Falling in Love with One Country and Its Rich Culture

Quite unexpectedly, I find myself falling in love - not in someone but in one country and its rich culture. I've been interested in this country for many years, but this is the first time that I feel such love for it and its culture.

This country doesn't seem especially popular in the world. Actually, one other coutry, or to be more precise, its "decadent" half has hated it actively. It's the renewed - even intensified - unjustified hatred of the latter country toward the former that has aroused this love of mine.

As someone else who also feels as I do writes, the culture of the latter, or again at least of its "decadent" half, seems so immature, shallow and even sick compared to the culture of the former.

This week I even opened an account in the most popular native social media platform of this beloved country. I only follow some 20 "communities" about its rich culture, including its language and books, in this national language. I enjoy this platform much more than the other three I use - Facebook, Twitter, and Telegram. It has become my online cultural refuge.

Some may say I'm just idealizing this country because I don't live there, so may not be aware of its problems. I did visit it, or to be more precise, its capital, several times in the past (and loved it!). I'm also fully aware of its problems, including one serious mental and one no less serious sociocultural problems plaguing its people for a long time.

Though I completely lost my interest in literature some time ago, I'm even starting to relearn the history of the rich literature of this country. I may finally start reading in the original one of the most important masterpieces written in its national language.

Complementary (Passive) Use of Multiple Social Media Platforms

It's about one month since I stopped using Facebook as a means of personal communication, that is, I stopped posting updates on my personal ("profile") page on Facebook, deleted all the past posts and unfriended everyone equally. But I still continue to use Facebook not only for my business page there for advertising and also for about 200 other business pages for spiritual and cultural nourishment. The three main categories of the business pages I follow for this purpose are Chabad Hasidism, nondual spirituality, and culture of one country I'm falling in love with anew.

I don't miss my previous active use of Facebook for personal communication as I had few meaningful communication there. Since my personal use of Facebook became passive, I've restored my daily peace of mind and realized how much damage that meaningless personal "communication" caused to my mind. I don't miss personal updates by other users as many of them were for instant gratifications.

After this meaningful shift in my use of Facebook I started using, of course only passively, two other social media platforms - Twitter and Telegram channels.

I never imagined I would use Twitter because of its terrible *eftist censorship. But on the very day when Elon Musk announced his acquision of this social media platform I decided to join it, hoping he would change the very nature of Twitter and its algorithm. I only follow about 20 individuals, organizations and companies to receive warnings about online privacy and freedom. I especially appreciate tweets by Elon Musk and Glenn Greenwald. I myself don't tweet.

Telegram is an instant messanger, but its channels serve as a social media platform, which I use complementarily for the so-called investigative journalism as I've lost my trust in mainstream media outlets because of their covert censorship and bias. I only follow about ten individuals, including The Duran, The Grayzone, The New Atlas, and Truth In The News.

I'm also waiting for the opening of Truth Social to users outside North America and of Android. I've already made a list of about ten conservative politicians and political commentators I admire I'd like to follow in this new social media platform.

Making complementary use of multiple social media platforms for different purposes helps me keep another type of mental health. For example, when I only want to nourish my mind, I only check Facebook. Here is a summary of this complementary passive use:

• Facebook business pages: Chabad Hasidism, nondual spirituality, and culture of one country I'm falling in love with anew
• Twitter: online privacy and freedom
• Telegram channels: investigative journalism
• Truth Social: political conservatism

Aliya of a Good Old Friend and Her Family from Moscow

I witnessed one historic moment this week. A good old friend of mine in Moscow made aliya with her husband and their two children! I was honored to accompany their first step in Jerusalem.

I used to think they would be among the last Jews who would leave Russia partly because they have good jobs in Moscow. She surprised me about a month ago by sharing with me their decision to leave Russia for Israel for a number of reasons. I was even more surprised to hear that they had started planning this fateful process several years ago.

I myself am an immigrant to Israel, so I know what it's like to make aliya. But my case may not be so typical. When I officially immigrated here, I was already living here with a stable job and was already fluent in Hebrew. I was also very familiar with native Israeli culture though I've never got used to it until now.

I was impressed first and foremost with their courageous decision. I'm not so sure whether I could take such courage if I were in their place, especially because I love Moscow and even thought of emigrating there from Israel.

What really impressed me while accompanying this historic moment of theirs was how warmly and wholeheartedly so many people we met on the street etc. welcomed and blessed them. Even I, who am rather critical of Israel, especially culturally, was filled with joy and pride of being part of this country.