originally ;published in the Chattanooga Times Free Press

This year, the anniversary of 9/11 and the Jewish New Year coincide on September 11. Rosh Hashanah (Hebrew meaning head of the year) marks the New Year 5787. Yes, the date goes back thousands of years to the Divine creation of Adam and Eve, and humankind. How do I wrap my mind around the simultaneous commemoration of the 9/11 disaster and celebration of the Divine gift of life? Maybe we all need help with that. Rosh HaShanah could provide that help. 

For Jews around the world, Rosh Hashanah begins the 10 High Holy Days with apples and honey. This time of gratitude and joy, progresses to introspection, mourning, and repentance. We fast during the solemn conclusion of these 10 Days. Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) is a time when forgiveness is asked for mistakes, bad choices, and faulty judgement during the previous year. We remember and mourn the passing of loved ones, and dedicate to doing better in the coming year.  This year that list will include those who passed during 9/11. 

Continue reading How I combined 9/11 and the Jewish New Year – by Deborah Levine  →

originally published in The Chattanooga Times Free Press

When I saw that a public workshop was offered at the downtown public library featuring Preserve Chattanooga (PC), I knew where I’d be that afternoon.  The mission of PC is to protect the architectural heritage of Chattanooga through preservation, education, and advocacy. That’s a dream of any urban planner, which I was decades ago in Chicago. I designed my masters degree in urban planning to focus on Arts and Culture and got involved in Chicago’s museums and historic architecture. 

Continue reading Preserve Chattanooga: by securing its history – by Deborah Levine →

originally published in The Chattanooga Times Free Press

When was the last time you had a conversations with someone different from yourself?  It was probably more recently than you think since we’re all different, no two people are exactly alike. That’s why it’s so strange that the term ‘diversity’ has become almost a curse word. The world is full of diverse folks, cultures, and languages. I learned that as a young kid when we moved from the British colony of Bermuda to New York. I discovered that even kids who looked like me spoke a very different language, American English.  They didn’t appreciate my Queen’s English and I was beaten up on the playground. They were just kids, but should have known better. Unfortunately, it’s not much different with adults responding to culturally diverse folks today.

Continue reading Don’t let your cross-cultural communication skills fade away – by Deborah Levine →

(originally published in The Chattanooga Times Free Press)

The outbreak of explosive diarrhea cross the U.S. is truly frightening. Referred to as ‘Cyclospora’, the cause is a parasite transmitted via human feces that gets into food through contaminated irrigation water, soil, or infected food handlers.  Eeww! According to the CDC (Center for Disease Prevention & Control), Cyclospora advances in the spring and summer, but this year, the number of confirmed cases is 6 times higher than last year. And when the more than 7,000 likely cases are researched, that number could be 27 times higher than last year. It’s unclear why this information remains so vague. But it should come as no surprise that politics are involved.

Continue reading Explosive diarrhea and Imploding CDC – by Deborah Levine →

originally published in The Chattanooga Times Free Press

‘Hot’ only begins to describe the weather over the July 4th weekend. Let’s try some other terms: blistering, burning up, and Armageddon. A life-threatening heat dome brought extreme heat to more than 260 million people, And the storms which accompanied the heat led to mass evacuation of the National Mall in Washington D.C. ‘Stupid’ only begins to describe the claim by some Maga folks that the weather had been ‘geoengineered’ by left-wing types to sabotage Trump’s July 4th events. Let’s try some other terms: conspiracy theories, lethal ignorance.

Continue reading Don’t let climate change kill us – by Deborah Levine →

(column for The Chattanooga Times Free Press)

Approaching July 4th, I decided to ask folks what this day meant to them. Some said that it was all about family: getting together, enjoying food, and watching fire works. Celebrating with family was everything. But others wanted to go beyond family gatherings. “I’m ashamed to say that it wasn’t until our country’s unique experiment began to feel threatened that I started to seek more than general knowledge of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Amendments. The Fourth of July and its significance have always meant parades, picnics and fireworks. My patriotism is deep and genuine. My foundation of fact is weak. I suspect that I’m not alone.”

Continue reading Folks reflecting on July 4th – by Deborah Levine →