Noya

She did not want me to take a picture of her so she hides under the kitchen table. She has pink-white porcelain skin and reddish, curly "African antenna" hair. A fantastic genetic recombination. Granddaughter number two. 

Can a Palestinian Muslim become a Jew?

Judaism has no Pope with a phone line to the Creator. Notwithstanding, we managed to maintain some uniformity, which is constantly being challenged by new interpreters of the Torah. The State has an official Chief Rabbinate, itself divided into two ethnic traditions, the Ashkenazi and the Sepharadi. But there are Rabbis who declared themselves Judges (in religious issues) and have courts and write opinions and sentences. Rabbi Nissim Karelitz (pic) declared himself a Posek (Doctor of Religion) and established a respected religious court in the city of Bnei Brak. Many brought their problems to him to be judged. He died this year at age 93.

Everybody knows that many of the inhabitants of Hebron were, a couple of generations ago, practicing Jews. They were forced to submit to the Islam (literally, submission) under the Turkish Sultanate, and on the surface, they have merged with the Arab Muslim majority. One Hebronite decided to return to his ancestors' faith and tribe, and Rabbi Karelitz converted him to Judaism.

Now, this is a very delicate issue, because Muslims cannot just choose another religion and those who do, are ipso facto beheaded. But that will be his problem, not mine. Judaism is not missionary and converts are not desired. But the High Court of Justice of Israel, a secular institution, had officially recognized the authority of Karelitz, including the right to convert non-Jews, and that makes the problem mine and national. As a convert, the Hebronite is entitled to Israeli citizenship and its White Colonialist "privileges'. (Like being beaten in the Vari Hall of York University, for being a Zionist.)

What do I think? The boy keeps all the mitzvot, which I do not. He is a kosher Jew. By blood, he may be more closer to Abraham of the Bible than I am. Abraham spent much time in Hebron.

Now the convert has been jailed by the Palestinian Authority and submitted to Islamic brainwashing. For some reason, unknown to this blogger, thousands are attracted to Judaism and would convert if made easier. If this Palestinian Arab becomes one of us and survives, well... it is complicated.

Heavyweight Champion

Wilder. World Champion by Knockout. 

Tyler Durden: The Project

There are places that I never knew existed in my town, like Tyler Durden. It is a pub for people who like to drink. Being a non-alcoholic (P.S.:  but an Oenophile, a Connoisseur) boomer, never heard of Tyler Durden the pub or the person. The place is in industrial building and since pubs are not included in the category of industry, it needs rezoning. Kfar Saba's industrial area is full of restaurants and pubs which theoretically are all illegal. The suburban train is planned to traverse the area, so all new permits have been frozen for the last five years. There is no timetable for the train arrival, there are not even plans nor budgets. Typical Israeli chaos and overregulation. Now we have no government because Bibi asked a paper to cover him favorably and that, in our Middle Eastern country, a request like that (by a right wing politician) counts as corruption and a terrible crime. The left already is celebrating his trial and festive hanging.  

Fact: America Owns Eastern Europe

The Economist's article on Ukraine corruption seems incredible to me. I mean, it is perfectly credible and probably true, but reflects a situation that could not be imagined ten -twenty years ago. The Economist describes America's activities in Ukraine, Romania, Hungary, etc. as a battle against corruption, taking as a fact that America is somehow responsible for that area and has the right to impose its political concepts on the hundred million persons inhabiting Eastern Europe or better, Western Russia.

First, it takes for granted and natural that Ukraine, a political entity that formerly was a province of the Soviet Union, has been detached from Russia and is part of the American empire. Second, it never occurs to The Economist that "corruption" is an internal issue and foreign powers - from the other side of the ocean - do not normally intervene in these things. Imagine China intervening in the USA to impose its political habits, its ideas about private property and so. The journal assumes as natural and necessary that the hegemonic power intervenes to impose its civilized norms on corrupt, misgoverned colonized peoples.

I have my doubts if the corruption America is battling in Ukraine is the corruption they imagine or just a local system of doing business and apportioning power and influence. As for me, I have no opinion and do not care. Israeli waiters are not paid a salary, they are supposed to receive tips. In Bauchi where I worked, public functionaries were not paid but support themselves and buy their uniforms by taking "bribes". Is that corruption?

Anyway, the bottom line is that America has succeeded in dividing Russia and turning a large part of it into a hostile country. Ukraine and Russia are in war. And Ukraine is now a country (one of Europe's largest) where American politicians fight out their own rivalries as it was Washington or California.

It is only natural that China fears America, and it fears Hong Kong's movement toward its detachment from China. For all the talk about America's decadence, it is quite imaginable that the 2040 Economist shall comment on "America losing the Battle Against Corruption in the Canton-Fujian Republic".

George Vari, a Jewish Life Wasted

Gyuri bacsi, aka George Vari, was a Hungarian Jewish engineer born in the same village as Sarkozy, the French President (another Hungarian Jew). Vari (meaning "of the castle", that was his Hungarianized name), escaped in 1956 to Austria. We may have shared the same refugee camp in Vienna, an army camp. We emigrated to Argentina, he went to Canada and was very successful. In Toronto married, no children. He lays in a Catholic cemetery. Donated millions to universities, mostly to Toronto's York University.  Pic.: the George Vari Engineering and Computing Center. A typical Hungarian Jewish story of my generation. I deeply identify with people like Vari, they are my better me and I am - in my way - them.


Why am I writing about him? Because in the Vari Hall that carries his name, Arab students carried out a violent mini-pogrom against three Israeli students who came to speak. These things make my blood to boil, because I had met many Jewish donors like George Vari who arrived to the annual meeting of the Board of Directors of Tel Aviv University. They shared with me their life history and their hard way to financial success (nobody else had the patience to hear the poignant tales of these very rich men and women). While touring the campus, Palestinian students organized noisy protests and I was at a loss how to justify their generous donations for buildings and laboratories and scholarships - only to be used and abused by our enemies.

The hate showered on the Jewish boys and girls in the Vari Hall of York University made me cringe, seeing my people's generosity serving anti-Semitic hate. In my times at TAU, the university "sold" Jewish donors scholarships for Arab students, who wrote - under some compulsion - shameless fake thank you letters detailing how they loved Jews. I am tempted to advise to Jewish philanthropes NOT to give a cent to them, not a single dollar for projects that, eventually will promote their hate against us, but give their resources - and these are very generous people - to Jewish causes alone. Say no to University of Tel Aviv and other non-Jewish Universities. Specially say no to York University and the likes of it. 

Iconic Chinese Sculpture

Traditionally, the speculators who expect better times and valuations are called bulls, while the pessimists are bears. On Wall Street, in front of the NYSE building, stands the iconic sculpture of a furiously charging bull. It is a tourist attraction and Chinese visitors love to rub its testicles, which shine as new.

The Hong Kong stock exchange also has an iconic sculpture of not one, but two philosophically ruminating Asian bulls.

A chacun son gout.