A old friend of mine who lives in the greater New York area emailed me on Monday that she's in Jerusalem and wants to get together. I'm always ready to hang with old friends from my happy single days in New York City when they come to visit, so last night, I met her at Mamilla Mall near the Old City for a quick bite to eat.
I waited for her cab for what seemed like ages, thinking the fucking cab driver is probably ripping her off and taking her for a literal ride all around Jerusalem. After yelling at the cab driver who insisted (at 8:00 pm) that he couldn't go the straight way because of the "traffic", I slammed the cab door shut and took a look at her. No wonder they're trying to rip her off. She looked wonderful in a blue cashmere wool coat and also looked quite loaded, even though that wasn't the case, given the economic situation now in the US and that she also had lost her job several months ago. So clearly she is shyster cab driver fodder.
My friend seemed stressed, terribly stressed, and said she needed a real drink. Most of the coffee shops have those, so we walked along the beautiful outdoors Mamilla mall, as she told me her horror dating stories in the Orthodox dating scene. God, it sure is a jungle out there. Better be grateful for what I have, I thought.
Once in the restaurant and over our mojitas, I asked her what brought her here. Apparently she met this kabbalist rabbi about a year ago when he was visiting the States, who told her that she must drop everything and come to Israel immediately - before Chanukah because of some disaster that will happen in the U.S. And tonight before she met me, someone had told her what the rabbi had told them - that the entire United States would be flooded over because of global warming. No more U.S. Nada. Null and Void. A great big giant Atlantis.
I asked her - "Is Canada included?" but she didn't know. I was worried if it was included, then my sister won't be able to bring my husband's suit for my daughter's wedding, never mind all my nieces and nephews in Lakewood, N.J.
"This is serious shit for him to be scaring the wits out of you. I think you need a second opinion" and suggested she contact the Lubavitcher Rebbe, who gives messages through his letters/books. In other words, his chassidim place letters from people into volumes of letters he wrote throughout his life and through those books, answers are forthcoming. And they are pretty spot on. For example, we received a blessing to buy a house, which we did, which was pretty miraculous since we didn't know how on earth we would ever buy a darn thing here. And besides, the Rebbe said to always say positive things because that will influence the heavens in a positive way. So I really agreed/liked his perspective.
We walked back to the bus station and I was getting really aggravated by this rabbi's negative "prediction".
"What about Hollywood??? What will I do about movies? Does that mean I'll have to watch foreign films for the rest of my life?"
"Yeah" said my friend, "We'll have to do with Bollywood"
"And what about American Idol? And Macy's? And Manhattan??"
God can't be that awful to do such a thing. God is great. I know that.
I continued the conversation. "Well, if it does happen, God forbid, then all the extremist Moslem groups - the Taliban, Al-Qaida and others will jump for joy, thinking that the U.S. was duly punished for its sins. Is that what God wants?"
I tried googling the guy, in Hebrew and English, but didn't come up with a thing. So that was strange in itself. If he were well-known, something would have come up.
This morning, I ran to get the paper to see if the United States was still there. i breathed a sigh of relief. It was.
My husband put things into perspective for me, as he usually does in his grand way.
"You know, this country is the MOTHER of rabbis who are full of shit."
And with that, I say, amen.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
The End of America
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23 comments:
The "rabbi" takes out full page ads in the US edition of Yedioth with that message (and I think his doomsday date was March 17 2009). Also has a website at http://m424.com .
Eek. He's a "prophet of doom". Who is this person? Unlike the Rebbe who wouldn't prophesize doom and gloom only light and wonderful things. Anyhow, hopefully not in March, because my daughter is going there for 10 days with her husband and kid. Let's just bring everyone over from the US!!
Whereas this whole "flooding" thing is bogus, getting out of the US may not be.
Too many people waited until "it was too late" to get out of Germany. Now as America faces a similar circumstance people should learn from the past and not make the same mistake.
It is really time to get out when the getting is good because there is no telling what the next few years will bring. It is obvious that we are seeing the end of America so it really would be best to get out while the opportunity still exists to do so.
At least Jews have somewhere to go to this time. Other Americans aren't as lucky.
Even though I do believe that "G-d is Great" it wouldn't be the first time that something terrible has happened.
The Holocaust for one.
Yeah the destruction of America will be a plus for all those Muslim extremist groups but then the defeat of Poland, France, etc must have been very uplifting to the people who supported him back then and very discouraging to good people back then as well.
So, yeah, America's destruction (or at least apparent destruction because perhaps it will arise like the mythical Phoenix out of the ashes) seems like a very very bad thing but in the end perhaps something good will come from it. I don't know but in the meantime getting out while the getting is good seems like the best strategy until it is all sorted out.
For anyone with even a little understanding can see that it is Germany all over again. What is happening in America is history repeating itself. Time to leave especially if one has children. Don't just go and buy your daughter a diary. Get out before it's too late.
Yeah, I agree with the others that say that the advice is good even though the reasoning is wacky.
America is obviously on the eve of its destruction. Sure something might arise out of all of this since even Berlin still exists, but in the meantime it is best not to arrogantly ignore history's warnings when the parallels are so glaring.
Israel exists for precisely such a "season". When it rains one buys one's family raincoats. It is a reaction to the season.
To not heed the signs of the time is inviting such wraith upon you and your family. Waiting until it's too late could mean complete disaster.
It is pretty clear that the end is near for America. Even a blind man can see that. But say for a second it's not. What has one lost by waiting out the storm in Israel?
Those I talk to in America are expecting doom to come soon. It is one of the reasons the stock market is so bad.
They say they are living day by day and are just waiting for next shoe to drop.
The Americans are also a master of "Gallows Humour". One of my American friends say that there is a gambling pool in his office regarding the day that New York will be destroyed.
My friend has March 21st. I hope your daughter isn't going to New York on her trip.
By the way, if you have tried Bollywood in the past and haven't liked it, you might want to try it again as it has improved even in the past few years from what it has been. Of course you still have to be selective.
And best of all you don't get all that antisemitism you get from those American/Hollywood movies.
It is getting really bad in America.
http://www.foodshortageusa.com
Will Canadian Troops be guarding U.S. food supplies this winter?
America is becoming just like Germany.
I am planning to move as soon as I get my affairs in America in order.
Why risk it? I loved America but I LOVE my family.
And this time we have Israel to go to.
Sounds like it's time for Jews to leave there. But to get Jews to come or to "repent" because of fear is awful. I looked at that website - full of negative shit. Why doesn't the author give his name? If he gets messages from Above, why is he embarrased to reveal who he is.
The financial situation is driving many people, who otherwise would have had financial security in the US - to Israel. This is a good thing in a roundabout way. My friend may lose her home. She was successful, and I envied her once for her financial comfort. So she's thinking of just leaving everything behind and not thinking too much about it.
Yes, these are all good enough signs to come home to Israel, but only a few might get the message. For others, a drastic change in their lives, to uproot themselves from what is familiar, might be too frightening.
Raj,
I do like the serious Indian movies. The movie "Water" was a very good one. Just not the musicals...puleez.
My daughter is going for a visit to New York in March for 10 days. It would be silly to have her cancel because of a "impending" disaster. Like the Lubavitcher Rebbe said, "Think good and it will be good." It's a mantra I like to keep in my head.
A major US political figure has just disappeared from the face of the earth and no one is wondering where he is?
America is Germany!!!!
Yeah, he's in Africa. Well Africa is kind of a big area isn't it?
Want to bet the country he is in starts with a K. There's a few people who need silencing there.
2009 will bring much destruction to America. America's enemies sense weakness and that will encourage them to attack and America will not be in a position to effectively respond.
And that will hurt America's economy even further.
Compare this to the beginning of Hitler's Germany and the parallels are two scary to ignore.
Tell all your Jewish friends in America to leave immediately or soon they might not be able to.
"My daughter is going for a visit to New York in March for 10 days."
Oh no. You must convince her not to go!
New York is the worse place in America to be. It's target NUMBER ONE!
If you care about her which of course I know you do, tell her don't go!
"Compare this to the beginning of Hitler's Germany and the parallels are two scary to ignore. "
Of course I meant too scary. These two situations are too similar to ignore.
America is GERMANY. And there will be only a short window to escape.
"A major US political figure has just disappeared from the face of the earth and no one is wondering where he is?"
I'm wondering WHO he is. Please tell. I haven't read a thing in the papers.
Incoming White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel left on Tuesday for a “long planned family vacation in Africa.”
Excuse me? Africa?
Africa is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² (11.7 million sq mi) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area.
Care to be more specific here? He is only the right hand man to the most powerful man in the world.
The fact that the Press isn't being more specific should be frightening indeed.
Well A, I wouldn't be so concerned. For security reasons, I wouldn't publicize where in Africa Rahm is going. He's a target for kidnappers, terrorists, etc. That's #1. And hey! It's holiday season. So why not take the kids to a safari, check out Obama's paternal roots, etc. I'd worry if it's like over a month and there's no sign of Rahm. But let's not jump the gun here yet. He's obviously got the bucks to travel far and wide for holiday season.
It looks like he is going to Kenya to silence some of Obama's Kin.
Especially the ones who were there at his birth - IN KENYA.
The press has a duty to inform the people about the happenings of the people elected to serve them.
The fact that the press might be covering something up to help "the One" is concerning indeed.
It is just the same relationship that Hitler has with the Press.
"He's obviously got the bucks to travel far and wide for holiday season."
For all their talk they really don't give a damn for the poor do they.
Let them eat cake is how Obama's people feel.
They should have been more sympathetic to the plight Americans find themselves in and tone down their vacations.
said American but he wanted to say Israeli
Gypsy, this is a little bit off the topic but I wanted to draw your attention to this article in the New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/28/magazine/28sendler-t.html?ref=magazine
all the best and don't worry about any floods. Your friend is a bit on the hysterical side and such people are always needed by psychics and other cons.
with best wishes, always.
Anna
Thanks for the article Anna. Very interesting indeed. I'd love to see a movie about this woman.
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