Buddy, Can You Spare a Dime?

These days that is a question we all hear more frequently. Although the question is more likely to be “can you spare a buck?” Yes even those guys who stand at the traffic lights have to figure in inflation. You don’t have to go too far in any direction to find those who are in need of help. It might be those we call “homeless” or it might be those who are about to become homeless due to the economy. I guess its all relative- I recently read about a famous entertainer who was losing her home and is 50 million dollars in debt. It seems that even those who we think are rich are actually broke! I think it is safe to say that we are all a little worried; I heard a report on the radio recently that 53% of Americans are worried about making their next rent or mortgage payment. These are not good signs and point to something that we need to be serious about. Our country, our citizens, our neighbors, and yes we ourselves are in trouble. We need to concentrate on getting ourselves and our country back on track. We can’t sustain a society that is built on worry and mistrust.

I can’t think of anything more important that at this moment than restoring faith and confidence in our future. I would suggest that all of our national and individual efforts be focused on achieving that goal until we can say that we are “out of the woods.” With that in mind, I was really surprised by a recent news piece. NASA has just announced that it plans to spend 10 billion dollars in the next twenty years to send astronauts on a one-way mission to Mars where they will establish a self-sustaining colony.

Don’t get me wrong- I love science and there is nothing that fascinates me more than outer space. To me the idea of a huge universe waiting to be explored is an inspiration. I believe that it is a “religious” experience to better understand just how large the universe is- to me it contains a deep message about humanity. On a clear night I am the first one to take out my telescope and look up- I did it as a child and I still find it just as awesome! The difference is that now that I am a little older I begin to contemplate how much it costs.

It is great to think that we could achieve a Mars mission, it is astonishing to think that we could establish a colony for research, but I have to ask: “Where is the money coming from, how about we establish a self-sustaining colony right here in Earth, say, maybe in the United States?” I support science and research but I think our little blue planet is in a little too much trouble right now to look to the stars. 10 billion dollars makes for a lot of dimes and dollars that could do a lot of good right here on Earth.

From The Jewish Journal

Terrorism’s Saddest Victims

It is a far cry from Disneyland. It is a theme park for children but there are no rides, there are no cartoon characters in costume, there are no magic shows to amuse. (There are, of course, vendors who sell hats and T-shirts for the children to take home!) This theme park is in Beirut. It is called “Landmark for the Resistance.” This “park” was built at a cost of four million dollars by Hezbollah (with money from Iran, no doubt.) This park has no attractions other than destroyed Israeli military equipment. This park celebrates the war Hezbollah has waged against Israel. Children can be led through the displays of tanks, mortar shells, and machine guns where they can play out being soldiers in the war on Israel. It’s a sort of Wanna-Be city for little terrorists in training. I think all of us have trouble understanding how a parent could wish this for a child but, believe it or not, since the “Landmark for the Resistance” opened in May there have been over a half a million visitors.
In the last few weeks we have seen and heard many comments about the current peace negotiations. The Jewish community has been divided about Israel- some saying Israel needs to be more flexible, some saying that only a “hard-line” approach will accomplish anything. The government of Israel itself has been divided on the issue of the settlement freeze. It is clear that we all want peace we differ only on how to get it! If anyone has the answer to that please call me! In the meantime let’s take a lesson from the “landmark.” There are forces in the Arab world that have no interest in peace and it is folly to think that they do. Terrorists do not want peace, they want victory. We need to learn that lesson.
Hezbollah is a group that raises children to be fodder in the war on Israel. Taking your child on a visit to a terror park is one more step in indoctrinating an entire generation to commit terror for the sake of holy-war. Children are taught that the only victory is to destroy Israel. When children should be playing games they are being taught to glorify killing and their own death. A people willing to do this to their children is not a people looking for a peaceful solution. These children may be the saddest victims of terrorism and they may prove to be the generation that brings Israel’s saddest days.

What the Rabbi Learned from the Neo-Nazis


Ok. Admit it. With a title like that you just have to read on! It’s true; this week I learned several life lessons from a Polish couple who will be featured in a CNN documentary about Poles who have rediscovered their Jewish roots. Of special interest is a couple known as Pawel and Ola. They were childhood sweethearts and grew up to marry. As young adults they became Neo-Nazi skinhead “nationalists.” Ola speaks of their lives then as follows “I was 100% nationalist… back then we were skinheads, it was all about white power… that Jews were the biggest plague and worst evil in the world…”
So far it sounds like the typical hatred that is re-emerging across Europe. Sad but true, and I can’t tell you how many times I have heard survivors speak of Polish hatred for Jews. So far nothing remarkable here. Well Pawel and Ola’s story took a remarkable twist when they discovered that they were both actually Jews! Records in the Jewish Historical Institute showed that their ancestors had hidden their Jewish identities to escape the Holocaust. Imagine what a shocker that was for a nice middle class skinhead couple! So how does this twisted tale of hate and secrets end? Now both Pawel and Ola are 33 and live as Jews and are active members in their orthodox synagogue.
So what has this rabbi learned from this very strange tale? First, God has a heck of a sense of humor! Well he must if he made us, clearly the most curious species on the planet. Even animals learn from their mistakes but it seems like we never do! In the course of a mere sixty years we can get burned by the same fires that consumed us in the past. Next, the story reminds us that, sometimes, we are not who we think we are and there may be someone or something out there that knows us better than we know ourselves. There is always a divide between the part we play and who we are behind the mask.
Then this little fact- if you hate others you really only end up hating yourself. No matter what you claim to be the “worst evil” in someone you hate, it already exists within you. The only way you can respond to that discovery is to realize that none of us are without the “worst evil.” The question is what you do about it. Any flaw you see in your fellow human being is only a reflection of the one within you.
I also learned that it’s true what they say about the Jewish soul- a Jew can never stray so far away from God that he can’t find his way back. An important lesson for all of us when we are feeling so lost that we wonder if we remember the way home. Lastly, this strange story affirms a truth that anyone who grew up in New York knows, see… I told you everybody is Jewish!
I hope that God reads my columns… maybe if he reads this he will get a really good laugh out of it and feel a little more patient the next time we really mess up!