Mr. President - Step it Up

Interview from the October Issue of Rolling Stone:

One closing remark that I want to make: It is inexcusable for any Democrat or progressive right now to stand on the sidelines in this midterm election. There may be complaints about us not having gotten certain things done, not fast enough, making certain legislative compromises. But right now, we've got a choice between a Republican Party that has moved to the right of George Bush and is looking to lock in the same policies that got us into these disasters in the first place, versus an administration that, with some admitted warts, has been the most successful administration in a generation in moving progressive agendas forward.

The idea that we've got a lack of enthusiasm in the Democratic base, that people are sitting on their hands complaining, is just irresponsible.

Everybody out there has to be thinking about what's at stake in this election and if they want to move forward over the next two years or six years or 10 years on key issues like climate change, key issues like how we restore a sense of equity and optimism to middle-class families who have seen their incomes decline by five percent over the last decade. If we want the kind of country that respects civil rights and civil liberties, we'd better fight in this election. And right now, we are getting outspent eight to one by these 527s that the Roberts court says can spend with impunity without disclosing where their money's coming from. In every single one of these congressional districts, you are seeing these independent organizations outspend political parties and the candidates by, as I said, factors of four to one, five to one, eight to one, 10 to one.

We have to get folks off the sidelines. People need to shake off this lethargy, people need to buck up. Bringing about change is hard — that's what I said during the campaign. It has been hard, and we've got some lumps to show for it. But if people now want to take their ball and go home, that tells me folks weren't serious in the first place.

If you're serious, now's exactly the time that people have to step up.

Thank you Mr. President. Now, continue to step up and stand up for what you believe in and be our commander in chief. 

Returning to our Values

Donniel Hartman of The Jerusalem Post has finally said to the Israeli public what I have been advocating for the last year - to return Jewish values to the Jewish State. 

"To state it more clearly, if Zionism means a willingness to occupy another people, and where the holiness of the land takes precedence over the moral principles of our people, then many will want to shed the Zionist ideal, leading to a post- Zionist identification. In the world, even among our most loyal friends, the occupation of Palestinians in the West Bank is viewed as contrary to international law, antithetical to Israel as a democratic state and in opposition to Jewish values, which are rooted in the equal treatment of all human beings created in the image of God.

Ending the occupation and maintaining a morally defensible position until which time that we are able to bring it to a close while preserving our legitimate security needs are thus of critical significance to Israelis who care about Zionism and Jews around the world who want to maintain a strong and viable relationship with the state. Zionism will not be strengthened through educating Israelis and Jews about its history, but by ensuring that it is the expression of moral excellence."

Please read the full article, titled, The Future of Zionism Depends on Moral Excellence.

Toda Paul for sending the article my way.

PD Ideas

PD ideas are floating around in my brain and I can't sleep. Too wired and excited as the creative juices are flowing. Forgot how much I missed this part of the PD world....

Being a Jew in the U.S.--A View from my Father

This posting comes from my Father in regards to the closure of a Jewish Day School in the area of FL that my parents live. I am posting this because it is the Jewish New Year and really, the piece demonstrates the values of plurality and how it is to be a Jew living in the US as an integrated citizen holding a distinct tradition, culture and religion. With all of the politicization fo religion and discussion of integration v. isolation in the discourse already, I'd like to share this post and how it represents the values I was personally raised with -- how to be a good Jew living in a multicultural, open and free United States. It also demonstrates how to reflect, grow and change as a community. To not blindly follow the status quo but to truly consider alternate paths (for whatever issue anyone is tacking). The 21st century brings many challenges to humankind and navigating the religious and secular ways of our society has come into the forefront in the last few days. If anything, with this New Year, we should all be reflecting and considering different options for many different issues having to do with religion and civic life and to provoke thoughts to create a better future for all. Wishing everyone a happy, sweet and healthy 5771.

Jewish Day Schools – A Contrarian Viewpoint

I write this as a Conservative Jew, and as someone who served on his Temple Board for 15 years, including 6 as Chairman and 4 as chairman of the Ritual Committee. For me, there are so many things wrong with the whole concept of Conservative Jewish Day Schools that it is hard to know where to start and how to limit myself to a length appropriate to a letter to the editor. So let me ask the parents of day school students two

questions –Do you believe that all Jewish children should receive a good Jewish education? Or just yours? Do you believe as a Conservative Jew that we should live in society or apart from it?

I grew up in the New York City area before the development of Solomon Schecter Schools. We had a vibrant Talmud Torah [after-school Hebrew school[ taught by well educated and observant teachers and a community wide Hebrew High School. What I have seen over the last 40 years is the widespread decline of the Talmud Torah system. This seems to be due to four factors: Parents, students, teachers and demographics. Each of these factors is complex, and I have clearly oversimplified the issues. First, there are simply fewer children and how they are split between two systems. When it comes to teachers, the most qualified teachers have been skimmed off by the day school.

The parents who seem to care the most about Jewish education send their children to day schools. A large proportion of those who remain primarily care about getting to the Bar/Bat Mitzvah with a minimum amount of effort. They pressure the schools not to give homework, reduce class hours and generally make it easier to get through. The constant threat being that they’ll take their children and their membership somewhere that expects less. So the pressure on the schools is to become less and less rigorous.

If that weren’t bad enough, the peer leadership has been stripped from the Talmud Torah. Those children who are motivated and would set a high standard for others are mostly in the day school. Jewish education becomes something that prevents children from doing other things, instead of being of value in and of itself.

As much as the Talmud Torah students are injured by this system, the day school students also lose out. They go through school without having to negotiate being a Jew in a secular world, without learning how to be different without feeling left out. We throw them into the deep end in 9th grade or in college without ever having taught them how to swim. Many will feel that their choice is between having no friends and abandoning what they’ve been taught. Is this the choice we want to give them? Should we be surprised at how many abandon observance and marry non-Jews?

As I see it, the competing systems of Day School and Talmud Torah are a detriment to the community. The demise of the PCJDS is unfortunate. However, before we jump back in to recreate what I see as a failed system, perhaps we should seriously consider alternatives that serve the whole community. Perhaps we should consider a consolidated Jewish educational system that serves all students, whether they chose to attend public schools for their secular education or not. Perhaps we should give up on the model where every Temple has its own school. Whatever we do, let us not squander this opportunity by blindly following the model of the past. 
-  Dr. Ronald S. Leight

PDiN Monitor - Digital Diplomacy

Check out the latest issue of PDiN Monitor from the USC Center on Public Diplomacy. It's all about Digital Diplomacy!

Trouble in Shangri-La

So I currently have a slight obsession with the album with the afformentioned titled by Stevie Nicks. The obsession is bordering on unhealthy but it's amazing. I recommend a listen.

The Sparkle of a New Beginning

In general, I do not reflect on my Judaism or my beliefs in a more spiritual way.  I don't normally feel the need to, so this post will be out of the ordinary for me.  But this summer has been full of many wonderful and challenging experiences and I've been very emotive, self-aware and reflecting a lot, which is a bit new for me. So this post is dedicated to reflecting, choices and new beginnings.

I recently happened across something for the month preceding the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah) entitled The Jewels of Elul.  

What is Elul? 

It is the Hebrew month leading up to the Jewish New Year. During this month, it is a time for self-reflection. A inventory of the year, some might say, so that you can spiritually cleanse your mind, heart & soul of the previous year and ask your sins to be forgiven before and on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippor). 

What are Elul's jewels? 

They are little email notifications from a diverse group of people that are coming into my inbox every day until Rosh Hashannah begins. These emails have made me think, reflect and have influenced me to make a choice to take action - in this case, write a blog piece featuring one of the "Jewels". This Jewel comes from the 11th day of Elul from a Hassidic rabbi and psychiatrist. He wrote a wonderful piece on the choice God made to create humankind and the choices people have been privilege to make because of God's decision to create humans with the potential to live with freedom, awareness and choice.

Happy Birthday, Humanity by Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski, M.D.

Contrary to the popular belief, Rosh Hashanah does not commemorate the creation of the world. Rather, it commemorates the sixth day of creation, the day Adam was created. It is of interest that in the creation of man, G-d said, “Let us create man?” Whose participation was G-d seeking? The Baal Shem Tov explained that both animals and angels were created in a state of completion. Angels do not grow at all, and although animals do grow, they do not voluntarily change themselves. The transformation of a caterpillar to a butterfly or a tadpole to a frog is programmed in their genes. They do not voluntarily make this transformation and are powerless to stop it.

G-d now desired a different creature, not totally physical like an animal nor completely spiritual like an angel. Rather, this was to be a creature that comes into the world completely physical, but by one’s sheer effort develops spiritually. For this, G-d required man’s participation. It is as if G-d said, “I can create you completely spiritual, but then you will be just another angel. I will create you physical, but with the potential to become spiritual by your own effort.” G-d was seeking man’s participation in his own creation. Therefore, G-d said to man, “Let us make man. I will give you the potential, and you must develop it.” Thus, Rosh Hashanah is our beginning.

If we develop only intellectually, with technologic and even scientific advancements, but neglect our spiritual development, we will be self-centered hominoids, with just a higher intellect than chimpanzees. To do our part in creation, to be the true human beings that G-d intended, we must be masters over our physicality rather than slaves to it. Spiritual development enables us to give of ourselves to others. Angels were created spiritual. Man has the ability to achieve a status higher than angels, because his spirituality is the result of his own efforts.

So, as the month of Elul continues on, I am looking through a new lens to reflect with, a view that allows me to see and look forward to a new beginning for this new year, continue to make choices for myself and work to achieve my greatest potential. Maybe I'll even throw in some spiritual growth. L'chaim to the birth of humanity, choices and to a sweet and happy new year. 

Disclaimer: This blog post does not reflect this author's Jewish leanings, practices or affiliation.  It is a mere reflection on life with a Jewish theme.

Shopping Diplomacy

For those who love to travel and shop, now you can travel, shop, and provide free promotion for the fabulous and unique tzchotchkes you acquire while abroad. Today, from Daily Candy -- "a handpicked selection of all that's fun, fashionable, food related, and culturally stimulating in the city you’re fixated on (and all over the Web)" with a mainly female audience -- an email came to my inbox entitled, Think Global, Shop Local.

How could a PD nerd resist a gander, and then a blog post?

The email called to me:

"Your horoscope says you’re a consummate wanderer. And your Myers-Briggs personality type indicates you’ve got a talent for networking. Put both skills to use with the The Traveler’s Collection, a new site that sells artisan goods from all over the world and allows you to nominate vendors you’ve discovered while traveling for inclusion in its online shop."

You don't have to tell me twice. So for those travelers, public diplomats and shoppers, check it out and start a new field of PD, shopping diplomacy.

Shopping diplomacy: not quite nation branding, not quite cultural diplomacy, but the visitors takeaway and promotion of a place they visited. It's a foreigners perception of what represents a country they have traveled to and want to personally promote. It might not be what the people or the country view as their culture or brand and it might not even be from that country (sometimes you can't tell what's local and what's not). But it's promoting an image, a brand and a culture through the only truly global culture--consumerism. So be a part of the global culture, go shopping!

On Cities, Building Blocks and Rocks

Marco Polo describes a bridge, stone by stone.

"But which is the stone that supports the bridge?" Kublai Khan asks.

"The bridge is not supported by one stone or another, " Marco answers, "but by the line of the arch that they form."

Kublai Khan remains silent, reflecting. Then he ads: "Why do you speak to me of the stones? It is only the arch that matters to me."

Polo answers: "without stones there is no arch." - Invisible Cities

We do it out of LOVE

For the American Jewish community that struggles with Israel, identity and being heartbroken over a seemingly intractable conflict. To question is to support and make better. This is an important piece to read. An excerpt from Bronfman's HuffPost Piece is below. I encourage everyone to read it in its entirety. 

But what would a "better Israel" actually look like? First, it has to be noted that the American Jewish community will only support a liberal and democratic Israel. These are not just slogans, and as I wrote earlier this week; they need to be backed up by the right policies and the right kind of political system. Maintaining control indefinitely over millions of Palestinians will inevitably lead to a demographic nightmare and cannot be sustained if Israel is to remain true to its founding principles.

Making this point publicly should not be controversial. The notion that as a Jew, one has to take the position of "my Israel, right or wrong," is deeply problematic. I would rather have the right kind of Israel. Moreover, calling anyone who criticizes certain Israeli policies a "self-hating Jew" is simply alienating and divisive.
In my frequent discussions with prominent Israeli and Jewish Diaspora leaders, we regularly air our own frustrations with the Jewish state's current direction, while at the same time also appreciating the country's many positive attributes. I am sure that these same types of conversations are repeated in synagogues and Jewish community centers and college Hillels all across the Diaspora. The beauty of Judaism is that it demands we ask questions, especially of ourselves.

Indeed, there is really no better sign that we care deeply and profoundly about Israel - otherwise, we would not spend our days working on its behalf, giving money, thinking about its future, or simply following events half a world away. We do it out of love.