Skip to main content

Where To?

Not to set my standards too high with two posts in one day...don't get used to it.

Tonight begins Israel's Independence Day (יום העצמאות)*. As I am writing this I am watching the ceremony at Mt. Herzl and also listening to the music of the crazy street party two blocks away, as if I were there! The ceremony is remarkable and moving: 14 individuals are selected nationally to honor the State by sharing their personal story and contribution to the advancement of the country as the 12 torches are lit. This year the theme is focused on the advancement of education and culture for future generations. The representatives are an impressive cross-selection of the country - from all parts of the country, old, young, immigrants and native born Israelis. Additionally there are musical performances by kids, famous performers, dance groups, and the Army performance troupes. It has a strange football halftime show quality to it crossed with a military parade.

(Good story here)

Building off a sentiment conveyed in the Miss Representation documentary, I am struck by how the pace of life is faster and faster, making it challenging to keep up with the changes. With technology we are even "closer" to everyone around us so that our awareness and potential influence on problems are both greater. And so, finding our place to engage in the change, to make the change we want to see, is in and of itself a challenge.

Tonight in particular I am struck by all that has been done by amazing people before me: the founders of the State of Israel, the builders of the kibbutzim and modern cities, the inventors and scientists responsible for so many of Israel's advancements for the betterment of the world, and more. These were amazing men and women who either rose to the challenge or merely did what they saw needed to be done, not even seeing it as a challenge.

Reality on the ground now is changing so fast - technology, for better or worse, is enabling change more quickly than ever. In my father's lifetime he went from having no clue of what a computer was, to using punchcards for his dissertation, to having his own computer at home and work, to seeing his grandchildren adept at touchscreen devices before the age of 8. And with all those changes comes this greater awareness of the need in the world. The problems out there can seem overwhelming - poverty and wealth inequality, food scarcity, ethnic conflict, eradicable diseases, crime, corruption, gender inequality, the list goes on and on. And it can feel overwhelming, so much to do; more than one person can fix, maybe more than can be fixed.

I will leave it at that - and bit of an open ending. I believe that we can all be agents of amazing changes in the world. And I am trying to find my road in this quest, to make my own mark, and to encourage and inspire others to find theirs.


*as a side note, the day before Israel's Independence Day is our Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and victims of terror. The juxtaposition is intentional - we move from a day of truly profound sadness with two sirens and numerous memorial ceremonies - into a day of festive celebration of the life that exists in the State of Israel. I continue to be struck by the contrast between the observance of American Memorial Day and Israeli Memorial Day. The contrast between one that is upbeat, festive, capitalistic and consumptive with one that is introspective, solemn, and respected. Those who have lost someone as a soldier or terror victim are entitled to the day off of work, should their workplace be open.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Macher or Schmoozer?

I'm working my way slowly through the book Bowling Alone by Robert Putnam . In a nutshell, which has to be pretty big because it's a hefty book, it's about social behaviors and the decline of them in the US - things like voting and participating in the political process at all levels, and engaging with volunteer and community efforts. Chapter six looks at Informal Social Connections. At paragraph two of the chapter he mentions the Yiddish words macher and schmoozer . That stopped me in my tracks for a moment. He continued to explain that fundamentally a macher is a doer, someone who makes things happen in the community. Whereas a schmoozer is a talker, a person with an active social life, someone who focuses on informal connections to others. And while it is certainly nice to sit and talk with someone, at the end of the day that's all a schmoozer does. Alternatively, the macher will sit and visit with you and then either your roped into helping or the macher...
Post a Comment
Read more

Taking the time

Last night I went to a talk given by Dr. Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg last night. She spoke about guilt, atonement, and intimacy. My takeaway from this evening, even as I am still unraveling what she laid out for us is as follows. Elul has been described as like a bird hovering over a nest - waiting, ready to arrive, not yet there, but at the same time present. From this point she moved to the relationship between G-d and Moshe. After all of Moshe's hard work to build, carefully, diligently, the Tent of Meeting (אוהל מועד), Moshe remains outside, as if hovering over the nest, waiting to enter, unable to enter. Calling to others - as G-d calls to Moshe - is our way of calling attention to the other with whom we want to speak. Saying a person's name indicates that we have a desire to speak to her and elevates the communication, adding impact and intimacy of the conversation. Interestingly when Israelis talk to each other there is always a great amount of time asking each other...
Post a Comment
Read more

A very fine line

There is a remarkably fine line between making excuses and offering explanations. It can be quite challenging to know the difference and that confusion can lead to difficulties. We work hard to help our children learn the difference between making an excuse for behavior versus offering an explanation to help figure out how or why something happened. Sometimes it is helpful to get the background but sometimes it just confuses matters. The balance between excuse and explain is similar to the one I have been pondering between blame and responsibility. Sometimes when we are trying to assign responsibility we actually end up placing blame. Both are a bit of a slippery slope that we should only start down with great caution. Strangely the challenge of excuses versus explanations is more easily addressed with children, which also tells me that it's more commonly understood as opposed to blame versus responsibility. We'd all do better to see the fine line between the two.
Post a Comment
Read more