My Blog

Who is truly responsible for killing innocent people in Gaza?

Shachar — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 20:21:44 GMT

I want to point out that the news media are negligent in their responsibility to show the brutality that Israel is up against. Hamas and Hezballa purposefully go into dense civilian neighborhoods, set up weapons stashes, and fire rockets into Israeli civilian centers. They drag women and children into buildings and fire at Israeli troops who come in to get these rockets and mortars. Yet somehow, the media and the UN (who should have stopped the weapons from getting to Hamas and Hezballa) blames Israel for killing civilians!!!!! The UN or Egypt could have prevented this. Why are they not being held responsible? Why isn't Iran being taken to task for its role in this? I want to point out that most international bodies are holding Israel to impossible standards. Israel is and with very few exceptions, has always carefully targeted military targets. If Israelis didnt have respect for life, there would be no Palestinians by now. In recent wars, Israel has even warned people in neighborhoods where an attack is pending that they still have some time to get out, so that Israel can clear out the weapons. What other country takes so much care, even at a tactical/surprise disadvantage, to spare as many civilians as possible, and then is criticized so hatefully for killing innocents (whose innocence is in question, since they don't take the opportunities to leave, acting as strategic human shields in an effort to isolate Israel - these "martyrs" of a sick jihad)? Also remember that for over 60 years, Palestinians (not the ones who stayed and have a decent life in Israel) have targeted civilian Jewish populations, responding to the call of their Nazi collaborative leaders, who were trying to help Germany win, in hopes that they would support the Palestinian leaders in their efforts to wipe out the Jews here as well. More recently, Israel made sure that her citizens have shelters from rockets, does not fire from civilian areas, and has showed disproportionate patience and care, so as not to kill civilians. I also constantly hear the call for returning to 1967 borders. I want to remind you, that in 2000 most Israelis were also making that call. Israel offered the PLO the best deal imaginable - almost complete pullout to 1967 borders (except for Jewish neighborhoods in Jerusalem). Palestinians could have taken this as another opportunity to start a nation, but instead, they started another war because Israel refused the "right of return" which would realistically be the end of Israel. Since then Israeli hearts have become hardened towards them - with a knowledge that they only want our death. Israelis know that the Arab extremists (who voted overwhelmingly for Hamas) will not stop until Israel is destroyed - yet we still we take such care not to hurt civilians whom Hamas and Hezballa are using as human shields, to fire behind. So, next time you see a photo of a wounded child, or a story about a child who lost his father, blame it on Hamas and the United Nations, not on Israel, who is simply trying to protect its citizens. The news media mistakenly point the finger at Israel, and say that killing civilians is wrong. But they don't show the pains Israel takes to avoid the death of innocent people, and nobody offers any realistic solutions that Israel hasn't already offered. What would you do if you were an Israeli decision maker? Would you allow your people to be slaughtered, so that the world doesn't accuse you of being cruel? The Palestinian people brought this upon themselves when they voted and support a group whose primary goal (even at the expense and lives of her citizens) is to kill Jews. When Israel pulled out of Gaza, Gazans had an opportunity to begin a nation, but instead they chose war, launching rockets into militarily insignificant civilian areas. They created the situation that they are in, and all it took to stop their suffering was and is to stop launching rockets into Israeli cities.

Shalom Haverim

Shachar — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 15:11:44 GMT

I know, you're thinking, 'it's another one.' but when we're looking into each other's eyes, it feels some something big!!! I have many places to stay but have been staying with her instead - and she wants me over all the time. Both of us have a history of running away from relationships, so it's possible that the pattern will resurface, but I don't think so. We're also both ready at the same time and to me, she's AMAZING! She's kind, really bright, with it, sexy, beautiful voice and insights... I'll keep you updated. ----- oh yeah, also she's funny! and I'm funny when I'm with her. ----- Ema I saw Ishai for a few hours yesterday! It was a very good time. He's such a good kid!! He's talking about the possibility of moving out here, and that this made you sad, with Ayala planning on moving to Switzerland. Think about it Ema, you know Hebrew and if/when your children all move to this hemisphere, you can be here too. You have friends here. You have family. We'll make sure you have insurance for the 6 months the government won't give it to you. Israel needs more realistic but still idealistic people in this time. Shachar ----- Shachar, I am so happy for you & Yamit. I hope this relationship will be the ONE. I don't think that Ayala & David have any serious plans of going to Switzerland in the forseeable future. I think that David has selected a program at UCLA rather than John Hopkins and they need to stay in California for Ellie. The benefits available for her are much better here than everywhere else. If Ishai should decide to move to Israel, I will have to accept it. Keep in touch. Ema ----- Hi yo! Its hard to describe how good I feel here. While there are things (people) I miss about California, in Israel I feel at home. I feel like this is my natural playground. I'm sure that I made the right decision. You may be scared...Israel...war...it's not pleasant but I feel relatively safe - much better than driving a car all the time in LA. Besides, if I die next week, its ok because this week is a fabulous party! I'm writing from north israel, where I live with my sweet girlfriend Yamit (photo attached). I'm writing proposals for a coexistence organization half time and I'm gardening half time. Last week we had donkeys eating the weeds in an area where we'll work later. I'm saving about $700/month to invest when the time is right. I'm also involved with the local environmental/social happiness groovesters. I'm thinking about passive air conditioning a lot - putting trees/vines that drop their leaves in the winter to the sunny sides of the house allows light in during the winter and blocks it in the summer. This, if the house is well insulated/sealed reduces air-conditioning costs by 80%...I'm helping with an organization called bateva (in nature). Its on a farm a half hour north of Tel Aviv. Next weekend some very prominent eco-innovators will be coming for a festival where in the mornings we learn, in the afternoons do projects and in the evenings dance. I was helping to set up this weekend (I made the DJ stage stable with triangulation and started garden beds, smoked and drank a lot and worked with a new friend on a gravel based greywater system to stop the puddling between the outdoor bar and dance floor). Before I left a huge trans party was under way. there were so many pretty people and hippies mixing it up. Its exciting to me that the eco projects will affect more than the hippie crowd. Yamit and I are also talking about starting a cooperative restaurant/cultural center in Haifa. Ruach v'Meluach (ruach=spirit/wind, meluach=salty/savory). A long term goal that we need to do step by step...right now I'm working with whats happening now, and making good connections along the way. Shachar ----- I LOVE IT!!! Wish I were there with you. love ishai ----- Hey Shachar, It's good to hear how you are doing. I've been wanting to write for a couple of weeks now, so your letter gave me a much needed kick in the ass. I'm glad you feel safe and at home in Israel. The most important thing is that you are enjoying yourself and making the most of your life, which I can see that you are doing. I've been having tons of fun lately. We went to a happening at MacArthur Park a few weeks back that made me think of you. A group of people stacked hundreds of large ice blocks on top of each other and then watched them melt. We came mid-day when the blocks had already started to collapse. The interesting part about the whole thing was that everyone started grabbing the blocks that had fallen and were sculpting them, restacking them, building and playing with them. It was an interesting experiment in how people entertain themselves. We've been going to lots of art openings, watching music, going to shows and participating in as much merriment as possible. Good to hear from you. Talk to you soon, Mike ps. did you ever get Skype working? ----- Haven't been using skype so much. I think it's because i need to make skype dates, but i'm not always around an internet connection. I'm so happy to hear that McArthur Park is a fun place to go play now. It used to be sketchy. If you go back, i highly recommend Mama's Hot Tamales. Its an urban renewal restaurant, economic development gig - similar to what we want to do in Haifa, just a bit different. Keep playing kid, שחר ----- (after some days) Is this true Shachar? Are you really getting married at the beginning of next summer? If so, of course I'll be there. Wouldn't miss it for the world. Also, I love your invention. I'll take two, one for my office and one for my home. Married, really? Wow. If so, congratulations. ----- yeah. she's cute too. we just went to the beach today (both had afternoon free) and were so pooped that we went to sleep at about 5:30. She's sleeping now and I woke up with energy to burn. I've already asked her to marry me several times and each time she said yes, so if we play it smart, we can have many weddings and therefore much dancing and food and friends and gifts! If you can't make it to israel, don't worry, we'll be coming to the west coast for a ceremony there and the beginnings of a hunnymoon (organic farm travels on the west coast and either Europe or Equador/Colombia) What a lovely update and charming photo attachment! Shachar, I am very happy to know that you are thriving in Israel. You sound like a whole human, and we are all thrilled for you. Keep up the good work; send back peaceful waves. Lots of love, Emmy ----- Thanks emmy! ----- Hello my friend, Very Happy for you. Sounds like your manifesting your dreams. I have been as well. I just got married. Check out our webpage at www.bethandchris.weddingwindow.com You'll be hearing from me once the dust settles some because there's much to catch up on. Stoked for you, ----- Amazing!! Its good to hear from you as usual. Yamit and I are beginning to plan our wedding (next May in Israel and June in the forest above Santa Cruz) Last you and i saw each other in Thailand, we were both ready to love someone..manifesting our dreams by appreciating the moment...delicious!!

ideas

Shachar — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 14:33:20 GMT

Hi, I'm hoping to go to your neighborhood to play sometime soon... let me know when its a good time - or perhaps out in the shade somewhere for a picnic, with a football...or the waves... I felt an urge to update you with some of my projects and ideas... We've sent in some crucial applications, though I'm sad that we've been focusing efforts on big American, temporary gigs, rather than go for local investment. Anyway, the big, new gigs are a chance to establish ourselves, while we talk with local people about participating and pitching in to keep things strong. That is the part where we missed, instead of seeing which businesses want to invest in the communities where they work. So..we're learning.....and we have some lovely proposals in English, waiting to be translated. I'm getting ready to be in a course with oranim and the ministry of the envrionment - project based leadership development in doing projects with local people in Natseret, up and down the hill. We do the projects at the same time as learning about how to do them better, instead of learning academicly and then practical projects...my kind of gig, it seems. I'm super into doing projects with local centers of the community and the organizations that work with local folks, to make our communities into something playful, vibrant, beautiful and alive. I envision picnics every month in the local, beautiful park for activities and workshops lead by local people. Gardening projects in common areas and the tops of apartment buildings, so that communities are interwoven and working with nature to make wonderful fresh food. I'm happy that you're into courses in Arabic. Business people, educators and local leaders are wise to learn AND PRACTICE other languages, perhaps in projects. I'm working with a couple friends to get a cooperative (covering local regions), making people's homes more beautiful, without toxins and saving water and electricity. Using Fair Trade textiles (beautiful African and Guatemalan work -pillows and tapestries, and other crafts...), non-toxic paints and tile work, insulation/shading, water saving shower-heads and has-hamim...handy-designers cooperativim. There are some wonderful textiles and mosaics that are waiting for people's homes. And many more to be made. i haven'e been writing in my journal much. my writing energies have been channeled into the professional endeavors, which is wonderful, but also limiting...i'm likely to get back into my blog soon. Perhaps post this letter.

singing harmonies

Shachar — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 09:18:45 GMT

She was pouring tea and listening. When she spoke, she cut through the confusion and offered insights that I could digest. For example, she traveled as a WWOOFer in New Zealand, yet loving nature and seeing the possibilities of farming in harmony with nature, she understood that the Russian Jewish immigrants in 1905 were getting connected with the earth, even though they used chemicals to farm. In a foreign tongue, she was able to express that from the point of view of people who were not allowed to farm before - who didn’t know how to - that they turned the desert into thriving farmland is an amazing accomplishment. I was drawn to her by her smile as well as her sensibility and compassion. I was drawn to her when she got excited that the baby remembered her name, and how when the Channukah candles were lit, she hesitantly uttered a song into the silence and kept it alive until everyone joined in. When she was leaving for a class, I wanted her phone number and tried to find something from our conversation that I could follow up on, to stay in touch. My mind was blank – and to my relief and joy, she suggested that we trade numbers. She then decided to skip the class and invited us over for tea. I spent the rest of the evening spellbound and smitten. That night, when I woke up, she entered my mind and didn’t leave. I couldn’t sleep for hours and welcomed the morning with a floating heart and a decision to call her and invite her to dance. She was very interested in dancing and hiking. Her response to the dance party flyer I sent to her was, ‘you can easily win me with invitations to free dance and hiking.’ I later learned that she didn’t mean it exactly as I interpreted, but it didn’t matter. I felt confident that something was right.

for dinner

Shachar — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 16:50:23 GMT

There it was, glistening in the light it's skin yellow and dripping from the year's first rain i reached out and touched the lemon. It fell off into my hand as if it wanted to be eaten for dinner. I've been neglecting my blog lately in favor of researching and writing grant proposals. This is the first time I've had people's jobs other than myself on the line and I finally feel like I'm catching up with myself. I've managed to secure my rights as an immigrant here in Sunny Israel. For a few weeks I experienced the hardship of wondering if I'll have enough money in my pocket to eat and take the bus. I have money still saved in mutual funds, but they're not easily accessible. I had to borrow money from my Mama, which was no treat at the ripe (and supposedly fiscally responsible) age of 32. My birthday was a day after I got here, which was mostly spent working at a collegue's home. I woke up and Sarki, the director of one of the NGO's where I'm working, took the pits out of some Medjool dates (tamarim) and replaced them with walnuts. She made coffee, lit a candle and I made a birthday wish. After a nice breakfast i wanted to get to work. I arrived to find that we're a week late on an important grant proposal and needed my editing on a booklet that summarized our programs. Fortunately, as it turned out, our funders postponed things on us, which gave us extra time to do things to our satisfaction. It's like my friend Don , which I'll never forget because it was during a year that I tried to do too much and half-assed everything. He said, 'I don't want to do many things in my life, but whatever I do, I want it to be exquisite.' It's been guiding words for me ever sinse, and because there are so many good options for me here in Israel, I feel that I have to prioritize once again. The process of moving to this country has been fascinating. For all the struggles that I encountered financially and not having a place of my own to live in, people's generosity far outweight the hardship. A number of people rolled out the carpet (towel actually), welcoming me to their homes. I've been staying with kind people, learning from them and enjoying their company. One of the people at an organization that helps English speaking immigrants called Nefesh B' Nefesh told me that I should write my experience into a book. I've been writing plenty of fun emails the whole time, so perhaps the book is already underway. I like books that are in the form of correspondance. So, here goes. I've decided to start off with some more paperwork requests that I got when I had already left home. The whole paperwork process was much more difficult than I expected, another lesson not to expect anything but be ready for everything...all in all, it was far easier for me than for my friend to immigrate from the USA to Canada, even though she and her Canadian husband are married... Dear Oleh - The Ministry of Interior (Misrad Hapnim) sometimes requests to see original documents at the time of your aliyah processing. In the event that Misrad Hapnim officials request to see original documents, and in order to ensure the fastest and most efficient processing, we recommend bringing the following original documents with you on the flight: Single Oleh: Birth Certificate (please make sure that your parents names appear on the birth certificate), Proof of Judaism Divorcee: Birth Certificate, Proof of Judaism, Divorce Certificate Widow: Birth Certificate, Proof of Judaism, Spouse's Death Certificate Couple/Family: Birth Certificates for all family members, Proof of Judaism, Civil Marriage Certificate, Adoption Papers (if applicable) Katin Chozer (Born in Israel and left before the age of 14): Birth Certificate, Marriage/Divorce/Death Certificate, plus apostille (if applicable) Ezrach Oleh (Israeli citizen born abroad): Birth Certificate, Proof of Judaism (need only if mother is NOT Israeli), Marriage/Divorce/Death Certificate, plus apostille (if applicable) Mishpachat Olim (one spouse is an oleh and the other is a Returning Israeli): Birth Certificates for all family members, Proof of Judaism (for non-Israeli spouse), Marriage/Divorce/Death Certificate, plus apostille (if applicable) *Please note: If you are a returning resident or have previously held an A-1 visa (temporary resident), and your status has changed since last residing in Israel, (ex. You were single when living in Israel and are now married.), you will need to present all of the necessary certificates verifying your change in status. We look forward to greeting you in Israel! All the Best, Shooshi Mamushi Absorption Advisor ---------------- 10-4-07 Dear Ema, I'm trying not to complain, but I'm getting so many mixed messages here. I'm a Katin Chozer and according to this, you already have everything I need. But other people tell me to bring other things, so my lesson is to bring everything you can imagine to things like this. I'm not sick anymore. Said bye to Amanda today. Taking an overnight bus to Toronto. Shachar ------------ Hi Toor, I met this guy Geoff in Thailand. I asked him what he would do in the middle east to improve the water supply. He suggested digging small water catching ponds surrounded by trees to fill up the groundwater supply. I know that Adamama doesn't have ground water, so we have to catch as much as possible and spread the rainwater into trees, plants, mushrooms and mulch near the surface to maximize the water supply. Anyway, this video http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5582131564074604951 is VERY interesting. You might want to watch it twice to pick up everything it says. A lot of my ideas stem from this video. I wonder if we want to involve him in the collaboration. It may add to the international attention we can get because he's good friends with Bill Mollison. Geoff's wife is Jordanian, which is why this video is about how they greened a dry, dead part of Jordan. Let me know if you'd like to involve Geoff in our project. Shachar ----------- it is great to involve whoever we can think of, this video is very faimos, it is a good one, i wish we could make something in that level! ----------- We can. Perhaps we can get a local library or school to have a fun, dancy, delicious and inspiring event for $$ for the camera. I wonder who has a digital video camera with a bluetooth microphone input. (that way wherever the microphone is has excellent sound Put it to music, with bits of written info while the video is going... How effectively can we communicate with only video, music and asking questions (no other words)? ------------- hey there boy friend, you in the holy land yet? i'm in jerusalem for a couple days - just finished the fulbright orientation here and met the other 14 scholars (great people!) on monday 10/15 i head down south. happy early b-day fellow octoberite! nishikot, zips ----------- Hi Hottie Tottie! I am still in NYC (a different holy land, though they were worshiping a golden calf (bull) on Wall St. - What would Moses do?), pending citizenship approval by some committee in the Jewish Agency. I called today and she'll have folks check on it in the morning your time. Great people at Fulbright! I bet. Any valuable connections made? What are you gonna be doing in Ketora? What are you doing in Jerusalem now? I bet you miss me, huh? Poops ------------ Shalom Shachar, Can't tell you how much I'm waiting- as well as the others, to finally meet you in person. We NEED to write the aplication for ifa zivik together. could we meet at the office on Tuesday 16.10 at 08:45 for +- 2 hours to work on that? let me know at : stshuman@netvision.net.il thanks Orna ----------- Hi Verit and Orah, I'm experiencing a series of delays in the approval of my application for aliyah. I thought I'd be there Sept 3, then Oct 7, then Oct 14, now ?? I'm still hoping for Oct 14, but it may be unrealistic. I asked my Shaliach to rush my file a couple weeks ago, and he said that he will, but I'm sure that there is a big stack of Olim waiting for approval after 3 weeks of holidays. Can we write this application over email and phone? I can't wait to get back to Israel!!! Shachar -------------- Hi Dani, Thank you for following up on my file. My friend Rachel fell in love with and married a Canadian and still it was two years of living there before they let her work for money. I have it good, in comparison. The message from Orah below is another reason why I'm in a hurry to get to Israel. We have a grant proposal that we need to write. The organization is a wonderful, diverse group of people in the Galilee. Maarag is facilitating inter-cultural dialog and cooperative projects. I'm their resources developer. I'm looking for any funding resources available. Doesn't the Jewish Agency have education funding? If you have a few minutes to see what I'm doing in Israel (other than goofing off with friends) here are the proposals. Let me know if the links don't work and if you know of any resources for us. Here is a link to a description of the project that Orna is running. We're looking for funding for this one. http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=dgg9cn4p_33gdq5g6&hl=en Here is a link about Maarag's youth programs. We're looking for funding here also. http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=dgg9cn4p_25c9f6x5&hl=en And here is a link about Adamama's water-wise farming proposal that's gotten the interest of the Jewish Natl. Fund. We probably have funding for this one. http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=dgg9cn4p_3457s6jz&hl=en Shachar ------------ Hi Ema, OK. It's official. I hate to ask, but I am running low and I'd rather borrow from you than the credit card companies. Thanks Ema. Moms are great. ---------- Shachar I put $300 in the WAMU acct this afternoon. I saw Rabbi Shapiro this evening and he sends his love to you. Love Ema --------------- Farming With Minimal Irrigation: http://docs.google.com/View?docid=dgg9cn4p_3457s6jz --- Hi Jeff, Inspired in part by your video "Greening the Desert", an organization that I'm involved with is getting ready to launch an experimental/educational ag water conservation project. We intend on having various approaches to work for farmers of various needs, from local small scale to large scale. We are basing our approaches on trapping water in the soil a-la dry-farming, but want to make some adaptations to the approaches. We would like to plant more than is prescribed by dry farming standards, so we would need to lay drip lines and irrigate 2 meters deep in the second half of the plant's growing cycle (and at the beginning if there was no rain). Thanks to the inspiration of your video, we would like to incorporate 3 layers of farming on the same space (orchard, veggies/vines, mushrooms growing in mulch). I'm wondering a couple of things... 1. would you like to be involved? 2. Have you noticed that a moist decomposing layered mulch keeps water from evaporating as well as the "dry dust mulch" advocated by dry farming experts? Shachar Erez ps. I met you at Baan Thai (now Panya) in Northern Thailand last autumn. You taught me to dig ponds and surround them with trees to trap rainwater in the ground in a dry climate. pps. the attached essay is intended for Israel oriented funders, but it gives a good brief summary of our ideas. -- Shachar's Blog http://people.tribe.net/176cb692-2eb1-42cd-8402-e05dc04bf9da --------------- Hi ????????? who am I talking to? You have not put your name and I cannot find a match for you e-mail address in my address book. Your project does sound interesting. I am presently teaching in Tanzania and will be back in Australia on the 24th October. ---------- For some reason the email put all of my carefully arranged paragraphs into one big paragraph. So, my name was buried. I am known officially as Shachar Erez, but my Captain Underpants name is Poopsie Gizzardjuice and in Thailand I was known as Cha Cha, which means "slow slow or slowly". I'm wondering what approach is best for keeping water in the soil - creating a 'dry dust mulch' by scraping the weeds and top soil with a hoe or using organic matter as mulch... Are you planning a Mid East tour again soon? ---------- Hi Shachar where are you planning to do this? Deep mulch is definitely better. My wife is in Jordan now. I suggest that you contact her... ---------------- Oct 10 Hi Toor, Are there any good university agriculture professors that we want to involve as well?? Shachar ----------- Oct 12, 2007 i need to check it- there is no one who is well known for being sustaiible ---------- Oct 13 Surely with the rise in Environmentalism in Israel, there is someone who wants to become known for being sustainable. A professor connection would add credibility and a constant source of ideas as well as interns, and possible funding. Shachar -------------- dr. elain Salaway from the Arava institute is one expert! ------------ Oct 14 Working with Elaine Solowey would be awesome! I wonder what she's working on now. She can help with the nursery stock of water wise plants, and however else she wants to help... Here are the courses she's teaching, according to their website.. Shachar Applied Sustainability:Introduction to Green Living Spring Semester 2006 Sustainable Agriculture Fall Semester 2005 Introduction to Arid Lands Organic Gardening (Fall) Fall Semester 2005 Introduction to Arid Lands Organic Gardening 2 (Spring) Spring Semester 2006 ----------------------------------------------------------------- The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies Kibbutz Ketura D.N. Hevel Eilot 88840 Israel Tel. 972-8-6356618 Fax 972-8-6356634 ---------------- hi Dani I don't know if it was kind or nutty that someone stayed until 11pm. either way, I feel relieved! Ahhhhhhh.. the 14th flight was booked up, so I kept the 18th. shachar -------------- Shalom SHACHAR, Please send us a money order payble to Israel Aliya Center. Meanwhile I am processing the flight ticket payment. Dani -------------- Thanks Dani! It's a relief to know that everything is finished. I'm excited to land in Israel!!! ------------- Hey Lan, Is your tongue still sore? I hope so. My legs are sore from walking all day almost every day! I'm flying to Israel tonight. How are you? Shachar ------------- Hah, no it must have built up some resilience. I hope you have/had a great flight boy. I'll do my best to visit you in your new home! Lan -------------- Leaving my friend in Manhattan with 2 bags and a guitar. I was ready to go and yet everyone seemed so beautiful; so human, though each minding his/her own business. The security at the airport was tight, indeed, but i gave myself more than enough time and I was sitting at the airport terminal checking out a couple of hotties, talking with a guy flying to Israel to study in a leadership program and seeing if I could use up all the minutes on my calling card. I did. The flight was fine. Food ok. I don't remember the movies I watched. I was tired, but not. Arriving in Ben Gurion airport was interesting. I thought that there would be someone to receive me from the absorption office, but no. I asked security and they led me to the office after I got my passport stamped. The ladies in the office both spoke Russian and Hebrew, but not much English. It was difficult to find out why the other two girls got money and I didn't. Turns out I had a whole other round of paperwork and headache to deal with because I was born here. The process is easier for people who weren't. The problem with this was that I ran out of money in NY and had to borrow from my Mama again. Oy. They put me on a cab to my first destination, Verit's house, where I will be working on a proposal that is apparrently past due. I wished they wouldn't have been so considerate as to let it go like this. I could have done it from NY somehow...OK. Back to emails. ----------------- Oct 20, 2007 Dear Shachar, Happy, happy birthday. Wishing you a wonderful year, full of adventures and successes. All my love Ema -------------- Thanks mama! ------------- Hey Dude HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! Or I guess I should say Yom Chuledet!!! Hope you're enjoying it man. I'm on switch weekend which means I just took the final exam for the OB/GYN clerkship and am now starting Family Medicine on Mon. Should be a lot of fun - get to work with everyone from kids to old folks. Let me know how things are :) love your brother -------------- I'm doing well. Addicted to coffee again. I hit the ground running, as it were. At the airport there is an absorption (klitah) office where there was a lovely woman immigrating from Philly. Her fiance was waiting in the fiance waiting area. She called him and started apologizing because he was waiting for an hour (as if it was her fault). She clearly lacked assertiveness. A half hour later, she was on the phone apologising again, while the paperwork was being processed. I was thankful she was there because she spoke fluent Hebrew (she's religious) and English, while the immigration people spoke only Russian and Hebrew. I told her that her first lesson is that she shouldn't take shit from anyone. People will dump on her if she lets them and she deserves better. She's been told this before, but says that she was raised to be nice. I told her that she deserves better and apologized for giving advice. Later, with her fiance, I overheard her saying, 'OK, but I don't know why you're angry with ME...' I was proud. Since then, it's been a balance of working and playing and staying with collegues. Going well so far. I look forward to going to Jerusalem soon and seeing Anufi and family, as well as some of my friends... How's work in the hospital? Did you get to catch any babies? If so, did you cry? Was s/he ugly, like a prune? ---------------- Hey Shachar ! Where art though 'I've been trying to reach you on your cel.phone. So whereever you are HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!!!!!! And a big mazal tov to you ,may this year bring you joy ,happiness, and adventure hibuk gadol Anufi ------------- Hi Anufi I'm in the Nahalal area and am planning on getting to Jerusalem for a few days and to Adamama (NW of Beer Sheva) before coming back here for a meeting on Oct 31. Ma ze hibuk? I had a lovely birthday, though I like to celebrate my birth for a week, sometimes a month (so there may be many parties...) My cell phone is back in action. I put in the Orange sim chip once I landed here. 054-555-5555 (same number as before) When can we have coffee/dinner...??? --------------- Hi Chen You came up in a conversation I was having in the Galil hills with my co-worker Sarki. She knows the synagogue you work with that has a relationship with Nahalal. I'm doing well. working hard on a proposal in the north (multicultural project). See you soon... How are you? Shachar ------------- And you came up in a conversation day before yesterday when I bumped into your cousin Anufi as I was hiking from Bethlehem back to my house. Work hard, fly right! I will be up in Sakhnin tomorrow where I drop my group off and return to Jerusalem. I have two days free and then continue working proverbial ass off. Be well and see oyu soon. --------------

Slow Foods Recipes

Shachar — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 17:05:59 GMT

For a more printable version go to http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dgg9cn4p_32hg8sqv Folks in the city these days are in such a rush that often the simple, important things in life are passed by and forgotten. The Slow Foods movement is about making living delicious. This bag of simple recipes are meant to be prepared with a loved one. The keys here are: have fun, keep it simple, keep it balanced (flavors and oil/acidity), taste it, smell it and paint it on your friend's skin with your finger. I don't give quantities because I don't know how much you like. Put in what seems good to you, and remember, if it's not just right you can add more, but you can't take it out once its in. Part of slow fooding is finding high quality ingredients. So, for fresh herbs or veggies, it is best to buy locally grown organic goodies, or to grow your own. Farmers markets are becoming fun places to meet friends and other likeminded folks. Buying local food whenever possible also creates a more interwoven and stronger local economy, which is an antidote to the problems created by globalization. I'm not opposed to globalization, but I think that making our communities more beautiful, inter-connected and self-sufficient is crucial in the long run and a priority to the global market. Besides, re-prioritizing the simple, most important things in life is likely to bring to focus those immediately around you (if not right there with you.) This is another reason to localize. Here are some (probably non-local) staple ingredients to have on hand and use with local veggies/grains: Balsamic Vinegar Olive oil A pot of soil and fresh basil, thyme and oregano. Water it twice a week and make sure to cut flowers, unless you're ready for it to seed and die. Cumin Your favorite curry spice mix Red or white wine Trader Joe's amazing fish seasoning herb mix Fresh peppercorn grinder Soy sauce, chili paste and fish sauce (if you like Asian food) ..veggie burger patties.. This is for making a bunch of veggie burgers out of leftovers. In a mixing bowl, mix finely chopped or food processed veggies, onions, cooked grains and lentils/beans (no need to food process these, unless they're big beans), mushrooms, parsley, herbs, salt, pepper. Use whatever you got, as long as it seems like it'll be good. Stir in a handful of flour and hot water or soup then 2-4 eggs (optional) to make it stick better. Add a dallop of oil. Oil your hands a bit and make patties thin enough to cook through. bake on baking sheets/pans for 12-18 minutes at 350 degrees, until you can smell the patties. When they cool, put them carefully into an old bread bag or a reusable container, close it and put it in the freezer for a quick toasted burger when you gotta get going and don't feel like making a mess. Italian Meal Options ..Pasta Salad.. Cook whole grain Penne Pasta (or rotelle, just not long noodles) Put into bowl. Toss in Garbanzo or red beans and any other whole canned beans. Pour in Balsamic vinaigrette (Balsamic, dijon, olive oil) Saute (transl 'jump') Veggies choose a few from (onions, garlic, thyme or basil, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, chard, small tomatos, get wild! Top with salt, fresh ground pepper and either feta or parmazan cheese or nutritional yeast if you're not into dairy (its rich in whole protien and B vitamins for your brain). ..Lasagna.. Oil the pan. Put a thin layer of pasta sauce on the bottom to prevent burning. Add a layer of veggies chopped kinda small. Whatever you like. Broccoli, carrots, onions, zuccini, spinach, chard. In a bowl, mix either riccota or cottage cheese or for vegans - tofu mixed with nutritional yeast and salt. Add an abundance of fresh or dry herbs to the cheese (pick one - thyme or rosemary or basil or oregano), some parmazan and a couple eggs to hold things together. Either make wild, artistic designs with this mix, or sensuously smooth it with a big spoon. Sprinkle mozzarella. Lay down a layer of either matza or moistened, oven ready lasagna noodles. Add a good amount of Balsamic Vinegar to your pasta sauce to balance the oiliness of the cheese. Spread sauce...repeat until the pan is full. Oil some foil and cover. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes, then uncover so as to brown the cheese on top for 15 minutes. ...Antipasta/Salad... Tender greens, toasted nuts, tomatoes are the base. If you want sweet, add chopped friut, dried berries and balsamic vinaigrette (vinegar, dijon mustard, honey and oil) or Rasberry vinaigrette (i don't know a good recipe) - some like a little blue cheese for contrast with the sweet. If you want savory, add fresh herbs, salt pepper, feta or parmazan, cucumbers and go with a less sweet dressing like red wine or rice vinaigrette, italian, caesar, tzaziki yogurt sauce (see below), or just squeeze some lemon/lime juice. ..Roasted Veggies.. In a big bowl, mix chopped rosemary, garlic and olive oil. Make large slices of any veggies that cook quick (zuccini, tomato, onion, eggplant..) and thinner slices of potatos, yams, beets, and/or carrots.. Mix veggies with rosemary and oil so that every veggie has a little love. Break up a bulb of garlic and toss in the cloves whole, no need to skin it. Spread over baking pan. Sprinkle salt, pepper and bake at 400 for about 15 minutes, until you smell it cooking just right. ..Anchovi sauce.. In a small saucepot on low heat cook together a can of anchovis with a good amount of crushed garlic and olive oil. Add crushed chili if you want. Stir occasionally until anchovies dissolve. Will cause stinky breath, but its worth it! ..Pasta Etchetchi.. Sicilian common folk food. Cook shell or penne pasta. Add some cooked garbanzos, crushed garlic, chili, lots of rosemary and a bay leaf. Salt and fresh ground pepper. Parmazan if you desire. ..minestroni zupe.. Basically a chunky, tomato based soup with almost anything in it. A one pot meal, if you like. In a soup pot saute onions and garlic. Throw in chunky choped veggies such as broccoli, carrots, green beans, squash, potato, sweet potato, chard, celery. Add a bunch of chopped fresh or canned vine ripened tomatos. Add a good amount of your favorite herb. Add water. Toss in penne pasta and cooked or fresh beans of your choice. Salt, peppa and balsamic or lemon till it tastes just right. Garnish with fresh basil or parsley. ..dumplings to cook in the bubbling soup.. Soak stale bread in milk or water. Blend wet bread in food processor with chard or spinach or parsley. Blend in salt, pepper, parmazan (or n yeast), a dallop of oil, two eggs to hold it together and anything you wanna add. Blend, blend. With a small spoon, scoop little dumplings into simmering soup. If they rise to the top, push em back in to make sure they cook through. Clean food processor right away or you'll wish you did later when its crusty. Leaving Italy, but still on the Mediterranean... ..fish with seasonings.. Get your favorite fish. In your palm, crush the Trader Joes fish seasonings. Cook, either in pan, oven or bbq/campfire. Salt, pepper, lemon. ..Asperagus, butter, thyme and garlic.. The title says it all. Don't cook too long or too hot or you'll have limp, burnt out fallic symbols. Bake or cook in a pan. ..shakshuka-busy mama/papa breakfast.. In pan saute lots of medium-chopped onion. Its ok if onion burns a bit, you're busy and it adds flavor. Add crushed garlic and a little chili. Chopped canned tomato. Your favorite herb. When its bubbling, drop eggs into sauce and cover on lower heat for a few minutes. Have with bread or steamed chopped potato. ..Hummus to rock your holy places.. Cook garbanzos, add chopped onion When soft and water is at top level of beans, turn off heat. Add cumin, lemon peal (grated or tiny cuts) crushed garlic and sesame tahini. Salt n peppa. Crush with a thick piece of tree branch. Garnish with olive oil, parsley, cumin or paprika. ..taboule salad.. Soak milled bulgur wheat in boiling water. Cover. In a bowl crush a little garlic and chili. Add lemon juice. Stir in a good amount of flat leaf parsley and some fresh mint. Add chopped tomato, green onion and cooked bulgur. Salt and pepper. ..yogurt sauces.. In a bowl, crush garlic, a little chili, lemon juice, salt, pepper. Add plain organic yogurt. Stir in chopped herbs (basil or flat parsley or dill or mint) thin with water. Use as dip, sauce, dressing or stir in sliced cucumbers or zucchinis and call it tzaziki. There is a song that has been translated differently in different countries. I forgot what song, but I remember a translation from Espana. 'Im looking for a lover who will eat me like a lobster in pink sauce.' I love pink sauce. ..pink sauce.. Make or buy your favorite tomato sauce. Add plain yogurt and hot sauce if you're kinky. Use as dip, spread or pasta sauce. ..Israeli sesame halva spread.. Mix 2-3 parts tahini to 1 part honey (i prefer raw honey) spread on crackers, toast, etc.. Movin' East - The land of Namaste' ..lasse.. No, this recipe is not about young men or dogs. Its a cooling Indian yogurt drink. Mix yogurt, cold water and either Sugar or Blend it with frozen mango or berries with a bit more sugar if you like it sweet. Honey won't melt in there. I've already tried. Some folks add salt. Slurp and burp ..steamed veggies with garam masala coconut dressing.. Heat a pot of coconut milk with garam masala spices, a little sugar, salt and a bit of starch mixed into a thin paste with water to thicken. Slice 1/2 - 1 cm slices of sweet potatos, beets and carrots. Steam them. The beets bleed on the other veggies providing a perfect base for the sauce to artistically adorn. Very pretty side dish! ..curried veggies.. Chop veggies (onions, garlic, cauliflour, potatos, peas, carrots, etc..) In a big enough pot or pan or wok, cook oil with curry spices. When you smell it, but before it burns, add onions, garlic and pretty soon veggies. If you're using any tender veggies (tomatos, zuccini, eggplant, chard...), add these in final stage of cooking. Add Salt. ..Mango or apricot or apple chutney.. Chop and steam fruit in saucepot. Add chopped, crushed chili, ginger, cinnamon and a bit of clove. Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. Going to Thailand... (if you're not into fish, you can leave out the fish sauce, though it adds a distinctive SE Asia flavor. Apparently, you can get vegetarian fish sauce from some Vietnamese markets). These delicious recipes were taught to me by my kind friends Yao and Krit at You Sabai Home connected with Pun Pun and Baan Thai ecovillages in northern Thailand. They were great folks and ran awesome cooking courses with a beautiful view, so if it doesn't turn out right, go to You Sabai, stay in an earthen home and learn from the experts. ..veggies with your favorite curry.. From Asian market, buy a little tub of your favorite green, red or matsuman curry paste. Make sure it has crushed lemon grass, crushed garlic, keffir lime, coriander (seed and root), crushed chili, crushed galangal, (you can make it fresh in a food processor or mortar/pestle if you want less chili, but it can be hard to source the fresh ingredients. Make sure you crush everything before blending to bring out the flavors. It keeps well in the fridge. Here are some recipes online. ) In wok, cook coconut milk or thinned coconut cream with curry paste (careful, its picante) for a minute. Add soy sauce and fish sauce to taste. Make it stronger than you want in your bowl because the veggies and rice dilute its flavor. Add chopped fresh non-tender veggies (potatos and pumpkin first to cook, in a couple minutes add green beans, broccoli, tofu, mushrooms, carrots, etc...) garnish with fresh cilantro/corriander and/or torn keffir lime leaves. ..tom yum hed/tofu - hot and sour soup.. In a pot or wok heat water. Crush fresh chilis, garlic and lemon grass. Toss it in and simmer until fragrant. Add soy and fish sauces till delicious broth. Add veggies, mushrooms and/or firm tofu. Garnish with torn keffir lime leaves. ..som tum - hot, sour, sweet salad.. In large, sturdy bowl crush/mash the following in order. Chili, garlic, thai tamarind paste (Indian is different for some reason) sugar. Add lime juice, soy and fish sauces and mix. Stir in shredded green papaya, carrot, zuccini, raw sweet potato. Whatever you have available. Add chopped tomato and crushed, roasted peanuts. ..glass noodle salad.. Soak glass noodles in salad bowl, leaving room to stir in other veggies. Fry firm tofu till crunchy skin. Chop veggies (tomato, green bean, chard, carrot, etc..) Test noodles for softness, drain them and gradually stir in veggies and tofu while drizzling in soy and fish saues and either lemon juice or rice vinegar. ..Mangos on rice with coconut cream.. Soak and steam white sticky rice. In a saucepot cook coconut milk with unrefined or palm sugar and a bit of salt. Put steamy, finished rice in searving dish and slowly pour in sweetened milk until it touches the whole body of rice. Cover and let it get hot and sexy with the rice. With leftover sweet milk, add some starch paste to thicken and you can add cinnamon and cardomom for variety, but its delicious without. Slice yellow mango. Put on top of sexy rice and decorate with thickened milk.

Community Weaving

Shachar — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 15:41:18 GMT

COMMUNITY WEAVING Description of the current situation and the need of this project The Galilee region of Israel is characterized by Arab and Jewish neighborhoods and villages in close proximity to each other. Nevertheless, due to a disconnect between cultures, riots erupted at the beginning of this decade. The tension has only heightened after the recent war with Hezbollah. Maarag has been facilitating dialogs between groups of people for over 15 years, but after the war, it was difficult to restart relations, both sides knowing how volatile a discussion can become. Some people from both communities trusted Maarag enough to engage in facilitated dialog, despite the intense feelings. They agreed to listen, respect and try to understand, even if they don't agree. The participants felt a lot of anxiety at the onset, as they embarked on the project by sharing and learning about each other's hopes, dreams and fears regarding the group. Amongst the hopes and dreams were, "to be understood"; "to have a safe place and be respected"; "to have 'real' meaningful relationships"; "to have a chance to get to know the other culture, the other angle of the story"; "to enjoy ourselves together"; and showing the latent potential in the participants that Community Weaving is bringing to fruition, "to lead a change" and "to show the way to others on both sides”. Amongst the fears stated were, "to stay within the superficial, politically correct boundaries", and on the other hand, many said, "to get hurt"; "to be misunderstood"; "to hurt others"; "not managing to be able to form a deep discussion"; "not doing anything significant"; and "if, G-d forbid, there would be another war, we will not be able to stick together”. Through approaches developed over years of facilitating meaningful dialog, the participants became much more comfortable as we continued to meet. We shared personal stories, talked about allowing space for all angles of our collective history. We exercised cooperation and leadership skills, playing games that gave us a chance to trust each other and inspect the feelings that arose. Mostly, we had a lot of fun growing closer to each other, learning about the similarities in being women, mothers, daughters and spouses, while learning to listen respectfully to the differences. The participants decided to plan and organize a joyful shared event. During the course of the Community Weaving dialogs, participants developed peace building skills, as well as leadership skills as they found common ground and planned the event together; an accomplishment that will lead to further cooperative efforts. The program encourages and supports participants as they plan and organize together for a better quality of life. Participants in this program are finding themselves emerging as leaders in their communities who are learning skills and accomplishing what seemed highly unlikely at the onset. They said that they want to continue with the program and want to do more events and cooperative projects together. Maarag needs funding to pay for facilitator time to build upon the successes of last year and find more people from other neighboring villages who want to participate in similar dialog and cooperative endeavors. As well as nurturing leadership amongst our participants, we are encouraging them to collaborate with existing leaders in their communities, thus bringing them into the cooperative endeavors. As the Community Weaving project grows, we will see mutually improved quality of life achieved in a way that enables more widespread understanding, tolerance and appreciation between people of otherwise antagonistic communities. We would like to see the program expand this year to 4 more pairs of communities. PURPOSE - for what, why this project is important. We do not expect to create a perfect, utopian nation where everyone agrees on everything, but it is vital that we make sure to keep communication and cooperation channels open between communities. Doing so involves meeting regularly to share our stories, concerns and ideas while listening compassionately to each other. Compassionate listening involves an agreement to listen and try to understand without interrupting, even if we disagree, and to be willing to be changed by what we learn from each other. This practice allows for successful reconciliation and cooperation amongst people who would otherwise be fully separate. A division which leads to misunderstanding and often an adversarial relationships characterized by fear and prejudice. When ordinary citizens and leaders of communities come together regularly to share personal stories and work together on mutually beneficial projects, trust and understanding are developed, the quality of life in an area is improved and bridges of relationships are built between communities preventing the dangers of separation. PROJECT STRATEGY Maarag would like to build upon the successful reconciliation between two pairs of groups that we facilitated last year. Members of these groups are eager to involve the leaders of their communities to become a part of a reconciliatory narrative dialog and begin to work together on a long term project that would benefit everyone involved. We have a few ideas about projects, but would like to get the input of a larger portion of these communities before we collectively decide and begin to work together. Meanwhile, once a foundation of mutual understanding and reconciliation has been achieved through the practice of narrative dialog and compassionate listening, each pair of communities will implement short term projects/events that will show members of these communities that we can do positive things together. The successes of these short term, achievable projects will serve as a reminder to keep going when we face challenges in the long term project. Maarag will also reach out to other communities, inviting them to engage in groups similar to our two pilot groups. What have we done in the last couple of years including description of the war and it's impact, hardship and new challenges in our new reality… During the last year we engaged mainly in healing and recuperating from the damages of last summer's war. That war had an immense effect on the sense of personal secureness, the social climate, the way people trust (or do not trust) each other and more. People in this region are largely in a subconscious survival state of mind, causing any interactions with the 'other' to be rife with mistrust. These conditions made it more difficult to get mixed groups organized. We had to push away what felt like tons of distress. For these reasons, and despite the difficulties that we're facing, we find this program especially important these days. Building a solid group that can be safe enough for all the participants and to allow some meaningful interactions and honest, open communication was not easy. Many of the Arab participants have had some experience with mixed groups (facilitated by other organizations) and carried some inhabited disappointed feelings that had to be dismantled. Some of the Jewish women were new immigrants from South America (some have been in Israel for less than 2 years) and never met an Arab before, but were fed only on prejudice and second hand information While at the first few meetings the Jewish women kept to themselves, sat together etc, as did the Arab group, it was obvious on our day spent together that by now true alliances of single individuals were created What's for next year? The immediate goals for the next year are to keep the two groups in process working and to add more groups that will start the first stage. The number of the new communities that will be able to join the project is dependent upon the sources that will be at our disposal. The four goals for this year are: 1) Keeping the on-going groups active and flourishing. 2) Building a "FAN" of new groups deriving from the currently active ones (from the active communities). The idea is that the "mother" group will foster or "inaugurate" the "youngest" group. It may very well be that in the long run, they will execute projects together or mingle in any other way. The direction and priorities will be set by participants, as we facilitate their efforts within the delicate context of multicultural dialog, reconciliation and cooperation. 3) Building common projects as the pragmatic, applicative second phase of the program 4) Reaching out for new communities.

Mother of Invention : Wangari Maathai and the Green Belt Movement

Shachar — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 15:29:09 GMT

Her smile beamed contagiously as she walked on stage amidst an audience of clapping guests in New York's Natural History Museum. When the applause diminished she began to fill the quiet auditorium with her story, told in a unique Kenyan/Kansas accent. As a young girl Wangari Maathai's brother asked their mother why he was going to school, but Wangari was not. This innocent curiosity led her to enroll her daughter, who did not know what writing was, into a village school 3 miles from their home. While walking to school with her cousin Jono(than), she was amazed when he showed her how he can magically write on paper, and just as magically rub it off with an eraser. A scholarship program brought her, as well as Barak Obama's father to an American university. She studied biology and was eventually hired as a Lab Technician in a Veterinary clinic, while maintaining her academic inquiries. In Kenya she was disturbed by the academic barriers that she faced. She went to a conference on womens' issues to discuss her struggle and met rural women who were not aware of academic gender bias. In rural areas, the women were concerned with basic survival needs in a country where the native ecosystem and ways of life were being replaced by profit based mono-culture farming. Noticing that these basic needs required a healthy environment, Wangari wrote for a grant to hire women in a reforestation endeavor that eventually spread throughout Africa. She was surprised with a $100,000 US grant that enabled them to start the Green Belt Movement (www.greenbeltmovement.org) that has grown into a democratic force that has done much more than plant 40 million trees (a huge task in itself). Starting off with the goal of creating a healthy environment, Wangari explains in her new book how their mission became “To empower individuals worldwide to protect the environment and to promote good governance and cultures of peace.” With a good dose of irony and humor, Wangari spoke about some of the challenges they faced. When they began buying trees from the foresters, Wangari asked for 15 million trees. They thought she was being foolish and didn't start massive planting. When the foresters ran out of trees to sell, Wangari realized the blessing and encouraged the women to learn how to start baby trees themselves. They became 'foresters without degrees'. Paying people to plant trees encouraged them to say that they planted more than they actually did, so the Green Belt Movement (GBM) hired monitors to travel around and make sure that people were doing things properly. These monitors also taught women techniques that other women discovered along the way, making their efforts easier and more productive as they learned and taught each other. Another difficulty that they encountered was that many of their problems were caused by corrupt officials given the role of protecting the common good. They began to expose these corruptions, to the disdain of the people in power at the time. Wangari laughed when she told us that they came to her and told her that she'll need to stop exposing peoples' wrongdoings and she responded that it is exactly what they need to do so that they can achieve their goals. She was then jailed and beaten. When she got out, she persisted in her benevolent mischief and was eventually elected to Parliament by a 98% vote. I was stunned and overjoyed to learn how this woman whose gender relegated her to a primary role in the kitchen, became a national and international leader. And she didn't plan any of it. They were 'playing by ear' most of the way through; figuring it out as they go. These people didn't invent any device, but they invented a good living from necessity and desperation, regaining control over their lives and community by reviving their ecosystem. She told the audience that the most important thing about a movement is to educate the people involved. When we do that, the work of the movement takes life beyond the leaders in the movement. If they were to disappear, the people are now empowered with the knowledge to keep up the good work. Wangari works with the belief that informed, inspired and engaged people have the power to stand up and overcome unjust conditions, creating a life of dignity and joy in their communities. When she spoke about why the Nobel Prize committee selected an environmental activist, rather than a peace negotiator, I felt a rush of validation. She put to words a prime motivation for the water wise permaculture work that I'm embarking on. She said that every war, even ones disguised in religious fervor are actually wars over resources. 'To be able to live in peace, we need to manage resources respectfully; including everyone concerned in the decision making process.' I was reminded of a quote in an Oxfam documentary where someone said that 'if a man can't feed his family, he will pick up a gun and fight.' Certainly Wangari Maathai, Rachel Carson, William McDonough, Vandana Shiva and countless others show why and how we must protect the air and water from toxins and maintain ecosystems that provide food, medicine and for our spiritual needs. A healthy ecosystem can re-balance our inharmonious activities (carbon dioxide sinking in forests, water purification in wetlands, and so on...) A question we must now begin to address is, how will we go about making decisions about the fair distribution of resources, especially as population is rising fast and clean water is becoming more and more scarce in much of the world? Shachar Erez

Shachar Erez

Shachar — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 19:03:20 GMT

I was born in Nahariyah and spent my formative years in Kibbutz Adamit. The photos of my parents' wedding shows Ema's belly at about 7 months with my sister. My parents got ready for the pleasant surprise of having children. I admire their ability to change their lives and put their children first. On the Kibbutz the children were the focus. But, family members in Los Angeles were getting Alsheimers and heart disease, so we moved to Los Angeles when I was 6. It wasn't an easy transition for me. I learned English fast, and because my American parents were helping me to learn, I forgot Hebrew at the same time. I didn't need it anymore. I entered a society that was satiated by entertainment rather than playing together. I started needing to learn to fight. I started watching TV and wanting what the other kids' parents gave them. I played sports and video games with my friends, but the real melting pot was the school. Everyone around in one place. I remember every project that involved exploration and creativity. Unfortunately, there were way too few projects. It was mostly about memorizing stuff that wasn't quite relevant to my life at the time, and being tested. It was when I began providing childcare and having more educational choices that I truly began to live beautifully. When the goal of the place is to play and you're caring for amazing little people, your life starts changing. Then, in college, where an environment of exploration and creativity made me fascinated with school again I embarked on an adventure of discovery and joyful service that has always described my life since then. I get a lot of joy when connecting with people; learning people's ambitions and gifts so that I can help them make it happen. I also get a lot of satistaction from the simple beauty that nature gives life to. The taste of a crisp apple. The sound of laughter. Music and stories. A kiss. I often find myself in fun, fascinating places. I've helped to run recreation centers and a summer camp. I've worked with community members to start and run a service learning apprenticeship program for people with disabilies. I've learned about how pain is a signal that its a good idea to adapt and develop ways of living that feel delightful. I helped found Fair Trade Los Angeles, a grassroots coalition growing the Fair Trade movement in Los Angeles. And I packed the memories, talents and lessons learned into a bag with some clothes and went traveling from sustainable ecovillage to organic farms to explore the world and enjoy the simple beauty of nature. I traveled some of the states, to Northern Thailand and most recently, to Israel. Everywhere I went, I found kind, sincere and playful people. What an amazing adventure! I initally went to Israel thinking, 'I'll live in a garden and go tutor in English by doing fun activities in English. Perhaps I can volunteer with an organization that helps people to become resourceful and live the lives they envision.' While in Israel I've found many gardens, played a lot and started helping the NGO Shatil as a grant editor. What I didn't expect was to be in a place where everyone I meet is so full of life and genuine kindness. I found Israeli people to be both deep and funny at the same time. There is a sense of laughing, even at the difficult things in life. I found a place where people appreciate it when I ask, 'How can we make it work?' And fully go for it. In Israel I feel a sense of being a part of a family, wherever I go. In Israel, in a different way than the familiarity of California and the caring of the people I grew up with, I feel like I'm home. I opened the intro to a book on Taoism. The writer's grandma told him that when you're disconnected from your roots, you're like a weed adrift without being able to provide like you would if you were home. In Israel I've found that the soil is fertile for me to become more fully who I can be. For a while I have been envisioning living in a beautiful, sustainable permaculture garden with wonderful people who invite people for uplifting retreats. In Israel I found myself there. I've decided to develop resources for people from different backgrounds to build the communities they envision. In Israel, this is the work that I'm doing. I've realized that I'm ready to truly fall in love. Before long, it happened. For over a century, Israel has been a chance for Jews to create a home for Jews. I want to help make that home an even more wonderful place to live. I am working with MAARAG to develop resources for more multicultural education, dialogue and cooperation. I am also working with Adamama to develop it into a sustainable living center where farmers can learn to grow food with very little water. Plus, I like cooking, gardening, playing and the attitute of 'ha kol le tovah'. I am grateful to those who help make Aliyah possible for helping us to get going strong in Israel. I can certainly use the resources you have developed. Thank you. Shachar Erez ps. Here is my set of ideas. While in CA -Ayala and family -Wellness and recovery centers -Educational programs in community relationships, sustainable development - for tours - international sybiosis -Rural Development -Urban Permaculture -ecotourism networks In Israel Create with communities a couple ecotours -Start at the Arava Institute. Bike/van around to surrounding centers - talk with Dana and Ben Shapiro and Naomi -Projects at Adamama -Explore Jerusalem from nearby campgrounds - make maps of surrounding places - bike/van -Morning and dinner circles - share ideas, questions, plan together - go play Chamama Cooperative -Local wild and amazing plants -Fungi that heals water -Foods that eat moisture in the air -Trees to go along mulch creeks - gardens around -helpful native critters -Seedbank and sales Talk with Wiserearth and Idealist forums

strange dream

Shachar — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 05:06:45 GMT

While in Israel I had a dream. A beautiful woman whom I've never met and I were having fun together. We found ourselves alone in a room and started making out. I looked in her eyes and had a sure feeling that I want to have kids with her. This, of course, woke me up. I thought, 'I don't know this woman. It must be nature's way of telling me that I'm ready to be a papa.' I was looking at those one-piece baby jump suits and going, 'ohhh..soo cute! gubu gubu...' About 9 days later I went to another organic farm. The woman who was in my dream was at the farm!! I looked at her and thought, 'That's the woman who was in my dream!' But I stayed quiet about it. I was talking with these new people and having a good time. She wasn't being as friendly as the rest of them, so I thought, 'Nahh. The one in my dream was very kind and friendly.' The next day I started talking with her and getting to know her. She didn't respond much at first, but then she seemed to get comfortable and softened up. It was then that I sensed the same kindness and friendliness and playfulness as the one in my dream. 'It is her!' I wanted to be sure so I looked closely in her eyes and had no doubt after that. I found that she's wonderful with kids. She loves being in nature. She told me a few times that she's ready to start a family. About 3 weeks later it felt right to tell her, even though I was afraid. I asked her if she wanted to hear about a magic dream. She did, so I told her. She asked me why it was so scary. I let her know that I'm afraid of commitment and that we come from two different ways of life. She said, 'It's OK. Let's let time...' I breathed a sigh of relief. When spending time with her I'm in awe at her beauty. I stare sometimes, feeling so lucky. She's kind and smart and playful and honest. These are features I've always been drawn to. But, she isn't like anyone I've had a crush on before. She's shy, not outgoing. She is calm, not the life of the party. It's a strange feeling, this feeling. There is that warm chested infatuation thing, but also a calm. I feel comfortable and confident with her. I don't feel like trying to be anything special. I just relax and be myself and say dumb things and talk in gibberish without worrying about what she thinks of me. She seems to like me anyway. Now I'm in LA for a couple of months. I've already decided to move to Israel - hopefully in September. The above story is but one piece of a string of synchronistic events and opportunities that show me that Israel is the right place for me to be. It sounds crazy, even to me. It seems like I'm in a happy movie. I think that somehow it has to do with my practicing the attitude of "Ha kol le tovah! (It's all for good!)"

Adamit

Shachar — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 11:11:12 GMT

We began the steep climb up a windy road to the place where I spent my earliest years. The rich blue Mediterranean Sea was in view to the west. Behind us lay fields of grain and sunflowers. I asked Amos where Lebanon begins and he pointed to a hill after we wound around to view the north. There was a patrol road marking the border. The Kibbutz where I was born is buildings and orchard in a forest on a hill. Amos answered my curiosity by bringing me to visit a couple of Erez trees behind the dining hall. One of them survived a nearby rocket explosion. I touched the leaves. I looked on the ground for seeds, but not seeing any I decided that they were carried away by other critters. The fragrance of Rosemary and other herbs caressed my highly gifted nasal passageway. I picked a cumquat off a small tree and felt my face contort and a shiver accompanied the sharp pleasure of the fruit. Amos showed me the dining hall and children's house. For some reason it wasn't as familiar as I'd expected, just like re-learning Hebrew is proving to be harder than I'd hoped. We came to a staircase that went from my parent's apartment to the children's house. For some reason I felt like I've been there before. Amidst a lush grapevine, we came upon a kindfaced man named David. He recognised me, saying that I look like my father. David answered my curiosity about the grapes, saying that they make deep purple grapes and have a long fruiting season. He also showed me some volunteer tomatoes that he said also have a long fruiting season. We stopped at Dan's house and had tomato juice with Tabasco sauce. I felt an easy kinship with these people, even though Dan and I disagreed on issues such as globalization and chemical agriculture. He invited me to travel the north with him when he's on vacation. I wonder why these folks who were part of the most idealistic, socialist movement in Israel (Shomeret tza'ir) have such a different view from the idealistic realist in me.

A Whole New World

Shachar — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 14:33:07 GMT

I decided to visit another permaculture project called Adamama (Mother Earth) that I've heard good things about. Gur sounded like a kind man on the phone and when he picked me up from the bus stop, I could tell that I am in good hands. The farm has fruit trees and gardens everywhere, as well as a large plant nursery. They have numerous workshops here as well as a summer recreation day camp for local kids. I'm having a good time living naturally and eating well. I got in touch with Ma'an, a Bedouin women's NGO that I've been helping over email. We wanted to meet face to face and since they are in the nearby city of Beer Sheva, I set out today to have lunch with them. My good good friends arrived to visit last night and we were having a wonderful time. We decided to tramp (hitchhike) to Beer Sheva together, but when a car came with enough room for only 2, we decided that I would go because I was running late. Before we parted Merav taught me a hebrew tramper's song. It basically means, Good people. Very good people. They know the way. Good people. Very good people. I will go with them. I think it gets us thinking positively and helps to stay positive as the cars pass us by. I interpret it to mean that the right people will pick us up. When I got to the main road, I was waiting for about 20 minutes when a lady with a tight colorful shirt showing off her big boobs got onto the road about 50 meters from me. Once she stuck her finger out, a car stopped. I looked at my boobs and wondered at the injustice! Why is it that there are more right people for her than for me? It's all for good...Ha Kol Le'tovah. The right people will come. Just then my phone rang with an unfamiliar number. It was a lady who heard about my grantwriting and found my number from people I've been working with from www.shatil.org.il , including the women I was on my way to meet with. She lives in the north, near Nahalal and wants to meet with me about the possibility of us working to create projects that weave cultures together. Wow!!! Their name is Ma'arag, which means weave. This and yesterday I started talking with Gur about fundraising for an heirloom, water wise seed bank project!! He said that he can't pay me salary, but that I can get paid with commission if the grant is successful. Great! Heirloom (natural) seedbanking is very important to me as the genetically altered seeds are taking over the world's farmlands and because they are engineered to only have one fruitful generation causing our dependence on the profit motivated companies for our food supply. Plus, a better variety of foods adds color to our lives. Bringing people from different cultures to work together is also very important to me because I think that it creates a garden of understanding and cooperation rather than fear and hate. It reminds me of a guy who fixed up a bus to be a home telling me that I have to decide what I want and then ask for it. He was right. Holy mole!

Bedouin flowers in the desert

Shachar — Mon, 28 May 2007 08:14:56 GMT

I got involved with a popular education organization called Shatil (seedling) www.shatil.org.il that supports the work of grassroots organizations in Israel. They tend to help the people who are most outside the system and who have the least resources. I let them know that I would be happy to edit grant proposals and reports. Soon after I started working on a report from a Bedouin women's group called Ma'an (together). Their culture is losing it's nomadic and agrarian ways to urbanization. This change makes their tradition of keeping women in the home into one in which women don't contribute to the family the way they would if they were farming and raising kids to work on the farm. Many women would rather get an education and go to work. They decided to do this and were encountered by an uproar from the men in their lives. So Ma'an decided to have discussions with men to develop alliances for the change that is needed. With the help of Shatil they wrote to Oxfam UK for money to make these discussions happen. I was given a report in very broken English to edit with the goal of making it into one in which Oxfam will know about their accomplishments so that they will continue to give them money as needed. While changing it into proper English I noticed some issues that may cause Oxfam some concern and emailed these concerns to the ladies. They explained it to me and I was able to explain the situations in such a way that Oxfam will understand. When in one of the emails, the lady who wrote the report thanked me for the help and said that she hopes we can meet soon, my heart warmed. I was just thinking the same thing. I knew them by email and it would be nice to have coffee and meet face to face. I soon got another project that involved writing a grant proposal for a program to train Bedouin women who are bilingual to become mediators between the Bedouin communities and the medical centers. Most Bedouins who don't speak Hebrew or English were not getting medical help while their traditional lives were impacted by the larger society, giving them western maladies that western doctors can help them with. I spoke with a staffmember at Shatil who explained the idea for the project. We discussed various details, with me taking notes. I wrote the grant proposal and it was received with enthusiasm. The lady at Shatil asked if there was anything she can do for me. She wanted to give back somehow. I've been enjoying this grantwriting thing and asked if I can get hired part time to edit grant proposals and reports...let's see what happens.

Ha kol le tovah - all is for good

Shachar — Mon, 28 May 2007 07:01:49 GMT

Fajoya flowers are in bloom in one of the trees here. They are incredible! I hear that the fruit is worth waiting around for. Every morning I wake up without an alarm, which is a great way to start the day. I let the chickens out of their house, change the water, give them food and collect eggs. I choose a compost pile to give my warm, nutritious pee pee. A lot of my friends are still sleeping, so I quietly get a fruit to take for my morning walk. Sometimes I take off my shirt to feel the sun on my body while I stretch. When I get back, people are awake and we have breakfast and talk about our ideas for the day. The good life! Mud on my fingers. Good physical work with time to help edit grant proposals via email. Fresh herbs all the time. Do you have any idea how delicious fresh herbs and veggies taste when they come from an organic garden? But for some good reason, for a while I was feeling homesick. Even though I knew that I'm with super kind people, I felt uncomfortable and lonely. There is a theory floating around that we tend to seek situations that give us opportunities to become more whole. Its as if there is always a new part of our nature that needs an initiation to be born into our everyday lives. So often without knowing it, we who want to live up to our full potential, face difficulties or challenges that are often of our own creation. By overcoming life's challenges, we discover qualities within us that were buried under a lifetime of untended wounds. We become more of who we were born to be, able to share gifts that we always admired in our everyday heros. I've accomplished much in my young life and have had many rich experiences. If a meteor falls on my head today, I'm not too scared because I've been living a good life. I've flown around the sun over 31 times. At an age when most of my peers are finding their niche and settling down, I've picked up my bag and decided to travel around the world. Although I know that before too long building a nest will be my joy, this year I'm exploring the richness of the natural world. I'm finding myself in new situations that attract me, help however I can, and learn from the humbling experience of being in unfamiliar situations. When I got here I started to give of myself as much as I could. I fixed things, made delicious food, did hard work without complaint. I think that these are wonderful things to do, but there was an eagerness to impress the kind ladies here that wasn't healthy. I was trying to be seen as Mr. Superwonderful, but it made me and my companions uncomfortable. Trying to be Mr. Superwonderful I wasn't being Mr. Shachar Erez. Instead, I was being Mr. Unnatural. I was feeling strange energy between myself and one of the folks here. I asked her about it and she told me that it was a problem for her. I wasn't sure if I was responsible or if she was trippin on something, so I asked someone else. She told me that she can tell that I'm a god person, but for some reason, she can't connect with me. She then told me that this rarely happens. Then I knew that I'm responsible for the awkwardness. I opened up to understand what's happening, get the lesson and heal. While gardening on Shavu'ot the realization that I was trying to impress people and that I don't need to do that dawned on me. I don't need to try to be happy all the time. I just need to feel whatever I'm feeling. I don't need to impress people with great accomplishments. I just need to be present with people and do, as Mother Teresa taught, small things with great love. Not great things with the desire to hear people say, 'Wow! He's great! It sure is good to have him around.' I talked with another friend about it and she was noticing the same awkwardness. She started to give me advice and basically told me exactly what took me days to realize. How did she know? Anyway, I think she talked with the other girls about it because soon after the one who most obviously uncomfortable came and gave me a sweet hug. I'm realizing for that most of my life I've been seeking people's approval. I wanted to be important to people. Thinking that I need to be a better person for people to like me. No wonder I get anxious and feel innadequate. I felt that to be liked, I needed to be better than who I am. I was never good enough. Rationally I know that I am good enough, and naturally likeable, at least by the people who groove with my vibe. I don't need to try to be anything. I just need to open my eyes and breathe. Everything else is icing on the cake. I know that deep inside I'm a big wonderful kid with a pure heart. Now the practice is to remember that.

Seedlings (Shatilim)

Shachar — Tue, 15 May 2007 19:12:25 GMT

Nighttime lead my feet towards my room when I stopped to say hi to a new person who was laying on a hammock. Like a torrent of warm cinnamon tea, love poured from her in every word she spoke. I was somewhat shocked, or at least taken aback. Wow! She invited me to sit down and I don't remember exactly what we said to each other, but I remember the feeling that we could be good friends. I do remember Maya's passion for plants and her excitement about how well they are growing at a place called Nahalal, where she moved after finishing a permaculture course in Kibbutz Lotan. She invited me to go to a presentation about Nahalal that she and her friend will be giving the next day. Later I found out that she has a headache, and I've seen every headache dissolve by getting a person to lay on his or her back and massaging the shoulders, neck and especially the muscle right at the base of the skull. Her roommate Merav came in and I remember that she had a soft warmth that made me feel at home in front of her smile. I was happy. At the presentation I learned that Nahalal is the first moshav, which is basically an agricultural village. Nahalal is shaped like a big pie. Merav's grandfather was a founder. She told us that she started a free market where people bring what they don't want and pick up what they do want. She hosts it on the last Saturday of every month and it takes a lot of work. People thought she was crazy and didn't see the point. But it was her vision. It enables people to get together and talk and share. Within a few months 300-400 people from various backgrounds come on the market day. Some people have begun to also sell their crafts or whatever they think people will buy. Merav was smart to charge merchants 10% of their profits, so that they don't risk anything and she gets money to fund the permaculture project that she has started. The project is a baby, but from the pictures they showed, it is growing fast. I thought that they must be feeding it with lots of love. I felt a strong sense that Nahalal is a place where I can shine. Gardening, earthen building, creative projects, cooking...They invited me and in a few weeks, I took the first good opportunity to pack my stuff and go. Kibbutz Lotan is a beautiful place with many wonderful, kind and fun people that were hard to say bye to, but I had a feeling that I could get into a delicious groove in the north, and besides, it is close to the place where I was born. Upon arriving I was flabbergasted at how amazing the garden is growing...

Air Raid Siren

Shachar — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 18:36:00 GMT

As the air raid siren in Jerusalem wailed it's anguished warning, everything stopped. The siren was heard over the radio in the entire nation of Israel. I stopped washing the pans and stood silently, knowing that the entire nation, including the cars in Tel Aviv, the airport and the teachers in the schools stopped for a while and listened. It may be that the only sound heard in the Jewish state was this siren. It was the Israeli memorial day, to be followed by independence day. As I listened to the siren, I thought about the sacrifice that many people have made to defend this country; an island in a sea of enemies waiting for the right time to flood and swallow Israel in a tidal wave of war. But I couldn't feel the grief that I should be feeling until I began to grieve with the families on all sides who are suffering. It was then that my eyes began to water. This holiday, which follows Passover and the day of remembering the Shoah and the resistance to the Nazis, calls into question the need for a Jewish state, and whether Palestinians are victims in similar manners that Jews were throughout the diaspora. Many people argue that Jews pushed Arabs away from Palestine. Here is an article from an Arab American titled, "The Jews took no one's land" http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=27338 Joseph Farah shows how the land was virtually unpopulated before 1900, and that most of the population at that time were Jewish. He also explains that the prosperity created by Jewish immigrants attracted the Arabs who followed a thriving economy and democratic freedom. This being said, Farah failed to point out what this entry in Wikipedia points out; that enough Arab civilians were massacred in 1948 to cause many of them to flea in fear. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1948_Arab-Israeli_War#Demographic_outcome In some of the Arab parts of Israel and in Palestine people commemorate the Israeli day of independence as a day of catastrophe. Palestinians have tried to make their homes in the now occupied territories, Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon. Jordan welcomed them at first, but when some began to protest their situations there, thousands of dissenters were massacred. Most Palestinians live in the West Bank and Gaza in what is like a large prison made partially because of the Jewish exodus into Israel and partially because of their society's celebration of extremist violence. Before the second intifada Palestinians were allowed to cross the border to work in Israel. Today in Gaza, where Israel has withdrawn it's ill placed settlements and turned control over to the Palestinian leaders, there is a sometimes violent war between the moderate and the extremist forces. There are also over a million Arabs living throughout Israel. The parliament has Arab representation. Freeway signs are posted in Hebrew, Arabic and English showing that Israel recognizes and welcomes the diversity of people, though it is much easier to move here if you can prove to be Jewish. From what I have heard, in reality Arab Israelis experience much of the same bigotries that African American men do in the states. They are mistrusted, feared, and imprisoned at a much higher rate than any other ethnic group in Israel. I'm sure that entire books can be written about this situation while only understanding a bit of its cause, but I wonder if people resort to crimes because it is so much harder for them to get good jobs. In the USA black men can make it in the mainstream, but usually it means having to prove themselves much more than cuacasions and putting on a disguise of white culture. This departure often estranges them from people in their communities who consider them to be sellouts. I've been told by a man who does social work in Egypt that from what he can see, with all of these problems, Palestinians in Israel and the occupied territories still have a better life than those in Egypt. But a better standard of living and greater safety does not necessarily translate to a sense of dignity. How to remedy the need for dignity will require years of widespread reconciliation, or in Hebrew, slichot. He told me that hatred for Israelis is even stronger in Egypt than in Palestine because most Egyptians have never met an Israeli, so they only have the news to inform their beliefs. Television is usually quite the opposite of a humanizing force in our world. There is nothing like meeting people, sharing stories about our loved ones, working symbiotically with them, and striving to understand them. While the existence of the state of Israel causes a sense of catastrophe for many Muslims, Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe, Yemen, Ethiopia, Iran and Syria are fortunate to now live in relative safety and dignity, no longer cast aside as second class citizens. I remember learning about ships full of Shoah (Holocaust) escapees waiting in vain by the shores of Palestine and even the USA, but not allowed to land and start their lives anew. I wonder how Israel can become a place where no one is a second class citizen. I echo the words of Haile Selasie as sung by Bob Marley: "Until the philosophy which hold one race Superior and another inferior Is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned Everywhere is war, me say war That until there are no longer first class And second class citizens of any nation Until the colour of a man's skin Is of no more significance than the colour of his eyes Me say war That until the basic human rights are equally Guaranteed to all, without regard to race Dis a war That until that day The dream of lasting peace, world citizenship Rule of international morality Will remain in but a fleeting illusion To be pursued, but never attained Now everywhere is war, war" Now I can explore the main logical (non mythical/'prophetic') reason for the existence of a Jewish state in this land; the need for a place where Jews can be safe to be Jewish and build a society based on Jewish principles. A place where Jews can say to each other and to the world, 'Look what we have built and what we're leaving for our children.' Many say that given Israel's hostile surroundings, it is safer to be Jewish in the religiously tolerant Americas. There are numerous clearly Jewish neighborhoods in north and south America, which shows that Jews can thrive in these places, even with the undercurrent of hatred towards Jews that lurks mostly beneath the surface (although this has become much better during our parent's generation). There is no way for us to reasonably know what the future has in store in the Americas, which are probably slowly entering a period of greater instability. IF WE ACT PROACTIVELY, WEAVING OUR COMMUNITIES AND CULTURES TOGETHER THROUGH JOYFUL, SYMBIOTIC SERVICE, WE CAN VENTURE INTO THE FUTURE WITH CERTAINTY THAT THINGS ARE GETTING BETTER FOR US ALL. If not, then we risk repeating what happened in Poland and Germany, which were once considered the best places in the world to be Jewish. To get involved in some positive service, check out: www.idealist.org www.wiserearth.org www.resurgence.org www.yesmagazine.org

Folk School

Shachar — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 19:33:27 GMT

Do you have a skill, hobby or creative outlet that enriches your life without needing much money? If you think that others might enjoy learning it, would you like to introduce them to this new way to love life by guiding a workshop? Imagine a school where the teachers are always passionate about what they are teaching and the students can choose what they want to learn from 3 (or more) workshops weekly. People can sign up below to guide a workshop in anything from arts, music, dance, yoga/meditation, writing, plumbing, discussing scripture, planning for something juicy, or anything that you would like to offer. Inspiration education! For stories about how a few other folk schools have influenced their societies, check out: Highlander Folk School - an epicenter of the USA Civil Rights Movement - http://www.highlandercenter.org/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highlander_Research_and_Education_Center Clearwater Folk School - http://www.clearwaterfolkschool.org/ Epicurius and the Garden School http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epicurus John C. Campbell - http://www.folkschool.com/index.php?section=classes&method=by_subject

oasis

Shachar — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 18:53:53 GMT

Oasis As the bus passed the outskirts of Tel Aviv, the landscape quickly became a desert, with the shrubs fading away the deeper we drove. Our driver soared along the road that meandered amongst the hills, revealing some of the most stunning barren land that I've ever seen. Some parts of the trip had an ethiric beauty so unuasual that I felt like I was on another planet. The bus stoppped, as I asked, at a junction leading to Kibbutz Lotan, where I gathered my bags and thanked the woman next to me for letting me use her phone to call for a ride in from the road. The sky was just getting acquanted with the new night. A strong, warm breeze kept me company as I meditated while wondering which car is going to take me to the next part of my adventure. A small, white car sped down the road and stopped in front of me. I greeted the driver and got my bags. He introduced himself as Danny, I think, and told me that we'll eat dinner and I will meet Lizette, the volunteer coordinator. I didn't know until later that he is the head chef, with whom I'll be working. The dining hall seemed like an ordinary cafeteria until I noticed a wall that was ablaze with fabulous artwork. In the light of the next morning I also noticed that the windows were draped with colorful curtains; each window expressing a color scheme, which cast a nice light into the room. As I was putting salad on my plate, a couple of familiar faces popped in front of me. I felt a bit discombobulated to be in front of Mark and Julia that I lived with for a few weeks in Ithaca, NY. What a trip! What did they put in that Halva that I ate earlier? I sat down to eat with them and found out that they were part of a permaculture course. I also spoke with a woman who is taking a workshop in a water based form of gentle Shiatsu at the kibbutz spa. Gardening, spa and I'm eating yogurt made from goats living on the farm. I was already impressed. I was telling my friends that I heard about this place in Thailand from a woman who met Mark at an ecovillage gathering in Thailand. They let me know that Mark was right behind me. I turned around and met a man with a gentle way about him and let him know that Iliana from Mexico told me about Lotan when in Thailand. He and I shared a sense that Iliana is a remarkable person; he pointing to the incredible work she's doing in southern Mexico, and I remembering how graceful she is. Lizette wandered over to find me and we sat down to talk. She seemed tired and offered to get me some coffee so that we can drink together. She told me that she will be on a popular Israeli talk show in two days to let people know about the place, which recently received an award. I congratulated her in broken Hebrew, saying "kol v'...ech omrim all the honors? Oh yeah, kol ha kavod!" There was a nice vibe between us, even though I didn't want to keep her too long, knowing that she's tired. The energy from the people behind her was also exceptional and I was introduced to three people whose names I forgot, but I'll be sure to relearn. A teenage girl came up to Lizette and felt no need to hide her adoration, which seemed to be mutual. I started meeting a few other interns, volunteers and visitors from another farm. It is very easy to be comfortable here. I think these ecovillages attract some special folks and I'm happy to be a part of the movement. Walking around the kibbutz with Lisette I learned about how the kibbutz is always needing to compromise between the priorities of many different people. One example of this is that there are a few grass lawns, which use more water than the land and sky permit. Some ecologists don't understand, but parents who want their kids to have soft ground to roll around on do. Another is the difficulty of agreeing on what music to play in the kitchen. Lotan is an ecological education center. There are signs explaining how things were designed and why. I appreciate that the signs are made with pictures and are written in Hebrew, English and Arabic. It reminds me of Mirembe Kawomera, a Fair Trade coffee cooperative in Uganda that has woven together Jewish, Muslim and Christian farmers for mutual prosperity. This kibbutz is one of the few that still does things communally, such as eating and finances. There are also folks who live here, pay rent and work in the nearby city, keeping any wages above the costs of rent and transportation. This is a way to live in a kibbutz, but make money. There is something for everyone. Kibbutz Lotan is special place and has received awards partially because it has taken on a new challenge; to become ecologically responsible. One way that people here have been doing this very well is in the earthen building that is such a delightful part of walking through this village. Being here feels like being in a surrealist painting. I admire how much care and love has been put into every aspect of everything that I've seen built here. Other than providing aesthetic beauty, the walls are made of local mud, strawbales, and often used tires and non-recyclable waste packaging. In this way they are building in a way that will endure because it doesn't deplete resources or use toxins. Working in the kitchen has been both a challenge and a joy. On one hand there is the issue of music, which is easily remedied with some mutual compromise. There is also some negativity between two former friends, which I hope is resolved soon. But on the other hand, there are fresh veggies and the joy of making food for people to enjoy, albeit with a less than luxurious budget. I learned that most of the food is delivered by truck. Knowing that peple here are clearly doing the best they can, I asked why veggies aren't grown here. I was told that mostly it is due to a lack of labor, but also due to the lack of water. It seems that with lawns and showers, there is enough water to grow food and that the community would be eager for the help of people who like to garden. Growing our own food is more nutritious and causes less harm to the environment than trucking in packaged food. With ecological sustainability in mind, I've been wondering about water conservation, especially in such a dry climate. Water here is pumped from deep in the ground, which is expensive. I've also been told that the ground water is expected to run out within 80 years at the current rate of consumption. I am curious to know what conservation plans are underway to ensure that future generations can enjoy this lovely community.

My old friend Mike has revealed my true identity

Shachar — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 05:59:05 GMT

Shachar, Since I never could read those articles you send I still have no idea where you are or how your trip is going. So, I thought I'd write and ask. Where are you? How is your trip going? I'm sure you're having fun and on some wacky adventure. Just thinking about you. Goooooo fair trade! mike ---------- Hey buckarookoo! OK. I put it up on a blog. http://people.tribe.net/176cb692-2eb1-42cd-8402-05dc04bf9da I'm leaving for Israel tomorrow. I have many opportunities there and may be there for a while. Thailand has been amazing! I'm sad to leave the people I've been living with for four months. We've gotten to be quite close and loving. How are you? What's happening? Poopsie ---------- Alot lately. In the last couple of weeks I have... visited two islands, seen a million dolphins, roamed with the wild Bison, saved the life of a flamingo, celebrated two years of lovin' with Megan, visited Parama in Santa Barbara, had much fun with Rachel and Jason for their brief stay in town, and am working on a novel. Love your blogs. I will check them often if I don't hear from you. Hope you have a good time in Isreal. Can't wait to hear about it. Mike --------- rock on brutha! Is the novel about me? If so, you have my permission, even if it isn't flattering. --------- I am saving this e-mail so that legally I have the right to write a novel about you. If I did write a novel about you, it would be extremely flattering, outlining your exploits abroad and detailing your heroic efforts on the front lines of the fair trade movement. So there. mike ----------- I'm reading Zorro right now, by Isabel Allende. If you could include some swashbuckling in the story, i wouldn't complain. I was addicted after reading Eva Luna. She inspired me with her poetic writing and vivid, colorful storytelling. Zorro isn't as poetic, but that may be in the translation...it is vivid though. Shachar --------- Indeed, the mighty Shachar always appears on the scene with sword in hand, ready to scratch his trademarked "S" into the skin of his opponents who refuse to pay fair trade prices to the workers of the world. And if they still refuse, they will be made to walk the plank where many a greedy man has met his end. If the choppy waters of the sea do not do them in, and the beasts that swim beneath the surface do not eat them alive, if the elements do not detroy them due to exposure, and if they do not starve to death floating along for weeks on end, then, and only then, Shachar will take the battle to ungodly levels of legendary proportions. He will fart on them and surely then they will collapse into thier final sleep. ----------- I will be your benefactor for this project! First I need to save some money. It seems I've spent most of it. I can't even afford a sword, but fortunately I still have my swiss army knife with which I can open cans of tuna, and my little pocket pc with which I can write and even email, which is mightier than the sword anyway, but doesn't make for as harrowing of a movie. My my, that was a long sentence wasn't it? My farts are infamous for their musical proclivity, but not very powerful in their fragrance. I can disrupt a meeting of the WTO with them, but not send everyone screaming out of the conference center like I did in my dentist office living room that one day when y'all came up to Arcata for a road trip. > Poopsie G --------- Here's the revisions based on your notes: Indeed, the mighty Shachar always appears on the scene with his Swiss Army Knife in hand, and pocket PC ready to email his trademarked "S" to the C.E.O.'s of his opponents businesses who refuse to pay fair trade prices to the workers of the world. And if they still refuse, they will be made to walk the plank (which was found at the local dump, for as mighty as the mighty Shachar was, he gave all of his money to charity and could not afford to buy a new plank like the other pirates on the block) where many a greedy man has met his end. If the choppy waters of the sea do not do them in, and the beasts that swim beneath the surface do not eat them alive, if the elements do not detroy them due to exposure, and if they do not starve to death floating along for weeks on end, then, and only then, Shachar will take the battle to ungodly levels of legendary proportions. He will fart on them and surely then they will collapse into thier final sleep, the last sounds they hear, a beautiful melody, as if from a flute (or more likely an out of tune tuba), for certainly the ass of Shachar can produce notes that not even the best musician in the world could play, although legend has it that when Miles Davis was starting out he blew just such a note on his trumpet, which drew the attention of the Devil who willingly made Miles Davis famous without even having to exchange his soul. Oh yea, and then Shachar went to Isreal. How's is Isreal treating you? mike

new ancient ground

Shachar — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 07:10:43 GMT

I arrived at the old airport in Bangkok ready to let the adventure continue, in it's new way. I recognized the guy standing next to me as an Israeli. Asking if he's going to Tel Aviv we started talking and sparked up a friendship. I asked him what he likes about living in Israel, which is his favorite place to be. He said that the people are warm, kind and loving and you can leave your doors unlocked. He said that many travelers, especially from places where quiet and privacy are highly valued, find Israelis annoying becauses there is a tendency to be full of volume, questions and opinions. This is because Israelis are very alive, sincere and opinionated - not taking a moment for granted. He and his friend took me under their wings in Bangkok and showed me where the Israelis hang out. There was a lot of laughter and tobacco in the air. I was happy that I decided not to smoke tobacco until New Years Eve. In the last few minutes in Bangkok before I left for the airport, I met another new friend and helped her clarify her priorities in life. She was very kind, sincere and easy to like. We'll probably see each other again. In the taxi I asked if I could put in the new Carribean CD that I bought in Bangkok. The taxi driver was from Konkien, a city in Northeast Thailand where a good friend of mine used to live and do social work. I asked him in pidgin Thai if his family is in Konkien. He told me that they are and that he has a 5 year old girl and a 10 year old boy. He seemed very proud of them. I asked him how much it costs to get home. He knew the exact amount for a bus ride; 384 baht. He wants to be home with his family. I feel for him. We got to the airport and exchanged a warm goodbye. I forgot my CD in his car. At the airport I was waiting in line for the red eye Royal Jordanian flight. More than half of the people in the terminal seemed to be Israeli. I began talking with an organic apple farmer living in the Golan. We noticed a backpack left on the ground by the counter that didn't seem to have an owner. We told the people behind the counter, who didn't seem concerned. My companion stepped away from the bag. A minute later a man came and picked it up, apparently having forgotten it there. We talked about organic farming and he invited me to his farm during the harvest season. I also met a couple who live in Tel Aviv. They were very friendly. They guided me all the way to the train, and when my bank card didn't work in the ATM at the airport, they bought me a $5 train ticket. I got their number so that I can take them out to coffee one day soon. Everybody was very helpful in getting me to my cousin Anat's apartment in Herzliya, 20 minutes north of Tel Aviv. Anat, Rafiel and their 4 year and 8 month old daughters took me right in. I feel very comfortable and appreciated here. The spirit of childhood bounces off walls here! It's a small place, but cozy and a short walk to the center of town, allowing us to walk to get fresh veggies, baked goodies and other groceries. I went to the asian market, which is run by a kind French woman and began to cook and do dishes as my contribution to the house. I contacted my first friend from the old Bangkok airport to hang out in Tel Aviv. He told me that his flight home earlier on the same day that I left with Royal Jordanian went awry and they spend many hours stuck in the airport in Bahrain before going to Jordan and taking a bus to Tel Aviv, rather than flying. He said that he'll be taking El Al from now on. I went to the beach twice already and stepped into the Mediterranean Sea for the first time since I was little. The water was perfect, but the air was still windy and chilly, so I didn't go in. I spent most of a day in Tel Aviv and took the bus back here. On the bus I met a religious man and in we were talking about accepting and embracing things as they are. He told me a story about a religious leader who found out a day before his arranged marriage that his wife to be is crazy. He had the chance to choose to opt out, but decided to marry her because he didn't want to hurt her. He was selfless in that decision but beyond that, the wisdom that he gained from being married to this woman gained the respect and admiration of his community. This evening I made Tabouleh to go to Shabbat dinner with Rafiel's family. I'll be leaving for Kibbutz Lotan in the desert on Sunday. I'll be working in the kitchen there. Anat and I have a good feeling about me in that place...

movin on

Shachar — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 10:43:25 GMT

I left the wonderful ecovillage that is growing around Pun Pun in Thailand this afternoon. Going around hugging everyone goodbye was warm and sweet. When I was walking up the hill to get my bags and the realization that this is the last time I'll be walking up this hill for a while tapped into the well of my emotions and I started to cry. Yao and some groovy guests were at the coffee shop and I gave them hugs and spend a few minutes with them before leaving. I know that wherever I'm going, I'll find wonderful people. This is the way it's been for years. This place is very special though. Pun Pun has inpired me, squeezed my ego dry, and filled my heart and awareness with beauty and love. I know that part of this is what i'm bringing to it, but this is a common experience there. It's a really special place. If you are thinking of going, I recommend staying for more than a few days so that you can truly live there.

Foolish Love

Shachar — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 10:30:02 GMT

Foolish Love (This was written in mid-January. Thank goodness, since then we’ve established the nurturing friendship that was supposed to happen. I’m publishing this because it is my strongest lesson yet in being aware of one of the most insidious perils of living; WANTING what isn’t here, rather than being in awe at the beauty of what is.) The past few days have been a tropical storm of sadness, joy, heartbreak and rebirth. I've received an important lesson from life. I've learned in love to savor and delight in the goodness that is here and now, rather than the goodness of what can be. I've learned that wanting someone is not truly loving them or myself or life in the moment. It all started when I was sensing that a romance that I ached for and daydreamed about is to be another sweet friendship and nothing more. She is one of the most beautiful, vibrant and delightful women I've ever known, and I've known many amazing women. I could go on for years about how beautiful she is because everytime we're together she gives me new reasons to admire her. But this soliloquy is less about her and more about what I've gained from hurting myself and tending my wounded heart. A few weeks ago we were walking down the path to our rooms after a night of singing together for hours. I overcame my fear and asked her if she could tell that I have a crush on her. She said that she could and that she's extremely tired and needs to go to bed. After that night she stopped sitting next to me. I'm guessing that she stopped so as not to lead me into thinking that she's interested. She didn't completely avoid me, and we've shared many good times together since, but I could tell that she wasn't feeling romantic. I knew that her mom didn't want to be with her dad at first, but his persistence bore the fruits of what sounds like a wonderful relationship. I held on to the hope that as I keep loving her, she would see that being together is being in heaven. I knew that it was possible and my daydreams felt so good that I let an imaginary romance flourish, knowing that at least for the time being it was a solitary romance. I kept hoping for more, and for her, I would have waited for years. But like Bob Marley sang, I didn't want to wait in vain. I needed clarity about her feelings for me. I needed to know if I had a chance, so I asked her. I reasoned that if there was no hope, I would be able to let go fairly easily, as I have in the past. But, if she has feelings for me, though she isn't ready, I would enjoy my life and let myself love other women, but hold out for her. Now I'm sorry that I asked her to follow my foolishness and think about the future. When she told me at first that it probably won't happen, but there is a chance, I remained hopeful and continued my blissful suffering. Somehow she must have known and to stop my suffering the next day, after I left for a road trip with new friends, she sent an email letting me know that although our friendship may change in time, it won't go beyond friendship, and her feelings will not change about that. I felt a little bit of sadness when I read the email, but mostly I felt relief. She freed me from my hope, which enabled me to appreciate reality more fully. I thanked her for her clarity. After that, when I found myself daydreaming about her I told myself, 'That is not going to happen.' I was in the process of letting go of my attachment to a future with her. I'm also sorry that I asked her to give me clarity about the future because now I can see that it wasn't fair for me to ask her to give or take away my hope. It is up to me to stay on earth and appreciate the beauty and wonder all around me and flowing through me. It turns out that I didn't need clarity about the future from her, or from any future loves. Next time I fall in love with someone I need to stay clear about what is happening, not what can be. I will tell her about how she is beautiful, not how I want to be with her, in her arms, loving each other into heaven. When I told her about my crush, I wanted to know if she felt the same. Instead of continuing to let her know whenever she stuns me with her loveliness, by revealing my desire, I told her that I'm hoping for more. This probably put pressure on her and made her feel awkward. If she knew for sure that she wants romance, I would know without asking. I would see it in her eyes, hear it in her voice and feel it in her touch. I believe that we can only truly love whomever we're with. Part of love is a feeling, and we can feel love for someone who isn't here. But the heart and soul of love involves giving of ourselves. The best gift we can give is being present with someone. A father who abandons a young family to be free may feel love for his children, but he isn't truly loving them. In my infatuation with this woman, I felt and thought about her as if she were the lover that she could be, but not the wonderful friend that she actually was. I wasn't truly recognizing and understanding, or being present with her. I appreciate and love her, but I wasn't loving her; I was wanting her, missing out on the abundant friendship that was available. I let ego run my life rather than consciousness. In a fruitful garden, I was hungry for what wasn't there. Instead of giving her the joyful friendship that she was ready for, I gave her a headache by wanting and asking for more. The Tao teaches that when you lose, you win and when you are a fool, you are wise. Yesterday was a difficult day, and it was an enlightening day. I woke up to enjoy the morning with yoga on the hill. I saw her walking. She stopped a distance away and sat to meditate. She wanted to be alone. Later she walked past me, avoiding eye contact, and spent time with everyone but me. My feelings were hurt. I feared that I'm making her uncomfortable. I was wondering if we'd both be happier if I left to teach at a nearby Buddhist farm school. What I really wanted to know is what it will take for her to be comfortable, perhaps even to want to sit with me and share affection, the way my other close friends and I do. I fumbled as I tried to understand her needs and make peace. She told me that she needs some distance to leave our confusion behind and settle into a real friendship. It was probably a gentle way to say that she needs distance from my neediness. I started to grieve. I was sick with how I turned a beautiful thing into an uncomfortable situation. Right now she doesn't want to spend time with me. Our relationship has hit the bottom. I saw the irony that the most important thing to me, spending time with her, is now unavailable. I laughed at myself and wondered what I can learn from this. It turns out that I've been a fool, but I'm gaining an experience more awesome and lasting than a passionate romance. I'm learning the hard way, which is far more effective than any of the Buddhist writings, about appreciating the beauty available in the present without thinking about the future. I can stop worrying about the future by reminding myself that if I'm loving who's with me then, it will be satisfying, just as loving now makes living delicious today. Being awake in this way is a true gift that keeps on giving, and no one can give it to me but myself. I'm learning about loving people in the relationship as it is, not what it could be. In this way I am loving them and myself, rather than torturing myself, and I don't need any one person for satisfaction. As Thich Nhat Hanh teaches, I'm learning about truly living, rather than preparing to live. I feel like I'm a different person than I was a week ago. I feel incredibly fortunate and satisfied even though I'm alone in a tent on a bed of straw. I am on the Earth and in my body, and I am loving life now more substantially and deliciously.

The Promise Land

Shachar — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 10:19:50 GMT

The Promise Land They walked down from the forest in Northern Thailand to where I was making mud for an earthen home. There were six of them. Men and women enjoying an afternoon hike after a morning of working. One of them I did not know. I walked with them to a place where we can see the land around us. Birds sang peaceful songs and a gentle breeze caressed my sweaty, mud splattered body. I began to talk with the newcomer. Our interaction has helped me to see a way for Israelis and Palestinians to live in mutual abundance and peace. He was from Argentina and Italy, but has been working with an Italian NGO to help Palestinians develop their organic farming capacity. He told me that he has family in Israel and friends in Palestine. He seemed to understand the mistrust of the Israelis and the anger of the Palestinians. He was working on agriculture, so one of the first questions I asked him was about the water situation in Palestine. I hit a sore spot. With some anguish in his face and voice he told me about why the Palestinians don't have enough water to farm anything but olives, while they see Israeli settlements with swimming pools. Israel controls the water in the West Bank. Israeli settlements get far more water for much cheaper than Palestinians do. This is why most vegetable markets in the West Bank sell more Israeli vegetables, at a cheaper price than the sad looking vegetables offered by Palestinians. It is easy to understand why people who are not able to get enough water to thrive are angry. It is an unnecessary injustice that feeds the extremists' cause. Israel may think they are helping their settlements in doing this, but in the long run the inequality deepens the rift we need to bridge to make peace. Israel is spending resources in a military to keep this situation going, when it could be investing the money on creating new opportunities for the many destitute people in Israel. I asked him if he thinks that if Israel gave complete autonomy to the Palestinian people, and allowed for a road to connect the West Bank and Gaza, would there be peace. He said that Israel doing something like this would not get rid of the extremists, but it would take the fuel out of their fire, causing most people to reject their arguments. I've noticed that in any conflict, when one side openly admits and apologised for our mistakes, and sincerely changes our ways, the door to peace creaks open. The answer seems simple. Israel can stop this injustice and things will get better. The reality is not so simple and one sided. I've spoken with a family friend who was heavily involved with the Israeli peace movement. He told me that after Prime Minister Rabin was assassinated, the movement kept the momentum of his work alive. In the late 90's, after decades of repelling attacks from the Arab nations, Israel agreed to give full control of Gaza and the West Bank to the Palestinian Authority. In fact, Israel agreed to every request made by the PLO, except for one. The 'right of return' of Palestinian people into Israel. Because of the size of Palestinian families, Palestinians would soon have a Muslim majority. This demand would have meant the end of the Jewish state. Because of Israel's refusal to allow for this to happen, the second intifada began. When that happened, the Israeli peace movement collapsed and deflated. Israelis came to know that the Arabs want nothing less than the end of the Jewish state. This brings up an important question. Should there be a Jewish state? For centuries hatred and genocides have been perpetuated against the scattered tribes of Israel. Still today bigotry against Jews festers throughout the world, even in the USA. There needs to be a place where it is OK to be Jewish - where it is safe to be Jewish. If there is any doubt that the same bigotry is still festering today, this story shows that it can happen again. In Germany, many Jews assimilated into the mainstream culture. They ate in cafes with non-Jews. Children from both cultures played together. During the depression a man came to power who told German people that they are great people, and that the situation that they were in was caused by the Jews, who's banking families controlled the European economy. The latest genocide against Jews, and other 'freaks' such as homosexuals, Gypsies and others. Knowing this history, I was stunned to hear a man in Los Angeles reiterate a lie that I've read about in the Jewish press. He said that the people who are really controlling the world from behind the scenes are Jewish. Hearing him say that made me realize that there actually are many people who are ignorant enough to think that Jews are in control of the Bush administration. As the Nazi machine was gaining strength, people who were friends witb Jews were able to see through the bigotry and help people. Deeper cross cultural understanding can be accomplished through dialogue and cooperation between cultures. Perhaps some day most people will see that we are all one family, and differences between us won't stop us from knowing, understanding and loving each other. I usually practice unconditionally loving kindness with whomever is in front of me, as if they are the only person on Earth. But sometimes I falter. I have a lot of practicing to go before I'm truly enlightened and it is certain that the rest of the world does too. Until this 'Messianic Age' happens, Jewish people, as well as Palestinians (themselves thrown out of Arab countries) need to have a place to be because who knows what will trigger the next of a history of genocides against Jewish people. More important than a Jewish homeland is that we continue to ensure that there are many places where it is OK to be Jewish. The guy from Argentina told me that the Jewish community in Argentina only does business with Jewish people, causing a separation. Cross cultural cooperation, and the simple act of inviting people to our places to eat and play together builds relationships, grows more vibrant communities and weaves a net that ensures wellbeing during times of crisis.

The Patience of the Sages

Shachar — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 10:16:49 GMT

The Patience of the Sages I walked from Thailand into Myanmar and felt a sudden wave of collective grief shown in the faces of the people there. Even at the border crossing, where there is certainly more money being made than in other parts of the country, I sensed a depression that even the memories of my nephew's laughter couldn't shake. After getting our passports stamped, we walked back towards the Thai border to catch the minibus ride before it leaves. A 12 year old boy with dirty clothes and skin the color of thin molasses approached us saying, 'Other side! Other side!' he tried to corral us to the other side of the street, even though everyone else heading for Thailand was on our side. I wondered if it was a trap and stayed my course, along with my companion. The boy expressed a deep frustration and worry that we weren't going with him. Soon a younger boy invited us to go to the other side as well. Then we noticed that the entry truly was on the other side. The boy followed us across holding out his hand and repeating one word - "money". In his face I saw his desperation. He gestured towards his mouth as if eating and held out his hand again repeating the word "money". His voice cracked with emotion. I started to reach for my pocket when my companion pointed out that if I did, we would soon be swarmed by the teams of other boys hoping for tourists' spare change. The boy continued to follow us, putting his hands together in a prayer pose. My heart bled. The word charity leaves a bad taste in my mouth. This is partially because I don't like the feeling of pity and I don't want to support anyone's pitiful existence. I also dislike 'giving a man a fish' and instead I put my resources behind projects that open opportunities for people to live in dignity. When we got close to the border, I looked into that boy's pleading eyes, reached into my pocket and gave him some money. He seemed pleased and ran off, probably to show another foreigner the right way to the gate. Myanmar, which formerly called itself Burma, is in the midst of a civil war. The large photograph that adorned the immigration office was of a highly decorated military man. From what little I know, the struggle is between people who want sovereignty and a military regime that is enslaving and terrorizing its people in an effort to stay in control and make a lot of money. As is happening in many places, the World Bank and IMF are funding dam projects that displace millions of people and turn them towards slums and borders that they risk their lives to cross. We allow this to happen because in our arrogance, we think that we are helping people by making their culture like ours. We don't realize that we are only helping the military leaders and wealthy people, and leaving the common folk with the burdens of debt, toxic environmental injustice and the desperation of not having enough money in the midst of a materialistic culture of 'I just can't get enough.' All of these problems didn't exist in places where people live in their traditional ways. I've been told that the capitol city of Burma is full of wealthy people driving expensive cars. Going there one would hardly know the true situation in Myanmar or the masses suffering from the ravages of war and swarming into refugee camps in hopes of a better life. Those who resist the regime are called freedom fighters by some and terrorists by others, leaving little ground in between for getting to know each other. Our history is riddled with ego driven people who use ideology and fear of 'them' as an excuse for making everyone miserable. Sometimes ruthless tyrants have to be stopped (and the USA has a lot of repentance to do before we can pretend to claim sainthood.) Weapons makers have had us frothing at the mouth in the hunt for those evil communists and terrorists. Extremist religious leaders have turned the quest for a loving world into a fervent quest to convert those 'savage heathens', or put them out of their misery. Angry activists have shouted their pitched battlecry over bullhorns to stop those greedy land developers. Yet as we approach the misery of war, there tends to be a quiet and calm voice that too often gets bulldozed by hysteria. Thich Nhat Hanh wrote in his classic book Peace Is Every Step that ''The root cause of any internal formation (troubling thought) is a lack of understanding...When we understand, we cannot help but love.'' The Television news is always reporting about some catastrophic horror happening somewhere in the world. Fear is whipped up to the point that some people feel that the world is too terrifying to bring children into. We often become desensitized to the horrors and give up, resigning to the safe soap opera provided by the romance of Hollywood stars. In this numbness, we sometimes miss a more important opportunity; making peace in our own families and neighborhoods. My stay at an eco-village in Thailand brings to mind one such story. One of the goals of the Thai eco-village Pun Pun is to show people the wisdom of working with the Earth instead of fighting against her. Organic gardening, heirloom seed saving, earthen building and positive activism are skills taught to the public at Pun Pun. My friend asked Jo, a Thai farmer who co-founded Pun Pun, if he's worried about the chemicals that the neighboring farms spray. Jo said, 'No point in worrying. They spray anyway.' Jo teaches that it will not work to explain to the locals that switching to organic farming is better for them. He and the people at Pun Pun have set out to show them by making what was once an agricultural wasteland into an oasis of organic fruit, veggies, rice, health and joy. When a neighboring farmer asked if they can run a water pipe through Pun Pun I overheard frustration at the dilemma of helping people who are poisoning the groundwater with agrochemicals or being mean for not letting a farmer pass a water pipe through the land. I thought that there must be a third option. I asked Jo if we can show the farmer that s/he would save money and water by using drip irrigation instead of sprinklers during the dry season. This way only the trees in the orchard get water and they won't need to spend money to spray the weeds. He agreed that drip is a good approach, but understood that the neighbor prefers sprinklers because they promote a wider root system and therefore more productive trees. The next day a blue plastic pipe made it's way through Pun Pun towards the neighbor's land. At first I felt like we had lost and was upset whenever I saw the pipe on my way to the swimming pond. In time I realized that Pun Pun's kindness will make the neighbors more likely to come to Pun Pun and see for themselves that organic farming is a better way to go as seasons change and the cost of seeds and chemicals rise. By remembering that the farmer was not an enemy, but a fellow person who is doing the best they know how to, the neighborhood war was avoided and the hills still echo with laughter. Knowing that understanding ourselves and our neighbors enables us to live in peace, how can we make sure that situations like Burma, Sudan, Rwanda, wars in our families, communities and all other wars are prevented?

From Bangkok to Pun Pun

Shachar — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 10:15:27 GMT

Bangkok is a huge, noisy bustling city full of commerce, culture and tourism. The hostel where I stayed was in a small alley off of a popular shopping road. Walking by people I noticed that they give a smile when I say 'hi' and then go back to their tired, somber mood. Even a street market I went to in Chiang Mai a few days later gave me a feeling of sadness for the merchants who sat and waited in hopes of someone stopping to buy something from them. The Thai gentleman who sat next to me on the plane to Thailand said that most people, like himself, are in the city to make money and would much rather be home with their families. I spoke with a man who grew up in Bangkok as well. He told me that it is hard to live there now because most of the people are renters from other places who don't care as much about making the city into a good place to live. Underneath the city slums, in the dark and promising earth rests the hope for a better life. Fair Trade certification and a Sufficiency Economy are vehicles for a revival of satisfying village life where people can be with their loved ones while they provide for their needs. Fair Trade allows people to decide what kind of life they want to live. Some prefer city life while others prefer the village. Here is what I've noticed from a short stay in both. In most of the cities there were few cross walks, but I noticed that people found a break in the traffic for long enough to cross to the 6 inch double yellow zone in the middle of the road to wait for a chance to finish the trip. I was shocked to see a mother with her 2 year old daughter waiting in the middle, with cars speeding by them just inches away. I thought, 'if she's willing to, I will too.' I'm still alive to write this. The haze from the cheap gasoline and diesel and factories was so thick I could see it falling and being swept up in the wake of passing cars. The sweat from my body captured the smog and left a film on my skin that made me want to shower many times per day. I inquired about the next train to the northern city of Chiang Mai, from where I would take a truck ride to a seed saving eco-village called Pun Pun ('1000 Varieties'). There I would stay and help in the gardens. The Australian who was running the Bangkok hostel was bitter, having told me a story about his last work crew methodically stealing from him. He told me that there's a group of Kiwis leaving on bus for Chiang Mai that afternoon. I spoke with them and decided to tag along. I enjoyed their adolescent antics and had a fairly comfortable bus ride, arriving at the guest house they arranged early in the morning. Chiang Mai is smaller and more calm, but almost as hazy as the capitol city Bangkok. I noticed more people walking and a lot of people riding their small motorcycles through the chaotic streets. There were many red taxi trucks and three wheeled Tuk Tuks and I had no problem finding a cheap ride to Warrot Road where I was to take a truck heading to Pun Pun. When I got off the Tuk Tuk my friends were there looking for the truck as well and we had a warm reunion. We put our bags on the truck and grabbed a bite to eat. All along I saw many people wearing yellow shirts. At first I thought, 'Oh how nice. People are so happy that they're wearing yellow.' Later I learned that they are doing it to show appreciation for the king, who is very much admired for his benevolence and initiative, starting many projects to improve the quality of life in Thailand and funding them with his own money. There were other people on the truck heading for Pun Pun. We stopped at a market where the driver loaded up with vegetables, mushrooms and fish. These were our companions and every so often the driver pulled over and delivered the goods to someone waiting by the side of the road. As we were nearing the eco-village, we saw a raised wooden platform with a thatched roof. We were told that when they are harvesting, villagers from around the area sleep on these platforms so that they don't need to travel to the fields every morning. We arrived at our destination. The driver climbed to the top of the truck to hand us our bags. We walked across a rice field and through a tamarind orchard that belonged to a neighbor. The first thing I noticed was that the air was clean and fresh, with the fragrant smell of wood burning in the kitchen stove. Looking up, I could follow the birds flying from tree to tree. I could hear their song in the quiet air. Peggy, who co-founded Pun Pun with her husband Jo greeted us and gave us a tour. We saw the various earthen buildings, each with its own creative style. I was happy to leave my bags in a room that had curved walls because curves are much more pleasing to my eyes than straight lines. We met the people who live here and I found that they were all very gentle and seemed to be at peace. I can understand why. Working in a garden is an excellent meditation. Whenever I am on a farm, I find that my mind is far more clear, which is probably because there are less distractions to interrupt the flow of thoughts, emotions and creativity. We settled in after a conversation with Peggy and Jo about economic development efforts that have been undertaken in Thailand. I learned that a former Thai leader gave villages heaps of money without following through and teaching how to run a qqsuccessful business. When people get a sudden fortune, they often don't know how to use it so that they stay out of poverty. Micro lending is different because borrowers have a business plan and receive support. There is an organization called Kiva.org that enables ordinary people to invest in small businesses of their choosing rather than putting their money into a savings account. I helped pick veggies for dinner and we sat down on the floor to the first of many delicious meals. It seems that every great meal has a chili pepper hidden somewhere in it and when I'm not diligent, I eat fire. At first I wondered if the chilies are why people here are so warm and hard working. Later I learned that a more realistic reason is that they have a saying that goes something like 'give power, get more power' which means that hard work is invigorating and makes you feel good. Being at Pun Pun feels like being with family. There is caring and playfulness in the air. While pulling weeds from a coriander bed, Jo, a farmer from the Northeast of Thailand and I were talking about his motivations. For years he has been teaching people how to build their homes out of mud bricks. The houses last longer than regular homes, cost far less to make, have no toxic materials and are far more beautiful. Jo could get paid to build them, but he'd rather teach people how because it is so simple and this way people can be self sufficient. Jo said that people cannot truly be free and live in dignity if they are not self sufficient for food, clothing, shelter and healthcare. When we rely on others for these things, we are at the whim of people whose prime motivation is to get as much money from us as they can. For the lust of money, businesses are allowed to take control of the world seed, food and water supply, while putting toxins into the water, earth and air. This is why heirloom seed saving and conservation are so important in our profit hungry age. By teaching seed saving, earthen building, organic farming, aquaculture and holistic healthcare, Pun Pun gives people the basic skills to live simple, satisfying lives. The people at Pun Pun ecovillage want to help people regain sovereignty over our lives. Ecovillages are an antidote to corporate profiteers who have been convincing people that we will be happier if we have more and more things. How many people do you know who are trapped in a deepening load of debt, yet don't get as much satisfaction from all of their things as they do from spending time with positive loved ones or getting into a creative flow? There is a Cree Tribe saying that 'Only after the last tree has been cut down, the last fish has been caught and the last river poisoned - only then will you learn that money cannot be eaten.' I recall a story in a recent National Geographic about a family in Northern China where a couple had to leave their baby girl with their parents to go work in the city for 10 months. When they returned, their baby did not know who they were and was uncomfortable when they picked her up. It was heartbreaking. I wondered what can be done. Fair Trade (FT) is another important way to help alleviate poverty. FT is a vehicle to reduce world poverty and ensure that communities stay healthy and sustainable. Thailand is making changes towards a sufficiency economy, but money is still important to buy tools, pumps and other needed items. Knowing that while we are still in a market driven economy people must make money, I suggest that because Fair Trade ensures fair payment to working people, usually through worker owned cooperatives, people can do both fair trade and local sustainability to take charge of our lives. Peggy told me that the FT cooperative that a grassroots activist network called Engage is involved with in Thailand makes sure that FT farmers grow a diversity of crops for local consumption. They do this to prevent the malnutrition often seen in cash crop growing areas. I researched and learned that fair trade certification requires diverse food growth, reduction of chemical agricultural inputs and protection of native habitats as well as worker ownership. A Sufficiency mindset where we are happy with the simple important things in life paired up with a Fair Trade based market enables more communities like Pun Pun to thrive. Life is precious and sacred. We all know this, but in our hectic days we often forget to savor and delight in the beauty of each moment. Above sustainability and community, my favorite constant feature at Pun Pun is how often laughter fills the air and echoes in my belly. There is a lightness and playfulness in everything we do here. I'm reminded of Jo teaching us that Pun Pun wants to show how living in this way should be easier than in the city, and if it is hard and exhausting, we are doing something wrong and should think of a new way to do it. At Pun Pun our work and every other thing we do truly is playful, creative and our hearts are full of joy.