Kesher Talk

Mutaweenie watch. Would you like to culture-jam the Saudi Vice Police informant website? Bigwig shows you how. (via Meryl)

Shall we flood the zone with this information? I think so.

UPDATE: I see Joe K is up late too.

UPDATE II: Oxblog signs on.

UPDATE: Bigwig is having way too much fun with this project. (Bigwig also supplies a list of names and web pages of the Saudi Religious Police, so you can get in touch with them easily.)

posted by Judith @ 6/13/2003 05:53:19 PM  

Hamas update. Looks like Bush really does get it. Was he clear all along? Or did he get snowed by the Pals (someone on an LGF thread mentioned that every US President has a "learning curve" with the Middle East) and then figure it out? Or did the outcry from Congress and Americans change his mind? Will we have to wait 25 years for the memoir before we find out?

Also, the EU debates cutting of support for Hamas. Just the fact that they are debating it shows how the Iraq war has magnified the US' influence in Europe.

PS Sharkblog is really rocking this week, and Donald Sensing also has many links on the Hamas situation. Just start at the top and scroll down.

posted by Judith @ 6/13/2003 04:03:17 PM  

B'shuv adonai et shivat tzion, hayeinu k'chol'mim. I haven't posted anything on Iraq in a while, either here or on Command Post. I've got about 5 days solid of blogging ahead of me to clear my virtual desk, without picking up anything new in the meantime. Some of that is Iraq-related.

In the meantime check out David Adesnik's link round-up of how the occupation is going.

I recently met someone who had been with the occupation forces in Iraq, who basically confirmed all the optimistic reports (of course, you have to wonder how much of that is the party line, but enough of it triangulates with news reports, Iraqi bloggers, and other sources).

A few Jewish tidbits: enough of the coupla thousand civilian occupation workers living and working in various comandeered Saddam palaces are observant Jews that glatt kosher meals are coming out of Saddam's kitchens, and there are well-attended Shabbat services and even daily minyans by the Tigris, where - 2500 years ago - ". . . we sat and wept when we remembered Zion." Gives me chills to think about. There was a Pesach seder held in Ur this spring. That is so cool, let me repeat that: There was a Pesach seder held in Ur this spring.

This guy also traveled to Kifl and visited what is generally held to be the tomb of Ezekiel, which was a popular pilgrimage site for Iraqi Jews in their heyday. (Officially this is the tomb of Dhul-kifl, a Muslim holy man, but the locals know it's also Ezekiel.)

The most significant take-away for me was that Iraqis - who have a long tradition of trade and cosmopolitanism and a strong middle class - are anxious to distance themselves from Arab nationalism. They have no interest in playing a victim card, or - as he put it - "becoming the new Palestinians" (or the latest object of leftist anti-globo condescension, I would think).

PS The quote in the title is from Psalm 126.

UPDATE: This post seems to have be responsible for a link from Glenn. Thanks, Glenn!

posted by Judith @ 6/13/2003 11:44:21 AM  

Ready or not, says Joe, here I come!: Joe Lieberman actually has some sound advice for nervous Jews: "I urge those in the Jewish community who are anxious about it to have faith in America. I do."

A number of recent reports have quoted Jews as being concerned that his candidacy is "not good for the Jews" because of the unsettled situation in the Middle East. Others worry that his candidacy might stir homegrown antisemitism.

Lieberman said he understands that Jewish angst "from a historical perspective, but it's not real in terms of the America" in which he campaigned in 2000 and now. "Americans are too fair and sensible" to be fertile ground for prejudice, he said...

posted by William @ 6/13/2003 08:35:57 AM  

Who blow up da owl? Who? Amiri Baraka - former Poet Laureate of New Jersey - is still in fine form. He has a letter in the Village Voice this week, responding to an article by Nat Hentoff describing Mugabe's crimes:

Dear Nat,

You (and the Voice) have sunk almost to zoo dirt. Mugabe's victims? Do you mean the ex-colonial landowners? That land is owned by the crown! As for "one of the most ceaselessly brutal dictators on the grim surface of the earth," you mean Sharon? Certainly his kill record rivals anyone's but Bush 2's!

Amiri Baraka
Newark, New Jersey

posted by Judith @ 6/12/2003 11:29:38 AM  

Bus bombing in Jerusalem. Rinat and Allison's mother-in-law were nearby, but they're okay.

posted by Judith @ 6/12/2003 12:06:28 AM  

Is Arab democracy an oxymoron? The Middle East Intelligence Bulletin examines the many reasons why democracy and Arab culture seem to be like oil and water, and concludes:

. . . the major problem with conventional explanations for the lack of democratization in the Arab world is that none of the independent variables examined above are unique to the region and most vary greatly within it - they are either present to a similar degree among democratizing states outside of the Middle East or, in the case of oil revenue, present only in some Arab countries.

Since endogenous cultural and economic conditions in the Arab world cannot account for its highly anomalous pattern of modern political development, it is important to consider whether exogenous factors have played a role. In order to determine whether external conditions can account for the discrepancy, one must first establish whether governments in the Arab world have faced external conditions relevant to democratization which differ significantly from those faced by their counterparts elsewhere in the world.

Part II of this study, as yet unpublished, will consider these factors.

posted by Judith @ 6/11/2003 09:01:22 PM  

The other genocidal maniac of WWII. Charles has a link about how NYT reporter Walter Duranty's Pulitzer may be revoked because of his selective reporting about Stalin's deliberate famines.

Gary has lots of links about Anne Applebaum's new book about the Gulag.

"World War Two is still remembered in Britain and America as a wholly just war," Applebaum says, "the one war in which we did nothing wrong. It's very difficult for people to understand that we fought a war against one genocidal dictator with the help of another genocidal dictator, and that we liberated the camps of Nazi Germany while allowing the camps of Stalin's Soviet Union to expand.

"That's something I learned while I was writing the book. They did expand after the war: we assumed that they didn't, but they did. Soviet tyranny expanded. To this day we have trouble thinking about the Second World War as a real failure, which on those terms it was."

The Cold War, on the other hand, was "one of the great achievements of the West," she says. "The Soviet system was a criminal system, and Stalin wanted to spread it around the world." It's her hope, therefore, that the experience of those imprisoned within the Gulag "will become part of our popular memory of the 20th century".

Yes.

posted by Judith @ 6/11/2003 01:10:26 PM  

Road map progress. Breakdown of terrorist incidents by Palestinians against Israelis over the past three weeks. That's right - three weeks. (via LGF)

posted by Judith @ 6/11/2003 09:05:45 AM  

What are these frilly things hanging everywhere in Judaism? These are called Tzitzit. AskMoses.com has a decent explanation of what they are and why:

:A. Tzitzit are the four-cornered, tasseled jersey worn by Jewish males as part of the Jewish dress code. “Tzitzit” means fringes, because technically, any four-cornered garment worn by males is Torah-required by Positive Mitzvah #14 to be strung with tassels. Since it’s a pain in the neck to string every shirt you own, the mitzvah is done by simply wearing a four-cornered jersey all the time, and putting the tassels on that.

B. The jersey is usually made of wool or cotton, and is generally worn under the shirt, with the tassels neatly tucked out at either hip. Some Chassidic groups have the custom of wearing the jersey on top of their white shirts.

C. Each tassel consists of four long white strings, hand-tied onto the jersey through pairs of holes just off each corner. After the first anchoring knot, a series of alternating spirals and knots form the first few inches of the tassel, with the loose strings creating the remainder. The finished product vaguely resembles a tasseled curtain drawstring.

What is the purpose of tzitzit?

1. The Jewish Boy Scouts

Next to the yarmulke or kipah, the tzitzit are what makes a Jewish guy stand out the most. On the simplest level, they’re part of your uniform. They remind you of who you are. “Why am I wearing these strings?” you may ask yourself one day. “Oh, that’s right—I’m Jewish.” They’re there to constantly keep you alert.

2. No Strings Attached

“But, why strings?” you ask. “Why not any other symbol?” Good question. Clothes make the man, and are very much a way of expressing who he is. Comes along G-d with His Torah, and says, “Whoever you are, add Me to the mix.” That’s why the tzitzit are attached to one’s wardrobe—denoting that at the fringes of the fabric, where the person’s identity begins, is where one’s Jewish identity begins too.

3. All in Knots

But the deepest reason of all, according to the Kabbalah, is that the tzitzit are a symbol of the 613 mitzvot. Yes, tzitzit are a pleasant ethnic trigger, reminding me of my Jewish heritage, but, so what? What do I do with it now that I’ve thought of it? Here’s how tzitzit symbolize the mitzvot: the five Hebrew letters that comprise the Hebrew word tzitzit each have a numerical value (the Hebrew alphabet doubles as a code of sorts), and the total numerical value of “tzitzit” adds up to 600. Now, add the numbers eight and five, as symbolized by the eight strings and five knots of each tassel, respectively, and presto! You’ve got 613. Wearing tzitzit, you are a walking symbol of all the 613 mitzvot. Don’t forget them.

posted by William @ 6/11/2003 08:23:58 AM  

McCarthy in a kaffiyeh, Part II. FrontPage has more details on Mazin Qumsiyeh's attempted witchhunting of Jewish Yale students. Some of the students listed have been active against the Iraq war, but Qumsiyeh still wants them purged because they are also pro-Israel. I previously noted an echo of Joseph McCarthy's tactics. Let me also remind you of a very recent attempt to purge pro-Israel Jews from the antiwar movement.

UPDATE: Josh Cherniss has some thoughts on racism and antisemitism, in which he mentions the Qumsiyeh controversy. I think Josh is being too kind. It quacks, Josh. Don't be shy to call it a duck.

posted by Judith @ 6/10/2003 08:50:16 PM  

Just remember. These are the people who think it's significant that we haven't found WMDs in Iraq yet.

posted by Judith @ 6/10/2003 01:30:15 PM  

How long can the Kibbutzim last? Ellis Shuman's new book The Virtual Kibbutz is littered with stories depicting the hopes, dreams and challenges of kibbutz members, residents of Israel's unique society as it evolves towards an uncertain future.

The book raises questions about the kibbutz's future, as Israel's unique, egalitarian, social, democratic experience struggles to adapt to new realities. The kibbutz has changed, but has it lost the utopian innocence of its youth? Is the modern kibbutz still guided by its founders' dreams and beliefs? Is the kibbutz an idea that has lost its way? Or is the kibbutz a society that, despite the changes it is undergoing, will continue to play an important role in the Israeli landscape?

The members of the kibbutz confront the violence of the Intifada, cope with the Internet, and struggle to have more control over their lives

You may want to comb the Kesher Talk archives for a look at how the Kibbutz has changed over the decades, like this one.

posted by William @ 6/10/2003 08:42:57 AM  

Jews in odd places: Iraq: Emad Levy, the last recognized rabbi in Iraq, became a rabbi almost by default: when the last ordained rabbi fled the country in 1999, Levy was pressed to assume the title because he knew enough Hebrew to lead Baghdad's Jewish community of 35 men and women in prayer.

Now, at 37, Levy is the man who must chart a new course for what is left of one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world. With Saddam gone, Levy is finding that his world has changed, in ways both big and small, thanks to the American military invasion.

But keep in mind, there are only an estimated 35 Jews are left in the country. What remains of Baghdad's Jewish community is a motley assortment of decrepit bachelors, spinsters, and those who simply could not bear to leave their homes. Even some of the Iraqi Jewish refugees are not interested in returning.

posted by William @ 6/09/2003 08:36:17 AM  

You can't make this stuff up Dept. Iraqi car dealers are calling Toyota Land Cruiser SUVs "Monicas."

"She's a beautiful girl, and it's a beautiful car," said Ghazi Abdullah Dormari, whose auto-trading lot in the Kurdish city of Irbil features several late-model Monicas.

"They are a very tempting car," said Marwan Shaban, an auto dealer in the nearby northern city of Mosul. "Just as Monica tempted Clinton, they will tempt you."

As Reason's blog points out, "Iraqis are naming their cars after a world-famous Jew."

Is this the kind of stuff that's bothering you, Jeanne? (I have a comment about 2/3 of the way down.)

posted by Judith @ 6/08/2003 08:20:23 PM  

Where's Waldo? Glenn has a great roundup of "Where are the WMDs and why should we care?" links. Dean Esmay also has some thoughts and links and the comments are perspicacious as well. And more links from Sgt. Stryker and Heretical Ideas.

Now if you get into arguments about this on web forums or emails, you have all the ammunition you need. For those who can be convinced by strong circumstantial evidence, that is.

posted by Judith @ 6/08/2003 08:03:18 PM  

Ha-mavdil bayn kodesh l'chol. I'm back. The retreat was incredible. There were about 300 of us at Camp Ramah in upstate New York, the vast majority under 30, including 3 or 4 couples with young babies and toddlers. It was cold at night, the bunks were rustic, and it rained on Saturday, but the setting - on a lakefront in the middle of a forest - was gorgeous. The food was good enough, and plentiful. There was a fair amount of booze, in the Ashkenazi Jewish tradition of accompanying festive occasions with shots of schnapps. Lots of niggun singing throughout. Some golden oldies on guitar around the campfire on the last night.

I hang out at Hadar for the davening with diverse and unpretentiously musical prayer leaders, and the quality of Jewish learning, which is sophisticated and informed and interactive, but doesn't require a large knowledge base or fluent Hebrew. I also like the combination of complete commitment to full access to all ritual for women and gays, and aggressively traditional practice. (At about 3 AM last night I was treated to a disquisition on whether a Kohen can lead the Shavuot musaf service during Birkat Cohanim. - I don't remember the rationale but it has something to do with keeping your feet together. This is the kind of thing Naomi Chana would find fascinating.) There are some ordained rabbis and cantors in the community (which includes a global network of friends and academic and professional colleagues from Israel to Boston), but almost all learning and services are lay-led, and elegantly so. (And if you volunteer to leyn they send you a .pdf file of your portion - they are so organized.)

It is a tradition dating back to 16th c. Kabbalists of Sfat to stay up all night studying Torah on the first night of Shavuot, and pray the morning service at dawn. At our retreat, there were 4-5 simultaneous tracks of study with about 20 different teachers, on subjects such as: the Zohar on Nadav and Avihu, the history and meaning of the "Akdamut" piyyut, "The Nature of Gender Identity in Egalitarian Communities," a comparison of the God-concepts of Franz Kafka, Emmanuel Levinas, and Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, and midrash from Rebbe Nachman of Bratslav on the connection between rain and peace. And several song/liturgy/niggun workshops, where I learned a funky Ugandan version of Lecha Dodi, among other musical delights. (I am not going to hunt up links to all these topics - look them up yourself if interested.)

The shacharit service began at 5 AM, in a large hall open to the elements. It was cold. There were 200 people there who had all stayed up all night studying and singing, including a couple who helped organize the retreat through late pregnancy and labor and brought their two-week-old with them. A gay woman led shacharit (and even sang in my key!). A man (gender orientation unknown) led musaf. We sang at least two Hallel melodies I'd never heard before, people stamping their feet with fervor and to keep warm. That's the kind of community this is.

posted by Judith @ 6/08/2003 04:51:16 PM