The Purpose of the Moon

“Our movement is not intended to delegitimize Israel, as the Israeli government claims. It is, instead, a movement to delegitimize the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, which we believe is the last surviving apartheid system in the world. It is a movement that could free Palestinians from nearly 45 years of occupation and Israelis from being part of the last colonial-settler system of our time.”

-Mustafa Barghouti in this op-ed which appeared in the New York Times today

letters of support  for Mustafa’s article are welcome and needed!  

A fantastic write up about one of my favorite Boston ensembles!!!  

A few nights ago when my computer clock turned to 12:00 AM and the date to Feb 1, I found myself feeling miserable.  Overwhelmed and counting up my own personal failures from the past month, I went to bed defining the month of January as a wasted month, a lost month of my life, one when I could have done so much more than I did.  

The following day, as I casually updated my resume, it occurred to me that I actually had done a lot during the month of January…. apparently even enough to merit a resume update!  How is it possible that in spite of all this evidence to the contrary I still curled up into a ball the night before kicking myself because I hadn’t done more, accomplished more, achieved more, become the ideal version of myself in January?!!  How is it possible that in spite of all the positive things that happened I still trapped myself obsessing over the negatives?   - all the unmet challenges, mornings slept away, surfaces left uncleaned, music still unlearned, passages of solo Bach still out of tune, muscles left un-exercised, minutes wiled away, hours spent giving into the urge to watch continuous episodes of Downton Abbey…. and plenty of large life questions still unanswered.  

When I uncovered the surprising evidence that January had actually been highly productive, I admit I breathed a sigh of relief.  But I was intrigued by my own behavior and curious to imagine what this could mean.  

I realized this instance is just one more fragment of proof for something I’ve known for a long time - that one’s happiness is not directly proportional to or dependent on one’s success.  In those moments of depression, I could have chosen to look at the positive aspects of my life, but I didn’t.  I chose not to see them and instead to focus on all the things about my life and myself that made me unhappy.  It was not so much my life that was making me unhappy as it was my own inner unhappiness that was making me unhappy.  Happiness comes from within, and no amount of money, fame, security, dreams fulfilled, or even true loves found can ensure it’s presence or determine its increase or decrease.  There are enough miserable people who have everything in this world to be proof of that!  

I’m not saying that I’ve discovered the key to constant happiness, nor do I even think that should be a goal.  But just knowing that my happiness in the next month is not dependent on my success or failure somehow makes February seem less like a burden and more like an exciting possibility.  Instead of facing it with heavy demands and trepidations I can face it with newfound determination to be present in each moment, whether that moment be positive, negative, embarrassing, affirming, elating, or even heartbreaking.  And when February turns to March I don’t want to look back on the month and measure it by material success or failure.  I just want to know that I lived and experienced each moment for what it was.  And when that time comes if I feel I didn’t live each moment fully, then hopefully I’ll have March to try again!

Fritz Lang’s Metropolis (1927)

I was so pleased to find out today that two very interesting films related to Israel/Palestine are playing at the Sundance Festival in Park City, UT!  

Here is a brief glimpse inside Five Broken Cameras a documentary by Emad Burnat, an activist and resident of Bil’in (one of the hubs for nonviolent protests in the West Bank).  Also read more about the film and Emad’s courageous journey through its making in a NY Times Article - Documentary From Palestinian’s Camera Competes at Sundance  I hope I have a chance to see this film one way or another! 

Also getting a lot of attention is The Law in These Parts by Ra’anan Alexandrowicz, whose Op-Doc (video) for the NY Times gives a provocative glimpse inside the film and introduces Ra’anan’s questions about the role of Israel’s Supreme Court and particularly how the court relates to the occupation - whether it has served to protect Palestinians from human rights abuses or to instead legitimize such abuses.  Very very interesting!  

I hope I have a chance to see both these films one way or another!

Please take a few moments to read this stunning and courageous essay by Tamara Masri, a friend-of-a-friend, a Palestinian American woman, a writer and activist, and a fellow Bostonian student (currently living in Ramallah).  Tamara’s voice is powerful and thoughtful, and I feel proud to be connected to her even in the smallest way! 

“Dare to look for the handprints, dare to acknowledge our humanity.”  

an interesting essay from the always thought-provoking On Being blog

This video was emailed to me by the Israeli organization New Profile.  This informative and concise, half-hour documentary focuses on the Jahalin Bedouin people living in the West Bank.  It’s so easy to be confused when sorting through all the politics, the maps, the resolutions, and the violence, but when West Bank life is seen through the eyes of the Bedouin people, the affects of the occupation on the inhabitants of the West Bank become crystal clear.  

Please take a few moments to watch a short video and read about a documentary project in progress called In The Image.  The documentary will focus on a group of Palestinian women in the West Bank who are working with the Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem.  Through B’Tselem’s Camera Project, Palestinian women are taught how to use video cameras to document their lives and especially any human rights abuses they witness around them.  In the short video you get small a glimpse into the daily lives of women in the West Bank and also the ways in which video can be a powerful and effective tool for social justice.  Both the Camera Project and this documentary seem very worthwhile and especially empowering for women.  I hope to see the film once it is complete!

For any and all who are interested Interfaith Peace Builders is accepting scholarship applications for delegations to Israel/Palestine this summer!  Check out the link for more info!  I traveled with IFPB on a delegation last summer & it was an experience I will never forget!  They are a fantastic organization, and will take you to places that will challenge you and open your eyes and introduce you to some courageous people working for peace on both sides of the wall.  Meanwhile, you will be in the good hands of experienced leaders (including Anna Baltzer!) and will develop a very close bond with your traveling peers of all ages and backgrounds.  Only 2 days left to apply!