It's all in the head
There is an anecdote told of a prisoner in a Russian labor camp. His task, for twenty-five grueling years, involved turning a heavy wheel fixed to a wall. He assumed perhaps he was milling grain, or pumping water that irrigated many fields. In his mind's eye he saw the plentiful crops and the sacks of milled grain feeding thousands of people. However, upon his impending release, he requested to see the apparatus behind the prison wall. To his dismay, the wheel served no purpose. The man collapsed in a faint, absolutely devastated. His years of toil felt utterly futile.
A Lasting Legacy
We live in a world that is constantly changing. What was trendy and fashionable in earlier generations is often considered old-fashion today. What is considered “accepted” in today’s society may have been off-limits just a few decades ago. Many of the large corporations and empires that were around a century ago are no longer in existent and many new innovative startups have taken their place.
At the same time, there are certain individuals, ideas, and revolutions who/which have left a lasting legacy and continue to make a a positive impact on society even thousands of years later. What is their secret?
What is the Secret to Jewish Immortality?
In his famous essay "Concerning the Jews," published in 1898, Mark Twain presents his profound wonder about the Jewish people:
"The Jews constitute only 1% of the human race... It suggests a nebulous, dim puff of stardust lost in the blaze of the Milky Way. Properly, the Jew ought hardly to be heard of; but he is heard of, has always been heard of... His contributions to the world's list of great names are way out of proportion to the weakness of his numbers.
Beyond Ivy League Dreams: Nurturing Jewish Identity
You may have heard the anecdote of three mothers sitting in a park, debating when life truly begins.
The first says, “Life begins at conception.”
The second counters, “No, life begins at birth.”
The Jewish mother shakes her head and says, “You're both wrong—life begins when the child gets their college degree.”
Personal Responsibility
A man once shared with me the secret behind a happy marriage.
He said "You should share responsibilities with due love and respect each other. Then absolutely there will be no problems."
"In my house, I take decisions on bigger issues whereas my wife decides on smaller issues. We do not interfere in each other's decisions".
I asked him, "Give me some examples".
Harvard’s Menorah
On December 13, 2023, a Menorah lighting celebration took place in front of Harvard’s Widener Library. Rabbi Hirschy Zarchi, the Director of the Harvard Chabad, addressed a gathering of students and faculty.
During his speech, Rabbi Zarchi recounted a significant moment in the history of the Menorah lighting tradition at Harvard.