Judaism… Began With A Journey

Pray for the peace for Jerusalem…

Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within

Thy palaces.

Psalm of King David

The Jewish religion began with Abraham–a Mesopotamian shepherd.  Centuries after Abraham, the people of Israel received God’s law, the Torah, given to Moses on Mount Sinai.

The Torah is Judaism’s sacred text– Over time the Jewish people would come to consider Jerusalem to be their most sacred location.  Jerusalem, where Solomon built a temple for God’s dwelling place on earth remains today as the holiest city for all the 15 million Jews worldwide.

Jerusalem harbors the most important sites of the world’s three great monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam:  for Christians, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, at the end of the Via Dolorosa, the Way of the Cross, erected on the site where Saint Helena discovered the remains of Christ’s Cross;  for Jews, the Wailing Wall, the remains of the west wall of the Temple Mount, Solomon’s original Temple; for Moslems, the Dome of the Rock, the Mount Moriah of antiquity where the Prophet Mohammed ascended to heaven on his white steed El Burak.

The persecution of the Jewish people throughout history is a tragic story of darkness.  Eli Wiesel’s, Night, describes the experience of the concentration camps with insights to the many layers of reactions a human being is capable of when faced with annihilation.

The rebirth of Israel was for the Jews a 2,000 year-old dream.  The dream was realized at four o’clock in the afternoon of May14, 1948, in a museum in Tel Aviv,  David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the rebirth of a Jewish state in the Ancient homeland of the Jewish people.

The early hours of Israels existence found five Arab armies drawn up along its borders vowing destruction. They invaded just after midnight May 14 and thus began a conflict that would go on for decades.

 The world today, struggles to create a viable global community–when a people are over run we have organizations coming together to understand all sides involved.  Arab and Jew are displaying more tolerance and understanding of each other…  and the world sighs.

O Jerusalem, the choice of Allah of all his lands!  In it are the chosen of his servants.  From it the earth was stretched forth and from it shall it be rolled up like a scroll.

The dew which descends upon Jerusalem is a remedy from every sickness because it is from the gardens of Paradise.

The Hadith, the sayings

of the Prophet Mohammed

 

A September Celebration…

The American Vogue

By mid-August, after a summer of scantily clad people watching, I look forward to, with great appreciation, simply not having to look at the constant barrage of  T-shirts, shorts and of course the ever-present flip-flop.  The horror of the American diet all to evident wherever people gather.  Living in the southwest does lengthen the seasonal fashion assault with temperatures often still reaching 90 degrees, until who knows when… the remedy arrives on time, although never too soon, easily reassuring us that civilization does exist in a more desirable, easy on the eyes form.

I approach the seasons offerings carefully.  Like other over-indulged fellow Americans I recognize my craving  for refined clothing,  sensational shoes,  purses,  fragrances and the most expensive, Bling, to be as addictive as the ever-present giant burger and fries (off days must be for pizza and taco’s) consumed week in and week out. –  Starting with the top publications, Vogue being the top, I immediately turn to the letter from the editor.  Anna Wintour has worked tirelessly for me all year to “keep fashion in the worlds of dreams and impossibilities.” she continues “It felt perfect, precisely because the current trend is toward the pragmatic and accessible.  Vogue has a responsibility to fly a visionary flag, now more than ever. The vision has always inspired me… with such potential to approach life on deliberate terms, I look at every design element necessary to get it right.

I seek expert opinion for hair and make-up.  I ride my road bike 20 miles a day while picturing the last unfit poor soul trying to walk up a flight of stairs.  I eat healthy, seeing food as a potentially deadly drug addiction… at last I’m ready to simply, dress properly!  Ms. Wintour adds ” Fashion is so often presented in the culture as a thing of froth, which, of course, it partly is;  But the bubbles are blown with care and a sense of values.  Likewise Fashion’s Night Out.  Frivolity must have its foundations.”

September 10,fashion will be having somewhat of a block-party.  Stores will stay open late, editors, designers, models, and celebrities will mingle with “the people”… I saw mentioned,  BICYCLE give-aways and a knitting class at Barney’s – Wow!   “You get the picture–but here’s the point.  Fashions Night Out is Vogue’s response to the notion that in these challenging times, certain kinds of pleasure, such as shopping, are impermissible.  I believe that on the contra’ re, this is exactly the moment to insist on the harmless (and in fact economically beneficial) joys of being out and about and open to inspiration.  Stores are fun, even if your not going to buy anything.”  Anna Wintour, 2009 American Vogue

Fashion exists quite expertly in both, the pragmatic and the dream world.  Pragmatically we should pursue our dreams with respect to the framework of our budgets, and as the summer always displays  Americans need to take better care of their appearance, and treat health as a precious commodity.  The dream world displayed inspires me to go for the size 4 and feel the drape of beautiful fabrics ruffle against the Autumn breeze…  Froth is always on the top.

The Beatles

Sharing Our Early years…

National fame of the Beatles arrived suddenly, by the end of 1963 they had their own monthly magazine, The Beatles Book, and an official fan club, which had grown from a few thousand to 80,000 paid-up members.  I was nine years old, living in a small town in Ohio, the best hoped for was  that nothing will change… ever.  Little did I know that our generation would, and still will, see epic shifts in all aspects of our lives (thank goodness).  First up…MUSIC!

The Beatles arrived at Kennedy Airport in New York, February 7, 1964 to perform for the Ed Sullivan Show on February 9.  That show was seen by 73 million viewers, and smashed the existing world record for the largest audience for an entertainment show.  The Beatles played 10 minutes.  February 16, the group played Ed Sullivan for a second time to a viewership of 70 million.  February 22, 1964 The Beatles returned to England, leaving in their wake an inspired and excited ten-year old.  Beatlemania had been introduced to America.

Sometimes discovery is best kept secret, especially when the environment may or may not appreciate the moment when we find what we didn’t know what was missing.  In the case of the Beatles we discovered their music, their hair, their fashion and perhaps most interesting, their irreverent attitude toward the establishment, for us, going into adolescence it was just… SWEET!

I kept my Beatles fan club membership private (I was the only member of my club). Dad converted one half of the upstairs garage/barn loft as my official meeting place.  My father divided the space for my younger brother and I.  My brother’s side had a lovely rug and furniture, my side had a trap door on the floor, challenging both life and limb (to this day I love a true challenge) and Beatles stuff, that’s it… no furniture, just the threat of bodily injury and the Beatles.  Private access to the loft was provided by an old rickety set of stairs, and an always occupied, angry wasp nest.  The nest was kept in place (Thank you Dad) helping to deter any unwanted neighborhood guests (the Millers), and, I suspect the wasps kept my brother from hanging out.  It was there I went to look at posters and study all the details I could discern from the sounds and images they so happily infiltrated our lives with.

Today my fan club is alive and well, and  enjoying the never hyped-enough remastered re-release of the Beatles entire recorded catalog.  14 albums now available as a stereo box set…all I can say is Thank You!

Revisiting past glories and pleasures can often be a unrewarding experience.  The glitter of any golden age tarnishes all too easily; the treasure of youth can appear dated and embarrassing just a few short years later.  –The Beatles: Unseen Archives

Not with the ‘Four lads who shook the world’

 Revisiting has its rewards…  as does a private club house built by Dad.

on the move… water

There is a continent – Africa – being consumed by flames.

Aids is not merely a disease, but an assault on human dignity.  We never anticipated that once we achieved our freedom we would face another challenge of this magnitude.  We cannot win this fight on our own, and we rely on people like Bono to help us beat this pandemic.  Nelson Mandela

Bono writes,  I truly believe that when the history books are written, our age will be remembered for these things: the war on terror, the digital revolution, and what we did – or did not do – to put the fire out in Africa.

I was amazed when I first got to America and I learned how much some church-goers tithe.  Some tithe up to ten percent of the family budget.  Well, how does that compare with the federal budget for the entire American family?  How much goes to the poorest people in the world?  Less than one percent.

One percent is national security, enlightened economic self-interest, and a better safer world rolled into one…

America gives less than one percent now (2006),  We’re asking for an extra one percent to change the world.  We complied, and Africa was impacted for the better.

Bono is the lead singer of Irish rock group U2.  In 2002, he co-founded the advocacy group DATA.  ONE, the Campaign to Make Poverty History is part of this group.  To date, more than 2.4 million Americans have signed in with ONE at http://www.one.org

The scale of the challenge can feel overwhelming, but one person can make a difference. Visit  http://www.one.org and join the effort to end world poverty, then go to the  SocialVibe site to the right of this page and just give a first name and an inspirational short answer… that’s it!

Thank you to Bono and Charity:Water and the sponsors for their continued work toward extinguishing the fires that would consume a continent.

What I know for sure… OPRAH

 Rembering Oprah

What I know for sure…

My entire life is a miracle.  And so is yours.  That I know for sure.

I want to keep doing better and better at who I am until I fulfill the promise of the miracle that is this life.

~Oprah

 

Oprah’s morning talk show debuted in 1984, and rose to number one in the ratings within a month.  I was thirty-one with two young girls living in beautiful  Shorewood just south of Chicago.  We where busy and time was carefully organized to allow for some coffee time in the morning to watch a little television, some me time, an important part of my routine.

AM Chicago was a struggling morning talk show, Oprah Winfrey was one of an endless parade of hosts.  The morning before, the show was hosted by Vicki Lawrence of Carol Burnett fame.  I use the term host as a reference only.  Ms Lawrence was insulting to the Chicago AM audience with her show of exaggerated boredom and her get me out of here attitude.

The bar was set so low from Ms. Lawrence’s performance that Oprah didn’t have to compete with but instead brought  to the viewers a contrast so opposite from the disrespect Vicki Lawrence gave our viewing time that we noticed.  Oprah brought her joy, brought her respect for the time the audience gave to watch, and clearly, brought her excitement.

Oprah, now an icon and an afternoon program,  gave us a television show of substance  (mostly) and the time we gave to Oprah was time well spent.  She has been a heartwarming presence in our homes and we will miss the lessons she has crafted for us over the years.  Thanks to Oprah for showing the courage it takes to live a willful and inspired life.  I expect Oprah to remain driven, always moving forward… she understands that!

Your life’s journey is about becoming more of who you are.

~Oprah

 

 

What Do Women Want? Really?… Again.

KEEP THE CHEERLEADERS OUT

or at least dress them appropriately…

a small article written in the 1970′s by my friend Barbara Chiarello – now Phd.

First it was the bat girls. Obviously not picked for their fielding skills, they have become a focus of ridicule at the Ranger games as they bounce down the field trying to catch a foul ball.

Bat boys are chosen for their skill and interest in the game.  Why aren’t the same criteria used for the girls?

And now for the cheers.  I can see that there will be two kinds of living things at the ball game.  The men and the sex objects.

As a post Womens’s Liberation woman, I am surprised.

As a mother of three girls, I am frightened.

As a paying spectator, I am angry.

Women as well as men must be encouraged to stretch as far as their potential will allow them to.  But here in Arlington Stadium, women are again being encouraged to emphasize their bodies; not their athletic skills, not their personalities, not, Heaven forbid, their minds.

I want my daughters to be the players, not the ornaments; the stars, not the members of the chorus line; the politicians, not the politicians’ wives.  Because if they suppress their skills and abilities, they will become angry and resentful.

And if we as a society continue to encourage fifty percent of our population to bury their talents in favor of developing the looks and mannerisms necessary to attract  the other fifty percent, we all lose.

Not that female sexuality is undesirable.  But what is happening at Ranger Stadium is that the good old double standard, or more appropriately, double blind, is being reinforced.  Women are either pure, almost virginal, mothers or sexy, slightly sinful nymphs.  A or B, take your choice.  Although the correct answer involves a mixture of both.

Why can’t the bat girls be both attractive and athletic?

Why can’t the cheers be led by men as well a women, both tastefully clad? Why can’t young children attending the game see men and women receiving attention because of their abilities?

Why can’t female sexuality be respected and not abused?

I still haven’t figured out how conservative, religious, flag-waving, apple pie and motherhood Dallas has tolerated the Dallas Cowboy cheerleader image.

But please, Please don’t bring the same tawdriness to Ranger Stadium.

The observation underscores, in its simplicity, the complex reactions we enforce or challenge every day.  The challenge evolved – 2009 Bat Girls are college level ball teams, whose skill level, as with the best in any field, elevates us to strive to their level of play.  Onward and upward is the best life plan.

What do women want, I should think we’ve moved to the bigger issues.  The why, the how, the politics…  after all, we now have the male cheerleaders.  We, men and women, share this world – a good thing!

Visit Global Womens Issues – Women and children are responsible for 80% of the worlds refugees.  Women own 1% of the worlds wealth.  How?  Why?