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Book Review of Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time
A review of Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace…One School at a Time by Greg Mortensen and David Oliver Relin
Review by Rabbi Ana Bonnheim
After you read this, please login and comment to share your thoughts.
Greg Mortenson was just an average mountain climber looking for the next adventure. In 1993, he went out to scale K2, the world’s second tallest peak. After a failed attempt to reach the summit, he lost his group on the descent. He ended up high in the mountains of northern Pakistan, in a village called Korphe. Moved by the inhabitants’ kindness, Mortenson promised Haji Ali, a village elder, that he would return and build a school for the impoverished inhabitants of Korphe.
Ever since that first promise, Mortenson hasn’t stayed away from Pakistan for too long. In fourteen years, he built 58 schools and expanded to parts of Afghanistan. Mortenson’s schools take special care in educating girls, who would otherwise receive no education, and these schools counter the Taliban’s school networks. Mortenson believes that education is the key to freedom and to escaping poverty. Mortenson says that the kinds of people that he admires most, and indeed the religious leaders he admires most, are like Sayed Abbas, a Muslim cleric in rural Pakistan, who “is about compassion in action, not talk. He doesn’t just lock himself up with his books. Sayed believes in rolling up his sleeves and making the world a better place.”
Mortenson tells the story of his incredible journey in Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace… One School at a Time. In a humble and simple voice, Mortenson tells his own story, a story that moves from a despairing, lost man to one with purpose, one who is changing the world. Mortenson’s interactions and adventures in Pakistan and Afganistan certainly make for exciting reading, but it is the larger messages of the book that are more inspiring.
First, Mortenson demonstrates the capacity of one person to make a tangible difference in the world. For all of us cynics for whom it can be easier to deny the possibility of change rather than strive for it, Mortenson’s story is evidence that each individual matters. But Mortenson doesn’t promote traveling to rural villages in war-torn countries as the only way to make a difference. It is one way to change the world, but it is not the only one. What is relevant about Mortenson’s journey is that he saw the potential for helping others and chose to help. He didn’t go out seeking to help rural Afghani and Pakistani villages but when confronted with kind, impoverished individuals, he saw that he could substantially help the villages. We can follow Mortenson’s example: we needn’t feel compelled to search the world for problems to solve (though this is perfectly fine) but simply must keep our eyes open to the opportunities and possibilities for change that come our way.
Second, Mortenson did not set out to change the landscape of village schools in an isolated, mountainous region. He set out to build one school for one village. The powerful message here is that when Mortenson began this project, he did not see it as it exists today. He saw one part of a problem and saw concrete action that he could take. An action led to another action which led to another action, which led to a realization of bigger picture change. Mortenson demonstrates how it is small, individual change which leads to global change. As Saul Alinsky, the founder of community organizing in America taught, acting locally leads to thinking globally.
Third, Mortenson believed in his dreams and didn’t get discouraged by his own limitations. For years, Mortenson had so little money that sometimes he lived out of his car. He put every penny he had towards his dream of building schools and dismayed that it was not enough. He put his heart and soul into raising money, not knowing if he could succeed to raise enough. He knew that what he was doing was important and affected others’ lives. He also knew that he would do his best to make it happen, even if immediate change was not possible.
Mortenson’s story is inspiring and thought-provoking for all ages. It is a great book for a family discussion or a teen book group. The lessons to be learned are many, but it would also be a shame to focus too much on lessons and ignore the beauty and wonder of Mortenson’s journey itself.
Questions to consider:
- What do you think drives Mortenson to do this work?
- What are the implications of his projects?
- Where do you see problems around you that are begging for action? What could you contribute?
- What do you think you learn most from Mortenson? What are his powerful messages to you?
The Pope on YouTube and Send us your Recipes and Photos
So, I am working on a hat trick of blogs this week. And, I’ve succeeded. Three in one week. I don’t think I’ve done that before. And, hey, I never said they would be quality. Apparently, I’m going for quantity.
The Pope launched his YouTube channel this week. Which says to me two things: (1) we’re so on the right track, and (2) I’m glad we did it first. I love when the Pope follows my lead. Oh, and number 3 (yeah, I know I said there would be 2) is that we’re doing so much more than that, because we’re a full-service virtual synagogue – a real online community. We’re not only a website or a YouTube channel, but so much more. And we’ve got a really cool philosophy (from a humanistic perspective) that speaks to contemporary Jews.
Anyway, in other news, I just got an email from a friend looking for Tu B’Shevat materials. Tu B’Shevat is the New Year of the Trees (Judaism has four new years, we seem to like them). It falls on February 8th this year, and it’s a great holiday for connecting to the environment/nature. So, if any of you has any great ideas or you’ve had fun Tu B’Shevat celebrations in the past, let me know and we’ll share your ideas.
And, while a lot of Jews don’t observe Tu B’Shevat, Passover is the most observed holiday of the Jewish year. We’re coming up with lots of Passover material… but again, send us your ideas. We hope to add to our cookbook, so feel free to send your favorite Passover (or other) recipes.
Anytime you celebrate Judaism at home, email us a photo and we’ll post it on the site. Got Hanukkah photos? Shabbat? Passover? Photos of your kids doing projects from this website? Photos of you in front of the computer, at the online congregation? Judaism is a religion that can largely be experienced in your house, so please share what you’re doing with us. You might even make it onto the homepage. Names not necessary.
Happy weekend!
Jelly Donuts, a Right Wing Congressman, and Anointing Obama’s Doorway – a Taste of my Email Inbox
One of the best parts of my job is getting emails from all of you. I hear from people who are literally around the world. Sometimes it’s a Jewish question, sometimes it’s feedback on the virtual synagogue experience, sometimes it’s someone seeking advice on a personal situation, and sometimes it’s really interesting and informative stuff you’ve decided to share with me.
I was just cleaning out my inbox, and stumbled upon two such emails.
One, from Jack in Texas, was a response to a question I had asked in one of my Hanukkah video podcasts… Specifically, what’s up with jelly donuts on Hanukkah? It always seemed to me any greasy donut should work, and since I’m more of a glazed, or coconut, or chocolate frosted with pretty sprinkles donut kind of person, I’ve never had much interest in jelly.
But, Jack found an article in the New York Times and wrote me to say that according to Joan Nathan, sufganiyot (jelly donuts) arrived in what is now Israel with early, German-speaking Zionists. Despite the neat Hebrew name and the reputation as the authentic Israeli Hanukkah food, sufganiyot are descendants from German pfannkuchen or Polish paczki (which is fascinating, because when I first cleaned out a Religious School closet at Beth Adam, I found a stuffed paczki (think stuffed animal donut). I had no idea what it was (thankfully, it had a label). I believe I recycled it, but, man, if I still had it it would make for a great Kodak moment on the online congregation.) That was a lot of parentheses.
Anyway, the article also tells us that there are some great pina colada and mocha sufganiyot recipes. Sounds kind of weird, but for “religious reasons,” I’m always willing to indulge in fried foods.
Another fun email came from Yossi in Illinois who wrote me about Congressman Paul Broun and anointing (yes, anointing, using oil from Jerusalem) the doorway before the inauguration that Obama would walk through on his way to being sworn in. First of all, have you ever heard of the separation of Church and State? Second of all…. this is just plain ridiculous! Third of all, right-winged Congressman Broun is the guy who compared Obama to Hitler and Stalin earlier this year. How could anyone have voted for Broun? He’s almost as scary, if not more so, than the Arkansas Congressman Bill Maher interviewed in Religulous who doesn’t believe in evolution and admitted and proved the point, “you don’t have to pass an I.Q. test to be in the Senate.” Frightening. Below is the video of the anointing, if any of you wants something to laugh about.
And Rabbi Barr spoke about the anointing in his January 20th podcast if you want to hear more about it. Think Passover rituals and doors. Don’t know what I’m talking about? Tune in to Barr’s Banter to find out.
And, don’t forget to email me. It’s how I measure my popularity. Not really- but I do like getting lots of emails and hearing from you.
Oh What a Day… An invocation, a presidential speech, and a benediction all at one inauguration
Oh, what a day it has been! Watching the inauguration was powerful and inspiring. It is an event that ushers in an era of hope and hopefully peace and good things for America.
A few random thoughts on the inauguration:
Pastor Rick Warren’s invocation was terrible. I found it disjointed in content, and oddly delivered. His attempt to be ecumenical was awkward and ultimately meaningless (he recited the Shema, the so-called watchword of Judaism). He was boring. He did not acknowledge the situation we are actually in – he focused on the positives of living in America while ignoring the harsh realities it also brings.
Warren focused on Obama as a leader, and didn’t inspire us to be part of the change. He said “we now commit” the Obamas “into your loving care” which sounded like a eulogy to me. He concluded with the “Our Father” prayer. Is this typical for inaugurations? I thought it was a horrible way to end. Overall, I felt that he was attempting to speak for us, rather than with us – which is so not Obama’s style.
In contrast, I loved Reverend Joseph Lowery’s benediction. He was fabulous. As a co-founder, along with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Lowery was the perfect man to have the honor of delivering the benediction. His words were poetic and inspiring; I particularly loved his line “as we leave this mountain top…”
Lowery acknowledged the world we live in, speaking about the need to “restore stability, mend our brokenness, heal our wounds” and more. He focused on human responsibility, not just President Obama’s role. He talked about unity, support, sacrifices, respect, turning to one another, and other important values. He was amazing!
Of course, Lowery’s lines about “work for that day when black will not be asked to get in back, when brown can stick around, when yellow will be mellow, when the red man can get ahead, man; and when white will embrace what is right” were funny and significant. I’m not sure anyone else could have delivered those words with as much meaning and seriousness, even acknowledging their humor, as Lowery did. And, the best part? He got the crowd to shout “amen” a few times at the end.
Not surprisingly, I also thought Obama was fabulous. He seemed true to himself, and genuine. He acknowledged our challenges, and he acknowledged that there are cynics… and yet, he leads me to believe the world truly will be a better place. At one point during his speech, I thought to myself “wow, he’s not just giving a beautiful speech, he’s talking to ME (and every other American!). He’s telling us we have a responsibility to help our communities and our world.” I truly hope that each of us embraces that responsibility with great effort and pride.
Since it’s always about me, Lowery and Obama made me realize I better get working on my High Holiday sermons. Though I will not be able to deliver them with as much insight and gracefulness as these two men, I guess I’ll give it a try.
Premonitions and Predictions for the New Year
Happy New Year! At Congregation Beth Adam, one of the traditions over the last 28 years has been to have a Premonitions and Predictions service on one of the Shabbats in January. During the service, we review the past year (for a great video review, check out this short and entertaining video from Uncle Jay Explains). Then, people write down their Premonitions and Predictions for the upcoming years. Rabbi Barr seals the notes in an envelope – and opens them the following January to see how accurate the congregation was.
I figure that if it works well at the brick-and-mortar synagogue, we might as well give it a try on the online synagogue. So, here goes. Basically, login to OurJewishCommunity.org (you’ll need to register first – but it’s really simple) and then you’ll be able to comment on my blog. In your comment – write a prediction or two for the coming year. The only rule: please do not make any predictions about people who will die. Okay, one more rule: All predictions should be submitted by January 30th… We’ll let them sit until next January, and then we’ll rate our success, or lack thereof…
As for my prediction, hmmmm, I’m still waiting to come up with something brilliant. I’ll add it to the comments – after five of you make your comments. Show me yours (predictions, people!) and I’ll show you mine (predictions, people!).
If you have any questions about how to comment, send us an email.
Good luck!
Book Review: Hot, Flat, and Crowded by Thomas Friedman
A review of Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution – And How it Can Renew America
By Rabbi Ana Bonnheim
After you read this, please login and comment to share your thoughts.
Thomas L. Friedman, the foreign affairs columnist for the New York Times, recently published his fifth book, Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution – and How It Can Renew America. Friedman’s thesis has multiple parts but is still simple: our world is becoming ever more crowded with a population explosion (our global population will soon be an estimated 8 billion people), more flat (meaning more globalized, based on Friedman’s last book, The World Is Flat, published in 2005), and hotter (due to climate change and the exponentially rising levels of human-caused pollution). These factors are all connected, and taken together require our immediate and sustained action in order to save humanity and our home.
The world’s population is quickly growing, particularly in countries that are not in the Western world. China’s population is skyrocketing. One used to be able to say that the statement, “You’re one in a million!” didn’t apply in China, because there, a person is literally “one in a billion.” But now the population is significantly higher than a billion (some estimate 1.3 billion) and growing, despite the laws surrounding family planning. More people equal more people to feed. It means a larger number of people consuming resources. Yet growth and increased consumption are inevitable results of more people living with higher standards like individualized transit (the number of individuals purchasing cars is skyrocketing in India) and communications (like cell phones and computers, which require electricity to power them), and a global food chain.
In short, we are living in an increasingly globalized world. Globalization is enabling countries to develop extremely quickly. Countries like China and India are not only growing with regard to their populations, but their infrastructures are expanding too. As smaller villages are becoming more connected, they need the infrastructure-starting with roads and electricity. China is finishing about one coal plant per week to power this extraordinary growth. The growth is good: it means that more and more people are living with better standards and have a higher quality of life. Yet, it also means that they are consuming more resources. Some of these countries are frustrated by the growing global emphasis on emissions standards: they say that countries like the United States and Japan were able to grow without focusing on developing renewable resources and that they deserve the same. But the problem is that it’s not the right attitude. Now, we know that we need to be more responsible about how we consume resources and how we treat our planet. If we continue living how we’re living, we are destroying our planet, and we may be destroying humanity along with it. So we need to change. It may not be fair, because some individuals are more responsible for our predicament than others, but nonetheless, this is the problem we collectively have.
Unfortunately, Friedman argues, here in the United States, we are not living like responsible global citizens. We are living like we own the world and aren’t thinking about the consequences of our actions. There is a growing green movement in our country, but without sustained, significant commitment from our government, we are not allowing this movement to have a strong enough future.
This is not a book imploring us to recycle-though we certainly should. This is not a book telling us to remember to turn the lights off or to drive more thoughtfully-though those are good things to do, too. This is a book arguing for a sea change in how we think about the world around us and humanity’s future on Earth. Friedman effectively shows how broken the American electricity system is and how intuitive solutions could be, if only we could create the policy structures and financial incentives to encourage enough change. Friedman is not naïve: he realizes that without a global crisis or enough incentives to change, our systems (and our pollutions) will remain the same.
Friedman is skilled at taking many small events and conversations and weaving them together in such a way that it is possible to see trends and a bigger picture. His gift to us is that he enables us to understand our dire need for a revolution in how we live. His gift, though, does not come without strings attached. Once we read this book, we need to act-to advocate for energy independence, renewable resources, and a shift in how our country controls its resources and taxes its citizens. That is our responsibility.
Questions to consider:
- How is energy independence related to a hot, flat, and crowded world?
- What would your life be like with Friedman’s vision of a new electrical grid? Can you imagine it?
- How can you be part of the greening of our world?
- Why are you (or aren’t you) compelled by Friedman’s arguments about the state of our world and its future?
- How do your convictions relate to your Jewish identity and understanding of Judaism?
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