Showing posts with label Longing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Longing. Show all posts

October 10, 2019

Adding A Very Special Facebook Friend

So this was really strange what happened to me before Yom Kippur. 

My parents passed away 5-6 years ago already.

I always miss them so much!

Somehow, on Facebook, my dad's Facebook profile came up, which I was surprised to find. 

Looking at it, I saw under his friends was of course, my mom. 

I didn't even know my mom had a Facebook page (I don't think she ever really used it). 

But I was so curious, I clicked on her profile.  

I saw the prominent blue and white button to "Add Friend."

And I saw my hand reaching to press for that button. 

I so wanted to reach out and be able to be with, see, communicate with her again. 

Then I stopped myself realizing that the friend request, unfortunately, couldn't go to Heaven. 

If only it could...I would be so happy to press that button and have my mom hear from me again. ;-)

(Photo of my dear parents from Florida)
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October 1, 2019

The Founding Of Zionism

Key Person Year Published Work Main Idea
Avraham Mapu 1853 The Love of Zion Longing of Jewish people for their ancestral homeland
Moses Hess 1862 Rome and Jerusalem Europe's welcome to Jews is tenuous, and Jews should seek return to homeland
Leon Pinsker 1882 Auto-Emancipation Jews are not accepted in European host countries, and are urged to seek national rebirth
Nathan Birnbaum 1890 Self-Emancipation Coined the term Zionism referring to a movement to re-create a national Jewish home in Israel
Chaim Nachman Bialik 1892
El Hatzipor      (To The Bird)
Poem on longing for return to Zion
Chaim Nachman Bialik 1898 Mikra'ei Zion (Assemblies of Zion) Poem of hope and expectation of return to Zion
Theodor Herzl 1896 The Jewish State Jewish State will usher an end to rabid anti-Semitism everywhere
Theodor Herzl 1897 Launched Zionism as political movement and convened first Zionist Congress
Theodor Herzl 1902 Altneuland Envisions idyllic future Jewish state
Ze'ev Jabotinsky 1923 Samson Nazorei Ideal of active, courageous, Jewish warrior

I am reading the book Israel: "A Concise History of a Nation Reborn" by Daniel Gordis.

I've prepared this summary of the founding of Zionism, which I have briefly summarized above.

Hope this is helpful to those interested in the origins of the founding of the modern State of Israel. 

(Credit Graphic: Andy Blumenthal)
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December 23, 2017

A Time For Everything



Being in Israel this week has reawakened the essence of my Jewish soul. 

Today, we took a long Shabbat walk--winding through the beautiful and ancient streets to reach the beach of Tel Aviv.

It was awesome seeing and hearing Hebrew everywhere--just like in the Bible/Torah.

The street names of famous people and things like Menachem Begin, Shaul HaMelech, Weizman, Ben Yehuda, Shalom Aleichem, Bar Kokhva, Ha-Nevi'im, Yona HaNavi--it all had so much historical and identifying meaning as a proud Jew and Levite servant of the L-rd. 

Already, when I awoke this morning--my brain was reciting and my voice signing from Ecclesiastes 3: "There is a time for everything."

And I don't know why, but I was humming it and mouthing over an over again:
"A time to love.
A time to hate.
A time for war (shuttering).
A time for peace (extended and deep longing)."

I pray to you my G-d to protect, guide, and show us--your faithful servants--the way ahead.

In my head, I understand that we do not choose the situations and challenges we face, but that they, in a very strong sense, choose us.

And we must rise to each and every occasion, even as our soul longs for a true and lasting peace. 

May G-d grant us to utterly confuse, scatter, torment, and defeat our enemies.

And may we merit a time when we will fully achieve and forever experience and dwell in love and peace, Amen. ;-)

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
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