An 84-year-old woman was murdered today by a terrorist.  He must have been really desperate to find a victim if all he found was a helpless old lady.  But it seems these are the new laws in the world.  Citizens of Nablus attacked Palestinian police and a son killed his mother in the country today.  It’s becoming like Yeats described Ireland in 1919 “

Now days are dragon-ridden, the nightmare
Rides upon sleep:  a drunken soldiery
Can leave the mother, murdered at her door,
To crawl in her own blood, and go scot-free;
The night can sweat with terror as before
We pieced our thoughts into philosophy,
And planned to bring the world under a rule,
Who are but weasels fighting in a hole.

We are so in need of the cleansing of a new year.  

And to begin the year with the most foolish of things, we have chosen to travel across the world to Japan.  Via Dubai.  

I would have backed out many times, but for the shame of deserting my friends who are traveling with us.  I would so prefer to go on our own, lazily wandering in and out of local culture.  And we’re going with a group where the rigid rules of sticking together will protect us and divide us to the point of madness.  

At a time when we should just be staying home, getting over our fourth vaccine in peace, building a sukkah in a well-lighted, well-guarded place, and expressing our gratitude at having a homeland….