The Seasons of the Year, 2023-2024

 By Nate Feldman 

This year, I have done a collection of videos, each focused on the different seasons of the year, which I am titling Coexistence Corner Presents: The Seasons of the Year, 2023-2024.  

The first one is done in the style of a news report about the blossoming of forsythia flowers during the early spring months.  There is also a story about a large storm system that affected the United States in late March-early April of last year.  

The second video is a recording of the first act of a play I am working on called Doomsday, USA.  In this story, Josh is from a town where humans and monsters are the inhabitants, and he has created a summer camp, Camp Doomsday, to help the two species build relationships with one another.  In the first act, he is promoting the camp to the general public.  

The third video focuses on places to see great fall foliage during the Autumn season.  I was able to travel to different parks throughout Pennsylvania and Maryland and found some amazing sites.

The final video came from January of this year when the Philadelphia area saw its first significant snowfall in almost two years.  I have different clips of the scenery accompanied by a collection of piano pieces I have composed which I call The Winter Medley.  

In addition to posting this video online, I am planning to show it at different events.  

Spring Flowers and Dialogue

 By Nate Feldman

Great Places

After a soaking rain on Saturday, it was clear skies on Sunday.  I ran at the Struble Trail in Downingtown, PA.  The Brandywine Creek, which runs alongside the trail was sparkling in the sunshine.  The lake at Marsh Creek State Park, just a little bit away, was also shining.  

The spring flowers are out in Harrisburg, PA.  Walking at Riverfront Park in the downtown area, you can see trees with white, pink, and red blossoms out, many in full bloom.  

Coexistence Corner

* NBC News had an interesting article about Palestinian Bedouin that are inviting Jewish Israelis to Iftar dinners during the holy Islamic month of Ramadan.  Despite the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinians in Gaza, the leaders of this event feel that events like these are essential for the future of the region.

The event was hosted by Muhammad Abu Qwaider and coordinated with the Negev Coexistence Forum for Civil Equality.  

The article highlights the challenges many Bedouin, a semi-nomadic group of Arabs who live primarily in the Negev desert of Israel, face.  Many of their villages are not recognized by the Israeli government, however they are Israeli citizens.  For that reason, plus the fact that 1,500 Bedouin are members of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), makes many other Palestinians see them as traitors to their cause.  

The article also mentioned the Jewish Israelis who attended the dinner and some of their work in promoting better relations between Jews and Arabs.  

To read the article in full check out this link: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/ramadan-meal-palestinian-bedouin-invite-jewish-israelis-table-rcna144908, or check "At a Ramadan meal, Palestinian Bedouin invite Jewish Israelis to the table," by Chantal Da Silva.   

*The Jerusalem Youth Chorus, a choir made up of both Israelis and Palestinians teenagers from Jerusalem, is doing a tour of major cities in the United States and Canada from March until April.  Stops include Los Angeles, Washington, DC, Boston, and Vancouver.  

This program has been bringing youth together from the predominantly Jewish West Jerusalem and predominantly Arab East Jerusalem for the past decade and have performed at several high-profile venues.  

More Sunny Weather and Blooming Flowers

 By Nate Feldman

During problematic times in one life, regardless of what may be causing them or what may be happening to a person, it is difficult to remember some of the positive things going on.  One thing I do to help myself is to make a list of good things that are happening around me or that I am experiencing.  If you are able to think of at least three good things that are happening to you, and if you think clearly enough you know these such things exist, then this is what you should be focusing on and trying to build upon. 

Here are some positive things that have happened  during the past week: 

The Outdoors

Sunday was another warm, spring-like day with mostly sunny skies.  Many people were walking, running, and biking on the Struble Trail in Downingtown, PA.  With the nice weather, the Brandywine Creek was sparkling brightly.

The Cherry Blossoms and Forsythia bushes appear to be in peak bloom in the area.  I have taken some nice photos of the flowers in the area.  

I took Kipper, my Golden Retriever, to Teegarden Park, and he played excitedly with other dogs there while I had small conversations with their owners.  

Giving to the Community 

The Kimberton Whole Foods Market in Downingtown, PA rounds up your purchase to donate to the Downingtown Library.

Peace and Dialogue 

The Interfaith Philadelphia organization will be holding a series of events for children grades K-5 on Sundays in April where they can learn about different people's religious traditions.  

Family

I discovered some pictures of my daughters Sara and Sofia when they were very young.  It's very heartwarming to see these photos after all of this time.  

Sara and Sofia are away for the next couple of weeks in Clarence, NY, where their mother and step-dad live, but I have been able to speak with them throughout the week and have had good conversations.  

Personal 

I heard from two Japanese former students of mine, Yuki and Miki.  It was nice to re-connect with them after a while.  Yuki mentioned wanting to come back here, and I talked about coming to visit him and other former students in Japan.

I have begun corresponding with Joackim from Uganda.  We met on the Penpal World website and have been exchanging photos and videos from our country as well as having discussions about our lives. 

I went to a meetup event for a new group called the Ardmore Area Book Club.  I met a lot of new people and we chose a book, The Last Animal, to read for our next meeting.  Afterwards, we went to a local cafe and talked with one another. 

Forsythia flowers and Cherry blossoms just about at peak bloom in PA

Sara (top) and Sofia (bottom) 

Doomsday, USA, Scene 1

By Nate Feldman 

SYNOPSIS: Josh, an idealist, has created his dream summer camp, where both humans and monsters of all kinds come together to interact with one another and form lifelong relationships.  His dream, however, is challenged when a menacing creature begins attacking and killing people at his camp, leading to further problems between humans and monsters in the community. Can Josh and his staff overcome their differences to defeat this creature?

Characters

Josh

Ghazel

The Cameraperson

The Creature 

Scene 1: Josh is doing a promotion for Camp Doomsday, a program he co-founded and co-directs.  He is in his office at the camp with Ghazel, a witch and his co-director, and a cameraperson.  Josh is sitting behind a desk with a placard with the words "Camp Director" written on it.  The wooden walls behind him have promotions for co-existence between humans and monsters.  Beside him is Ghazel, a witch, and Josh's co-director.

Cameraperson: Are you guys ready to do the video?

Josh and Ghazel (in unison): Absolutely! 

Cameraperson: OK, on three.  Three, two, one!    

Josh: Hi!  My name is Josh and I am from the town of Doomsday, USA, the only place in the world where half of the inhabitants are humans, and the other half are monsters.  And when I say monsters, I mean all kinds.  We have witches, werewolves, and warlocks.  There are vampires, gremlins, ghouls, and goblins.  You name the monster, it’s in our town.

As you know, humans and monsters have been in conflict for ages, and we in Doomsday have not been spared the carnage.  It was just last year that a group of monsters attacked a human community, ransacking the place, killing thirty individuals while devouring their brains.  In retaliation, a group of humans formed a posse, attacking monsters throughout town, killing hundreds.

I’ve known violence and fear all of my life, but I don’t believe it has to be this way.  That is why I am the co-founder and co-director of Camp Doomsday, the only summer camp in the world that welcomes both young humans and monsters.  We teach young people and creatures of all kinds to live together in harmony.  And we practice what we preach.  Our staff is made up of both humans and monsters in a variety of positions, showing that cooperation between the two species is possible when given the opportunity.  I'd like to welcome my amazing co-director, Ghazel.  

Ghazel: Growing up as a witch, I was taught to fear humans.  But, when I met Josh, I realized it was possible to live together with them. Our camp enables humans and creatures of all kinds to learn about one another’s traditions and breakdown stereotypes and misunderstandings. 

So, if you are a human or a monster, and you have young children, register them for Camp Doomsday this summer.  The place where monsters and humans co-exist.

Cameraperson (stops recording): And that’s a wrap!  Great job you guys!  

Josh (motioning for the others to leave): Thanks!  It’s about time to get ready for dinner.  (Pointing to the cameraperson)  You can join us for dinner and see what a meal at our place is like.

Everyone exits to the right.  When they are all gone, a creature with two dark eyes, no mouth, and sharp claws enters and looks around.  It goes up to one of the sings promoting co-existence behind Josh's desk and tears it with its claws.  It then walks slowly throughout the cabin and then heads back out.

Sunny Weather and Cherry Blossoms, Week March 10-16

 By Nate Feldman

*The weather

After a rainy, blustery weekend, the sky cleared up for a mostly sunny and warm workweek in the Philadelphia area.  Daylight Savings Time began on Sunday, so people now have an extra hour to enjoy the sunshine.  The temperatures also warmed up to spring-like weather, with highs in the mid-70s in the middle of the week.

Sunny weather in Berwyn, PA 

*The Outdoors 

The Cherry Blossoms in Clark Park in Philadelphia began turning bright pink, showing that spring is just around the corner.  The Forsythia bushes also started turning yellow with their flowers popping up everywhere.

I went with Kipper, my golden retriever, to Teegarden Park, a local place where dogs are allowed to roam with their owners.  He had a lot of fun playing with other dogs.

Cherry Blossoms at Clark Park, Philadelphia, PA 

A forsythia bush with bright yellow colors in Berwyn, PA

*Local News

The Tredyffrin-Easttown Middle School in Berwyn, PA performed its annual play this week.  The middle school actors starred in Singing in the Rain, Jr..  The show took place on Wednesday for elementary school students, Thursday during the day for the middle school itself, and Thursday and Friday evenings as well as Saturday afternoon for the general public.  

*Peace and Dialogue 

Interfaith Philadelphia, an organization dedicated to inter-religious dialogue in the Philadelphia area, is hosting an event on April 16, from 2-4 PM, titled "De-Escalate Conflict by Complicating the Narrative: Civil Conversation Workshop."  This program will focus on how people of different religious, cultural, and or political viewpoints can engage with one another in a meaningful way.  The event will be held at Gwynedd Mercy University.  

An Australian news channel did a report on the Neve Shalom/Wahat Al Salam village in Israel, a town where 50% of the inhabitants are Jews and the other half are Arabs.  The village has a school where Jewish and Arab students study together.  Its curriculum is both in Hebrew and Arabic.  The reporter interviewed teachers and students at the school about their perspectives of studying together, especially in light of the ongoing war in Gaza.

  

You can watch this video and learn more about the village at this website: https://www.oasisofpeace.org/.  

Another news report about the village and its activities was done by the Israeli news channel i24NEWS English, which can be found on You Tube (Community built on coexistence navigates difficulties of post-October 7 reality).  

*Personal News 

In my personal life, my father and I are planning to see a minor league baseball game in Allentown, PA at the end of March, the first time I will see a game there.  I talked with two guys I know at the local YMCA while I was working out.  They were good conversations.  

My daughters performed in the aforementioned school play and did great!  On Thursday, my sister, her husband, and my nephew joined my mother, father, and myself in watching the play.  My sister told me she would like to check out the Ryers Farm for Aged Equines, a local farm that takes care of older horses.  I saw the play again on Friday, and on Saturday, my former wife and her in-laws were there.  I had a good conversation with her father-in-law, and she even bought me a soft pretzel and a drink.