A GREAT JOY-AND A GREAT SADNESS

There is an old Talmudic axiom in relation to evaluating your life's accomplishments. "Look  not at your children, but at your grandchildren".
This past Sunday, Sheila and I attended a beautiful and moving event in N Woodmere. L I. Our youngest grandchild Dov, joined 44 of his 2nd  grade male classmates at HALB (Hebrew Academy of Long Beach)who  received their first Chumash ( Bible). The girls portion of the class will have a similar ceremony this coming week. The children are part of a 900-1000 student population in the lower school. There are 2 nearby buildings for a boys and girls high school.
The children sang in Hebrew from the first chapter of the portion of Breshit .
As I looked around the filled auditorium of the 25 million dollar renovated former public school building, I remised as to how orthodox life has changed ( for the better) in the 70+ years since I was in the  second grade.
All of the parents were  orthodox sabbath observers .Unlike in my time, where many if not a majority sent their kids to yeshiva, so that they would not be dismissed at 3pm while they were still at work.  A large portion did not send their children to yeshiva high schools upon graduation, unlike today where the number is probably 100%.
HALB is but one of many such institutions in the 5 Towns area.( covering all religious hashkafot)
This past Shabbat my Rav , Rabbi Zev Goldberg in a sermon on Jewish unity, and the greatness of America , the home of opportunity and pluralism for Jews. noted that his daughter attends a similar school in Teaneck where 1000 students attend. This too is but one of many such institutions in Bergen County NJ.
Examining the local Anglo-Jewish newspapers this week, I noted 9 or 10 open Houses for Yeshiva High Schools in our County for prospective students..There were 80+ minyanim and 30-40 daf yomis listed, in addition to classes for all ages and sexes.
The sad part:
The majority of Jews in this area (and in my building ) are not affiliated.There are no ads for conservative or reform outreach or education. It is a spiritual desert.
One does not have to be a professional demographer to realize that based on intermarriage and assimilation statistics, if you look 30-50- years down the road there is no possibility that a vibrant non-orthodox  community can survive and pass on their  religion to the next generations.
This should not be a source of gloating but of sadness.
YES WE ARE ALL JEWS-an attack on a Pittsburgh Conservative Temple is an attack on all of us.
The suggestions of a "reverse birthright" or teaching American Jews the Hebrew language, are mere slogans and platitudes
Only Jewish education at all but especially the elementary-high school years is the only solution.

Voter suppression?

A brief simple question
I went to visit friends and family a number of times in various hospitals. I went not as a physician but
 as a normal regular citizen.

The procedure varied  but the end point was the same
A photo-idea  or a drivers license. one even took a photo of each visitor.
I saw individuals of every race and color, of every economic status stand in line as I and my wife did.
NO ONE YELLED "RACISM"!

WHY SHOULD THE SAME SAFEGUARDS AT THE BALLOT BOX BE DIFFERENT?

TRY GETTING ON A PLANE WITHOUT IDENTIFICATION !

The voter suppression screaming is mainly  a sham!

UNDERSTANDING INCIVILITY AND THE CAUSE OF MOB RULE

NOW I UNDERSTAND!
Thank you NY Times. CNN , MSNBC and the Washington Post for making it all clear to me.
LET'S SEE IF I HAVE IT RIGHT
This whole incivility and violence emanates from election night 2016 . Had Trump not won, ( and lost ) the way he was supposed to, there would be no need for incivility. For this victory. the progressive world can never forgive him!
LET US EXAMINE 2016 TO THE PRESENT.

Violence at Berkeley  should they ever invite a pro-conservative speaker. "One should never allow those kind to spread alternate thoughts." Trump might be praised and conservative ideas discussed!
Antifa mobs roam Portland-why stop them- just stop calling them a mob- think of cowboys with masks but no horses. We'll teach Trump a lesson for thinking he is our President.
Cong Scalise is shot by a Sanders supporter. If there had been no Trump, the shooter would not have been agitated.
HILLARY REAFFIRMS NO CIVILITY UNTIL WE REGAIN POWER
Holder- "kick them'
Waters- get them in the face
            question-if the restaurant patron who confronted the Majority Leader in the restaurant had a gun and used it-would it look bad that he fired and killed a Trump supporter because the shooter  was agitated over the Pres? I guess his plea would be "TRUMP MADE ME DO IT!
The cries from Dem leaders that Trump is a traitor- Isn't it time they formalized those charges?
The NYT publishing a end to Trump by assassination
Kathy Griffin holding a decapitated Trump head-I GUESS IT WAS A SILLY AD FOR A BEAUTY SALON!
Trump inspired illegal SA caravan-silly man !
KHOSSEGGI IS KILLED- not sure if Trump pulled the trigger.Why is he trying to deal with Saudi Prince  to stabilize the Middle East?  He's not really the Pres!
A crazy  who likes Trump sends pipe bombs- see this is proof!
A crazy who hates Trump  kill 11 at a synagogue- Trump must have been sending him sub rosa signals - Trump made everybody CRAZY
Sen Booker-"your silence is complicity"- DOES HE PLAN TO REMAIN SILENT ONTHE ANONYMOUS complaints against him-or will he turn it over to the FBI?
I think we can sum it up -everything bad in the world is Trump's fault-anything good such as the economy is a result of Obama's leadership.
Before I conclude -may I interest you in a beautiful bridge  I have for sale in Brooklyn.?