Originally published in The Chattanooga Times Free Press

It’s been 10 years since the domestic terrorism attack by Mohammad Abdulazeez who was inspired by terrorist propaganda according to the FBI. After shooting at a recruiting center, he opened fire on a Navy Reserve Center, killing a total of four marines and one navy sailor. Chattanooga has responded in several remarkable ways including last week’s ceremony at the Wreath of Honor Memorial. 

Not long after the terrorist attack, there was an inclusive, and high-profile interfaith service that should be remembered, too. Chattanooga’s flocked to Mount Olivet Baptist Church which has become one of the city’s largest African-American churches. The church was overflowing with elected officials, police officers and FBI, military veterans, and media among the diverse crowd of Black & White, Christians, Jews, and Muslims. Together, we prayed over the loss of four marines and a wounded sailor, who would die just hours later. We prayed over the trauma to our entire community inflicted by the lone gunman.

Continue reading Remembering Chattanooga’s Fallen Five – by Deborah Levine →

originally published in The Chattanooga Times Free Press

I love celebrating July 4 by singing the famous song, “God Bless America – Land that I Love”. Yesterday, I asked a young friend if he knew that song. He immediately started humming the tune and we ended up happily singing it together. Then I asked him if he knew who wrote it. He had no idea, but knew the song because “God Bless America” is sung at baseball games as a patriotic anthem. Irving Berlin, who wrote 1,000 famous songs, claimed that this great song is one of life-long gratitude. Not surprising since his Jewish family emigrated from Siberia/Russia and Berlin began his career singing for pennies as a kid on the streets of Brooklyn, NY.

Immigration these days is a topic of huge contention with plans to deport as many as possible in a short amount of time time as possible. Originally, those plans only applied to criminals, but that was obviously a marketing scam. Now, you can be deported even if you have no criminal record, have a job and pay taxes. And if you were born in America, but your mom wasn’t a U.S.citizen, you don’t have citizenship and can be deported. I wonder if that applied to Donald Trump’s kids with two of his wives who were immigrants without American citizenship when they gave birth. Should we discuss deporting Ivana Trump’s children: Ivanka, Donald Jr., and Eric as well as Melania Trump’s son, Barron? Get real!

Continue reading July 4th: “Land that I Love” – by Deborah Levine →

originally published in The Chattanooga Times Free Press

Summer has arrived and it’s hot! No surprise here, but we’re in a rare, dangerous heat wave. Correction, it isn’t a heat wave, it’s a heat dome. Tens of millions of people face a level 4 extreme heat risk. That’s the highest level of extreme heat, the deadliest weather-related hazard in America according to the Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA). In the past, we have been fortunate to have access to this report so that we can plan for the effects of climate change. But you can now kiss that access goodbye.

Continue reading Hot! and only getting hotter – by Deborah Levine →

originally published in The Chattanooga Times Free Press

It’s definitely “interesting” to go into the grocery store and see empty shelves that had been full of my favorite fruit imported from Mexico. But that pales in comparison to hearing that my sister-in-law is back in the hospital emergency room. Yes, we live longer, but the consequences aren’t so sweet. Then there’s the friend visiting family in Utah who thankfully let us know that he was safe after the shooting of a No King protester. I’m not going to worry about him, but there’s plenty of worry to go around. My step-daughter and her four boys live in Israel, just outside of Jerusalem.  She reported hearing the air raid sirens go off five times in one night as Iran and Israel entered what looks like a “full stage war” to achieve total victory. How do we manage this vast array of upheavals?

Continue reading Navigating Worries, Chaos with Community – by Deborah Levine →

originally published in The Chattanooga Times Free Press 

June 14 is a big day for me, one that is dear to my heart. No, it’s not the parade in DC that celebrates Flag Day and President Trump’s birthday. So I won’t need the nearly $45 million dollars that the parade for the army’s 250th anniversary will cost. And then there’s the $10 million for road repairs from dozens of tanks, rocket launchers, missiles and other military vehicles as well as 6,600 U.S. Army troops. My day will be relatively simple, commemorating my father’s yahrzeit, the Jewish anniversary of his passing. 

Continue reading Dad Wouldn’t Approve of Big Parade – by Deborah Levine →