May 24, 2013 | 10:34 am

Jeremiah Fellowship: Human Kinship and Social Justice

Posted by Lia Mandelbaum

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On May 22, I had a graduation ceremony at Beth Chayim Chadashim, to honor the completion of my nine month fellowship in the 2012-2013 Los Angeles Cohort of the Jeremiah Fellowship with Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice. 

I wanted to share with you the speech I had given, about my invaluable experience as a Jeremiah Fellow.  Through the fellowship, I was blessed with opportunities to work collaboratively across lines of race and faith with people and communities throughout the United States to create economic opportunity and secure basic rights.  I also gained the tools to engage in and help lead local community organizing campaigns, and take part in community service and advocacy.  If you're interested, please click {HERE} to check out the Bend the Arc website for information on applying to the fellowship.

My speech talks about how the best part of the entire experience was that I got to walk alongside these individuals:

Leader of the pack:  Lee Winkelman

Jeremiah Fellows: Allyson Schwartz, Laura Mizes, Gamal Palmer, Natalie Karic, Kimberly Duenas, Nathan Looney, Negin Yamini, Jillian Ezra, Ethan Weiss, Ryan Brooks, Farrah Azizi, Jason Lipeles, Hannah Bernstein.

                          

               Retreat at very beggining of the fellowship held at Brandeis-Bardin 

My fellow Jeremiah's ~ This is only the beginning. 

My Speech

At our very first Jeremiah meeting at the Westside JCC, as a way to get to know one another better, Lee asked each of us to write down two people that we see as role models.  When I shared about my two hero’s, Bayard Rustin, and Raoul Wallenberg, I recognized that I was getting a bit worked up, and I became very embarrassed and could feel my face turning red.   After I shared, I sunk back into my seat, and began to feel vulnerable and exposed to these unfamiliar faces.  I didn’t want them to know how much I truly cared.   

I had a really wonderful moment on my way home that night, where I was able to recognize and take comfort in knowing that the fellowship could potentially be the perfect space, where I could be open with likeminded individuals, about my intense passion for social justice.  I felt that this could be an opportunity to expose and own different parts of myself, and ultimately help me to be a more whole individual. 
 
I have had the opportunity to work closely with Jeremiah’s on our action project through Bend the Arcs major campaign to fight for domestic worker rights.  It has been a wonderful way to step back and get to know them better as activists.  Since I began the campaign, I’ve been thinking much more about the concept of home, and how it’s so important to create a sacred space where someone can feel safe, seen, respected and heard.  One of the fellows talked the other night at our retreat at Brandeis Bardin, about how his involvement in the fellowship has brought him a sense of home.   From what I gathered the other day at the retreat, I believe that we all on some level have felt that the Jeremiah fellowship has created a space that feels like home.  

While at the retreat, one of the activities was for the group to spend 2 minutes sharing their appreciation to each individual fellow.   What I heard being expressed by the fellows was “I see you.  I value you.  I believe in you.  I respect you.  And I love you.”  It is a vulnerable and powerful experience to let someone know that you see and care about them, as well as for those who are the ones receiving the affirmations.  It was wonderful to see how the fellows got tremendous joy out of being able to share their gratitude for one another. 

Just yesterday, I was at softball practice and thinking about this speech.  The weather was gloomy and cloudy, but when I looked directly above me I saw a big crack in clouds, that was in the form of a perfect circle of open space, and with the sun directly in the center and beaming bright.   I noticed something about the opening into the heavens that I had never seen before.  Along the border where the edges of the clouds met the open sky, was a rainbow wrapping itself around the union, and into a perfect ring around the sun. 

It made me think of one of my favorite quotes… author unknown

As your walls tumble down, they crack into a smile, and the illumination of self shines through.

Although what I’m sharing with you is about some very unique and lovely human bonding, it’s also a critical issue, because it is this sort human connection that our society suffers a lack of, and desperately needs.  As we have witnessed through the fellowship, such as our meeting with the kids at the Juvenile detention center, a lot of the violent acts and suffering in this world come from deep deep feelings of loneliness and sadness, and the inability to cope with their suffering in a healthy way.  So much of the world is yearning to be seen and loved, rather then locked up with the keys thrown away.

While at our retreat, during the Havdallah service, as we were putting out the flame to the braided candle in the Kiddush cup, a fellow talked about how the act was symbolic towards her desire to continue to snuff out her ways of looking at the world as a dichotomy, where people are just either good or bad, right or wrong.  To me, she learned one of the most powerful lessons to take away from the fellowship. 

If there is one thing I hope that the Jeremiahs take away from this experience, it is the commitment and bravery needed to keep your eyes, minds and hearts open.   You must strive to have the capacity to be able to live in the grey. 

It has been such a gift, to get to grow with you all. 

                     

Thank you Bend the Arc!

If you would like to watch the graduation video, click {HERE}

If you have any interest in becoming a Jeremiah Fellow:
Please visit http://bendthearc.us/jeremiah-fellowship

May 14, 2013 | 9:25 am

Go Down Moses: Finding Kinship between the Jewish and African Slave Experience

Posted by Lia Mandelbaum

For my very last academic course before I graduate from Cal State Los Angeles, I decided to take a class on the history of African American music. So far, we have covered various types of genres of music such as gospel, blues, jazz, rock and roll and ragtime. I’ve learned about a range of incredible African American musicians, such as Bessie Smith, Paul Robeson, Mahalia Jackson, Blind Willie Johnson, Jelly Roll Morton, Ma Rainey and Scott Joplin. It has been a great course, which continues to remind me about the power of music, and its profound impact on society and the soul.

It hit me…

Last night while studying for my midterm, I read a question that led me to come across an African American Negro Spiritual called “Go Down Moses.” The song was originally published by the Fisk Jubilee singers in 1872, who were an African-American a cappella ensemble, consisting of students at Fisk University. The first version of the song I had listened to was recorded in New York City on February 7, 1958, by the founding father of jazz, Louis Armstrong, and along with Sy Oliver's Orchestra. The second version I listened to was by Paul Robeson, a famous African American civil rights activist, actor, athlete and musician. Right as Louis Armstrong started to sing, it hit me, that this was the same “Go Down Moses” that I have always sang at every Passover seder I’ve ever been to. It is my absolute favorite song to sing during Pesach. I believe it is one of the most popular of the Pesach songs that are sung at Seders around the United States.

First part to “Go Down Moses”

When Israel was in Egypt's land: Let my people go,
Oppress'd so hard they could not stand, Let my People go.
Go down, Moses,
Way down in Egypt's land,
Tell old Pharaoh,
Let my people go.

Significance and parallels

“Go Down Moses” was a popular slave song, which became the anthem of the anti-slavery movement. It was sung throughout the South by slaves while they worked, and during their occasional times of rest and prayer. The song is also said to have been sung by abolitionists to signal escape or rebellion.

    

This song began the kinship between the Jewish slavery Experience and the African Slave experience, as this song was written communally and sung by slaves in the South who felt a kinship between their plight and that of the Jewish Slaves in Egypt.

In the song, "Israel" represents the African-American slaves while "Egypt" and "Pharaoh" represent the slave master. In the context of American slavery, this ancient sense of "down" converged with the concept of "down the river" (the Mississippi), where slaves' conditions were notoriously worse, a situation which left the idiom "sell [someone] down the river.”

"I've learned that my people are not the only ones oppressed... I have sung my songs all over the world and everywhere found that some common bond makes the people of all lands take to Negro songs as their own." - Paul Robeson, The Whole World In His Hands

Black Moses

The passage towards freedom that led the Israelites into the land of Israel, has been associated to the Underground Railroad, which was a network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada.

    

Escaped slave Harriet Tubman, was the “conductor” of the Underground Railroad. She was also known as “Black Moses,” and often used the spiritual “Go Down Moses,” to convey directions in code as she returned repeatedly to the South to set captives free. Like many people know, Harriet Tubman was an African-American abolitionist, humanitarian, and Union spy during the American Civil War. Tubman escaped and subsequently made more than nineteen missions to rescue more than 300 slaves.

Music is my saving grace

Like how Moses and Harriet Tubman were a powerful force in helping slaves move through their passage towards freedom, music has always been an incredibly powerful force in helping me to move along in my own personal journey towards internal freedom.

In future seders…

As I read about the history of the song, I began to wonder why the origins of the song have never been mentioned at any of the different Seders I’ve ever participated in. For now on, when we sing Go Down Moses at Passover, I’m going to make sure to mention its rich history, symbolism, and the parallels between the Jewish and African Slave experience.

As a Jew, writer, community organizer, social activist, and someone filled with curiosity, I think that it’s important to find connections and create bridges between different communities.  This curiosity provides an opportunity to open our hearts and minds, and discover our own inner peace.  We get the chance to explore and celebrate our common ground, along with that which makes us different and unique.  One of societies biggest hurdles to establishing this important bridge building, is the attitude of indifference towards finding connection outside of what you're used to.      

Mothers day

Although I unfortunately did not get the chance to be with my mom, I still had a wonderful mother’s day experience. For my history class, I was assigned the opportunity to go and hear music at a gospel church, and write about my time there. I went to Grace United Methodist Church in Los Angeles, and it was an incredibly beautiful service, where generations of mothers were honored and celebrated. We sang and praised all the mothers in their sacred space.  It was clear to me how the power of singing gospel music can uplift you, and help you to keep putting one foot in front of the next; maybe even get you to dance, and ultimately set you free.

"You're never alone if you’re blanketed by music. It slowly leaks into every nook and cranny, and protects you from the loneliness of silence." - My mother, Erica Mandelbaum

 

Click links to hear music

Go Down Moses, by Louis Armstrong

Go Down Moses, by Paul Robeson

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May 2, 2013 | 2:52 pm

AB 241: Human Dignity MUST Start at the Front Doorstep

Posted by Lia Mandelbaum

I have had the wonderful opportunity of being a Jeremiah Fellow with Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice.  A major driving force of the organization is the mission to do Tikkun Olam, which is a Hebrew phrase that means "repairing the world."  I am proud of how Judaism places such great importance in being proactive in fighting for social justice.

AB 241

One of Bend the Arc’s major campaigns is their involvement in the fight to pass AB 241, which is a bill that would declare the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to provide labor protection for domestic work employees.  Existing law generally provides employees with protection regarding wages, hours and working conditions.  Domestic workers have historically been exempted from laws governing the rights afforded to other workers.  Domestic workers are among the most isolated and vulnerable workforce in the state. The unique nature of their work requires protections to prevent abuse and mistreatment from occurring behind closed doors, out of the public eye.  The current version of the bill provides six basic rights for domestic workers: overtime, meal and rest breaks, three paid sick days, workers’ compensation, the right to use kitchens to prepare their own food, and the right to have some time to sleep.    

Rally and press conference on AB 241 held in front of Gov. Jerry Brown's office in Downtown, LA.

Back in the day Jews were the leaders in the labor movement

During my last Domestic Workers Campaign Training that Bend the Arc held, I came to learn of how American Jews had stood at the forefront of labor rights reform for decades, beginning in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when Jewish garment workers organized themselves into unions, and Jewish labor activists like Samuel Gompers called for higher wages and safer working conditions for all.  I did further research and saw how some of the earliest labor activists can be found in the Talmud.  In regards to abuse and neglest, Deuteronomy 24:14 says:  "You shall not oppress a hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of your people, or of the strangers that are in your land within your gates."  Another example of workers rights can be found in regard to not delaying the payment of wages.  First mentioned in Leviticus 19:13, the Torah states: "…the wages of a hired servant shall not abide with you all night into the morning."  Minus the use of the word sevant, I loved reading these passages from the Talmud.

How domestic workers have personally impacted me

On top of this campaign being important to me because of my Jewish values, it is also important to me because of how domestic workers have impacted my family.  About three years ago, right before my grandfather passed away in 2010, symptoms of dementia appeared and he started to go down hill.  In the last year of his life, my grandfather was a completely different person.  He went from being a gentlemen’s gentlemen, to being aggressive, unpredictable and without a filter.  He had always been known as a brilliant man with a tremendous amount of dignity and integrity.  He founded the oldest architectural firm in Tampa, FL, and designed the very synagogue and schools that I grew up in.   When my grandpa changed, people became nervous to be around him, and understandably so.  My grandmother became very overwhelmed and decided to hire a woman, Sandra, to help as a caretaker with my grandfather.  Even though Sandra did not know my grandfather when he was healthy, she was still able to see past his behavior, and that at his essence he was a kind and gentle man.  When she told me this, it meant the world to me that she could still see this in him.  She was also able to firmly tell my grandfather that his behavior was not okay, and did it in a way that was without fear, judgment and a demeaning tone.  Although my grandfather had dementia, he could always pick up when someone was talking down to him.  I saw how it would frustrate Sandra at times, when she would witness someone being condescending to my grandfather.  She ended up being a major source of strength amongst the family, and helped us to keep it together as we struggled with our emotions surrounding him.

Unsung heroes

My story is only one amongst many, in which the domestic worker was a major source of strength, and the voice of reason for the family they worked for.  I have come to learn how this is often the case with other workers, however the blessing of their presence is usually not acknowledged.  What I hope to see happen with domestic workers is that like my grandfather, they too have their humanity more seen and respected by society.

'What does it mean to me to have a sacred space??

Since getting involved in domestic worker rights, I have been thinking more about what it means to me to have my home be a sacred space.  With my mezuzah nailed to the front door post, I want people to enter my home as a space of respect, and an open heart and mind.  I cannot help but feel that if any human being is demoralized and dehumanized under my roof, that it is no longer a sacred space.  If I am to adhere to the idea that all human beings are created in the image of God, I believe that we are disrespecting God when domestic workers are not treated with dignity. 

Human dignity must start at the doorstep.

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April 16, 2013 | 2:10 pm

Marriage Inequality: A Struggle that is Nothing New

Posted by Lia Mandelbaum

While researching information that pertains to the issues around gay marriage, I got a much better insight in to how the battle against marriage inequality is nothing new.  It seems to me that the present struggle over gay marriage rights is just another form of the same fight that has been going on globally for centuries.  While the circumstances of each fight may be different, there are common themes.  Some of the universal topics of debate have been:  whom it is okay to love; what kind of marriage is worthy of being recognized in the eyes of God; and whether being inclusive harms the well being of society.  People getting shunned by family members, friends and entire communities, for their choices surrounding a romantic partnership is nothing new.  Getting disenfranchised by society is nothing new.  Violence towards the populations going against the grain is nothing new. 

Nazi Germany

Anti-miscegenation during War War II in Nazi Germany was another part of their well-oiled and elaborate systems of brutality.  Miscegenation is the mixing of different racial groups through marriage, cohabitation, sexual relations, and procreation.  In September of 1935, the National Socialist government enacted an anti-miscegenation law as a part of the Nuremberg Laws, and the Protection of German Blood and German Honor Act was put into play.   The intention of the act was to forbid marriage and extramarital sexual relations between people regarded as non-Aryan and Aryan (persons of “German or related blood).  The term coined by the nation for extramarital intercourse was marked as Rassenchande (lit. race-disgrace) and could be punished by imprisonment – later usually followed by the deportation to a concentration camp, often entailing the inmate's death.  Many children born out of these “interracial” marriages were classified as Mischling (half-cast), and were sent to orphanages after their parents were arrested and sent to concentration camps.  These children were often forced to do hard labor work.  There had been cases where entire orphanages were gathered by the Nazis, and sent as a group to the concentration camps.   

Loving vs. Virginia

In 1958, a black woman named Mildred Jeter Loving, and a white man named Richard Loving, had left Virginia to exchange wedding vows in Washington D.C.  The couple was arrested in the middle of the night for violating the state’s law against interracial marriage, and was sentenced to a year in jail, but the sentencing was suspended as long the couple left the state and did not return together for 25 years.  Loving v. Virginia was a landmark civil rights decision of the United States Supreme Court, which struck down anti-miscegenation laws in Virginia and 15 other states.  A few states made it clear that they weren’t ready to let go of their discrimination by leaving the unenforceable laws on the books.  South Carolina did not remove its prohibitive clause until 1998, and Alabama held on to its ban until 2000.

Throughout the globe

Throughout the generations, anti-miscegenation laws have been practiced around the globe.   South Africa under apartheid had the Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act; Egyptian law sees the marriage between an Egyptian man and an Israeli woman as an act of spying, and all marriages are reviewed to see whether to strip the men of their Egyptian citizenship; women in Saudi Arabia are prohibited from marrying men from outside the GCC countries; In France, under the King Louis XVI, as their black population increased, the Order of the Council of State of 5 April 1778, forbade "whites of either sex to contract marriage with blacks, mulattos or other people of color" in the Kingdom; In 836 AD, China had decree forbidding Chinese to have relations with other peoples such as Iranians, Arabs, Indians, Malays, Sumatrans, and so on.

Can we stop the pattern?

It is clear to me that the themes of oppression and dehumanization are weaved throughout all of the examples I have listed.  In a perfect world, one would hope that our society as a collective would rise above this pattern, yet it continues to exist and morph into its different circumstances.  Also in a perfect world, one would hope that someone who has been oppressed would stand up for the rights of another individual.  I often hear people talk about how being gay is not made in the image of God, and that gay marriage will destroy the sanctity of marriage.  I can't help but think to myself about how I wish they would recognize that there have been similiar arguments and harsh judgments made against their own minority group at one point.   

I don’t see this as a black and white issue, or a gay or straight issue.  This is a human rights issue and we all deserve to have a chance to live free of the bonds of oppression.   I see it as a call to action and an opportunity to increase the freedom and rights of another.

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March 25, 2013 | 7:15 am

Every Day is a Beautiful Sunrise

Posted by Lia Mandelbaum

I believe I have the most beautiful mother in the entire universe.  Granted I’m biased, but the truth is that she is nothing short of being a beautiful soul in every way possible. 

At this moment, I am sitting in a waiting room at Tampa General hospital while my mom is in surgery getting one of the batteries replaced to her brain pacemaker.  At the age of thirty-nine, she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, which is a progressive neurological disorder.  The disease gained national attention when the former boxer Muhammad Ali and actor Michael J. Fox went public with their illness.  About eight years ago, her disease had progressed to the point where she qualified to receive Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS).  DBS is a surgical treatment used to reduce the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, as well as other medical conditions such as major depression, chronic pain and various other movement disorders.   The DBS hardware sends electrical impulses to specific parts of the brain.

 

 

 

She had her first surgery in 2003 for the left side of her brain, and the second surgery a few years later when the disease had progressed to the right side.  The surgery lasts seven hours, and takes an entire team of doctors and nurses.  They used incredible technology to listen to her brain waves, and targeted the areas of the brain afflicted by the Parkinson’s.  I’ll never forget how during the second surgery, I received a phone call from her while on the operating table, and with her brain exposed.  She wanted to let me know that she was doing well and loves me, and to make sure that we have popsicles in the fridge for when she gets home (her favorite post-surgery treat).

The impact of DBS has been miraculous for my mom, and has given her a second chance at life.  I am beyond grateful for Medtronic, which is the company that produces various kinds of biotechnology, such as her DBS hardware.  When she turns the device off, it is within seconds that her symptoms come back full force, and she is completely debilitated by severe tremors.  When she turns it back on, it is incredible how she can just throw on her shoes and go running around the block.  She jokes about being a bionic woman.

My mom is a graceful advocate and role model for the Parkinson’s community.  Only two months following the first surgery, she ran in the 15K Gasparilla Distance Classic, which totals 9.3 miles.  With her hands held high, she exuded tremendous joy as she crossed the finish line of her unlikely victory.  One of her greatest passions had been competitive running, and her deep desire to run again was a major motivator to fight the disease.  Her other motivators were her family, and the ability to wear high heels again (self-proclaimed shoe addict).  A reporter heard about her story, and an article was written that made the front page (above the fold) of the Tampa Tribune.  People with Parkinson’s from all over Florida contacted my mom, thanking her for giving them hope.  My mom has taken lead roles in the production of major fundraising events for Parkinson’s research.  She managed to bring keynote speakers on board such as Rasheeda Ali-Walsh, who is one of Muhammad Ali’s daughters, the American political commentator and journalist Morton M. Kondracke, and the former Los Angeles Times editor and reporter Joel Havemann. Just last year, she walked down the isle to receive her Masters diploma in marketing from the University of South Florida College of Business. 

 

 

While my mom is a rock star and hero, I know that there are times when she is just trying to get through the day.  She constantly has to adjust to the various challenges of the progressive illness, such as loosing the strength to speak and swallow.

The other day she looked at me in awe and with a big smile, and said, “Do you know what a miracle it is that I’m standing here with you?”  My mom decides to look at the silver lining of her disease.  She believes that it has helped her to be a better person, and has provided wonderful experiences that she wouldn’t have had otherwise.  Over the years, I have witnessed how as my mom’s body cooperates less and less, her soul becomes more free and alive.  She has taught me how the body is ultimately a shell, and the soul is eternal. 

I have the most beautiful mother in the entire universe, who has touched and inspired all who know her.

 

Article from St. Pete Times covering my mom running in Gasparilla:

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/02/16/Citytimes/Outpacing_Parkinson_s.shtml

Article about her going back to school:

http://www.usforacle.com/walking-with-parkinson-s-1.2109032#.UVBqNaX3Ab0

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March 5, 2013 | 12:16 am

Divine spark: expressing the unique mission of your soul

Posted by Lia Mandelbaum

On February 23, I spent the day looking for a good Purim costume to wear to an event that evening.  My initial idea was pretty basic, which was to just wear different neon articles of clothing.  When I saw that my costume at the local thrift store was going to cost me $66, I put the majority of it back onto the rack.  It was time to go back to the drawing board.  I decided to expand on the theme of wearing a costume that exudes something bright.  I had printed a large image of an activated Tesla coil to wear on my t-shirt (See image of Tesla Coil).  Although I was starting to feel excited about my costume, something was still missing.  The answer hit me like a lighting bolt… I was going to identify myself as being a divine spark.

According to the ten principles of Judaism found on the website of the Ollendorff Center, “Judaism teaches us that all human beings are created in the divine image and therefore are linked to God by the Divine Spark within them.”  Although my costume was a bit eccentric and nerdy, I felt proud because I knew that the idea was born from the creativity of my own divine spark.  One of the kids at the celebration even told me I had the best costume that night, and kids know best…

MISSING THE MARK ON MAKING A MITZVAH
At the end of the party, the host mentioned to take a bag at the front door to give to someone homeless.  Each bag was filled with items such as food and toiletries. 

A couple of days went by and the bag was still sitting in my front seat.  One evening as I was walking to my car, I began to feel bad, and wondered if I would have been more aggressive to give it away if I didn’t live such a cushioned lifestyle and didn’t take food for granted.  The truth is that I had even forgotten about the bag. 

COMING TOGETHER AND CREATING A SPARK
As I approached my car and started to get in, I noticed a man digging in a garbage bin right next to my car.  It hit me that this was my opportunity.  I pulled the bag out of my car, and told him that there was something I wanted to give him.  One by one we went through the bag and pulled out all fifteen items.  His face lit up with pure joy over every single item (especially over the back scratcher).  He was so shocked by my kindness, and how I acknowledged his humanity.  

The street I live on is the second steepest street in LA County.  It is where firefighters go to do their physical exercise and train.  It’s no joke. Since the man now had some food to get by, he no longer needed to climb up my street going from garbage to garbage.  He was radiating with gratitude as we were parting, and then excitedly ran down towards the bottom of my street and disappeared.

“Judaism teaches us how to nurture the Divine Spark within us, elevating us in moral worth and dignity and linking us to The Divine.”  The moment that I had shared with the man absolutely nurtured my divine spark.  Our paths crossing felt very beshert (meant to be). 

THE PHYSICS OF DOING A MITZVAH 
A few days later, while walking alongside a major road, I all of the sudden felt a bolt of energy and began to run really fast.    These sprints are usually prompted by the sense of joy, awe and gratitude that I have for my life.  I feel connected to the universe, and to the moment.  As I effortlessly ran, I soared through the air.  I totally believe that my own divine spark inspires these moments.

I started walking again after a couple of blocks.  All of the sudden I had a hand tap my shoulder.  It was a young woman who had seen me drop my keys right as I had started to run, and had been chasing me down the block trying to return them.  I was wearing earphones and couldn’t hear her calling my name.  She was out of breath and had left her family behind.   I expressed a sense of gratitude and relief to the woman, which I imagined was similar to how the homeless man had felt towards me.  I was amazed by her kindness, and wondered if it was somehow inspired by the same kindness that I had shown to the man.  Is the energy you put out into the universe what you get back? 

EITHER/OR TO BOTH/AND
Nikola Tesla (1856 – 1943) was the scientist who has been referred to as the genius who ushered in the electric power age.  Tesla was known by many to be either an eastern mystic or a scientific visionary.  In my opinion, he was both.  I often find that science and spirituality go hand and hand. My experience with dressing up like a tesla coil and calling myself a divine spark, had instigated a current of synchronistic and interconnected events. 

WRAPPING UP
As I was sitting in the backyard finishing up the blog, the neighbors little dog ran up to my chair and tried to jump on me.  My hand got shocked when I touched his body to block him. The moment reminded me that even little barking dogs have a divine spark, and to not let myself get so annoyed with them.

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February 2, 2013 | 2:02 pm

Coming to the Table: A Community Dialogue about Inequality

Posted by Lia Mandelbaum

On January 25, CARE Multicultural Healing hosted an event called Coming to the Table: A community dialogue about inequality.  CARE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides holistic, affordable, multiculturally competent mental health education, training, and services.  At their event were two incredibly inspiring speakers, named Sharon Leslie Morgan and Thomas Norman DeWolf.  Sharon is a black woman from the Southside of Chicago, and Tom is a white man from rural Oregon.  They hold a common truth.  Both of their families had roles during the days when slavery was legal in this country, however they were impacted very differently.

Tom is the author of Inheriting the Trade: A Northern Family Confronts Its Legacy as the Largest Slave-Trading Dynasty in U.S. History (Beacon Press, 2008).  Before the thirteenth amendment was made to the United States Constitution and slavery became outlawed, Tom’s forefathers, the DeWolf family, were the largest slave-trading family in U.S. history, having transported around 10,000 slaves during the middle passage.  You can read on Tom’s website, about traveling with nine distant relatives on a life-altering journey through Rhode Island, Ghana, and Cuba to film the Emmy-nominated documentary Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North, in which he is featured.  Sharon Leslie Morgan is the founder of OurBlackAncestry.com, a website devoted to helping people appreciate and explore African American family history and culture.  For more than 25 years, Sharon has been researching her family history in Lowndes County, AL and Noxubee County, MS.  Professionally, Sharon is a marketing communications consultant. A pioneer in multicultural marketing, she is a founder of the National Black Public Relations Society; worked for a multitude of Fortune 100 companies; and spent many years living abroad in the Caribbean, Europe and Africa.  

   

Tom and Sharon wrote a book together called Gather at the Table: The Healing Journey of a Daughter of Slavery and a Son of the Slave Trade.  You can read on their website how over a three year period, the interracial pair traveled thousands of miles through twenty-seven states and overseas, building an improbable relationship.  Using genealogy as an undercurrent, they visited each other’s families, ancestral towns, court houses, sites of racial terror, cemeteries, plantations and antebellum mansions, seeking to come to terms with the history out of which racism evolved. In an article I found online by Catalyst: A Social Justice Forumn, Gather at the Table is informed by trauma healing, restorative justice, and peacebuilding skills the authors learned through their work at Eastern Mennonite University and its STAR (Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience) and Coming to the Table programs.  

     

After Tom and Sharon shared their stories, they opened the room up for a Q & A.  When they first opened the room up, people were shy to ask any questions.  After the first three questions were answered, you began to see many eager hands being raised.  I was one of the many unanswered hands that were raised.  I wanted to start off by giving gratitude to them for their work.  It is very clear to me that these individuals are role models, who are courageously walking on a path of truth.  They both strive to be free individuals…free from the bondage of self.  Sharon refuses to let her anger towards white people prevent her from having faith in humanity, and has come to find that there is hope for a truthful, loving and respectful world.   She refuses to let the injustices towards people of color, to close her up and stir hatred in heart.  I see this refusal to be a key reason in why Sharon is able to live as a free woman, even within the injustices of today’s society.  It is apparent that Tom’s life altering discovery about his family’s major role in the slave trade has been incredibly tough to face, but he believes in retribution and is doing what he can to make a positive mark on the world.  He is constantly exploring his own belief system, and is honest with himself about where any racist beliefs may still persist.  He is not letting the common impulse to protect ones ego, to stop him from looking truth in the face.  He even referred to himself as a racist at one point in the evening.  It is this process that helps him to be a free man.   They are both living examples of Gandhi’s quote “Be the change you want to see in the world.” 
 

"There is no greater agony then bearing an untold story."  ~ Maya Angelou

 

There are not enough discussions going on in this country that address the topics of racism, oppression and white privilege.  As someone who comes from "privilege," I have decided to truly look deeper into how racism pervades the nation, and is so embedded in the fabric of society.  Our society must be willing to hear personal stories and look deeper into these specific issues.  During the discussion part of the event, a participant shared her thoughts and frustration over frequently being categorized as “just an angry black woman,” rather then having people try to listen and understand where she is coming from.  Another black participant mentioned having realized how over the years, their impulse has been to make direct eye contact when someone who is white is speaking to them, but to look away when they are speaking to someone white.  What she described is something I frequently notice while on visits to my hometown of Tampa, Fl.  I have learned that slavery continues to have a horrible impact on the black community, and that it runs deep and must be understood.  There must be a discussion about how oppression is still present and has just changed shape over the years.  One of the major reasons why these conversations are not happening enough is because the participants must be open on some level, and may feel vulnerable. Tom and Sharon are two individuals who have learned how it is through walking through that fear of being vulnerable, that has helped them to gain a path of truth, healing and growth. 

As we have learned through the holocaust, when someone allows themselves to treat another human on such a horrific level, there is a total disconnect within that individual.  When a person can see and participate in such evilness, they are truly living blindly, and some incredibly tough inner work must be done.  There is some imagery I would like to share about the willingness to gain awareness... Imagine yourself standing alone in a pitch-dark room that you have not left in years.  All of the sudden a single match is given to you to help you see your surroundings.  When the match is lit, you become terrified as you see what has accumulated over the years.  You are shocked and scared.  The majority of the time, people quickly snuff out that match.  It takes a lot of courage to "see the ugly," and allow the flame to grow, so that you may transform your surroundings.  

Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, one of the leading Jewish theologians and Jewish philosophers of the 20th century, was very active within the civil rights movement.  You can find photos of him marching arm in arm with Martin Luther King Jr., during the civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, on March 21, 1965.  A famous quote of his is "When I marched in Selma, my legs were praying."  A powerful march does not always have to be a huge event.  Sometimes that prolific march towards racial healing is done through just the willingness to take the steps to walk through fear, and Gather at the Table.

       

- Order of appearence in above photo on left:  First row, from far left: John Lewis, an unidentified nun, Ralph Abernathy, Martin Luther King, Jr., Ralph Bunche, Abraham Joshua Heschel, Fred Shuttlesworth.

- Image above on right is Tom, Sharon, and the CARE Multicultural Healing team.

For more information about CARE, please click {HERE}

For more information about Gather at the Table, click {HERE}

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December 22, 2012 | 9:51 am

A Beshert Happening: Crossing Paths with the UMMA Community Clinic

Posted by Lia Mandelbaum

On December 8, I met my dear friends at John C. Fremont High School for the celebration of the brand new UMMA Community Clinic located on the school grounds.  The event included a memorial honoring the life of Dr. Steven Sadler, who was a prominent Beverly Hills anesthesiologist and pain management specialist.  He suddenly passed away on July 12, 2012, after being thrown from his horse during a practice session at the Santa Barbara Polo Club.  Although I did not know Dr. Sadler, I learned that “he lived a full life filled with love and was respected by all who knew him.”  He had been immensely invested in the success of the UMMA Clinic.  The University Muslim Medical Association (UMMA) Community Clinic, is the first Muslim American founded community-based health organization in the United States.  The Mission is to promote the well-being of the underserved by providing access to high quality healthcare for all regardless of ability to pay.  Inspired by Islam, the clinic serves people of all other cultural, economic and religious backgrounds. The Fremont Clinic and Wellness Center, includes a community garden being developed by the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust.  Fremont High is one of the most at-risk schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The vast majority of its students live in low-income households, with more than 60 percent of the community’s residents living well below the poverty level. UMMA’s new clinic will provide a broad range of primary and preventive health care services.  Access to their services will not be limited to the Fremont High School students and staff members, but to the community at large.

From the moment I arrived at Fremont High School, there was a woman who stood out to me amongst the crowd, not just because she had a strong presence, but also because of the way she was mourning.  I came to find out that she is Mrs. Hoori Sadler, who is the mother of the late Dr. Steven Sadler.  I found myself very drawn to Mrs. Sadler, partially because I was amazed at her ability to be immensely transparent and not hide her feelings of deep pain and mourning during one of her most vulnerable of moments.  As she was being embraced and was embracing others, she exuded strength and courage.  As CEO of the Sadler Medical Group, she has been the most successful discretionary fundraiser for the UMMA Clinic. In 2006, following her own experiences as both a cancer researcher and cancer survivor, she founded the Persian-American Cancer Institute (PACI).  In 2010 Mrs. Sadler received the Women in Action Award from the Israel Cancer Research Fund.  Mrs. Sadler articulated a great deal of conviction during the memorial service, as she conveyed her genuine care about the wellbeing and rights of the youth that the clinic will be catering to.  The kids are a part of a population that is very dehumanized by society, and viewed as inferior and not worthy of the same rights as “privileged” youth.  This population has touched my life, and was the initial reason why I chose to attend the event.  I find it unfortunate when I bare witness to people from prominent families that are involved in social causes because they are more invested in the recognition of their efforts rather then the mission.  When there is genuine conviction about a social cause, like I saw in Dr. Charles and Mrs. Hoori Sadler, it gives the mission heart and soul, and the wings to impact the world on a whole other level.  In so many ways, the conviction that Dr. and Mrs. Sadler have about the clinic help to keep their son’s legacy alive. 

Whenever I drive around my hometown of Tampa, Florida, it is very meaningful for me as I pass by all the projects that my grandfather designed as the architect of the various structures.  I imagine that it is also very meaningful for the Sadler’s when they see the clinic.  I began to think about how the architectural structure of the building is like an extension of Dr. Sadler’s physical body, and how the flow of students and community members within the halls of the clinic is symbolic of the blood that had flowed through the veins of Dr. Sadler.  During the memorial, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, whom is another incredibly strong and brilliant woman, pointed out the wonderful architecture of the clinic, and jokingly mentioned how the clinic was obviously not designed by LAUSD.  The architecture of the UMMA clinic is far from a cold and sterile building, and was obviously designed with soul, and the intention to carry out a mission of love, service, social justice and compassion.  The entire building was structured to be environmentally friendly, and is absolutely wonderful.  A lovely man, Murtaza Sanwari, who is the chairman of the board for the UMMA clinic, had given me a tour of the facility.  During the tour, Mrs. Sadler had approached me, and even though we had never met, she embraced me with an immensely open and warm hug.        

One of the things that Dr. Charles Sadler said during the memorial that stood out to me, was in reference to the impact that his son will continue to make in the world.  He talked about how when you drop a stone into a body of water, while you may not get the stone back, the stone remains present through its ripple affect on the surface of the water.  Not only will his son's work continue to impact the lives of others, he impacted me as well on a very profound level.  My grandmother Florence, whom I am very close with has recently become very ill.  I am presently interning at a mental health care agency that serves South Los Angeles, and as I drive on the 110 to get there, I am always reminded of her as I pass by the Florence Avenue exit.  As her health continues to decline, the exit had become a daunting and painful reminder.  As I drove on the 110 to the dedication of the UMMA clinic, I became anxious when I discovered that I had to get off at the Florence Avenue exit.  After my experience that day at Fremont High School, I now have a completely different experience when I see it.  One of my grandmother’s greatest passions in life was through being a school nurse, and so as I approached the clinic at the high school, I realized that I was exactly where I needed to be, and how perfect the timing was since I was just about to visit my hometown to see her for the first time since she became ill.  When I now pass the Florence Avenue exit, I am comforted by the synchronicity that happened that day at the clinic, and am reminded that if I am open to the hidden intelligence that pervades the universe, I can still have a relationship with my grandmother even when the day comes that she is no longer physically present in the world.  I have absolutely been impacted by the ripple effect of Dr. Sadler’s life that his father had so beautifully spoken about.

I wish flourishing and lasting success for the mission of the UMMA Community Clinic, and that Dr. Charles and Mrs. Hoori Sadler continue to feel connected to their son through the clinics success.   

The main clinic is located directly on Florence Avenue, at:
711 West Florence Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90044
For Appointments call: (323) 789-5610

The Fremont High School clinic is located at:
7676 South San Pedro Street
Los Angeles, CA 90003

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