אבנריקן גראפיטי: My Conversation with Tania, vol. 5

https://www.haaretz.co.il/news/world/america/.premium-1.9000496

שופטת בית המשפט העליון בארה"ב, רות ביידר גינסבורג, חלתה שוב בסרטן

השופטת הליברלית בת ה-87 הודיעה כי היא מקבלת טיפולים כימותרפיים, שהצליחו להפחית את הנגעים הסרטניים בכבד שלה. טראמפ ינסה למנות במקומה שופט שמרן אם תפרוש לפני הבחירות

I said, 18 Jul 2020:

What is this woman made of?... As a former tank commander - I think that she is pure stainless steel.

Cheers,

Avner E.

Tania said:

Yes, covered earlier here and in the NYT. Did you watch the amazing doc RBG? Rent it if not. There, you will gain insights to help answer your question.

A lamed-vavnik died last night, Congressman, John Lewisזצ״ל. I cried my heart out. Another time, I'll tell you more how much I loved this man many decades.

I think both people were endowed with a force of courage that they cultivated and became a force of moral courage on a par with or greater than courage of another kind… physical, for example.

As you know, Avner, I respect you greatly. And I don’t minimize your courage as a tank commander at all (and other your kinds of courage I know about). My cousin’s son, Noam, a gunner was killed in Leb 2 by a missile that hit their shitty ancient Russian tin tank and went straight through his commander and then Noam. (Both boys seated behind them went out of their minds, incurably.)

This very personal association barely brings home your courage in that tank, and theirs. Annually, on Har Herzl, Yotam's parents join the azkara for Noam. A tale of two young men, one from a secular Kibbutz; and one, religiously observant from Kiryat Moshe. Enough. I can't write more.

I said:

So sad. Meaningless death. (Or maybe not - there's a very quiet frontier with Lebanon and Hizballa for 14 years, that may be worth something of its own... so maybe their death did make a contribution to the security of this place; that's what I would like to think).

I did not mention my military experience, to make an impression that I was a hero. I was not, far from that. I was a lame and depressed soldier for 4 miserable years (and another, somewhat happier 7 years in miluim).

I just wanted to mention, that in the armor corps we had a "motivation" slogan that said: "Tank is made of Iron, but the Man (sorry feminists...) is the real Steel in it"...

Tania said:

Thank you for the comforting thought on a quiet(er) frontier since. If all those boys' (yes, boys till… ~ 40) meaningless deaths accomplished anything "good" I'll keep your comforting thought in mind.

You are not a boastful man. On the contrary… and I wish you were a bit. Because you have more than a little to feel good about (this is not boastful) that you are and do, it could help w those nerve-wracking interviews; for example. Your military service included two times you refused to serve in the O.T. What can be more heroic in Israel? The healthcare front lines and not only during Corona but maybe especially. And during war… OMG. Not for nothing is Israel first in expertise… in this "specialty."

I'm not offended by the stupid ignorant slogan that is mostly a lie. Well, those w nerves of steel I don't want to come close to. They are disconnected from their human feelings, with exceptions.

I was going to write earlier today to ask, Why is the parsha a double whammy this week that is ending tonight? Mattot-Masa (or the reverse, can't remember) While in the USA, at least, it's just one of them. All the Bible thumpers I know are busy praying, sleeping, avoiding "changing, improving, impacting" the world. You at least are free from those human-devised restrictions, many sensible most OCD.

TIA

I said:

I think that sometimes they join Parashot together, due to the imperfection of the Jewish calendar (would you believe that a religion-made thing would be imperfect?...)

Tania said:

yes, i know that but why here double this year and not, for example, in the USA? use same Hebrew calendar. Today is chol and i’ll ask my religiously observant peeps and let you know. because you are on pins and needles waiting for the answer. not! enjoy this day.

Tania said:

I was lazy! I could have learned the answer to my own question YESTERDAY! Wikipedia clarified what I once knew (and followed) that was wiped off my brain here where only orthodox are real jews and therefore their systems rule.

So, in Israel, this year, for example, the fucked up Hebrew calendar requires a double parasha.

But not abroad where the Triennial Cycle of Torah Readings that was created by Conservative movement (called, Masorti-sort of, here). They and other non-ortho denominations slice parshiot in thirds because the crowd gets bored, restless, and could attack others! because of the length of many parshiot. So, with every annual torah reading cycle, instead of double-parshiot as in Israel (orthodox brand), the parasha is sliced into thirds, as follows: Year 1, read Part 1, Year 2, Year 3, read part 3. Thus in three years, the complete parasha would have been read by that kehilla or denomination or individual or one of the street cats that I feed.

NOTE, from the linked article in Wikipedia:

"A congregation which adopts this triennial system may be assured that the entire Torah will be read in a three year cycle in an orderly and coherent way. This system reflects a deep sense of reverence for the sanctity of the Torah text as well as a respect for the needs of our congregations and worshippers."

The scheme usually published in prayer books that chart which part of which parasha AND which part of which haftara to read each year in the triennial cycle.

Kapish?

A FOOTNOTE: The Ashkenazic system of organizing parshiot and haftarotr is used, which most Conservative congregations are.

I said:

Haleluiah, next year in New-Israel, USA, Amen.

Tania said:

where is New-Israel, USA?

recall what you know in usa —

jews are a minority (best medicine against arrogance and other sins and crimes)

AND

separation of church and state so no one cares what you do or don’t in your kehilla whether it exists or not, and those who care are religion police, not thinking people. my niece Ayala’s research and book documents how these religion police are losing authority over doubters in the hasidic (haredis, here) communities… thanks to the internet and beyond. here, the religion police of haredim is responsible for lobotomized-acting subjects. so if they are instructed to ignore corona rules, they ignore (and get sick and infect and die). if they are instructed, now follow corona rules, they follow.

but what is New-Israel, USA?

I said:

I made it up!

Just like New Amsterdam (= New York), New south-wales, and New-whatever. Will probably be established by refugees of the sane communities from old-Israel, which will then become similar to democracies like Egypt, Tunisia...

Or maybe not?... there are new and different vibes on the street now, starting last Tuesday in Jerusalem. We were there, and in every protest since then. Let's see.

Tania said:

THANK YOU BOTH for going and going and going. These demonstrations really matter when they are persistent, widespread, all ages. I marched and demonstrated every protest movement for decades in several USA cities until… I came to Israel. Went to a few and felt so unsafe because felt unprotected by police and soldiers that I quit. I donate money and cheer from the sidelines.

About you and Mazie going weekly. I'm familiar w the same bullshit government diversions, distractions, denials, red herrings, and finger pointing. All pathology of a dictator. in Israel, USA, everywhere else.

I daringly hopeful the Dems will win and begin the load road to repair the destruction that can never be completely fixed or reversed on decisions, laws, appointments, undoing protections. For Israel to be similarly partially, slowly begin to be repaired I believe the impetus/economic boycott/etc. from the outside… too rotten here for this country to self-reflect. Do Tshuva? Never by THE JEWISH STATE. Am Kadosh LOL.A holy people of The Book… a sick joke.

You read in Haaretz because it was translated into English edition that serious left leaders gave up! Moved abroad permanently. Older ones, too. Not just "kids" or to be with boyfriends or girlfriends abroad. The people so-called explorers who landed in the Americas were rapists of lands and natives, brutal killers, and horrifying missionaries. In short, colonialists. Next, the Brits who came 1620 were prisoners and seekers of religion freedom from church of England. They, too, raped, assassinated, stole, forced conversions to Christianity, another problematic religion. So what type of communities from so-called sane old-Israel communities are you imagining? Israelis… based on my limited exposure in four major cities over many decades are the same as here… arrogant, clannish, self-ghetto-ized. As individuals, great people. As a block… horrible. Don't integrate well because they must be the chosen, the best, blabla.

The sensational people demonstrating I understand are mostly close to starving and possibly never will regain their small businesses or performance venues, movie theaters, etc. I know Kobi is hurting, too. YET, THESE PEOPLE I understand love this place minus the vulgarity and corruption Bibi-style. Even Haredis protesting! So emigration not an option, nothing they want. This is the so-called only home they have (though all who can make it out of here and live a normal life, can live in another home they have, albeit adopted one). Even when you were happy in CA, your wife insisted on returning after five years (family, mostly, I thought unless I misunderstood you).

I said:

Not a big deal for us to go and protest, it's fun. And quite safe too, for us that is.

My wife - she would stay in California if she could... I just couldn't find a job, and the boys were here already. These were the main reasons.

I agree completely about Israelis. But, it was either Shimon Peres or Benny Peled (former commander of the Air Force, which to me is a parallel to Superman - but he was really a brilliant man), who said: Jews are like a Fertilizer, which is basically a pile of rubbish; Put it together in one stack - it stinks and doesn't do any good for anyone; but spread it around on the fields - and it is the best nutrient, providing all its great qualities to the World... So I guess, even Israelis can become the Jews of the world once again... Who knows.

Tania said:

Brilliant Benny Peled. Never heard of him. But, this one sentence makes me want to Google a bit. I doubt Shimon Peres would say this aloud. He was a fake on many counts.

Israelis can become Jews of the world… yes, individually. But not, in piles (of shit).

I got it all wrong about u and M returning here.

VERY exciting. Tomorrow is my high school class reunion! Never went to any, was always here. Now, my world/universe is Zooooooooom and so is this reunion. My close friend since high school is my former BF and we are in contact regularly. Yet, it will be fun to see many others… those still alive and recognizable. Richard (class treasurer or president for years) tells me many are obese and broken-down looking. Like most elders here and there. Not in France or Scandinavia, for example. Always, stunning.

I said:

All commanders of the Israeli Air Force are like idols to me, Supermen, you name it. (one if them is a childhood friend of mine, just now appointed general manager of Ministry of Security, under his friend B. Gantz; I admired him since we were 10, all the more so when he became no. 1 in the Air Force).

Benny Peled - one of the finest of all commanders. And unlike some of them - a smart man too, on top of all other flight qualities (= Superman to me... that's one of my many mental fuck-ups).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benny_Peled