Jewish Musings, Wednesday 11/15

[lee058]

What’s on your mind — how to make kugel? This week’s Torah reading? Life goals? Prayer? We are all engaged in weight loss/weight maintenance journeys and we are all Jewish or at least interested in Judaism. We like to eat, we like to discuss. It is our goal here to provide each other support on our journeys, to share experiences, to call on our rich cultural heritage and texts, and to help each other grow spiritually.


Some of us take weekly turns starting the thread:




Frieda (hopefully)?
Holly
Lee
Louise
Lynne
Peachy


And for those of you that stop by to read this thread without posting — you are welcome to, but you are also welcome to chime in. Don’t be shy!

[lee058]

Good morning everybody. Hope you are all well and SAFE! Please pray for Israel.

Today's topic: Yesterday's demonstration in DC for Israel and Jews.

I watched almost all of it on CNN.com, as it was not on any of the major news channels to my displeasure. Fortunately, I thought of going to CNN.com, so I only missed a few minutes. They showed the demonstration live.

It was spectacular!! I'm SO glad I saw it. I was moved to tears, over and over again, by the speakers and the sight of the enormous crowd.

I hardly know where to start in describing it. The speakers emphasized so many different things, but had one thing in common: hope for the future. It made me proud, teary-eyed, and full of warmth.

Maybe I can write more later; I still need to think everything over.

Have a peaceful day, Lee

[hollygail]

Here's a pretty good news article about it:
www.timesofisrael.com/let-our-people-go-nearly-300000-rally-in-washington-for-israel-hostages-release/
It's from the Times of Israel, one of the few news outlets I've been checking for real news since Oct. 7 (other outlets I'm using are The Economist, the Guardian, and 972 Magazine (all online versions and all in English). I didn't have the patience to watch it on TV. One local congregation even sent a link to "watch it live."

I'd like to hear from those of you who did get there. How great was it?

[brgmsn]

I was there. It was remarkable. Our bus had to park in another stadium lot because the one we were originally assigned to was full. In the train on the way to the Mall from the parking area it was completely filled with folks going to the rally, especially young people, and we all wound up singing the whole way. it was like a camp bus! Everyone was in great spirits. Lots of folks wearing Israeli flags. Lots of security. We walked all the way to the front of the Mall in a special blue band area (we had blue bands) and were by the first Jumbotrons. What got me was how you saw Jews of all sects coming together. Chabad was doing their thing, the yeshiva kids were singing and dancing, and no one knew what anyone's observance was but we were all there together as one group. THAT got me more than anything. it was powerful. As were the speakers. Lots of politicians. Very moving were the families of 3 hostages who spoke. Very moving. And what pushed me over the edge was Matisyahu singing "One Day." Please listen to it if you are not familiar with it. Please. I was sobbing in the street as we walked back to the MARC station.
Please contact your representatives and tell them NO CEASEFIRE and bring the hostages home!
That's something every one of us can do.

[brgmsn]

Easier yet--Text ISRAEL to 24722 and AIPAC will send out emails to your representatives for you.

[gazelle18]

Love all of this! Beryl, I’m so glad you made it. Hope Louise did as well!

[hollygail]

Beryl, THANK YOU for such a moving report! In my congregation, we regularly sing "One Day" as it was originally written (Matisyahu snuck in the Sh'ma).

Now to wait for Louise's report!

And I'm glad none of us came from Detroit (theirs were the buses that didn't arrive to pick up the passengers from the DC airport).

- - - - - - - - - -

I'd like the opinions of each of you willing to read this account:
"How Israel Tries to Protect Gaza's Civilians"
aish.com/how-israel-tries-to-protect-gazas-civilians/?src=ac

Thanks.

[brgmsn]

Funny how little in the MSM was reported about that, isn't it? And so far I have heard the company is "looking into it"
I think the ACLU should bring a lawsuit against them ASAP and shout it to the world.
Not to mention how no one is reporting on the Israelis taking care of the patients and staff in the hospital and bringing them supplies. No, they interviewed a doc in there screaming about the aggressors interrupting the care and giving them saline and bandages and they don't want them.
I'm unfortunately changing my mind about how many "innocent" Palestinians there are in reality there. So many are indoctrinated with the same Jew hatred as Hamas.

[peachymom1]

I'm so overwhelmed that I don't even have any words to say how I feel about all this. It's just amazing. I wish I could have been there in person, but I've been heartened by what I saw.

[brgmsn]

Oh, and please boycott Gayle King. While interviewing the father of a kidnapped 8 year old, she lectured him how innocent Palestinians are dying.
How dare she?
That's how the world views us ladies. Instigators and villains.

[louise]

A long day yesterday, but quite wonderful. Had to be at the bus at 6AM and didn't get home until after 11. Caved in big time to cookies and candy being passed around on the bus on the way home. Oh well. But that's not the story. The story is as you have all been saying. There was nothing to be afraid o (I had some fear about going). It was peaceful and we had glorious weather to boot. We never got our blue bands so stayed further back close to a jumbotron so we could still see and hear well. Amazed at the number of poeple. And everyone, all different ages, etc. joined by common goals and feelings. The speeches were excellent - even Mike whothehell-is-he Johnson.

Our bus left us off and picked us up at the Pentagon City Metro stop so it was really easy for us. And the Maccabeats (a few of them) sang Hativah!
My rabbi's daughter is at Michigan State and helped with the plans for a contingency to get to the rally from Detroit. Those that were on chartered flights were the ones the bus drivers refused to take to the rally. Hundreds of them just had to go back home again. I'm still dumbfounded. Her direct group was on a commercial flight and did make it to the rally.

I'm so glad I went!