The Sweet Tooth in Williamsport, PA

 By Nate Feldman

Mark was at a café in downtown Williamsport, PA, enjoying a Mocha Frappuccino with a cinnamon chocolate muffin.  He had enjoyed the morning jogging on a trail overlooking the Susquehanna River and a series of splendid, blue mountains surrounding the Central Pennsylvania city.  

The town is most famous for hosting the International Little League World Series every summer, but he wasn't there for baseball.  Williamsport was chosen as a rendezvous point to pick up his two children from Fatima, his estranged wife.

After sitting around for twenty minutes, Fatima entered the café with their two daughters, Sonia and Nicole.  The three came up to where Mark was sitting.

"Hey guys," Mark said as he reached out to hug his reluctant daughters, who were not completely thrilled to be returning to him.  "Would you like me to get you a snack here?  They have some really great cookies and brownies!"

The girls shrugged their shoulders.  Fatima looked annoyed. 

"Please," Fatima began to say.  "These girls already have a sweet tooth like you.  The least we can do is try to encourage some positive eating habits."

Mark looked angrily at her.  "For years, I have tolerated so many of your nasty habits.  I will likewise encourage our children to avoid them as well."

The girls, sensing their parents were about to get into another big argument, walked away and began playing with their phones.  Fatima rolled her eyes.

Mark continued.  "When we lived in the Middle East, you were the one who always fed me kanafa and basboosa and all the Arabic sweets.  Since when have you been such a health nut?  And anyway, what is wrong with some cookies and brownies here and there?"

"I don't have time for this nonsense of yours.  Anyway, they have to go to an orthodontist this week.  And they have therapy as well."

"And I have therapy for them, too," Mark responded with a mischievous smile.  "A nice, sweet extra fudge brownie with thick chocolate sauce, heavy whipped cream, and a cherry on top!"   

"Actually, you're the one who needs therapy," Fatima replied.  

That was the final straw for Mark.  "You know what?  I'm sick of being judged for having a sweet tooth.  I think I'm going to start a movement to protect the rights of all sugar lovers like me."

"That will be amusing to watch," Fatima said.  "Anyway, I have to go.  Enjoy your sweets!"

She walked out.  As she was on the way out, Mark said out loud.  "You'll see.  We will have a movement that advances the rights of people who love sweets.  We will not be discriminated against any more!"

Mark took a bite out of his muffin in defiance. 

A reading of the Doomsday USA story

 By Nate Feldman

The following is a reading of the introduction of my story Doomsday, USA.  It is the story of a town where the inhabitants are both humans and monsters.  Josh, a local idealist, has co-founded an organization dedicated to co-existence between the two species.  One of the programs is a local summer camp where young humans and monsters interact with one another and build relationships.  Unfortunately, two of the counselors, a human and monster, who were a romantic couple, vanished while camping in the woods, presumably at the hands of a zombie in the woods.  Now, Josh must find ways to navigate through this difficult situation.  

The Case for Carless Days

 By Nate Feldman

Some people have meatless Mondays.  Recently, I have begun having carless days on weekends.  This is something I intend to keep doing into the new year.  Of course, there are people who don't have cars who might find a lot of this advice to be useless.  The advice I have is more geared towards those with automobiles who should find ways to use them less for a variety of reasons.  

First of all, it is beneficial for the environment. If you are able to get places by foot or with public transportation, you are putting less emissions in the air.  You should be able to find a day of the week where you are able to do the things you need without a car.  

It's also good for your health.  Walking places within a reasonable distance is an excellent form of exercise.  

It's also good for your finances.  You are using less gas, which has become very expensive in recent years.  Even using your car for one day less a week will go a long way in helping you save some money.  

I have learned to enjoy the days without my car.  Even the trip going to the store seems a lot more of an experience when I am not traveling by car compared to how routine and mundane it used to feel.  So, I recommend those who have cars to find a time in the week to not use them.  

Jewish and Muslim/Arab Dialogue Continues Despite Ongoing Middle East War

 By Nate Feldman

The last couple of months have seen the worst fighting in the Middle East in decades, the result of the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, which killed up to 1,200 Israelis and led to air strikes and an invasion of Gaza which has claimed tens of thousands of Palestinian lives.  

The result of this has been protests and counter-protests throughout the world in support of either Israel or Palestine and extreme tensions between supporters of both sides, most notably in the Jewish and Muslim communities.  

In spite of the current fraught situation, efforts to maintain dialogue between the Jewish and Muslim communities has continued, albeit often under very contentious situations.  

One organization that advocates strong Jewish and Muslim relations is NewGround.  This Los Angeles based group says on its website that since 2006 it "has reached tens of thousands of people with (their) leadership trainings, public programs, and private lectures and discussions."

The organization has been able to continue dialogue groups between local Jews and Muslims since the fighting in the Middle East began.  

At the Israeli Opera, 60 Jewish and Arab musicians gathered together to sing a rendition of West Side Story's classic song Somewhere.  According to the Israeli news site, ynetnews.com, the event was a collaboration between the Israeli Opera, the Galilee Chamber Orchestra, the Jerusalem Academy of Music, and the School of Music at Tel Aviv University. 

Two Organizations Making the World a Better Place

 By Nate Feldman

Nowadays, news about conflict and strife permeates the airwaves.  War, environmental destruction, and crime are frequent news topics.  Reading and hearing about such things creates large amounts of pessimism and cynicism around the world.  But every now and again, there are groups of people or organizations that defy that and try to improve the world we are in.  

Yesterday in my Reading and Writing class at the ELS Language Center in Philadelphia, we learned about the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, which takes care of orphaned elephants in Kenya.  I also heard a news report about the Newground organization in the United States that tries to build relationships between Muslim and Jewish people.  The goals are different, but the benefits they bring are similar.  

Both are trying to inspire humans to live in a better way.  Instead of poaching elephants or going to war, they strive to bring out the better side of humanity.  Taking care of orphaned elephants is good for that species and for the ecosystem as a whole.  Likewise, having people from different religions dialogue instead of fight brings us closer to world peace of some kind.  So, I see big similarities. 

NPR Interviews Leaders of Muslim-Jewish Partnerships in the U.S. about the Situation in the Middle East

 By Nate Feldman

In the wake of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, the NPR radio station last month interviewed two women, Aziza Hasan and Alyson Freedman, who are both involved with organizations in the United States that are building partnerships between Muslims and Jews and how the current conflict is affecting their work.  

Aziza Hasan is the Executive Director of Newground: A Muslim-Jewish Partnership for Change, an organization which according to its website "envisions an America where Muslims and Jews are empowered to create lasting partnerships, engage in authentic communication and mutual cooperation." 

In the interview, she said her work right now is "not necessarily about dialogue," and that it was more of a time for her to check in on people and see how they are coping with the situation and how they are feeling.

Alyson Freedman is a member of the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom who says the organization's goal is to   "build relationships between Muslim and Jewish women and work to combat hate through relationships."  

She says at the moment she is trying to encourage people to not get too one-sided when discussing the conflict and to "re-humanize both Israelis and Palestinians."

Interfaith Philadelphia to Celebrate 20 years of Activities

 By Nate Feldman

Interfaith Philadelphia, an organization dedicated to building relationships between the various religious communities in the Philadelphia area will celebrate 20 years of existence in 2024.  

The organization has fostered inter-religious dialogue throughout the city in a number of ways.  There is the Art of Interfaith Understanding initiative.  People of different faiths gather at the Philadelphia Art Museum to learn about different traditions through artwork.  

Jewish-Palestinian village in Israel Continues to be a Model for Co-existence

 By Nate Feldman

A recent article in The New York Times titled In an Israeli Oasis, a Model for Peace, if Messy and Imperfect by Hiba Yazbeck highlighted the continuing efforts of the Neve Shalom/Wahat Al Salam (Oasis of Peace) to promote co-existence between Jews and Palestinians in Israel.  

The village has 70 families, half of whom are Jewish Israelis and the other half whom are Palestinians with Israeli citizenship.  There is a school where the students from the village, and people from outside the village as well, study together with Jewish and Arab teachers.  Recently, a video of the principal of the school, Neama Abo Delu, was posted in which she discussed the challenges of teaching children of different backgrounds and the concerns of the parents during the current crisis in which Israel and the Palestinians are at war.  

Max Rayne Hand in Hand School in Jerusalem Wins Prize for Overcoming Adversity

 By Nate Feldman

Based on articles with Reuters press and the Guardian, a prominent English newspaper, The Max Rayne Hand in Hand School in Jerusalem, a bilingual school for both Jewish and Arab students in Israel, won the Overcoming Adversity prize at the World's Best School prizes last Saturday.  The event, held by T4 Education, a global network of educators, seeks to recognize great schools throughout the world.

The Max Rayne School's prize was recognition of its ability to bring over 600 Jewish and Arab students together.  The lessons are taught in both the Hebrew and Arabic languages by Jewish and Arab staff alike.  It is one of several schools run by the Hand in Hand organization throughout Israel which promotes Jews and Arabs studying together.   

The timing of this award is salient due to the horrific ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.  

Doomsday USA, A Frightened Pedestrian and Vanished in the Woods

 By Nate Feldman

A Frightened Pedestrian 

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Mr. Vampeer the vampire worked for the Ghost and Goblin Gazette, a newspaper focusing on Monster affairs in the community.  He was doing a report on human areas of the town of Doomsday where housing was often denied to monsters seeking homes.  

Mr. Vampeer was from a family of domesticated vampires that had many generations ago stopped the habit of drinking blood from people's necks and had learned to find their nutrients from cooked meat and other conventional ways.  Nevertheless, he still had the purplish-pale skin of a vampire with sharp fangs that showed clearly when he laughed.  

One evening, he was heading to the neighborhood he was doing a report on to interview local landlords about whether they would permit monsters to be their tenants or not, when he noticed a woman several feet in front of him looking back nervously.  She glanced back in his direction every ten seconds or so it seemed.  

Mr. Vampeer, keenly aware of how his presence might unnerve some people, began whistling some classical musical tunes to show he meant no harm.  But, this didn't stop the woman from looking back and begin picking up her pace.  He could see that she was visibly trembling.  Mr. Vampeer kept whistling.  

The woman all of a sudden began running.  Mr. Vampeer stood still and watched as she sprinted away.  Even as she got further from him, she continued looking back, making sure he wasn't pursuing her.

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Mr. Vampeer continued walking as if nothing was happening.  The woman disappeared in the distance.  All of a sudden, a posse of men appeared.  Mr. Vampeer froze as they approached him.  Some of them were carrying chains.  Others had stakes.  "What are you doing in these parts?" one of the men asked him.

"I'm a reporter for The Ghost and Goblin Gazette," he told the group, feeling taut inside.  "I'm interviewing some local landlords."  

"I see," said one of the men.  "You sure you're not here to drink some people's blood?"

Mr. Vampeer was familiar with these kinds of comments, so he didn't let it upset him too much, but standing next to a group of men brandishing weapons made him feel very uneasy.  

"I'm just here for my job," he replied as calmly as possible.  

"Well," said one of the other men.  "It's probably best if you make your way out of here.  We don't want any trouble around these parts."

Mr. Vampeer had a deadline to meet for his newspaper, so he was uneasy about not getting the interview done.  But, at the same time, he wasn't sure if it would be even possible given the circumstances around him.  

Vanished in the Woods

Bill and Ghuzzel entered the old cabin in the woods late at night.  It was their night off from counseling duties at Camp Doomsday and they wanted to spend time together.  They had been having a relationship for the past few weeks, but no one at the camp, except for perhaps Josh the camp director, had any idea about it.  

The cabin was located a couple of miles away from camp.  Ghuzzel was familiar with it and thought that it was a good place to get away and not be detected by anyone else.  

"What is this place?" Bill wanted to know.  

"I guess it's used for camping out," Ghuzzel replied.  

"It seems a bit isolated," Bill said looking around.  

The inside of the cabin was completely dark, and there was no light switch of any kind.  The light on their phones was all they had to dimly illuminate the room.  

The two embraced one another and kissed.

"How would your family feel if they knew we were together?" Bill asked, looking in Ghuzzel's face.

"Well, first they'd kill me," she said matter of factly.  "And then they'd kill you."

Bill made a forlorn expression on his face.  He knew he liked her, but he couldn't see how their relationship could last.  But, he didn't want this to ruin the evening.  They kissed again.

All of a sudden, there was a rustling sound outside.  It sounded like footsteps.  Ghuzzel and Bill looked outside the window.  It was too dark to see anything.  

They turned away from the window, but they heard the movement outside again.  Unbeknownst to them, there was a menacing presence in their midst.  It was filled with hate and rage and wanted to take its anger out on the unsuspecting couple.  

Ghuzzel and Bill opened the door to see who or what was outside.  At first there was nothing, but all of a sudden they were attacked by the menacing presence.  There were loud screams and shouts, and then there was silence.  

When people arrived the next morning looking for Bill and Ghuzzel, all people could find were their belongings, completely mauled to shreds.  There was blood splashed everywhere on the outside of the cabin. 

SSP Fes, Day 5 Lesson

 By Nate Feldman

*Review HW about advantages/disadvantages 

*P.14-15 in the book (Vocabulary, Discussion, Grammar) 

*Using Participle Adjectives correctly (-ed vs. -ing endings) 

H.W. Circle the correct word 

1. I am very (interested/interesting) in animals.  That is why I study biology.  

2. The movie we saw at the cinema was so (excited/exciting).  It really had me at the edge of my seat.  

3. I have a telescope because I am (fascinated/fascinating) in Astronomy. 

4. Failing the same class multiple times is really (frustrated/frustrating).  

5. Staring at a wall all day would be quite (bored/boring) if you ask me.  

6. I am (thrilled/thrilling) that you can come to my party this weekend.

7. A nice hot bath is so (relaxed/relaxing) for me. 

Doomsday USA Short Film

 By Nate Feldman

This is a short film I have done called Doomsday USA, which accompanies a story I am writing of the same title.  Doomsday USA is a town where humans and monsters live together and have been in conflict with one another for a long time.  Josh, a local resident, would like to build bridges between the two communities and has started an organization for this purpose.  However, his work is threatened when two of his staff members, a human and a monster, vanish in the woods, presumably at the hands of a menacing zombie.  

How Humans Help the World

By Nate Feldman

Quite often, when people talk about the effects of humans on planet Earth, they focus on negative things, such as global warming, deforestation, pollution, and general destruction.  We cannot ignore such things, but focusing on that too much can lead to cynicism and defeatism.  It’s as if we cannot control ourselves and are doomed to destroy the planet.  The reality is that humans have also had many wonderful effects on the planet which we should celebrate.

While it is true that humans have caused the extinction of animal life in some cases, we also protect animal life.  Things like nature preserves enable many animals to thrive and do well in ways they wouldn’t if they were out in the wild.  There are animal shelters and other organizations that dedicate a lot of their time for the betterment of animal life.  Furthermore,  many people provide loving homes to domesticated animals, such as dogs and cats.  If you compare the health and lifespan of domesticated house cats to feral cats, you will undoubtedly see that cats around humans do much better than those without them.

Human knowledge of the sciences has the potential to save the world from future catastrophes.  It is believed by many scientists that Dinosaurs went extinct due to an asteroid collision 65 million years ago.  Today, with the invention of advanced telescopes, we are able to detect things from outer space that have the potential to wreak havoc on our planet the way that asteroid did.  Also, if a large asteroid is heading to our planet, we are developing technology to knock it off its course.  Other animal species have never had such capabilities. 

These things are not written to ignore the many negative consequences that humans are having on the planet.  This is to also give us credit where credit is due.  Many of us do good things for the planet every day and it is important we celebrate that as much as we focus on the bad things as well.

My Travels

 By Nate Feldman

It’s very hard to know where to begin with different adventures I have had in my life.  I took family trips to Canada, the Bahamas, France, and Spain when I was young.  I went to England with my brother and mother in the summer of 2000, the year I graduated from high school.  But, I’d definitely say the first really big adventure I had was going to India in the summer of 2003. 

My original purpose for traveling to India that summer was to study the Arabic language at the Henry Martyn Institute (HMI) in the city of Hyderabad.  I had begun studying Arabic in the fall of 2002.  India, of course, did not seem like a logical choice to study Arabic since of course, it is not an Arab country.  However, the US war with Iraq, which began that March, had made the United States extremely unpopular in the Middle East and North Africa, so I thought it wouldn’t be a good time to travel to one of those countries.  Furthermore, I had had an interest in India and Indian culture for the previous two years.  When I found that Arabic was offered as a summer course at HMI, it seemed like a good option.

Another thing that attracted me to the Henry Martyn Institute was that it’s a center that advances inter-religious dialogue among the various communities of Hyderabad, something essential in a place famous for being home to a variety of religions and sects.  Different parts of the city had had communal riots between members of different faiths.  HMI was working to build bridges of understanding between these people. 

The staff had Muslims, Christians, Hindus, and Sikhs working together.  They initiated a lot of programs in the community to bring people of different religions together to understand one another and learn to live with one another.  For example, I visited a school where people of different religions were studying with one another.  I also saw an embroidery program which gathered women from the different religions to make different items. 

Despite this fascinating experience, I’d say the thing that I remember most about my time in India was the relationship I built with people there.  

Live Performance of "Doomsday, USA" and "Fall Journeys and Halloween Tunes

By Nate Feldman

For the second year in a row, I performed at the Upper Perk Make Music Fest, an annual event on the first day of summer that celebrates local musicians in honor of June 21, which is international Make Music Day.  My performance was held at the Wunderbarn in East Greenville, PA.  The Wunderbarn is a farmhouse that has been transitioned into an outdoor stage.  For more information about the Wunderbarn, as well as its founders Jenny and Dan, you can check its website: https://www.actsofjennius.com/wunderbarn.  

This year, I performed a short play, Doomsday, USA, the story of a town with humans and monsters where Josh, the co-founder and director of an organization dedicated to co-existence between the two species, must deal with a crisis after a monster is accused of presumably killing a couple camping in the woods.  This year, I am doing both live performances of Doomsday, USA as well as writing a short book with the same title.

In addition, I also played seven songs on piano from a music album I am working on called, "Fall Journeys and Halloween Tunes."  Although it is the beginning of summer, many songs I compose focus on the autumn season.  

In August, I performed Doomsday USA again at the Wunderbarn, but this time I changed the story a bit.  Josh's organization is now a summer camp where young humans and monsters go to interact with one another and build relationships.  The couple that disappear at the hands of the monster are two staff members, a human and a monster who are in a romantic relationship with one another. 

The play Doomsday USA and the Fall Journeys and Halloween Tunes playlist will be a part of an act I intend to perform at other venues called Nate's Tunes, News, and Shows.  This will include a small news report, a short play, and a group of songs I have composed. 

Doomsday USA, Episode 1, Camp Doomsday

 By Nate Feldman 

Hi!  My name is Josh, and I am from Doomsday, USA, a pristine, prosperous, but sometimes PETRIFYING town where, oh by the way, half of the inhabitants are humans, and the other half are monsters. 

As you know, humans and monsters have been in conflict with one another for ages.  Just last year, a group of monsters attacked a human community, ransacking the place and massacring thirty individuals along the way, devouring their brains.  In retaliation, a group of humans formed a large posse that went around town hunting down monsters, killing hundreds before it was all over.

This kind of back and forth has gone on for many year.  However, I don’t believe this has to be the case.  

I am the co-founder and director of Camp Doomsday.  This camp brings human and monster children together at a scenic location in the woods to explore nature and play games together, as well as to break down stereotypes of one another.  Camp Doomsday enables young humans and monsters to build long-lasting friendships.

Our staff at Camp Doomsday is reflective of the population of our community as a whole.  We have an equal amount of humans and monsters employed in a variety of positions.  We lead by example and show that with effort, monsters and humans are able to cooperate with one another and live in harmony.

So, whether you're a human or a monster, if you want your child to have the summer of a lifetime and make new friends they could otherwise never meet, reach out to us as soon as possible, and register your child for Camp Doomsday, the place where humans and monster co-exist.  

The Moravian Historical Society Arts & Crafts Festival

 By Nate Feldman

Tomorrow, I will be selling my books, magazine, and greeting cards at the 45th annual Moravial Historical Society Arts & Crafts Festival in Nazareth, PA.

The items I will be selling include:

1. Book: Desert Adventures, Episode 1, The Magic Torch

2. Magazine: The Ghost and Goblin Gazette

3. Birthday and Holiday Greeting Cards

It should be a wonderful day.

The Haunted Castle of Carini

By Nate Feldman 

Rossella from Sicily, Italy mentioned a story of a haunted castle in Carini, a small Sicilian town near the city of Palermo.  Inside of that castle, a baroness named Laura Lanza di Trabia, had a secret love affair with a man named Ludovico Vernagallo.  When the baroness’ father discovered this illegitimate relationship, he murdered both his daughter and the lover.  “The legend says that every year on the anniversary of her death on December 4^th, her bloody handprint appears on a wall of the chamber where she was murdered,” Rossella told me. 

Spooky Stories From Around the World

 By Nate Feldman

No matter what culture you come from, your bound to know a local scary story of some kind.  I've had a chance to talk with people around the world and ask them about hauntings or tales of the macabre from their culture and community.  

Cross Cultural Exchange

 By Nate Feldman

As a person who teaches English to students from many countries, comes from a mixed religious background, and was married to a Palestininan woman, it should come as no shock when I say that cross-cultural relationships is something that plays a fundamental role in my life.  In our ever shrinking world, opportunities to interact with and learn from other cultures are higher than perhaps at anytime in human history.  And yet, despite this, conflicts, discrimination, and bigotry persists.  It is for that reason, I am reaching out to people to hear what stories they have to share about their relationships with people of different backgrounds.