A Letter to My Non-Jewish Friends from Rabbi Jonathan Jaffe

A Letter to My Non-Jewish Friends,
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> Dear Friends,
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> Please forgive me as I act so boldly as to speak for our collective Jewish community.  I am writing in the fear that you may not know what your Jewish friends are currently going through.  Surely you have heard the news of violence in Israel and some of you have even been so kind as to express your condolences.  In this very lonely time, I cannot thank you enough.
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> Your Jewish friends and neighbors have spent the weekend in shock, misery and mourning.  We are traumatized.  Our families are under attack; some are missing and feared dead.  Saturday morning began in dread and from there cascaded into frantic WhatsApp texts, panicked calls and constant scrolling through social media.  We are not Ok. 
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> If you are accustomed to receiving your news through the heavily sanitized Western media, please know that you are not living in the same world that we currently inhabit.  You are not seeing what we are seeing: kidnapped children confined to chicken cages, naked bodies massacred and dragged through streets, parents murdered in front of their children, the elderly dumped into the back of pickup trucks; pages and pages of images of missing young adults, feared dead or taken hostage in Gaza to be tortured and paraded in the streets.  Many young adults were attending a “nature party” music festival, as if Coachella was suddenly infiltrated by dozens of masked gunmen, arriving on machine-gun laden trucks, motorcycles and descending in hang gliders, thirsty for blood.  Parents are posting pictures of their children, asking if anyone has seen them to please call them.  There are dozens and dozens of such posts.  You have not seen the video of the frightened Jewish young boy, mocked, abused and taunted for fun by his terrorist captors.  You have not seen people dancing in the streets and handing out candy to celebrate the news of Jewish blood.  You missed the Tik Tok videos and live streams of armed gunmen slaughtering parents in front of their children.  You don’t know about the houses set afire to burn alive the families huddled within their safe rooms.  We have seen all of it.  And we know those who filmed it wanted us to see it and shared it with glee.  And there is a world in which these videos are distributed in joyful celebration.
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> Moreover, you might not understand the historical lens with which we receive these images, a history of mutilated Jewish bodies and killing Jews for sport.  To say that Saturday was Israel’s Pearl Harbor underestimates the sorrow and rage of the moment.  At least the Japanese attackers had the dignity to focus upon military targets.  They did not celebrate the animalistic torture of children and families.  Candy was not passed out on the streets of Tokyo when the news of dead Americans was received.  To see these images of tortured Jews invokes ghosts passed down from our great grandparents and beyond.  We bear both the guilt and shame that it has happened again.   
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> Our friends in Israel grieve.  I can say without a doubt that there is not a single Jew in Israel who is not connected somehow to someone who was murdered over the weekend.  The same goes for many Jews here in the US.  Our Israeli contemporaries have been called into reserve duty, to put their life on the line once again.  I received a picture from a friend of mine, a 50 year old father of four, with a sheepish look as he once again donned his military fatigues.  My nephew is currently sitting on the border, somewhere under a bush, waiting for the enemy to come.  Our family is heading into war.  We pray for their safe return. 
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> Here in America, your Jewish friends are under siege.  Many of us spent the High Holy Days dealing with bomb threats.  Did you know that many synagogues had to be evacuated last month?  And that this happens to us all the time?  Did you know that Anti-Semitic attacks are soaring by double digits each year, with a 36% increase just last year?  Do you perform regular bomb sweeps of your preschools?  We do.  Are you forced to employ professional security teams to protect you around the clock?  We do.  And each time we do, we need to find the resources or cut from our programming to find the proper funding.  Sometimes, it's not enough and we have to call in the police as well.  When violence erupts between Russia and Ukraine, neither Russian nor Ukrainian churches must solicit professional protection for fear of attack.  But we do.  We are threatened by the far left and the far right, those who hearken to Hamas’ call for the destruction of world Jewry and those who march alongside the Proud Boys.  We have seen our synagogues attacked and our congregants killed.  We do not feel safe.
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> Today in New York City, those demonstrating in support of Israel were met with a fierce counterprotest of those celebrating Jewish murder.  This happened today, in 2023, in our country.  Nazi signs were held aloft.  Last week, a speaker was invited on to my child’s high school campus, to spout Anti-Semitic tropes of Jews killing Palestinian babies and perpetrating genocide.  Many of our political representatives offer infuriating words of moral equivocation in defense of murdering Jews.  We hear the whataboutisms and the disinterested shrugs for a region inconveniently stained with blood.  But worst of all, so many of our representatives remain utterly silent.  Surely a raucous outcry will come when Israel inevitably defends itself.  But when Jews are murdered for simply being Jews, and when we American Jews are targeted for the same, the silence is deafening.  There are certainly those who have spoken out with empathy and clear denouncement of such cruelty. We are thankful for the light they provide in this time of darkness.
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> I wish I was in the mood for peace - but I am not.  How can one talk peace as children are murdered over Tik Tok?  In this moment, we are reminded that unlike our ancestors, we live in a time in which Jews have gained the ability to defend themselves.  This power was not given to us but was won through blood.  We no longer need to beseech the local feudal lord nor prove our worth to the ruling monarch.  We will do it ourselves.  On Saturday morning, the UN neatly packed up its tanks and vacated the northern border, lest they come under untidy fire from Hezbollah. 
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> The Jewish state is now beginning to surely, unapologetically defend itself.  Vanished is the false security that a racist, ruthless threat can be endured through the occasional skirmish.  You cannot make peace with those who distribute candy to children in celebration that yours have been murdered.  And now, Israel will act like any other country would if it was invaded by a blood thirsty neighbor and its citizens murdered, tortured, kidnapped and mutilated.  It will do whatever it needs to make sure this can never happen again.  And when the world inevitably protests the Jewish use of force, we won’t care.  We will sadly disappoint those who long for the centuries of meek, defenseless Jews.  We are no longer looking for the world’s approval and a condescending pat on the head.
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> If you want to demonstrate your support, you can simply ask us how we are doing.  And if we don’t feel like speaking at the moment, you can sit with us in silence and we will know that you are here.  Just know that we are experiencing trauma and that the sights we have witnessed will never be forgotten.  We pray that all is done so that such things are never seen again.
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> On behalf of a mournful Jewish people,
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> Rabbi Jonathan Jaffe

Gap Year college programs

Still under construction. . .

I have recently been looking into one-year college programs. I might as well collect the information here, or at least links.  

Enjoy!

Prairie College in Alberta, Canada

30 credits

A foundational year of Bible study, designed to make the scriptures come alive through classroom instruction and spiritual reflection in community. 

Faculty will walk with you as you come to know the Living Word of God in fresh ways. You will grow in confidence as you come to know what the Bible teaches and how to view the world by its light.

Through classes, campus experiences, and Impact Groups (small communities of discipleship), your faith will be strengthened for whatever is next. The Encounter program also provides an excellent launching pad to other programs at Prairie College or other universities.

Students who want to complete their study of the entire Bible can stay a second year to earn a Diploma in Bible or transfer to most of our two- and four-year degrees. If you decide to study elsewhere or enter the workforce, you will be able to do so with a strong biblical foundation.

International Baptist College and Seminary

20 credits

WHERE EXPERIENCE MEETS A HEART TO LEARN 

Academic focus: Students will take a total of 20 hours over two semesters, including 18 hours of Bible and two hours of ministry preparation. The initial academic load is lighter for those transitioning into the college-level academic schedule and is customizable for those who choose to add to their course load. Students may choose other classes to audit or take at full tuition cost. These courses can be used at IBCS to smoothly transition into a two- or four-year degree.

Student life: The IBCS campus provides a great setting for developing life skills in an encouraging Christian atmosphere, expanding personal responsibilities and opportunities while making friendships that often last a lifetime. This member-rich environment makes available teachers and church members who lean into the students’ lives with wisdom lessons and encouragement in a  variety of ways. Situated in the beautiful city of Chandler, Arizona, IBCS has opportunities for cultural and recreational experiences.

Church family: IBCS is a ministry of Tri-City Baptist Church which offers unique training within a church family that is actively serving God led by pastors dedicated to servant leadership. Students receive hands-on training and helpful feedback for personal improvement, along with a developed philosophical foundation within the local church.

Job opportunities: With a lighter academic load, Gap Year students can focus on developing their job skills and work experience. There are a variety of positions  available as some area businesses actively seek IBCS students. With Arizona’s minimum wage starting at $12 per hour, these opportunities provide an income to directly address the cost of education.

 Alaska Bible College

30 credits

The Bible Certificate is a one-year program designed to prepare the student for further college experience or to meet Bible requirements in preparation for missionary service.

The Bible Certificate (1 year) equips students to:

• Read, interpret, and apply, the Word of God inductively.

• Integrate Biblical principles into Christlike character in daily life.

• Effectively evangelize and disciple people.

• Find a local church home in which to fellowship and grow.

Word of Life Bible Institute

32 credits

The first year at the Bible Institute is all about building a strong foundation of faith. First year students spend the majority of their time diving deep into the Bible in order to develop a strong knowledge of the Scriptures, explore the roots of the Christian faith, understand prophecy and gain the necessary tools to become effective servants of Christ. After completing training during the first part of the semester, students also participate in weekend evangelism trips to nearby neighborhoods to share the Gospel with lost and hurting people.

Hillsdale College (517)437-7341

Bob Jones University (800) 252–6363.

Liberty (800) 543-5317

Maranatha 800.622.2947

Record Snowfall in Anchorage: Our Neighborhood

Our house (click to enlarge any picture)

with the moon!

Philip has made shoveled paths all over the property

The branches are frosty

Blue spruce

Abigail is standing in front of the evergreen no the left

Almost covering the fance

Brrr! My app says it's 4 degrees.

A video of our neighborhood: excuse the jet noise. There is a lot of air traffic in Anchorage.

 

Hillbilly Eligy

 I just finished reading Hillbilly Eligy by JD Vance. I have been hearing about this book, probably since it came out in 2018. I saw it at Goodwill the other day and bought it. In Indiana I have a stack of books waiting to be read, but that's not the case (yet) here. Ha. 

He describes his life growing up with a drug- and unhealthy relationship-addicted mother. In spite of his grandparents' problems, they are his life-line, along with his older sister. I heartily recommend this book, despite its abundance of bad language. I think everyone who grew up outside of Rust belt/Appalachia poverty should read it to help understand the forces that shape the people living within it. 

I am a person that likes to step in and help people, but even in his ending chapters Mr. Vance doesn't give much hope of outsiders helping people trapped in this culture, aside from participating in things like Toys for Tots.

So Sunburnt

 Oh, friends! I am so sunburnt. I am taking an antibiotic in case I have Lyme (got into a nest of seed ticks--at least 100 of them) and it makes me more sensitive to the sun. I forgot about it. That plus the direct sunlight here in Alaska, plus not taking proper precautions. . . Our day on the glacier plus the church picnic yesterday left me very red and in pain. I did not sleep well last night. Just call me Rudolph. Owie.

Byron Glacier

 We walked on snow yesterday! After driving for an hour, we joined many other hikers in heading to Byron Glacier. It was windy and chilly at the visitors center, where, incidentally, we had to wear masks! Apparently most of Alaska besides Fairbanks is on high alert for Covid. I had forgotten that it was still a thing. Anyway, here we are bundled up against the chill with Portage Lake in the background. The melting snow keeps the rivers flowing at this time of year.

We shed the jackets pretty soon after hitting the trail. The sun is hot--I got sunburned! The weather has been so beautiful since we got here. Just perfect for hiking. Sunny and lower 70s.

We didn't go to the upper part of the glacier, which is visible in this picture.

One a big rock pile, evidently tumbled down from above. Some of the rocks were huge!

Is this about to open up?!

Can you find the wind surfer on the lake? He had his work cut out for him.

Another bend in the river

This hiker looks a little uncertain in her victory pose.

The wonderful clean air and the gorgeous mountain views make me think how much God must love us. He made these lovely things for us to enjoy.

Hiking up Flat Top

We hiked on Flat Top on Friday--soldiers get off at 3:00 to be with family. We didn't go to the top since we got a late start, but maybe later. So pretty! Elizabeth called while we were on the trail. I had 3 bars! This is more than I have back in Indiana at our home! Go figure.

Philip and I trying to get Abigail's hair out of her face. . .

Looking over Anchorage

Flat Top in the background, kids striking a pose

This snow will probably last all year.

I love panoramas!

These trees make me think of Hobbits for some reason.

So many bags of doggy doo on the side of the path. The first one we saw I said to myself that the dog owners were probably picking it up on the way down. (If you know me, you know how optimistic I tend to be.) Then when we saw them all along the way, I wondered if it would just be better not to add plastic to the situation. Philip wondered how people get their dogs to poop in bags.

You know I love flowers! 

Busy bee

The only wild rose I noticed

Pine cone bush? Ripe ones on the left, green ones on the right.

Beluga Point and Turnagain Arm

When Steven got off work yesterday we hopped in the van for a trip to the Turnagain Arm Pit BBQ. (The forever junior higher in me has to snicker at the name.) Very tasty. They were short-handed, but our food was very good and came fast--the server lowered our expectation and then exceeded them.

The friendly fellow that took our picture cut off "BBQ"

Then we climbed around on Beluga Point. We didn't see any whales, but it was fun anyway.

Beluga Point

Panorama, click to enlarge

Philip loves to climb. He will probably give me heart failure before he leaves home.

Can you find the Dall sheep? Across the highway from Beluga Point.

Geek alert!

Turnagain Arm is a very interesting body of water. It is about 40 miles long and extends east from Anchorage. Highway 1 runs along it and around its easternmost tip. The tides just rush in and out, some of the largest in the world. According to Wikipedia (fount of all knowledge), "The flood tide often begins with a tidal bore especially on large tides with a strong east wind, which has a height of 6 feet (1.8 m) at times, and runs in from the west at a speed of 5–6 miles (8.0–9.7 km) an hour." I can't confirm the specifics, but every time we go by the water is visibly moving and last night I did see a little wave rushing up the arm. Nothing like six feet high, but hey. At low tide wide mud flats are exposed, almost all the way across, and at high tide it looks like a broad river. (The above pictures are about 2 hours before high tide.)

The name comes from Captain James Cook's expedition to find the Northwest Passage--they were disappointed to find that the Arm was just the mouth of a river and they had to Turn Around Again. A close look on Google Maps shows 4 rivers flowing into the Arm. Check it out--pretty cool! (Zoom in to see the rivers on the eastern end.) Sorry about the goofy background. Ack.

Also, unrelatedly, we have a Krispy Kreme!!! When we lived in Detroit we would stop on our way home from church if the light was on. I'm inordinately excited about this.

One more from the Conservation Center

 I really wanted to post this, but deleted it accidentally.

It was thrilling, folks!