<p>For this BCR program, we spoke with two Jewish Israeli's. Nahum Schnitzer is my cousin. Ariella Dubrowin is my cousin once removed. Both have raised their families in Israel, Nahum -- 40 years – Ariella – 20. The conflict in Gaza has encased their world in ways that neither I – nor most of you listening to this podcast – can fully get. Ariella wrote me about a month ago. She was troubled about a recent program I posted – <a href="https://shows.acast.com/bar-crawl-radio/episodes/i-want-to-say-kaddish" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">"I want to say Kaddish" </a>– which presented both the intense protests in the US against the actions of the IDF in Gaza and the general obliviousness of winter-break tourists in NYC. So we invited Nahum and Ariella to join Rebecca and me for a conversation. But I did not want to talk about the never-ending conflict. Rather, I sensed it would be more useful – positive – connecting – life affirming – to learn about their lives in their chosen country, which – as you will hear – they so dearly cherish.</p><p>So this will be a program about two Israeli Jews – originally from the North East region of the United States – living within trauma – in a place that fulfills them.</p><br><p>At the beginning of this program I said that Israel is "crumbling." In a recent email my cousin -- Nahum -- disagreed and wrote: "I think you did a masterful job editing. I have only one reservation. In your opening remarks you said that Israel is crumbling. That is the opposite of the situation. Israel is battered – but very strong. Israeli military strength is the least of it – our resilience and inner fortitude, spiritual resources, solidarity and mutual support are what makes us truly strong."</p><br><p>Again -- thanks to Ariella and Nahum for sharing a bit of their lives in their "battered" land.</p><p>Alan Winson</p><p><a href="mailto:[email protected]" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">[email protected]</a></p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
