Hi, I'm Different. Welcome to first Friday for the month of falling leaves pumpkins and philanthropic anxiety attacks. Will the new streamlined management team of Dayton Hudson change. The company's charitable priorities should Twin Cities Arts organization to be worried. But consider the possibilities also on our program the music and spirit of Cherokee Rose radio that reunites families around the world and the story of a most unusual meeting between a group of American Jews and his Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet. So stay centered and stay tuned is next hour of First Friday, which comes your way right after the news from Washington.This is First Friday. And I'm that friend first on our agenda is today's news, of course that the Minnesota Orchestra faces a noon strike deadline by its musicians were going to be talking about that joining me for that discussion is Earth commentator and composer Randy Davidson High dance, the contract had expired on September 30th and negotiations have been going on course for weeks before last night the musicians Matt, they rejected Management's final offer said they would not work Beyond noon today. So it looks like for the first time since 1979. We have a strike on our hand the orchestral Association Management will be meeting at noon and they have scheduled a 1:30 news conference right now. They just started their meeting that means at 1:30. They'll have something to tell us regarding plans for immediately upcoming performances. According to Ron Rollins, the attorney representing the musicians. There won't be any immediately upcoming performances will wait and see if Chris tonight and Sunday the orchestra had scheduled performances with Tony Bennett to kick off the Weekender pop season.Randy from what I understand. The musicians are asking for a 6% salary increase, and that's a little bit better than I guess what would be called a cola raise a cost-of-living increase and they basically want to protect their health insurance. So it it's a moderate request in some ways but the orchestra also recently has taken if anyone's been following the news is taking a hit in an Investment Portfolio at least five million dollars and possibly more. It's not clear whether it was a paper loss or a real loss and it may be even greater than 5 million and they continue to run operating deficits year in and year out and the orchestra, although it's in the midst of a what looks like a very very ambitious endowment program and they want to have one of the largest endowments in the country that's their plan even though they're in the midst of that. They're running operating deficit and I'm sure the management and the board of trying to be responsible. So you have a typicalA labor-management dispute here how to it's on. It's not that different from baseball. How does it how do they keep in business and give everybody the money that they need to put in the Minnesota Orchestra of these kinds of Demands musician in relation to other orchestras around the country. There is there are basically two scenario so you can either go out of business or you can settle with your history and their many many small and middle-sized orchestras. Are you just going out of business and being reformed as musician cooperatives and the one the large orchestras which I would count the Minnesota Orchestra is one of the largest ones have to come to terms with these musicians in some way so that everyone can move on some of those Chicago Orchestra and Pittsburgh settled that there isn't very lucrative settlement that at momentum and the pressure is on the management to somehow solve the problem financially that because the musicians here can look elsewhere and start. In fact, some of musicians are starting to audition elsewhere.Because other large orchestras in the country are settling their their contract negotiations there big bumps and pay more than 6% So this is a complicated issue and what the representatives of the players after this is going to be in 4 weeks is not only the day of the beginning potential beginning of the strike by Minnesota Orchestra play. It's also Cynthia my dated last day as head of the Dayton Hudson Foundation a week ago in a very Chrisley worded statement that surprised just about everyone the company announced her resignation the brevity of the statement its lack of praise for a job. Well done suggested an unhappy me taking that my it isn't worth professional. She's the former head of the Crickets theater. She is a passionate supporter of the cultural and social nonprofits both here and Nationwide and her sudden unexplained departure worries many individuals and agencies will one of the community's most generous funders change how much they give adding two peoples were either.High-level staff changes at Dayton Hudson 10 Executives have quit or have their positions eliminated since Robert already took over as Company CEO last spring what will lyrics charitable priorities be for decades. Now Dayton's has held firm to giving away a generous 5% of its pre-tax profit Gail Doran who's the director of communications and community relations for the Target subsidiary says that policy still stamp. I think what I can say about that is that the 5% is fuse a very strong commitment of ours, I think any Corporation any foundation in the country make sure that they are constantly checking and re-evaluating our programs. And so at this point it's a little difficult for me to predict what the future will be. Like I do say though that we have our hearts in Minnesota. We are Minnesota company and we understand that we need to make a commitment to the communities here as many people feel that change at all levels is in the wind at Dayton Hudson joining or the commentator Randy Davidson. Dad me to discuss the whys and wherefores is City.This writer Sandra really welcomed Sandra. What kind of manager is Robert Ulrich? What kind of philosophy are we seeing the beginnings of here at Dayton Hudson that's hard for a reporter to know because he doesn't give and give it away but good reporters interview. Lots of people around him in the word is that he's a real hard-charger apparently his motto is speed is life and he's known for being impatient in meetings. If you make a decision, let's go out and do it. I also known to be quite cultured. He's a reader he is on the board of both the Guthrie Theater and the Minneapolis Institute of Art. He has been gotten into the collecting of historic African art by the director of the Mia but he's a man who's in place to do business. So do we have reason to be fearful given this philosophy and some of the changes we've seen in management what's happening in terms of changes in corporate giving I think one would be wise.To expect change to occur and if one is afraid of change and I think there is some reason to be afraid of change. Yes, when should be afraid of what has been changing into corporate giving over the last decade Dayton Hudson is part of a national Trend corporations as they have downsize though. I hate that word and have reduced Corporate Central staff and push doing business out into the business units to save money to make business units more responsible have also decentralised. They're giving there is less and less giving a corporate headquarters. I eat here in Minnesota and more and more giving at the Target store in your neighborhood. And that's true with many corporations. It's true and I need respond to positively and make his recommendation to Target management and then they get the money. That's the theory that there is also a business reason for doing this Bible rake other corporate executives.Stand that giving is part of business and therefore business. I'm sorry given can be connected to building an audience for your store. All you want bang for your buck. You want to give where your name shows up and that is at the Grassroots and that is toward projects and not towards things like operating funds for are throwing his actions not toward necessarily capital and endowment campaign. So I understand the target is really the most quickly growing part of the day and distributes its money via its operating units primarily and they got to give based on how much they earn at Target Brands write Aaron's in other states and many other states across the country and we can maybe we'll be seeing money more money going out to Florida to Texas Thursday. The trend is already in place over the last five years. It had it is clear that Dayton Hudson is pushing more money out to the operating unit 5 years ago.33% of the money that Nelson gave was given in Minnesota via the foundation that's down to 29% now targets giving has grown from something like 24% 5 years ago to it's giving 42% of all Dayton Hudson gives now in 1994 red lights going off of you are the commentator Randy David stations do not cannot get the kind of support from a single store within the corporation. They need to have a broader base support or a deeper support from the foundation and if they're going to have to be enterprising and figuring out how they can link with the corporate Mission. They're going to be able to survive and I aren't going to really be the ones getting the support from the the Target store down on Minnehaha mall is going to be it's going to be the larger Arts organizations the Museum's the theaters New York strips that are fairly well lastPublished and because Dayton's Dayton Hudson have such a large corporate presence in the Arts Community here is going to have a great deal of effect. And in that in that they the money is going to be starting to lean more towards the the retail outlets and it's going to it's going to change the relationship between the Arts organizations and Dayton Hudson Dayton Hudson does take speculative risks, aren't they take risks with the France that they can also grant for General operating expenses some portion of that General operating potential is is a glow no part of this is that Dayton's fit with the Dayton Hudson Corporation is not growing here. It is it is basically static as far as growth is concerned here. It's really growing in the Target area to the west and south of us a little bit to the Southwest Southeast but it is has very little presents now in in the Northeast for say they sold LeeMirror, which was one of their their department stores. So they're really focusing on target more and more and it and it's it's not necessarily bad. It is just a change and what my analysis of it is as always been the foundation giving what you seen is very much about a charity and it said we no strings attached has always had some degree of strings attached and now that connection between one what money you received from our corporate give her like Dayton Hudson and what you're expected to do for that money is going to be very very clear and it's going to be an honest about what that relationship is when the foundation gives you money or or like the Nea when it gives you money and you do something outrageous and then everyone gets outraged by it those strings become more clear, but there is there are strings attached. My guess is that large Arts organizations will be hurt some but won't notice a terrible effect. It's Hudson's commitment to the large museums to the large orchestras woman.Will remain Community non-professional Arts organizations at the Target store level probably will also continue to get somebody why don't get squeezed is the middle the medium and small Arts organization. We are much of the incubation of the Arts is done that those groups will have a tougher and tougher time. There are a couple of consultants in town with viseart groups on raising money and they're beginning to tell their arts groups Target your funding at individuals at Rich individuals at small companies at aggressive entrepreneurs began get weaning yourself from the corporation's of the World by the large corporations of the world because that money is going down and down and down what distinguishes the Twin Cities are seeing is the is that middle range and as we go in this direction where is going to be harder and harder marginalize for medium starts sized Arts organizations?We're going to see you as more like a city like Cleveland that has large Symphony large theater a large Museum and then a lot of small things very small things but it's very hard to grow an Arts organization in Cleveland win last question to both of you. What do you think that can date and is thinking what do you think members of The Dayton Family who really have a commitment to the family tradition of giving the way it's been done might be thinking now I can tell you an anecdote. I was curious about the same thing. So I called up and asked to interview him. I got a voicemail message message back from his secretary saying in a very tight voice that he has been removed from Dayton Hudson for 10 years. Now, he has no knowledge about it. He has nothing to say about it and thank you very much. You will not be interviewed and on that note. I thank you both very much for coming and participating in our discussion by Sandra early is a reporter at Citi business and Randy Davidson is First Fridays are commentator and composure as well. Thank you both.Imagine you been forced to flee your country and have no way to contact your loved ones at home or in the wake of a bloody upheaval you have been lost and your relatives are all gone. This is the experience of all too many people in the past few years whether it be in Somalia the former Yugoslavia were most recently in Rwanda to help families and friends find each other the BBC World Service offers shortwave radio broadcast that send messages worldwide. It's a novel used for medium length at the BBC first instituted during World War II working with the Red Cross and other aide agencies programs have been launched for the former Yugoslavia, Yemen and just last month for Rwanda.1615 Greenwich Mean Time, that's early evening in East Africa Rwanda Lifeline offers messages from family split up by the Civil War. The program is broadcast in two languages kinyarwanda and Q Wendy both are understood by people in Rwanda and Burundi right now on Rwanda Lifeline. The Red Cross family tracing program is giving top priority to finding the families of the more than 100,000 company children living in refugee camps. Jeff Phillips is the BBC's Regional editor for news and current affairs in Africa speaking to us from London. He explains how difficult it is to help these children for they often don't know their parents names or may only know family nicknames.Contact the Red Cross directly when we say that there is a member of the family we can put them in touch with the names of the incomplete and we just hope that by broadcast you may be a stripper names of names that would help to identify the individuals within it. So in other words if we say we're looking for someone whose name is Abdullah, but if you say we looking for 5 people months coat Abdalla one is Gouda made one is cold Xavier and then you have five names like that the group of names people say that five brothers all that five five members of the same family and then this will help identify where the single name in itself wouldn't be enough right? I can see that. Yeah, I understand why and humanitarian bases. The priority would be given to children. But is there any other factors that we made?Be aware of that would cause the Red Cross to prioritize children as number one pick spirited away from people who protecting them to go to work as domestic servants in houses or taking to working in farms are in an agricultural work and I think that there is also that the appearance of children may change rather quickly in a rather short. Of time. And so one of the things with the Red Cross is doing apart from collecting to take photographs of children as quickly as possible so that when parents and other members of their families went to identify them directly to you ever broadcast location of peopleReason is that in the particular situation? That's that applies in in reminder? There is a field by identifying people and identifying their locations. It's possible the people who are the mill will seek them out and hung them intimidate them even kill them. And then what I have in mind is it means supposing for example people to put on trial when when things begin to settle down and Rolanda people put on trial for example, genocide violations of human rights this kind of thing the children or other people might be potential by may have witnessed an attack may have witnessed or raped a way of may have witnessed the killing of someone and if we identify their whereabouts it's possible that potential people being accused of these crimes make it from 1st through London's who are not in the refugee camps have a way to access this program.How many supplies by how many have come in we've been training this program in our other broadcast in French and in Swahili, which also go to East Africa and telling people began to stop this operation and already we've received letters from people ruined into who fled reminder or have moved from one part of reminder to another to try to get in touch with their families. They know that we running the program until they've written to us think my name is 7 so I live in this part of Orlando or I'm living in Nairobi or I'm living in Djibouti. We had one from Canada. Even I'm trying to get in touch with this member of my family, please tell them I'm in Canada or I mean wherever I am and an awesome to get in touch with the Red Cross or sometimes I even give us addresses and we assume that if people are willing to give us an address is it okay to broadcast it we wouldn't do it as a matter of policy unless people had implicitly given the information of these programs feel they have hear what they have here basically isSomething that in radio terms for Matt Wise is rather boring can be almost like reading a telephone directory but it is of such great importance and value Ramona from Elsa mollien that people are fascinated and listen to this program from beginning to end and whole groups of people sit around the radio and absolute silence. It does sound as if we're reading a telephone directory, but we are you and me and the people that you broadcasting the name, I'm not directly involved in the situation, but you can imagine if it was at this place lyrics I from the United States and we were broadcasting a list of names until to some extent from the people come from and what kind of families they are and say they will sit and listen to the pool, and I can show you they won't become bored by there just by the recycle of what appears to be just a list of names.Jeff Phillips is the regional editor of news and current affairs for the Africa Department of the BBC World Service. You're listening to first Friday. I'm that friend on such as if our London Georgia, whoever St. Joseph in the Bible come back and we'll go as a dungeon, Amo, Indiana.She's a relative newcomer to the Twin Cities music scene breaking into local Club this last year and I'm pressing the critics with her blend of country folk and Roots Rock. She's a 38 year old single mother of three a part-time mental health professional and a songwriter since the age of 11 this month. She celebrates the release of her first CD tracks out. Her name is Cherokee Rose.From the time I was a baby. Turn down the music. In order for me to be borned stuff had to be going down in Ireland Africa and North America in estimate three continents singer-songwriter Cherokee Rose is referring to her rich and colorful Heritage part black part Irish and part native American, but with the release of the CD tracks south, it becomes apparent that it is her Indian ancestors. With whom the connection is strongest the song most notably one called still are steeped in a Native American spirituality my own personal spirituality is definitely connected to the medicine wheel and the medicine wheel on the south path. You really get a chance to explore areas of this energy that really talks about Your inner, you know self your inner your inner person your sense of where you've been and where you're going and really delighting in all of those things. And in that song I talked about. I'm having a chance to it's really being in connection with people who we think are gone. Our ancestors are old Chieftains spirit animal spirits people who we think are inanimate and or not possessing of Life as we know it in terms of Consciousness and yet they are there and we get messages if we listen all the time. Walked along the road down Kentucky land of gold Treasures sisters. Girl, where you been? This is a girl. You got it all wrong. Still feel sick while still speaks of a mystical Journey the other songs on the CD reflect a lot of Cherokees. Very real physical traveling titles include Georgia Rain. I was born in Nashville downtown St. Louis hotel in Albuquerque. It was only after putting the songs together on One recording did Cherokee realize that their geographical settings followed the Trail of Tears the forced removal in the late 1800s of the Cherokee People from their Homeland in North Georgia, but Cherokee Rose who took her black Indian grandmother's name as her own rights about much more than the ancestral Trials of love and hard times are frequent subject and she can tackle lust and Desire with the best of them as in the song Let's Ride on her 1993 core set release buckskin. Netherrack weather at one of the myths of women Womanhood I guess is that time where Bri we are supposedly not sex. And far as I can see nothing could be further from the truth and I just think that it's something that should be celebrated as opposed to denigrated or actually made kind of I don't know. I guess people must have a lot of trouble with women sexuality because I see a lot of troubled, you know message is being sent and the message. I hope I always send is one that did should be celebrated need something that's wonderful and not to be feared one get the sense that fear is just not a part of Cherokee roses worldview 20 years after writing her first girl that song she is entering the music Biz with Grace Equanimity and spiritual purpose. So far I'm stunned by where it it's taken me. I'm really amazed at the reception to my music, you know when you sit at home and you came for for 11 years and you change diapers and take care of kids and run around and kind of be a mom and then you decide that you're going to you know, take all of this stuff in your heart and and do something with it and see if it if you meet any kind of success at all and to be I guess what I call really truly understood by people. My music has been and that is was a gift that I was I didn't expect at all. Not at all. Not in a million years. Alvin directions I'll deny the chiller Sunday. The stars are glad you are my true. Love. I shall do all my soul. It stretches my body. Cherokee Rose open tonight for boiled in lead at First Avenue in Minneapolis at 7 p.m. For CD release party will be at the Fine Line music Cafe in Minneapolis on Wednesday, October 19th at 9 p.m. You said you haven't been to the library in years. You think you don't need to because the information Highway goes right through your front door think again in the 15th century with the Advent of the printing press the common man was thought to have a shot at learning as never before but it didn't work out that way for centuries only people who could afford books and the education they required really had access to knowledge the pattern repeats itself today as businesses and individuals jockey to determine who has access and who will supply the information on the new electronic press Public Library can keep the flow of information available to all at the friends of the Minneapolis Public Library. Margie Lincoln is taking up the charge at the organization's new director. She says many of us have grown a little complacent about using a library permission to get more of us in the door supporting a public source for recorded thought that's a big task and it was controversial when it was first introduced it again explains in the late 19th century. And as you know, I worked for Many happy years of Hogwarts enter TV Walker who was of course, the founder of Walker Art Center was also one of the founding fathers of the Minneapolis Public Library. I think this is less well-known to those listeners who are in the art world. He led the fight back in 1877 and it was a fight to change the Athenaeum, which was a private subscription Library open only to man who could afford to buy a membership into a true Public Library System. He had his own phenomenal collection in his home. He didn't need this for his own access to information. He felt however, if you put books and art into the hands of people they will because it will be a civilizing condition for people he believed in that so strongly that he led this very very arduous fight that wasn't really getting anywhere until he decided that he would use his Vast wealth and he was 1/10 wealthiest man in America at the time and start buying up controlling memberships in the afternoon. And at that point determined that it would be a public library. So in 1885 a public library was established and he served as its first president of the library board from 1885 until 1928 when he died and I think now we sort of have come to the point where we're taking it for granted. Although very few years after TB Walker died 1928 and 1933 when Hitler came to power in Germany, one of the first things he did was shut down the public library system in Germany and Purge the collection of certain books, certainly all the Jewish authors were purged from the collections and there was a huge Bonfire by over 25,000 volumes. I think repressive governments have always known that if you want to control the way people think you control public access to information. We've not had a threat like that in this country. In our lifetime, so people have become complacent about the needs of the library. My task will be at the executive tractor. The friend is to somehow try to instill fear the importance in the great legacy in the wonderful history that this institution has and rally support not only financial but Grassroots support for the needs of the library of the future you really have to retrain people to in terms of their habits. I'm even thinking of myself that I was a huge Library Advocate growing up certainly in as a young person at the young adults as they say and in my 20s and then of course slowly fell out of the habit of using the library and found myself in bookstores purchasing books been passing the months of rationalizing the purchase by reading them and passing them on to people are giving them to institutions or to the library donating them to the Friends of the library used book shop or just another one of our great services that we provide what it means. If I don't go in there, you know, I buy the book pass it on to the library, but I'm not go. I used to looking up books or you know putting down my name so I can get you know, the newly-published addition of something with next week. And it's I'd have to retrain myself to use the library but we are spoiled in the Twin Cities because this is one reason I have one of the great vitalbook selling centers in this country. And I think that's wonderful and we definitely work with the bookstore. But if you want to do research Beth, you're not going to be able to walk into a bookstore and find the reference material that you need to go back and do any sort of historical research or or document the fight for example to get to move the first Library into its present facility in downtown. It was a 40-year fight to get a new building built and we are in the 10th year of a 10 Hair fight to get a new facility to replace a facility that that was opened in 1961 and who's fighting you. Just I think public attitude that just exactly what we've talked about. We have no money and absolutely nobody wants to talk about the need to raise taxes and it is a public facility. That's exactly what it's going to take is a tax levy. I think it's part of the cell is not only set of the political machinations and of course we'll go on and even your work seems to me that you were going to be even more crucial because I think and you have to set up Thai people's identity a civic identity with the library. I'm thinking of New York City and how he look how the love at the 42nd Street Library isn't how t-shirts and events and things people say to get it becomes of the banner on their bodies their city of their Library those Lions represent something to everybody and it's about changing public Consciousness and having people take pride in this institution. Is it look good to you or do you think are is everybody in the institution of the library bracing themselves or a big fight here? I don't know that people are bracing themselves. And I think it depends on what kind of person you are. You know that I'm a very optimistic person. I've traveled around the country and looked at other brand new library facilities and it is so exciting. What a library facility in the heart of downtown can do for the surroundings. And so there has been a blue ribbon committee that has identified several different sites in downtown. So I'm on the north end where the library is currently located some on the south end of the mall, but the importance of staying in the heart of downtown so that people who are working who are on bus lines. It has to be on public transportation can come and make use of this wonderful facility. Maki Ligon is director of the friends of the Minneapolis Public Library. The watercolor paintings of Red Lake artist Patrick desjarlait were criticized as being too modern for to Indian or even to socialist at various times in his career. Did your ladies fancy his use of color and form is remarkable in the way it highlights the Dignity of his people the Minnesota Museum of American Art in Saint Paul has no assemble an extensive exhibit of the Ojibwa artists were many of the paintings come from private collection that have never been seen by the public one of these rallies best. No Creations is not even on view but it's a familiar image to generations of Television viewers. The FM news stations. Dan Olson has more like Patrick desjarlait. Son. Robert says his first shot at a real our job was to help his father create the Hamm's beer bear. The only condition was that Robert had to color within the lines and that's the one thing the emphasize to me don't go over these lines now on and so I went over the lines and he fired me from my job. I want me to leave the studio. You know, Robert was seven at the time Patrick desjarlait was a Vallarta's for the Minneapolis agency hired to advertise Hamm's beer two days later Robert got his second chance. So I was going to be careful now and I said, yeah, I'll be real careful. If I got to go back and work on the truck dejarlas job is a commercial artist for Twin Cities. Advertising companies was a living his passion was documenting the life of his people from the Red Lake nation in Northwestern. Minnesota Roberts has his father's painting show the Dignity of people at work bodies straining to pull in fishnets or bent over separating rice from Hall's if you wanted to show how this pastoral activities traditional activities made the transition into the twentieth century. So we were still the gym. We were still doing these times activities in modern times. Victor. Charlie's mother died when he was a young boy, he was sent to a boarding school where none of the example of language or culture was taught his military service in the Navy during World War II included making training films in collaboration with artists from the Disney Studios. A few months. He was an art director at an Arizona prison camp for Japanese Americans detained during the war. He continued painting the entire time winning Awards and a devoted if small following brought her recognition was elusive dejarlas formal our training in the southwestern United States caused observers to judge his work in the context of Southwest American Indian artist or Mexican muralists. Robert says his father like their work, but found his own style many of his paintings didn't show ceremonies or animal life in a way that fits some observers Notions of the American Indian world. Then the Red Scare erupted Robert says recognition for his father's work with set back when red Bears tagged as socialist or communist all painters who depicted people working together, cuz everything to do with Socialism or communism was out the door when you look at all this work, you see people working together and so his work suffered in the early fifties because of that the political labels that were being put on it that Nothing to do with this idea what he was trying to do the first Minnesota exhibition of Patrick dejarlas work was organized by his friend Ron libertas. He asked his yard light to demonstrate his style to Young artist before long. The British says dejarlais was traveling the state telling young people about Ojibwa Culture and his style of painting. He had a very thin brush. He didn't thicken the water in his watercolors. He kept those vibrant thickness of the color and then he would slowly it took him so long to create an image and would slowly with this little one or two hair brush brush and brush and brush and brush in the image would come to life and what he was doing. I think we're creating points that he would leave the audience to to see what were the important parts of the images. He was drawing because those are Indian images that's wild racing. That's the Monona can win the time of the rights of the siseebakwet the time of the maple sugar. Those are The basis of our life Patrick desjarlait died from cancer in 1972. He was 5125 of his works are part of the exhibit at the Minnesota Museum of American art at the Landmark Center in st. Paul a bonus for visitors is dejarlas work can be seen in relation to Pieces done by George Morrison Oscar. How is Saint Robert dejarlais and several other Native American Artist the exhibit runs through early January for the FM news station. I'm Dan Olson. There are a number of events connected with the Patrick desjarlait exhibit. One is a free Family Day on Sunday, October 23rd, which include dance and craft demonstrations and storytelling if you'd like to find out more about that program or about the artist. You can call the Minnesota Museum of American art at 29 to 4336. You're listening to first Friday. I'm that friend several years ago Rodger kamenetz professor of English at Louisiana State University took part in a very dramatic Journey. He accompanied a high-spirited American Jewish religious leaders on a trip to doncella India for a dialogue with the Dalai Lama of Tibet his Holiness reside in donsol as the leader of a people in exile for the Chinese have occupied to bed since 1950 and have conducted a systematic effort to destroy Tibetan resistance and eradicate to vets religion the Dalai Lama and his American Jewish guests talked about the challenge of cultural survival in the twentieth century and the shirt spiritual wisdom cabinets describes their encounters and how they changed his own personal spiritual Outlook in his book The Jew in the Lotus and thinking back on the trip cabinets remember that? Hours before their very first meeting with the Dalai Lama. His friends had a very passionate debate on exactly what blessing to greet him with. I think this was really an argument about how you know, American Jews and really choose all over the world are so divided among themselves about religious belief and what stress to play some different parts of the tradition. It was a way of the for the group to come together to say a blessing together. I think really was to agree that we are all here together as one and I think that's why it was important invention before several people in the group of Jews who were visiting made presentations to the Dalai Lama talked about mysticism and the mystical tradition within Judaism and Rabbi Greenberg talked more about a moment in Jewish history that he felt was pivotal to the subsequent survival of the Jews this moment coming when the Romans had conquered Israel, and the temple have been destroyed in 70 AD. But tell me about that presentation. Is that the one that stands out most vividly for you? I was very impressed by Robert Greene books presentation. I thought it was brilliant. And I also was moved to see the Tibetans listening to it because you know at that point in Jewish history. We lost everything and the rabbi. Yohanan Ben. Zakkai ask the Romans to give him yavne which is a little insignificant town and Israel where he could found a study center and academies train rabbis when I looked around, and his robes and the older habits and monks exiled from to bed and watch their faces as this moment was explained. I just felt tremendous. I was very moved I felt the residents that the power of of telling that story to them at this time in their history. So that was the lesson of the story for them. I think the lesson of the story that that gets Greenberg was trying to get across was that in order it when you have a tremendous disjunction in history when it went when you totally defeated It's not enough just to preserve the tradition. You also have to renew it. You really have to LEAP across that Gap in history by making complete change and that's difficult. What is the scholars that y'all going to do? That would be meaningful are important for the Tibetans to hear the Tibetan Buddhist to hear about they reinterpreted everything that related to the temple which was not lost and really lost forever and they brought it into the home so that for instance the Priestly of the blessings that the priests might recite in the temple are now recited by the family at Shabbat end over meals and so forth. So the idea was that Judaism change from being a temple based cult to a home-based religion and maybe some relevance for the Tibetans as well. They're also have been a temple based religion. So the issue is how do you get a bunch of celibate monks to teach there were Pigeon in a form that householders can use in daily life almost to democratize the religion that was a very important part of it because stress democratization you educate the common Jew and every Jews supposed to have some knowledge. The rabbi's remaining Elite with knowledge, but they stay among the people and there was a suggestion that be done with the Tibetans is an interesting moment that happens in the course of that conversation when Rabbi Greenberg is explaining this historical what he sees as this pivotal historical moment. He's also talking to the Dali Lama about the way that and all subsequent liturgy. There is a constant in Jewish liturgy a constant reminder of what happened to the Temple of the Jewish inhabitants of the land excetera and the Dalai Lama said to himself he gets in his always remind always remind those very moving and later on. He said now I feel I have the secret of Jewish survival in Exile always to remind and and I think that was a very important moment when when he got it and in fact, he got it so well that he was able to certify her back a great question to us, which really was moving to and provoking. Well, he said we have so many reminders every day of Exile built into the Jewish tradition. He said well now that you have is real has a religion changed or not. What did you say? First of all you it's laughed and said that we all laughed cuz it was so brilliant funny and it's ever going to make you the chief Rabbi of Israel when we get through here, but he said yes, we are at a moment of crisis in Jewish history where we do have to rethink the way we've been doing things because we do have is real and this is a real Challenge and many many Jews are beginning to think about it. I don't think we saw the problem yet, but I think we're thinking about it. Is there a specific moment that we really stayed with you? And that was the most powerful for you and oldies interchanges. I think that the whole exchange between Rabbi Zalman schachter and the Dalai Lama discussing the Jewish mystical tradition the couple I was it was it was extremely important. What happened was we got away from that sort of formal lecturing and the Dalai Lama had mentioned angels and the Dalai Lama really want to know about angels and so I kept asking, you know, well do angels have different colors and some of his whole yes. Yes. Yes and do angels cause earthquakes he wanted to know yes or yes. And so at one point Solomon said, you know, there's an angel for each City and there's an angel for each people and in fact right now if we do this dialogue, right there's an angel of Tibet listening through you an angel of the Jews talking through me. So the dialogue doesn't happen just at this level and it was it seems like that was true at least for that moment. I I believed it. It was very moving. Was that the most important status? Area of Enlightenment for you personally this convergence of Jewish and Buddhist thought somehow. I think first of all to see his interest in the Jewish esoteric tradition was made us interested and we saw the power of it perhaps reflected in his interest. I think it was very important to me also to see in action with the Buddhist call A Quiet Mind the Dalai Lama's quality of mine was so impressive and not just his many the llamas and monks and translators that we met had the same quality. It was a sense of them imperturbability that that nothing to disturb this person and you have the sense she whatever training they're going through this stuff this stuff really works. That was so challenging that was so moving for me. I think another part of it that was revealing was actually was in response to this incredible. Excursion into the realm of angels and at one point some of the other participants in the dialogue were little, you know, wanted to correct a little bit and point out. Well mainstreamed usually don't believe in angels and stuff for them and send one of them to Spencer about your love. It said yes, and some of us are hearing about this for the first time as well and everyone laughed but you know That the S8 are the mystical in Judaism is hidden from most Jews. And I think it's a real discomfort with with that kind of imagery for many many Jews. So to have it brought up and to see how powerful it can be is imagery was very important as a real opening by the visit of you and your friends. I think he really valued The Interchange. I think he really enjoyed it. I think he enjoys all such dialogues. He he also dialogues with scientists and many other religious groups. I think Israel in particular means a lot to the Tibetans that the Jews after 1900 years were able to come back and eventually after I dialogue he was able to visit Israel and there's a wonderful photo of him at the wall at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, and he's got a yamaka on and skullcap and he's cut his far head pressed against the wall and one hand next to his head and it's it's a really moving photograph cuz I think I think you feel him soaking in the all the tears and all the prayers have ever been traded. That was all he really had a feel for it. And you think he's somehow it's changed the way he's thinking about the condition of his own people. I think so. In the book, I I try to put it that perhaps he's become a Dharma Zionist and and what I mean by that phrase is a Dharma is the basic Buddhist teaching and he he starting to say that Tibet is the spiritual homeland of Dharma which is racing more Decor statues saying that Israel is a spiritual homeland of the Jewish people that's a change another word survival depends on reclaiming that land not just on Buddhism being taught throughout the world, right? There's a shift there and I can't say of course. It's just a result of our encounter, but it did happen after our encounter Rodger. Kamenetz is the author of the Jew in the Lotus published by harpercollins. How to begin this month of fall a story Journal of a prayer year by Paul Grieco Red by Gene Harrington one morning. It was still dark when I wakened the pre-dawn singing of the birds and faded away the voices of the insects that died and they are resume the Christmas of all the crunch of dry leaves could be hurt. Under Foot was somehow as if it had never happened before the crows were flying and noisy flax again in the Brilliant Blue Petals of the gentians dried up and falling away leaving behind only the brave flowers of an aster here or there the first light frosted come it was football time at harvesttime hunting time school time. Footsteps quickened it was exciting to be in transition. It seemed more like the beginning of something that like the end of it. It was time for colds and viruses and time to dig heavier jacket out of the closets time to water the new grass to prepare the bulb beds for planting first time to press leaves between wax paper to bring them home and put them in vases to walk in the opposite side of the street where the opportunities to hear them crunch seemed better. It was time to collect the cocoons of moths in their Chrysalis is a butterfly's time to bring them into the safe keeping a bug houses. It's time to wonder what wonders they would bring it was time to begin planning for Halloween begin anticipating Christmas begin wishing. There was a little snow on the ground together to show that the acorns with their faces like owls alphabets was time to walk through the puddles one last time this time to cut flowers for mommy one. Last time. Was that golden time the time of Rosy Cheeks the time especially made for children. Journal of a prairie year by Paul Greco Red by Gene Harrington and that's our program for today your comments and criticisms are most welcome. So please do call us at 290 1191 us-290 1191 first Friday is produced by Kitty Isley with assistant today from Mike McCall penrith. Our technical director was Randy Johnson special. Thanks to Karen Booth enteric hubs in Skokie today. Midday is supported in part by the law firm of shots penguin Lockridge grindal and holsteins with offices in the Twin Cities and Washington DC national public radio coverage of President Clinton's press conference is coming up at exactly one in just a moment or two. I'm best friend. It was great to be with you. Have a wonderful weekend.