Grandma's army

  As proud as most Jews are of being Jewish – some find it hard to understand how someone “normal” would be foolish enough to convert to Judaism. Jews are not exactly popular – in spite of their outstanding contributions to mankind. One particular example of a convert   is Dr. Micah Goodman. His mother came from a wealthy Catholic family from Oklahoma, and converted to Judaism in an Orthodox ceremony. She married a secular Jew and immigrated to Israel with her husband, in 1969. Dr. Goodman is a successful researcher and lecturer on Jewish philosophy, and has written several books on the subject - apart from heading an Academy of Jewish Thought. His latest book, “Moses’ Final Speech”, made its way to the top of the bestseller list very quickly. He writes that the last of the five books of the Pentateuch (Torah) Deuteronomy , is the first book in the Torah that does not profess to be of divine creation, but is a repository of the insights and thoughts of Moses. In his sp...

An essential ingredient for survival is a sense of humour – in particular the ability to laugh at oneself. I doubt if this was an issue which was discussed with the Tibetan Buddhists at their historic meeting with the Jewish delegation, although the Dalai Lama apparently had a ready wit. Jewish humor is unique, not only because it pokes fun at our short­comings and weaknesses, but because it reflects upon the history of our people. The following is an example illustrating the Jewish instinct of survival: “A Jew in Russia falls into a lake, and, not knowing how to swim, he frantically screams, “Help, save me!” But his calls are totally ignored by all present, including a number of soldiers standing nearby. In des­peration, the Jew yells out, “Down with the czar!” At that moment, the soldiers immediately jump in, yank the Jew out of the water, and haul him off to prison.”   To stay alive, in spite of all forms of oppression, has been one of the major concerns of the Je...

  After all the atrocities the Chinese government has perpetrated, the Dalai Lama still refers to the Chinese as his “so-called enemy". His religious perspective is an inspiring example   of a religious perspective carried over into the political world of conflict and violence. Personally, his ready wit, his engagement with ideas, his deep receptivity – his simple ability to stop for a moment and take things in – are all elements of his power. The Jewish visitors learned that humility can be powerful, that receptivity can be dominating, and that kindness can be challenging. Lastly, the power of what the Buddhists call “a quiet mind”. While meditating, they try to overcome negative aspects of themselves by visualization. There is a tremendous variety of things that they can visualize - to help overcome negative qualities, develop good qualities, and become more realistic.   One of their key positive qualities is compassion, which is oriented toward the nature, cause, a...