Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on June 10, 2020

The word quarantine comes from quarantena, or 40 days, in the Venetian language. It was first used during the Black Death epidemic in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries to designate a period that ships were required to be isolated before passengers and crew could go ashore.

As a rabbi and a student of religious history, this etymology has fueled my imagination and led me down a rich and colorful path of biblical exegesis.

Descriptions of 40-day quarantines occur repeatedly in the Hebrew Bible, several millennia before the Venetians introduced the maritime practice. And when they occur, they are virtually always momentous and life-altering.

During the story of the flood in the book of Genesis, Noah self-isolates with his family in a wooden ark for 40 days and 40 nights, while the world as theyd known it drowns in a deluge of rain and rising seas.

In the book of Exodus, Moses separates himself from the Israelites for the same time period and ascends Mount Sinai to put even more distance between himself and his people, who have committed idolatry by creating and worshipping a golden calf.

And at a harrowing point in his life, the prophet Elijah flees into the desert for 40 days and nights in the book of Kings and secludes himself in a cave. There, he waits for his fear to subside and for God to give him direction.

What do these stories have to teach us today, during our own quarantine?

None of these 40-day quarantines are compulsory. Rather than the result of external coercion, these biblical examples of isolation should be understood as thoughtful expressions of free choice, voluntary decisions meant to respond constructively to an existential crisis.

Something happens to these biblical figures after their periods of seclusion and social distancing come to an end, once the crisis has passed and they emerge from their respective shelters.

They transform.

Noah and his family (along with quite a number of animals and birds) will begin the process of re-populating the earth, as creation starts anew with a new covenant, marked by a rainbow. More than simply playing a role in Gods cosmic drama, Noah becomes the father of the world.

Moses returns to his people with a second set of the Ten Commandments (he destroyed the first set out of anger). He forgives their sins. And his new maturity, insight and illumination are manifested externally by rays of light that radiate like a corona from his head.

Elijah has a theophany, an experience of God, not in a whirlwind or an earthquake but through a still, small voice. With this new understanding of spirituality and divine communication, he is able to calm his soul and eventually continue his mission as a prophet of Israel.

The Talmud explains that it takes an embryo 40 days to form in the womb. For some later commentators, those 40 days are the time it takes for a new entity to come into being.

To my mind, it would be a mistake to think of the 40-day number as a literal representation of time. But 40 days may well be a metaphor for gestation, a pilgrimage toward new birth.

I cant keep track of how many days Ive been hunkered down in self-quarantine here in wine country, but its been far more than 40, and I dont see it ending anytime soon.

And yet, this existential crisis will pass.

I feel that something is indeed gestating both inside and around me. We are all changing, evolving, getting ready to emerge from our cocoons. Our social distancing from one another is not all bad. In fact, I think it will lead to new perspectives on ourselves and on our world.

The challenge of this crisis has clear economic and socio-political dimensions. But it also has a spiritual one. How we respond to it whether with foresight or with bravadowill define our moral characters, as well as our souls, for many years to come.

Visit link:

40 days and 40 nights: What the Bible can teach us about quarantine - The Jewish News of Northern California

Category: Talmud | Comments Off on 40 days and 40 nights: What the Bible can teach us about quarantine – The Jewish News of Northern California
Tags:

Posted By admin on June 10, 2020

We are Modern Orthodox success stories: products of day school education, Jewish summer camps, and gap years in Israel. We are active participants in Jewish life on our campuses, ardent Zionists, and Torah enthusiasts.

Our religious upbringings have taught us that Jewish communities do not stand idly by when faced with injustice. And George Floyds murder unmistakably reveals the corruption and systemic racism embedded in our countrys police force and justice system. Although racism in America is anything but novel, the murder of George Floyd forced our eyes wide open in a way we had previously been sheltered from: George Floyd was killed simply because of the color of his skin.

Rachel Rapps

The obvious injustice inspired Americans to take to the streets across the country to profess the dignity of black life. We were encouraged to see many of our communitys leaders attending protests and speaking out. We applaud statements made by Modern Orthodox institutions calling for racial equality. However, this rhetoric and signaling must be followed with concrete action that cant be accomplished in an emailed statement.

As the next generation of Modern Orthodox leaders and thinkers, we demand real change.

The roots of change lie in education. We are Jewish Americans; we must understand and be aware of what is happening in our own country. It should not have taken a nine-minute video of a murder to realize the plight of vulnerable minorities in our own backyards.

Chantal Polinsky

Our day schools, youth groups, and summer camps cannot shy away from teaching the dangers of systemic racism and intrinsic racial biases. We must create curricula, develop ongoing opportunities for cross-cultural dialogue, and model action all through the lens of Jewish values and texts. By failing to educate, we are perpetuating the problem. We dont only need to educate others but relearn for ourselves as well. We must question our own biases, rationales, and understandings in order to best achieve change.

Change entails wrestling with our own history. The collective narrative we tell ourselves is that we entered the United States as poor refugees who crowded into shabby tenements and succeeded against all odds to build vibrant, prosperous communities.

Jonathan Katzman

While that account is largely true and one we should be proud of, we did not succeed in America against all odds. Many of our ancestors were bestowed rights and privileges never afforded to black Americans. The color of our skin came with opportunity: We succeeded in securing loans, receiving educations, and owning property.

Of course, there were challenges; American Jewish history contains suffering and hardship on our road to success, including blatant anti-Semitism. But the story we tell of our history in this country dives deep into the suffering and hard work of our ancestors, while failing to acknowledge our privilege.

It is time for a nuanced reassessment of our narrative that features both our subjugation and our privilege.

Our modern history shares the same dichotomy of subjugation and privilege. After the deadly shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, police forces around the country made us feel safer. This is not a privilege afforded to everyone. For black people, and black Jews, police officers symbolize anything but safety. Philando Castile was killed during a mundane traffic stop. Breonna Taylor was murdered when police broke into her apartment firing guns. George Floyd was suffocated by police while crying that he couldnt breathe. The same force that keeps us safe puts our black neighbors and black members of our communities at risk.

For the sake of a just future, Modern Orthodox Jews must unequivocally support Black Lives Matter. Denouncing racism and police brutality without standing in solidarity with BLM is inadequate.

Many Jews have been quick to condemn BLM because of a disparaging statement regarding Israel included in the 2016 platform of the Movement for Black Lives, a faction within the web of organizations that create the greater Black Lives Matter movement. That item is no longer part of agenda. Furthermore, though we may not agree with every aspect of their platform, we cannot use this as an excuse to ignore the racial injustice in our backyards. At its core, Black Lives Matter is a movement for justice and the dignity of black Americans a cause that is noble and worthy of our support.

As Jewish citizens of America, we have a spiritual and civic duty to uplift the most vulnerable members of our country. We must advocate for their social and economic advancement, and rally against brutal police violence and the carceral state. This is a humanitarian issue, not a political, right/left one. When our neighbors, even those beyond our Jewish bubble, are targeted and repressed, we have an obligation to stand up for them.

We must embody the Torah values of justice (), solidarity (), integrity (), and liberation (). Exodus 22:20 states, You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. This commandment, the most repeated mitzvah in the Torah, suggests that the collective Jewish experience of slavery in ancient times and modern anti-Semitism sensitize Jews to the plight of the other and propel Jewish activism in hopes of an equitable society for all people. We are commanded to make a difference. We should care about this universal mitzvah between humans with the same enthusiasm we bring to our unique mitzvot between us and God.

We are proud of the steps towards change taken by our community and its leaders, but we must do more. Silence is approval. Inaction is injustice. Anyone who can protest the actions of the whole world and does not, is held responsible for the actions of the whole world, says our Talmud (Shabbat 54b).

Modern Orthodox communities must take up the mantle of proactive anti-racism. If we dont, we should be held responsible for the oppression of black Americans.

Jonathan Katzman is a rising junior studying history at Harvard. He is from Englewood, N.J.

Chantal Polinsky is a rising junior studying psychology and human rights at Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College. She is from Teaneck, N.J.

Rachel Rapps is a rising junior studying social work and social & public policy at New York University. Her family currently resides in Teaneck, N.J.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Forward.

As the next generation of Modern Orthodox leaders, we demand real change.

Excerpt from:

As the next generation of Modern Orthodox leaders, we demand real change. - Forward

Category: Talmud | Comments Off on As the next generation of Modern Orthodox leaders, we demand real change. – Forward
Tags:

Posted By admin on June 10, 2020

We all have an in-between zone: the constant waiting period between two items on our schedule too short to make anything productive of it. We humans often spend lots of our life in such zones, waiting.

In this weeks portion, the Torah reports of the generous sacrifices offered by the 12 princes of Israel for the newly inaugurated Tabernacle.

In addition to their individual gifts, the princes constructed six large wagons for transporting the large beams and coverings of the Tabernacle.

Interestingly, the Talmud teaches that the princes measured the precise dimensions of the beams and coverings, accounting for how much storage, without an extra inch to spare. The Talmud reports that it was tight and precarious fit, and there was concern that due to the tremendous weight and pressure of the beams stacked on one another, some of them could become unstable.

This seems to be extreme penny-pinching stinginess. Why be so cheap on material and compromise on convenience? Why not gift 12 wagons, one from each prince, and lighten the load of each wagon?

This question is even more glaring when you contrast this with the evident generosity in their individual offerings. What happened to the spirit of generosity and dedication by the wagon donation?

But here is where the Torah is begging us to probe deeper. The princes of Israel are sharing with us that when it comes to our dedication to God, we should never leave any gaps; no space should be left unfilled.

We all lead busy lives. I often hear from people who wish they could do more mitzvot and join Torah classes, but they just dont have the time.

In 1967, Detroit hosted the annual Chabad womens convention. Following the convention, the return flight scheduled to take the New York-based group back home was canceled due to a snowstorm. The organizer of the group called the office of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menchem M. Schneerson, and reported the group was stuck in the airport. After putting her on hold, the secretary came back on the line: The Rebbe doesnt understand the word stuck. The organizer tried explaining what being stuck means; the secretary replied, The Rebbe understands English. The Rebbe says that a Jew is never stuck.

Every moment has a mission, and every situation has its purpose. We are never stuck. The next time you find yourself waiting in one of those in-between zones, ask yourself how you can make this moment purposeful.

When I was a child, I heard of the Jewish bus driver in Brooklyn who completed the entire Talmud, a tremendous achievement even for the seasoned Torah scholar. How did he do it? In those small breaks while waiting: the in-between zones.

Let us all take inspiration from the princes of Israel and never let a single inch of our life go to waste. There is a whole world of holy potential waiting for us in the in-between zone. Lets go and discover it.

Rabbi Levi Dubov directs the Chabad Jewish Center of Bloomfield Hills.

See the rest here:

Torah Portion: The In-Between Zone | The Jewish News - The Jewish News

Category: Talmud | Comments Off on Torah Portion: The In-Between Zone | The Jewish News – The Jewish News
Tags:

Posted By admin on June 10, 2020

Last week was especially tough on all of us. As we were beginning to emerge from weeks of isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the country erupted in turmoil over the recent violent killings of black Americans.

I turned to a few of the Pikes Peak regions religious leaders for perspective. I asked what message they were preparing to offer their congregations in light of recent events, what guidance they might offer.

As I reached out to the Rev. Dr. Nori Rost of Unitarian Universalist Church in Colorado Springs, she was preparing a sermon about the connections between the COVID-19 pandemic and the black community.

We are living two realities, she said. The first is living in the midst of the pandemic, having our activities restricted and dealing with the uncertainty of how simply breathing can be lethal. The second is having to deal with potential danger even as youre just walking out your door being able to breathe, unencumbered. Literally and figuratively without being held down, as in the case of the late George Floyd.

My hope is to be able to take the power of the anger and outrage and channel that into actually making substantive change, finally, Rost said. Maybe this is the molten moment that we can actually see change.

Rost is part of the Colorado Interfaith Alliance, a group of clergy members, currently calling for an examination of all those systemic ways racism is embedded into our culture.

Those in the alliance agreed to preach in solidarity, giving similarly themed sermons this past Sunday to talk about the need for true lasting change to happen.

The problem is, Rost said, Theres so much inherent inertia to not change the system. Whos it going to hurt to acknowledge the truth? All it does is create an avenue for change.

She continued, There are things afoot that give me hope. ... This happening in the midst of a pandemic. The pandemic can focus our outrage like a laser.

No matter how many people are protesting in the streets, at the very least it comes down to the election in November. We need to ask more of our government officials.

I also reached out to Rabbi Jay Sherwood of Temple Shalom in Colorado Springs, as he was preparing for his Friday service.

Like Rost, he mentioned the immediate challenges facing his congregation of about 500: the coronavirus and, on top of that we have the world falling apart.

I wrote a prayer for our country. It basically says to follow through and do kindness, justice and righteousness throughout the land, Rabbi Jay said. Some might call my sermon political, but I would call my sermon very Jewish.

Its my job to teach Jewish values: justice, justice you will pursue.

Rabbi Jay agreed that as a society we need to, in the vein of Alcoholics Anonymous and other support groups, first admit theres a problem, and the problem is racism.

Were in the middle of fighting two epidemics systemic racism and COVID-19. If we cant admit we have the disease, and I mean Systemic Racism with a capital S and R, how can we treat it?

Racism, he said, is not a police problem, its an American problem.

We have a racism, hatred problem in America. And I see it because Im Jewish and Ive personally experienced anti-Semitism. I dont know what its like to be a black man, but I do know what its like to be a little kid, afraid. I do I know what its like to walk around with fear, yes I do, Sherwood said.

He continued that we all have a responsibility to make sure no one else will live in fear. The Talmud tells us that silence is considered agreement. If we are silent, then we agree that its OK that the black community in America is oppressed. And Im not OK with that.

Rabbi Jay was among the clergy who spoke during last weeks protests outside City Hall in Colorado Springs. He said he was surprised not only by support from some passersby, but also by the venomous blind anger and opposition of others.

At last weeks protests, he noticed one young woman holding a sign that gave him pause. It read, Racism is so American that when you protest it people think you are protesting America.

It kind of sums up how I feel, Rabbi Jay said. Im not protesting America, Im protesting hate.

The Rev. Clare Twomey, lead pastor of Vista Grande United Church of Christ in north Colorado Springs, said her church has been able to continue its social justice mission despite the pandemic.

The social justice work we do is critical. Weve been able to maintain that. That forms the basis of any spiritual support I can offer to my congregation, Twomey said.

No matter what is going on in the world or what that scripture is each week, the message that undergirds every message I give is to remind people that we belong to one another. That is the cornerstone of our congregation. Then we can move toward a foundation of How do we handle whats going on in the world.

Twomey said her latest sermons have been sharing the words of colleagues of mine of African descent.

I decided the congregation didnt need to hear my voice. They needed an opportunity to hear from those who are directly affected by racism. I reached out to some of them and I preached their sermons, she said.

Twomey said every week she has congregants reach out to say theyre angry or I cant do this anymore.

Im willing to listen to their horror, their fear and their anger, she said. It is all the time, every day. Im talking to people who are emotionally, spiritually affected.

Pastor Ellen Hamilton Fenter of The Church at Woodmoor in Monument said shes also been seeing a span of reactions from those in her congregation.

Some people have just gone underground and they dont want to talk about whats going on. And then there are some people really in despair, she said. Its really easy to resort to platitudes, such as All things work together for good. But before you hit the good theres often a rough road.

Fenter worked as a real bootstraps counselor before she came to ministry. In her pastoral and counseling work currently, shes adopted a philosophy of lets get to work.

Ive been saying Put one foot in front of the other and get on down the road. God didnt cause any of this. God doesnt cause this stuff. Theres an outcome God wants for humanity. For me, in my interpretation, thats reconciliation and healing of the breach between God and mankind. Thats our purpose. But our plans are up to us and we make a mess of that, she said.

The atmosphere of change today is exciting, Fenter said. Ive been telling my congregation for years that God is up to something. Now were just caught up in the thing. We want to be carried in the spirit of where God is going. Were not just supposed to bide our time.

She added, Being a Christian person is not a privilege; it is a job. It really is the reason were on planet Earth.

Fenter said not everyone who worships at her church is on the same page, ideologically or spiritually, and thats a good thing.

You can find people in my pew who have one complete idea about (God) and others who have completely different ideas. Thats the beauty of The Church at Woodmoor that we can all be really gracious with each other, she said.

Her message to congregants this week: Keep your head up. Get on the road because its not time to rest yet.

From talking with these four I gathered that there is certainly no easy answer to our collective predicaments. But the challenges we are facing can help us to grow and change, if we choose. Our struggles, and recognizing the struggles of others, can give us the courage to make change happen.

Editor of Pikes Peak Newspapers, Michelle Karas has called the Pikes Peak region home for five years. Contact Michelle with column or story ideas, feedback and letters to the editor at michelle.karas@pikespeaknewspapers.com.

Read more:

Seeking perspective in challenging times | From the Editor - Colorado Springs Gazette

Category: Talmud | Comments Off on Seeking perspective in challenging times | From the Editor – Colorado Springs Gazette
Tags:

Posted By admin on June 10, 2020

This past Passover, a quiet revolution was underway in the town of Lakewood, N.J.

Unlike its fellow town of Lakewood, Ohio, the New Jersey version is home to tens of thousands of Jews, the overwhelming majority of whom are Orthodox. So as Passover approached under lockdown, community leaders recognized that there was a big job to be done. The town is very young, and most of the families travel to be with parents and grandparents for Passover.

Many have never prepared or hosted their own, with all the cleaning, cooking and dishes that it requires. There was a panic in the air: without any familial help or cleaning help, without being able to be with family, how could it happen? Many of these couples are in their 20s and have never taken on a project like this before.

Most of the community is affiliated with the Lakewood yeshiva, affectionately known as BMG, Beth Medrash Gavoha or institution of higher learning, a school of Talmud study for men that has attracted so many to the area, along with its attendant Orthodox perks, like kosher restaurants and grocery stores, modest womens fashion, and much more. The president and CEO of the yeshiva, Rabbi Aharon Kotler, grandson of its founder by the same name, with 6,800 students and their families in his care, got to work.

Along with other activists, Lakewood had already created something called ESS: emergency supper service, which provided basic food needs for people who couldnt shop or cook due to COVID-19. Kosher dinners were assembled and delivered in a sanitary way, at below-cost prices, by the community, for the community. How could the Passover needs of the community be similarly met?

Enter the PesachBox.

The team of volunteers built a website and e-commerce model, literally overnight. A local company donated its warehouse space. And then the boxes were assembled, shipped and delivered. What went in it? A bedikat chametz set, to check for chametz the night before the holiday. A seder plate. A matzah cover. An instructional pamphlet. Recipes and tips for preparing your very first, totally kosher-for-Passover holiday. All the servingware and cookware and bakeware needed to pull it off, with the touch of love and care that money cant buy. Cost per box? Its $199, subsidized by caring members of their own community.

The website went live 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, a week before Passover. Within three hours, there were more than 500 orders. By 9:30 p.m., 950 orders had come in. By the next day, orders had maxed out at 2,000.

Masked and gloved volunteers distributed the packages, with the website contacting every single one of the customers first to make sure theyd drive up on time with their order number and ensure contactless delivery.

The orders came in so fast and furious, in fact, that the WIX-based site crashed, triggering fraud flags. Kotler called for reinstatement, trying to explain the intricacies of a Passover deadline under lockdown. Well, WIX turns out to be an Israeli company, and they were so pleased that the project assisting fellow Jews for Passover was being achieved through their platform, that they asked Kotler to share the PesachBox initiative with their entire company.

With the success of the project in the rearview mirror, the team set out to achieve further projects: a subsidized Passover food box, with over 100,000 delivered. A Passover wine box. A chametz box for post-Passover consumption, so there wouldnt be an unsafe run to the stores. A challah box, for the supplies to bake that first batch for the Shabbat immediately after the holiday ended. And more similar projects followed.

I found out about these amazing initiatives by reading the Mishpacha Magazine, in an article by Baila Rosenbaum, upon which this is based. Tears rolled down my eyes as I read. Im filled with amazement at the capacity of humans to do good, and for Jews to care for one another. I hope, reading these words, you feel the same.

Read Ruchi Koval online at cjn.org/ruchikoval. Connect with her on Facebook at ruchi.koval and on Instagram @ruchi.koval.

Letters, commentaries and opinions appearing in the Cleveland Jewish News do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Cleveland Jewish Publication Company, its board, officers or staff.

Read the original:

The Lakewood box - Cleveland Jewish News

Category: Talmud | Comments Off on The Lakewood box – Cleveland Jewish News
Tags:

Posted By admin on June 10, 2020

There may be few places to go, but there certainly are many places to visit online, that is as stay-at-home entertainment choices continue to populate the internet.

The North Jersey-based Visionaries Film Festival has retrofitted its third annual installment to the internet. Visionaries Film Festival: Quarantine Edition" will be streamed on Twitch from Friday, June 12, to Sunday, June 14.

The festival, which last year was held at the Hudson School in Hoboken, is run by 22-year-old Vihan Khanna from Livingston, who graduated from Montclair State University in January.

The free screenings will be 7 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and showcase nearly 40 short films. Started in 2018, the festival accepts films from all but prioritizes films by students and other new filmmakers. Donations are welcomed.

We Dance for Artist Relief Tree, a virtual dance benefit concert, is planned for 8 p.m. Friday, June 12, to raise money for freelance performers out of work because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The effort is being driven by 10 Rutgers University Mason Gross School of the Arts alumni, spearheaded by Olivia Mode-Cater, Class of 2011 and 2012.

The two-hour online concert can be viewed on various Facebook pages (Artist Relief Tree, The Streamlined Studio, Dance ED Tips). It will be hosted by Nick Raynor (Class of 2014), who has toured internationally and recently completed an Off-Broadway run of Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish. The show will have 15 guest artists with interviews and a mix of live and pre-produced from-home segments.

ATLANTIC COUNTY

Atlantic City casinos remain closed, but Gov. Murphy implied they could reopen by July 4 weekend.

Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City has postponed events through Aug. 6, including its June 20 Lit in AC show, which has been moved to March 2021. Visit boardwalkhall.com/events.

The Stockton University Performing Arts Center on the Galloway campus has emptied its schedule of events until further notice. For more information, contact 609-652-9000 or visit stocktonpac.org.

BERGEN COUNTY

Events have been canceled or postponed at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford through Aug. 18. As of June 10, the only non-sports event still on the summer schedule is the Aug. 19 Lady Gaga Chromatica Ball tour stop. For information, visit metlifestadium.com.

State Fair Meadowlands has pushed back its fair dates, originally scheduled from June 25 to July 12, to the new dates of July 23 to Aug. 9.

Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood has canceled, postponed or rescheduled shows through July 8. The next concert on the calendar is the Dokken/Lynch Mob double bill on July 9. For information, visit bergenpac.org or call 201-227-1030.

The Hackensack Performing Arts Center in Hackensack has canceled events through June 18. The June 19 production of 'Til Death Do Us Part . . . You First was still on the schedule as of June 10, but its unlikely to happen. For more information, visit hacpac.org.

The Puffin Cultural Forum in Teaneck has canceled its live events and has been offering various online art, film and music posts. Visit puffinculturalforum.org or call 201-836-3499 for updates.

The Belskie Museum of Art and Science in Closter is closed until further notice. Visit belskiemuseum.com or call 201-768-0286.

The Mahwah Museum is closed until further notice. Visit mahwahmuseum.org or call 201-512-0099.

BURLINGTON COUNTY

The Roebling Museum in Florence has suspended all public programming until further notice. Visit roeblingmuseum.org.

CAMDEN COUNTY

BB&T Pavilion in Camden this week formally canceled its summer concert schedule. The June 27 Doobie Brothers 50th anniversary show has moved to Aug. 4, 2021, and the Aug. 6 Jimmy Buffett concert is now set for Aug. 12, 2021. Visit livenation.com for details.

The Adventure Aquarium in Camden has suspended operations but still holds out hopes of reopening this month. Visit adventureaquarium.com or call 844-474-3474.

The Scottish Rite Auditorium in Collingswood has postponed or rescheduled concert dates through the summer. The next planned event is the rescheduled Indigo Girls concert Oct. 2. For information, visit scottishriteauditorium.com or call 856-858-1000.

The New Jersey Renaissance Faire, held yearly at Liberty Lake in Bordentown, has canceled the 2020 edition and is planning to try again May 22 to June 6, 2021.

CAPE MAY COUNTY

The Barefoot County Music Fest planned for June 19 to June 21 in Wildwood has been put off until 2021. The three-day party was to be headlined by Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton and Dan and Shay.

The recently renamed Cape May MAC (Museums+Arts+Culture) formerly Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities has canceled or postponed all public programming until further notice.

The Wildwoods National Marbles Tournament scheduled for June 22 to June 25 has been canceled.

The Cape May County Park and Zoo has opened its park area, but the zoo remains closed until further notice.

CUMBERLAND COUNTY

The Landis Theater in Vineland is closed through July 24, when it hopes to reopen its doors for a concert by Back in Black, an AC/DC tribute band. Visit thelandistheater.com for updates.

The Levoy Theatre in Millville has rescheduled or postponed its slate of shows through at least Aug. 7. Visit levoy.net or call 856-327-6400.

CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage

The Wheaton Arts and Culture Center and the Museum of American Glass in Millville have suspended public programming until further notice. Keep tabs at wheatonarts.org or call 856-825-6800.

The Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts in Millville has closed until further notice. It has converted Isolation to an ongoing online exhibit, to be updated as entries are received. Call 856-327-4500 or visit rrcarts.com.

ESSEX COUNTY

The Prudential Center in Newark has closed its facilities, offices, the Grammy Museum Experience and the RJWBarnabas Health Hockey House. Next concert on the schedule is the June 27 A.R. Rahman show. For questions, email guestservices@prucenter.com. For up-to-date information, visit http://www.prucenter.com or http://www.newjerseydevils.com.

New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark has suspended all performances until July 10s Victoria Theatre show by comedian Kathleen Madigan. It is posting weekly DJ dance parties and other virtual events. For information call 888-466-5722 or visit njpac.org.

South Orange Performing Arts Center in South Orange has halted all shows through Aug. 13. For information, call 973-313-2787, email boxoffice@sopacnow.org or visit sopacnow.org.

Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn postponed its world premiere production of The Wanderer until April 2021. It aims to open its season Oct. 7 with Clue. Visit papermill.org or email boxoffice@papermill.org.

Wellmont Theater in Montclair has postponed all shows on its schedule through Aug. 11. For information visit wellmonttheater.com or call 973-783-9500.

Outpost in the Burbs, based at the First Congregational Church in Montclair, has postponed all concerts through Sept. 10. It is hosting twice-weekly online concerts. Visit outpostintheburgs.org.

The Newark Museum of Art in Newark is closed until further notice but mounting various online activities. Visit newarkmuseumart.org or call 973-596-6550.

The Montclair Art Museum is closed until further notice. For updates, visit montclairartmuseum.org or check social media pages.

The Jewish Museum of New Jersey in Newark has canceled its Reinventing Eve exhibit and is closed to the public. Visit jewishmuseumnj.org.

The Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center in Montclair is shut until further notice. Look for updates at yogiberramuseum.org.

The Nutley Museum has canceled all events through the summer. Call 973-667-1528 or visit nutleyhistoricalsociety.org.

GLOUCESTER COUNTY

Broadway Theatre of Pitman has closed its doors at least until the planned July 10 opening of Matilda the Musical. Call 856-384-8381 or visit thebroadwaytheatre.org.

The Heritage Glass Museum in Glassboro will be closed until further notice. Contact heritageglassmuseum.com or call 856-881-7468.

HUDSON COUNTY

The Liberty Science Center in Jersey City is closed until further notice. Visit lsc.org or call 201-200-1000.

HUNTERDON COUNTY

The New Jersey Lottery Festival of Ballooning in Association with PNC Bank (formerly QuickChek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning) has been rescheduled from late July to Oct. 16, Oct. 17 and Oct. 18 at Solberg Airport in Readington. For information, visit http://www.balloonfestival.com.

Music Mountain Theatre in Lambertville has put its productions on hold until further notice. It has a two-part online Demystifying Oscar program on Oscar Hammerstein with his grandson, William Hammerstein, scheduled for June 20 and June 27. Visit musicmountaintheatre.org for more information.

The Hunterdon Art Museum in Clinton is closed until further notice but has posted three virtual exhibits online: Explorations in Felt in collaboration with Fiber Art Network; Yael Eisner Member Highlight" and Young Arts Showcase. Visit hunterdonartmuseum.org.

The Red Mill Museum Village will be closed until further notice. The May 17 Wheels for the Wheel car show has been moved to July 26. Visit theredmill.org.

The ACME Screening Room in Lambertville is closed but has made virtual screening of films available online. A $12 ticket makes the selected film available for five days. Visit acmescreeningroom.org/upcoming-events.

MERCER COUNTY

McCarter Theatre in Princeton has suspended all performances, classes and other events through June and is working on its 2020-21 season, slated to open Sept. 12 with Dreaming Zenzile, a new musical based on the life of South African singer Miriam Makeba. For information, visit mccarter.org or call 609-258-2787.

The Trenton Downtown Association has postponed its free 10-concert Levitt AMP Trenton Music Series at Mill Hill Park, which was scheduled to begin June 25. For information, call 609-393-8998 or email info@trenton-downtown.com.

Passage Theatre at the Mill Hill Playhouse in Trenton has canceled its production of Mother (and Me) and is working on its 2020-21 season lineup. Look online at passagetheatre.org.

The New Jersey State Museum in Trenton is closed until further notice. Visit state.nj.us/state/museum.

The 1719 William Trent House Museum in Trenton has suspended operation until further notice. For information visit williamtrenthouse.org or call 609-989-0087.

Old Barracks Museum in Trenton is closed until further notice but has opened an online exhibit titled When Women Vote: The Old Barracks and the Anti-Suffrage Movement. For more information visit barracks.org/whenwomenvote.

The next scheduled entertainment event for CURE Insurance Arena in Trenton is the June 27 Iconic 2020 Bollywood show. For information visit cureinsurancearena.com.

The Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie is closed until further notice, postponing the opening of Ellarslie Open 37 until the fall. It has posted the digital online exhibit The Ellarslie 'Not-Quite-Open: The Art of Sheltering in Place." Visit ellarslie.org.

Artworks has moved the annual Art All Night at Roebling Wire Works in Trenton from June 20-21 to Aug. 15-16. Visit artworkstrenton.org.

The Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton is closed until further notice. For information, visit groundsforsculpture.org or call 609-586-0616.

All Princeton University public events are suspended and the Princeton University Art Museum is closed until further notice. Visit Princeton.edu for updates.

Kelsey Theatre on the Mercer County Community College campus in West Windsor has postponed the rest of its schedule through July. Visit kelsey.mccc.edu for more.

All live events at 1867 Sanctuary in Ewing have been postponed until further notice. For information visit 1867sanctuary.org.

Rider University Arts has canceled on- and off-campus Westminster Choir College and Rider events through Nov. 21. Visit rider.edu/arts.

Morven Museum and Garden in Princeton grounds are open to the public with social distancing precautions. Visit morven.org.

MIDDLESEX COUNTY

State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick has canceled or postponed programming through mid-August. Next date on its schedule is the Aug. 29 Golden Oldies Spectacular concert. Menopause the Musical is available for online streaming through June. For more information, visit stnj.org or call 732-246-7469.

Crossroads Theatre Company in New Brunswick has pushed back its spring opening for Freedom Rider to Sept. 10. Visit crossroadstheatrecompany.org or call 732-545-8100.

George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick has shifted its spring performances of A Walk on the Moon to next season. Contact 732-246-7717 or georgestplayhouse.org.

The Avenel Performing Arts Center in Avenel has postponed performances through Aug. 10, rescheduling shows to later dates. Contact 732-314-0500 or avenelarts.com.

East Jersey Old Town Village and the Cornelius Low House Museum in Piscataway are closed until further notice. For updates, text CULTURE to 56512.

MONMOUTH COUNTY

PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel pretty much has wiped out its summer slate of concerts. The only shows still on sale as of June 10 were Rod Stewart and Cheap Trick, Aug. 11; Hall and Oates, Aug. 27; Ratt, Sept. 1; and 5 Seconds of Summer, Sept. 5. Visit livenation.com for details.

Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank has postponed performances through July 17. It will host a drive-in outdoor concert with Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes 6 p.m. Saturday, July 11, at Monmouth Park. Visit thebasie.org for updates.

Axelrod Performing Arts Center in Deal has suspended all productions through Aug. 4. For information call 732-531-9106 or visit axelrodartscenter.com.

The Algonquin Arts Theatre in Manasquan has postponed shows through June 27. Visit algonquinarts.org for updates.

Monmouth University Center for the Arts in West Long Branch has postponed scheduled events through this season. It will be streaming back productions from the Metropolitan Opera Live and National Theatre Live series. Visit monmouth.edu/mca for updates.

The Asbury Park Boardwalk has closed venues along the Asbury Park waterfront, which include The Stone Pony, Wonder Bar, Convention Hall and Paramount Theatre. For information, visit apboardwalk.com. The Stone Pony has thrown the tarp over its entire Summer 2020 SummerStage season.

Two River Theater in Red Bank has suspended all performances through June. Look online at tworivertheater.org for updated information.

The Jewish Heritage Museum of Monmouth County has suspended all programming until further notice. Visit jhmomc.org.

The Monmouth Museum in Lincroft is closed until further notice. Visit monmouthmuseum.org or call 732-224-1995.

MORRIS COUNTY

Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown has canceled or postponed performances through Aug 3. It will host a June 25 drive-in concert with John Ginty and Friends at Fosterfields Living History Farm. For information, call 973-539-8008 or visit mayoarts.org.

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey plans to announce new production dates for its 2020 season in the coming weeks. It also has canceled its planned Outdoor Stage production of Much Ado About Nothing. Visit shakespearenj.org.

The Morristown Jazz & Blues Festival scheduled for Aug. 15 has been muted for 2020. It is scheduled to return Aug. 21, 2021.

The Morris Museum in Morristown and its Bickford Theater will be closed until further notice. The Dissonance exhibit has been adapted for online. For information, call 973-971-3700 or visit morrismuseum.org.

Macculloch Hall Historical Museum in Morristown has canceled programming and will remain closed until further notice. Visit macculloughhall.org or call 973-538-2404.

The Museum of Early Trades and Crafts in Madison has postponed public programs and plans to issue daily updates at metc.org.

The Folk Project in Morristown has canceled its concerts through July and is promoting a selection of online live performances. Visit folkproject.org or call 973-335-9489.

Original post:

Coronavirus in N.J.: What concerts, festivals and shows have been rescheduled, canceled. (June 10, 2020) - NJ.com

Category: Jewish American Heritage Month | Comments Off on Coronavirus in N.J.: What concerts, festivals and shows have been rescheduled, canceled. (June 10, 2020) – NJ.com
Tags:

Posted By admin on June 10, 2020

Member states of the European Union are putting pressure to impose sanctions on Israel if it goes ahead with its plan to annex parts of the West Bank next month, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday.The first high-level dignitary to visit Jerusalem since establishment of the new government, Maas arrived on Wednesday to try and convince Netanyahu to back down from his plan to begin the process of unilaterally annexing up to 30 percent of the West Bank on July 1.In addition to pressures within the EU Israels biggest trading partner to adopt punitive measures against Israel if it moves forward with annexation, Maas said that there are steps member states could individually take to downgrade cooperation and trade with Israel. He said the states could also move forward with recognizing a Palestinian state.Netanyahu told Maas that any peace plan must take Israeli settlements into account. Any realistic plan must recognize the reality of Israeli settlement in the territory and not nurture the delusion of uprooting people from their homes, he said.Israel must have full security control west of the Jordan River, Netanyahu said.During a press conference with Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi earlier in the day, Maas warned that annexation would be incompatible with international law and make a two-state solution impossible.I will continue to reiterate the German position and explain our serious and honest worries as a very special friend of Israel about the possible consequences of such a move, he said.We share these views with our European partners, and we are of the view that annexation does not go together with international law We continue to stand for an agreed-upon two-state solution, Maas said.Germany will assume the six-month presidency of the European Council and the one-month leadership of the UN Security Council on July 1, the earliest date the coalition agreement between Blue and White and Likud stipulates for a vote on extending sovereignty. Berlin has expressed particular concern at balancing its special ties with Israel with keeping the frameworks of the EU and international law.Remarks about annexation by Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz and Ashkenazi were markedly different from Netanyahus. US Ambassador David Friedman is expected to try to bridge those gaps in a meeting of all four on Sunday.In the press conference with Maas, Ashkenazi repeatedly cited the lack of a decision in response to questions about the details of how Israel would implement Trumps peace plan, saying there is no annexation map yet.We are at the beginning of discussions No decision has been made; its a bit early, he said. Once a decision has been made, we can give details.Gantz and Ashkenazi both called the plan an opportunity and emphasized that it should be implemented responsibly in dialogue with the US.The plan will be pursued responsibly, in full coordination with the US, while maintaining Israels peace agreements and strategic interests, Ashkenazi said. We intend to do it in a dialogue with our neighbors. Israel wants peace and security.Regarding European and specifically German concerns over annexation, Ashkenazi said: As one of our closest friends, it is important to listen to your perspective and to take it into consideration.Asked about the status of Palestinians if Israel proceeds with annexation, he said: The plan defines the status of the residents. The plan stipulates that Israelis remain Israeli and Palestinians remain under the Palestinian Authority until an eventual state is established. The Trump administrations Vision for Peace would create Palestinian enclaves within sovereign Israel and Israeli enclaves within an eventual Palestinian state rather than have each side accept the other as citizens.Ashkenazi also called for Germany to wait for the Israeli decision before responding to the possibility of annexation.He and Maas did not discuss possible steps Germany will take in response to annexation, he said.All three of Maass Israeli interlocutors impressed upon him the importance of putting pressure on Iran.They discussed Irans further violations of the nuclear deal with world powers, with Gantz urging Maas to be active against Iranian aggression in the EU and UNSC.There must be an assertive policy to ensure necessary inspections that will prevent Iran from attaining nuclear weapons that will endanger the whole world, Gantz said.In a report last weekend, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran refused to grant inspectors access to undeclared military nuclear sites and posited that those sites may have been used for storing or processing nuclear material.In response to a question at the press conference with Ashkenazi, Maas said Germany is aware of and disturbed by Irans violations, and it plans to invoke the agreements Dispute Resolution Mechanism in light of the latest revelations.Iran is the biggest threat to regional stability, Ashkenazi said.Their nuclear program and regional ambitions remain a great concern, he said. We will not allow Iran to have nuclear weapons, and we will not allow Iranian entrenchment on our borders. The international community must hold Iran accountable and act strongly against Irans malign activities.At the beginning of their press conference, Maas and Ashkenazi signed an agreement for German funding of Yad Vashem over the next 10 years.

Link:

Netanyahu to German FM: Evacuating settlements is a delusion - The Jerusalem Post

Category: Ashkenazi | Comments Off on Netanyahu to German FM: Evacuating settlements is a delusion – The Jerusalem Post
Tags:

Posted By admin on June 10, 2020

Berlin may find ways other than sanctions to downgrade its relations with Jerusalem should Israel apply sovereignty with the West Bank, Foreign Ministry sources said on Monday.German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas is expected to visit Israel on Wednesday, making him the first major foreign visitor since the new government was sworn in last month. Maas will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi.Maas is expected to express Germanys concerns over Netanyahus intention to extend Israels laws to the West Bank in July, as part of US President Donald Trumps peace plan. This would coincide with Germany becoming president of the Council of the European Union for six months, starting in July, as well as of the UN Security Council for a month.A Foreign Ministry source said that while ties with Israel are important to Germany, the relations between the countries will likely suffer as a consequence of Israel moving forward with annexation.Berlin is unlikely to support EU sanctions on Israel or to recognize a Palestinian state outside the framework of an agreement with Israel, but may be more reticent to help Israel in various international matters and downgrade ties in other ways, the source posited.Maas is also expected to discuss Horizon Europe, a seven-year multi-billion European initiative for scientific research cooperation. Israel received a billion Euros in the previous seven years and is negotiating its role in the cycle beginning in 2021.One possible punitive action in response to annexation that EU critics of Israel have mentioned is keeping Israel out of the next Horizon project. However, the Foreign Ministry source says there has not been any change in the negotiating process.Another matter on the agenda for Maas visit is an agreement for Germany to support Yad Vashem for another 10 years, to the tune of a million Euros each year.

Read the original:

Foreign Ministry concerned Germany will downgrade ties over annexation - The Jerusalem Post

Category: Ashkenazi | Comments Off on Foreign Ministry concerned Germany will downgrade ties over annexation – The Jerusalem Post
Tags:

Posted By admin on June 10, 2020

The movement called antifa gets its name from a short form of anti-fascist, which is about the only thing its members agree on.

President Donald Trump and some far-right activists and militants have claimed antifa is allegedly conspiring to foment violence amid the protests sweeping the U.S. In my forthcoming book, American Antifa: The Tactics, Culture, and Practice of Militant Antifascism, I describe antifa as a decentralized collection of individual activists who mostly use nonviolent methods to achieve their ends.

Their goal is to resist the spread of fascism. That word can be an inexact term, but generally antifa activists see fascism as the violent enactment and enforcement of biological and social inequalities between people.

Fascists go beyond viewing particular categories of people as inferior, based on gender identity, race and ethnicity, religion and sexual orientation. They believe it is imperative to use violence to oppress and ultimately eliminate those groups. In addition, they use violence to oppose their ideological enemies, even if they are from groups they believe are not inferior, such as heterosexual white men.

The initial anti-fascist movements were founded in Europe and North America between the world wars, and were primarily organized by anarchists, communists and socialists three groups that were frequently targets of fascist violence.

The modern-day anti-fascist movement in the United States, including antifa, grew out of the Anti-Racist Action Network, a decentralized activist movement resisting racist skinhead subcultures and public demonstrations by neo-Nazi and Ku Klux Klan organizations in the 1980s and 1990s.

Anti-fascists objections arent simply that they disagree with fascists. Their problems with fascism are much more fundamental.

My own research has found that a significant proportion of anti-fascists are women, people of color, members of LGBTQ communities, or otherwise have some characteristics fascists seek to control or eliminate.

These anti-fascists, therefore, often see fascists as a threat to their personal existence, and their physical and emotional well-being as well as presenting threats of violence or vandalism to their communities and shared gathering spaces. They perceive their opposition as very much in personal and collective self-defense.

Because opposing fascism is a viewpoint rather than a formal organization, peoples actions vary widely. Informal or everyday anti-fascism can include speaking out against bigotry, standing up for victims of fascist harassment or confronting fascists in public places. Generally, these are relatively spontaneous actions that happen when anti-fascists encounter fascism in the normal course of their regular lives.

More formal anti-fascism can include large, well-funded mainstream organizations like the Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Poverty Law Center, who monitor fascist activity and provide the public information on its scope.

But the antifa label is most often applied to smaller-scale groups of like-minded people who live in the same community, working to prevent fascists from threatening their targets and from attracting new followers.

These groups are rarely militant or violent. Most of them engage in commonly accepted forms of political activism. For instance, anti-fascists often work to find out where fascist groups and people are active in an area, and then share that information with the wider community, bringing that activity to public attention.

Anti-fascist activists also take advantage of the general social stigma associated with being a fascist, and identify people who participate in fascist events or post fascist messages online.

Culture is another part of anti-fascist work, including art and music. By creating T-shirts and stickers with inclusive messages, and hosting concerts, film screening and art shows, anti-fascists work to create an environment of inclusion and equality that doesnt directly attack fascism but simply exists in opposition to it.

There are more militant anti-fascists, too, who mostly engage in non-militant activism but are willing, at times, to use more confrontational tactics. These people are more open to counterprotesting, sabotage and the use of force, which includes acts of violence.

The varied and decentralized nature of anti-fascist efforts means it includes virtually anyone who opposes violent enforcement of social inequalities to engage in activism. A diverse range of participants and tactics falls under the umbrella of a broad effort to stop fascism.

[Insight, in your inbox each day. You can get it with The Conversations email newsletter.]

Original post:
What or who is antifa? - The Conversation US

Category: Anti-Defamation League | Comments Off on What or who is antifa? – The Conversation US
Tags:

Posted By admin on June 10, 2020

Were entering a more dangerous time for the Jewish people in America, but there are strategies that could make a difference.

This is one key message from a new series interviews with Wisconsin experts on antisemitism and related disciplines. The interviews are a follow-up, after our article 18 months ago, when the Chronicle first interviewed experts and asked what was in our collective future.

18 months ago, the Chronicle interviewed experts and asked what was in our collective future as Jews. Heres an update.

At the time, the experts said to a person that antisemitism could get worse before it gets better. This, in the aftermath of the shooting at the Pittsburgh Tree of Life synagogue in October 2018. We published the report in December 2018.

Since then, though there has been no domestic incident at the scale of Tree of Life, its probably fair to say things have gotten worse, as predicted.

In April 2019, a gunman opened fire in a Poway, California synagogue. This was followed by a mass shooting at a kosher grocer in New Jersey in December 2019.

Beyond such high-profile incidents, the problem has grown in a less evident, more everyday way. Antisemitic incidents are on the rise, according to the audits of both the national Anti-Defamation League and the local Jewish Community Relations Council, which is a program of Milwaukee Jewish Federation.

Professor Eric Pullin, chair of the Department of History at Carthage College, said hed never encountered antisemitism at the Kenosha school until recently. Perhaps it says something about Before America, that he can say this after teaching there for 15 years wearing a yarmulke.

But in October 2019, he was mailed a package filled with 40 sheets offering antisemitic stereotypes and encouraging him to teach Holocaust denial. He reported it to the JCRC. Then, in February 2020, he asked a fellow professor if We The Future posters around campus could represent Jews.

Thats highly unlikely, he recalled her saying, with some un-welcoming social cues.

We The Future is a national, diversity-oriented public art campaign. When the Chronicle reached out to its sponsor, the Seattle-based nonprofit Amplifier, its executive Director Cleo Barnett said she operates a small, over-worked group that cant always include everybody. And one of the model icons for the artwork was actually Jewish, she pointed out. That person, Lindsay Amer, who runs the Queer Kid Stuff website, is not visibly Jewish in the Amplifier art campaign. But Amer has written about being attacked for her Jewishness online: I was un- pleasantly surprised by the ram- pant anti-semitism.

A dangerous moment?

Our current panel of experts, interviewed separately and with some changes in the roster from last time, repeatedly predicted increased risk for the Jewish people.

If you had asked this question three months ago you might have gotten a totally different answer, said Rachel N. Baum, Ph.D., deputy director of the Sam & Helen Stahl Center for Jewish Studies at University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. We know crises will always raise antisemitisim.

There are two unfolding processes that are now combining to make this an especially dangerous time, said political science professor Lowell W. Barrington, from Marquette University.

The first is the rise of populism and xenophobia in the United States and around the world. Even when Jews are not specifically named by populist leaders, the encouragement of a culture of intolerance and blaming those who are perceived as others is bad for any racial, ethnic or religious minority, he said. The second process is the COVID-19 crisis, which has made people especially unsettled and fearful. Populism and xenophobia feed on peoples fears and desires to assign blame, and unfortunately the COVID-19 pandemic is providing fuel for those who are pushing a populist and xenophobic message.

Baum and University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Professor Michael Jasinski both said that as the economy worsens, we may expect Americans to feel a sense of fight or flight. Professor Tony Michels, director of the Mosse/Weinstein Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Wisconsin Madison, specializes in Jewish American history. He, too, cited the economy as a spur for increased antisemitism.

Michels said the history of antisemitism in America is cyclical, but this modern spike raises new concerns.

The larger political climate in this country is conducive to antisemitism, Michels said. Distrust of the media is extensive. And distrust of experts. So, this contributes to conspiratorial thinking; a view that you cant trust whatyou read in the newspapers. You cant trust expert knowledge.

Michels said antisemitism is more pervasive on the right, but it exists both on the left and the right, which is worrisome. Antisemitism from both sides of the spectrum holds that Jews control things, for their benefit or for the benefit of Israel, he said.

Both right and left antisemitism take the view that Jews use the Holocaust to silence their critics or advance their interests. This is also particularly worrisome, Michels said.

We may move past this particular period of xenophobic populism in the near future, but it has still shown an underlying willingness to embrace intolerance passionately by a large part of the population. That should concern Jews in the United States and elsewhere. Even in instances when a leaders acceptance of attacks on others does not currently include Jews, the public approval of intolerance from the top can quickly expand outward from below, Barrington said.

On the positive side, since the Pittsburgh shooting, theres been a greater awareness and sensitivity; a greater awareness that antisemitism is a problem, Michels said. What Im saying shouldnt be taken to mean we are headed toward a catastrophe. I cant predict the future either way.

Strategies for the Jewish people

Jasinski authored Examining Genocides: Means, Motive, and Opportunity, published in 2017. Hes a political scientist, not Jewish, and more history-driven than data-driven he looks for patterns, for historical analogies.

Eighteen months ago, he told us of strong potential for a severe economic downturn, followed by the potential for wedding state power with antisemitism in America. To him, this is not science fiction. Its a real possibility.

Now, with a downturn in progress, the Polish-born academic predicts that one of three things must happen. Either the nation will steal from the poor, steal from the rich or steal from the foreigner.

Stealing from the rich would be something akin to President Franklin Delano Roosevelts redistribution of wealth under the New Deal. Stealing from the poor can happen as fascism. Stealing from foreigners includes taking from any Other in society, and that often means Jews.

Jasinski said he is not expecting a New Deal-type legislative agenda, regardless of which of the expected 2020 presidential candidates wins. He said hes concerned the economy will continue to worsen and the 2024 presidential election will be about deciding what gets stolen from which people. He recommends thinking about a New Deal for the next major election, in 2024.

This is 1929 right now, he said. In the 1930s, society collapses, and people have no idea of how to rebuild it.

In a sense, Nazism and invading other countries was Germanys New Deal stealing from foreign nations. Americas New Deal was better for all concerned and Jasinski recommends it as the best possible option.

Jasinski has said he has a healthy Eastern European paranoia. He hails from Poland, a country with a history of war coming from powerful and dysfunctional neighbors. While Jasinski took a birds-eye view, calling for a new American New Deal in 2024, Baum talked of a more granular approach.

Were living in a moment in which its really easy to dehumanize people, she said. Seeing the humanity in others was always a problem; now, in this era of Zoom meetings and social distancing, the issue may loom larger.

It happens really subtly, Baum said. It becomes easier to dehumanize people when you are not in the same space with them.

I think Jews showing up as Jews in social media is going to be really important, Baum said. She brought up the Milwaukee-born #ChallahFromHome movement as an example.

World history is stained with spikes of dangerous antisemitism, but never before have Jews been able to post themselves smiling with loaves of challah on Facebook.

This sounds clich; I think the most important reminder is to be vigilant. Support groups that work to end bigotry and intolerance, whether that intolerance is targeting Jews or not, said Barrington, of Marquette University.

Baum also called for finding common cause with other groups. Michels, the UWMadison professor, said: I think Jews are going to have to continue to cultivate allies and relations of members of other vulnerable groups.

Which brings us back to Barnett, that Seattle nonprofit director behind the We The Future art campaign. Given a very brief overview of these issues, she said shes open to visually including Jews in their future art and educational campaigns perhaps making her one of many allies waiting to be cultivated.

Related

View post:
As Jews, we are living with risk. - The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle

Category: Anti-Defamation League | Comments Off on As Jews, we are living with risk. – The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle
Tags: