I have not written and posted a travel post for some time. We have not left Jojoba Hills other than our trip to Salt Lake City since we returned last Fall.  My activities have been almost entirely involved with the operations of Jojoba Hills SKP Resort as its president. This is boring to most people and frankly not pertinent to being “On the Move”.

I have been following the news rather more closely than some might consider healthy. In particular the news from Israel and the surrounding areas. Some personal background, Carol and I attended a Reform Synagogue from Kindergarten on.  That is where we met. Rather unusual for the Reform Movement in the 40’s and 50’s Temple B’rith Kodesh (hereafter TBK) was strongly Zionist as were my parents. Carol and I have visited Israel many times since our first in 1971. I am convinced that regardless of the current politics there the Jewish world needs a Jewish place to retreat to the next time the world community agrees to let some monster try to eliminate us once again.

In 1948, after the United Nations agreed to create a two state solution, the Arab world went to war to prevent the creation of the State of Israel. Somehow Israel prevailed over the massive war power of the Arabs and created the state. The Arab world was left with 700,000 refugees, most of whom were gathered into Refugee Camps and UNWRA (United Nations Works and Relief Agency for Palestine Refugees) was created to care for those refugees. In my years running various organizations I have learned one major thing, the first job of any organization leader is to ensure the survival of the organization. If the refugees were permitted to create new lives in new lands among their Arab brethren, there would be no need for UNWRA. There would not now be over 5 million Palestinians  with a large portion of them living in Refugee Camps that date back to 1948. 

Where else in the world have refugees been held in camps  for so long? Why is the UN continuing to govern and supply these camps with funds from the US Government and Western Europe. The Arab world apparently wants them to be as a force to remind the rest of the world that Israel is the bad guy. To be a festering wound. And most of all so that UNWRA has a reason to exist to live off the funds provided by the US and Western Europe. 

If the resources used to maintain these camps had been used to provide resettlement, there would be Palestinian Arabs living fruitful lives throughout the area. If the assets and intellectual resources Hamas has put into building massive fortifications and a major war machine had been put into developing Gaza into anything else it could be a vibrant community with tourism and other industries feeding the people. 

I have empathy for the people of Gaza, they needed to turn on Hamas and take over the government for their own benefit. I fear it is way too late for that. 

I am not addressing Israel’s position. If you are bullied from all sides for 70 years your response is likely to be seen as inappropriate.

First Seder was fun and lasted longer than expected even though it was not really traditional. Instead of brisket I bought a Costco chicken to avoid the meat aromas in the coach, not to mention there was no place to cook meat since Carol had every pot, pan and implement in use making kugel and tsimus as well as the fixings for the plate. This year we had a couple from the park join us. They have had some experience since their daughter is married to a Jewish man and they have had seder with them. 

We had the “traditional” Reform Haggadah from 1974 and the Tablet Magazine Haggadah that came out a year or two ago. We are ordering more of the latter, we have had it with the almost 50 year old language and “order.” I don’t remember last year, but we had the new Haggadah and it was just the two of us so we didn’t get real focused on the book, doing it with new friends really opens the eyes. 

Table talk during and around the Seder has changed with the times. It is so different not having any children and so different in a world where the story of Exodus is being relived on our screens, in real life. It may have always been that way, but the it seems so much clearer today as the Ukrainians scramble for their lives out of cities being dismantled by artillery around them. I cannot imagine what it must be to come out of the cellar and find the world in shambles. Given Ukrainian history of Jewish mistreatment (hows that for an understatement) I at first had a hard time finding sympathy for them. But that was the Cossacks and the Russians even then. These people lead by a Jewish president are facing as horrible treatment as the Jews ever did and with the same amount of reason. Because they are the other.  Their Orthodox Church is different, their language is different and they demand to maintain their independence which only goes back to 1991. Putin wants their land for its assets and has no interest in the people who are only in his way.

Plans: We leave a week from tomorrow (Sunday) and after service in Redlands I only have two stops planned and the second is up in the air. We will spend the first night out in Quartzite unless we don’t. Watch this space for actual happenings as we roll. I do know we will be in Boston on May 19 – 21 and Providence RI May 22-23.

I am horrified by the actions of the my state of domicile, Texas. 

Voting Restriction Laws that attempt to lock in the Republican majority in the legislature even though or because the state is drifting towards a more balanced division.

Open carry of guns without permits by anyone not a felon.

Restriction of abortion to 6 weeks and enforcement by ANY citizen against anyone who aids and abets an “illegal” abortion. The activists can now also be the enforcers. Even a frivolous suit must be defended. I suggest that supporters of women’s rights start bring such suits against the legislators who voted for the bill and against the primary antagonists of women’s rights. Failure to defend is an automatic loss with fine of $10,000 and court costs. BREAK THEM.

I doubt there is any way to force change on the gun and voting issues without overturning the legislature and governor in the next election.

I have removed several right wing replies. I do not have any desire to moderate a political forum here with one person taking extreme positions and harassing other participants.

I created this blog in 2003 as a place to post about my travels and occasional thoughts on the passing scene. I love to see comments about travel, food, books, movies or personal successes or difficulties. 

My politics are pretty clear, no labels really apply. I live in a world with people of many backgrounds and beliefs. It is my desire to retain open communication with everyone. I will express my views from time to time, I try not tor rant, unless I label it 🙂 I expect replies to be polite and also not to rant either Left OR Right. It is my space so I will be the only judge.

So 2020 continued until December 70th. On January 20 we were once again glued to our television watching the very modified pomp and ceremony associated with a peaceful transition of power. I must admit I held my breath throughout the public ceremony. Carol and were dancing in the coach hugging and cheering as the day progressed. Eventually we joined our friends from Brown Class of ’64 on the east coast for more cheers and the consumption of appropriate beverages in celebration. 

And now we wait and watch to see how the country moves forward with actual leadership, committed to science and truth. It is with pleasure that I can listen to the President without cringing at what is being said and the whining, demanding way in which it is said. I have watched and listened to our Vice President present herself with poise and grace. And OMG the poet, Amanda Gorman! We saw her in two interviews prior to the inauguration and awaited her reading with anticipation which was well satisfied. 

The nation will not heal overnight. We have a long history of hate and divisiveness. It predates the founding of the Union. It is said that politics is the “art of the compromise” but there were compromises that were anathema to us to this day – The Missouri Compromise 3/5ths of an enslaved person is counted for representation in the House of Representatives when Missouri was admitted to the Union in 1820, repealed in 1854. The Ku Klux Klan founded in 1865 continues to parade its hate to this day, maybe not as predominantly as in the recent past, but it exists. It is joined by the Proud Boys, and every militia group that roams the west in their camo painted pickup trucks with White Supremacist banners flying. 

Some time in the 1990s or maybe earlier a friend introduced me to stormfront.org. You may want to open that in an incognito page. There is really no need to read beyond the introductory paragraph. This page has had to be recreated more than once as the Southern Poverty Law Center has defeated the underlying organization in law suits and brought it to bankruptcy. There is no new hate here. The biggest difference between then and now is the megaphone given to the cause which I hope has been muted if not silenced by the new administration.

Many years ago I spoke to Golda Meir during a reception and expressed my belief that we needed Israel because the possibility of rising Anti Semitism made me feel we needed a refuge. She called me paranoid, in a good way. I won’t get into Israeli politics here, I’m not sure I would feel safer there.

I look forward to 2021 being a better year than 2020. we are both healthy. I will get my first shot on Monday. We will have to get Carol in soon, next week, I hope. Our place is safe and remote enough to not feel involved in any large community. We can drive off into the mountains for the heck of it and we can pickup supplies as needed. Out neighbors are mostly as concerned for their own safety as for others so it is a mostly quiet life, reading watching movies. We saw “White Tiger”  last night, you can take this as a recommendation. and here I am writing because I want to.