Thru Other Eyes

60 Years

We can celebrate many things on this 60th anniversary of the founding of the modern day State of Israel. There is much to be thankful for. There is much that we have achieved. Israel has been the source of many innovations in the areas of water management and agriculture, science, medicine and technology. The country enjoys its own form of democracy and for many of its citizens it has created economic prosperity with an open and dynamic economy.

(NOTE: This article is somewhat longer than what I usually present here. For those who find it more convenient to read hard copy, you can download and print a copy at the end of the article.)

The fact that the state of Israel even exists, after thousands of years of Jewish statelessness,

Geert Wilders Bedankt!

Thank you Geert Wilders? Yes, thank you Geert Wilders. Fitna and Geert Wilders’ performance during the parliamentary debate that followed the video's release have indeed shown us that we stand on the precipice of a monumental decision. Unfortunately for Geert, it’s not quite the decision he was hoping for.

Wilders’ Youtube video Fitna (to call it a film would give it way too much credit) has stirred a lot of debate and controversy both in the Netherlands and abroad. The reactions to the video can be grouped into four broad areas:

Good Will To Men, Every Day of the Year

This is the season isn’t it? For a short time every year a great deal of the world shops till it drops, overburdens national postal systems with greeting cards and one thought prevails above many others: “Peace on earth, good will to men.” The Christmas spirit is so ubiquitous that there is no escaping it. Even though we of course don’t celebrate the holiday as such (we are getting together with some friends for a Judeo-Muslim turkey dinner with all the trimmings on the evening of the 24th) I wouldn’t mind if every day was imbued with a bit of the Christmas spirit, and then I am particularly referring to that prevailing thought – “Peace on earth, good will to men.”

It’s an interesting thought that could use a slight realignment

What Will I Do on the Day of Judgment?

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the culmination of the ten Days of Awe that began with Rosh Hashanah begins Friday night. It is perhaps the holiday that attracts more Jews to the synagogue than any other occasion in the annual calendar. Although I was a frequent synagogue visitor throughout my youth and adolescent years and was even quite religious as a young adult, Yom Kippur represents now for me, as for many of my fellow Jews, my annual synagogue visit (unless I am lucky enough to be visiting my very dear religious friends in Toronto during a holiday or Shabbat weekend – but that’s a different story).

I am fortunate to be living in Amsterdam where I visit the Yom Kippur eve services at the famous Portuguese synagogue that was built in the 1670’s. ‘Portuguese’ Jews came to Amsterdam in large numbers from Portugal about 100 years after the Spanish inquisition and expulsion of the Spanish Jews largely to Portugal. They were actually of Spanish Jewish origin but since the Dutch Republic was at war with Spain at the time, they called themselves ‘Portuguese.’

The Gifts We Share

In Jewish tradition, on Rosh Hashanah our fate for the coming year is provisionally written, penciled in if you will, in the Book of Life. It is on Yom Kippur, ten days later that our fate is sealed, written in indelible ink. With Yom Kippur only a few days away, it is “crunch time” as they say in American sports jargon. We’re getting down to the wire, we’re in the final stretch and we all of course want to come out smelling like roses come Yom Kippur.

In one of the holiday’s most important prayers, the Unetaneh Tokef, we recount how this process works, from provisional to final inscription in the ten Days of Awe. One of the central insights this prayer offers us is that our provisional fate can be altered by three types of sincere actions on our part: tshuva (repentance), tefillah (prayer) and tzedakah (charity).

Although I do not take all of this literally,

For the Children

The services during Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur span many different themes with of course a key focus on our deeds and how those deeds define our relationships with our fellow human beings. The Rosh Hashanah readings from the Torah and the Haftorahs share a common theme - our relationships with one very special class of human beings - children: the great blessing of having children and the greater commitment to their welfare that we must fulfill.

It is clear that if we fail to provide a safe, secure, supportive and nurturing environment and future for our children that we have failed our commitment to their welfare. And it is also clear that a state of constant war and strife is as far as we can get from giving our children what they deserve.

Decades of war have ruined the lives of generations of children in both Israel and Palestine. Far too many children on both sides of the divide are leading lives that we normally associate with third world countries.

(article continues after video)

Random Acts of Kindness

What could be better during this season of heightened spirituality - the Jewish High Holy Days and Ramadan - than random acts of kindness. I encourage us all to each day look for an opportunity to practice a random act of kindness however small. It can be a smile for a stranger, stopping at that cross-walk to allow someone to cross the street, carrying the shopping bag of an elderly person, helping a woman with a baby stroller get into the bus or trolley, buying a cup of coffee for a homeless person, handing out single flowers to people you walk by. What random acts of kindness can you think of? The inspirational messages below, e-cards you can send, come from The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation.

Ramadan Mubarak and Shana Tova Tikatevu

(click image for full-size version)

 

 

 

 

 

Visual Thoughts for the High Holy Days

As we Jews move from Rosh Hashanah towards Yom Kippur and as our Muslim cousins continue to celebrate the month long Ramadan festival, we are all focused on introspection about our deeds past and future. This is of course the ideal period of time to be especially thinking about our relations with our fellow human beings. Since inspiration can come from any source, I find these two pieces of graffiti art by Mike Mills - award winning film and music video director and graphic artist - to be especially meaningful in the context of our holidays.

Shana Tovah Tikatevu and Ramadan Mubarak

(click images for full size)

(credits: mikemillsweb)

My Thoughts for this Rosh Hashanah 2007

Rosh Hashanah – the Jewish New Year – is a holiday of many themes. It is primarily the celebratory gateway to the ten days of awe, that period of solemn spiritual contemplation culminating in Yom Hakippurim, the day in which each person is judged and his or her destiny is sealed for the coming year. In this period we are encouraged to ask forgiveness for our sins, be they sins we have committed against God or have committed against other people. Throughout the liturgy what feels like an endless list of transgressions covering almost every possible human weakness big and small is repeatedly recited. It is a veritable cascade of human failing that washes over us like a freezing mountain waterfall, shocking and awakening every fiber of the body and soul.

In a mood of self-examination and deep contemplation

Be Proud Be Loud

The weekend of August of 4th marked the occasion of Amsterdam’s annual Gay Pride celebrations which have become most known for its unique canal boat parade. In a country which has always prided itself on tolerance and a leading international position in the area of gay rights the parade this year was more political than usual given the rising tide of anti-gay violence and rhetoric on the streets and in the schools.

Those of us who live here are painfully aware of this slow but noticeable increase in intolerance. The many gay and lesbian tourists who visit what once was rightfully considered Europe’s gay capital still labor under the illusion that Amsterdam is the ideal place to be one’s self. This cost the gay American journalist

40 years of wandering. Time to enter the Promised Land.

Dear cousin,

When I look around me and see what the last 40 years has brought us, since our war in June, 1967, I must confess I am very sad. But why should I feel today anything less or more or different than after 39 or 41 years. What’s in a number? What’s in this number?

Many important, even defining, biblical moments in Judaism involved the number 40. And I have just read that the prophet Mohammad had his first vision and revelations from the angel Gabriel at age 40 after fasting and praying for 40 days. Maybe we should not treat this 40 year anniversary as every one before, or God forbid, every one to come. After all, 40 seems to be a number of some spiritual importances to both of us.

The biblical importance of 40 got me thinking about our shared biblical origins: two narratives with one starting point and constant overlap. What we share now is mostly friction and conflict. Why? How did it all really start between us? What can we learn on this anniversary of when the last 40 years began?

The Time 100 - Part 2

In 'The Time 100 - Part 1' I noted five interesting themes that struck me in the Time 100. The first two were "blogging for human rights" and "when east meets west." In part 2 I'd like to look at the remaining three themes:

• The changing face of business leadership
• Feeding a continent
• Why we do what we do

The Time 100 - Part 1

You have probably noticed that Time magazine published this week their list of the 100 most influential people on the planet – the Time 100. Since I don’t subscribe to Time, I became aware of the Time 100 Friday while watching FoxNews’ morning show ‘Fox and Friends’. One of the hosts, Brian Kilmeade, was mocking the list as liberal media fare pointing out how incredulous it is that Osama Bin Laden populates the list while President George Bush does not. Of course that sufficiently piqued my curiosity to see exactly who was on the Time 100.

In going thru the 100 my overall impression was that with few exceptions (Bin Laden, Ali Khamenei and Omar Hassan al-Bashir for example) the list is one of hope and optimism. Although many of these 100 are reasonably to very well known, there are plenty that for me were not household names.

I have chosen for myself 5 themes out of this list,

Why?

Humor me a minute. I want to ask you to think of something for a moment. And like I said, humor me because first I want to tell a story. Tonight I have a  business-related training. Since the location is a lovely hotel nestled up to the  National Park Hoge Veluwe in Otterlo I like to come early in the afternoon. I can enjoy the outdoors walking in the woods or biking in the park. If it's too cold or the weather is nasty, I can use the hotel’s wellness facilities. Either way I always slow down and relax here.

I walk to the hotel from the bus stop and right by the hotel I pass the entrance to a British Commonwealth WW II cemetery. I always pause a moment and read the plaque on the small understated memorial. It seems that between April 15 – 17 in 1945 there was a battle here, the Battle for Otterlo. In that cemetery

Virginia Tech - An event like no other

Note: This article was originally written for my communication consulting practice.

The tragic massacre last week at Virginia Tech remains first and foremost a deeply personal tragedy for the families and friends of the dead and injured and for the Virginia Tech family of students and faculty. But it was also an event that now clearly delineates between how the world used to be and how the world is evolving in terms of communication and journalism.

The previous watershed moment in communications and journalism occurred on January 16, 1991, the start of the first Gulf War. That evening I and millions of people around the world sat riveted in front of our television sets as we listened and watched CNN’s Peter Arnett, Bernard Shaw and John Holliman broadcast live from suite 906 at the Al Rashid Hotel as the first bombs began to rain down on Baghdad.

Fast forward to the terrible events of April 16, 2007,

Freedom Is In The Air

Next week Jews all over the world will celebrate the holiday of Passover or Pesah as we call it in Hebrew. The holiday is a celebration of freedom, both physical and spiritual, freedom from destitution and hunger, freedom from repression and freedom from hate - in other words the freedom to live with respect in dignity and peace. The events of the last few years, from the Middle East to Africa and Asia, to the Gulf Coast of America and sadly everywhere in between have made me realize one thing more then ever before: We can only truly be free when all peoples are free. Celebrate with me the hope for that glorious day when freedom in all its forms belongs to all people everywhere.

Freedom's In The Air

Will the Real Mr. Peanut Please Stand Up? Part II

As we have seen, both Bush and Ahmadinejad are devout religious fundamentalists who seem to be in some measure directed by their beliefs of what their respective Gods desire of them. But there are some interesting differences in how they exercise power.

Ahmadinejad does not have the absolute last word in his country. He is subject to the checks and balances inherent in the Iranian form of theocracy. In the first instance you have the Supreme Leader who does not hesitate to put Ahmadinejad in his place when necessary, for example just recently concerning the President’s shortcomings on economic policy. Ahmadinejad is also subject to the whims of the voters as recently demonstrated by the strong rebuke  his domestic policies received in his first mid-term. And it is no secret that large portions of the Iranian public are dissatisfied with Ahmadinejad’s unfulfilled promises to attack domestic problems. And in fact, several months ago a motion of impeachment was even introduced in the Iranian parliament.

Bush on the other hand

Will the Real Mr. Peanut Please Stand Up? Part I

When I think about Bush and Ahmadinejad I usually get two varying images in my head. Sometimes I see them as two nuts, two peanuts, two Mr. Peanuts if you will and sometimes I see Bush and Ahmadinejad as two peas in a pod. Since both the peanut and the pea are actually in the same family, I guess I could just think of them as two whacky and wild pea nuts.

But seriously, whatever image these two guys conjure up in your head, one reason why they have developed into such arch rivals, with an enmity that has become palpably personal, lies partially in the fact that they are actually quite similar. And maybe that’s why they just can’t seem to get along.

Both men are motivated by their deep religious convictions. As is well known,

America, for all you do, this Bud's for you!

Last Friday was a memorable day for two reasons: the release of the latest National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq and the UN’s report on climate change.

The NIE painted a stark picture of the mess America has created in Iraq and in no uncertain terms made clear how small the chances for success are within the report’s time frame of 12 – 18 months.

The UN report on climate change was also not so heartening, telling us that, “Global warming is so severe that it will "continue for centuries, leading to a far different planet in 100 years…"”

America seems to support the report publicly, saying for example, “We think it's a very valuable report. The conclusions are significant…the US was an important participant in the development of this report.” However,

Adultery, coveting and America's "unifying value system"

Over the last week or so I have had some spirited debate here and on other weblogs about Dennis Prager and Virgil Goode’s reactions to Keith Ellison’s intention to be holding a Koran during his unofficial ceremonial re-enactment of his congressional swearing in. In the end I am most intrigued by one of Dennis Prager’s arguments that seems to be very popular among those supporting that position:

“When all elected officials take their oaths of office with their hands on the very same book, they all affirm that some unifying value system underlies American civilization (emphasis added).”

What "unifying value system" could Prager be talking about and is it truly even American? Assumedly, that would be some "unifying value system" stemming from the Judeo-Christian tradition since the "very same book" Prager wants everyone to be sworn in on is the combined New and Old Testament. But since both traditions – Jewish and Christian – are extremely broad in their respective scopes and diverge on many points of faith and practice,

A Goode Opportunity for President Bush

At any other time in America’s modern history, Representative Goode’s comments about Islam could be chalked up as the insulting and distasteful ravings of a delirious racist xenophobe and left at that.

But this is not any other time. This is a time when the USA is leading her so-called ‘war on terror’ against extremist elements of Islam, is waging an immensely unpopular war in one Muslim country, was perceived to show great cold-heartedness towards Lebanese civilians during the recent war with Israel and continued ambivalence towards the Palestinians, has been guilty of disgusting acts at Abu Ghraib, controversial prisoner treatment at Guantanamo, most likely war crimes in places like Haditha and last but not least extreme and unapologetic violations of the civil and human rights of Muslims at home and abroad.

At such a time, Goode’s beliefs could be interpreted as an indication that America is actually at war with Islam. The depth, the breadth and the quality of reaction, especially from Bush and other leading members of his administration, could be viewed by many, especially in the global Muslim community, as an indication of how America’s leaders themselves view who the ‘enemy’ is in this ‘war.’

In other words, this is a time when outstanding leadership is required from President Bush. Sadly,

The smartest of the pack?

"Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children." - Ancient Native American Proverb

This past weekend I fled the city and headed to one of Holland’s most beautiful places – Ameland.  Ameland is one of Holland’s Wadden islands, a series of 5 small islands that lie 15 to 90 minutes by ferry off of Holland’s northern coast.

Ameland is characterized by its 15 km long North Sea beach, its beautiful dunes, marshes and bird life. On nearby sandbanks one can also see a large seal community. Quite a great place for some rest, relaxation and communing with nature. While communing with nature one evening I felt refreshingly divorced from politics, elections, wars and the rest of the news.

Saturday evening I went for a long walk through the dunes by my hotel and was treated to a gorgeously colorful sunset. As I watched the sun disappear under the horizon the sky became bathed in hues of red. With a sense of wonder