Grandma's army

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...

THE ECOLOGICAL IMPERATIVE Both wars and terrorism are factors in the most life-threatening problem facing the world today - the environment. The record of human intervention in the natural order of things is marked by devastation on a massive scale.  Almost everywhere human beings have set foot they have crushed the natives of the land and wiped out  many species of living creatures. Today, flooding the land and seas with plastic and other pollutants is one of the most destructive factors in maintaining ecological balance. Not to speak of destroying forests for the sake of cultivating live-stock. It is a biological fact that the various elements of nature have to be anchored in a permanent ecological balance. Human beings are the only organisms  who are able to understand and confront this. Implicit in this view is the understanding that, as long as the culture man develops is consistent with nature, the biological world will remain in harmony. In Biblica...

The dawn is just breaking on the 71 st Israeli Independence Day. A short time ago – while stilI dark outside - I was lying in bed contemplating the modern-day miracle of Israel. It is a miracle because it does not reflect reality in any way. For over 2,000 years prophecies written in the Bible of the ingathering of a scattered and oppressed people were read and believed. Today, we don’t have to “believe” the prophecies any longer – they are coming true right before our eyes. The flourishing of the land? Impossible. The greatest conquerers tried to build in this land and failed miserably - because it remained desolate. Today, we just have to look out of the window, or go for a walk, and see the beautiful trees and blooming flowers. We have even succeeded in making the desert bloom. Israeli agricultural innovations are not only benefitting Israel but many countries throughout the world. In what can be considered a single lifetime, the Jews emerged from the Holocaust weak, ex...