Tonka the Mighty Dog

When our corgi, Tonka, was a puppy, he was an excitable gnawing machine. He’d chew on the legs of the chairs, the walls, my slippers… but most of all he would strangle the necks of our 3 cats just to show them who was boss. This week I was pleasantly surprised to find all 3 cats lying in “Tonka” territory and King Tonka relaxing with them. Tonka has finally matured. They finally get along.

Wouldn’t it be nice if America matured? Instead of reacting to every news item, and stressing everyone out, can we just watch and observe? Don’t be a sucker to the news media’s little game.

Three weeks after the stormy US election day and still no official winner has been declared. Cries of foul play reverberate among the Republicans. The Democrats proceed as if they already won. Sure there are rants from both sides but I do notice “a relative” calm. Why? Campaigning is over. Convincing is over. We’re just waiting for the dust to settle. The political boxing match has transformed into the quiet excitement of a grand master chess tournament. I know we all can get passionate about our politics but no matter who wins, one thing is certain: America is truly divided; It means there are just as many people on the other side of your politics.

Be safe, be healthy, and remember: maturity isn’t based on years but based on experience. TGIF people!

Raoul

Joke of the Week

Thanks to Mel of Washington, D.C.  for sharing these jokes.

So many enjoyed the Jewish Jokes last week that I decided to share some more from clean jokes from the old-time Jewish comedians.

Video: Contagious Laughter

Thanks to Ed of Greater Manila, Philippines

Tom’s Puns

Thanks to Tom of Pasadena, CA who sent this pun.

Parting Shots

Thanks to Don of Kelowna, B.C.

Thanks to Joji of Antipolo, Philippines

Thanks Naomi, the animal lover of North Hollywood, CA for this adorable gag

Thanks to Peter Paul of S Pasadena, CA. When you look in the mirror, does this thought ever cross your mind?

The post MORE Jewish Jokes appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Friday the 13th

Let’s talk about the number 13. Did you know that there is at least one Friday the 13th in a year and that sometimes there are as much as 3. This year we have March 13 and (today)  November 13.

Maybe we like to challenge the old superstition because (unlike most people) in my family, this is our favorite number. This was my son’s favorite number in all his sports jerseys. He wore that number proudly as the captain of their successful basketball team. This was such a coveted number that In his last year in High School, one of his classmates had the nerve to apply for that number. My son convinced his classmate that the number 13 was sacred and could only belong to my son. My son got the number back.

How superstitious is our population? Do you know anyone who lives on the 13th floor? Do you know anyone whose street address is 13? How about a license plate number 13? Did you know there is actually a medical term for the phobia of the number 13? It’s called triksideskaphobia (trick-suh-desk-uh-foe-be-uh).

Great things have come from the number 13. There were 13 original colonies in America; hence 13 stars in the original flag. Everyone remembers the problems of Apollo 13 but we forget that they were also “lucky” to survive. Basketball legend Wilt Chamberlain wore the number 13. You’re fortunate if you get an extra loaf in a baker’s dozen. There was a total of 13 original apostles (Judas was replaced after he committed suicide). Jacob, the patriarch of the Jews, had 12 sons and one daughter. I heard Italy also celebrates the number 13. The expression fare tredici (“to do 13”) means to hit the jackpot.

As you can see, 13 has been given a bad rap. Of course one very big reason why I love the number 13 is because today is also my grandson’s birthday.

Be safe, be healthy, and remember: the number 13 is special … just like ALL the other numbers. TGIF people!

Raoul

Joke of the Week

Thanks to Mel of Washington, D.C.  for sharing this joke.

Some of you may not remember the old-time Jewish comedians: Shecky Green, Red Buttons, Totie Fields, Milton Berle, Henny Youngman and others. But some of us miss their kind of humour. Not a single swear word in their routines and you don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy their jokes.

Video: Corona Sweepstakes

Thanks to Mel of Washington, DC

Don’s Puns

Thanks to Don of Kelowna, B.C. who sent this pun.

Parting Shots

Thanks to Don of Kelowna, B.C.

Thanks to Tom of Pasadena, CA

Thanks to  Naomi of North Hollywood, CA for this last gag

The post Jewish Jokes appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Open for Business? What Do You Think?

Are you looking forward to Monday? That’s the day businesses are supposed to restart opening their doors. At least that’s what the US Federal government  suggested at the time of this writing. It’s up to each governor to decide what’s good for the State. And it’s up to each business to decide what’s good for their company.

I was apprehensive about that. I thought it was too early because people are still getting infected and people are still dying. But then I watched an interview with a woman from the Wall Street Journal (I forget her name). And she had an insight about when to open: “You have to balance the need for health and safety with the need to bring back the economy and getting people’s lives back to normal.” She said the prevailing mindset is a purist mindset (which was like mine) — to open business only if every trace of that virus has been eliminated. Although it sounds good and safe, the drawback is we will be waiting forever for that to happen while the economy and people’s mental state will continue to spiral downward to the point where it may never recover. A better alternative, she claimed, is to open the doors now while the epidemic continues to loose steam (accepting that there will still be people getting infected and dying) in exchange for the economy starting to revive. Does this make sense to you? What do you think?

If the health charts that I’ve been seeing are accurate, Covid-19 isn’t as deadly as was earlier estimated. More people are dying by other causes anyway. There are also more medications and ventilators available than a month ago. More people have now been exposed and have built up their immunity, so the risks have significantly diminished. What do you think?

This balancing principle may be sound but it still needs wisdom when to implement. Nevertheless, if the shops and offices continue to take precautionary measures, if people wear face masks and wash their hands, avoid physical contact, keep their hands away from their eyes, nose and mouth … this should work. What do you think?

Come Monday, many businesses will start opening their doors. Some already have. Let’s hope they will be responsible. And let’s start living again. What do you think?

Keep safe and hold on to your faith. TGIF people!

Joke of the Week

Thanks to Mike of New York, for sharing this joke.

Video: How NOT to Make a Face Mask

Thanks to Mike of New York for this video that made me cry..

Video: Love at 60 Feet Under

Thanks to Naomi of N Hollywood, CA for sending this video made by her personal friend, Paula.

Video: Archie Bunker Goes to the Hospital

Thanks to Art of Sierra Madre, CA for this classic sitcom.

Don’s Puns

Thanks to Don of Kelowna, B.C.who loves puns.

Parting Shots

Thanks to Naomi for this reminder to be more sensitive to our dogs.

Thanks to Rodney of Manitoba, B.C. for this serious announcement.

Thanks to Art of Sierra Madre, CA for this Twilight reflection.

The post Husband Has Covid-19 appeared first on Traveling Archive.

A young, precocious girl who has just started to think in a different light about what used to be the enemy — boys! — tells us that her future dreamboat will have many, very specific qualities, and among them, he will speak three languages!  She is wise beyond her years, a bit of a loner, highly expressive, spending hours, it would seem, with her diary — writing poetry, songs, and mentally meandering all over the globe, yearning for and seeking what is out there, beyond her reach at the moment. She searches for meaning in life, even at her tender age.

She is Hannah Senesh, and she will become the Hannah Senesh, a Jewish martyr to the cause of freedom during World War II. Senesh was one of many Jews who escaped from Axis-allied Hungary to the safety of British Mandate Palestine. There she joined Haganah and then bravely volunteered for a daring Special Operations mission to parachute back into Europe to save Jews from the Nazi extermination machine. She was ultimately caught by Nazi forces, tortured (as she refused to betray her companions), and executed at the age of 22.

We meet Hannah in an extraordinary one-woman show currently being presented by the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene (NYTF) at the Museum of Jewish Heritage — A Living Memorial to the Holocaust through August 18th. The award-winning play, based on Hannah’s own diaries and poems (translated by Marta Cohn and Peter Hay) was written and directed by David Schechter. It was originally developed in collaboration with Lori Wilner, the actress who first played Hannah onstage in 1984 (and subsequently portrayed her in nearly 2,000 performances).

Embodied currently by Lexi Rabadi, an Honors graduate of Pace University’s BFA musical theater program, Hannah is curious, idealistic, and determined. We watch her grow from a young girl in pigtails to an adolescent in work clothes suitable for kibbutz chores, to a young adult in a military paratrooper’s jumpsuit.  Rabadi can convey a mood with the arch of an eyebrow, the swirling gesture of a hand, or a slump of her shoulders. We grow up with Hannah and suffer her pain, when she discovers, that despite winning the popular vote for a school office, she cannot assume the role — a Jew may not hold school office.  We slowly start to feel the effects of the anti-Jewish legislation gradually creeping into her native Hungary.  We wonder, as she does, “Where will I be in ten years?”

Hannah’s story and indomitable spirit, experienced through her evocative diary and poetry, serve as an enduring inspiration to people everywhere standing up to the powers of hatred and oppression. The performance is part of NYTF’s season of “Spiritual Resistance,” which features artistic and theatrical works that explore themes of struggle against oppression. The programming provides artistic expression concurrent with the Museum’s exhibition Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. being presented through January 2, and which was originally mounted in Spain to record-breaking crowds.

“This astonishing true story is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit,” notes NYTF artistic director, Zalmen Mlotek. “I can think of no better work to embody our current season’s theme of Spiritual Resistance.”

It is worth noting that the NYTF is responsible for staging the blockbuster production of “Fiddler on the Roof,” in Yiddish, at the Museum last season; that show, after a six-month run downtown, moved uptown, Off-Broadway, and is currently a sell-out smash.  “Fiddler” won a Drama Desk Award, an Outer Critics Circle Award, and a New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award special citation, and has been nominated for Lucille Lortel Awards, Drama League Awards, a Chita Rivera Award, and an Off-Broadway Alliance Award.

Now celebrating its 105th season, Tony Award-nominated and Drama Desk Award-winning National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene is the longest consecutively producing theatre in the US and the world’s oldest continuously operating Yiddish theatre company. NYTF is in residence at the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust. Under the artistic direction of Mlotek, NYTF is dedicated to creating a living legacy through the arts, connecting generations, and bridging communities. NYTF aims to bring history to life by reviving and restoring lost and forgotten works, commissioning new work, and adapting pre-existing work for the 21st century. Serving a diverse audience comprised of performing arts patrons, cultural enthusiasts, Yiddish-language aficionados, and the public, the company presents plays, musicals, concerts, lectures, interactive educational workshops, and community-building activities in English and Yiddish, with English and Russian supertitles accompanying performances. NYTF provides access to a century-old cultural legacy and inspires the imaginations of the next generation to contribute to this valuable body of work.

The creative team for “Hannah Senesh” includes Court Watson, scenic designer; Izzy Fields, costume designer; Vivien Leone, lighting designer; Kenneth Goodwin, sound designer; Stephanie Gonzalez, prop master; Jamibeth Margolis, CSA, casting director/general manager; Emily Paige Ballou, AEA stage manage; Britni Serrano, production manager.

Tickets for “Hannah Senesh,” starting at $49, are available at nytf.org

For information on the Folksbiene visit, nytf.org or call 212-213-2120, ext. 200

For information and tickets for the Auschwitz show at the Museum, visit auschwitz.nyc

To read further about the Auschwitz show by TravelingBoy’s contributor Ruth J. Katz, click here. https://www.nycitywoman.com/auschwitz-not-long-ago-not-far-away/

©2019  Ruth J. Katz  All Rights Reserved

The post National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene’s Presentation of “Hannah Senesh” appeared first on Traveling Archive.

This is heavy stuff. Move on to the jokes if you’re not into this.

“Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future, and renders the present inaccessible.”
— Maya Angelou

I picked up my 6 year old grandson from school the other day.  I observed how he mingled with his classmates. He ran with the pack and joked around like everyone. He was oblivious to the fact that he was the only Asian among a majority of other ethnicities.

When my family moved here to California, our kids were about that age — they too were color blind. I remember my sister, who had lived here in Los Angeles for years, invited us to go and join their church. “We’re all Filipinos here, you’ll feel more at home.” But we politely told her that the reason we came here was to immerse into the rest of America. We wanted to assimilate with our new home. It was (and is) a conscious decision. We are proud of our original culture but there’s enough room in our hearts for others.

To this day we enjoy the variety of friends we have from all over. Our 2 kids are marrying into a different culture. This intermarriage is true for many of my friends and relatives as well … which is why it hurts when people put race in the spotlight of many debates. When you play the “Race Card” it’s a losing battle of entitlement and selfishness. I know there are legitimate grievances but keep in mind, we all have our wants in varying degrees. We all have been victimized in this fallen world.

Have you noticed? The ones with the loudest voices and who are more organized (sometimes with financial backing) usually get their way. But does it make the desires of the silent ones any less important? The majority isn’t always right. Ironically, the ones who demand tolerance are the ones who refuse to give it. They refuse to listen for fear of being discovered to be wrong. It’s harder to admit one’s mistake when one was so sure … when one will be ostracized by one’s friends.

I believe in an Absolute Truth emanating from a Holy God. How about you? When one has never tasted Truth (especially in a world of lies) it’s understandable why they claim Truth does not exist. That’s why adults who grew up in the war-torn Middle East have a wildly different sense of righteousness.  That’s why people whose dreams are shattered or who have lost a loved one turn bitter and alone.

Here’s the sad truth for me. The fact that I singled out my grandson as the only Asian among his peers tells me that I am no longer color blind. Even if I wanted to preserve my innocence the issue was presented to me and I had no choice. Can you blame me when the people who demand racial equality have forced me to open my eyes?

I do have one consolation — I still have hope that mankind’s colors will one day paint the masterpiece intended by God.

But this is just me.

“For we are His masterpiece created anew in Christ Jesus, so the good he planned for us a long time ago would be our way of life.”
— Ephesians 2:10

TGIF people!

Jewish Pilot and Chinese CoPilot

Contributed by Tom of Pasadena, CA

Okay, okay. This is a rare racial joke. And it did make me squirm at first but there’s actually an interesting lesson here.

TGIF Videos

Plane Landing
Sent by Wally of Moreno Valley, CA

Quick video of a plane about to land while a husband is texting his wife.

Watch Video

Married Life from the Pixar Movie UP
Sent by Peter Paul of South Pasadena, CA

This is a classic scene from the movie. In about 4 minutes your emotions jump from happiness to tear-jerking sadness. If you’ve been feeling detached from life recently, this will test if your sensitivity is still working. I knew what was coming and still I cried because it reminded me of some real people.

Watch Video

Parting Shot

Thanks to Scott of Deerfield, New Hampshire who shared this photo

Photo taken from a Men’s bathroom stall.

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