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Today's Postings
Peter Garas in Canberra, Australia: Some people are rude and others are RUDE
Donald H. Harrison in Ramona, California: Getting lost may become too great a luxury
JERUSALEM—We received a text message from Mattan about the killing at the religious academy while having dinner on the south coast of Sicily.
It led me to think further about the comments a week earlier by Mahmoud Abbas, that Israel's activity in Gaza was "worse than the Holocaust," and had been prompted by the minor disturbances of a few rockets.
The killings at the academy were dramatic indications of a crucial difference between the IDF's actions and the Holocaust. The Jews of Europe were killed in industrial fashion because they were Jews, without any threat of violence against the German people. Experts quarrel about the number of Jews killed. Six million is a round number based on estimates. Research has produced different figures, none of them exact or beyond dispute. The statement in Abbas' doctoral dissertation, of less than one million, is so far beneath serious calculations as to approach the concept of Holocaust denial. His comment about a Holocaust against the Palestinians came in the context of military operations that killed 120, at a time when 50 rockets per day were falling on Israel.
Can Israel hope for any accommodation with a polity led by someone like Abbas? Rather than a serious statesman or politician, he recalls the label that a Palestinian student applied to Yassir Arafat early in the most recent intafada: a "dead man walking." From other comments it was possible to understand him as saying that the corruption of Arafat and his colleagues rendered them unfit for national leadership; and that Arafat's waffling between pronouncements about making peace and encouraging violence would make it likely that Israel would punish the Palestinians far more than the Palestinians could punish the Israelis, and end the Palestinian aspirations of nationhood.
Abbas' statements about Holocausts, both 30 years ago and now, make him more than a poor judge of history or current events. By cheapening the Holocaust he is ridiculing a central piece of Israel's memory and culture. His comments make it impossible to rely on him as a partner in discussions where his principal mission is to demand that Israel take risks for the prospect of peace, against a century of Arab violence.
It is not only statements that make Abbas a dead man walking. When he was in nominal control of Gaza with some 30,000 security personnel funded by European and American government donations, he did not stop a small number of men and boys firing homemade rockets from a small section of that small area. Since Abbas' control has been limited to the West Bank, where he has another 30,000 security personnel funded by European and American governments, he has not prevented the organization and arming of gangs intent on violence against Israelis. When killers have surrendered to Palestinian authorities in preference to being pursued by Israeli forces, Abbas' justice system has been assiduous in demanding proof of their guilt, and generous in sentencing them to house arrest which turns out to be casual in the extreme.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni continue to speak of Abbas with respect, to welcome him for discussions, to smile and touch cheeks when they meet.
Is this anything more than lip service to their patron George W. Bush? Or a fig leaf to the Israeli Labor Party and other moderate leftists who aspire to peace no matter what the odds? Or is a recognition that Abbas is the best that the Palestinians can offer as a leader? Without him they are likely to enter a period of political chaos likely to worsen the problems in their security services and other activities. Olmert has been measured in his optimism. He is not counting on an agreement during the Bush presidency. Occasionally he talks about agreements in principle, while waiting on their implementation until the Palestinians prove that they are serious about meeting Israel's demands for security.
At least some of Olmert's colleagues in the government are likely to vote against any kind of potential agreement that the prime minister can achieve. It is easy to foresee that international actors will hold Israel to its side of the bargain even if it explicitly postpones implementation, while they excuse Palestinian lack of compliance as reflecting the problems of a weak entity. Palestinians will insist that subsequent discussions will start with the details of the potential agreement announced by Olmert, and then demand further concessions.
We tried to ignore these issues when enjoying our holiday in Sicily. A Greek temple in Agrigento shows the opulence of the island's history. A political poster attached to an old and tiny Fiat in the streets of Palermo reflects the modest resources that currently prevail.
Sharkansky is professor emeritus of political science at Hebrew University
CANBERRA, Australia—There is an interesting program on the ABC Television here in Australia called "Insight" - I caught the latest episode of this program recently and it was about "manners."
My first reaction was to start to turn the show off - I mean a conversation about manners today in half an hour with an participative audience of over 200 people, "Give me a break."
Well that was my first reaction and it was at this point I realised I was being rude!
I was about to turn off a conversation about manners, because I had made up my mind in that split second that I did not want to listen to what I assumed was going to be drivel and half hearted drivel at that!
How arrogant and insensitive had I become, was the second thought. Do I really disrespect the views of other people so much that I can't afford to hear and try and understand what it is that they want to say?
Apparently so.
Humiliated by my own self realisation and moment of self awareness, I turned up the volume, made myself a coffee, settled into a comfortable chair and started to really do something I had been taught to do at university, I started to do some active listening!
It was amazing how much I learned in the process.
Is it rude to swear? This was one issue that was canvassed.
I nearly fell off my perch when people started to use the "F" word with a great deal of comfort and I began to understand that it had lost its meaning to many of the young people in the room. One teacher brought the house down with her recollection of a time when a young student had told her to "go and "F" him.
Apparently she turned to this young male student glaring at her with defiance in front of a whole mixed gender classroom, brought to silence by the outburst. She looked him up and down, walked around him still studying him from virtually every angle and then in a voice pitched so that it would reach the back of a large hall, she said: "No, not right now thank you and definitely not with YOU!"
I have no idea what the feeling of that student might have been on that occasion, I suspect he would most likely never use that phrase again!
My reaction to the teacher's tale was one of "Hooray for you!"
We then heard from the audience a tale which I guess made my heart stop for a moment as I began to understand something about the behaviour of young people today that I had never thought of before.
A former organiser from the Teacher's Union got up and suggested that young children, pre-schoolers were not 'socially ready' for school. Their parents apparently treated them as precious little individuals who were taught about rights, but not about obligations, who were taught to stand up for themselves, but not how to get on with others, who were taught to expect respect from others, but not that were supposed to show it to others, so by the time they arrived at pre-school or school, they were simply not "socially ready."
Somehow this struck a chord within me and I wondered how accurate she was. Whether her perceptions were coloured by the views of the teachers that she had represented or whether what she was saying was actually part of a broader truth?
I know that for years and years I have held within me various motivating injunctions about how I was to behave. Some of these mores were taught to me by my parents, some were taught to me in cheder, some were belted into me by the school of hard knocks. What these experiences all seemed to have in common though was to bring forth an understanding about balance— something about my having rights, but with the certain knowledge that with each right, there also comes at least one obligation.
I reflected that having probably dozed through the lessons that numerous religious teachers had painstakingly tried to ram into my consciousness, I probably had been just as likely as some of the motley crowd present for this televised discussion to err on the side of rudeness and lack tolerance and manners.
However, when I heard some more stories I started to wonder whether that was true. In my whole life it would never occur to me to be in a crowded train, tram or bus and somehow imagine and pretend that I was a little private cocoon like a 'cone of silence' from an old Get Smart episode on TV, pull out my mobile phone and have a very loud conversation about my life in that public and crowded environment.
In a million years it would not occur to me to leave my cell phone on when I am going to a job interview and if by some accident I did, to not only answer it, but without batting an eye do it on several occasions during the interview, even after the interviewer had suggested that perhaps this was both rude and offensive!
Perhaps having grown up with at least a little religious teaching, just a tad of guidance from my parents and some basic education about what was and what was not acceptable behaviour, I had turned out more or less OK.
Then I thought about the times when I have responded to the comments of others with sarcasm, guilt throws, put downs and started to wonder again whether it was my Yiddishe momma who was responsible or whether I still had some growing up to do!
It's an interesting topic I am still having that debate with myself - I wonder if I should ask for guidance?
Garas is a freelance writer and commentator in Australia's capital city.
AMAZING STORIES OF JUDAISMDvar Torah: Am Yisroel Chai
SAN DIEGO—The Children of Israel, with our unwavering dedication to Hashem and His Torah; and our deep love for each other, will live, survive, and thrive, as the following true story, told by Sharon Millendorf, Program Coordinator, Nefesh B'Nefesh, Jerusalem, Israel, so poignantly illustrates:
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Although I don't usually send out these types of emails, I would like to share the following with all of you. Every morning I take the 35 bus line to work. It's a quick ride and usually takes no more than 12 minutes. The third stop after I get on by the shuk is directly in front of Yeshivat Merkaz HaRav - the site of last week's tragic and senseless terrorist attack. This
morning I found myself a bit anxious, unsure of what I was going to see as we passed by. As I looked around, I saw death notices pasted all over the street and flowers that had been brought lined the entrance to the Yeshiva.
When the bus pulled up to the stop, the driver shut off the engine and stood. With tears in his eyes he told everyone sitting on the bus that one of the boys killed on Thursday night was his nephew. He asked if everyone on the bus would mind if he spoke for a few minutes in memory of his nephew and the other boys that were killed. After seeing head nods all over the bus he began to speak.
With a clear and proud voice, he spoke beautifully about his nephew and said that he was a person who was constantly on the lookout for how to help out anyone in need. He was always searching for a way to make things better. He loved learning, and had a passion for working out the intricacies of the Gemara. He was excited to join the army in a few years, and wanted to eventually work in informal education.
As he continued to speak, I noticed that the elderly woman sitting next to me was crying. I looked into my bag, reached for a tissue and passed it to her. She looked at me and told me that she too had lost someone she knew in the attack. Her neighbor's child was another one of the boys killed. As she held my hand tightly, she stood up and asked if she too could say a few words in memory of her neighbor. She spoke of a young man filled with a zest for life. Every Friday he would visit her with a few flowers for Shabbat and a short dvar torah that he had learned that week in Yeshiva. This past Shabbat, she had no flowers.
When I got to work, one of my colleagues who lives in Efrat told me that her son was friends with two of the boys who had been killed. One of those boys was the stepson of a man who used to teach in Israel and comes to my shul in Riverdale every Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur to be a chazan for one of the minyanim.
We are all affected by what goes on in Israel . Whether you know someone who was killed or know someone who knows someone or even if you don't know anyone at all, you are affected. The eight boys who were killed will continue to impact us all individually and as a nation. Each one of us has the ability to make a profound impact on our world. This coming Wednesday morning, I will be at Ben Gurion airport at 7 am with Nefesh B'Nefesh welcoming 40 new olim to Israel . We will not be deterred. We can not give up. We will continue to live our lives with hope and work for change, understanding and peace. Signed, Sharon Millendorf
Dedicated by Eli & Iliana Glovinsky and their children Ryan & Alexi in honor of Torah High School of San Diego.
REWARDS OF GETTING LOST—This misty view of a portion of San Vicente Reservoir was a
benefit of getting lost in Ramona, California
RAMONA, California-- I’ve heard women tell the joke, and my wife chuckle with recognition, about how if Tziporah or Miriam or any of the other women who accompanied Moses during the Exodus were in charge of the expedition, the Hebrews would have reached the Promised Land in short order. Not being a guy, any of those women would have been willing to stop to ask for directions!
I am not sure that the desire to find one’s own way comes with the Y-chromosome. But if so, I’m glad I’ve got one. What Nancy considers “getting lost,” I prefer to term “exploring new places.” This past Friday, for example, my friend Dan Schaffer and I came across an interesting view of San Vicente Reservoir from a point where the public portion of Mussey Grade Road ends. We could see the water, but we could not reach the shoreline from our Nebo-like viewing area, because only a gated off, private road descended towards the beckoning body of water.
My immediate reaction was that seeing this view was worth the time—and gasoline—that it took to drive roundtrip from Dos Picos County Park, where we had gone hiking. I’m pretty certain that Nancy would disagree with me about it being worth the price of gasoline. But even if gasoline were back to the 25 cents a gallon of my youth, Nancy would not have been happy being “lost” in the back country of San Diego County. She likes to know where she is; not knowing makes her feel insecure. What if any of the many people who depend on her needed her, and she couldn’t find her way back immediately?
She has a point, of course, but while my old Buick doesn’t have GPS, it does have a compass and I believe I have a pretty good understanding of geography. I carry the mental image of the United Sates in my head: north is towards Canada (except if you live in Detroit); south towards Mexico; west towards the Pacific, and east toward New York, Washington D.C., and other places where people seem to get into political troubles. I know that my home in San Diego is south of Ramona, and west of California Highway 67, which is one of the principal routes to this mountain town.
Ramona is named after the heroine of the 19th century novel by Helen Hunt Jackson about a half-Indian, half-Spanish girl who falls in love with the handsome Indian Alessandro and, in face of prejudice against Indians, runs away with him from the Hemet area (where there is an annual Ramona Festival) to San Diego, where they were married by the kindly parish priest.
Perhaps because of the early California history associated with Ramona’s name, I had thought—mistakenly—that Dos Picos County Park might have been named after two famous Picos--
Pio Pico, who was the last Mexican governor of California, and his brother, Andres Pico, who bravely fought with other Californios against the Americans in the 1846 Mexican-American War.
A ranger at the park set me straight. “It was named for two peaks,” he said. “Which two?
I asked, scanning the mountainous setting through the mist. “You pick!” he said. I named one on the left “Pio,” and one on the right “Andres.”
It being a Friday morning, Dan and I had the 78-acre park almost to ourselves. The campground was all but empty. The parking lots were vast expanses, save for the cars of some members of a county parks advisory committee who had rendezvoused there for a tour somewhere else. On a trail, we met a man and a woman and chitchatted with them about the three beautiful Greyhounds that they were walking.
They told us if we followed the main trail we would come to a pond. Or, they said, if we veered off to the right, a smaller trail would climb into the mountains. We chose to check out the pond first.
More fine views awaited us. Apparently a pavilion overlooking the lake is a popular venue for weddings. It reminded me of a lake that Nancy and I once visited in Seoul, South Korea, where nearly every twist of shoreline was occupied by a bride having her picture taken. Whatever its name in Korean, to us it will always be Wedding Lake. Apparently the pond at Dos Picos County Park often fulfills the same purpose.
Dan and I walked around the perimeter of the pond, checked out a small portion of the mountain trail, and then (after getting lost while driving and seeing the great view) went up to the business section of Ramona, where we looked for a non-chain restaurant where we could eat a late breakfast . Some people like “sameness” or as a Holiday Inn advertising campaign once put it, “No surprises.” Me, I like to try new things. We decided upon The Amerient Restaurant on Main Street. Here Dan was served the largest avocado and cheese omelet I have ever laid eyes on. I was more conservative, ordering a simple eggs and biscuit combination. Once known as the Old Telephone Company restaurant— evolved as it was from the cafeteria of Ramona’s local communications company of yesteryear— the Amerient now offers a fusion menu in keeping with its name. New owners, who are Chinese, retained the traditional American “country” foods while offering Asian specialties as well.
On the way home to San Diego, we stopped at the Costco in Santee, one of the least expensive places in the county to purchase gasoline. Nevertheless it cost me more than $50 to fill the tank (proving Nancy’s point!), and this made me realize that pleasant little excursions such as this are fast becoming luxury items in a time of economic recession.
If something isn’t done about ending America’s dependency on foreign oil—by developing hydrogen based fuels, for example—not only will our country’s wealth be transferred to other countries, but, I fear, our way of life—including simple pleasures like exploring America’s highways and byways—will be changed for the worse.
Harrison is editor and publisher of San Diego Jewish World
SAN DIEGO JEWISH WORLD THE WEEK IN REVIEW
Friday-Saturday, March 14-15, 2008 (Vol. 2, No. 64) Carol Davis in Carlsbad, California: Dancing at Lughnasa: An Irish 'Fiddler'? Peter Garas in Canberra, Australia: Skypes! Now long-lost cousins can get back in touch easily, join in family web log Yvonne Greenberg in La Jolla, California: Rafi Malkiel: cantor's son likes folk, jazz, Latino, Afro, Israeli; in fact world music Sheila Orysiek in San Diego: The Purim Chef: Queen Esther in an apron Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal in San Diego: Amaleks, Hamans still pursuing us Jews
Thursday, March 13, 2008 (Vol. 2, No. 63) Peter Garas in Canberra, Australia: Genetic manipulation may be required
to deal with a world gone out of control Donald H. Harrison in San Diego: Cook-off aids Mexican cancer victims Sheila Orysiek in San Diego: The Mist (a poem)
Cynthia Citron in Los Angeles: Old Times explores vagaries of memory Donald H. Harrison in San Diego: Jews have impacted the life of Republican presidential candidate John McCain Sheila Orysiek in San Diego: Immigrants who don't respect host culture threaten national identty
Shoshana Bryen in Washington, D.C.: National borders ignored by terrorists Donald H. Harrison in San Diego: PBS explores forgiveness; can the Jewish community ever forgive Germany? Lloyd Levy in London: Will Jewish woes in UK spread to US? J. Zel Lurie in Delray Beach, Florida: Hillary in 2008 and Barack in 2016 Sheila Orysiek in San Diego: City Ballet of San Diego records a milestone
Donald H. Harrison in Poway, California: Ner Tamid celebrates renewed unity at 'Night at the Kasbah' Natasha Josefowitz in La Jolla, California: The nail that gets hammered down first Sheila Orysiek in San Diego: Contemplating time travel from the San Diego Library's rare book room
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CANBERRA, Australia—There is an interesting program on the ABC Television here in Australia called "Insight" - I caught the latest episode of this program recently and it was about "manners."
SAN DIEGO—The Children of Israel, with our unwavering dedication to Hashem and His Torah; and our deep love for each other, will live, survive, and thrive, as the following true story, told by Sharon Millendorf, Program Coordinator, Nefesh B'Nefesh, Jerusalem, Israel, so poignantly illustrates:
RAMONA, California-- I’ve heard women tell the joke, and my wife chuckle with recognition, about how if Tziporah or Miriam or any of the other women who accompanied Moses during the Exodus were in charge of the expedition, the Hebrews would have reached the Promised Land in short order. Not being a guy, any of those women would have been willing to stop to ask for directions!
Perhaps because of the early California history associated with Ramona’s name, I had thought—mistakenly—that Dos Picos County Park might have been named after two famous Picos--
Dan and I walked around the perimeter of the pond, checked out a small portion of the mountain trail, and then (after getting lost while driving and seeing the great view) went up to the business section of Ramona, where we looked for a non-chain restaurant where we could eat a late breakfast . Some people like “sameness” or as a Holiday Inn advertising campaign once put it, “No surprises.” Me, I like to try new things. We decided upon The Amerient Restaurant on Main Street. Here Dan was served the largest avocado and cheese omelet I have ever laid eyes on. I was more conservative, ordering a simple eggs and biscuit combination. Once known as the Old Telephone Company restaurant— evolved as it was from the cafeteria of Ramona’s local communications company of yesteryear— the Amerient now offers a fusion menu in keeping with its name. New owners, who are Chinese, retained the traditional American “country” foods while offering Asian specialties as well.