July 10, 2014

Of Course Holland lost..They’re my team

By davidgroen1

USP SOCCER: WORLD CUP-ARGENTINA VS NETHERLANDS S SOC BRABehind every perception of destiny, irony sits waiting and ready to pounce.  But I will get back to that.  The title of this post is by no means rooted in self-pity. Pity is never the feeling I have regarding the futility of the teams I support.  As a somewhat well-adjusted individual, I generally get past the pain of my sports teams’ demise within an hour of it happening.  I must say I am pretty good when it comes to that.  After all, and this is the root of the title, I have a lot of experience with it.

We can of course start with the most recent result of which irony played a major factor as well.  But again, I will get back to the irony later.  When the Netherlands lost to Argentina yesterday in the FIFA 2014 World Cup semi-final, I knew that another World Cup would be played without Holland lifting the trophy.  I watched Holland once again secure its position as the best team to never win the World Cup.  I took solace in the fact that they lost with class to a team with class, but nevertheless, once again, their World Cup ended in defeat.

I move on to the National Football League.  I credit the great New York Giant linebacker Lawrence Taylor with getting me into football.  Sure I watched the game and followed the playoffs and Super Bowl, admiring the skills of Joe Montana and Jerry Rice in particular, but it was LT who got me excited about the game.  And living in New York I cheered on the football Giants when they won their Super Bowls with Taylor, Simms, etc.  But it was not till I began to admire the tough character and skill of Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback Donovan Mcnabb, and enjoyed games with my family that I considered myself a true fan of a team.  The Eagles would go on to 4 straight NFC Championships and one Super Bowl, but would never win the big one.  And as football fans know, they still haven’t.

In 1976 I began what would be 4 years of school in London, England.  I picked a team.  Sure, I could have picked Arsenal just as easily, a team that won titles and cups, but no, I picked Tottenham Hotspur, probably the most consistently mediocre team in any sport in any country.  And since they are exceedingly mediocre, that’s all they are getting in this piece.

Being a marginal Basketball fan I put my allegiances behind the home team New York Knicks and watched as they always came up short against Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls.  Except of course for the times the Bulls were without  MJ when the Knicks came up short against Hakeem Olajuwons’s Houston Rockets.  Whatever, they came up short.

Then there is the team I am most emotionally invested in on a yearly basis, the Philadelphia Flyer of the National Hockey League.  Having lived in Philadelphia during their 2 glorious Stanley Cup victories, I will always be a devoted fan.  Even if we end up never winning another cup.  Does it count at all when the Los Angeles Kings win?  Flyers fans and educated hockey fans understand that question.

Lastly I will speak of Major League Baseball’s New York Mets.  In 1985 when I moved to New York I picked a team as my local team.  I picked the very charismatic and entertaining Mets.  In 1986 I got my immediate reward, s the Mets not only won the World Series, they won it in the most dramatic and exciting of fashions.  The 1986 Mets have been the reason I have remained a fan of theirs till now, despite the fact that they are generally not very good.  And since I am a fan, when I say it that way, I am being nice.  The greatest overall significance of my support of the Mets now is that their 1986 team is the last team I am a fan of to win a championship in their sport.  Yes, that is almost 30 years.

And on it goes.  Yes I pushed the idea of Holland’s World Cup destiny, and the fate surrounding the teams they would need to beat, and of course started the online campaign of “Win it for my mother”, but in the end it was not to be.  My mother, whose maiden name was Rodrigues-Lopes, or in every day use, just Rodrigues, was the son of Marcel Rodrigues.  My grandfather’s nickname was Max.  So he was indeed known by many as Max Rodrigues.  So when Argentina needed just one more goal in penalty kicks to put them through to the finals and send Holland packing, I looked down, smiled wryly, shook my head and mumbled to myself, “of course”.  Stepping up to take the kick was Argentinian football veteran Maxi Rodriguez, who subsequently put the ball in the back of the net and guaranteed Holland would once again not the win the World Cup.  I guess I was right.  Sports destiny did play a factor.  It just did so with a tremendous sense of irony.  Good thing it only takes me an hour to get over it.

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July 9, 2014

The Personal bias of Sports Destiny

By davidgroen1

hupWhen it comes to sports, destiny is a very biased concept.  Had Brasil won yesterday without the services of their superstar Neymar and their captain Silva, the host nation of the FIFA 2014 World Cup would have been buzzing about how destiny favored this soccer powerhouse.  Instead Brasil’s team laid the proverbial egg, didn’t show up for the game at all, and lost 7-1 to a very good German team.  Undoubtedly all German fans are now talking about their destiny.  I would like to put my own personal spin on the subject of destiny and show how it favors Holland.

Four years ago Holland, The Netherlands,  lost in its 3rd World Cup Final appearance to Spain.  They began this years campaign with a 5-1 whipping of the reigning champs.  In about 4 hours they will face Argentina in the semi-final.  Argentina who was the host team in 1978 and defeated Holland, then making their second final appearance.  After Germany’s victory yesterday, if destiny keeps to form, Holland will face Germany on Sunday with an opportunity to finally lift up the World Cup as champions.  40 years ago in 1974, it was Germany, then the host country, that defeated the Netherlands in their first ever appearance in the World Cup.  Like Holland or not, from the perspective of destiny it could not play out any better.

And then there is my favorite Dutch fan, my mother Sipora Groen.  At 92 years old she is enjoying the games as much as anyone else and would love to see Holland finally call themselves World Cup Champions.   So I say it again, and hopefully will be making this plea again after today and before Sunday, WIN IT FOR MY MOTHER.

HUP HOLLAND

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July 8, 2014

Back when I was a Moderate…2 weeks ago

By davidgroen1

111Two weeks ago I would have been considered a moderate regarding the situation with Israel and the Palestinians.   I even held hope that the Palestinian Authority would do the right thing in response to what then was the kidnapping of the 3 Israeli teens.  However, like anyone else in life I have a breaking point. Mine was the moment it was clear that these 3 boys had not only been kidnapped, but murdered as well.  Having reached that breaking point I have come to following conclusions. Any person who does not believe Israel is in its rights to use any manner of force necessary, be it in Gaza, Judea or Samaria (aka ‘The West Bank’) falls into one of the following categories:

Non Jew: Ignorant; Gullible; Anti-Semitic

Jew: Ignorant; Naïve; Flat-out stupid; Self-hating

As a Jew, two weeks ago I fell into the naïve category.  That is a category with many different levels.  My naiveté was rooted in the belief and hope that a peaceful solution was possible.  I was a moderate.  The 3 murdered Israeli teens are 3 among thousands killed by terrorists, but somehow it was their murder that destroyed my moderate status as well.  Yes I questioned my moderation even then, but I was always open to the idea that there were enough people in power on their side who wanted peace more than they wanted the destruction of Israel to create an atmosphere of coexistence.   Sadly that is not the case.  As Golda Meir once said so eloquently, “Peace will come when the Arabs love their children more than they hate us.”  It is with genuine pain that I say that day is further away from us than ever before.

First to the Non-Jewish people I make mention of, I say this.  I respect anyone whose genuine desire is a world of peace.  Even if you are ignorant to the truth or gullible as to the intentions of Israel’s Arab enemies, you may desperately cling to the hope that peace can break out.  I admire your motivation and appreciate your decency.  However, if you really take time to look at the situation you will come to the same tragic conclusion.  They do not want peace.  They want dead Jews.  If you can show me any concrete evidence to prove otherwise I would be happy to see it, but I truly do not believe that evidence exists.

If you are anti-Semitic I have nothing to say to you.  You live with hate in your heart and to make matters even worse, that hate is directed towards me and my family.  You therefore are nothing to me other than disgusting and potentially dangerous.

To the Jews in these categories I say this.  Please learn from the past.  The Nazis set out to kill every last Jew.  Not merely the Jew who opposed them, but even the Jew whose fear motivated them to work for them in concert in the hope that they would be spared.  They were all targets.  As we all are today.  The naïve amongst you who believe in a peaceful solution, are making the mistake I so genuinely understand.  You are applying rational thinking to irrational minds.  These are people who are taught that the greatest honor they can achieve in life is through death.  Not merely death, but death through murder and destruction.  I am sure those of you who are applying your rational standards do not for one second relate to that way of thinking, but if you analyze it honestly and without personal prejudice you may see the sad truth.

To the self-hating Jew, the one who chooses to be extra vocal about criticism of Jews when they do things wrong but are only half as vocal, at best, when Jews are attacked and murdered, I say this.  It is not just your fellow Jew you will bring suffering to, but to yourself as well.  You are a pawn on a chessboard of evil, and those who play chess know that the pawns are the most expendable.  My father, Rabbi Nardus Groen of Blessed Memory once wrote when referring back to his account of the Holocaust,  “We may in the course of it meet people who, for whatever it’s worth,may be portrayed as heroes, while others are cowards, pacifists, or activists.They are all the products of mankind. For them, there will always be a place under the sun (with the exception of the traitor).”   It is not my place to determine who are the cowards and pacifists and who are the traitors.  God will know what is in your heart and I trust will judge you accordingly.

One may make the argument that every day a moderate turns radical Hamas has gained another victory.  That may be true.  But it is safer to be a realistic radical than a delusional moderate.  Unfortunately I now believe those are the only two choices.

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July 7, 2014

Where’s the Outcry?

By davidgroen1

Sweden Israel ProtestsThe number of Jews in Malmo, Sweden is probably at around 500-800.  The Muslim population in Malmo is around 100,000.  Earlier today a 38 year old Jewish man was beaten for hanging an Israeli flag outside his home.  The man was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries.

Swede Hospitalized After Flying Israeli Flag

This is our world.  A world where this type of behavior acceptable.   To those dumb enough to think Jews are the only targets or just too scared to say or do something, I urge you to read up about what happens to Christians in Nigeria.  You might see it differently.  You might even see this as the earlier stages of World War III.  Terrifying thought, but one I would love to be convinced is not the case.

In the meantime I ask those who are quick to judging and attacking the behavior of the Jewish people in Israel and throughout the world to pretend this was happening in the reverse and say what you would say then.   Come on Roger Waters,  you hypocritical anti-Semitic pond scum, where is your outrage now?  Where are the United Nations voices now?  Or is human rights a pick and choose issue.

I’ll say something I do not say often.  I am sure Israel is guilty of doing some things wrong when it comes to the handling of the Palestinians.  However, as long as this ridiculously lopsided double standard exists it holds significantly less importance, because to demand  fairness from one group while denying fairness to the ones you are demanding it from, destroys the credibility of the cause.

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July 7, 2014

Cliches and the Damage they do to Israel

By davidgroen1

NewAntisemitismBlogHeaderWelcome to the world of the cliché.  For starters, let me admit that I am on occasion as guilty as anyone else of using clichés, but when serious events take place such as has been the case recently in Israel, social media goes crazy recycling the same sentiments over and over again. To be fair, some of these sentiments are obvious ones that any normal human being would have.  Case in point, the devastation everyone felt over the murder of  Naftali Frenkel, Gilad Shaar, and  Eyal Yifrach, and the subsequent comments that followed based in sadness and mourning.  Those commonly felt sentiments are not the ones I speak of.  The ones I am addressing are the different statements regarding the world’s reaction and what is oft referred to as “the way Jews act”.

I am in no position to criticize anyone, especially those who care enough to give their opinion in this difficult time.  I realize that whether you make the statement that you do not care about the murder of Mohammed Abu Khdeir or you are as outraged by it as you are about the murder of the 3 Israeli teens, your heart is still probably in the right place.  Your against murder, which makes you at least in basic terms, a good person.  Here’s where I personally run into a problem.  In attacking a Jew who is rightfully fed up with the treatment of our people for thousands of years, you may become part of the problem.  Yes, you are entitled to an opinion, but those who have come to their own unbiased and logical conclusion, are pretty much clear on the double standard that exists when judging Jewish behavior and reaction.

“Jews don’t do that”.  Don’t do what?  Get angry, fight for survival, strike back?  I sit here writing this today because before the Nazis ever entered Holland, my father Rabbi Nardus Groen of Blessed Memory did something Jews “didn’t do” in 1930’s Holland.  He joined what was then the equivalent of the National Guard and learned how to use a gun.  I go back to the phrase “Never Again” often because it is not so much a cliché as it is an approach the Jewish people need to have if they are to survive.  Do we feel that mass murder of Jews can never happen again?  I would like nothing more than to say there are no indications of that, but sadly we live in a world where genocidal maniacs still live and even gain popularity, putting not only Jews but other people in similar danger.

I agree that murder for the sake of murder is not the Jewish way, but I also feel passionately that is not what has taken place in Israel. Assuming the culprits of Khdeir’s murder were Jews, they are a group of people who were brought down to a tragic and horrible level by the enemies who have done everything in their power till now to get them there.  Do those of you speaking of how Jews act really think that any clearheaded citizen of Israel or any Jew in the world for that matter wants to spend their time hunting down and murdering Palestinians?  They do not.  Unlike the enemy, we are not taught that murder is an act of holiness and honor.  But these same Jewish people we speak of do have feelings and fears.  Jews don’t do what? Act human?  Seek justice, even if through the wrong avenues? Working on the assumption of their guilt, the behavior of some, albeit wrong and even deplorable, and of course requiring punishment, is still based in an understandably sad but human reaction.  This is not an attempt to justify it, merely to address the most popular cliché of the day, “Jews don’t do that.”

The other issue has to do with how the world feels and how the world reacts.  Let’s drop all the clichés and just tell it like it is.  As a unit, the world does not stand behind Israel and the Jewish people.  Please harbor no illusions.  Yes there are many good and some great people who put themselves out there and defend us, but they are individuals who ultimately may be at risk just as we are.   And when looking at how the world body really see the situation let’s just take a look at the United Nations reaction over the past few weeks.  When 3 Jewish boys get kidnapped and murdered the United Nations makes a statement declaring there is no evidence it was done by Hamas.  When 1 Palestinian boy gets murdered, allegedly by Jewish settlers, there is talk of a special investigation of the behavior of the settlers.  And we are back to where we started.  How Jews act.  The world has never shown signs of favoring the Jewish position so I can’t say  I am surprised by the overall reaction.  But if you are Jewish, and one who supports the State of Israel and its inhabitants, I urge you to try a different cliché, like “Never Again”.  It might just end of saving your life one day.

The reality is that Israel needs to do what is right for Israel and the Jewish people without concerning itself with what the world thinks.  It’s hardly ever good anyway.

 

 

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July 6, 2014

The Importance of the Unimportant

By davidgroen1

Netherlands-beats-Costa-Rica-World-Cup-jpgAs a Jewish American I felt somewhat guilty focusing my attentions to the triviality of the World Cup.  My guilt made me pause before posting anything about my excitement and enjoyment surrounding the efforts of The Netherlands in this year’s tournament.  Yes I paused, as I did not wish to be insensitive to the harsh realities facing all of us, but in the end I rationalized or justified my decision, not all will agree on which one it is, and chose to enjoy Holland’s World Cup victory.  It made me question the morality of putting importance on those things that clearly do not hold the same importance as our most pressing personal and communal issues.

There are some events or activities no one questions as important nor do they question the joy these events bring to individuals and families.  Weddings, childbirth, recovery from illness, even special moments with friends and family, are all occurences no one ever disputes as important.  Sure there are people who have emotional issues that may prevent them from getting joy from these moments, but as a general rule people agree that all of these things are important and therefore should bring one joy, even when surrounded by unpleasant realities.

I am one of those people who believes life is made up of moments.  Many are good, many are bad.  Unfortunately the bad moments seek us out, finding us without mercy or timing.  The good moments sometimes do the same, just not with the same persistence.  I am not being negative in this statement, merely realistic.  I am also using it as a springboard to make the point I wish to make.  The moments in life that bring us pleasure, the movies we love, the meals we savor, and yes the sporting events that thrill us, are the moments we need to seek out.  These moments fuel us, strengthen us, and yes indeed, even if only momentarily,can make us happy.  Brasil is a nation struggling with discontent and yet it comes together in excitement to celebrate the FIFA 2014 World Cup.  Do I believe the World Cup matters when mothers are mourning the murders of their teenage sons?  Of course I don’t.  But I also know that the day will come when they may turn to something as unimportant as a soccer match to bring them some needed joy.  Not today, but when the time is right.  Maybe that is why we sometimes call our athletes heroes.  Not because they live by higher standards, but because they sometimes give people a very necessary respite from the more difficult moments in life.

Just take a moment to think about how much better the world could be if everyone worried a little bit more about those things so many deem as unimportant.

 

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July 5, 2014

Blame the Ref!

By davidgroen1

neymar-0aI’ll be brief.  Those who watched the quarterfinal game between Brasil and Colombia in the FIFA 2014 World Cup saw one of the most disgraceful performances by a Ref you will ever see.  Thanks to his inability or lack of willingness to control the game, Brasil’s best player Neymar was ruled out for the remainder of the World Cup with a broken vertebrae.  With fouls spiraling out of control throughout the game, it was just a matter of time before someone got seriously hurt or a fight broke out.  Why FIFA continues to allow the degree of incompetence and likely corruption in soccer’s biggest football stage is beyond me, but once again officiating has tarnished a great tournament.  It may never change, but I for one refuse to pretend the problem doesn’t exist.

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July 3, 2014

Who am I to advocate Force?

By davidgroen1

idfI often feel guilty when I come out in favor of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) taking the harshest of approaches.  After all, who am I to say this?  I live in New York.  I do not live in Israel, I do not live in Judea, Samaria, or Southern Israel.  I do not have children being called up to fight and risking their life to do the things I comfortably encourage from a safe air-conditioned home in the United States.

Who am I?  I am a human being, I am a Jew, and I am the son of Holocaust survivors.  I have made every attempt in my life, both in practicality and in theory to learn lessons from the past.  Sometimes successfully, sometimes not.  If there is one lesson I have learned, and I truly believe it may be the most important lesson of our time, one that could mean the difference between the death or survival of modern civilization, it’s that we can not apply rational standards to irrationally thinking people.  Do I believe the answer is to wipe out anyone who lives by those irrational standards?  Of course not.  Do I believe re-education of the greatest kind is needed. I do.  I also believe that sometimes the only way to begin that re-education is by a show of force of the most enormous proportions.

Two of the most civilized nations today, and strong American allies, are Germany and Japan.  Go back 70 years ago to the year 1944 and no one would have thought that to be realistic.  Yet the world was saved, at least temporarily by the drastic change in direction initiated by the allied forces basically pounding the two nations into submission.   Many people who wanted nothing more but to live a decent life died in the process, on both sides, but the fact remains that with the strong force brought on to both of these nations, history was changed for the better.

We face a similar threat today, at least as far as its potential danger, even if the landscape is very different.  Many people such as myself, who believe a powerful approach is needed against our enemies, are getting criticized for our viewpoints.  “Jews don’t act like that, the enemies do”, is one of the things I have heard.  To that I reply, yes, in the past we did not.  But we also say Never Again.

I find the murder of any innocent person to be tragic.  But I also believe in the phrase coined by our ancient Rabbis in Ethics of our Fathers, “im ain ani li mi li”, which translated into English means, “If I am not for myself, who will be for me.”   As a Jew, my sad assumption is that as a collective, there will be no one. There are many righteous people who have and would sacrifice their lives to protect innocent people, Jew and non-Jew alike, but there are no nations or groups who will look after the Jewish people any better than their fellow Jews will.

So although I feel somewhat guilty for sitting in comfort and speaking in favor of force by the IDF, as a Jew who has learned from history I would feel more guilty if I did not.

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July 2, 2014

They are Sanctified through Our Unity

By davidgroen1

img65649Sanctification is an important word in the Jewish religion.  The Sabbath is celebrated and made holy, partially through the blessing of the wine, known as Kiddush or sanctification.  To behave in a decent and good way and represent Judaism in a strong manner is referred to as a Kiddush Hashem, or Sanctification of God’s name.  And the prayer uttered in mourning is know as the Kaddish, because it sanctifies the memory of the lost soul and lifts them to a higher level before God.

Not everyone has the same reaction to the murder of Eyal Yifrach, Gilad Shaar and Naftali Frenkel, but what strikes me is the similarity with which we have all been devastated.  Regardless of one’s political leanings, opinions on a response to the murders, or connections to Jewish faith and practice, the horrible events brought to light have united not only Jews, but decent people everywhere in a way that truly sanctifies these boys’ memories.  They should never have been taken so young, but the way in which they have brought us together their souls are truly raised to the highest level.

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July 2, 2014

Another Victim of Hamas

By davidgroen1

palestinian-boy-murderedThis will be a short post in order to make one crucial point.  See this Palestinian boy.  Hamas killed him too. I am sure there will be a spin by those who hate Israel and the Jewish people to say otherwise, but this is the face of the latest victim of Hamas.  Make no mistake.  He may be Palestinian, but regardless of the circumstances surrounding his death, Hamas killed him too.  If you read this and don’t understand why, it is simply because you do not wish to understand why.  Israel wants peace.  Hamas and their allies do not.

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