Tikkun Olam

This is my first post back on Tikkun Olam since April 23rd, 2015. It does not feel real. Why is it that we never think we will ever have a JOLT in our lives that will change the entire life course we have been traveling? We continue on, day by day, complacent, even in the face of serious illness--believing that what we are living is the only reality; that it is immutable, that it is PHYSICAL: you can touch it, feel it, and it will continue to be there for you tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow... But it isn't. And it won't.  Because the unthinkable can, and does, happen, in time. To everybody. As it happened to me, almost a year ago, on August 10, 2015, when my DH - Dear Husband, of 46 years, died. I am living in an Alternate Universe. Because the universe in which I was living all my life until now, is gone. I still want to slap myself in the face and wake myself up. It's a dream. A terrible nightmare.  It's a horror movie with a frightening ending, but I will...

What a blessing this young man was...and still is, in death as well as life; because of what he gave to his family and friends, through his music, through his appreciation of others, and his joy in being alive. As seen on Upworthy : Here is the song he composed and sang, called "Clouds."

I have not been blogging, as it has been a difficult week. This past Tuesday, I suddenly received an Instant Message while at work, from my son in Jerusalem, savying that a friend's daughter, who had battled Hodgkin's Disease on and off for several years (it had just recurred, after having been in remission), had just died that day. She left a bereft young husband, and a toddler son who will now grow up without a mother. I had known her and her family since way before they made aliyah, over twelve years ago. Our kids grew up together in the same community, attended the same schools. It is a terrible loss to me--I burst into tears and was unable to concentrate on work that day--and to our whole community. I know nothing about Hodgekin's Lymphoma, except that I thought this was a more treatable type of cancer. I am devastated; I cannot fathom what her wonderful parents-my friends, who raised all their children to be good human beings and good Jews (Shira's brother a...

First and foremost, the latest War in Gaza Update is UP at Jack's, here . Saw this on a blog, can't remember which one (I'm bleary-eyed reading through blog after blog and article after article at the same time as listening to Radio Darom and watching emergency split-screen Israel TV while fasting) by Bret Stephens of the Wall Street Journa l . The lead is very telling; Stephens wrote, "Maybe this column would get a better reception if it were titled, "No Endgame for Israel." Many pundits are commenting and arguing that Israel is lost, no matter what it does in Gaza. This author has, in my opinion, a good analysis of what Israel can accomplish with this war, but it has to not succumb to international pressure for a cease-fire and continue with its mission. There are those who think that this war will enable Israel to 're-occupy' Gaza (which Israel has stated it wouldn't do). I personally think Israel should retake Gaza and annex it; the Arabs h...

Where is the United Nations in all this? Where is their "moral compass?"(-as Dennis Prager would say). Oh, here it is; seems they dropped it. I think it's irreparable: 3 January 2009 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has voiced his deep concern over Israel's launch of a ground operation into Gaza today, with the Security Council calling an emergency meeting to discuss the situation. Mr. Ban expressed his extreme disappointment to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. “He is convinced and alarmed that this escalation will inevitably increase the already heavy suffering of the affected civilian populations,” according to a statement issued by the Secretary-General''s spokesperson. “He called for an immediate end to the ground operation, and asked that Israel do all possible to ensure the protection of civilians and that humanitarian assistance is able to reach those in need.” All I hear the U.N. spouting is anti-Israel rhetoric. Where is the protest of the ...

I was going to reprise my Thanksgiving post of last year and write about how we were both thinking that without our kids being with us-just the two of us making homemade pizza and sitting at the table staring at each other just didn't cut it somehow - when we got a surprise call from new friends inviting us to their Thanksgiving dinner! It was right up the kazoo, especially because I was feeling rather lonely just then (my grandson just having been born and my seeing him on the webcam only...not in person...and my not seeing my other grandchildren who live out of state, and. . . ) And we had (and I hope our hosts had) a wonderful time, especially since their older daughter was a former student of mine, and it was great seeing her again all grown-up and back for a visit. She also won our Balderdash game. Darn. But what I will do is link my Thanksgiving post, here , so you can read it. Just so you know that this year, we had two Thanksgiving dinners: one on the actual day, and o...

My son-in-law's mother, Chaya Marsha Rivka bat Yocheved (Marlene), died at home, Sunday, October 26th (27 Tishrei, 5769) almost three years to the day after her cancer was first diagnosed. We received this devastating news (you know it's coming; you are never ready for it...) just when I was getting ready to go to a Torah Dedication Ceremony at our Chabad. My husband was already there, so when I got there, I had to break the news to him. We both began to cry, right in the middle of the celebration. Marlene was a special, special person. She touched the lives of many people. She was very involved in her community, gave friends and family abundant love, helped others, gave much tzedakah and did many acts of chesed (she even helped me when I was feeling low). She was a wonderfully strong wife, mother, and Grandma to her (and my) grandchildren, who in turn loved her very much. The grandkids, from the oldest(-being seven and a half and with Down Syndrome), to the middlest ...