The wrong way to start a dialogue
I can’t possibly express how confused I am after watching Rabbi Dovid Weiss, a member of Neturei Karta, a small international anti-Zionist Jewish sect, speak at ASU Sept. 16.
Weiss, an Ahmadinejad sympathizer, wagged his finger at Zionism, while at the same indirectly declaring that 95 percent of Jews on the ASU campus are not real Jews. I’ll save you the details of his long-winded rant, and leave it at this: Were I in the practice of determining if anyone other than myself was Jewish, I might have wagged my finger back at him. I wouldn’t be alone, either. Numerous efforts to excommunicate Neturei Karta from Orthodoxy, Judaism and/or Israel have been documented.
My confusion doesn’t stem from my stance on Neturei Karta. I am, however, somewhat concerned about the Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), the student group, which, along with the local chapter of Coalition of Arabs and Muslims in America (CARAMA), brought Weiss to campus.
SJP has told me repeatedly that the ultimate goal of bringing Weiss to campus is to start a dialogue between the Jewish and pro-Israel groups on campus, and the Arab and Muslim groups on campus. The idea is commendable. But like ASU Hillel Executive Director Rabbi Barton Lee said, “You don’t start dialogue by bringing somebody who is rejected by 99.9 percent of Jews … into the middle of a campus.”
That means one of two things: Either SJP is lying and they have a completely different agenda, or they have absolutely no idea how to start a dialogue.
For the last six months or so, SJP has treated Jewish News as an ally. And we’re not the only ones who feel that way. Oday Shahin, SJP’s head of public relations, informed me that he personally invited both AIPAC and the ADL to attend Weiss’ talks. This was confirmed by ADL Regional Director Bill Straus, who like me, was baffled by the invitation.
I honestly believe that, despite its skewed political opinions, SJP’s heart is in the right place. Why else would they waste their time reaching out to Jewish News, AIPAC and the ADL? We’re not talking about a highly political governmental organization that needs to pull strings in the press to keep its opposition off its back. We’re looking at a student group that, thanks to the First Amendment, is able to clearly represent its aims and ideals on campus, with or without the support of the Jewish News and the ADL. The problem is, their ability to find viable common ground to begin dialogue is no better than Dick Cheney’s hunting prowess. But at least they’re making an effort.
If two separate parties can’t agree whether or not the sky is blue, what can they agree on? And since this is clearly the case between Students for Justice in Palestine and Sun Devils for Israel, the pro-Israel group on campus, where do we go from here?
For the news story, check out Anti-Zionist rabbi speaks at ASU amid quiet protest.
23 Sep, 2009 > Comment - 1 -
Jewish education in the secular classroom
Teach For America (TFA) recently partnered with couple of nonprofits to send 40 of its Jewish educators overseas on a Birthright Israel-esque trip last July. It was the organization’s first time launching such an excursion.
The intended goal is interesting -- “to add Jewish context and values to their secular work as teachers in the United States,” according to a press release.
I spoke with two Glendale teachers, Jeremy Rose and Nicole Wellman, both of whom are employed by Teach For America and participated inaugural trip. Exploring Israel, they said, certainly will aid them in the classroom, but not necessarily in an overtly Jewish way.
Both said that they met Israeli educators who were working on improving many different levels of education and tolerance, and that the similarities and interests the two of them shared, both with the Israeli educators and the other teachers in their TFA group, were what impacted them the most.
Rose said that if he were able to live in a kibbutz-style setting among other teachers, the support from other teachers would help him keep his morale up after a particularly difficult day.
Wellman was drawn to the Arab-Israeli conflict, and said that what appeared to be small steps on both sides may very well turn out to be some of the biggest strides when history looks back on the situation. She compared that to her classroom, where, she said, teaching an illiterate first-grader to read over the course of the year will greatly impact that child’s life.
It’s far too early to tell what, if any, lasting impact this trip to Israel will have on TFA’s educators, and how exactly that will translate to the classroom. But it’s an interesting thought to consider how innately Jewish values, presented in a secular fashion, might improve a child’s education.
For more, check out Teach For America launches Israel trip.
02 Sep, 2009 > Comment - 0 -
Anti-Semitism at the poker table
I had my first bout with open anti-Semitism in a while during the wee hours of last Saturday morning. I’m not talking about covering anti-Israel rallies, which is part of my job, or the occasional snide remark made in passing by an ignorant acquaintance. I’m talking about anti-Semitism specifically directed at me.
I played poker at Casino Arizona on Friday night. (Disclaimer: I don’t play very often anymore, but I used to play to pay the bills, so when I go, I usually win.) I took about $100 off a guy, catching him in a bluff. He had already lost several hundred dollars that evening.
“What’s your name, son?” he asked me, as I scooped in the pot.
“Josh.”
“What do you do?”
“I’m a reporter for the Jewish News of Greater Phoenix.”
“Never heard of it. You Jewish?”
“Yep.”
I started to stack my chips.
“What do you write in a Jewish newspaper?” he asked.
“Same stuff as a regular paper,” I replied. “We’re just a specialty paper. We’re geared toward the Jewish community.”
“Well I’m not Jewish. So I guess you wouldn’t let me read your paper, huh?”
I paused for a split second. He had phrased the question a bit crassly, trying to get under my skin. But it was a valid question, and one that deserved an answer.
“No,” I replied. “You’re more than welcome to subscribe. But if you’re not interested in what’s going on in the Jewish community, I don’t see why you would.”
“Well, what do you write about?”
“My beats are education, youth, sports --”
“Education?” He cut me off. I could tell by the tone of his voice that the conversation was heading downhill. “What's there to write about in Jewish education?”
“Well, there are several Jewish day schools in the Valley. I write about --”
“You educate Jews?” He had cut me off again, purposely twisting my words and trying to agitate me. “What do you tell them? That it’s good to go to school?”
Aware of his tactics, and far from the first loudmouth I had ever sat with at a poker table, I wasn’t going to let him get to me.
“You ever read the education section in the Arizona Republic?” I asked.
“No.”
“But you know do what the education section would be about.”
“Not really.”
“You do know what the Arizona Republic is, right?”
“Yeah, but what’s that got to do with Jews?”
“Let me back up a bit. Do you know how to read?”
The guy to my right laughed at that comment, which visibly irritated my new friend.
“You educate Jews,” he said. “So you teach them that it’s good to go to school and that it’s good to screw people over.”
A couple people at the table shifted uneasily. I could make my displeasure known, I thought to myself, but that would mean an even more uncomfortable atmosphere at the table. Besides, there’s an understanding among experienced poker players that if there’s a poor player at the table -- and this guy was a poor player -- don’t aggravate him to the point where he leaves. Keep him happy and let him leave later on. Broke.
“That’s exactly what I do,” I responded. “Guess you don’t have to read the paper since you already know what’s in it.”
“So that’s what you teach your kids? To go to school and to screw people over?”
“Yep.”
“Do you have kids?”
“Nope.”
“Do you consider yourself a role model for the Jewish people?”
“Are you kidding?” I laughed sarcastically. “It’s Shabbat.”
The guy to my right cracked up. I never asked him, but given a few of the comments he made to me later on, I think he was Jewish, too.
The angry guy left an hour later, with an empty wallet. I took enough money off of him to pay half of my rent. By that time, I had forgotten about our back-and-forth, having shrugged it off shortly after it died down. Several others, however, did not. They remarked after the fact about how inappropriate his actions were.
While I appreciated the support, it made me wonder if I had handled the situation properly. Still, I’m curious as to what I could have done differently. And not that I’m upset that no one else spoke up on my behalf, but if so many other people at the table were offended by my friend’s antics, I’m curious as to why nobody did.
29 Jul, 2009 > Comment - 1 -
The Rejewvenator
He’Brew, The Chosen Beer, recently sent a 22-ounce bottle of their newest brew, “Rejewvenator,” to our office. And since arts & culture and special sections editor Jen Goldberg isn’t much of a beer drinker (and apparently neither is the rest of our office because I’ve ended up with the half-full bottle on my desk, all my own -- see: “Happy Hour,” Jewish News, July 7), I thought I’d give it a quick review.
Rejewvenator is a half doppelbock, half Belgian-style dubbel ale, brewed with the slight flavor of dates, although that is barely noticeable. I’m not a big fan of most dark beers, so naturally this wouldn’t be my first choice at a bar, but for what it is, it’s not bad. I’d certainly choose it over our Americanized watered-down commercialized beers, such as Budweiser, Coors Light, etc., etc., etc. And the 7.8% alcohol content certainly doesn’t lower my opinion.
Visit shmaltz.com.
07 Jul, 2009 > Comment - 0 -
Meadowlark Lemon's basketball camp
Former Harlem Globetrotter and Basketball Hall-of-Famer Meadowlark Lemon brought his Globetrotter-style basketball team, the Harlem All-Stars, to the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center to scrimmage a makeshift crew of VOSJCC members on June 28. More than 400 people attended.
In addition, Lemon and a handful of his teammates are running a basketball camp for children at the VOSJCC Aug. 3-7.
How cool is that? I'm thinking about forging my birth certificate so that I can be taught by a basketball great for the week.
Growing up in the Boston area, I attended two separate basketball camps at the Leventhal-Sidman JCC in Newton, Mass., run by then-Celtics Eric Montross and David Wesley, respectively.
One of the athletic highlights of my childhood was making a basket, heading back down the court to play defense, stealing the ball and making another basket, all in the span of about 30 seconds. As I jogged back down the court, Montross, who happened to be refereeing my game, gave me a high-five.
The fact that Eric Montross, a professional basketball player, thought I was good enough to give me a high-five made this 10-year-old's summer.
I don't know much about Meadowlark Lemon, but from what little I've heard and read, he's a Montross kind of guy. If your kid is a basketball nut like I used to be, don't let him/her miss this opportunity.
Call 480-483-7121.
Meadowlark Lemon
01 Jul, 2009 > Comment - 0 -
Too small of a niche
While helping our intern, Sarah Pellegrino, a rising sophomore at Indiana University, edit a column she is working on for our upcoming education special section, I realized something that I wish I had figured out six years ago, when I was just beginning my college career.
“I also realized that becoming involved in the Jewish life at Indiana can, in certain ways, restrict opportunities to meet other people,” Sarah writes in her rough draft. “The ultimate goal is to find a niche that’s right for you, where you can be comfortable and have support, but to remember not to limit yourself and have an open mind to others. Of course, this concept applies to almost any aspect of college life, whether it’s Greek life, academics or remembering to keep in touch with friends from high school.”
Oops.
There’s not much I regret from my college days. It probably goes without saying that I could have worked a little harder in a number of my classes, but the motto I lived by then -- and still agree with today -- is that 20 years from now I won’t look back and think, “I got an ‘A’ in my biology class.” Instead, I’ll say, “Look at all the great memories I have and the lifelong friends I made.” Mission accomplished.
Unfortunately, I can’t help but think that I became too comfortable in my niche -- as Sarah puts it -- or that my niche was too small.
I was a member of Alpha Epsilon Pi, a Jewish fraternity, and that was my niche. If I wanted to party, it was with those guys. If I wanted to participate in community service, it was through AEPi. Intramural sports? There was a Greek league. Even the girls I hung out with, for the most part, were part of my niche. There are not a large number of women on a typical college campus specifically trying to meet Jewish guys, but many who are frequent Jewish fraternities. And those were the girls I hung out with. I spent my last three semesters at school frustrated, wanting to meet new people, and I couldn’t figure out why it was so difficult.
I’m not trying to knock AEPi -- or any other Greek organizations for that matter -- my fraternity life was extremely beneficial to my college experience. Instead, I blame my inability to separate myself and reach outside of the bubble I had created. At times I tried, but not hard enough. My junior year I joined my school’s Relay for Life (a fundraising event that collects money for the American Cancer Society) steering committee, but quit because I had overcommitted myself with schoolwork and fraternity events. By the time my senior year rolled around, I had burned out on AEPi, but had left myself nowhere else to turn.
Looking back, I envy my friends who, in addition to Greek Life, involved themselves in other student groups, whether it was theater, community service, political affiliations, Jewish organizations -- pretty much anything. I mentioned before that I judge college on how many friends I made that I will keep for the rest of my life, and in that way, I was a success. But I can’t help but wonder, had I branched out, how much more of that success I might have attained.
24 Jun, 2009 > Comment - 0 -
Welcome to "Across the Board"
Welcome to Jewish News’ “Across the Board” blog. As the beat writer for education, youth, sports and wellness, obviously, from time to time you’ll hear from me on all those topics. But I don’t want to limit myself to those issues -- hence the name “Across the Board.”
As the newspaper’s only blogger under the age of 25, I hope I can provide you with an interesting and different perspective on Judaism, whether it’s a controversial topic such as dating non-Jews; my personal experience covering an historic event in the Valley -- such as attending President Obama’s graduation speech at ASU or interviewing then-Gov. Napolitano at Jess Schwartz College Prep’s 2008 graduation; or thoughts on current events, local and worldwide.
Please chime in on the message board. I want to hear how foolish and off-base my comments are (though occasional praise is also welcome). This is not just my blog -- it’s yours, too. Let me know if you there’s a topic you would like to read about, whether it’s an online post or a story in the paper. And if you don’t feel comfortable expressing yourself on our board, you can contact me directly here.
18 Jun, 2009 > Comment - 1 -