Leon Fleisher. Bill T. Jones. "Born in Auschwitz." Alice Shalvi. Paula Hyman. The Platt Brothers. JNF. "Braver Angels." Is it good for the Jews? Haredi parents' trans son. AntiSemitism. AntiPalestinianism. Ayman Odeh. Peace Now.
LETTY COTTIN POGREBIN NEWSLETTER #110 JULY 26 021
Since my last posting in June, I've been catching up with people, events, & issues that had taken second place to Covid, climate, China, Afghanistan, and billionaires in space. What follows are random gleanings harvested at this liminal moment in history.
MUSIC
* I was utterly charmed by the Chamber Music Society's Tribute to Leon Fleisher (above at age 7), the towering piano prodigy, virtuoso, conductor, & teacher, who died a year ago at 92. Despite suffering a career-crashing hand injury when he was 36, Fleisher, whose lineage of teachers goes back to Beethoven, retooled his formidable talents & left a rich legacy. This captivating homage features excerpts from his performances & interviews with the artist, his peers, students, friends & 5 grown children. Start at 4:30 on timeline.
FILM
* Whether you're a long-time fan or have never seen or heard of Bill T. Jones, dancer/choreographer extraordinaire, the film, "Can You Bring It: Bill T. Jones and D-Man in the Waters" directed by Rosalynde Le Blanc and Tom Hurwiz, sounds like a must-see. It chronicles the inspiration & creation of Jones' iconic ballet, one of the most profound works to emerge from the AIDS crisis. See trailer, screening venues.
* "Born in Auschwitz," a deeply moving documentary by award-winning film makers Eszter Cseke & Andras S. Takacs, explores the untold story of Vera, a Jewish woman who is 2 months pregnant when she's deported to the Nazi death camp and "immediately selected by Dr. Mengele for medical experiments. With the help of a bunkmate, Vera secretly gives birth to the 1 kg, [2.2 lbs.] baby Angela hides the child until the camp is liberated. When Angela (left, above) has a family of her own, she's determined to raise her daughter, Kati, (center) as a survivor. Angela teaches her to shop at age 3, and at 10, instructs Kati on how to use public transportation to evade capture. Today, a mother herself, Kati is determined not to pass on this inherited trauma onto her own kids. Featured Tues, July 27 at 1 PM at the S.F. Jewish FilmFestival. See trailer. Ask about other screenings here.
* "American Radical: The Trials of Norman Finkelstein," describes the outsized influence of his mother on the life & ideology of the political scientist/scholar/agitator, whose very name is anathema to many Jews. David Ridgen & Nicolas Rossier's 2009 film follows Prof. Finkelstein as he lectures on campuses, argues with pro-Israel protesters and defends his impassioned critique of Israel's treatment of Palestinians. Except for his indefensible defense of Hezbollah terror, his views don't sound that all that radical by today's standards.
U.S. POLITICS
* Photo above, taken years ago at a pro-choice march in Washington, D.C., shows Congressman Jerrold Nadler (holding banner), his wife Joyce (to his right) and yours truly *(arm-in-arm with Joyce). I've been Jerry's constituent and super-fan since 1977 when he was elected to the New York State Assembly. Now in his 15th term in the U.S. House of Representatives, and presently Chair of the powerful House Judiciary Committee, Jerry is not a grandstander or a scene stealer. He's an indefatigable champion of every progressive cause you can name --reproductive freedom, racial equality, health care, immigrant rights, environmental justice, LGBTQ rights, fair housing & more. Jerry has to build a financial war chest starting now. That's why I'm asking you to contribute $100, or $50, or even $5 to his 2022 campaign. Click here to donate.
* Hard to see what record the Democrats will run on in 2022 and '24 if their fellow lawmakers can't talk sense into obstructionist Senators Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) & Kyrsten Sinema (D-Arizona ). Make a quick call to each, especially if you're one of their constituents & tell them you strongly support the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Manchin tel:202-224-3954. Sinema 202-224-4521.
* Following the one-two punch of the Senate filibuster of S-1 and the Supreme Court’s Arizona decision, voting-rights advocates have to act fast. Ronald Brownstein's piece in The Atlantic will shed light on the issues. FYI: Here's how the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act differs from S-1.
* Dialogue with The Other can create change. You'll be uplifted by this 50-minute video, "Braver Angels: Depolarizing America," directed by 4-time Emmy award-winner Jim Brown, and produced by musician Peter Yarrow, about a grass-roots Red/Blue workshop in Waynesville, Ohio, that brought together equally passionate Trumpers and anti-Trumpers to explore whether it's possible to find common ground in a warring political culture. Riveting and reassuring. If you don't have 50-minutes now, start with the 4-minute trailer.
WOMEN'S BODIES, WOMEN'S LIVES
* With reproductive freedom on the brink of repeal by the Supreme Court, and red states tightening restrictions on abortion, it's more urgent than ever to support women who are not ready, willing or able to become mothers but have little or no access to reproductive health care. Please consider a donation of any size to The Brigid Alliance, a grass roots service that "arranges and funds confidential, personalized travel support to those seeking abortion care in increasingly hostile environments."
* Hearty congratulations and grateful kudos to The Jewish Women's Archive for updating its comprehensive, invaluable online biographical resource, and renaming it the Shalvi/Hyman Women's Encyclopedia. The new title honors (my beloved friends) Alice Shalvi, the pioneering Israeli feminist scholar,author, organizer, peacenik & founder of the Israel Women's Network; the late Moshe Shalvi, indefatigable researcher-publisher, (both above, left) and the late Paula Hyman the ground-breaking Jewish feminist titan (above, right, with her daughter, Judith Rosenbaum, now CEO of the JWA ). Hyman, an eminent historian, author, national lecturer, co-founder of Ezrat Nashim, was, at her death Professor of Modern Jewish History at Yale University, where she was the first woman to lead a major university’s Jewish Studies program.
"IS IT GOOD FOR THE JEWS?"
My late mother, a 1910 immigrant from Hungary, who, like most Jewish girls of her era, was sadly under-educated, used to ask the above question about every news event. These days I sometimes ask it, too, but for Mom "good" meant "not embarrassing," while I define it as "worthy of pride."
* Good for the Jews: At 26, Yehoram told his haredi (ultra-Orthodox) parents that he was transitioning but not that he'd undergone gender-affirming surgery. Read this stereotype-smashing, soul-sweetening piece about religious Jews' acceptance of their transgender son" ( Before, above left, and After.)
* Bad for the Jews: It's a shanda (disgrace) that the Israeli Supreme Court refused to strike down the "Nation-State Law" which flagrantly privileges Jews and Judaism in a country that purports to be a democracy. Justice Minister Gideon Sa’ar said the law “anchors the Jewish essence and character of Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people” and that it does “no harm to the individual rights of any Israeli citizen." Rubbish! Please take a minute to read the text of the law. It's very short; too short, by my lights since it leaves out two key words:"equality" and "democracy."
* MK Ayman Odeh [above, an Arab-Israeli lawmaker], "slammed the court’s decision as 'racist and antidemocratic... The Jewish supremacy law received a stamp of approval today from the High Court,' he tweeted. 'But this is our homeland and no ruling will change that.' He said he will ''continue to fight for equal rights for all citizens of the country, for the sake of true justice and real democracy.” BTW: Odeh aspires to be Israel's first Palestinian Prime Minister,
* Good for the Jews: By any measure, the multi-talented Platt Brothers, Ben, Jonah & Henry, here in conversation with Abigail Pogrebin, (above L-R) articulate the best of Jewish "family values." Abby draws out many lovely anecdotes that conjure parent-child and sibling relationships full of affection, mutual respect & warm Jewish observance. Bonus: their sublime rendition of the evening prayer, "Ahavat Olam.".
* Bad for the Jews: The article, "Private Israeli Spyware Used to Hack Cellphones of Journalists, Activists Worldwide," chills me to the bone both for what it reveals about invasions of privacy & because it feeds raw meat to Israel's critics & those who conflate Jews in general with every negative fact about Israel. For an Israeli tech company to allow its products (in this case Pegasus software) to be used for unlawful purposes strikes me as morally reprehensible. Any violation of personal privacy or press freedoms ultimately erodes the freedom of minority groups. If we expect social media platforms to monitor deleterious applications of their technology (i.e. using it to disseminate lies about vaccines), it make sense to ask manufacturers to exercise the same oversight regarding security devices that were originally intended to track terrorists & criminals but are being used to spy on journalists, social justice activists, heads of state, & elected officials.
* Good for the Jews: Pope Francis restricts the Latin mass that offends and delegitimates Jews. We've come a long way since Christians blames "the Jews" for the crucifixion but we were blamed for killing Christ though some still buy that one.
ANTI-SEMITISM, ANTIPALESTINIANISM, RACISM
* Who gets to define antiSemitism? Merriam-Webster describes it as "hostility toward or discrimination against Jews as a religious, ethnic, or racial group." The British philosopher Isaiah Berlin famously quipped that an antiSemite is someone "who hates Jews more than is absolutely necessary." Now, a "working definition" of antiSemitism being promoted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), has been endorsed by 31 international governments, the U.S. Education and State Departments, and more than 200 U.S. states, municipalities, universities, and nonprofits. At the same time, a counter definition, the Jerusalem Declaration is gaining traction in some precincts. After digesting these, you may be interested in dissenting views from Jewish Voice for Peace and Mark Muhannad Ayyash, a Palestinian born in Jerusalem, now a sociology professor in Canada.
* Who gets to reify the history of Blacks and Jews in America? Jacob Morrow-Spitzer (above), Yale Ph.D candidate argues that "We Jews Need a Real Reckoning With Our Role in American Racism." To be clear, he's not saying that all Jews are racists, or that Jews are more racist than other Americans. He's simply challenging us to revisit the iconic narrative of our "liberal exceptionality in comparison to other whites."
* Regarding racism: After I recommended "It's Time to Honor The Righteous Among Whites," the essay's authors, Gary Ferdman & Myriam Miedzian (above), wrote to complain that I'd misrepresented their thesis by focusing disproportionately on Jews in the "righteous whites" category. Since the Jewish world is one of the explicit purviews of this Newsletter, I felt justified in doing so. Now I wonder if I was unwittingly proving Morrow-Spitzer's thesis (see item above). If you're as invested as I am in the history and future of Black/Jewish relations, read both pieces & judge for yourself.
ISRAEL-PALESTINE
* Lovely piece about the epiphany that led Mikhael Manekin, a former officer in the IDF's elite Golani brigade & an Orthodox, kippah-wearing Jew, became one of Israel's foremost anti-Occupation activists.
* This important statement issued during last spring's Israel-Hamas conflict by prominent scholars of Jewish Studies & Israel Studies. Some readers have taken issue with the declaration's even-handedness. For instance, "... we stand with our Israeli, Palestinian, American (including American Jewish), European (including European Jewish), & other international colleagues who are working towards a process of structural change that would bring equality & justice in Israel/Palestine, a systemically unequal space that, nonetheless & inescapably, has a common history & future. We also denounce expressions of antisemitism or Islamophobia in connection with ongoing events in Israel/Palestine." I find the scholars' sentiments a balm.
* I think of "Hand in Hand" schools as the antidote to intergroup suspicion and hate-fueled riots. Hand in Hand was established in 1997 "to combat one of Israel’s greatest existential threats: the growing social alienation and lack of trust between Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel. It's a network of public schools, recognized and overseen by the Israeli Ministry of Education, and open to all parts of the Arab and Jewish populations in Israel." Founded in with 50 children, half from each community, it now enrolls over 2,000 students in seven schools from Jerusalem to the Galilee, and has received many prestigious awards and honors. Read about Hand in Hand , watch videos, and donate as I did.
* In her provocative Tablet article, "Germany Gave My Family Reparations. Palestinians Deserve the Same From Israell, Jane Hirschman writes "I am a first-generation American. My Jewish parents fled Germany as the horrors of the Holocaust were unfolding. They left behind family who perished in camps and were killed as they fled from their homes while being chased and shot at by Nazis....Those born to Holocaust survivors who can prove that their father was forced from his homeland between the years 1933-1945 have the right to become German citizens along with all of their children, grandchildren and all future progeny forever. Last year, my children, grandchildren and I became German citizens, and were given European passports.. As I think about my own family and its history, I wonder why the 750,000 Palestinians forced from their homes and land in 1948 when Israel was founded are not entitled to the same treatment my family received after WWII ended." Good question, I'd say.
* Did you know that JNF uses your donations to beat the bushes for more money. For non-profits, that's nothing new, except that the Jewish National Fund spent more on fundraising than they raised all year. That fact and their willingness to fund projects over the Green Line (in the Occupied Territories) should give pause to anyone who's still inclined to write checks to the JNF.
* As one who subscribes to the axiom that the excellent is the enemy of the good, I found Etan Nechin's piece astringently provocative. Nechin challenges us to acknowledge the purism and rigidity of the Jewish-American left, to recognize it's politics as a counter-productive form of ideological solipsism that ignores the daily reality of Israeli leftists and devalues their work on the ground. Nechin asks American progressives to actively support center-left groups in Israel like Shalom Achschav (Peace Now), Eretz L'Kulam (A Land For All,) and civil society organizations founded and run by Palestinian-Israelis.
* In his reply to Nechin, Paul Scham, president of Partners for Progressive Israel and Professor of Israel Studies at the U. of Maryland, urges progressive American Jews not to abandon moderate leftist groups that for years have been fighting for equal justice and against the Occupation, creeping annexation, and erosions of democracy in Israel and the West Bank.
* Americans for Peace Now is the first pro-Israel group to call for concrete conditions to be placed on defense assistance to Israel. "If the U.S. wants to nurture peace and support international law, we must explicitly ensure that our taxpayer dollars serve our foreign policy objectives, that they do not go towards human rights violations, and that there are specific consequences if they do,”wrote Hadar Susskind, the group’s CEO, in an op-ed in Time magazine. “If new settlements are legalized or existing ones expanded — these international law violations would come with specific U.S. aid reductions.”
Americans for Peace Now and J Street, are already on record in favor of a bill backed by progressive Democrats that would prohibit Israel from using U.S. funds to detain Palestinian minors, appropriate or destroy Palestinian property or forcibly move Palestinians, or annex Palestinian areas.
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