This piece by Rabbi Yoffie is very powerful and worth reading for all of us concerned about the future of Israel and the possiblities of peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Rabbi Yoffie does not mince words.


Monday Oct 10, 2011
By Rabbi Eric Yoffie
President of URJ

Stop deluding yourselves!

There is far too much self-delusion, on all sides, when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and issues of peace in the Middle East. What follows is my unsolicited advice to the major players.

To the Government and leaders of Turkey: Stop deluding yourselves! No matter how sharp your attacks on Israel and how craven your embrace of Hamas, you will not—as a non-Arab state—ever be accepted as a true leader in the Arab world. And your outrageous criticism of Israel for “misusing” the Holocaust will not erase the memory of the Ottoman Empire’s role in the Armenian genocide—a role that your government shamefully continues to deny.

To the leaders of the Palestinian Authority: Stop deluding yourselves! You will not be taken seriously as proponents of a two-state solution if you fail to support the underlying principles that make such a solution possible. A two-state solution means that there is no “right of return” to Israel, and that once a treaty is signed, the conflict is over. Really over. If you cannot say this now, and if you talk about Palestine being occupied since 1948, you are not serious about two states—or about peace.

To the leaders of the settlement movement: Stop deluding yourselves! No one believes you when you claim that the thugs who burn mosques, uproot olive trees on Arab land, spout anti-Muslim slogans, and deface army bases exist only on the margins of your community. This violence has been going on for years, feeding on extremist views of Jewish law put forward by too many of your rabbinic leaders. And everyone knows that you could do far more about this hooliganism than you are now doing if you really wanted to.

To the leaders of the Israeli right: Stop deluding yourselves! You cannot support a two-state solution and oppose it at the same time. The Prime Minister asserts Israel’s position, but you offer tepid assent in public while whispering to everyone that you hold the opposite view. In your heart you know that the occupation cannot continue, but after all these years you have yet to explain how it might end—and how Israel will maintain its democratic character and its Jewish majority if it doesn’t. Do you believe, as the Prime Minister says, that Israel should negotiate without preconditions? Again, without exactly saying so, your words and actions suggest otherwise.

To the leaders of the Israeli left: Stop deluding yourselves! You say that the Palestinians want peace, and Israelis would like to believe that, but where, for heaven’s sake, is the evidence? Hints, and feints, and winks are not enough. Abbas at the UN should have said: “I welcome the Jewish state as my neighbor, and I welcome the Jews home;” but he had his chance, and he blew it. Please, no more making excuses for him.

Should we despair? Absolutely not. Now is the right time for Israel, with American agreement, to define provisional borders for the Jewish state—borders that might result should the Palestinians get serious about talks. What Israel needs now is tough-minded, unilateral steps to regain the initiative. But no more delusions—from anyone.

This is a great piece to comtemplate as we prepare to hear Kol Nidre

The surprising appeal of Kol Nidre

By Lawrence A. Hoffman · September 22, 2011

NEW YORK (JTA) -- On his way to converting to Christianity, philosopher Franz Rosenzweig attended Yom Kippur services and was so moved that he decided to remain Jewish. One look at the most famous prayer for the occasion makes it hard to believe that he did not abandon Judaism all the quicker.
Kol Nidre actually is no prayer at all. Rather it is a legal formula in Aramaic that delineates obscure categories of vows and oaths known to the Bible and the Rabbis, and then solemnly proclaims that we are free of them.
The origin of this concern was our ancestors’ anxiety over reneging on promises sworn in God’s name. The Talmud permitted such oaths to be canceled, but only one by one and in the presence of a Talmudic sage. The idea of a blanket nullification was anathema to rabbis who first heard of it in the eighth and ninth centuries and denounced it as “a foolish custom.” But no one listened.
The prayer had emerged alongside a parallel practice of smashing clay pottery on which a formula to annul vows had been engraved, the idea being that your enemy might have conjured evil spirits and forced them magically to promise you harm. Breaking the bowl would free them from their promise.
Here, then, is a superstition-laden prayer that was condemned by rabbinic authorities but stuck anyway. Its final version reflects a 12th-century substitution of “vows made in the future” for “vows made in the past,” so as to do away with its obvious disregard for Talmudic law. Even so, it hardly represented Judaism at its moral best. In the 19th century it fueled German anti-Semitism to the point where Jews were hauled into court and forced to swear that they would be held answerable for the truth of any oath they took there.
Despite all this Kol Nidre persisted, eventually supplied with unforgettable music and the choreography of a courtroom trial held before God. Jews were chanting it is as far back as 11th-century France; 14th-century German cantors were prolonging the melody to make sure latecomers got to hear it. Polish Rabbi Mordecai Jaffe (1530–1612) sought in vain to change the text because cantors resisted coupling the age-old melody to new lyrics. Nineteenth- and 20th-century rabbis tried to substitute Psalms or write a new prayer altogether.
A more successful subterfuge was to play Kol Nidre on a musical instrument without words or to chant the prayer but omit the words (especially in translation) from the prayer book.
What attracts us to this strangely haunting ritual of Kol Nidre? Is it the music? Surely. Is it also the high drama of the occasion -- Torah scrolls dressed in white and held stunningly in full view of the congregation throughout the chant? Yes, it is that as well. But it is more. "All These Vows: Kol Nidre" (Jewish Lights, 2011) assembles the thoughtful and moving answers of more than 30 people -- rabbis and cantors, artists and thinkers -- the world over. My own view is that Kol Nidre connects us with the sacred.
Since the 19th century we have been on a road toward greater secularity -- not necessarily a bad thing, if by “secular” we mean the discovery that the world is devoid of magical forces and that everything runs by an immutable set of scientific laws. But we have paid a price. Secularization is the process of yanking at the curtain of the universe and discovering there is no wizard micromanaging it. But a universe that operates by natural law can still have mystery. We pilgrims on the yellow brick road strive to be secular, scientific and savvy without giving up on God and the certainty that life still matters. On Kol Nidre eve, it is as if nothing has eroded that certainty because energy runs high, memories go deep and some things seem not to have changed in a thousand years or more.
People mistakenly think that they cannot pray because they cannot believe. The reverse is true. Prayer compels belief, not the other way around. For a very brief moment, as Kol Nidre is chanted, we are in touch with the sacred and with our finitude; with those we love and with the broader human universe; with our own better selves and with the God we are not even sure we believe in.
Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, a professor of liturgy, worship and ritual at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, is the author most recently of "All These Vows: Kol Nidre" (Jewish Lights).

Goodies reflections

Second time I am writing this. OMG…. I wish I had saved it correctly.

People are very nice and helpful. The other day we went out looking a place to eat dinner. Traffic was bumper to bumper. At a light someone came up to the back of the car. Yes the old window washer trick. However Peter was looking for some change to tip but he went away. There is no tipping in the country. Nice. They want to be of service. Even the super did a few things for us. He wouldn’t take a tip. So I made him some shortbread. That he took. Smart man. He didn’t want to make me feel badly. I have several things that need to be done in Evanston. It would cost only $1900.00 in coach. Oh well just a thought.

Every time I want to call home it is 3 AM at home. Too early and the day is always wrong. 1 day different. Tomorrow is another day.

Holidays are very different this year. No family, chicken soup. brisket, or turkey. I looked for chicken livers the other day in the super market. I thought I would surprise Peter with a little touch of home. But nowhere to be found. I guess the New Zealanders don’t eat chicken so no livers. It is hard to be Jewish in this country. Someone told us his grandfather was a Kosher butcher and had to go out of business. No one would buy meat from Christchurch. Too bad.

The holidays were coming up and I decided to get my nails done. We went to one of the malls. The nail salon was in the middle of the hall. It was cold. No problem they had a heating pad for my tush. So my arms and legs were cold but bottom was toasty warm. The store on one side was Polo. Not one person came out with a bag. No sale on polo shirts $75.00. Surprisingly, very few stores were empty or going out of business like in the States. Getting back to the nails. It was a good thing I brought my own polish because the colors they had were black, green, and blue. Not my style. Not sure they celebrate Halloween. A woman sat next to me and had tips put on. After they were glued on, someone else came and did one hand and the other hand was done by someone else. One hand could be 4 incnes. the other 2 inches. Maybe a new style. Time will tell.

Things are very expensive. Sample sizes Adults $99.00 Children 89.00. That was for sandals. If you come to New Zealand, make sure you bring everything you think you need.

This is a very gay friendly country. One article said, they are more interested in what kind of car you drive than your life style. Nice to see.

Rugby is the main religion in New Zealand and it is still a mystery. Give me baseball, basketball or football any day. The commentary is as funny as the game. Why anyone wants to catch the ball and have everyone pile on top of you. This is a rough game.. Ouch!!!!

The other day we took a ferry to Wakiheke Island to visit a congregant for lunch. They live on 7 acres and have a sustainable farm. They have young people working it. They were working on a new Chicken coop. They have 4 chickens. The farmer showed me the eggs that were laid. It was like an Easter basket. Blue, brown, green. Dr. Suess knew something. I didn’t know about green eggs and ham. It was a cold and rainy day. We plan to go back and see the wineries that the island is famous for. We will taste and eat lunch. But we will wait until it gets warmer. I hope before we leave.

Peter went shopping the other day without me. When he got home, he told me this story. When he found the car to put groceries into the car he opened the door. The wrong side. Not unusual but he opened the door and sat inside. Then noticed the wheel was on the other side. Not automatic yet. I am glad I wasn’t around. I would still be laughing.

 

Oh what a country! Fun to experience new ways. People are always dressed in black. Not sure if it is because the World Cup. New Zealand is called the All Blacks. You just don’t know who is a real Kiwi. So many Japanese, Koreans, Indonesians. Therefore there are many ethnic restaurants. Some good , some tasty. You just don’t know until it is in your belly. Too late to leave.

Services went well. Peter wowed them and me.   It is a small place and everyone helps.--moving chairs, bringing a light meal for a nosh. It is still cold and very windy. I decided not to go to the cemetery for a service today. They will do without me this time.

  Signing off for now.

  Elaine

 

Elaine's reflections on Peter's Driving
Yes, driving is on the left side of the road. With my mind not completely recovered, I decided not to drive. There is no place I need to go without Peter. He is doing a great job. Only a few times did I have to remind him "left, left." Now each day we go to level 4 of the garage. Round and round we go up and up to the light that is either green or red. When it is green, we can go up and hold our breath that no one is walking across the walkway. We look to see if traffic is open to get into the left lane and go down the hill. At this point I try and relax because the two lane road goes into one. "Merge you idiot" Let us in we are Americans." We really should have a flag like everyone else has. They all fly a rugby team on the roof of the car. This way they can be patient and keep far away from us. Peter got a Garmin chip which was a great idea. Except it is always looking for the satellite. Sometimes after we have already passed the turn. "Recalculating." Not our favorite sound. The other day when it wasn't raining, we decided to venture out to a winery. Rt 16 out of Auckland city. We had written instructions as well as the Garmin. The Garmin said get off and make left. But when we got off it said turn rt. Funny it was taking us back on the Highway. Idiot. Sometimes I want to smash that person. Didn't she know we wanted to go to Babich Winery which was plugged in with correct address. It was not as pretty an operation as those in Argentina but it is just after winter so the plants are cut down ready for the growing season. We may go back. There are other places to visit. Not a total lose. We got some nice magazines and restaurants. I am finding prices so high I will probably cook more than I wanted to. Like in Michigan the meals are better at home. Getting back to the driving. We decided to go back home. Not a problem. Peter seems to do better here than at home. Go figure. I hope that doesn't mean he wants to stay. I am coming home. I do miss you all. Even though we Skype it isn't the same. The only thing is that Peter still can't get the turn signal and the windshield wipers right. So all of a sudden the wipers go on and we turn. At least I know where he wants to go. Poor person behind us. We really need that USA flag. Now it is time to go across traffic to go down the garage. We have to wave a security charm to open the door. Then down a steep hill and round and round 4 floors. Find the parking space. Thank G-d another successful trip. Until next time. 

A Thought for Selichot  Thanks Jonathan Rosove for sharing the words of Rabbi Jonathan Sack
I pass it alone as gift to anyone following my blog

"Forgiveness is more than a technique of conflict resolution. It is a stunningly original strategy. In a world without forgiveness, evil begets evil, harm generates harm, and there is no way short of exhaustion or forgetfulness of breaking the sequence. Forgiveness breaks the chain. It introduces into the logic of interpersonal encounter the unpredictability of grace. It represents a decision not to do what instinct and passion urge us to do. It answers hate with a refusal to hate, animosity with generosity. Few more daring ideas have ever entered the human situation. Forgiveness means that we are not destined endlessly to replay the grievances of yesterday. It is the ability to live with the past without being held captive by the past. It would not be an exaggeration to say that forgiveness is the most compelling testimony to human freedom. It is about the action that is not reaction. It is the refusal to be defined by circumstance. It represents our ability to change course, reframe the narrative of the past and create an unexpected set of possibilities for the future... Indeed there is none so self-righteous as one who carries the burden of self-perceived victimhood. But it is ultimately dehumanizing. More than hate destroys the hated, it destroys the hater."

-Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Dignity of Difference, pps. 178-9