Thoughts on being Jewish

From Wikipedia: Tefillin, ( Hebrew: תפילין ‎), also called phylacteries, are a pair of cubic leather boxes painted black, containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with verses from the Bible, with leather straps dyed black on one side, and worn by observant Jews during weekday morning prayers. The hand-tefillin, or shel yad, is placed on the upper arm, and the strap wrapped around the arm, hand and fingers; while the head-tefillin, or shel rosh, is placed above the forehead, with the strap going... Sign in to see full entry.

I just read about a fiesty, non-Jewish woman, now living in Rye, NY, who hid Jewish families in her Amsterdam home, just a few doors down from where Ann Frank was stashed and found. Strobos, who was questioned, tortured and beaten by the Gestapo when then began to suspect her, lived to move to the United States and become a psychiatrist here. "A carpenter came from the Underground," Strobos said, "and he built a hiding place for Jews on the top floor of our house." The floor was equipped with a... Sign in to see full entry.

And here you thought this was a Jewish blog! Well, I'm just reporting a tidbit from my Haddassah Magazine, which covers events and lifestyles in Israel and in Jewish America. "Now, tourists to Israel can walk in the footsteps of Jesus - hiking down from Nazareth through villages and descending steep hills to grassy overlooks of the Sea of Galilee is all part of experiencing the recently launched Jesus Trail. " The 40 mile trail takes about 2 - 4 days to hike. I guess you could call this one... Sign in to see full entry.

On a Northwest Airways flight from Atlanta, GA, a well attired middle-aged woman found herself sitting next to a man wearing a kippa ("yarmulke" in Yiddish). She called the attendant over to complain about her seating. "What seems to be the problem, Madam?" asked the attendant. "You've sat me next to a Jew!! I can't possibly sit next to this strange man. Please find me another seat!" "Madam, I will see what I can do to accommodate," the attendant replied, "but the flight is virtually full today... Sign in to see full entry.

So said a Japanese "Righteous Gentile" - one of a number of non-Jews who, with great danger to themselves, showed deep humanity in a time of atrocities towards Man. It still astounds me that with all the material evidence, aging survivors and witnesses, there are such things as "Holocaust Deniers" out there. Japanese Rescuer and Humanitarian Sign in to see full entry.