Episode 64: With Moshe, Part One (On Memory, Positive Psychology, Jewish Migration, Israel, Identity and Self-Definition)

Welcome Back to Jonah Asks,Moshe is my neighbor. He is a modern philosopher, with an optimistic outlook, having trained himself in positive psychology. He was born in Israel in 1951 and came to New York City in the early 1970s, before returning to Israel and then eventually landing in the Bay Area. music: Neil Cowley "Eureka Pulse"3 minPositive PsychologyMoshe discusses his study of positive psychology and choosing his own personal happiness and well-being. "Wanting to be happy is a license that I acquired in my years. There is a methodology for it and I think I got. At this point it works for me and I am good with that. I was a sad Jew."9 minSpirituality and Identity Going beyond the self. Fighting to define yourself rather than be defined by a given identity.12 minMoshe's Family History Parents leaving Poland and arriving in Israel during the 1930s. Cold and superstitious places. Pogroms and then the Holocaust. Moshe's father came to Palestine in the mid 1930s, with many Jewish immigrants. Moshe's mother escaped Poland in 1938 via train through Germany, before taking a ship from Trieste to Palestine. 17 minMiddle Eastern history and Moshe's parents. Palestine and the creation of Israel in 1949.23 minMemoryJonah discusses memory and writing. Moshe has been studying philosophy and psychology. He discusses the biological need to recall negative experiences for survival.26 minBeing Jewish Israeli experience compared with suburban American experiencesMoshe explains how the history of Jewish oppression informs the Israeli pride in Judaism.Jonah's mother's childhood: Secular Jews in suburban DC (late '40s into early '60s)32 minPain versus SufferingMoshe discusses Yuval Noah Harari's ideas about pain versus suffering. Pain is contemporary and neurological event. Suffering is spread over time and is often a speculative psychological event.37 minMoshe wrote to Professor Sapolsky, who studies stress. 39 minMoshe in New York City, 1973Moshe was released from Israeli military service in 1973 and found his way to New York City. 43 minMoshe Meets His First Wife, TinaCouch-surfing, squatting, and getting by. Figuring out how to live in the United States, with a tourist visa.A wild pack of cats and a smelly small apartment in New York City.47 minMoshe and Tina move to Somerville, MA then back to Israel then ChildrenFrom New York to "Slummerville." Tina had to hide the relationship from her strict Jewish mother. Eventually, they moved back to Israel and had children. Later, they moved to the Bay Area, in part to get medical treatment for their son, who had a kidney situation.  53 minDivorce and a New Marriage After 19 years of marriage and two children, Moshe discovers Carla at his child's preschool. "I saw this beautiful woman working with a jackhammer, breaking the asphalt."61 minMoshe Is Afraid of Helplessness (Like Many of Us) Through much of his life, Moshe has prized self-sufficiency. He understands this as a reaction to his mother's helplessness.  In his later years, he has accepted the deep love of his second wife and attachment. Many thanks to Moshe for the wonderful conversation. Stay tuned for Part 2, coming soon.Links:Yuval Harari's TED talkshttps://www.ted.com/speakers/yuval_noah_harariPositive Psychology TED talkshttps://positivepsychology.com/positive-psychology-ted-talks/