#BlogExodus: Free

The Apple store at Grand Central Terminal is perhaps as far as possible from Egypt -- both literally and figuratively.  And yet, it was there that I found quite a bit of freedom today, making the switch from a Dell Inspiron PC purchased in 2007 to a MacBook Air.

Don't get me wrong...I loved that Dell, which was my constant companion throughout an extended stint in graduate school.  It was the first computer to which I downloaded iTunes, the place where JanetheWriter Writes... was created, and the computer that kept me connected to the outside world as I recovered from numerous surgeries in recent years.  At the moment, it still holds all my Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents.  They can be transferred to the new computer only when I can leave both machines at the Apple store for up to 48 hours, which definitely is not something I want to do over the weekend.

In the meantime, I am now free from computer viruses, long tech support calls to Mumbai in the wee hours, and schlepping around an increasingly slow machine that likely weighs as much as a newborn child.  Instead, I'll be able to write in coffee shops easily, blog from wherever I happen to be, and FaceTime with my nephew, and my sister when she's traveling.  (In fact, she's currently in the Cornhusker State and we had a nice face-to-face chat tonight after dinner.)

I recognize, of course, that what I've described here are first-world freedoms and, in reality, none of us is free until all of us are free--free from want and hunger, free from abuse and violence, free from discrimination and bigotry, and free from pain, injustice, and more.

Would that the Apple store could sell us those freedoms, too, right alongside an AppleCare Protection Plan, helping to ensure that those who most need the freedoms many of take so for granted have some assurance of receiving them.

Inspired by Ima on (and off) the Bima, this post is one in a series marking the days of the Jewish month of Nissan leading up to Passover, which begins at sundown on Monday, 14 Nissan. If you want to play along, check out this year's #BlogExodus and #Exodusgram prompts.

#BlogExodus: Asking

Outside the McDonald's on 39th Street and Second Avenue this morning a homeless man repeatedly was asking various people going in if they'd buy him a cup of coffee.  I muttered, "Sorry, no," and made my way inside to the end of the line.

I've been stopping at this location on many mornings recently and yes, it's because a decent cup of coffee can be had for $1.09. From one day to the next, I see some of the same faces--the elderly man reading The Times with a hand-held magnifier, the two FedEx delivery guys, and of course the employees, some behind the counter, others wiping tables and restocking the napkin and straw dispensers.Often, the line is three or four deep and it seems that like me, everyone's looking for a bargain.

The dichotomy between this scene and Starbucks (where I generally go only when someone's given me a gift card) highlights the truism that New York City is losing its middle class and that if current economic trends continue, most residents either will be very rich or very poor.

I'm sure that Paul Krugman would have something profound and meaningful to say here, but from my perspective--and despite a full semester of graduate-level economics--it's just incredibly sad that in one of the greatest cities in the world, the American dream seems to be getting further and further out of reach and all but the city's wealthiest residents are finding it harder and harder to make ends meet.

What will it take to create living-wage jobs for more New Yorkers?

What will it take to ensure that fixed-income New Yorkers don't have to choose between heat and medication?  Between food and medical care?

What will it take to balance out the increasing disparity between this city's haves and have-nots, and help promote some semblance of economic justice for all?

What will it take for all of us collectively to realize truly meaningful and long-lasting social and economic change...or are these things beyond our grasp?

By the time I headed for the door, coffee in hand, the homeless man was seated at a table.  On my way out, I handed him a dollar bill and a dime, and told him to enjoy the coffee.  Unfortunately, my action doesn't begin to answer these four questions, which increasingly are on my mind.

Inspired by Ima on (and off) the Bima, this post is one in a series marking the days of the Hebrew month of Nisan leading up to Passover 5773.

Trekking Up the River: The Next Step

Photo by Naomi Abelson

In one of the papers I wrote last semester for my Public and Non-Profit Management course, a requirement in the MPA curriculum at Baruch, I was asked to answer this question:

What are your ultimate career goals?

Part of my make-it-up-as-you-go-along answer read as follows:

As a veteran of 20+ years of professional life in the non-profit sector (more than half of which has been spent in Jewish organizations), I am at the midpoint in my career. In the remaining years, it is my goal to transition from the administrative side of the non-profit world (with its focus on human resources, fund raising, finance, communications, lay and professional relations, and governance) to a position rooted in the pursuit of justice, an overriding mandate within Jewish tradition. Whether its focus is social, economic or environmental justice, it is my hope to find a meaningful and appropriate position at the intersection of religious life and public policy from where I will be able to devote my skills, talents, energy and experience to promoting and strengthening the presence of justice within institutions and among individuals for whom it currently is lacking.

Yesterday, I got a firsthand feel for what all those words really mean, and wrote about it here.

With refreshed awareness of the complex issues and challenges that poverty, homelessness and economic injustice present, I am more motivated than ever to move forward in my graduate studies. With parchment in hand, I hope to walk off the stage and keep trekking up the river.

A Day in DC: A Double Duty Blog Post

It’s four weeks into the semester and five weeks until I leave for Biennial and guess what? That’s right – I barely have time to breathe, let alone write cutesy posts for my blog.

For the time being, therefore, my most recent post on RJ.org will have to do double duty here. Of course, the topic is an important one so sharing my slice-of-life day in DC in more than one place shouldn’t be a problem, should it?

As always, thanks for reading. I’ll get back to writing here again as soon as I can.

Happy Birthday, Al!

Yup, lots of movers and shakers were born on this date: Abe Lincoln and Charles Darwin in 1809 and, in 1924, Al Vorspan, among others. (Judy Blume, Lorne Greene, Joe Garagiola and Arsenio Hall also happen to have been born on this date, but I'm not concerned with them at the moment.)

For those readers who may not know about Al, he is the founding director of the Reform Movement's Commission on Social Action, and its guru, bar none, on matters of civil rights and social justice. You can read about some of his adventures here.

Like Abe and Charles before him, Al helped to change the world as we know it and for that, and for so much more, we owe him a huge debt of gratitude.

Happy birthday, Al…and many happy returns of the day!