June 26 is America’s “National Columnist’s Day”

Poor Jameel must have been dredging the very bottom of the barrel when he asked me to fill in at the Muqata during his extended absence on a secret mission involving the CIA, waffles and a family simchah. I cannot imagine what else he could have been thinking when he passed me the keys to his blog. But, I’m glad he asked me to post on this day, of all days.

Today (June 26*), believe it or not, is National Columnist’s Day.**

הרי אני כבן שבעים שנה (I’m pretty old by now), and I didn’t really understand National Columnist’s Day (NCD) until Jameel began this run of substitute columnists.***

First, I never understood NCD because all good chagim revolve around food, and I don’t see any options for NCD. Unlike Strawberry Parfait Day (June 25) and Frozen Yogurt Day (June 27), NCD offers nothing more tasty than newsprint, and in this virtual age not even that. Strawberry pixels don’t taste any better than regular pixels, and don’t even get me started on the frozen pixels that I all-too-often get from this Windows box.

Second, I never understood NCD because there’s no reason to honor your favorite columnist. I mean, Beautician’s Day is also marked today, and I can see where that might come in handy; no one wants the beautician to feel snubbed, right? So make him/her feel special today… or next time you go to get aesthetized, you might do well to pick a new beautician. But if you don’t give your favorite columnist flowers (or waffles), do you really think he’ll stop writing? (“What do you get for not playing?” Groucho Marx asked the orchestra in Animal Crackers, only to find out it was 20% more than their regular fee.)

And third, I never understood NCD because no particular berachah, tefilah or mitzvah is associateed with it. Look at June 30, Sky Day (which I must admit puts me in a Chicken Little frame of mind). I can see what one does to honor the sky: Recite an עושה מעשה בראשית (blessing recited upon seeing rare natural wonders) if you haven’t seen the sky in 30 days. Or get a string dyed with techeles and study its color, the better to remind you of the sea, the sky and the Divine Throne. But what ceremony is there for National Columnist’s Day?

But now, reading Jameel’s excellent substitutes, I get it, I finally get it. Reading through these guest posts, I understand that NCD is not about having a favorite columnist, or honoring a columnist, or even eating a tasty column. Rather, NCD is for thinking about all of the diverse columnists we enjoy and the perspectives they give us, and the way that those perspectives help us grow.

So long live National Columnist’s Day! And please pass the waffles.

(And for more of June's special days, head on over to my column here.)


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* Actually, there is a lot of debate about the date, and origin, of this celebration. See here for more information.

** Of course, this is only true in America, and I'm currently posting from Eretz Yisrael (or facing Eretz Yisrael). And as I write this, it’s currently June 27 in Israel. But indulge me, please.

*** Feel free to substitute Blogger for Columnist throughout this article.


Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael

Who are the Mysterious Graffiti Wizards of OZ?

The above word in Hebrew, "OZ" (or Az), is being graffiti spray-painted all over Israel...exactly like it appears above, in the "Torah Scroll" (stam) font (without any attribution to the Muqata, of course, since we don't advocate graffiti).

I have asked all sorts of characters "in the know" if they have any clue what this is about, and I have yet to get an answer. I asked my hitch-hikers in the Shomron if they knew...and they had no clue. I asked my kids...no idea.

I wonder if this new phenomena has to do with the Na-Nach-Nachma crowd which has been painting graffiti for years all over Israel, embarrassingly defacing buildings and antiquities, enough to make anyone crazy.

Top Israeli photographer Abba Richman even has an entire photo collection of "Na-Nach-Nachma" graffiti from all around Israel (here are some of the best).






















The Na-Nach-Nachma people are all misguided Breslover Chassidim who think there's something good about defacing buildings with this message from Rabbi Nachman from Breslev. The history of Na-Nach-Nachma sounds similar to the Abracadabra incantation.

But who are the mysterious graffiti wizards of OZ?

What is their message?

What are they trying to say?

We're still investigating, and will keep taking pictures.


Oz Graffiti near Northern Chawara junction (near Yitzhar)


Oz Graffiti near Tapuach junction.


Oz Graffiti near Tapuach junction.


Oz Graffiti along the "security wall" near Pisgat Zeev, Jerusalem.

More pictures coming soon...

If you have a clue what their message is, by all means, leave a comment!

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael