Showing posts with label New Year. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Year. Show all posts
September 26, 2022
January 1, 2022
A 2022 New Year of Eggs
Congratulations!
But I wouldn't call it "eggcellent," because there is a lot of world instability and fear looming on the horizon.
Are we looking at competition, conflict, and even possible areas of collapse or a much rosier outcome in the order of things?
- From Russia to China and Iran to North Korea.
- From Al-Qaeda to ISIS and Hamas to Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad
- From WMD to Cyber 9/11 and EMPs to Hypersonic ICBMs
- From Covid to the Economy and Inflation to National Insolvency
Like a bunch of eggs.
Will it be a year of Broken, Scrambled and Mashed or Sunny Side Up and Eggs Over Easy?
Either way, we had better hope and pray that we don't get fried and burned. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
September 3, 2021
Shabbat Shalom + Shana Tova
July 29, 2020
Good One for Rosh Hashanah
September 29, 2019
Positively Jewish New Years
September 25, 2019
The Magical Letters Of Tishrei
It is ingenious how the letters of the Aleph and Bet and Tishrei (the dates when Rosh Hashanah occurs) is exactly equivalent to the letters in the Hebrew word for Genesis (Bereshit), which is the event of creation that we celebrate on the Jewish New Year.
Truly, this magical genius evident in the Torah can only be from one source and that is the one Creator and Sustainer of the Universe, Himself!
Let me take this opportunity to wish everyone a truly magical Rosh Hashanah and one that is filled G-d’s mercy and blessings for a happy, healthy, prosperous, and peaceful New Year!
(Credit Graphic: Andy Blumenthal)
September 14, 2019
Facing Facts on Rosh Hashanah
Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called, "Facing Facts on Rosh Hashanah."
In a sense, we all live at least two lives–represented by the two faces we wear: The first is the happy face, where we portray ourselves as if everything is going so well, almost near-perfect in our lives (our vacations, accomplishments, celebrations, and so on), and this is the face that we routinely show to the world. Then, there is the second face, which is essentially where everything is not (always) quite so rosy, where life’s challenges, troubles, and hardships take their tangible toll, and this is the face that we learn to keep private and regularly hide from the world. Usually, it comes down to a rationale that goes something like this: just imagine what would people think of us if they really knew us for who we are and what we were actually going through? Yet the funny thing is that everyone is going through something–that’s life!In a couple of weeks, when we celebrate Rosh Hashanah, we come knowing that there is no mask to be worn in front of our Maker, and truly, we are naked before Him in all our thoughts and deeds. We can’t pretend anymore that our lives or ourselves are perfect, but rather this is the time for true and earnest reflection, repentance, as well as judgment for the New Year based on what each of us is really all about. May each of us have the courage and conviction to face our real selves, to learn, grow, improve, and ultimately to self-actualize, and may we receive G-d’s mercy and blessings for a happy and healthy New Year!
December 27, 2018
Happy Holidays!
Took this in South Florida this week.
These two guys from Sweden sitting at the pool wearing these Christmas tree hats.
This was just too great to pass up.
As I took the photo, one guy gave me the thumbs up and this was just perfect.
I don't know about you, but they cheered me up even when it seems that the world is otherwise going crazy--in so many ways.
- Politics
- Divisiveness
- Hate
- Fighting
- Injustices
- Suffering
But at the end of the day, it's about the people--and G-d gives us the power to do good and make happy (or vice versa).
This one made me happy! ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
December 23, 2018
@Tree Top Park, Davie, Florida
September 8, 2018
Prayer For Rosh Hashanah
Prayer for Rosh Hashanah.
May it be truly a year of blessings.
Wishing everyone a sweet and happy New Year!
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
January 1, 2018
G-d Protects Us - Happy 2018!
All these beautiful hamsas!
Hamsas are traditional symbols of G-d's protection and to ward off the evil.
These were some very beautiful ones.
Some say that it is symbolic of the hand of Miriam, Moses' sister, raised in a protective stance over the people.
Five fingers are like the five books of the Torah and a reminder to use all five of our senses in worshipping and praising G-d.
Talking to someone yesterday about surviving in the face of some very difficult challenges, she said to me:
"Remember, just because the adversary is powerful, you are the David to the Goliath!"
With G-d's help and blessings, even a little David can slay the giant evil Goliath.
For the New Year of 2018 and forward, G-d should bless us and protect us, shine his face upon us and be gracious unto us, lift up his countenance upon us, and give us peace!
The L-rd is the ultimate strength and justice and in front of Him no evil will stand.
Our faith may be tested, but from it, we will come out smarter, stronger, and better souls, as G-d teaches us to look always to the Heavens where all good emanates. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
September 20, 2017
There Is Always A Bigger Fish
I want to share a very important lesson that I came across again this year.
The lesson is:
No matter how big a fish you think you are, there is ALWAYS a bigger fish out there.
You may have position, title, money, status, and all the trimmings, but someone with more of this and that and the other thing (and overall power) can come along at any time--at G-d's decree--and swallow you right up.
I connect this to the 2nd day of Rosh Hashanah when it is customary to go and cast bread (symbolic for our sins) into a natural body of water, so the fish can eat them up--and in a spiritual sense we throw away our sins and cleanse ourselves of our wrongdoings over the last year--let the fish have them.
And like the fish eating our sins, I think another more powerful person can come and swallow us up and even spit us out (like Jonah and the Whale)--we are all fallible and mortal.
We are made from dust and we go to dust, and my dad would joke to clean up the mounds of dust under my bed!
As we enter the New Year, may Hashem have mercy on us and bless us, and may we have peace, health, and prosperity, and may we be written in the Book of Life.
Oh yeah, and may no fish big or small come against us to cause us distress or harm--G-d is the Almighty Protector--Amen! ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
September 16, 2017
The Ultimate Rejection (Not)
This picture is not the message you want to get before Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year and time of judgment).
We want to see the long hand of G-d come down with love, caring, forgiveness, and blessings!
A flick of the Almighty index finger, definitely not what we want to see or get.
Worse would be getting the middle finger, of course.
But I definitely don't think G-d does that!
Talking about rejection with a big R.
To all my family and friends, a most happy, healthy, peaceful, and prosperous New Year! ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
October 3, 2016
Happy Jewish New Year 5777
It should be a year filled with happiness, health, peace, prosperity, love, and unity.
May G-d forgive our transgressions, judge us with mercy, and inscribe us in the book of life.
Let it be a year of meaning, inspiration, innovation, exploration, discovery, and ushering in better times for all mankind.
Thank you Hashem for all your everlasting kindness, for safeguarding and keeping us, and bringing us ever closer to redemption and to you.
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
December 21, 2015
Heads Down December
The guy in the center seems to be listening to some music, but everyone else is nodding off and has their heads down.
End of the year, right before the holidays maybe people are a little burnt out and need to refresh their motivational juices.
Anyway, this is not good for the "see something, say something" culture in the age of terrorism that we are living in--these folks are not seeing anything in this groggy state.
To a heads up and brighter new year. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
September 24, 2014
Rosh Hashanah iPhone Greeting Card
January 1, 2014
Ushering In 2014
I took this photo in the Bellagio Hotel in Vegas.
There was a huge advertisement hanging by the lobby, and it immediately caught my eye.
I like the different colored stones for each hour around the dial, as well as the overall white diamond ring around the face.
I found it at their website for $3,000 and it is an absolutely gorgeous timepiece when you first see it.
But it's interesting to me that while it catches my eye, the more I look it, I find that I start to tire of it, and it is not one of those truly timeless jewelry pieces.
Maybe an important lesson for the New Year is that we need to look closely and carefully to avoid expensive buyers remorse, because not everything that glitters is gold--in fact, this watch is stainless. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
August 16, 2013
The Measure Of A Person
This guy is wearing "tape measure" suspenders.
Oh, how fashionable!
While the true measure of a person is their good deeds and relationships (to man and G-d), perhaps the suspenders is a reminder that we should take the time to stop and measure ourselves both quantitatively and qualitatively in our lives.
As we approach the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, a time of introspection and judgement, it is a good opportunity to take measure.
Performance management is not just for work--we can look at ourselves both personally and professionally and commit to do better.
(Source Photo: Dannielle Blumenthal)
January 2, 2010
A New Decade, A New Time For Technology
As we enter the new decade starting with 2010, we should reflect on the last decade, learn from it, and redirect for a better future.
While the last decade surely brought much good to many, for our nation as a whole, it was a decade punctuated again and again by terror—wrought externally, but also from within.
These events range from the horrific events of 9/11/2001 to the failed attack on Flight 253 by the Underwear Bomber on Christmas day and the Taliban attack that took 7 unsung heroes of our CIA on December 30, 2009.
The fear of terrorism has swept through our society this past decade, so much so that we insist people remove their shoes at the airport for screening and are quick to mistake a photo shoot of Air Force One over the Statue of Liberty (just this past April) as another 9/11. The possibility of a terror attack, and especially with weapons of mass destruction, looms always in the back of our minds.
We have also experienced homegrown terrorism, such as the assassination of an abortion doctor in Wichita, Kansas and an attack at the U.S. National Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. to name just a few.
As if all of this is not enough already, Americans have been deeply affected by other fearful events and issues:
· The Economy—From the 2001 bursting of the dot-com bubble and recession to the 2007 mortgage mess bringing us the worst financial recession since the Great Depression, we have seen foreclosure rates soar and unemployment rise to 10.2%. Too many of us now know the intense fear and also the reality of losing our homes and jobs.
· Health—Aside from traditional health concerns about cancer, heart disease, stroke and other diseases, this last decade we experienced concerns ranging from lingering concerns of Bird Flu to the newer variant of Swine Flu. We were constantly reminded of the potential of another deadly influenza pandemic such as the 1918 flu that killed 50 to 100 million people globally. People this last year lined up around the block for the H1NI vaccine, and delays in production and delivery of the vaccine caused even greater consternation among the populace.
· Energy—Oil prices peaked at $147.30 a barrel in 2008 before drastically receding. Overreliance of Mideast oil supplies, geopolitical disruptions, and natural disasters as well as peak oil fears all contribute to energy supply shortage fears and the move to alternate energy resources and energy independence.
· Global Competition—With the offshoring of U.S. manufacturing and the outsourcing of our job base, the recognition of the U.S. being surpassed as the economic superpower is on everyone’s mind, as the Wall Street Journal reported on January 2, 2010, “China is both making and eating our lunch.” We fear not only for our country’s future prosperity, but also for our ability and our children ability to earn a decent living anymore.
· The Deficit—With the trillion dollar wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the cost of the Recovery Act and the new Health Care legislation, as well as ongoing critical entitlement programs such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and so on, the national deficit has soared to over $12 trillion dollars and is about to hit the ceiling again. The viability of this deficit spending is sending shock waves through the American public who realize that at some point the bill must be paid.
· Environmental Issues—From addressing global warming to a green economy and the need for conservation, recycling and sustainable environmental practices, we have awoken to the fear of creating an environment that is no longer hospitable to human life, if we do not act to be better stewards of the planet.
This list is not meant to be comprehensive, but rather is meant to demonstrate the breadth and depth of issues to which we been exposed to fear, dread, and terror about our personal and national futures.
Further, the fear for the future that we experience is not meant to shut us down or demoralize us, but rather to direct our attention and redirect our energies to solving these critical dilemmas facing us all.
One of the biggest areas of hope that I believe we have is through technology. In fact, technology has been a major offset to the decade of terror that we have experienced. Through technology and the requisite cultural change, we have moved towards a society that is more connected, enabled, and informed. We have achieved greater information sharing, collaboration, transparency, and overall productivity. Advanced telecommunications, e-Commerce, online information resources, and entertainment have transformed our lives primarily for the better. Technology has helped solve some of the greatest challenges of our time—whether through biotechnology, food genetics, alternative energy, military defensive technologies, and hosts of engineering advances particularly through miniaturization and mobility solutions.
While we cannot rely on technology to solve all of our problems, we can use it to augment our intellectual and communications capabilities to better attack and resolve the challenges confronting us.
We are a strong and resolute people and we can overcome terror with religious faith, strong family and community, individual and national determination, sacrifice and innovation, all variety of technology (infotech, nanotech, biotech…), and the paradigm of continuous learning and improvement.
We have a unique opportunity in time to move from a Decade of Terror to a Decade of Peace—a peace of mind, body, and soul brought by a conquering of the terrorists found within and without. I believe that technology can and will be there to support us in this if we can change along with it.
September 13, 2009
The Bigger Picture is Beautiful
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