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New Knee & Making Peace

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 Dear Friends,             A  New Knee & Making Peace       3/5/20
On January 22 I got a new knee and I’m now recovering. Lyn
was here for my surgery and has been supporting me
enormously in my recovery. She made lots of phone calls and
suggestions to make sure the recovery went easier and faster
for me.
I spent 4 weeks in rehab. There I ate my meals with 4 Jewish
patients and a Presbyterian. It was a surprisingly good
opportunity to share about working for peace, including sharing
a talk and photos on Colombia and El Salvador and having lots
of good conversations.

One Jewish brother remarked, “We all want peace but you are
doing something about it.” Irwin, another Jew, read my peace
pamphlets and took the names of all the books I use for quiet
time so he could get them and read them.

I showed Irwin a map of Israel/Palestine and how the
Palestinians controlled about 95% of the land in 1947 and only
10% today. He showed this map to Mart who is Jewish. Mart
responded, “Oh that’s just propaganda. “ Irwin answered, “You
can call it propaganda, but it is true.”

Irwin who is 91 taught Russian literature for 58 years at
Northwestern University here in Evanston. Since 1960 he has
visited Russia almost every year. He speaks and sings in

Russian. He is the USA leader of a friendship exchange program
between USA and Russia.

Irwin also shared, “I’m against Bernie because he is a socialist.
As a socialist I fear that when someone disagrees with Bernie
they will be thrown in the clink like they do in Russia. I’ve seen
too much repression in Russia.” He added, “If Mickey Mouse
were running against Trump, I would vote for Mickey.”

Irwin further added, “I grew up being taught when Israel gets
its own state, there will be no repression against any ethnic
group. There will be equality, justice, peace and fairness. What
would it be like if someone moved into your neighborhood and
destroyed your house and arrested and /or killed some in your
family? That is what the Israeli Netanyahu government is
doing to the Palestinians! Now I’ve come to see it is not
right what Israel is doing today. There are sizeable groups of
Israelis who are against what their government is doing. Some
of my best friends are these Peaceniks in Israel. “

This rehab time was a real eye opener for me, especially about
Judaism and Russia. It was a special gift to be with these other
people in rehab.

Pray for the corona virus to stop spreading.

Shalom, Jim

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