Binding The Blog(s)

A couple of weeks ago I received an interesting email through my blog account (see the “Contact Me” tab on the right for my email address). As I read through the contents I did so with some trepidation as to the validity of what was being offered. I have gotten countless emails before making similar claims but there was always a catch when I would ask for a few more details. This time was different.

As it turns out, there is a small publishing company in Germany that specializes in publishing books by Israeli and Diaspora writers about Jewish life. They had come across my old blog, From Goy To Oleh, and had also read a few posts on this current blog as well. I guess they liked what they read because I was being offered a publishing deal. It is great to have this feeling again since it has been over a decade since my last book was published (the poetry publisher has since ceased operation) and I have been wanting to pursue this endeavor once again in the coming year (this seems to be a goal made annually).

Now I once again have the opportunity to pursue another one of my passions which has been dormant for so many years. And while there are other volumes that I hope to put into print through other publishers over the next few years, this is definitely a great start and the perfect way to get back into the world that I have been absent from lately. This book will comprise of my various posts about our Israel journey, our return, and other aspects of Jewish life that I have written about on occasion. It will be interesting going through all of these posts again and compiling them into a single volume.

This is the first book in my return to publishing. As I pull these posts together I will also be revisiting my master’s thesis, my full length collection of Holocaust poetry, and seeing who might be interested in turning this work into a bound collection. After that I will see if I have produced enough content to publish some family history… I am not sure that there is enough written at the moment but, maybe, by the time this first project reaches completion there may be sufficient content. Beyond these projects, it would be nice to finally flesh out some of the outlines for novels that I have stored on my computer as well as the children’s book that is still in need of illustrations.

But, for now, it is one step at a time. While I have no idea where I am going to find the hours to get this done while working and continuing my other writing projects, I am certain that I can get this done. In the meantime, I would be happy to start a list of those of you that may be interested in purchasing the book when it does come out. Obviously, I am not taking any money at this point but this would allow me to update you as to when it will be published as well as the final price. On all accounts, I will definitely keep you all posted.

Answering An Unknown Number

It grazed my mind that I should call a couple of the places I sent emails to just before the holidays regarding membership. I reached out because in order to become a member of these heritage based organizations you need to prove your lineage as well as have a member sponsor your application. However, like so many thoughts in the midst of a hectic day, it quickly evaporated in the bitterly cold dry air not to touch upon the gray matter for the remainder of the working hours. At least that is what I thought….

Toward the end of the day my phone began to ring as I was waiting for my email to refresh on the screen. Not recognizing the number I questioned, I swiped my finger across the screen and answered in a usual authoritative business-like manner. While the accent caught me off guard, I quickly realized that the one of the tasks forgotten during the early part of the work day was about to take care of itself. And so our conversation began.

While trying to rekindle the genealogy research that has been put on hold in recent months (upon months) I began looking for different groups and heritage societies in the area where I might be able to, at a minimum, learn a little bit more about the culture in the deep and distant past of my family (most of our long standing heritage could easily be described simply as American). The two dominant cultures in my family histories (yes, there are numerous blood lines, stories, and histories) are of German and Irish origin with Germany having a substantial percentage lead. Honestly not knowing much about either I looked for different groups where I may learn a little more. That led me to the Irish Society and the German Society of Pennsylvania (both located in Philadelphia). Because you need a member to sponsor you for each I sent out emails in late December.

Today, when I answered the phone, I knew what the call was about as soon as I heard the thin German accent. IT was an interesting conversation because this was a man I had never met before but you could tell in our dialog that we shared a common interest and at some level and ancestral bond. Making the connection even stronger is the fact that the Society was founded about two months after Jacob Duffordt arrived in Philadelphia aboard the Hero on the 27^th of October 1764. My family and this proud society share the same anniversary and we will both be celebrating 250 years.

While there are blood lines that I can trace further back in this land and even a few that were here since before the colonies were even a consideration, the celebration of your surname, your family name, does add a tremendous amount of appreciation, pride, and humility. I am proud to be a very small part in the story of my family and I am hoping to bring things around full circle by honoring our heritage and appreciating a bit of the culture we carried with us on that prolonged and exhausting journey across the ocean from Rotterdam to Philadelphia. Just goes to show that sometimes you have to take a step back or return to the beginning in order to keep moving forward.

I Would Like To Thank The Academy

Yesterday was not a day to sleep in. It was an early day that, despite the long hours, seemed to fly by leaving me wondering where the day had gone. Having staggered out of bed around 5:30 in the morning, it was inevitable to have the feelings of “what the heck am I doing up at this hour.” But once I got on the road, I began to get excited for what I was going to learn that day about the craft.

After picking up one of my fellow brothers in Bryn Mawr, we slowly made our way westbound on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and through the twisting and turning roads of Lancaster County. Driving up to the impressive gates of the Masonic Village in Elizabethtown, we couldn’t help but be impressed by its grandeur and expanse. Fortunately, even though there were a few wrong and missed turns along the way, we made it to the meeting just as registration was opening up.

It didn’t take long before we ran into a few brothers we recognized and a couple that we knew by name which filled the first hour of the event with catching up and talking about our future plans both at the lodge, in freemasonry, and with Scottish Rite (both of us are still within our first year). However, what dominated the conversation was our excitement about the speakers that we were about to hear. For many of us, this was our first experience with the Academy of Masonic Knowledge and so we didn’t know what exactly to expect but, for me, having been to numerous other presentations and readings in and out of the masonic world I knew what we were in for and I was looking forward to it.

In a bit of a switch in the schedule, Brother Arturo DeHoyos, PM, was up first. While his original topic was going to be on Masonic Ritual, he decided to take advantage of the time of year and speak about the images of mortality in Freemasonry. Keep in mind that Brother Arturo is someone that, given his background and experience, you give him your undivided attention regardless of the subject matter. Brother Arturo DeHoyos, PM, is currently the Grand Archivist and Grand Historian of the Supreme Council, 33°, Scottish Rite of Freemasonry for the Southern Jurisdiction of the U.S.A., a member of the Executive Staff of the House of the Temple, and the Grand Archivist of the Grand College of Rites of the U.S.A. He is America's foremost authority on the history and rituals of the Scottish Rite, an author, editor, and translator of many books and articles on Freemasonry.

Needless to say, we were all left thinking about what we had seen and attempting to remember and process all the information that was given to us in a matter of 45 minutes. Shortly after his talk, we spent some time in a Q&A session that was, for lack of a better term, astounding. The amount of knowledge (and I am talking about pinpointing exact dates, people, events, resources, etc.) is something that I don’t think I have ever seen before and will never see again.

Appropriately, following the lively discussion with audience members (I was too much in awe of this man’s intellect to think of a question) we were given some time to digest by adjourning for lunch. Masonic meals at larger events have always been a great way to meet other Masons from all parts of the commonwealth. Doing so allows for greater fellowship both during that particular event as well as future events when you may run into them again.

 

With our stomachs full and much left to process in our minds we were on our way back upstairs to hear the second speaker of the day, Brother John Belton, PM, who spoke on The English Masonic Union of 1813. This was a topic of great interest to all in the room as we are a unique group of masons that differs greatly in ritual as compared to all other parts of the United States and much of the world the only exception being that of the Grand Lodge of Ireland. Given my Irish ancestry, I was intrigued by what I might find out in this presentation.

To give you some background, Brother John Belton, PM has been a regular writer on topics of current interest relating to the role of Freemasonry in society. In 1998 he became the founding Senior Warden of Internet Lodge No. 9659 UGLE. His research has focused on the decline of Freemasonic membership across the English speaking world and has been published in AQC and Heredom. His most recent book, The English Masonic Union of 1813, was published in 2012.

It is a fascinating discussion and one that I look forward to exploring further as I read his book which I purchased at the meeting. I am also curious as to the relationship between Irish and English ritual since the union in 1813 and whether there are slight differences in the rituals of Northern Ireland given their ties both to Ireland and Great Britain. While we discussed the lack of a noticeable difference stemming from a question I posed in the second Q&A session it is still something that I believe is worth exploring further.

Both of the presenters left me with a great sense of uniqueness in the masonic world. Having heard my heritage spoken about (both the Irish and German sides were explored in vastly different ways) and the singular nature of Pennsylvania rituals in the United States, I could help but feel uniquely privileged for being a part of something that holds such a substantial role in the history of the brotherhood. It is this feeling that I look forward to sharing with my fellow brothers at my lodge and something that I look forward to exploring further both in my own reading and research as well as at addition meeting of the academy.

Only A Small Part Of The Story

Recently, TLC brought back the show “Who Do You Think You Are?” My wife and I enjoy watching the weekly episodes and learning about the interesting family histories that some celebrities are willing to share with the world. Seeing the reactions on the faces of those people can also be just as intriguing as we both know that feeling well of when something unexpected is discovered.

However, for me there has always been something missing. One of the fascinating aspects of genealogy for me has been the vastly different stories that our ancestors have. Many times, if you trace enough lines, you can find your ancestors in opposition whether it may be north against south, Indian versus settler, or some other means of conflict. These are the stories that shape us.

We are shaped by all our ancestors and the lives that each one of them lived both the remarkable and the ordinary. Sometimes it is more about the place rather than the person that adds depth and understanding. For instance, knowing that one of my ancestors came from Alsace Lorraine region in France by considered himself and was recognized upon immigration as German adds an interesting complexity to my ancestor’s life and to our family history.

Do we consider ourselves only German as our ancestor did or do we more accurately consider ourselves both? This is the kind of interesting internal question that really doesn’t have an answer as it is nearly impossible to balance the considerations from an ancestor’s life and how they view themselves with the facts that shape the world around them. This is the type of question that is frequently missing from the series.

During each episode the story of discovery is fascinating but it is by no means an accurate depiction of the process. Anyone who has done any kind of in depth genealogy understands the time and energy it takes to sometimes find just one item. Generation after generation the tedious process repeats until finally, after countless cycles the leaves of the tree begin to come into focus.

There are times when information is readily available, especially with the constantly expanding digital databases like ancestry.com, but that is still not the norm as many records remain confined to paper or microfilm. When you have to sort through piles of paper and reels of film in order to find a single document you have a much deeper appreciation of your heritage and you hold fast to the knowledge that you had to earn. It was not given to you in front of a camera; you had to work for the information, you had to sweat to find out who you are.

That is what is missing from this show. It is not about being handed your family history, it is about earning your heritage and connecting with your ancestors. That is how you truly find out who you are.

Many of you in the states may have missed this episode about J.K. Rowling as it is part of the UK series of the same name so I thought I would share it will all of you. There are subtle differences between the UK and US but they are equally entertaining. Enjoy!