Obama wants to make friends with our worst enemies and until now the worst enemies of the United States, an Israeli source familiar with the intelligence assessment said

If you want to make peace, you don't talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies. ~ Moshe Dayan

Is everyone listening?  Why not talk to our friends and our enemies for peace.

Technorati Tags: obama, president, netanyahu. peace, israel, palestinians, mideast, moshe, dayan, quotes

Brian Johnson,  philosopher and friend posted another "Big Idea" on Philosophers Notes.  This one is too good to pass up: Camille Adams Helminski : A Jihad Warrior.

Thank you always Brian for your big ideas!

"The lion who breaks the enemy's ranks is a minor hero compared to the lion who overcomes himself." ~ Rumi from Rumi: Daylight

Mevlana Rumi: The great Islamic Persian poet and mystic.

He might be called the world's ultimate jihad warrior.

But, only if you take a moment to appreciate the true, deeply spiritual nature of the concept of jihad–a concept distorted in modern times by both extreme Islam groups and Western views.

The root of jihad means "to strive" or "to exert oneself" and has two manifestations: one internal and one external. It's interesting to note that the struggle to achieve perfection of the self has been called the greater struggle or greater "holy war" (al-jihad al-akbar) in contrast to the lesser struggle (al-jihad al-asghar), which is against injustice and oppressors in this world.

Powerful stuff.

How's your jihad?!?

Continue reading more on Camille Adams Helminski : A Jihad Warrior

Technorati Tags: brian, johnson, camille, adams, helminski, jihad, warrior, philosophers, notes

Abraham Burg is my hero like no other.  He was a pillar of the Israeli establishment but his new book, The Holocaust Is Over; We Must Rise From its Ashes, is causing a sensation. It argues that his country is an "abused child" which has become a "violent parent". And his solutions are radical.  Read Donald Macintyre excellent interview with Burg.

Richard Silverstein, on his blog, Tikun Olam has an interesting and  revealing discussion and comments on  Burg and his new book.

Watch recent Burg interview on the Charlie Rose Show.  Burg gives an actual solution to the larger Middle East Conflict which reaches far beyond Jerusalem, West Bank and Gaza.  It's about attitude in a sense.  'Riveting enveloped in calmness'.

Technorati Tags: abraham, avrum, burg, middle, east, peace, iran, syria, benjamin, netanyahu, shimon, peres, tzipi, livni, israel, charlie, rose

Sunday, March 29   Daily Kabbalah Tuneup!

Let's bring it back to basics.

We were created in this world to give us an opportunity to break and transform our nature. We come in operating solely on a desire to receive for the self alone mindset and our goal is to convert that desire into one of sharing, loving, and thinking of others first.

This doesn't happen over night. It takes constant work and awareness, each day chipping away until the transformation occurs.

Today, do the opposite of what you want to do. When you feel the urge to please yourself, look to please others first. And look specifically for those little moments of selfishness, for it's those little moments that count the most.

The Kabbalah Centre

Technorati Tags: kabbalah, centre, daily, tune, up, yehuda, berg, self, help

On a Charlie Rose interview last night, Bob Simon's view is chillingly honest.  He speaks about Gaza, the West Bank, the 'settlements' and the politics involved.  How to solve this problem is contingent on…the settlers?  compassion?  sharing? trust?  This has to be a serious Tikkun Olam!

See video on the Charlie Rose site or below. Bob Simon on the Middle East Conflict

 Bob Simon is a CBS News correspondent. From 1964 to 1967, Simon served as an American Foreign Service officer and was a Fulbright Scholar in France and a Woodrow Wilson scholar. From 1969 to 1971, he served a tour in the CBS News London bureau. From 1971-77, he was based in the London and Saigon bureaus where he served as a Vietnam War correspondent. From 1977-81, he was assigned to the CBS News Tel Aviv bureau.

In 1996, Simon joined "60 Minutes" as a correspondent, and in 1998 he was named a "60 Minutes II" correspondent. Notable stories he has done recently include the first profile of the so-called "Lost Boys of Sudan" and the exclusive interview with Shiite insurgency leader Muqtada al-Sadr. He currently serves as the senior foreign correspondent for the Sunday edition of 60 Minutes.

Technorati Tags: economy, conflict, obama, middle, east, settlements, gaza, west, bank, bob, simon, charlie, rose

A Florida family(Dr Luis Allen, his wife Maxine and 2 children) was in the Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai when terrorists attacked.  They want to tell their story for a reason.  "Just like we don't want the world to judge us based on the fringes, those that exist on the fringes of our society.  We don't want others to think badly for just a few people that reak havoc like this; they can't win from that stance."

Technorati Tags: mumbai, terror, florida, couple, luis, allen, cnn, maxine, prejudice

Special Class

Rabbi Simon Jacobson’s Wednesday night class will be dedicated this week to Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg and the other precious lives massacred in the Mumbai terrorist attack

Tonight, Wednesday, December 3, 2008, 8:15PM EST
At our new home: MLC@ 6th, 325 East 6th St., bet. 1st & 2nd. Aves., in downtown Manhattan's East Village

The Mumbai massacre of Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg and many other innocent souls has touched a chord, shaking up people all over the world in an unprecedented manner. We are shocked and stunned: How can such a thing happen? A young couple committed their lives to helping others, moved away from the comfort of their families and communities to serve in a distant land. Why and how can they have been murdered so brutally?! Leaving a 2 year-old orphan, shattered families and the rest of us all shaking our heads. And for what purpose? Not money, power or envy.

More on Mumbai: What Can We Do?

I just received this weekly 'Kabbalah Tuneup' in the mail.  Things always come at the 'perfect time' if you're open, caring and alive.  In case it's Your right time I'm going to share what Yehuda Berg wrote:

"Are you happy? Me, I don't always wake up happy. But I follow the advice my father and teacher Rav Berg gave me early on: build on the moment.

The only thing we can do when faced with chaos and pain is accept things as they are and be happy in that moment. The genius of this logic is one moment is carried into the next. When we put all our effort into seeing the good, to pushing back the darkest doubts and to injecting light and happiness, we go into the next moment carrying that energy.

Switching up the energy, that's what we're doing. Difficult? Yes. Paradoxical? For sure. Doable? Without a doubt.

Lots of people are in the dumper lately, that's no news flash. And I think this idea of building on the moment is especially relevant. It doesn't mean we have to resign ourselves to a bad situation or relationship. I think we have a habit of thinking "I can't be happy now because I have this problem and if I accept it I will never get rid of it."

More on KABBALAH: The Best Kept Secret!

Debbie always her best!

TONIGHT: Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz on Larry King Live

Show topics include the auto industry rescue package and the possibility of Senator Hillary Clinton in the post of Secretary of State.

Please tune in to CNN at 9:00pm ET. The Congresswoman's segment is expected to air at approximately 9:20pm ET.

In case you miss it, Larry King Live will re-air at 12:00am ET, with the segment airing at approximately 12:20am.

Thank you for watching and for your continued support.

Technorati Tags: debbie, wasserman, schultz, larry, king, auto, industry, rescue, package, hillary, clinton, secretary, state

Eliana Gilad from Voices of Eden travels globally playing and humming inspirational, healing and meditative sounds and music.  Her mission is to bring peace and healing to the global community. 

Today is the Jewish New Year and Eliana sent a personal message from Israel.  I placed her last paragraph first also as it brought tears to my eyes.  When I showed it to a Muslim friend, he replied  "This is what I call peace!"  Thanks and love to you Eliana!

As I type this entry, in the background, I can hear the Muezzin, calling the faithful to prayer from the mosque tower in the local Moslem village across the way. Today also marks the end of the Ramadan monthly fast, and several days of celebration begin. I think I am pretty lucky to live in such a diverse place, where the new year and the Divine are being called in at the same time in so many different languages and faiths. This is harmony to my eyes and ears.

Rosh HaShana, the Hebrew New Year is being celebrated throughout the Jewish World today. In the Diaspora, for example in the US, where I was born and raised, Rosh HaShana means going to synagogue. Even those Jews who are not religious, will identify with their religion on this holiday, by going to the synagogue.

But here in Israel, where the majority of Jews are secular, it is only the religious who go to synagogue. The rest of the Jewish population celebrates the beginning of the new year (according to the lunar calendar), by taking the day off and celebrating with family and friends. Last night with family and friends, we enjoyed a vegetarian gourmet feast, prepared pot-luck by each one of us.

More on Jewish New Year in Israel

Eve Ensler, the American playwright, performer, feminist and activist best known for "The Vagina Monologues", wrote the following about Sarah Palin on Huffington Post.

Drill, Drill, Drill

I am having Sarah Palin nightmares. I dreamt last night that she was a member of a club where they rode snowmobiles and wore the claws of drowned and starved polar bears around their necks. I have a particular thing for Polar Bears. Maybe it's their snowy whiteness or their bigness or the fact that they live in the arctic or that I have never seen one in person or touched one. Maybe it is the fact that they live so comfortably on ice. Whatever it is, I need the polar bears.

I don't like raging at women. I am a Feminist and have spent my life trying to build community, help empower women and stop violence against them. It is hard to write about Sarah Palin. This is why the Sarah Palin choice was all the more insidious and cynical. The people who made this choice count on the goodness and solidarity of Feminists.

More on Eve Ensler- "Drill, Drill, Drill"

Love cures people both the ones who give it and the ones who receive it –Dr Karl Menninger

Larry Dossey, M.D., pioneer in the field of holistic medicine and national best selling author is interviewed about world peace and the power of music to create transformation. 

If you go to google, you'll find that the most hits on google, the most websites are devoted to sex-millions and millions.  The second most common website on google is music. There are some good reasons for this. We now know by doing fancy brain scans that the same area in the brain lights up when people are having sex as when they're listening to profoundly moving music.  The same part of the brain is activated.  So we can't underestimate the power of music to inspire us….

Technorati Tags: larry dossey, bernie siegel, healing, music, peace, srf, unity, science of mind, world, inspiration

Keith Olbermann delivers a special comment about Republicans exploiting September 11th and what about Bin Laden ?!?! as only Olbermann can do it.

Technorati Tags: olbermann, mccain, osama, bin laden, september 11, 9/11

This essay was written by world renowned doctor, writer and spiritualist Deepak Chopra. It's a very interesting and unique take on this heated election season. For more of his thoughts go to  Chopra's website.

Obama and the Palin Effect
by Deepak Chopra 9-8-08

Sometimes politics has the uncanny effect of mirroring the national psyche even when nobody intended to do that. This is perfectly illustrated by the rousing effect that Gov. Sarah Palin had on the Republican convention in Minneapolis this week. On the surface, she outdoes former Vice President Dan Quail as an unlikely choice, given her negligent parochial expertise in the complex affairs of governing. Her state of Alaska has less than 700,000 residents, which reduces the job of governor to the scale of running one-tenth of New York City. By comparison, Rudy Giuliani is a towering international figure. Palin's pluck has been admired, and her forthrightness, but her real appeal goes deeper. 

More on Obama and the Palin Effect by Deepak Chopra

Here is the 'Spiritual Master', Eckhart Tolle and his thoughts about Meditation.  He is quite amusing in this video while his words have deep meaning.

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Technorati Tags: eckhart, tolle, meditation, past, present, future