August Book Club

Last Sunday we met at Sheila's and discussed Philip Roth's The Plot Against America. I usually read the book at least twice to make sure I remember the details but I found this one so unsettling that I just couldn't re-read it. We discussed whether it could happen here. I don't think it could happen that same way but as some others said, we could lose our civil liberties and in fact have lost a lot of them under the present administration.

I found it interesting that he really used his own family as the basis of the story so it was autobiographical in a way but he fictionalized the political events. Still, I had the feeling that his relatives would have reacted exactly as they did in the book had a fascist government come to power in America.

Sheila always puts together great props. This time she posted a map of the United States on her door and wrote on it, "Save America from Lindbergh and the fascists!" I wonder what her neighbors made of that, it probably completely puzzled them!

There was a delicious spread as always, great company and an excellent and lively book discussion. We've mapped out the next book club discussions all the way to December. Kudos to Sheila for running a terrific group!

First Anniversary Luncheon

Last Sunday seventeen of us held our first Anniversary luncheon at Pietro's. It was a great afternoon. The food was terrific: salad, pasta, three choices of entree, and a cake that was almost too pretty to eat. (But, we managed).

Major kudos to Antoinette for doing the legwork and arranging this party, and thanks to Tony for suggesting the restaurant.

We've come through a full year of programs, reflections and fun. Now we've got a lineup for the fall that includes guest speakers and exciting topics. We're planning for volunteer work and planning to attract more members. In the coming year, we'll be moving closer to incorporation and formalizing ourselves as a nonprofit organization.

No matter how many new members we attract, we've built a solid core that is sure to endure and grow. We're on our way!

August Reflection

For our August Reflection, Dr. Kurt Johnson led a discussion of Algernon Black's musings on religion and the common thread of ethics that underlies them all. Why, Black asked, couldn't we all just accept that everyone has his or her own set of beliefs? Why not just live with that pluralism without trying to convert each other, whether by persuasion or by force?

Certainly, I've always felt this should be possible. The difficulty I have seen is that while some people are able to live with the lack of one definitive answer to "God, the Universe, and Everything," to quote a title by Douglas Adams, others are not, and can't accept that some of us do.

We struggled with that question, and with a related issue, of people feeling that they aren't accepted because of their non-deistic beliefs.

I do wonder why that even comes up in conversation with neighbors. Sure, it's an issue in families, especially in families where some relatives join up with a fundamentalist religion and then set about trying to "save" those who do not. But why is this an issue between neighbors?

Years ago, when I was trying to arrange playdates between Jason and the boy his own age who lived (and still lives) next door to us, the mother asked me in her Lebanese accent whether I "make Shabbos." She seemed disappointed when I said no, but she didn't pursue the issue, maybe because her English just wasn't good enough. Was that the reason the boys never became friends? Not really -- the kid next door was a wild one and I got tired of him beating Jason up. But anyhow, that's the only time religion has ever come to the fore with any of my neighbors.

Kurt told us that it's estimated that about 30% of the world is openminded about religious differences but the rest are not. It also came up that over 50% of Americans still believe the earth was created only around 5,000 years ago. Now that is scary. As someone said, "And these people vote!"

While 30% wouldn't seem to be enough to foster a huge change in consciousness, I think it could be. Margaret Mead said it only takes a small group of dedicated people to bring about change. Thirty percent is a lot more than just a small group. In my lifetime, I'd like to see us achieve that level of awareness, so that the next person's beliefs can be fully respected without being adopted as our own.

Thanks to Ruth P. for hosting this evening. The next Reflection will be in mid-September.

Book Club Movie Afternoon

Last Sunday we met at Sheila's for a movie afternoon. Sheila hosted a viewing of "The Five People You Meet in Heaven," which we discussed at the last book club meeting. If anything I felt the movie was even better than the book. The photography was beautiful and Jon Voight's acting has always been excellent. They did a great job making him look like a man in his eighties, when he's probably 20 years younger than that.

For some reason I found the story more touching when I was viewing it. That's the opposite of my experience when I read most books. Generally I enjoy the book and find myself disappointed by the movie. But this time they were very true to the book and only left out a few nonessential scenes. Everything of importance was there, unchanged.

When the film was over, I wasn't the only one wiping away tears. We briefly discussed the movie and then headed out to dinner at El Greco.

Next month we'll be discussing another fantasy of a sort, a speculative fiction by Philip Roth, The Plot Against America. I've already read it but may look at it again before we meet. Kudos again to Sheila, who runs such a great book club. I feel I've learned quite a lot since we started.

Planning Meeting July 17th

Last Thursday we held a planning meeting for the BHC at our apartment. There were only six of us...three Leibowitzes and three guests. Because it was such a small meeting we added a discussion on how many members we'd need for a quorum to make major decisions that go to the structure of the organization. We proposed 7 as the minimum, but will poll the membership to see whether they agree.

We also decided to elect 3 officers, the bare minimum required for a nonprofit organization (which we hope to become eventually). Nominations were put forward and we agreed that I will send out a letter and email asking the members to vote for a President, Treasurer, and Secretary.

Finally, we decided to do two projects this coming year: working with veterans in some capacity, and working to stop sex trafficking in children. Ruth is going to investigate the Veterans' Hospital in Brooklyn and Antoinette is looking into local organizations working on the sex trafficking issue to find out how we can lend a hand.

Coming up in August we have a Reflection, our First Anniversary Lunch, and Book Club. And in September, we're back to the libraries for more of our programs, this time with some guest speakers.

July 4th Party Pictures

July 4th party food

For those who attended, here's a delicious memory. For those who didn't, here's a look at some of our delicious potluck salads. While I don't have photos of the barbecued items, I can assure everyone that it was all beautifully charred and tasty.