We spend so much time and energy on The Word, that we forget just what it means for some people. It is not always audible, which goes to prove even more that the power of faith is not based on magical incantations (Otherwise there might have been some deaf wizardlings at Hogwarts). I am impressed not only at the young man’s perseverence, but also in his parents’.
God’s Word, however that is understod by people, is known in many ways by different people. Blessings on them all.

Given the age (21) of Edenzon I’m a little surprised that his Hebrew School wouldn’t accomadate his hearing loss by getting someone to help him. (he was 5…putting him in the first row was so hard??). What a shame. He and those like him in the Jewish community can’t participate without assistance. I know the explanation was lack of money for an interpreter, but to me that seems to be a poor excuse.
Much credit to Birthright Israel for putting together the trips for the young folks with hearing problems.

They could have taught them still a great deal more about Israel if they’d had them spend some time in Gaza, seeing how those folks live under Israel’s rule. Or probably even the West Bank. But I doubt that kind of education was on their agenda at all. No doubt they did talk about the hardships the conflict causes the Israelis.
But if the Middle East is to be solved we don’t need still more people who see just one side, especially in the US.

Only you could take an uplifting story about helping handicapped people and turn it into something ugly.
Well even you can’t spoil it. You can just be read through and ignored.
Hey, maybe we can take little Arab children and force them to see how police pick up every little piece of torn flesh and bone after a homicide bombing. I bet if we did that they wouldn’t be so hot to blow themselves up. Because if the Middle East is to be solved we don’t need still more people who see just one side, especially in the every Arab country.

I’m in favor of both sides learning more about the other side. So yes, I’m for what you suggested. I’d like each to learn so much about the other at a young age they at least understand each other better. But it’s especially bad for my country (my country is the USA) when we get even more US citizens who only see that one side.
And I don’t see it being ugly to urge still more education.

Birthright Israel is a private organization funded by private individuals for the benefit of Jewish Americans and Jewish Americans alone. I see no reason why we (because I’m a contributer to BI) should hand over our hard-earned funds so that our children can be indoctrinated by our enemies.
I’m sorry if you think that’s bad for your country. I think children raised to see democracy at work in other parts of the globe is good for the USA.

“Birthright Israel”
Just that name alone is an invitation for comment but this is not the place.

To what extent is BI for the benefit of Jewish Americans and to what extent for the benefit of Israel by propagandizing some Americans to see one side of what’s really a complex issue?

BI is to help young Jewish Americans forge a bond with the Jewish state so that they will support it and also know that it is their escape hatch if the people who hate us ever get a foot-hold here.
It wouldn’t matter if young Jews never partook of BI – their parents would make sure they grew up knowing which side is right. It’s never to you to start teaching children the truth – I started teaching mine at 8.

“BI is to help young Jewish Americans forge a bond with the Jewish state so that they will support it and also know that it is their escape hatch if the people who hate us ever get a foot-hold here.”
And maybe to create more voters who will help force the US to remain one-sided on Middle Eastern issues (thus hurting us)? I’d guess, yes. And I don’t think you have to take people to Israel in order for them to know it’s there and that it’s available to them.
Unfortunately some of the “people who hate us [Jews]” have more than a foot-hold, here but still I think a great majority of US citizens would not go down the kind of road so many of the German people, with their anti-Jewish religious upbringings, did. But we have to fight against the hate-mongers and the fear-mongers like the Bush administration who create fear then use it to take away our rights. That’s the kind of thing that helped lead to the Holocaust.

At some point in history, every nation gets tired of its Jews and rescinds its welcome. The same will happen here eventually. We will need a place to go, and Israel is it. So, yeah, we will go overboard to make sure we don’t wind up in the ovens again.
I think we have far too much in the way of relationships with non-Jews in this country as it is. It tricks us into letting our guard down and thinking we’re thought of as just like you.

Birthright Israel”
Just that name alone is an invitation for comment but this is not the place.
Oh? And why should this time be any different than usual?

ec-l? you have to ask?

Scott you and your people are thought of as Americans, and that makes you one of us. There will never be 100% of approval for anyone or anything, so just live your life with peace and joy.

“Scott you and your people are thought of as Americans, and that makes you one of us.”
Exactly so.

ec-l? you have to ask?
Why, yes, CK, I do have to ask. Be up front with your insult, please, whether it’s trying to turn my screen name into something it’s not and insult me personally, or whether you insult Jews and Israel.
Don’t be shy, now.

Henrietta,
Jews are only thought of as citizens of their particular country when the times are good. When things go bad…nope. Europe solved the Depression on the backs of us.

Scott, other countries have done that, but not America, we’re different.

No we aren’t.
Did you know Gen. Grant expelled the Jews from Kentucky and parts of Tennessee during the Civil War because he thought we were “alien”? Lincoln over-ruled him.
We’re not different at all, and all it takes is time. And you’ll have to forgive some of us for being wary – you only need to know Jewish history to know why.

Henrietta,
I can’t blame Scott for being so wary. We would like to believe that the USA is different, but take Europe as an example. When Poland was going through hard economic times in the middle of the last millenium, it asked Jews to come back and help. For hundreds of years, we though we were welcome. Turned out, we were wrong. England kicked us out 4 times during the last millenium. In Poland, anti-Semitism is alive and well. True also all over South America and in many parts of the U.S., even if in the U.S., it’s not officially condoned by the Govt – so many parts of the populace have no problem expresiing it.
There’s not really a place where we have been made to feel “at home”. How many article have you read about us controlling banks, newspapers, Hollywood, etc, etc, and the “undue” influence we as well as the “Israeli lobby” have on the U.S, supposedly in contradiction to the influence any other group has on Congress and our Representatives?
It’s frightenting and hard not to be on tenterhooks.

I also group up in a family of Holocaust survivors, so we’ve always had our bags packed (so to speak).

When you’ve got to reach back a millennium to keep separation and contempt alive and do it there will be a reoccurring theme to your existence. There are some things a people (any people) should hold on to and some they should just let go.

I also group up in a family of Holocaust survivors,
Scott, I share your history, in that I think you know both my parents were Holocaust survivors, both the only ones left of their families.
There are some things a people (any people) should hold on to and some they should just let go.
Yeah, yeah, you’re one to talk about just letting go. What arrogance. Your own frequently revealed prejudice is reason enough to remain on guard.
Should I “just let go” of my parents’ (and my own) pain? My mom is still with me and still can’t talk about her experience. It’s not ancient history to me.
Those who don’t remember history are doomed to repeat it.

Let it go CK? Like you let go of slavery and segregation? Hmmm?
Our Holocaust wasn’t a millennium ago, and frankly I have no clue what you think you’re talking about, but truthfully, when I speak of the need of remaining on guard, I’m thinking of you.

ecl and ScottR:
Let go of your history? I don’t think so!! No one should EVER forget the Holocaust…no matter what faith they belong to.

addition: “…no matter what faith they belong to or if indeed they belong to no particular faith. Never let go of your history. It is part of everyones history in one way or another.

“Let it go CK? Like you let go of slavery and segregation? Hmmm?”
I do let it go until “you” bring it up, then I comment but it does not dictate how I live.

I do let it go until “you” bring it up, then I comment but it does not dictate how I live.
First off, you’re wrong. You bring it up all the time.
Second. your use of quotation marks is incorrect.
Third, I bring it up so that it won’t dictate how I die.

To be consumed with death is to die no wonder some folk are so depressing

Heartless comment. You dismiss our experience with the Holocaust.
It is to be consumed with staying alive.
I’d rather be “depressing” than follow a religion that teaches how not to have empathy for our fellow human beings.

Wow, has this conversation degenerated! I thought it was a pretty nice story. I guess we can plumb the depths of any number of issues – and still not scratch the surface! How delightfully paradoxical – Quack & QUACK!