It is fitting, I suppose, that I am shutting down THINKING ALLOWED as we are almost fully packed and ready to go on our cruise just as we celebrate Yom Kippur.  This is a time to be thankful for getting past a confusing task about taking your life at home and condensing it into some bags and an itinerary that will take you to foreign places that cannot be as comfortable as your own home.  There are still a few items to cram into places that cannot take any more and we already have had one old suitcase unravel and had to go out to buy a new one – there are these unexpected little crises that add spice to what is already a dreadful task.

But, this is the last THINKING ALLOWED I am going to write before leaving.  There is really no time and leisure to sit and compose a daily commentary (some might say complaint 7/24/365).  This is particularly apropos today since we are getting ready to sing in the “Vocal Group”, Hava Nashira, which replaced the many membered Choir that we joined when we decided to become members of Temple Sinai of North Dade. Carol and I have not really recovered from the time it was announced that there no longer was a Choir.  We were pleased when the “Vocal Group” was offered as a placebo but it is a great come-down to play second fiddle to four professional singers who used to augment the choir which was unprofessional but whose heart and dedication was appreciated by our Congregation.

We shall sing tonight and then begin the fasting which is a common enough religious experience throughout the world.  We do it from sundown tonight through sundown on Saturday and we will leave for Toronto on Sunday evening.

Our new year will be 5768 by the Jewish calendar which is a pretty amazing trick in a world where civilizations arise, flourish and then disappear.  And this has been pointed out as an achievement by a small group whose contributions to the world has been in contrast to its vast achievements, the first of which is the notion of one God replacing the idols that are still worshipped by too many around the world.  Simplicity is pretty good and the fast is not that difficult and is over in a flash.

I am not selling Judaism or THINKING ALLOWED.  I am paying attention to the ideas and issues that push me into recording my reflections on the times in which we live.  Once again as we leave on an extended vacation (26 days this time) to the Mediterranean - Flying to Rome but staying aboard ship all the way home – I want to tell you that we will miss you and hope you will think a little about us as we visit port to port around Italy, Croatia, Greece Turkey and back to the coast of France, Spain, Portugal and the Azores and then back home to Ft. Lauderdale.