CREATING GLOBAL SHALOM by Dietz Ziechmann December 7, 2025 dietzziechmann679@gmail.com

I was born two days before the general of the army, Douglas MacArthur, one of my maternal grandmother's numerous cousins involved as leaders of the western allies wartime leadership in the Second World War, presided over the armistice signing on the battleship U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Bay.

The numerous branches and roots of my mother’s family have long exercised leadership in government, business, politics, war and religion. Presidents, monarchs, military figures. In the United States, Dr. Isaac Roosevelt was a business and political partner with Alexander Hamilton, one of the founding fathers. So much so, that if I identify those roots, I risk loss of credibility with those not schooled in these matters. Yet, understanding those roots and branches in essential in fully understanding my motivations and the subtle shadings that color my abilities.

I was brought up what most people would categorize as “secular” (not atheist), aware of a long history of societal leadership from many points of the spectrum and feeling responsible for making the world much more harmonious. The esoteric family connections made things hard, they couldn't be easily explained and documented until I got much older, and then if doing so, running the risk of making people feel more distant, rather than closer to me. Most decisive has been my mother's holistic approach to life, finding the good in people and nurturing that good.

I am peripatetic. Getting around to multiple segments of the community and encouraging the good and harmonious in people. I was a leader of the Jewish Secular Community of Cleveland, on the board of the North American Congress of Secular Jewish Organizations, a leader in Greater Cleveland Congregations and a familiar face at Torah study at the former Anshe Chesed-Fairmount Temple, the former The Temple-Tifereth Israel, Congregation Mishkan Or and Beth El-The Heights Synagogue. I served to revive and sustain The Arts of Thanking, and was a presence in kabbalah groups. And active in teaching comparative spirituality, philosophy and religion.

Community member Dietz Ziechmann is a Cleveland Heights resident.

On Tue, December 23, 2025 at 10:49 AM Shlomoh Sherman wrote: Thank you for this piece.

Re: Contacting Shlomoh Sherman
From: dietzziechmann679@gmail.com
To: Shlomoh Sherman
Tue, December 23, 2025 at 4:04 PM

You;re welcome. CJN did actually publish me in its print as well as on-line editions. It just wasn't very conspicuous in printing my profile. Miniature photo, as opposed to a larger sized original. A small error: I identified Dr. Isaac Roosevelt as Alexander Hamilton's partner. It was actually Isaac "The Patriot": Roosevelt, who was his uncle. At any rate, it was a psychological breakthrough for me, identifying so much of my background and purpose. Chag Sameach. Enjoying all the "Christmas" cheer.
"Christmas:, as it is being celebrated in North America today is a curious blend of Iranian mystery religion (the pagan god is born around Dec. 25th - the winter solstice - and dies in the Spring - "Easter".
The Galilean semi-Jew is born in Nazareth according to early NT texts, but his birthplace is moved to Bethlehem to be Davidic conforming, he wants to be a Jewish "anointed" but attacks the Temple functions 3 times, gives no defense of his actions, but wants to die a feckless martyr (isn't suicide a mortal sin?). He is an adopted son of Joseph, not of the House of David. His mother conceives out of wedlock, which would deny him legitimacy. He provides no useful leadership for the Jewish people. recycling the wisdom of Hillel and others, but gets accorded status as a profound religious leader/philosopher in popular text, as is used as a profound anti-Jewish symbol (Constantine's Sword), Oy and vey.

On Monday, December 22, 2025 at 07:07:12 PM EST, Dietz Ziechmann wrote:

Shlomoh has asked me to contact him on Facebook (META) several times. He now lives in Monroe Township, NJ. He has valued the Torah Study group and its members here in Cleveland where he sometimes attended.

See Who is Dietz Ziechmann