Full Nest
A full nest gathered at our home this week. We are delighted that tonight's Shabbat table will be graced by all four of our children, plus our son-in-law and granddaughter rounding out the blessings. I hope your holiday meals were also spiced with a joyful family gathering. Here is a beautiful Shana Tova melody collectively sung from congregations all over the world:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHlLYhYNbc0&feature=youtu.be
On Rosh Hashanah it is written,
and on Yom Kippur it is sealed.
How many will pass and how many will be created?
Who will live and who will die?
Who in their time, and who not their time?
Who by fire and who by water?
Who by sword and who by beast?
Who by hunger and who by thirst?
Who by earthquake and who by drowning?
Who by strangling and who by stoning?
Who will rest and who will wander?
Who will be safe and who will be torn?
Who will be calm and who will be tormented?
Who will become poor and who will get rich?
Who will be made humble and who will be raised up?
But teshuvah and tefillah and tzedakah (return and prayer and righteous acts)
deflect the evil of the decree.
Book of Life
This poem was written nearly 1,000 years ago and heard on the High Holidays in most synagogues. "The Book" of our fate is written on Rosh Hashana and it is sealed on Yom Kippur, 10 days later. During these 10 Days of Awe, we are to remember, reflect, repent and be righteous to help seal ourselves for another blessed and grateful year. Also during this time we ask forgiveness to ourselves and loved ones for any indiscretions. As I ask forgiveness to my inner and extended circle, I wish all of you an Easy Fast and "gamar hatima tova" = "a good final sealing" in the Book of Life.
How about Love
But how do you truly evaluate a Year. Is it based on your indiscretions or your righteousness? Many strive to evaluate their year on how they have helped Repair the World. Did you stop to give a dollar to a homeless person; Did you help assist a family in need; Did you volunteer in your community; Did you "hug a tree"; Did you contribute to help our global population? In other words, did you give and receive Love during your 5 Hundred, 25 Thousand, 600 Minutes? How do you measure a year?
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure - measure a year?
In daylights - in sunsets
In midnights - in cups of coffee
In inches - in miles
In laughter - in strife
In - five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure
A year in the life
How about love?
Measure in love
VP Debate
Whichever side you lean toward, most likely the VP debate didn't sway your views as, both "contestants" were well versed in their debate skills and held their own.
Pence was the consummate politician who deflected answers away from Trump's troubling issues and indiscretion and smoothly sailed around the Trump tornado while
Kaine seemed riled up (with valid ammunition) and was eager to pounce which portrayed him as more aggressive. The fact is that 3 of the 4 candidates are qualified to be world leaders (even with Pence's extremely conservative views), however the 4th continues to exhibit his immaturity, incompetency, deceitfulness and immorality with each new tweet and media storm.
No Trump Please
Because of his irreprehensible behavior,
The Atlantic Magazine
has made its 3rd endorsement in 150 years. The other two were Lincoln and Johnson. Here is a portion of their story. "
Today, our position is similar to the one in which The Atlantic's editors found themselves in 1964. We are impressed by many of the qualities of the Democratic Party's nominee for president, even as we are exasperated by others, but we are mainly concerned with the Republican Party's nominee, Donald J. Trump, who might be the most ostentatiously unqualified major-party candidate in the 227-year history of the American presidenc
y." To read the full article: https://goo.gl/5iMz69
New Secretary General
Ola (hello in Portuguese) António Guterres, annyeong (goodbye in Korean) Ban Ki-moon as the United Nations Sec. General gavel will be passed to a new leader. Antonio Guterres was the Prime Minister of Portugal and UN's high commissioner on refugees specifically dealing with Syrians. His refugee efforts earned him high praise and the most votes to win the job. There were ten finalist and 5 were women. The UN will need to wait another cycle till they elect their first woman leader. Once they see how well it works in the United States, I'm sure the next UN Sec. Gen will wear a bra*, but until then, let's hope this new UN chief will level the playing field when it comes to excessive Israeli condemnations and help spread them around to the nations where they are truly deserved. https://goo.gl/ed2ShA
Our new UN Sec. Gen. Jan. 2017
Apology
Someone who should never lead the UN is President Duterte of the Philippines with quotes like this:
"Hitler massacred 3 million Jews...there are 3 million drug addicts. There are. I'd be happy to slaughter
them."
Since when are
Jews and Drug Addicts synonymous.
Someone needs to get this man a filter and a history book. He did "profoundly and deeply"
apologize
to the Jews at a Manilla
Synagogue but he is still a horrendous man as he continues his brutal mass killings of suspected drug dealers and users (over 3,600 in the last 3 months). And sadly this human hurricane remains popular with his citizenry.
Hurricane Matthew
A real hurricane (category 4) hit Haiti, Cuba and the Bahamas this week taking the lives of nearly 300 people and threatened Florida and the Carolinas last night. 2 Million people have evacuated their homes. All local airport closed Thursday and grocery store were stripped bare. Hoping that those in Matthew's path are safe and sustain minimal damage to their lives.
Friday Announcement
The Nobel Prize committee has been busy announcing the prizes for Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Literature, economics and today Friday, Oct. 7 at 11:00am they will announce the
Nobel Peace Prize. This year garnered the largest number of Peace Prize nominees at 376 with 228 who are people and 148 which are organizations. All the nominees are kept secret for 50 years after the prize is awarded but many speculate these are some top contenders.
-
The Greek Islanders (who helped the Syrian Refugees)
-
Angela Merkel
-
Pope Francis
-
The White Helmets (Syrian Civil Defense group)
-
Juan Manuel Santos & Rodrigo Londoño
(Colombian President and FARC leader)
- Svetlana Gannushkina (Refugee and Human Rights activist)
- Denis Mukwege (Congolese gynecologist who help victims of sexual abuse)
The winner receives a Medal, a Diploma, a Laureate Title and $930,000. We shall see if any of the above win or if it is someone entirely different.
Alfred died 120 years ago. Has the Peace Prize brought us
closer to Peace or was Nobel right to be skeptical?
2nd Monday in October
Its that time of the year again to discuss the controversy of
Columbus Day named after Christopher (the Italian explorer) who abused the native population of his day. However, the holiday was declared in 1943 after 11 Sicilian immigrants were lynched in New Orleans a few years earlier. Should we continue to honor the Iltanians and ignore the Indigenous of the era? Several cities, including Phoenix, the largest city to change the name this year, are siding with the Native population and have joined 14 other cities who now call the holiday
Indigenous People's Day.
Whatever you call it, hope your day is enjoyed.
Monday October 10
*Gramming
October is when Pink invades our lives to bring awareness to Breast Cancer Health. So...
