David Zweig on NPR

I was listening to Morning Edition on NPR this morning and heard a familiar voice: My UJC congregant David Zweig talking about the thinking behind China’s restrictive visa policies--

David Zweig, a professor at the University of Science and Technology in Hong Kong, says the Chinese Government is nervous.
"On the one hand, there is a sense of pride in how successful China has been. But at the same time, there is an insecurity that there are a lot of problems and the West will highlight those problems — and those problems will be what people remember rather than the success," Zweig says.

Cameron Revisited

On my birding trip last weekend (described in the post below) I went through the town of Cameron, Louisiana on the Gulf Coast. Cameron was devastated by hurricane Rita in 2005. I had not been there since. While there has been some rebuilding in the town, I still saw much that saddened me. There are many lots where only a foundation slab remains. The fishing pier near the Cameron Jetty was heavily damaged and has not yet been repaired. The navigation buoys thrown up onto the beach attest to the power of this storm. It has been three years since Rita, the Gulf Coast’s forgotten hurricane. Cameron and its surrounding small towns seem to me to be a long way from full recovery.

The following photos speak for themselves.


A typical eerie sight in Cameron-- the house is gone, but the live oaks that surrounded it survived.


God bless them, wherever they are.


Cameron Jetty today


Cameron Jetty, pre-Rita


This was our regular gas and food stop on birding trips to the coast.


Signs of hope

Some birding before my migration

The family was in Lake Charles this past weekend, taking the opportunity to hang out with the R. family. While Casinos really are not my style, I will admit to enjoying the hotel’s “lazy river” pool and the swim-up bar. But then shpilkes seized me and I headed out for a full day of solo birding.

As I was staying in Lake Charles, I was able to hit Sabine, Lacassine, and Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuges. It was farewell tour through some places I love. I had a joyous day indulging in pure birding geekitude. My route took me past Lake Charles and down through Sabine NWR to the gulf. I took the Cameron Ferry (there are no bridges south of Lake Charles) across the Calcasieu channel and then headed north through Cameron Prairie NWR and then east to the Lacassine Pool.

It was not a spectacular day in terms of species seen. Also, I am a hack birder, as much as I enjoy it. Without Joe K. (Bwana Joe) I saw much I could not identify. Still, the marshes were beautiful and birdy enough to keep me interested.

Louisiana’s scenery is an acquired taste, I think. It has no mountains or canyons that impose themselves on the viewer. But if one slows down enough to look, this land has its own beauty.


Sabine NWR


Tri-Colored Heron, Sabine NWR

Exchange of Blessings

On Sunday we took a drive up to EquiTerra Farm in Clinton, LA to pick some blueberries and figs. This is really the end of the blueberries, but we did manage to get a nice big bowl-full before the effort involved and the heat sapped the kids’ enthusiasm for the outing. The fig trees scented the air with their perfume, which made it all the more disappointing that someone had beaten us to EquiTerra and had taken everything that was ripe.

Just before we got home we crossed paths with Cruz, my Harley driving Hasid. He followed us into the driveway on his bike. Cruz has been trying to give us something since my last service at Beth Shalom on 20th of June-- something he could not carry and drive the motorcycle. He asked me if I could meet him back to his apartment.

When I got there Cruz was waiting for me in the parking lot with his gift. He gave us a beautiful Mordechai Rosenstein print. Rosenstein builds his work around quotes from TaNaKH and other sifrei kodesh. This piece includes a quotation from the Zohar: Brich Shmei D’Marei Alma---Blessed is the Name of the Master of the Universe.

This is a touching gift, particularly as I know that Cruz bought this piece for himself when Mordechai Rosenstein visited Beth Shalom as Artist-in-Residence. I am sure it was not easy to part with.

We talked for a while, then Cruz asked me to bless him. I did, right there in the parking lot, among the discarded Modelo cans and with the traffic going by on Government Street.

I am going to miss this gentle soul, who calls me “Chacham“ instead of Rabbi. He is a true pilgrim. I expect to see him one day walking the streets of Jerusalem or coming down Castle Steps to come to shul in Hong Kong-- an Elijah in motorcycle boots.

Birding on the Levee

Even though there has been great deal of development along the River Road in recent years, “the country” is still a short drive from my house. My boy and I headed out there yesterday for some birding along the levee. With the big move looming, I am not sure how many more chances we will have.

You never know what you might see out there. Bald Eagle is on my Baton Rouge list, after former Beth Shalom member Jason W. and I saw one birding at Richfield River Silt some years ago. We did pretty well this time. We saw a small flock of White Ibis, two Great Egrets, and a Green Heron in one small pond on the river side of the levee. The boy predictably did not want walk very far. It was Africa hot. We transitioned to some car birding and cruised through the LSU farms where we saw black necked stilt and two Little Blue Herons standing like two soldiers at attention by the edge of a flooded rice field. Stocky Cattle Egrets were everywhere, living up to their name as they followed the cows through the pastures. The cattle, the white birds surrounding them, the tall grass, the widely dispersed trees hung with Spanish moss created a lazy Louisiana Serengeti. It was a scene that Audubon might have painted as a background for “the Cattle Egret,” had the birds found their way to North America a century or so before their first appearance here in the 1940s.

The River Road has for years been the place I go for a quick sip of serenity-- a place to go to feel “away”. Moving means finding new places of local pilgrimage. This entails both loss and the excitement of new explorations to come. I don’t think we feel at home in a place until we claim pieces of the landscape-- until we plant our flag and say “this place is mine.”

The Center of the Universe

On a pre-move visit to Tulsa to see the relatives I made pilgrimage to the Center of the Universe. Many thanks to my nephew Nathan and to a good friend known as “Little Donut” for taking me to this holy place. It is pictured here. If one stands on the manhole cover one’s voice reverberates around the plaza in such a way as to evoke awe and wonder. Also pictured, Nate and Donita channeling the power of the Center of the Universe.

When you are inevitably drawn to make pilgrimage to Tulsa, don’t miss McNellie’s Public House , a great pub in downtown Tulsa. Many thanks to Nathan for introducing me to the place. It is a comfortable spot for a bite and a pint. They have a ridiculous number of fine beers on draught. Nate and I have temporarily escaped family and responsibility at McNellie’s many times over the years.

Cramming on China

I have been trying to read up on China, for obvious reasons. Life is too frazzled with the packing to do this in any kind of systematic way, so I have been cruising Barnes & Noble and grabbing what interests me. I just finished a wonderful book called American Shaolin, by Matthew Polly. The book recounts Polly’s sometimes harrowing adventures as he studied Kung Fu for a year with the famous Shaolin Monks. This is vicarious travel at its best, with many “better him than me” moments. His account of a horrific visit to a rural hospital was particularly memorable. It was truly awful experience, but Polly still makes you laugh, somewhat guilty, when he tells the story. Polly clearly had a great deal of affection and respect for his coaches and fellow students. This goodwill comes through in his writing, but the book is still gritty and unsentimental. I recommend it.

In a very different vein, Martha and I have been listening to Simon Winchester read his book, The Man Who Loved China, about pioneering China scholar Joseph Needham. We listened to a good chunk of the book on our recent trip to Tulsa. We liked it so much that we just bought a copy for our library. More on this later.

All Blessings

Reviving the Blog

I am going to try once again to revive my blog. There should be plenty to write about. Whether anyone will be interested in reading is an open question.

There have been many changes in our lives since I last wrote. After nine years, I have left Beth Shalom Synagogue for a new congregation-- the United Jewish Congregation of Hong Kong. When we decide to move on, we do not fool around.

My last service at Beth Shalom was June 20th. The Beth Shalom Mishpacha threw a wonderful farewell oneg for us. We leave behind many dear friends. It was deeply gratifying that so many people came to share this milestone with us and to say good-bye. We cherish them all. If any of you are reading this-- I thank you once again for the privilege of being your Rabbi and for the home you made for us in Baton Rouge. You are coming with us within the treasury of the heart.

At present we are in the packing stage--not a lot of fun. By early August we should be in Hong Kong. I intend to keep writing as we explore our new home and as I settle in as the UJC’s new Rabbi. Expect posts about life in Hong Kong, as well as the usual random observations. I know that I will have two dedicated readers-- my father and Jessica R., who insists that my blogging is somehow a good thing.
All Blessings
Rabbi Z.