| Thursday, June 5, 2003 |  |
| A Response To The Comments About Orthodox Jew Protest | 5 comments |
| 5 Jun 2003 @ 22:31 The article I posted about Orthodox Jews protesting the Israel Day celebration caused some passionate comments, here and on Bernard's Hodgepodgeblog. I wrote a lengthy comment and answered some questions Bernard asked of me on his blog. Here is a copy of what I wrote: I'm happy to answer the following questions you posed to me and will also give you some insight into my background, which is little known outside of anyone in my immediate family. I have recently delved deeply into my geneaology, much of which I already knew, and unearthed a plethora of documents and photographs about my fathers side of the family. I have many relatives that have lived in Israel since the beginning of it's statehood and before. My responses to you: You ask: "By the way I have three questions for you. It sounds like you might be implying that there should be a state of Palestine but no State of Israel--is that Right?" Not at all I don't believe in ownership of land on any land mass, nor dominion of one people over another. Patriarchy to me is an obsolete concept. You ask: Are you an Orthodox Jew?" No. I am "culturally" Jewish, raised in a non-religious household. We did not belong to a temple nor participate in one. I attended the Jewish Community Center and summer camps for several years in my youth. You ask: "Has your a majority of you family been exterminated...? I am of Polish and Ukrainian descent. Much of my family was killed either in WWI or II. Most of my fathers brothers and sisters I have never met. Four of ten children survived. Here is some of my paternal lineage, of which my father recently gave me a book in Hebrew and I found an English translation of it on the web, that has many of my family members in it and tells the story of the the town of Sopotkin, Poland. Sopotkin was a hub of the Zionist Youth movement, of which my father was a part from the age of 7. The town was also birth to many of the early pioneers, including some of my uncles, who went to Palestine around 1921. From the aforementioned book: "Sopotkin was a distinguished, par excellence Zionist town. No other non-Zionist movement found ground in that wonderful town. The first youth movements that blossomed in the Jewish streets of Poland did not leave out Sopotkin. The first youth movement was in the town by the name "Hashomer Trumpeldor" (the guard Trumpeldor). In the year 1926 the movement of the youth "Hashomer Trumpeldor" merged with the youth movement "Hashomer Hatsair" (the Young Guard). After the merger the movement "Hashomer Hatsair" became the main and central movement in town. This movement concentrated the best and most intelligent young people in Sopotkin. After a short period of time arose a religious youth movement "Hashomer Hdati" (Religious Guard) and later came to being "Brit Trumpeldor" (Beytar) - Zionists Revisionists. It seems that the young people did not live here permanently. Their life and stay in the town was on a temporary basis. They waited for the movement to be able to leave for the land of Israel. This was a wonderful youth which grew up on the face of surrounding nature and beauty. The young people in the town grew up on the bosom of the nature, breathed the fresh air of the mountains and forests and felt that they were a part of the fields and rivers. The young people were happy, strong in body and spirit." This was the town my father grew up in. The birthplace of the Beytar and many, including him, later became part of the Irgun in Palestine prior to and during the 1948 war there. He went to Palestine, sponsored by his older brothers, along with his father and sister, around 1931. They lived in Karkur. My father was in Palestine with Begin (spl?) and others who later became the politcal leaders of Israel. My father immigrated to the U.S. in 1951 when he met and married my mother, who lived in New York. That's another story. I have been interviewing him as of late to document his early history in Sopotkin and experiences in Palestine. He is one of the few surviving elders of that era. The article I posted on my soundingcircle.com blog about the Orthodox Jews who protested Israel Day was not a reflection of my own beliefs. To me, it was intriguing journalism and offered a diversity I had not seen before, thus I shared it. As you are now privy to, my personal history is very tied to Israel on my fathers side. On my mother's, most of her family immmigrated to the states from the Ukraine as early as the late 1800's. The rest were killed in the wars. I hope this lengthy post has enlightened you a bit about my heritage and my opinions. I am for peaceful co-existence. There is a lot of history about Israel that is rarely spoken of, i.e. the un-honored Balfour Declaration of 1917 wherein Lord Balfour of England promised to give the Eurpean Jews (as if it was his to give) a Holy Land to live in if they helped in WWI, the animosity that was purposely incited between the Arabs and Jews in Palestine by the British etc. It's a complex history that I don't claim to have scholarly knowledge about, however I do have first hand genomic memory that lived through it. Part of my life path is healing the wounds I have inherited from my father that have been left unresolved and unsken of in many instances. It IS a legacy that I cannot forget and that I must learn from. More > |
| Wednesday, April 16, 2003 | |
| HGTV Featured My Gourd Rattles | 1 comment |
 16 Apr 2003 @ 23:13You may know that I have a fascination with gourdcraft and their history. I have been gourdcrafting for a few years now. Check it out. Recently I was honored to be featured on HGTV (Home Garden Network) as part of the Carol Duvall Show. Here is a synopsis and... Last year the American Gourd Society did a print feature in their national newsletter. I am grateful for that communities enthusiasm and support. Here is a reprint of the article they did on my work.. CEREMONIAL GOURD RATTLES Inspired by research of ancient cultures throughout Europe and the Americas, these ceremonial gourd rattles are hand drawn, carved and woodburned with pottery images dating from 5000 - 1500 BC. It is my hope that I have captured the beauty and detail of the original. The rattles are custom crafted from organically grown canteen gourds, approximately 5-6 inches in diameter. The handles are fitted from branches of poplar, oak, rose, redwood or yucca. The feathers, some of which are color dyed, are pheasant and peacock. The leather is dyed cowhide. Inside, a combination of elements: rice, corn, beans, river stone, even crystal is used to give each rattle its' unique voice. I also include sage, sweetgrass and other elements to enhance the gourd. The average height of each rattle is 15 inches. Each Ceremonial Gourd Rattle is made to personal specifications. In this way you can choose the patterns, image and color combination that you desire. Using the information from your birth date, we also fill the gourd with a precise number of ingredients to enhance your experience. There are many styles and explorations in my approach to art, writing, music and sound, yet the core is always my experience of what I call Spirit or Source in my life. Nature has always been an inspiration to me and a great teacher. Thus, all of my artistic endeavors express the relationship I have with Her. I am located in Ojai, California. It is just south of Santa Barbara and inland from Ventura. I live 5 miles back in a secluded canyon with the Los Padres National Forest as my backyard. I live with my beautiful partner Letecia, who is the person that initially taught me to make gourd rattles and who has been filling in my knowledge base about Old European culture; the thematic designs on the rattles. We have a life dedicated to self-sustaining practices, which encompasses permaculture (we grow our own food, use well water, will soon have solar energy), and activism. I knew right away that I wanted to focus some attention on making gourd rattles and because I have a distaste for co-opting others traditions, I looked towards my own lineage (Polish and Ukrainian) and discovered a wealth of information on the culture, as expressed in their artwork, and Spiritual traditions. The patterns I use, come from all parts of Old Europe dating from 5000 -1500 B.C. and some older. These are pre-patriarchal cultures whose beliefs centered around the Goddess, meaning a focus on seasonal cycles, moon cycles, birth/death/regeneration cycles, life passages etc. (See my website www.goddessrattles.com for the sources of my information, particularly Marija Gimbutas.) Women were much more empowered to participate in leadership roles and as the author Riane Eisler states, they were cultures that were based on partnership rather than dominance models. So the ancient pottery designs I use on my rattles represent the symbolic language that reflects the values of the Neolithic cultures of Europe. Because this is my personal lineage, I feel particularly drawn to these images. Therefore, these rattles serve several functions, personal tools for ceremony, fine art and an educational resource about Old Europe. I was first attracted to canteen gourds because of the simplicity of their form, which lent themselves perfectly to the mandala type pottery patterns that I am working with. As I have begun to sprout and grow my own gourd patch, I am gaining a deeper appreciation of the Spirit of the plant as well. The rattles I am making cannot only be perceived as three dimensional art, but personal ceremonial or ritual tools as well. The patterns themselves are teachers and through delving deeper into their lineage, those of us with European genealogy, can come to know a more complete picture of our Old European his/herstory. I give special thanks to Letecia Layson for sharing her knowledge of gourd crafting and wisdom of the Goddess culture. Her support is and has been invaluable. I also owe a great debt to Marija Gimbutas for her breakthrough research and generosity in sharing her discoveries and conclusions." Other than the fact that Letecia introduced me to gourd craft, there are many factors that keep me exploring this medium; the variant textures and colors of each gourd, the longevity of gourds themselves (there have been Egyptian gourd vases found upwards to 10,000 years old, in perfect condition), the wonderful smell during the wood burning process and now the relationship I have with the plants themselves as the new seedlings begin to grow. The challenge now is to share the work as much as possible and have that aspect be a creative outlet as well. It's been exciting to see the international interest in this subject and my craft. My gourds have found homes in Canada, Germany and West Africa thus far. Letecia and I would like to have gallery showings and have them be classes about Old European Goddess culture. She is a scholar, researcher and facilitator for events and conferences on this subject matter. Raymond's love of music and lyric writing began in his early teens. At age, fifteen he had begun his recording endeavors leading to the culmination of several releases on his own independent label, Paradise Boutique Records. He completed his studies in voice and composition at California State University at Northridge. His love of world culture and music inspired him to create two global compilations for K-Tel Records and to include a myriad of ethnic instruments in his own compositions. He has developed a unique musical style with Native American Flute, voice, world percussion and technology. Raymond has produced many artists and composed for film, video, and television. Throughout the years, his endeavors have included a staff journalist position for Better World and Meditation magazine, business/life coach and consultant for entertainment companies such as A&M and Sonic Images, self-improvement workshop facilitator, and multimedia producer. He is also a gifted healer, studying and practicing modalities from the East, indigenous American culture, sound healing, bio-energetics, and spiritual counseling. His breakthrough approach in this field has led to interviews with GQ and Maxim magazines, as well as television, radio and Internet based media. More > |
| Monday, March 31, 2003 | |
| Our Permaculture Site | 1 comment |
 31 Mar 2003 @ 16:50The National Wildlife Federation provides a resource, E-Nature, free of charge, to share your wildlife backyard habitat. You can include your design plan, photo album and species list. It's a really fun on going project. Letecia and I began ours last year. We live in beautiful Ojai, California about 4.5 miles into the Los Padres National Forest. We, along with two housemates, have an organic garden, about 35 rare and common fruit trees, an invigorating creek, local hotsprings and an abundance of wildlife. Check out Our Little Paradise on E-Nature to learn more. More > |
| Monday, February 17, 2003 | |
| Introduction | 3 comments |
 17 Feb 2003 @ 17:10Well, here I am, after some poking and proding from Letecia Layson and Flemming Funch. I'm one of those people that says they don't have much to say, yet then goes on and shares tons of resources, stories, experiences etc. I have cultivated a skill of witnessing, listening, sitting in the silence until there is an impulse that stirs and moves me into action. Something that I have come to call Simple Brilliance and... the simplest systems sometimes have a unique and complex coalescence (I love that word). So here, I'll be posting my personal poetry /lyrics and music ,talk about sustainable/permaculture lifestyles,gourd crafting and the healing arts. I'll also probably be subjecting you to various musings, resources and social commentary that steadily streams across my desk. So here it goes...the red pill...IT is Real IT is Rael More > |