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Anti-Racism as a Sacred Jewish Value: A Sermon for Yom Kippur 5777Posted: October 13, 2016 Filed under: American Jewish Community, Anti-Semitism, BDS, Chicago, Civil Rights, Genocide, High Holidays, Human Rights, Israel, Jewish Community, Palestine, Peace Process, Racism, Religion, Sermons, South Africa, Tzedek Chicago, Yom Kippur, Zionism Leave a comment
I'd like to begin my remarks today where I left off on Rosh Hashanah:
Because of our diverse, multi-racial nature, Jews must necessarily embrace anti-racism as a sacred value. The Jewish Diaspora is a microcosm of the world we seek to create. If the term Ahavat Yisrael means love of your fellow Jew, it must also affirm that love crosses all lines and borders and boundaries.
"Jews must embrace anti-racism as a sacred value" – it must be a mitzvah if you will. At Tzedek Chicago, we've actually articulated this as one of our congregation's core values. If you go to our website, you will read: "We promote a Judaism rooted in anti-racist values and understand that anti-Semitism is not separate from the systems that perpetuate prejudice and discrimination."
Like all of our other values this one has very practical implications. It will necessarily guide the choices we make as a community: the issues we work on, the groups we stand with, the public statements we make. And in general it will mean we must always foreground the question: "what does it mean, as a Jewish congregation observe anti-racism as a sacred value?"
I'm sure most liberal Jews wouldn't find this question all that controversial. After all, American Jewry has a long and venerable history of standing up for racial equality, particularly when it comes to our participation in the civil rights movement. But I'd suggest this question presents an important challenge to the Jewish community of the 21st century. And it was actually put to the test this past summer, when a the Movement for Black Lives released their policy statement, "Vision for Black Lives."
I'm sure many of you are very familiar with Movement for Black Lives. It's a coalition of over 50 organizations from around that country that focus on issues of concern to the black community. One year ago, their Policy Table began an extensive process, convening national and local groups, and engaging with researchers and community members. This summer they published their Vision for Black Lives: a comprehensive policy platform that focuses on six main areas: Ending the War on Black People, Reparations, Invest/Divest, Economic Justice, Community Control and Political Power.
I will say unabashedly that I believe the Vision for Black Lives platform is one of the most important American policy statements of our time. It's both an unflinching analysis of the institutional racism against black people in country as well as a smart policy statement about what can be done (and in some cases already being done) to dismantle it.
What makes Vision for Black Lives platform particularly unique is that it wasn't produced by the usual method, namely by a think tank or special interest group. Rather, it was developed by a coalition of national and grassroots organizations that reflect the communities most directly affected by these particular issues. Moreover, it serves both as an ideological manifesto as well as a practical hard-nosed policy statement that lays out a path toward achieving very specific legislative goals. In so doing, as many have observed, it is moving Black Lives Matter from a structureless network of local organizations toward becoming a genuine political movement.
To quote from their introduction:
We want this platform to be both a visionary agenda for our people and a resource for us. We take as a departure-point the reality that by every metric – from the hue of its prison population to its investment choices – the U.S. is a country that does not support, protect or preserve Black life. And so we seek not reform but transformation…
Our hope is that this is both an articulation of our collective aspirations as well as a document that provides tangible resources for groups and individuals doing the work. We recognize that some of the demands in this document will not happen today. But we also recognize that they are necessary for our liberation.
This platform is also important because it doesn't limit its concern to issues facing the black community alone. It understands that the systemic racism impacting people of color in this country is but a part of many interlocking systems of oppression that affect communities the world over. As the platform puts it: "We are a collective that centers and is rooted in Black communities, but we recognize we have a shared struggle with all oppressed people; collective liberation will be a product of all of our work."
If you haven't read Vision for Black Lives yet, I highly recommend it. I'll warn you it's not easy. It's very long and heavily referenced, so really reading and integrating it will take commitment. I've read it three times now and every time I did, I discovered something new and challenging that I hadn't considered before. But in the end, I found it profoundly inspiring – and that is not something you often say about policy platforms. I would go as far as to call it a prophetic document. As I quoted earlier, it seeks "not reform but transformation."
Like me, I'm sure many of you have read innumerable books and articles that analyze the institutional racism inflicted on people of color in this country. Usually they leave us pent up with frustration or else just a sense of abject hopelessness. The problem is just so vast and pervasive – how on earth can we ever hope to dismantle it? But this is first time I've read such an analysis along with extensive prescriptions toward political solutions. It lays out the problems then it puts forth real solutions. But it has no illusions about the daunting task ahead. As the report says. "We recognize that some of the demands in this document will not happen today. But we also recognize that they are necessary for our liberation." (When I read this, I can't help but recall the famous ancient dictum by Rabbi Tarfon: "It is not up to you to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.")
Is Jewish community ready to observe anti-racism as a sacred value? I think one important test would be to judge by its response to the release of the Vision for Black Lives platform. And in this regard, I'm sorry to say that the American Jewish establishment failed the test miserably.
Almost immediately after its release, every mainstream Jewish organization responded with statements that ranged from critical to outright hostility. Why? Because in the Invest/Divest section there is one section that advocates diverting financial resources away from military expenditures and investing in "domestic infrastructure and community well being." And in that section there were some brief references to Israel – one that referred to "the genocide taking place against the Palestinian people" and another that called Israel "an apartheid state." And as you might expect from a section entitled Invest/Divest, there was a statement of solidarity with the nonviolent Palestinian call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel.
The first official Jewish response to Vision for Black Lives came from the Boston Jewish Community Relations Committee, just two days after it was released. The Boston JCRC said it was "deeply dismayed" by the report and denounced the use of the word genocide and its support for BDS. It had nothing more to say about this voluminous, wide-ranging platform. It spent seven paragraphs on this one issue – and most of that was devoted to this one word.
Over the next few weeks, one Jewish organization after another denounced the platform for its statements about Israel with only a glancing nod to its analysis, its conclusions and its policy recommendations. Jonathan Greenblatt, the National Director of the Anti-Defamation League called its reference to Israel "repellent" and added patronizingly, "let's work to keep our eyes on the prize." Even liberal Jewish organizations such as J St., the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism and T'ruah, an American rabbinical organization devoted to human rights, responded with criticism and chastisement.
These responses tell us all we need to know about the Jewish communal establishment's commitment to the value of anti-racism. But it really shouldn't come as a surprise. The Jewish institutional community hasn't been in real solidarity with black Americans and people of color for decades. Most of what we call solidarity is actually nostalgia. For far too long we've been championing the role of Jews in the American civil rights movement, invoking the memory of Jewish martyrs such as Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman and Jewish heroes such as Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. But those days are over – and it is disingenuous of us to wield its memory as some kind of entitlement when it comes to issues of racism in the 21st century.
There was a time that being a Jew in America meant being part of a discriminated minority, but that has no longer been the case for generations. Today, white Jews are part of the white majority – and as I mentioned on Rosh Hashanah, since white Jews are racialized as part of the majority, we enjoy all of the privileges that come along with it.
I know for many American Jews, particularly young Jews, it might seem downright silly to ask whether or not white Jews are white. But it is actually a subject of debate – at least among white Jews. In fact it's become a something of a cottage industry. (If you doubt me, just Google "are Jews white?" and see how many hits you get.)
There's actually a very simple way to answer this question: ask a Jew of color. Let Lina Morales, a Mexican-American Jew, who recently wrote a powerful article on the subject explain it to you:
With all due respect to my white Jewish friends and colleagues, people of color in the United States don't need to take a course on critical race theory to understand the nuances of race. Anti-Semitism exists, and I've received a fair amount of it from fellow people of color, but its impact and extent doesn't compare to the systematic racism of American society. White Jews simply don't face the criminalization that black and brown people in this country do. They are not locked up or deported in record numbers. Nor is their demographic growth or struggle to not be capriciously murdered by police considered a threat by a large and reactionary part of our population.
It should be mentioned that thankfully, there were some Jewish organizations that did in fact welcome and endorse the Visions for Black Lives. Not surprisingly, all of them came from outside the Jewish institutional establishment – organizations such as Jewish Voice for Peace, IfNotNow, and Jews for Economic and Racial Justice. For me, the most trenchant and powerful response came from the Jews of Color Caucus, which works in partnership with JVP. Among the many important points made in their statement was this one that was sent directly to the Jewish communal establishment:
Recent statements by the Boston JCRC, Truah: the Rabbinic Council for Human Rights, and The Union for Reform Judaism condemning the BLM Platform also send the message that the lives of Black Jews (along with Black gentiles) directly affected by US police brutality are less important than protecting Israel from scrutiny. We reject this message and call on these groups to commit themselves to honor the leadership of Jews of Color, including those critical of Israel…
We are appalled at the actions of the white US institutional Jewish community in detracting and distracting from such a vital platform at a time when Black lives are on the line, simply because the organizers chose to align their struggle with the plight of Palestinians. US Black relationships to Palestine and Israel have never been monolithic, but there are deep historical ties between Black and Palestinian struggle that go back to the Black Power Era. Any attempt to co-opt Black struggle while demeaning these connections, is an act of anti-Black erasure.
Their reference to the Black Power movement of the late 1960s is critically important. This marks the time in which white Jews were leaving cities for the suburbs to become part of the white majority. It also marks the time, following the Six Day War, in which Israel began to become central to American Jewish identity. For many white American Jews, this new relationship between Black and Palestinian liberation movements was experienced as a betrayal of former allies. Many American Jews looked to Zionism as the "liberation movement of the Jewish people" and considered it downright anti-Semitic to claim that Israel was actually a settler colonial project that militarily expelled and displaced indigenous people.
Of course, many American Jews still identify deeply with Israel. And that is why the Jewish institutional responses to the Vision for Black Lives resonate with a strong sense of betrayal. That is why the ADL's Jonathan Greenblatt wrote we must "keep our eyes on the prize." There is this yearning for a coalition that no longer exists – and a refusal to accept, as the Movement for Black Lives does, that Israel is part of this system of oppression.
So many otherwise liberal American Jews will insist: Israel is different. Don't compare Israel to the racist system that oppresses blacks and people of color in this country. Don't compare Israel to apartheid South Africa or any other state where one ethnic group wields power over another. It's not the same thing.
Of course every nation is different in many ways from one another – but it's time to admit that when it comes to systems of oppression, Israel is not different. And this is precisely the place that so many in the Jewish community, even those who are otherwise progressive in every other way, are simply unwilling to go. To admit that in the end, Israel is by its very nature an oppressor state: a system that privileges one ethnic group over another. And that this system is fundamentally connected to a larger system of oppression.
In fact it plays a very integral role in that system. The very same tear gas canisters that are used daily against Palestinians are the ones that were used against protesters in Ferguson. The same security apparatus that is used on the West Bank separation wall is the one that is used on the border wall that the US is building on our southern border with Mexico. The same stun grenades that Israeli soldiers use against demonstrators in Bil'in or Nabi Saleh are the very same ones used by American SWAT teams in Cincinnati and Oakland and St. Paul.
Here in Chicago, as in so many cities around the country, there is a new recognition of how the militarization of police departments is being used in ways that target communities of color. Those who say that we can't compare this systemic racism to Israel should know that Chicago's Jewish Federation regularly sponsors "police exchange programs" – trips that take the CPD to go to Israel to learn the latest military techniques from the IDF.
Regarding these exchange programs, the JUF's Executive VP Jay Tcath has said this:
Helping connect and thereby improve the work of both Israeli and Chicago police is a natural role for JUF, committed as we are to the safety of the entire Chicago community and the Jewish State. From advising us on ways to enhance the physical security of our Jewish community's institutions to helping us ensure the safety of JUF events – everything from dinners to pro-Israel rallies – we are grateful for the extraordinary commitment of CPD, Cook County's Homeland Security and Emergency Management and our other public law enforcement partners. These missions to Israel both reflect and help deepen these valued relationships.
So we can't have it both ways. The Jewish establishment cannot simultaneously empower the systems that oppress people of color in this country and at the same time say we stand in solidarity with them. If we are going to be anti-racist, we can't make an exception for Israeli militarism or rationalize away its critical place in these systems.
Some of us have already made it clear where we stand. But sooner than later all of us in Jewish community will have stop dancing around this issue and make a decision. When it comes to Israel, we cannot continue to cling to a two state solution that Israel has already made impossible. As I've said before, the real choice we will have to face is a choice between two one-state solutions: one apartheid state in which a Jewish minority rules the non-Jewish majority or a state where all have equal rights and citizenship, regardless of their ethnicity or religion.
But on still deeper level, we must also reckon with the separatist assumptions behind the "two state solution." What are we really doing when we advocate for a Jewish state that must have a demographic majority of Jews in order to exist? The same liberal Jews who cling to the notion of a two state solution would recoil at the suggestion of solving Jim Crow by separating black Americans from white Americans. That the only way two peoples living in the same country can co-exist is to physically segregate them from one another.
So to return once again to my original question: how can we, as Jews, embrace anti-racism as a sacred Jewish value? I'd like to offer a few suggestions in conclusion:
1. It would mean that the white Jewish establishment must embrace the concept of solidarity. Specifically, that means we cannot make it about us. The objects of oppression are the ones who must dictate the terms of their struggle. If we have issues with how they articulate their vision, we must raise these issues with them face to face in genuine relationship – not through public chastisement.
2. It would mean letting go of our reverence of a civil rights era that is long past and take an honest look at our complicity in the current reality in which white Jews are part of the privileged white majority. Anti-Semitism does exist in the US today, but it is not institutionally imposed upon us the way it is upon communities of color.
3. It would mean letting go of the old paradigm of "Black-Jewish relations" – a term that utterly erases the presence of black Jews from our community. Any new anti-racist paradigm we formulate must reject Jewish white supremacy and center the experience of Jews of color.
4. It would mean subjecting Israel to the same analysis we use when it comes to our own country. Israel is not separate from the systems that oppress people of color at home and abroad. We must be willing to identify these connections and call them out as we would any other aspect of institutional racism.
Finally, and perhaps most difficult, it would mean to letting go of a Zionist dream that never really was. To recognize that the Zionist dream was realized on the backs of Palestinians – just as the American Dream was realized on the backs of indigenous peoples and blacks who were brought to this country in chains. Yes, it painful to give up on dreams, but it is even more painful to hold onto them until they turn into a nightmare for all concerned.
After all, on Yom Kippur we vow to let go of the dreams of what might have been, but have led us down the wrong path. But it is also the day in which we can dream new dreams. We can dream of a world in which systems of exploitation and oppression are no more. As Sarah Thompson reminded us in her guest sermon last night, we must begin the year by focusing on the end – even if we know that by the end of the year we will not have arrived at the ultimate end we seek. To paraphrase the Vision for Black Lives, we recognize that some of these dreams will not happen today – or even in our lifetime. But we also recognize that they are necessary for our liberation.
May we realize this dream bimheyra beyameynu – speedily in our day.
Jewish Solidarity with Black Lives Matter: We Can't Have it Both WaysPosted: August 4, 2016 Filed under: American Jewish Community, Anti-Semitism, Civil Rights, Human Rights, Israel, Jewish Community, Palestine, Politics, Racism, Zionism Leave a comment
The Black Lives Matter movement has just taken a huge and important step. A new coalition called Movement 4 Black Lives recently released "Vision for Black Lives," a powerful, comprehensive policy statement released by thirty grassroots organizations and endorsed by sixty others.
"Vision for Black Lives" is the product of a collaborative research and writing process that took more than a year by an eight person team – and is intensely relevant to the current political moment. Team member Marbre Stahly-Butts summed up the purpose of the statement this way: Democrats and Republicans are offering anemic solutions to the problems that our communities face… We are seeking transformation, not just tweaks."
In contrast to the hollow posturing that counts for political discourse in the US, the M4BLM platform offers an important alternative vision: a deep analysis of how systems of oppression intersect and the devastating impact they have on people/communities of color. It's particularly vital because it doesn't come from a political party, think tank or special interest lobby, but rather directly from the grassroots communities most impacted by racism and oppression. In so doing, it represents a huge step toward the creation of a real movement for social and political change in our country.
As journalist Collier Myerson recently wrote in Fusion:
This is a really, really big deal. By shedding its previous identity as a largely reactionary, structureless movement, Black Lives Matter seeks to definitively lead the national discussion on the safety, health, and freedom of black people. Painting the movement with a broad brush is a seismic shift. And it's a shift that Occupy Wall Street never put in motion, a failure which many point to as the reason for the movement's eventual dissolution. The list of demands set forth by M4BL explicitly unifies organizations across the United States—and though the goals are purposefully lofty, it's a significant move towards harnessing the power of local groups into something bigger.
Vision for Black Lives has been welcomed enthusiastically by many allies in this growing movement (such as those fighting for immigrant justice for instance). And as for the Jewish communal establishment? For its part, the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston angrily "disassociated" itself from the statement, calling it "false" and "malicious". Why? Because in the midst of this vast and extensive platform, the M4BLM statement referred to Israel's "genocide" against the Palestinian people and expressed its support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.
Actually, I wouldn't expect anything else from an organization such as the Boston JCRC. Earlier this year, in fact, David Bernstein, the President and CEO of the Jewish Council on Public Affairs (the parent organization of JCRCs around the country), wrote an op-ed in which he thoroughly denounced "the solidarity between the Black Lives Matter and Palestine movements" and made a strong pitch for finding allies that will help them drive a wedge into Black-Palestinian solidarity. (Notably the Boston JCRC statement referred to its "friends and neighbors in the African-American community" who share their views on Israel and Zionism.)
I was very disappointed however, to read a statement released by Tru'ah – a progressive rabbinical organization that advocates for human rights that has in the past articulated strong support of BLM. Yet in their immediate response to the M4BLM platform, T'ruah spent almost all of its wordage decrying the genocide reference and BLM's support for BDS.
Though I have many friends and colleagues in T'ruah whose work I respect greatly, I find this statement much more disturbing than the one released by the Boston JCRC. While the latter group openly vilifies the BLM movement, T'ruah purports to stand in solidarity with them. As opposed to more conservative Jewish establishment institutions, I've always had the impression that T'ruah truly "got it" when it came to the BLM movement.
On T'ruah's website, for instance, you will find a powerful "Prayer for Black Lives Matter". You will also find a post written by Rabbi Susan Talve and Sarah Barasch-Hagans entitled "10 Rules for Engagement for White Jews Joining the Black Lives Matter Movement," a smart and insightful document that appears to grasp the complex issue of allyship. Among the rules listed are "Practice Deep Listening and Less Talking;" "Do Your Own Communities' Work" and "Hold Yourself Accountable".
In the rule, "Go outside of your comfort zone while staying in your lane," the authors write:
Pay attention. Don't hide when it gets messy. We all have a role to play and we will all make mistakes. Accept guidance. Remember this is a movement to awaken compassion. No name calling. "Call people in" rather than calling them out. Give the benefit of the doubt whenever possible. We are all sad and scared (or should be). Faith communities can be bridge builders, healers, and witnesses in this movement to make Black and Brown lives matter.
Sadly, T'ruah itself has broken its own rule by releasing this statement. If they truly purport to stand in solidarity with BLM, they cannot publicly "call them out" because their new platform lands outside their comfort zone. If they were to be true to their own articulated values, T'ruah should have reached out to them, engaged with them and tried to understand where they were coming from, thus opening a real dialogue. T'ruah does not give the BLM "the benefit of the doubt" when it issues an immediate counter-statement such as this; tantamount to a group in a position of power saying to an oppressed group, "we will stand in solidarity with you but only on our terms."
The claim that Israel is committing "genocide" against the Palestinians undeniably pushes all kinds of buttons for many Jews. But there are also Jews and Israelis who feel it is not an inappropriate word to use, particularly in regard to Israel's regular military assaults against Gaza. Likewise, while the BDS call is extraordinarily controversial for many Jews, there are also Jews who respect it as a legitimate call for nonviolent resistance from over 150 Palestinian civil society organizations. And it is simply not true to claim, as T'ruah does, that "the BDS movement (rejects) Israel's right to exist." On the contrary, the goal of the BDS call is equal rights for Palestinians as well as Jews.
But even if T'ruah feels it is wrong for BLM to refer to Israel in this manner, it can't claim to stand in solidarity with them while publicly calling them out over the parts that make them uncomfortable. Rather, they should hold themselves to their own standard by "calling BLM in," engaging with them and be "bridge builders" – especially in the places where there is pain or disagreement.
At the end of the day however, I don't think this is T'ruah's issue alone – it's a challenge for the entire progressive Jewish community at large. If we claim to ascribe to a power analysis that views systems of oppression as intersectional and interrelated, we simply constantly cannot make an exception when it comes to Israel. The black community is increasingly finding common cause with Palestinians – and for good reason. Both are oppressed by the same systems, the same weapons, and the same security companies. It is not by coincidence that American police departments around the country are increasingly trained by the Israeli military.
If we truly seek to be to relevant this undeniably growing movement, we need to make these connections as well. No matter how uncomfortable it might make us.
On Passover, Israel and Demographic ThreatsPosted: April 28, 2016 Filed under: Civil Rights, Gaza, Israel, Judaism, Palestine, Peace, Pesach, Politics, Refugees, Religion, Zionism Leave a comment
Crossposted with Truthout
The weeklong Jewish festival of Passover is coming to a close, but like many Jews around the world I'm still digesting the myriad questions, answers and discussions that ensued as we retold the biblical story of the Exodus at our seder. While it's a story our community returns to over and over again, I'm continually astonished at the ways it provides a frame for understanding struggles for liberation past and present.
This year, I've been contemplating one aspect of the story in particular: when a new pharaoh arises over Egypt "who did not know Joseph." We immediately learn in no uncertain terms that this new ruler was considerably more xenophobic than his predecessor:
And (Pharaoh) said to his people, "Look, the Israelite people are much too numerous for us. Let us deal shrewdly with them, so that they may not increase; otherwise in the event of war they may join our enemies in fighting against us." (Exodus 1:8-9)
To use contemporary parlance, Pharaoh clearly views the Israelites as a "demographic threat" to the Egyptians.
The demographic threat meme, of course, has been played out countless times since the age of the pharaohs. It has certainly been a deeply woven thread in the fabric of American culture from our very origins. To cite but one example: Centuries before Donald Trump started railing against Mexican "criminals" and "rapists," Benjamin Franklin wrote a 1751 essay in which he bemoaned the influx of "Palatine Boors" into the colonies who would "shortly be so numerous as to Germanize us instead of our Anglifying them, and will never adopt our language or customs, any more than they can acquire our complexion."
So yes, as an American, I can't read these words from the Exodus story without connecting it to an ignoble aspect of my own country's legacy — one that is all too real even today.
And as an American Jew, I can't help but connect it to another country that also purports to act in my name.
Indeed, ever since Israel's establishment, Zionist leaders knew well that the future Jewish state would only be "viable" if it could create and maintain a demographic Jewish majority in historic Palestine. In the late 19th century, this must surely have seemed like a tall order, since Jews constituted but 2 to 5 percent of the population. By 1947, following decades of Zionist colonization and Jewish immigration, their number had swelled to 32 percent. Under the UN-sponsored partition plan, the percentage of Jews allotted to the new Jewish state would have been 55 percent.
During the 1948 war — known as the War of Independence by Zionists and the Nakba ("catastrophe") by Palestinians — the issue of demographics was solved through the forced expulsion of Palestinians from their homes and Israel's refusal to allow them to return. However, the demographic stakes were raised once again in 1967, when Israel conquered the West Bank and Gaza and began a military occupation that exists to this day.
In 2010, Jews officially become a minority population from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea; around the same time, it was determined that the Jewish majority in Israel proper was slowly diminishing. For some time now, Zionists have been warning that the Palestinians' birth rate poses a "demographic threat" to the future of the Jewish state.
Perhaps the most surprising aspect of this rhetoric is that it doesn't only come from Israel's far right, but from liberal Zionists, who use the demographic argument to advocate for a two-state solution. Witness, for instance, the words of J Street executive director Jeremy Ben-Ami:
When it comes to Israeli-Palestinian peace, the two-state solution and the inexorable demographic threat to Israel's future as a democratic state that remains the homeland for the Jewish people, our position is the same as that of the Israeli government, the Obama administration and the vast bulk of the American Jewish community.
Leaving aside the issues of whether or not the two-state solution actually is the policyof the Israeli government, let's unpack this statement for a moment. The liberal Zionist argument for a "democratic Jewish state" is predicated on a view of Palestinians as a "demographic threat." As an American, if I referred to any other ethnic group in this country with such a term, I would surely be viewed as a bigot or a racist. But as a Jew, I can refer to Palestinians with this epithet and still remain a member in good standing of the liberal peace camp.
Thus the inherent contradiction of liberal Zionism: democracy and demographic engineering simply do not go hand in hand. At the end of the day, there is nothing liberal about supporting an ethno-national project predicated upon the identity of one group over another. The late Meir Kahane, revered by Israel's ultra right, loved to make liberal Zionists squirm by repeatedly articulating this point: "A western democracy and Zionism are not compatible. You can't have both."
Kahane's solution, of course, was "forced transfer" of the Palestinian population. The current government of Israel is accomplishing this goal through more subtle means:home demolitions, land expropriation and the revocation of Palestinians' residency and citizenship. In truth, Israel has been dealing with its demographic threat under cover of US support for years, all the while claiming the mantle of "the only democracy in the Middle East."
This, along with its massive settlement expansion has brought Israel's demographic problem home to roost. The real decision before them is not between a one-state or two-state solution, but between two one-state solutions: an apartheid Jewish state or one state of all its citizens, regardless of religion or ethnicity.
As I watch this tragic process unfold this Passover, I find myself returning to the universal lesson this festival imparts on the corrupt abuse of state power. Although the Exodus story is considered sacred in Jewish tradition, it would be a mistake to assume that the contemporary state of Israel must be seen as equivalent to the biblical Israelites.
On the contrary, any people who suffer under oppressive government policies are, in a sense, Israelites. And any state — even a Jewish state — that views a people in its midst as a demographic threat can become a Pharaoh.
Standing Down Legal Segregation on Yom HashoahPosted: April 16, 2015 Filed under: Civil Rights, Gaza, Genocide, Holocaust, Human Rights, Israel, Judaism, Nonviolence, Palestine, Yom Hashoah 16 Comments
Today marks Yom Hashoah – Holocaust Remembrance Day – and as it turns out, this year it falls on a serendipitous milestone: namely the 52nd anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail." Although MLK wrote his letter to respond to the reality of Jim Crow in the American South, I do believe his words have much to offer us as we remember those who perished at the hands of the Nazis during World War II – in particular, King's insistence on the moral imperative to break unjust laws and the inherent immorality of legal segregation:
(There) are two types of laws: just and unjust. I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws. One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws…
Now, what is the difference between the two? How does one determine whether a law is just or unjust? A just law is a man made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas: An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust.
All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality. It gives the segregator a false sense of superiority and the segregated a false sense of inferiority. Segregation, to use the terminology of the Jewish philosopher Martin Buber, substitutes an "I it" relationship for an "I thou" relationship and ends up relegating persons to the status of things. Hence segregation is not only politically, economically and sociologically unsound, it is morally wrong and sinful.
In light of King's words, it is worth noting that the rise of Nazism in Germany was facilitated by largely "legal" means – through a myriad of laws and regulations that successfully segregated them from the rest of German society. King himself pointed this out in his letter when he wrote:
We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was "legal…" It was "illegal" to aid and comfort a Jew in Hitler's Germany. Even so, I am sure that, had I lived in Germany at the time, I would have aided and comforted my Jewish brothers.
In this regard, Dr. King's insight might well inspire us to commemorate this sacred day by redoubling our resolve to eradicate laws that segregate peoples on the basis of their national, ethnic or religious identities.
While it pains me to say it, I cannot help but note that the very country that first established Holocaust Remembrance Day itself enforces its own form of legal segregation between Jews and non-Jews. As one Israeli observer wrote in Ha'aretz five years ago, "Segregation of Jews and Arabs in Israel…is almost absolute." In the West Bank, Jews and non-Jews are segregated by separate legal systems, separate roads, separate transportation systems, and in some cases, separate sidewalks. And in Gaza, Palestinians are segregated from the outside world entirely.
I have no doubt that there will be those who consider it unseemly of me – or worse – to point this out on Yom Hashoah of all days. To this inevitable criticism, I can only respond, how can we purport to take the lessons of the Shoah to heart while ignoring realities such as these? How long will we, as Jews, look way from these unjust laws in Israel that "distort the soul and damage the personality?" On this, of all days, shouldn't we, as King suggested in his letter, "bring to the surface the hidden tension that is already alive?"
May the memory of the fallen be for a blessing.
A Rabbi at AFSC: Quaker and Jewish connections – Part 1Posted: January 28, 2015 Filed under: American Friends Service Committee, American Jewish Community, Civil Rights, Holocaust, Human Rights, Interfaith, Israel, Judaism, Nakba, Nonviolence, Palestine, Quakerism, Religion, Spirituality, War 14 Comments
(Crossposted with Acting in Faith)
When I tell people that I've just started working for the American Friends Service Committee, some will inevitably scratch their heads and ask, "What is a rabbi doing working for a Quaker organization?"
Those who know me well, know enough not to ask. During my twenty-plus years as a congregational rabbi/activist, I've often worked alongside AFSC staff and progressive Quakers, particularly on the issue of Mideast peace and justice. I've cultivated a wonderful ongoing relationship with the Friends Meeting in my hometown of Evanston and have spoken there on more than one occasion. During the course of my travels throughout the peace and justice activist community in Chicago and beyond, I can say without hesitation that some of my best friends have been Friends.
For those who do ask, I explain that while AFSC is a Quaker organization, it is wonderfully multi-faith in its composition. I'm certainly not the first Jew to work for AFSC (nor am I even the first rabbi – my friend and colleague Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb served as Co-Director of AFSC's Middle East Program in San Francisco from 2007 to 2009). Since the announcement of my hiring, in fact, I've heard from increasing numbers of Jewish friends and colleagues who have told me of their involvement in AFSC in various capacities over the years.
Of course this connection is more than merely anecdotal; there are in fact important historical affinities between Quakers and Jews. During the course of the 20th and 21st centuries, our respective communities have been proportionally well represented in progressive movements of social change, particularly in the American civil rights and anti-war movements. Our faith communities are also historically linked by the heroic efforts of Quakers and the AFSC to help save thousands of European Jews during the Holocaust and to provide relief for scores of Jewish refugees in the war's aftermath.
In more recent years, it would be fair to say that the Quaker-Jewish connection has become somewhat fractured over the Israel-Palestine issue. While this subject deserves consideration in another blog post, I will only say for now that I have long been dismayed at the hypocrisy of those in my community who applaud the Quakers' work on behalf of Jewish refugees, yet bitterly criticize them for applying the very same values and efforts on behalf of Palestinian refugees. I would add as well that there are increasing numbers of Jews like myself who reject the nationalism/militarism of Zionism in favor of a Jewish vision that promotes peace with justice and full rights for all who live in the land. I do believe that this trend is providing an important new place of connection between Jews and Quakers – particularly among a younger generation of activists and organizers.
Beyond these historical connections, I've become increasingly interested in exploring a different form of Quaker-Jewish encounter: namely, the deeper spiritual commonalities between our respective faith traditions themselves. I do believe that this Jewish-Quaker connection transcends simple political affinity. In this regard, I've been particularly struck by Jews who identify deeply with the Jewish people and Jewish tradition while at the same time unabashedly embrace Quaker practice and spirituality.
For instance, Claire Gorfinkel, who worked for the AFSC for many years and attends both a Quaker Meeting and a Jewish synagogue, explored this territory memorably in her 2000 Pendle Hill pamphlet, "I Have Always Wanted to be Jewish – And Now Thanks to the Religious Society of Friends I Am."
For Gorfinkel, the most critical point of commonality between these two faiths lies in their rejection of Divine intermediation as well as their powerful ethical traditions:
For both Quakerism and Judaism, God is directly accessible to the seeker, without need for priests or other intermediaries. God appears in the faces of our community and in the wonders of our natural world.
For both traditions, faith and the words we use are far less important than how we treat one another and our environment. Our human worth is measured in acts of loving kindness, "doing justice, loving mercy, walking humbly with your God." (p. 31)
More recently, Jonathan Zasloff, a Jewish law professor at UCLA wrote a powerful piece for the Los Angeles Jewish Journal entitled, "Some of My Best Jews are Friends." In his article, a commentary on Prophetic portion for the Sabbath of Hanukkah, Zasloff revealed that he regularly attends a Quaker meeting – and that the practice of silence "has deeply enhanced (his) Jewish practice."
Contending that "silence and individual spiritual expression" are "absent from modern Judaism," he suggested "there is no reason why Jews cannot adopt Quaker practice:"
Some form of silent worship has a long tradition in Judaism, one that our people has regrettably allowed to lapse. The Talmudic sages would "be still one hour prior to each of the three prayer services, then pray for one hour and afterwards be still again for one hour more." (Moses Maimonides) interpreted this as silent motionlessness in order "to settle their minds and quiet their thoughts."
As a Jew who also finds a comfortable spiritual home in the Quaker community, I'm encouraged and excited by these kinds of connections. In our increasingly multi-faith 21st century, I firmly believe it is time to seek out those places where we might lift up and celebrate our spiritual commonalities rather than simply fall back upon a religious tribalism for its own sake.
As I think more about potential areas of further Jewish – Quaker encounter, I am particularly intrigued by the parallels between Quaker Testimonies and Jewish religious values. Indeed, when I first read AFSC's booklet "An Introduction to Quaker Testimonies," I was immediately struck by a myriad of connections – causing me to think more deeply about the similar ways these ideals have been understood and acted upon in unique ways by our respective faith traditions.
As I read through them, I'm struck by a number of questions. As a Jew who has found a comfortable home in the Quaker community, I wonder:
To what extent do these testimonies/values reflect the unique experiences of our respective faith communities?
What is ultimately more important: the uniqueness of our paths or our shared vision of universal peace and justice?
And how might we find the wherewithal, despite our differences, to travel this road together?
Thoughts on the Passing of Rabbi Leonard Beerman, of Blessed MemoryPosted: December 24, 2014 Filed under: American Jewish Community, Civil Rights, Israel, Jewish Community, Jewish Fast for Gaza, Jewish Voice for Peace, Judaism, Labor Justice, My Favorite Rabbis, Nonviolence, Palestine, Peace, Politics, Religion, Zionism 9 Comments
I am devastated to learn of the passing of my dear friend and mentor, Rabbi Leonard Beerman z"l, who died early this morning at the age of 93. His death comes as a profound shock to those of us who knew and loved him. Despite his advanced age, Leonard maintained his extraordinary vigor and energy until very recent days.
Readers of this blog may recall my post on our joint speaking presentation in Los Angeles last February. It was such a tremendous honor for me hold this open conversation with him, in which we mutually explored the subject of "Progressive Politics from the Pulpit."
Here's what I wrote at the time:
As Rabbi Beerman has been one of my true rabbinical heroes for so many years, it was truly a thrill for me to share a podium with him as we shared our thoughts on the challenges facing congregational rabbis who engage in progressive social justice activism.
As a Los Angeles native myself, I've long known of Rabbi Beerman's inspired work during the years he served as the Senior Rabbi of LA's Leo Baeck Temple. He was the founding rabbi of Leo Baeck in 1949 and stayed there for the next 37 years until his retirement in 1986. During that time, he challenged his congregants – and the Jewish community at large – to awaken to some of the most critical socio-political issues of the late 20th century.
Rabbi Beerman was a maverick in his day – and in many ways still is. He is a self-described pacifist who came by his stance honestly, after serving in the Marines in World War II and in the Haganah in 1947 while attending the newly founded Hebrew University. He was a student of Rabbi Judah Magnes, the great Reform leader who advocated for a bi-national state for Jews and Arabs – and he remains a passionate advocate for a just peace in Israel/Palestine to this day.
Rabbi Beerman came to Leo Baeck fresh from Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati during the height of the Cold War and quickly became an outspoken and visionary peace activist. In one of my very favorite stories, he described his anguish at the execution of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, which took place on a Friday afternoon in 1953. During Shabbat services that evening, he decided to add their names to the end of the yahrtzeit list (the list of names read before the recitation of the Kaddish) much to the dismay of some of his congregants.
Rabbi Beerman was also one of the first rabbis in the country to publicly condemn the US war in Vietnam and later instituted draft counseling in his congregation. He invited such figures as Daniel Ellsberg (who spoke on Yom Kippur afternoon while he was awaiting trial) and Cesar Chavez to speak at his synagogue. Rabbi Beerman was also a visionary leader for civil rights and worker justice and during the nuclear arms race was one of the leading Jewish voices in the disarmament movement.
I've particularly admired Rabbi Beerman's fearlessness when it came to the subject of Israel/Palestine – clearly the issue that has earned him the angriest criticism from the Jewish establishment. He was a consistent and faithful advocate for justice for the Palestinian people long before such a thing was even countenanced in the Jewish community. Literally going where few other rabbis would dare to tread, he met with Palestinian leaders such as Yasser Arafat and Fatah founder Abu Jihad. That he was able to do all of this while serving a large, established Los Angeles synagogue speaks volumes about his integrity – and the abiding trust he was able to maintain with the members of his congregation.
Now in his 90s, Rabbi Beerman is still deeply engaged in the issues of our day. During our conversation together, we spoke about the current state of the Israel/Palestine conflict, the languishing peace process and the rise of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. I mentioned to those present that in 2008, during the height of Operation Cast Lead, when Rabbi Brian Walt and I were calling rabbinical colleagues to sign on to a Jewish Fast for Gaza, Rabbi Beerman was one of the first to sign on without hesitation. He did the same when we were forming the Jewish Voice for Peace Rabbinical Council and his presence there is truly an inspiration to our members.
Little did I know, as I wrote these words, that I would be posting them again in less than a year's time, as a tribute to his memory. And little did I know last February, as I openly shared my open admiration for Leonard as a congregational rabbinical role model, that in only a few months I would be find myself unable to continue combining radical political activism with a congregational rabbinate. I am all the more in awe of what Leonard was able to achieve, serving as the rabbi for Leo Baeck Temple for 37 years as he bravely spoke out on important and controversial issues of his day. We will not soon see the likes of him again.
I encourage you to read this wonderful LA Times profile of Rabbi Beerman that was published just last month. You can see our presentation in its entirety below.
May his memory be a blessing forever.
Yom Ha'atzmaut 2014: Is the Jewish State Truly Free?Posted: May 8, 2014 Filed under: American Jewish Community, Civil Rights, Human Rights, Israel, Judaism, Nakba, Palestine, Religion, Yom Ha'atzmaut 6 Comments
The massive Palestinian protest rally in the clip above took place this past Tuesday, on the day Israelis celebrated as Yom Ha'atzmaut (Independence Day). What's particularly notable about this rally is that it didn't take place in the West Bank or Gaza, but rather in Israel proper. More precisely, it took place on the site of the village of Lubya in the lower Galilee, one of hundreds of Palestinian villages depopulated by Jewish militias in 1948 to make way for the founding of the State of Israel.
This protest was part of an annual event known as the "March of Return," which has taken place inside Israel for the past 17 years. Organized by a coalition of Palestinian groups, the march annually promotes the conviction of Palestinian citizens of Israel that Israel's independence is irrevocably bound up with the Palestinian collective tragedy known as the Nakba.
By all reports, this was the largest March of Return yet; an estimated 10,000 Palestinian citizens of Israel defied Israel's anti-Nakba law, driving and hiking past angry Israeli-Jewish counter-demonstrators and police who confiscated their Palestinian national flags. Then they gathered together at Lubya to hear from a variety of Palestinian politicians and activists. Most notably, this year's commemoration included explicit calls for a recognition of the Palestinian right of return.
Several years ago I wrote that I believed Yom Ha'atzmaut should much more appropriately be observed by Jews as a day of reckoning rather than a day of unmitigated celebration. Watching the clip above, I am all the more convinced of this than ever. Can a nation truly celebrate itself, as its national anthem would have it, as an "am chofshi be'artzeynu" ("a free people in our own land") when it includes a minority such as this in its midst?
Meanwhile, here in Chicago, a prominent synagogue observed Yom Ha'atzmaut through public readings of Israel's Declaration of Independence, which an organizer referred to as a "sacred text:"
Most of the holidays are mentioned in the Bible or were created in ancient time and there is already a tradition…Every Jewish holiday, usually, you have a text. This is something special about the Jewish culture or religion.
As a religious Jew, I personally take great exception to the use of the term "sacred text" in reference to such a patently political document as Israel's Declaration of Independence. For me, it is yet another sad example of how political advocacy for the State of Israel has become so firmly (and idolatrously) ingrained in the religious life of the American Jewish community.
The organizer of this event took pains to add:
It's very important that we keep on making sure that people that are not Jewish will get equal rights and the same opportunities…The declaration gives us a very good vision, as a start of the discussion.
It's a noble statement, but it belies the fact that Palestinian citizens of Israel do not actually enjoy "equal rights" and "the same opportunities" as Jewish citizens of Israel. There are, in fact, more than 50 Israeli laws that structurally discriminate against Palestinian citizens of Israel in virtually all areas of life, including their rights to political participation, access to land, education, state budget resources, and criminal procedures. (Click here for an extensive list of these laws.)
This statement also belies the fact that the Israeli political establishment increasingly views Palestinian citizens of Israel as a "Fifth Column." For his part, Israel's Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, who openly promotes the transfer of Israel's Palestinian citizens across the Green Line, responded to Tuesday's March of Return commemoration with the following statement:
To those Arabs that took part today in the "Nakba Day" procession and waved Palestinian flags, I suggest that next time they march directly to Ramallah and they stay there.
With such clear and increasing polarization on both sides, I submit that it is still too early for Jewish citizens of Israel to truly declare themselves to be an "am chofshi be'artzeynu."


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Leigh Lawson's rotten Alec D'Urberville claims, "Beauty has its price." It always does with Thomas Hardy and this bleak rural soap opera is no exception.
Filmed in northern France, this is a languid, pretty adaptation from 1979. A 17-year-old Nastassja Kinski, with her patchy West Country accent, plays the tragic peasant girl caught between Peter Firth's hopelessly indecisive parson's son and Lawson's cad ("I was born bad"). Beautiful cinematography from Geoffrey Unsworth and terrific performances from Tess's two suitors.Reuse content

subset: commoncrawl


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Balian Dadas Dance and Much More Fantastic Than the Magnificent, Gangnam StyleSinger Ratna Listy though not so interested public is so enamored of Gangnam style, lately. According to him, the trend of Korean dance popularized by PSY is not as beautiful as the movement of traditional dance movements.
According to Ratna, the views of the movement, Gangnam style really is not that special. In the country many dance movements is far more nice and cute.
East Java Madiun singer exemplifies, he is more fascinated with the dance origin Palangkaraya Central Kalimantan. According to him, the dance Balian Dadas seen on Earth Tabun Bungai was much cooler.
Ratna even get goosebumps when the dance is performed by beautiful dancers. There's something beautiful instead saw Gangnam style.
"But to be honest, last week I visited Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, see Balian Dadas dance, much cooler than Gangnam style. Goosebumps watching it," he said at his home ditemuyi, Jakarta, Sunday (09/23/2012) night.
Signs of the End Times film star is found, Gangnam style so popular due to the enormity of the development of the Internet media. What's more, benefit from a world trend Korean fever again.
Eko Hendrawan Sofyan
Most Popular:
I LOve Indonesia, I Love Budaya Indonesia, I Love Seni Indonesia


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Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Hobbs
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Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Hobbs features an indoor pool and a fitness center. Wireless Internet access is complimentary. This hotel offers access to a business center and a meeting room. Guests can enjoy a complimentary breakfast. This business-friendly hotel also offers multilingual staff, laundry facilities, and a safe deposit box at the front desk. Complimentary self parking is available on site.
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- Holiday Inn Express Hotel Hobbs


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BEST WESTERN Hotel Nobis Asten
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Travel Blogs from Asten
We pick up the travel blog having said farewell to Patty and Bob in Amsterdam and following a nice walk in Rembrandt Park by the hotel on Monday morning, we were picked up by our dear Dutch friend of 42 years - Puck and Ben Roncken who served in Moose Jaw in the early 70's where Ben was an exchange instructor pilot. They took us to their home in Roermond where we spent a very enjoyable and relaxing day and a half.
The pictures will attest to the beauty of this quaint ...
Day 43 - Zonhoven to Oirschot
... and lunchless. Eight miles later we arrived at the Oirschot campsite at our lunchtime (2pm) to find that the site was technically closed. However, the "babysitters" were summoned by intercom and after some mis-communication they let us in for €18. It's a smallish but well-organised Dutch site. We're parked adjacent to a pitch that is covered in acorns. I imagine staying overnight there would be a noisy experience. After lunch ...
Uden to the North
... trip from Amsterdam to the south was not registered (the system is new...) and so free. The trains, so far, are easy to use, comfortable, not crowded and quiet. This trip will be three hours with a change of trains and train company, which means swiping off and back on again. Signage at the station is not clear and I nearly miss my connection, hurrying up the platform waving at the conductor. My Lost and Found count ...
The Rhine at last without a map !
Comfortable night and a good breakfast plus a roll for lunch. We set off around 9oc and, by Lilli asking various people, found a good bike path, a former railway line, which went nearly to Krefeld, 10km from the Rhine. It took some time and more asking, to find our way through the town. We had to stop to eat as Lilli went wobbly with low sugar. The only place we could find was a car park in the Mercure Hotel. We sneaked in and had a quick picnic out of sight of ...
Over the border into Germany
Ate our meagre breakfast, finishing our last remaining food-- muesli without milk, a few nuts and an apple. Muesli is ok with water. Very cold when we set off--gloves and parka weather. Found the track again and headed east with a tail wind, so we made good progress through farmland and little villages. Lots of horses, large and small, also miniature pigs, llamas and alpacas. The alpacas had been shorn and they looked like big poodles. At Grashoek we found a pub just opening up ...


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Protests 'Innocence of Muslims', Hundreds Demo U.S. Embassy in ThailandProtests 'Innocence of Muslims', Hundreds demo U.S. Embassy in Thailand
Bangkok, Thailand Hundreds of Muslims staged a demonstration outside the Embassy of the United States and the Google offices in Bangkok today. They chanted "kill those who insult Islam."
The action was held to protest the amateur film "Innocence of Muslims" who insulted Islam and the Prophet Muhammad. There was some chaos when protesters tried to break through a line of riot police in front of the U.S. Embassy.
But then successfully forced backward masses. According to the Bangkok police, as reported by AFP on Thursday (09/27/2012), no one suffered serious injuries in these demonstrations.
About 300 people participated in the rally. In front of the protesters, mostly men, an activator action make speeches. "What will we do with Jews, Christians and Americans if we see them?" the man asked in Thai. "Kill them!" chanted the demonstrators answered the question.
The demonstrators then also demonstrate against internet giant Google. Mass petition asking Google to block the film on YouTube.
Google Thailand Representative Peter Fretten met the protesters and said he would convey the concerns of protesters to the headquarters of Google. Hearing that, the crowd was dispersed.
The film "Innocence of Muslims" has sparked a wave of protests and violence in various countries around the world, including Egypt, Iran, the UK, Australia and others. About 50 people have been killed in various acts of violence and demo.
(ita / NRL)


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Little Miss Alice and the Bookworm
€ 25,99
Lieferbar innert 2 Wochen
November 2007
BeschreibungThis book measures 8.5 x 11." It is suitable for children from ages 6 up to adults. This book contains many beautiful paintings drawn by Sandie Angel. Little Miss Alice was visited by the Bookworm one evening. With the help of Prince Airen and his troop of dragon slayers from the Ruka tribe, Little Miss Alice and Dolly The Bear travel into the Bookland with Bookworm on an adventurous journey where she saves the Bunny Nation. Read about how Little Miss Alice, Prince Airen and her friends fight against the dragon witch and the green monsters and restore the Bookland back to its peaceful environment. It's all written into this enchanting book!
Untertitel: Sprache: Englisch.
Verlag: LULU PR
Erscheinungsdatum: November 2007
Seitenanzahl: 66 Seiten
Format: kartoniert


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The Train
This story is a sequel to the book 'Rooms'. Please read the other first as this book contains spoilers for the last book.
I awoke on some sort of soft surface. It seemed I was not alone. As I regained my senses I noticed that the surface that I had awoke upon was in fact a dark blue carpet with small, red diamonds on them. Looking up from this I saw that I was circled by nine other people. But more importantly I realised, 'Are we on a train?' I couldn't really tell if it was moving since my head was pounding so much. Why? And how did I get here? And where is here? So many questions with so little answers. Some guy about my age responded to the question I said aloud earlier with a, 'Yes,' followed by a, 'But you know as much as I do.' As I stared dazedly into each of their faces and inspected their clothing and mannerisms I could tell that these people were complete strangers to each other for the most part. 'What are your names?' I asked.
'Red,' Came the first from the guy who spoke earlier. He was about my size and my age and wore a white T-shirt with a red jacket and blue jeans as if new.
'Blondie,' Came another. She had golden locks that competed with the Summer's Sun and wore a short yet bright dress with a cardigan and bag. She smiled confidently at me.
'Navy,' Came the next. His voice was very deep. He wore a naval uniform blue like the sea.
'Blanco,' Said another with a false Italian accent. A white hat lay upon his dark and bald head. He had a leather jacket on and two over the top studs in each ear.
'Rose,' Came another. The woman from whom it came looked as if she had lots of money to spend. There was just about pink everywhere about her, not that I've looked everywhere yet though...
'Violet,' Muttered a girl with her head down. She had some purple highlights in her hair an purple contacts to match.
'Opal,' Said a girl quietly. All her clothing was white as if it had been dipped in a winter's snow.
'Dusk,' Said a guy far away from the group. His head was covered by a black baseball cap and he nodded seriously.
Finally there was a familiar, 'Roux and Vert,' that came from a girl who wore a denim jacket, half ripped jeans and a reddy-pink top underneath. Behind stood a boy much younger than her and myself who had glasses and long black hair. I was sure I recognised her face...
This was all too familiar. Too much light last year in the hotel. Wait. What if we were in the Reflec Zone? What if we didn't take care of everything last time in the Hotel? There was that door we left after all. Blondie interrupted my thought process, 'Hey mister, what's your name?' She stood pouting with her hands on her hips. 'Oh right, Mike, hey!' I replied enthusiastically. You know, first impressions and all that. Blanco face-palmed in the most over the top way possible. 'No! Your code name! We're all named after colours! You did notice right?' He scowled at my incompetence to which I felt ashamed. So much for first impressions. I opened my mouth to be stopped by Violet. 'Don't bother,' She said, 'We already know your name, might as well call you by that.' I slumped. I always wanted a cool name. 'Why are you all named after colours though?' I asked. 'The watches,' Roux gestured to hers as she said it. This confirmed it; We were going to participate in the Mirror Games.


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- 2304 CUDA Cores
- 6GB 384-Bit GDDR5
- PCI Express 3.0
Some manufacturers place restrictions on how details of their products may be communicated.
I bought this on July 14, 2014 07/25/2014
This review is from: ASUS STRIX-GTX780-OC-6GD5 G-SYNC Support GeForce GTX 780 6GB 384-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
6GB of VRAM, great for Watch Dogs. I've been tinkering with this card for about 2 weeks. It overclocks like a beast. I am able to run the card +160 mhz on the the boost clock and +600mhz on the memory, gaining about 8 fps on Valley Benchmark. It runs all games at max settings with good fps.
Expensive but I did buy it for $589 on launch day (July 14th, 2014). It should have been released earlier since we are inbetween gpu generations for Nvidia. The 800 series is coming this October/November already.
I am also dissapointed that Asus GPU tweak will not load on my system. It fails during installation. Asus was not able to help me at all. They told me to reinstall my entire OS which I'm not going to do. So for now, I'm using EVGA Precision X which is a good program. That is why I took off 1 egg; expensive and GPU Tweak doesn't install. I am running Windows 8.1 and that is not the issue.
Other Thoughts:
I do recommend this card over the regular GTX 780 with 3GB of VRAM. I have used EVGA precision to monitor VRAM usage in Watch Dogs and i takes over 3.5GB of VRAM on Ultra @ 1080P. Future games will require more VRAM. Rumors are saying the new GTX 880 will have up to 8GB of VRAM. I'm glad I made this purchase because 3 years ago I bought the 1.5GB versions of the GTX 580 due to bad advice by people on other forums. They told me I would not need 3GB of VRAM and it was a waste of money. Look at today, 3GB is the minimum required to run games on Ultra. Do yourself a favor and always buy the most amount of VRAM possible.
Watch my unboxing and install video. I beat Linustech and Newegg to it :) http://youtu.be/H5-gH8Y1SGQ
3 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes / No Thanks for the valuable feedback you provided!


text:
It is really becoming a very tough task for me to understand that why I always get diverted on adexchangeprediction.com whether it is from the URL's or the search engine. It always shows notification that I need to take some technical support advice and maneuvers to contact a toll free number. I scanned my PC with an anti-virus and it says that everything is fine. I don't know what it is the aim of adexchangeprediction.com? Is it really a browser hijacker? Please help.
adexchangeprediction.com is truly a manipulative webpage redirect virus that secretly attacks the targeted browser and becomes an integral part of users browsing activities. You would notice while Online surfing and searching something on the search engine, most of the hyperlinks gets redirected over adexchangeprediction.com. Notifications and messages are shown regarding harmful threats attacks and it tries to convince you to contact a toll free number for instantly getting a technical support. According to the message, the technical experts are from Microsoft technical team and they are capable of providing instant solution. However, it is important to understand that these are not genuine numbers and is a part of scam. This is a trick to connect the concerned PC with the remote server of cyber criminals. So it is very clear that how important it is to uninstall adexchangeprediction.com at the quickest.
The aim of adexchangeprediction.com is to ask users for purchasing useless services and software. Though it will promise to boost the overall PC performance and offer several other free services but user should never trust on such claims. Its motto is to get access over the confidential information of users such as Online browsing pattern, used payment mode, IP addresses etc. and share it with third party. Several arbitrary files and infectious stuffs are downloaded in the background that adversely affects the overall System performance. The PC security applications are ruined and several important installed programs become non-functional. Hence it is advised to delete adexchangeprediction.com as quickly as possible.


text: I am debating on spending the cash on the HMF H/M Dual for my busa but I heard that if the bike is lowered the pipes might rub. Is this true? My Busa is lowered and I do not want to run into this problem. I figured it might since the pipes run behind the rear pegs and run close to the undertail. Any input? Thanks in advance!


text:
Lowe Alpine Alpamayo 7090 Backpack 4270cu in
Lowe Alpine's Alpamayo 70:90 Backpack might be made to haul large amounts of gear on long treks and multi day backpacking extravaganzas, but that doesn't mean it's a brute. It's slim where it should be and featured in all the right places, so you can put the miles behind you in relative comfort without having to constantly fiddle and fuss with your pack. Lowe's Axiom3 adjustable back system works with the rotating hip belt to provide easy personalization and killer comfort when the pack is on your back, and the TriShield Grid fabric provides a rugged barrier against grabby branches, rocks, and rain there's also a raincover, if the skies really threaten to open up. Getting all your stuff in the Alpamayo is a cinch, since it can hold up to 90L of gear, but it's also easy to find once it's in there, thanks to the dual front and top entries. Side and lid pockets provide convenient places for snacks, maps, and water bottles, and the Tip Grabber pole carrying system gives you a sturdy place for your sticks when they're not in your hand. Various lash points let you add on more gear as needed, and the Alpamayo's ingenious hydration sleeve doubles as a removable hydration pack, so you can stay quenched if you're leaving basecamp behind for a quick adventure.
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|$223.96 on sale
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text: If you like milfs, you have to check out this video of this chick. Her jugs are simply unmatched. There's no doubt this is a mom that anyone would like to fuck. This naughty mature milf shows her unbelievable cans and big round nipples. This chick definitely knows how to work the dick like no other MILF. She's a horny bitch. She loves to play with a dildo.


text:
I Can't Tell You Why, for I have no mouthMature
A CEO thinks his life is mapped out to be great until he dies. But something might bring death closer than he would like.
Power screws up a man. Drives him to insanity, and sometimes he won't get back. If power is what you crave, then you crave to lose your mind. I have power, and I feel fine, but then again, that's what they all say. I went through hell. Divorce, lawsuits, blackmail, death threats. And now what? Is this my end.
Darwin had been sleeping. The grandfather clock in his office ticked off his dreams. One hour. Two hours. Three hours. Time slowed in his mind. He felt blood dripping down his arms and touching the white floor of his mind.
"Damnit!" He screamed in agony.
"I can make it worse."
"Go to hell."
That devilish smile. She was enjoying this. She clenched her doll and Darwin felt his arm burst. A thousand drops of blood erupted from his arm.
"More" She said.
His hand exploded. All that was left was a bloody ragged stump with a jagged and deformed ulna sticking out.
"AGHHHHHHHH" He screamed.
He collapsed on blood soaked floor. He lay there whimpering. His arm hurt so much. Maybe it would be better with no arm. He reached over with his right arm and grabbed the shouder. He dug in and screamed. He continued to pull, ripping the limb from it's socket. He felt every tendon snap and watched his flesh tear like parchment. And then the last bits of his arm were gone. He threw them on the floor. He stood up and looked at his sadistic tormentor. She had her dark hair covering her eyes. She was a little girl no older than himself.
"Look at you. Red is a pretty color." She giggled excitedly.
"Yeah, well why don't you try some on." He yelled back.
She raised her arm and pulled back her black sleeves. Darwin looked open mouthed at the girl. She had multiple deep cuts in her arms.
"I want to do this forever. But if I keep this up you might just die on me." She said staring at him. Her voice was that of schoolgirls. High pitched, but it seemed calming in a way.
She suddenly appeared directly in front of Darwin. She leaned closer and kissed him on the cheek. But her kiss felt like fire raging through his soul. He fell back clutching his face with his one remaining arm.
"Bye bye." She said waving slowly.
Darwin let go of his face and pushed himself up again. He looked at his hand, blood fell to the floor.
Then he saw it. The blood on the floor was moving and flowing across the ground. Every drop unleashed a cloud of red. His world was turning a shade of crimson. His body sunk into it, his tried to resist but he had lost so much blood that he just fell over and was overtaken by his own bodily fluids. Very disgusting when you think about it.
Darwin shot up coughing. He forced open his eyes and panicked. He stopped. He had raised both his arms. He looked at them. It was just a dream. He recoiled back into his chair and blinked. His blue hair drooped over his eyes. It was long and smelled like alchohaul from the dye. His eyes were olive colored. Some say they were the eyes of a demon. He was a very lean man. And a very smart one. At age 15 he had a buisness inhereted from his father. Now two months in and he was one of the whealthiest men on earth. A knock at the door inturupted him.
"Mr.Windmore? Are you awake? I have some papers for you to sign?" A female voie said from behind.
"Uh. Yeah, come in Mrs.Baker."
The young woman opened the door and walked in with the papers. She was in her twenties and was very curvy. Long blond hair and a tight red dress. Darwins father had issues with these facts before he passed away. She sat the papers on his desk and looked at him.
"Are you ok sir?" She asked.
"I'm fine. Is this all the papers?"
"Yes sir, some more of those nasty letters came in today."
"And has there been any word about the "you know what" incedent yet." He asked feeling akward.
"Your father passed on, they respect that and have stopped there lawsuit." She said smiling.
Darwin leaned back and closed his eyes.
"That all?" He asked.
"Good day sir." She said walking off and closing the door behind her.
Darwin continued to sit there and tried to sleep. A image of the hellish child who had tormented him appeared and he opened his eyes quickly. He reached for a novel on his desk. He pulled it to him and began too look at the contents.
"What the....." He said looking at a bunch of blank pages.
He shut the book and thought for a second. Then he slowly opened it back up. Still no writing. He quickly shut it again.
This is not happening. This is so not happening.
He opened it again. This time he gasped looking at a hundred lines of "This is not happening.".
He threw the book down and screamed in frustration.
I just need to calm down. This work is getting the better of me.
He stood up and paced back and forth, muttering swears to himself. He walked to the window and looked down at the city. Snow was coming down. The city was being blanketed. Something was off. The perfect white city. It was empty. Buildings were black and the streets were void of any life. He turned and sat down. He grabbed the phone and called Mrs.Baker again.
"Could you come here for a second." He asked.
A few seconds later she walked in.
"Yes sir." She questioned.
"Did.....something happen while I was asleep."
"Not to my knowlage."
"The streets are empty."
"It is rather bad weather sir." She said looking at the snowfall.
"I....suppose your right."
"Good afternoon sir." She said leaving again.
He grabbed his head. Was he losing it? He got up and walked down the hallway to the elevator. He was on the 9th floor. Above him was another six floors. He looked over into another office. Two men sat at tables conversing on product ideas. He walked back to his office and sat down again. A few hours passed and nothing happened. Granted, about a hour ago the noise from the workers in back had stopped. 5:46. Very soon people would be leaving. The snowstorm outside had gotten worse. Darwin went to the bathroom and washed his face and looked at himself in the mirror. He fell back as he saw the little girl once more in the mirror. He got up and she had departed. Darwin tried to catch his breath and once more headed into his office.
The men from the other office had entered the room and were staring out his window behind his desk.
"Oy. You two need something?" Darwin asked. He got no reply.
"Could you two please leave if you have nothing to report." He said walking twoard them. Still no answer.
He grabbed one by the shoulder. The man moaned a disturbing inhuman sound. It turned around showing a terror far worse than Darwin's dreams. It was like something out of a store. A manaequin would be the best description. It was like a child had erased the original features and left it blank. The noise came from a mouth under it's flesh. It appeared that instead of haveing the features blank, they had pasted over it. Its skin stretched as it released another chilling moan. Darwin jumped back, unable to yell out for fear had it's hand on his jaw. The other man turned around showing that half the mouth was covered, but his eyes contiued to be visable. He appeared to be trying to resist, but the skin was slowly creeping up. The man raised his arms.....no, the thing inside him was raising his arms. He shook his head and let out muffled screams. The hands grabbed hold of his head and snapped it. The skin shot up and covered the lifeless head. The thing then grabbed it's new aquisition and snapped it back into position. Now the two things looked at each other, and then looked at Darwin.


text:
Property and casualty re/insurer Hamilton Re, has promoted Peter Skerlj to chief risk officer. Skerlj, who is a founding member of Hamilton Re's management team, brings more than 17 years' experience to the role.
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Hamilton Re, Peter Skerlj, Applied Research Associates, PartnerRe Global, Lancashire Insurance, Q Re Bermuda Advisors


text:
My daughter pointed out something yesterday that I had never really appreciated, viz, most assassinations/assassination attempts are of Republicans.
Run the list - Garfield and McKinley were Republicans and there were assassination attempts on Ford and Reagan.
I pointed out Kennedy as the counter-example, and the attempted assassination of FDR.
Nonetheless, it does seem weird that there is such an imbalance.
The answer may actually be in the proclivity of left-wingers to engage in violence. The common thread that seems to unite these hits and near misses is a leftwing ideology of some kind, which includes even Lee Harvey Oswald, a Communist. (Admittedly, Squeaky Fromm was a left-wing nut, and Hinckley was simply a nut.)
But why should there be that imbalance?
Here's an interesting point from Human Events:
Four men have murdered U.S. presidents. Three of them have been communists.
Charles Guiteau, the troubled Bible Communist who lived for more than five years in John Humphrey Noyes' Oneida Community, murdered President James Garfield. Leon Czolgosz, an anarcho-communist follower of Emma Goldman, murdered President William McKinley. Lee Harvey Oswald, a Marxist enthusiast of Fidel Castro who lived briefly in the Soviet Union, murdered President John F. Kennedy.
Rather than confront this troubled history, Leftists downplay the radicalism of these assassins or invent wild conspiracy theories to cast blame on political enemies rather than the politically inconvenient villain.
Even most of the failed presidential assassins have cited Left-wing motivations. Giuseppe Zangara, would-be murderer of Franklin D, Roosevelt, confessed: "I kill kings and presidents first, and next all capitalists." Manson follower Squeaky Fromme claimed her desire "to be a voice for the Earth" sparked her decision to approach President Gerald Ford with a loaded gun. She maintained that "before class and race and gender, the Earth needs to be seen and heard and fought for." Sarah Jane Moore, who worked for the Symbionese Liberation Army-inspired People In Need, tried to kill the 38th president 17 days later. "The government had declared war on the Left," she later explained of her motives. "Nixon's appointment of Ford as vice president and his resignation making Ford president seemed to be a continuing assault on America."//
And this:
Weathermen get tenure. The Unabomber gets offered a book deal. John Brown gets a hagiographic song. Right-wing terrorists get ostracized. There's no romanticism of political violence on the Right as there is on the Left. Where is the Right's Sacco and Vanzetti, Tom Mooney, or H. Rap Brown?
The Left lionize their murderers. The Right runs from theirs.
These very different reactions to political violence, and the very different histories of political violence (that leaves a preponderance of killing on one side), do much to explain the Hard Left's desperate attempt to blame Saturday's tragedy upon its political adversaries.//
If you subsidize something, you get more of it, and there does seem to be a rather casual relationship between the hardcore Marxist left and the value placed on the life of "class enemies." (See e.g., Revolution by Murder.)


text:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup shortening
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked regular oats
- 1 1/2 cups cornflakes cereal
- 12 ounces white chocolate baking squares, chopped
- 3 tablespoons shortening
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
How to Make It
Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; stir well until blended.
Beat 1 cup shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugars, beating well. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add flour mixture, mixing just until blended. Stir in oats and cornflakes.
Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls, 2" apart, onto lightly greased baking sheets; flatten slightly. Bake at 325° for 12 to 14 minutes. Cool slightly on baking sheets. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
Microwave white chocolate and 3 Tbsp. shortening in a medium-size microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 1 minute or until white chocolate melts, stirring once. Stir in peppermint extract. Dip flat bottom of each cookie into melted white chocolate, letting excess drip back into bowl. Place dipped cookies, dipped side up, on wax paper; let stand 1 hour or until white chocolate sets.


text:
ED Magedson – Founder
Ripoff Report
Invicta Watch Company1 Invicta Way (3069 Taft St) Hollywood, Florida United States of America
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This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 03/25/2013 01:18 PM and is a permanent record located here: http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/invicta-watch-company/hollywood-florida-33021/invicta-watch-company-5-year-warranty-always-costs-moneyeven-when-its-free-hollywood-1037839. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year.
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#1 Consumer Suggestion
invicta watch company and service dept.
SUBMITTED: Saturday, October 19, 2013POSTED: Saturday, October 19, 2013
i to have purchased many invicta watches and have watches that stopped working or flaws with the watch and or bracelets and bands.Because of the hassle and aggravation in trying to get a claim open and the absurd idea of paying for shipping both ways and for the repair itself ,i no longer buy invicta watches. I think instead of all of us consumers with legit complaints who are being treated like we dont matter should maybe start demanding that sellers of these watches and the bogus warrenty that comes with them start being accountable and stand behind what they seem to be so dishonest about in the way they hype the company and especially the FREE 5 year warrenty that comes with the watches.
On ShopNBC now ShopHQ they have these lavish remotes selling these watches as some of the best in Quality and how Invicta stands by thier product no matter if you pay 50 or 1000 dollars and its just not true. I bought many Android watches from shophq and not only have never had a problem with them,but called thier company just to ask a question about my new watch and to my surprise the owner and designer Wing Liang got on the phone to personally answer my questions. Eyal Lalo CEO at invicta cant even get people that work for him to answer the phone let alone start asking for money for what is said to be a free warrenty as soon as you get to talk to them after waiting 45 minutes.
When does ShopHq start to hold invicta and Eyal Lalo accountable for his absolute dishonest marketing of invicta watches? Maybe the both of them are having so much fun counting money and spending it on thier lavish remotes from island getaways has put them in the mindset of sales are way more important than substance and a Quality product that they will both stand behind without further charging thier customers.
i will no longer be supporting any invicta product or ShopHQ for that matter and any other company that sells anything having to do with invicta or Eyal Lalo,you know the guy that brags about putting out 4000 new designs in a year,maybe he should just concentrate on putting just one design that wont fall apart within the first 3 weeks of being on someones wrist......Remember Everyone whether its invicta or any other company ,you dont have to stand for sub par products,just dont buy them....i will be spending my money on Android and many other worthy companies that deserve my hard earned money. sincerely,PJL
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text:
25097 County Road 11, Aitkin, MN 56431
About the Listing
Beautiful HAND CRAFTED WOODWORK on floors, walls, and ceilings. Furniture furnished home!!! Move-in ready. Overlooks the Mississippi river with 5.35 Acres. Beautiful wrap around deck. Perfect for a home business. Garage fits 3 vehicles. A Must See home!!!
Share Listing
Property Details for 25097 County Road 11, Aitkin, MN 56431
Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 1 Full | 2 Three-Qtr | 1 Half
Lot Size: 5.35 Acres
Lot Dimensions: 441X777X296X565
Year Built: 2007
Garage Dimensions: 2 car
Garage: Attached Garage, Tuckunder, Insulated Garage, Driveway - Gravel
Style: (SF) Two Stories
Water: Well, Drilled
Sewer: Private, Mound
Square Feet: 4900
Above Ground Sq Ft: 3600
Below Ground Sq Ft: 1300 (approx)
Room Information for 25097 County Road 11, Aitkin, MN 56431
Dining Room Description: Eat In Kitchen, Kitchen/Dining Room
Family Room Characteristics: Family Room, Entertainment/Media Center
School Information for 25097 County Road 11, Aitkin, MN 56431
School District: Aitkin
School District Phone: 218-927-2115
Interior Features for 25097 County Road 11, Aitkin, MN 56431
Appliances: Range, Microwave, Exhaust Fan/Hood, Dishwasher, Refrigerator, Washer, Dryer
Air Cond: Central
Heating: Forced Air, In-Floor Heating, Dual Fuel/Off Peak
Fireplaces: No
Basement: (1300 sq Finished) Walkout, Full, Finished (Livable), Poured Concrete, Wood
Exterior Features for 25097 County Road 11, Aitkin, MN 56431
Lot Description: Irregular Lot, Tree Coverage - Light
Lot Dimensions: 441X777X296X565
Roof: Asphalt Shingles
Zoning: Residential-Single
Financial Considerations for 25097 County Road 11, Aitkin, MN 56431
Tax Amount: $3,687
Taxes w/Assessments: $3,702
Tax/Property ID: 580292002100009
Tax Year: 2015
Monthly Payment = $0
INRIX Drive Time
Calculate Your Drive Time From This Property
Similar Listings For Sale
The data relating to real estate for sale on this web site comes in part from the Broker Reciprocity Program of the Regional Multiple Listing Service of Minnesota, Inc. Real estate listings held by brokerage firms other than the owner of this website are marked with the Broker Reciprocity logo or the Broker Reciprocity thumbnail logo and detailed information about them includes the name of the listing brokers.


text:
The fairytale-like garden that replaced the classic runway during Christian Dior's haute couture spring 2013 fashion show set the tone high for what would later be described as a breathtaking collection that paid homage to the beautiful season of renewal and to its infinite new beginnings. Spring in all of its charming effervescence wasn't the only influence that triggered Raf Simons' inspiration this season though, as Christian Dior's autobiography felt like an unexpected vision of purity that hit a few of Simons' own strings.
The call of nature, the calming effect of a summer garden, the love for flowers, all of the little treasures that Dior hid deep in his heart, were clearly emphasized in the present haute couture line-up. From light, almost imperceptible beading, to a full blossom of floral appliques and gorgeous handwork embellishments covering the delicate silhouettes, everything in the collection translated to an imperturbable draw towards femininity.
With his eyes set on the future despite abandoning himself to the idea of a distant past, Simons made his collection feel modern due to the exploration of asymmetry, cutting-edge layering and whimsical construction. And the gowns couldn't reflect more of that heavenly vision that will make women fell in love with Dior, all over again.
You can see all of the Christian Dior haute couture spring 2013 runway collection by clicking on a thumbnail on the left. From there you can browse through each of the pictures from the fashion show.
Photography by Imaxtree


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April 22, 2013 Intubated, Unable to Communicate Bill Braniff is asked what questions he may want to ask the lone-remaining Boston Marathon "bomber". He answers that he'd rather investigate other aspects.
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