B"H
reticent, but as we discussed family concer ns, we became attuned
to one another. Most aspects of these preliminary conversations
were either issues or plans, but exuded the deeper ra mification to
show I knew how to play the role of an obedient puppy. Betwee n
the appointed times of my acco mpaniment to where he would be
going, I took care of matters that had pertained to officia l
documentation of my presence in America. He expressed negative
criticis m of my manner of speech, way of thought, and style o f
articulation, but for the most part, I didn't fe el the need to defend
myself. I just kept rolling up stream making sure to fit my
activities into his schedule.
The physical proportions of my preparations seem now as if the
long-distant perspective of how tear myself away fro m my family.
The idea began after the barrage of emails between Alan Braid and
I, by virtue of which we had come to an agree ment. His co mments
pertained to the thoughts that swirled around his brain; I used a
creative technique to not answer; say out of the sa me
stubbornness. I didn't want to leave anything to chance as to what
was expected of me and curiously enough, I ca me up with the idea
to become a stage performer. I had loved the taste of dra ma, when,
as child star had played a leading role in the high school play,
"Bye Bye Birdie." Amongst the thoughts that I fantasized was
getting into a nightclub circuit and since Alan Braid was planning
to take me to Vegas, there it was, being served to me on a silver
platter; my golden opportunity. He mentioned by way o f
suggestion that I could appear local pub where there was an open -
mike, so I considered this so mething to which I would look
forward.
I prefer to speak no evil against the political religious
influences upon Israeli worlds of culture, so this dra matic displa y
is a form of protest. The Funny Rabbi is a clown in whose tears
may be found the grain of salt, as we know to be dispensed from a
shake. Shake like in how parents used to rebuke their children; the
remedy of participation in evil is to shake the perpétuer (and
maybe rattle and roll). In accordance to aspects of that personality,
I imagined going on the stage in a nightclub, wearing a shtreime l
(furry Chassidic hat) and flowery silk jacket, all the trimmings o f
a Chassidic devotee. I had gone to an extre me as a Chasid man an d
father, for about a decade, and having arrived to a plateau went
through a burn out. Truth be told I was reacting to the threat of
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