I would like to talk today about current events. I believe many of you because of AGM
know my biography, life experience and aware that I was born and lived many years in
Kiev before immigrating to Canada.
It pains me to watch what is going on. My morning starts with messaging and phone
calls to relatives (I still have a few in Kiev, Uman, Odessa) and good friends, who try to
hide during bombings, missile attacks. My heart goes to my relatives in Ukraine but as
well to extended family in Moscow, and my wife’s family in St. Petersburg. They will
suffer as well – no doubt about it – because of deeds of a maniac with nuclear button,
that psychopath who blackmails the world and now attacks Ukraine – the place I was
born, where graves of many, many of my relatives are. Among them many who perished
during Holocaust.
Hate in the Russian and Ukrainian societies fumed by Putin is reaching humongous
levels. It has spilled into cyberspace, and even on the streets in Canada, Vancouver
included. “Mastering hate” is a trademark, modus operandi of all dictators – they know
how to produce internal strife, find scapegoats / “enemy within”, and start repressions
and wars with an “outside enemies” after that.
We, the Jewish people, should not please any dictators – local or foreign. We should be
true to what we are – people who want Peace, Prosperity not only for Jewish people,
but for the whole World. Ending Slavery (a digital one in our lifetime) once and for all
should be our goal. But now I am very tired of what I see with my own eyes in Ukraine,
and I afraid that it could metastasize to a nuclear conflict in no time.
Torah sages predicted that at the end of times just before Messiah’s arrival nations will
be in turmoil. Ezekiel, other prophets talk about wars, Gog-Magog war being the last
and a brutal one. If we are indeed in these times and you know a good Rabbi around
with a direct line to Messiah – can you send a message to the latter to please harry-up?
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