28,000 feet above the Atlantic (05.12.08) (12:15 p.m. EST)

NOTE: The lighter posts are first. My deeper ones I saved for later, so scroll down if you need greater stimulation.

I am on my way to Tel-Aviv. I spent yesterday afternoon in Manhattan, walked briefly into the Metropolitan Museum of Art, through Central Park, southward with my cousin Robyn and her husband Koh.

We walked past store windows of reputable fame around the world, yet utterly useless in the realm of the park–even surrounded by steel and concrete, Oak and Maple are far more powerful forces on the human consciousness than are NBC, Barneys, or Cartier.

We stopped for a few minutes to look into the windows at Hermes, where one of Robyn’s neighbors contributed to the decor. Her name is printed on the windows. “Paintings by,” as well as, “Masks by Cynthia Rojas, www.cynthiarojas.net”

Onward we strolled to Rockefeller Center, where I delighted in the simple, uniquely urban pleasure of observing God’s work from the top of a manmade structure. At ground level, Manhattan is a beast, but from the “Top of the Rock”, the island is a tame, approachable piece of something much larger, and much more sensible than this small component.

We trained to Brooklyn, where the evening would wind down, along with the three of us, in a diner called Relish, where the Fettucine Taormino is like nothing Knoxville Tennessee can offer.

Then back to Robyn and Koh’s apartment. We walk the dog, talk about big things, plan for little things, inflate the air mattress, and set the alarm for 6 a.m.

I took a cab from Brooklyn to JFK: $40. Robyn paid, as she did for every cost I incurred in the city.

El Al Flight 022 to Tel-Aviv is made up predominantly of birthright tourists like myself, from my group (Shorashim) and a couple others.

I have already met some fine young Chicagoans (and non-Chicagoans). A tallish guy, Eric Schreiber, who heads a software sales team in Chicago, stood in line with me. Elisabeth (“with an S”) Schneider is “almost twenty-seven,” which is quite a bit older than her much quieter sister Jordyn, who is twenty. Two seats to my left–28H–sits another Eric, this one from New York: Eric Benja, who is in finance, is an aspiring actor who is going to be in an upcoming indie film called “Timid”. These are just a few of the members of my group whom I have met.

I am hesitant to admit that I would like to find a Jewish girl here who sweeps up my spirit, and I am overjoyed to report the existence of at least a couple smart, funny, and attractive prospects among this flock. I already have a good feeling about this group in general. Here friendship is inevitable, and romance is–as it always seems for me–left to chance.

Jerusalem (05.13.08)

At our hotel’s pool in Jerusalem, two Israelis sing and play “Hotel California” with guitars.  The group sings along, standing around in towels.  Next song: Hebrew–the Americans shut up and all the Israelis sing.

Today we went to Jerusalem’s Old City, where we shopped, toured, and visited the Western Wall.

No one has slept in the last thirty or so hours, so I will end this entry short, to spare my mind the stress of reflection.  More tomorrow.

Bus to Yad Vashem (05.14.08)

We are on our way to the Israeli Holocaust museum this morning, after a good night’s rest.  Keren Neiger called me last night, and I will try to meet up with her today in Tel-Aviv. 

Last night was interesting.  I roomed with Jonathan Schneider and Ben Dell.  Perhaps I should not have been surprised by the open physical intentions of the young Jewish men around me, but I was–and there are, of course, certain topics of conversation that will “never leave room 325″.  Suffice it to say that I was surprised by the variety of sexual tastes among us.  Today I will try to learn something as that hunt begins.

Driving North (05.15.08)

Yesterday Keren met me at Rahbin Square.  Seeing her rejuvenated me, as did Tel-Aviv.  The city breathes life into the entire Jewish nation.  We visited independence hall in Tel-Aviv, and learned about the early history of the modern city.

I am seriously considering staying in Israel a few extra days, until Sunday of Memorial Day weekend.

Last night we ate (and drank) on the beach in Tel-Aviv, an event highlighted (for me) by political conversations with the Israelis, whose social government is even more economically retarded than our own.

Today we go to a kibbutz.

BALSNAKS! (05.17.08)

This entry dedicated to Lauren and Kady.  Thanks for the entertainment.

(05.19.08)

Last night we stayed in a very nice youth hostel/school in outside of Jerusalem.  Jordan, Jeremy, Eric Schreiber and I played basketball against a group of 19-year-olds from New York who “play every day,” and we whipped them–twice (and I talked shit).

Then we listened to a guy named Udi play guitar and sing.  He was good–a strange mix of sounds somewhere between Queen and Jack Johnson.

Yesterday I had a nice conversation on the bus with Shayna Abbey.

We stopped at a real mall, and I was able to eat McDonald’s and buy a memory card for my camera.

After lunch, Barry, Phil, Yuri and I walked down to the town’s decrepit soccer stadium and explored the old building.

Funny story I forgot to mention: the other night at the hostel near Afula, I heard voices outside my cabin, so I went outside to see what was going on, and one of our Israeli soldiers, Tzahi, was hooking up in right outside my bedroom window, with one of the girls on our trip.  It was really funny because Tzahi was drunk, and is not the greatest English speaker, so he said to me, “Alex, if you do not go away, I am about to get very very very angry at you.”  I laughed and went back to bed.

Barry’s Kidneys (05.19.08)

Barry has been extremely thirsty and overactive-bladder-ed for the entire trip.  He refuses to see a doctor, which has opened the door for every amateur medical practitioner among us to offer a diagnosis.  Some have concluded with kidney or urinary tract infections, but I believe Barry is experiencing the onset of diabetes.  Barry says he is getting better, but his symptoms persist, and expose the truth.

Question? (05.20.08, shortly after 4 a.m.)

Why did Phil give the bus driver five shekels?

The Metamorphosis: How Israel turned an American kid named Mike into a Russian named Mischa

On the morning of May twelfth, I met a quiet guy named Michael in New York’s Kennedy airport.  In many cases, I will admit, first impressions are everything.  Mike was not one of those cases.

The humble spring from which his spirit flowed, would soon give way to a Black Sea of Russianimation.  Somewhere between licorice flavored alcohol and the Dead Sea mud, quiet Mike became rambunctious Mischa.  He took on a general belligerence that never failed to drive the mind in one direction or another.  He released a thunderous laugh, rivaled in volume only be the sonic booms of nearby fighter jets, and most inexplicably, he developed a Russian accent.

Through all of this, Mischa called us brothers in Israel; he had perhaps found universality, and in a more true way than even he may realize, Mischa found God in the holyland.

The third rail: a painful reality.

The following posts are more politically and spiritually motivated.  I will warn you that I am probably considered an Anti-Zionist Jew.  It’s good to get different perspectives, but if this isn’t your bag, you are welcome to stop reading here.

Holocaust Museum, Yad Vashem (05.14.08)

I continue to be frustrated by the nature of holocaust conversations.  The sole intent of such discussions is almost always the provocation of emotional reaction and attachment.  To me, if we simply become attached to the victims emotionally, we unwittingly blind ourselves to the condition of the perpetrators.

Our guide Moshe asks, “How could people have allowed this to happen?  How could they have done it?”  He then admits he has no answer, and seems never to have searched for one, for a brief inquiry into German history will quickly cure his perplexion.

In a democracy, successful politicians must carefully place the blame for societal maladies on anyone but themselves, and offer solutions to those problems.  After nearly a half century of relatively dormant anti-Semitism, Germany faced great economic and political strife after World War I, and the political establishment of that country was in need of a scapegoat, the identity of which was chosen out of convenience more than anything else.

The facts that are ignored at Yad Vashem–the most important lessons of the Holocaust–and which are also ignored by most supposed torchbearers of the phrase “never again” are these

• Governments lie
• Governments kill
• Government propagandize
• Governments exist in spite of the goodness of human society, and seek primarily to maintain and grow themselves.
• Governments get the benefit of the doubt when the subject of truth is in question.
• No government is immune to these diseases.
• When a government requires secrets, NO ONE is safe.

Going hiking (05.16.08)

Yesterday we went to Zevat, a beautiful old city with a history of violence.  I bought a photograph (artistic double exposure) of a man praying at the Western Wall.  The drive north to Zevat was highlighted by the border fence between Jewish Israel and the Palestinian Authority.  There is a quiet but undeniable animosity between the Israeli Jews and the Palestinians, that seems certainly unnatural–if not an abomination–and allows for an easy segue into the most interesting event of the day, the Kabbalah lecture in the gallery of David Friedland.

David talked about Kabbalistic mantras of non-dualism and universality.  Many members of our group were unmoved by David’s words, but I found myself in profound agreement with him.  Are we really so incompatible–the Palestinians and Jews?  Both religions value the same characteristics–the oneness of God, humility, respect, love–but still manage to fall victim to the soul-corrupting forces around them.

What reason has the peaceful farmer of one country to put down his plow, and lift up sword against the peaceful farmer of another, but through the means of a false authority?  This is a useful question that, I believe, is at the heart of what David Friedland was trying to convey.

To talk of the “peaceful farmer” of one nation with any true authority, one must first know that man exists, and I do.  One of the soldiers in our group, Tzahi, led us to his family’s farm, just three kilometers from the Lebanese border.  Here was a small farm not unlike the one my grandmother grew up on, decades ago in rural Tennessee.  The family was a peaceful and welcoming bunch.  They allowed us to ride their horses, eat fruit from their trees, and collect eggs from their hen house.  I would be willing to bet there are peaceful farms like this one, on the other side of the border, with peaceful, welcoming families, who are also mournfully propagandized by a false authority that pits humankind against itself in war.  It seems to me that this cannot be the will of God, but a result of the human ignorance thereof, or a human arrogance that would assume rule over God’s domain.

Last night we stayed in cabins, and the common area had a basketball court and picnic tables.  We played basketball and guitar, and sang–”Freebird” and “The Most Beautiful Girl in the Room” were my humble contributions.  Today we hike and swim.

Shabbat at the spring/pool (05.17.08)

Yesterday we drove to the Golan heights.  We hiked (seriously) to a pool at the foot of a waterfall, where most of us swam.  At the end of the trail, a refreshing reminder of the advantages of capitalism greeted us in the form of a well-placed ice cream truck.  Then we rode to Mount Bental, a hill that overlooks the Syrian border.

The contention for this land has shaped Israeli politics since he late 1960s.  It is a beautiful area, and a strategic high ground for Israeli forces.

Shabbat in Israel is much like Sunday in the United States.  Some people take the religious aspects of the weekend more seriously than others.  We prayed, and I was surprised to learn that the services in Israel are much shorter and much more relaxed than in the U.S.  The prayers have three main themes under God: peace, gratitude, and freedom.  I say “under God” because of the assumption true faith requires–that anything humankind can possibly contrive will always be inferior to the natural state of creation.  To allow any delegation of humans, regardless of their supposed benevolence and intellect, to alter the inalienable natural rights of humankind in God’s image, is to practice idolatry, giving to a committee the responsibilities and respects that should only be contracted between an individual and his/her own given nature.

This assumption of faith leads naturally to the religious rejection of coercive government, and faith in freedom and power higher than any person or group of people.  This faith is the philosophy through which all religions originate, and all religions, at their roots, are undeniably anarchistic.  Yet this, the holyland, is undeniably over-governed, and–forgive the following generalization–the people here credit all of their blessings to their own religion, and all of their problems to a different religion, never realizing their religions are rightfully united, and their opinions by ruling idols divided. 

The heart of what is called the holyland is chilled to the core by an ever-multiplying prejudice among its residents–both Jewish and Muslim.  A human is a human is a human, and each of us is equal before God, without regard to race, religion, location, creed, status, or chance–everyone who doesn’t realize this as fact, should humiliate their own thoughts, before nature and time do the deed for them.

Judaism Discussion and events (05.17.08-05.18.08)

Is Judaism a religion or a nationality?  This is a controversial question in this controversial nation. 

For me, it is only a religion.  The establishment of any “religious state” contradicts principles necessary to a free society, yet claims of freedom abound in this country, as if the word’s meaning has been altered entirely.  The claim that people may have different definitions of freedom is as absurd as the arbitrary proposal that some people should be more free than others.

It is unpardonable that we, as Jews and humans, should practice the faults of government that we recognize as deplorable in others; the hypocrisy is too obvious not to be seen, and–were it not a serious matter–the absurdity would be too great not to be laughed at.  It is an idiotic and blasphemous rejection of God’s gift of reason to take the proponents of any religious state seriously.

We were asked about a decision of the Israeli supreme court that involved citizenship for a man whose Judaism was in question.  The attempts at answering this question with pure moral conviction were amusing if not frustrating.  My answer, of course, was that the law itself was a bad one.  First, laws difficult to be executed generally cannot be good, and second, it is unnatural that a pure stream should flow from a foul spring.

We were also given a list of activities that Jews consider important, and asked to list them in order of importance for our group.  This set the stage for an argument between myself and Joe Gatorade.  For me, the most important given activity of being Jewish was reading books about Judaism.  Joe believed it was to call oneself Jewish, and iterated that there was little importance in reading about Judaism.  Taken to its logical end–ambitiously assuming it has a beginning–his argument is that it is most important to identify with a word that one cannot even define.

Leaving politics and religious doctrine to the criminals and feeble minds they attract, I will turn to the events of reality.  We went to a pool next to the hostel yesterday.  Then we discussed Judaism.  Then we travelled to Afula for dinner (shwarma, falafel, or pizza).  Today we leave the hostel and travel to Jerusalem.

Tale of Ben Yehuda Street (05.19.08)

Jerusalem’s Ben Yehuda Street is Jewish Gatlinburg.  They sell overpriced jewelry, sunglasses, food, and souvenirs to tourists.  No rational economic participant would wish to go shopping there, and it is safe to assume that no native of Jerusalem actually shops there.

I walked around Ben Yehuda Street with a delightful group of girls, including Ivy Lynn, the Schneider sisters, and Perri.

Dead Sea and Masada (05.20.08)

Today we went to Masada and the Dead Sea–both were beautiful and unique.

Masada’s history, which glorifies religious terrorism, is more than a little ironic.  Historically, we regard Jewish terrorists with reverence, but presently, Islamic terrorists are considered lower than the salt floors of the Dead Sea.

Standing atop Masada, one can look down on creation, and almost see the word of God.  It is the closest view of revelation I have ever experienced.  What so-called religious scholars have defined as revelation, or the literal word of God, is nothing more than hearsay.  Revelation is by definition direct, from creator (or creation) to individual, and cannot be designed in human language.  Therefore the only experience one can rightly call revelation is a direct individual experience that requires neither language nor interpreter.  Creation and creator speak for themselves, and are best understood through the studies of science and philosophy, as well as rational individual existence.

IDF Base (05.21.08)

Yesterday we went to Ben Gurion’s grave.  We rode camels–surprisingly friendly animals.  We enjoyed Bedouin hospitality, which included sleeping in tents and eating good chicken, meatballs, pita, hummus, vegetables, rice, and of course, bug juice.

Last night we were treated as new recruits in the IDF by our Israeli soldiers.  They made us run, stand at attention, do push-ups, etc., which was not fun, but perhaps an enlightening experience for some of the North Shore Jews among us.

Then the soldiers performed a dramatization of situations that occur at Israeli border checkpoints, illustrating the gravity of the situations in which these young soldiers are expected to work.

Today we stopped at a memorial park, and discussed the difficult decisions made by some young Israeli orthodox girls to join the IDF.  The girls were not unlike many young Americans at heart–humble but strong, rational but inexperienced, and rebellious though indoctrinated.  Here is Israel’s hope–these young women have already defied their rabbis, and may find the wisdom, compassion, and courage to foster real peace for the region.

We went to Paz’s military base, where he maintains hummers.  The soldiers took us to the firing range, showed us some medical techniques on–forgive the pun–an advanced dummy, and told us all the Israeli government’s secrets (kidding).

Then we went to Mount Herzl, the military cemetery.  I was saddened by the stories of war and deaths–senseless creations of a false authority.  It is a strange sort of idolatry, to allow fear and superstition to control public policy, and it can only affect itself in a society that believes that man created God in man’s imagination, when the truth is quite clearly the other way around.  When a young face becomes a lifeless body, there is no avoiding an emotional reaction, but rather than putting out small fires, Israelis should focus on slaying the dragon that breathes them.

A Nation of Fences (05.23.08)

I have heard several Israeli residents complain of the unwanted attention their nation receives from the U.S. media.  The most hated countries in the world, they realize, are the ones to which America pays the most attention: Iran and their own.  They want sovereignty and independence–they want to be left alone–but they seem fairly disinterested in learning the means toward that end. 

They are more than willing to accept U.S. aid.  It is unreasonable to accept the aid without expecting the attention.  With regard to Israel, the U.S. acts as a parent holding a child’s allowance.  Certainly the parent chooses its expenditures on a whim, but when it betroths a portion of its revenues to its begotten, the parent becomes overly concerned with how the child appropriates those funds, and the child reacts as children do, ill-tempered and irrational, and unable to realize its own potential to raise revenues.

Economic independence and national sovereignty are inseparable–one follows the other as obediently as night follows day–and until Israel votes for the former, it should expect the latter will never exist.  Both, moreover, are essential for any country that wishes to be free, which appears may not be one of Israel’s goals.  Based upon every conversation of policy I have had in this country, I can only conclude at this time that the collective political tide of Israel disdains true freedom, and seeks only to be Jewish and secure–two words with varying definitions from Israeli to Israeli.  In simpler terms, the nation of Israel can say not what it hopes to be, or for which principles it stands; everything is correct as long as it exists.

There is nothing free about a fence.  I have said before (and will probably say again) that a nation of five million free souls is far preferable to one of ten million living in servitude to an authority created by humans.

Our leader Yossi says, “All Israelis would like to see a time when the fences could be taken down, but for security, we need them now.  We pray for peace.” 

Peace, however, is less dependent on prayer than it is on tolerance and principle.  To the argument for “temporary” security measures, I refer to the philosophy of Ben Franklin, who wrote, “Those that would sacrifice essential liberty for a little temporary security, will have neither liberty nor security.”  Additionally, it is folly to believe that a free nation requires such an extensive military operation.  In its true form, freedom secures itself, because a constitutional republic that limits itself to the protection of rights, will find its enemies disappearing with remarkable rapidity.  Israel has no such government, and it appears to me an affront to the natural gifts God gave humankind.

I cannot believe that God simply despises certain humans, and wishes to see them suffer where others relax.  My heart and mind tell me that most of the misfortune in this country occurs on the other sides of these fences, and as it is the nature of compassion to associate with misfortune, I feel a Jewish association with the Palestinians.

But it would be unpardonably short-sighted for my compassion to expose only one side of the fence.  The only authorities more absurd than those of the Israelis are those of the surrounding Arab lands.  It would be wise for Muslims to reject their own various despotisms and learn the freedom intended clearly within the patchwork of our one human creator.

The struggles for power over other individuals by the fanatics on both sides of these fences, must inevitably end in a true revolution for liberty, and it must be done in partnership by people of all types, against the faulty powers that be–both Israeli and Arab.

Here is my pre-trip view on the Jewish State (from April).  Principles are loyal to the mind–not its location.

Where is the “Promised Land?”

 

“Independence is my happiness, and I view things as they are, without regard to place or person; my country is the world, and my religion is to do good.” – Thomas Paine

The American principles of freedom disdain the notion of a religious state. Has it not always been the duty of Americans to guarantee, as well as possess, the right of religious choice, so that every individual feels equal under law, regardless of religion? I imagine that the Jews of the United States would be among the first to protest if America wished to be called a “Christian State,” and replace the fifty stars of the flag with fifty crosses. It seems ironically unconscionable that the most state-persecuted religious group ever, the Jews, should want for themselves the sort of government that claims an official religion, being all too aware of the coercive dangers inherent to religious states.

Israel plays the lamb too often in American foreign policy. It takes two to tango, and while Israel can reasonably argue their aggressions are warranted, it can also be reasonably argued that their aggressions only fan the flames of Palestinian sentiment. The Israeli government cannot persist forever without assuring freedom and equality to all of the people of Israel. The government itself is in need of fundamental change, and the Jewish heritage of Israel should be considered only heritage. A compromise is necessary between the Jews and Muslims of Israel, and as long as it is a Jewish State in official capacity, it is hard to see that happening.

It is difficult for me, as an American Jew, to understand why the United States has stood so steadfastly in favor of the Jewish State of Israel. I believe Israel should exist, but not as a “Jewish State.” The American position on Israel, if it must have one, should be this: “Jews may live there. Muslims may live there. Anyone may live there. They should be treated equally, just as various people are treated in the United States.” However, it seems more reasonable for the United States to let the inhabitants of an area sort out their problems without intervention, and serve as a refuge for those wishing only to work and live freely and peacefully.

History and reason tell us that the Jewish Homeland, the “Promised Land,” or Eretz Yisrael, will always be the freest nation in the world, wherever that may be. It was always promised as a place away from all servitude, external political forces and armies, so the region contemporarily called “Israel” seems anything but the “Promised Land” today. The land that once was free and peaceful has faced about over the centuries, and has therefore lost its title. Eretz Yisrael’s location is not static. Thousands of years ago, it was the Eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Today, it seems to be the United States. Tomorrow, who knows?