tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480252043220105728.post5027391565402773685..comments2009-08-12T19:17:38.659-04:00Bernard Avishaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12785179301542851440noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480252043220105728.post-10548025378189848012009-08-12T19:17:38.659-04:002009-08-12T19:17:38.659-04:00Last week I welcomed close family from Israel. They are young and orthodox. We are not. Yet here, now, between us there is such love tolerance respect curiosity engagement- those potential barriers don&#39;t exist. Far from their religious environment they are now all out and traveling for a month, experiencing &quot;America&quot;, now here, in the boondocks of MA, where you can&#39;t find a kosher butcher or restaurant. Amongst the very orthodox young that I know this spirit is catching: the spirit to know and embrace the world, the desire to travel and mix. <br /><br />I think that the trend is that despite all the xenophobia we hear, the handed down post Holocaust post repression fears, fears of annihilation, the greater force is for the coming together and over arching humanist ideas. The fears expressed above, that religious fanaticism will take over, also as I read, exist in the Christian and Muslim worlds. We hear this in Iran now too. Even those who are religious do not want religion to rule them. They know perhaps that religion comes from within and from within also comes a feeling of identity. It&#39;s a futile struggle to hold on to an idea of identity against that identity evolving. This discussion is beautiful because from it you can hear some new identity, more globally connected and inclusive is wanting to emerge, one that enhances and affirms and feels more right. <br /><br />It feels good that this country, the US, is some sort of model. We have our ongoing struggles but the struggling is what it&#39;s about- not the endpoint we arrive at, but the process. <br /><br />I hope that these young people stay in Israel and contribute to the next phase of pioneer work.<br /><br />Thank you.Potternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480252043220105728.post-81018826768048891642009-08-12T01:27:07.245-04:002009-08-12T01:27:07.245-04:00Bernard, would you consider, please, joining the conversation regarding Afghanistan at http://www.cnas.org/blogs/abumuqawama/2009/08/debating-cost-afghanistan.html<br /><br />I summarized a group of comments by &quot;Bill&quot; at <i>Comment by MA on August 12, 2009 - 1:07am</i> <br /><br />Thanks.Margaretnoreply@blogger.com