Sitting in a riveting meeting in Netanya today. An Ethiopian-Jewish olim is sharing with us his experience (his peers) as a parent going thru absorption and PACT.
Most telling aspect is his point to preserve identity as to who they are as Ethiopians.
Most interesting, however, are the same concerns and strategies that we all use in social service delivery.
We shared ideas, saw more adorable children and their parents participating in programs all made possible or augmented by PACT.
The greatest moment of the day came during our reflections at the end of the day. Much of what we were seeing, the ethiopian-jewish experience, shared challenges all clicked. Steve Fink, my rabbi and my friend, summed it all up for our crowd of jewish and non jewish delegates as to why this was all done - because its about Jews helping other Jews. No matter where they live, what color their skin, their level of need, that's what we do, that's what JDC does, and that's why $30mm is raised by Baltimore Jews annually to support world Jewry. And although this isn't a "jewish" mission per se, the reason as to why such a life saving misson was undertaken became evident and then the group understood how and why this would work. I wish we had recorded it. All were extremely moved.
Tomorrow we visit olim in their homes inashkelon.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Jet lag update
Awesome - just found the ravens game. Thank goodness the nfl moved it to 3am.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Jet lag catches up with me and there is nothing on
Jet lag catches up with me at 3am
And I wish I spoke hebrew so I knew what was on tv. Israeli cable is full of international variety which I don't even pretend to understand. Shows from the us, britian, france, germany, russia, china and of course israel fill the menu of my tv
A quick run down -
Got bored of france 24 news - all headlines broadcast from a stark white set;
lots of soccer/football in multiple languages;
israeli tv has a station devoted to what must be action shows its AXN and all the clips are of action movies - the trouble is that the station appears to be just that, all action promos all the time. For the last hour I haven't seen one episode of anything, just israelis declaring their excitement over AXN! 3 other channels are like that.
Rtv1 - russian tv is broadcasting a marriage dating show broadcast from a picnic table in some indoor garden. Contestants are right out of some b level russian dating service and the host of the program looks as if she was on the 76 russian olympic wrestling team. I'm unsure from the theme music if the male contestant wins or loses by finding a mate
The other rtv1 channel has some some 80s looking band performing live and clips of a surreal branson like musical variety show with men in dresses, women dancing barefoot, other women with freakish hairdos. Now there is a borat like program call "the districts of new york". I kid you not.
There may be some israeli comedy program (I can only speculate its comedy) with a bald man squirting his own head with a water gun.
German tv's chart show, before a cheering studio audience, has a band of men and women all in kilts all are drinking some hot tea. The VW commercial with the talking vw beetle suddenly makes more sense.
Another german station has a b&w sinatra movie dubbed into german.
Oh, and there is no gideon bible in any desk drawer here.
I need sleep - we start again in 3 hours.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
And I wish I spoke hebrew so I knew what was on tv. Israeli cable is full of international variety which I don't even pretend to understand. Shows from the us, britian, france, germany, russia, china and of course israel fill the menu of my tv
A quick run down -
Got bored of france 24 news - all headlines broadcast from a stark white set;
lots of soccer/football in multiple languages;
israeli tv has a station devoted to what must be action shows its AXN and all the clips are of action movies - the trouble is that the station appears to be just that, all action promos all the time. For the last hour I haven't seen one episode of anything, just israelis declaring their excitement over AXN! 3 other channels are like that.
Rtv1 - russian tv is broadcasting a marriage dating show broadcast from a picnic table in some indoor garden. Contestants are right out of some b level russian dating service and the host of the program looks as if she was on the 76 russian olympic wrestling team. I'm unsure from the theme music if the male contestant wins or loses by finding a mate
The other rtv1 channel has some some 80s looking band performing live and clips of a surreal branson like musical variety show with men in dresses, women dancing barefoot, other women with freakish hairdos. Now there is a borat like program call "the districts of new york". I kid you not.
There may be some israeli comedy program (I can only speculate its comedy) with a bald man squirting his own head with a water gun.
German tv's chart show, before a cheering studio audience, has a band of men and women all in kilts all are drinking some hot tea. The VW commercial with the talking vw beetle suddenly makes more sense.
Another german station has a b&w sinatra movie dubbed into german.
Oh, and there is no gideon bible in any desk drawer here.
I need sleep - we start again in 3 hours.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Dinner and seinfeld
So I guess I hadn't written in 6 hours or so. Had a 5 course dinner at a fantastic restaurant - cordelia - in old jaffa. Wow, what a feast. Great wine, stimulating discussion (led by maia hoffman's husband avi) and just course after course of great food.
Old jaffa is much like eze france. Small cobblestone streets in an almost medieval village. Beautiful area. Lots of schwarma stands as well - definite eats for tomorrow.
Hotel is on the med - walked out to the patio before we left and its amazing to be here.
Full day tomorrow driving south to beershva. In the meantime, I will try to fall asleep watching israeli tv - and yes, seinfeld is run here as well at 1130 pm. Nothing changes - jews everywhere love their seinfeld.
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In israel
I'm here in Israel! Just landed. The wonders of modern medicine that I fell asleep before Dublin and awoke after Greece. I'm rested and ready to go.
Is it hokey to comment that the music playing on continental's inflight was "home" by daughtry? Haven't been here in 22 yrs and yes it feels like coming home again.
The flight was great - more people davening in the back than waiting for the rest room made for short lines. Even the meal was palatable.
Its sunny and 80 in tel aviv today.
More to come.
Adam
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
That joyous sound
No, i'm not talking about my favorite holiday and xmas music (post to appear soon), but i am talking about a surprising trend i've seen lately - the music that is beginning to appear is less chaotic and forboding and frankly more joyful. maybe its what i like to listen to, but some of those who are known for their brooding droning songs suddenly put out some sounds that have glints of happiness. like they all listend to the polyphonic spree.
take for example, the latest release from iceland's sigur ros - a great band who provided much of the mournful tunes as background on npr or in your own darkest hours, released something absolutely full of bliss. it's upbeat, cheerful, catchy, and guaranteed to put a smile on your face. one disclaimer - it's all in icelandic (or whatever they speak) and they could be joyfully singing about the end of days, but it still sounds fun. download "inni mer syngur vitleysingur" which does translate to "within me a lunatic sings." Maybe the lunatic is more fun than his normal presence.
or what about Paul McCartney as The Fireman having a great time with "Sing The Changes" from his latest release; or Coldplay's "Life In Technicolor" or "Lovers In Japan" from Vida La Vida (but avoid the comical duet with Jay-Z on the remix of Lost); or even the master of moping around Robert Smith and The Cure's "The Only One" from 4:13 dream? You can't even put that song in the same play list as the old cure.
want more evidence - try periennally heartbroken Lucinda Williams' Little Honey. The title track along with "Real Love" and a great barroom cover of AC/DC's "Long way to the top if you want to rock and roll" show evidence of this happy streak. Even on the other side of the pond, England's The Streets raps how "Everything is Borrowed" in a world where he is leaves with nothing but love. Unrecognizable optimism from a moody rapper.
complete your happy 2008 playlist with - The Black Kids "I'm not gonna teach your boyfriend to dance with you" and Michael Franti's "Say Hey, I Love You."
and you know what - most of this will be on my 10 best of 2008 because its so much fun. it's good to be happy in your headphones again. enjoy.
i'm not complaining - in fact, i'm enjoying it. it's
take for example, the latest release from iceland's sigur ros - a great band who provided much of the mournful tunes as background on npr or in your own darkest hours, released something absolutely full of bliss. it's upbeat, cheerful, catchy, and guaranteed to put a smile on your face. one disclaimer - it's all in icelandic (or whatever they speak) and they could be joyfully singing about the end of days, but it still sounds fun. download "inni mer syngur vitleysingur" which does translate to "within me a lunatic sings." Maybe the lunatic is more fun than his normal presence.
or what about Paul McCartney as The Fireman having a great time with "Sing The Changes" from his latest release; or Coldplay's "Life In Technicolor" or "Lovers In Japan" from Vida La Vida (but avoid the comical duet with Jay-Z on the remix of Lost); or even the master of moping around Robert Smith and The Cure's "The Only One" from 4:13 dream? You can't even put that song in the same play list as the old cure.
want more evidence - try periennally heartbroken Lucinda Williams' Little Honey. The title track along with "Real Love" and a great barroom cover of AC/DC's "Long way to the top if you want to rock and roll" show evidence of this happy streak. Even on the other side of the pond, England's The Streets raps how "Everything is Borrowed" in a world where he is leaves with nothing but love. Unrecognizable optimism from a moody rapper.
complete your happy 2008 playlist with - The Black Kids "I'm not gonna teach your boyfriend to dance with you" and Michael Franti's "Say Hey, I Love You."
and you know what - most of this will be on my 10 best of 2008 because its so much fun. it's good to be happy in your headphones again. enjoy.
i'm not complaining - in fact, i'm enjoying it. it's
Monday, November 3, 2008
Join us at BCAC's Open House on Dec. 4th
The Baltimore Child Abuse Center is hosting its first Open House on December 4th from 5:30 to 8pm.
Live music by The Nerftones (see their stuff on their My Space page), food and wine and lots of people.
Come by and see what we do. RSVP first please.
Warm regards,
Adam
PS - If you want to learn more, visit our site at www.BaltimoreChildAbuseCenter.org
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