Sorry. I couldn’t help myself and put some information between the jokes. But who says that the coronavirus is not funny? Since when don’t Jews laugh about disasters, pending and past? That would be really funny.
Netanyahu loyalist, the Israeli Minister of Justice, has ordered suspension of all non-urgent count cases, right after the PM on TV ordered the nation to stay home indefinitely unless one must get out and only two days before his historic corruption trial was going to start. You must hand it to him: well played, Mr. Teflon. Few saw this coming. Kudos to the villain!
(Meanwhile, the PM also called for a broad emergency unity government now we’re at war against this invisible enemy — not the first time he copied an idea from my blog posts without credit. He called the epidemic turned pandemic “the worst in 100 years.” That’s a bit of an exaggeration. The 1918 “Spanish flu” infected about 500-1000 million people worldwide — roughly a third of the planet’s population at the time. It killed an estimated 20 million to 50 million, up to 5-10% of the patients. This is not in the cards with the newest coronavirus. At worst, if uncontested, it will infect 70% of the world but ‘only’ kill up to 3.5% or 170 million people. But it is opposed and practically halted already in China, which means that 1.3 billion, 20% of all people, just got off with 3,100 deaths. So the threat of this novel virus seems less than the 1957 “Asian flu” and the 1968 “Hong Kong flu” (50 years ago), which each killed upward of 1 million people.)
Now, the whole nation alike needs to wash its hands constantly because Netanyahu washes his hands of the corruption charges against him?
We are also told to keep personal distance (2 meters) on all occasions: in public, at meetings, on the bus, at work, and at home. Some homes don’t even have 2 meters per person, like yeshivot. What are they supposed to do? Now, meetings of more than 10 people are forbidden. Families with 9 kids must then do what? Netanyahu thought about that. Just keep your 2-meter distance and the number of large families will diminish soon. And then women don’t need a ritual bath or the sea. This man thought of it all.
Meetings must be 10 people tops. Maybe shuls should have prayer services as shift work. As soon as 10 people are finished, the next 10 go in.
So interesting that prayer services now are almost gone but just after we gave each other mishloach manot, showing that Haman was mistaken claiming that Jews were dispersed because they couldn’t stand each other.
The preventative two-meter distance in a closed room only works without a draft. The frantic, though, open all windows making viruses breathed out fly much further, infecting everyone in the room. Panic can kill you.
While Netanyahu is fatherly talking to the Israeli nation, you hear him think “Boy, am I good at this.” And he is.
Real antisemites knew already that the Jews did this way before the virus infected anyone. Wait till they find out how well this suited Netanyahu!
But now Gantz got the majority to begin for forming a government, let’s see how eager Bibi will be to join Gantz instead of the other way around.
In any case, I won’t blame the Chinese dictators for at first, trying to deny the outbreak and keeping this a secret, giving it a head start of 60 days. They thought it was an innocent coLona virus, confusing it with eau de cologne, French perfume. And Trump thought, what the Chinese can, we can do better. He denied it for months and blocked all testing possibilities.
He thought to face the virus with a proven tactic. The Senate approved his denial of climate change so let’s deny this here too. No one told him that climate change may wipe us out in 50 years but this one could kill us now.
Have you seen these pictures of people storming supermarkets to hoard? These are not Holocaust survivors or their children. We always hoard. I’ve no place in my cabinets to stuff away more than what I collect year-round already. Little wonder they panic if they’ve not been through anything in life. BTW: What’s worse than an apple with a worm in it? The Holocaust. And what is worse than the Holocaust? Nothing — you should know that.
Worldwide, prime items being hoarded are water and toilet paper. Does the virus block waterlines? Don’t the frantic know that tap water is safe to drink and good at rinsing behinds clean? Or are they planning to use it as cheap tissue? This is not a flu virus, will not give us stuffed noses. And because of recession, we soon will be able to use banknotes to clean with.
Really charming is this Israeli naivety that we can all just stay home and use social media and the Internet to connect with everyone all day round. These connections are based on the fact that most telephone lines lie idle for most of the day. But with everyone online and on the phone non-stop, we will see more and more virtual disconnection. Western man seems to really don’t know the word limited. Only G^d is limitless.
I have just one request. When it’s all over and we storm out to celebrate, can we please keep the ban on theater and public sports events? So that people from boredom just must become social activists? What’s the use of beating the virus that threatens 3.5% of us and then all dying of climate change because we can’t give up on meat, the car, and having fun?
MM is a prolific and creative writer and thinker, previously a daily blog contributor to the TOI. He often makes his readers laugh, mad, or assume he's nuts—close to perfect blogging. He's proud that his analytical short comments are removed both from left-wing and right-wing news sites. None of his content is generated by the new bore on the block, AI. *
As a frontier thinker, he sees things many don't yet. He's half a prophet. Half. Let's not exaggerate. Or not at all because he doesn't claim G^d talks to him. He gives him good ideas—that's all. MM doesn't believe that people observe and think in a vacuum. He, therefore, wanted a broad bio that readers interested can track a bit what (lack of) backgrounds, experiences, and educations contribute to his visions. *
This year, he will prioritize getting his unpublished books published rather than just blog posts. Of the 15 (!) books he has in mind, the next two are about homosexuality in Judaism and new rabbinics. Next year, he hopes to focus on activism against human extinction. To find less-recent posts on a subject XXX among his over 2600 archived ones, go to the right-top corner of a Times of Israel page, click on the search icon and search "zuiden, XXX". One can find a second, wilder blog that also may contain updates to Times of Israel posts, to which one may subscribe, here: https://mmvanzuiden.wordpress.com/ or by clicking on the globe icon next to his picture on top. *
He's getting ready to publicize books on: "Free Will, "Judaism and Homosexuality, "His parents in the Holocaust, "Judaism, "A New Torah Translation and "A New Hebrew Grammar, "Co-Counseling, "Vegan Facts, "Immortality, and more. *
Like most of his readers, he believes in being friendly, respectful, and loyal. However, if you think those are his absolute top priorities, you might end up disappointed. His first loyalty is to the truth. He agrees that in a post-truth world, that's irrelevant, but then this is for the record. He will try to stay within the limits of democratic and Jewish law, but he won't lie to support opinions or people when don't deserve that. (Yet, we all make honest mistakes, which is just fine and does not justify losing support.) He admits that he sometimes exaggerates to make a point, which could have him come across as nasty, while in actuality, he's quite a lovely person to interact with. He holds - how Dutch - that a strong opinion doesn't imply intolerance of other views. *
Sometimes he's misunderstood because his wide and diverse field of vision seldomly fits any specialist's box. But that's exactly what some love about him. He has written a lot about Psychology (including Sexuality and Abuse), Medicine (including physical immortality), Science (including basic statistics), Politics (Israel, the US, and the Netherlands, Activism - more than leftwing or rightwing, he hopes to highlight reality), Oppression and Liberation (intersectionally, for young people, the elderly, non-Whites, women, workers, Jews, LGBTQIA+, foreigners and anyone else who's dehumanized or exploited), Integrity, Philosophy, Jews (Judaism, Zionism, Holocaust and Jewish Liberation), the Climate Crisis, Ecology and Veganism, Affairs from the news, or the Torah Portion of the Week, or new insights that suddenly befell him. *
Chronologically, his most influential teachers are his parents, Nico (natan) van Zuiden and Betty (beisye) Nieweg, Wim Kan, Mozart, Harvey Jackins, Marshal Rosenberg, Reb Shlomo Carlebach, and, lehavdil bein chayim lechayim, Rabbi Dr. Natan Lopes Cardozo, Rav Zev Leff, and Rav Meir Lubin. This short list doesn't mean to disrespect others who taught him a lot or a little. One of his rabbis calls him Mr. Innovation [Ish haChidushim]. Yet, his originalities seem to root deeply in traditional Judaism, though they may grow in unexpected directions. In fact, he claims he's modernizing nothing. Rather, mainly basing himself on the basic Hebrew Torah text, he tries to rediscover classical Jewish thought almost lost in thousands of years of stifling Gentile domination and Jewish assimilation. (He pleads for a close reading of the Torah instead of going by rough assumptions of what it would probably mean and before fleeing to Commentaries.) This, in all aspects of life, but prominently in the areas of Free Will, Activism, Homosexuality for men, and Redemption. *
He hopes that his words will inspire and inform, and disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed. He aims to bring a fresh perspective rather than harp on the obvious and familiar. When he can, he loves to write encyclopedic overviews. He doesn't expect his readers to agree. Rather, original minds should be disputed. In short, his main political positions are among others: anti-Trumpism, for Zionism, Intersectionality, non-violence, anti those who abuse democratic liberties, anti the fake ME peace process, for original-Orthodoxy, pro-Science, pro-Free Will, anti-blaming-the-victim, and for down-to-earth, classical optimism, and happiness. Read his blog on how he attempts to bridge any tensions between those ideas or fields. *
He is a fetal survivor of the pharmaceutical industry (https://diethylstilbestrol.co.uk/studies/des-and-psychological-health/), born in 1953 to his parents who were Dutch-Jewish Holocaust survivors who met in the largest concentration camp in the Netherlands, Westerbork. He grew up a humble listener. It took him decades to become a speaker too, and decades more to admit to being a genius. But his humility was his to keep. And so was his honesty. Bullies and con artists almost instantaneously envy and hate him. He hopes to bring new things and not just preach to the choir. *
He holds a BA in medicine (University of Amsterdam) – is half a doctor. He practices Re-evaluation Co-counseling since 1977, is not an official teacher anymore, and became a friendly, powerful therapist. He became a social activist, became religious, made Aliyah, and raised three wonderful kids. Previously, for decades, he was known to the Jerusalem Post readers as a frequent letter writer. For a couple of years, he was active in hasbara to the Dutch-speaking public. He wrote an unpublished tome about Jewish Free Will. He's a strict vegan since 2008. He's an Orthodox Jew but not a rabbi. *
His writing has been made possible by an allowance for second-generation Holocaust survivors from the Netherlands. It has been his dream since he was 38 to try to make a difference by teaching through writing. He had three times 9-out-of-10 for Dutch at his high school finals but is spending his days communicating in English and Hebrew - how ironic. G-d must have a fine sense of humor. In case you wonder - yes, he is a bit dyslectic. If you're a native English speaker and wonder why you should read from people whose English is only their second language, consider the advantage of having an original peek outside of your cultural bubble. His posts are spell, grammar, and style polished by AI, but all written by himself. *
To send any personal reaction to him, scroll to the top of the blog post and click Contact Me. *
His newest books you may find here: https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3AMoshe-Mordechai%2FMaurits+van+Zuiden&s=relevancerank&text=Moshe-Mordechai%2FMaurits+van+Zuiden&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1
