I hope this newsletter/blog finds you well. I have been thinking a lot lately about home. What does it mean to have a home, leave it, and have to create a new one?

My first home was in Highland Park, a tony suburb outside Chicago. It was a diverse community in many ways but also relatively homogeneous at the same time. Sure, there were many affluent Jewish families, but there were also military families and a large community of Italian, Spanish and Black families. Neither of my parents (except my stepmother) were from Chicago, nor did my extended family live there. Nonetheless, I perceived it as my home, having established lifelong friends and firm roots (reputation) in that community. My parents moved away when they retired, and their kids (my brother and I) no longer lived there. I wonder if transience played into their moves and/or my brother's and my desire/willingness to live elsewhere.

Attending University in Philadelphia was my next home, albeit temporarily. There I was exposed to people from all over the world which ultimately oriented me towards my current home, New York City. I married someone from New York, raised my children there, have immediate family living there, have made many friends anew, and adore it. But is it my home, and will it be it forever?

This is all at the top of mind for many reasons and recent events, but seeing A Prayer for the French Republic brought everything into focus. The play is set in modern-day Paris and follows a Jewish family contemplating leaving their home and moving to Israel due to the rise of anti-semitism. My takeaway is that home is a place where you feel safe. Safety may or may not correlate to how long you have been there, if your family and friends are there, or if your job is there. New York feels fine, but history teaches us that things can change quickly. Who would have thought Paris, the intellectual capital of liberty, would be moving in that direction?

I suspect feeling at home (an insider?) is a coping mechanism, as we are all experienced refugees. October 7th and its aftermath remind us of how quickly things can change. I am taking steps so my family and I feel safe(r), and this Loupe is dedicated to some of them.

Zoya Cherkassky
The Jewish Museum, 1109 5th Ave &, E 92nd St, New York, 10128

Good artists are keen observers of current events, using art to capture emotions and provoke thought, sometimes even changing history. I alluded to A Prayer for the French Republic earlier, a play that sent me reeling (evidence is this post); since it is closing shortly, I want to point out another art exhibit that had a similar effect and is closing shortly...Zoya Cherkassky's October 7th, 2023 at the Jewish Museum. I had the opportunity to meet Zoya and see a documentary about her life and career. She emigrated from Kyiv to Tel Aviv as a teenager, where she married an African immigrant, started a family, and became a working artist...the ultimate outsider. Previously, she has been critical of the Israeli government, painted about the poor treatment of Palestinians, and did a series about the invasion of her former home, Ukraine, by Russia. However, the events of October 7th compelled her to draw, and the results are poignant, haunting, and severe. Since October 7th, I have been obsessed with consuming all types of information to understand what happened and its aftermath. I have gone to rallies, watched the news, attended lectures, seen documentaries, talked to friends, and mindlessly scrolled on social media until I couldn't scroll anymore. However, her drawings touched me in a way these other activities couldn't.

I have also ordered a limited edition print set of these, which you can acquire from her American dealer, Adam Shopkorn, at Fort Gansevoort.

Black Umbrella
Services

Part of feeling safe is feeling prepared for an emergency, whatever the emergency. I wrote previously about Superesse, a preparedness club comprised of like-minded individuals sharing ideas for preparedness. In the process, it became clear that the most likely scenario is the need to shelter in place for an unspecified period. However, given my stage of life, my loved ones are all over the place (college and elsewhere). Therefore, in an emergency, everyone must be on the same page for getting in touch, if possible, and arriving at a safe location. This requires some planning in extreme circumstances and has excellent value as an option. I was introduced to the founder of Black Umbrella (BU) through fellow Louper Evan L., who has been on a similar preparedness journey for the last ten years. BU will conduct a bespoke risk assessment of your situation, considering your most significant worries, geographic location, family size, and individual needs. Then, they’ll customize an Emergency/Safety Plan for you, including a re-unification plan if you need to leave your home, and create a way for you to get back in touch with everyone. BU will even work with you to ensure you have all the necessary supplies and equipment to carry your family through any emergency, including blackouts and evacuations. Lastly, BU will remain in contact with you, available for questions and advice, to alert you of potential dangers in your area, and to remind you to continue updating your plan and supplies as your family changes. It is a good idea and will help improve your feeling of being safe.

Judy Bags

If you can't shelter in place, you need to go elsewhere. If you need to bug out, you potentially need supplies to get you there. Normally, you have ample time to pack, but you never know. The supplies you need will likely be unavailable in an emergency. Judy is a leader in emergency preparedness and designed the perfect emergency kit. Each kit has supplies for warmth, tools, safety, first aid, food, and water. They thought about what you might need, so you don't have to. I have been supplementing this with additional medical supplies; the rabbit holes are endless, but this is the perfect place to start.

I want to be clear: I am offsetting my fear by increasing my preparedness, resulting in feeling safe. I might be deceiving myself, but that is my plan, and I am sticking to it! Consider Zoya Cherassky, Black Umbrella, and Judy Bags Found!

Home = Safe