by Jake Marmer [➚] · Friday, October 27th, 2006
Last Tuesday at the Stone I saw an ensemble led by Shanir Blumenkrantz, the bassist of Pharaoh’s Daughter, Rashanim, and a few other bands of the circuit. Shanir was playing the oud, and the group consisted of Erik Friedlander (cellist of the Masada String Trio – ’nuff said), Cyro Baptista (percussionist, leader of the Beat the Donkey), Matt Brewer (upright bass), and Satoshi Takeishi (percussion). I’ve been ranting about the show for three days now. Given, cello is probably the most deep and sensuous instrument out there, but on top of that, Erik Friedlander was spinning wildest improv, and every time he took a solo it went straight into me like some sort of ecstatic electrified bucket-full – I cant even find a proper metaphor to describe. Maybe, “Coltrane of the classic cello”? Never seen anything like it. Cyro Baptista was quite other-worldly too, though more on the sinister side – the whole time he looked as if he was shtooping somebody invisible, actually a few of those (demons or whatever) at once. Shanir, who usually takes the secondary role of the bassist, led the band seamlessly – in full control. At one point he played a piece alone, without the band. Imagine this: intense silence of the audience, just the oud building a phrase upon phrase, middle-eastern voice painting a rock’n-roll fantasy, all sorts of tones and ideas thrown in, and then all of a sudden a loud drunken voice cuts through from the street. Half a second later, Shanir finishes the phrase and plays the next one in exactly the same intonation as the voice from the street, and goes on building the improv based on this new riff, continues to spin and spin. It was an amazing moment – really, transcendent stuff.
One thing I’ve been thinking about after the show, is the demarcation line between music, which is merely music, and music which is pure art. These guys, like many other acts I’ve seen at the Stone are way past the line – art, unquestionably – unlike, say, “hassidic super-star” one-trick gimmicks. There’s some really fun music out there in the world, but certain musicians choose to take off into the high art plain. What does it have to do with? My guess: the disinterest in mass appeal / critics, deep thinking about the nature of being, courage to break the self-discovered formulas, widely-wildly open mind, and small loyal audiences, fiercely dedicated to the avant-garde expression.
Cross-posted on Mima’amakim
by matthue [➚] · Friday, October 27th, 2006
so, for some reason, amazon has decided to sell my novel Never Mind the Goldbergs for $2.99!
i’ve decided i could (a) freak out and worry it’s going to go out of print, (b) hope that it means someone wants to make a movie out of it and that it’s building pre-production hype, or (c) figure it’s a good chance for my friends to get my book for hella cheap.
cheaper than i could ever sell it to you, anyway.
so click on this link, and have a copy of my novel sitting on your doorstep in 5-9 days for $2.99 with free shipping!
by Y-Love [➚] · Wednesday, October 25th, 2006
(Updated with minor edits.)
Ynet reports:
J’lem: Bleach war against ‘immodest’ women
Residents of haredi neighborhood claim attacks by religious fanatics battling against ‘promiscuity’ of clothing stores and shoppers; victim: This is Bitul Torah. Don’t they have anything better to do than look at women and determine whether they are modest or not?
Neta Sela
More and more women in Jerusalem’s Geula neighborhood have been complaining of being sprayed with a bleach mix. The attacks mark an escalation of the religious fanatics’ battle against what they refer to as the ‘promiscuity’ on the haredi streets and the infiltration of ‘fashion’ that often times does not correspond with the strict dress codes in the community.
And there we have it. These people are “religious fanatics.” The ilk of mullahs and Taliban, they are nothing to be actually dealt with, their concerns have no validity, and they must be pushed “out of the way” for the “modern, secular society” to progress. While, granted, at least some element of this has come to be expected from the mainstream Israeli press, this entire fiasco underlies a prejudice so ingrained in the “enlightened” psyche that it precludes dialogue.
A charedi Jew, ideally, grows up to learn and proscribe all of his actions by the Shulchan Aruch, the code of Jewish Law. He, again, ideally, wants to be able to serve his Creator at all times, immersing himself in the morning, preparing himself for prayer with special (usually black, sometimes stuffy) garments, learning Torah. Among the things he has learned is Orach Chaim chapter 75 and other laws of prayer, which say that one may not recite prayers — or other holy things — in the presence of immodestly clad females. From the most holy ne’ilah on Yom Kippur to the blessing after leaving the bathroom, all invoking of G-d’s Name is prohibited until said female is out of view.
He realizes, growing up Chutz la’Aretz — proper observance of these laws proves itself to be an impossibility in the subways of Manhattan or on the streets of London or LA. He learns in yeshiva how important shmirat ha’einayim — guarding one’s eyes from immodesty — is, but what can he do? He feels frustrated and guilty and resolves — when he gets married, he’s moving to Eretz Yisra’el. He’s moving to a charedi community, where he won’t have to deal with such things.
And then he gets to Jerusalem, and realizes, even here, only 30% of the population in charedi. So he moves to the charedi “black belt” of Jerusalem and realizes that his main thoroughfares are still functional on Shabbos and connects secular communities, and has bus stops with advertising similar to what he left. So he moves again to B’nei Brak or to Me’ah Shearim. He builds walls, fences, he puts up signs, he puts up posters, he screams in the streets, only wanting to have some type of halachically proscribed religious environment, some square inch he can go to as a safe haven from an increasingly secular world.
And all the while, all he hears is “religious fanatic” and how his point of view must be done away with. How he has no rights, not even after paying double, triple the price of a comparable dwelling just to live in a place where he might have a chance to live without compromising his religious observance. Where he might be able to keep that law he learned about in yeshiva, the ones his rebbe told him were so important. But no.
And so, with his value system stripped of legitimacy by the “modern world”, and now unable to shut it out, he is subjected to stimuli day in and day out. With no choice, and no options. The Shulchan Aruch told him not be around something he now can’t escape. And the only people’s rights who matter are the people who don’t have his views.
It is quite easy to marginalize someone in whose shoes one would never walk.
by matthue [➚] · Wednesday, October 25th, 2006
you know — if you’re in montreal….
because everyone’s favorite Bostoner Hasidic hip-hop phenomenon is much too modest to post this himself.
(but check out the modesty in those eyes….)
by Kol Ra'ash Gadol [➚] · Tuesday, October 24th, 2006
I offer only a question in this post. With all the debate about Judaism’s viability, in the end, for most of us it comes down to God. Unlike a recent commenter on another post, I do think that Judaism is internally compelling, and needs no outside forces to keep it together. In fact,I’m living proof of it, as I’m possibly the most unlikely observant Jew ever. Well, okay, maybe there are some who started out as more unlikely than atheist analytic philosophers and ended up as rabbis. I admit to meeting a very few, but still, I think it was a pretty long road.
So I ask you, if we are looking to the future, -and let’s assume for the sake of argument that Judaism is surviving, and perhaps even thriving- what is the future? What are the frontiers of Jewish thought, and where is God in them? I’ve been asked to expound on this, and I have some firm ideas, but I want to hear from you.
Write to me and tell me what you think.
Crossposted to Kol Ra’ash Gadol Permalink here
by Josh Frankel [➚] · Tuesday, October 24th, 2006
My great spiritual quest in the United States of America is coming to an end, and tomorrow I will be flying home. I had a remarkable time this summer; I learned a lot and I made a lot of new friends. To everyone who has fed me, bought me a drink, let me sleep on their couch, engaged me in conversation and debate, taught me, hired me, lent me cash, commented on my posts, offered me companionship, and in any other way treated me as a human being – Thank You. This trip was only meaningful because of the people I spent time with, and I am very grateful. Meanwhile, I look forward to seeing all of you, over on the other side of the ocean, in the holy, peaceful city of Jerusalem.
by Kung Fu Jew [➚] · Tuesday, October 24th, 2006
Unlike our state-side Leiberman who begs a redefinition of “Democrat,” the ha’aretz version is even scarier, begging a redefinition of “Israeli” in all positive meanings of the title. “A racist of the first degree, who advocates transfer of Arabs from not just the West Bank but Israel itself,” said Marcia Freedman about Lieberman, former MK, at a recent Brit Tzedek event in New York City.
Avigdor Lieberman, founder and leader of the far-right Yisrael Beiteinu Party, is being brought into Ehud Olmert’s coalition government.
Elsewhere in the government:
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert spoke yesterday in front of a conference in Tel Aviv and said that it is impossible that a leader of a nation who is member of the United Nations who is calling for the annihilation of another people, to be accepted as a legitimate leader.
Full article here. (Italics added.)
And how does this not conflict with Avigdor’s divisive political rhetoric?
by Rooftopper Rav [➚] · Monday, October 23rd, 2006
I received the email below from an organization, and an individual, I trust. No matter how your politics lean, it’s important to speak up against this attempt to manipulate the Jewish community for partisan ends.
And for what it’s worth, I’ve actually communicated with MoveOn.org about Jewish issues (for example, asking them to schedule alternative volunteer events during non-Shabbat time), and they’ve been nothing but accomodating and pleasant.
Dear Friends,
Opponents of MoveOn.org have launched a concerted campaign to smear the progressive online movement with false charges of antisemitism. Today, we say enough!
When the staff at MoveOn.org learned that antisemitic comments had been made on its open forum, they acted swiftly to remove the offensive remarks. The Anti-Defamation League praised their response, declaring themselves “satisfied with [MoveOn's] responsiveness” and characterizing the matter as having been “resolved satisfactorily.”
Yet this politicization of antisemitism has continued unabated, with charges migrating from The Washington Times to the Wall Street Journal to the Jewish press, repeated ad nauseam on the internet. Join us and stand up to those elements in our country who would politicize antisemitism in service of an agenda antithetical to our community’s values.
Sign this petition today!
“As American Jews, we condemn the manipulation of fear of antisemitism for political gain, including the recent campaign against the online movement MoveOn.org. We stand for the Jewish value of placing hope over fear by expanding opportunity and creating justice for all Americans.”
Click here to sign this petition.
MoveOn.org is a progressive movement that represents many core Jewish values, including hope (tikvah), courage (ometz), community (kehilah), and dignity ( tzelem elohim). Many of its Jewish members and staff are undoubtedly motivated to act by their desire to repair the world (tikkun olam) through righteous action (tzedekah) and acts of loving-kindness ( gemilut hasadim).
We cannot allow these attacks to go unanswered by the Jewish community, which is rightfully concerned when charges of antisemitism are leveled but equally concerned when false accusations of antisemitism are used for partisan purposes.
Make sure your voice is heard.
Click here to sign our petition.
For the past two months, Jews across the country have been exposed to lies about MoveOn.org. We need your support to make sure hundreds of thousands of Jews can see the statement in advertisements placed in Jewish newspapers.
Click here to make a contribution to this effort. Don’t let this politicization of antisemitism go unanswered.
L’Shalom,
Mik Moore
Editor, jspot.org
Jewish Funds for Justice
by Y-Love [➚] · Monday, October 23rd, 2006
The Bahraini Gulf Daily News reported Friday of an exhibit at the La Fontaine Centre of Contemporary Art in the Bahraini capitol of Manama showcasing rare Islamic manuscripts, metal work, woodwork and textiles from throughout the Arab world.
The article contains this nugget:
[French-Lebanese collector and bibliophile Antoine Abi-Heila] said the rarest book in the collection was by an Arab-Jewish philosopher called Moses Ben Maimonides.
The book is dated 1654 and is written in the Arabic language with Hebrew characters.
This is the first time I’ve seen the Rambam referred to as “Arab-Jewish”. Is the inclusion of the Rambam in a showcase of Islamica a good thing or a bad thing?
by Kung Fu Jew [➚] · Monday, October 23rd, 2006
So I’m new to the foodie scene. In fact, I’ve been on the run from food, foodies and food-related controversies for quite some time. As someone perfectly at home with my Kraft Mac & Cheese and frozen pizzas, entering the world of culinary politics is a jump into a deep pot.
Which is suprising, since kashrut is such a significant manifestation of my faith — meat and dairy separated to acknowledge the sacredness of taking animal life for food, of not eating animals which hunt, and so on.
So why shouldn’t I take a closer look at my everyday fare with an eye to those ethics, particularly when it comes to the life, death and rebirth of the planet’s ecosystems as a whole? Or the sustainablity of agribusiness practices? Or my garbage disposal? This, as I said, is all new to me.
It is just with such questions in mind that Hazon will host From Latkes to Lattes: Hazon’s Conference on Jews, Food and Contemporary Life, the first conference on the intersection of Jews and contemporary food issues, this December 14-17 at the Isabella Freedman Retreat Center in Falls Village, Connecticut, over the first nights of Chanukah. From Latkes to Lattes will examine such questions as:
- How do we add a distinctly Jewish flavor to today’s healthier food?
- How do we eat sustainably while maintaining Jewish food traditions?
- What would it take to gain a more direct connection to where our food comes from?
Check out the info here and meanwhile give me some links to read about food, foodies and food-related controversies.
by Mobius [➚] · Monday, October 23rd, 2006
For all you non-readers of Orthodox Anarchist, I just wanted to point out the fact that I’m currently in Germany, spending 11 days with various Israeli friends who have recently moved here for art school, ideology, and love respectively. While I’m here, of course, I’m doing the tour macabre, visiting Jewish and Shoah related historical sites. I just finished three days in Berlin, and now I’m in Weimar, planning to visit Buchenwald tomorrow, and a crematorium factory that has been converted into an anti-racist squat. In any event, I’ve been doing a little blogging and a lot of photography, so do check in on OA and keep an eye on my Flickr gallery from Germany for more photos over the next week or so. And if you have any recommendations for cool places to visit in either Munich or Cologne (where I’m heading next) let me know.
by EV [➚] · Sunday, October 22nd, 2006
This week’s “Modern Love” essay in the NYT brings out a couple truths that seem self-evident, yet are frequently lost on those living in Jewish bubbles: First, despite the smattering of alterna-veggie-indie minyans, for the majority of American Jews, the tenets of Jewish ritual and theology are almost unapproachably meaningless. Second, historical connection and guilt are insufficient bases for making life choices, not to mention perpetuating Jewish identity.
Enjoy. And expect Letters to the Editor from each of the denominations, and from each of the post-denominations, arguing that the author couldn’t possibly understand the essence of Judaism, etc. etc.
by deitybox [➚] · Sunday, October 22nd, 2006
Hey, here’s the latest that’s going on at the home of Eliyahu McLean, a.k.a. the Jerusalem Peacemakers Center. Stay tuned for more events on a weekly basis.
Where: 26aleph Charlap (down the steps at Moshe Rivlin and to the first left), 3rd floor
When: Tuesday evening, October 24, at 8:30 PM
Featured this evening will be:
~ Siri Om Singh, an African-American Sikh who will share his experience with kirtan, sacred chanting.
~ Rabbi Menachem and Hadassah Froman. Rabbi Froman will share teachings on the universalist Torah perspectives on the meaning of Jerusalem. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the amazing peacework of the Fromans, check out Rabbi Froman’s site on Jerusalem Peacemakers (the site is being updated, but there’s still some great stuff up there).
~ Rebbetzin Emunah Witt, who will share a teaching about Parshat Noach as it relates to peacebuilding and coexistence.
~ A Muslim guest (TBA) who will speak about this week’s holiday of Id el Fitr.
Please bring a snack or drink to share.
For more information, eliyahu@actcom.co.il, 02-563-7578
by Mobius [➚] · Sunday, October 22nd, 2006
Unorthodox: How Young Jewish Activists Are Changing the World
Wed Nov 8 2006
7:30 pm-9:30 pm
Join NIF’s New Generations for an evening featuring a dynamic panel of social activists. From fostering Jewish-Muslim dialogue to creating an online hub of progressive Jewish life, combating U.S.-sponsored torture and advocating for Arab citizens of Israel, these young leaders each offer a powerful alternative voice within the Jewish community. We’ll hear from Ari Alexander, co-executive director of Children of Abraham; Dan Sieradski, founder of JewSchool.com and OrthodoxAnarchist.com; Rabbi Melissa Weintraub of Rabbis for Human Rights and Encounter, and Miri Wexler, formerly of the Shatil Mixed Cities Project and Community Advocacy: Genesis Israel. The discussion is moderated by Rabbi Andy Bachman of Congregation Beth Elohim and Brooklyn Jews.
Contact Information: www.nif.org/events
Brought to you by: New Israel Fund
Sponsored by:
New Israel Fund
Brooklyn Jews
Children of Abraham
International Center for Tolerance Education
25 Washington St., 4th Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Cost: Free
by Cole Krawitz [➚] · Friday, October 20th, 2006
crossposted to JVoices
I know some folks don’t like the event listings, but this is the ARTS!!! and I often hear the desire for more, more, more beyond NY, so in that spirit, I thought I’d share with folks a number of fabulous arts listings I got sent this week from The National Foundation for Jewish Culture.
You can see the full list online, and below I’ll highlight a few, 
particularly one that caught my eye which was The Jewish Identity Project: New American Photography which will be at The Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco, CA from October 22, 2006 – February 25, 2007. “Featuring works by thirteen emerging and mid-career artists that challenge familiar stereotypes in ten newly commissioned photographic, video and multimedia projects that explore the heterogeneity of contemporary American society through the lens of Jewish identity.”
And here’s more:
Encounter Point Filmmakers at Chicago Screenings
November 3-9, 2006
Chicago, IL
2005 Film Fund recipient Encounter Point will be playing several times daily at the Regal Lincolnshire 20 Cinemas just outside Chicago. 300 Parkway Dr Lincolnshire, IL (847) 229-9100
www.regalcinemas.com. Director Ronit Avni will attend the November 7th and November 9th screenings. Film subjects Ali Abu Awwad and Robi Damelin will attend on November 9th.
The Action Against Sol Schumann at the Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company
October 21, 2006 – November 12, 2006
St. Paul, MN
It’s 1985. Over 40 years have passed since World War II and the Holocaust. Sol Schumann, a devout American Jew, a concentration camp survivor, and beloved father, is accused of being a Kapo. The government’s investigation leads us through a maze of moral, philosophical, and legal issues that will have you thinking and talking long after the conclusion of the performance.
Libeskind Expansion to the Denver Art Museum
Opened October 7, 2006
Denver, CO
Reviewed in the New York Times Architectural Review
Photo Credit: Steve Crecelius/Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau
The San Diego Jewish Film Festival is seeking films of Jewish Content!
Student or Emerging filmmakers contact luriep@lfjcc.com.
More from me in the coming weeks about the arts–they are indeed my heart.
by Jewish Robot [➚] · Friday, October 20th, 2006
by Y-Love [➚] · Friday, October 20th, 2006
Maybe America doesn’t have the most ignorant leader in the world today.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has his own way of seeing the Moshe Katzav rape allegations.
From the Guardian:
Vladimir Putin’s international image was tainted today after it emerged he had let slip another of his infamous remarks – this time praising the president of Israel for alleged sex offences.
“He turned out to be a strong man, raped 10 women,” the Russian president was quoted by Russian media as saying at a meeting in Moscow with Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert. “I never would have expected it of him. He has surprised us all, we all envy him!”
Granted, spokespeople were quick to clarify:
A spokesman told the BBC the comments were meant as a joke and in “in no way meant that President Putin welcomes rape”.
“Russian is a very complicated language, sometimes it is very sensitive from the point of view of phrasing,” he said.
“We envy him” must lose something in the translation, then. Perhaps a little discretion when speaking in front a majority non-Russian speaking planet?
by Kol Ra'ash Gadol [➚] · Friday, October 20th, 2006
Or perhaps Iran is simply trying to consider on whom else he can declare war?
Iranian President Ahmadinejad on Thursday continued his harsh rhetoric against Israel and termed the Jewish state “the greatest insult to human dignity,” ISNA news agency reported. “We have said several times that this regime cannot continue its existence,” he said. “No Middle East country would ever, not even in a hundred years, acknowledge this regime.”
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