc(28px*var(--content-spacing-factor, 1)); overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A sighting of cranes is said to bestow healing, blessings, good fortune and longevity to Native Americans and to other cultures around the world. And, since WWII, through the story of a Japanese girl exposed to radiation who set out to fold a thousand origami cranes, cranes symbolize peace and the innocent victims of war. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; text-align: center;"> </span></p></blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.nmjewishjournal.com/the-jewishness-of-barbenheimer/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="NM Jewish Journal Favicon" border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ohlTnOCMyRxOlIdC9fRX5Q5oiVmApC65sNjR1kYhxOH2BKwaT6Kd7i19nHSf7UgeK1XZIQ04vIcgpK2DILhw5itAoKfDVGE76jUKwjIdyAkwlL_1C5cxGU_bIxrp5aBTXSHw1t2_4A6-pVCKzl7f0b2bBlWM6h7_8qS1LovbjnoaWeKDcY8f5FH0-40/w200-h200/New%20Mexico%20Jewish%20Journal%20Favicon%20Round.png" width="200" /></a></div><p></p><blockquote><p style="background-color: #fbfbfb; box-sizing: border-box; color: #15171a; grid-column: main; letter-spacing: -0.19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: calc(28px*var(--content-spacing-factor, 1)); overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Our favicon (the circular icon) is a paper cut art design made by Nan Rubin reflecting our long Jewish history in New Mexico. As she explains, "In the center is the six-petal flower, a symbol used by the hidden Jews of New Mexico, which is overlaid with a Star of David."</span></p></blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.nmjewishjournal.com/about/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="End Is Near Beginning" border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="420" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYXJlwmP9KDBYcLl_QMH32wA47CRXeCTOM1RDhraMysG7ZLMw_o9U_HCDyLy_eDiAiXALvZSQWGBo1WSMoJD1PqBsgkrYgZSD843W-3Z0bhJUR6UejMIsIZXY9v-RqPNFfbVM4weKBXvSxkl2ecKl93t_bB7XOL4m8ZGKqZmVs9ctCW-R2trrEWI7KPaw/w320-h320/End%20Near%20Actually%20Just%20Beginning.jpg" width="320" /></a> </p><p style="background-color: #fbfbfb; box-sizing: border-box; color: #15171a; grid-column: main; letter-spacing: -0.19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: calc(28px*var(--content-spacing-factor, 1)); overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p style="background-color: #fbfbfb; box-sizing: border-box; color: #15171a; grid-column: main; letter-spacing: -0.19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: calc(28px*var(--content-spacing-factor, 1)); overflow-wrap: break-word;"></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Now, as a volunteer committee, we have decided to take a first step — so here our story begins, again, with our first online <em style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;">New Mexico Jewish Journal</em>. </span><span style="letter-spacing: -0.19px;"> </span></blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">We plan to come out online with four primary quarterly editions and intermediate emails with new articles, and to eventually have a print edition.</span></blockquote><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.nmjewishjournal.com/about/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Happy Adar" border="0" data-original-height="92" data-original-width="564" height="65" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuSGtq47GcA_sLG3iC3ORplvMd8_MNWWinjzgzQWd_ZrjpVhiVWKz1Wknbmz-o2Hk7kCsqbYOlQcX-VO86qoplYQ7RSWVMgPKsqc9elzEXkChgvwGUNh7uHWl2xE_ta6SOZJfIuomQGcHRpbqyhvej5im0iZRHu7yAvLLALqANFdqKz_CSFkQ6lQ2y0Y8/w400-h65/Keep%20Happy%20Adar2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The <i style="text-align: left;">New Mexico Jewish Journal</i><span style="text-align: left;">'s</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span>Editorial Committee</span><b style="letter-spacing: -0.19px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="font-size: large;">*</span><span style="font-size: medium;"> <br /></span></span></b><span style="font-size: medium;">is thrilled to announce:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">If you sign up with your email, </span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">you'll be assured of getting our publication, </span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">the </span><i style="font-size: large;">New Mexico Jewish Journal</i><span style="font-size: medium;">, free. </span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Every reader counts! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And if you subscribe today with a payment, <br />you'll have the satisfaction of knowing <br />you are a founding member! Your subscriptions <br />and community support are only what makes <br />your very own state-wide community paper, <br />the <i>New Mexico Jewish Journa</i>l, <br />exist, survive, and flourish. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Thank you!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.nmjewishjournal.com/about/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Asterisk" border="0" data-original-height="421" data-original-width="468" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirNiB2iMbo9NpSys1gnPJss-cDDvg69xQwajlnGdi1YE8Fh3z8Zt1QRN8RFyfu2jGXdaGdw6iE21mED2Djg2H-lsOIG6SAX93O0SWf2wogDtabOgz7hjrE3S7c_wI2W3nvLIeRw1_lWEIRG5kcIfdimfE3Ny0JcYifutCQmezLNYHchkn2rMADSyHhunI/w200-h180/Asterisk1.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The members of the Editorial Committee are:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><p style="background: #FAFAFA; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="background: white; color: #111214;"></span></b></span></p><blockquote><p style="background: #FAFAFA; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="background: white; color: #111214;">Diane Joy Schmidt </span></b><span style="color: #111214;">Publisher and Editor</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: #FAFAFA; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="background: white; color: #111214;">Sara Koplik, Ph.D.</span></b><span style="color: #111214;">
Director, Hillel University of New Mexico</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: #FAFAFA; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="background: white; color: #111214;">Rabbi Min Kantrowitz </span></b><span style="color: #111214;">Rabbi/Chaplain,
Albuquerque</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: #FAFAFA; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="background: white; color: #111214;">Michael Wald</span></b><span style="color: #111214;"> Lawyer; Board, Jewish Community
Foundation of New Mexico</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: #FAFAFA; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #111214;">Norma Libman </span></b><span style="color: #111214;">Journalist, author and public speaker; Board, New Mexico Jewish
Historical Society </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: #FAFAFA; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="background: white; color: #1b1b1b;">Claudette Sutton </span></b><span style="color: #111214;">Editor and writer,
Santa Fe</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: #FAFAFA; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="background: white; color: #111214;">Ron Duncan Hart, Ph.D.</span></b><span style="color: #111214;"> Director,
Institute for Tolerance Studies, Santa Fe</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: #FAFAFA; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="background: white; color: #1b1b1b;">Nan Rubin </span></b><span style="color: #111214;">Media consultant; Past
President, Temple Beth-El Las Cruces; Co-founder <span style="background: white;">Radio KTAL 101.5 FM Las Cruces</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: #FAFAFA; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="background: white; color: #111214;">Marla Cohen</span></b><span style="color: #111214;"> Director, Jewish Federation of El
Paso and Las Cruces</span></span></p></blockquote><p style="background: #FAFAFA; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #111214;"></span></span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> and the New Mexico Jewish community<br />thank you all for your dedication!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.nmjewishjournal.com/join-us/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Sandhill Cranes" border="0" data-original-height="263" data-original-width="367" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghcbuJ9_h2z6kjIYko273KXALFXGAs1-MUFCZ5U0Bv7sd25gcxHUDD9amdMXNi_qtUdQ7BejyaVaVKpIdk2ZGpYSuP8J5tkf5hPkC3BIdg2jad2hol9KIz-MPz9eGLdcLEiUMaI7d1icYPYSw4J9lf2doWpyq4BXbppGNrpzUq6BXCAn4VgPdSlhTEwlA/w200-h143/ScreenHunter%20125.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Abq Jewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05790168328499207929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4011046654200721466.post-80697043896991850312024-03-13T11:03:00.004-06:002024-03-13T11:15:34.484-06:00An Oscar Night Visit<p><b><span style="color: #990000;">The Zone of Interest</span></b>: Yes, <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> is entirely aware that Oscar Night was days ago and nobody wants to talk about it any more. Except that everybody - well, everybody <i>Jewish </i>- still wants to talk about it. </p><p>And everybody else should also talk about it.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Zone_of_Interest_(film)" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="The Zone of Interest" border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWS4e8OQwKySTSE0ShyU8OwOSIucryCoxoy4Fq0Vx0M3BJYIsWjG2qXEDLt3iMFoeHWUa1xyLoE4G28U3IntNaKkRVHHgRWxo_FkGk1_CNiBvh5deGDYNRGG7L3Vcz_9_H22ClYBStadpAi631ASb0q-wa_mJ4FYftR1UOC-GKe-vuCeCsrb-0wP1hk9k/w400-h400/The%20Zone%20of%20Interest%20Red%20600sq.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Jonathan S Tobin, Editor-in-Chief of the <a href="https://www.jns.org/as-a-jew-oscar-moment-shows-how-woke-antisemitism-works/" target="_blank">Jewish News Syndicate</a>, tells the story. He begins:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">‘As a Jew’ Oscar moment shows how woke antisemitism works</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Unless you’re a film buff, you may not have heard of Jonathan Glazer before his viral moment at this year’s annual Academy Awards ceremony. </div></div></blockquote><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">After “The Zone of Interest”—a highly-praised film about the commandant of the Auschwitz death camp that is very loosely based on a Martin Amis novel with the same title—was named the winner of the Oscar for Best International Feature Film, Glazer appeared on the stage along with the rest of the production team to accept their trophies. </div></div></blockquote><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Standing with producer James Wilson and their billionaire financial backer Leonard Blavatnik, Glazer, who wrote and directed the movie, chose not to speak extemporaneously but instead read the following prepared statement:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><blockquote><span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium;">Our film shows where dehumanization leads at its worst. It’s shaped all of our past and present.</span> </blockquote></div></div></blockquote><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><blockquote><span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium;">Right now, we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness in a Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people.</span> </blockquote></div></div></blockquote><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><blockquote><span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium;">Whether the victims of October the 7th in Israel or the ongoing attack on Gaza—all the victims of this dehumanization, how do we resist?</span></blockquote></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The tortured syntax of his comments notwithstanding, what Glazer said wasn’t merely deeply offensive. It marked a new low in Hollywood’s descent into fashionable rationalizations of hatred for Jews. </div></div></blockquote><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">It also showed us how the new woke antisemitism works, especially when its standard-bearers are Jews with little or no connection to their heritage. </div></div></blockquote><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">As such, it was the quintessential “as a Jew” moment in which persons invoke their Jewish identity to denounce other Jews.</div></div></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.abqjew.net/2011/08/burnt-books.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Rodger Kamenetz" border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1aB8PaMPoXW_Sjfiy4rwWBS8IatEQVKpKLKadRLMNMDroyFQAMj5Wp5ySuRNpVRdqUpj5i1ybGiDedxullFaog_TN7KFo9i9LSDKSxr7rm2vwEYm-lqFZH01T43U6BNw79Lo-gfNLP-1HHtdcbhL0pZ-DsB80AX47I1ZC3wQQBgkdzx1DXlt_oYjmRXo/w400-h400/Rodger%20KamenetzX.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It would appear that the least of Jonathan Glazer's problems is the syntax of his statement, which he read, carefully, from the podium. So let's deal with that first. Or, better yet, let's let author Rodger Kamenetz (see August 2011's <a href="https://www.abqjew.net/2011/08/burnt-books.html" target="_blank">Burnt Books</a>) deal with that. As he did on Facebook.</div><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #783f04;">Apparently diagramming sentences is a lost art. </span></div></blockquote><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #783f04;">Clearly the direct object of refute is the gerund phrase “being hijacked”. That said it is a principle of clear writing to keep related words together. </span></div></blockquote><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #783f04;">In this case the ear would naturally at first hear the adjacent nouns Jewishness and Holocaust as direct objects before getting to the gerund phrase. So a very poorly constructed sentence. </span></div></blockquote><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #783f04;">And the verb refute is incorrect which makes the poor syntax even worse. Altogether a poor sentence and in my opinion it is ill advised to make necessarily brief statements about this complex situation. </span></div></blockquote><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #783f04;">Also I don’t watch boring award shows so I was spared listening. </span></div></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/jonathan-glazer-oscars-speech-condemned-holocaust-survivors-foundation-1235850275/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Oscar" border="0" data-original-height="880" data-original-width="1320" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnFpTDBgifik5WqnS4gP9tCPTKzP06RO7D_65nqBs2mWVxXoMLQc7qOsyjHWhi7VkZD6P0AWriYSgXBto0hzTSoPLgtzfDvlQRX4tAkJ2LCzWuO2pqh41glJXpN5RZpp4F6GCsahjz5gwGIB6m_nVDdin8hHa5OdG2lSJonKrgAIJdln7MEBOuKaRJlqo/w400-h266/Oscar.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>But among those who, like <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b>, did watch and were listening - once we figured out what Jonathan Glazer meant by what he said - the condemnations were overwhelming, if not universal. </div><div><br /></div><div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>At His Oscar Moment, Jonathan Glazer</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Hijacks His Jewishness and the Holocaust</b></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Shame on Jonathan Glazer for his Oscars speech</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>A Disgraceful Acceptance Speech at the Oscars</b></span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://jewinthecity.com/about/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Jew In The City" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1080" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbNVziSkVJ9EFHyJAIDV6HW-Acp_6Zigh2gqYdmGzIb4tOV_SRMToqReKD8xILcjoP6ho-KZ7VIlonzyLEQH-uIyfrhnxpA-mMDmd8VLKy-xzYINhOn-JPzpKjY6hAapsCQ4j0fLoxDku96iQAywzFZ2xTcAvveH7SgWHxFrRANZDbzKh4am7tk3844lU/w400-h185/Jew%20In%20The%20City1b%2085e3e1.png" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Of the many, many, <i>many</i> who rightfully condemned Glazer's enigmatic statement, <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> here chooses to amplify the words of Allison Josephs, founder of the exemplary communications channel <a href="https://jewinthecity.com/about/" target="_blank">Jew In The City</a>.</div><div></div><blockquote><div><span style="color: #20124d;">Glazer could have spoken about how the dehumanization of Jews led people to not believe that sexual violence was used against Israeli women or that it was ‘justified resistance.’ </span></div></blockquote><blockquote><div><span style="color: #20124d;">He could have said that the dehumanization of Jews led people to celebrate and/or deny that October 7 happened at all. </span></div></blockquote><blockquote><div><span style="color: #20124d; font-size: medium;">He could have noted that October 7 was the most deadly day for Jews since the Holocaust.</span></div><div><div><span style="color: #20124d;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #20124d;">Instead Glazer used a common refrain from Jew-haters — that the Holocaust is the ‘get out of jail free card’ for Jews. </span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote><div><div><span style="color: #20124d;">He blamed Jews for their own massacre by saying that ‘the occupation led to conflict for so many people,’ which is why he was refuting his Jewishness and the Holocaust being used for this purpose. </span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote><div><div><span style="color: #20124d;">Cillian Murphy accepted his award as ‘a very proud Irishman.’</span> </div></div></blockquote><blockquote><div><div><span style="color: #20124d; font-size: medium;">If only we had a SINGLE Jew in Hollywood who could accept their award as a very proud Jew.</span></div></div></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.abqjew.net/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Abq Jew" border="0" data-original-height="1025" data-original-width="1025" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjskAUI-KSPGVENp_KhX3HKP1l7xDy-sAlC9EDevmInhO5NGmbAGy0VgPnML8dCu_5qtky3BeB7QPIzrQt-KoVL6djStbXmOVV7C91-1FxQokZpk1evzv3ib9JfxruOvhi_hRdCIJVcr-v-NFQ-xacKRWUD_uK0uV5k1hSwHVdjLzrwld9Pi5sfTkjaBIs/w400-h400/Abq%20Jew%20F28623%201025sq.png" width="400" /></a></div><p><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b>'s response to Jonathan Glazer's crypticism, while supporting all those who have proffered condemnation, is, in his own humble opinion, much more succinct, direct, and to-the-point:</p><blockquote><span style="color: #20124d;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.thejc.com/lets-talk/shame-on-jonathan-glazer-for-his-oscars-speech-hl17hrzs" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="What The Hell Is Wrong With You" border="0" data-original-height="372" data-original-width="478" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmdM-w6UCTxyxl9P67VAkm1ojwhdrOYaLexv8bQ8fAKUKIgkEdDYUCPAB3K3rQGXDVl7QrcmYx3Y0odVzzGYH7_4vzsrAmNhCSKJndkafoPpkSwLKpZIKHBQTCuySmXJxaiS_rOVeUQmjBBU5ro1fIfy8ncWgvTTFsx7x_VDDUL5rd3nM3PM2ZqFKKzEk/w400-h311/What%20The%20Hell%20Is%20Wrong%20With%20You%20Mom.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></span></blockquote><b style="color: #20124d;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">But it's Adar (again)!</span></b></div></b><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: x-large;">This time we really mean it!</span></i></b></div><span style="color: #20124d;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Be happy! Purim is coming!</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://jewishjournal.com/commentary/columnist/editors-note/369081/dear-jonathan-glazer-what-does-it-mean-to-refute-your-jewishness/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="It's Adar" border="0" data-original-height="587" data-original-width="752" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcCGfzV6myGnDWvJ2r-NlwBArqcBYtRmGb6eTiIBh7qcCarsqPDtSd-7NW7tvwkZ9QSxJmBvmYf7iXrGT119QGKNLKK0qM7lb08R5VREIcMFEJqCv4aNM61ldodKyjnAWsFc6BfMfvztFb3HaFXJ-O7qjKe-sRv-eC8qTrA3V2us2w6tWePeFwOxobLkg/w400-h313/Rushmore%20Jews%20Adar.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>Than<span style="font-family: inherit;">k God it's <span style="background-color: white;">Adar Bet Adar Sheni Adar II </span>(and has</span> been since we changed the clocks)! When <span style="background-color: white;">Adar Bet Adar Sheni Adar II </span>arrives, our happiness goes way up. Which is good - because God knows we can use all the happiness we can get.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/5438251/jewish/Purim-Backwards.htm" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Chabad Purim Story" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXlU_T5e66JIsCdTHKttbdy0D3kaFZDSzRvY8MQfc4dzwwJmPGEpccQU9rTNwJNcbGzkKTfu67JZL9d0t9KZEi8On-zBeSVNl78bQydRsLU39wpIUyW36gwb54V2RkblhDEhLfrbPGWEzIvWEbjaYugLVcmuBs7q12e_toWxPgfSAYx5-eu6SS-VCb564/w400-h400/Purim%20Chabad.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>Tzvi Freeman of <a href="https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/5438251/jewish/Purim-Backwards.htm" target="_blank">Chabad</a> captures the Purim Zeitgeist:</p><p></p><blockquote><p>On Purim, it’s a mitzvah to hear the story of Esther read from a scroll—called a “megillah”—both by day and by night.</p><p>The Talmud tells us, “If you read the story backwards, you haven’t read the story.” (Megillah 2a.)</p><p>Of course, that means you have to read the story in the order it’s written. But the Baal Shem Tov provided a deeper meaning:</p><p></p><blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;">If you read the story of Esther and of her people, of the rise of Haman and his own self-destruction, of secret heroes and hidden miracles…</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">…if you read all this as though it was all a backstory —something that occurred a long time ago and now provides only historical context —you haven’t read the story.</span></p></blockquote><p></p><p>Because Jews have never had the luxury to retell this story as something we have put behind us.</p><p>Haman persists to reappear in his many incarnations, as a dictator, as a terrorist, as an ideology, as an advocate of war, as an advocate of peace, or, most pernicious of all, as the cold apathy that chills our own hearts from within.</p><p>He remains to remind us that as a nation, as well as individuals, we rely every day on G‑d's miracles simply to remain the nation we were chosen to be. And when we stand firm and united, we see those miracles.</p><p>A Jew looks around and discovers: We are standing in the middle of the story of Purim right now.</p></blockquote><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.91935.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Purim" border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="770" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ZtIn_t1jlzfGc3BxJULbnlZyW57_I1sd31RuhIk7q6qehWQlUJlJmlJaX42h2QQTFBnfjXCxjxW7nf39uq_yX1WD9zl0fsXWpfI6v-eUEtnP_9uwjk2X39A2oswcmXGz-yUtnP2HPw-ccyphhozNjZFiAq9gee-az5kV6kLroFANpsRp9tCgSGkYy3Y/w400-h284/Purim%20770w.png" width="400" /></a></div></div></div>Abq Jewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05790168328499207929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4011046654200721466.post-67362443853613308752024-03-06T10:47:00.001-07:002024-03-06T17:29:57.573-07:00Quilting Patterns<p><b><span style="color: #990000;">On the Tree of Life</span></b>: Long a powerful image in Jewish tradition, the Tree of Life has come to represent Torah, deep roots, and immortality. More than that - the passing down of tradition through the generations. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.freequiltpatterns.net/tree-of-life-quilt/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Tree of Life" border="0" data-original-height="558" data-original-width="640" height="349" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFvNUKJlJ5_sch6tUltSRU1iGzVCFn2LhQYslerzYOI8vBXcxvgxoBGOWkE8h8fJVyOVtTBb_ZiKuLhB4oKZr2lg_3_CmmjrXDBm3P4QyE1lcwix3qe1H48aDFu6SBe_ynNqmegg5ZmaK1HcTtGxtkJV0xEBf4XQzqUm8TC98VRz8aXloTyqSk_xePT7I/w400-h349/Tree%20of%20Life%20Quilt.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>March is <a href="https://www.womenshistorymonth.gov/" target="_blank">Women's History Month</a>, and March 8th - this Friday - is <a href="https://www.internationalwomensday.com/" target="_blank">International Women's Day</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>In which we are reminded (see below) that women have forever quilted the Tree of Life for us, on our behalf. Jewish women in general - and Israeli Jewish women in particular - will, as always, observe these occasions. </div><div><br /></div><div>But this year - they will do so from a distance.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/un-finds-evidence-of-rape-on-oct-7-and-after-israel-they-tried-to-downplay-issue/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="UN Finds" border="0" data-original-height="722" data-original-width="701" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3LDIlRcIFo1AR48B3pN6ZY7nT_Z7PrzPmhbhUwLAtfVT52xxj-YISVI07K1pPzZ792DzRJ5vtedVD4yMRjbOw-tJ-FIgtznAXabrvor6_EHJPvm6_Tr4hYg9UaotVS0lAGtf7BYPwVkFdZevVkek7pnskSZOG9AsYgfu1eGouBUtia8Fp2J0qPMU4EBk/w389-h400/ScreenHunter%20113.jpg" width="389" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>After five months of silence, the United Nations has issued a 24-page report that finds evidence of rape on October 7th and after. And that there’s “clear and convincing” evidence showing that hostages were raped while being held in Gaza, and that those currently held captive are still facing such abuse.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.president.gov.il/en/president/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="President Isaac Herzog" border="0" data-original-height="837" data-original-width="619" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVA1JSUIqkBNZNf5JYq56ONBNo2pkQlSMDXKjbET4xWt25mZShej_872CZTSFJJ-gvDhL-D0g8UKn6Uhag4eLm-SUXpKbHPd46ZbM3XrPYslAtU34YU57nSae3-Y6TJi4k-w1izUG5m48LGG9KMaMClOVZoAU_IM7uLQ5nagR1RUF4XqbMujaUdlodDJ8/w296-h400/Isaac%20Herzog.png" width="296" /></a></div><br /><div>Israel's President Isaac Herzog has issued this statement:</div><div><div></div><blockquote><div>The report issued by UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten, and her team is of immense importance. </div></blockquote><blockquote><div>It substantiates with moral clarity and integrity the systematic, premeditated, and ongoing sexual crimes committed by Hamas terrorists against Israeli women. </div></blockquote><blockquote><div>Hamas and its allies are trying to discredit the report, to escape from this horrific shame. They will not succeed as the testimonies are shocking indeed. </div></blockquote><blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Therefore, now the world must react strongly by condemning and punishing Hamas. </span></div></blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.standwithus.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Stand With Us" border="0" data-original-height="676" data-original-width="680" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXvV7bg6dB0zMLvrpHUwF-LgluA5U8NxS3TyQiT88OB9etxnj8XjyZdPX5W7nyukXPixcVbQFFh4hJOMOOYlnS9XZJyeVeOI80KFi_MVaG3bRZ8XDo8FgqtyGFi9iI3Za6nVmIlhF9Jylriua2DlTyjbTwO436R6iIDnuDZt05sAWveb2izpLNeBJeafU/w400-h398/women1.jpg" width="400" /></a> </p><blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We must all continue our relentless efforts to bring all the hostages home to their families. </span></div></blockquote><blockquote><div>As we can learn from the report they are constantly under clear and present danger.</div></blockquote></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://run4lives.org/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Run for Their Lives" border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxh_tA_EUIublp6ozODMVmayrWTp3_JaLbSOWJ2f4giDAUTi0ERiiWC5ju-SUmq_LkcXD5pGVxyqs8Dnp58ge2TRRCrlL7Rrnu0J8gU7BJ35M6bHfVR5d9rOM21vkYZzTo6TqMo61lvTd7S4T3qrdzC2JnZaLcXzJBjEDTCaguVoFRbjNUrF_Sp6NMbRM/w400-h400/Run%20Special.png" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>In conjunction with International Women's Day, our ABQ chapter of <a href="https://run4lives.org/" target="_blank">Run For Their Lives</a> - which leads a weekly run / walk for the immediate release of our hostages - will hold a special event on Sunday, March 10th.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.internationalwomensday.com/Theme" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="International Women's Day" border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMDojWH23T-vWVwhyaJZ1_9MHv1QKYs7gip0h_6jQJOqU_D10uLSM8eI1cTJav0JLNu7ep8L0RGgUyVwqSiB0Yfv77WFASNZCgPIpvqF0vAPOSzhbjFDIi80fW1yP1X7RM9h6sd9UhCYb1TCTQmQRFDJScnrXu0NTrjy1JeAqxoqjk74fU9iJDZQCDC1s/w400-h266/IWD24.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The theme of this year's International Women's Day is 'Inspire Inclusion'. </span><span>But <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> wonders - as he is sure you wonder, too - </span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Are Jewish women invited?</span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://maralevine.com" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Mara Levine" border="0" data-original-height="191" data-original-width="263" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaNpaINJ7CPL7yceOi2QOVVEB0sv0QJDtFVCbHhCkgozRraDMgb3CcyV82WFxrhsEOc45fAtAijtfd8f5qnQ7VeMYZwkkWEd1si4E7ukwMoM1eurrio0BNt36qv8ljL978TYPmwSb4iMTv2iIx4SmBQ_agNwoPhWt5o2sRHR0u1TSva_X4DtH_TJm4xwY/w400-h290/Mara%20Levine1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">We must hope. </span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In that spirit, Mara Levine - one of <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b>'s favorite singers (see January 2021's <a href="https://www.abqjew.net/2021/01/you-reap-what-you-sow.html" target="_blank">You Reap What You Sow</a>) - has just dropped (as they say) <a href="https://youtu.be/8ob-0vVG0Ec?si=3sBhGtcn6D3iZzZ6" target="_blank">Tree of Life</a>, a new video from her <i>Facets of Folk</i> album.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Of which she says:</div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div></div><blockquote><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;">March is National Quilt Month and Women's History Month. The 18th is Quilt Day! </span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In America, quilting is a representation of the fusion of several cultural traditions, including Indigenous people, African American, and European. Every tradition contributes to and borrows from this art form, which continues to evolve, often incorporating social themes.</span></div></div></blockquote><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8ob-0vVG0Ec" width="420" youtube-src-id="8ob-0vVG0Ec"></iframe></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div></div><blockquote><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The song was written by Eric Peltoniemi for the 1983 play "Plain Hearts: Songs and Stories of Midwestern Prairie Women.” </span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">The first two verses consist entirely of the names of quilt block patterns. </span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Featuring Mara Levine, Caroline Cutroneo (Guitar/Vocals); Hillary Foxsong (Vocals); John Guth (Bass); and Ed Trickett, of blessed memory (hammered dulcimer). </span></div></div></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/503206958381107171/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Blind Man's Fancy" border="0" data-original-height="554" data-original-width="564" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCcUjuWAcpSCEyKbEcMcD63aev3XSS4fyqQL0znYlAWrk16Uzd8M3pCchBFiJmfc3Y4DoOrfyQfKv57PMpe0owU8t3n9pjdgi4WVFhYGyT6tQgIeE7nKevwreHUk92-WJpUpGS8NB5kEFyLqsoiCRxG1lmrSTL-3HE7DTij43-fFdOBLz6QJO6L_b_kpU/w400-h393/bmf.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Abq Jewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05790168328499207929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4011046654200721466.post-82091695483839787002024-02-28T10:26:00.003-07:002024-02-28T18:09:36.402-07:00The Matisyahu Story +1<p><b><span style="color: #990000;">An Update</span></b>: It's a new week, and <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> is sure that you, his loyal readers, must be wondering what's new with Matisyahu. No, <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> is not planning to follow Matisyahu all over the world for the rest of his (let's leave the referent ambiguous) life - may we all live to 120! But one update is cool.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://jweekly.com/2024/02/23/matisyahu-vibes-in-berkeley-despite-pro-palestinian-protest-outside-theater/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Matisyahu at Cal" border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="770" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcVBoAY5pbrQDbaQy_z1QzYS51LyIPojMCJLUPIGU_co4s6psMY4ZPBbWwm-vzlq42FNAgGi6e0Z_4u3KRT2DyYegiQ-GQ67ERCw6iXWisUaOZjG3Vn-Ca434jLaVhWB9R1DakhDJnn_EeNcIfvSmznIGe6kOxeCKY1VvQI7xyfhvMoOJwStgO_p0dZ94/w400-h225/matisyahu-1%20770w.png" width="400" /></a></div><p>Surprisingly, Aaron Levy-Wolins of <a href="https://jweekly.com/2024/02/23/matisyahu-vibes-in-berkeley-despite-pro-palestinian-protest-outside-theater/" target="_blank">J.</a> (The Jewish News of Northern California) reports that Matisyahu successfully performed at UC Berkeley (yes, Berkeley, of all places) last week.</p><p></p><blockquote><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Matisyahu vibes in Berkeley despite pro-Palestinian protest outside theater</span></b></p><p>Jewish reggae singer and rapper Matisyahu enthralled a packed house Thursday night at UC Theatre in Berkeley, a week after two concerts on his current U.S. tour were canceled due to pressure from pro-Palestinian activists.</p><p>Before the show began, as concert-goers made their way inside the theater, a group of about 20 protesters wearing masks or keffiyehs covering their faces held signs with anti-Israel messages and yelled through bullhorns. They marched in a circle on the sidewalk and chanted, “Free, free Palestine” and “You’re supporting genocide.”</p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Inside, the atmosphere was overwhelmingly supportive of Israel and Matisyahu. A woman who did not want to be identified handed out large square stickers reading “FCK HMS,” meaning “F— Hamas.” Hundreds of concert-goers let out a loud cheer when Matisyahu took the stage after the opening act, alternative band Cydeways, finished its set. </p></blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-matisyahu-defense-fund" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Matisyahu Defense Fund" border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="720" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJhAL2TAuTJxeEdUX7WQhVWTdlL4eewybALNQ8RGFOeULl3Org8vaeij6r8eJ6Nl9R4QXMivNoWQDuGAVVtv_-uXci7Hc1U5dfl49XqC4k8eyIYPJ0advgYNkZj3-nDbEFlz2HNZKJZCKCfId_VoHwUpa0tMTAUBQ-GWNdNHuezeGT115S-0G-nAvBz0U/w400-h225/mdf5.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p>On the other hand, there's <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-matisyahu-defense-fund" target="_blank">The Matisyahu Defense Fund</a>.</p><p></p><blockquote><p>This is David Draiman of Disturbed, and I’m raising funds to provide security for my friend, Matisyahu, an amazing, peace loving artist, who is currently dealing with unprecedented levels of Antisemitism. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Matisyahu and I first met years ago when he performed in Miami Beach and I had my management reach out to him when I heard about his unfortunate show cancellations in Arizona. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>I couldn’t let that stand. Couldn’t let him and his family continue to be terrorized, so this campaign was started. All funds will be wire transferred to Matisyahu’s management team to pay for a private security detail for him and his family for the remainder of his current tour.</p><p>Please donate so that our brother and his family remain safe and sound in the face of this hatred.</p></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-matisyahu-defense-fund" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="David Draiman" border="0" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="822" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Fnp2_nLvxC4CGpnepxN6tADqlV33UpiNG4bnEZjNTftSiLq2cdgGCsMc2FSCCCJ3dMgA14ezp6UuVXw1G-1-VmgQtFETQUBpOPP6GJoMai16y4Z0SN3CLfkYoa9jaHNSABDCdKzbsQN_XFceXUaoTxgXWd7cXrY8cWTCGO7eu8tzzwGYv958NwdQg_o/w400-h261/David%20Draiman.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>In the meantime - David Brinn of the <a href="https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-788639" target="_blank">Jerusalem Post</a> reports that people donated.<div><div></div><blockquote><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Disturbed’s David Draiman raises $26,000 for Matisyahu’s security</span></b></div><div><b><i>Over the last 48 hours over 1,000 people donated to the campaign, money will be used to pay for private security for Matisyahu and his family.</i></b></div><div><br /></div><div>A GoFundMe campaign initiated by Jewish American hard rocker David Draiman, lead singer of Disturbed, to raise $25,000 to provide security for fellow Jewish reggae roots singer Matisyahu, more than reached its goal in only two days.</div></blockquote><div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MissMayim" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Mayim Bialik" border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="820" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiThhh6nYMHOgMlLn0TTJRmslWcbEakHwK5qoayAYYvC4yB3tcdXLNcLGWOyphm3pZ9r9acsnMZTPRvdmmJ37dp7-lbxZznT8EqnGH6cEL6pVzXMx9Ab7iMZizmwfxTQaKqh-6m6YAVJ0BhKlfiaXL5XN3m2eIFP_vueQ6rvWgN42w1DtwPBoFrNDWwOT4/w400-h153/Mayim%20Bialik1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">Which then brings us to Matisyahu's response to this whole mess. As reported by Mom, Actor, Author, Neuroscientist, and Proud Jew Mayim Bialik!</p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><blockquote>Reggae musician Matisyahu is experiencing canceled concerts on his current Hold the Fire tour. He released this beautiful and brave statement about what’s going on, and I wanted to repost it. Please read the whole thing. It’s very powerful.</blockquote><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.threads.net/@missmayim" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Matisyahu Statement" border="0" data-original-height="1033" data-original-width="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2W8lVvG4VYstNnqcpb_7uxN2HWP8qb-f2jOgqUc25Xv9fnhRQx581EP0GLJCzdjf8zMko6fxsMLv88HDgi6JW7b9SjDskTnW58hsAZzVJE3-lTI0MfYKbr-iaUDshrWUOymRB5w-_hQaMxqHpvd-RS3baTkHh37H6I4Bn0EPeQ55qZhA-1qMJK2dR9g/s16000/fr770420.png" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.jcrcnm.org/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="JCRC-NM" border="0" data-original-height="343" data-original-width="647" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH1O60OHRoPRzjgprS9JsFAGx_KDYPaia_leS6EOKPaOkjBboxQlhR2GSd3cE0nTVQX8Vt3Y_YDyqQ4k72b8DBb_HvKJlk1O3JARVFHwI9O6V5LpT3wcLcPjANokXyBv_6vPkcsniRSRCiIRlQBOojFCVvBP9xfmNGinOBJ97C-QNBsUEt9mQpsS8JsuE/w400-h213/JCRCNM%20Logo%203584b6%20Dec%202023.png" width="400" /></a></div><p>Which brings us all the way back to the Jewish Community Relations Coalition of New Mexico (JCRC-NM). </p><p>As <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> mentioned last week (see <a href="https://www.abqjew.net/2024/02/the-matisyahu-story.html" target="_blank">The Matisyahu Story</a>), the JCRC-NM later sent out a Press Release, a version of which was also sent to Meow Wolf executives and the Mayor of Santa Fe, Alan Webber.</p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Whereupon ensued what <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> sincerely hopes will be a productive and forward-thinking correspondence between the JCRC-NM and Meow Wolf. The JCRC-NM specifically asked:</div><p></p><blockquote><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Does Meow Wolf have a policy that artists with particular political views may not show their art or perform at Meow Wolf? If so, what is that policy? Might you be willing share it publicly with the community?</li><li>Will you block other Jewish artists from displaying their art or performing under the auspices of Meow Wolf if they support the right of the Jewish people to have a state in our ancient homeland?</li><li>Have you cancelled or refused to schedule any other artists at Meow Wolf based on community or employee objections to the artist’s personal views?</li><li>How does Meow Wolf vet allegations made by community members or employees regarding what an individual artist believes or stands for? Did you research any of the allegations made against Matisyahu or ask him about them before cancelling the concert?</li><li>What have you communicated to those who bought tickets to attend the concert and may have travelled long distances to come to Santa Fe that day?</li><li>Do you plan to invite Matisyahu to return to the community to perform at another time?</li></ul></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://meowwolf.com/visit/santa-fe" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Meow Wolf Santa Fe" border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="656" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbOrEtS9A7wdRSJFYKVJWlgqIRuxUhiijsf5JmDnTLu1nSlSzw94blo8NVr8trYYXPzTo7BgV7StI2GI7wyapWNcC4oHhsFRftTDdCM_cDzdANZ5TFuo_iLBVdKFj57YD3z_df5jXHmcZ0-7HUrZTMEjejO0xB1TYW2c1KBdCZNspJl0qSQOyi9YefHoQ/w400-h138/Meow%20Wolf%20Santa%20Fe1b%20ec0988.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And Meow Wolf responded:</div></div><div><div></div><blockquote><div>Thank you for sharing these questions. We take your concerns seriously. </div></blockquote><blockquote><div>And your letter highlights the need for a deeper dialogue, especially regarding our engagement with the Jewish community and ensuring our space remains welcoming to all artists. </div></blockquote><blockquote><div>First, I want to reassure you that at Meow Wolf, no Jewish artists, nor their audiences, will be discriminated against or silenced merely because they are Jewish and support the existence of Israel as a sovereign state in the homeland of the Jewish people. </div></blockquote><blockquote><div>Free expression is one of our core values as a company, and we welcome all artists and points of views. Meow Wolf believes in the power of art to bring people together. </div></blockquote><blockquote><div>We do not tolerate Antisemitism, hate, racism, discrimination or violence of any kind. I also want to reiterate the following: </div></blockquote><blockquote><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The Matisyahu show was canceled because of safety concerns and not because of the artist’s religious or political beliefs.</li><li>As is often the case in matters such as these, misinformation shared on social media channels was partially responsible for escalating this situation quickly and unexpectedly. </li><li>We are still a relatively young company and we were unprepared for key employees not reporting to work as scheduled. </li><li>We have room for improvement and education on several fronts, and we are eager to engage with community leaders to discuss policies that more clearly reflect our values as an organization and prevent situations like this one from happening in the future. </li><li>We have apologized to all ticket holders and offered them a full refund plus two tickets to visit Meow Wolf in the future. At the appropriate time, I also hope to speak to Matisyahu in person and apologize to him as well. </li><li>We deeply regret how this situation played out, and we hope to restore trust with the Jewish community and repair our relationship with Matisyahu. </li></ul></blockquote><blockquote><div>If you are available, I would welcome the opportunity to speak to you in person in more detail. It's crucial for us to understand your perspective, share ours, and explore how we can better support and celebrate the diversity of artistic expressions at Meow Wolf, including those from the Jewish community. </div></blockquote><blockquote><div>We're committed to creating an environment where artists from every background feel valued. And I believe a face-to-face discussion will help us address your questions more effectively and collaboratively find ways to reinforce this commitment. </div></blockquote><blockquote><div>In the meantime, I thank you for initiating this important dialogue. We look forward to working together to ensure Meow Wolf remains a vibrant space for the arts that is welcoming to all.</div></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-matisyahu-defense-fund" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="One More Thing" border="0" data-original-height="124" data-original-width="800" height="63" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1CEPC1gYcghybf-oseqJTlWz1lUtQSf4du61J9Mnnagdc4droTRokL0u_E-u4wg3GRUBLzH8Blzws9E0GVLCDe7L1voLN27MZI1Ya-u2pOi-0DrXh-TWc1ubtsfqyOVcEljcz4iaRsB7B5U7wno-SidfcoRkYI_C5oxDywlZGCVaGDEsNhT8nSkouqgQ/w400-h63/One%20more%20thing.png" width="400" /></a></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://jweekly.com/2024/02/27/im-screaming-for-help-jewish-students-face-violence-at-uc-berkeley-israel-talk/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="UC Berkeley" border="0" data-original-height="404" data-original-width="819" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAhiVHZj43LacQio_9-_3AiZO-cNZGOJTaAT0Fpw12eVMnRCcVjTVQt5096Fkd6hiCjVNHkrB5CAHloA1f4ZjwKpPbEocss7QHXJTPvRcj7A0PSspvz7w8VPTEGM2YxqwAwrY731DCgE75e3f7kVF_f1DPU5s3Q-WlciKI9rNh61ZPwFdZFznxSn0nQV0/w400-h198/ScreenHunter%20100.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;">UC Berkeley</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: x-large;"> is, </span><span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;">alas</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: x-large;">, still </span><span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;">UC Berkeley</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: x-large;">.</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.abqjew.net/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="And Now Back" border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWdI4QBCJNOLPZPm_fy2xjYc9wT6gq-1XIwjQKIl8BYfsuuKKr-mYzGZF2GovKrKQ_otLfxb81uhC5nhcO6WWFIcuCXQLUMocTEcfATvwj4ZhJGnQxe7bnY-qYfnkqFHbsC7I4_CnzonayMo2loHmtO8RLwcQry4betw5_09mJYRcgOr2z4HkP0frAsYE/w400-h300/And%20Now%20Back%20To.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><p><br /></p></div>Abq Jewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05790168328499207929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4011046654200721466.post-15229378583175512382024-02-21T15:36:00.001-07:002024-02-21T15:36:27.559-07:00The Matisyahu Story<p><b><span style="color: #990000;">An Interpretation</span></b>: Well, by now, <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> suspects, you've all heard last week's news from Santa Fe:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.standuptojewishhate.org/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Matisyahu" border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="787" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGMahdtqET70KT7Emo0mPsWHJ2bZ096XpVbmrZmnmQZsrqJhEIuVNNIzTwrX4hEgs5urq-iygUIWAe4Wl6R3nH2C0u9VyuJu__-cvJhmtT8v9zrb8VZikd-1mY50UC9kRUbDDmxNGElWrm3lCG35R3Qeu4TbvwDJ0QZahT1GHuEXgw5mjoVvm5FRx7g58/w400-h400/ScreenHunter%2082.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">Matisyahu is Too Jewish for Meow Wolf!</span></b></div><p>It turns out that Matisyahu is also too Jewish for Tucson - but that's for AZ Jews to deal with. Right here, we've got <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b>'s snapshot - not comprehensive and probably not up-to-date - of the City Different situation.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/two-matisyahu-concerts-canceled-amid-outcry-from-pro-palestinian-protesters/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Matisyahu" border="0" data-original-height="428" data-original-width="770" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl2xgJjydkdRKAu15SX81wWrr79OPh775hnL-1lTev_DYgDujsghLJO89vaRxxhnL53QhsYieEEMQNiIN7p08D_m7RvIW6UNlfs5bv_SFnIcQBecCsbC9xYmjW_dWEUOWiipxmcvVY_QbEesjuM7oZao8KiH2AxLuANr8TXjVtwEXc-kLJO2nScgBMV3k/w400-h223/mat6%20770w.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p>First, an introduction. For those who are of a certain age and who, therefore, may not be entirely conversant with the phenomenon of Matisyahu, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matisyahu" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a> tells us:</p><blockquote><p>Matthew Paul Miller (born June 30, 1979), known by his stage name Matisyahu (מתיסיהו), is an American reggae singer, rapper, beatboxer, and alternative rock musician.</p></blockquote><blockquote><p>He was brought up a Reconstructionist Jew and attended Hebrew school at <a href="https://betamshalom.org/" target="_blank">Bet Am Shalom</a>, a synagogue in White Plains, New York. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>From 2001 through July 2007, Matisyahu was affiliated with the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic community in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York, whose rabbi officiated at his wedding in 2004. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>However, as of July 17, 2007, he told the Miami New Times in an interview that he no longer "necessarily" identifies with the Lubavitch movement. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>On December 13, 2011, after a session with his therapist, Matisyahu walked into a Supercuts on the Upper West Side in Manhattan and shaved his beard. </p></blockquote><p><a href="https://stljewishlight.org/arts-entertainment/5-facts-about-matisyahu-the-jewish-singer-coming-to-st-louis-in-august/">STL Jewish Light</a> further explains:</p><p></p><blockquote><p>After shaving his beard, Matisyahu began to attend a Hasidic shul in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, associated with the Karlin sect.</p><p>“The place I feel most comfortable davening is by the Hasidim who scream,” he said. “I stepped into a Karlin shul, where they’re literally pissed off and screaming at God and everybody is singing their own melody. And it’s very beautiful.”</p><p>These days, Matisyahu is still religious — and he’s looking for a new synagogue to pray at near his home in Monsey, a town in New York’s Rockland County.</p></blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>But enough background . . . .</b> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/matisyahu/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Concerts" border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG2hlUEaI8cIatUiLxyl1f-VJiK4gejD2jm1CpKZoxWGtVtP8O81M9FwSSdYx0WuN8IK19YZkmE1Zlo1yPtd__-Yw19s65hxouLuGgpTXhztSXzBhL8bKxBY8mMICPhVCPZrFBDf6FZSoJwdZDwaUqFhoo5_HcqtvyAUWNZrkIG6PvYtIVauOiednbGdM/w400-h400/ft56.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: xx-large;">What happened?</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The short version: Two of Matisyahu's planned concerts - one in Santa Fe, one in Tucson - were cancelled, more or less at the last minute, for reasons having to do with pro-Palestinian protests planned for both venues.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.jta.org/2024/02/15/israel/2-matisyahu-concerts-in-the-southwest-are-canceled-after-pro-palestinian-activists-protest" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="JTA Logo" border="0" data-original-height="163" data-original-width="1215" height="54" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr0-qoK7_T53QpM68tSs2yHWldLDi24rkaWpuLf91QoVOIxxivRj6xQ_I7SKEFlUR00xoT_N0P-BIKIBh7360xuf_p8g_ejVisAoykKDPzUBv0CNo9k0g_xg-l0G-ows2zPs2mGpRsIh0ZX3BLbc4XTG6u4oJ2rc5W8kVRr2ydjy1Et40mqok9XOZokQQ/w400-h54/JTA%20Jewish%20Telegraphic%20Agency%20Logo,jpg.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">JTA's Philissa Cramer provides an excellent <a href="https://www.jta.org/2024/02/15/israel/2-matisyahu-concerts-in-the-southwest-are-canceled-after-pro-palestinian-activists-protest" target="_blank">short synopsis</a>. Which begins:</div><p></p><blockquote><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">2 Matisyahu concerts in the Southwest are canceled after pro-Palestinian activists protest</span><br /></b></p><p>(JTA) — Two concerts by Matisyahu, the American Jewish singer famous for his peace anthem “One Day,” have been canceled after pro-Palestinian protesters targeted venues where he was set to perform.</p><p>Meow Wolf in Santa Fe, New Mexico, canceled one concert on Wednesday. The Rialto Theatre in Tucson, Arizona, canceled a second on Thursday, after first saying it would not do so.</p><p>Both venues cited staffing shortages and safety concerns. Both had been targeted by protesters who said Matisyahu’s record of performing for Israeli soldiers and pro-Israel groups in the United States should disqualify him from appearing.</p><p>Matisyahu said in a statement posted to Instagram that he had offered to pay for additional staffing and security at the Rialto show but had been rebuffed.</p><p><i>“They do this because they are either antisemitic or have confused their empathy for the Palestinian people with hatred for someone like me who builds empathy for both Israelis and Palestinians,”</i> he wrote about those who had sought to cancel his show. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i>“It truly is a sad day when dialogue with those you disagree with is abandoned for hate-mongering and silencing artistic expression.”</i></p><p>He will instead play a free show in Tucson for hundreds of people.</p><p>The concerts’ cancelation adds to a growing number of incidents in which Jewish and pro-Israel athletes and celebrities have had appearances scuttled, or threatened to be canceled, amid fierce criticism by pro-Palestinian activists, more than four months into the Israel-Hamas war that began Oct. 7 when Hamas attacked Israel.</p></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.sfreporter.com/news/2024/02/15/meow-wolf-calls-off-matisyahu-concert/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="600" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU1mW7-8AWS5ftzfjMbiZlApS-vW6rZMUj5oqNK6nJG4cOzKfRAocxRUOh_6qwAbvMpY3ZB_dN_Eo1AML4t-GnPf_1M7BOfkKEQAKliDORTyLKgLFllIrW896XxBtqV2Rm03zRvQ_OJGjqKyhoaOowpoUj1EyigO52ztuBV7dHFasDjsMJYUF9Zlk1DgA/s320/Santa%20Fe%20Reporter%20Logo.png" width="320" /></a></div><p>The Santa Fe Reporter's Alex De Vore provides a local view:</p><p></p><p></p><blockquote><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Meow Wolf Calls Off Matisyahu Concert </span></b></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><b><i>Activists say they joined workers to push for the last-minute cancellation over artist’s message on Israel-Gaza war</i></b></p><p>Following pressure from local activists and a last-minute staff shortage, Santa Fe arts corporation and music venue Meow Wolf canceled a Valentine’s Day show with reggae artist Matisyahu on Tuesday evening just before the proverbial curtain was set to rise.</p><p><i>“Yesterday, we canceled a concert at the House of Eternal Return,” reads a statement Meow Wolf Vice President of Public Relations Kati Murphy issued to SFR. “Two hours before the show was set to begin, we found ourselves without adequate staff to safely manage the sold out crowd. Meow Wolf will always prioritize the safety of our employees and our guests. We are in the process of refunding ticket holders.”</i></p><p>Members of Santa Feans for Justice in Palestine, Santa Fe Jews for a Free Palestine, the Santa Fe Democratic Socialists of America, Showing Up For Racial Justice in Northern New Mexico and the Santa Fe Ad Hoc Committee on Palestine say they asked Meow Wolf to call off the concert and planned a protest at the venue because Matisyahu has been an outspoken supporter of the Israeli campaign in Gaza.</p></blockquote><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.krqe.com/news/new-mexico/hip-hop-artist-says-meow-wolf-show-canceled-over-support-for-israel/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="KRQE News13" border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="224" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha70Tk9QxsDEn6jbceeaIOtW0XbxnuS-yyhv0leDaH1X1O8KfFkL9_NduKwdiZSMTQhPQmHg9eHv9-8Q7jkCxc6PX3rkIh0J5dUfY6wuzhK2EEqxRl-Gu2eAwyI6c2WjFJqsDNEuWruzR9mb58rYaMy6F0KyiP2MS_NW7PLysIwu8I8s59k-ZYRX88duo/w318-h320/KRQE%20News13.jpg" width="318" /></a></div><p>But <a href="https://www.krqe.com/news/new-mexico/hip-hop-artist-says-meow-wolf-show-canceled-over-support-for-israel/">KRQE News13</a>'s Jordan Honeycutt offers a much more robust view of what happened:</p><p></p><blockquote><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Hip hop artist says Meow Wolf show canceled over support for Israel</span></b></p><p>Hip hop fans were disappointed in Santa Fe Wednesday when a sold-out musical performance was canceled two hours before show time. Matisyahu was scheduled to perform at Meow Wolf until the company pulled the plug on the show. The hip-hop artist has been vocal about his support of Israel during the war with Palestine [sic].</p><p>Local pro-Palestinian groups activist groups are claiming that their pressure on Meow Wolf is the reason for the cancellation.</p></blockquote><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/02/jewish-anti-semitism-harvard-claudine-gay-zionism/677454/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Jewish Responses" border="0" data-original-height="1126" data-original-width="1260" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3dGsr7CkfrTaLXdeCm2qyJJxY1UQpv5I2l9H-x4E6Ko_-nUkD-XQFyJpIgxm6TuJOnThAniDop_nJ-jtEniLkvdmHzOkwOmIE_som0tNIDWM_yHKTpjGzYKex8z9z-8WgJbGCkPh6EsKTb6dkns9_CknQMzdmDopM1sgrxHgXNkUU5ZUAZqInMsLiC1E/w400-h358/Jewish%20Responses1b.png" width="400" /></a></p><p>Matisyahu (reported by KRQE) released this statement to his fans:</p><p></p><blockquote><p>To my fans: My fans and I should have played a sold out show at Meow Wolf in Santa Fe last night and we were excited for tonight’s show at the Rialto Theater in Tucson. Instead, the staff at these venues refused to come to work, forcing cancellations. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Without our permission or approval, the venue in Santa Fe misinformed our fans cancelling the show due to “security concerns,” when the only concern was a group of staff unwilling to work my show.</p><p>Tonight in Tucson, we have offered to supplement their staff shortages on our own dime, but to no avail. They do this because they are either anti-Semititc or have confused their empathy for the Palestinian people with hatred for some who holds empathy for both Israelis and Palestinians.</p><p>It is truly a sad day when dialogue with those you disagree with is abandoned for hate mongering and silencing artistic expression. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;">My band and I will keep moving forward always! </span></p></blockquote><blockquote><p>We will perform songs that celebrate unity, peace, and perseverance, and we will connect with our fans through the sacredness of shared music which has always brought people together. Unfortunately, it seems that more and more people are choosing to cast their lot with actions that tear people apart.</p><p>Tearing down posters of kidnapped children does not bring peace. Chanting genocidal slogans at Jews does not bring peace. Preventing fans of all ethnic and religious backgrounds from singing together in Santa Fe or Tucson does not bring peace. In fact, it does the opposite. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>It may make some people feel good to express anger publicly in hopes that it will obscure the hypocrisy of us Americans living on actual colonized land taken through an actual genocide of Native Americans. But I refuse to succumb to such destructive behavior which helps nobody and only fuels more anger.</p><p>So to my fans in Santa Fe and Tucson, I am sorry you were denied a show. I love you all. My band and I will be back. We will not respond to hate with more hate. We will be together again. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We will make music together again. </span></p></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XqvKDCP5-xE" width="420" youtube-src-id="XqvKDCP5-xE"></iframe></div><blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We will sing together again One Day soon . . . .</span></p></blockquote><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MayorAlanWebber/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Mayor Alan Webber" border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH8GtVd-SYY1AlyGp7poDTTj8-NbwpunueXdS_nZoYNCGb2N5ulg28WXYosqq_agPrJh3B4u59yfOZeOVFm7woJOYKax3z_sOJfrbze8SfV4ogmvsQsGypA70QCUedyhTyAi5rVxWZZuHm5-5IGQw1yk39LZwFAIawK9PZcALoTVIQODTwZBw8g1vXhBg/w320-h320/Mayor%20Alan%20Webber.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>And Santa Fe's Mayor Alan Webber (reported by KRQE) released this statement:</p><blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;">There is a significant difference between protesting against the policies of the Netanyahu government in Gaza and shutting down the performance of a Jewish-American artist in Santa Fe. </span></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;">There’s no excuse for antisemitism, Islamophobia, bigotry, bias, racism, or intolerance, not here, not now, not ever. </span></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The war in Israel and Gaza is a humanitarian tragedy, and we should all join in the call for the safe return of all hostages and an end to the killing. We need to see peace in the Middle East.</span></p></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.santafejcc.com/templates/viewemail_cdo/aid/6321572" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Rabbi Levertov" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="536" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTTOFmndGEXuOzhSgVWWT8HBX5l-zpJ_wW6JzuRgyikFJWkwAk0B8a9bijbfkxvM1dQccHAEXBs5Wb9c5GrrNfrINFXTt8YX67PeTFk0vpYDLDjhEV73FuxWRhyG31BVNeO-TC5dlU0cSGPtYc_djdcefW4aHP2IQOf_WjBHnmwNyxEgNaQTdlkdBqs0/w400-h374/Rabbi%20Berel%20Levertov1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>Rabbi Berel Levertov of the Santa Fe Chabad Jewish Center <a href="https://www.santafejcc.com/templates/viewemail_cdo/aid/6321572" target="_blank">posted</a>:</p><p></p><blockquote><p>Wednesday evening, Jewish Reggae Singer Matisyahu was set to hold a sold-out concert at Meow Wolf in Santa Fe.</p><p>After the sound-check, without discussing with him, Meow Wolf canceled the concert. The reason? Their antisemitic staff walked out and would not staff the concert because Matisyahu is Jewish and supports Israel!</p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Pure antisemitism in Santa Fe.</span></p><p>This was not a last-minute decision, this was a planned attack, carefully orchestrated to hurt Jews. Plain and simple.</p><p>So far Meow Wolf has been silent about the incident other than notify the concert-goers that the concert is canceled, and tickets will be refunded. It's a shame.</p><p>If you had tickets to the concert, we would like to chat with you and discuss what we can do . . . .</p></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/633727089/posts/10161636553937090/?mibextid=xfxF2i" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="485" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfUPVAjkpCr0RZyPZNQI7R2MNR9MkY0eSo0ERqvSs8fixZbkKE12-pRUhlMkN2pcxxmjKanFtdPRBnHJzdWjePmq7DzhEWmR14O16VPnbLvlhcMi1ERglCWXmEuIdU9gE2y_qS-jznhOnYpcDWKLULS_ZdBfotPCuLJRHDI0-M2o6z-hV4OcxIt334d3E/s320/Rabbi%20Neil%20Amswych.png" width="292" /></a></div><p>Rabbi Neil Amswych of Santa Fe's Temple Beth Shalom sent this letter to the <i>Santa Fe New Mexican</i> (it was published), and later posted it on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/633727089/posts/10161636553937090/?mibextid=xfxF2i" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.</p><p></p><blockquote><p>Since December, I have been sharing a presentation on the Israel-Hamas War with faith communities in Santa Fe, a presentation that is critical of leadership on both sides, that is pro-peace by being both pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i><span style="font-size: medium;">If you would like me to bring it to your community or organization, please reach out to Temple Beth Shalom. </span></i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p>The more I share the presentation, the more I encounter a very small but disturbingly vocal number of Santa Feans who have taken to emailing venues in advance to try to get my presentation cancelled. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>To such people, truth and peace-making is not important anymore, only cancelling any opinion that is divergent of their own. I now personally face the absurd accusations of being not only Islamophobic and a genocide denier but of even being pro-genocide, almost totally from people who have never even heard my presentation! </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>I used to think that cancel culture didn’t really exist until they aimed it at me, a liberal Jew who dares to express anything informed, complex and nuanced, instead of inaccurate, ignorant and oversimplistic soundbites. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>And now those who mistakenly imagine these perverse accusations to be moral have gone further by forcing the cancellation of a Jewish performer visiting our city while using exactly the same lies and slurs about him as they do about me, merely because of his support for one side in a war against a vicious terrorist organization that would gladly kill every single one of the people who cancelled him if they had the opportunity.</p><p>To the minority on the far left who have now gone full circle and inadvertently met up with the far right’s intolerance of divergent opinions, especially Jewish ones that don’t fit their narrative, I have some advice. If you don’t like somebody’s politics or religion, don’t give them your money - it’s that simple. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>But if you try to stop others from doing so, they will resent not just you but also your cause. The online anger outside your bubble for what you did at Meow Wolf was palpable. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;">You did nothing to bring peace to the world, you just boycotted a Jew for his beliefs, ruined the evening of four hundred people and tarnished the reputation of Meow Wolf.</span></p><p>To the decent people of Santa Fe who still value dialogue and diversity, I believe that we need to work together to combat the effects of the intolerance of these disproportionately loud and deliberately divisive individuals in our community. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;">As Karl Popper famously wrote, for a tolerant society to exist, we need to be intolerant of the intolerant. </span></p></blockquote><blockquote><p>After this successful boycott, one person wrote online that they were ashamed of Santa Fe. Don’t be. Fight for Santa Fe. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Work with the city, with educational establishments, with businesses, with faith communities and with organizations to ensure that they are prepared for the inevitable future boycotts and disruptions by those who seek to silence diversity. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Openly and loudly support those individuals, organizations and communities who work for peace not by drowning out difference but by celebrating it. Ensure that local discourse, in print and online, focuses on those who represent the majority who get on quietly with the difficult work of making peace, instead of those who just shout the loudest. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Help those who know little about the subject not learn from angry soundbites but from informed, rational discourse backed up by facts. Elevate the communities and organizations that value nuance and balance and who seek a just and mutual peace. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Together, in response to this intolerance, we must create a more tolerant and diverse Santa Fe.</span></p></blockquote><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmjOELUTxeBLuO_XpGxZ_bMC_Kj1nicRVGq3VTUFEoF18l8vTG6YGY8o4rUNw-ZiUaru-hwIAncxg6YRbFYlfR14lI52RaTMUrjfeyrkitRSeaoHOKejPHQtqUNb685bRLrk5YhlOKBNz-aFaSegByjS7dwxxYsyw3eoo7KDs-A9zbX3GXL2tAErSId34/s2048/Zach%20Benjamin1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Zach Benjamin" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmjOELUTxeBLuO_XpGxZ_bMC_Kj1nicRVGq3VTUFEoF18l8vTG6YGY8o4rUNw-ZiUaru-hwIAncxg6YRbFYlfR14lI52RaTMUrjfeyrkitRSeaoHOKejPHQtqUNb685bRLrk5YhlOKBNz-aFaSegByjS7dwxxYsyw3eoo7KDs-A9zbX3GXL2tAErSId34/w240-h320/Zach%20Benjamin1.jpg" width="240" /></a></p><p>Zach Benjamin, former Executive Director of the Jewish Federation of New Mexico (JFNM) and currently a member of the Steering Committee of the Jewish Community Relations Coalition of New Mexico (JCRC-NM), posted this on his <a href="https://www.facebook.com/zach.benjamin.35" target="_blank">Facebook</a> page:</p><p></p><blockquote><span style="font-size: medium;">Let us be abundantly clear and, frankly, honest with ourselves. </span></blockquote><blockquote>We have reached a point where Jewish artists and their patrons are being intimidated, threatened, and silenced for one reason, and one reason only: because they are Jewish (and/or consume art created by Jews). </blockquote><blockquote>We live at a point in the history of Western civilization where any perceived bias against any individual or group due to race, culture, national origin, or personal identity is met with fervent, aggressive opposition and condemnation. </blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-size: medium;">It is utterly imperative, then, that this same visceral reaction to prejudice extend to anti-Jewish hate. </span></blockquote><blockquote>And yet, hatred of Jews--which by every measure is a lethal and ancient scourge--continues to be explained and excused by thought leaders and institutions that actively and abjectly reject every other form of bias. </blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-size: medium;">Enough is enough. </span></blockquote><blockquote>Your personal perspectives on Israeli geopolitics do not excuse, explain, or justify the persecution or silencing of Jewish voices. </blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-size: medium;">Oppose hatred, bias, and prejudice against Jews. Period.</span></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://mailchi.mp/jcrcnm/test-newsletter-12680837?e=6dbdb98245" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="JCRCNM" border="0" data-original-height="343" data-original-width="647" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfXBCIefVyGLV9TK1E4jmM0yCYC6WeeMv2ZO7c8WW6zlcplTkMhZ4x7ANe0b2Nwm02o6PEAx_aS41se_PK_5dIPpTPk-fHIFcCyT7xTnlBclbgIPyh-zfzB63jBLJhBmCTIfsoGAIaR3m-BoZhWiON1DJLuqeFGlAV7beT3DwpQguiLC83QreriMR53j8/w400-h213/JCRCNM%20Logo%203584b6%20Dec%202023.png" width="400" /></a></div><p>The Jewish Community Relations Coalition of New Mexico (JCRC NM) noted that</p><blockquote><p>On February 14th, musical artist, Matisyahu, was scheduled to perform at Meow Wolf, to a sold out crowd. Just 2 hours before the performance the audience received an email that the show was cancelled, with reasons that ranged from 'security issues,' 'safety, potential conflict, worker resistance to the artist. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;">It basically boiled down to Meow Wolf workers unwilling to show up to manage the show. </span></p></blockquote><p>The JCRC-NM later sent out a Press Release, a version of which was also sent to Meow Wolf executives and the Mayor of Santa Fe, Alan Webber.</p><p></p><blockquote><p>We are writing on behalf of the New Mexico Jewish Community Relations Coalition (JCRC), a broad coalition of 25 non-profit religious, educational, advocacy, cultural, and assistance organizations representing the diverse perspectives of the Jewish community in our state, including many in Santa Fe. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Collectively the organizations in our coalition represent thousands of Jews in New Mexico. </p><p>Like most New Mexicans, we understand that the arts are the very thread from which our state’s rich, dynamic cultural fabric is woven, and so we were saddened to learn of the decision to forego Matisyahu’s February 14 concert at Meow Wolf due to security concerns. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Furthermore, the arts represent one of the most important sectors of New Mexico’s economy, and so it is doubly critical that New Mexico, and Santa Fe in particular, remain a nurturing environment for the arts and a place that enables them to flourish.</p><p>Thirty days ago, anti-Israel protestors attempted to shout down Governor Lujan Grisham during the State of the State message to members of the state legislature. They did not stop the work of the legislature. It is unfortunate that some of those same elements were able to shut down the voice of a Jewish musician and deprive the community of his artistry. </p><p>Let us be clear: Matisyahu, an American artist, became a target only because of his identity as a Jew with an affinity toward Israel. This kind of targeting cannot be normalized.</p><p>As Jews and as New Mexicans, we believe deeply in freedom of artistic expression, and we applaud Meow Wolf for its seminal role in advancing the arts in Santa Fe and across the Mountain West. We also understand that the conditions that led to the cancellation of last night’s concert were beyond Meow Wolf’s immediate control. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>However, we fear that this incident nonetheless sets a dangerous precedent that may deprive local audiences of exposure to the important, transformative work of artists from a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>We are also concerned that the performance’s cancellation may implicitly discourage other artists from seeking to bring their talents to our community, which may now be inaccurately characterized as one that welcomes them only selectively.</p><p>Santa Fe, its businesses and civic leaders must remain fully committed to free artistic expression without regard for any artist’s cultural, religious, or national affiliation. The city’s character, culture, and economy depend on it remaining a place where the arts thrive unabated, and where the right to artistic freedom is secure. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>To limit artistic expression is to threaten the very economic and cultural foundation on which the city stands, and so our leaders must take every measure to protect artistic freedom.</p><p>The JCRC would be pleased to work with you in any way necessary to guard against further attacks on free artistic expression, and we would welcome a dialog to learn how to do so most effectively. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Meanwhile, Matisyahu has taken to social media to express his intent to return to Santa Fe to perform, and we certainly encourage Meow Wolf to provide a venue through which to expose the community to his artistic talents.</p></blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">And now . . .</span></b> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.abqjew.net/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Abq Jew" border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="770" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvH54AQiM1QzEeJF3vYMeopRJ8z1WxxZKiivQ4vf5uX3_S9syPl03s7ADM5S99ukZzNxS4UVV8fs7uxnqRS0ewyq8SyEGn0t8v0NzcF0iVXaBVP8s6h7p9Bl5DlLqR0SjRKBXM5RuPb5falAAQQ0092U2ioQL5FuZN78JpwJv8B_sT_M_7b6K2ncNXJH8/w320-h320/Abq%20Jew%20770sq%20FA801B.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"> What does <span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span> think?</span></b></div><p></p><p><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> applauds and supports the reasonable and rational, polite and politically correct, civil and civilized efforts of the JCRC-NM (in particular) and others to have a reasonable and rational, polite and politically correct, civil and civilized discussion of all the events surrounding the Matisyahu <b><span style="color: red;">boycott</span></b> with those who are at best indifferent to Jewish concerns and at worst rooting for The Jews to just go away.</p><p>But - especially after all the sleepless nights since October 7th - <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> is extremely tired of and, frankly, antagonistic toward those worldly forces who want him to apologize for who he is.</p><p><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> models his approach, therefore, on that which <a href="https://movies.disney.com/mary-poppins" target="_blank">Mary Poppins</a> first enunciated in the 1964 eponymous film.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZNZqvX03PNJ61FZqnPncRHtCdNnMyLT_jez7nJdKUiJrMvpu2jcFFo5ptmyHC1rZtszu4aiQLllxK29JZ8augEdebXJhPqx_2bZS2mCbo7cOREsUPdjRZNwzx7tfBxgkIjvgFCYZUqdnxpOxqKJQv7zkx1fDonzJXhH0ot18V6C1MfqSh5dTvQo9Bh6M/s800/Mary%20Poppins%20Never%20Explain.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mary Poppins" border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="800" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZNZqvX03PNJ61FZqnPncRHtCdNnMyLT_jez7nJdKUiJrMvpu2jcFFo5ptmyHC1rZtszu4aiQLllxK29JZ8augEdebXJhPqx_2bZS2mCbo7cOREsUPdjRZNwzx7tfBxgkIjvgFCYZUqdnxpOxqKJQv7zkx1fDonzJXhH0ot18V6C1MfqSh5dTvQo9Bh6M/w400-h310/Mary%20Poppins%20Never%20Explain.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://youtu.be/XqvKDCP5-xE?si=uP4ClaGlXl3T7JuK" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Am Israel Chai" border="0" data-original-height="149" data-original-width="500" height="119" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLh8o1OE9d8GCwKgBFhANfIfALqNGYXJYFRPPnnN1PNUm068wDiIv_qGSht7yepHsSvCF8Z-7Fb_yb53lp5DCOhToi9la_tLnRxOgpklit8Zjm2gUpOFt98WovT5ILSo9R4SB1-S88eTl6BlO-ZzmPbNA6YJZCyEM9q5-8Ww96LcptcRNKv6-8pYpDbBQ/w400-h119/Am%20Yisrael%20Chai%20HaNegina.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Abq Jewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05790168328499207929noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4011046654200721466.post-22498322248200367592024-02-14T12:54:00.004-07:002024-02-16T12:18:48.506-07:00When 1 Adar Just Ain't Enough<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #990000;">Let Our Joy Increase 2X: </span></b><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">Thank God it's Adar (and has been since last Shabbat)! When Adar arrives, our happiness goes way up. Which is good - because God knows we can use all the happiness we can get</span><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">This year, especially. And, as it turns out - as it often does - this year we get twice the happiness we usually get.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adar" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Happy Adar" border="0" data-original-height="587" data-original-width="752" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2QQd9SfcwABQ1ojLgWvlY-OEO_NaBMie4VYp71chyphenhyphen6Vn-g3WFRRuD6lYsHM_SYUjGdlt6ASV3ImDupnB82yh22cIiUwTkO63xYlJGi2SnrzgOKWYOaxPv_KgE1dN9He0dud16QXQsYhao8y5gk-_VQ3ld_Q1HWMEMIV5OEgIM2eI1qbnJZXBSYdC26gc/w400-h313/Rushmore%20Jews%20Adar.png" width="400" /></a></p><p>That's because this year (<span style="font-size: medium;">תשׁפ״ד </span>= 5784) is a Leap Year. According, of course, to the Hebrew Calendar. </p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">IMPORTANT!</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You may wish to refresh your knowledge of the <br />Hebrew Calendar before proceeding. See</span></div><p></p><p style="background-color: white;"></p><ul style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.4; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em; text-align: left;"><ul><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.abqjew.net/2013/04/nineteen-and-twenty-eight.html" style="color: #2b00b3; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Nineteen and Twenty-Eight</a> <i>(April 11, 2013)</i></span></li><li><a href="https://www.abqjew.net/2016/03/easter-on-purim.html" style="color: #2b00b3; font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Easter On Purim</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">(March 16, 2016)</i></li><li><a href="https://www.abqjew.net/2020/12/apple-sauce-and-sour-cream.html" style="color: #2b00b3; font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Apple Sauce and Sour Cream</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">(December 14, 2020)</i></li><li><a href="https://www.abqjew.net/2023/06/lets-twist-again.html" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">Let's Twist Again!</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">(June 22, 2023)</i></li></ul></ul><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">So. Your first question may (or, then again, may not) be:</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebrew_calendar" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Leap Year" border="0" data-original-height="554" data-original-width="1200" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxDyst8SjUviWRiMsXoIzRwU7BmhYOIDsVmJfV0q-TqIophsliSQZb7Zxpee1fQ_Lw43FKCuNVUHEpcnASCLBTlnKqHmmNkN6q5PDq0eNVWsUIbTyNMLSfbXQvGuv2cu9ruKS68E9lIuvRIZaI8Kny0ye4dr4D_h3D5_AALQ8ZM8K_QVpjpbgyE4qsE9o/w400-h185/Leap%20Year.png" width="400" /></a></span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #274e13; font-size: large;"><b>How do we know it's a Leap Year?</b></span></span></p><p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebrew_calendar" style="background-color: white; color: #2b00b3; font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;">Wikipedia </a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">explains how the Masters of the Hebrew Calendar have done it, like forever (but not really):</span></p><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">To determine whether year <i>n</i> of the calendar is a leap year, find the remainder on dividing [(7 × <i>n</i>) + 1] by 19. If the remainder is 6 or less it is a leap year; if it is 7 or more it is not. </span></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For example, the remainder on dividing [(7 × 5774) + 1] by 19 is 6, so the year 5774 is a leap year. The remainder on dividing [(7 × 5775) + 1] by 19 is 13, so the year 5775 is not a leap year.</span></blockquote><p>And for this year:</p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><blockquote><span style="background-color: white;">The remainder on dividing [(7 × 5784) + 1] by 19 is 0, so the year 5784 is a leap year. The remainder in dividing </span><span style="background-color: white;">[(7 × 5785) + 1] by 19 is 7, so the year 5785 is not a leap year.</span></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebrew_calendar" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Ta-da" border="0" data-original-height="1414" data-original-width="2700" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb_77wIHPvrXNG2UTbvvzCRvjvzGo8u7TtoiGvvXTwb9EQi-rSiwKsCDXTXpGjbfHEra673S_4C4kmXCjK77U1stJmR_QQOECSczqHxdTF7lwethxnVzOjy3FgI4_mUCPadN2lYpj86aKhDg_Znrd0LQjLJmImAIMQ0v43PzTMo_WqSTdhOg2XUEnMLtk/w320-h168/Ta%20Da%20Red.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;">So. Your next question may (or, then again, may not) be:</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.abqjew.net/2013/04/nineteen-and-twenty-eight.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Plus One" border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="432" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPCBnaIdNsibwH1uZUHYjqbSK6uHI0EgsZB9ybLp9clKosAmjRh11agqrBR2SysegG9tRyXxg20f9orWFUh8VGlIbH-yMFgnBXDszdDb_IKomNPbKYVAvtU3tlt14QUSYMoncy-3-0rlNzkXyrwD6aYPGfoVM2vypUvjWPOx7mIIxyN-zajvE-H7DSTao/w200-h200/Plus%20One.png" width="200" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: #274e13; font-size: x-large;">What happens on a Leap Year?</b></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">We know, from our years of experience, that something ... <i>something </i>... must be added. But what? Pope Gregory XIII - after a minor adjustment (</span></span>Thursday October 4, 1582 was followed by Friday October 15, 1582) - said </p><blockquote><p>Every year that is exactly divisible by four is a leap year, except for years that are exactly divisible by 100, but these centurial years are leap years if they are exactly divisible by 400. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>For example, the years 1700, 1800, and 1900 are not leap years, but the year 2000 is.</p></blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregorian_calendar" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Feb 29" border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="346" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilwvFLihlS3PZow4WSqKqt7GXt_W1uK0OopyvyuaAEkRInY5yo5QrT4BQ8ItWtAIh0UUnSG6VeS-wgnOR2A0_eqgXligQyxDXCwX4pJwX5pJVzA2C8i2KgPeoOuQZeddh-VY2_YcT-vOIl3BKlfuBQZ4TScPAKn44b3v4qLv5oKh2mzupAFKjbj5AuSx8/w320-h320/February%2029.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">That's how we end up this year (2024) with a February 29th. Which was immediately OK for the Catholics, then (very gradually) for the Protestants - and eventually for most of the so-called "civil"-ized world. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">But we Jews are always up for a challenge. So (says <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adar" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>):</span></span></p><blockquote><p>Adar (Hebrew: אֲדָר) is the sixth month of the civil year and the twelfth month of the religious year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a month of 29 days.</p></blockquote><blockquote><p>The month's name, like all the others from the Hebrew calendar, was adopted during the Babylonian captivity. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>In leap years, it is <i>preceded </i>by a 30-day intercalary <i>month</i> ....</p></blockquote><p>That's right! We've got Adar Alef Adar Rishon Adar I <i>and</i> we've got Adar Bet Adar Sheni Adar II. A whole extra month every leap year!</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adar" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Lady or Tiger" border="0" data-original-height="339" data-original-width="600" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuQsND89xO71GGWNZCFx0Xj3NF5W65iOX7WIAQ4pT69MGhvaednfd-ObAusI5lkdWWjO4RAxmM16c_0ZZYfGtHbP_blYigiKMUExMPSzqLV7hZDt246FWKxEqYCCHSWFQGCABr-btHO4cHHnLLxUQqd3P37B_u0Jd_B4wbO5i_6lzB2ohtp7Jn6yLu9D0/w400-h226/Lady%20or%20Tiger.png" width="400" /></a></p><p>And - once again, because we're Jews - the extra month is <i>generally accepted</i> as Alef Adar Rishon Adar I, <i>not </i>Adar Bet Adar Sheni Adar II. Which is to say: Adar I cuts in line. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adar" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a> explains:</p><p></p><blockquote><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">Based on a line in the Mishnah declaring that Purim must be celebrated in Adar II in a leap year (Megillah 1:4), Adar I is considered the "extra" month.</span> </blockquote><blockquote><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">As a result, someone born in Adar during a non leap year would celebrate their birthday in Adar II during a leap year.</span> </blockquote><blockquote><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">However, someone born during either Adar in a leap year will celebrate their birthday during Adar in a non-leap year, except that someone born on 30 Adar I will celebrate their birthday on 1 Nisan in a non-leap year because Adar in a non-leap year has only 29 days.</span></blockquote><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.abqjew.net/2013/04/nineteen-and-twenty-eight.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="It's Easy" border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="612" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKcLMza7ddf0Xy6XYERMkfHekxmJyLUpQlt9zC1psGJPif4YT7DlSX4GHV1DOLVpQeYdV5kPToL08JGaDWgmp13xH3B2XJ8GX_nto11mGEv63an91iyzZFkY0NrBDLZs_JrFZS0GJewHl1XuiuMho_ZPxVswOwIOc8z0GzmK1gtORwmWnF4ok3b2ZdawU/w320-h320/Its%20Easy.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So anyway. As we Jews tell each other every Adar:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teepublic.com/poster-and-art/39799988-adar-in-joy-up" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Adar In Joy Up" border="0" data-original-height="528" data-original-width="713" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZXbXvyLeI8nodVZmZ_0OUTtXFD-Tid6UkMOdY4wk7kDeEflcRNiVpgWaECrRY_mdJR2B9fusELxy31LcWsaZLr1FhSQytb0m-bM-7KX13sBBTu8BGg1tZopVLEjATH_oyvgEC7hBHcc0PZbBFllN0kby92rCSn44JmYUGg1xXU3TR5NTf6vLNn9NoAJk/w400-h296/ScreenHunter%2078.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Or, in other words:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://trinaemig.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="When Adar Enters" border="0" data-original-height="160" data-original-width="800" height="80" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR5nJD4ZVNPeJuSb5_1RNuGOwgEVEq-Ucw4V6rl-S_93StblL8p9ASWJYb8JKu4B7PBZM5ekQY91d9gLN9PclmphYODQw8ZKKGZ8ddvGt8EMmfiS7nq6iiaZxxjT_tTvm5VK_X9Dp0FwQBNaA6WifJgQZQj5S-aXBk4cIyKZztcK656tEe2E5Os6fu3yo/w400-h80/When%20Adar%20Enters.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Therefore, <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> is happy to present Trina Emig (banjo), Trina Emig (bass), Trina Emig (mandolin), Trina Emig (guitar), and Trina Emig (fiddle), playing the old fiddle tune <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soldier%27s_Joy_(fiddle_tune)" target="_blank">Soldier's Joy</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/L7hguQB_EY0" width="420" youtube-src-id="L7hguQB_EY0"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Want to find out how she did this? Click <a href="https://youtu.be/L7hguQB_EY0?si=OVTOWenKPqopo1-c" target="_blank">here</a>.</div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj49Z5bulwy5c1VTmhOkwSRKOXdZq4kTu1F2Sh7B00vaj8Aj2mQldNzFxNU16BXcm8U8aUF7NhdIo5e9fyOoj_didbJ4xxUlHAYrF-S9O1QAhtsreyKNPj8XP6ffMEYpWIi2s996hCdWUh_26EBJhNERXX8dYn3WDOoO9OiIq6NWVrxSpGk7dnGpIppBzY/s332/Its%20True%20Ma.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="It's True Ma" border="0" data-original-height="262" data-original-width="332" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj49Z5bulwy5c1VTmhOkwSRKOXdZq4kTu1F2Sh7B00vaj8Aj2mQldNzFxNU16BXcm8U8aUF7NhdIo5e9fyOoj_didbJ4xxUlHAYrF-S9O1QAhtsreyKNPj8XP6ffMEYpWIi2s996hCdWUh_26EBJhNERXX8dYn3WDOoO9OiIq6NWVrxSpGk7dnGpIppBzY/w400-h316/Its%20True%20Ma.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Abq Jewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05790168328499207929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4011046654200721466.post-79681208091193895262024-02-06T15:40:00.003-07:002024-02-08T13:02:20.835-07:00Arno Allan Penzias Dies at 90<p><b><span style="color: #990000;">Nobel Prize-Winning Physicist</span></b>: Dr Arno Allan Penzias died a couple of weeks ago - on January 22, 2024 - at the age of 90. His last days were spent in an assisted living facility in San Francisco.</p><p><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> has mentioned Penzias's passing to a few people who did not know who Arno Penzias was or what Arno Penzias did. <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew </span></b>finds this remarkable - isn't this common knowledge? Doesn't everyone know?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arno_Allan_Penzias" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Arno Allan Penzias" border="0" data-original-height="884" data-original-width="659" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhje_bJaOZtM9_JJFYPVahupW8M2KnrlVIwpkJ1_YMa7vwynBU8i4Zwdqy_BEuOPBWmyiwFf30XPvf3SNQYpPjx046U0Ef3wetrnlqhhp78F-O22_10Lg9muZyYmWJyg47AadbMUapRi8gYMs3UZcw81VyfoX42UFN7PYH3e0drd1Xjiy44qT3e6vG4hqY/w299-h400/Arno%20Allan%20Penzias1b.png" width="299" /></a></div><p>What Arno Penzias did - along with fellow Nobel Prize winner Robert Woodrow Wilson - was to a) identify; and b) explain the cosmic hum, aka the Cosmic Microwave Background.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.astronomy.com/science/remembering-arno-penzias-who-confirmed-the-origin-of-our-universe/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Hummingbird" border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="503" height="349" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9sc4o7rijHyJseM1rV3pCoimwJ9Y_8KPIEPqchudkxG6U9QF8X3Xgoxm6HOSMljlQbV3872GMqCmCftWqsNobI99XzbUj_IoPiEIFw5VdH4HRlXu35zDTrftG2_CIxs3joEe2lInlDvoPUIdJTKTcTTEU2CgcrAk5D4Ln-9GltRxrie22NZ9JJmAEGcw/w400-h349/ScreenHunter%2052.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The universe hums.</span></p><p>We all know why hummingbirds hum, don't we? <i>Because they don't know the words</i>! (A great old dad joke, but not true; here's <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/high-resolution-sound-cameras-reveal-why-hummingbirds-hum" target="_blank">why</a>.) </p><p>So why does the universe hum? (And no, we're not talking about <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinnitus" target="_blank">tinnitus</a>, or about the Taos, Auckland, Windsor, or any other <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hum" target="_blank">Hum</a>.)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/dp65co.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="The Big Bang" border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="1082" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7H5Rvf3pvGjLUMunm_JpyIiMd6uNqnLi0pLyW3cS76xYIoAillZ_vBiOSm9dpY-D8f4_WjZoFUfWe9_5ZfCU_SAj356KJzidxVyl43YMPPV7qQcmQNWVbtqKhu48VceG13bjTcIlzl3IyF0w1USM2udj9jyRpwH75o7hclMlpwZxU8JNnEAjBynQItc4/w400-h225/ScreenHunter%2063.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>The short answer is: the universe hums because of the Big Bang. But <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> knows that you, his loyal readers, will not be satisfied with the short answer. </p><p>So let's get technical and let <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_microwave_background" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a> explain:</p><blockquote><p>The cosmic microwave background (CMB or CMBR) is microwave radiation that fills all space in the observable universe. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>It is a remnant that provides an important source of data on the primordial universe.</p></blockquote><blockquote><p>With a standard optical telescope, the background space between stars and galaxies is almost completely dark. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>However, a sufficiently sensitive radio telescope detects a <span style="font-size: medium;">faint background glow</span> that is <span style="font-size: medium;">almost uniform</span> and is <span style="font-size: medium;">not associated</span> with any star, galaxy, or other object. This glow is strongest in the microwave region of the radio spectrum. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The accidental discovery of the CMB in 1965 by American radio astronomers Arno Penzias</span> and Robert Wilson was the culmination of work initiated in the 1940s.</p></blockquote><blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">CMB is landmark evidence of the Big Bang theory for the origin of the universe. </span></p></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_Labs_Holmdel_Complex" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Bell Labs Holmdel" border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="468" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuxgRHVUoJDC_dr7UijLl663oIfMrNezR7Vacq6O-G2F1iC4uGoAo5hg1i_bgkm2L74cibDcNcR4J0H1Rv_jK73bUN3uVjBlWHdNsvoO_GdWmSSWspbbu-3AbG2Am_Br3-3d1iObK-N8SFsFwO67-5xv6m8JAdTpCFGm58zo_VLRMD18OkWwMEjBSvG9U/w400-h266/Bell%20Labs%20Complex%20Holmdel.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">Dr Penzias (and Dr Wilson) made this CMB discovery while working at Bell Labs in Holmdel, New Jersey. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Where, once upon a time (see April 2018's <a href="https://www.abqjew.net/2018/04/fame-fortune-and-four-wives.html" target="_blank">Fame, Fortune, and Four Wives</a>) <b style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b><span style="background-color: white;"> worked as a Technical Writer - a Word Man, as he was even then known.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/22/science/space/arno-a-penzias-dead.html?unlocked_article_code=1.TE0.HKLV.1OL1zuT2uCNQ&bgrp=a&smid=url-share" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Arno Penzias" border="0" data-original-height="579" data-original-width="869" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx8lUVZnd-9C-3fsDgnJbZeEH-klaPa_BeZqAx1-ynG7mlZx_K_NqYsrPJTxIEzdSXOHvY7jFua4uGR54cdl_xEjC2YwoS3oCBXYnsLOPTrmkH-YmR_YQhXFMdMBSutzin3C4RnveaKtFXUIUviJQZNFI6l4Y75NaALm1cm8CsxGHfhP52tBaxPQH5kTc/w400-h266/ScreenHunter%2064.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">So now we know when and where Arno Penzias died, and a small portion of what he did during his life. But - where did Arno Penzias start out?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">That is a story told by Arno Penzias himself, as <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> discovered when he visited the <a href="https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1978/penzias/biographical/" target="_blank">Nobel Prize website</a>:</div><blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I was born in Munich, Germany, in 1933. </span></div></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/10-march-1933-photo-alerted-world-jon-danzig/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Munich 1933" border="0" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="797" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb1kWrDFAN7GEQa3bWpGYWF50891bhNs6oMJIgAVm6WIZMsrUXzm6mJTYTtb-sbgJaxVNhe18VbXGv8zDeJTr11VJm-8g00pk7mYag-_Cu1u6HPrK7sJBjDSgL2DLt8vTNt_16t2qmJWkoFrhN4wd6LaKlOSgTpA3u5b66TE8wc_LnkiGgP2vUFT95ttA/w400-h272/ScreenHunter%2065.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><blockquote><p>I spent the first six years of my life comfortably, as an adored child in a closely-knit middle-class family. Even when my family was rounded up for deportation to Poland it didn’t occur to me that anything could happen to us. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>All I remember is scrambling up and down three tiers of narrow beds attached to the walls of a very large room, and then taking a long train trip. After some days of back and forth on the train, we were returned to Munich. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>All the grown-ups were happy and relieved, but I began to realize that there were bad things that my parents couldn’t completely control, something to do with being Jewish. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> I learned that everything would be fine if we could only get to “America”.</span></p></blockquote><blockquote><p>In the late spring of 1939, shortly after my sixth birthday, my parents put their two boys on a train for England; we each had a suitcase with our initials painted on it, as well as a bag of candy. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>They told me to be sure and take care of my younger brother. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I remember telling him, “<i>jetzt sind wir allein</i> (now we are alone)" as the train pulled out.</span></p></blockquote><blockquote><p>My mother received her exit permit about a month later (just a few weeks before the war broke out) and was able to join us in England. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>My father had arrived in England almost as soon as the two of us, but we hadn’t seen him because he was interned in a camp for alien men. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>The only other noteworthy event in the six or so months we spent in England, awaiting passage to America, occurred one morning in a makeshift schoolroom. At that moment, I suddenly realized that I could read the open page of the (English) school book I had been staring at.</p></blockquote><blockquote><p>We sailed for America toward the end of December 1939 on the Cunard liner Georgic – using tickets that my father had foresightedly bought in Germany a year and half earlier. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>The ship provided party hats and balloons for the Christmas and New Year’s parties, as well as lots of lifeboat drills. The grey three-inch gun on the aft deck was a great attraction for us boys.</p></blockquote><blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We arrived in New York in January of 1940 ....</span></p></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/history-and-civilisation/2022/06/how-a-strangers-kindness-during-wwii-helped-give-us-the-big-bang-theory" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Kindertransport" border="0" data-original-height="261" data-original-width="500" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-q0vHh05gIhcJwnNMQPfE893znSjnbx4vIg-tuxj7PsgaoYluJHzcMa2jmk6GzOitMAHLKseGh5_DT1UrdE68BmCsJS6T2TQhSispxaxoapOSoA1hf5UWCC1EZjhd70WnziFuDsDTF0gQKA9I7YPaORBTau70GN_Qsl2YSBIeJLY4rRvVCE3_ch0DBis/w400-h209/Kindertransport.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>One might think that Arno Penzias's story would be best told by Arno Penzias himself. But the Kindertransport story might be better told by Katie Sanders of <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/history-and-civilisation/2022/06/how-a-strangers-kindness-during-wwii-helped-give-us-the-big-bang-theory" target="_blank">National Geographic</a>. Who begins:</p><blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>How a stranger’s kindness during WWII helped give us the Big Bang theory</b></span></p></blockquote><p></p><blockquote><p><i><span style="font-size: medium;">German-born physicist Arno Penzias escaped the Holocaust with the help of a benefactor he never met. That secret act of generosity changed his life—and our understanding</span></i></p><p>On the eve of World War II, the owner of a Belleville, New Jersey, paint shop got a frantic knock on his door. It was a 28-year-old German immigrant named Leo Gelbart, who’d been going door to door, appealing to members of the town’s Jewish community.</p></blockquote><blockquote><p>“This family needs to get out of Germany, and I don’t have enough money to help. Can you?” Gelbart asked. He showed the store owner a black-and-white photograph of his friends back in Munich: a handsome couple named Karl and Justine Penzias, holding their sons Arno and Guenther, six and four. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>With German Chancellor Adolf Hitler’s Nazi regime increasingly persecuting and interning Jews, the Penzias family had to flee or face a concentration camp. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>But to immigrate to America, they needed to secure several affidavits of support — official documents vouching that they had a relative and a financial safety net in the United States. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Gelbart would provide the first, falsely stating that his friend Karl Penzias was his cousin. But as a waiter, he didn’t have enough money to qualify as the family’s sponsor. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>He was trying to find someone to sign the second affidavit taking on the Penziases as dependents in case of need.</p></blockquote><blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The 52-year-old paint merchant said yes, he would help. “I’ll be glad to support them until they become self-supporting,” he wrote on the affidavit. </span></p></blockquote><blockquote><p>From Germany, a deeply grateful Karl Penzias gave this stranger his word, via his friend, that his family only needed support on paper and would show their gratitude by never contacting him.</p></blockquote><p>The story gets better:</p><blockquote><p>In 1939, as they scrambled to make arrangements to leave Germany for America, Arno's parents sent their young sons to England as part of the Kindertransport, a British rescue effort that transported 10,000 mostly Jewish children out of Nazi territory. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>The brothers bounced around from an all-girls London orphanage to different English foster families. As Nazis accelerated Hitler’s murderous campaign that would give birth to the word “genocide,” Karl and Justine Penzias, equipped with the necessary paperwork, eventually reunited with their sons in England and set out for the U.S. by boat. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>The family dodged hurricanes and German submarines on their journey across the Atlantic. On January 3, 1940, as their ship docked in New York City, journalists snapped photographs of Arno and Guenther, wide-eyed young refugees waving to the Statue of Liberty.</p></blockquote><p>And then the story - as told by <a href="https://www.katiessanders.com/" target="_blank">Katie Sanders</a> - gets even better:</p><p></p><blockquote><p>But thanking the man whose signature opened the door to America wasn’t feasible. Arno’s father had promised never to contact the signer of the affidavit, and he kept his word. The details regarding their helper remained a mystery.</p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Then, in 2012, Arno’s son David Penzias found an envelope in some family papers.</span></p></blockquote><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/history-and-civilisation/2022/06/how-a-strangers-kindness-during-wwii-helped-give-us-the-big-bang-theory" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Read More" border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="200" height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpgrDNfqSUcDMPUZuG_9DQwUmTh-9dhUh1eu7EcyaZ-a4AWdSnM7PIiXKvzmdHDX_Qd1ZUZ_fETjVvrra1c4YvVaG4wug3rpZaJYJaIbi0py8RYCj6x9ypsF2nCY_y84d6Bq1hl7KBAeORiD_hPwIn-N1hFTHdbn-cPYE2xd_sNs3XnGRhH4MwyyfrQJ0/w320-h96/Read%20More%20Button.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> strongly encourages you</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">to click the button and read more.</span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/history-and-civilisation/2022/06/how-a-strangers-kindness-during-wwii-helped-give-us-the-big-bang-theory" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Hummingbird" border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="503" height="349" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9sc4o7rijHyJseM1rV3pCoimwJ9Y_8KPIEPqchudkxG6U9QF8X3Xgoxm6HOSMljlQbV3872GMqCmCftWqsNobI99XzbUj_IoPiEIFw5VdH4HRlXu35zDTrftG2_CIxs3joEe2lInlDvoPUIdJTKTcTTEU2CgcrAk5D4Ln-9GltRxrie22NZ9JJmAEGcw/w400-h349/ScreenHunter%2052.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">This is why the universe hums.</span></p>Abq Jewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05790168328499207929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4011046654200721466.post-20363914697018291202024-01-29T11:41:00.003-07:002024-01-29T16:30:42.146-07:00Older Key<b style="color: #990000;">Older Roller Skates: </b> Melanie, the singer who made a solo splash at Woodstock, has died at 76. So reported <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/24/arts/music/melanie-dead.html?unlocked_article_code=1.RU0.qSWB.UdN3tuxFfoQ6&smid=url-share" target="_blank">The New York Times</a> last week. <div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/24/arts/music/melanie-dead.html?unlocked_article_code=1.RU0.qSWB.UdN3tuxFfoQ6&smid=url-share" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Melanie" border="0" data-original-height="659" data-original-width="877" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4pSee64X3qsDXrVRCw-w7AE7-Zafp43VQjvXUEDAlBzGr_Xh32J137AmI0t5vjh6JMkLwyETv2BsUarvtOYNipQkm5snvzfeHHTq8LYWWEck-mOQRiA5tZ2ml4ZXkt3HCoPRkA9zeir81Jm_26FPw3egW1MXxooNnNg_UbPdcv1TEVAhEBbOnGl1fTwg/w400-h300/ScreenHunter%2051.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>Just 22 when she charmed the festival crowd, the <i>Times</i> continued, she went on to enjoy success with songs like “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)” and “Brand New Key.”</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.abqjew.net/2012/06/old-key.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Old Key" border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwFcNYEODHG3MDLc5NPaehV9DVnA3KwXbUj_NvZRqbUwbjJLaZHr5d22vj8JQuDfy3YGiz4BM02rymrFSOHug560HwxUaJ2p6KJsAw-utLuy4Xo5EUOVN8jxYsPXufNCJRkoE9jCql2-al/w400-h299/Skate+Key.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>As it turns out - and it always does, doesn't it? - <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> wrote about Melanie way back in June 2012 (see <a href="https://www.abqjew.net/2012/06/old-key.html" target="_blank">Old Key</a>). </div><div><br /></div><div>The prompt then was the above photo, posted by celebrated ABQ accordionist and musician (these are two separate categories) <b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Debo Orlofsky</span></b>. Whom <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> then thanked for reminding him of just how old he is.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijXReE6skhlq0YY1IlF0Nr7pS2CyHkFySsL8wyXMcDPsNzmRc9Wp6TRxq2a3nc3shO2zVJ1hawzakRtt2tVWqEKMohy6SzFkQREJ8Xc2uNvUuv4Ni3fPHBdIPmmsRDXF72bUq09Tg0Btg8S3GoA16uPvvMua6bOfAr4EnNnpX3d8-k18NaQ74-qovlOjI/s1024/old-man-vector-illustration-cartoon-40037446.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Old Man with Cane" border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijXReE6skhlq0YY1IlF0Nr7pS2CyHkFySsL8wyXMcDPsNzmRc9Wp6TRxq2a3nc3shO2zVJ1hawzakRtt2tVWqEKMohy6SzFkQREJ8Xc2uNvUuv4Ni3fPHBdIPmmsRDXF72bUq09Tg0Btg8S3GoA16uPvvMua6bOfAr4EnNnpX3d8-k18NaQ74-qovlOjI/w300-h400/old-man-vector-illustration-cartoon-40037446.png" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: large;">That was 11 years and 7 months ago.</span></b></span></div><div><div><br /></div><div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After which thanks, <span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Abq Jew</b></span> then continued:</span></div><div><br /></div>
Just how old is <b><span style="color: #073763;">Abq Jew</span></b>? He's so old that he knows exactly what this is. Not to give it away ... well, yes, to give it away - the picture above goes with the drawing below:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTSwvlKkUTEsCnOBsmOWICO43OqeL20WM8c_5iIMMVUGPwQumtLpzwk5OGyYJfeTu3FCpDnSwIwaF4BP419SaTI7vHz7tzndYChXK1CgVwF-t4CX_tiDvNA2b1fyL5ic1oJaQqN38AHJqK/s1600/roller-skate-t18851.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTSwvlKkUTEsCnOBsmOWICO43OqeL20WM8c_5iIMMVUGPwQumtLpzwk5OGyYJfeTu3FCpDnSwIwaF4BP419SaTI7vHz7tzndYChXK1CgVwF-t4CX_tiDvNA2b1fyL5ic1oJaQqN38AHJqK/s320/roller-skate-t18851.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Some of you may still be having trouble with this. So let <b style="color: #073763;">Abq Jew</b> explain: this is one of a pair of roller skates. One used to put roller skates on over one's regular shoes (one skate per shoe); the skates were then tightened (so they didn't fall off) through use of a skate key, which is the object portrayed in Debo's photo.<br />
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All of this took place in the years just before photography was invented.<br />
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Debo, working with the <a href="http://newmexico-archaeology.org/" target="_blank">Archaeological Society of New Mexico</a> (<b style="color: #073763;">Abq Jew</b> just made that up) was able to recover that old skate key and photograph it. No old roller skates have ever been recovered, however, which is why <b style="color: #073763;">Abq Jew</b> had to use the above drawing (artist's conception).<br />
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In case you need reminding, here is what roller skates look like now:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roller_skates" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Roller Skates" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2rv3D6B7WQyYVOoXqCszzUd6OGAMLWMbZRCAxdRPvIz3fEarP_GVXIYD9rwU54mdV-qeMczaACKdKdflnEvyesaQ02bEKnlGmNzXKDU7IGRHK-aL7K3qchzHruwX1lT5_oF5NMMSdxc-5/w320-h320/Roller+Skates+New.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
One can see the resemblance in form and function to the roller skates of the ancients, although accurate information about when pink was introduced is missing from the historical record.<br />
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And speaking of historical records - <b style="color: #073763;">Abq Jew</b> is on a roll now! - here is <a href="https://youtu.be/RCTMTflcuug?si=4cVAmkY_ZAG7rxOJ" target="_blank">Brand New Key</a>, the famous song by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melanie_Safka" target="_blank">Melanie</a>, of whom, <b style="color: #073763;">Abq Jew</b> suspects, many of you have never heard.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="color: #cc0000;">Caution: This song was considered highly risque in its time!</b></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RCTMTflcuug" width="420" youtube-src-id="RCTMTflcuug"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>What's the Jewish connection, <b style="color: #073763;">Abq Jew</b> hears you ask? Well, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melanie_Safka" target="_blank">Melanie is (thanks, Wikipedia!)</a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melanie_Safka" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrG_vlzbEzSQhwzEXIAlQ5szZRZaZpvrD6T36N-r6T5Xps9s51AuYesH0dqoqjKu3lLlqoMI10-LdcsUkYHwdEePwmZgic-nGK2SLeXZfkkdon-iT8m6JLY6yZ2syfCMQeoTgG5TeQXY3f/s200/Melanie+Safka.jpg" width="148" /></a></div>
Melanie Anne Safka-Schekeryk (born February 3, 1947) ... an American singer-songwriter. Known professionally as simply Melanie, she is best known for her hits <i>Brand New Key</i>, <i>Ruby Tuesday</i>, <i>What Have They Done To My Song Ma</i> , and <i>Lay Down (Candles in the Rain</i>).<br />
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Melanie was born and grew up in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens, New York City, New York. Melanie made her first public singing appearance at age four on the radio show Live Like A Millionaire, performing the song <i>Gimme a Little Kiss</i>. She attended Red Bank High School in Red Bank, New Jersey, graduating in 1966. After school, her parents insisted she go to college, so she studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, where she began singing in the folk clubs of Greenwich Village and signed her first recording contract.</blockquote>
Astoria? Red Bank High School? Parents insisted she go to college? Do we need further proof? OK, how about this: Melanie Safka is listed on the <a href="http://bellevueholidayrentals.com/list_of_famous_jews.html" target="_blank">Bellevue Holiday Rentals List of Famous Jews</a>, right between Mel Brooks (who we all know) and Mike D'Abo, former lead singer of Manfred Mann who sang on their hit <i>The Mighty Quinn</i>.
</div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.fopaws.com/designs/more/unisex_tees/index.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="But Wait There's More" border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="360" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEW4yfzDMT1nJPwYmrKzx_fvwwjLWYH_eld39eieW7tqFCsTw2lJXABrwkdlIn6qsBM-Nzz99rQwx4u04h-swOr4uRplq-VMPAk172EBQ80b0aaCgZVgaXLVGr9PENmvcUPUtlnmWdBpVq9qRRW-6aKOU2xlSOLNA51iLXQBATIs7yCqh80tv6huIPzac/w400-h400/But%20Wait%20Theres%20More1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>The <i>Times </i>tells the "Brand New Key" story - </div><div><div></div><blockquote><div>Melanie’s biggest hit, “Brand New Key,” might not have happened without an impromptu stop at a McDonald’s.</div><div><br /></div><div>A vegetarian at the time, Ms. Melanie had just been through a cleansing fast in which she consumed nothing but distilled water for 27 days, she said in 2021 in an interview with the newspaper <i>The Tennessean</i> in Nashville, where she was living at the time.</div><div><br /></div><div>She was so weakened by hunger that she was almost hallucinating, and a doctor recommended that she eat meat to build strength. One day, on a trip to a flea market with her husband, Peter Schekeryk, she found herself unable to resist the lure of the Golden Arches.</div><div><br /></div><div>“No sooner than had I finished the last bite of burger,” she told the newspaper, “I wrote ‘Brand New Key.’ It just came into my head. I had one of those little practice guitars in the van with me, and when my husband, who was a record producer, heard me singing, he said, ‘What’s that?’ </div></blockquote><blockquote><div>And I said, ‘Oh, some silly song. I’m just playing around.’ He said, ‘No, no — do that part again!’ And I did, and he said, ‘Melanie, that’s a hit!’”</div></blockquote><blockquote><p>He was not wrong .... </p></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WjMm3DWQfZY" width="420" youtube-src-id="WjMm3DWQfZY"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">“Some people say I've done alright for a girl.”</span></p></div>Abq Jewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05790168328499207929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4011046654200721466.post-63563603582254389872024-01-23T14:04:00.002-07:002024-01-23T14:15:13.570-07:00Escape from Amsterdam<p><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Remembering Grandpa Harry</span></b>: On November 1, 2005, the United Nations General Assembly designated January 27 - the anniversary of the 1945 liberation of Auschwitz - as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.ushmm.org/remember/international-holocaust-remembrance-day" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="International Holocaust Remembrance Day" border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="560" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF4LX36XsMRuPIvyqEH6Hxp4iMd4CqSw_WQ6Kc2CXSOIuWp5l3KoQiKA_X6KLsbGtQTTyMkzTFjWl5_ButvR4_hR5NPn__hePyh0No8s2t3ufcDeIsGsnO942tg4lWsyAB2eUACa2xmeNXCc5NMLMZeMWmqwyjwtCO7Z-avXlAFcuxNcJdOD8p4eXB1ZE/w400-h250/International%20Holocaust2%20Banner%20Remembrance%20Day.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>To mark the day, <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> offers a true story - a portion of the extensive foundation story of his <i>mechutan</i>'s (his son's father-in-law) family. </p><p><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> first heard the story a few years ago, when Cousin R. posted it on Facebook. Cousin R. learned the story from her father - and from Grandpa Harry's written testimony.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/amsterdam" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Pegasus Devotacus" border="0" data-original-height="148" data-original-width="706" height="84" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoQtnOY7a-Fqtcxf_ULs6XItKlBEjor0kuOtiqa9tZMEpSj_0-zoOvrFa0bj4ctde01hsufmsHxJmcYuaKClILcHeGEOpTQDnFEtJdaKi5S5sdFbc88pfHrk2TeEur6lbdcR0Bzc-3y_D1W0OmObjqPfRXZDGgfkpVTq73RWks9Psqry6HYMKjnt7rYdM/w400-h84/Pegasus%20Devotacus.png" width="400" /></a></div><p>So. Who was Grandpa Harry? That's a story in itself! He was born in Berlin in 1907, <span style="background-color: white;">studied law and classical philology, and earned his doctorate in 1929 at the University of Leipzig. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;">He then studied </span><span style="background-color: white;">economics at the London School of Economics, to prepare himself for a job in the tobacco industry - his father [Great Grand Papa David] was a partner in the Reemtsma cigarette factories GmbH. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reemtsma" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Reemtsma" border="0" data-original-height="485" data-original-width="1200" height="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI84j0jq1S94xXe3Qqo0w27uWrwlJ3UqlWc7nzCY6jnP225Ug3SV1yOubjhFE5sHwp1pb0rPnsoqnUwlOYLYxXezxLPi9e9NzV1PjHmjR_U56uG0Hwqk9HFfC-jtyAAhR8JZFufgyHAWEXvfZ7tBCkUF9j0a4uP02WOB0kOu2WW4-_9nvPoe-ZcK1mRAY/w320-h129/ReemtsmaCigarettenfabriken.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>In 1935, following warnings from the Reemtsma family, Grandpa Harry emigrated to the Netherlands and worked for the Zionist movement in Amsterdam. <p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In 1940, four days after the German attack on the Netherlands in World War II, he and his family managed to escape to England. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/made-america-myths-and-facts-about-birthright-citizenship" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="We The People" border="0" data-original-height="329" data-original-width="585" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP5xAzb2e_sOiQ-_hwoQV4JI_nns_OrcpLnEDNQ662VF05pmCz30r6-PjTQnmbulje6E6rSK4ffGLxwXQEFxylPWpDQNOyiHEidof8TQGxSMsymA88ExQsdGIbaSaTXeF0JxBwgQxv6J1FHq63y1qytkv5jE0BvEPKaXu9KMjmI3x72WeX8hLoho4dFfk/w400-h225/wep9.png" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>Cousin R. strongly supports America's long tradition of birthright citizenship, which was then being questioned. </p><p>As for <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> - he is still fixated (see April 2023's <a href="https://www.abqjew.net/2023/04/hiding-during-holocaust.html" target="_blank">Hiding During the Holocaust</a>) on the travails of Dutch Jews during World War II. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>It's all connected.</b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_invasion_of_the_Netherlands" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="NY Times Invasion" border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="900" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyVfmlARNnEeCGglaUqYqvN1Q5Lg-9Tw7rkExbpjFEf5vqcfTYssOdAiT7kPR0fBrWGv0KzjbQcX0n5xQNjl0LILC-lvx0Rjmubc3pYgrd9hiSO_BIbqPTgxyIceTYql8_y8tJSd3AvU4RyxbLfM0ryLtPxsoEhkPzzqIj5Mk2oZG0kpRNC70G2yWFPCU/w400-h270/inv3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">1.</span></b></p><p>Cousin R. begins the story:</p><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div></div><blockquote><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My paternal grandparents [Grandpa Harry and Grandma Claire] were born in Germany. When the Nazis came to power they stripped all Jews, my grandparents included, of their German citizenship, effectively rendering them stateless—citizens of no where. </span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My father’s family was very, very fortunate in that they had international connections because of my great grandfather’s business ties. My grandparents first went to England, where my Aunt C. was born. At that time, England had birthright citizenship and C., by virtue of her birth, was a British subject. </span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The family then went to Holland, where my father and his younger sister were born. Holland didn’t have birthright citizenship. Children were whatever the citizenship of their parents were. But my grandparents had lost their German citizenship so my father and his little sister were stateless too.</span></div></div></blockquote><p></p><blockquote><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">In 1940, when C.was 5 and my father was 3, the Nazis invaded Holland. </span></span></blockquote><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">2.</span></b></p><p>An historical refresher: Before May 10, 1940, the fundamental principle and profound hope of Dutch foreign policy was neutrality - as it had been for a century. </p><p>The Netherlands had avoided getting involved in World War I, and - in order to preserve their country's neutrality - the Dutch government had been careful not to take an official stand on the situation in Nazi Germany.</p><p>Nevertheless. <span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">In the early morning of May 10, 1940, Dutch observers saw bombers from the German Luftwaffe flying in the direction of the North Sea. They assumed that they were on their way to England. But once over sea, the planes made 180-degree turns and flew back to attack the Netherlands. </span></p><p><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">The Netherlands was at war.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.dw.com/en/wwii-diary-of-a-dutch-teenager-gives-insight-into-nazi-forced-labor/a-61069614" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Germans Occupy Netherlands" border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="1200" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBg_PHsaR0Y5dJgYlYFGRlirx_lXZQUoRNiT-vpB7sOLXHD82Jf8QuREjAkX0rinHYonR73V84rNDsotI7y5QYLVBc4jPBa4nBE5GZdsKT_gH-_ALjOQkeUypJcNzz_H-Tcm8rxumYmd2tnc2nwe_LjOmLRipu_6gXZpdzcyRWVnMe8p5gXVIyvl9np4A/w400-h175/byeki.png" width="400" /></a></span></p><blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">3.</span></b></p></blockquote><p><span style="color: #202122;"><span style="background-color: white;">Here is how Grandpa Harry begins his story:</span></span></p><blockquote><p><i>In the early hours of May 10th, 1940 - it is still dark - I am aroused by the thunder of gunfire and the booming of exploding bombs. It is shortly after 3 o'clock. </i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i>I can guess what has happened: rushing down and switching on the radio, I can hear the excited voice of the announcer giving the awful news of the German invasion. </i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i>It has come at last, what we had feared but refused to believe. I rush into my wife's room. She too has been wakened by the guns. "It has come!" She understands me. While the sun gradually climbs higher in a brilliant blue sky, we hurriedly don our clothes. </i></p><p><i>The children are still asleep. Am I dreaming all this? No - the loudspeaker keeps booming out the horrible truth. </i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i>Claire and I hold a council of war. There is terror in her eyes, but she is trying hard not to show it. Months ago we made our preparations: paltry enough, it is true, but all we could do. </i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>A large handbag contains our jewellery, and, what is much more important, our papers. </i></span></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i>What is man, and more especially a Jew, without papers? There they are, neatly stacked, certificates of birth and marriage, originals and photocopies and among them C.'s British passport. </i></p></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://museum.yivo.org/experiences/world-war-ii/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="ID Card" border="0" data-original-height="356" data-original-width="500" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAytjQInPa_lzVhknFXJMwi1yUnlwh2fzOfUpcdg6NitHoBb1mWbX4u_HSj1FTU_HcW5CITG9r0GvGEirvcekWT_sOU_XOTnMbAuFAZ3mNRjdNSB_UA7GfI4QR1tDqIiYd9UL0k_p7Uekd4qYWj9G6aiLiNXKJ14ubyAXm_3S0q0iGMyFFomXLa7UI0e4/w320-h228/RG222-Kennkarten-1006-ID-card-500x356.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">4.</span></b></p></blockquote><p>Cousin R. continues:</p><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div></div><blockquote><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As [the German army] approached Amsterdam, where my father’s family lived, my grandparents frantically tried to flee. Forced to stay inside, because the Dutch considered them German, they struggled to at least save their children’s lives. </span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The British sent a ship to evacuate British subjects. Because C. had a British passport, in a desperate attempt to save her children, my grandmother sent C. and my father with a neighbor to the British embassy. </span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">She sent a 5 year old and a 3 year old to go with strangers to save their lives. Think about that. </span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The neighbor returned with my father. He wasn’t British so they wouldn’t evacuate him. </span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“No one wants a stateless Jewish boy,” my grandfather would later write. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px;">No one protects you if you are stateless. </span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">5.</span></b></p></blockquote><p>Cousin R. concludes:</p><blockquote><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My grandparents and their youngest two children were eventually able to secure passage on the last ship of refugees leaving Holland. </span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></span></div></div></blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.shipsnostalgia.com/media/bodegraven.437558/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="SS Bodegraven" border="0" data-original-height="239" data-original-width="415" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipGilWGWucTBU_AJv6_cnYH6QI2bCjO5t5O25qP1mD5AnsIesVqx-5kS0GUyNVbbX7V15koZMrXDb8lKK_puKiNJuAR6XQKLOiTWicZdyZoRROi0lKgxoefDtzQvxlVz89nZhx4VW9F89lhZdkN4KU8P8lvz3PM3MAmg-j8T_G5PexfLNnaESE5app/w400-h230/SSBodegraven.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p>The last ship of refugees to leave Holland before ports were closed - a few hours before the Netherlands surrendered - was the S.S. Bodegraven. </p><p>The ship left IJmuiden harbor on May 14, 1940, carrying about 250 refugees - including 74 Kindertransport children, rescued from an Amsterdam orphanage. After five days under attack from German aircraft, the ship finally reached Liverpool. </p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">This was the last Kindertransport from the European continent.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kindertransport" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Kindertransport" border="0" data-original-height="261" data-original-width="500" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFt7DPXA1FB8gAyoSGaZXZlEIHy0LBV5T_wL9qwVDQB71PVhj7sGMvh4LbUpTe0WmvFghWQ-_hOJyI1Dwf6c40YeQa64fkoy7MgU8M3QJBaKNkDBc1Q6Pg7MYLwTvPk2UNxd4T9EIrOjIoVTgP6-fCiG2dXc15y25-AT1J5i37kWLDAKqpyAO2m0WRuok/w400-h209/Kindertransport.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p>Grandpa Harry's story does not end there - and <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> has omitted many personal details and world events that make his story even more compelling.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://jccabq.org/four-winters-film/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Four Winters" border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="876" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-wGiJiPUtbMS-jrMeDlmldmIfcYtA0peiOo7KzfTKtsUDbICZ_oJ1tv7IJ2JA53rf7n_3w6nAdvjkTbRzFusQZaflN2g3auRV-fdyghIw30HYP21UNyzuF4PD984WrVYJnVdDH1zHs-gIWvU_TQFuUgQ-VDcfJms0F_GL6_L2AN7ze09tyPWtZbATzqE/w400-h219/Four%20Winters%20Banner.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>As are all Holocaust stories.</i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://tockify.com/jewishnm/detail/2290/1706475600000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Remembrance" border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrauMw0DdV8YTmvkLj8EyL4TOk9CPC8bkfd5okn-kQzR6witGtsz-UT4Is9OR9Ce_fQI3YIFr0jfT52Ohyphenhyphenlza-Nn0JttTcNUgQMc9M4xVEB0yUIf43sW0X1RyEuvd_PMUBmO1sZhs693-b0KG7KBq7-SqU3p0HY6QF6vWMLz9aijC5zISc1C4zTU2uZ-M/w400-h200/Holocaust%20Remembrance.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Abq Jewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05790168328499207929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4011046654200721466.post-32842593234066203362024-01-15T13:01:00.006-07:002024-01-15T13:15:22.603-07:00And The Blowfish?<p><b><span style="color: #990000;">Let's Clear Up The Confusion:</span></b> There's been a lot of talk lately about Houthi - or, rather, about The Houthis. <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> cheerfully admits he got confused; so this is his attempt to clear things up.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hootie_%26_the_Blowfish" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Hootie and the Blowfish" border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLkA1S1wsj60Zl9VFBuwSrTCUtS7wLRqVzuWEIfX5EV-V4Qu2VaIqc4g1XXI6fIz9iosVPBaGg5RSMmwAGZONcxTTDoBiq48RK-ua6Cb0-l0Iy6Fp5JzTa_ytqrqcGBKbf7YWFAp6BLN_2nqYz0iisalmOomgML4X4DCjVXM8Y1N-iG8LpIN-OaL57vs0/w400-h266/Hootie%20800w%20Blowfish.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>This is a photo of Hootie and the Blowfish, an American rock band formed in Columbia, South Carolina in 1986. Their lead singer (Hootie) was/is Darius Rucker, second from the left. These are <b><span style="color: red;">NOT</span></b> the rocket-firing semi-Yemeni Houthis currently in the news.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houthi_involvement_in_the_Israel%E2%80%93Hamas_war" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Houthis" border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFZmFBll8_s9QnRhh4oBDOfsnxcjC6yBy9rqaFeEN7MHzM8ORqKwIcmX9PnSsaLCGgoFyTYk80Ox0sDopgVIWSbwZ7ectFyrXze6TxB5fcAjKz328CcqTISqPS2ivUX4Fb9hUSlQCBfrfeeqRHUm64v3U4Y7Inice83V7Xvz_dE0YIDvS7HGHVvCpj8WY/w400-h225/Houthis%20800w.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>This is a photo of the Houthis currently in the news. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houthi_movement" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a> informs us:</div><div><div></div><blockquote><div>The Houthi movement (/ˈhuːθi/; Arabic: الحوثيون al-Ḥūthīyūn [al.ħuː.θiː.juːn]), officially known as Ansar Allah[a] (أنصار الله ʾAnṣār Allāh, lit. 'Supporters of God'), is a Shia Islamist political and military organization that emerged from Yemen in the 1990s. </div></blockquote><blockquote><div>It is predominantly made up of Zaidi Shias, with their namesake leadership being drawn largely from the Houthi tribe.</div><div><br /></div><div>Under the leadership of Zaidi religious leader Hussein al-Houthi, the Houthis emerged as an opposition movement to Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who they accused of corruption and being backed by Saudi Arabia and the United States.</div><div><br /></div><div>In 2003, influenced by the Lebanese Shia political and military organization Hezbollah, the Houthis adopted their official slogan against the United States, Israel and the Jews. </div></blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slogan_of_the_Houthi_movement" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Houthi Flag" border="0" data-original-height="488" data-original-width="1024" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii0_dmq9h3wSDp3Cyi5sVIupCrNr7u_fOIX3KvPnCuF_X6Sfq_p8YcTRsok4bvSPhPbSuv12PWa3oSZFQ2G-zLhxhBDmgbMfrPSg5PtX9WdrEAPpBqSFhf6mnk9qhdnE3RxyKOEgNLC1rK14fsp6AohSM4WhQXST4SjWlCbqFSUXKdZb-AJptIG4ZZIlw/w400-h191/Houthi%20Flag.png" width="400" /></a> </p><blockquote><div>Al-Houthi was killed by the Yemeni military in Saada in 2004, sparking the Houthi insurgency, after having resisted Saleh's order for his arrest. Since then, the movement has been mostly led by his brother Abdul-Malik al-Houthi.</div></blockquote><div></div></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The Houthis are an obstinate, murderous, unfriendly lot.</span></div><blockquote><div>The organization took part in the Yemeni Revolution of 2011 by participating in street protests and coordinating with other Yemeni opposition groups. They joined Yemen's National Dialogue Conference but later rejected the 2011 reconciliation deal.</div></blockquote><blockquote><div>In late 2014, the Houthis repaired their relationship with Saleh, and with his help they took control of the capital city. The takeover prompted a Saudi-led military intervention to restore the internationally recognized government, leading to an ongoing civil war which included missile and drone attacks against Saudi Arabia and its ally United Arab Emirates.</div></blockquote><blockquote><div>Following the outbreak of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, the Houthis began to fire missiles at Israel and attack ships off Yemen's coast in the Red Sea, which they say is in solidarity with the Palestinians and aiming to facilitate entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.</div></blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetraodontidae" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Blowfish" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEu6xE0QduMmnkyYstAPlCj14cTpPBCaSLwG9VIXZmQzuwAcvUNnmFR8Mey1c_v5YXS8amIbhfObyubvUuPkkl0N73L3qvq_7aYtYfBfr6G97RXMvZGWnVFOK00p0hE5Gh98Hh9iN-q5sw39XdEpUbEksd2qyElkDXnF4b90eppKdg9VQjbLw9Z_VD7qg/w320-h320/BFS_Mascot_2D_Colour-removebg-preview.png" width="320" /></a></p><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That's enough about the Houthis. How about the Blowfish?</span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://nypost.com/2024/01/12/metro/protests-erupt-outside-yemen-mission-in-midtown-to-condemn-us-attacks/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Blowfish" border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaZZzXxRZ5JDutYdUdeQ3aTqMuAvIdeveYuBPJUVBWXur0QNgHDAosbkqeR-_W-lZMqFDZTx712XiD3rzbL6395GM-Nu9JMJWJFPYlwjPN8CWJnWu7xI2SLV0X8njIaxUi8QW2BhM5W5tGLjKUz5x73ocCbAhT-PbZRVfkRaLj8pGiriqfcsmJKoQb2vc/w400-h300/Young1%20Blowfish.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Blowfish - by which <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> means pro-Houthi protesters who have zero zilch understanding of who is doing what to whom in the post-October 7th Middle East, and even less comprehension of why they are doing it - are turning up all over the world to demonstrate their opposition to US and allied forces' attacks upon those Houthis in Yemen who are a) fighting the Yemeni government; and b) firing missiles at US and allied shipping. And, as of this morning, US and allied forces.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/officialTICP" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Eagle Houthis" border="0" data-original-height="1394" data-original-width="1394" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXr-S8GL4ZcMBPdyk8ZmWhdmx2jhQ8zagdw2dbYamap3H_TX9mGvX139gJDVjyzSR6GrSwZSNBtNwCZ-2fVwbieHw4n0wxEL4EM4A-qJ43iRmY151_2yQFQnzVUPqARNXoufgCGrP7UYmpUWMfIPZ_5Ttiq6k4cyOsSyjszYwr7pPFGIohCSlvDVoMwmE/w400-h400/Eagle%20Houthis.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> is confused again.</span></div><div><br /></div><div>So let's turn from pain to paean - with Dan Rather's article about Darius Rucker (Hootie, remember?) in his Substack newsletter <a href="https://steady.substack.com/p/darius-rucker" target="_blank">Steady</a>. A reason to smile.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://steady.substack.com/p/darius-rucker" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Darius Rucker" border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNcOOu1XJa2Q8BAc_hHaOioD0ETcGFLTEz7tKBahiy-qEYbjWt57qGLjw_j_tAkJs3_SLtZRQssDw_drCRb2DmlY1sBL23GsYodHI_1GXWZnDvLDjker86wa_43ZvfX5fUtl3YXZQpqoNY9whX2_7oV0mPFjJmizkoYcODiTD9SMTuNklCy9PCmLvtljU/w400-h268/Darius%20Rucker%20800w.png" width="400" /></a></div><div><blockquote><div>Rock ‘n’ roller turned country music superstar Darius Rucker is having a good couple of months. He just received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and released his eighth solo album to positive reviews. Those honors and achievements don’t come as a shock to anyone who has followed Rucker’s career. But another recent award was a real surprise, even to Rucker himself.</div></blockquote><blockquote><div>The Country Music Association (CMA) Foundation chose Rucker to receive its humanitarian award. It shouldn’t have been a surprise, to anyone.</div></blockquote><div></div><blockquote><div>For decades, Darius Rucker’s music has given us plenty of reasons to smile. His service and philanthropy are just as remarkable and worthy of celebration.</div><div><br /></div><div>Rucker has helped raise millions to treat children with cancer, and millions more to build a new children’s hospital in his hometown of Charleston, South Carolina. He also donates his time to Musicians on Call, a service that provides singers to hospitalized patients in need of cheering up. Imagine Darius Rucker popping in for a tune or two?! He’s done it. A lot.</div></blockquote><p>You should click <a href="https://steady.substack.com/p/darius-rucker" target="_blank">here</a> to read all of Dan Rather's article. Which concludes with Darius Rucker's <a href="https://youtu.be/hvKyBcCDOB4?si=o96_gPbJjFPCByGx" target="_blank">video</a> of his song "Wagon Wheel," which won a Grammy in 2014.</p><p>But there's way more banjo in Darius Rucker's CMT <a href="https://youtu.be/IeVqy4YTqtM?si=8QiVjnCVMwyvctGP" target="_blank">performance</a> of "Only Wanna Be With You," with which you, <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b>'s steady readers, may be a bit more familiar.</p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IeVqy4YTqtM" width="420" youtube-src-id="IeVqy4YTqtM"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Rucker recently addressed the issue of race in country music in an Op-Ed for the <a href="https://www.tennessean.com/in-depth/entertainment/music/2021/09/23/darius-rucker-songs-black-country-artists-singers/5684981001/" target="_blank">Tennessean</a>.</div></blockquote></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The one thing I’ve found, in the places I've been and with the things I've tried to do – which were always unconventional – is that you can change people's hearts. </div></blockquote></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You can change people's minds. You can change the way people see the world, if they love you, and if they're friends with you. </div></blockquote></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Country music has this stigma of rebel flags and racism, and that's changing. I think it's changing drastically. And I'm just glad. I hope I'm remembered as one of the people that tried to fight that, and one of the reasons that changed.</div></blockquote></div></blockquote><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://aish.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="MLK Zionism" border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh972gYkCkbiDVb9z8PUKzV776tthS4nCB13dGJJNG2i82uMCf4xML3UAOX3lC1nixeoFK1iaYw86BFW4BXly-YR3pXaGZK1eGnGTEfwnY5F9aXcJsiYSGWwOHlijB8UPgUmk2c23E7JR3J83X_9RlqWICuBPL_pivbYTIgZ-O2RhoXuMssCH_tZ5GG6rM/w400-h400/MLK%20Zionism.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div></div>Abq Jewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05790168328499207929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4011046654200721466.post-31255885265743206442024-01-09T11:53:00.009-07:002024-01-11T18:04:01.214-07:00Building the Iron Beam<p><b style="color: #990000;">A New Jewish Laser</b>: In the midst of tragedy and sorrow, with Israeli combat casualties mounting and our hostages and families still waiting - here is a small, small piece of goodish news.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.rafael.co.il/worlds/land/iron-beam/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Rafael" border="0" data-original-height="260" data-original-width="1036" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ic-ttyFKmhVQNUrPblgHs5G9RvNqrqp5qol-gxSGtNX1PZpEYhnGwXlbRS0qNybI6GvWgp1qZjq9vHtIxvO2Bq-1sB4bar7xqqA_6WjXjkN3lR0Ydx31JpmHkN3D0nsS7AV1q42dz9I4LdyY9niedouz621DXNvgbHEiNhuvApGKbX7SfjIkj-iw7QI/w400-h100/ScreenHunter%2043.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Rafael is recruiting!</span></b></div><p>Who or what is Rafael?, <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> hears you ask. And why should <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> or anyone else care? Well. Candice Krieger of the UK's <a href="https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/the-company-powering-israels-iron-dome-is-on-a-huge-recruitment-drive/" target="_blank">Jewish News</a> reports that</p><p></p><blockquote><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">The company powering Israel’s Iron Dome is on a huge recruitment drive</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Rafael has an order backlog of over $11billion and plans to take on 2,000 new people this year</span></p><p>Israeli defence giant Rafael plans to hire 2,000 more people this year to meet the critical increasing demand for its services and products.</p><p>Rafael has been at the forefront of Israel’s military efforts against Hamas since 7 October – responsible for the development of the Iron Dome, Israel’s main defence system.</p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Rafael’s Iron Dome is the world’s most deployed missile defence system, with over 5,000 interceptions. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>It effectively counters rockets, mortars and artillery shells, as well as aircraft, helicopters and UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) at very close range. </p></blockquote><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.rafael.co.il/iron-dome-10years/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Iron Dome" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1080" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKegbbN8DXK0luCFX6v5X8-Q2zlyegaLpib3QxaELmvjN5o0xnKhOAD30TxwNHjl7oLQHUovJ4N3KvO72NCkVyamQvG8HHsZ_cdj6j-XfV_SP-s8O1Y4kbTzjTpS6XywzzyA1qGVPjWriiTSmAcd-_JFHKb7z5hj3sjo_hb2qntVclBSjnMvm7YnE4mUU/w400-h266/Iron%20Dome%20Magen%20David%202021.jpg" width="400" /></a></b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: x-large;">Oh yes - the Iron Dome!</span></b></div><span><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span>Since its very first combat interception on April 7, 2011, Iron Dome has proven to be a groundbreaking air defense system responsible for the resilience and security of the State of Israel.</span> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Iron Dome was developed in record time of just 2.5 years by a brilliant team of experts led by project manager Chanoch Levin. It has saved countless lives, and indeed may be considered a godsend - or just another Israeli miracle.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Dome" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Expensive" border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="347" height="399" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7fipOqqvdkFbTWbzbnZ7PqZeZINhTETfCdnbqz-x2TwJW3NxvRLFy8Bmf8tKXzvJld0sV-GdIP17MmBcBUPOQ1H2CY4KHYxiJ_K_vZxQGFEebbdonrB1AjPMNYIupiQjHcbfggAT9yvOUKhlLn4bJQlUqWBEB7VNsbfd9i_JL-oYwzZ6Uy10EW0IPe9g/w400-h399/Dollar%20Sign%20Up1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><span><br /></span></div>But boy, is Iron Dome expensive! (Yes, we all are aware, each human life is priceless - precious, and of infinite value.) And - although its success rate is formidable (about 90%) - Iron Dome does not protect against all types of threats. </span><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>And Iron Dome costs about $50,000 every time it's fired. Therefore -</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><b><span style="color: #073763; font-size: x-large;">Please welcome</span></b></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.jewishexponent.com/israels-iron-beam/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Iron Beam" border="0" data-original-height="575" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxOyT1DDZPzo3_mapNN0TXyh0F0-_BG-RpRs9bt32pwfO2PHa6_ebY7p1Y06EYJJohFWEUua7gEmXgKC0rsbCrgLPlMKf3EKhjThwhE0m6p8pfj6w5NnJY4IVxNgkOGpfQWJr9n20QMQbx1dxZ2hQEaj6Wdy8uzNrISh0nlVR7woY8YHAXzaKsjF7ldrM/w400-h225/Iron%20Beam.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #073763; font-size: x-large;">Israel's new Iron Beam!</span></b></div></b><span><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Philadelphia's Jewish Exponent <a href="https://www.jewishexponent.com/israels-iron-beam/" target="_blank">explained it all</a> in December 2023. Starting with the Iron Dome -</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div></div><blockquote><div>The life-saving impact of Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system is very well known. We have all seen the footage and heard the delayed booming sound effect of an intercepted missile coming shortly after the image of that missile exploding.</div><div><br /></div><div>Those pictures and videos have been featured on news programs and social media sites over the past several years — but have been especially featured and appreciated in response to the massive barrages of terrorist missiles launched at Israel since Oct. 7.</div><div><br /></div><div>The advanced technology and efficacy of Iron Dome is impressive. The system is 90% effective in neutralizing incoming missiles. But it is also very expensive. Each Iron Dome battery (from which the individual defensive rockets are launched) can cost $100 million.</div><div><br /></div><div>And each rocket interceptor costs between $40,000 and $50,000. When the interceptor cost is multiplied by the thousands of rockets and missiles launched by Hamas and other terror partners, the price tag of Israel’s Iron Dome system is staggering.</div><div><br /></div><div>In addition to cost, there are also practical limitations. Each Iron Dome battery has an average of 60-80 interceptor missiles. If Hamas or Hezbollah fires 100 missiles at the area covered by that single battery, the system would be overwhelmed, and innocent populations could be put at risk during the time it takes to restock the missile battery.</div></blockquote><p>And then moving to the Iron Beam:</p><p></p><blockquote><p>But what if Israel had a laser defense system, fueled by electricity, that could fire an unlimited magazine of defensive laser beams to target and destroy incoming mortars and rockets at a fraction of the Iron Dome missile system’s costs and with added accuracy and reliability? </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Such a system could be a game-changer for Israel. And according to reports, Israel has engaged in a limited deployment of exactly such a system and full implementation is almost there.</p><p>Israel’s new Iron Beam system wasn’t supposed to be in service for a few more years. But as part of the Hamas war effort, Iron Beam technology is being woven into Iron Dome usage, to destroy, among other things, short-range projectiles that are too close for the Iron Dome to be fully effective.</p><p>Iron Beam’s current technology has limitations — the most important of which seems to be its limited range — as the laser beam dissipates over distance.</p></blockquote><p>However - </p><blockquote><p>The close to zero cost of firing defensive laser beam interceptors after the system is developed, manufactured and installed and the remarkable reliability and efficiency of the defensive response make the <a href="https://youtu.be/RF6eHC4JBXA?si=sOoqbRDBwR0dBDeB" target="_blank">Iron Beam</a> system very attractive. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>With those incentives, we have little doubt that Israel and its research partners will solve the remaining laser and technology issues. </p></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RF6eHC4JBXA" width="420" youtube-src-id="RF6eHC4JBXA"></iframe></div><blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;">A fully functional Iron Beam laser defense program will save Israeli lives and frustrate terrorist efforts to rain rockets, mortars and destruction over the people of Israel. </span></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;">With the threats facing Israel growing daily, an enhanced defensive shield is both necessary and timely.</span></p></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.rafael.co.il/worlds/land/iron-beam/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="As long as" border="0" data-original-height="89" data-original-width="800" height="45" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3364gM9OuyF2glcIHxzHAWHlCXmFjVNgn23ly_5-4AVfJiN6TfMpxynpY1bD9qTGJmxvKJNB_Tb7-49FidzvrUYBxU8HPm_dw2uo-escl7WVi2TA9B6L97aTOjsnr30tCl7d7V4YnzPXsstcEAA30aVkmuT48cUhcvQ3c4yoHr7NVOknxNHQ0OdPkfY/w400-h45/And%20as%20long%20as%20were%20talking.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></span><span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: large;"><b>Remember when we were all talking about</b></span></div></span><p></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.abqjew.net/2021/02/high-speed-rail-and-jews.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Jewish Space Lasers" border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="640" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3pAKbOD-1xYrv0zzt-ujbzzcaVIej1_UnRN9einKPW32WAy-Y8ytBqUOphygBUln_13guRUgIyeSQ9KgpGKeFkef5FKc7I4LBXYyUamyAolVr6OcUzvScUF4ms7CqusCS_QuahPOFUqrlEipM8LcYr90Cu4Jq42PlyxOgJYGdkpEWmWVFtntAo5Ks1vM/w400-h343/What%20We%20Talk%20About%20640b.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: x-large;">Jewish Space Lasers?</span></b> </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That was all the way back in February 2021 (see <a href="https://www.abqjew.net/2021/02/high-speed-rail-and-jews.html" target="_blank">High-Speed Rail and The Jews</a>). Well, since then, <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> has learned a few things about lasers in general and Jewish lasers in particular. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">First, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a> reminds us that</div><blockquote><div>A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word laser is an anacronym that originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation.</div></blockquote><div>And then informs us that</div><blockquote><div>The first laser was built in 1960 by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Maiman" target="_blank">Theodore Maiman</a> at Hughes Research Laboratories .... </div></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Maiman" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Theodore Maiman" border="0" data-original-height="985" data-original-width="674" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibECmPi-iK7sAIjjM0uythWPJLk1C3a1ZCaWc-WhYU5LeQGKnL8SFQa3gJe88c6oeAdqj2N9z95in7r0EQvxjQ0WFU6drXhGO-0EdZbwyyvE-d-c5t29V-ni2sOcDTlCCzklpnrGDxo2-Vc7Oc9IIts9HihvF688NqVQRX9UukkWcb0oxLFp5KLtkLcpU/w274-h400/Theodore%20Maiman.jpg" width="274" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>So - who was Theodore Maiman? <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Maiman" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a> tells us</div><div><div></div><blockquote><div>Theodore Harold Maiman (July 11, 1927 – May 5, 2007) was an American engineer and physicist who is widely credited with the invention of the laser.</div><div><br /></div><div>Maiman was born in Los Angeles to a Jewish family. Abraham "Abe" Maiman, an electrical engineer and inventor, and Rose Abramson. At a young age his family moved to Denver, Colorado, where he helped his father with experimentation in a home electronics laboratory. </div></blockquote></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://shoptheweitzman.org/products/secret-jewish-space-laser-corps-sticker" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Jewish Space Laser" border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="595" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPJscEN1FdfjRRKUWl_zgknRKl9MsPvsJvW8W0nst9vM37hjQMzSsJb5M8ANQmbMZKdHZWQ-3Qj9tOdu1SczIvIxGqDUI8CReecp9QXPKcYgfQSDy3AFhZPVMSxcqmpUB4qeioCx9XrK40ycUoj9sCvt4sCnVbRobwlljrphr7nv7NHthE3bX2qLQdCl8/w395-h400/Jewish%20Space%20Laser%20Museum.jpg" width="395" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.rafael.co.il/worlds/land/iron-beam/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Just saying" border="0" data-original-height="248" data-original-width="480" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPZoaIBi4wKwL2SPxtB_DDA0pcFICS6Vb5pKE98Z9xzf85x_0Hemfz_jikkUMDRJfvONTVx6xNIw63Bi4GY8rLtku4hZsxOTwFAGlxIhiEm4kS9ldItEMgWjkxIGHkQqiK86VPeKtDd21Gx01VnjOFnF0bVH3p6keJcqN3JY1d6L-aCE5v2ONmURnilWY/w400-h206/Just%20Saying.gif" width="400" /></a></div></div>Abq Jewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05790168328499207929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4011046654200721466.post-9339084837278722282024-01-03T11:24:00.000-07:002024-01-03T11:24:19.894-07:00Beginning 2024 With a Prayer<p><b><span style="color: #990000;">The Homeland Concert</span></b>: Well, here we go again. It's a new civil year. Now, in January, we enter a new dimension - with hope, with determination, and with a prayer. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/lightsofkabbalah" target="_blank">Lights of Kabbalah</a> reminds us:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/100064318046760/posts/785204606966800/?mibextid=xfxF2i" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Sacred Time" border="0" data-original-height="736" data-original-width="736" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-99nTif0ShL6rJ1dA8YgcpGj0IlJLXvHYURIBzec1AgC6qj-1iOl82EAEITZqC2YtfOBTY9GeUT9saZx0ilsD0bkSGHQdi-qsHwDIIfvCjE3bS9fe8XGYGpX6tiDTWQi5Cp-ShHHW7PuW-Nn2ILjqHYfxtr4JZ5MFCQs3yENIne6YfReCZguD8YTYamo/w400-h400/Sacred%20Time%20Laura%20Elliott.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The past is an interpretation. The future is an illusion.</span> </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>The world does not move through time as if it were a straight line, proceeding from the past to the future. Instead time moves through and within us, in endless spirals. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Eternity does not mean infinite time, but simply timelessness. If you want to experience eternal illumination, put the past and the future out of your mind and remain within the present moment.</p></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/1000-musicians-in-caesarea-call-to-bring-hostages-home/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Bring Them Home" border="0" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="875" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzv_QNQbpdRqmOnxoHGB4HsIYU8zfb6iu0N_VWU9u4Lz3lhl-OPQqEHin47G2TZH6zfQrTufvjTDLtYgqgDFwMZ-UJsd-VzeHZSU28SkmAWcQ3j8XWrg2wU-T4eOaloVH5ZCeK99U3dVvV2tpT08CdjZ2sJh9lHRQq0nP8XkNCArbdjXiUymlGKZAc5xw/w400-h250/ScreenHunter%2037.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><span>Neither a kabbalist nor a philosopher, </span><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> does not, at present, wish to experience eternal illumination. But back in December, there was the Homeland Concert. Jessica Steinberg of <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/1000-musicians-in-caesarea-call-to-bring-hostages-home/" target="_blank">The Times of Israe</a>l tells us:</p><p></p><blockquote><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">1,000 musicians in Caesarea call to bring hostages home</span></b></p><p><b><i>Local producer creates show combining Ehud Manor lyrics with national anthem, to warm ‘frozen hearts’ after horrific events of October 7</i></b></p><p>When producer Talya Yarom thought about a giant production of musicians playing and singing for the hostages held captive in Gaza, she kept thinking about bringing 1,000 musicians and singers together.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">“One thousand sounds good,” said Yarom. </span></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;">“It’s a good place to get to, and 1,000 musicians in Caesarea, which to me is a symbol of the beautiful Israel.”</span></p><p>On December 18, Yarom brought together 1,000 musicians, old and young, rockers and classical players, amateurs and professionals, to the Caesarea amphitheater <a href="https://youtu.be/XyI2GPDDLWc?si=uwCw6qIRfBToctPA" target="_blank">for a day</a> of recording and filming.</p></blockquote><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XyI2GPDDLWc" width="420" youtube-src-id="XyI2GPDDLWc"></iframe></div><p></p><blockquote><p>The result is “Homeland Concert,” with a medley of lyrics from Ehud Manor’s classic song, “Home” and part of “Hatikva,” Israel’s national anthem ....</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">“The concept was a national project,” said Yarom.</span> </p></blockquote><blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;">“The nation is crying to the world, ‘Bring Them Home,'” </span><span>she said, referring to the rallying cry that has echoed nationwide over efforts to bring the hostages back home to Israel.</span></p></blockquote><p></p><blockquote><p>The lyrics to the Hebrew song include:</p></blockquote><p></p><blockquote><span style="font-size: medium;">Home, home,<br />It’s time to return,<br />From hills and foreign fields<br />The day is fading and there’s no sign.</span></blockquote><blockquote><p>When Yarom put out a call on social media for musicians, nearly 2,000 people signed up, surpassing the level of interest she had hoped to generate.</p></blockquote>On December 18, the 1,000 musicians she ended up working with gathered at Caesarea for the first time, playing under conductor Mark Wolloch and recording a video of the performance during that one, long day.<blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;">“It was amazing,” said Yarom, “especially at the end when families of the hostages joined us to sing. They moved us very much.”</span></p></blockquote><p> </p><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14.49px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://youtu.be/XyI2GPDDLWc?si=op9-U6LHfrIcdSeE" style="color: #2d00f0;" target="_blank"><img alt="Yahrzeit" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTbBJ3QxxX_m64N0SCCyyCc_77yyBdonqq__stcX7wJoIGmhW8zS_dr_1WIEK3uaMoGoQEpFgq14Nmm55SG0AoqOByYiOZx_97JTeE3AIEI2j9qlnBvvNaJEeUlb2p2mu1ydugKBZNlKXm/w200-h200/Yizkor+Candle.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="200" /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14.49px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This week, </span><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> also marked the 30th yahrzeit</span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">of his mother, <b>Roselyn Lillian (Wise) Yellin</b>,<br />of blessed memory, who died on January 2 1994,<br />at the age of 66 years and 21 days.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><a href="https://youtu.be/XyI2GPDDLWc?si=op9-U6LHfrIcdSeE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Mom & Dad" border="0" data-original-height="2787" data-original-width="2098" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUCKaT6xjCMqF2lM6LLsTm-e9iepqUQvvuBDJY0j586yeyi8hL4atpH-I8vMhocPr1AYbSdXlR2gjq2eVFhoPNS_koAqUgamh9y6CNneT1aSNDgB1en0RGDZ1HglLP8g4BNMBASZPLQ08F1hy46NacyzMqTDP6VFaojasyOOMVg2mkHiue9G-pPub4QzY/w301-h400/Richard%20Roselyn%20Yellin%20Color%20Wedding.jpg" width="301" /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> dedicates </span><span style="text-align: left;">the <a href="https://youtu.be/XyI2GPDDLWc?si=op9-U6LHfrIcdSeE" target="_blank">Homeland Concert</a></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> to her memory.<br /></span><span style="text-align: left;">And - here's to you, too, Dad!</span></div>Abq Jewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05790168328499207929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4011046654200721466.post-28100939818780826262023-12-26T11:00:00.255-07:002023-12-28T14:45:18.112-07:00Ending 2023 With a Mitzvah<p><b style="color: #990000;">Starting 2024 With a Mitzvah: </b> It has become <b style="color: #073763;">Abq Jew</b>'s tradition that the last <strike>checks written</strike> online donations entered for one year and the first for the next year should be charitable donations to organizations, institutions, and causes that <b style="color: #073763;">Abq Jew</b> supports.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.abqjew.net/2015/12/scarlett-and-three-sylvesters.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="2023 Jump 2024" border="0" data-original-height="418" data-original-width="1000" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfJnSN8JDTIsAvQ88rwE1kuwsDT1vpplnBGcbOYHjmtEd7zZULifYJ3c3gNYsWpO2QsGRxhk0NEMYC84cTt3ZZN2VSKhXZZgVu95ScSwcNxTcgNdJqUeNHpEb2dFQY3hCpn9LOW0gEwwzOaFp8iYtj0FqRqL8HDIpMshuerBW4puM0_vFlIxb5xmoRkE4/w400-h168/2023%20Jump%202024.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>If you are looking for ways to to contribute as well, here are three ways to support Israel during this time of war.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://afmda.org/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Magen David Adom" border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihHjugEcLqgUZTFgMr691koeBSeBC50G1m0fc93L19mQXcXYdzt5tgAfSsNZq-_OJrk86JPmWxxG9brclLTH22OZW1jfF1gvP94c9vKsB7XF1EwR5KyCJksYtQ3JN8GhnQfAyy-a77y-C1XjhK4FQ37jjzJmJGu_4yom_po5XAyQ0nlfJi5V5_jYdyuy0/w400-h400/afmda-social-support-1080x1080-2023-v2b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-size: large;"><b>American Friends of Magen David Adom</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://give.zakaworld.org/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Give to Zaka" border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlVO08Bk3hQbp-tzDZEgBDbkPUMk21gwKaSVtp3P86Mk4ki_iU6dsVOzj-tKOz-fSx7C9rywjWu-P725Nq9Noz1lAz45QoiC7V7CiSw32lwbl2CXQmaAOK89Dt3Uh2_bYPeUqV_Zui00trSv7XTUQhyC_LVftCsUdzKG-fBZdZvUdiJtaFBg8_a-bOtYo/w400-h400/Zaka%20Donate.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="color: #20124d; font-size: x-large;">ZAKA Search and Rescue</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.fidf.org/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="FIDF Never Again" border="0" data-original-height="1206" data-original-width="1920" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilp9x0ALEz-9CvKCasrSBFSjakiOrOlB2NHzwXvbQyTqrEYkr9_uK1uS5dd8geSM6r5H2MABbEeMW6omQkul39y5DLQv-uvbLYb2etk43JHq1opqJ1BeSh8_Rfpi1dhFuXUNt2oE2ayTv3LFDw66zwb53SZwHRLVELAPfdKTshrxyusUj6v0hVRc8S1iA/w400-h251/FIDF%20Never%20Again%20Now.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="color: #20124d; font-size: x-large;">American Friends of Israel Defense Forces</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.unmhillel.org/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="But wait" border="0" data-original-height="247" data-original-width="559" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicFuL0uWXFzxwU7m5JPcP1DwOHkgNpsmm5BGOO34NbMZtcMABS6yUKHvWK6ItlT-b37PIkhL_Er8KAEwHSnBsmAl33cxQx5APSWhdQq4R9sp9b5NyHcZP08WfOTurZ9c0ompnfwsGNti79oFx4qvARI3LxYjFJnH91DS4mIWfasmfZJrPVg5a96kKvlYU/w400-h176/But%20Wait%20Theres%20More.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #20124d;">Alas, the Israel-Hamas war is not being fought only in Israel - or in Gaza. <br />It's being fought in cities throughout the world - in "pro-Palestinian" marches, protests, and demonstrations.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-size: large;">We can all see that antisemitism is on the rise. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #20124d;">And then there's the fear and tension at many (most?) American colleges and universities, where Jewish students, faculty, and administrators no longer feel safe on what should be their own home turf.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">What's going on here?</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">Eretz Nehederet (A Wonderful Country), Israel’s #1 comedy television show, posted (OK ... last month) a report on the situation at <a href="https://youtu.be/rbfccVBo9tE?si=iIPFzWRUJCsSwKub" target="_blank">Columbia Untisemity</a>, which should give us some idea. <b><span style="color: red;">NOTE</span></b>: Folks, this is parody. It's meant to be funny. In the midst of all the sadness, we need to smile and carry on.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rbfccVBo9tE" width="420" youtube-src-id="rbfccVBo9tE"></iframe></div><br /><div>There's recently been a &!@#storm of "controversy" about whether Jesus, the birthday boy, was Jewish or ... not. Eretz Nehederet addresses this issue in <a href="https://youtu.be/xcLCe5iBvVc?si=TXqiMo8sngNWI2XS" target="_blank">The Gospel According to Berkeley</a>. <b><span style="color: red;">NOTE</span></b>: Parody again, folks.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xcLCe5iBvVc" width="420" youtube-src-id="xcLCe5iBvVc"></iframe></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And if you think that things are different in the Land of Enchantment - well, you're wrong. Very, very wrong.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Just one recent example: Following a "pro-Palestinian" demonstration on Black Friday (November 24th), KOAT <a href="https://www.koat.com/article/albuquerque-ceasefire-israel-hamas-war/45941171#" target="_blank">quote</a>d Sara Koplik, Director of UNM Hillel:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="color: #20124d;">My students have faced a lot of antisemitism in the past six weeks, more than they've ever experienced in their entire lives. We're trying to help support them.</span></i> </span></div></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p>Hillel at The University of New Mexico is one of the important local causes that <b style="color: #073763;">Abq Jew</b> is proud to support. We need to help Hillel House remain a safe place for our Jewish students.</p></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.unmhillel.org/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Hillel UNM" border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="800" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjigdfA0kzKmRAHsWQfWM-tarKmuumlV7ugpZoGf201HXY03we-9rr46KdLNS_2EFiz0J05lMedpG7QHG2Np11CUjs-Q_IPlJjloBV-om6bsfNQSlh9DASSkFWHuklR2jgeXkwqJywDUwN26anNVCLYmBv4jlCeWUGBkJr8U6rgBg-MDDz8dvPKWPzd7HA/w400-h213/Hillel%20UNM%20Web%20Logo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: #20124d; font-size: x-large;">Hillel @ The University of New Mexico</b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>In the meantime .... </i></b></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.abqjew.net/2015/12/scarlett-and-three-sylvesters.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Happy New Year" border="0" data-original-height="318" data-original-width="320" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapR_GOBzJIwb2NATPHnvV1ofojMyN0VwTB_F3C7PvBIR21LjQg2bVnm01K4iTzddm5xH4oUdcQheeH-mtyTQKDMUDHhCGahEemO9DU22H6_wMGX4IGGhHF4xmTxQK5eRm-TOkHJIiUHdtsnmxxzJKbvLutsUwXIvhN2vhV1lHU18-nHdAfz14-RZiYrs/w400-h398/Happy%20New%20Year%20Sylvester.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div>Abq Jewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05790168328499207929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4011046654200721466.post-21610486168263657012023-12-20T12:51:00.002-07:002023-12-22T14:29:41.545-07:00Spring 2024 @ OASIS Abq<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">Great Courses of Jewish Interest</span></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000;"><b><a href="Star of David1b 810b1f" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Star of David" border="0" data-original-height="496" data-original-width="478" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4S_pCogOqGi-vMrsBTpijVJX_Q5S-led3IX5_te1C5mCcvkpK3lnjJMyyYwvbTKGzzMkIrUewZFD1xXx3kvzffJn8I5iPewXf9Eje9FhcfTO85mAXJJ0mjGrzirrR9Ugw40qg_8blLWe_aFgkdRIgo_h8GXCMyaQzN6iNZJhsRWe0uzUgyj33bKhfzjU/w385-h400/Star%20of%20David1b%20810b1f.png" width="385" /></a></b></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #20124d;">Abq Jew</span><span style="color: #073763;"> </span></b>is pleased to inform you that<br />OASIS Albuquerque has just announced<br />their <b><span style="color: #990000;">Spring 2024</span></b> line-up of classes!<br />Registration opens on</span><br /><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-large;">Wednesday January 3</span></b><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><i>but you can Wish List your selections now.</i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://albuquerque.oasisnet.org/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="OASIS Abq" border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBFm0rtNWnGE3OW2uQdTCqoADZgKqGk7lm6VIr9w3MYpnMDjdlGx89Fhav9DCesA1WLHlNAbBMnJcLIUGXEjgEFnZZZSY5xb8tGRm75cSJYKNo-VIM518yrHLE-4CLMld7vF4ImLV-tOtTVP5J2H1GGeIrboFQ9un_q_yh4ZTKXDOZNVVbxJD9fjJb=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></div><p>Exemplary and beloved and soon-to-be-retired <a href="http://www.oasisnet.org/Albuquerque-NM" target="_blank">OASIS Albuquerque</a> Executive Director <a href="https://albuquerque.oasisnet.org/about-us/" target="_blank">Kathleen Raskob</a> and her staff continue (as always) to bring you new and interesting class offerings, and continue to make sure there are plenty of courses of Jewish interest.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://albuquerque.oasiseverywhere.org/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Oasis Spring 2024" border="0" data-original-height="551" data-original-width="836" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_J-HUQ4H8KYfDE8HXN-bRwd6a0NxK3RsQS8LYdv5hGtb9u3soXjrRdLtKVL5HtXatjz-JVYtI3IrabcfqOGV0AritLPXVyS_NcCdSq3vfOytdO-hOKbg-EF89VqbOgqSdlSKiR7DT2xxA_i0zZMwgHfS39xV-G9Fbl_Cb0_YSnhbiJpYpKpJ3ZpYoqgQ/w400-h264/Oasis%20Spring%202024a.png" width="400" /></a></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium;">This session's courses and instructors include,<br />but are by no means limited to:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marx_Brothers" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Marx Brothers" border="0" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="877" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0YPFcPnv07ATMJmpCbQ9ku1avqVbU3HTQhH0oOk1ffd4Li8tEK4c8FmDyvNbd0NnJSx_wVmwSUEw4EvfLRo59sMWd31TmFHQo_jKqga-t-d9iw9FnD06xIUA0cogMP2Ubr-FvSXe4xPXY8rDcEmX80gwlq3_Ns06dguRbR13Nz7jJtmawlpzfd9vtztQ/w400-h305/Marx_brothers_Tonight_Show.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold;"><div style="font-weight: 400;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #990000;">Zany World </span><span style="color: #990000;">of the Marx Brothers</span></span></div></b></div><div style="font-weight: 400; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">Wednesday February 7 @ 12:30 - #130Z</span></b><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Instructor: </span></b></span><b style="color: #b45f06; text-align: left;">Dan Sherman</b></span></div><b><span style="color: #274e13;">What It Is:</span><span style="color: #38761d;"> </span></b>The grandchildren of immigrants, the Marx Brothers were stars of vaudeville who easily made the transition to Hollywood as they created iconic characters in some of the funniest movies evermade. We review the life and career of these extraordinary entertainers, examine their influence on comedy, and view clips from some of their greatest films. We also discuss Groucho’s later TV career, including his interviews with Dick Cavett.</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/pope-pius-xii-was-far-from-neutral-on-holocaust-says-pulitzer-winning-historian/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Pope Pius XII" border="0" data-original-height="946" data-original-width="1516" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii8UdChpkpAOg8Z5t41iqL_ocDxBHA1OJvLONkbDmCMkGzQ8PbiDu12ol8qOp_rfQzrLsCozLvuKUlEviGbTWPV2I8mT5AvRJq7kQfLAle8LLApDGM5r7jG3cSWtXo6bS6RhbwZd_QQ0v5k4xYA5gFyspIC6fj3J2STQNu3OlE0oviqtkSvdHCcHx0cuQ/w400-h250/Pope%20Piux%20XII.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="font-weight: 400;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #990000;">Revisiting Pius XI</span><span style="color: #990000;"><span>I </span></span><span style="color: #990000;"><span>and the Holocaust</span></span></span></div></b></div><div style="font-weight: 400; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">Thursday February 8 @ 10:00 - #190</span></b><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Instructor: </span></b></span><b style="color: #b45f06; text-align: left;">Christopher Zugger</b></span></div><b><span style="color: #274e13;">What It Is:</span><span style="color: #38761d;"> </span></b>Using recently published research at the Vatican, Christopher Zugger reviews the role of Pius XII before and during the war. Topics covered include the Nazi racial persecution of the Jews, rescue operations of the Holy See and its diplomats, challenges due to antisemitism in Allied states, and what current evidence now shows. Was Pius XII Hitler’s Pope or a living saint? This part of history is challenging, but fascinating.</div><div style="font-weight: 400; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/politics/how-the-universal-declaration-of-human-rights-aimed-to-change-the-world/48304778" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Human Rights" border="0" data-original-height="658" data-original-width="1146" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsHmt2_a62rECdoH1PfNCZf4SH3mqFsY2Py8rtBz9ACKJA79qbWU3YQyR9cUIOiU4s-Nl7X_MQFZbsgTDa27683nDHpMcP2CSzi5MI-UL84U1UYa74axrMFYXGD-rF4z6WN8Poz2iJARuvRHY9j5OLEiUp2yhO4KfPw5sfK0hCIY2HCy4vB1OeE_csdS8/w400-h230/ScreenHunter%2029.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="font-weight: 400;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Erosion of Human Rights</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Rebuilding Democracy</span></span></div></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">Monday February 12 @ 10:00 - #124</span></b><br /></div><div style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Instructor: </span></b></span><b style="color: #b45f06; text-align: left;">Michael Nutkiewicz</b></span></div><span style="text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #274e13;">What It Is:</span><span style="color: #38761d;"> </span></b>Drafted after the defeat of Nazi Germany, the 1948 UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights was meant to fend off future authoritarianism and illiberal populism. Recently, political parties with undemocratic agendas are making huge inroads into the heart of democracy. Has the world made any real progress in the area of human rights? This question is critical when so many are discouraged by world events and have lost heart. How can we implement durable democratic values, especially here in the United States?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/belief/articles/a-mobster-in-the-family" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Jewish Gangsters" border="0" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="758" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYgKzUd2PQ-IId1_qIevyDcFJqSNr2VDmKv6r0P5Sud5vHMZQaSTRmbJRjEssvl5Ub16_uk1RqyVpYpxxhkj2q4AlsCF8jsTMeWHAWyWUR_2HOTLh4K_GLGfhZcZ9YsXbE2GazPHPsrUBncjk_95oNZsVAakxdVytruwdXOE2nDneuz8CxZWOrxeKt7kY/w400-h268/ScreenHunter%2030.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="font-weight: 400;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #990000;">Jewish Gangsters </span><span style="color: #990000;">in the 20th Century</span></span></div></b></div><div style="font-weight: 400; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">Thursday March 7 @ 10:00 - #158Z</span></b><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Instructor: </span></b></span><b style="color: #b45f06; text-align: left;">Naomi Sandweiss</b></span></div><b><span style="color: #274e13;">What It Is:</span><span style="color: #38761d;"> </span></b>You may know their names — Bugsy Siegel, Meyer Lansky, and Lepke Buchalter — or the crimes that they committed. But do you know what motivated Jewish individuals to pursue a life of crime? Why did the phenomena of Jewish gangsters typically last for one generation? Naomi Sandweiss introduces the Jewish underworld and the social forces that led Jews into the mob. Sandweiss introduces a family member, Sammy the Mustache, and describes his experiences as part of Detroit’s Purple Gang.</div><div style="font-weight: 400; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.normalibman.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Women Westward" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="204" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZrStIqFDayKzZWm2Ash16KbTlXR1gKySwxs2lzv6lr8q6ElYsJ00lmAW6HMJ-LbzjowUOlzqyUe2ILlycbDmQ1VSFZkd6vlflQQ8rnFj4OFKnF9iqBABS-qFDGR8fJIh98Q0ehR1-1oUaHEUEfB1l_cOIp_q8u-QQJn-ZraROGJmgsLbswT0MpDI8e2o=w262-h400" width="262" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="font-weight: 400;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-large;">Women on the Westward Trail</span></div></b></div><div style="font-weight: 400; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">Wednesday March 13 @ 10:00 - #216</span></b><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Instructor: </span></b></span><b style="color: #b45f06; text-align: left;">Norma Libman</b></span></div><b><span style="color: #274e13;">What It Is:</span><span style="color: #38761d;"> </span></b>Everyone knows about the brave men who settled the West. But in recent years, more and more journals kept by the women who traveled beside them or in some cases, ventured out on their own, have come to light. From these journals, learn the role of women in making the great pioneering journey: packing wagons, cooking, caring for the sick and children, bringing new life into the world, burying the dead, and setting up a home.</div><div style="font-weight: 400; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/10/06/organized-religion-decline-agnostic-atheist-nonreligious" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Exit Sign" border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="1046" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRWFqCw5wLHpWU2tmJ3kHruFJZUGfAWNsWHT3OjhlEpgqFuDJx0lFXYQMztcDO1bWmQjdrkAWZfGRVRWbGiZHuJ9Qh2Ye5lkhWmya9fxVzvU77ei0b-fB8Om2-cv0iTzEJ6gGzu3OSyBERxfXHnGbdwrqVhi-ov59uI3KemWUK9-HWnM-XkE2mNb7oRTY/w400-h224/ScreenHunter%2031.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="font-weight: 400;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Agnostics & Atheists </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">& Nones, Oh My!</span></span></div></b></div><div style="font-weight: 400; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">Monday March 18 @ 12:30 - #191</span></b><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Instructor: </span></b></span><b style="color: #b45f06; text-align: left;">Babs Mondschein</b></span></div><b><span style="color: #274e13;">What It Is:</span><span style="color: #38761d;"> </span></b>The religiously unaffiliated walk amongst you. “They” are your doctors, teachers, and mechanics. You probably aren’t aware they are a “None,” but they are. Explore how non-believers define themselves and their “whys.” How are they marginalized? Where do they get their moral compass? Can you imagine losing your community? Having to start over? Discover a world of people you know, yet don’t.</div><div style="font-weight: 400; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.lanl.gov/museum/news/newsletter/2021/4/manhattan-project-jewish-employees.php" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Nuclear" border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="468" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq-AwrlhUq76i9Ri3_QqId-06qzSg-2af8ub0AcYaq4FoBnacyvmD-kmnHrrxQ5LskDvl5xyAUcJapNZeFCLJlztMPTrkzi5ni7XOuDUZTT-aVrh4vmx9-0doPDuQ0DxdZ60waKIXf42h8DPuKLZXma0JmnSyF4ZxL6zEW9PNXM8zqmqFe6nqLsXB5/w400-h400/Nuclear.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="font-weight: 400;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-large;"><span>The Jewish Dimension </span><span><span>in the Relationship </span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span>Between </span><span>Lewis Strauss & J Robert Oppenheimer</span></span></span></div></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">Thursday March 21 @ 10:00 - #217</span></b><br /></div><div style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Instructor: </span></b></span><b style="color: #b45f06; text-align: left;">Jack Shlachter</b></span></div><b><span style="color: #274e13;">What It Is:</span><span style="color: #38761d;"> </span></b><span style="text-align: center;">This presentation focuses on the Jewish dimension of the clash between J. Robert Oppenheimer, scientific leader of the Manhattan Project, and Lewis Strauss, chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission who led the charge to strip Oppenheimer of his security clearance in 1954. Discover how their opposing approaches to their respective Jewish heritage may have contributed to the revocation.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/12/dna-reveals-the-hidden-jewish-ancestry-of-latin-americans/578509/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Jews Secrets Spain" border="0" data-original-height="542" data-original-width="968" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9dGCb9e8f2wtqv7x6BpyxCR9ew28SIQFWk2LTo5hVsr-bfMc2WLQoMpbKiXePH8mPoSdrB3doupc1KYDsgmn8LR9GrwVphfz6yLqCofpBJ8mkr8kCYPtyR4C_95UG-Iq3okwirHtUmkji2giwToLpcjYWvM3m30rF3Ez1Fp5vg7vPFE6zm7Qz2Nzm7yA/w400-h224/ScreenHunter_4409%20Aug.%2025%2012.15.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="font-weight: 400;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #990000;">How the Jews </span><span style="color: #990000;">Kept Their Secrets in Spain</span></span></div></b></div><div style="font-weight: 400; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">Thursday March 21 @ 3:00 - #249</span></b><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Instructor: </span></b></span><b style="color: #b45f06; text-align: left;">Norma Libman</b></span></div><b><span style="color: #274e13;">What It Is:</span><span style="color: #38761d;"> </span></b><span style="text-align: center;">In 1492 Spain gave all non-Christians (Jews, Muslims, gypsies, anyone who could be defined as a heretic) a choice: leave, convert, or die. Many Jews converted but retained their Jewish practice in secret, risking apprehension for heresy. We look at how the Jews lived their secret lives in Spain attempting to bridge two worlds, and later brought those same secrets to New Mexico and other parts of the New World.</span></div><div style="font-weight: 400; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/193774969-isaac-unbound" style="font-weight: 400; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Isaac Unbound" border="0" data-original-height="2200" data-original-width="1375" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_xax_xhC_B24OXXIX1QZfU5KNoyF_VljvazcxwHBfTVMWp2jyiJ6rRxPoseEHj1czAeYvY6zeZ3FctN0thv14j73qMGBaJKQQmoJQKevPi01eo6QZTu4xej0MclXDWmBVURcu3lJAl2C27Ub-gfgip0OvjNNK5ifNp-L9IEn1QmtNFxVlpqck-do6E_w/w250-h400/Isaac%20Unbound.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="font-weight: 400;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span><span style="color: #990000;">Th</span><span style="color: #990000;">e Power of </span></span><span style="color: #990000;">the Passover Narrative</span></span></div></b><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: large;">from Ancient to Modern Times</span></span></div></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">Mon & Wed April 8 & 10 @ 10:00 - #192</span></b><br /></div><div style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Instructor: </span></b></span><b style="color: #b45f06; text-align: left;">Paul J Citrin</b></span></div><b><span style="color: #274e13;">What It Is:</span><span style="color: #38761d;"> </span></b><b style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="color: #38761d;">P</span></b><span style="text-align: center;">aul Citrin discusses how the Passover story has shaped the Jewish worldview, influenced Christianity, and the American Commonwealth. He examines the symbols and liturgy of the Passover celebration. Finally, he provides an overview of the power of the Passover Seder to draw Jews to its celebration who are otherwise secular and to the many churches that hold model Seders. In an age of the disintegration of community, the Passover observance can help us rebuild family and larger communities.</span></div></div></span></div></div></span></div></div></span></div></div></span></div></div></span></div></div></span></div></div></span></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://store.oasiseverywhere.org/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Oasis Albuquerque" border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="780" height="363" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiss1CCEqNWroluN_SuWgdsPWGvOTFFHlvAwDTkHzAEMQ79-2IvJ0SpGEQYqAoL8SG-yXlVkRdFJwR5A12V2ioTakOp7SyNgPN80p2kc0CFR2ev1v7fyuuo27eAiGNmXCnd755WcnNaAfTGyQSPOp6imwLqBjvI9omWr5ehGfNfI8SpeAT_4U74HDrH6m4/w400-h363/Family%20Tree%20Reading.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.abqjew.com/learn.php" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Abq Jew Learn" border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="1031" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsiXanROx7HrQ30k5iq8ScjHlhLKXKDUR0IXdAoB5i2Ms0M9n-MQx-P-l_at47K4Kptz10SV_gPmgX1o2zvsJa8HRXZ4gC2rRU2hnkrU4b3Pf7zj2rduz0wtnKLVjNM7nhvniclCKecAQYdG50smgWCMsO5SMVUZWhz1-VCWgSnazRB3UfvenZDrDJ/w400-h164/2022%20Abq%20Jew%20Learn.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div></div>Abq Jewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05790168328499207929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4011046654200721466.post-66816214310558921312023-12-11T11:18:00.000-07:002023-12-11T11:18:47.688-07:00Sour Cream and Apple Sauce<p><b><span style="color: #990000;">A Festival of Light Calculation</span></b>: This year (5784/2023), our Hanukkah Festival of Lights began on Thursday evening, December 7. Just as three years ago (5781/2020), Hanukkah/Chanukah/Xanuqa began on Thursday evening, December 10. Surely you remember!</p><p>And surely you also remember that <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> wrote about this phenomenon at the time (December 2020's <a href="https://www.abqjew.net/2020/12/apple-sauce-and-sour-cream.html" target="_blank">Apple Sauce and Sour Cream</a>). To which you <span style="color: red;"><b>DO NOT</b></span> have to refer, because <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> has thoughtfully updated that blog post and provided same below. You're welcome!</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Now, as then, as we do every year -</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #073763;">Mr & Mrs Abq Jew</span></b> wish you the happiest of holidays!</span></p><p>Now, if you're a former engineer like <b><span style="color: #073763;">Abq Jew</span></b> - first of all, his condolences. Life in the high-technology mines of Silicon Valley, TPC (The Phone Company), and Big Pharma, <b><span style="color: #073763;">Abq Jew</span></b> recalls, was nothing - absolutely nothing - like <a href="https://youtu.be/3Dy2tuF915E" target="_blank">Workin' In the Coal Mine</a>. Or like <a href="https://youtu.be/zBn5aIfZElE" target="_blank">Workin' On a Chain Gang</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://youtu.be/zBn5aIfZElE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Hanukkah First Night" border="0" data-original-height="299" data-original-width="328" height="365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqMjeCwHYU79ESdhR57PQ28q0cYYpUIT6wEBlDIc-5AwMyaWyWkl4Yv8UrqJQikZ9F80MbV3Rd-oEtOcH_YSvqY6j3ObEajj53k4lDFWvTiYX0Z4kOv2Xf8TkvSCoPuVr3yewhTSNeFME/w400-h365/Hanukkah+First+Night.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-size: x-large;"><b> But still.</b></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;">One of the perpetual residual effects of an an engineering career, it appears, is a fascination with, you should certainly not excuse the expression in our current anti-science climate ... </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hebrewcalendarfacts" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Big Data" border="0" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="636" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9YobrCN4OLcJwgjGZ3fa-2bJJf52yA0HtA_kgOR_l1DPO2JCbR-WRZaPHZR7JeJ7MjOwYF-oyiZsDtqgwW0gv45MMPEQHZB0fzWet4oRt0ekI_ApH3bYTiqrcqIw4a6dd5J1zfblIHg/w400-h249/Big+Data.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;">Data.</span></b></div><p style="text-align: left;">This malady has afflicted <b><span style="color: #073763;">Abq Jew</span></b> since he can remember, which, these days, is not as long a period as it once was. On the other hand, <b><span style="color: #073763;">Abq Jew</span></b> can remember all the words to the Cal (<a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/" target="_blank">UC Davis</a>) Aggie Drinking Song, but ... </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="text-align: left;">What was </span><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #073763;">Abq Jew</span></b><span style="text-align: left;"> talking about?</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.newmexico.org/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Chanukah White Sands" border="0" data-original-height="412" data-original-width="700" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEHJF_9BSocUTUj15MCMdIpVvsRcMU_UOu1uugY2Cs2NtFaiMHljwJx_DgGr1qELLzudTJw2-b221To_SsKa-wylZ_DGtaolMbRzv0rCa9LFKhhwQu4fc-Sovj9wooGdImCw9ZFQiO09s/w400-h235/Happy+Chanukah+White+Sands.png" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Oh yes. Chanukah. Which started on a Thursday night this year. Which you might not think was too extraordinary. You might even think that Hanukkah would start on a Thursday night, oh, about one seventh (14.2857%) of the time.<br /><p style="text-align: left;">But you'd be wrong. In fact -</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Before 5781/2020,</span><br />Xanuqa <span style="color: #b45f06;">hadn't</span> started on a Thursday night in 20 years.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;">And how, you may ask, does <b><span style="color: #073763;">Abq Jew</span></b> know this? Because one of <b><span style="color: #073763;">Abq Jew</span></b>'s Facebook friends, Rabbi Gary Gans (see <a href="https://www.abqjew.net/2017/07/remembering-jim-croce-mot.html" target="_blank">Remembering Jim Croce, MOT</a>) follows the Facebook page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hebrewcalendarfacts" target="_blank">Hebrew Calendar Facts</a>. Which <b><span style="color: #073763;">Abq Jew</span></b> now follows, too.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Now, <b><span style="color: #073763;">Abq Jew</span></b> has, on more than one occasion, blogged about the delights and idiosyncrasies of Ye Olde Hebrew Calendar - see, for example, <a href="https://www.abqjew.net/2016/03/easter-on-purim.html" target="_blank">Easter On Purim</a> and <a href="https://www.abqjew.net/2013/04/nineteen-and-twenty-eight.html" target="_blank">Nineteen and Twenty-Eight</a>.</p><p style="text-align: left;">And, <b><span style="color: #073763;">Abq Jew</span></b> has, on more than one occasion, blogged about the fact that</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://youtu.be/3Dy2tuF915E" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="It's Complicated" border="0" data-original-height="611" data-original-width="468" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIJp9GfEfQEdWRwoRrNw6T3c5HU1pjtmYCInFvezylXHrj-yCABDRMKA5FI9UvKcEMT0mpujIlDSVKNuMsxEmm1mThyphenhyphendGu6Xu9E1B1n6_AQ9JnlMdWf8xGF3G-3WArFrLK8MvdsvvALTI/w306-h400/Its+Complicated.jpg" width="306" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #741b47; font-size: x-large;">It's Complicated.</span></b></p><p>So, <b><span style="color: #073763;">Abq Jew</span></b> would very much like to tell you that his new friend (about whom <b><span style="color: #073763;">Abq Jew</span></b> knows virtually nothing) <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hebrewcalendarfacts" target="_blank">Hebrew Calendar Facts</a> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hebrewcalendarfacts" target="_blank"><img alt="Hebrew Calendar Facts" border="0" data-original-height="269" data-original-width="360" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuMCtROobsTtwISLpq7CYw_0mA621kd5_1eN2gybmSZcGC7MwxO1mVidUZ7uRmop5m1QnsgRfdTUvxNjuvdyD6mkOHFGtYO3H5wHIL-_36NSQIXZJMDdLdu6UFeUfjE_vhBGCHph9vqlE/w400-h299/Hebrew+Calendar+Facts.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;">Hebrew Calendar Facts</span></b><br /><i>Signal fires for the New Month</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p>has uncomplicated the heck out of Ye Old Hebrew Calendar and made it simple to understand. At least, to understand why Chanukah <span style="color: #b45f06;">hadn't</span> started on a Thursday night in 20 years. But ... alas ... we'll work with what we've got. </p><p>Direct from the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hebrewcalendarfacts" target="_blank">Hebrew Calendar Facts</a> Facebook page. With <b><span style="color: #073763;">Abq Jew</span></b>'s minor edits for readability (hah!).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: x-large;">Chanukah begins on Thursday night.</span></b></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Those words <span style="color: #b45f06;">had</span> not been heard in 20 years!</span></p><p>Why is it so rare for Chanukah to start on Thursday night (1st day of Chanukah on Friday), and what are the consequences?</p><p>There are 4 days of the week when Rosh Hashanah can fall (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Shabbat), and as a result, every date from Adar (II) through Cheshvan (which includes all of the major and some minor holidays) is also locked into 4 possible days of the week. </p><p><i>(For example, Shavuot is always 1 day of the week earlier than the upcoming Rosh Hashanah, so it can fall on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, or Friday.) </i></p></blockquote><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><blockquote><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latke" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Latkes Apple Sause Sour Cream" border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="640" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZUEkO1LH3m4VGe3R9RFQ-iHYskpAyIafZoPSZ9HOBW7ZcSBJmuamv_RoxuYWL5gC4F502OeIEDy7vaK7BRs0j1JZSWDaKYYywjiqLJSp9-asR2zKUMl2TJf4TJiPoRXZSM_DQTLRs2P8/w400-h216/Latkes+Applesauce+Sour+Cream.jpg" width="400" /></a></blockquote></div><p></p><blockquote><p>But Chanukah has a wider range, because Cheshvan (the month before Chanukah) can have either 29 or 30 days. </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>In “applesauce years” (with 355 or 385 days), when Cheshvan has 30 days (about 45% of all years), the 1st day of Chanukah is exactly 12 weeks after Rosh Hashanah, so it’s on the same day of the week as Rosh Hashanah. </li><li>In “sour cream years” (with 353, 354, 383, or 384 days), when Cheshvan has 29 days (about 55% of all years), the 1st day of Chanukah is one day earlier, on the same day of the week as the preceding Shavuot.</li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Combining the possible days of the week listed above for Rosh Hashanah and Shavuot, one might think that Chanukah could start on all 7 days of the week. </span></p></blockquote><blockquote><p>But this isn’t quite true, because years starting on Tuesday always have 354 or 384 days, so Cheshvan always has 29 days, so they’re always sour cream years and Chanukah starts on Monday (not Tuesday). </p><p>So there are 6 possible days of the week for the 1st day of Chanukah: everything except Tuesday. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i>(Monday is the most common start day for Chanukah, being the only day of the week that both Rosh Hashanah and Shavuot can fall on, so it’s the only start day that appears in both applesauce and sour cream years.)</i></p><p></p><blockquote><b><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: medium;">NOTE</span></b>: Why can’t Cheshvan have 30 days in years starting on Tuesday? If it’s a non-leap year, then counting 355 days from Tuesday means the following year starts on Sunday, which is not an allowed day for Rosh Hashanah. But in a leap year, 385 days is exactly 55 weeks, so the following year would also start on Tuesday, which is an allowed day, so one might think that this would be possible. </blockquote><p></p></blockquote><blockquote><p></p><blockquote>Here’s why it doesn’t happen: 13 lunar months comes out to about 383.9 days, so a leap year with no delays at either end will have either 383 or 384 days. The way to get the 385-day year is if Rosh Hashanah is delayed at the end of the year. </blockquote><p></p></blockquote><blockquote><p></p><blockquote><i>For example, if the year starts on Thursday, then the molad of Tishrei at the end of the year might fall on Wednesday, but Rosh Hashanah can’t fall on Wednesday, so the following RH would be delayed to Thursday, for a total of 385 days. </i></blockquote><p></p></blockquote><blockquote><p></p><blockquote><i>But if the year started on Tuesday, then there would be no need for this delay at the end of the year, because Monday is a perfectly cromulent day for the following Rosh Hashanah.</i></blockquote><p></p><p>So let’s talk about Chanukah starting on Friday (what <span style="color: #b45f06;">we had three years ago, and what </span>we have this year). Ok, it’s actually not THAT rare. This happens in 10.1% of all years, which is only a little bit less than what you’d expect if all 7 days of the week had equal probabilities. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>The reason it’s less than 1/7 is because Chanukah starts on Friday in sour cream years that start on Shabbat, and years starting on Shabbat are more likely to be applesauce years (65%) than sour cream years (35%). </p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i>(This is because you can’t have a 354-day year starting on Shabbat, since that would put the following Rosh Hashanah on Wednesday, and 353-day years are comparatively rare, since 12 lunar months are about 354.4 days, so the 353-day year only happens when Rosh Hashanah is delayed at the front end. </i> </p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i>Leap years starting on Shabbat are more evenly split, and there are actually more total sour cream years starting on Shabbat in leap years than in non-leap years, even though leap years in general are less common.)</i></p><p>So on average, Chanukah starts on Friday about once per decade. But the distribution is not uniform; they can clump together. Most recently before this year, it happened in 1969, 1972, 1976, 1996, <span style="color: #b45f06;">2000, and 2020</span>. After this year (<span style="color: #b45f06;">2023</span>), it will happen again in <span style="color: #b45f06;">2040</span>, 2047, 2067, 2070, and 2074. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p><span style="color: #b45f06;">So in 2020, we were</span> coming out of a 20-year gap, and as you can see, these 20-year gaps are not uncommon. <span style="color: #b45f06;">In 2020</span> we also had Rosh Hashanah on Shabbat for the first time in 11 years, but before that (in 2002, 2003, 2006, and 2009), we had a bunch of years with Rosh Hashanah on Shabbat, but those were all applesauce years, so Chanukah started (and ended) on Shabbat. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i>(Figuring out why these longer gaps are so often exactly 20 years is left to the reader as an exercise. We haven’t delved into this yet, so please let us know if you come up with an explanation before we do.)</i></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Ok, but what is the significance of Chanukah starting on Friday???</span> (Our readers who are Torah readers have been waiting very patiently for this paragraph.) </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>It’s the only time that Shabbat Mikeitz doesn’t fall during Chanukah! Since the Shabbat during Chanukah has a special haftarah, this means that the regular haftarah for Mikeitz <span style="color: #b45f06;">was read in 2020</span> for the first time in 20 years! It’s a very well-known story (where King Solomon says to cut the baby in half), yet rarely read in public.</p><p>Why is this the only time that Mikeitz isn’t during Chanukah? As we said above, the 1st day of Chanukah is either exactly 12 weeks after Rosh Hashanah or one day before that. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>This means that the 1st day of Chanukah is either exactly 9 weeks after Shemini Atzeret or one day before that. If Shemini Atzeret is on a weekday, then the Shabbat that comes a few days later is Shabbat Bereishit. 9 weeks after that would be the Shabbat that falls in the middle of Chanukah, and 9 weeks after the 1st parashah would be the 10th parashah, which is Mikeitz. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>But if Shemini Atzeret is on Shabbat, then Bereishit is an entire week later. So the Shabbat that is 9 weeks after Shemini Atzeret is only 8 weeks after Bereishit, so it’s the 9th parashah, which is Vayeishev. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>In an applesauce year, that Shabbat is the 1st day of Chanukah, but then there’s another Shabbat on the 8th day of Chanukah, and THAT Shabbat is Mikeitz. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>But in a sour cream year (like this year), Chanukah starts one day before that Shabbat, and then the 2nd day of Chanukah is Shabbat Vayeishev, and then the 8th day of Chanukah is Friday again, and then the following day (Shabbat Mikeitz) is after the end of Chanukah!</p></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><blockquote><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgivukkah" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="See It's Simple" border="0" data-original-height="517" data-original-width="679" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJe9JKZxY5M_VEHskwgrB0PKQD3Wjp69oFM4HC3HU_LnTWhLY_PUt-492h0xaZvaIZHKr4Zf_LfmOVY7wlOdbKAQkaES2wIwghBDv9_c38zWxbOzdqYfnRjvDmJkpZYaeqTVDv-wgJweA/w320-h244/See+Its+Simple.jpg" width="320" /></a></blockquote></div><p></p><blockquote><p>As you probably heard in 2013 (the “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgivukkah" target="_blank">Thanksgivukkah</a>” year), Thanksgiving will not fall entirely during Chanukah again (until the calendar loops all the way around). </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>However, we’ll have a couple more times when the 1st NIGHT of Chanukah falls on the night of Thanksgiving, in 2070 and 2165. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Since (by definition) those are years (like this year) when Chanukah starts on a Thursday night, those future Thanksgivukkah years will also be years when Mikeitz is not during Chanukah!</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: x-large;">Happy Chanukah to all!</span></b></p></blockquote><p></p><div>Aha! <b><span style="color: #073763;">Abq Jew</span></b> hears you, his loyal readers, exclaim. This cogent, coherent explanation is marvelous! </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truth" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="True Truth" border="0" data-original-height="643" data-original-width="735" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF6mahT1M0gJEn3MAX64Lh5g1oCtF-YlzvLtkHT6OnBiHBlhFw3Bi95kfyq5tX5WYcfQaoAk74m3aZgmoTK5ZGpXFMUtzP9WH3pm2A2TslgjKHHvKFGrxkd6qfcNr__kRaIFrDUnTCEWY/w400-h350/This+Is+True+Truth1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: x-large;">But is it true?</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>Or is it just some really, really good <a href="https://youtu.be/YW3MIixEps4" target="_blank">Razzle Dazzle</a>? There are two things (in this very limited context) of which <b><span style="color: #073763;">Abq Jew</span></b> is sure:</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: x-large;">1.</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sholem_Aleichem" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Don't Know" border="0" data-original-height="255" data-original-width="398" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02c1nISaCPyZ7w12nEYuFe6JJrtXMrFiyHA_teVuQUv91NHyaKqniaSFNNp3lOGo0v6BenOT_EoIKn8i_llfcMJ3iOm3uBahlANoJtca_UhfutDo4MQ6VKELXMSRi3jXmv1RaUADzKb4/w400-h256/giphy+fiddler+idk.gif" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: x-large;">2.</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Happy Hanukkah" border="0" data-original-height="226" data-original-width="300" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh63U1zdGGPFfU8OCcUoDg7KxM7UUMOat-sbWg_89X3GAQLesB7TwyCUp7yYcRLeRFjXaE2lX7JGudYUPAXnbXNZbvVpG_51MQYiQvXgfT_1r4gbxf1UAVc3nt1lMHZu_OukVYEm6FXFCM/w400-h301/Happy+Hanukkah6gif.gif" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Abq Jewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05790168328499207929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4011046654200721466.post-58633613373948317272023-12-07T10:26:00.000-07:002023-12-07T10:26:12.081-07:00And Yet, Hanukkah<p><b><span style="color: #990000;">May Light Overcome Darkness</span></b>: This year will be one of the most memorable Hannukah’s for our people. As darkness has surrounded us, Hanukkah allows us to turn on the lights. The light from the candles symbolizing the hope for our people. We will persevere! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Youkilis" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Light Shine" border="0" data-original-height="890" data-original-width="943" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZLAiT0Eo8mq4ADLiZPndmlFebC8E2F2N6QWV3ziIOED03eo4yzZ31Vy7YiOjS-U4aMU0qn6bVen7HpC3hBiOUFJKkICLE9vQXsCow0uRX7aUEr73o5MsKgndDpQUyzVI79CnhduyLcERJKPmFpU6rN6eVHiYsKKB0zbMA6cmUaqaxdmDtwPHZwtnSP4/w400-h378/Light%20Shine%20in%20Darkness.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;">Wishing you all a Happy Hanukkah!</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Above: the words of renowned Jewish baseball player <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Youkilis" target="_blank">Kevin Youkilis</a>. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">As we and Jews all over the world begin our celebration of Chanukah, the Festival of Lights, let us pray that </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">simcha - joy - will always take precedence over sorrow.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AshkelonNews" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Together Ashkelon" border="0" data-original-height="857" data-original-width="857" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJLxXaPEbFkzqfbxtifdqktdR_gPPcb3GVMqi3X2lfbCBlPZC5J3Qx7v3ibiISoM_yCyBHaUb0Mt3HzhU0HOpbv2UrhtLAh5L3bA6p2St-7fGxcMta4tSACU8_ONdAL5uo60wKWYRfTJlMQVJeMbxxAo7a3nMOacodrfhyphenhyphensA2P4Z8f9F1oB2ZyAl6C_eI/w400-h400/Yachad%20We%20Will%20Win%20Ashkelon.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">We are a people who believe in the future – even in the face of sadness. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">And thus - in the festive spirit of this happy holiday - here are <a href="https://www.maccabeats.com/" target="_blank">The Maccabeats</a> with their latest Hanukkah hit, <a href="https://youtu.be/PAmdS9AnUts?si=ao7k4iQHnLOYnBrv" target="_blank">We're Still Here</a>.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PAmdS9AnUts" width="420" youtube-src-id="PAmdS9AnUts"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://jr.co.il/videos/chanukah-videos.htm" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Festival of Lights" border="0" data-original-height="302" data-original-width="468" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3_lNWyjqXecN9HXQBLU4h4ZuOt6q0OsFRd-LYCg-qRp2SFzkPxCRrEh8-rrG2dvzbGhziU04SNTxtn9wmUUA5fhsSgX5vb-esu_ewid5uAdN2RYtAPzc2YUj4WBwczan5C2khKNV2jGDfU7GlYnRPfpFQ2EvKH_mRQfKSZVfW63wgZs2_BvK6b2gehks/w400-h258/Happy%20Festival%20Lights.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Abq Jewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05790168328499207929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4011046654200721466.post-81715072456990137972023-12-05T12:47:00.005-07:002023-12-07T13:53:12.035-07:00Honoring Guy Illouz, 26<p><b><span style="color: #990000;">Murdered in Gaza</span></b>: ICYMI - the newly-formed <a href="https://www.jcrcnm.org/" target="_blank">Jewish Community Relations Coalition of New Mexico</a> (JCRCNM) hosted a Solidarity Gathering on Sunday, November 26 in Albuquerque. </p><p>That was just after the Israel-Gaza truce began on Friday, November 24. The focus was, understandably, on the kidnapped hostages and - for some - their impending rescue. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/shoshkeshoshke" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="They Are Still There" border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2U-QhiR8tUWUTbhRWm1BPoM-1tZ4JY3lPp6cjzBf7L8VFA0c0YsmRB3-3m20C1EoRwJoItxzDvyl9P_MvsLRBf-xxHGeXeWxLwAsoyjU064NJ9gseBGHsl3-oW0ol9oevy9E7n8Cveex65dQUgzBAIWk32ocwGgPvqn8wTl_zjsqdr7YG0KCXPjbWros/s16000/They%20Are%20Still%20There%20420w.jpg" /></a></p><p>And you might have missed it. The Solidarity Gathering was an impromptu, ad hoc, "drop-in" event that did attract - <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b>'s unofficial estimate - about 100 people from all sectors of the community.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.jcrcnm.org/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="JCRCNM" border="0" data-original-height="343" data-original-width="647" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpkxjyiaEp0Mv2JsZpcVRZ9ax56g8BQcUDPrXCPLN752zpNfEOjcgceXf1Jcu1C8oUJOy8aO4TiT3aCSboKfJl2NL8tXd1s8ymLPVAsgee__q6BgnhlitZERaPcPc0EuzFBCK7QJwDiX0R8gqpD7GVcpRB9zSMS4x0v05tPoekCq7J2HYxRqZeQsulvBY/w400-h213/JCRCNM%20Logo%203584b6%20Dec%202023.png" width="400" /></a></div><p>JCRCNM Co-Chair Alonet Zarum (Jane Wishner is the other Co-Chair) spoke, calling upon the community to unite over Israel, care for each other, and volunteer. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.jcrcnm.org/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="420" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyxqAMUsmXIboqGpN_lILpalRI13CDePOe0vzb13mpdSUMUWRugGwAdhTKaf_aIQvC_fo1xX5rGp6N0UEBlxaCmwm_bPwWWLjFf8SRgvgNH7kNXM-CTl5FN9vwEL6CziQHELxTCBGyGlOof3t8JZNl1Mic3RwGWJlRVLs2XKzLsHpC7AZ1bElboKrfK4Y/s320/Solidarity2.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p>The group played Israeli music and sang Hatikvah. Organizer Lea Koshkin (the Gathering was her idea) thanked those who helped spread the word and the organizations which supported the event.</p><p>There was a table set up with JCRCNM sign-up forms, Israeli flags, blue ribbons, and <b><span style="color: red;">Kidnapped by Hamas</span></b> posters - the type that are being regularly torn down by Israel-haters all over the world.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Kidnapped" border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1350" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6diL1BwxjdJdI196PALIEcP0hLrTLqERzFd5CuJVbpRJ9gFvnjrn983qxqaENo3h8c8HvRrNfH0zxOKqEPgB1c_pjgiCZzN2fH90pMTd5jsTJEwp1-3veKHylc775LphTi_DHbYm0sTkfXQSOyVhyphenhyphenxb-nhR9IJQuxnRZ8hzfapCN9WJz3gyq7_HEAps8/w400-h400/guy1.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p>This is the poster that <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> took home with him. From a stack of (alas) dozens, <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> randomly picked Guy Illouz's <b><span style="color: red;">Kidnapped </span></b>poster and brought it home.</p><p>Having "adopted" Guy Illouz, <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> (of course) set out to learn more about him, and to (hopefully) track his progress home.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">חבל</span></b>. This is what <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> found out a few days ago. From <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-taken-hostage-at-music-festival-on-oct-7-has-died-his-school-announces/" target="_blank">The Times of Israel</a>:</p><p></p><blockquote><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Israeli taken hostage at music festival on Oct. 7 has died, his school announces</span></b></p><p><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Ra’anana high school says it was holding out hope that 26-year-old Guy Iluz would come home, ‘but today we were informed that he will not return again’</span></i></b></p></blockquote><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-taken-hostage-at-music-festival-on-oct-7-has-died-his-school-announces/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Guy Iluz" border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOgmmvvuoDC6g0jj1smWR_PoTOcj5xgJoWracJLTnLLTGZuHxuRiDBBx92vsZJ3KOIOQ2DE470pPOKIhU959XNreEpqMbqBpKeAmrM-4enkzQtsMKE35MF6UO9XcqhwGszmGIS0f20DPUH1DzoMTZ2GrD2WgnhxO5skItaacsQypc__Ub9t2iNvx9bqvA/w400-h250/Guy%20Iluz.png" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><blockquote><p>An Israeli man abducted into the Gaza Strip during the Hamas terror group’s devastating October 7 attack on southern Israel has died, his high school announced Friday.</p><p>Guy Iluz, 26, was attending the Supernova musical festival near Re’im when he was taken by Hamas terrorists.</p><p>“For many weeks we hoped and prayed for Guy’s return, but today we were informed that he will not return again,” Mor Metro-West High School in Ra’anana wrote in a Facebook post.</p><p>No details were provided regarding how he died and when. There was no confirmation from the Israel Defense Forces, which on Friday announced the deaths of several other Israelis who were abducted into Gaza.</p><p>According to the school, Iluz is the sixth Mor Metro-West alumnus to have been killed since October 7.</p><p>“Guy was a man of love, happiness and laughter,” the school added. “Music accompanied Guy all his life until the day of his death.”</p><p>Iluz, a soundman for Israeli musicians Matti Caspi, Shalom Hanoch and others, tried to flee from the terrorists together with four friends in his white jeep. He called his father, Michel Iluz.</p></blockquote><span style="font-size: medium;"></span><blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">“Dad, Dad, I love you,” said Guy. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">“I wanted to tell you I love you</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">if something happens to me.”</span></div></blockquote><span style="font-size: large;"></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://themessenger.com/news/hostage-guy-iluz-shot-hamas-died-gaza-hospital-days-into-war" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Murdered" border="0" data-original-height="545" data-original-width="386" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzs3MUT5Y5mThqjNaPkWqzBaPgsoHkIzto6hhiupelraAZ8KhBSx5kDBovXdObAM1Or2qRV_3Xl_tNNqJLJ5V9u1K0KuVkZviBGnqSyzAi29TK_hpBSAwdOdDpGpVP8cA0zBz4Sk73YsLWPJGxd8BHHTCRF4fDGfClcgQde82QLP0Irbh2KQ0dIX1UYBY/w284-h400/guy.jpg" width="284" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Rest in peace talented musician, <br />we will never forget you.</i></span></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.abqjew.net/2023/10/may-god-avenge-their-blood.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Blood Avenge" border="0" data-original-height="305" data-original-width="644" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyp_cCjpz_Lpk9mTwv2V0MTjhemizgPhE9v-4lpFl1aJ98MqlTv2td5UqlO18WbLu9xYVepnMsgdI7Y-TqN-Xp4VrHtxX5w62ieTit8d8IK9G4VJW68TbCCNv1BtRltCoQkJD60-Vjvk0qdXxgpUbnlIlApjmbwsuH0wABush2XoXTFbACinbStLoSfI/w320-h152/Hashem%20Yakum%20Black.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Abq Jewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05790168328499207929noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4011046654200721466.post-31177816423253436972023-11-29T11:57:00.004-07:002023-11-30T11:54:47.679-07:00November 29th, 2023<p><span style="color: #990000;"><b>Einat Wilf Tells The Truth</b></span>: Everyone - or, at least, every Jew of a certain age - knows why there are streets named "29th of November" all over Israel. </p><p>What happened on that day? In 1947, the UN General Assembly voted to partition Mandatory Palestine at the end of the British Mandate.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blog.judaicawebstore.com/29-november-1947/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="November 29th" border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="565" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5H5acJA4ZUhKC39wi1PPdJt3NllhinD5sG4WOSjb6thdw76nbhFnY98nRc07f1k8OJn9RQSNP-TT00twI03SBNmaK3FpborDZimrTV_js3gg4vdKD7lVBLETnFtolFYkdPTKvJO0OyiKQvscO34O0qMcuFjh5haViNll02GV1ruEUEs7Fn1-2Z-CPJRY/w400-h306/29nov.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>How was this to be accomplished? Through the creation of independent Arab and Jewish States and a Special International Regime for the city of Jerusalem. </div><div><br /></div><div>And how did this turn out? The Plan was accepted by the leaders of the Jewish community in Palestine. </div><div><br /></div><div>The Plan was rejected by leaders of the Arab community, who were supported by the Arab League. The Arab leadership (in and out of Palestine) opposed partition and claimed all of Palestine.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.jta.org/2023/11/30/default/protesters-brandish-swastikas-at-pro-palestinian-rally-outside-rockefeller-christmas-tree-lighting" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Gazaq Flood" border="0" data-original-height="545" data-original-width="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQzq6MW4-9b3K8NIi3zUN5X_AQGaDpeSxr2TK5WUYx5X7nbDjs2HAz8sdFK-ptHVV6luF151ZSYhl0M2mphgFl4GD-_0Bk8dYqC0b_vjMzD8al_MIO4r0av0JZdY9o8mwlTOjCqU4nkkDC2Qz16kcffMJuK4gbeF8S0K2Z4oVPa_yudgF0m9BneXVXHX8/s16000/Gaza01%20(1).jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Which - somehow, amazingly - brings us to today. On November 29, 2023, anti-Israel protesters plan to throw the beloved Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting ceremony into disarray by "flooding the tree lighting for Gaza."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/pro-palestinian-protesters-disrupt-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-new-york-city" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Macy's Parade" border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF25BxNeC2UDjTXY8jsUOHFAdGZ8IJYWOwmUJKZaE3-lI2ffJzBXdSguLZ1Icvlg6wpIfiLWulubLrkds1YBU4rYlt7-fcAghB4lnb9bGM2eqoJyvrMnz68alAB0vdo2-34CI2CVHAliyyqYoGghd_ahIQKjyfm20MQz8dNg0WnlhEXFEYrxkh4bweU8s/w400-h224/1q1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>And why not? They tried it during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, chanting and singing and gluing themselves to the street along the parade route.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.themidwesterner.news/2023/11/obnoxious-pro-hamas-protesters-drown-out-childrens-choir-at-ypsilanti-christmas-tree-lighting/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Ypsilanti" border="0" data-original-height="626" data-original-width="1146" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfn1753CqMjEy7WhepPS3-S57dOTsP8PAg4I6SYntsHHtg1Kgyo91IUnQfbHe7wz-Y83EVWnCcNUwm7ugbd1HLFzxZvdnkkDmz8ELJnWW84L4askDU2LiWwbYaaJUYutvzhzeSwzOlYsZgri1CSRtCXcuJRqHSpCnuufTi7l24-EQH8w2E5Uy1345JcAo/w400-h219/ypsilanti.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>And they tried it during a Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Ypsilanti, Michigan, obnoxiously drowning out the children's choir with chants of "America is a terrorist state."</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Has the world gone mad? Was the world ever sane?</span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.wilf.org/English/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Einat Wilf" border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR0Z7JOFOTbuXrowYhRKF4jG-kVIkakUh09AuZGYnsqv_BzaMDgX62B5JE0gr7Z5QuoET-KNMzdUVEF6llPhoZz3r4OqMfLo0VMb5E0p4l5b4R5CVzprCkXo6uwuoqvd6QwYHeI9EsREpoMgs5uXBMjtMWGdohWpzyVeLxOCEOFxVe4xtY2PPbRdKCVfc/w400-h400/Einat%20Wilf.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5rem; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Which - somehow, amazingly - brings <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> to the writing and speaking of Dr Einat Wilf, whose <a href="https://www.wilf.org/English/" target="_blank">website</a> tells us:</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5rem; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><blockquote><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5rem; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dr. Einat Wilf is a leading thinker on Israel, Zionism, foreign policy and education. She was a member of the Israeli Parliament from 2010 to 2013, where she served as Chair of the Education Committee and Member of the influential Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5rem; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Born and raised in Israel, Dr. Wilf served as an Intelligence Officer in the Israel Defense Forces, Foreign Policy Advisor to Vice Prime Minister Shimon Peres and a strategic consultant with McKinsey & Company.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5rem; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dr. Wilf has a BA from Harvard, an MBA from INSEAD in France, and a PhD in Political Science from the University of Cambridge. She was the Goldman Visiting Professor at Georgetown University and is a lecturer at Reichman University in Israel.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5rem; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dr. Wilf is the author of seven books that explore key issues in Israeli society. “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/We-Should-All-Be-Zionists/dp/B0B92HRP2M/" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px dotted; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3d97c2; font-style: italic; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">We Should All Be Zionists</a>“, published in 2022, brings together her essays from the past four years on Israel, Zionism and the path to peace; the co-authored “<a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250252760" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px dotted; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3d97c2; font-style: italic; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">The War of Return: How Western Indulgence of the Palestinian Dream Has Obstructed the Path to Peace”</a>, was published in 2020.</span></p></blockquote><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5rem; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> thinks that <span style="background-color: white;">Dr Einat Wilf's voice is one of sanity and clarity. You know - reason! and good thinking!</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;">Here is one recent example, which appeared on Dr Wilf's <a href="https://twitter.com/EinatWilf" target="_blank">Twitter</a>. <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> is thrilled to report that - more than 50 years after his time at the Technion - Dr Wilf's writing (</span>בּעברית) is so clear that <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> can understand it all (mostly)!</p><p>If you can, too - here's a treat! If you can't - an English translation will follow.</p><p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: medium;">בואו עכשיו ניפרד יפה מהאגדה המנחמת ש״חמאס לא מייצג את הפלסטינים״. מעבר לעובדה הפשוטה שחמאס נבחר בבחירות בעזה וידוע שינצח בבחירות בגדה (ולכן אין שם בחירות), חמאס מייצג באופן עמוק את האתוס הפלסטיני הרחב ביותר לפיו ליהודים כעם אין זכות לקיים מדינה חופשית בגבולות כלשהם במרחב שבין נהר הירדן לים התיכון. </span></p><p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: medium;">לחמאס יש אולי ״רק״ כמה עשרות אלפי רוצחים מאומנים, אבל הם כולם פועלים בידיעה ברורה וגאה שהם עושים זאת למען ״שחרור פלסטין״. הרעיון שיש ״לשחרר את פלסטין מן הנהר ועד הים״ הוא הרעיון המכונן של הזהות הפלסטינית, והוא המכנה המשותף הרחב ביותר לפלסטינים כולם. במובן זה אין הבדל בין חמאס לפתח או כל פלג אחר. ההבדל הוא באמצעים שהם חושבים יהיו היעילים ביותר ל״שחרור פלסטין״, אבל לא במטרה עצמה.</span></p><p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: medium;">במשך שנים כשהצגתי את הרעיונות הללו למשלחות מכל העולם נתקלתי תמיד בהתנגדות בסגנון ״את מכלילה, כמו שיש ישראלים ויהודים עם דעות שונות, בוודאי יש פלסטינים עם דעות שונות״. תשובתי היתה ונותרה שדווקא האמירות הרחבות שלי הופכות את עמדתי לקלה להפרכה. כל מה שצריך הוא להביא לי פלסטיני האומר בפומבי ובשמו באופן ברור ומפורט: ״לעם היהודי כעם יש זכות שווה להגדרה עצמית ולמדינה משלו במולדתו ההיסטורית. ברור לי שהמשמעות היא שאין לפלסטינים ׳זכות שיבה׳ לתוך מדינת ישראל. הרצון שלנו הוא לקיים מדינה עבורנו לצד מדינת ישראל, שהיתה ותהיה ביתו הלאומי של העם היהודי, ולא במקומה.״ </span></p><p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: medium;">כן, תמיד יש מי שיסבירו לי ש״יש פלסטינים כאלה״, אבל למדתי שאנשי המערב כל כך רוצים לעצום עיניהם בפני המציאות, שהם תמיד יפרשו מה שפלסטינים אומרים באופן הנוח להם או לחילופין יתנו תירוצים למה אי אפשר לצפות מפלסטינים לומר זאת. אבל זהו לב העניין. לכן אני מתעקשת שכל אמירה תהיה פומבית, מפורטת (לא אמירות כלליות על ״רצון בשלום וקץ לסבל״) ובשמו של הפלסטיני שאומר זאת. </span></p><p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: large;">אני עדיין מחכה לקולות האלה מצד פלסטינים. </span></p><p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: medium;">ולכן אין דבר כזה ״למוטט את החמאס״. גם אם מחר כל הנשקים וכל המנהרות בעזה מושמדים, יקום ארגון חדש, בשם אחר וידאג שכל דולר ויורו של כספי ״שיקום״ שיועבר לעזה ישמש לבנייה מחדש של כח שמטרתו תהיה - שוב - ״שחרור פלסטין״. זו הסיבה שעזה אף פעם לא ״משתקמת״, כי תושביה אינם רואים בעזה ״בית״, ״מולדת״ או שטח שנותן להם הזדמנות להקים מדינה פלסטינית משגשגת. להיפך - הם רואים בעזה כן שיגור (תרתי משמע) ממנו הם יכולים לקחת ״בחזרה״ את ״פלסטין״, ובזה הם משקיעים את משאביהם - הכסף, הזמן והכישרון של אנשיהם. </span></p><p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: large;">אז מה כן אפשר לעשות?</span></p><p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: medium;">בראש וראשונה, יש להכיר בכך שזהו האתוס הפלסטיני שמגדיר את עצם הזהות הפלסטינית בכל מקום בעולם, ולהבין שזה לא קשור למה שישראל עושה (לא כיבוש, לא התנחלויות, לא מצור - אלה דברים שאפשר לעסוק בהם מהזווית הישראלית, אבל הם לא משנים לאתוס הפלסטיני), אלא למה שישראל הינה - מדינתו של העם היהודי החופשי.</span></p><p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: large;">לכן, רק שינוי יסודי של האתוס הפלסטיני יכול להביא שלום. </span></p><p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: medium;">וכן, אתוסים של עמים משתנים בהיסטוריה אבל זהו תהליך ארוך שתמיד כרוך בזה שהאתוס הקודם נתפס כלא לגיטימי באופן עמוק וככזה שאינו מתאים עוד לזמן.</span></p><p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: large;">ומראייה מפוכחת זו יש לגזור שני כיווני פעולה:</span></p><p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: medium;">.1<br />לפעול באופן נחרץ לייבוש כל מקורות התמיכה המדיניים, הכלכליים והפוליטיים באתוס הפלסטיני של ״שחרור פלסטין״, החל ממדינות ערב והמשך בסוכנות אונר״א שנתמכת על ידי המערב ומאפשרת לפלסטינים לשמר את מלחמת 1948 כתיק פתוח שיבוא יום והם ינצחו בה, וכלה בכל ״סיוע״ שמוגש לפלסטינים מבלי לדרוש מהם את ההצהרה שלמעלה. ככלל, צריך לדרשו שכל סיוע מדיני, כלכלי, פוליטי שניתן לפלסטינים ילווה בדרישה ברורה להצהיר את ההצהרה שלמעלה, ושלא יינתן בלעדיה.</span></p><p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: medium;">.2<br />ועד לשינוי האתוס הפלסטיני? להבין שאלו הם שכנינו ״המתפללים חולשתנו כי תבוא, כדי שיוכלו לקרענו לגזרים״ וש״על מנת שתגווע התקווה להשמידנו חייבים אנו להיות, בוקר וערב, מזוינים וערוכים״ (מתוך ההספד של משה דיין לרועי רוטברג בנחל עוז). עד לשינוי ישראל תצטרך להיות חברה מגויסת. כל אזרחי ישראל, יהודים וערבים, חרדים וחילונים, יצטרכו להתגייס להגנת המדינה שהיא מדינתם.</span></p><div style="text-align: left;">Let's now say goodbye to the comforting legend that "Hamas does not represent the Palestinians." Beyond the simple fact that Hamas was elected in the elections in Gaza and is known to win the elections in the West Bank (therefore there are no elections there), Hamas profoundly represents the broadest Palestinian ethos according to which the Jews as a people have no right to have a free state within any borders in the space between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.</div><p>Hamas may have "only" a few tens of thousands of trained killers, but they all act with the clear and proud knowledge that they are doing so for the "liberation of Palestine." The idea that "Palestine should be freed from the river to the sea" is the founding idea of the Palestinian identity, and is the broadest common denominator for all Palestinians. </p><p>In this sense there is no difference between Hamas and Fatah or any other faction. The difference is in the means they think will be the most effective for the "liberation of Palestine", but not in the goal itself.</p><p>For years, when I presented these ideas to delegations from all over the world, I was always met with resistance along the lines of "you are generalizing, just as there are Israelis and Jews with different opinions, surely there are Palestinians with different opinions." </p><p>My answer was and remains that precisely my broad statements make my position easy to refute. All that is needed is to bring me a Palestinian who says publicly and in his name clearly and in detail: </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"The Jewish people as a people have an equal right to self-determination and their own state in their historical homeland. It is clear to me that the meaning is that the Palestinians do not have a 'right of return' to the State of Israel. Our desire is to have a state for us alongside the State of Israel, which was and will be the national home of the Jewish people, and not in its place."</p></blockquote><p>Yes, there are always those who will explain to me that "there are Palestinians like that", but I have learned that the people of the West want so much to close their eyes to reality, that they will always interpret what Palestinians say in a way that is convenient for them or alternatively give excuses as to why Palestinians cannot be expected to say it. </p><p>But this is the heart of the matter. That is why I insist that every statement be public, detailed (not general statements about "the desire for peace and an end to suffering") and in the name of the Palestinian who says it.</p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I am still waiting for these voices from Palestinians.</span></p><p>Therefore there is no such thing as "collapsing Hamas". Even if tomorrow all the weapons and all the tunnels in Gaza are destroyed, a new organization will be established, with a different name, and will make sure that every dollar and euro of "rehabilitation" money transferred to Gaza will be used to rebuild a force whose goal will be - once again - the "liberation of Palestine". </p><p>This is the reason why Gaza never "restores", because its residents do not see Gaza as "home", "homeland" or a territory that gives them an opportunity to establish a prosperous Palestinian state. On the contrary - they see Gaza as a launch pad (literally) from which they can take "back" Palestine, and in this they invest their resources - the money, time and talent of their people.</p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">So what can be done?</span></p><p>First and foremost, it must be recognized that it is the Palestinian ethos that defines the Palestinian identity everywhere in the world, and understand that it has nothing to do with what Israel is doing (no occupation, no settlements, no siege - these are things that can be dealt with from the Israeli perspective, but they do not change the Palestinian ethos), but for what Israel is - the state of the free Jewish people. </p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Therefore, only a fundamental change of the Palestinian ethos can bring peace. </span></p><p>And yes, the ethos of nations change in history, but this is a long process that always involves the previous ethos being seen as profoundly illegitimate and as no longer appropriate for the times.</p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">And from this sober view, two courses of action must be derived:</span></p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Act decisively to dry up all sources of political, economic and political support for the Palestinian ethos of "liberating Palestine", starting with Arab countries and continuing with the UNRA agency which is supported by the West and allows the Palestinians to preserve the 1948 war as an open case that one day they will win it, and ending with all " Aid' that is provided to the Palestinians without requiring them to make the above statement. As a general rule, it should be required that any political, economic, and political aid given to the Palestinians be accompanied by a clear requirement to declare the above statement, and that it not be given without it.<br /><br /></li><li>Until the change of the Palestinian ethos? To understand that these are our neighbors "who pray for our weakness that it will come, so that they can tear us to pieces" and that "in order for the hope of our destruction to die out we must be, morning and evening, armed and prepared" (from Moshe Dayan's obituary for Roy Rothberg in Nahal Oz). Until the change, Israel will have to be a mobilized society. All citizens of Israel, Jews and Arabs, orthodox and secular, will have to mobilize to defend the state that is their state.</li></ol><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.abqjew.net/2017/11/10-years-70-years-24-years.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Blue Line" border="0" data-original-height="70" data-original-width="800" height="35" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlbKfaNbts8aTu3XfYf_6Kbxqtva_FluERRNN6W4z4zx8ZhDH2MZH_GGv5mxf5xS5wPbpB8MdIF12Ra7jzgFom6FiQbLTxOr8CMhNtLWfuX_nDWw8aad-IGGZRbkxZXqyUgoSdDP2amvQh9L1bembjePg4fUoRBU_4z_7y2WSKQ2gYWZ6KnXQbCiJDwMU/w400-h35/Wavy%20Line%20Blue1.png" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://www.abqjew.net/2017/11/10-years-70-years-24-years.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="RWY" border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="293" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwbTb3HvryIEUs4z11OQ9Qpxv_8hErmKZ5Vcm6zv5_FpKfuQdY7YI54OQng-l6sqs6EeAALPFZn6onmv0KFLos6reXK2YBgm4WhL1c8mcRgH_E8CbWby5Q767lwxCOI_MrEh-BVHoWiJuk/w293-h400/Dad+Navy1b.jpg" width="293" /></a></div><br /></div><b style="color: #073763;">Abq Jew</b>'s father, <b>Richard W Yellin</b>, of blessed memory, certainly chose an already memorable day on which to pass on to the World to Come. Sixteen years later, it's the civil date (the Hebrew yahrzeit is still a few days away) that <span style="color: #073763;"><b>Abq Jew</b></span> recalls. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/einat.wilf" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Am Israel Chai" border="0" data-original-height="149" data-original-width="500" height="119" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHMPjzlN1rfImNmOBVNGdAPtQlWIxrvEScMS8ubBVFxPDqA0P0ehZaoPtlvP8eBtaBg6aG2IDTg89dzs_q-sEiyCT974fBHbaplOVVg0Su3YVymPjxSylMpvBBagQSaOSiiDRYd8UezjufmEVDUa8fPENbxVLIwpYASGsmhmUIlys3_IPKsDWZ9HeZVdE/w400-h119/Am%20Yisrael%20Chai%20HaNegina.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><p></p>Abq Jewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05790168328499207929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4011046654200721466.post-47408655345270008872023-11-21T11:32:00.000-07:002023-11-21T11:32:05.405-07:00Hear May-May Roo<p><b><span style="color: #990000;">For Forever</span></b>: It is with great sorrow that <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> confirms that his beloved greyhound May-May has passed over to the <a href="https://rainbowsbridge.com/poem.htm" target="_blank">Rainbow Bridge</a>, at the age of 14 years, 9 months, and 10 days. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.abqjew.net/2015/08/see-henry-run.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="May-May" border="0" data-original-height="946" data-original-width="1010" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_XHJZvA0xoynoQ_nxvC9tDx4xr3InHOl2ztdtoE3P9I_26iX47pzCS1e4pOKnck-H3MmIAIMswBeEbMQV2qUNdEmQa8WwN5CV-DYIkRZzLQgxKuVHG2HC365Ipiu0T-sTViXePXDv9PjIQPjjj0rbG1DQDedzbGw76DQf-UMWUy2Tvfy6YEi1H170fW0/w400-h375/May-May%20Of%20Blessed%20Memory1.png" width="400" /></a></div><p>That is indeed an amazingly "ripe old age" for a greyhound. And although it sounds like May-May had many wonderful years with us - in fact, we were together for only seven years.</p><p>Retired racing greyhound May-May was found by the side of an Albuquerque road sometime in 2015; her owner could not be identified or located. </p><p>She was rescued by New Mexico Greyhound Connection (as was Belle), adopted by an elderly lady who surely loved her - but who had to return May-May when she moved to assisted living.</p><p>That was about a year after Henry passed<span style="color: #333333;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14.49px;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">(August 10, 2015; <a href="https://www.abqjew.net/2015/08/see-henry-run.html" style="color: #2b00b3; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">See Henry Run</a>). On </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit;">September 26, 2016, Belle welcomed May-May as her slightly older sister. They were together (and later, with Ziggy) until Belle passed (</span>September 10, 2020; see <a href="https://www.abqjew.net/2020/09/see-belle-run.html" target="_blank">See Belle Run</a>).</p><p style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5mlllRdIfqw" width="420" youtube-src-id="5mlllRdIfqw"></iframe></p><p>Where, oh where, was May-May during her first six-and-a-half years? She never told us. Her ear tattoos seemed to be for a different dog, most likely from the same litter. And most certainly male.</p><p>Yes, May-May was assuredly raised with boys. She was the only bitch (that's a technical term) <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Mr & Mrs Abq Jew</span></b> have known who lifted her leg to pee. She loved rubbing the side of our house; getting her butt scratched; and barking. And rooing. And just being with us.</p><p>And yes, May-May required special treatment - which <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Mr & Mrs Abq Jew </span></b>knew when we adopted her. She was seven and a half then - our oldest rescue. And we planned things so that May-May was never the only dog in our home.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.abqjew.net/2016/10/temporary-dwellings.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="May-May Of Blessed Memory" border="0" data-original-height="796" data-original-width="900" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYhyXq3liQI1fYhqKzMmHron7V1Dwl1zFsDlDOLrRAB1JVM2wvw_0DYPuI2U3VVpBJqSe6BoYLDxty2Sdk986_vR4D66nzsuTC2thLsXc9bKAUlH-iiUPf8PUSurLQdPSK2IkfJgw7Wmh5NzaA_IEb7vWs5agX6I5zATFt2TCH6LHQHODpTCBMi88DmE/w400-h354/May-May%20Of%20Blessed%20Memory.png" width="400" /></a></p><p>Above all else, May-May was sweet and gentle. All she asked for was a little bit of love, every now and then - too much was too much. To <a href="https://youtu.be/5mlllRdIfqw?si=46K6O8nbxugg-SXH" target="_blank">sleep</a> right next to <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Mrs Abq Jew</span></b>'s bed every night, and to awaken there, happy, every morning.</p>Abq Jewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05790168328499207929noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4011046654200721466.post-22750127645712712092023-11-15T15:22:00.004-07:002023-11-15T15:39:30.714-07:00The 2023 March for Israel<p><b><span style="color: #990000;">Best Moments</span></b>: Like many of his fellow New MexiJews, <b><span style="color: #073763;">Abq Jew</span></b> was not able to attend this week's March for Israel at the National Mall in Washington, DC.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/sari.kopitnikoff" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Goin to The Mall" border="0" data-original-height="843" data-original-width="843" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0w11JuLM1JdqfvyEdPDOqgH9Gd5Zvndl_po_nh8UGUfYiniMTsROrkbw6gwC4Bm5jw9M53N_coGXbHiQw95TljV0BMA9CyldOwy5v3oBuNfdWDxwcrIdp7xbR_KU2IJK49V-C_eoKmFepgGyhWulbd1VmQMo0yc0aZwjXm2tH5BikWX9cX_Hi0qVDwn0/w400-h400/When%20Going%20to%20The%20Mall.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>But - also, like many of his fellow New MexiJews - <b><span style="color: #073763;">Abq Jew</span></b> was there in spirit, and was able to follow the livestreamed speakers, music, and events from the Land of Enchantment.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-773312" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="2023 March for Israel" border="0" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="822" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbzVX9QAMcMdi4acPy4J4VnE2ljysNWZfzEzEXKEl8NOf9AcNhdophyphenhyphenmEO1Tptwb_mWVE4VqcBGvMvofDplzbd9jZRrg8suoG7EpFq5qsymfsGBrXfUm9Kcj-DrrTyfBRaY-eTZuWzSLmVV0BV7aLK48c3CqVitLXuWJcj_a1so7QahyphenhyphenS3Vvqgixe5e-A/w400-h261/2023%20March%20for%20Israel1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Here is what Marcela Homsany and Amy Klein wrote in the <a href="https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-773312" target="_blank">Jerusalem Post</a> today:<div><div></div><blockquote><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Close to 300,000 march for Israel in Washington, decry antisemitism</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;">According to the organizers, this has been the largest pro-Israel rally in the history of the United States.</span></i></b></div><div><br /></div><div><div>WASHINGTON – Close to 300,000 demonstraters gathered in Washington on Tuesday for the March for Israel, to demand the release of hostages under Hamas captivity, and demonstrate their determination to combat the increasing levels of antisemitism since October 7.</div><div><br /></div><div>According to the organizers, this has been the largest pro-Israel rally in the history of the United States. At the rally, the humming of Hatikvah carried throughout the crowd for what seemed to be miles, while Israeli flags painted the multitude of attendees in blue and white.</div><div><br /></div><div>The rally was organized by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations (CoP) and the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA). Estimates early in the day named the rally as the biggest one in support of Israel in the US to date.</div></div></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.marchforisrael.org/event-recap/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="March for Israel" border="0" data-original-height="623" data-original-width="900" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqwQey3xTZ-NRuz5NWWmzkSrlyOj0O5qdNLqnelHuH-rKx-MKVLLQEX9GYa_th1p4PAXNp6dNRAqvh6CQoyS0ffdeDQETRrP5QwtDSatMvnKEGv3xx4zHPTX5UrZz7SReRbPFrfP8l6Pvch8tP3Eh2llsEsTTCN4Cpog6xSL6MM1l91OI2JxHcOfy3c1Y/w400-h278/2023%20March%20for%20Israel0.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>One of the <a href="https://youtu.be/X0p6ef_G4TY?si=lGpRlUvbXWCN1Xim" target="_blank">best speeches of the day</a> was by Deborah Lipstadt, United States Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Anti-Semitism. Here is what Jacob Magid reported from the March in the <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/biden-envoy-at-pro-israel-rally-those-chanting-glory-to-the-martyrs-are-inciting-hatred/" target="_blank">Times of Israel</a>:</div><div><div></div><blockquote></blockquote></div><div><blockquote><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Biden envoy at pro-Israel rally: Those chanting ‘glory to the martyrs’ are inciting hatred</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>“As a representative from President Biden and Vice President Harris and the United States government, I can tell you without hesitation, regardless of party or political persuasion at the White House or in the Congress at home, and abroad. This government stands shoulder to shoulder against Jew hatred,” [Deborah Lipstadt] says to cheers.</div><div><br /></div><div>“Today in America we give antisemitism no sanction, no foothold, no tolerance, not on campus, not in our schools, not in our neighborhoods, not in our streets or the streets of our cities. Not in our government. Nowhere. not now, not ever,” Lipstadt declares.</div></blockquote><p></p><blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">“When protesters chant ‘Peace and glory to the martyrs,’ that incites more hatred, more deaths.”</span></p><p>“It is a danger to the values and underpinning of the stability and decency of any society anywhere in the world. Hate is not a zero-sum game, hate and violence directed at any member of our society because of who they are is un-American and wrong."</p></blockquote></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/X0p6ef_G4TY" width="420" youtube-src-id="X0p6ef_G4TY"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>Another <a href="https://youtu.be/Ol5cStRHpSQ?si=ZfSNcAcCtlXngMw-" target="_blank">great speech</a> was by Democratic Congressman Ritchie Torres (NY-15), whose district includes heavily-Jewish Riverdale. Torres told the crowd</div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Not everyone calling for a ceasefire wants Israel <br />to cease to exist. But everyone who wants Israel <br />to cease to exist is calling for a ceasefire.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ol5cStRHpSQ" width="420" youtube-src-id="Ol5cStRHpSQ"></iframe></div><p>The best sign (and there were a lot of very good ones) seen at the March?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/turn-your-fear-on-campus-into-activism/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="We Go Chai" border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjitifYcrNokpfYbEu132E1gfE6iPb4CQ05hgxwIo4CCBMKgDCA36382Rj6ZG4OBE-ceVxdN3T2phxPg6j0CzEoRNo4fZ8TFnbYjzbj3PogdRNdNC7xyVi2EfBC-6LlLZM5Fbs3l__uMX4nXOIADMPuTKp_2yvzH_7RbLbYVSnZxpZGkrIw9blyBUmqQx0/w400-h250/we-go-chai-640x400.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">And let us all say -</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-773326" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Am Yisrael Chai" border="0" data-original-height="149" data-original-width="500" height="119" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvozPkFeT3-8OzaadhAAIkBVKmtRmcjhcJ4uJ8zjQ_0j1JfBu-KhVuxIctg_o7-1M29rW80KoCS4qkAecdQHHLeRwg-XWWLLcmEiPr8yF19obLEgh0bQ_VJxtD52kZuzAjEXaOsNgJ5ou5xV4RjkSGrJTiJOKFhTbRKMGXhijojUc6_-OQsVB5gv-GayI/w400-h119/Am%20Yisrael%20Chai%20HaNegina.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Abq Jewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05790168328499207929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4011046654200721466.post-52423189551973245362023-11-08T19:15:00.003-07:002023-11-08T19:20:03.094-07:00At the End of the Rainbow<p><b style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #990000;">And They're Married</span></b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">! </span><b style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #073763;">Mr & Mrs Abq J</span></b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #073763;">ew</span></b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space-collapse: preserve;">are thrilled, thrilled to announce the marriage of our wonderful daughter Alex to the equally wonderful Jake. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.redmaplevineyard.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Under Chuppah" border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEwSGOLZMs1zgeZaja_Zw4HY0_lENlWNDfkRqrxamasOMjfw4MyA8-JKHxwnUt1cEr5Ro0TJUKhoprKA6lfmX8OF583VAllCg7YD3GSwq6W2zZKnFDsPiYNH0a50E6lOPMdQKTPN6ljiqFr9Z_bQaWvxwON5EntgxtHGVFAGSyQqBEKa_XUyFtSjPMs4U/s16000/Under%20Chuppah1%20420w.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #050505; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">We wish you mazeltov! </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">
Long life, love, happiness, and prosperity!</span></span></p><span style="color: #050505; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.redmaplevineyard.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; white-space-collapse: collapse;" target="_blank"><img alt="First Dance" border="0" data-original-height="502" data-original-width="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjda-YSt7-Yy7aC4ebT9H7-Q3HIuMZMIrgOKPA6VfD8qGSbA9Mx2nYS0reTQYCiv4WJ3JWWhxhKujW_955UdzHtoF4ObcXbdIIYbWw9mRGfsDlQ4sWcQgUUQ-0C7djfcP9jgLgJLhuTg2gXliZtu0sfsSJ4R1TDZlZc72oazwHCYW6LKIVnssC6aJ2pZag/s16000/First%20Dance%20Cropped%20420w.jpg" /></a></div></span><p style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #050505; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #050505; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><a href="https://www.redmaplevineyard.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Dance Lift" border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWKm-E__zmbm8haLzGnUkjfSZlRmovZvImyMF9MuFpjMqRV0Zvol7oHsTRv3a4HPJIiHqJvFktiX0fb0tWwsiSthmD97q8CMa3oW5bHPJOys0uFqynRJH-CoqGC1PV0QDAsur5gMcwYunP4M36rQl_hChSWsddFeZgC6xkEc23YT2DivF4ndZkXrIios4/s16000/Dance%20Lift%20420w.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #050505; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><p style="background-color: white; color: black; text-align: center; white-space-collapse: collapse;"><span style="color: #050505; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">Red Maple Vineyard</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">
West Park, New York
November 5, 2023</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: black; text-align: center; white-space-collapse: collapse;"><span style="color: #050505; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #050505; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="246" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DCzhxF_-0Bo" width="420" youtube-src-id="DCzhxF_-0Bo"></iframe></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: x-large; white-space-collapse: preserve;">A kiss at the end of the rainbow</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: large; white-space-collapse: preserve;">
more precious than a pot of gold!</span></div><span style="color: #050505; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>Abq Jewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05790168328499207929noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4011046654200721466.post-83323910699899947412023-11-01T13:30:00.001-06:002023-11-01T13:30:00.145-06:00For All These Things 5784<p><b><span style="color: #990000;">Singing Is Believing</span></b>: In April 2018, at the time of Israel's 70th anniversary of independence, the social-musical initiative known as <a href="https://www.koolulam.com/" target="_blank">Koolulam</a> (see <a href="https://www.abqjew.net/2018/04/for-all-these-things-israel-70.html" target="_blank">For All These Things: Israel @ 70</a>) showed us how Yom HaAtzmaut should be done. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiWuH3x5UE-kuC7dpDZQxPIyKigkZEjRKHeqAuXPzgcP9pxYAHEZWTHNJS3GeuwFrk2tOO-RlElvipJZIj-dFAHJBtL3tfggf7XasA_hnSFpQnmy9bq8ouamYdI18lb8BIeNBBJ9zCBLRswqXZlmU14bnVh9V3ijDHoXVfC3Uvgi9aFTVtDroQYvG-aDw/s460/Two%20Giraffes%20Color2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Two Color Giraffes" border="0" data-original-height="319" data-original-width="460" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiWuH3x5UE-kuC7dpDZQxPIyKigkZEjRKHeqAuXPzgcP9pxYAHEZWTHNJS3GeuwFrk2tOO-RlElvipJZIj-dFAHJBtL3tfggf7XasA_hnSFpQnmy9bq8ouamYdI18lb8BIeNBBJ9zCBLRswqXZlmU14bnVh9V3ijDHoXVfC3Uvgi9aFTVtDroQYvG-aDw/w400-h278/Two%20Giraffes%20Color2.png" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ah, the spirit! the love! the music! <br /><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> thinks we need this now.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">As Abq Jew pointed out last week (see <a href="https://www.abqjew.net/2023/10/the-story-continues.html" target="_blank">The Story Continues</a>), in Israel, there are weddings - many, many weddings - taking place. Acts of resistance. And here, too, in America. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Simcha - joy - takes precedence over mourning. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggbIzeqdhyxgm8MIVcWyp3OVUWlhVeIJaalvoTINxSmxnmuzGLq_YUb-wp3EgG3LyDgQlOY04O1eAU_mgZjCjosErgF-GaXw86yUmS1rZy9jz2_A2gfCJgd_vOaNvQQxE4zvwvZYeb2iGGq0cGe-Cg8F3s-d7ITwmL6s5NyBE9cVaGmjMoTf_uusCvDoc/s468/Ivdu%20Et%20Hashem%20BiSimcha.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Simcha" border="0" data-original-height="107" data-original-width="468" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggbIzeqdhyxgm8MIVcWyp3OVUWlhVeIJaalvoTINxSmxnmuzGLq_YUb-wp3EgG3LyDgQlOY04O1eAU_mgZjCjosErgF-GaXw86yUmS1rZy9jz2_A2gfCJgd_vOaNvQQxE4zvwvZYeb2iGGq0cGe-Cg8F3s-d7ITwmL6s5NyBE9cVaGmjMoTf_uusCvDoc/w400-h91/Ivdu%20Et%20Hashem%20BiSimcha.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p>Back in 2018, <b style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"> was tipped off to the Koolulam project by </span><a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/on-israels-70th-become-a-part-of-history-as-you-look-back-on-it/" style="background-color: white; color: #2b00b3; font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">The Times of Israel</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">, which reported</span></p><p></p><blockquote><p>Koolulam, the social singing initiative that’s taken Israel by storm, started celebrating earlier when it gathered 12,000 people, including President <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reuven_Rivlin" target="_blank">Reuven Rivlin</a>, musician Shlomi Shabat, Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai and MK Gila Gamliel at Tel Aviv’s Menora Mivtachim Arena to sing <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naomi_Shemer" target="_blank">Naomi Shemer</a>’s iconic “<a href="https://youtu.be/oxzR9Z-kG6Q?si=WJvGMrGh2FmTiuNp" target="_blank">Al Kol Eleh</a>,” “For All These Things,” in preparation for Israel’s 70th. </p></blockquote><p></p><blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #073763; font-size: x-large;">על כל אלה - על כל אלה</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #073763; font-size: x-large;">שמור נא לי אלי הטוב</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #073763; font-size: x-large;">על הדבש ועל העוקץ</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #073763; font-size: x-large;">על המר והמתוק</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #073763; font-size: x-large;">אל נא תעקור נטוע</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #073763; font-size: x-large;">אל תשכח את התקווה</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #073763; font-size: x-large;">השיבני ואשובה</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #073763; font-size: x-large;">אל הארץ הטובה</span></div></blockquote><p></p><blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">Over all these things, over all these things</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">Please stand guard for me my good God </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">Over the honey and the stinger</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">Over the bitter and the sweet</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">Don’t uproot a sapling</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">Don’t forget the hope</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">May you return me, and may I return</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">To the good land </span></div></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oxzR9Z-kG6Q" width="420" youtube-src-id="oxzR9Z-kG6Q"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB_jq9hDUEO8oDxuo0W__sUvEIzbBzGoaFUm7-s3mq3ZGrF0tYq5PN-GsEXFXe30e7IxMy8BfDBS5FPqAAVyUstHWUkdLVb57CVrsLoEzVXYm3hDqEB_frj6JY7Df-SwWUGuMDvNoF7QKOc_MRvPgNIjGuDQkxdRv9hUK8A8gck6vfWxC5H96aezndtBE/s468/LeHayyim%20To%20Life.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="LeChaim" border="0" data-original-height="366" data-original-width="468" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB_jq9hDUEO8oDxuo0W__sUvEIzbBzGoaFUm7-s3mq3ZGrF0tYq5PN-GsEXFXe30e7IxMy8BfDBS5FPqAAVyUstHWUkdLVb57CVrsLoEzVXYm3hDqEB_frj6JY7Df-SwWUGuMDvNoF7QKOc_MRvPgNIjGuDQkxdRv9hUK8A8gck6vfWxC5H96aezndtBE/w400-h313/LeHayyim%20To%20Life.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Abq Jewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05790168328499207929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4011046654200721466.post-34912509276598659102023-10-24T11:53:00.002-06:002023-10-25T10:51:45.119-06:00The Story Continues<p><b><span style="color: #990000;">We Begin Again</span></b>: On Shabbat, October 14, 2023, Albuquerque Jews (and a few million others) were privileged to be able to observe - right over our heads, at the 2023 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta - an annular solar eclipse. </p><p>In which the moon did not entirely block the sun, but instead obscured all but a "ring of fire" that continued to light our world.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://balloonfiesta.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Balloon Fiesta Eclipse" border="0" data-original-height="505" data-original-width="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJijcOXks-_eTk65gFRgyzMU99dj2_BHiO1LLgdnAs0t4zY43wK9RoSkB6rxj9GrBUyoWw2DmGp2-WnmDAQ4WYKARnbp5u6p6cxgxv5fNljU1YeBYy1pnvMu_eS7ICw8AIfMj8PtJA6y0ZfcXQaz95jx4ibg2_wsdgpCTIDlM2G98rVQkdbPxwZ0hmWVE/s16000/Balloon%20Fiesta%202023%20Eclipse%20420w.jpg" /></a></p><p>Exactly one week before this rare and exciting event, Albuquerque Jews (and a few million others) were horrified to be able to observe - in our own homeland - the most terrifying murder of our fellow Jews since the Holocaust.</p><p>What can we learn from these two events, so diametrically opposed? <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Abq Jew</span></b> is (as you may have noticed) no <i>darshan</i>, but is able to offer the following:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Every now and then, an eclipse does happen.</li><li>The sun shines fully before an eclipse, and shines again afterward.</li><li>Even during an eclipse, the sun is still shining; we just can't see it.</li><li>An eclipse lasts but a short time; the sun and moon are forever.</li></ul><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">And yet we Jews are shaking right now.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.darahorn.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Dara Horn" border="0" data-original-height="955" data-original-width="1268" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTXdfC0YkYqoQ_NQtiRLzrv4kmuIkQ3JRP8mSy2QcfNep4aYhCZoFtKk1clOTelWjMOxaCs3W82ZJJYSKf-rZYN_uildzYg4CvRwXRXPi_xk6DqbV9GDI-93ghZe_MCT62_-ncAPthCWKmPJfnFbs2_GHcQ39qdlIY761iEg6Lj5qlXc5gsYnE4Qsq_E4/w400-h301/People%20Love%20Dara%20Horn.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">As Dara Horn wrote this week in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/22/opinion/hamas-israel-jews-massacre.html?unlocked_article_code=1.5Ew.W0Fw._clq5X7dPHzi%E2%88%A3=em-share" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></b></p><blockquote><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Why Jews Cannot Stop Shaking Right Now</span></b></p><p>There is a reason so many Jews cannot stop shaking right now. The concept of intergenerational trauma doesn’t begin to describe the dark place into which this month’s attack plunged Jewish communities around the world.</p><p>On Oct. 7, a Jewish holiday, Hamas terrorists went house to house in southern Israel murdering and abducting children and grandparents, pulling them from their beds, displaying victims’ dead bodies online, in a massacre of at least 1,400 people. In at least one instance, terrorists were reported to have uploaded a video of the murder of one victim to her own social media account for her family to discover.</p><p>The feeling of deep dread that these atrocities stirred in Jews was horribly familiar. This is what Jewish history has all too often looked like: not civilians tragically killed in war but civilians publicly targeted, tortured and murdered, with the crimes put on public display. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Accounts of past crowd-pleasing killings are folded into Jewish tradition; every Yom Kippur, we recount the public torture and execution of rabbis by their Roman oppressors in a packed second-century stadium. Those ancient stories are consistent with the experiences of the more immediate ancestors of nearly every Jew alive today.</p><p>I’m not even talking about the Holocaust, which several of last week’s oldest escapees and victims also endured. (Far more Jews were killed on Oct. 7 than on Kristallnacht.) </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>No, I’m thinking of the Farhud pogrom in 1941 Baghdad, a two-day rampage in which hundreds of Jews were raped, tortured and murdered. I’m thinking of the pogroms of 1918 to 1921 in Ukraine, in which an estimated 100,000 Jews were slaughtered in organized massacres, reminiscent of this month’s attack.</p><p>I’m thinking of the lynching of Leo Frank in Georgia in 1915, after which the delighted crowd’s snapshots of Frank’s body were made into postcards mailed around the country and pieces of his clothing were sold as souvenirs. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>I’m thinking of how many of the earliest books off Europe’s first printing presses were about the executions of Jews accused of blood libel and of a 10th-century massacre of thousands of Jews in the Spanish caliphate encouraged by a poem calling for Jewish blood and of the paintings and illuminated manuscripts showing Jews who were burned alive by the Spanish Inquisition and during the Black Death — all crowd-pleasing events celebrated in popular media and art.</p><p>Even ancient Romans celebrated their destruction of Judea by issuing commemorative coins featuring a bound Jewish woman and inscribed with the words “Judaea capta.” The humiliation and murder of Jews have always made a great meme.</p><p>Many American Jews, like Jews around the world, are descendants of those who survived. Our ancestors, in one way or another, were the ones who either made lucky decisions or barely made it out alive from Lodz and Kyiv and Aleppo and Tehran.</p><p>For diaspora Jews, the recent attacks were not distant overseas events. As was true in ancient times, the ties between global Jewish communities and Israel are concrete, specific, intimate and personal. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>My New Jersey Jewish Federation has institutional ties with the southern Israeli town of Ofakim and its surrounding communities, sharing annual home stays with a place whose death toll from the attacks already exceeds that of the notorious Kishinev pogrom of 1903, in which 49 Jews were murdered. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Millions of American Jews, not to mention Jews in Britain, France, Australia and elsewhere, have friends and relatives in Israel. Even if Hamas hadn’t made it clear that they see all Jews as targets, our connection is personal and all too real.</p><p>We spent days desperately scrolling to learn who among our acquaintances was dead, maimed or captive, connecting American hostages’ families with State Department contacts, attending panic-stricken online briefings and pooling resources and supplies for victims — all while fighting obtuse official statements from our own towns, schools, companies and universities that refused to mention the words “Israel” or “Jews” in referring to the largest single-day massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, lest some antisemite take offense at the existence of either.</p><p>We have tried to get our children off social media, shielding them from images of the violence. We’ve held mass fasts, recited psalms and sung ancient prayers for the rescue of captives. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>And as we gather by the thousands despite our many contradictory opinions and despite the extra security required for our gatherings even here, we have returned to the words of our ancestors that have carried us through thousands of years: </p></blockquote><blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Be strong and courageous. Choose life.</span></p><p>Many of us were physically carrying those words during the weekend of the attack, celebrating Simchat Torah, a joyous holiday when congregations dance with Torah scrolls, read the Torah’s final words and then scroll back to the beginning to start the book again.</p><p>As a child, I found this baffling. Why read the same story over and over, when we already know what happens? As an adult, I know that while the story doesn’t change, we do. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What defines Jewish life is not history’s litany of horror but the Jewish people’s creative resilience in the face of it. </span></p></blockquote><blockquote><p>In the wake of many catastrophes over millenniums, we have wrestled with God and one another, reinvented our traditions, revived our language, rebuilt our communities and found new meanings in our old stories of freedom and responsibility, each story animated by the improbable and unwavering belief that people can change.</p><p>Right now many of us feel trapped in this old, old story, doom-scrolling through images with terrible outcomes. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>But in our grief, I remind myself that each year as we finish the reading of the Torah, we immediately, at that very moment — and at the moment of this newest, oldest horror — scroll back to the story of creation and the invention of universal human dignity. </p></blockquote><p></p><blockquote><div style="text-align: center;">We recall, once again, that</div><div style="text-align: center;">every human is made in the divine image. </div></blockquote><p></p><blockquote><span style="text-align: center;"></span></blockquote><blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The story continues; we begin again.</span></p></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://afmda.org/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Wedding Army" border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmFxqkHJaykw_Wo6bMElh1WxDZNxq9jLBlCfJEEeKA2B-NlMqNARsQ4EF3HjxXCMo2l1S2tn9zHeJwhoB3WjezgXGbkW_y_PiU7h1LzYh0Pys9sufdEtpPYvarTIulxgIEpxq4CEit5bLq46XYl4AiQ6nwu4G-BjRGWJIHLOUjdd_RPzcvibFpmcesNBo/s16000/2023%20Wedding%20Army%20420w.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">Many of us are mourning the more than 1400 of our Israeli cousins who have been taken from us. And some of us </span><span style="background-color: white;">are mourning more personal losses of family members and old, dear friends.</span></span></div><div><p style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And yet in Israel, there are weddings - many, many weddings - taking place. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Simcha - joy - takes precedence over mourning.</span></p><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There is a <a href="https://lilith.org/2020/09/why-didnt-the-funeral-procession-cross-the-road/" style="color: #c054a9; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">story in the Talmud</a> of two processions – a wedding procession and a funeral procession – that meet at an intersection too narrow to allow both to pass. One of the processions will need to step aside to allow the other to progress; but which one should go first? </span></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The rabbis concluded that the wedding procession should get the right of way. Why? Because hope and optimism about the future (as represented by the bride and groom) should always take precedence over the past. We are a people who believe in the future – even in the face of sadness.</span></blockquote></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.sinaitemple.org/about/clergy-senior-staff/rabbi-david-wolpe/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Rabbi David Wolpe" border="0" data-original-height="380" data-original-width="380" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEREMCx7dy_MA-BN7KPrsGtNNtdamVhstxJLoEWy0Cog8A1y2LF8K_kmKEHCdGTPuTEh-Is7tmmwpRjs76cdYAKWezzACqRLj7cHt8UncVFZMOhJV6FK-CX9pCzwSEjxNwBuDtD2hYMoNmP-cO2s81wWdl_LxoUziQGmHNSn_g-pAiVGHGjMqMGky_SlQ/w400-h400/David%20Wolpe.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">And Rabbi David Wolpe reminds us:</span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In the midst of rage and pain and loss, </span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">take a breath and a moment </span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">to renew your soul with the beauty of the world, </span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">the love of others who care, and the recognition </span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">of that which is greater than any of us.</span></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://heichalhanegina.blogspot.com/2006/01/od-avinu-chai-niggun-from-parsha-of.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Am Yisrael Chai" border="0" data-original-height="149" data-original-width="500" height="119" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-X-oGOjJ7EyXxtvXxKtPp6OkMYSL2B7e5PB6mBPB45G2Su4cebTkDLOPKJHML35gT2yb4fuBfU24GqvK4MYB04fjv5nvUueQWqXIIt5Tfz7oob6_6Y2s0iejalOQ001UQaSsFqqGCv29c3zfyR1MvUEvWWv9pQYgBKfpd_s3yPfMc_A4Kl0lC6W2_wY/w400-h119/Am%20Yisrael%20Chai%20HaNegina.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><blockquote cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@kermitmafrog/video/7281432361139473706" class="tiktok-embed" data-video-id="7281432361139473706" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;"> </blockquote> <script async="" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script><p></p>Abq Jewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05790168328499207929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4011046654200721466.post-69509697902262799612023-10-18T13:43:00.005-06:002023-10-18T13:50:41.973-06:00Learning From Our Pain<p><b><span style="color: #990000;">Kabbalat Shabbat at Temple Beth Shalom</span></b>: <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">On Friday, October 13th, Kabbalat Shabbat services were held at Temple Beth Shalom, led by Rabbi Neil Amswych and Cantor Lianna Mendelson. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: large;">NOTE:</span></b> <br />You may wish to scroll down and read <a href="https://www.abqjew.net/2023/10/santa-fe-vigil-for-israel.html" target="_blank">Santa Fe Vigil for Israel</a> first.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.sftbs.org/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Temple Beth Shalom" border="0" data-original-height="504" data-original-width="600" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU63dLiLms-fTVYfAFWobl13UV8dtiatqeSzgqTDzyV9KPWgH_7vQqws_z5GdITx9w0jdvAllwCTPnYZwa51QsXxY5Im7Rh7pcItmHyJFnvwSm1IVaMgJB3YrAXkNPouMPpAqQJJy4VLhMT7g8ii0R7rJzXuAesjeIrCczRhAVX_0apz4xNXkVJ_1PAE0/w400-h336/2023%20TBS%20600x504.png" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Here is Rabbi Amswych's sermon.</b></span></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/neil.amswych" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Rav Neil Amswych" border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="700" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC-6eYJjxaIB_GiD-nPCAFBCUaUhWZf1uQ78I4Vty4Qu0QKcmmMgbtsXNmS5wKGiV4IQHq3A4xy0dyqoL4wcm4ZvYbnPlboP_KdPErp6HK_xEQekDIqypO0oU-uhR_v4gBQ4-VPFyY-6mhyDiRYPKzIjNSe78E_Md8HA04LWhDRm4IjHDAkR17-IbXL08/w400-h266/Rav%20Neil%20Amswych%20700w.jpg" width="400" /></a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #20124d; font-size: x-large;">Learning From Our Pain</span></b></div></b><p></p><p>When over a thousand Jews were deliberately slaughtered on one day last week, other than the profound sense of loss and the resurgence of the historical trauma, suddenly an overwhelming number of Jews felt very alone. </p><p>Yes, some governments posted the Israeli flag on famous landmarks in support, but on social media there was almost silence, except by Jews. Hardly any messages of comfort, hardly any messages of consolation. </p><p>When the Charlie Hebdo massacre happened, everyone wrote “Je suis Charlie” on their Facebook profiles. When Russia invaded Ukraine, everyone changed their Facebook profile picture to the Ukrainian flag. </p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">But when 1200 Jews are slaughtered in a single day, there was social media silence… except by one group – those who were celebrating. </span></p><p>As pro-Palestinian demonstrators in Sydney chanted “Gas the Jews,” others in America publicly praised the murderous terrorists for beheaded babies as part of their struggle for liberation. Suddenly, vast swathes of the Jewish community felt profoundly attacked. So, we hoped for friends, colleagues, to turn around and offer silence, but little came. </p><p>Higher Educational establishments were silent in their condemnation of the murderous rampage while professors and student groups celebrated what they stated were acts of decolonization, because they have for so long equated the State of Israel as a colonialist project and have only been able to do so by starting the history of Israel a hundred years ago, instead of the two thousand years, during which time there have always been Jews in the land, to a greater or lesser extent. </p><p>Rallies called for an end to 75 years of occupation, despite the fact that Gaza and the West Bank were occupied in 1967, which means that America’s currently best educated were saying that the entire State of Israel is an occupation and the only way to end it is to end the state of Israel, which is exactly what Hamas wants to do. </p><p>From far left to far right across the political spectrum, countless politicians blamed the Jews for the attack on their own people.</p><p>In the face of these attacks, could we at least rely on our friends and colleagues to support us? Their silence was deafening. A smattering of interfaith colleagues got in touch and offered support. They had learned from the Congregation Beth Israel hostage crisis in 2022 that when one Jew is attacked, all Jews are attacked. They had learned of the fear that every Jew feels when one Jew is attacked. </p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">But most did not. </span></p><p>Now, vast swathes of the Jewish community felt not just attacked but profoundly alone. Some personal friends who have learned the lessons of recent attacks reached out immediately. </p><p>But the Interfaith Leadership Alliance of Santa Fe, of which I was President for 6 years, failed to condemn the attacks or offer support. The local Catholic Church failed to reach out or to condemn the attacks. Not one politician in the first few days reached out. </p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">It was a profoundly lonely time, and apparently I wasn’t the only person experiencing this silence – it was experienced by countless Jews all around the world. </span></p><p>It was only when Jewbook – as Jewish social media is often called – started to publicly point out both that silence implies consent and also that the Jewish community was scared and in need of support – only then did people start getting in touch. It’s been a week, and now the calls are slowly coming in. </p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Why did this happen? Is the Jewish community always bound to be alone? Is there an existential loneliness to the Jew, trying to get one foot into society but constantly being reminded how far the other foot is also outside society? </span></p><p>For a few days, it definitely felt like it, and I know that for many Jews that is still the case. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://zakaworld.org/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Israel Flag" border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="466" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyLXlhUJqimL4Iy5eFnjmRWO4TSpkjwXEUrcAAzHbBlvESbVK2sfw-ZPNMkORjpmXFVm8osNjNEdhpk9WI3W6rb0j8BkmzQkoQKo6Wnh6lHxokgV5m2wx9rrzoHqsvJc7KuXvtRLH-btYudBNaGl4y5VF9LT6zZnaF2ZDY1jTsevDNL0kPzPcuVmdnyNY/w400-h400/546826_4229568691104_645879947_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Talking to my friends, though, I have come to believe that there are four reasons why there was such a lack of response to Jewish mass murder. </p><p><b>Firstly and most importantly</b>, the idea that when one Jew is attacked all Jews are attacked is actually alien to those outside the Jewish community. </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>Had they known Israelis, they might have reached out to them and their families…. Although I know some Israeli families who went uncontacted for a long time. Not all but many - perhaps most - non-Jews literally don’t understand the idea that all Jews are family. Added to that, they don’t understand generational trauma. </p><p>They don’t understand what it is to need security at their place of worship. They don’t ever consider whether they might be attacked simply for who they are, and that no place is truly safe. They don’t know what it is to be the victim of hatred for thousands of years. They don’t understand fear. They literally don’t get it. </p></blockquote><p><b>The second reason</b> that I believe that there was so little response for so long was because there is so much suffering in the world that everyone is overwhelmed. </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>On the same day as the terror attack by Hamas, the first of a number of earthquakes hit western Afghanistan. When we’re awash with horror every day that doesn’t affect us personally, we become so desensitized to it. Twice as many people died in those earthquakes as Jews who died in the terror attack, so which should they care about more if they have no personal attachment to either? </p><p>The problem with global information is that we’re not mentally capable of processing it. Which is more tragic to the non-Jewish observer – that 1200 Israelis died or that 2400 Afghans died? In the end, there’s only so much pain that people can carry, and only so many crises that they can respond to.</p></blockquote><p><b>The third reason</b> for people not being in touch, I think, is the utterly abhorrent narrative about Israel being a colonial project. </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>I went to a presentation years ago in England where a woman said that there were no Jews in Israel before 1948. I know that there are people locally who teach that Israel is the white man’s attempt to colonize land belonging to brown people. </p><p>The only way to say such a thing is to be totally ignorant of Judaism, to be totally ignorant of two thousand years of daily prayers yearning to return to the land. Any history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that starts with Zionism, or with 1948, is always going to be skewed against the Jews. </p><p>So, when people who know nothing of this hear of Israelis dying, they imagine Native Americans rising up against cowboys, or Indians or Zulus against the British Army. Murder against innocent civilians becomes an act of defiance against tyranny. </p><p>As a result, so many of those who struggle against oppression end up aligning themselves with terrorists – minority groups say that the plight of the Palestinians is like their own plight – so they perversely end up supporting people who would gladly murder them for their beliefs, for their faith or for their sexual orientation. </p><p>Consciously or unconsciously, they couldn’t see victims of terror in a blatant terrorist attack. The ignorance is profound when you consider how many Palestinians have died in the response to the terror attack – how anyone could celebrate it as anything positive for Palestinians is bewildering. </p></blockquote><p><b>The fourth reason</b> that I think many non-Jews stayed out of touch with Jews in the liberal community is because liberal people struggle to admit that evil truly exists. </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>Evil is always explained away as a lack of education, as a result of poverty, or as something that can be fixed. The moral underpinning of all liberal thought is that everything can be improved. Most people have no experience of evil, they have witnessed it from afar on the news but they have never faced it. </p><p>Because they have no personal experience of it, when it appears in the news, they can explain it away. </p><p>It can’t be that bad, Jews can’t be facing unmitigated evil, they must have provoked it in some way, or it must just be because of the abject poverty in the Gaza Strip. I don’t need to console them because they must have somehow caused it. </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>It’s the deicide accusation in another form – anything bad that happens to the Jews can’t be because of our intolerance but must be because they killed our God. This must be nuanced – nobody can be that evil – and who wants to wade into a nuanced situation? </p></blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Where does this leave us, the Jewish community? </span></p><p>It leaves us feeling lonely, for sure, but I think it also leaves us with a mission. After thousands of years of being excluded from society, after thousands of years of mainstream society turning a blind eye to our pain, we have to show the rest of the world what it means to be Jewish. </p><p>We have to teach those who have been indifference what their indifference has done to us and, as a result, done to them. We have to help them to see that not all pain is the same. </p><p>This morning, I received a call from the office of a certain politician – I won’t say who. Their staff person offered their support and asked how we were doing. I explained that we were mourning. She replied, “I know exactly how you feel.” “No. You don’t.” I had to tell her. </p><p>Many of them just don’t get it, so we have to teach them. We have to teach them to care for every oppressed people. We have to teach them what pain is, what fear is, so that they can help reduce it. </p><p>Maybe that is our Messianic task – not to change the world ourselves but to be <i>or lagoyim</i> – a light to the nations showing them how they also need to profoundly change. We cannot assume that the world cares about us, we have to show the world how to care about us and why. I think that process has started. </p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">But we have a long way to go. </span></p><p>May our pain from this week and our experience of profound loneliness in the days that followed our trauma be what helps to change the world. May the suffering of our people find meaning at least in the transformation of human society. May we all play our part in being <i>or lagoyim</i>. </p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">And let us say, <b>Amen</b>.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://zakaworld.org/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Asterisks" border="0" data-original-height="79" data-original-width="420" height="75" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRyZbNy1R5urxVgH7HNHGFIsyFyBkVP2GRJ5DVqzhDt2EbwTfR5q7MT6xERlogaWssMmnLkmusFrr5Wr9oocLo_I2A96AgQXl_7q73VdbD-4D4Oxvb9Xo9Z-q0Xi58ABi6F4KK0KZhxtSzTVOWWmY993nhN7Tdhh4EsH26Q4ox_gzojTLBO6x_HFMwh1M/w400-h75/Asterisks5.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">A note</span><span style="color: #bf9000;"> </span></b>(Wednesday, October 18) from Rabbi Amswych's <a href="https://www.facebook.com/neil.amswych" target="_blank">Facebook</a> page:<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teresaforall.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCHtffnP3-Q52ALUjTGqa9oIfomTFDKJ8h4oPKh-EZYAN7t9ekpQGQL1y5xegJH68T5bFpPnINefVYDl3p8oVRQzP7ATwKXbRvtt8mwHvHbDTXXraAjYKJv02X8oQziBRYUS8qN-9habDZp4I4f5TQWkYkNAPvmRcyqM1whVTivGfdMAvEOrDfXEznTyw/w133-h200/Teresa%20Leger%20Fernandez.jpg" width="133" /></a></div></div><p></p><p>I just had a twenty-minute conversation with Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernandez. </p><p>She called to condemn the horror of so many Jews being slaughtered, and to offer support to our community. </p><p>She listened as I explained how lonely so many Jews feel right now - not on the international stage but personally. She really heard it.</p><p>She is the only politician in New Mexico to have called to offer support to the Jewish community. I am impressed.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://israelrescue.org/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Am Yisrael Chai" border="0" data-original-height="833" data-original-width="1000" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKlDlm1h9APl0vu7Dzz2UGjKQ_YVNptcfclqQoLsn_7kV_EhhjrMQDtC_7DdVPol8q3qiu0dbMaByBtQ8wwM_SoTqgGa5-fsEU8nkDwBfj4Fp-NVr2nQpU_NFOxSX3ygv7auWIofC0iryqJsSSXccJD5b0J272w4RGKRGLrNcv0CyprUNp0P2kQ-IetlU/w400-h334/We_Stand_With_Israel_Fixed.png" width="400" /></a></p>Abq Jewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05790168328499207929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4011046654200721466.post-52325809536198850852023-10-16T11:45:00.000-06:002023-10-16T11:45:13.344-06:00Santa Fe Vigil for Israel<p><b><span style="color: #990000;">At Temple Beth Shalom</span></b>: On Tuesday, October 10th, the Santa Fe Jewish community held a Cross-Communal Vigil for Israel. It was held at Temple Beth Shalom, and was led by Rabbi Neil Amswych and Cantor Lianna Mendelson.</p><p>The vigil was covered by the <a href="https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/temple-beth-shalom-hosts-vigil-for-israel/article_7b1ea022-67fb-11ee-b5e2-8378a9360754.html" target="_blank">Santa Fe New Mexican</a>, and was recorded by Temple Beth Shalom via <a href="https://venue.streamspot.com/video/4c3b8f4ff7" target="_blank">StreamSpot</a>.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/temple-beth-shalom-hosts-vigil-for-israel/article_7b1ea022-67fb-11ee-b5e2-8378a9360754.html" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="TBS Vigil" border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="1035" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPs4tLxl6Y5wQpqpjZoIVjMp8K6INXDSdmdb4ijHuqmNVOgvnWFhAskAPVHBkFub7xx_W2H3Jl7D2_VVdrlNhGscCMrbSrN86wK6kpitu0z2YkV0gC6yUVofJwihzLZLXUEX0bGde4woI3hHcUuwlWPQxkEDOP5-9Y77RYXt-gvNMAvmopTw84PJH4PXU/w400-h283/TBS%20Vigil%202023.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rabbi Neil Amswych and Cantor Lianna Mendelson lead the group <br />gathered at a cross-communal vigil Tuesday at Temple Beth Shalom<br /> in Santa Fe in prayer and song. <i>Gabriela Campos/The New Mexican</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-size: large;"><b>Here are Rabbi Amswych's words that started the vigil.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We are here because last Shabbat, the greatest pogrom in eighty years against the Jewish people took place, the largest deliberate slaughter of Jews in one day since the Holocaust. </span></p><p>This is yet another horrific chapter in the history of our people. We had hoped and prayed that we were beyond this, that humanity had progressed beyond this point, that there were places where we could truly feel safe. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">But we were wrong. </span></p><p>This is therefore a time of deep trauma, a time of profound mourning and loss, a time when we, the Jewish community, sit in grief. This is a memorial service, as well as a service of prayers for hope, and most importantly, this is a chance to support those among us this evening who have lost family and friends, those who still don’t know what has happened to loved ones, and those who are terrified for the future of their loved ones. </p><p>We come from a wide variety of viewpoints regarding how to create peace in the Middle East but we are not here to discuss that this evening, and we ask that you please respect that tonight - so that we can all support those here tonight who are mourning and those who are suffering from deep, profound trauma. </p><p>Of course, we pray for peace in the world. Of course, we live in the hope that eventually nation will not lift up sword against nation and will never again learn war any more. Of course, all suffering around the world, including in the Middle East, troubles us deeply. Of course, those things are true. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">But that is not why we are gathered here this evening. </span></p><p>We are here because Jews like us, members of our extended family, were hunted in their homes. Beheaded. Shot. Kidnapped. Over a thousand Jews slaughtered indiscriminately by murderous animals in one day. </p><p>Here at Temple Beth Shalom, we actively work for justice and for peace in the Middle East in many differing ways. </p><p>Tonight, that work takes the form of acknowledging the extraordinary pain of our people in the face of monstrous slaughter. </p><p>Tonight, we gather because we have just relearned the lesson that every generation of Jews before us also was forced to learn – that there will always be people who want to kill us, and that we will always, always stand up to them.</p><p>Since the beginning of our people, Amalek has always risen up to try to destroy us. In differing generations, it takes differing forms, but its mission is always the same - not compromise, not peace, not co-existence, but annihilation. </p><p>We have always stood up to their murderous ways, and we always will. Their act of barbarity brings the Jewish community in Santa Fe and around the world closer together. </p><p>Tonight’s Vigil for Israel is led by clergy from four differing Jewish communities here in Santa Fe - by me, Rabbi Neil, and Cantor Lianna from Temple Beth Shalom, by Rabbi Jack Shlachter from HaMakom, by Rabbi Martin Levy from Beit Tikvah, and by Rabbi Berel Levertov from Chabad. </p><p>We also have two of many Israeli members from the Santa Fe Jewish community participating this evening. Cantor Cindy [Freedman, of HaMakom] and Cantor Ephraim [Herrera, of Beit Tikvah] were not able to be with us this evening, although they absolutely wanted to be. We are united across this Jewish community in our absolute condemnation of acts of barbarity and terror, and in our support for the existence of the State of Israel. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">When one Jew is attacked, all Jews are attacked. <br />When one Jew is attacked, all Jews are attacked. </span></p><p>To the non-Jews who are here this evening, we profoundly thank you for your presence, and we ask you for two things. </p><p>Firstly, hear our pain and ask what you can do to support us. Don’t assume, ask. Listen before speaking. </p><p>Secondly, speak out against this barbarous pogrom. Condemn it for all its inhumanity. See it for what it is – one of the greatest acts of terrorism of the modern age. The non-Jewish world has for millennia sat by silently while Jews were slaughtered. </p><p>In recent times, it has equivocated, it has tempered condemnation of violence against Jews with subtle and unsubtle critiques of Israel or of the Jewish community. It supported the victim while simultaneously blaming the victim. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We beg you not to do that this time. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;">There is no excuse for invading a country and beheading its babies. There is no justification for hunting down innocent people in their homes. </p><p>You didn’t try to justify what drove homicidal terrorists to murder innocent people decades ago on 9/11 and we beg you not to do the same now. Sit with us, hear our pain, hear our prayers, pray with us, and condemn in the loudest possible terms those who have done this.</p><p>There is much that everyone in this Sanctuary could say about what has happened in the past few days, but we ask that you please allow us to move through our vigil this evening uninterrupted - so that we can provide comfort and support to so many who are here in so much pain. </p><p>This is a vigil to provide support, so please allow us to do that. The horror of what has happened over the last few days, and what is happening now, is monumentally difficult to process. We are here to help as many people process this as possible.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We are here not only this evening - <br />but in the coming days, weeks, and months. </span></p><p>Many of you here may already be experiencing signs of trauma – forgetfulness, feelings of being overwhelmed, lack of sleep, depression – and much more. We are here to support you. If you need confidential pastoral support, we are here for you. That is why we gather in community – to support each other through the good times and the bad.</p><p>I would like to close with a prayer written by Rabbi Karyn Kedar:</p><p></p><blockquote><p><i><span style="color: #20124d;">We gather together, in faith and with hope to pray for peace and for the safety of the people of Israel.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #20124d;">Help us, O Holy One and protect us in our hour of need. Touch our hearts lest they are hardened with despair. Guide our thoughts lest they are overcome with fear.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #20124d;">Bring healing to the wounded, strength to those in mourning, courage to those in fear, wisdom to those who lead.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #20124d;">Yedid nefesh, Beloved One, reveal Yourself and fill the world with Your light. Spread over us the shelter of Your peace. </span></i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i><span style="color: #20124d;">Be quick, God of love, for the time has come. Have mercy upon us, Eternal One of peace.</span></i></p></blockquote><p></p><p>And let us say, <b><span style="color: #20124d;">Amen</span></b>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://afmda.org/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="We Are With You" border="0" data-original-height="842" data-original-width="843" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgare0WhXtEHuxquFAcMGdR4UZYCeyp3CHlNSgKpD7w7qI9maw_-7BRlBCk79MHlRdb-bynuXA-SN54FmhNaL36W093vyPy01n3BGKhUvHxffDmPR0hoUNYSQJML8eFrVDjI8BW72Ermd5psQAMQaD2GtVeKeTEM3lEHcn0G0gallD66TWhnRX1Bkd_Kl8/w400-h400/Our%20Brothers%20and%20Sisters%20in%20Israel%20We%20Are%20With%20You.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Abq Jewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05790168328499207929noreply@blogger.com0