“On Burning Ground: A Son’s Memoir” (St. Martin’s Press/Macmillan) is a true narrative of radical masquerade: the story of how at the height of World War II a fair-haired rabbinical student assumed the identities of a Catholic and, more strategically, of a Muslim, to survive racial genocide. In effect, it is a journey to the end of night capturing the visceral danger and spiraling suspense of a young man alone in the world, bereft of any structure of support, outwitting his destiny.

This is a tale of a wartime chameleon, a man of multiple masks, who survived by ingenuity, daring, and deft maneuver. In a desperate gamble at life, a parochial student at one of Poland’s pre-eminent rabbinical academies used his many false “selves”–especially his assumed Muslim identity, which gave him cover for his circumcision–to fake his way into the belly of the beast, the dreaded Waffen-SS, the inner core of the Nazi killing machine, in order to survive certain death.

A story of total and terrifying self-reinvention, it demonstrates the multiple arts of passing: psychological daring, sartorial strategy (he had to look the part) and linguistic mastery (he had to sound the part) to stay alive. By necessity, it touches upon such issues as existential choice and dread, moral anguish and ambiguity, as well as the ever-tormenting question of means and ends, questions to animate intense educational, psychological and ethical discussion. After the war, Joseph Skakun returned to Judaism in a fog of anguish in Paris and then in New York, where he lived amid a supernova of memory and penance. Michael Skakun become his witness as his father recounted his death-defying story to him. See (www.onburningground.com)

On Burning Ground – A Son’s Memoir

#onburningground #sonsmemoir #truestory #michaelskakun #catholic #muslim #genocide #danger #support #nazi #josephskakun #judaism #education #ethical #memory #witness #father

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All Faiths Seminary International

“Never Instead of, Always in Addition to”

I want to share this opportunity with you. I’ve offered talks and workshops for the seminary for years. The work is meaningful, especially during this difficult times.

Do you have a Calling? Be All You Can Be! Train to Become an Interfaith Minister

Offering:

Comparative Interfaith Ministers Program along with concentration tracks available in: A.C.I.M. and Judaism

Also Offering: a 2-year Masters of Divinity also with a concentration in: A.C.I.M. or Judaism

(Must be an ordained Minister to attend)

And Offering: a 2-year Doctorate of Divinity Program

Check Website For All Price Structures ~

Accepting Applicants for the Fall of 2021 ~ Live monthly class is on Zoom:

For Info Call: 212-866-3795 Infoallfaithsseminary.org@gmail.com;

www.allfaithsseminary.org

Rabbi Joseph Gelberman, Founder Rabbi Stuart Paris, President

#association #interfaith #minister #seminary #international #train #program #master #divinity #judaism #doctorate #applicant #fall #2021 #allfaithsseminary

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Brenda is a psychologist, and long term practitioner of Zen, Judaism and Theater. Her work focuses upon integrating Eastern and Western practice and principles and making them real in our everyday lives. An award winning author, speaker, playwright, and workshop leader she runs The New Moon Zendo, (for those of all faiths). She is also a long term practitioner of releasing.
Brenda provides ongoing podcasts. Zen Wisdom For Your Everyday Life, One Minute Mitzvahs, and Turning The Tide, (The Practice of Releasing). These podcasts share universal teachings for healing, uplifting and fulfilling in your life. They explore the heart of loving relationships and how to live with change. Brenda’s workshop Sacred Pychol

ogy (The Practice and Principles of Spiritual Counseling) explores this in depth.

Brenda’s most recent workshop is called Making Your Life Into A Zen Koan, (Acting Zen). In this lively, enjoyable workshop participants act out both the koans and problems in their lives. As they play all the different roles, they discover a brand new way of exploring both Zen teachings and personal difficulties. This workshop is based upon Brenda’s latest book, Zen Play, (Instructions on Becoming Fully Alive.) In keeping with this, she is about to offer online readings of both new and classic plays.

You can contact Brenda at top speaker at yahoo.com
Some of her websites are:
www.brendashoshanna.com, www.realspiritualcounseling.com, www.atimetocare.com, www.zenplaynow.com
Podcast Websites
www.zenwisdomtoday.com, www.yourbestself.com, www.theonetent.com
Other Websites
www.allmyplays.org, http://forcharacersonly.weebly.com
Some Books Include
Jewish Dharma (A Guide To The Practice of Judaism and Zen)
Zen Play (Instructions on Being Fully Alive)
Zen and the Art of Being In Love
Zen Miracles
The Anger Diet (30 Days to Stress Free Living)
Fearless

Time To Care (Being There For Others During Their Time of Need)

Looking forward to seeing you at noon,

Brenda

Speaker, author
347-9631839
https://www.brendashoshanna.com

https://zenwisdomtoday.com

https://allmyplays.org

https://www.bestselfbooks.com

#brenda #shoshanna #everyday #good #day #author #psychologist #practitioner #zen #judaism #theater #eastern #western #practices #award #winning #speaker #playwright #workshop #new #moon #zendo #spiritual #counsel #time #need #wisdom

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Buddhism became the first large-scale missionary movement in the history of world religion. Brought from India, it expanded with the establishment of monasteries along the Silk Road. These monasteries afforded merchants and travelers places to stay as they traversed from place to place. Other religions also spread along the trade route including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Manichaeism, and Zoroastrianism.

China’s search for a breed of large, strong horses – replacing their pony-like horses – capable of carrying armor-clad men into battle was instrumental in the formal establishment of the Silk Road during the Han Dynasty. The success of the trade routes led to the necessity of policing it to thwart the bandits who came to plunder the caravans of goods traversing it. This was partially overcome by building forts and defensive walls, including sections of the Great Wall, along part of the route. Settlements were established as well though mostly in the oasis areas. By the time of the Tang Dynasty, which was known for its internal stability, the use of the horse had expanded beyond the military to that of commerce, entertainment, and sport, including polo, which though referred to as the “emperor of games” and the “sport of kings,” was played not only by royalty but by officials and the upper classes, by men and women alike. After the Tang Dynasty, the traffic on the road subsided as neighboring states again plundered the caravans.

The demise of the Silk Road owes much, too, to the development of the silk route by sea. It was becoming easier and safer to transport goods by water rather than overland. Ships had become stronger and more reliable, and the route passed promising new markets in Southern Asia. Storage jars made in China and Vietnam such as the sampling here of 8 of the 570 found on the wreck of the San Diego, a Spanish galleon converted to a cargo ship, contained preserved food, grain, and fresh water.

Such was the Silk Road and such is Bismuth’s painting of its history and culture.

The head of the Bodhisattva with her beautiful expression and the remaining fragment of her sumptuously ornamented diadem was found in the ruins of Longxingsi, “The Temple of the Dragon Awakening,” in the Shandong province. It is from the Northern Qi dynasty (550 C.E. to 577 C.E.).

The horse is made of terracotta and is from the Tang Dynasty. It was during this dynasty that China reached its apex.

Thus, united herein in Henry Bismuth’s Silk Road are unique segments of its history. While each of the images represents the then, together the whole they create renders an assemblage linking centuries and cultures into the present tense. This is what Bismuth intends. This is his goal. . . to revitalize, to transform, to make us go beyond our conventional thinking, to explore, to see. . . to “link world’s neighborhoods.”

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