Re: it happened Hannukah - "esoteric" differences from Barbara Meagher on 2003-12-20 (The Czernowitz-L Archive)

From: Barbara Meagher <bmeagher_at_rogers.com>
Date: Sat, 20 Dec 2003 12:36:49 -0500
To: "Michelle Frager" <lulu_brooks_at_yahoo.com>, <SKATZ_at_ebglaw.com>, <Czernowitz-L_at_cornell.edu>, <lucca99_at_netvision.net.il>
Reply-To: bmeagher_at_rogers.com

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Michelle,
I appreciate greatly your interpretation of the words,
and the historical origins of such feelings and emotions evoked. I truly do hear
that which you have said. And equally importantly, I thank you for the time
andconcern that you have expressed in attempting to neutralize Mr. Katz'
words.
Mr. Katz did, in fact ,respond to my query, privately
and personally, and I alsoacknowledge his words and explanation. I
will not comment further on this because he chose to respond off
list.

I am sadly reminded of :
the ruling governments gave no
help, even hindered, even mandated that Jews help Jews in place of what the
government or charity would normally do for them were they
Christians.

But I must reiterate that which I have said directly to
Mr. Katz and this is, that there have always been those of us who would do
for another...........no matter her colour, her race, her religion........ We
can be found everywhere. And, of course, there are those that balance the scale
on the other side. There is compassion and not, in all. Jews have not been alone
in their isolation, sorrow, treatment and poverty. Not only have other groups
been so treated , but there are those of us who have cried with , and later
rallied with Jews.

When I made my original comment:
<Could very well have been a Christmas
story........
I was infact saying ""Jewish story, Christian story, it
could have been anyone's story,"" and is not that in itself
wonderful.....we all have the same feelings, the same compassion for another,
are we not all human beings, just coloured to different degrees with spices and
icings just slightly different? Some sweeter than others, some sprinkled
with harder toppings?

I do not wish to appear argumentative,and it is not my
intention to inflame this issue, especially now, in what is everyman's
season. I would like to be able to express my continued hope that life will
bring out, and continue to bring out the very best in all people.......kindness,
hope, love.....and the desperate desire to love strangers as we do those
who are dear to us.

""I will write peace on your wings and you will
fly all over the world.........Sadako Saski""
Surely I am not alone.

BBBB, 

----------------------------------------------------------
Barbara ZYHA
KUCZMYK
Meagher<?xml:namespace prefix = o
ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
bmeagher_at_rogers.com<o:p></o:p>
Toronto,
Ontario, CANADA<o:p></o:p>
with
roots in <o:p></o:p>
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OBERTYN,GALICI


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 <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----
 <DIV
 style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black">From:
 <A title=lulu_brooks_at_yahoo.com href="mailto:lulu_brooks_at_yahoo.com">Michelle
 Frager</A>
 <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">To: <A title=bmeagher_at_rogers.com
 href="mailto:bmeagher_at_rogers.com">bmeagher_at_rogers.com</A> ; <A
 title=SKATZ_at_ebglaw.com href="mailto:SKATZ_at_ebglaw.com">SKATZ_at_ebglaw.com</A> ;
 <A title=Czernowitz-L_at_cornell.edu
 href="mailto:Czernowitz-L_at_cornell.edu">Czernowitz-L_at_cornell.edu</A> ; <A
 title=lucca99_at_netvision.net.il
 href="mailto:lucca99_at_netvision.net.il">lucca99_at_netvision.net.il</A>
 <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">Sent: Friday, December 19, 2003 9:42
 PM
 <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">Subject: Re: it happened Hannukah -
 "esoteric" differences
 Dear Barbara Meagher:If I may, it seems to me Mr.
 Katz's response might be based on theolder generation's tradition, of
 hospitality we today would considerextreme if not dangerous. My
 father, born Podolia before WW I, could never understand why wewouldn't
 spontaneously entertain strangers in the house. Why wethought him crazy to
 ask guests to stay the night when there was nota spare bedroom for
 them.Issues of privacy, planning, identity checks (!) -- these
 meantnothing to the old, foreign-raised generation. They grew up in
 aplace where so many had so little; the ruling governments gave
 nohelp, even hindered, even mandated that Jews help Jews in place
 ofwhat the government or charity would normally do for them were
 theyChristians.Ultimately, that became normal communal Jewish
 behaviour. There wasnothing special to our ancestors, for instance, about
 sending theirchildren to a poor family on Sabbath eve with fresh-baked
 bread for adinner the poor could not provide themselves. Mind you,
 when I say "normal" I mean: beautiful, generous, and tothose of deep
 faith, sainted - behaviour. And Lucca's father was aliving example of this
 tradition. It was, for Jews of thosegenerations, a behaviour hard-won from
 persecution and backed byscripture, and people of self-respect would
 automatically pursue it.That is why, I would guess, Mr. Katz found it
 inappropriate to viewthe incident as a miraculous, unusual, intervention,
 parallelingsomething like a Christian holiday's meaning. I hope
 this has made sense - it's hard with a holiday-press headacheto address
 such rarified and emotional issues. And I hope Mr. Katz isnot offended by
 my own interpretation of the difference of opinion.With best holiday
 wishes to all, I am,Sincerely,Michelle Frager
 (Treiger)--- Barbara Meagher <<A
 href="mailto:bmeagher_at_rogers.com">bmeagher_at_rogers.com</A> wrote:
 --- If I have offended you, it was certainly not my intention. I
 am not quite sure of the esoteric meaning of your words;kindly
 explain. Barbara ZYHA KUCZMYK Meagher <A
 href="mailto:bmeagher_at_rogers.com">bmeagher_at_rogers.com</A>
 Toronto, Ontario, CANADA with roots in LUCAVITA,BUKOVINA
 OBERTYN,GALICIA --- Original Message
 -------- From: Shlomo Katz To: <A
 href="mailto:Czernowitz-L_at_cornell.edu">Czernowitz-L_at_cornell.edu</A> ; <A
 href="mailto:lucca99_at_netvision.net.il">lucca99_at_netvision.net.il</A> ;
 <A href="mailto:bmeagher_at_rogers.com">bmeagher_at_rogers.com</A>
 Sent: Friday, December 19, 2003 9:44
 AM Subject: Re: it happened Hannukah
 Traditional Jewish kindness and hospitality is NOT a
 Christmas story. How sad!?
 "Barbara Meagher" <<A
 href="mailto:bmeagher_at_rogers.com">bmeagher_at_rogers.com</A> 12/19/03 08:59AM
 What a lovely and heartwarming
 story..............a wonderful and very fitting tribute to your
 father, and to you also for recalling and retelling it. Could very
 well have been a Christmas story..................<G
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Received on 2003-12-20 19:59:46