I AM A ZIONIST JEW

The flag and the Kotel

I ran into an old colleague in the grocery store last week. The conversation was pleasantly generic enough until  she asked, "Are you still a Zionist?" I looked at her as if she had just stepped off the looney bus, but that did stop her. "I mean, you were always such a social activist. I cannot believe you're still pro-Israel after everything they've done." 

A zillion answers raced through my mind, most of them flip and dismissive, but as she kept rambling, digging her hole deeper and deeper, I realized flip wasn't the right way to go. When she finally stopped blaming Israel for everything wrong in the Middle East, I said, "I am deeply committed to Israel and its continued existence the same way you, as a progressive Democratic Socialist are deeply committed to the continued existence of the United States." 

Let me take a moment to make my position crystal clear:

• I am a Zionist
• I believe that Jews are the indigenous people of that land and have a right to be there. 
• Israel as a cultural entity on its own is first mentioned in the stele of Egyptian Pharaoh Merenptah c.1213-1203 B.C.E.
• By 1080 B.C.E. a kingdom was established. Around 930 BCE the kingdom split into two parts, Israel in the north and Judah in the south.
• Hebrew has been our spoken AND written language for over 3000 years.
• Our name is Yehudi. It means a person from Judah/Judea. A Jew from that place named for us, not the other way around. 
• Our literature and our liturgy have been in Hebrew for over 3000 years. 
• Mount of Olives is a Jerusalem cemetery in continual use over 3000 years containing 150,000 graves...and growing.
• The heart of our religion was the Temple in Jerusalem until the destruction of the Second Temple on the 9th of Av, 70 C.E. That day is still observed as a fast day for us.
• The Temple Mount in Jerusalem is revered by the three Abrahamic religion. Christianity begins in the first century C.E. and Islam begins in the 7th century C.E. 
• Jews have been exiled, persecuted, and abused by a litany of conquerors since then, but we have never completely abandoned the land. Jerusalem remains central to our liturgy. We end the Passover seder saying, Next year in Jerusalem.
• Since Israel was declared a modern state in 1948, its neighbors have continually attacked. And lost. In 1948, 1956, 1697, 1973, 1982, 2008. 
• Offered their own state many times, Hamas has never accepted nor ceased rocket attacks on Israeli civilians.
• We have an obligation to defend ourselves from those attacks whether they are from soldiers or suicide bombers on buses. 
• In 2005 Israel didn't just pull out of Gaza, it removed every Jewish person who had been living there since before the establishment of the state, turning everything over to the Palestinians to begin their own journey to independence.
• Since 2007, when Hamas took control, over 30,000 rockets and mortars have been fired into Israel, aimed mostly at civilian targets like the town of Sderot. Approximately 1 in 5 launches misfire and land in Gaza.
• 
  October 7th, 2023 was not an attack on a military target, it was an attack on a music festival and people asleep in their beds. Rape, murder, torture are all documented for examination, including the videos taken by the attackers to show off their acts of violence. 
• If you have a strong stomach, this is a visual complication of October 7th. Maybe you are one of the ones who needs to see this to understand what happened that day.

End of history section. On to today.

• Do I believe Israel has waged a long term war of genocide on Gaza? No. Populations experiencing genocide do not increase in size. Between 2000 and 2023 the population has almost doubled from 1.1 million to 2.2 million. They have one of the highest birthrates in the world.
• Do I believe the end result in Gaza is a humanitarian crisis and tragedy? Yes, but I believe the onus is on Hamas and its treatment of its own people. Had they built an economy instead of tunnels, industries instead of rocket launchers, Gaza would be much different. The Palestinians would be on the road to economic prosperity.
• Do I believe Israel wants to take Gaza back? No. Most Israelis would like an independent state with a burgeoning economy focused on the betterment of its population. 
• Do I agree with Bibi Netanyahu and his government?  No. Like most Israelis, I want him gone. According to Times of Israel, 55% to 61% believe he should be retired.
• I am also a voting American who believes the very fabric of our democracy is under attack. Did I vote in the primary? Absolutely. 
• I am not a supporter of Democratic socialism, but I do support a more socialist democracy that provides safety nets for its vulnerable citizens. [See last month's Junior High Cit Ed Refresher Course if you don't understand the difference.]
• I certainly am not a supporter of our current kleptocracy. President Feckless Felon's continued policies that enrich himself are anti-American at best and should be stopped. If only we had a congress that cared about Americans. 

There you have it. I dislike both governments equally. The bottom line? 

 

 I AN A ZIONIST JEW. I AM AN AMERICAN.

There is no conflict of interest here.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch....

Can someone explain who the hell Natalie Harp is and why the Coward of the Country took her on the catering truck for the ol' jet switcheroo while leaving cabinet members on the decoy plane in case Iran took a shot at him? I've heard her called a number of very interesting sobriquets ... including the human printer, the human binky, and diaper nurse (because of the claim she carries backpack of adult diapers for her boss. President Coward's dependency on Depends has been long speculated. 

Senator Jon Ossoff of Georgia raised some interesting points on this topic. From The Independent:

While the sailors on the Lincoln fight his war, while he fruitlessly drains our munitions and oil reserves, the president sleeps through his meetings... He golfs and trades stocks. See, he doesn't want to do the job. He wants to build his ballroom and travel with Natalie on their apparently defenseless flying palace gifted by the emir of Qatar.

Natalie, backpack, & boss

I'm not so naive as to think men of power don't have their side pieces. Think Anne Boleyn (Henry VIII,) Madame de Pompadour (Louis XV,) Nan Britton (Warren Harding,) Lucy Mercer (FDR,) Monica Lewinsky (Bill Clinton) and while no one mistress has been assigned for President Felon, he's extra-marital assignations are well known since he also marries them. Natalie seems to be the current sycophant-in-residence. Let's see how long she lasts...before Melania puts a stop to her. Or not. Maybe Natalie keeping him busy and his butt clean is a load off Melly's plate. Stay tuned. 

The Wifely Person's Tip o'the Week

For a really interesting read 

on our government's spending habits, try this: 

The Hartmann Report: Republicans Rigged America’s Debt: 

Now We’re Paying the Billionaires Forever

I thought it was fascinating.

A Million and Counting

A remarkable event happened over the weekend. While few may have noticed, I did. On Saturday evening, around 6:30 CST, this blog, THE WIFELY PERSON SPEAKS, logged its one millionth visitor. Honestly, I have no idea why. I'm guessing some of those hits are bots, but my stats guy tells me not all that many are. He assures me, based on the patterns and the traffic and the randomness of what people seem to be reading, I have a lot of readers out there. I used to be thrilled if on any given day I had 10 hits. Then 20. Then 50. Then I settled in at 100 hits a day meant I was "making my numbers."

There was the teacher in Ukraine who used The WP to teach English, and the emails from the kids were adorable. But all that stopped when Ukraine went to war. All my emails to them bounced. I was, in so many ways, heartbroken. Sometimes, I could tell when the firewall went down in places like China or Iran because you could watch the stats from those countries spin....until they stopped. A Chinese reader who had left China once wrote to tell me how they used me as a test for getting through to bloggers in the west, and that he and his friends loved me. I was a real American....whatever that means. Personally, I think it means I was innocuous enough not to upset any censors. I have steady readers in strange places....Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Malta. I hear from them every so often, and have, over the last 16 years, actually corresponded regularly with a few. 

Then, during COVID, the numbers began to spiral upward. I could see where the hits were coming from, sorta, and I just sat back and watched. I was mesmerized by the number of countries that had readers who found their way to me. Comments gave way to emails, and most of my direct communication happened that way. [You know who you are...and I'm sure you're guffawing out there.]

Unless a comment was total spam...like the plumber from Thailand who offered to come to Minnesota to fix HVAC units....or personally threatening, I published just about every comment. Occasionally, one came through that was clearly not for publication and wherever possible, I answered them directly. 

Of course, there were the haters, too. Not much you can do about them because they are trapped in their bubble and unable to cope with anything outside their sphere. As Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan used to say...quite often, actually, 

You are entitled to your own opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts.

And so I will leave you with that thought. I am celebrating my dubious celebrity by giving myself the night off. I do want to thank everyone who has slogged through my endless ramblings, and be assured, if you write, I will answer.  I truly appreciate you, gentle readers, and will endeavor to keep you all reasonably entertained. 

See you all back here next week. Same Bat-time. Same Bat-channel.  

The Wifely Person's Tip o'the Week

Remember, most of the political ads you will see on TV going forward

are utter bull-hockey.

They are paid for by people who want to believe you are sheeple. 

Fool them.

Learn about the candidates and vote accordingly.

Normal Is Nice

Little Miss at the Guthrie

Toward the end of the last school year, Little Miss did a project on how the events of 9/11 have impacted our daily lives. To practice her presentation, she did it for me and I was impressed with the depth and organization of her work. This is pretty much typical her. At the end of her talk, I reminded Little Miss that 9/11 isn't abstract for our family. Two of my cousins died in the North Tower, Arthur and Kenny...father and son. I had a friend on AA 11 that crashed into that same North Tower. That the Cantor of Cantor Fitzgerald was my dad's first cousin, Bernie, and she is named for his mother, our very beloved great-aunt. Thank G-d they did not live to see this. And we talked about my working for the corporate travel division of Carlson Wagonlit Travel and how we had to handle the closed air space and stranded travelers. 

A few days after the conversation, I saw that the Guthrie was doing COME FROM AWAY...the musical about the passengers stranded in Gander. I asked if she wanted to go and Little Miss jumped at the chance. So I set the wheels in motion and found excellent seats at a Sunday matinee right after she got home from camp.

I was determined to make her first visit to the Guthrie a memorable.  I even booked us a table for brunch at Indigena by Owamni which is attached to the theater. This gave us a chance to catch up on many things, and to experience Native American cuisine. Let me just say we ordered a bunch of small plates so we could taste lots of very different things. I saw crickets were on the menu...but alas, crickets are not a kosher insect. If we had to pick our favorite, it would be the Marichou....a corn salad that was outrageously wonderful...and Tepary Bean and Smoked Whitefish. I will admit, she picked all the plates and she was the one who did the ordering. I just sat there and grinned. The conversation never lagged, and got a great dose of her thought process. She is a delightful brunch companion. 

Once we headed up that very long, steep escalator to the theaters (there are actually 2 up there, a proscenium and a thrust) we took a walk out onto the endless bridge and she talked about how Minneapolis was a "flour town" highlighted by the huge GOLD MEDAL FLOUR sign on the west bank of the Mississippi and the PILLSBURY'S BEST FLOUR sign east bank. She was happy to fill me in on the history of the city since, as she mimicked, I live in Saint Pawl. She also teases me about how I say cawfee. She is merciless and I love it.

Shortly after we dissected the differences between a/ proscenium and a thrust stage, we went into the proscenium theater to take our seats. I had told her about working on a show at the old Guthrie and how Di and Jann had been stage managers there. We discussed the merits of the program and what a director actually does...and they wear so many hats that you need a whole staff to get a show up and running. 

COME FROM AWAY

Then the questions about Gander started. I could talk about Gander and what happened in the hours after the planes struck the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. As someone who worked with business travelers, we were suddenly dealing with stranded clients all over the globe, made even more terrifying because I had family and very close friends who worked in and around the twin towers. I tried to give her some context for the world as it was the morning of 9/11 and how it collapsed with the crashes. I hadn't anticipated the depth of her questions, but thrilled she was asking them. 

Once the play began, we were both entranced and enthralled. It is a wonderful show. There were moments I got a bit teary-eyed and I got a sympathetic pat each time I sniveled. At the end, we cheered! We clapped and stomped with the band! In short we loved it. While this was not the first play we attended together, I think it will be the most memorable; I wasn't with a kid at a play...I was with a poised, lovely young lady...who just happens to be my granddaughter.

And in case your wondering why I'm giving you a detailed evaluation of my time with Little Miss...it's because I needed to write about something normal,  something not filled with hate or loathing. Something to remind me that there is space for humanity in our world. COME FROM AWAY reminds us that kindness can exist in the face of crisis, and not everything requires vitriol and hate. 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch....

I just have a question I keep turning over and over: how crazy/deranged/unstable does a president have to be before some part of the government attempts to pull the plug...figuratively or literally?  

Some tidbits from today: 

But I do want to give them every last chance before decapitation. Very tough to do what we have planned, still planned. We'll see what happens. I'm very proud of the fact that I'll give people a chance. This is a big move to do an attack that big on a country. Hopefully they'll come to their senses...So they called me, and they said, 'Please don't attack. We'll make a deal.' That's the real truth. And everyone knows it. 

Except, perhaps, Iran. They insist there are no new negotiations with the US and they are in conversations about Hormuz with Oman. 

Then, of course, there's the Truth Social version:

Iranian Leadership is unbelievably duplicitous! They ask for a meeting, some would say 'beg,' talks begin, with more scheduled in the immediate future, and they say, openly and proudly, that they're not having any discussions, that nothing is being talked about, and they're only dealing with 'Oman.'

Nothing gets through to Iran, unless we want it to, and nothing will get through, unless a Deal, or Total Surrender, is accomplished. Whether Iran wants to admit it or not, we are, in fact, talking of a solution to a problem that they have caused, for decades. It is very simple, IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!"

Since the Iranian thing has started, President Felon has insisted over 40 time he has won this war. What part of delusional isn't this country getting? 

I really have my doubts about the midterms. Will they happen at all? Will areas that poll away from the Maga-machine have their ballot boxes taken away from "examination?" The bottom line is that I have no confidence that the elections, even if they happen, will be untampered.

And apparently, I'm not alone. Overheard in the fruit section (next to the Italian plums... huzzah) at Cub in West Saint Pawl, two ladies appearing to be significantly older than me:

Lady #1: You know that tangerine is gonna try to rig the vote, right? 

Lady #2: Screw that. I’m worried he’s gonna force a 3^rd term and declare himself dictator.

Lady #1: Like he already hasn’t?

I felt, for a moment, infinitely less crazy.

The Wifely Person's Tip o'the Week

Whenever possible, discreetly listen to little old ladies 

talking politics at the grocery store.

They are the most reliable source for what your district is really thinking. 

Knowing The Why

Visible  tree rings.
(Photo: Efrat Bocher)

On July 20, 2026, the Jerusalem post published an article detailing an important discovery in the City of David, in Jerusalem. I highly recommend reading the article, but the big take-away for me was the improved dating ability:

The IAA’s [Israel Antiquities Authority] Dr. Johanna Regev, who is studying the beams, said: “It is very rare in Israel to find wood with such a large number of growth rings. Here in the City of David, we found thick beams with many rings, offering significant research potential, with more growth rings enabling higher dating resolution." “Until now, we could date finds within a range of hundreds of years,” she said. “Now, we can attain much greater precision, narrowing the dating range down to as little as 10 years.”

According to the IAA, Jerusalem’s returning residents, as they began to rebuild the city, probably made a deliberate decision to preserve the memory of the destruction by leaving behind remains that tell the story of the catastrophe.

“The concept of a landscape of memory is familiar from many cultures around the world,” said Dr. Yiftah Shalev, who is directing the excavation on behalf of the IAA alongside Prof. Yuval Gadot of Tel Aviv University.

The First Temple was built between the10th and the 8th century BCE. Ample physical evidence confirms the existence of both the First and the Second Temple. The Dome of the Rock was built directly of the Foundation Stone, believed by some to be where the Holy of Holies was located. Completed in 691-2 C.E., is' construction took place almost 600 years after the Second Temple was destroyed. It's almost amusing to note that the first Muslims who came to Jerusalem around 638 referred to it not as Al Quds, but as Madinat bayt al Maqdis...the City of the Temple. 

I discovered archaeology in fourth grade. What most intrigued me was the ability to figure out when stuff happened. This was a life-changing thought process for me and one though, even though I didn’t pursue archaeology in college, has never changed. I remain a timeline person That's what a timeline does for you...it tells you when events took place. Timelines should always be well documented and open for examination. Timelines are important in perceiving the world and history in correct order. 

For example: the Cave of Letters was a treasure trove of artifacts from the time of the Bar Kokhba Revolt around 135 C.E. The Wikipedia article describes the first find:

The first finding was of a niche of skulls. Tucked away in a crevice opening were remains of human skeletons, wrapped in textiles and covered in a large mat. One skeleton was covered by a colorful mat and other textiles, while the remains of a child dressed in a tunic were discovered in a leather lined basket. The textiles found were some of the earliest known of the Roman period and were dated around 135. These textiles were of importance in showing the kinds of dyes and the weaving material used. Also of importance was the acquisition of a complete set of clothes worn by Jews of the 1st and 2nd century. Among them were adult-sized mantles, a child's linen tunic, and some un-spun wool dyed purple.

Other finds of archeological significance were samples of Bar Kochba Revolt coinage, inscribed on one side 'Shimeon' and on the other, 'to the Freedom of Jerusalem' (לחרות ירושלם). Some arrows were found at the entrance to the cave, and a basket of bronze vessels and incense shovels. They had been made with Roman images on them, but the faces of the various pagan gods and creatures were defaced.

I guess that last part was a 2nd century editorial comment.  Keep in mind, these are in the same vicinity of the Qumran Caves that produced the Dead Sea Scrolls, dated to the first century C.E.. They are only about 25 miles apart. Jews lived in the region. The evidence is incontrovertible. 

On the other hand, fictional timelines are all the rage these days. Whether it's the origin of Jews, the existence of a Palestinian nation, or even who attacked who on October 7th, timelines are twisted and fabricated to fit a narrative. Gone is the need to use historical evidence, be it physical, cultural, literature, music, art, or tombstones, replaced by wishful thinking and fairytales. I'm not suggesting the Bible is a great way to create a real timeline, but there are things that line up. The Tomb of Zechariah, for one. It's still standing on the Mount of Olives even though it was created in the first century. But that is not the oldest grave. The oldest one is said to be 3,000 years old with over 150,000 graves. The newest grave in this cemetery was probably opened this week. Yes, we're still burying our dead in this cemetery. 

Just for the sake of comparison, France was settled by the Gaul until Rome conquered it in 51 C.E. But it didn't really become France until the Treaty of Verdun in 843 C.E. Jews had already been through several Judean governments by then, along with two major exiles. Are you gonna tell the French they are not indigenous to France?  Or that England really isn't English at all, but Viking, Danish, and/or French? Good luck with that.

But while all this is fascinating (at least to me) what today is about is October 7th, 2023. That's the day terrorists from Gaza who seem to think they are indigenous to a thing named Palestine by the Romans during the Bar Kochba revolt against Rome in 135 C.E. That's when JEWS went up against Rome and lost. To humiliate the losers...they changed the name of the country to something they made up. These terrorists charged across the border, slaughtered people...women, men, children, holocaust survivors, and grandparents in their beds and saferooms. They murdered hundreds at a music and peace festival. They raped and mutilated corpses. They threw hand grenades into bomb shelters. They dragged hundreds, both alive and dead, back into Gaza as hostages. Jews, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists...it didn't matter. They murdered and kidnapped whoever was in front of them.

Hamas sought to torture all Jews, not just hostages or Israelis. The visceral pain they executed amongst survivors families speaks to their inhumanity...to us and perhaps more tellingly, to their own people who cannot be overlooked or ignored. Thousands died in the Gaza war only because Hamas willed it to be so. To say otherwise is a betrayal the people of Gaza who neither chose nor deserved to be human shields and sacrifices to the vanity of old men who staunchly refuse provide security, safety, or an economy to their own people in favor of peddling hate. Instead of building a state where Gazans can thrive, the only thing they built were their own death camps. 

I will stop writing now because I am going to hear Rachel Goldberg-Polin, mother of Hersh Goldberg- Polin (z"l), speak tonight. Her son was a hostage in Gaza for 328 days: from October 7th, 2023 when a Hamas grenade blew off his left arm from the elbow down until his body was recovered on August 31st, 2024 days after he was executed in a tunnel at close range.

**********************************

If you have not read her book, WHEN WE SEE YOU AGAIN, please do. It is a scream and a cry from the very depths of a human soul. If Hamas sought to break Jewish and Israeli families, they did not. Not one person gave up on bringing back the hostages alive until they knew they were dead. The conversation Ms. Goldberg-Polin had with the moderator was profoundly terrifying and strengthening at the same time. One listens to her talk about the soul crushing pain of  being unable to rescue your child and you can't help but wonder if you could've survived what she and Jon, her husband have survived. 

At day 52.

Rachel Goldberg-Polin doesn't talk about Hamas' role in destroying the people of Gaza; she talks about how those who survived being hostages are trying to come back to life. She talk about her conversations with those who are now free. She talks about the survivors who told her about Hersh in the tunnels. She talks about living with hope and fear. She talks about the strength she musters each day to face crowds who want to know how she and Jon survive. 

She also talks at length about Viktor Frankl's MAN’S SEARCH OF MEANING and how survivors told her Hersh often quoted the line: Those who have a 'why' to live, can bear with almost any 'how'.

Maybe that's the secret: knowing the why. Why we go on. Why we choose a path. Why we say what we say. Maybe understanding really comes from that very basic, foundational knowledge we often ignore.

The Wifely Person's Tip o'the Week

I read MAN’S SEARCH OF MEANING years ago.

I think it's time to read it again.

I'm Glad I Went To San Francisco

This past weekend  I was in the city by the bay for the premiere of THE DARKEST LIGHT at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. This is an important event in the land of film festivals and, since this is a first for me, I was wrapped up tight and nervous. I shouldn't have been. The film was well received and that we are deliriously happy about it.

The festival, founded in 1980, is the oldest and largest festival of its kind.  The parent organization, Jewish Film Institute, is a hugely important incubator for Jewish filmmakers, with labs, grants and residency programs to develop new talent. The festival is equally important in bringing new films and film makers into the light. How a film is received by both audiences and juries is crucial in determining how much exposure a film will get. 

For our exceptionally talented director, Simon Mendes, there was a lot riding on outcome. We are hoping to make it into a whole bunch of festivals across the country. The success of this film will impact funding and exposure for anything he does next. This is important stuff in a period when Jews are routinely denied access and exposure, where Jewish voices are being threatened with imposed silence. And this film, one that deals with pedophilia; is exceptionally important. Women, especially young girls often lack agency; their stories are poo-pooed aside and all too often ignored. Girls grown up wrapped in silence about molestation and sexual abuse because even those who hear their stories, reduce them to dust with dismissal. 

We held a public Q&A after the film, but after that, we had a closed door discussion, open to whoever wanted to come, but no cameras, PR , or recording of any kind. It was run by Naomi from Shalom Bayit, Peace in the House, an organization that works with domestic violence. There were questions and confessions. More than one woman admitted to be a victim of Carlebach's unwanted advances...and also admitted they told no one. There were men in the room, but not one was dismissive or flip as women described their experiences. We expected maybe 50-60 people; over 100 were there. It was SRO, with lots of people sitting on the floor. If nothing else, the response from the audience and the discussion participants demonstrates a tremendous need to talk out loud about the silence and shame. If we, the team from The Darkest Light, succeed at nothing else, we have shone a bit light onto that darkness.

Lots of people are writing reviews. Neshama Carlebach, however wrote an excellent piece for the Times of Israel blog. She explains why she did not join us in San Francisco this weekend. And as much as I would've loved her to be there, I understand why she was not. She wrote:

This was not an easy decision. I believe in this film. I believe it deserves to be seen, and I intend to continue supporting it as it travels through the world. But today should not be about me nor about my grief or my struggle to reconcile the father I loved with the man others experienced. Today belongs, first and foremost, to the women whose voices have too often been ignored, questioned, minimized, or dismissed.

For decades, women shared stories of experiences with my father that left them feeling violated, manipulated, and deeply harmed. Some spoke publicly. Others carried their pain quietly. Some were believed. Most were not.

To each of them, I say: I believe you. I see you. I hear you. I believe your pain deserves attention, compassion, and respect. Once again, I apologize for not having had the courage to see it and stand with you sooner. My absence from the premiere is a small gesture of deference to your courage. This moment belongs to you. 

And she is absolutely right. That moment, that exposure, does belong to those of us who found ourselves held by Carlebach in a way that was not simply inappropriate; it was much more. He was a religious icon and one that appeared to model his behavior in one way while behaving in another. This 14-year old found his attention to be confusing. I strongly suspect because my mother rose up in battle on this, I never felt shame or abandonment when it came to what happened. I assumed all mothers would do that. 

Or not.

The hugs and the fondles may have been, in the bigger picture, seemingly minor, but in fact, they weren't. They were perplexing, confusing, and somewhat frightening. They changed how young girls saw themselves in the aftermath. What became most apparent to me in the discussion group was amount of shame and self-blame that accompanied the confessions. In the film, there is a moment when Neila Carlebach is talking about her husband and women who threw themselves at him, but in a brief pause punctuated with a breath, it becomes apparent that she knew. 

How could she not?

Watching the faces of the women around me, I could not help but remind myself how uncommonly lucky I was to have a mom listen to me waxing rhapsodic about the great man's hug. Was I traumatized? No. Do I have PTSD? No. Did what happened have an impact on me? Well, actually it did. Do not touch me without my permission....that's been a hard and fast rule since my very first date. That's the big one. But the little one is weird....I avoid standing near obviously religious guys who are heavy-set, unkept, have messy hanging fringes, and untended beards. One might say I step aside because they are "frum," but that tiny little niggling voice in my head reminds me I don't want to get close enough for them to accidentally touch me. I didn't pay much attention to the reasoning until I was working on THE DARKEST LIGHT and was about to board a plane to Israel. It was like a light lit a tiny corner that I kept dark. 

My response? Not eureka! Not, oh my! It was a very simple, "Huh." I  just never connected those specific dots. Did that change anything? Nah. Chubby guys with messy fringes who look like they need a bath still creep me out. At least now I know why.

The bottom line is I am so glad we made this film. I am so glad I was able to be there for the premiere. I was so glad I got to hug the other members of the team without creeping anyone out. I hope. 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch....

Today, July 20th, is my 16th Blog-iversary. This means I have been unrelentingly boring you  every Monday night for 16 years. I mean, it can't be too bad, can it? All-times views of the blog say 952,284 have visited The Wifely Person page since I started it in 2010. Tell me to stop any time. I'm listening! 

The Wifely Person's Tip o'the Week
Hang out with your cousins every chance you get.

We really are Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee

San Francisco, Here I Come!

photo from Hadassah Magazine

Well, this is a big week for me. I'll be heading to California on Friday morning so I can attend the premiere of THE DARKEST LIGHT on Sunday at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. Having worked on this for the last few years, I have come to a deeper understanding of what happened to me and how it subtly impacted my life as a person and as a writer. There was an impact, it did influence my writing, and it made me wary of heavy-set men with big beards and flying tzitzit (fringes.) I'm not kidding about the last one. Unconsciously, I have always avoided standing near them, but that tiny action did not resonate until I was waiting to board a flight to Tel Aviv and I realized I was side-stepping away from the guy. Weird, huh? Maybe not so much. After what happened, Carlebach was just plain creepy for me. 

So, off to the City By The Bay to be part of a film that looks at the mess Carlebach left behind...including what to do about music that is so ubiquitous to our liturgy. Baby/bathwater? Something like that. No matter how I feel about the reason I'm going, I should probably admit to having a bit of a thing for San Francisco. Once upon a time I thought I might end up there. Until I went back for a family bar mitzvah last January, I'd not been back in 53 years. It's like being with an old lover you still adore; I fell for the city all over again. This will be a fast trip, but one of these days I'm gonna go spend some real time there. Of course, there is this Jewish cohousing project in Berkeley, the Berkeley Moshav, that looks mighty enticing.....

Meanwhile, back at the ranch....

My personal Threads account that I almost never post to, was disabled this week. I really had to look hard to see the last thing I posted that didn't include pictures of my mirpeset....the little deck off the kitchen. The auto-nanny-bot didn't like a response to Lisa Demuth's ridiculous ad showing her as a superhero fighting fraud who was going to cut taxes and lower property tax for all. It sounded like she was running for junior high student council president making impossible promises. Plus, she stopped a sensible gun bill from making it out of committee...which is standard for a Republican except one of the supporters of that bill was a her own daughter:

Does she really think Minnesotans are that stupid? What's next, ice cream every day at lunch? Not only does this ad dance around plagiarism, it's also so racist I can't believe she put it out. Oh wait! Yes, I can. Her daughter is a school shooting survivor and she can't pull her head outta her ass far enough to get a gun bill to the floor. What an evil, evil person.

Yeah, maybe it was a bit over the top, but mine was not the only comment that followed that spaghetti lie of thought. Needless to say, she did not get the Independent Republican (Minnesota's GOP) endorsement but she's running in the primary regardless. Joining her in that bizarre field? Mike Lindell, the My Pillow whack-a-doodle MAGA election conspiracy guy, is also in the race.  Sounds like fun for the whole family! Pity that State Fair is after the primary. Those IR governor booths would be so much fun!

On a somewhat lighter note, The Wifely Person Speaks slides into another year of ranting on Sunday next. While I am at the premiere, I will be silently observing my Sweet 16 in the blog-o-sphere. Being that I've been at this for 16 years with nary a missed week, I am one seriously old person in this world. I thought I would write about my journey as a widow. That last just a couple of episodes before I was boring myself. Then, it became My Blog/My Rules. And I've never looked back. As of this moment, I have had 946,268 verified hits on the blog from all over the globe. Once upon a time I could tell when the Chinese firewall went down because I would get with Chinese identifiers. Same thing for Iran. A couple of high school English teachers in Ukraine had their classes reading the blog for several years before the war started. I loved their emails. I get regular hits from Israel, of course, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt, India, and Indonesia. I have no idea why. 

I keep thinking I'm gonna stop one of these days, but every week there's a new outrage I want to fume about, so I keep going. Lucky you!

The Wifely Person's Tip o'the Week

Curious about that first dip in the 

algae filled waters of the interswamp? 

Here ya go. 

Monday, July 19, 2010: Welcome to my world

Junior High Cit Ed Refresher Course

What used to be Jerusalem Avenue Jr. High

Seventh and eighth grade social studies, at least at the now defunct Jerusalem Avenue Junior High, was called Cit Ed...short for citizenship education. In hindsight, these were by far and away the most important classes I ever had in either junior or senior high school. We learned US history, New York State history, and how our federal and state governments are supposed to work. Yeah, there was a certain amount of indoctrination going on, but the lessons about government and the separation of powers has stuck with me forever. So, let's have a review of what kind of governments are out there.

The United States is supposed to be a constitutional federal republic operating as a representative democracy. This means: 

1. power is divided between the federal and state governments
2. The United States Constitution is the supreme law of the land
3. The federal government has three working branches:
• the legislative - Congress
• the judicial - The Supreme Court
• the executive - The President, Vice President, cabinet, et al

Communist countries are few and far between since Communism as a form of government is difficult to manage. China, Cuba, Laos, and North Korea are pretty much it. 

Communist governments have:

1. One party rule
2. Collective ownership: State owned major industries, resources, and agriculture on behalf of the public.
3. Social and Media Control: Information, mass media, and civil liberties like free speech or religious expression are heavily regulated

Democratic Socialism is a left-wing political and economic philosophy that advocates for political democracy alongside a socially owned or heavily regulated economy. Their stated goals are:

1. Democratic Control: Emphasizes that both political and economic life should be run democratically, aiming to replace what adherents view as the "dictatorship of capital" with worker and community self-management (TIME Magazine)
2. Abolition of the Profit Motive: Advocates for replacing capitalism with an economy driven by social needs rather than corporate profit, (TIME Magazine)
3. Social or Collective Ownership: Long-term goals often include placing key economic drivers—such as utilities, healthcare, and transportation—under public or cooperative control rather than private ownership. (Democratic Socialists of America)

And just to be clear, countries like Denmark and Sweden are NOT democratic socialist governments. No, and they are very clear about that. They are SOCIALIST democratic countries and therein lies a HUGE difference. 

If you get Social Security or Medicare or MedicAid, you are using the very social democratic kind of safety net. Same with SNAP benefits or health insurance through your state program. In a truly capitalist country, these things would not necessarily exist. 

Social democracy emerged in the late 19th century as a response to the challenges of inequalities of the existing class system. They do not seek to abolish capitalism or private property, favoring instead an economy that leverages the economic engine of a free market. Social inequalities of capitalism can be remediated through high taxation, social safety nets (like universal healthcare and public education), and strong labor laws. (Politics Stack Exchange)

1. The Welfare State: Advocates for government-funded public services to ensure a basic standard of living for all citizens.
2. Progressive Taxation: Promotes a tax system where higher earners pay a larger percentage of their income, redistributing wealth to fund public programs and curb extreme inequality.
3. Market Regulation: Supports private enterprise but emphasizes strong labor rights, minimum wages, and environmental regulations to protect workers and society 
4. Democratic Process: Believes in achieving these goals entirely within the framework of a representative democracy.

These days, however, the Democratic Socialists are sucking up all the air in the room, effectively shutting down any sort of debate about what they actually stand for. It's pretty well established they have an unwritten purity test to determine if you can be a part of their movement. Candidates are expected to adhere without question to the following planks in the platform:

1. Health care for all through a single payer system
2. Support for the New Green Deal 
3. refusal to accept any campaign money from corporate PACs or fossil fuel executives.
4. Opposition to foreign military interventions, significant cuts to the defense budget, and support for ending military aid to Israel.

And #4 is where the buck stops for. In addition to ending military aid to Israel, they have also adopted an "anti-Zionist" plank: 

• Anti-Zionism: The DSA views Israel's character as a Jewish state as inherently exclusionary and officially supports the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
• Right to Return: The organization advocates for the realization of full Palestinian self-determination and the right of return for refugees, actively supporting protests that use the slogan "from the river to the sea".
• Expulsion Rules: At its national convention, the DSA passed resolutions establishing that promoting or supporting the Israeli state constitutes an expellable offense for members. 

This means, in no uncertain terms, our indigeneity, our right to live in our own homeland, is not permitted under their rules. Their support for "the river to the sea" supports Hamas' goal to exterminate Jews wherever they live. This is not about Jews who live in Israel; this is open season on Jews in London, Paris, Brooklyn, and in every city in the world. 

Can you imagine what would happen if you tried to tell the French that they are really Italians because Caesar once conquered Gaul, thereby wiping away their language, their culture, their cheese, their wine, and the pastries????? Good luck with that. 

But somehow, it's okay to do to Jews. Because that's what they're telling us: that 5000 years of recorded history in one language (still spoken today) with front and forward archeological evidence in literature (ie the Bible,) on tombs, walls, coins, and paving stones means nothing. Never mind one of their own BIG guys was born in Judea, spoke the language, read the texts, and died because he was a Jew going against the status quo of Rome. 

Nah. Don't look here! Look over there at the purple elephant! 

Let me put this in a way everyone can understand: IT IS NOT ABOUT THE LAND. IT IS ABOUT WE, THE JEWISH PEOPLE.

Either the moderate voices of this country pull their collective heads outta their asses and start showing up for candidates who don't advocate for the mass murder of Jews, be prepared for what is to come. Right now, we are being given a choice between a blithering idiot in the Gold House, and a congress made up of anti-Jewish hate mongers. Even if Feckless President Felon keels over tomorrow, we get JD Bedbug who wants to make this a totally Christian country. 

And for all those RIVER TO THE SEA people you're supporting with blind devotion? Be forewarned: after they have gotten rid of us, they will come after the next group standing in their way. Iran will make sure of that. 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

Graham Platner just will not go away. Between the nazi tats and the allegations of rape, I think the Democrats in Maine have taken leave of whatever sense they had. 

This guy is a democratic socialist. See above. When their purity driven platform backs a guy like this, their support of Hamas and Hezbollah makes a strange amount of sense. 

The timing of the new allegations also leave me with an odd discomfort. Did someone contribute to her decision to go public at this exact moment? Although this does give them a brief window to float another candidate. I know; that's awfully jaded of me, but still....

16 years of writing this blog has taught me never to accept anything at face value and to research, research, research. I am suspicious of everything. And after reading the Politico article, I'm thinking not having him in Congress is the right way to go. If Maine, considering Platner's issues,  doesn't have a backup candidate waiting in the wings, that's a them-problem. A BIG one. They should've. And not having one may cost this nation dearly.

My trip to San Francisco for the premiere of THE DARKEST LIGHT is a little more than a week away. I'm excited, nervous, but ready to go. Pedophelia is tough enough, but in any religious community it chips away at the fabric of belief. If coming forward encourages others to speak out, then we've done good. I've spoken to the other panelists and we agree this is soooo the right thing to do. If you're in the Bay Area, come see the film, stay for the panel discussion, and say hi. 

12:00pm Sunday July 19, 2026 , JCC Kanbar hall.

The Wifely Person's Tip o'the Week

Everybody gets a free Slurpee at 7-Eleven 

on 7/11 even if it isn't YOUR birthday.