Click to see this great video of the late Harold Ramis discussing the metaphor of Ground Hog Day.
“I’m not comparing Groundhog Day to the Torah. It’s more entertaining than the Torah.”
~Harold Ramis~
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How Taking Jerusalem from the Jewish people compares to the actions of the Nazis
Despite the fact that I am not blind to the realities that exist, I am always reluctant to compare any individual or group to Hitler and Nazi Germany. The murder and destruction the Jewish people dealt with during that time was beyond any reasonable comprehension. Sadly today I come to the realization that there are steps in place to try to duplicate a particular activity by the Nazi party perpetuated against the Jews of Europe.
Yesterday in speaking with two family members who just returned from a trip to Israel, I heard about what a cosmopolitan and beautiful city Jerusalem has become. When I lived there for 3 ½ years in the early 80’s, the city was already one filled with exciting diversity, beauty, and opportunities for enjoyment at every turn. I am told that today what I remember was nothing compared to how amazing the city has become. It still has that wonderful mix of religion and modernity one needs to experience to understand, and has become so developed that it now feels like a worldly metropolis. It has become a beautiful home for the Jewish people.
In 1930’s Europe there were many beautiful homes for Jewish people. Homes decorated with the most beautiful furniture, silver and gold jewels, and artwork at its best. These were homes that Jewish people worked for, built for themselves and for their children’s future, and believed, as any normal person would, that they would own and hold onto for generations to come.
The Nazis had different plans. When the Jewish neighborhoods were ransacked and decimated, the end result being that families were at best displaced, but more often than not murdered in entirety, Nazi officers would move into these beautiful homes and live in them as if they were their own. With the Jewish people being shipped to concentration camps and murdered in the millions, the Nazis who would move into the homes belonging to Jewish families with no remorse or conscience. In comparison to torture and murder this was certainly not the worst thing done to the Jews of Europe, but emotionally it was destructive and it exemplified the disdain and hatred the Nazis had towards the Jewish people and their feeling that we as Jews were a subhuman race.
Fast forward to today and the State of Israel, whose capital is the beautiful and biblical city of Jerusalem. A city rich with historical beauty and culture, built into a modern and wonderful city by a Jewish government as a home for the Jewish people. As a peace process continuously stalls because of the Palestinian leadership’s desire to take Jerusalem from the Jewish people and as Iran’s leadership openly speaks of ridding Jerusalem of Jews, the parallel in approach to Hitler’s Germany is eerily similar. Move into the home built by Jews and live there as though it was your own. Of course the difference today is that an army exists that will fight as hard as necessary to prevent this, but the mere fact that such behavior has once again reared its ugly head is a sobering thought for anyone that looks at history from an honest perspective and one that should not be ignored.
The advantage of having brilliance on your side
When a man of the intellect of Alan Dershowitz is in your corner, you have an advantage over those pushing an agenda with inaccuracies and prejudices. What makes his stand even more effective in my opinion is the fact that this is a man who has what are considered liberal views on many issues but takes a tough position in defending the Jewish people and the State of Israel when attacked unfairly and with hatred. As a Jew and an American, I say thank you to Alan Dershowitz. Read this article for one of the reasons why.
Ten reasons why BDS is immoral and hinders peace
WIN A COPY OF THE BOOK!
As of 5 minutes before making this post the Facebook page for Jew Face has 267 Likes. When the page reaches300 Likes there will be a raffle to give out a free Paperback or Electronic version of the book “Jew Face: A story of Love and Heroism in Nazi-occupied Holland”.
The Ukraine Situation: More serious than many realize
How important is it that the Ukraine, a country of more than 40 million people is on edge? Besides the human factor, no one likes to see people die violent deaths, does the current situation matter to us? The answer to this is a resounding yes.
I am sure that there are some out there that see the current situation as merely interesting news. However, it is a situation like this that magnifies the tensions between countries and weakens the resolve of alliances. More specifically, Russia with its connection to the Ukrainian government finds itself at odds with the European Union and of course, as has become far too frequent, at odds with the United States. With both the EU and US considering sanctions to pressure the government of the Ukraine, the schism between Russia and the west is growing. It has the frightening impression of a situation where the lines are being drawn, and divisions are becoming stronger. With growing economic problems and worldwide unrest in a variety of nations, the situation is one that should concern all of us.
I do not usually use this forum to stir up fear. However, being that this is a site dedicated to those lost as a result of the biggest war and worst atrocities in mankind’s history, it becomes more and more important to bring to light issues that have the potential to put the world on the brink.
Let’s pray and hope that calmer heads prevail.
President’s Day Question
Which president do you consider to have been the best friend of the Jewish people and the State of Israel?
In order to receive what I hope will be a fair and non-partisan response I would say that in recent times a valid argument can be made for both Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.
Who do you say? If at all possible post your responses to the blog. Thanks!
Please Rate in Goodreads
If you’ve read the book Jew Face, please click this link and rate it in Goodreads.
Thanks in advance for anyone who takes the time to do so. It is greatly appreciated.
Holland’s Sports Heroes
Don’t look now but one week into the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Holland leads in the overall medal count. Lead by their usual elite performances in speed skating, the Dutch sit on top of the pack halfway through the games. Who knows how long it lasts, but for now I’m one of many proud of what the teams from the Netherlands has achieved to this point. Keep it up and good luck the rest of the way!
What is Love?
At the risk of immodesty, I just reread this and personally consider it one of the best things I’ve ever written and perfect for Valentine’s Day
When you title an article with a question so important to so many people, you run the risk of creating the expectation that you may actually have the answer to that question. To be fair, I am not sure I can answer it accurately having a somewhat questionable track record of my own, but I can say unequivocally that even if I am not successful in conveying in words what love is, I can say that I did have one great advantage. In my life I had the benefit of witnessing true love.
Those of you who have read the book “Jew Face” are well aware that my characterization of the good people in the book only deals with positive aspects of their personality. I do this purposely in order to make a clear distinction between good and evil during a time when good and evil was so pronounced and…
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Snowy DumbBlasio
As a Liberal Democrat I would certainly not be first in line to attack a New York City mayor who portrays himself as a progressive concerned about all of his city’s citizens, but after what I saw today I feel compelled to express my very negative opinion of his performance.
The decision made by Mayor Bill de Blasio to keep the schools open was just plain dumb. The argument made in the press conference, a press conference tightly controlled by the mayor, was that public schools remained open because of a protocol that was followed, discussions between officials, and a strong reluctance to close the schools that was backed up by the small number of instances in which they were actually closed over the years.
Be that as it may, it was apparent to almost everyone watching this morning that the conditions were so hazardous that this decision was reckless and irresponsible. Maybe the mayor and his officials will get lucky and no ones gets seriously hurt or ill as a result, but that doesn’t make the decision a good one. If on one side you tell people to stay home unless they need to go out, then how do you mandate that children need to go out to attend school? It makes no sense and was a display of poor judgment that should concern the citizens of New York immensely. It also destroys the credibility you need when you ask a populous to stay home, something I believe the newly elected mayor knew by the way he was jumping in first to answer questions in the press conference that were not directed his way. It looked a lot like someone who told his staff, ‘if the questions get challenging let me take the lead’.
As a Liberal Democrat I had some degree of enthusiasm at the prospect of a liberally progressive mayor taking over in New York City. Today’s stupidity doesn’t have to mean we won’t witness exciting and positive developments for the city, but if future important decisions are made with the same recklessness, the problems it will cause will outweigh any progress.
Holland's Heroes 