Depression and Uplift

I can't call myself a blogger until I begin to feel compelled by the process.
Yesterday, I spilled a lot of thoughts with Eve and Jack Menes after the piano recital of Ching-Yun Hu, co-winner of this year's' Rubinstein awards. We all just returned a couple of weeks ago from the US so we could talk about the Obama-Hillary spectacle and our hopes for McCain. But the triggers for my depression and uplift were two news pieces from the Jerusalem Post. One spoke about some U.S. congregations that are arguing over how to revise the prayer for the State of Israel. Why?--discomfort with the messianic language of the "first flowering of the redemption," feeling insulted as diaspora Jews by the "ingathering of the exiles," and being exquisitely sensitive to our enemies by not wanting to pray that the Israel Defense Forces will achieve "victory." This is a sickness of confidence in the quality of the Jewish people, a dismal lack of pride, a divorce from our ancient history. All this is addressed by the about to be released two disc DVD narrated by UK Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, with his chosen music throughout, affirming the awe-inspiring history of the Jewish people (read David Horovitz in the Jerus Post April 4). I'm ready to send the DVD to friends and family in the US who are not likely to stand up against the daily onslaught of hatred and diminishment of who we are.
We will cure ourselves--the signs are there, but, oh, so many Jews hold us back.