never again = legalize it?

what happens when aging holocaust survivors and young whipper-snapper marijuana activists get together? they form a new political party, what else?

welcome to the crazy world of israeli election season.

our jerusalem obama party made the colbert report

check it out:

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Un-American News - President Obama Edition

Colbert at Christmas
Colbert Christmas DVD

Green Screen
Bill O'Reilly Interview

the two second clip is sandwiched right between the kenyans and the palestinians...

too bad the event was actually sponsored by democrats abroad, and only had americans there, and few, if any israelis.

if you're jewish... hey, that's not so newish...

rev lowery was my favorite speaker at the inaugeration. in addition to emulating his inspiring biography, maybe i can someday write a sermon like his one day. his benediction:

We ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to give back, when brown can stick around, when yellow will be mellow, when the red man can get ahead, man, and when white will embrace what is right.

beyond rhyming, was actually an allusion to a well-known blues song during the civil rights movement by big bill broonzy about america's jim crow system:

This little song that I'm singin' about,
people you know it's true
If you're black and gotta work for a living,
this is what they will say to you,
they says, "If you was white, should be all right,
if you was brown, stick around,
but as you's black, hmm brother, get back, get back, get back"

I was in a place one night
They was all having fun
They was all buyin' beer and wine,
but they would not sell me none
They said, "If you was white, should be all right,
if you was brown, stick around,
but if you black, hmm brother, get back, get back, get back"

Me and a man was workin' side by side
This is what it meant
They was paying him a dollar an hour,
and they was paying me fifty cent
They said, "If you was white, 't should be all right,
if you was brown, could stick around,
but as you black, hmm boy, get back, get back, get back"

I went to an employment office,
got a number 'n' I got in line
They called everybody's number,
but they never did call mine
They said, "If you was white, should be all right,
if you was brown, could stick around,
but as you black, hmm brother, get back, get back, get back"

I hope when sweet victory,
with my plough and hoe
Now I want you to tell me brother,
what you gonna do about the old Jim Crow?
Now if you was white, should be all right,
if you was brown, could stick around,
but if you black, whoa brother, get back, get back, get back

ברק אובמה בירושלים

yes we can... כן אנחנו יכולים ... here's some articles on the jerusalem obama festivities that we went to last night here at zolli's pub in jerusalem. there were some camera crews at the pub, too, but i haven't found any footage online yet.

that crazy king herod...

in times of political transition, we can think of other political leaders who also had their "issues". in the dec 2008 national geographic, there's a great article on king herod, including descriptions of his tomb, recently discovered at herodium, near bethlehem.

the saying "it was better to be herod's pig than his son" alludes to this quasi-jewish roman leader's desire to keep kosher and be accepted by his jewish subjects, but who repeatedly killed off his wives and offspring because he was afraid they would be a threat to his rule.

on the national geographic site, you can test your knowledge of king herod, by taking their eight question quiz, or by playing the herod's lost tomb game! (obviously i have too much free time on my hands...)

the countdown begins ...

only 1 more day!

l'hitraot to mike's place

it's a good thing i figured out how to order fox sports on our cable system yesterday, or otherwise, we might have had some problems trying to watch the game.

apparently mike's place in jerusalem is now closed:

With tears in their beer, some 200 loyal revelers packed Mike's Place on Sunday to bid adieu to the legendary downtown Jerusalem watering hole.

Though the Nahalat Shiva bar had 36 months remaining on its eight-year lease, last fall the landlord Darinel Business Inc. invoked a demolition clause in that agreement to force the bar out. The nondescript 19th-century building, which was originally put up by the Ottoman banker Chaim Aharon Valero, will be demolished shortly as part of an eight-story office tower and commercial complex stretching along Jaffa Road to Kikar Zion.

i wonder which bar will now pick up the "anglo" slack?

life in ashkelon and gaza

anita steiner, a reconstructionist rabbi living in ashkelon, has been living with the effects of constant rocket fire. two of her recent email updates have been posted on the jrf website, here and here. searching online, i also found some sites that provide links for similar-type blogs coming out of gaza.

depressed by the news and paralyzed by the complexities

this posting, by marty kaplan at huffington post, captures some of what i've been feeling lately:

First I saw a young protester telling a CNN reporter in Trafalgar Square, "Every single day, as soon as we turn on the TV, we see children there die in the hospitals, adults dying, children dying on the floor. Why, why, why? Why do children have to die? Why do innocent children have to die on the floor? Why?"

And I thought, She's right, those children in Gaza are innocent, every human life is precious, civilians aren't combatants. Doesn't everyone deserve basic human rights like food and water and life itself?

But then I thought, Where was she when 80 or 90 Hamas rockets a day were raining down on Israel? Where were all the television cameras when innocent children in Ashkelon and Sderot were being maimed and killed?

But then I saw pictures of massive devastation in Gaza on the front pages of the newspapers, and I thought, What good does it do if Israel appears to act like its enemies?

But then I heard Shimon Peres tell George Stephanopoulos that Hamas "did things which are unprecedented in the history even of terror. They made mosques into headquarters. They put bombs in the kindergartens, in their own homes. They are hiding in hospitals." Where were all the people of Gaza rising up in outrage when Hamas used them as human shields?

Then I heard Palestinian negotiator Hannan Ashwari say that Gaza was a secondary issue, that the real imperative was to reach a lasting political agreement, not a temporary military outcome, and I thought, She's right, there will be no peace and security for Israel unless a viable two-state solution is reached.

But then I read a blog by Atlantic writer Jeffrey Goldberg recounting his interview with Nizzar Rayyan, the Hamas leader who was killed by Israeli bombs last week. "This is what he said when I asked him if he could envision a 50-year hudna (or cease-fire) with Israel: 'The only reason to have a hudna is to prepare yourself for the final battle. We don't need 50 years to prepare ourselves for the final battle with Israel.' There is no chance, he said, that true Islam would ever allow a Jewish state to survive in the Muslim Middle East. 'Israel is an impossibility. It is an offense against God... You [Jews] are murderers of the prophets and you have closed your ears to the Messenger of Allah.... Jews tried to kill the Prophet, peace be unto him. All throughout history, you have stood in opposition to the word of God.'"

And I thought, How can you negotiate with people who reject your nation's right to exist, and whose version of religion calls you a murderous race? If someone claimed that the best way for America to deal with Bin Laden is to reach a political agreement with al-Qaeda, I'd say that they're nuts, that there can be no negotiation or accommodation with people lusting for a final battle to rid your people from the earth.

But then I heard an Arab diplomat railing against Israel's continuing tolerance of illegal settlements, and I thought, As long as Knesset coalition governments are dependent on ultra-Orthodox parties who have no respect for the law, how can anyone expect Arab moderates to gain enough political power for Israel to negotiate with them, when Israeli moderates can't muster that clout either?

Then I reminded myself that the people of Gaza overwhelmingly voted for Hamas in a democratic election, and I thought, What good is democracy, if it can put terrorists in charge of governments?

But then I read that tens of thousands of Israeli Arabs in the Israeli town of Sakhnin had rallied against Israel's Gaza offensive, and I thought, What Middle East nation except Israel would ensure that anti-government protesters had the right to hold such a demonstration?

And then I remembered reading that former Israeli army chief Moshe Yaalon warned Israelis not to delude themselves about Israel's Arab population, that Israeli Arabs - a fifth of Israel - constitute a potential fifth column.

Then I saw a Teleseker Institute poll saying that 95 percent of Israeli Jews support Operation Cast Lead against Hamas. But then I saw a Rasmussen poll saying that while 44 percent of Americans think Israel should have taken military action against the Palestinians, 41% say it should have tried to find a diplomatic solution - essentially a tie, within the poll's margin of error. And I wondered, How long does diplomacy have to keep failing, how many bombs have to keep dropping, before self-defense finally trumps talk?

I wish I didn't believe that the events now unfolding in the Middle East are too complicated for unalloyed outrage. I wish the arguments of only one side rang wholly true to me. I am the first to accuse myself of paralyzing moral generosity -- the fatal empathy that terrorists prey on. But ambivalence is not the same as moral equivalence, and holy war, no matter who is waging it, makes my flesh crawl.

In Milton's poem Samson Agonistes, Samson - blinded, in chains -- cries out, "Promise was that I / Should Israel from Philistian yoke deliver; / Ask for this great deliverer now, and find him / Eyeless in Gaza at the mill with slaves." But when Samson shows the strength to shun Delilah, God restores his power, enabling him to pull down the temple and kill the Philistines, though along with himself.

What makes Samson Agonistes a tragedy is the self-destruction that victory entails. I passionately assert Israel's right to exist in peace with its neighbors and within secure borders. But I can't help fearing that its military success in Gaza, should it come, will also entail a tragic cost.

i'm tired of the news. i'm tired of reading email accounts from a rabbi i know who lives in ashkelon, of bomb shelters, safe rooms and panic attacks in the grocery store. i'm tired of reading similar accounts on the internet from residents of gaza. I'm tired of being worried, after meeting families whose childen are currently serving in the israeli army. i'm tired of the coverage in haaretz. i'm tired of the coverage in the new york times. i'm tired of wondering why i'm living in israel, and yet have no real connections with my palestinian neighbors in the west bank and gaza. I'm tired of feeling powerless. i'm tired of feeling angry. i'm tired of inaction. i'm tired of going about my daily life while others can't. i'm tired of war.

tomorrow, i hopefully begin a shavua tov - i go back to school, studying talmud in a beit midrash in southern jerusalem. afterwards, instead of watching cnn and channel 10's account of the war in gaza, i'll immerse myself in escapism, watching coverage of a epic battle closer to home - that of the eagles of philadelphia against those pesky giants of new york. fly eagles fly.

amen.

pluralism in the galilee

during this semester, i've taken part in an intra-faith multilogue (dialogue is for only two voices - far too limiting...) program for rabbinical students studying in jerusalem this year, run by the organization, ta shma. they do a great job of:

providing Hebrew and English-speaking Jews of all ages with educational programming that conveys the excitement and relevance of Jewish texts and tradition.

Recognizing that diversity is one of the Jewish community's greatest assets, Ta Shma offers a model of multi-voiced Jewish learning that emphasizes the importance of constructive disagreement.

participants included reform, orthodox, conservative, trans-denominational and reconstructionist rabbinical students.

one of the reform students has a blog entry up on the huc website about our recent shabbaton in the galilee, and shares some memorable moments.

plus, bonus points if you can find me in the picture below.

if it were only that easy here...

why can't things be this easy in the middle east?

below is a uplifting article in the philly daily news about a amazing reconstructionist rabbi and teacher of mine:

LINDA HOLTZMAN was appalled when she saw the homemade sign at last Tuesday afternoon's rush-hour Center City rally protesting Israel's attacks on Gaza.

Carried by a foreign-born man in his 20s, the poster depicted both a Star of David and a swastika. Beneath them was printed, "What's the difference."

"It was very upsetting to see, because it didn't capture at all the spirit of the rally," said Holtzman.

"The sign was hateful; the others weren't."

Although attended mostly by Arab-Americans, there were also non-Muslims taking part in the passionate, but peaceful, rally at the Israeli Consulate, at 19th and JFK, including Holtzman, senior rabbi of the Mishkan Shalom Reconstructionist congregation in Manayunk, and other Jews distraught by the violence being inflicted in response to attacks by Hamas on southern Israel.

"As a Jew, it was a slap in the face to see that sign, when we were there to provide moral support," said Holtzman. "It was offensive."

A few Jews in the crowd warily approached the young man, to tell him that his sign was uncalled for. They weren't sure how he'd respond, but an animated discussion followed, which they relayed to Holtzman, who'd watched from afar.

"They said he was actually a friendly guy," said Holtzman. "His English wasn't very good, but he was talking with them the best he could."

So Holtzman approached him, too....

click here to read the rest of the story. i promise, it's worth it.

the torah on gaza ...

i often hope that jewish tradition will provide us with useful means with which to understand and interpret our world. today, into my inbox, came this week's d'var tzedek from ajws:

Over the course of the book of Genesis, we witness Jacob’s two different responses to the unjust massacre committed by Simon and Levi against the people of Shechem. After their sister Dinah is raped by the prince of Shechem, the brothers murder and pillage the entire town. While the rape of Dinah is indeed horrific, it does not justify the act of collective punishment her brothers pursue.

When Jacob learns of Simon and Levi’s action, he bemoans:

You have brought trouble on me, making me odious among the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites and the Perrizites; my men are few in number, so that if they unite against me and attack me, I and my house will be destroyed. [Genesis 34:30]

In Parshat Vayechi, Jacob, on his deathbed, gathers his sons around him to hear his last words. When he reflects again on Simon and Levi, he admonishes them:

Simon and Levi, the brothers---
weapons of outrage their trade. […]
For in their fury they slaughtered men,
At their pleasure they tore down ramparts.
Cursed be their fury so fierce,
And their wrath so remorseless! […]
[Genesis 49:5-7]

Jacob’s initial response to this injustice is personal. His concern with the deeds of Simon and Levi is that there will be repercussions for him and his community. Only later does he express anger that they have acted wrongly by killing innocent people.

Just as Jacob’s two responses to the same issue are motivated by very different concerns, our activism on social justice issues can also be motivated by different factors. We can take action on these issues because we are personally affected, or we can act because we feel morally compelled.

how should we choose how we should act? when should we act, and when should we refrain from action?

the d'var goes on to wrestle with collective action in community organizing contexts, and regarding darfur.

i'm, of course, thinking of israel and gaza.

the situation here is undeniably complex. no one should have to live under the threat of attack. everyone should be able to go to sleep at night safe and secure in their homes.

i question whether it's appropriate to compare relative amounts of suffering - e.g., is my suffering worse than yours?

i'm also not sure about separating innocent victims from the global-political realities at play.

when is there a difference between a civilian and a soldier? what about between a policeman and a terrorist?

should i be watching al jazeera to see the bodies that aren't being shown on cnn? why is it ok for me to go about my daily business, when others can not? am i a hypocrite for taking advantage of a wall that i feel is unjust? what's my role supposed to be here anyhow?

hope

today, as part of the social justice class that i'm taking at pardes, we visited the max rayne יד ביד - hand in hand jerusalem school. it's an intential bi-lingual, (hebrew and arabic) and bi-cultural (jewish and arabic/palestinian christian/muslim). there's over 600 students enrolled from grades k-10. all classes are team-taught in hebrew and arabic.



it's the equivalent of a public charter school in the states, funded like all schools by the israeli government (but also supplemented by the governments of germany, switzerland, and lichtenstein). watch the above video. it's a lot better than what's on cnn right now.