by Cole Krawitz [➚] · Sunday, December 3rd, 2006
Some like to joke with me about running for office, but this piece in the NYT confirmed what I already know, which is the insanity of what they call “diplomacy”–that is the game of being a politican. This article on newly elected Senator Jim Webb is telling, to say the least. Some say he is breaching White House manners–why you might ask? Because when Bush asked how his son was doing in Iraq, Webb he said he wanted to get him out and Bush responded, that’s not what I asked.
Well, Washington is left in a tizzy…not just damn, but hot damn.
In case we need a reminder why working for change is hard in this country–oh right, there’s the right time and place. Some bullshit…and yes, I’m a call it like it is, some bullshit. And yes, that is eloquent, and I’d say, rather diplomatic.
Because it’s no wonder why we’re all so screwed when silencing and subordination is called diplomacy and we’re all asked to dance and smile, show face for the sake of diplomatic White House styles. All lies and games in times of warfare now, no truth telling to the President–that’s just deemed improper.
Now go ahead and act right! You know, we all need some order…
Go ahead and read this mess for yourself.
The exchange had some people in Washington tut-tutting that the new senator who campaigned in his son’s combat boots would have a lot of learnin’ to do about the rules of polite Washington society — never mind that Mr. Webb had served as secretary of the Navy, an institution built on protocol, in the Reagan White House.
The Post, looking at how his “brash, unpolished style†might test the limits, noted that on “Meet the Press†“he dispensed with the normal banter with host Tim Russert to talk seriously about Iraq and the need for economic justice in the United States.†Imagine!
“I’m surprised and offended by Jim Webb,†said Stephen Hess, the author of “The Little Book of Campaign Etiquette†and a professor at George Washington University. “If you accept somebody’s invitation, you’re expected to respond in socially acceptable ways. Why go to be rude? Is it so awful to be polite?
“He was secretary of the Navy, for heaven’s sake!â€
Others laid the blame on Mr. Bush, believing he should not have sought out Mr. Webb, and not been short with him in response.
“It was an uncivil reply to an uncivil remark,†said Letitia Baldrige, a doyenne of Washington manners, calling the whole thing “a sad exchange.â€
And even Mr. Hess had to admit the president was “a little snippy†in his response.
It’s true that Washington is a place predicated on protocol: where to stand, what to wear, what to say (or not to), and how to pretend to like people you don’t. You can attack someone on television, but in the receiving line — which Mr. Webb declined to go through — you’re supposed to smile as you clasp hands.
Nancy Pelosi, the speaker-elect, campaigned against the president with sharp elbows, but she knew enough to cross her ankles and smile about extending “the hand of friendship†when the president invited her to lunch once her party won.
The leader of the Senate Democrats, Harry Reid, likewise called the president a liar in the campaign, but sat beside him and smiled for the cameras after.
The smallest deviation can upset the perceived order.
Full story.
And don’t you just love the sexism of this story: “Nancy Pelosi, the speaker-elect, campaigned against the president with sharp elbows, but she knew enough to cross her ankles and smile about extending “the hand of friendship†when the president invited her to lunch once her party won.” — Yes, they really wrote cross her ankles. Hot damn again.
by Cole Krawitz [➚] · Thursday, November 30th, 2006
[Find out more about RHR by watching this video.]
From December 10–12, 2006 Rabbis for Human Rights-NA will be hosting the First North American Rabbinic Conference on Judaism & Human Rights for Rabbis, Cantors, and Rabbinic and Cantorial Students.
Bringing together Rabbis from all denominations to address themes of human rights and tools for how to address these issues within congregations, these leaders will also be speaking at sessions open to the public, including:
December 10, 2pm
Shedding Light on Human Rights: A Ritual Celebration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Sunday, International Human Rights Day
Dag Hammerksjold Plaza at the United Nations
Second Avenue @ East 47th Street, adjacent to the United Nations, NYC
Sunday, December 10, 7:00-9:00pm
International Human Rights Day: A Dialogue on Judaism & Human Rights in Our Time, Conference Keynote Address
Delivered by Dr. Moshe Halbertal, Professor of Jewish Philosophy, Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Ken Roth, Executive Director, Human Rights Watch. Followed by discussion moderated by Ruth Messinger, President, American Jewish World Service.
UJA-Federation Conference Facility, 130 East 59th Street @ Lexington Avenue, NYC
Monday, December 11, 2:00-3:30 pm
Torture in Our Time: Panel Discussion
A panel discussion with a survivor of torture and those working to end it, including: Brigadier General Jim Cullen; Elisa Massimino, Human Rights First; Sister Dianna Ortiz, Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition International; and moderated by Michael Ratner, President, Center for Constitutional Rights.
UJA-Federation Conference Facility, 130 East 59th Street @ Lexington Avenue, NYC
Monday, December 11, 8:00–10:00 pm
To Do What is Just & Right, Inaugural Raphael Lemkin Human Rights Awards
A special benefit honoring: Rabbis David Forman, Ben Hollander, and David Rosen, Founders of RHR; B’Tselem: The Israeli Information Center on Human Rights in the Occupied Territories (Jessica Montell, Executive Director, will accept the award); Center for Constitutional Rights (Michael Ratner, President, will accept the award). Awards presented by Rabbi David Saperstein, Peter Edelman and Letty Cottin Pogrebin, and Hon. Elizabeth Holtzman. Master of Ceremonies: Leonard Fein. Musical Performance by renowned violinist Alicia Svigals.
Congregation Rodeph Sholom, 7 West 83rd Street @ Central Park West, NYC
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by Cole Krawitz [➚] · Tuesday, November 28th, 2006
Over the past few days, amidst the flurry of news coverage of police brutality, my inbox has been flooded with cases that are not being covered. It is critical that cases, like the shooting of Sean Bell in Queens, on Sunday, are getting attention and investigation, but we will have to see what justice is on the other side, and we must be a voice in denouncing these acts of police brutality. While Mayor Bloomberg responded, calling 50 shots as unacceptable, unfortunately, the Mayor also would not discuss this as a pattern. Rather, he stated that this was an isolated incident, as opposed to what communities are saying, and what is the reality of daily racial profiling, harrassment, beating and arrests of people of color in New York City.
So let me share a few other stories I’ve received in the past few days that aren’t hitting the media just yet.
That same night–Sunday evening, November 26–Juanita Young, an activist and public speaker in the fight to stop police brutality, was arrested in her own home. She and her family have been targets of police harassment on several occasions, including an attempt to evict her from her home. Her son, Malcolm Ferguson, was killed by NYPD in March 2000, a week after he was arrested for being part of a protest against the verdict in the Amadou Diallo case. She has been a member of the October 22nd Coalition to Stop Police Brutality, Repression and the Criminalization of a Generation since 2000.
An ambulance had been called for Juanita’s daughter. When ambulance came, police also arrived. Juanita asked the police to leave, and the ambulance refused to do anything and called for backup. Eight police arrived, grabbed people, threw Juanita in a room and tried to lock her in, kicked her in the chest and back, and jumped on her. Her daughter yelled at them to stop, telling them that Juanita has asthma, but Juanita was arrested and ended up at Jacobi Hospital emergency room, under police custody. Apparently, family and friends have still not been allowed in to see her.
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by Cole Krawitz [➚] · Sunday, November 26th, 2006
After an extraordinary festival earlier this fall, they posted a reading online by Taha Muhammad Ali in Arabic, and Peter Cole in English, of Taha’s poem, “Revenge.”
Bit of background they offer: In 1948, Taha fled from Galilee to Lebanon with his family when their village came under heavy bombardment during the Arab-Israeli war. A year later, still a teenager, he went back across the border and settled in Nazareth where he still lives, now as an Israeli citizen. When he is not reading and writing poetry, he runs a souvenir shop.
View the reading here.
by Cole Krawitz [➚] · Sunday, November 26th, 2006
Amidst travel and much much family time (whew) I did squeeze in some interesting TV moments, including catching CNN highlights in the airport this afternoon, particularly this beauty of a story.
The GOP group at BU is starting a white scholarship, which Republican Party on a state and national level have stated that they do not endorse.
Brian Dodge, executive director of the Massachusetts Republican Party, said the state party did not endorse the scholarship. “Their actions are misguided and offensive,” he said.
This blog piece highlights one particular point that I think is the most cogent part of its argument, which is the need to address education, not only at the college level, the but the huge disparities in education that people receive starting at an early age, and how those disparities impact low-income people and people of color.
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by Cole Krawitz [➚] · Saturday, November 25th, 2006
Yes, you’re reading right. My sister sent this to me the other day. Why not, I believe in energy.
With the knowledge that two US Anti-Submarine Fleets are en route to the Persian Gulf, an activist couple are calling for the first annual synchronized Global Orgasm for Peace.The Global Orgasm for Peace was conceived by Donna Sheehan, 76, and Paul Reffell, 55, whose immodest goal is for everyone in the world to have an orgasm Dec. 22 while focusing on world peace.
”The orgasm gives out an incredible feeling of peace during it and after it,” Reffell said Sunday. ”Your mind is like a blank. It’s like a meditative state. And mass meditations have been shown to make a change.”
The couple are no strangers to sex and social activism. Sheehan, no relation to anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan, brought together nearly 50 women in 2002 who stripped naked and spelled out the word ”Peace.”
This started a “mini-movement” called Baring Witness.
From their press materials:
Our minds influence Matter and Energy fields, so by concentrating our thoughts during and after The Big O on peace and partnership, the combination of high orgasmic energy combined with mindful intention will reduce global levels of violence, hatred and fear.
“Our feelings about yet another escalation of war are not unlike what initiated and spawned Baring Witness.Org. in Pt. Reyes Station, California. Again, it is time to try something new. We are inspired by Princeton University’s Global Consciousness Project as a scientific way to measure and honor our efforts.†said Donna Sheehan.
Read more here and here.
And then do some prep work online here and here.
crossposted to JVoices
by Cole Krawitz [➚] · Saturday, November 18th, 2006
Some of you already know I prefer to post directly to newspapers when I can rather than write responses here, but unfortunately, The Jewish Press has not, and I am pretty sure, will not be posting the comment I wrote (which unfortunately I also forgot to save so I cannot repost here) in response to their horrendous editorial on Wed, Nov 15th entitled “Transgender Folly.”
Very rarely are transgender people covered in the media with respect and self-determination, and we’ve gotten a handful of lovelies (note the sarcasm) as of late including an offensive and denigrating poll that was done by Time Out–which has already received a number of letters from trans communities denouncing this so Time Out may (note I say may) issue an apology in their next issue which hopefully they will do.
So I knew from the title alone of The Jewish Press’ piece that the coverage of transgender people would be bad.
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by Cole Krawitz [➚] · Saturday, November 18th, 2006
I read this poem by Harryette Mullen today at a teacher’s training and it ties the points I was working on earlier so much more eloquently, so I want to share it with all of you.
We are not responsible for your lost or stolen relatives. We cannot guarantee your safety if you disobey our instructions. We do not endorse the causes or claims of people begging for handouts. We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone. Your ticket does not guarantee that we will honor your reservations. In order to facilitate our procedures, please limit your carrying-on. Before taking off, please extinguish all smoldering resentments. If you cannot understand English, you will be moved out of the way. In the event of a loss, you’d better look out for yourself. Your insurance was cancelled because we can no longer handle your frightful claims. Our handlers lost your luggage and we are unable to find the key to your legal case. You were detained for interrogation because you fit the profile. You are not presumed to be innocent if the police have reason to suspect you are carrying a concealed wallet. It’s not our fault you were born wearing a gang color. It is not our obligation to inform you of your rights. Step aside, please, while our officer inspects your bad attitude.
You have no rights that we are bound to respect. Please remain calm or we can’t be held responsible for what happens to you.
by Cole Krawitz [➚] · Saturday, November 18th, 2006
I’m adding my own categories to this: police brutality, xenophobia, imperialism, violence
(Click on the picture)
The following are two videos documenting the police brutality of Mostafa Tabatabainejad, a UCLA student, who was repeatedly stunned with a Taser and then taken into custody when he did not exit the CLICC Lab in Powell Library in what was deemed a “timely manner” by UCLA police. The first video is decent media coverage and the second video is a six-minute video caught by a student’s phone of the violence that occurred, showing the police’s beyond excessive force and violence of Tabatabainejad who can be heard audibly screaming loudly in pain as he was stunned several times with a Taser, each time for three to five seconds.
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by Cole Krawitz [➚] · Tuesday, November 7th, 2006
Posted on behalf of Ariel: (As Mobius has done in the past, I’m posting this of the writer who’s asked me to do so since it’s not being covered in the US press)
(again, disclaimer: i work for CBST; the parts not expressly from them should be assumed to be from me):
To quote from the press release:
To protest this year’s planned march, several hundred Ultra-Orthodox Jews rioted in Jerusalem’s Mea Shearim neighborhood, lighting fires, overturning trash bins, and pelting police and motorists with stones, over the past week. Religious bigots from other faith traditions have expressed support for these protesters and voiced similar sentiments denouncing the JOH march. Over the weekend, the Israeli attorney general announced that the march will go one, regardless of threats of violence and death threats against parade organizers.
According to CBST’s Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, who was the North American Co-Chair of WorldPride, “Once again, hatred of gays and lesbians is uniting a group of people who usually have nothing good to say about each other. Religious leaders from fundamentalist Orthodox Judaism, Islam and Christianity are finding common ground in homophobia. They have turned a gay pride march into a war against gay people.â€
There is a Bet Din mulling a pulsa danura (a Kabbalistic curse that is evidently something of a rite of passage for Israeli politicos, essentially calling for the death of the person against whom it is chanted, although per Wikipedia it is of course controversial as to what it really is), there are riots, there are death threats on the head of the JOH staff. It is, in short, a mess of homophobia. So far, Israeli courts have continued to defend the march’s right to exist, but obviously, that will only do so much. 12,000 members of the police and the army are being called up to protect this; it is expected to be all out war.
CBST is spearheading a nationwide fund drive to help JOH defray costs — costs that include funding some percent of those 12,000 security workers, food and water in case the rally is surrounded, and field hospital arrangements. If you are interested in more information, or giving, go to their website: www.cbst.org; it’s right there on the front page.
Relevant articles:
www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/784453.html
www.ynetnews.com/home/0,7340,L-4424,00.html
www.beliefnet.com/story/203/story_20333_1.html
(I am constantly forced to wonder what would happen if it was any other group making this kind of threat, but that’s another post in the making.)
by Cole Krawitz [➚] · Saturday, November 4th, 2006
We are not doing enough in our own communities to counter xenophobia and anti-Muslim hatred that is perpetuated, particularly through our media, when I see reports like this, and I hope more Jewish groups join in denouncing these acts of violence:
Five Jewish teenagers, Yitzi Horowitz, 15, David Brach, 15, Yossi Friedman, 17, Shulomi Bitton, 16, and Benjamin Wasserman, 16, all from Brooklyn, are expected to appear in court Friday in connection with the beating of a Muslim man in Brooklyn.
The suspects were arrested Sunday after police say they shouted racial slurs before punching Shahid Amber, a man of Pakistani-descent, with brass knuckles and breaking his nose outside an area Dunkin’ Donuts.
According to a court document obtained by NY1, the teens also shouted “…terrorist mother-[expletive,] you [expletive] our country. Why are you here? Go back to your country and never [expletive] with the Jews.”
The District Attorney classified the assault as a hate crime, and three of the five suspects are being tried as adults.
“The man was attacked by these people who identified him as a Muslim and claimed that was the reason they attacked him and that’s of tremendous concern to us because he wasn’t attacked just as an individual, but as a member of the Muslim community,” said Joel Levy of the Anti-Defamation League.
In reading the ADL’s, release on their condemnation of the attacks, I was particularly struck by this part: “Hate crime statutes have been adopted by 45 states, including New York State. Many of those laws are based on a model statute crafted by ADL, which has long been in the forefront of national and state efforts to deter and counteract hate-motivated criminal activity.”
What struck me in particular about ADL’s statement, and what adds another level of sadness, questioning, probing and wanting more from our communities, was this last paragraph about hate-crime legislation being modeled from the ADL.
Hate-crime legislation has raised red flags for many of us within the advocacy world, (and I’ve had this conversation a fair amount in LGBT advocacy groups)—that hate-crime legislation relies upon a criminal justice system that is far from just, in which people of color and low-income people are profiled, arrested and convicted at massively higher rates–and no, it is not because they commit more crimes, (which has been documented particularly in drug law policy).
Many of us want to demonstrate or find means to highlight when an act of violence is predicated upon hate that is reflective of deeper oppression and hatred of entire communities, but don’t want this by feeding into the idea that longer prison sentences or increase in rates of incarceration will lead to a more just or humane world.
There is little that is restorative or redemptive about our prison system. These are questions that are still being weighted through, and questions some advocacy groups are still wrestling with in figuring out how to address crimes and the severity and seriousness of acts of hate, and at the same time, attempting to offer a different model of addressing this hate so as to not have it continue to cycle and build and replicate. This does not mean ignoring or excusing or saying that this violence is OK, but it is saying and acknowledging that to begin to address systemic violence it means acknowledging that there are generations and histories of pain and violence involved, and how do we begin to heal that, rather than thinking that if we add more years onto a prison sentence that this will “prove the point” and lead to a more just world.
So, I would love to hear if others have had conversations about different models of addressing hate-crimes in the work that they do, or any resources that people might find useful to share.
crossposted to JVoices
by Cole Krawitz [➚] · Tuesday, October 31st, 2006
crossposted from JVoices
A few weeks ago, on a whim I met up with a friend to go see a movie. It had been one of those long days where the idea of sinking into the comfort of surround sound and chocolate was the perfect combination, and I was intrigued by the bit I had heard about a new film about Tony Kushner called Wrestling with Angels. So I headed over to the Film Forum, a theatre after my own heart (they serve peanut butter chocolate chip cookies–that’s all I’m saying) and settled in (watch the trailer here). I had heard bits that it was a film about him growing up, about his sexuality and how it influenced him as an artist–the film turned out to be so much more. I knew of Tony’s work, particularly of Angels in America, but I had no idea of the depth and breadth of the amazing artistry, history and theatre that he has been apart of making in the United States, nor his humility.
What I didn’t know was how much I needed this film.
Some know that I recently started graduate school–more specifically an MFA program in Creative Writing for Poetry. I knew I needed to catapult myself forward, and the changes have been a fresh and needed start. But I have still known this block, this only to be whispered and shared alone, block that some artists have, which is the fear that the work isn’t useful. Particularly for those of us who have been “raised” in organizing and activism, even though we have seeked and attained inspiration, energy and wisdom from the arts, sometimes it is still hard to see ourselves as valuable in producing them. This has been a struggle of my own.
So I thank the producers of this film on this personal level, for opening up to “the world” the very prolific, passionate and humbling man, and I thank them for creating this history. This film, along with attending the 10th Anniversary of Cave Canem‘s celebrations, reminded me, or should I say thoroughly shook me, to do the work I am meant to do.
The film was broken into three “acts”, Act I — As a Citizen of the World; Act II — Mama, I’m a Homosexual Mama and Act III — Collective Action to Overcome Injustice. All of the acts demonstrate how he came and chose to produce work, providing a forum for addressing some of the most critical issues of our time–HIV/AIDS, war, race, sexuality, class and Israel and Palestine.
The last act, in particular, reveals the influence of Kushner’s Jewish heritage in his passionate concern for social justice, expressed in deeply personal terms. It is also this act that made me even more proud that JFREJ will be honoring Tony Kusher, along with Grace Paley and the Transport Workers Union Local 100, this November 16th for the 10th annual Marshall T. Meyer Risk-Taker Awards. From the scenes showing the reproduction of the children’s holocaust opera Brundibar to the musical Caroline, or Change–about domestic work and the choices no woman should have to make to live—Kushner pushes all of us to be our best selves. Indeed, he is in good company, with Grace Paley by his side, and the local union which demonstrated its power to all of New York last winter.
We are living in daunting times. I hear this from those who have lived and worked and fought for many more years than I, and I say this even as we may be seeing a Congressional shift in power after November 7th, for I know that electoral politics and change are only one part of the many changes we need to effect larger systemic and societal change.
Knowing this film, knowing the work of artists in keeping us alive, has become, dare I say, a benediction–a lesson in faith. The kind of faith that some who don’t believe in god can believe in, the kind of faith and guidance that may not make it all right, but is a balance, as we take our steps forward in the world–and sometimes even gives us the strength to leap–to dare I say, move in the risk, in the art of risking for change.
I am so unbelievably grateful for the presence of these artists, and am honored that I will be able to bear witness to their honoring. I hope many of you will be able to join me.
by Cole Krawitz [➚] · Monday, October 30th, 2006
Some weekend loveliness for your weekday pleasures:
- Robin Washington looks back on the Million Man March
- Cheney and civil war
- Aaron Freeman on Parsha Noach
- A sad day when Santorium reaches out to Jews by guilt and “evoking the menace of Islamic fundamentalists”
- Settlements continue despite promises otherwise
And to mix it up, some books of pleasure I’ve been tip-tapping through:
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 Cole Krawitz [➚] · Thursday, October 19th, 2006
I get annoyed at the ads I get from newspapers often…usually because they’re about JDate or find your future husband, but this one below…wow…I mean…wow.
Readers already know (at least I think you know) I don’t like J4J but this is…well, this is much…
This feels, I’ll say diplomaticly, off to me…I can’t tell exactly what this course will be…but I’m getting vibes from the words counter-missionary LOL…whew…it’s true J4J gets me very upset when I see them out on the street, but I worry from the ad that the response is one that isn’t rooted in building Jewish life to encompass more people, more passions, more perspectives so that more Jews feel engaged with Jewish practice and culture in whatever form that means for them, but rather an aggressive, dare I say attack, or response, that may not come from our best selves.
I hope someone attends and gives us a reportback!
by Cole Krawitz [➚] · Saturday, October 14th, 2006
Hope all have a fabulous Simchas Torah!
And for your weekend pleasure:
JVoices brings you:
-
Raising Jewish Boys
- Here’s Just the Ticket
- Aaron and Sharon love Shabbat
- A series of interviews on identity and community
- What “looking Jewish” can bring up in Starbucks
Finally, tune into Beyond the Pale this Sunday for a 2-hour special on Soviet Jewish writer Vasily Grossman:
Beyond the Pale
Sunday, October 15, noon to 2 p.m.
WBAI/New York, 99.5 FM
VASILY GROSSMAN was a celebrated correspondent for the Soviet paper Red
Star, assigned to cover the Eastern Front during World War II. He was
also a novelist, whose early work was embraced by the Soviet Writers’
Union, but whose perspective became so critical of the Soviet state
over time that the manuscript of his greatest novel, Life and Fate, was
confiscated by authorities and wasn’t published until after his death.
Barely Jewish-identified before the war, he was one of the first
reporters to document the massacre of Jews by the Nazis in the
Ukraine–his own mother was a victim–and to enter the camp of
Treblinka, experiences that profoundly changed his perspective. His
November 1944 report on Treblinka, based on eyewitness reports from
neighbors and a handful of survivors, was published only in an obscure
journal in the Soviet Union, but gained fame when it was used as
evidence at Nurenburg.
During the past year, Grossman’s work has been rediscovered and
republished to much acclaim. His journals of his years covering the
war have for the first time been published in A Writer At War: Vasily
Grossman with the Red Army, 1941-1945, translated and edited by Antony
Beevor and Luba Vinogradova, and his great novel, Life and Fate, has
been reissued by the New York Review of Books.
On Sunday we’ll speak with ANTONY BEEVOR, author of the definitive
history of the battle of Stalingrad (Stalingrad) and the historian most
responsible for the rediscovery of Grossman, as well as ROBERT
CHANDLER, the translator of Life and Fate. Actors JUDITH MALINA and
HANON REZNIKOV will join us live to read excerpts from Life and Fate
and A Writer at War.
by Cole Krawitz [➚] · Thursday, October 12th, 2006
The JTA runs this story today after critiques from their earlier piece–honestly, I can’t say I’m surprised — I agree it isn’t productive to build a message or a group based on countering another group, or should I say on a negative message, so I can see why they want to change that PR spin, (and seeing as how all the people who wanted to challenge AIPAC left the initiative…) but wow don’t they sound like funders at the end of the article–indeed I wonder what this new potential “product” might really mean — what I mean is I’m not understanding then what is going to be new in this “marketplace of ideas.” I guess time will tell:
News of the initiative emerged in part because of a rift at the inaugural Sept. 13 meeting in Washington over the degree to which AIPAC should be confronted. There were a number of representatives at that meeting who have directly challenged what they believe is AIPAC’s hawkishness. Others at the meeting said confronting AIPAC would be counterproductive.
Subsequently, those participants who favored a more direct confrontation with AIPAC dropped away, though it was unclear whether they were disinvited or simply chose not to continue participating.
Those currently leading the effort say they’re happy to work with AIPAC.
Full story.
But then lets put this into some perspective of real lives and people impacted, and here’s just one story that can do that:
Sawsan Salameh, a Palestinian from the West Bank, was thrilled to get a full scholarship from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem to begin a doctorate in theoretical chemistry.
But a recent move by the Israeli Army to ban new Palestinian students from Israeli universities for security reasons is keeping her from studying at the campus, just two miles from her home.
“The first time I applied for a permit I was rejected,†said Ms. Salameh, 29, a Muslim wearing a firmly fastened head scarf and a black denim skirt that skimmed the floor. “I was shocked, because I thought there must be some kind of mistake, so I kept trying. I kept hoping.â€
Her situation is familiar to many Palestinians whose freedom of movement has been limited in recent years because of the continuing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Ms. Salameh said that after she appealed six times to the Israeli government agency that handles Palestinian affairs, she decided to turn to the Supreme Court. On Tuesday, Gisha, an Israeli group that is an advocate for Palestinian rights, submitted a petition on her behalf to the court, calling the ban illegal…
“There is a Jewish tradition in which value is put on learning; Mr. Ben-Gurion said he wanted Israel to be a shining light to all nations,†he said, referring to Israel’s first prime minister. “You have to deliver on these things.â€
“Both by sentiment and cold practicality, it is not in our interest to act like this,†Dr. Levine said in a telephone interview from Los Angeles, where he is teaching at the University of California.
by Cole Krawitz [➚] · Wednesday, October 11th, 2006
A quick feed off of the JTA–(we’ll see if this comes to fruition, and what the vision will look like since it’s so funder driven it’s unclear what the politics will look like, but interesting and a conversation (in terms of having something to offer a different vision than AIPAC) many of us have been having for a long long time…)
A top staffer for billionaire philanthropist George Soros met recently with senior representatives of the dovish pro-Israel community to discuss setting up an alternative to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, JTA has learned.
Morton Halperin, a director of Soros’ Open Society Institute and a veteran of senior positions in the Clinton, Nixon and Johnson administrations, confirmed to JTA that the meeting took place late last month. He would not add details.
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“It was a private meeting, it was an effort to get this off the ground,†said Halperin, who directs the institute’s U.S. advocacy.
The meeting focused on how best to press Congress and the Bush administration to back greater U.S. engagement toward resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and how to better represent American Jews who don’t buy into AIPAC’s often hawkish policies.
Contacted by JTA, an AIPAC spokesman said he was not aware of the effort, but officials with the group did not express any concern that the new initiative posed a threat.
JTA has learned from a variety of sources that a follow-up meeting focused on funding will take place in New York on Oct. 26.
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