Vayechi--You get a blessing and you get a blessing and you get a blessing

I'm home now, but I shared some Torah on Jacob's blessing from the City of Brotherly Love.

Vayeshev: You, too can change the world!

What can you do to change the world?

So often we feel small, insignificant.  We are not Presidents or CEOs. How can we influence the world?  How can we make it a better place?

In this video I talk about this week's parsha and how we all have a role to play.  All you have to do is ask "How can I help?"  (I think Daniel Tiger would agree!)

One way I try to make a difference is through regular Torah study.  When we sit and look at our texts, we find the commonalities we have with our history and our future!

Journeys--Video post

Today I discussed the opening of Parshat Vayetze:

וַיֵּצֵ֥א יַעֲקֹ֖ב מִבְּאֵ֣ר שָׁ֑בַע וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ חָרָֽנָה׃Gen 28:10

Jacob left Beer-sheba, and set out for Haran.

11

וַיִּפְגַּ֨ע בַּמָּק֜וֹם וַיָּ֤לֶן שָׁם֙ כִּי־בָ֣א הַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁ וַיִּקַּח֙ מֵאַבְנֵ֣י הַמָּק֔וֹם וַיָּ֖שֶׂם מְרַֽאֲשֹׁתָ֑יו וַיִּשְׁכַּ֖ב בַּמָּק֥וֹם הַהֽוּא׃

He came upon a certain place and stopped there for the night, for the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of that place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place.

12

וַֽיַּחֲלֹ֗ם וְהִנֵּ֤ה סֻלָּם֙ מֻצָּ֣ב אַ֔רְצָה וְרֹאשׁ֖וֹ מַגִּ֣יעַ הַשָּׁמָ֑יְמָה וְהִנֵּה֙ מַלְאֲכֵ֣י אֱלֹהִ֔ים עֹלִ֥ים וְיֹרְדִ֖ים בּֽוֹ׃

He had a dream; a stairway was set on the ground and its top reached to the sky, and angels of God were going up and down on it.

From there we thought about the angels in our own lives and discussed briefly Tefillat Haderech, the prayer of our journeys:

יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְפָנֶיךָ יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ,

שֶׁתּוֹלִיכֵנוּ לְשָׁלוֹם וְתַצְעִידֵנוּ לְשָׁלוֹם וְתַדְרִיכֵנוּ לְשָׁלוֹם, וְתִסְמְכֵנוּ לְשָׁלוֹם,

וְתַגִּיעֵנוּ לִמְחוֹז חֶפְצֵנוּ לְחַיִּים וּלְשִׂמְחָה וּלְשָׁלוֹם.

אם דעתו לחזור מיד אומר וְתַחְזִירֵנוּ לְשָׁלוֹם

וְתַצִּילֵנוּ מִכַּף כָּל אוֹיֵב וְאוֹרֵב וְלִסְטִים וְחַיּוֹת רָעוֹת בַּדֶּרֶךְ,

וּמִכָּל מִינֵי פֻּרְעָנֻיּוֹת הַמִּתְרַגְּשׁוֹת לָבוֹא לָעוֹלָם,

וְתִתְּנֵנוּ לְחֵן וּלְחֶסֶד וּלְרַחֲמִים בְּעֵינֶיךָ וּבְעֵינֵי כָל רֹאֵינוּ,

כִּי אל שׁוֹמֵעַ תְּפִלָּה וְתַחֲנוּן אַתָּה.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה לפי נוסח ספרד יי שׁוֹמֵעַ תְּפִלָּה

Vlog on Vayera

How do we visit the sick?  How do we offer the gift of our presence--without overwhelming?
I didn't add that food and flowers are always nice--as long as we know the person's kashrut practices (if Jewish).  You do not have to bring anything to be a welcome presence--just don't overstay that welcome.  We aren't all Abraham and Sarah!

Lech Lecha

Rabbi Philip Weintraub Congregation Agudas Israel Parshat Lech Lecha

2017 PACIFIC OCEAN (NNS) -- The Sasebo-based amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48) rendered assistance to two distressed mariners, Oct. 25, whose sailboat had strayed well off its original course. The mariners, Jennifer Appel and Tasha Fuiaba, both from Honolulu, and their two dogs had set sail from Hawaii to Tahiti this spring. They had an engine casualty May 30 during bad weather but continued on, believing they could make it to land by sail. 
 Two months into their journey and long past when they originally estimated they would reach Tahiti, they began to issue distress calls. The two continued the calls daily, but they were not close enough to other vessels or shore stations to receive them. On Oct. 24, they were discovered 900 miles southeast of Japan by a Taiwanese fishing vessel. The fishing vessel contacted Coast Guard Sector Guam who then coordinated with Taipei Rescue Coordination Center, the Japan Coordination Center, and the Joint Coordination Center in Honolulu to render assistance. 

 Operating near the area on a routine deployment, Ashland made best speed to the location of the vessel in the early morning on Oct. 25 and arrived on scene at 10:30 a.m that morning. After assessing the sailboat unseaworthy, Ashland crew members brought the distressed mariners and their two dogs aboard the ship at 1:18 p.m. "I'm grateful for their service to our country. They saved our lives. The pride and smiles we had when we saw [U.S. Navy] on the horizon was pure relief," said Appel. Appel said they survived the situation by bringing water purifiers and over a year's worth of food on board, primarily in the form of dry goods such as oatmeal, pasta and rice. Once on Ashland, the mariners were provided with medical assessments, food and berthing arrangements. The mariners will remain on board until Ashland's next port of call.

"The U.S. Navy is postured to assist any distressed mariner of any nationality during any type of situation," said Cmdr. Steven Wasson, Ashland commanding officer. Part of U.S. 7th Fleet's forward deployed naval forces out of Sasebo, Japan, Ashland has been on a routine deployment for the past five months as a ready-response asset for any of contingency. http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=103056

Can you imagine being lost at sea for weeks?   Jennifer Appel and Tasha Fuiaba were prepared for a long journey, but not for the one they took!  Abraham thought he was prepared, yet his journey had major ups and downs.

The Lord said to Abram, Go forth from your native land and from your father's house to the land that I will show you.

2 I will make of you a great nation,

And I will bless you;

I will make your name great,

And you shall be a blessing.

3 I will bless those who bless you

And curse him that curses you;

And all the families of the earth

Shall bless themselves by you." http://www.jtsa.edu/lekh-lekha-torah

Abraham’s journey begins in the footsteps of his father.  Terach leaves his home with his family, with Avram and Sarai.  They journey from Ur to Haran, towards Canaan, but they do not make it all the way.  Looking at our own histories, I think about the generations of Jews who desired to go to Israel.  They wanted to make aliyah, but it was simply not possible.  Think about your parents, grandparents, and beyond.  What brought them to this country?  They began a journey, but did they finish it?

Map from bible-history.com

My grandparents were all born in New York, but their lives looked very different than mine.  I grew up as the son of a doctor, reminded regularly that while he didn’t choose a lucrative speciality, we always lived comfortably.  My paternal great grandfather had a newspaper stand, working in every sort of weather, every day of the week. He might go to an early minyan Saturday morning, but then he had to work on Shabbat, as much as he didn’t want to.  My paternal grandfather worked for the NY state Department of Labor.  It was not the most interesting job, but he took care of his family.  To take care of my aunt, he worked weeknights teaching English as a foreign language, and took many other side jobs to make ends meet.  My maternal grandfather worked with his hands.  He could see the beauty and potential in many things, fixing, cleaning, and reselling what to others was junk.  (Of course, at home, he had no tolerance for junk and regularly cleaned house, to the chagrin of my grandmother.)  They did not necessarily love their work, but it enabled their children to make different choices.  They strongly encouraged education, pushing their children to succeed in the fields of THEIR choice.

What happened to Abraham?  He went to Israel and immediately had to go down to Egypt.  He did some pretty embarrassing things in trying to convince people that Sarah was his sister--out of fear that they would kill him to take her as their wife.  He and Sarah came out of that experience with great wealth and moved to the Negev with Lot--where there were squabbles amongst their entourages and they had to part ways.  He helped out in a war, bringing peace and more success to himself and his family.  Yet one big piece was missing--children.  He had been promised a covenant through generations, yet did not have another generation to share his connection and love.  Taking things into their own hands, Sarai gave him Hagar and Ishmael was born.  A new covenant was sealed with Brit Milah and next week we find out what happens next.

Their journey is far from over!  Powerful in this narrative is the intergenerational dynamics.  We will eventually see how Isaac and Jacob will continue to fulfill the covenant.  We will see how this leads directly to Joseph, slavery and the Exodus, which brings us to the Torah and Judaism.

Each of these family members was a step in the chain of tradition.  We are also a part of that chain.  Our parents were.  Our children are.  We have the stories of the generations in our blood--both those common to all of us as Jews AND those unique to our families.  

Central to this story is resilience.  Whether Abraham or ourselves, life has never been easy.  We may be privileged.  We may be lucky and fortunate to be educated and have enough to eat.  Yet no life is without pain.  No life is without challenge.  The real test is how we deal with it.

According to tradition, Abraham had ten tests.  Each was an opportunity to show connection to God or not.  It was an opportunity it show strength or not.  It was an opportunity to choose life or not.  Each time, through every struggle, Abraham found ways of continuing.  He even managed to offer thanks to God for all of his challenges and opportunities.

It makes me think about ourselves and our families.  What is our reaction to struggle?  Is it grit?  Is it stick-to-it-ness or do we call it a day when things get hard?  More books have been written than I can quote on the subject, but resilience and determination is the answer to almost every question.  Our survival has been dependent on that.  We can thank God both for the blessings and challenges of our lives, but more importantly we can thank God for the strength to get through, to push on, to live.

Talking to people who have experience loss, meaning everyone, the common thread is the desire to keep going, to put one foot in front of another.  This is not to say that grief and loss are ignored, but that we must still find ways to live, to celebrate, to see the blessings of our lives.  Like Abraham, we must follow the footsteps of our ancestors, but continue the journey to our own destinations.  Like those two sailors, even when they lost their way, they kept plugging along, until they were rescued.  (Sometimes we all need a little help!)  They may not always be exactly where we thought we were going, but through positive reactions, resilience, grit, and faith in God, we can find the strength to discover our own Promised Lands.  Lech lecha!

Resilience and Parshat Lech Lecha

Resilience/journeys and Parshat Lech Lecha
Posted by Rabbi Philip Weintraub on Friday, October 27, 2017

Rosh Hashanah is coming, but first Selichot!

This week has been phenomenal. Read all about it:
http://congregationagudasisrael.org/2017/09/19/rosh-hashanah-is-coming-but-first-selichot/

For my words:
https://www.facebook.com/RabbiPhil/videos/1506519159440277/

Power???

This week has been a major reminder about the power of humanity.  The eclipse covered much of the country, where for a few brief moments, the moon blocked the light of the sun.  For those outside the range of totality, it was far less dramatic, but once we put on our eclipse glasses the dramatic images were revealed.

Photo from: https://www.cnet.com/how-to/missed-the-solar-eclipse-here-are-the-next-10/

Meanwhile, in Texas, we see Hurricane Harvey barreling toward the state, threatening rain measured in feet and winds that can cause great damage.

Then in Massachusetts a woman finds herself suddenly extraordinarily wealthy.  

There are two old jokes that immediately come to mind:

On the lottery:

Moishe, who was in financial difficulty, walked into a synagogue and started to pray. ''Listen God,'' Moishe said. ''I know I haven't been perfect but I really need to win the lottery. I don't have a lot of money. Please help me out.'' He left the shul, a week went by, and he hadn't won the lottery, so he walked into a different synagogue. ''Come on, God,'' he said. ''I really need this money. My mom needs surgery and I have bills to pay. Please let me win the lottery.'' He left the synagogue, a week went by, and he didn't win the lottery.  Finally he walks into a third shul, ''You're starting to disappoint me, God,'' he said. ''I've prayed and prayed. If you just let me win the lottery, I'll be a better person. I don't have to win the jackpot, just enough to get me out of debt. I'll give some to charity, even. Just let me win the lottery.'' Moishe thought this did it, so he got up and walked outside.

The clouds opened up and a booming voice said, ''Moishe, help me out a little, buy a ticket.''

https://parade.com/156290/marilynvossavant/should-you-buy-identical-lottery-tickets/

On the Hurricane:

A man was trapped in his house during a flood. He began praying to God to rescue him. He had a vision in his head of God’s hand reaching down from heaven and lifting him to safety. The water started to rise in his house. His neighbour urged him to leave and offered him a ride to safety. The man yelled back, “I am waiting for God to save me.” The neighbour drove off in his pick-up truck.

The man continued to pray and hold on to his dream. As the water began rising in his house, he had to climb up to the roof. A boat came by with some people heading for safe ground. They yelled at the man to grab a rope they were ready to throw and take him to safety. He told them that he was waiting for God to save him. They shook their heads and moved on.

The man continued to pray, believing with all his heart that he would be saved by God. The flood waters continued to rise. A helicopter flew by and a voice came over a loudspeaker offering to lower a ladder and take him off the roof. The man waved the helicopter away, shouting back that he was waiting for God to save him. The helicopter left. The flooding water came over the roof and caught him up and swept him away. He drowned.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/house-prices-rebound-after-floods-but-not-in-all-suburbs-20140702-zstf9.html

When he reached heaven and asked, “God, why did you not save me? I believed in you with all my heart. Why did you let me drown?” God replied, “I sent you a pick-up truck, a boat and a helicopter and you refused all of them. What else could I possibly do for you?”

Do we do our part?  What do we expect from the Holy One and what do we do to contribute to our betterment and that of the world?  This week reminds me that we do not have the power to change EVERYTHING--yet nothing will change if we put it only on the Holy One.  We are PARTNERS in creation--not passive reactors.  We must be actors in our lives!

Vows and Oaths--Israeli Dream edition

Note: These were my notes for Parshat Mattot-Maasei.  The spoken version rarely coincides with what I wrote, but it should give you an idea of my thought process!

וַיְדַבֵּ֤ר מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶל־רָאשֵׁ֣י הַמַּטּ֔וֹת לִבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר זֶ֣ה הַדָּבָ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֖ר צִוָּ֥ה Hashem׃	Moses spoke to the heads of the Israelite tribes, saying: This is what the LORD has commanded:
אִישׁ֩ כִּֽי־יִדֹּ֨ר נֶ֜דֶר לַֽHashem אֽוֹ־הִשָּׁ֤בַע שְׁבֻעָה֙ לֶאְסֹ֤ר אִסָּר֙ עַל־נַפְשׁ֔וֹ לֹ֥א יַחֵ֖ל דְּבָר֑וֹ כְּכָל־הַיֹּצֵ֥א מִפִּ֖יו יַעֲשֶֽׂה׃	If a man makes a vow to the LORD or takes an oath imposing an obligation on himself, he shall not break his pledge; he must carry out all that has crossed his lips.

Our parsha opens with these sacred words.  The rabbis are very concerned about vows and oaths.  They strongly discourage us from taking them, noting in the Talmud that the Nazir, like Samson, the one who refuses hair cuts and wine, must offer a sin offering at the end of his vow.  The following verses detail how women’s vows are limited; that fathers and husbands can annul their daughters’ and spouses’ vows.  While patriarchal and seemingly sexist, it shows a deep discomfort with the concept of vows themselves.

While in other weeks, I have spoke about the concept of shalom bayit, of peace in the home, and how that might seem to occasionally supercede complete honesty; the arc of our tradition shows us over and over again that words matter.  Unlike many of our politicians who seem not to know truth if it smacks them in the face, who make campaign promises they have no intention of keeping, our Torah teaches us that our word must be true.

Words are incredibly powerful.  According to Bershit, it is with words that the Holy One created this world.  There are Talmudic stories of people who throw themselves in fiery furnaces to avoid embarrassing another person with their words.  There are many books on Lashon Hara and Motzi Shem Ra, discouraging us from gossip or even sharing painful truths about one another–words are powerful.  All these books show us that even a flippant comment can be dangerous to the wellbeing of others–I know I can be guilty of this!

I have been told that in the diamond district, many deals are sealed with a handshake and a “Mazel and Brocha”.  No contract need be signed, because the trust in that community is so strong, the word of one Jew to another is inviolable.  While I cannot attest to the reliability of those deals, I have heard that these words are stronger than any contract.  Is the same true for us? 
This week we conclude the wanderings in the wilderness.  Next week we read from Devarim, as Moshe Rabbenu will help us be sure of our commands before we enter the land.  The parsha opens with concerns about vows, with concerns about words and their power.  As we prepare to enter Israel, we are envisioning a perfect society.  As such we are building it peacefully with a reminder of the importance of the truth!  We must be honest!

How do we soar?

This sculpture at Yad Vashem shows the community standing together to fight, to create the State of Israel.

Some weeks just knock you for a loop. This week I found myself in the ER, in pretty terrible pain. Family members had major medical procedures, kids were sick. In between moaning on the couch, I officiated at three different funerals this week. One I had to ask for help--I just couldn't move.

How do we know when to ask for help and when we can fight through the pain? While it is a judgement call, I see Parshat Pinchas offering us a little help. Pinchas is most well known because of a particularly violent act. He took justice into his hands and killed two people who were flagrantly violating communal and Gd-given laws. When the parshiot were divided, this act was separated from the parsha that bears his name. The rabbis were uncomfortable including it there. Instead, the parsha opens with a ceremony around his covenant of peace, a peace that is not perfect, because of the violence he had committed.

Our tradition believes in the rule of law--but this rule includes the right to a fair trial. Too often we hear stories of vigilante justice, of someone who took the law into his or her own hands. That is a tragedy for all involved--both for the one who tried to bring justice and the one who was harmed. Our American system works when we all have trust in it. For that to work, we must all believe we have a fair stake, a fair shot.

When everyone has opportunity to live their lives, to not be afraid, then we are truly making progress. Then, we can all soar!

Pinchas' mistake was not asking for help. When he took matters into his own hands, he did not give the community time to act together. Maybe it was the right thing to do, but it wasn't the right way to do it. The criminals deserved a fair trial. Pinchas denied that to them.

In our own lives, how often do we ask for help when we need it? How often do we wait until we absolutely have no other choice?

I know that I am guilty of this.  I frequently do things myself that I should delegate.  The personal events of this week remind me that we ALL need help.  None of us can act alone. 

That's what it means to be part of a community.  That's how we can soar.

This sculpture from Yad Vashem shows the community being led to the Concentration Camps.

Coming back from Israel

Before sharing a few photographs and words from my recent adventures with www.congregationagudasisrael.org in Israel, I must thank my friends from www.israeltour.com who made it possible.  They found our wonderful guide, מני צברי, Meni, who brought, such wisdom and insight into everything that we did.  The 14th child of a Yemenite rabbi, he taught us Kabbalah, history, philosophy, military strategy, Talmud, Tanakh, and how many shekels it was to jaywalk in any particular location!  Most importantly he taught us the power of compassion.  Meni is a mentsch and the smile that he brought to us each morning, the jokes about coffee and Coca-Cola ensured that we were on the bus at 7:30AM almost every morning, ready to go.

The photos here are a reverse travelogue starting at the end of our journey and returning to the beginning. After having some time to process, I realize how transformative our trip really was.  As a group, those that came with us found new bonds that will not quickly dissolve.  They were united through travel, through spirit and through the power of the Divine.  Those are ties that bind.

Panorama from the JFK Memorial outside Jerusalem

 After we visited Yad Vashem (Israel's Memorial to the Shoah), which does not allow photographs inside, we visited the JFK memorial. Yad Vashem is always a powerful experience.  No words can describe it, so I will simply say that you must go.

The JFK Memorial is unique.  It offers a beautiful view of the surroundings.

Chagall Windows at Hadassah Hospital

 Another incredible experience was seeing the Chagall Windows in person.  At my parents' home, we had a beautiful image of the Levi window.  My grandmother had also cross-stitched the same one!  In a bizarre series of unfortunate experiences, I had attempted to go to the windows multiple times and had freak accidents that prevented me every other time.  Fortunately, this time broke the curse and I made it without harm!  They were well worth the trip.

Techelet ink in its natural form

When I was in college at Brandeis, I started thinking about the third paragraph of the Shema.  As we recite the words, we say "ptil tekelet" the thread of blue which is to remind us of the mitzvot, the 613 commandments.  For many years, Jews did not include this thread on their tallitot for various reasons.  Thankfully, we have the opportunity to restore this mitzvah, to bring it back!  As a rabbi, there is little that is more powerful than getting to do a mitzvah--especially one that we could not do for so many years.  Shortly we will meet to learn to tie our tzitzit with the techelet.

View from the Mount of Olives

After I posted this photo to facebook, one of my colleagues said you can't take a rabbi away from a cemetery!  However, the view from the Mount of Olives is truly incredible. Many Jews spend incredible amounts of money to be buried here, as it is JUST outside the Old City.  Since the tradition tells us that those buried here will be the first to be resurrected and returned to life in Jerusalem (and with much less headache) there is great honor in having one's resting place there.  It is beautiful today, but from 1948-1967, Jordan knocked the gravestones down and even used some to pave roads.  Fortunately most were restored after Israel re-conquered the area in the Six Day War.  The view is absolutely magnificent.

Like no other place on Earth

Next to the Kotel--but Underground

If you have not done the Kotel tunnels, you must!  It is an incredible experience.  Even if you have, you must do them again.  New excavations are allowing us to see so much more history.  We see generations and generations of the city of Jerusalem, how our ancestors lived and what life was like.  It is truly incredible.  Those that know me know I am rarely at a loss for words, but seeing these stones, wow!

The list of Names at Israel's 9/11 Memorial

One of Meni's surprises was taking us to the 9/11 Memorial.  Like many around the world there is a more prominent piece with steel from the tower.  This photograph is not that.  Rather it is a list of names.  EVERY SINGLE NAME is listed.  What does that say about the Jewish people?  What are our priorities?  Zachor!  Remember!  Each of these names is a story.  Each of these people woke up and went to work and their lives were cut short.  Let us never forget.  Israel doesn't.

Masada's Cable Car

Stepping onto Masada we felt the weight of history.  Learning about the our ancestors fight with Rome was challenging.  Discovering their fortifications; seeing their ingenuity; fighting our own battles with the heat and the sun, we were pushed to our limits.  We could not imagine how the Romans or the Judeans could have stayed their for 3.5 years!  We learned about military strategy, psychology, King Herod and water.  Water is everything in the Middle East--it is everything everywhere--but especially where it is scarce.  The way it is stored makes all the difference and the cisterns up there are incredible.

Visiting a fire station 

Thanks to Frank and Meni, we visited fire stations along our Israeli adventure.  We learned how out of necessity, Israeli fire stations have to be a little more efficient than their American counterparts and a little less flashy.  They don't specialize as much and have to be a little more jacks-of-all-trades.  Frank was also impressed at some of their hoses, whose connections are easier to connect in an emergency situation!

Gravesite of Abraham Avinu

One of the most powerful experiences for our group was visiting the Maharat Hamachpela, the Cave of our Ancestors.  While one of the most controversial sites in Israel and the West Bank, from Genesis it is not supposed to be.  In fact, Rashi argues that the entire book of Genesis is there to show Jewish ownership of Israel.  See this link for one example.  The story of Abraham buying the cave from Efron the Hittite is written so that Abraham has clear title to the cave, so that no one could later contest the land.  Unfortunately, that title has long been contested!

With the group at Maharat Hamachpela

Seeing the graves of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob and Leah, and perhaps even Adam and Eve and Esau's head!? was a moving experience.  We discussed the challenges of Hevron. We spoke of the thriving market that once existed, Baruch Goldstein, terrorism, and Breaking the Silence.  We were frustrated that a minyan blocked our access to part of the tomb and that the men instructed us to walk in front of the women rather than them--as if the women's prayers were less important.  Even in our spiritual high of feeling this deep connection to the land and our ancestors, we felt the tragedy of brokenness, of competing values, of different groups of voices and peoples and narratives.

Old friends getting older

Amidst all of the adventures of touring and spirit it was wonderful to see old friends!

Some things don't change--or do they?

Outside the beautiful Mount Zion Hotel

One of our most powerful experiences was exploring the Golan Heights.  This strategic section of complex territory is contested to this day.  Lost by Israel in 1948 and regained in 1967, Assad would like it back--except the area nearby is controlled by ISIS, so I do not think Israel is likely to share it anytime soon!  Here we see the UN cowering behind Israeli lines--even thought they are supposed to be guarding inside Lebanon.  Whoops, I guess they got lost.

Beautiful Mosaics in Tel Aviv by Nachum Gutman

 These mosaics in Tel Aviv tell the story of its creation and history.  See link here for more info:
http://www.migdalshalom.co.il/eng/ext_goot.html or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nachum_Gutman

Overlooking Tel Aviv from Jaffa

 Our trip began in the old city of Jaffa.  An original port of Israel, we learned about the ancient history from the Tanach and beyond.  We saw ancient ruins and modern art.  Looking out over Tel Aviv, we saw how small the city actually is, yet how much of an influence it is over the country.  From the first day we learned about the power of trees over development in Israel--how they help declare property ownership and how difficult they are to cut down!

Pickles and Olives make Israel great!

We cannot speak about Israel without discussing the food.  OMG, the food in Israel is wonderful.  I'm sure there are terrible restaurants in Israel.  There is fast food in Israel--but we never went to the kosher McDonalds.  All the food we had was "fresh and kosher".  Everything was local--one good byproduct of mediocre relations with your neighbors is that you have to grow your own vegetables.  With a country the size of New Jersey, nothing gets trucked too far, so it is not bred to stand up to distance; it is bred for taste.  The watermelons and plums were to die for.

In the end, the simple lesson is really that ten days is not enough.  Next time we must come for a month--or a year!  Maybe it is time to make aliyah?  Who is ready to come face the challenges of Israel?  We have work to do to make it our homeland.  It is just like America--it is a place with amazing values, amazing opportunities and great challenges--and it is our home.  Thank you to Meni. Thank you to ITC.  Thank you to CAI.

Gratitude: the intersection of faith, politics and psychology

The Hudson River

The other day I was catching up on my podcasts, listening to Freakonomics with the title “Why is my life so hard?” http://freakonomics.com/podcast/why-is-my-life-so-hard/ 

Using psychological research called the headwinds-tailwinds asymmetry, they spoke about how many people find their lives more difficult than they need to be. We frequently discount the positive factors in our life and focus on the negative. While evolutionarily this might have had some use, ensuring that we are aware of threats to our existence, in our modern lives this can be a challenge. The result is that we all carry an unnecessary burden. We assume our political party is handicapped by the electoral college. We imagine our team’s schedule disadvantages them. We protect ourselves in work or school by claiming we didn't have enough time or study enough.

Amazingly enough, there is a very simple solution:gratitude. Keeping a gratitude diary, meeting weekly with someone to share our written thanks can change everything. When I think of my faith, much of the effort is on reminding us of the importance of giving thanks. We are encouraged to say one hundred blessings a day, to find gratitude from the biggest things to the smallest. To appreciate our family,  to appreciate our very existence. To notice the flowers in bloom, the sun shining, the water flowing.

Some days the world can seem dark.  The news can seem uncertain, yet even in the depths of our despair, there is much to be grateful for.  This gratitude may even inspire us to action.  How can we ensure that those who do not have enough to eat are supported?  How can we help the homeless find a place to live?  How can we help those without medical care have it?  We might be reminded by the dozens of time in the Bible where it says variations of “do not mistreat the stranger” or “love the immigrant” because “you were strangers in Egypt”.  Every single human being on this continent came from somewhere else--whether 1 year ago or 50,000.  The gratitude that we should feel to those that came before us just might make us appreciate those trying to survive here now.  

Gratitude can change our lives--but appreciation can help us transform the lives of others!