A Yiddish writer reports that in 1945 the Maggid of Chelm, a
venerable sage, arrived at the port of Haifa. He approached the custom’s office holding a
broken suitcase and a large cage filled with birds. Never having been
confronted by a fleeting emigrant bringing in such merchandise, the astonished
customs official asked, “My good man, why in heaven's name have you bothered to
bring this” -he pointed to the cage - “all the way from Europe?” The Maggid
lifted his sad eyes to the impatient clerk. “I had to bring them,” he said. “There are no more Jewish children in Poland.
So who will feed them?”
“Between 1305 and the early 1800’s. the House of Taxis ran a form of pony express service all over Europe…. Its couriers clad in blue and silver uniforms, crisscrossed the continent carrying messages between princes and generals, merchants and money lenders.” –Alvin Toffler, The Third Wave We may think we are the first generation consumed by rapid communication but we are not. Throughout our history it has been a priority. Of course, now in the 21 st century we must ask: are we better or worse for it?
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