Firearms Friday: From Tel Aviv To California

The news on Wednesday night was maddening and sad but, honestly, I can’t say that I was surprised. The reality of this world, especially in Israel, is that terrorist attacks are going to happen. I didn’t quite expect it to happen at this time, during Ramadan, but the fact remains that three shooters opened fire in a Tel Aviv market killing four people. Afterward there where a few reactions that also didn’t surprise me…

There was no widespread social media outpouring like that which we witnessed following other terrorist attacks in Europe or high profile shootings in the United States for that matter. Actually, there were a number of people and organizations beyond with the clear majority being those affiliated with Judaism or Israel in some way and the next closest, in the United States, being those of a more conservative nature.

Sadly, but again not surprisingly, the liberal media and various groups on the left either saw this as an opportunity to shame and blame Israel into conceding peace or, given the news coming out of California this week, use this as an opportunity to preach gun control through some delusional view of the situation and the world as a whole. And that this the real point that I am going to dwell on for a bit. Give me a minute while I collect myself….

The unfortunate state that this country finds itself in at the moment is that when there is a shooting somewhere in the United States or a well reported incident from around the world, the gun control storm troopers take to the internet, the television, the radio, and/or the podium and preach the flawed and unconstitutional “virtues” of gun control. It has gotten to the point that regardless of the facts of the incident, they celebrate the moment and seize the opportunity to politicize tragedy. They are perfectly happy to strip people of their rights and place the blame on an inanimate object while completely ignoring or dismissing the fact that the individual is responsible for what happened.

By and large, those same people react in the same manner when there is a terrorist attack in Israel as they, once again, seize the opportunity to berate Israel and use the recent incident as a “clear example” of why Israel must make peace. They are perfectly content in stripping Israelis of their security and blaming Israel for “creating this situation” while completely ignoring or dismissing the fact that the individual is responsible for what happened. Further they refuse to accept the reality that the Palestinian people take to the streets in celebration every single time this happens.

For the most part, we are now in a situation where Israel must defend herself and those of us here in the United States must defend ourselves. We both need to defend our right to live and our right to self-defense (despite the ruling in California). We must accept the guiding principle of personal responsibility and focus on the facts rather than accept the propaganda smeared across the headlines. We are Tel Aviv.

Just An Inconvenience

 

In the 45 minutes that is took for our food to arrive at the table, Armageddon had already passed by the front window. What had been a nearly empty restaurant when we arrived was quickly beginning to fill up as those without power poured in the through the doors for a late dinner. With the occasional flickering of the lights, the dining room filled to near capacity with new guests arriving and those who had been there long before we arrived refusing to leave.

By the time we walked out the door the winds had calmed and the rain was a slow drizzle of large drops. The street was spotted with a confetti of leaves and the clouds began to lighten as we approached our cars. It was just a quick storm but the sirens and fire trucks charging down the road let us know that the rain was not the primary concern. It didn’t take long before we found ourselves inching up to inoperable intersections that seemed to encourage people to put their foot down and pray that no one decided to turn in front of them.

My wife continued down the road as I quickly stopped by the lodge to check the building. It didn’t take long and I was back on the road within a few minutes. About halfway home my phone rang and I can’t say I was surprised when my wife said that the power was out at our apartment building. Because of changes made since we moved in two and half years ago, this is no longer a rare occurrence. During Sandy, with the old systems in place, the power stayed on… now, 20-30 minutes of intense wind and rain and the building is completely shut down. Thanks PECO! In fact, the power remained absent from our apartment until the early morning hours when we were both trying to sleep in a pool of sweat.  

At least we didn’t have to clean the fridge out… yes, that issue has yet to be resolved. As if we didn’t need the extra motivation to move when our lease is up. But, in the end, this is nothing more than an inconvenience. And without the distraction of the television or internet constantly barraging my senses, it has forced me to think about what many of our friends are experiencing in Israel. As I write this there are rockets headed toward Tel Aviv and toward our old (literally) neighborhood in Jerusalem. And while there is a certain part of me that is glad that we are here with this minor inconvenience there is another part of me that wishes we were there with our friends standing together as if to say “bring it, we’re not going anywhere!” This is just an inconvenience. Baruch Hashem and may G-d bless and keep Israel and her people safe during this period of conflict and for all time.

Attempting to Find Home: 2011 Edition

After experiencing so much preparation, hard work, stress, bureaucracy, joy, spirituality, and love, today is one of mixed emotions for me. It is a day to remember joy but which also leaves me asking the question what if? I don’t think that either one of those feelings will ever go away especially on this day, our Aliyah Anniversary.

Two years ago our Nefesh b’Nefesh charter flight landed with a roar of cheers and tears rolling up and down the aisle. As we finally came to a rest, there was a mix of both vocal anticipation and stunned silence. It was time for us new Israelis to return our feet to the home land.

We were overwhelmed by the joyous noise that flooded this old terminal at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. So many people were there to greet all of us… some of them didn’t even know anyone on the flight they just wanted to support us. I can’t even remember the walk from the plane to the reception as the mix of no sleep (on the 10 hour flight) and excitement has hazed my memory.

I will always consider that moment to be one of the greatest of my life but sometimes a journey can start off great and, not be the right path. This is what we faced during our time in Israel. Our Aliyah adventure came to an abrupt end as Hashem led us back home to our family. I may be disappointed by the outcome but I will never regret the choice we made to try.

It is a day that I hope is being celebrated throughout the beautiful land of Israel by many of our fellow olim from that flight. I wish everyone nothing but the best and I pray that your dreams surround you throughout your lives. I also encourage anyone thinking about making Aliyah to pursue it with everything you have and every essence of your being. I guarantee that it is something that you will never regret regardless of the final outcome.

Brother to Brother - אח לאח

Since becoming a mason I have tried to stay organized and get all my applications and petitions submitted in a timely manner. For the most part I am keeping on top of all the items on my Masonic to do list. One of the most interesting things on that list was completing my affiliate membership.

A little over a week ago I got an interesting envelope in the mail. It was a package that I was not expecting to arrive for another several weeks as it had to come from a significant distance. Once I opened the envelope and examined the contents I was able to officially say that I am an Affiliate Member of the Holy Land Lodge #50 in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Affiliate memberships are not something done by all Masons but, for me, this was very important if not necessary. It is another tie between my home and my home land and it brings the connection between Masonry and my faith together in a meaningful way. As many of you already know, faith is essential in Freemasonry and now Freemasonry is enhancing my connection with my faith.

It is connections such as this one that increase my awareness of the bond I have with G-d in all my actions. Discovering such links in my life has been essential in the transition that my own personal faith has taken. While I may no longer be observant in the traditional sense, my awareness and appreciation of G-d has been heightened to a level of faith and awe that I have never experienced before.

My observance lies in attentive perception of and gratitude for all that Hashem has given me. No matter what your specific beliefs may be, faith deepens when we pay attention and admire G-d’s work. It is in His creation that the opportunity exists for us to honor our creator in both heartfelt prayer and actions.

Each of us must find the best way to connect with G-d and explore the different means by which we can bring G-d into our daily lives. For me it is a matter of keeping it simple and bringing little pieces of my Judaism into every aspect of my life such as my affiliate membership. Sometimes, it is the little things that can have a biggest and most lasting impact on your life. 

I am just a simple man trying to simplify the world around me and what works for me may not work for you. Maybe you need those big decisions or stringent rules to bring about a deep connection. There is nothing wrong with practicing your faith in that way… it may be the best way for you to understand G-d. 

Regardless of belief or practice, we need to keep in mind that we are all brothers of the same Father and like children we all have different ways we connect with our father and we all have a bond that is both common and dissimilar at the same time. Remember this simple truth and support your fellow brother. Let them find that connection and support them as they discover their own personal link between their faith and the fraternity.