To Bear Eternal Witness

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called, “To Bear Eternal Witness.”

I just finished reading a most gut-wrenching book, Auschwitz: A Doctor’s Eyewitness Account by Dr. Miklos Nyiszli. I came across this book after learning that my wife’s grandmother had been selected by Dr. Josef Mengele (may his name be forever cursed) for torturous experiments at the Auschwitz concentration camp during the Holocaust. This New York Times Bestseller is a vivid eyewitness account by a Jewish forensic pathologist, who worked directly for Dr. Mengele, and tells of the unspeakable cruelty and horrors at Auschwitz, the largest Nazi death camp vastly accounting toward the twelve million people exterminated by the Nazis, six million of them Jews.

From my experience, once you pick up this book, you cannot put it down until you finish it completely, and I urge everyone to make this a must-read, especially as there will soon be no more Holocaust survivors to tell us, in-person, the hell that they lived through.

(Free Photo of Kyklon B Poison Gas via Pixabay)

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called, “Actions Speak Louder Than Words.”

When we see wrong and evil in this world, we have a duty to stand up and speak out with truth and integrity, to be a good influence and guide things for the better, and even to repair the world (“Tikkun Olam”)…Words are perhaps a good start, but also, “words are cheap.” The way to really judge someone is less by their words, and far more so by their actual deeds. Moreover, sometimes words aren’t enough and we need to not just say something, but do something! As Edmund Burke stated, “The only thing necessary for triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” It’s great to speak out when we see wrong, but more than that we have to be willing, when necessary, to act out–to do something.

As Jews, we need to be ready, willing, and able to stand up for what is right in the never ending war of good over evil in this world–regardless of silver or lead, G-d forbid–with our words and with our deeds.

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Calling BS on Germany’s BDS

So I think this is the definition of irony and more blatant anti-Semitism out there. 

Hitler’s Germany committed genocide and murdered 6,000,000 Jewish men, women, and children during the Holocaust–1 out of every 3 Jews in the entire world–and killed tens of millions more in their fight of World War II. 

And now one of Germany’s top gun manufacturers, Heckler and Koch, has put democratic Israel, the Jewish Homeland, which is surrounded by hostile neighbors–on their banned list of countries to sell guns to because of war zones and corruption. 

— Isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black???

BDS is anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism, and a form of terrorism!

My own family–from Germany–suffered at the hands of Hitler and his henchman, and no more Jews should suffer the same. 

Germany, please put a lid on resurgent anti-Semitism, and respect Israel’s right to self-defense, and to peace and security. 

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Clash Of Civilizations

Things are looking a little less rosy today in the world…

Clash of Civilizations – Tensions continuing to heat up in Middle East as Saudia Arabia is accused of bombing Iran’s embassy in Yemen after the Saudi embassy in Iran was ransacked. 

Weapons of Mass Destruction – North Korea conducts H-Bomb test threating major escalation of WMD in Asia, and Iran unveils nuke capable carrying ballistic missiles at 2nd site, and claims surface that ISIS (similar to Syria) is now using chemical weapons. 

Wold Economy – Yesterday, China had to again halt trading (after only 30 minutes) when their stock market dropped another 10%, and the World Bank cuts global growth forecast to just 2.9% for 2016 (down another .4%). 

Violence From Immigration Crisis – Dozens and dozens of women were sexually attacked by alleged gangs of immigrants in multiple cities in Germany after Germany opens its border to 1.1 million immigrants from Syria, Afghanistan, etc. just last year.

Terrorist Attacks — After multiple terror attacks in Paris, San Bernardino, and on a Russian airliner flying out from Egypt last year, another attack was thwarted just yesterday in Paris on the 1-year anniversary of the Charlie Hebdo killings. 

We may not want to say the words “clash of civilizations,” except that we are desperately trying to avoid it, but it seems to be happening and with all it’s effects anyway. 

The question is what happens when the proverbial politically “acceptable losses” rise to the point of being completely unacceptable disasters? 😉

(Source Photo: here with attribution to Guio Gloor Modjib)

Still In Love After 58 Years Together

My mom and dad are still in love after almost 58 years of marriage.

While I already knew how special they were to each other–through thick and thin–when my mom took my dad’s hand at the table, and said he has always been the love of her life, it was just beautiful.

Their life has certainly not been easy–escaping from Nazi Germany as children, losing most of their education, and coming to this country with literally nothing. But they worked hard, worshipped G-d dutifully, gave charitably, and greatly valued their family and friendships above everything else in this world.

They are good people and a wonderful role model to all of us, and we have always been like one extended family.

I’ll always remember when my mom took his hand and said how much he meant to her–it was awesome!

May God bless them both, always. 😉

(Source Photo: Rebecca Blumenthal)