New York 9
In the few short weeks since the special election in New York’s 9th District we have heard every possible opinion and explanation. The race to fill Anthony Weiner’s vacant seat has been the subject of much debate. Was it voter anger focused on the President? Was it the voter disgust aimed at Weiner? Was it a referendum on the economy? Was it the Jewish vote that expressed anger over Obama’s failings on Israel-related policy decisions? Was it the influence of Ed Koch crossing party lines in protest of those decisions? Like so many, I believe it was all of the above and that is the biggest lesson. Democrats are hiding their heads in the sand if they do not hear the wake up call. It is the beginning of the “perfect storm” in which an entire litany of mistakes and wrong assumptions will soon avalanche into a snowball that could carry the 2012 elections in a new direction.
Readers of my columns know that I have been critical of the President since before he was elected. I believe my criticisms have been justified and confirmed by the last two and one half years of failure. The economy is worse. People have less faith in a better future. Government has grown bigger and more intrusive. After long expected speeches all we get are re-wrapped packages of ideas that have already been tried and have failed and, for those of us who look at foreign policy, Israel is less secure.
One of the interesting results of being a columnist is that people like to talk to you (or, maybe, at you.) I am surprised how often (and in the most unexpected places) someone will approach me and comment on something I have written. It wasn’t that long ago that I was a pariah- a Jew who didn’t like Obama. All of a sudden things have changed- maybe I wasn’t so crazy after all! So what does the race in New York’s 9th mean?
I believe that the “myth” that Jews must be Democrats is starting to be questioned for the first time. Yes, we had many reasons to vote Democratic in the past. Many of those reasons still make sense. I will confess- when I moved to Florida I registered as a Democrat without any hesitation and with very little thought about the issue- it was just a “given.” However many of us as Americans are discovering that the Democratic Party has changed. It took a while for that message to sink in but it is now coming home to haunt us.
We now have to stop looking at labels and ask, who really represents the things in which we believe? I don’t mean that in a philosophical or religious way- what do we believe about America, what do we believe about the economic well-being of our country, and what do we believe about American values? While I would never suggest that Jews vote as if Israel is the only issue, I would ask you to consider what the current administration has done to de-rail any chance for peace. We may have to wait to really understand what New York ‘s 9th will mean in the bigger picture, but it is time to re-think some of our assumptions.
This column appeared in the South Florida Jewish Journal
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Can you 10Q?
I subscribe to a great website called “My Jewish Learning.com.” Although I have spent many years in Jewish learning I believe that, no matter how much you have studied Judaism and the Jewish people, there is always something new to learn. This website sends a daily message filled with all sorts of off-the-beaten-path Jewish news and information. Like everything I receive in my e-mail, sometimes I read it but sometimes I just delete it feeling that I am way too busy to ever go through all the “junk” my in box can hold on any given day. The other day one of the messages caught my eye because I could not figure out what it meant. It read “10Q: Reflect, React, Renew for Rosh Hashanah.”
Being a congregational rabbi for thirty years I had that old familiar feeling that comes every fall. Hmmm… what should I talk about this year? You would think that after thirty years it would get easier but it doesn’t. I still sit in front of a blank piece of paper (or computer screen) and wonder how I can best use my three magic wishes. Wishes? Well, I wish to give three great sermons that will send everyone out of the synagogue better than they were when they came in. Yes, better in every way- better people, better Jews, better inhabitants of this tiny planet. (Is that too much to ask for?) Once I opened the “10Q” e-mail I knew it could help all of us fulfill our wishes.
“10Q” is short for 10 Questions. I quote from the e-mail: “10Q is a national project that asks people to answer a question a day online for 10 days during the High Holidays. It offers a new way for Jews and people of all backgrounds to slow down and reflect. Answers are emailed to a secure online vault just after Yom Kippur; next year, just before Rosh Hashanah starts, answers are sent back to participants and the whole process begins again.”
Take one of the questions, “Is there something that you wish you had done differently this year?” Where would your answer begin? The High Holiday period is meant to be one of spiritual correction- getting back on the right path. What better way than to answer some important questions about your life? With 10Q you can’t just answer them and then forget about it- the magic of technology will make sure that your answers come back to you next year! It is all too easy to forget our goals, to make excuses for our shortcomings, or to just forget the things we really wanted to do.
Next week we start a brand new year. None of us can be sure what it will bring but we can be sure, through introspection, that we know how we plan to shape those events that we can control. Consider joining the 10Q project- make a little personal time capsule – a snapshot of your hopes at this moment. In a year compare what you have done- just the resolve to do it will put you on a better path.
I subscribe to a great website called “My Jewish Learning.com.” Although I have spent many years in Jewish learning I believe that, no matter how much you have studied Judaism and the Jewish people, there is always something new to learn. This website sends a daily message filled with all sorts of off-the-beaten-path Jewish news and information. Like everything I receive in my e-mail, sometimes I read it but sometimes I just delete it feeling that I am way too busy to ever go through all the “junk” my in box can hold on any given day. The other day one of the messages caught my eye because I could not figure out what it meant. It read “10Q: Reflect, React, Renew for Rosh Hashanah.”
Being a congregational rabbi for thirty years I had that old familiar feeling that comes every fall. Hmmm… what should I talk about this year? You would think that after thirty years it would get easier but it doesn’t. I still sit in front of a blank piece of paper (or computer screen) and wonder how I can best use my three magic wishes. Wishes? Well, I wish to give three great sermons that will send everyone out of the synagogue better than they were when they came in. Yes, better in every way- better people, better Jews, better inhabitants of this tiny planet. (Is that too much to ask for?) Once I opened the “10Q” e-mail I knew it could help all of us fulfill our wishes.
“10Q” is short for 10 Questions. I quote from the e-mail: “10Q is a national project that asks people to answer a question a day online for 10 days during the High Holidays. It offers a new way for Jews and people of all backgrounds to slow down and reflect. Answers are emailed to a secure online vault just after Yom Kippur; next year, just before Rosh Hashanah starts, answers are sent back to participants and the whole process begins again.”
Take one of the questions, “Is there something that you wish you had done differently this year?” Where would your answer begin? The High Holiday period is meant to be one of spiritual correction- getting back on the right path. What better way than to answer some important questions about your life? With 10Q you can’t just answer them and then forget about it- the magic of technology will make sure that your answers come back to you next year! It is all too easy to forget our goals, to make excuses for our shortcomings, or to just forget the things we really wanted to do.
Next week we start a brand new year. None of us can be sure what it will bring but we can be sure, through introspection, that we know how we plan to shape those events that we can control. Consider joining the 10Q project- make a little personal time capsule – a snapshot of your hopes at this moment. In a year compare what you have done- just the resolve to do it will put you on a better path.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
The Victory of Ignorance
It seems like every time I look at a paper or read news on –line someone else is declaring a boycott of Israeli products or selling off their investments in Israel. It has become so common it doesn’t even draw my attention- just another day in the battle to demonize Israel. You read all the claims, “apartheid state,” “invaders,” “Nazis,” “oppressors.” Sometimes the rhetoric is so predictable and rehearsed I have to laugh! It is, of course, no laughing matter. There is a well orchestrated effort to make Israel out to be some demonic cross between Nazi Germany and Apartheid South Africa (with a little old-fashioned imperialism thrown in for good measure. This kind of hatred starts at the UN and seeps down to the most trivial of organizations. (Hey, think it’s time to throw the UN out of New York?)
We can’t do anything about those who hate Israel because it is a Jewish state- Moslem nations would hate Israel no matter where it was located. That is not going to change. What I refuse to accept is the kind of Israel bashing that is fostered by social causes and college campuses. It has become very chic to champion the cause of the “poor Palestinians” without any knowledge of the real facts. Young people are being fed lies about Israel without any ability to discern between lies and truth. It confounds me that institutions of “higher learning” have no problem allowing their faculties to spread lies and total falsehoods for the sake of their personal politics. That makes these institutions breeding grounds for anti-Israel causes. Worse than this, it makes these institutions breeding grounds for ignorance rather than learning.
It is very easy- take a bunch of young people who have seen little of the world (many of whom probably couldn’t find Israel on a map,) then use your “authority” and “learned opinion” as a professor to present a one-sided set of lies to people who know no better. “Presto” you create a “students against Israel” brigade! The only problem is that this entire construct is based on lies told to and believed by the ignorant.
The final battle in the war against ignorance will be waged on the world stage. As you know there is an up-coming vote in the UN to create a Palestinian state. Such a move has no basis in reality nor does it address any of the realities of the Middle East. It is nothing but a step to destroy Israel and her sovereignty among the nations. It would be a strategic victory for those who hate Israel and bring them one huge step closer to their goal- the destruction of Israel. It is unfortunate that this victory would be urged on by those who are ignorant, ill-informed, and totally deceived about Israel. We all know that the world (and our children and grandchildren) are being lied to- we must not allow ignorance and hatred to achieve their final victory.
It seems like every time I look at a paper or read news on –line someone else is declaring a boycott of Israeli products or selling off their investments in Israel. It has become so common it doesn’t even draw my attention- just another day in the battle to demonize Israel. You read all the claims, “apartheid state,” “invaders,” “Nazis,” “oppressors.” Sometimes the rhetoric is so predictable and rehearsed I have to laugh! It is, of course, no laughing matter. There is a well orchestrated effort to make Israel out to be some demonic cross between Nazi Germany and Apartheid South Africa (with a little old-fashioned imperialism thrown in for good measure. This kind of hatred starts at the UN and seeps down to the most trivial of organizations. (Hey, think it’s time to throw the UN out of New York?)
We can’t do anything about those who hate Israel because it is a Jewish state- Moslem nations would hate Israel no matter where it was located. That is not going to change. What I refuse to accept is the kind of Israel bashing that is fostered by social causes and college campuses. It has become very chic to champion the cause of the “poor Palestinians” without any knowledge of the real facts. Young people are being fed lies about Israel without any ability to discern between lies and truth. It confounds me that institutions of “higher learning” have no problem allowing their faculties to spread lies and total falsehoods for the sake of their personal politics. That makes these institutions breeding grounds for anti-Israel causes. Worse than this, it makes these institutions breeding grounds for ignorance rather than learning.
It is very easy- take a bunch of young people who have seen little of the world (many of whom probably couldn’t find Israel on a map,) then use your “authority” and “learned opinion” as a professor to present a one-sided set of lies to people who know no better. “Presto” you create a “students against Israel” brigade! The only problem is that this entire construct is based on lies told to and believed by the ignorant.
The final battle in the war against ignorance will be waged on the world stage. As you know there is an up-coming vote in the UN to create a Palestinian state. Such a move has no basis in reality nor does it address any of the realities of the Middle East. It is nothing but a step to destroy Israel and her sovereignty among the nations. It would be a strategic victory for those who hate Israel and bring them one huge step closer to their goal- the destruction of Israel. It is unfortunate that this victory would be urged on by those who are ignorant, ill-informed, and totally deceived about Israel. We all know that the world (and our children and grandchildren) are being lied to- we must not allow ignorance and hatred to achieve their final victory.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Lost and Found: $78 Million
I believe the true character of an individual or an entire people can best be seen in moments of adversity. Good times made altruism an easy trait but crisis or disaster creates a challenge to all the ideals that a person or group claims to cherish. I think that those who have, albeit grudgingly, praised the Jewish people have done so because of the undeniable fact that we have overcome every situation that history has thrown our way and held on to those principles that we value. It seems only proper that I pay tribute to another nation that has shown a similar moral resilience in the face of destruction.
A blog article told the story—since the massive destruction in Japan- earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear threat, the Japanese has shown just how strong their society is. Try to imagine the desperation- land now under water, thousands dead, more missing, homes and businesses gone forever. One could imagine this would be the stage for total chaos and an “every man for himself” fight to survive. Instead the Japanese have shown just how strong their values are. Since the destruction and its aftermath people have found all kinds of personal belongings that were spread far and wide by the forces of nature. Have people been looting? Have people stolen from each other? Has law and order disappeared? No.
Reports tell us that in the time that has passed people have found money, valuables, and even safes that were scattered in the debris and, much to their honor, Japanese citizens have turned in over 78 million dollars (2.3 billion yen) of money and valuables that have been found. This almost defies human nature- people who have lost everything still have the honesty and respect for their neighbors to surrender what is not theirs. That fact alone should tell you that there is something that Japanese society and culture is doing right and the rest of the world could certainly use their secret.
The recent riots in England proved the point—the riots were not “protests”- they served as an opportunity to loot, steal, and destroy. The mob knows it was safe to commit crimes when the police were overwhelmed. In our own country we have witnessed a new way to steal, hurt, and kill – the flash mob. The premise is easy- create a moment when the police can’t respond and you can get away with anything. Unfortunately I fear that the flash mob is the true indicator of American society. We have somehow gone very wrong and now we pay the price.
In Japan people will return 78 million dollars that they could keep without anyone knowing. In this country there are people who would attack you for 78 cents and then video tape it! This might be just the right time to think about healing our own society- that would be worth more than anything.
I believe the true character of an individual or an entire people can best be seen in moments of adversity. Good times made altruism an easy trait but crisis or disaster creates a challenge to all the ideals that a person or group claims to cherish. I think that those who have, albeit grudgingly, praised the Jewish people have done so because of the undeniable fact that we have overcome every situation that history has thrown our way and held on to those principles that we value. It seems only proper that I pay tribute to another nation that has shown a similar moral resilience in the face of destruction.
A blog article told the story—since the massive destruction in Japan- earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear threat, the Japanese has shown just how strong their society is. Try to imagine the desperation- land now under water, thousands dead, more missing, homes and businesses gone forever. One could imagine this would be the stage for total chaos and an “every man for himself” fight to survive. Instead the Japanese have shown just how strong their values are. Since the destruction and its aftermath people have found all kinds of personal belongings that were spread far and wide by the forces of nature. Have people been looting? Have people stolen from each other? Has law and order disappeared? No.
Reports tell us that in the time that has passed people have found money, valuables, and even safes that were scattered in the debris and, much to their honor, Japanese citizens have turned in over 78 million dollars (2.3 billion yen) of money and valuables that have been found. This almost defies human nature- people who have lost everything still have the honesty and respect for their neighbors to surrender what is not theirs. That fact alone should tell you that there is something that Japanese society and culture is doing right and the rest of the world could certainly use their secret.
The recent riots in England proved the point—the riots were not “protests”- they served as an opportunity to loot, steal, and destroy. The mob knows it was safe to commit crimes when the police were overwhelmed. In our own country we have witnessed a new way to steal, hurt, and kill – the flash mob. The premise is easy- create a moment when the police can’t respond and you can get away with anything. Unfortunately I fear that the flash mob is the true indicator of American society. We have somehow gone very wrong and now we pay the price.
In Japan people will return 78 million dollars that they could keep without anyone knowing. In this country there are people who would attack you for 78 cents and then video tape it! This might be just the right time to think about healing our own society- that would be worth more than anything.
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