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Sam Cornish Remembers Dr. King and the Civil Rights Era

noreply@blogger.com (Tamar Orvell) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 23:47:00 +0000

(Click to enlarge image)

With Boston's first poet laureate, Sam Cornish, and other educational advisors, I worked in the poorest neighborhoods of Greater Boston and in newly desegregated schools of rural North Carolina and Delaware. There, with teachers, administrators, and policymakers we created learner-centered curriculum development initiatives as part of the federally-supported "Great Society" broad agenda to eliminate poverty and racial injustice. Decades later, as I reflect on that era and the work I did then and since, this "war" was the single most meaningful, most useful, most important I fought (and keep fighting).

Hanukkah: first victory for freedom of worship

noreply@blogger.com (Tamar Orvell) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Hanukkiot in the window of Judith and Jeff Green's
home in Jerusalem's Abu Tor neighborhood.
Placing Hanukkiot by a window or door fulfills
the commandment to "publicize the miracle."

Hanukkah, the eight-day "festival of lights" begins with the lighting of the first candle at sundown on the eve of the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev in the Hebrew calendar, also called the Jewish calendar. Each year, the corresponding day on the Gregorian [civil] calendar changes, and this year, Hanukkah began at sundown on Tuesday, December 20, 2011.

No matter how the Hebrew word חֲנֻכָּה is transliterated into English (Hanukkah, Hanukka, Chanukka, Chanukkah, [fill in your own]), no matter the era or place people celebrate it —

What is most inspiring about Hanukkah is that it memorializes the first clear victory in history for freedom of worship, a celebration that, as contemporary rabbis point out, belongs to all religious people.
— From the Desire of the Everlasting Hills by Thomas Cahill

Hanukkah Q&A

What is the difference between a traditional Menorah and a Hanukkah Menorah (Hebrew: Hanukkiah)?
The seven-branched Menorah is a candelabrum of Jewish historical and ritual meaning that appears on ancient coins, gravestones, and synagogue decorations, and is today the seal and emblem of the State of Israel.

The nine-branched Hanukkah Menorah (Hebrew: Hanukkiah) is a candelabrum with eight branches of equal size and height (one for each night of the Hanukkah festival) and a separate (ninth) candleholder for the "Shamash" (Hebrew: attendant). We use the Shamash to light the other eight candles, in observance of the ruling to view the Hanukkah lights, not to use them.

What's the story?
The Hanukkah festival commemorates the (second century BCE) Jewish Maccabees' military victory over the Greek-Syrian army and the rededication of the Second Temple to the worship of God.

Why the lights?
The Temple purification began on the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev in the year 165 BCE. According to the Talmud, the single-days-worth of pure oil found in the Temple miraculously burned eight days, until more pure oil could be brought.

Victory's message?
"Not by might, not by power, but by My spirit." לֹא בְחַיִל, וְלֹא בְכֹחַ--כִּי אִם-בְּרוּחִי (Zachariah 4:6, whom we read this Shabbat following the Torah portion).

Where is the history recorded?
The First Book of Maccabees tells how, in response to religious persecution and oppression, Judah Maccabee and his four brothers organized a group of resistance fighters who succeeded to drive the far larger Greek-Syrian army out of Judea.

How do we celebrate this fun festival?
Lighting the Hanukkiah is the central observance. Whereas once all lights were oil lamps, using candles is a lot simpler. The first night, a single candle (or oil-dipped wick) is lit, with an additional one lit each successive night.

While lighting the candles, we recite blessings, chant the ancient Hanerot Hallalu, and play dreidel games. We (over)eat oil-rich foods featuring potato pancakes and Hanukkah donuts called sufganiyot (shown on the right), commemorating the miracle of the oil that burned eight days.

What about gifts?
The custom of giving Hanukkah gelt (money) in the form of gold-foil-wrapped chocolate coins to children once brought pure bliss to me and my older sister and to previous generations. (Shiny pennies, won playing dreidel games, were acceptable, too.) I recall the year we got pink gloves! Mine were angora, marking not only graduation from mittens but equally from practical plain wool! My sister's, on the minus side, were wool, while on the plus side, featured black velvet ribbon threaded through each wristband. Whose was the prettier gift? I still wonder.

Who am I remembering this year as I kindle the Hanukkah lights?
My childhood family: my mother and my father, my maternal grandparents, and my sister. My Israeli family.

And I am remembering children everywhere who desperately need light to shine on them. Children whose spirits are darkened by ignorant adults, unemployed or underemployed parents, poor diets, insufficient shelters, shabby clothing, inadequate health care, disinterested leaders, and misguided politicians. Children whose birthright is light daily, and who require comprehensive support and services steadily.

And I ask myself: What am I doing to help shine the light?

NOTE: In this post, I changed only the Gregorian date of Hanukkah in my original post December 4, 2007.

Atlanta homeless man's Nativity scene

noreply@blogger.com (Tamar Orvell) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 13:59:00 +0000

Gifts of home and community

I chanced on an exhibit of Nativity scenes featuring a collection assembled from travels and donations worldwide. While many artists used high-end materials (crystal, gold, enamel), the simplest, "poorest" materials (scraps of straw, newspaper, wood, fiber, and wool) attracted me most. And the homeless man's arrangement of stones triggered my longest pause and reflection.

Church of the Epiphany
2089 Ponce de Leon Avenue
Atlanta, GA 30307

Two more scenes among my favorites.

Native American

South American

Tulasi Ghimirey's Thanksgiving Letter 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Tamar Orvell) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 01:05:00 +0000

Tulasi loves growing vegetables

In 2000, Tulasi Ghimirey arrived in the U.S. from United Nations-run refugee camps in southeastern Nepal. There, 100,000 fellow ethnic-Nepali Bhutanese refugees landed in 1990 following ethnic cleansing in Bhutan, their homeland. Through combined efforts of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Third Country Resettlement Program and the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program, about 60,000 Bhutanese refugees have been resettled in the U.S. Tulasi lives in Atlanta with his wife, Kumari, and son, Ryan.

Dear friends, volunteers, and well-wishers of me, my family, and the Bhutanese community,

I never wait for Thanksgiving to arrive to thank this country and its citizens. Giving and Thanking someone is the ultimate happiness prescription.

At night, I still dream of those days, especially the torture that I have gone through, in Bhutan. I find myself running, crying, and begging for help. Those camouflage outfits of the Bhutanese Army haunt me always.

When I get conscious from my dream, I find myself in the fancier house in America. My pounding heart slows down realizing that I am in America and not in Bhutan. The next thing I do before putting my body under the quilt is to Thank this great country because I will never be tortured again. I don’t have to get punched in my face until I am found guilty. What humane laws this country has. I can proudly say that I am a human being because humans are treated as human beings here.

Thank God for the bountiful blessing bestowed upon America, Land of the Free and Home of the Brave! I salute our armed and unarmed forces who are making tremendous sacrifices to keep us SAFE and FREE. Thanksgiving would not even exist without their selfless service. And, as I feast on delicious food, I remember the American farmers who feed us and the world safe nutritious food.

We still have many people struggling to put food on the table as we work to recover from our economic downturn. Our food shelves feel increased demand during the holiday season so I encourage you to donate or make a charitable contribution.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving with family and friends.

Related posts

July Fourth picnic with Atlanta's new Bhutanese neighbors (includes video)
Tulasi's Thanksgiving letter (2010)
Tulasi Ghimirey's Thanksgiving letter (2009)

Emory University article on Tulasi
Bhutan refugee finds Shangri-La in Atlanta

In Tel Aviv: Levinsky Park

noreply@blogger.com (Tamar Orvell) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 22:11:00 +0000

Levinsky Park is a hub of activity

Thanks to massive efforts in and around this patch of green near the Central Bus Station in the sketchy, rundown Neve Shaanan neighborhood, many low-income and impoverished Israelis and foreign-born undocumented workers, refugees, and asylum seekers can obtain a modicum of basic services. Nongovernmental and volunteer humanitarian organizations, mostly, offer food, shelter, childcare, legal advice, and health care. Area adults and children can enjoy, too, nurturing activities that often lift their spirits and fuel their hopes for solutions to our seemingly intransigent human problems.

Watch the video (6:45 minutes).

My related posts

At Bialik-Rogozin School, shooting baskets with Josh Gomes

noreply@blogger.com (Tamar Orvell) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 15:40:00 +0000

Josh Gomes discusses the game in "Hebrish/Englew"
with several players on the Grades 8-9 Basketball Team

The compelling educational vision and innovative practices of the famed Bialik-Rogozin School, in Tel Aviv, draw hundreds of volunteers, including my friend Josh Gomes, an American professional basketball player winning points for Israeli teams several years.

Josh scored big on his visit with the Grades 8-9 Basketball Team (they captured third place in the 2011 Tel Aviv Basketball Competition). The team's makeup reflects the inner-city public school's international student body (nearly 900 Jews, Christians, and Muslims from 48 countries) — with roots in Israel, Sudan, Darfur, Ghana, Sierra Leone, the Philippines, Eritrea, Russia, Dominican Republic, and Columbia, among other countries.

Watch the video (4:16 minutes)

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May the [Jewish] New Year and its blessings start תָּחֵל שָׁנָה וּבִרְכוֹתֶיהָ

noreply@blogger.com (Tamar Orvell) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 13:41:00 +0000

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, falls on the Hebrew calendar dates of 1 and 2 Tishrei. The coinciding secular dates for this year, 2011, are September 28 (at sundown) through 30 (at sundown). I first published this post on September 12, 2007.

In Jerusalem's Machane Yehuda open-air shuk (market),
jars of honey — a symbol of the hope for a sweet year

Dear Tamar,

May the New Year and its blessings start (תָּחֵל שָׁנָה וּבִרְכוֹתֶיהָ Tachel shana u-birkote-ah)*.

The word Shana in Hebrew comes from the word li-shnot (to repeat) but it also sounds like le-shanot (to change). I think that's the main thing every Rosh Hashanah: it's our chance either to repeat our mistakes or to make a change — to keep the good things or to let them go. I hope your New Year will be filled with good choices.

Shana Tova 5768,
Shimon

* From אָחוֹת קְטַנָּה Akhot Ktana (Little Sister). Click the link to listen to the piyyut (Jewish liturgical poem) by Abraham Hazzan of Gerona (called Girondi), Spain, 13th century. Each verse ends with a one-line chorus: (Let the year end with all its curses!) תִּכְלֶה שָׁנָה וְקִלְלוֹתֶיהָ Tikhleh shanah ve-killeloteha! The last line of the piyut concludes: (Let the new year begin with all its blessings!) תָּחֵל שָׁנָה וּבִרְכוֹתֶיהָ Tahel shanah u-virkhoteha!

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Jean Rice, beloved friend

noreply@blogger.com (Tamar Orvell) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 11:38:00 +0000

Jean Rice (1946-2006)
in her kitchen on Cape Cod in Sandwich, MA

She had been a radical nun whose lifelong hero (and mine) was Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. When Jean died four years ago today, I wrote this post, which I am republishing here. Who she was and how she lived inspire my better instincts daily. And I am missing her. The last winter of her life, fully grasping the implications of her health crisis, she sent her family and friends this message:

Happy Hannukah and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! All celebrations of life and vigor and weakness and being given what we need. Love to you, and thank you for the love you send.
— Jean

When my pal Jean got the diagnosis that would cut short her amazing life, I could not have imagined the rich and varied months still to come. Amazing for her, her family, and for the rest of us. Nor, despite thinking that I knew this human force for good after thirty-plus years' friendship, could I have dreamed that our "palaver" would be uninterrupted — even until weeks before her death. (We long relished the term, palaver, to describe our chattering with abandon on all matters — from the ridiculous to the sublime.)

Our palaver: two examples
I continue to engage in palaver with her. This morning, for example, walking in a park in Tel Aviv, I met a happy puppy named Six ("because he was the sixth in a list of rescued animals from which he was adopted," explained his person). When Six approached my hand to lick it, his person, responding to my question on possible early abuse in the life of Six, explained, "Six shuns conflict. He senses kindness, which attracts him." Aha! A perfectly palaver tail/tale item to share with my pal Jean who devoured evidence of positive energy in a tricky universe.

Another example. Last week, when I learned that my cousin in Jerusalem (who will be Bar Mitzva in December) has begun chemotherapy treatments for leukemia, I almost immediately reshaped this news into a palaver item. Because, in her life and in her dying, Jean, who had been my address on such matters, refused to allow grief to immobilize her or others. And she lent me strength last week, though differently, no less than during her life.

Pals across time and space
Jean was a core friend — fluent in the languages of art, philosophy, literature, elephants, children, friendship, memory, and soul. I so loved and admired her, learned from her, tried to emulate her. Often, she traveled thousands of miles with me — spiritually and in solidarity — to mark, honor, and serve often the least among us whom I sometimes encountered on my journeys.

In our last conversation, on the phone in late July, Jean rushed through her answers to my questions about her mood and situation. She preferred to focus on what she insisted was far more interesting and important: my family in Israel, and how they were holding up given mounting crises in this region.

Jean inspired me to keep moving, to acknowledge my mistakes, and to let them go. I have tried to emulate her ways and stances; the richness of her life rooted in gratitude, generosity, and joy, and filled with laughter and compassion.

Jean's many lives defied losses. Grounded firmly in prosocial values and daily practices, she was ever ready to rethink, restart, and reshape plans and outcomes that were not what she expected, liked, or approved of. She was always rebuilding, firming up, reinforcing, and letting go, beginning anew.

The triumphs of her life are measured not merely by the length of her years, but by the marriage she co-created, the children she co-raised, the stubborn optimism of her life, and her legacy.

Jean's life was a gift and her memory is a blessing.

At Georgia Tech's Combustion Lab, you're never too young to learn

noreply@blogger.com (Tamar Orvell) — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 11:26:00 +0000

Pritam shows cousin Sabitra how a vortex tube works

If somebody wants to be in the lab, if science interests him, we have to provide the platform to do that.

— Dr. Yedidia Neumeier, principal research engineer and adjunct professor, Georgia Tech, School of Aerospace Engineering

Last summer, while reviewing the draft of Pritam Adhikari's personal essay for his college applications, I learned about his compelling dream of a career related to aviation — a dream he developed in Beldangi-2, a Bhutanese refugee camp in Nepal, and nurtured across continents and cultures despite a dizzying array of traumas, demands, and challenges following ethnic cleansing of 100,000 fellow ethnic-Nepali Bhutanese in their homeland, Bhutan.

And it struck me that polishing Pritam's standout essay was secondary to introducing him to my longtime friend, Dr. Yedidia Neumeier. The pair bonded quickly — the Israeli-born Orthodox Jew and the native Bhutanese son of a Hindu priest. And, Yedidia invited Pritam to join David and Moshe (he dubbed the trio, the "Three Musketeers") in an intriguing project this summer.

David (Yeshiva HS, NYC), Moshe (Yeshiva Atlanta),
Pritam (Druid Hills HS, Atlanta), and Yedidia

Their project? Investigating vortex tubes — the scientific phenomena and design of these effective, low cost solutions to industrial spot cooling and process cooling needs.

On completing their project in the Combustion Lab, the "Three Musketeers" presented the fruits of their summer activities. In a wood-paneled seminar room of the storied School of Aerospace Engineering, Dr. Neumeier introduced the high school students and their guests and described the project purpose and methodology. Each student explained what they had learned, illustrating key points using presentation slides.

Family, friends, and graduate students paid rapt attention.

Following a robust Q&A, the group drove across campus to the Combustion Lab where Yedidia explained early aerospace technology.

And, the guests experienced "hands-on" a vortex tube in operation.

In their project presentation, a concluding slide — "What we gained and learned from our time at Georgia Tech" summarized what the students had learned: "How to set up a proper experiment, take good data, and understand our results." And, I reflected on other lessons they had learned — meeting fellow students from different cultures and backgrounds and working together as one team honoring everyone's talents and creativity.

May they and their devoted teacher, mentor, and ally continue to go from strength to strength! And to Yedidia: תודה רבה, רבה — many thanks!

Bialik-Rogozin School exterior gives a sneak preview of its interior

noreply@blogger.com (Tamar Orvell) — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 12:43:00 +0000

Sigal Rozen, Public Policy Coordinator at Hotline for Migrant Workers,
starts tours of migrant workers' and refugees' homes
outside the school where their children attend

In South Tel Aviv, the inner-city Bialik-Rogozin School broadcasts human dignity and safety even to casual passersby on the street. Contiguous life-size color photographs of students wrap the school's security wall, transforming the building's exterior message of prison-like anonymity to welcome and opportunity. Inside, in grades K-12, more than 800 children of Israelis and of migrant workers, refugees, and asylum seekers from 48 countries build community as they learn to respect self and others, celebrate diversity, and advance in academic subjects.

A film about the School, Strangers No More, captured the Academy Award in the Documentary Short Subject category, in 2011.

First we shape our buildings, then they shape us.
—Winston Churchill, 1943

Breaking Into Israel: Video report and interview with my Eritrean hero Kidane Isaac

noreply@blogger.com (Tamar Orvell) — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 19:21:00 +0000

My Eritean friends (L to R) Kidane Isaac, Filamon Juenist, and Domoz
Bereket. Behind me, American pal Josh Gomes (Levinsky Park, Tel Aviv)

In the Sinai, thousands of Eritreans fleeing conscription, torture, and conflict in their East African homeland risk being shot by border guards and held ransom by people smugglers as they try to get to Israel for safe harbor.

Kidane Isaac, my gentle friend, courageous community leader, and Eritrean asylum seeker in Tel Aviv inspires me daily to act on the Torah injunction (Leviticus 19:34) —

כְּאֶזְרָח מִכֶּם יִהְיֶה לָכֶם הַגֵּר הַגָּר אִתְּכֶם, וְאָהַבְתָּ לוֹ כָּמוֹךָ כִּי גֵרִים הֱיִיתֶם בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם

Treat foreign residents living among you as your native-born. Love each one as yourself because you were foreigners in Egypt.

Watch "Breaking into Israel" (24 minutes) and meet Kidane (starting at minute 16).

Resources
No country for refugees, article on The Refugee Voice, in Haaretz newspaper, April 15, 2011

The African Refugee Development Center
Founded in 2004 by refugees and Israelis to help refugees and asylum seekers in Israel, ARDC provides community services and lobbies for fairer policies towards refugees.
Email: info@ardc-israel.org

The Hotline for Migrant Workers
Founded in 1998, HMW is a non-partisan, not for profit organization promoting undocumented migrant workers' and refugees' rights, and eliminating human trafficking in Israel.
Email: info@hotline.org.il

Organization for Aiding Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Israel
Founded in 2007, ASSAF is a non-profit organization that provides support and runs programs to protect and strengthen the African refugee community in Israel.
Email: assafaid@gmail.com

Celebrating Israel's 63rd at Hulda Forest and Herzl House

noreply@blogger.com (Tamar Orvell) — Tue, 10 May 2011 15:20:00 +0000

Theodor Herzl, "Visionary of the State," look-alike in
(cardboard) signature beard and top hat
holds his Jewish State, a key text of early Zionism

In Jewish time, each day begins at sunset. Last night, on the eve of Yom Ha'atzmaut [Hebrew: Independence Day], I joined my friends Yehudit and Yisrael Liman and their two youngest grandchildren and their parents to celebrate the declaration of the state of Israel, on May 14, 1948. While watching official events in Jerusalem broadcast live on TV, listening to fireworks from Tel Aviv's Rabin Square, and just before partaking of the feast Yehudit had prepared (including cakes decorated in soy-yogurt spelling out 63), she lit two candles and recited the ancient Shehecheyanu [Hebrew: who has given us life] blessing for such occasions.

Blessed are You, Adonai, sovereign of the world, who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this moment.
— Talmud (Berachot 54a)

So the next morning, my perfect mood set the night before matched the perfect weather as my friends drove us to Hulda Forest where we joined Havurat Tel Aviv fellows for a traditional holiday barbecue picnic. Here, as in many of Israel's national parks, forests, and historic sites, the tour leaders were teen volunteers doing national service. During a "gap year" between high school and compulsory army service, these beautiful young people working under Jewish National Fund direction conduct activities that teach values concerning Zionism, nature, and environmental awareness.

The video (Hebrew) shows both tour leaders' (both named Elad!) universal appeal as they explain the history of Hulda Forest and Herzl House, and impersonate Theodor Herzl (1860-1904), "Visionary of the State." The first Elad in the video, in reply to my questions, sent me this explanation of their work, and a link (Hebrew).

שנת שירות [שש] היא שנת התנדבות לפני הצבא שהמטרה שלה היא לתרום.
ספציפית, השש של קקל דוגלים בהעברת ערכים של ציונות טבע ואיכות סביבה אותם אנחנו מעבירים במגוון של מסגרות, ניתן לקרוא בהרחבה על שנת השירות שלנו בקישור הבא.

Watch the video (3:10) minutes.

For more information, visit Hulda Forest and Herzl House by Aviva Bar-Am.

My related posts

On Memorial Day in Israel, I remember Noam Mayerson, of blessed memory

noreply@blogger.com (Tamar Orvell) — Mon, 09 May 2011 07:51:00 +0000

Noam flanked by his younger brothers,

Yoni and Hilly, building a sukkah

In Jewish time, each day begins at sunset. Last night, on the eve of Yom Hazikaron [Hebrew: Memorial Day] a one-minute siren sounded at 8 p.m. across Israel. With this annual blast, the nation was called to stop activity and stand — to remember and honor Israel's soldiers who fell in battle and civilian victims of terror. National flags were lowered to half-mast and so began a day of personal and national meditation, reflection, and remembrance ceremonies. A second siren blast will sound at 11 a.m. this morning.

Over the course of Israel's history, 22,867 IDF (Israel Defense Forces) soldiers have fallen in battle or died during service; the past year, 183 soldiers joined that list. Since 1950, terrorists murdered 2,443 Israeli civilians; the past year, 13 more were killed.

On August 7, 2006, during the Second Lebanon War, St. Sgt. Noam Yaakov Mayerson, was killed when Hezbollah terrorists opened fire on an IDF unit in the southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil. Noam, the third child of five children of my beloved cousins Gila and Chaim, was age 23.

Oh, how we all loved Noam. The son of an American-born (Dayton, Ohio) father and an Israeli-born mother, Noam grew up in Jerusalem, studied in the yeshiva high school in Mitzpe Ramon, and later attended the hesder yeshiva in Eilat. Noam and Sara Ra’anan were to have been married September 10, 2006.

Chaim, his father, on learning that his son was killed:

Noam was a G-d-fearing person. The main thing for him was fear of Heaven, love of the Jewish nation and of the Land of Israel. He wanted to work in education or the rabbinate. He was full of energy, and he had a lot of friends.

Rabbi Hillel Rotkoff, one of Noam’s teachers at the hesder yeshiva:

He was a fantastic boy – a tour guide who loved the land. He loved the history of the Jewish nation, the nation that came back to its land, and the Torah he learned here. He had great faith and internal strength. [Of Noam’s commitment to protect his homeland:] He didn’t shy away from anything. Giving his life for the land was not just a slogan for him, but a way of life. And unfortunately, he did it.

Noam Mayerson is buried in Jerusalem in the military cemetery on Mount Herzl. Besides his parents, Noam is survived by his sister, Shira, and three brothers: Yehoshua, Hillel, and Yonatan. He also leaves a large and loving family and community, including nieces, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, teachers, and students.

To honor Noam's life and to carry forward the work he barely started and did not merit completing, his parents, teachers, rabbis, and educators have joined in an exciting project. They intend to develop his educational vision and the experiential activities he created into a comprehensive guide to the land of Israel. A unique feature of the guide is its invitation to learners to study Torah with a hands-on or direct exploration of the physical, spiritual, and historical aspects of the land of Israel.

נעם בן גילה וחיים. יהי זכרו לברכה
Noam ben Gila vChaim. Yehi zichro l’vracha.
Noam, son of Gila and Chaim. May his memory be a blessing.

My related posts

In Tel Aviv: Holocaust (Shoah) Remembrance Day

noreply@blogger.com (Tamar Orvell) — Mon, 02 May 2011 12:30:00 +0000

When the SS murdered Leah's Romanian parents,
a Christian neighbor claimed the then 9-year-old
as hers, and hid Leah in a crawl space 3 years

On the 27th of the Hebrew month Nisan, at 10 A.M., Israel falls silent as a two-minute siren sounds across the country Each year on this day, the nation is called to remember, to stop activity, and to stand to honor the 6 million slaughtered Jewish souls, among them 1.5 million children. The siren follows Yom Hashoah (Remembrance Day) ceremonies at the Knesset (Parliament) and the Yad Vashem Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority, and it launches special programs in schools, organizations, and institutions nationwide.

At the corner of Tel Aviv's Allenby and Yavne Streets, in the public Beit Avot (Home for the Aged), I joined Leah and the other residents, most of them Shoah survivors, for their powerful annual program.

Watch the video (5:21 minutes).

My related posts

Josh Gomes: My Eritrean brother can dunk; he just wanted a little help this time

noreply@blogger.com (Tamar Orvell) — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 17:46:00 +0000

Pro-player Josh Gomes teams up with Johnno,
age 7, at Levinsky Park in South Tel Aviv

Most of the kids buzzing around Josh arrived in Israel with their parents to escape genocide, war, and hunger. Some kids' parents are migrant workers, legal and the other kind. And all of them begged the gentle, towering American to notice, coach, and play with them as they passed, blocked, and aimed balls at the basket. "He's a real player! He's a real player! gasped 11-year-old Joseph, who recognized Josh from TV coverage. (Josh and I are family. Yup.)

The international team of players, with roots in Sudan, Darfur, the Philippines, Eritrea, and Russia, and native Israeli Arabs all speak Hebrew plus two or more languages, and, within nanoseconds, bonded with their instant hero. Their common language? Smiles, hugs, and, a rich patois stew of Hebrew (among the kids) and, between them and Josh, bits of English they know and Hebrew phrases Josh has learned during his three seasons playing professional basketball on Israeli teams.

Shine International founder, Maureen Milham,
hugging Johnno and flanked by Josh and me

Maureen supplied the basketballs from her wondrous U.S. Army surplus backpack, stamped in green letters, "Humanitarian Aid." A fitting name for this oasis in space and time, of friendship, play, and joy.

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In Tel Aviv: The orange on the Passover seder plate

noreply@blogger.com (Tamar Orvell) — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 17:33:00 +0000

African asylum seekers and their families
at the Freedom Seder in Levinsky Park, Tel Aviv

Passover, which commemorates the flight of the ancient Israelites from Egyptian bondage, is the rationale of Israelite national existence. Our original Independence Day, Passover marks the transformation from a nation of slaves to a sovereign people, from a collection of tribes to a nation of law.

On this occasion for praise and thanksgiving, we are commanded (Exodus 13:8) to retell the liberation story to our children each year. We do this at the ritual seder meal ceremony, which includes a Passover seder plate containing symbolic foods, each with special significance in the narrative. (Since the early 1980s, many celebrants place an orange on the seder plate, representing solidarity with marginalized people.)

The genius of commanding a storytelling
At the brilliantly scripted annual ritual meal, "it is praiseworthy to expand on the story of the exodus from Egypt" (Haggadah ["the telling"], compiled between 280 CE and 360 CE). For through our storytelling we can refine and improve ourselves, internalizing the lessons and noticing contemporary parallels. The African Refugee Development Center that organizes the Joint Passover Seder for Israelis and African Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Israel with non-profit, non-governmental Israeli organizations and others, published this wonderful free, downloadable, alternative, Hebrew-English Haggadah.

The Joint Passover Seder has become an annual expression of collective remembering turned into action. Last year, I participated in the pre-Passover joint seder in Levinsky Park, in south Tel Aviv's Neve Sha’anan neighborhood near the New Central Bus Station, a seedy, rundown living area of mostly African refugees, southeast Asian foreign workers, streetwalkers, and junkies. Retelling our story and the stories of people still enslaved, oppressed, and suffering moved me deeply, and I resolved to step up my volunteer work helping Bhutanese refugees in Atlanta, Georgia, to rebuild their lives. These refugees from ethnic cleansing in their homeland, Bhutan, lived more than two decades in refugee camps, in Nepal, and arrived in the USA starting about 2.5 years ago. Their lives are a testament to gratitude and hope.

This year, my seder company was 23-year-old Filmon, an Eritrean psychology student seeking refuge from political and religious persecution. Until he can safely rejoin his parents and siblings, he does menial jobs that Israelis don’t want, for very low salaries with no benefits.

Eritreans Filmon (l.) and Kidane hold the The Refugee Voice
(in English, Tigrinya [spoken in Eritrea], Arabic, and Hebrew)

° ° °

Solidarity with marginalized people
in the Jewish community and outside
At the top of the seder, immediately after the introductory blessing, we read from the Haggadah:

כָּל דִּכְפִין, יֵיתֵי וְיֵיכוּל; וְכָל דִּצְרִיךְ לְפַסַּח, יֵיתֵי וִיפַסַּח, Let all who are hungry, come and eat! Let all who are needy come and celebrate the Passover with us.

Who is hungry? Who is needy? In the past six years, more than 35,000 refugees and asylum seekers from Eritrea, Southern Sudan, Darfur, the Ivory Coast, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and other nations have entered Israel; more than 20,000 of them live in Tel Aviv. While most have fled from armed conflict, civil wars, and fear of persecution — and thus are not being deported, Israel has not granted them refugee status and does not permit any to work legally.

An orange grove of fruits on scores of tables Oranges were set on scores of seder plates in Levinsky Park. A coalition of passionate activist-volunteer-visionaries from a wide spectrum of synagogues, Zionist organizations, youth movements, and international humanitarian agencies organized and prepared the joint seder for hundreds of people, double the number anticipated.

The Haggadah describes four children
One possesses wisdom of the heart, one rebellious, one naïve, and one who cannot ask questions. To my contemporaries (which of these "children" are they?) who ask, "How is a seder relevant to the refugees and asylum seekers?"

My reply, a paraphrase of the Torah injunction:

כְּאֶזְרָח מִכֶּם יִהְיֶה לָכֶם הַגֵּר הַגָּר אִתְּכֶם, וְאָהַבְתָּ לוֹ כָּמוֹךָ כִּי גֵרִים הֱיִיתֶם בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם ...Treat foreign residents living among you as your native-born. Love each one as yourself because you were foreigners in Egypt...
Leviticus 19:34

Rebuilding shattered lives
Most African refugees, like nine-year-old Hebrew-speaking Saram (shown in the photo with her mother) entered Israel from their native lands through Egypt, from where the Israelite slaves similarly escaped to freedom millennia ago.

Daily, Israelis and other concerned people locally and from abroad are helping this vulnerable population to access basic social services, and they are raising awareness on emergency issues, among them trauma and other health crises, destitution, unemployment, and homelessness. (Every night, scores of people sleep in Levinsky Park.)

We seek help from you, people
who understand our misery
Johannes (shown in the photo) graduated from an Eritrean university with a degree in political administration. During our conversation, he spared me seemingly few details of the harsh life he has known since his government arrested him with fellow students protesting against the military regime. For more than a year they were beaten, tortured, starved, and enslaved until Johannes escaped, as did many "fortunate" political prisoners.

We came to Israel, a place of miracles, and we seek help from you, people who understand our misery, he replied to my dumb question, Why come here? As I probed, with his permission, the narrative of his suffering touched on key points: longing for home, loneliness, unemployment, language barriers, fear. I came through the way that Moses and his people, your people crossed. Help us, please help us get out of this suffering, he pleaded.

Kabbalat Shabbat
At the next weekly service welcoming the Sabbath Bride, I had forgotten the orange on the seder plate and the story behind the ritual. Gone was the beautiful sunny spring late afternoon. No longer ringing in my ears was the loud music sung in the languages of the seder participants. The seder had ended. Yet instead of releasing the struggles and cares of the week as Shabbat was beginning, I was hearing Johannes' Exodus story, and I couldn't stop listening to his plea, screaming inside me.

My related posts

Purim in Kfar Tavor and Kaduri

noreply@blogger.com (Tamar Orvell) — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 18:11:00 +0000

Drora Karniel won a prize for her Purim cowgirl costume
at Gil Hagalil Senior Center in Israel's Lower Galilee
(Click the photo to read Zalman Shazar's
[Hebrew] homage to elders)

Purim celebrates a story in the biblical Megillat Esther (Book of Esther), in which Queen Esther saves the Jewish people from (Ahasuerus advisor) Haman's plot to destroy them.

At their Purim costume party, more than fifty seniors sang, danced, clapped, laughed, argued, shared their current events and memories of pre-State Israel, ate lunch, and listened to the Purim story, history, and messages. The lovely black-olive-eyed Shai, for her Bat Mitzva project, distributed to each elder Mishloach Manot — a Purim gift basket that she had prepared. Other celebrants were three caregivers (two from Sri Lanka; one, from Nepal), a half dozen staff, and me (with my camera lens focused on the celebrants). It was a terrific morning.

Watch the video (9:49 minutes).

Who is Drora Karniel?
Since 2005, when I first visited Drora and her husband, Mordechai, in their Kfar Tavor home at the base of Mount Tabor, we have become good buddies. Related by marriage (my late father and her late husband were first cousins), our free-wheeling conversations — in Israel or by phone when I'm in Atlanta, cover all manner of topics.

Mother to three, grandmother to ten, and great-grandmother to five (and counting), the Jerusalem-born matriarch grew up in Motza, at the capital city's edge, where her grandfather was a grape grower and vintner who traveled to Africa on business ventures several years. Following in the footsteps of her father, an elementary school principal, Drora opted to begin a teaching career at Kfar Tavor to join the pioneers living in simple bunks, using primitive outhouses, and bathing in shallow copper vats with water heated on a Primus (kerosene) stove, also used for cooking.

An educator always learning
Here, Drora met her future husband, a fellow pioneer ("he was like an encyclopedia"), and soon taught larger classes and higher grades at the nearby Kadouri Regional Elementary School (she retired after a forty-year career, at age 62). An avid reader of history, I.B. Singer, and other authors from around the world ("not just Jewish ones"), Drora continues a lifetime of taking piano lessons, playing the concertina, knitting sweaters for her family, and following her recipes for Hamantash — three-cornered holiday pastries (that she served me in her home and packed for my journey back to Tel Aviv). A globetrotter (in the USA —twice, and in Thailand and Italy), Drora sings in the Gil Hagalil choir, exercises weekly at the Kfar Tavor senior club, and concludes —

Hakol b'seder [Everything is OK].
— Drora Karniel

My previous Purim posts

In Japan's tsunami, Fuyoko is "fine" (per Facebook messages)

noreply@blogger.com (Tamar Orvell) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 12:47:00 +0000

Fuyoko drinking tea in my Tel Aviv flat (January 2005)

On getting news of unspeakable disasters, putting a human face on the victims follows quickly. And so when news broke of Japan's tsunami flood, earthquake, and nuclear meltdowns, it was Fuyoko Sato's face that I saw; she, the only person I know on that island nation.

Feeling a bit loony turning to the Internet (if, miraculously, she was OK, would she even have access?) yet having no other means of contact, I posted a message on Fuyoko's Facebook "Wall" (where I found similar messages from other concerned friends).

Tamar Orvell > Fuyuko Sato
From Tel Aviv, Shalom Fuyoko! All I could think about was you and your family and friends on hearing news of the disasters in Japan. Please put a word here so that we can know of your whereabouts and situation. My heart goes out to you and to your nation. — Much love, Tamar
Sunday at 3:19pm

And then, the next day, came Fuyoko's reply.

Fuyuko Sato
It really nice of you to think of me. I have no problem here though some people in my town have to go to shelter because of tsunami. all of my family and friends are fine. thanks again for your note.
8 hours ago

Tamar Orvell
Your news shines light on news that reports horrors. Please keep me and your FB friends and others updated, and especially, on how we can support you now and over the coming weeks, months, and years. Love, Tamar
about an hour ago

° ° °

The back story
Fuyoko and I were among the Shabbat dinner guests in Jeff and Judith Green's Jerusalem home, a first meeting with the remarkable Japanese young woman that launched our friendship. Fuyoko quickly wow-ed everyone by speaking basic Hebrew that she had learned in less than two years, a tribute to her sharp intellect, Japanese legendary study habits, and Israeli tutor.

What brought the demure, unassuming Fuyoko to Israel that winter in 2005? Research on public memorials to the Shoah — the subject of her thesis for a master's degree in history at UMass Amherst (the flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts system).

From Jerusalem to Tel Aviv
When we learned that the next week she would decamp to Tel Aviv, from where she would visit Shoah memorial sites in the center and north of Israel, I invited her to be my Tel Aviv house guest.

. . . and then to Atlanta
In 2006, after UMass Amherst awarded her the master's degree, and before she returned home, I had the pleasure of hosting her again, this time in my Atlanta home. Fuyoko had been selected to participate in the Summer Institute for Teaching the Holocaust, a program hosted by The William Breman Jewish Heritage & Holocaust Museum, in Atlanta!

Fuyoko preparing her native dishes in my kitchen,
using ingredients her mother had sent from Japan

Over the years, sometimes on Skype, more often via email, and now on Facebook, we have kept up with each other's lives. Exactly one year ago, Fuyoko sent me a long email, that began —

When I traveled to Israel, I had a lot of hard time, but now I really miss Israel and I would love to go back there. People were full of energy and actually they were friendly. (though sometimes there were some people who were rude.) I also miss the sea which was really bright blue. The sea of Tel Aviv was the bluest one I have ever seen.

Today, I especially miss the radiant Fuyoko — her courage, wisdom, sense of humor, and love of people, history, adventure, and the Hebrew language. And I often reflect on our real-time visits, when this gentle, persistent self-starter showed me how to engage with a culture almost totally alien to her own, and not become undone; rather, to notice and value the worthy, honorable, and pleasing differences.

Perhaps the disasters in Japan (and elsewhere in the world) will impel us to find a way to meet again.

In Tel Aviv: International Women’s Day 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Tamar Orvell) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 04:00:00 +0000

"Bread, work, fair wages for all women"
"From Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, we'll do battle as in Egypt"

Shouting slogans inspired by current struggles for democracy and justice in Libya and Egypt, hundreds of marchers — Jews, Arabs, kids, dogs, and 2.5 men — under police escort, demanded fair and equal wages, an end to cuts in social services, an end to the Occupation, and dignity for Arabs and Jews.

The marchers joined women and girls (and their allies) around the globe in celebrations marking the 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day.

Watch the video (1.48 minutes).

Dr. David Lloyd earns my kitty's loudest purrs

noreply@blogger.com (Tamar Orvell) — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 09:42:00 +0000

Dr. David Lloyd communing with Mica
while managing her heath care

While I have long attempted in my real-time conversations to practice "hakarat ha-tov" [Hebrew: recognizing and acknowledging what is positive and good], I began in 2006 to promote shamelessly on this blog, too, outstanding service providers (some, even oases of hope trumping ignorance, cynicism, and despair) with whom I engage in Israel. In this, my first post on outstanding providers in my other home, Atlanta, GA, I shamelessly promote Dr. David Lloyd, uber veterinarian.

When my cats (over the years) and I were done suffering dreadful experiences at the veterinary practice a distance of several minutes' walking from home, my friend Marlene suggested an alternative — albeit one that requires imposing on a neighbor-angel (thank you, Jonathan, Abby, and Hope) to pick up supplies or drive us the 20-minute trip.

The rest, as they say, is history. Following a recent emergency visit, on witnessing Dr. Lloyd's magic — consummate professionalism that he expresses in the most tender ways, one neighbor-angel and her dog, Cliffie, joined my exodus, having found the same promised land.

Dr. David Lloyd
North DeKalb Veterinary Clinic
2485 Lawrenceville Highway (near Druid Hills Road)
Decatur, GA 30033
(404) 321-7756

Related posts

Atlanta's Craig Gilbert, Bhutanese, and Community Service Awards

noreply@blogger.com (Tamar Orvell) — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 07:38:00 +0000

Craig and Bhutanese weavers discuss logistics
of selling baskets during the reception to follow
Emory's Community Services Awards Ceremony

Craig Gilbert was among ten honorees at Emory University's 2011 annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Awards Ceremony. In his acceptance speech, Craig spoke of partnering with Atlanta's Bhutanese refugees, and the dreams of America (for his family, among millions of others) and of Dr. King.

Watch the video (3:52 minutes).

My related post about Craig and the CSA Award
2011 Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Award honors Craig Gilbert

2011 Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Award honors Craig Gilbert

noreply@blogger.com (Tamar Orvell) — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 21:12:00 +0000

Craig Gilbert sporting his topi hat
and Nepalese doko basket

An appreciation and kudos to a tzadik [Hebrew: righteous person] — Craig Gilbert, my friend, mentor, sounding board, and role model, and Atlanta Bhutanese Refugee Support Group volunteer.

Emory University (School of Public Health and Goizueta Business School) will honor Craig and other recipients at The 2011 Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Award ceremony on Thursday, January 20, at 4pm. The event will be in the auditorium of the Claudia Nance Rollins School of Public Health (1518 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30322); a catered reception will follow.

The theme for this year’s program of the 19th annual MLK Jr. Birthday Celebration is “Reinventing Communities: Turning Misfortune into Opportunity.”

This prestigious award recognizes Craig's accomplishments in the early days of the organic food movement, and for lifting up people in the refugee community (to earn fair wages for honest work, to access educational opportunities, and to preserve and transmit along the generations human dignity, cultural heritage, and ethnic identity).

At the event, Craig will speak briefly and share photos to highlight the Bhutanese Kudzu Basket Project and the Gardening Project, among enterprises he has initiated, championed, and given to with energy, imagination, and love!

The Atlanta Bhutanese community and many friends, allies, advocates, and supporters, are warmly invited to join in honoring Craig.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. inspired America to grant human rights to all people using nonviolent means, a philosophy that Mahatma ("great soul") Gandhi, a son of India, pioneered. It is fitting that an Atlantan is recognized for upholding Dr. King's ideals by helping to resettle refugees from Bhutan (on the Indian subcontinent) whose homes and fields were stolen and whose lives were put on hold in refugee camps twenty years and longer.
— Craig Gilbert

Related posts about or by Craig

Cross-posted at Bhutan>Atlanta

James and the Giant Christmas Concert

noreply@blogger.com (Tamar Orvell) — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 12:12:00 +0000

Note James has turned nearly four-years-old since I first published this post, in 2008. This year, he and his parents will celebrate Christmas with the baby Grace. While the world James knows will keep changing, some things will remain constant, among them sacred time and humans' search for meaning.

Watching 22-month-old James at his first Christmas concert, I got an inkling of what my Christian friends might hold so dear especially this season: A child well loved as an embodiment of wonder, innocence, sweetness, light, hope, trust, confidence, and faith.

Fully present, James listened intently to the oddly pleasurable sounds, probably making sense of their relation to the performers on the dais. Paying perfect attention with his whole body, the elfin concertgoer sometimes moved his arms and legs in response. During one uninterrupted minute, I captured him sitting upright, crayons clutched in both hands, transfixed by the magic.

Watch the video (1:15 minutes).

My related posts on Christmas

Green light to Christmas Eve in Bethlehem

noreply@blogger.com (Tamar Orvell) — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 16:08:00 +0000

Outside the Church of the Nativity, the Reed family,
"with our backs to the wild party in Manger Square"

Note I first published this post December 12, 2008

We all experience sacred time, and we all observe sacred retelling. So when my dear friends the Reeds joined their dear friends on a ten-day trip from Atlanta to Israel last winter, their interfaith journey brought me endless joy and fascination, which I chronicled in Bethlehem bound.

What triggered their journey? My Christian friends wanted to join their Jewish friends for their children's Bar and Bat Mitzva ceremonies in Jerusalem. The holy caravan of three families (six adults and seven children) traveled as one throughout Israel.

Christmas Eve, the Reeds took a short though security-conscious journey to Bethlehem. So, when Dori called from Illinois last night to find out how she and her fiance, Josh (a pro basketball player scoring points for Israel), might worship in Bethlehem this Christmas Eve, I knew which pro to ask.

Guest Blogger Janet Reed Writes

Janet Reed is an FOT (friend of Tamar) whose family exploits are sometimes featured on this blog. Janet is a writer and the chief herder of two adorable girls and one fabulous husband, who has introduced Janet to many of her best friends (such as Tamar!). Janet likes to read, cook, and travel, and especially enjoyed planning a trip to the Middle East last year, which included Christmas Eve in Bethlehem at the Church of the Nativity.

The journey from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, the Church of the Nativity service we attended, and related experiences in Manger Square were spectacular in every way. You will have so much fun. We loved every minute of our trip.

Here is an excerpt from an email we sent Tamar and others:

Greetings from Jerusalem!! We are having a GREAT time and are loving our trip. We made it to Bethlehem last night — a total zoo. A massive (NYC Times Square-ish) crowd in Manger Square, which we had to navigate with the girlies. Then pushed through the barrier into the Church of the Nativity, through the labyrinth of that amazing church to a tiny Greek Orthodox chapel where we had Lessons and Carols (a cappella) with Mahmoud Abbas (super security detail included) and about 90 other "pilgrims," mostly English-speaking but lots of Arabs and Arabic speakers as well. Made it into the Grotto (where Jesus was born) for a quick touch, then back through the throng. Exhilarating and scary, but glad we did it.

About the Church of the Nativity
Three Christian denominations “share” the Church of the Nativity, and they hold services independently. (There are no restrictions on photography inside churches — so odd to us! — we took pix everywhere!)

Our priorities
We wanted to get to Bethlehem and back in one evening, and to attend a service in the Church. As far as I could tell, the only group that could help us accomplish this easily was St. George’s Cathedral, Jerusalem.

About St. George's Cathedral
Nablus Road 20
Phone in Israel 02/627-2133; Fax 02/6276401. Outside Israel 972+2/627-2133.

From the Cathedral, we boarded buses that took us to and from Bethlehem — only seven miles away, twice crossing through a large IDF (Israel Defense Forces) checkpoint.

Note: Admission is by ticket sold only at the Cathedral; the deadline for purchase this year is December 17, 2008.

2008 schedule

Key: (A) Arabic, (E) English

24 December

04 pm Carol Service in Shepherds Field (YMCA) of Beit Sahour (E, A)

07 pm Buses depart St. George's Cathedral for Bethlehem

09 pm Service of Christmas Carols and Lessons in the Church of the Nativity (E, A) Buses return to Jerusalem after the service.

11:30 pm Eucharist of the Nativity in St. George's Cathedral (A, E)

25 December

10.00 am Christmas Day Eucharist (A, E)

06.00 pm Solemn Evensong (E)

26 December

07.30 am St. Stephen's Day Eucharist (A, E)

Other travel options
You can go to Bethlehem for a wild Christmas Eve party in Manger Square (no kidding — that’s what it’s called!) and you can Google “Christmas Eve in Bethlehem” for schedules of various services and activities.

If you want to visit Bethlehem any other time, that’s pretty easy. If you’re feeling highly adventurous, you can drive or go by taxi — not ways I’d go, but maybe you know your way around and will feel comfortable with this.

Questions for Janet?
I’ll be happy to answer any questions on our journey. Just ask in a comment at the end of the post.

Inside the Church of the Nativity
during the Christmas Eve service

My previous posts on the Reeds

My previous posts on Christmas

Thanks Given 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Tamar Orvell) — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 13:28:00 +0000

While adults discuss boring gratitude and freedom,
we thankful three

watch kid-vids nearly three hours nonstop.

Eight charming adults and three adorable kids, ages nine, six, and three (only two American-born in this crowd) gathered at my home for this truly American nonsectarian festival.

The lineup and menu:

Ashish: East Indian meat dish
Chiou family: Taiwanese fried rice and pineapple cakes
Dexin: Mainland Chinese vegetable dish
Ghimirey family: Bhutanese dumplings
Kate (Jianing): All-American apple pie
Sherry: American wine and cider
Tamar: Roasted fowl, cranberry dish

Brief discussions on the holiday's roots and reading President Obama's holiday message. Sharing from our traditions on the significance and expression of thankfulness, gratitude, and appreciation of gifts unearned. And then, the feast!

Happy THANKS GIVEN, or, giving thanks for what has already been given!

Watch the video (1:58 minutes).

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