RUTHIEISM

The Prof (Professor), my friend, shared this video with me... it is so incredibly powerful... I get it all the time, and it is about time that the myth of perception and stereotypes are dispelled... it is about time for education to triumph over ignorance or worse, mis-education...

While on the one hand, it is weird when people who are not Jews constantly say, "You don't look Jewish", which is the most blatantly racist comment, since what does a Jew look like? The caricature that has been agreed upon by whom? On the other hand, what I find even more saddening is when Jews tell each other this...

Jews are from EVERY "ethnic background" that comprise the human race...

Without further ado... don't miss this profoundly moving video... Vanessa is amazing! Go girl!

The objective of a covenant is continuity. – Prof. Zev Garber

The Constitution of the United States of America is the living will and testament of this great union that is our nation. Law, as life, is neither a static nor a staid reality. Law, like life, is a viable dynamic that is ever-changing (or should) in order to meet the needs of the present day. Yet the law itself is a constant backdrop against the innumerable variables and vicissitudes of changes that life and times are wont to bring. The law, while binding, and in this sense alone, immutable, is not immune to the ebb and flow of change or the tides of the times. Nor should it be expected to be. To place such expectations on the law is both unreasonable and unrealistic. After all, even universal or natural laws, for as binding and constant as they appear to be, are full of change.

In many ways, this very argument over law is a shared argument in Judaic circles amongst those who would argue that the law was given once and for all time and can never be changed. The people on this side of the argument are considered Orthodox and they parallel those parties in American law who represent those who employ judicial restraint. Yet, even within these Orthodox circles there is disagreement, which makes a great argument for my claim in itself. There, however, also exist those on the other side of the argument that claim that while the law is binding, it has no recourse except to undergo change in order to effectively respond to the needs of the people it was originally designed to serve. These people would be more conservative in approach literally, and also parallel the arbiters of judicial activism in our American legal system. The great paradox is that the law, like life, is both constant and full of change. The United States of America’s Constitution is a living and viable document, a constant that provides a framework for our American government to operate within. Yet within this framework, there is much room for interpretation, and the way that a law is interpreted today may differ from an interpretation that took place 50 years ago.

According to our text, original intent is synonymous with judicial restraint, which can be defined as a pure and literal application or interpretation of law. In fact, “Judicial restraint is the judicial philosophy whereby its adherents refuse to go beyond the text of the Constitution in interpreting its meaning.” At the other extreme is the area of judicial activism which simply means that “Courts should see beyond the text of the Constitution or a statute to consider broader societal implications for its decisions.” In other words, the latter approach is a “think-outside-the-box” approach.

The political view point or ideology that a justice maintains largely shapes their ability to adjudicate law. Supreme Court justices make decisions, which hopefully, ultimately safeguard the Constitution, but more broadly, stand to affect countless lives in a ripple-like effect in both the present time as well as for future generations. Some justices lean toward a more liberal bent and will be more progressive in stance as a result, daring to effect social and political change with their decisions. Other Justices, whose bent is more conservative in nature will stick to the moral view of judicial restraint and as a result render decisions that, are not wont to cause change. In short, the personal viewpoint of a Justice greatly affects their professional opinions.

An example of judicial activism can be noted in the infamous case: Roe vs. Wade. “Justice Harry Blackmun’s opinion in the matter was based on a Constitutional right to privacy not found in the words of the Constitution.” To offer a counter example in judicial restraint, our textbook’s authors describe the opinion of a Justice Felix Frankfurter who chose to “Advocate judicial deference to legislative bodies (rather than take a stand, albeit, however counter) in an effort to avoid the ‘political thicket’ or the court’s entanglement.”

It is my personal opinion that the effective adjudication of law is to blend or fuse evenly both the attributes of restraint and activism in order to perpetuate the will of the framers by adapting the covenant of the Constitution of our great nation, which will remain a constant as long as America lives on, to the ever-changing needs of the variables of time within a given era in society. Freedom of speech is a constant protection afforded by the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights. Defining the right to burn the American flag as falling within the scope of this Constitutional right is a variable that I am sure The Framers did not have in mind when writing the bill into law. Law, covenants and constitutions, while intentionally eternal, are not static. As a great philosopher named Heraclitus once so aptly stated, “The only constant is change.”

A special thanks to Dr. James Binney for thought-provoking questions and equally thought-prodding critique, which serves to keep me focused, and on track as well as challenges me to be clear and concise in my responses.

Quoted material in this essay not distinctly attributed in the body of the essay are the collective works of: Theodore J. Lowi, Benjamin Ginsberg and Kenneth A. Shepsle

American Government: Think - Power and Purpose

A cumbersome work with infinite amounts of information... I have learned loads.... many thanks... books have always been some of my greatest teachers...

"I have no patience for those that would deny history." - President Obama

"It is what it is and what a life, Life is." ~ Ruth D. Hochman

Recently, I "bumped" into a man who made some rather interesting remarks to me. Was he crazy? Out to lunch? Right on target? All of the above? No matter. His comments got me to thinking about many things and so I want to share those many things with you. He said, after noticing the Chai (which means life in Hebrew) amulet around my neck, "Miss, what religion are you? What are you? What's your race?" Of course, he first he went on and on about how we must pray for President Obama and the First Lady and of how much these are the worst times in all of history. Pressed for time, I mentioned that I had to go but, in response to his questions I offered, "I am Jewish and Hispanic". He said, "Well that is because it's through marriage."

I never assume anything. I believe assumptions lead to foolish and unnecessary mistakes. His too-forward-for-my-taste response brought out the natural - though now very tempered - combatant in me, and so I flatly said, "No it isn't." But it is what he went on to next say that was most interesting. "Miss, you know, being Jewish is not a good thing in the world today. People think just because the Jews are big producers and stuff in Hollywood that it means something. But I am here to tell you, Miss, that it doesn't. Jews are not very well-liked. Especially since Bernie Madoff made it so bad and ruined the world financially." He no longer annoyed me after this. In fact, I smiled a confident and pleased smile. In departing, I simply replied, "Interesting observations". This man had no idea how much he affirmed my being-ness.

My name is Ruth Devorah Hochman. I am a Jew. I am a proud American by birth and a grateful Jew by choice. I also am a citizen of Israel. You can call me Ruthie, Ruth, Ruth Devorah, Ruth D. or Ms. Hochman. That is your choice. But if you don't call me by one of the afore-mentioned, or some variation thereof, then you just don't call me at all. If my own father, the man who named me at birth, called me a year before he died and asked to speak with Ruth Devorah Hochman, then anyone else had sure as hell better. Some day, I'll fill in the blanks with more details, when I share my story with you all entitled, 'In Search of the Promised Land'. Of course, I'll remain ever-mindful that the devil is in the details, and so I'll be sure to handle the truth with great care. Some sleeping dogs are better left dead. There are many others, however, whose awakening I remain completely undaunted by. In fact, they should be awoken. For now, however, I want to share with you just a bit, because there is a point in my doing so and because I have been processing a lot as of late. So this is how the story goes.

I am the only child of my mother and father though I am not their only children. I am all that remains of their singular purpose and intent as I am the only thing they accomplished together in this world. I have reconciled myself with the fate of my parents, but this was not easy for me to do. I am grateful to my parents because if they gave me nothing else in this life, they did the one thing for me that matters most in this world; they were the conduits through which I came to be. They gave me life. And I am in love with life.

When I was a little girl, 2.5 years old, my mother was murdered in a horrendous act of violence. My father left me to be cared for by her side of the family. The life of an orphan is a painful lot. It is difficult to be persecuted, abused, intimidated and frightened and have no recourse for self-defense but fear. Make no mistake about it, the formative years of our lives are crucial in the formation of our being-ness. I know my "righteous" indignation at the cruelties of oppression and lack of fear for oppressors I now have in my life, stem from as far back as my early childhood. My heart bleeds for the vulnerable, marginalized members of society because I know too well what it is like to experience the horrors of affliction.

My memory, which thank G-d, is a very strong feature of my psyche and impeccably intact (may it remain as such to the end), as well as quite long, became awakened at the age of three. I mean by this that I remember events in my life as far back as the age of three quite vividly. I have always had a very full, vibrant, and vivid imagination. I do not know if this is because I was born this way, or if it is because the isolation and abuse I experienced caused me to search for a survival mechanism as a way to cope with my trauma, fear and hopelessness.

When I was four years old, I remember looking out of the window from the bedroom I was infinitely locked in and staring out at the blue sky and puffy clouds. On that particular day I had my first "confrontation" with the Divine... ALL THAT IS. I wondered if life was real or if this was all just a dream. "It all", life that is, seemed so surreal.

At the age of 6, my father, who I recall seeing on two occasions in 4 years, re-appeared in my life and took me to live with him and his then girlfriend as they were relocating to Sacramento, CA. I spent 7 years with them, and for now I'll just say, they were interesting times. The kind of times that were mired in insanity, abuse, illness, religion, hypocrisy, naivete, simplicity and innocence. Indeed, they were the times of my life, because they so largely shaped the person I became.

I grew up reading the bible, and rather extensively, I might add. Much to my chagrin, by force, at many times. Yet, when I read of my own accord and interest, which was throughout my childhood, it was nothing short of an exercise in pure delight. I am very well-versed in both the New Testament as well as the old. However, I do not call the old, the old, I call it Torah. I was always fascinated by the riveting tales of the many escapades and experiences that occurred throughout the ancient history of the Jewish people. When I was a little girl, in my father's house, reading the bible all of the time, I didn't really know that I was reading about the history of the Jewish people. I just thought I was reading about Israelites, a fascinating people whose story I greatly resonated with on every level. I understood at the core of my being their oppression, their fear, the agony of their homelessness, the tenacity of their purpose, and their will to succeed against all odds.

What I had most in common with the people in this narrative is their direct connection to G-d. They had something I loved and experienced personally - a direct connection to the Divine. In fact, it is the story of Moses at the burning bush that altered my life completely. When I first read this story, I was 7, maybe 8. There is a point in the narrative when Moses asks G-d, "Whom shall I tell them sent me?" And G-d replied, "Tell them I Shall Be What I Shall Be Sent You". In that moment, I understood G-d is Great and infinite. I was moved beyond what words could ever describe. I apprehended an eternal truth. My little heart knew then that there is a G-d and I fell in love with this G-d. In that moment, I also knew that G-d had been my protector all along, and would continue to be for the remainder of my life. Yes, it was in that moment that I understood the Divine and apprehended the truth of ALL THAT IS. Some people call this the Universe, others call it the Force. Call "IT" what you will, I call "IT" G-d.

Then I set out on a journey. I was 13 years old when I left my father's house. I was innocent to the ways of the world in every way, yet completely too knowing about the ways of life in others. And oh, upon setting sail on my new journey did life get real interesting and so it remained for too long a time.

I will fast forward now to when I was 22. My 20's were the worst times of my life, and the times before them were not so good. After many years of reading hundreds of books on philosophy and various world religions, I arrived at the decision that the one religion I related to completely was the one that subscribed to G-d in the same way as I, and that is Judaism. It was in November of 1994 that I made the decision to become Jewish. Soon after this, my life became unbearable and it remained this way for a very long, long time. I wouldn't convert to Judaism officially for nine years.

Two very particular things occurred in relation to my chosen life that are relevant. In the summer of 1993 I had a "larger-than-life" lucid dream. Though I didn't know it at the time. I later wrote a story about it called, "Invincible". I will not belabor the details of the story now, except to say that the key character in this dream, a soldier, was named "Rus". I even had a tattoo engraved on my upper left arm as a symbol of this dream. This was before it was chic for girls to get tattoos on their arms. For years, this dream puzzled me. In May of 2002, I learned from an email by Aish Hatorah during Shavuot - a Jewish Holiday - that Rus is the Ashkenazi name for Ruth. The other important event that occurred happened in the the Spring of 1993. I wrote a poem entitled, "Who Am I"? The main character in that poem is named Devorah, although, I spelled Devorah with a "B". The reason I used the name Devorah was because Devorah, a prophetess and judge in Ancient Israel was a great heroine and one of my personal heroes. In 2003, the year I converted, I connected all of these dots, and so this is how I chose my new name. Hochman is also a great tale.

In 1995 I changed my last name to Silveira. It was my mother's last name at the time of my birth. I didn't find this out until 1995, and hence, the subsequent change. Between 1990 and 1995 I had used my ex-husband's surname. I wanted to sever that tie completely, but did not want to revert to my father's surname for too many reasons. I thought it best to be rooted, for the remainder of my life, to my mother in some apparent and symbolic way. The origin of the surname Silveira is fascinating. I love history and so I researched the name extensively. In a word, the name has everything to do with the fruit blackberry. In October of 2004, when I emigrated to Israel, I was afforded an opportunity to change my name once and for all time. Ruth Devorah Silveira just didn't click with me. I figured if I was now Jewish, in a Jewish land, and with a Jewish first and middle name, then the obvious should follow. Logic has always and will always appeal to me.

New immigrants are allowed to change their name one time and one time only and that is when their papers get processed by the Ministry of Interior in the State of Israel. So I took my one shot opp, and I asked the government clerk who was processing my paperwork what the Hebrew equivalent of the word blackberry is. She said, "ochmaniot". I quickly thought to myself that that definitely wouldn't suit me. But "Hochman" might. So I said to the clerk, "Put me Hochman". But I also had to check the spelling, because I didn't like the idea of my name starting with an "O". Call me particular. I am. I didn't know then that "H" is silent in Hebrew. So 32 years exactly, from the day I was born, I became Ruth Devorah Hochman. This all happened very fast, by the way. The number 32 in Hebrew is equal to the word lev, and lev in Hebrew means heart. Six months after officially becoming Ruth Hochman, I discovered that Hochman is a German word for tall man. I will not change my name again.

I was born a woman. Ethnically I am Hispanic. I was born into poverty. I was orphaned. Could I be more marginalized? To top it all off, I became Jewish. Oh, and I even enlisted in the U.S. Army at the ripe old age of 35. I thrive on challenge. What else can I can say? But what does this all really mean? Long ago, I discovered the infinity of the Divine and this discovery captured my soul for eternity. And I learned of a people whose narrative describes an amazing relationship with the Divine. These people have a great history and a great heritage. I wanted to become a part of that history and that heritage. Why? Because all that my parents left me, was me. And no one on either side of their families picked up the ball and cared. Not a one of them offered me their hearts, a chance to be a part of their family or love.

I had no history or heritage - no frame of reference except a mother I never knew and a father with whom I was estranged for the better part of my life. I wanted to identify with a people. This doesn't mean I am not in touch with my Hispanic heritage. I speak Spanish. I love Spanish music and food. But that is a broad stroke of connection. I needed something more specific. In this world we must be rooted to something above and beyond ourselves. Yet, this something must also be an immediately recognizable and tangible expression of who we are at core. What better people to identify with than the people whose G-d I love and whom I call by the same name. It doesn't really get much simpler than that for me.

If I was seeking popularity, I would have become Buddhist, although I must admit, I do completely advocate embodying an inner calm, spirit of Zen, if you will. But my unpopular choice was never about becoming popular. It was, however, always about aligning myself with my beliefs and my faith in the eternal. Do not allow all of the G-d talk to mislead you about the person I am. I am not a religious person according to the terms of religion as defined by those who are religious. I am worldly. I hate labels. I love history and traditions - they are the threads that make the tapestry of life so beautiful. I love the world and being in it. I believe in a pluralistic society. I strive for social justice and aim to be socially conscientious. And so, for good or bad, better or worse, but never indifferent, I have cast my fate with the Jewish people. Indeed, perhaps not the most popular choice as the odd man I "bumped" into stated. But it is my choice. And again you ask, but why? Because as my name sake once stated, "Your people are my (kind of) people, and (most importantly) your G-d is my G-d".

Some things we let go of gladly. Some things we let go of rather reluctantly. Some things or people we let go of because they hurt us too much to keep them near. Some times letting go hurts so much, but hanging on hurts so much more. I have chosen to forgive all of my relatives the various slights against my soul and humanity they have inflicted upon me. But I let them go a long, long time ago. I will not engender hate. But I am unable to forget. These persons are ghosts of the past, a past I will or can never forget, but one I do not wish to relive or let linger on in my present. Nor do I dare allow these ghosts the opportunity to accompany me into my future. Oh, I remember the dreadful place I came from. How can I ever forget? Forgiving for me is not easy. We all have our weaknesses. I am grateful, because I have grown so much in the last year. The Army did me a lot of good. Most importantly, I have forgiven myself. I have seen and done so many things. Our experiences can make us or break us.

Recently, I had to let go of a lot, both externally and internally. I had become so hardened by life. So gruff - abrasive. A survival tactic that served me well for a very long time, but was now becoming a great disservice to me, especially as I am finally really beginning to flourish in a way that I have always intended. I was nearly at the brink of the abyss of a bitterness without end. My soul was endangered. I had to let go of the anger. Imagine. Little me? A powerful temper, full of fury. The ill-sentiment was gnawing at me, literally threatening to take my breath away. Deal with anger, people. It is harmful. So harmful. Anger is harmful to your health. For so long now I have longed for the days before I set sail on my life quest. When though I knew pain, I was once so innocent. Before I knew what life was like. Before I saw the subterfuge and the trickeries and the conniving and the scheming of people everywhere. Before I had been broken down, battered and betrayed endlessly. Before the disinterest, and disenchantment of a place beyond the disillusionment that too much disappointment brings one to.

Yes, I have done much, too. But I have never sold my soul or sacrificed my well-being for anything. And in this truth lies the great irony of my life. I am inextricably linked to two souls who caused me pain, by no real mal-intent, but simply by virtue of their being my parents. I am also indelibly linked to two souls I brought pain, too, through no mal-intent, but also simply by virtue of my being their mother, and the latter two souls have crushed my heart as well. Oh, the vicious cycles of life - so hard to break. I wanted to heal, to be better, calmer, softer. I was so tired of carrying such a heavy load. But healing hurts. And so I prayed and cried and released and let go. And in the tumult that this experience brought to my life over the past 6 months, I began to slowly feel the change. And true to form, the transition was worst right before I experienced my breakthrough. I thought I would break down, the pain became that unbearable. Where did it all come from? Was I so busy living life and meeting challenges that I didn't have time to realize that this junk was going on inside of me?

But I relinquished. I let go... finally. I rid my life of all toxicity. I decided to move on and press forward. To keep on keeping on. And I am grateful for such an amazing life. I aim to live it well. Today, I am in touch with and unafraid of my vulnerability. I am grateful for my fragility of being. For they affirm my raw humanity at its best. I am thankful for the calm fortitude and gentle strength which guides me, and for the firm resolution and principled discipline which keep me anchored. I treasure and guard my health. There is something quite incredible about going full circle in life. Seeing and doing a whole lot of living and become jaded in the process; and then somehow through it all - while deeply affected, and not unscathed - managing a return to innocence.

Inset picture circa 1976

This post is dedicated to the memory of my parents. May they rest eternally in peace.