The latest update from Dr. Binyamin Klempner our guest in episode 276 of The Yakking Show. Binyamin works tirelessly for the comfort and moral support of the soldiers on the front lines. He is also fighting the PR battle to show Israel’s side in the face of a global campaign to destroy his nation. The invasion and occupation of many North American universities by terrorist sympathisers – many of whom are not students – is evidence that this is a campaign to destroy Western culture. In this post, he writes about his discussions with soldiers on weapons, heroes and ice cream. You can find all of Binyamin’s earlier updates here.
Forgive me. Have sympathy for me. I’ve been writing these letters for seven months. I’m tired of writing. I’m tired of unresponsive and unappreciative readers. The soldiers. Forgive them. Have sympathy for them. They’ve been fighting this war for seven months. They’re tired of soldiering. They’re tired of an unresponsive and unappreciative civilian population. I keep writing. They keep soldiering. Yesterday a group of paratroopers invited me to sit and eat with them. The food looked good. I told them I didn’t want to eat their food. One of the soldiers scolded me, “What are you talking about? It’s your food. You’re one of us.” His words were Vaseline on my bruised soul. With no plates or forks, eating was like smoking a joint. Using hands and fingers, one person took a few bites out of the serving dish and passed it along to the next person until, going full circle, it reached him again. I never experienced eating to be as bonding as last night. Bonding over a dish of hashed browned potatoes.
The things we spoke about. Weapons. M-4s. Magnums. Tavors. M-4 knockoffs.
The things we spoke about. Frued. Igo, Id, and Superego.
The things we spoke about. Being careful. “If you hear a boom, be careful and keep your wits about you,” the soldier told me. “I will. This is the time of day they usually shell us,” I commented. “It used to be that way, now they shell us randomly. Any time of day. Now you really always need to be careful,” he cautioned me. I heeded his caution.
The things we spoke about. Jung. Collective consciousness. Mandalas. Mantras. Mudras. Shadow. Dreams. Jung’s dream he dreamt on the boat (the one he shared with Frued). Archetypes.
The things we spoke about. Joseph Campbell. The Hero and the Hero’s Journey. The need each one of us has to be the hero of our own journey. We spoke about the idea that mental health is compromised when one stops being the hero of his own journey.
The things we spoke about. Cruelty. “What do you say about the protests back in America,” one soldier asked me. “I have a lot to say, but first, what do you say?” He nodded in pained thoughtful reflection and said, “Cruel. I think they’re cruel.” His response choked me up. He apologized, without needing to, for getting me all emotional.
The things we spoke about. Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream. It makes for a happy soldier.
The following article appeared today on the Israel National News website.
Columbia prof.: ‘Israeli friends will be harmed first’
Prof. Shai Davidai has called on researchers from Israel to actively join the fight that he and his colleagues are conducting against the wave of anti-Israel protests on campuses in the USA.
Yoni Kempinski May 7, 2024, 3:27 PM (GMT+3)
Prof. Shai Davidai, a lecturer at Columbia University, which recently suffered from violent anti-Israel protests, published an open letter to Israeli academics expressing his concern for their imminent harm.
“To all my friends who research and lecture in Israel, it’s hard for me to say this, but it’s important that you know. You will be the first to be harmed,” Davidai said.
He mentioned that “The processes are already in motion and although you don’t feel it yet, it’s coming. And when it arrives, it will be too late to act”.
“It will start almost without you noticing. Articles that won’t be accepted for publication and lectures that won’t be accepted at conferences. Professional organizations that will endorse boycotts. Seminar lectures that won’t take place. Sabbatical years that will be harder to find. And research funds, of course,” he added.
According to him, “Many of you are focused on internal issues in Israel. I totally understand that. If I were in Israel, perhaps I would be focusing on that too. But you need to understand something: almost no one here in the academia in the USA is fighting for you”.
He called on Israeli academics to join the fight he is leading at the university where he teaches. “We are here, and we are fighting, but it’s not enough. They are many and we are few. So we need you – from all the universities and colleges in Israel. It may seem distant, but what happens here on campuses will directly affect your lives. Not in ten years. Not in five years. But very soon”.
“It’s time to make noise. Later, when we want to make noise, it might not be possible anymore,” concludes Davidai.
Recently, aside from visiting with soldiers, I’ve been increasing my public relations efforts. Getting my book out there to show a different narrative than the one many Americans are familiar with. I’ve been getting my book out on blogs, podcasts, and social media. Even if someone doesn’t read the book, even if they only read a few sentences from the book description, it’s enough to foster goodwill towards Israel. And, for me, at this point, there are two main objectives. Objective A: Support and uphold the morale of the troops. Objective B: Foster goodwill and amiability towards Israel and the Jewish People. If you like the work I do, please consider becoming a supporter by making a donation. PR costs money and it isn’t cheap. Supporting the soldiers also costs money and isn’t cheap. Donations can be made on my donation page:
https://thechesedfund.com/
Stay safe. Stay Joyous.
Binyamin Klempner
P.S. If you haven’t already, buy a copy of my book and please leave a review after reading it.