Sevenling (Some Jews live) Some Jews live in Israel, by choice or by chance; some live in the diaspora; others, of means, travel to and fro. Some Jews don't give Israel a passing thought; some relate to it as their people's beloved homeland; some would be glad to see it crumble like the ancient Temple.… Continue reading Thanks, or: Giving
My 2nd Lüshi Ahad Ha'am[1] founded 'Cultural Zionism',[2] Pushed for Jewish homeland - national. Considered Israel a "spiritual center" For all Jews, dispersed, international. Wrote, "Shabbat keeps the Jews"[3] - Towards religion, respectful but rational. Oh, this speaks to me: Love for our people - Passional. Footnotes Asher Zvi Hirsch Ginsberg (1856 – 1927), primarily known… Continue reading Nationalism, or: Rationalism
A non-political post about Israeli politics Naftali Bennett's yarmulke In writing about Israel's new government recently, I mentioned in passing that our new prime minister is the first one to wear a yarmulke in public all the time. Former PM Netanyahu wore a yarmulke at special events, but not daily. Upon taking office, PM Bennett… Continue reading The prime minister’s yarmulke
‘Beyond Meaning or The Resolution of Opposites’ - a d'Verse poetics prompt Epigraph: For the listener, who listens in the snow,And, nothing himself, beholdsNothing that is not there and the nothing that is.-Wallace Stevens, 'The Snow Man' Harkened through the snows of New Jersey, Heeded through the storms of Cleveland, Purest nothing, on nothing, absorbed… Continue reading I am Jerusalem, or: Nothing
A haibun My response to d'Verse's prompt for Haibun Monday: 'Eagle' As an adult, I left the United States of America. but the United States of America never left me. I have a graduate degree in US public policy; and I lived and worked in Washington, DC for three years. To this day, I continue… Continue reading Eagle, or: Hoopoe
Tonight is New Year's Eve so before I get into the substance of this post, I would like to wish all of you a Happy and Healthy New Year! 🥳 So... New Year's... Growing up in America, this was not a holiday that I marked in any way, shape or form. Truly, I did not… Continue reading Holiday thoughts, part II: Jewish v. Not
Chanukah ended, and though I haven't written a word about it yet, I have been mulling something over quite a bit. Traditionally, there's a song that Jews sing after reciting the blessings and lighting the candles of the chanukiah 🕎. This song is called Ma'oz Tzur ("Strong Rock"), and there exists a popular, non-literal English… Continue reading Holiday thoughts: Jewish v. Not
Home alone For Mama, everything changed dramatically [following Papa's death]. Where would she live? What would she do with the rest of her life? Whom would she do it with? Clearly, she still had to sell her too large house, but then– what?-Me, 'When the rabbi’s wife died', Nov. 27th, 2020 Following my Papa's death ~2.5 years ago,… Continue reading The heartwarming house sale
The Skeptic's Kaddish 🇮🇱 
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