Shabbat Shalom
Centuries of Jewish hate
Our parents,
the Holocaust generation,
Told us too,
But we wanted to believe.
We saw ourselves from Our eyes.
We are ALL human,
We worked hard, we contributed,
We are Finally Accepted Now
Mom, Dad, You are too
Hurt from Centuries of
Jewish Hate.
We said,
“Calm down, we’re fine.”
Our parents cry
From their graves
We told You…
May You Live in Peace, שלום and سلام.…
PEACE with Penny, Penny S. Tee’s thoughts on her mind, December 8, 2023
My name is Penny S. Tee, I am the vodcast host of PEACE with Penny. It’s a vodcast dedicated to Israeli and Palestinian Peace organizations who work together for a better future, even during the Israeli-Hamas war. I believe in hope, because I am privileged to speak with amazing humans from both sides. On Fridays, the beginning of our Sabbath, I write what is on my mind. Today, I write this for my Peace of mind, dedicated with love to our people and Israel, AM YISRAEL CHAI! (The People of Israel Live!) …
As a proud, American, female, Jew, I wonder what seems to make us perceived as the lowest of the low? How can this be in 2023? Yet I hear in my mind’s ear from my parents’ generation, it always has been, and you are fooling yourself to believe it isn’t today. I want to say but…and then I look toward “our friends,” who are silent, even in the face of the knowledge of the inconceivable murderous rampage on October 7th, forgive me for bluntly describing a few examples —gang rape, causing the women to bleed from their genitalia, and we hear now also, that the rapes happened to the men, mutilation—from films the perpetrators proudly took themselves and eye witness accounts…they cut off the Jewish women’s breasts, threw the breasts around like toys, and laughed, burned people alive, babies with 50 bullets in them, I can’t go on. Yet the claims were refuted immediately. Women’s organizations with the mission of proudly defending women for years, can’t bring themselves to protect Jewish women, and only after being shamed into it, say the rapes were wrong. They are deaf to our pain, and we must take our blinders off and realize there is more to that story.
When the heads of top universities, MIT, the University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard, Dr. Gay, herself a minority, when asked if on their campuses when student protesters shout for the genocide of Jews, if that violates their policy of harassment, and they equivocate, don’t say yes, of course, and they had to be shamed into saying it is wrong. If this immoral display is the public face, what lurks below the surface?
Rabbi David Wolpe, a visiting scholar at Harvard’s Divinity School, announced Thursday that he was resigning from Harvard’s Antisemitism Advisory Group “over frustrations with the “evil” ideology that he said has a “grip” on several of Harvard’s students and faculty members.” We want to think, no, you must stay and fight, but he realizes, thinking that you can change the minds of an infused narrative in these institutions would be like expecting a member of Hamas to eventually love Jews, it’s not going to happen.
Jewish kids are afraid to choose college campuses, trying to research which ones are even safe to be a Jew. After years of trying to be their best academically, this is their reward? As parents we are told, don’t bother for your young adults to use Jewish safety as criterion to choose colleges to attend, especially on the elite campuses, because it’s the same incredulous danger at all the colleges. I’ve written about the overtaking of college campuses by groups wanting to destroy Israel and replace it with an unencumbered by Jews, Palestine a long time. The one good thing about all the discussion is now the general public knows what Jewish young people are going through on college campuses, in the U.S. and throughout the world. The question is, will anyone besides Jews care enough to do something about it?
The precursor to the Holocaust we’re reminded was similar. We don’t mean to be paranoid, but this has been our experience repeatedly, and excuse me for my language, but WTF?
Then there’s our homeland Israel. You know the same land that we’ve lived in for thousands of years, but are told we are colonizers. Jews pray facing Jerusalem. Israel is part of our prayers, we’re intertwined. Do I agree with everything Israel does, especially under the direction of Netanyahu? Not at all, but do I think they have the right to defend themselves, of course, just like all nations, except no, according to the world they are required to find a miracle to not hurt civilians unlike in all other wars. I don’t believe in killing of any kind, yet I understand why Hamas needs to be stopped.
The scenes of killed and injured children and their parents is tragic and predictable. These youngsters did nothing to deserve their fate. When 50% of Gaza’s population are children, you don’t have to be a mathematician to know the odds, won’t portend forgiveness. Unsurprisingly, Israel is blamed for the disastrous results, not Hamas and their use of human shields. But how to destroy Hamas without impacting innocents when Hamas uses them as human shields? I don’t know the answer and neither do any of the top US military people, yet they insist Israel must do the impossible, at least publicly. That’s not fair, but what else is new?
Regardless, if Jewish liturgy is filled with miracles like Hanukah’s candle lasting eight days instead of one, there is no wand to wave to make the war end with everyone safe and happy. War being hell is a valid description.
It’s a fact that many of the dear people murdered or taken hostage on October 7th were Peace activists, may they rest in Peace. The perpetrators shot themselves in the foot.
I find that under these horrific times, the Peacemakers give me even more comfort, I hope you will feel the same, perhaps they are living miracles, messengers of hope. I thank them for all they do. Many have set aside horrific personal stories, and realize neither side is going away, therefore, for the sake of our children, we need to learn how to live together in Peace. They are exemplary humans.
Wars have a way of impacting folks, and at PEACE with Penny it’s been no exception. Trying to make sense of having a Peace vodcast during a war kept us befuddled and looking to see how it can work. We didn’t know what we would find. At first, the Peace organizations were shocked, then not certain if, or how to proceed, some having to pause, some trying to find their feet. Had their staff been called into the military? Were they grieving and/or God forbid, deceased? And others with unbridled courage, continued their progress. It’s all been part of the war package. In our hearts, we wanted to continue with our work, and we realize there still are points at times, when quickly adapting is the best we can do.
Through my various endeavors, first with my book, BLASTED from COMPLACENCY: A Journey from Terror to Transformation in Israel, then public speaking, and additionally, going on three years my vodcast, PEACE with Penny, I show that there have been pockets of Peace between Israelis and Palestinians for years. Peace is worked on from a myriad of facets, such as medicine, transportation, interfaith, conservation, sports, music, art, law, the list goes on, and at all age ranges from the very young to adults. Their efforts express the beauty of the positive human spirit.
Happy Hanukah, it’s the second day which celebrates another battle, oy. When will humans learn that war is inhumane and ineffective? Neither side is going away, both love the land, start with that. You won’t convince the other, that your narrative is correct, so move forward from the past and decide how to move onward together so your children can play safely in your backyards. You make Peace with your enemies, not your friends. Yes, I realize, this is obviously easier said than done. Put a clothespin on your nose (boy am I dating myself) and move forward for the love of your children.
Currently, we are working on multiple interviews and will get them out as soon as we can. We hope you will join us on our journey, and it won’t be too frustrating for either of us. In the meantime, continue to learn from the organizations we’ve spoken with since October 7th, they are truly inspiring—listen to their reality and how they are managing the latest tightrope.
May You Live in Peace, שלום and سلام.…
11/17/2023 https://youtu.be/ALdN8gNIWJQ PEACE with Penny SEASON 5: Penny S Tee interviews Justin Kron & Todd Morehead, HOPE IN THE HOLY LAND, War Update
11/4/2023 https://youtu.be/ActrbVxUVqM PEACE with Penny SEASON 5 Penny S Tee Interviews Shahar Steiff, Road to Recovery, War Update
10/30/2023 https://youtu.be/AR5GAVOkNZg PEACE of Penny SEASON 5 Penny S. Tee Interviews Elizabeth Arif-Fear of Voice of Salam Update
10/22/2023 https://youtu.be/24EDL3sYDLs PEACE with Penny SEASON 5 Penny S Tee speaks with Dr.Gideon Elazar of Roots-Shorashim-Judur, War update
10/10/2023 https://youtu.be/agzThqdMo00 PEACE with Penny SEASON 5 Penny S. Tee Interviews Phil Saunders, of Path of Hope and Peace, War Update
#Israel War; #Israel-Hamas War; #Israeli-Palestinian Conflict; #antisemitism; #Gaza; #BREAKING NEWS; #Palestinian; #Peace; #Road to Recovery; #HOPE IN THE HOLY LAND; # Voice of Salam; #Roots-Shorashim-Judur; #PathofHopeandPeace