Creepy American antisemites Dept. A play about the Crown Heights Black-Jewish riots just opened. It's fictionalized - history is rewritten to make the whole thing the Jews' fault. It's produced by Lenora Fulani and Fred Newman, whose
political cult, which
has been around for years, occupies conceptual turf
somewhere between Lyndon Larouche and Scientology.Asked for comment about the production at the city-supported theater, Jonathan Greenspun, the commissioner of the mayor?s Community Assistance Unit, said only: "In April of last year, Lemrick Nelson admitted in a court of law that he did in fact stab Yankel Rosenbaum. Yankel?s death was not an accident, and anyone who thinks otherwise isn't living in reality." According to the play's creators, however, reality is an unreliable measure of veracity. A prologue introduces "Crown Heights" as "a piece of New York fiction" that is "probably closer to the truth than what is sometimes labeled New York reality."
Yeah, if reality doesn't suit your polemical purposes, the hell with reality.
Eeuuw. This makes my flesh crawl. Give this horror some publicity please.
Thank you.
Jews in odd places: India: But they don't want to be there for long.
There are nearly 5,000 people in Mizoram and the neighbouring state of Manipur who call themselves Jews, and 800 of them have already migrated to the Middle East.
Most live in Gaza and the West Bank - troubled areas compared to the peace of Mizoram, now that the state has a settlement with rebels after years of insurgency.
Ephraim Lalmingliana, who calls himself a Mizo Jew, says he is not afraid of the violence in the West Bank or Gaza. "I will go and settle there because I am Jew... Israel is my promised land and I long to go there. I have computer skills and I will surely get a job there," he told
BBC News Online.
I am the Lorax! I speak for the Trees! Okay, not quite, but
Tu BiShvat is coming soon.
It's kind of a
granola-crunchy holiday, popular with
environmentalists; variations on Tu BiShvat haggadot abound, like
this one and
this one. Of course, there's the usual array of
links pages, too.
Personally, I like the idea of eating various kinds of fruits as a metaphor for travel through the
four worlds. And living in snowy New England, I like having a chance to focus on spring and remember that the sap will soon be rising. I especially like
this prayer by Reb Nachman of Bratzlav, which seems to be a common way to end Tu BiShvat seders.
But I'm not sure how I feel about this poetically-iffy but factually-correct
verse.
Jews in odd places: Mexico: Mexico City’s Hebraic University,
the only government-accredited Jewish university in Latin America, is positioning itself to serve communities thousands of miles away through Internet-based courses, traveling seminars and other international initiatives.
At a time when economic and political turmoil throughout Latin America has left Jewish communities with fewer people and resources, many are struggling to recruit new teachers and provide veterans with up-to-date training. The overwhelming majority of Jewish children in Latin America attend Jewish schools, and a shortage of qualified teachers could have a devastating impact on communities in the region, education leaders said.
Since university director Daniel Fainstein, an Argentine native, joined the Hebraic University in fall 2002, the institution has embarked on a major academic restructuring effort, headed by Judit Bokser Liwerant of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, or UNAM.
What started as a way to improve Jewish education in Mexico now has become an international project. The aim now is to reach even to Miami and Spain, in addition to Spanish-speaking Latin America.
The university has formed official alliances with universities such as UNAM and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and is looking to expand its global ties. In the last academic year, it began an aggressive campaign to bring top scholars from around the world to lead seminars in Mexico City.
The university plans to send groups of Latin American students to Israel and the United States for workshops soon.
Nice Jewish grrls. One look at
her face and I'm at home. But I still wouldn't vote for him. Some things are more important than a First Lady from the hood.
UPDATE: Howard Dean's
interfaith model. My
comment.
UPDATE:
Smart, nerdy, and sincere.She was just wearing clothes. I liked her hair. It just hung there. I liked the fact that he gave her a rhododendron and she loved it.
If Judy Dean finally puts the JAP stereotype to rest, her husband's candidacy will have been worthwhile.
Jews in odd places: South Africa: At a time when South Africa’s Jews are anxious over the future of the Jewish community, the religious body representing most Jews has taken a bold step by choosing a young man with little experience as chief rabbi.
The decision by the Union of Orthodox Synagogues to
appoint as chief rabbi Warren Goldstein, 32, has been hailed by many as an inspired move that will inject fresh energy into the troubled Jewish community of 80,000. Goldstein will take over in January 2005 when the current chief rabbi, Cyril Harris, retires after 17 years. Goldstein is rabbi of a dynamic Orthodox congregation in Johannesburg and a scholar of Judaism and law — but some say he’s too young to be chief rabbi.
He is this country's first homegrown, fourth-generation South African chief rabbi, he has just completed a doctorate on Jewish law's relevance to human rights and modern constitutional law, and he and Dumani Mandela (Nelson's grandson) are the authors of
African Soul Talk, a dialogue debating their visions for South Africa.
Goldstein began his rabbinical studies at 17, and studied law and philosophy through Unisa at the same time. He married Jina and completed his LLB while working as a rabbi. His intention was to practise law, but that fell by the wayside as he grew to enjoy his work as a rabbi. He has recently completed a PhD in law at Wits university.
In their book, subtitled
When Politics is not Enough, Mandela and Goldstein debate - in the Talmudic tradition of seeing the other's view - spirituality, leadership, love, guts, family, poverty, generosity, women, dignity and nation-building through morals and values.
Elections. I've always been
metropolitical. I still blame Robert Heinlein young adult novels.
Meanwhile, the Dems are
battling it out for the Jewish vote, as they usually do. This year's twist is that one of them
is a Jew, and the rest are scrouging around in the attic for
as much Jewish heritage as they can dig up. Even so, a recent AJC survey shows Bush getting
30% of the Jewish vote against most of the Dem candidates. Stay tuned.
Israel's economy: Jewish food exports: Food exports to North America are expected to be
30% higher in 2004 than in 2003, Wissotzky Tea president and CEO Shalom Seidler told
Globes. Seidler was appointed chairman of the Israel Export Institute food division at the end of December.
Seidler's prediction is based on the success of the
Fine Foods from Israel program to encourage purchases of Israeli food products by Jewish communities in the US and Canada organized by the Israel Export and International Cooperation Institute, the Manufacturers Association, and Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor.
Seidler said he planed to expand Fine Foods from Israel beyond kosher keeping Jews to new markets, expand to Europe, and include small and medium-sized food exporters in the program.
Export Institute director Yechiel Assia said Fine Foods from Israel boosted food exports to the US by 24% to $56.5 million in January-September 2003, compared with the $45.4 million exported in the corresponding period in 2002. Most of the increased exports were of fresh produce, and processed meat and poultry. Wine exports rose 60% to $8 million in January-September 2003 from $5 million in the corresponding period in 2002.
Prayer for porn:
Ilia found a most useful prayer--one to cleanse your computer after you've viewed (presumably accidently) internet porn: "Please God, help me cleanse the computer of viruses and evil photographs which disturb and ruin my work..., so that I shall be able to cleanse myself (of sin)."
