Posts Tagged ‘land’

Dear God

Wednesday, September 28th, 2011

Dear God,

I write just a few hours before Rosh Hashana.

I write with overwhelming gratitude in my heart for a wonderful life.

I live in a land that glows with your holiness, a land where my ancestors once lived.

And I am privledged to be part of a movement that seeks to rebuild this amazing land and maybe in my own small way, I have contributed to this rebirth. And I am thankful.

I am privledged to have a job that is more than just a paycheck, a job where I can feel that I am helping defend my country from her enemies. And I am thankful.

I am privileged that I can still run farther than most people drive and compete in races at an age where most people think that getting the mail is exercise. And I am thankful.

I am privileged to have so many friends that I can count on when the chips are down without question. And I am thankful.

Of course I am thankful that I have four wonderful children. I watch them growing up and relish each accomplishment. From Dvrei Torah to sacks and touchdowns, each one in their own way shows me how special they are and how much potential they have.

But most of all, I am thankful that you brought me and Stella together so many years ago. In twenty-six years, we have journeyed very far in so many ways. From hockey games to Grateful Dead concerts to building sukahs and Yom Ha’atzmaut celebrations, we have had a diverse range of experiences. And through good times and challenging times, we have been together and if anything, we have grown closer every year that passes.

And so, I feel that I have led an amazing life, and that I should thank you for allowing me to live out my dreams — whether its running marathons, defending Israel from her enemies, or just sitting back and admiring the view of the Holy Land from this hilltop village we call Neve Daniel.

But as the holiest time of the year gets closer — a time when Jewish tradition says that you are most attentive to our prayers, I have a request to make.

I want more.

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The Committe for Peace, Justice, and a Bunch of Other Crap

Friday, June 24th, 2011

I was flying back to Israel and found myself sitting next to a Jewish teen excited about his first trip to the Holy Land. I asked what the occasion was and he said that he was part of a group that was coming on a ten day study tour. I expected him to mention that the trip was part of Birthright or maybe some similar group when he surprised me by saying that the whole trip was funded by the “Committee for Peace, Justice, and……” (I stopped listening at this point.)

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Status Update

Monday, February 28th, 2011

O.K., so I took a break for a few weeks from writing. After all, nothing ever happens in the Middle East. What did I miss?

Yeah, I know that an angry mob overthrew Mubarak, and others are trying to topple the leadership in Libya, Tunisia, and Neve Daniel. (Can anyone tell me who won the game vote last night, I gotta kinda tired after a few hours. I had this weird dream that some of the most right-wing members of the Yishuv were trying to stop the construction of a new Neve Daniel neighborhood.)

But that’s now why I’m writing now. I figure it would be amiss to just jump in and start writing again without a little personal update. If you are more interested in my ramblings on the insanity of the world, read my rant on the HonestReporting website by clicking  here. I go after the U.N. Human Rights Council, but quite frankly, they’ve become too easy a target.

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