Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Friday, October 15, 2010
Remember
...so that we know even during our trials and tribulations, something amazing can happen.
The following was sent to me by a friend, but it moved me so much, that I thought I would post it here for all to share.
The Wedding Dress That Made History
Lilly Friedman doesn't remember the last name of the woman who designed and sewed the wedding gown she wore when she walked down the aisle over 60 years ago. But the grandmother of seven does recall that when she first told her fiance, Ludwig, that she had always dreamed of being married in a white gown, he realized he had his work cut out for him...
For the tall, lanky 21-year-old who had survived hunger, disease and torture, this was a different kind of challenge. How was he ever going to find such a dress in Bergen Belsen Displaced Person's camp where they felt grateful for the clothes on their back?
Fate would intervene in the guise of a former German pilot who walked into the food distribution center where Ludwig worked, eager to make a trade for his worthless parachute. In exchange for two pounds of coffee beans and a couple of packs of cigarettes, Lilly would have her wedding gown.
For two weeks Miriam the seamstress worked under the curious eyes of her fellow DPs, carefully fashioning the six parachute panels into a simple, long sleeved gown with a rolled collar and a fitted waist that tied in the back with a bow. When the dress was completed, she sewed the leftover material into a matching shirt for the groom.
A white wedding gown may have seemed like a frivolous request in the surreal environment of the camps, but for Lilly, the dress symbolized the innocent, normal life she and her family had once led before the world descended into madness.
Lilly and her siblings were raised in a Torah observant home in the small town of Zarica, Czechoslovakia, where her father was a teacher, respected and well liked by the young Yeshiva students he taught in nearby Irsheva. He and his two sons were marked for extermination immediately upon arriving at Auschwitz. For Lilly and her sisters, it was only their first stop on their long journey of persecution, which included Plashof, Neustadt, Gross Rosen and finally Bergan Belsen.
Four hundred people marched 15 miles in the snow to the town of Celle on January 27, 1946 to attend Lilly and Ludwig's wedding. The town synagogue, damaged and desecrated, had been lovingly renovated by the DPs with the meager materials available to them. When Sefer Torah (sacred Torah) arrived from England, they converted an old kitchen cabinet into a makeshift Aron Kodesh (sacred cabinet or ark the Torah is kept in).
"My sisters and I lost everything - our parents, our two brothers, our homes. The most important thing was to build a new home." Six months later, Lilly's sister Ilona wore the dress when she married Max Traeger. After that, came cousin Rosie. How many brides wore Lilly's dress? "I stopped counting after 17." With the camps experiencing the highest marriage rate in the world, Lilly's gown was in great demand.
In 1948 when President Harry Truman finally permitted the 100,000 Jews who had been languishing in DP camps since the end of the war to emigrate, the gown accompanied Lilly across the ocean to America. Unable to part with her dress, it lay at the bottom of her bedroom closet for the next 50 years, "not even good enough for a garage sale. I was happy when it found such a good home."
Home was the U.S. Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. When Lilly's niece, a volunteer, told museum officials about her aunt's dress, they immediately recognized the historical significance and displayed the gown in a specially designed showcase, guaranteed to preserve it for 500 years.
But Lilly Friedman's dress had one more journey to make. Bergen Belsen, the museum, opened its doors on October 28, 2007. The German government invited Lilly and her sisters to be their guests for the grand opening. They initially declined, but finally traveled to Hanover the following year with their children, their grandchildren and extended families to view the extraordinary exhibit created for the wedding dress made from a parachute.
Lilly's family, who were all familiar with the stories about the wedding in Celle, were eager to visit the synagogue. They found the building had been completely renovated and modernized. But when they pulled aside the handsome curtain, they were astounded to find that the Aron Kodesh, made from a kitchen cabinet, had remained untouched as a testament to the profound faith of the survivors. As Lilly stood on the bimah (alter) once again, she beckoned to her granddaughter, Jackie, to stand beside her where she was once a kallah (bride). "It was an emotional trip. We cried alot."
Two weeks later, the woman who had once stood trembling before the selective eyes of the infamous Dr. Josef Mengele returned home and witnessed the marriage of her granddaughter.
The three Lax sisters - Lilly, Ilona and Eva, who together survived Auschwitz, a forced labor camp, a death march and Bergen Belsen - have remained close and today live within walking distance of each other in Brooklyn. As mere teenagers, they managed to outwit and outlive a monstrous killing machine, then went on to marry, have children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and were ultimately honored by the country that had earmarked them for extinction.
As young brides, they had stood underneath the chuppah (marriage canopy) and recited the blessings that their ancestors had been saying for thousands of years. In doing so, they chose to honor the legacy of those who had perished by choosing life.
It is now more than 60 years after the Second World War in Europe ended. The email I received is being sent as a memorial chain, in memory of the six million Jews, 20 million Russians, 10 million Christians, and 1,900 Catholic priests who were murdered, massacred, raped, burned, starved and humiliated with the German and Russian peoples looking the other way!
Now, more than ever, with Iraq, Iran, and others claiming the Holocaust to be 'a myth,' it is imperative to make sure the world never forgets because there are others who would like to do it again.
Remember....so that none of this was done in vain.
The following was sent to me by a friend, but it moved me so much, that I thought I would post it here for all to share.
The Wedding Dress That Made HistoryLilly Friedman doesn't remember the last name of the woman who designed and sewed the wedding gown she wore when she walked down the aisle over 60 years ago. But the grandmother of seven does recall that when she first told her fiance, Ludwig, that she had always dreamed of being married in a white gown, he realized he had his work cut out for him...
For the tall, lanky 21-year-old who had survived hunger, disease and torture, this was a different kind of challenge. How was he ever going to find such a dress in Bergen Belsen Displaced Person's camp where they felt grateful for the clothes on their back?
Fate would intervene in the guise of a former German pilot who walked into the food distribution center where Ludwig worked, eager to make a trade for his worthless parachute. In exchange for two pounds of coffee beans and a couple of packs of cigarettes, Lilly would have her wedding gown.
For two weeks Miriam the seamstress worked under the curious eyes of her fellow DPs, carefully fashioning the six parachute panels into a simple, long sleeved gown with a rolled collar and a fitted waist that tied in the back with a bow. When the dress was completed, she sewed the leftover material into a matching shirt for the groom.
A white wedding gown may have seemed like a frivolous request in the surreal environment of the camps, but for Lilly, the dress symbolized the innocent, normal life she and her family had once led before the world descended into madness.
Lilly and her siblings were raised in a Torah observant home in the small town of Zarica, Czechoslovakia, where her father was a teacher, respected and well liked by the young Yeshiva students he taught in nearby Irsheva. He and his two sons were marked for extermination immediately upon arriving at Auschwitz. For Lilly and her sisters, it was only their first stop on their long journey of persecution, which included Plashof, Neustadt, Gross Rosen and finally Bergan Belsen.
Four hundred people marched 15 miles in the snow to the town of Celle on January 27, 1946 to attend Lilly and Ludwig's wedding. The town synagogue, damaged and desecrated, had been lovingly renovated by the DPs with the meager materials available to them. When Sefer Torah (sacred Torah) arrived from England, they converted an old kitchen cabinet into a makeshift Aron Kodesh (sacred cabinet or ark the Torah is kept in).
"My sisters and I lost everything - our parents, our two brothers, our homes. The most important thing was to build a new home." Six months later, Lilly's sister Ilona wore the dress when she married Max Traeger. After that, came cousin Rosie. How many brides wore Lilly's dress? "I stopped counting after 17." With the camps experiencing the highest marriage rate in the world, Lilly's gown was in great demand.
In 1948 when President Harry Truman finally permitted the 100,000 Jews who had been languishing in DP camps since the end of the war to emigrate, the gown accompanied Lilly across the ocean to America. Unable to part with her dress, it lay at the bottom of her bedroom closet for the next 50 years, "not even good enough for a garage sale. I was happy when it found such a good home."
Home was the U.S. Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. When Lilly's niece, a volunteer, told museum officials about her aunt's dress, they immediately recognized the historical significance and displayed the gown in a specially designed showcase, guaranteed to preserve it for 500 years.But Lilly Friedman's dress had one more journey to make. Bergen Belsen, the museum, opened its doors on October 28, 2007. The German government invited Lilly and her sisters to be their guests for the grand opening. They initially declined, but finally traveled to Hanover the following year with their children, their grandchildren and extended families to view the extraordinary exhibit created for the wedding dress made from a parachute.
Lilly's family, who were all familiar with the stories about the wedding in Celle, were eager to visit the synagogue. They found the building had been completely renovated and modernized. But when they pulled aside the handsome curtain, they were astounded to find that the Aron Kodesh, made from a kitchen cabinet, had remained untouched as a testament to the profound faith of the survivors. As Lilly stood on the bimah (alter) once again, she beckoned to her granddaughter, Jackie, to stand beside her where she was once a kallah (bride). "It was an emotional trip. We cried alot."
Two weeks later, the woman who had once stood trembling before the selective eyes of the infamous Dr. Josef Mengele returned home and witnessed the marriage of her granddaughter.
The three Lax sisters - Lilly, Ilona and Eva, who together survived Auschwitz, a forced labor camp, a death march and Bergen Belsen - have remained close and today live within walking distance of each other in Brooklyn. As mere teenagers, they managed to outwit and outlive a monstrous killing machine, then went on to marry, have children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and were ultimately honored by the country that had earmarked them for extinction.
As young brides, they had stood underneath the chuppah (marriage canopy) and recited the blessings that their ancestors had been saying for thousands of years. In doing so, they chose to honor the legacy of those who had perished by choosing life.
It is now more than 60 years after the Second World War in Europe ended. The email I received is being sent as a memorial chain, in memory of the six million Jews, 20 million Russians, 10 million Christians, and 1,900 Catholic priests who were murdered, massacred, raped, burned, starved and humiliated with the German and Russian peoples looking the other way!Now, more than ever, with Iraq, Iran, and others claiming the Holocaust to be 'a myth,' it is imperative to make sure the world never forgets because there are others who would like to do it again.
Remember....so that none of this was done in vain.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Changes
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to heal, a time for war and a time for peace." ...this has always been a special verse for me. For I truly believe that everything HAS a purpose. My life is a testimony to what God has in store for us that we are not aware of. We only need to listen. Sometimes its not a booming voice, but a whisper in the trees.
Right now, its a time for change...for myself, my family and my life. Where is that change going to take me? How will it manifest itself? Only God knows. I will wait for His direction.
However God speaks to you...listen. For there is a time and purpose under heaven.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Starting Over...
Today is day 8 on the re-do of my hCG.I have lost a total of 5.5 lbs so far.
Stay tuned for more.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Setbacks and determination
Well, no one said this was going to be easy. And so far, it hasn't been.As some of you know, I have some health concerns that had put my diet on the back burner. Well, now that I have a diagnosis and a course of treatment, I can now resume taking hCG and getting back on track with weight loss.
After having been on steroids for 6 days to help with the inflammation, I gained almost all the weight (6.5 lbs) I had lost in the first week of the plan. So...I am back and raring to go! Stay tuned for more of a shrinking Elaine.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Progress
Well, I am down 6.5 pounds since I started this new regimen. I admit, I did cheat on my birthday with a luscious steak and stuff I shouldn't have been eating and now I am on new meds (steroids) which also contribute to hunger and weight gain. HOWEVER, I am still down this week and I am determined that I will follow this through until I reach my goal. Thank you to those of you who are cheering me on and not allowing me to eat when I am really hungry, although I have to admit, that this week, the hunger is subsiding.
Stay tuned for more verbal updates and be sure to check the ticker to your left to see how far away I am from my goal.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Update...
Well, here is an update on my progress. It's been almost one week that I have been doing the hCG and the VLCD (very low calorie diet) and so far, despite being sick and cheating a bit, I have lost 5 lbs.I have added a ticker so that everyone, who is interested, can check on my progress.
Thank you to all of you that have pushed me away from the sweets when all I've really wanted to do was EAT THEM!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
A new journey ... to health!
A few days ago I started a new regime in hopes to get healthy. First and foremost, I want to lower my cholesterol, which, according to the doctor is VERY high. Second, I want to lose weight. Doesn't everyone?So I began taking hcg, which, oddly enough, is a hormone found only in pregnant women. Taken in small dosages, along with a very low calorie diet, will help you lose weight and thereby lowering your cholesterol.
At my first weigh-in, I was a large 205.5 pounds. The first day, you take the drops and eat normally but add EXTRA fat to your diet. The second day you do the same. Today, however, is the third day and now I am on the very low calorie diet.
At weigh-in this morning, I lost .5 lbs. Not bad for binging on fatty foods!
I am going to be blogging about my "journey" in hopes that when I am feeling frustrated, I can look back and give myself a boost, by seeing the progress.
Wish me luck!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
The Journey Ahead
...the saga continues"Never again!" she wept inwardly as she watched him walk away. Never again will her heart ache for a man who cannot love her in return. Never again will her heart open...it will remain closed...forever.
"From now on," she thought, "I will go on ..solo ... alone, but for the friends I have made." She knew that no one could enter her heart, her mind or her soul the way he did.
He entered her life, slowly, sweetly at first. And then all at once, her soul and her heart were not her own. They were his and his alone.
They will always be his... even if he has chosen another.
"His 'other' was around. I knew it and he knew that I knew, but I chose to look away. Not anymore. The time has come when I open my eyes and keep them open. Never again, will my eyes be closed or my heart be open...." She wept and wept until there were no more tears, for him, or for any man.
Silently, tears spent, clutching her pillow to her tightly, she fell asleep only to dream....
...in her dream there was a man. Not just any man. But THE man. The man of her dreams, as the cliche said. He was there to watch over her, to comfort her, to make sure no harm would ever come to her. Normally he did this from afar. Never coming close enough to touch her. Not physically or emotionally..or so he thought. But tonight was different.
In her dream, he took her hand, gently, lovingly, and led her down the hall to a room. A room that smelled of lavender and of pipe tobacco. A room furnished in turn of the century furnishings, not like her home, which was furnished in the contemporary styles of today and possibly tomorrow.
Here, he led her to a chair near the fireplace. Motioned for her to sit. And so she sat, without saying a word. But knowing what he wanted her to do.
As she looked up at him, he smiled, making her blush. This is the closest she had come to seeing this man's face. Even now, however, his face was clothed in the shadow of the night and of the fire raging in the fireplace. All she saw were bits and pieces of his face. But she didn't need to see his face. She felt him. Had always felt his presence.
As she began to speak, he reached down and placed his hand upon her lips to silence her, whispering "shhh...all will be revealed later..."
As she sat there in silence, her mind began to wander. To places where she had been. Places where it was peaceful. To this person who had been there for her. Always in shadow. Never in the light where she could see him. Yes, she felt his presence. He wanted her to. Is this any different? He is so close to her. But yet, she cannot really see him.
"Why does he tease her so?" she thought. "Why doesn't he let me see him?"
All she could do was trust him. Believe in her whole heart that this man, this solitary man, could take her pain away, could make her feel whole again. Sighing, she closed her eyes and let this man help her.
Maybe this man could see the pain inside her, help her get through it.
Yes, she knew she was dreaming. She knew that this man only existed in her dreams. But right now, at this moment, he was real for her. As real as any man made of flesh and bone. So right now, in her dream, she believed.
She truly believed that this man was there to comfort her, to see her through the pain. He was the only one who knew her. It was like he could see her thoughts and acted as though he knew every inch of her. His eyes touching the deepest recesses of her soul.
Closing her own eyes, she allowed herself to drift, knowing even then that she was dreaming and that the man she sensed near her only existed in her dreams.
As her breathing became more even, she felt her body beginning to relax.
Suddenly she felt the man stiffen next to her. Before she could turn to look up at him to see what made tense, his hand was on her shoulder, putting pressure on her to stay where she was.
She silently obeyed...
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Traveling
Wikipedia says that travel is the movement of people between relatively distant geographical locations for any purpose and any duration, with or without any means of transport.Travel is most commonly done for recreation or to visit friends and family.
The word "travel" originates from the Middle English word "travailen" (to toil), which comes from the Old French word "travailler" (travail).
But WHY do we travel?
Well, without getting too philosophical about it, people travel to get away from themselves, to redefine themselves and to escape from daily routine.
Scientists discovered that even a slight modification from everyday routine like taking a different route to work can help to better cope with stress and even stave off Alzheimer's disease by reprogramming very complicated brain connections known as pathways. Traveling to faraway destinations is an even better way to get rid of stress and depression.
We run in a daily rat race knocking off barriers and jumping over obstacles.
Week after week nothing seems to change.
We wake up, go through the daily routine and by the end of the day collapse exhausted in bed to wake up and receive another dose of the same the following morning.
Is there more to life? Is there a more fulfilling way to live? What IS happiness after all?
If you, like millions of others, wake up with these type of questions going through your head, you do need a getaway. Travel provides you with a safety valve before things deteriorate to the point of eruption. If you need to change something in your life, travel will help you with this. Most like you will discover beautiful places where people are friendly, where a soft whisper of ocean waves will lull you to sleep and a breeze will tenderly caress your suntanned skin. There will be no boss, no deadlines or pesky customers to deal with.
Travel will revamp your brain and will shine a different light on things you used to take for granted. All of a sudden you will discover that the earth is full of people who, like you, go struggling through the day, lose their loved ones and depress about problems that are not worth a sweat.
"Do I still care about these things I was so overly concerned about just two weeks ago?" you will ask yourself.
Will distance make the heart grow fonder?
If so, you will know that a person walking and sleeping next to you is all have in this life. If not, well.... Don't file for divorce just yet. However, there was research done on the subject that confirms the idea. People do make decisions on importance of their relationships after coming back home. Who is this person meeting me at the airport?
Is he or she the one I yearn to see first upon my return? The answers to these questions can determine the future of a relationship.
If you feel your life is missing something, if you are bored and tired and nothing helps - book a trip instead of taking antidepressants. Seeing and taking pictures of the places you had only the knowledge of from National Geographic, savoring new cuisines, communicating with people in their native languages, absorbing unknown cultures are a few more reasons to a life enriching experience called travel...
So THIS is what I am about to embark on....travel...
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Firsts - The beginning...
It is 34 days, 23 hours, 43 minutes and 30 seconds until Saturday, May 15, 2010 at 4:20 PM (Chicago time)......until Sydney, her friend, Sarah and I embark on a KLM flight to Cardiff.
I cant tell you how excited I am. Its a trip of many "firsts"....
Ive never had a passport until this trip...so first #1.
Ive never been out of the country where i NEEDED a passport...so first #2.
Ive always wanted to see the United Kingdom....first #3.
I could go on and on...however, this is but a beginning of what I hope will be a journal, of sorts, of my journey abroad.
Stay tuned.....
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Tattoo Jew
We do it to mark a life transition. We do it out of pride.
We do it to confirm our identity.
I did it because it would mean something to me forever.
And it will. It’s permanent. It’s a tattoo, and no matter how big, how small, how artistic or how Jewish a symbol it is, what we have done is forbidden by Jewish law.
The law that makes tattoos taboo for Jews is Leviticus 19:28, which states: “You shall not make gashes in your flesh for the dead, or incise any marks on yourselves: I am the Lord.”
It’s the second half of this passage that’s critical, according a Rabbi friend of mine.
Judaism has always seen our bodies as a gift from God. You should use your body as a house for your soul. It’s given to us on loan, and if you lease a car, you try to keep it in good shape for return. We should treat the body [well] and keep it in as good shape as possible. That’s part of the philosophical idea of it.
Regardless, many committed Jews are marking their flesh, and even using Jewish symbols to do so.
With tattoo parlors dotting boulevards and main streets in cities across the
The reasons Jews are getting tattooed are as varied as the designs they proudly — and often defiantly — display.
I have a hamsa with the shema inside it tattooed on the top of my foot. A Middle Eastern and Jewish good-luck symbol featuring an open hand, the marking epitomizes my conflict between traditional Judaism and creative, expressive spirituality.
It’s also a constant reminder of my struggle.
I have recently decided to become a rabbi….and with that, attending rabbinical school.
Something about the hamsa feels very connected to me. I wanted some kind of proof to myself that what I was going through was a real spiritual struggle, that it wasn’t some little phase. Marking that permanently spoke to me. When the pain goes away, you have something beautiful.
Beautiful, yes, but at the same time, because I am training to be a rabbi, there is a part of me that is ambivalent about it. There are many things in the Torah that I don’t agree with 100 percent or don’t fit with me. You really have to check in with yourself and check in with God.
Others take a more defiant stand toward the Leviticus decree.
A friend of mine doesn’t believe in God, so the law means little to him. Raised in a Reform household, he decided to get a chai tattooed on his shoulder as an act of solidarity with
But it’s not just Leviticus 19:28 that gives tattoos a bad name in Judaism; there are some other taboos associated with bodily marking.
Many Jews believe a tattoo will keep them from being buried in a Jewish cemetery. That’s a myth that doesn’t seem to go away.
There are burial facilities that have no policy against burying a tattooed Jew in their hallowed ground.
For me, it’s totally an art form. It’s not about rebellion; it’s about your body as a canvas.
Many older Jews don’t see it that way.
Since World War II, some think getting a tattoo disgraces the memory of the Holocaust and its survivors. Another friend defies that thinking. He has a Holocaust memorial tattoo on his chest: a Star of David with “Jude” written in the middle, all engulfed by flames. A lot of people see that and they’re really offended. It’s a real personal thing for him. He is really fascinated by the Holocaust.
It would be really stupid for me to get this tattoo as a mockery of all our people have gone through. But sometimes people take it that way, but that’s their prerogative.
Others, too, hear from people who tell them that tattoos are a slap in the face to survivors. I disagree vehemently.
I got a Jewish tattoo because my feelings are that I will never hide my Judaism from anybody.
The Holocaust inspired another friend to get a tattoo, too. In 1978, he participated in the famous
“All these old women and old men peeled back their sleeves and showed their tattoos from the camps. It was really poignant.”
Galvanized by the survivors’ defiance, he, got his Social Security number tattooed on his forearm. It made [the Holocaust] real to him who sees his tattoo as a memorial.
You can’t talk about Jewish people and tattoos without relating to the Holocaust. The fact that so many Jews were forcibly tattooed is a painful memory that restrains many Jews from getting a tattoo even today.
Andy Abrams and Justin Dawson confront that issue head-on in a documentary and book they’re working on, “Tattoo Jew,” in which they interviewed dozens of Jews, many with Jewish-themed tattoos and many in the Bay Area. To visit that site, click here: Tattoo Jew
“There are people I have interviewed for whom it is an important political statement to be a Jewish person with a tattoo, particularly one with a Jewish theme. It takes a painful memory and turns it into Jewish pride. It reclaims our bodies symbolically,” Abrams writes. “It is a way for some to honor the tragedy their grandparents or parents experienced. It is a way to emphatically say ‘Never again.’”
One who has taken an extreme critique of Judaism’s view of the body — and women — is avant-garde British performance artist Marisa Carnesky, who explores tattooing, the desecration of the body, Lilith, the Holocaust and gender politics in a solo show she calls the Jewish Tattooess. In part of the show, which had its
In a bizarre way, that show made me think more about my identity. Tattoos have made me more Jewish.
When Jews get tattoos, some grapple with more than halachah and a little pain. Telling their parents — especially their Jewish mothers — is a whole different challenge.
With so-called “nice” Jewish girls and boys getting discreet roses on the ankle or hamsas on the foot, tattoos seem to have lost much of their shock value. But at some point, those “nice” Jewish girls and boys will be Jewish moms and dads, and grandmas and grandpas…with tattoos.
Although it’s expensive and can be painful, getting rid of those “permanent” tattoos is now possible using lasers, although small discolorations or scars may remain.
Some opt for henna or temporary tattoos, although some halachic authorities might object if the tattoos last for more than a week. (Oddly enough, Dover Publications once offered “Jewish Holiday Tattoos,” a booklet of temporary tattoos aimed for kids ages 4 to 8. The title has since been discontinued.)
My next tattoo may be a tree of life whose roots spell out adamah (Hebrew for “earth”) - who knows!
I don’t think it should be [against Jewish law]. I understand it, but … it felt like a message to me.
I try to look for a deeper message, that my body is a gift, and it was given to me to cherish and to live in and to really experience. I feel in a way that I am following the law, though I can see there are people I work with who do disagree.
I am not too worried about people disagreeing with my decision to get a hamsa tattoo on my foot or feeling like I have to conceal it. It’s going to show and if people question me about it, I will give them a straight answer. I want people to ask about it and let them know that there is a potential conflict with Judaism. The Torah is pretty clear; don’t get a tattoo.
It is pretty clear that it fits in with the kind of rabbi I want to become. I sort of see myself as always having a job to sort of shake people up a bit.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Did you know? (Part 4)
The Co-Freemasonic Order of The Blazing Star
The Co-Freemasonic Order of The Blazing Star is an independent order of freemasonry based in the South West of England that admits men and women equally. It sees its main emphasis as cultivating the spiritual and esoteric aspects of freemasonry, and offers a true initiatory system of training and development of the 33 degrees of 'The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite' for the benefit of humanity and the world. It currently operates an ancient Irish working in the craft degrees.
In November 1997 a group of senior masons formed an independent Supreme Council to revitalize and regenerate Masonic ritual and practice with an explicit emphasis on symbolic, esoteric and spiritual teachings, initiatory training, and the 'inner' workings forming the basis of the ritual work.
To distinguish the new order from other Masonic bodies, the name 'Order of the Blazing Star' was taken. The Blazing Star is a universal symbol, and is found in most Masonic rituals.
The principals, rituals, and traditions are still based on those of the Grand Scottish Constitutions of 1786, revised and agreed by the national Supreme Councils of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite at Lausanne in 1876.
In May 2007 the Supreme Council decided the name of the order should more closely reflect its heritage and work and thus 'The Co-Freemasonic Order of the Blazing Star' was established. Of course, C0-Freemasonry is not recognized by any of the major Masonic Grand Lodges and inter-visitation or other Masonic interaction is not permitted.
A Landmark of Freemasonry agreed by all masculine Grand Lodges is that the initiation of women is forbidden and members take a binding obligation not to countenance the initiation of women. Certain Grand Lodges of Co-Freemasonry also follow the lead of the Grand Orient de France in removing references to the Supreme Being from their rituals and initiating atheists; this is further point of separation from typical Masonic Lodges which hold belief in a Supreme Being to be a Landmark requirement.
Notwithstanding the prohibition of interaction in a ritual context, the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE), the oldest of the Grand Lodges, while not recognizing Co-Freemasonry, states that it does hold informal discussions from time to time with Women's and Co-Masonic Grand Lodges on issues of mutual concern, and that Brethren are therefore free to explain to non-Mason, if asked, that Freemasonry is not confined to men (even though this Grand Lodge does not itself admit women).
The Grand Orient de France also does not initiate women, but does recognize Masonic bodies that do. Thus, it allows visitation by women from those bodies.
And so, my friends...this is why I can and AM a Co-Freemason....incidentally, my Grand Lodge is that of The American Federation of Human Rights/American Co-Masonry. I am proud to be a Fellowcraft. ..and of course, working towards becoming a Master Mason with the help and teaching of my brethren.
If you would like to learn more..please visit: www.co-masonry.org And thank you for your indulgence.
The Co-Freemasonic Order of The Blazing Star is an independent order of freemasonry based in the South West of England that admits men and women equally. It sees its main emphasis as cultivating the spiritual and esoteric aspects of freemasonry, and offers a true initiatory system of training and development of the 33 degrees of 'The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite' for the benefit of humanity and the world. It currently operates an ancient Irish working in the craft degrees.
In November 1997 a group of senior masons formed an independent Supreme Council to revitalize and regenerate Masonic ritual and practice with an explicit emphasis on symbolic, esoteric and spiritual teachings, initiatory training, and the 'inner' workings forming the basis of the ritual work.
To distinguish the new order from other Masonic bodies, the name 'Order of the Blazing Star' was taken. The Blazing Star is a universal symbol, and is found in most Masonic rituals.
The principals, rituals, and traditions are still based on those of the Grand Scottish Constitutions of 1786, revised and agreed by the national Supreme Councils of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite at Lausanne in 1876.
In May 2007 the Supreme Council decided the name of the order should more closely reflect its heritage and work and thus 'The Co-Freemasonic Order of the Blazing Star' was established. Of course, C0-Freemasonry is not recognized by any of the major Masonic Grand Lodges and inter-visitation or other Masonic interaction is not permitted.
A Landmark of Freemasonry agreed by all masculine Grand Lodges is that the initiation of women is forbidden and members take a binding obligation not to countenance the initiation of women. Certain Grand Lodges of Co-Freemasonry also follow the lead of the Grand Orient de France in removing references to the Supreme Being from their rituals and initiating atheists; this is further point of separation from typical Masonic Lodges which hold belief in a Supreme Being to be a Landmark requirement.
Notwithstanding the prohibition of interaction in a ritual context, the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE), the oldest of the Grand Lodges, while not recognizing Co-Freemasonry, states that it does hold informal discussions from time to time with Women's and Co-Masonic Grand Lodges on issues of mutual concern, and that Brethren are therefore free to explain to non-Mason, if asked, that Freemasonry is not confined to men (even though this Grand Lodge does not itself admit women).
The Grand Orient de France also does not initiate women, but does recognize Masonic bodies that do. Thus, it allows visitation by women from those bodies.
And so, my friends...this is why I can and AM a Co-Freemason....incidentally, my Grand Lodge is that of The American Federation of Human Rights/American Co-Masonry. I am proud to be a Fellowcraft. ..and of course, working towards becoming a Master Mason with the help and teaching of my brethren.
If you would like to learn more..please visit: www.co-masonry.org And thank you for your indulgence.
Did you know? (Part 3)
The Order of Universal Co-Freemasonry in Great Britain and the British Dependencies was founded by Annie Besant and officers of the Supreme Council of the French Maconnerie Mixte (known today as The International Order of Co-Freemasonry, Le Droit Humain) on September 28, 1902, with the consecration of Lodge Human Duty No. 6 in London. Besant remained head of the Order until her death in 1933.
The English working, influenced by the Theosophy of its leading members, restored certain Masonic practices not required in the French working, notably that its members hold a belief in God or a Supreme Being. The permission received from France to reinstate this in the English workings is known as the 'Annie Besant Concord," and in 1904 a new English ritual was printed, which firmly established this requirement as central to the work.
The revised ritual was called the 'Dharma Ritual,' also known as the 'Besant-Leadbeater' and more recently as the 'Lauderdale' working. The Dharma Ritual also attempted to restore prominence to esoteric and mystical aspects that its Theosophically-minded authors felt were the heart of Freemasonry, so that it became a spiritual organization; Co-Freemasonry of this Order was therefore sometimes called 'Occult Freemasonry."
The Honorable Order of American Co-Masonry
In 1903 the first Co-Masonic Lodge in the USA was instituted under Le Droit Humain by the French professor Muzzarelli in New York. He founded the first Alpha Lodge in Charleroi, Pennsylvania and more than 50 others within four years before leaving the United States of America in 1908.
In 1909 delegates of twenty of these Lodges founded the American Federation of Human Rights in St. Louis. By 1924, nearly 100 Lodges had been started under the guidance of Louis Goaziou, the Most Puissant Grand Commander, Representative of the Supreme Council in Paris.
Defection of Lodges from Le Droit Humain
Between the mid-1990's and early 2000's a large number of lodges defected from Le Droit Humain, which they charged with infringing upon their constitutional rights.
On January 2, 2001, Le Droit Humain formerly expelled four senior members of the British Federation over these disagreements. Following these expulsions, about 70 members resigned.
The defecting lodges reformed as the American Federation of Human Rights, the Honorable Order of American Co-Masonry, the Eastern Order of International Co-Freemasonry, and a number of smaller orders.
Other lodges, including those in Australia and South Africa and some US lodges, opted to remain affiliated with the Supreme Council of International Co-Freemasonry Le Droit Humain, and continue to exist as the British, Australian, and American Federations of the order, governed by the Representative of the Supreme Council in France, known as the Most Puissant Grand Commander, who holds the 33rd and highest degree of the Order.
The American Federation of Human Rights / American Co-Masonry
In December 1993, when demands from the Supreme Council in Parish conflicted with the International Constitution and the National Constitution of the American Federation of Le Droit Humain, which mandated independence in internal affairs and adherence to United States law, a large part of the membership decided to withdraw from Le Droit Humain.
On April 11, 1994, the Supreme Council of American Co-Masonry, The American Federation of Human Rights, was reformed by members of the Grand Inspector General of the Thirty-Third Degree. Also known as American Co-Masonry, this now-independent obedience, which has its headquarters in Larkspur, Colorado, has since become the largest Co-Masonic organization in the United States.
The Eastern Order of International C0-Freemasonry in 2001, following growing concerns over erosions to the Annie Besant Concord by the administration in Paris, many member lodges of the Eastern Federation resigned from Le Droit Humain, severing all ties, and reconstituted new governing bodies.
Lodges in India, New Zealand, part of the US, Brazil, Argentina, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico and Spain reformed as the Eastern Order of International C0-Freemasonry; lodges in the UK reformed as the Grand Lodge of Freemasonry for Men and Women.
The Grand Lodge of Ancient, Accepted and Esoteric Freemasons
The Grand Lodge of Ancient, Accepted and Esoteric Freemasons is a virtual Grand Lodge for men and women operating over the internet. The Ancient, Accepted and Esoteric Freemasons were initially chartered by the Grand Orient de France on May 14, 1928.
On November 17, 1976 Grand Master Juliet Ashley established the Sovereign and Independent Grand Lodge of Ancient, Accepted and Esoteric Freemasons as an independent Masonic organization. This order's name was changed to "International Sovereign and Independent Grand Lodge of Ancient, Accepted and Esoteric Freemasons" at its meeting in Washington, DC on June 22, 1977.
At that meeting the Grand Lodge also established Acacia Lodge #1 A: A:. & E:. F:. as the first Lodge of Master Masons under the new jurisdiction. From 1992 the Grand Lodge ceased to operate within a physical temple, and from 2003 they began rewriting the rituals for self-initiation and lodge initiation using one or more initiating officers.
They have offered internet initiations for Entered Apprentices since 2004. [The order confers Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason degrees, as well as York Rite and Scottish Rite degrees and several other advanced rites. Degrees are practiced in their regular and ancient form, and are accompanied by esoteric teachings.
Part 4 coming shortly.....stay tuned.
The English working, influenced by the Theosophy of its leading members, restored certain Masonic practices not required in the French working, notably that its members hold a belief in God or a Supreme Being. The permission received from France to reinstate this in the English workings is known as the 'Annie Besant Concord," and in 1904 a new English ritual was printed, which firmly established this requirement as central to the work.
The revised ritual was called the 'Dharma Ritual,' also known as the 'Besant-Leadbeater' and more recently as the 'Lauderdale' working. The Dharma Ritual also attempted to restore prominence to esoteric and mystical aspects that its Theosophically-minded authors felt were the heart of Freemasonry, so that it became a spiritual organization; Co-Freemasonry of this Order was therefore sometimes called 'Occult Freemasonry."
The Honorable Order of American Co-Masonry
In 1903 the first Co-Masonic Lodge in the USA was instituted under Le Droit Humain by the French professor Muzzarelli in New York. He founded the first Alpha Lodge in Charleroi, Pennsylvania and more than 50 others within four years before leaving the United States of America in 1908.
In 1909 delegates of twenty of these Lodges founded the American Federation of Human Rights in St. Louis. By 1924, nearly 100 Lodges had been started under the guidance of Louis Goaziou, the Most Puissant Grand Commander, Representative of the Supreme Council in Paris.
Defection of Lodges from Le Droit Humain
Between the mid-1990's and early 2000's a large number of lodges defected from Le Droit Humain, which they charged with infringing upon their constitutional rights.
On January 2, 2001, Le Droit Humain formerly expelled four senior members of the British Federation over these disagreements. Following these expulsions, about 70 members resigned.
The defecting lodges reformed as the American Federation of Human Rights, the Honorable Order of American Co-Masonry, the Eastern Order of International Co-Freemasonry, and a number of smaller orders.
Other lodges, including those in Australia and South Africa and some US lodges, opted to remain affiliated with the Supreme Council of International Co-Freemasonry Le Droit Humain, and continue to exist as the British, Australian, and American Federations of the order, governed by the Representative of the Supreme Council in France, known as the Most Puissant Grand Commander, who holds the 33rd and highest degree of the Order.
The American Federation of Human Rights / American Co-Masonry
In December 1993, when demands from the Supreme Council in Parish conflicted with the International Constitution and the National Constitution of the American Federation of Le Droit Humain, which mandated independence in internal affairs and adherence to United States law, a large part of the membership decided to withdraw from Le Droit Humain.
On April 11, 1994, the Supreme Council of American Co-Masonry, The American Federation of Human Rights, was reformed by members of the Grand Inspector General of the Thirty-Third Degree. Also known as American Co-Masonry, this now-independent obedience, which has its headquarters in Larkspur, Colorado, has since become the largest Co-Masonic organization in the United States.
The Eastern Order of International C0-Freemasonry in 2001, following growing concerns over erosions to the Annie Besant Concord by the administration in Paris, many member lodges of the Eastern Federation resigned from Le Droit Humain, severing all ties, and reconstituted new governing bodies.
Lodges in India, New Zealand, part of the US, Brazil, Argentina, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico and Spain reformed as the Eastern Order of International C0-Freemasonry; lodges in the UK reformed as the Grand Lodge of Freemasonry for Men and Women.
The Grand Lodge of Ancient, Accepted and Esoteric Freemasons
The Grand Lodge of Ancient, Accepted and Esoteric Freemasons is a virtual Grand Lodge for men and women operating over the internet. The Ancient, Accepted and Esoteric Freemasons were initially chartered by the Grand Orient de France on May 14, 1928.
On November 17, 1976 Grand Master Juliet Ashley established the Sovereign and Independent Grand Lodge of Ancient, Accepted and Esoteric Freemasons as an independent Masonic organization. This order's name was changed to "International Sovereign and Independent Grand Lodge of Ancient, Accepted and Esoteric Freemasons" at its meeting in Washington, DC on June 22, 1977.
At that meeting the Grand Lodge also established Acacia Lodge #1 A: A:. & E:. F:. as the first Lodge of Master Masons under the new jurisdiction. From 1992 the Grand Lodge ceased to operate within a physical temple, and from 2003 they began rewriting the rituals for self-initiation and lodge initiation using one or more initiating officers.
They have offered internet initiations for Entered Apprentices since 2004. [The order confers Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason degrees, as well as York Rite and Scottish Rite degrees and several other advanced rites. Degrees are practiced in their regular and ancient form, and are accompanied by esoteric teachings.
Part 4 coming shortly.....stay tuned.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Did you know? (Part 2)
(...continued from yesterday)
The order is administered by the Supreme Council, which has its headquarters in Paris. Within the International Constitution, however, member Federations have the freedom of self-governance. International Co-Freemasonry was founded in France in the late nineteenth century, during a period of strong feminist and women's suffrage campaigning. It is the only true international Masonic Order and has members from over 60 countries worldwide.
French Masonry had long attempted to include women, the Grand Orient de France having allowed Rites of Adoption as early as 1774 by which Lodges could "adopt" sisters, wives, and daughters of Freemasons, imparting to them the mysteries of several degrees. In 1879, following differences among members of the Supreme Council of France, twelve lodges withdrew from the Grand Orient de France and founded the Grande Loge Symbolique de France. One of these Lodges, Les Libres Penseurs (The Free Thinkers) in Pecq, reserved in its charter the right to initiate women as Freemasons, proclaiming the essential equality of man and woman.
On January 14, 1882, Maria Deraismes, a well-known humanitarian, feminist author, lecturer and politician, was initiated into Les Libres Penseurs. The Right Worshipful Master, bro. Houbron, 18*, justified this act as having the highest interests of humanity at heart, and as being a perfectly logical application of the principle of 'A Free Mason in a Free Lodge.' The Lodge was soon suspended for this "impropriety."
In 1890 the Lodge La Jerusalem Ecossaise, also of the Grande Loge Symbolique de France, petitioned other Lodges for the establishment of a new order of Freemasonry that would accept both men and women. This time La Jerusalem Lodge did not propose to initiate women itself, but to create a new order working in parallel. The main proponent of this was Dr. Georges Martin, a French senator, advocate of equal rights for women, and also a member of Les Libres Penseurs.
On March 14, 1893, Deraismes, Martin and several other male Freemasons founded La Respectable Loge, Le Droit Humain, Maconnerie Mixte (Worshipful Lodge, Human Rights, Co-Masonry) in Paris. They initiated, passed and raised sixteen prominent French women. Shortly after, on April 4 of the same year, the first Grand Lodge of Co-Freemasonry was established, the Grande Loge Symbolilque Ecossaise Mixte de France (Grand Lodge of Mixed Scottish Rite Freemasonry of France), which would later become known as the International Order of Co-Freemasonry "Le Droit Humain."
This was a radical departure from most other forms of Freemasonry, for not only did the new order not require belief in a Supreme Being (the Grand Orient de France had discarded this requirement in 1877) - it opened its doors to all of humanity who were "...just upright and free, of mature age, sound judgment and strict morals."
The Eastern Federation Several prominent members of the Theosophical Society joined Co-Freemasonry, including Annie Besant, George Arundale, Charles W. Leadbeater, C. Jinarajadasa and Henry Steele Olcott. Henceforth, wherever they took Theosophy, they also introduced Co-Freemasonry.
Stay tuned for more....in Part 3.
The order is administered by the Supreme Council, which has its headquarters in Paris. Within the International Constitution, however, member Federations have the freedom of self-governance. International Co-Freemasonry was founded in France in the late nineteenth century, during a period of strong feminist and women's suffrage campaigning. It is the only true international Masonic Order and has members from over 60 countries worldwide.
French Masonry had long attempted to include women, the Grand Orient de France having allowed Rites of Adoption as early as 1774 by which Lodges could "adopt" sisters, wives, and daughters of Freemasons, imparting to them the mysteries of several degrees. In 1879, following differences among members of the Supreme Council of France, twelve lodges withdrew from the Grand Orient de France and founded the Grande Loge Symbolique de France. One of these Lodges, Les Libres Penseurs (The Free Thinkers) in Pecq, reserved in its charter the right to initiate women as Freemasons, proclaiming the essential equality of man and woman.
On January 14, 1882, Maria Deraismes, a well-known humanitarian, feminist author, lecturer and politician, was initiated into Les Libres Penseurs. The Right Worshipful Master, bro. Houbron, 18*, justified this act as having the highest interests of humanity at heart, and as being a perfectly logical application of the principle of 'A Free Mason in a Free Lodge.' The Lodge was soon suspended for this "impropriety."
In 1890 the Lodge La Jerusalem Ecossaise, also of the Grande Loge Symbolique de France, petitioned other Lodges for the establishment of a new order of Freemasonry that would accept both men and women. This time La Jerusalem Lodge did not propose to initiate women itself, but to create a new order working in parallel. The main proponent of this was Dr. Georges Martin, a French senator, advocate of equal rights for women, and also a member of Les Libres Penseurs.
On March 14, 1893, Deraismes, Martin and several other male Freemasons founded La Respectable Loge, Le Droit Humain, Maconnerie Mixte (Worshipful Lodge, Human Rights, Co-Masonry) in Paris. They initiated, passed and raised sixteen prominent French women. Shortly after, on April 4 of the same year, the first Grand Lodge of Co-Freemasonry was established, the Grande Loge Symbolilque Ecossaise Mixte de France (Grand Lodge of Mixed Scottish Rite Freemasonry of France), which would later become known as the International Order of Co-Freemasonry "Le Droit Humain."
This was a radical departure from most other forms of Freemasonry, for not only did the new order not require belief in a Supreme Being (the Grand Orient de France had discarded this requirement in 1877) - it opened its doors to all of humanity who were "...just upright and free, of mature age, sound judgment and strict morals."
The Eastern Federation Several prominent members of the Theosophical Society joined Co-Freemasonry, including Annie Besant, George Arundale, Charles W. Leadbeater, C. Jinarajadasa and Henry Steele Olcott. Henceforth, wherever they took Theosophy, they also introduced Co-Freemasonry.
Stay tuned for more....in Part 3.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Did you know? (Part 1)
..that I am a Freemason? And yes, I am a girl! Thanks for noticing.
"But how can YOU be a Freemason?" is a question I get asked quite frequently.
Well, for those that ask, my answer to you is "because I can..." And here's why...
Maria Deraismes, born August 17, 1828; died February 6, 1894. She was a french author and major pioneering force for women's rights. Born in Paris, Maria grew up in Pontoise in the city's northwest outskirts.
From a prosperous middle class family, she was well educated and raised in a literary environment that led to her authoring several literary works but soon developed a reputation as a very capable communicator. She became active in promoting women's rights and, in 1866, joine the Societe de le revendication des droits de la femme, a feminist organization advancing the cause of education for women.
In 1869, she founded L'Association pour le droit femmes with Leon Richer. Following the ouster of Napoleon III, she understood the new politics of the day meant a more moderate approach under the Third Republic in order for feminism to survive and not be marginalized by the new breed of male power brokers emerging at the time. Deraismes work brought her recognition in Great Britain and an influence upon American activist Elizabeth Cady Stanton who met her in Paris in 1882 following Deraismes breakthrough membership in the Freemasons.
A year later, she and Georges Martin organized the first Masonic lodge in the world to allow both men and women as members. Maria Deraismes was initiated on January 14, 1882 into Lodge "Les Libres Penseurs" of Pecq, a small village to the west of Paris. She was the first female Freemason, symbolizing initiatory equality. Eleven years later, on April 4, 1893, Maria Deraismes and Georges Martin, a well known mason, created in Paris the first co-masonic Lodge. Out of this co-masonic Lodge came the birth of the Grande Lodge Symbolique Ecossaise "Le Droit Humain," establishing the equality of men and women, out of which, later, came the birth of the International Order of Co-Masonry "LE DROIT HUMAIN."
With other support of Suffragettes such as Hubertine Auclert, Maria Seraismes worked to achieve political emancipation for women, standing as a symbolic candidate in the elections of 1885. On her death in 1894, Maria Derismes was interred in the Cimetiere de Montmartre. Her complete writings were published in 1895 and much information on her work can be found at the Bibliotheque Marguerite Durand in Paris. To honor her memory, a street in Paris was named for her and a statue was erected in a small park. The town square in St. Nazaire was also named in her honor.
The International Order of Co-Freemasonry Le Droit Humain is a global Masonic Order, membership of which is available to men and women on equal terms, regardless of nationality, religion or ethnicity.
The Order is founded on the ancient teachings and traditions of Freemasonry, using Masonic ritual and symbolism as its tools in the search for truth. On the individual level, the Order aims "to promote the progress of individual worth, without the imposition of dogma, or exacting the abandonment of cultural or religious ideas."
On a collective level it works "to unite men and women who agree on a humanist spirituality whilst respecting individual and cultural differences." In contrast with out Masonic organizations, which operate in national or state jurisdiction only. Le Droit Humain is a global fraternity with many Federations and Jurisdictions worldwide, each of which work the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite from the 1st to the 33rd degree.
...stay tuned for Part 2....and for more information on Co-Masonry click here.
"But how can YOU be a Freemason?" is a question I get asked quite frequently.
Well, for those that ask, my answer to you is "because I can..." And here's why...
Maria Deraismes, born August 17, 1828; died February 6, 1894. She was a french author and major pioneering force for women's rights. Born in Paris, Maria grew up in Pontoise in the city's northwest outskirts.From a prosperous middle class family, she was well educated and raised in a literary environment that led to her authoring several literary works but soon developed a reputation as a very capable communicator. She became active in promoting women's rights and, in 1866, joine the Societe de le revendication des droits de la femme, a feminist organization advancing the cause of education for women.
In 1869, she founded L'Association pour le droit femmes with Leon Richer. Following the ouster of Napoleon III, she understood the new politics of the day meant a more moderate approach under the Third Republic in order for feminism to survive and not be marginalized by the new breed of male power brokers emerging at the time. Deraismes work brought her recognition in Great Britain and an influence upon American activist Elizabeth Cady Stanton who met her in Paris in 1882 following Deraismes breakthrough membership in the Freemasons.
A year later, she and Georges Martin organized the first Masonic lodge in the world to allow both men and women as members. Maria Deraismes was initiated on January 14, 1882 into Lodge "Les Libres Penseurs" of Pecq, a small village to the west of Paris. She was the first female Freemason, symbolizing initiatory equality. Eleven years later, on April 4, 1893, Maria Deraismes and Georges Martin, a well known mason, created in Paris the first co-masonic Lodge. Out of this co-masonic Lodge came the birth of the Grande Lodge Symbolique Ecossaise "Le Droit Humain," establishing the equality of men and women, out of which, later, came the birth of the International Order of Co-Masonry "LE DROIT HUMAIN."
With other support of Suffragettes such as Hubertine Auclert, Maria Seraismes worked to achieve political emancipation for women, standing as a symbolic candidate in the elections of 1885. On her death in 1894, Maria Derismes was interred in the Cimetiere de Montmartre. Her complete writings were published in 1895 and much information on her work can be found at the Bibliotheque Marguerite Durand in Paris. To honor her memory, a street in Paris was named for her and a statue was erected in a small park. The town square in St. Nazaire was also named in her honor.
The International Order of Co-Freemasonry Le Droit Humain is a global Masonic Order, membership of which is available to men and women on equal terms, regardless of nationality, religion or ethnicity.
The Order is founded on the ancient teachings and traditions of Freemasonry, using Masonic ritual and symbolism as its tools in the search for truth. On the individual level, the Order aims "to promote the progress of individual worth, without the imposition of dogma, or exacting the abandonment of cultural or religious ideas."
On a collective level it works "to unite men and women who agree on a humanist spirituality whilst respecting individual and cultural differences." In contrast with out Masonic organizations, which operate in national or state jurisdiction only. Le Droit Humain is a global fraternity with many Federations and Jurisdictions worldwide, each of which work the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite from the 1st to the 33rd degree.
...stay tuned for Part 2....and for more information on Co-Masonry click here.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Today in HERstory
The year...1554The place...England
The woman's name...Lady Jane Grey
And a year after claiming the throne of England, for nine days, she is beheaded for treason.
Lady Jane Grey, eldest daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Suffolk and great-niece of Henry VIII, was born October of 1527 only shortly after her cousin Edward VI. Jane spent most of her childhood in her family's home in Leicestershire, learning Greek, Latin, French, and Hebrew from tutors. Her education was started at an early age as was the custom for children of nobility. She was also brought up strictly Protestant.
At the age of nine, Jane was sent to the court of Katherine Parr, the sixth and last wife of Henry VIII. (It was also a custom for nobility to put their daughters under the guardianship of notable ladies to learn proper social etiquette.) Katherine was very much a motherly figure to Jane as she was to Jane's cousins Mary, Elizabeth and Edward. When Katherine died in 1547 after complications from childbirth, Jane was chief mourner at her funeral. After the death of Henry VIII, Katherine had married Thomas Seymour. After Katherine's death, Seymour made promises to Jane's parents that he would ensure her marriage to then King Edward VI, who was only nine at the time of his accession. However, this plan was cut short when Seymour's ambitious nature cost him his head.
This was not the end of plots to raise Jane to the queenship. John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland and chief councillor to the King, made plans to marry his son Guildford to Jane. Dudley would have surely been punished by Edward's staunchly Catholic sister Mary for his anti-Catholic policies and would have lost a great deal of power if Elizabeth were to acceed. His only hope laid with Jane, the technical fourth in line to the throne. Dudley befriended Jane's parents and she and Guildford were married on May 21, 1553. By this time it was clear that the King was sick and would probably not survive into adulthood.
Two months after Jane and Guildford were married, Edward VI was pronounced dead on July 10, 1533 and Jane's supporters, headed by John Dudley, proclaimed her Queen. Jane was reluctant to accept the crown forced upon her by her ambitious father-in-law who she hated. She later spoke of him "Woe worth him! He hath brought me and our stock in most miserable calamity and misery by his exceeding ambition." She hadn't even heard of Edward's death before she was summoned to Sion House where nobles fell to the ground, kissed her hands and paid homage to her as their sovereign. Her grief over the death of her cousin coupled with the shock of her new position prompted Jane to write later that the moment left her "stupified." Nevertheless, she made her way to the Tower of London in a ceremonious procession wearing the Tudor colors and raised shoes to give her height. Little did she know that she would never leave it.
Dudley was indeed a shrewd man and Jane had good reason to hate him. Jane believed that Mary was the rightful heir, but Dudley wouldn't hear of it. He sent a letter to Mary after the death of her brother stating that the King (implying he was still alive) wished to see her. His intentions were to take Mary prisoner when she entered the city and lock her in the Tower of London. Unfortunately for Dudley, Mary discovered the truth about Edward's death and Jane's accession, and continued her travel to London gaining support along the way. She entered the city in a triumphant procession accompanied by sister Elizabeth and any support left for Jane collapsed.
Meanwhile, Jane was still housed in the Tower with her own problems to deal with. Her husband, Guildford, was demanding that he be named King and Jane continuously denied him. (Jane probably saw that this was John Dudley's plan all along.) This led to many internal conflicts with Jane's kin. Guildford's mother adamantly berated Jane for her unwaivering resolve and got into loud fights with Jane's father. Jane's council was abandoning her one by one in hopes of saving their lives and the people were refusing to arm against Mary in support of Jane. Nine days after she was proclaimed Queen, Jane was deposed in favor of Mary.
John Dudley was beheaded at Tower Hill on August 2, 1553 and Jane's father was also arrested. Jane and Guildford were imprisoned in the Tower on charges of high treason. After much reluctance, Mary signed the death warrants of her kin. Jane said goodbye to Guildford from her Tower window as he was being led to his death on the morning of February 12, 1554. She saw his headless body later that day being brought from the execution.
That same day, Jane was executed herself in a more private affair on Tower Green. The confusion of the past year of her life took its toll on the young girl who blindly scrambled to find the block to put her head upon, until a bystander led her hands to it. Before she was beheaded, Jane politely asked the executioner if he would take off her head before she laid it down. He answered her "No madame" and cut off her head.
Jane Grey went down in history as the Nine Day Queen, a poor girl used and victimized as a result of the ambitions of her parents and in-laws.
Just goes to show...be careful what you wish for. And be careful whom you trust. For it could be YOUR head on the chopping block.
Friday, January 29, 2010
In Memory....In Honor ...and In Hope
I am sitting here with tears streaming down my face as I learn of the death of one friend and the sickness of another. I sit here, healthy, watching my children play, even arguing amongst themselves about petty things such as "he touched me!" or "he's bothering me!" I watch them, feeling how blessed I truly am.But there are questions...why do I get to survive an ordeal when one didn't and one may not? Why am I so special? Doesn't God know that those 2 women were and are amazing?
I know that in the last few years, I hadn't even known one friend was sick and with life being ...well...life, I hadn't even picked up the phone or sent an email to her wondering how things were with her. Did she even know I had thought of her? Did she know how much her past acts of kindness to me while "I" was sick made such an impact on MY life? ...touched me in ways no one else has?
In 2000, I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and during my recuperation at home, this friend made sure that my children had their 'wish' and sent them things I couldn't afford because she thought they should have something. She never asked me, she just DID it. My daughter, who is now 20 and an adult herself, still has what she sent.
Granted, I lived through it and have been cancer free for awhile now. But she wasn't so lucky. She died this past Christmas Eve. I didn't get to show her the same kindness that she showed me all those years ago. As selfish as that sounds, I didn't get to say 'thank you' for everything she did for me, for everything she did for many, many other people out there. And most of all, thank her for being...her.
Another friend is just beginning that same journey. I am grateful, as odd as that sounds, to be given the opportunity to be there for her. To show her just how much she means to me. To let her know that she has NEVER been taken for granted and that I love her truly.
God has given me this gift...and I am grateful for it. However, I really do need to say thank you to "her" ...the woman who, even in death, has shown me that it is never too late to say it...so...."thank you Jennifer Lee Topousis...for just 'being'...." Rest in peace, my friend, and know...you will never, EVER be forgotten.
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