Healing

Healing is a process we each have experienced or will experience at some stage in our lives. It happens mostly on the personal facet, rarely on a national or universal ones. We all know how much it is needed in those two last realms. What is a better time than the Present?

Many of you probably guess where this message is leading to and hopefully will share its urgency with me.

Yesterday, a new President, Donald Trump, was sworn in. It is no secret that many do not like him and his proposed policies. I do. However, like many, I await to see the results. Deep inside I harbor hope and faith.

Hope and Faith, I have learned through some hard lessons in life are two of the the main ingredients of the Healing process. It is the faith in the goodness of people, in the hope for a better and rewarding future that has kept me going and striving. Faith and Hope are also what has kept our Jewish people alive through our ensanguined history. We came out of it stronger and better.

I wish Americans and their allies would adopt that lesson and use the process to make our country greater than ever. I am certain we all care about America and we all have America’s best interest at heart, each in their own way.

Yesterday, America, through its newly legally and constitutionally elected and inaugurated President, started the implementation of one of the ways many believe will help us reach that wonderful and noble goal. That path will guide America for, at least, the next four years. Not all have to agree with that path but we should all respect it and give it a chance.

I trust we all agree that this path is not easy. It must overcome many hurdles. We need to ask ourselves the following questions, are we going to put more hurdles? Are we going to plant more traps and land mines, one that may have our names on them? Are we going to do all we can to try and sabotage it? Are we going to let our own personal selfish pride dictate our moves and actions?

Alternatively, we can ask, do we care about our country? Do we want to see it thrive? Do we want to keep the great American legacy? Do we not owe it to our children to rear them in a safe and supportive environment?

There are never any guarantees in life. That, too, we all know and agree with. We are facing the unknown yet again. This is where Faith and Hope, two tools that we were given at birth, tools that are intended to help us at difficult moments on Life’s journey, play an important role.

We also need Courage. And if there is one least used gift we all have the potential to possess, it is Courage. Embarking the Healing process takes Courage. It requires a change of attitude. It demands that we all let go of old habits and learn to be more tolerant and accepting. Courage and Integrity is what it takes to board this so badly needed voyage of Healing of our torn, sadly divided and fractured great nation.

Time to stop the bickering, learn to dignify the difference and rise above our own personal agenda. There are forces outside of us that await our destruction. Are we going to let them succeed? Are we going to let the enemies outside hurt us? Are we going to allow differences leave us vulnerable as a nation? This is the time to unite and stand as one behind our elected leader. It is the only way we will ever be able to remain strong.

I will conclude with the wise words of a former U.S. President, Franklin D. Roosevelt who wrote. They were true then and they are true today

"The point in history at which we stand is full of promise and danger. The world will either move forward toward unity and widely shared prosperity - or it will move apart. "

Russia and Yisrael

Last night I attended a concert of the Red Army Choir. It brought fond memories of an early childhood in Yisrael, memories of a home where the Russian culture was an integral part.

My parents who moved to Yisrael in 1949 were born in Belarus and Lithuania. Russian was one of the languages spoken at my home. We listened to Russian songs and we sang them. I will never forget how at the age of seven, my mother, who was a brilliant singer, taught me “Under Moscow’s Nights” (which I can sing in Russian until this day). I used to sing it on family celebrations such as weddings and Bar-Mitsvahs when I had to reach up to the microphone which was always much taller than me. We also sang Russian songs, in their Hebrew translation, during my youth movement days. Those were happy songs. Those were happy times for me.

Unfortunately, however, Russia does not evoke only doting memories in me.

It was the Russian Gulag where my late grandfather, Ben-Tsion, (after whom I am named) was deported to and where he eventually perished for no crime other than being a wealthy Zionist Jew. His legacy drove me to visit Siberia in my desire to trace his last footsteps. That was a hard experience. There was no comparison between the conditions under which I visited the place and the ones he experienced. I learned about those settings through avidly reading books written by Solzhenitsyn and others, hoping to learn as much as I could about the last phases of his life. I could not even begin to fathom what he had to face in that horrible place.

It was not, though, the only visit I made to Russia. Something drew me to that place, some unexplained call from the unknown and painful parts of my Jewish being - a call to go visit that part of the world. As hard as it might be to admit, I loved every minute I spent there.

I know, some would be quick to point out all the ugly aspects of Russia, its regime, its bloody history of anti-semitism and violation of basic human rights. Despite these, I could not help but be fascinated by its wealth of culture and great contributions, Jewish and other, to world civilization.

Listening to the Red Army Choir with its perfect performance, vocal and visual, triggered a resurgence of my admiration for that culture. I was so proud when I heard the choir chant Hebrew and Yiddish songs, songs of my happy childhood in Eretz Yisrael, songs of a culture that shaped me into who I am. I was dancing in my seat to the sounds of a wonderful amalgamation of my past, present and future.

As the lump was growing in my throat and my eyes were welling up, I could not help but express a silent wish that the coming days will see a growing cultural exchange between our two countries. I was praying for the building of bridges that would melt the political barriers and divisions and help improve the lots of both the Russian and Jewish People.

I hope you will all join me in this vision and in unison say “Amen!”

The Reign of Dishonesty

Written jointly by Roger Froikin and Bat-Zion Susskind-Sacks

The Ten Commandments are universally taken as a good list of rules for a fair and moral society.  We all seem to agree that “Thou shall not steal” is a good policy.  We all concur that not murdering is a necessary basic rule of any moral and stable society, that coveting leads to all sorts of problems and so on.

But less specifically stated is that all these rules hinge on honesty and are undermined by dishonesty.  We all hear that “honesty is the best policy” and that dishonesty leads to problems we do not want.  We all want our children to tell us the truth, businesses to treat us honestly and fairly, and friends and neighbours to never cheat us.

Everyone has been guilty of holding back on the truth so as not to hurt the feelings of a relative or friend, one’s wife or husband.  Half-truths to protect feelings are not uncommon.  Lies to protect against evil are justified at times.   The simple fact is whether one is honest or dishonest affects more than that person.  It affects others who depend on that person.

One fact, however, remains clear. Whether someone is honest or dishonest directly or indirectly touches the lives and choices of others.  

Another fact that remains uncontested is that, there are circumstances when honesty needs to be expected from those who affect our daily lives. Their honesty is something that we depend on for our decision-making processes and our choices.  Their honesty, or lack of it, determines what we must do, or not do.  

Honesty has rarely, if ever, been the governing principle on the timeline of history. For one to be honest, one needs to be courageous, be free of agenda and have a strong desire to bring about a change for the better in one’s world. In a way being honest is, to use Gandhi’s words, being the change that one wants to see in the world.

The honesty-dishonesty conundrum begins with childhood.  Children lie to protect themselves when they believe that they have done something wrong or disappointed someone close to them.  We teach them to develop trust and that being honest is best in the long run. 

Later in life, many use dishonesty in order to take advantage of others.  Businessmen who cut corners in order to sell faulty merchandise or who charge high prices in times of tragedy to profit from the hurt of others, come to mind. Politicians are another example of those who sometimes use lies, distraction, or evasion of truth as their compass to attract supporters and voters to gain power or push a policy that they believe might have opposition if people knew the facts.

Dishonesty, unfortunately, has become the rule rather than the exception in today’s world, today, more than ever before.  

Everyday people, sadly enough, also, play the same game in the hope of bringing about a change that will improve their status and advance their own personal agenda, gain friendships and buy love.

What is even more concerning is that we have learned to accept dishonesty and live with it. We may get momentarily upset when witnessing it, mumble our discontent with those that employ it, shake our head in disbelief yet we move on with our daily chores. We have all seen people who would excuse dishonest behavior and wonder why.   Some do wonder about the guy that shrugs off dishonesty by saying “everyone steals” or the politician who wants us to believe him but says “everyone lies”.   And what is worse is when people excuse dishonesty to protect their favorite friend or store or politician or political party,  strangely even when it might be against their own best interests.

Honesty, on the other hand and strangely enough has become a dirty word and is almost akin to a four-letter word.  In some countries today, the honest man is considered “naïve” or a fool.  The guy who shakes hands on a deal without paying a lawyer is called a “sucker”, assuming everyone is going to cheat him.  The honest man is scorned by many.

Likewise, in this Politically Correct world where opinions that do not conform  are censored, those that strive to express their opinions genuinely and sincerely amount to no more than “cyber bullies” and accused of promoting strife, hatred, lack of PC and warding off friendships merely for dissenting from current popular clichés. They are even considered by some, “the enemy.” What follows then is that the “enemy”, the “cyber bully” should be attacked, sanctioned and occasionally even threatened,  no different than the intolerance that led to pogroms against Jews in Europe.

The legitimization of dishonesty is alive and well and continues to pose danger to liberty.

Where has Liberalism gone?

           

                                                                 

Those of you who have known me for a while, know that I like to start many of my articles with a definition. That way, the readers and myself have some kind of an objective tool, a common denominator to  start a dialogue, a debate and an exchange.

I therefore decided to look up the term “Liberal” And “Liberalism.”

The Oxford dictionaries define the term “Liberal” as someone who is “willing to respect or accept behaviour or opinions different” to their own…”
The Free Dictionary defines “Liberalism” as “A political theory founded on the natural goodness of humans and the autonomy of the individual and favoring civil and political liberties,”

Both definitions, randomly selected, instill in their readers, at least in me, a sense of elation. They infuse a feeling that the practice of this theory is a panacea to all that is wrong in this world, one that we should all embrace and espouse.

The opposite of Liberalism is Conservatism. According to the Oxford Dictinary, it is "Commitment to traditional values and ideas with opposition to change or innovation:". This , of course, implies intolerance, narrow-mindedness, and a host of other not so complimentary terms. I regard myself as conservative which based on the above encompasses nearly all the evil in the world.

And that is indeed what those who call themselves, liberals, the enlightened ones, would accuse us, “conservatives,” of being -  the compilations of all that is iniquitous in this world. They are the bleeding hearts, they are the inclusive ones. They are the all-encompassing ones, the broad-minded ones. In short, the sole holders of right solution.

Until you dare to differ from them.

The recent election season is a perfect example of that. Granted, both sides displayed some lack of mannerism when emotions took over. The ugly utterances by both sides, the hatred, the profanity and the ugly metaphors brought to the surface some unbearable behavioral patterns which in normal times would remain hidden in the dark creases of the human soul.

I guess as a Conservative, a member of the group of human kind that represents that which is all bad, I am ready and willing to take responsibility. After all, how can you expect the “root of all evil” to act against that which is innate to it?

But what about the “Liberals,” those who per the above definitions, are the epitome of all that is positive, noble, decent and principled? Where is their practice of the brotherhood of men, the practice of many basic liberties of all those who were born equal, including the freedom to choose?

I have been wondering, is it possible that there are as many forms of “liberalism” as there are declared liberals? Where has this noble concept that has guided mankind through some dark eras gone astray? Where have the genuine liberals, the guardians of some of the most noble ideas in our history gone?

Bring them back!                 

Should we allow Globalization in its present form remain that way?

This article was written jointly by Roger Froikin and Bat-Zion Susskind -Sacks

“Globalization is here to stay.” This is the latest joint declaration of Obama and Merkel.

An objective dictionary definition of the term suggests that the term means “The process by which businesses or other organizations develop international influence or start operating on an international scale.” Apparently, a decent idea aimed at removing barriers, economic and cultural, between nations and bringing people and societies together. It has been suggested that it is, according to Jean Monnet, one of the European Union founders, a way to make war a thing of the past by creating co-dependency and cooperation. It has been experimented with in various forms for a long time.

Our question then is, has it proved successful? If Obama and Merkel mean that the process once begun cannot be stopped, maybe they have a point. But if they meant that “Globalization” is a process so important and so powerful so that it must ignore its negative consequences in the interest of some higher goal, they are wrong.

For Roger and myself and for many others, the term “Globalization” evokes the unavoidable association and recollection of the biblical story of Babylon. Babylon in turn, conjures anything that goes against G-d and humanity’s code of moral conduct. We have heard of the “harlot of Babylon,” the lascivious and immoral conduct of its inhabitants which, we believe is also hinted at on Leonard Cohen’s song “Dance Me to the End of Love,” where he says. “Let me feel you moving like they do in Babylon.” Babylon, as many know, is also the cradle of some of the pagan religions that sought to compete and destroy Judaism. What “Babylon” was, was a centralization of all power and influence in a small elite who saw it in their interest to squash all who dissented - cultures, religions, languages – all had either to be in the interests of those in control, or had to disappear. A world of diversity had to become a world of uniformity serving the new order imposed by those at the top - for the good of all. The problem then – and now, is that when uniformity is imposed, whose culture, whose rules, whose choices will be imposed on everyone for the benefit usually of those who are running the game or have access to those running the game.

The Biblical story of Babylon as recounted in Genesis, like the idea of modern day concept of globalization, was a counter reaction to certain realities that needed to be addressed. Prior to the Flood, per Chabbad.org, people “had been interested only in themselves; they thought of themselves as supermen and lived each one for himself alone; they used violence and force against their weaker neighbors, paying no attention to laws and rules.”

We witness the same phenomenon unfolding itself in front of us nowadays. Borders are crumbling, economies with different outlooks and different work ethics are forced to work together removing the rewards from the hardworking ones and benefiting the less ambitious ones. Individuals who are yearning for self-expression and practicing their rights for individualism are silenced and reduced to becoming mere sheep, all for the benefit of a global society. Individuality and the integrity of one’s own mind lost its inviolability. The ‘we’ has replaced the ‘I’ leaving us with neither being capable of guiding humanity anymore.

In theory, Globalization is fine. It has the potential of being more opportunity and a better life to everyone. In practice, it has been much less so historically. Somewhere, some place there is the golden mean, the course of combining the two, enhancing one’s ability for self-expression and directing it towards benefiting us all. And that “golden mean” can best be reached by encouraging free and fair trade, allowing market forces, not bureaucrats and making the decisions balanced by a moral approach that requires fairness to all.

The Silence of the Donkeys

We are witnessing a sad phenomenon nowadays. The U.S. is divided almost in the same manner it was before and during the Civil War in the early 1860’s.

The difference is that, unlike then, nowadays, it is not about some painful and revolting issues such as slavery and inequality. This time, it is about exercising some healthy and democratic tenets, Freedom of choice and the freedom to practice that which is innate in every free and enlightened society. The right to vote for one’s choice is what I am referring to.

The American voting system was decreed by the forefathers of our Republic. It was so decreed that the candidate that gets most of the electorate votes, is the chosen candidate. Our great U.S. A. has voted like that for over two centuries.

Many of us have voiced our dissatisfaction with this system but have done little if anything to change it. I remember the contested elections during the Gore Bush season. I also remember that as an Al Gore voter, I was upset. However, I accepted the verdict and supported Bush in his efforts to ensure the well-being and safety of the American people.

I certainly did not think then of going out to riot, cause havoc and use violence to express my dissatisfaction with the results. I would not have contemplated it ever, not then, not now even if the Democratic candidate, whom I oppose, had won.

Moreover, I am very upset, to put it mildly, to see protesters burn our flag. The Star-Spangled-Banner is the flag of the great U.S.A. It is the symbol of everything anyone anywhere else in the world could ever dream of! It stands for freedom, equality, opportunity and rights. It is the subject of our National Anthem It is the symbol of the Land of the Brave and the Land of the Free. For me personally, it is the symbol of the power that liberated my parents from the Nazi death camps.

Yes, I know, some will be quick to correct me and point out that back in 1989, Supreme Court Judge Scalia  was the fifth and deciding voter (Texas vs. Johnson) that upheld the decision that flag burning is a form of expression. A year later, he also voted against a federal law that banned flag burning.

And that, too, is part of what the Star-Spangled banner stands for, freedom of expression and freedom to choose one’s own candidate and one’s own form of government and policies democratically and openly.

Sad that some Donkeys do not get it!

It is not the voters that I direct my anger at. They have a right to be unhappy and protest. It is the leaders that they voted for that I direct my criticism against.

They promised us that they will work to make America great. They promised us that they will be there for us.

Well, your humble servant is one of those us. And this humble servant would have hoped that those same leaders would continue to stand by their promise to make us great, to unify us, work together towards one common goal and make America great again.

Instead, they have chosen to remain silent, sit and watch American brothers and sisters fighting against each other, boycotting and slandering each other. Have they forgotten parts of our bloody history?

I am glad I am in the elephants’ camp. After all, they say that elephants have a long memory!

Why I am a Trump supporter

I was once an immigrant, a newcomer to the U.S.A.

When I arrived there, I had very little possessions. I was a young woman who had nothing, average English skills, no status, no dynasty and certainly no connections. All I brought along with me was a strong ambition and big dreams.

America of then accepted me for who I was. It did not give me money or free gifts. All it offered me is its fertile ground of opportunity. "Come plant your seeds in me," it whispered to me, the seeds that are in you, it is here for you and all who yearn to grow and blossom. I will not do it for you, but I will offer you, and all, that which is necessary to make it happen."

And I did!

In my first five years of living there, I achieved more than I did or could have achieved anywhere else in the world including my beloved Jewish Homeland, Yisrael.

I continued to work hard and America continued to be there for me. It remained with open arms and embraced my wish to grow and prosper.

It did not expect anything in return but Respect, Love and Loyalty.

That is the Great America that I miss. That is the Great America that I want back.
That is the Great America that only Donald Trump can give us back!