The transition began with October 7th 2023. That was the day that the terrorist group Hamas savagely attacked communities in Southern Israel and a music festival from their base in Gaza, murdering, raping, disemboweling, innocent Israeli men, women, children, infants and the elderly. News reports say that over 1400 were gunned down, gang raped and dismembered by savage inhuman adherents to the “religion of Peace.”
I won’t got into any more details. You can read about those elsewhere, but the effect it had on me, over time, caused me to embrace the Jewish side of my persona more so than at any other time in my life, even more so than my visit to Israel in 1974.
So, if you are wondering why my writings and missives on this blog are emphasising Judaism more than in the past, this is the reason. This year I have visited a Rabbi, afixed a Mezuzah to both my front and back doors, actively lit the candles and recited the prayers for Channukah, began observing Shabbat on Friday evenings by wearing a Kippot and been attending the Zoom broadcast of Shabbat services from Central Synagogue in New York City. I also attended the public lighting of the Menorah on the eighth night of Channukah in Olde Towne Eureka.
I haven’t found a spiritual home here as yet. There are two Synagogues here: Temple Beth El in Eureka, and the Chabad Jewish Center in Arcata. Rabbi Cowen of the Chabad house in Arcata was the Rabbi I met with this past summer, and the one I have had the most interaction with (through the Facebook Humboldt Jewish Community group). I would probably be more inclined to attend Temple Beth El (a Reform congregation more like the one I occasionally attended in Chicago) if it weren’t for the fact that Rabbi Naomi believes all the falsehoods spoken about Israel by both the Right and the Left (“Apartheid,” “Occupation,” “Genocide,” “Illegal Settlements,” etc.). On the other hand Chabad is very, very orthodox and extreme in it’s practices, even though I am very impressed with Rabbi Cowen (his joy is infectious). I find the ultra orthodox Chabad a bit too extreme for my comfort level. Still, if I am going to become a member of a Jewish community, Chabad attracts me for it’s unabashed allegiance to the Jewish state of Israel, rather than the mealy mouthed, denial of Judaisms intrinsic attachment to Zionism, that some so called “Progressive” Jews embrace. I cannot fathom the embrace of a form of anti-semitism (anti-Zionism) that some of these folks espouse.
I am a Progressive myself. I always have been. The doctrines of Islam are some of the most anti-Progressive I have ever witnessed (misogyny, anti-LGBTQ, pro-slavery, anti- Human rights, anti-democracy) and nearly every Islamic dominated nation on this planet exhibits the same inhumane traits. Yet many so-called Progressives would rather support such regimes (which a “Palestinian” state would inevitably become) rather than support Israel, which is by far one of the most Progressive states on the planet, perhaps even more so than the United States.
