by Cole Krawitz [➚] · Saturday, September 30th, 2006
As our elected officials leave DC to hit the campaign trail, late Friday Republican controlled Congress succeeded in pushing enforcement-only immigration legislation to build a 700 mile fence along the border between the U.S. and Mexico through the Senate (after being passed in the House and Bush has agreed to sign) in an attempt to demonstrate why people should feel sound about re-electing them to office.
I worry that they have won over many more than I care to think.
This weekend we prepare for Yom Kippur, and I know this will be heavy on my mind and heart as I move between evaluating my own life, and my relationship to my community and the world–as Rabbi Jill Jacobs eloquently detailed.
On Tuesday, an interfaith coalition of religious leaders, including Rabbi David Saperstein, along with hundreds of Jewish community leaders who sent letters to Representatives across the country, denounced passing enforcement-only legislation.
“People of faith across the country have called for an immigration policy that remembers that each of the 12 million men, women and children who seek a better life in our nation is created in the image of the divine,†Rabbi David Saperstein, who directs Reform’s Religious Action Center, said Tuesday at a news conference in a Senate office building.
He added, “No legislation is better than bad legislation, but just and fair legislation is what is best for all those who live here.†Joining Saperstein were top Christian clerics and senators from both parties.
Listening to his full testimony, and reading letters from Jewish leaders I was moved that so many stand justly on this issue, recognizing how our histories are tied, and continue to be tied to immigration, and how this legislation panders to the worst of electoral politics.
As Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, testified, the fence is “a bumper sticker solution for a complex problem. It’s a feel-good plan that will have little effect in the real world,” he said. “We all know what this is about. It may be good politics, but it’s bad immigration policy. That’s not what Americans want.”
Now I know why I don’t do bumper stickers, and let me tell you, I’m still not sure who is supposed to be feeling good about building a wall that will do nothing except harm more people.
The passage of this legislation is nothing more than false security–a false sense of control. The idea that we must construct large walls that will only continue to breed more hate and violence, rather than honestly reflect on how we are apart of the problem and take steps and measures that acknowledge our involvement in creating a global economy where people must cross borders, with or without papers, in order to feed their families–in order to stay live–is the antithesis, to me, of the spirit of these Days of Awe.
Much to do in the new year–much to do indeed. Much to build–and I don’t mean border fences. Rather, Congress should take cues from groups like PJA who lobbied in support of household workers and support SB 1322–a bill that requires cities and counties in California to identify sites for homeless shelters and transitional housing facilities and remove zoning laws that exclude the building of homeless shelters, transitional housing and special needs facilities in CA’s local communities. While the bill failed passage early in the week, it was passed by the Assembly on reconsideration and then by the Senate and now goes to the Governor.
More to this type of building in the new year.
crossposted to jspot
by Jewish Robot [➚] · Saturday, September 30th, 2006
by Mobius [➚] · Saturday, September 30th, 2006
Avant-garde jazz musician and Tzadik Jewish-fusion label founder John Zorn has been awarded a highly prestigious Genius grant from the MacArthur Foundation. The grant carries a hefty half-million dollar price tag.
Stephen Colbert responds:
(c/o Eyeteeth)
by Ruby K [➚] · Friday, September 29th, 2006
Not the Nazi-busters.
Yep, Judge Wolfgang Kuellmer of Stuttgart ruled that the anti-neo-nazi symbol, the one of a swastika with a line through it ala the Ghostbusters symbol, ruled that using the symbol with a clearly negative depiction of it in the form of anti-nazi paraphanalia was illegal and fined the maker and distributor of the material. The reason why, Judge?
“In particular this mass market business risked undermining its taboo status,”
snip
Green party member of parliament, Claudia Roth, herself once investigated by the Stuttgart authorities for wearing an anti-Nazi lapel pin, said the ruling was unjustified.
“This ruling is scandalous,” she said. “It is a form of autism which completely ignores the real problems of right wing extremism, anti-Semitism and racism in this country.”
I personally don’t condone using autism as an insult at all. I would say silly or foolish there instead.
by Mobius [➚] · Friday, September 29th, 2006
Gpod — possibly the best weblog for counterculture audio and video content — has a link to a torrent of Mark Levin’s Protocols of Zion, a film which discusses the resurgence of antisemitism in the post-9/11 world (and which, incidentally, gives a shoutout to Jewschool for initiating the Jooglebomb).
I, of course, don’t advocate “stealing” Mr. Levin’s film, however having an opportunity for a free “international” screening (particularly now that it’s airing on HBO) creates a unique opportunity for Jewschool readers and contributors alike to have a discussion around the film, and that, in turn, is great PR for Mr. Levin. So, with that trade-off in mind, download it, watch it, delete it, and tell us your thoughts.
Related: Heeb‘s Joshua Neuman reviews Protocols in Slate. Balaam’s Donkey’s puff piece on the film for Jewschool. CinemaJ’s review.
by Mobius [➚] · Friday, September 29th, 2006
From The Carnegie Hall Performance. For your listening pleasure…
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
by Danya [➚] · Friday, September 29th, 2006
The Feminist Sexual Ethics Project at Brandeis University (headed by the formidable Bernadette Brooten) is sponsoring a conference at Brandeis called Beyond Slavery: Overcoming Its Religious and Sexual Legacy , October 15-16. It is free and open to the public.
Some of the topics for discussion include:
What Is Slavery’s Religious and Sexual Legacy?
The Purchase of His Money: Slavery and the Ethics of Jewish Marriage
Biblical Debates over Slavery
Reparations for Slavery
“She shall not go free as male slaves doâ€: The Female Debt-Slave in the Hebrew Bible
“As if she were his wifeâ€: Slavery and Sexual Ethics in Late Medieval Spain
Habits of Slavery in Early Christianity
Gender, Slavery, and Technology: The Shaping of the Early Christian Moral Imagination
Anti-Miscegenation Statutes: Roman Catholic and Protestant Theologies of Marriage and Race
Abstinence-Plus Sex Education: The Best Model for Free Citizens
Slavery and Sexual Ethics in Islam
he Same-Sex Marriage Debate in the African American Churches: An Historical Perspective
In Search of Sally Hemings: Slavery and Sexual Agency in the History of the United States
The Ku Klux Klan and Sexual Terror
In other words, they’re tackling a lot of hard, important stuff. If I were on the East Coast now, I’d be there. If you manage to make it, let me know how it goes?
by Mobius [➚] · Thursday, September 28th, 2006
Why in fact, yes — we can.
Earlier this week I had the pleasure of attending an interfaith fast breaking for Tzom Gedaliah and Ramadan, with both Israelis and Palestinians, at Eliyahu Maclean‘s in Jerusalem. Eliyahu is an interfaith activist and a co-founder of the Sulha Peace Project, which inspired the name for our Hip Hop Sulha event earlier this month in NYC.
It was a unique event, first in that it marked an unusual instance in which a Jewish and Muslim fast fell upon the same day, and secondly, because it was a wonderful opportunity for we of divergent ethnicities and faiths to come together and share our cultures, stories, laughter, and above all else, a meal! We sang songs, showered blessings upon one another, and glommed the tastiest vegetarian vittles this side of the Mediterranean. And it was — gasp! — Jews and Muslims — and gasp! — Israelis and Palestinians — gasp! — together! In peace! Indeed, the evening served as a shining example of that which is possible when we transcend our political differences and simply recognize the humanity and the G-dliness inherent in our fellow, and love them as ourselves.
“Celebrities” in attendance included Shmuel Nelson of the ever-rockin’ Eden MiQedem; Ari Brochin, founder and former director of the Union of Progressive Zionists; Jacob and Chaviva “Deitybox” Komisar of Jewschool and Radical Torah; Micah Odenheimer, journalist and contributor to Guilt & Pleasure; and CK & Laya of Jewlicious.
More photos here.
by Mobius [➚] · Thursday, September 28th, 2006
My sister called me earlier this evening to tell me that a group of animal rights activists were protesting outside the shuk, where individuals are gathering at a municipality-designated site to perform kaparot — arguably the most bizarre of all Jewish rituals.
Kaparot involves swinging a chicken over your head and imbuing it with your sins; then having the chicken ritually slaughtered. However, money can be substituted for the chicken, and the ‘sacrifice’ substituted with the giving of charity. This substitution was the demand of the activists.
So I shlepped up the block with my digi and captured a few scenes. Enjoy.
The large sign reads, “Kaparot with money, not with murder.”
The small sign reads, “Stop murder.”
This gentleman is arguing with my sister, who taunted the demonstrators by chanting “Meat is tasty” and was subsequently called a Nazi — setting off an obvious firestorm. His shirt says “Meat is murder.”
Earlier, according to one friend who attended the demonstration, a shopkeeper turned a hose on the demonstrators, drenching them with water. “Why are you attacking us,” my friend asked. The shopkeeper gave him a foul look, and continued to spray him, while religious onlookers shouted, “You Leftists are destroying the country!”
Mmm, drink in that holiday spirit of forgiveness.
by BZ [➚] · Thursday, September 28th, 2006
Q: Why can’t you catch a Jew on Yom Kippur?
A: ‘Cause they fast.
Two important reminders for those who are fasting on Yom Kippur:
1. Hydrate! Drinking a lot of water on Sunday afternoon right before the fast is a good idea, but not sufficient. It’s best to start hydrating a day or two earlier. In fact, it’s not a bad idea to drink a liter of water RIGHT NOW. This can make a big difference in being able to have a meaningful day me-erev ad arev (from evening to evening), and having the strength at the end of the day to appreciate Neilah rather than count the minutes until dusk.
2. Fasting isn’t always a choice. MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger encourages everyone to take the amount they would have spent on food and donate it to feed those whose fast is involuntary.
Add your own physical and spiritual reminders in the comment thread.
by Kol Ra'ash Gadol [➚] · Thursday, September 28th, 2006
Got the YK headache blues? Apparently this is an actual phenomenon, which people are studying! All this lack of food – causes headaches! Pity our poor Muslim brethren who have a whole month of headaches to deal with….
From JTA... “Researchers from Tel Aviv University reported in 1999 that the most likely cause for the headache is lack of food, not lack of water, according to achenet.org... Celebrex may work just as well as Vioxx, he says, though it is not as long-lasting a pain reliever. And, he says, anyone interested in taking the drug should consult a physician first. The remedy, says Drescher, also works for the Yom Kippur fast’s Muslim counterpart — the Fast of Ramadan headache.”
by Kol Ra'ash Gadol [➚] · Thursday, September 28th, 2006
According to JTA we are still out there. New lost tribes are popping up all the time. At this rate, we should have found all the lost tribes in the next three or four years.
Well, anyway, welcome.
” A group of 218 people from a remote mountainous corner of northeastern India who claim descent from one of the lost biblical tribes will be immigrating to Israel as recognized Jews for the first time.”
by EV [➚] · Wednesday, September 27th, 2006
Radar Magazine put up a couple “Militant Attack Ads” that might be of interest to somebody. The top one is somewhat funny, the second isn’t (IMHO, people).
by Cole Krawitz [➚] · Tuesday, September 26th, 2006
crossposted from JVoices
One of the reasons I love going to CBST is that there is always another perspective, if not from congregants or clergy leaders, than in the various texts that are offered on the holidays. One that I have enjoyed, and that my sister upon visiting for Rosh Hashanah immediately turned to copy, is an interpretive vision of Unetaneh Tokef by Jack Riemer.
Let us ask ourselves hard questions
For this is the time for truth.
How much time did we waste
In the year that is now gone?
Did we fill our days with life
Or were they dull and empty?
Was there love inside our home
Or was the affectionate word left unsaid?
Was there a real companionship with our children
Or was there a living together and a growing apart?
Were we a help to our mates
Or did we take them for granted?
How was it with our friends:
Were we there when they needed us or not?
The kind deed: did we perform it or postpone it?
The unnecessary gibe: did we say it or hold it back?
Did we live by false values?
Did we deceive others?
Did we deceive ourselves?
More »
by Ruby K [➚] · Monday, September 25th, 2006
Give it up for Stephen Colbert!
(h/t Mik over at Jspot.org)
by Y-Love [➚] · Monday, September 25th, 2006
Al-Manar director Abdallah Qasir wants to expand al-Manar TV’s viewer base and market share in the Middle East. Al-Manar was, in 2005, the most popular channel in Yemen, Bahrain, and the Palestinian territories, while in Lebanon, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Syria and Jordan it was the third most popular network.
Throughout the war in July and August, when Israel mercilessly bombarded Lebanon and Lebanese Hezbollah militias fired rockets into northern Israel one of Israel’s main targets was al-Manar, a satellite channel part owned by Hezbollah. The network, which offers 40 percent news programmes, managed to broadcast almost uninterrupted from a secret location. But now that there is a shaky truce, the channel’s director Abdallah Qasir, defends the credibility of his news output and told Adnkronos International (AKI) that Israel could be a new basin for viewers.
“Even within Israel there are people who tune in to know what is happening to their soldiers: during the war, many Israeli viewers often prefered al-Manar to know the truth of the war of Olmert and Peretz” Qasir said.
According to a survey conducted by the university of Beirut in April 2005, al-Manar emerged as the most popular channel in Yemen, Bahrain, and the Palestinian territories, while in Lebanon, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Syria and Jordan it was the third most popular network. But in terms of new market share, Qasir indicates Israeli television viewers as the next target…
Al-Manar, being MAJORITY owned by Hezbollah (55%), has often been accused of broadcasting news slanted with Nasrallah’s rabidly anti-Semitic personal viewpoints (not the least of which being: “If we searched the entire world for a person more cowardly, despicable, weak and feeble in psyche, mind, ideology and religion, we would not find anyone like the Jew”). Qasir, however, defends Al-Manar:
“We have nothing against Jews” he claims. “We are not anti Jewish, but we are anti-Israel and anti Zionist, because Israel has occupied our lands and threatened our lives for decades now”.
“We are Muslims and as such we respect the other two revealed religions, Christianity and Judaism, and we consider them sister faiths” he added.
(Anti-Israel, but they want Israeli viewers?) And another thing…
“The television is certainly close to Hezbollah and to its political line but it is also a channel with a strong editorial independence, in favour of a sovreign independent Lebanon, which opposes the Israel and US dominion in the region.”
Regarding the financing, al-Manar’s director said “they mainly come from advertising and from private donations” and vigorously denies any financial support from Iran.
I find this incorrigibly hard to believe. Indeed, virtually impossible to believe. Then again, perhaps a team of completely independent-minded journalists single-handedly came up with “an image of the Statue of Liberty, a skull for her face, wearing a gown dripping with the blood of other nations” with no Hezbollah input.
Right.
So how will the average Israeli react to advertising for al-Manar? While I have my own personal hypothesis, this could actually based on a known fact. Talk is circulating about an around-the-clock Israeli satellite station — billed “an Israeli Al-Jazeera” — and al-Manar, with its Eutelsat hookups, may want to step in and provide satellite news broadcasting. (Or perhaps, live correspondents could provide valuable data to Hezbollah operatives.)
Regardless, I can’t see them outselling Reshet.
by Danya [➚] · Monday, September 25th, 2006
I just put up a little musing on the problematic theology of the Unetane Tokef on Jerusalem Syndrome. If you’re interested, feel free to check it out here.
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