Page 652«..1020..651652653654..660670..»

The Art of Making Torah Visual | JewishBoston – jewishboston.com

Posted By on September 28, 2021

Anita Rabinoff-Goldman began the work that became the spectacular art exhibit Seeing Torah: A Visual Midrash almost four years ago. She had moved from Albany, New York, to Waltham, Massachusetts, to be closer to family. In Albany, she had studied the weekly Torah portion with her rabbi and occasionally created a piece of art in response.

Never miss the best stories and events! Get JewishBoston This Week.

Newly retired, Rabinoff-Goldman looked for a meaningful project and returned to explore the weekly Torah portion in word and image. There were many Torah portions I still had not read, Rabinoff-Goldman told JewishBoston during a visit to her studio in February 2021. Even the ones I had read I had not done so sequentially. When Simchat Torah came around, I thought now is the time to study and interpret the Torah portions in the right order.

What transpired over her year of study was a stunning artistic interpretation of a verse from each of the Torahs 54 portions. Each is a small quilt that Rabinoff-Goldman described as painting with fabric. She explained: A quilt has three layers. It has a top layer of fabric, then comes the batting and then the backing. The quilting itself is the stitches that hold the three layers together, so its like a fabric sandwich. She pointed out that these quilts do not have the usual binding on the edges. These are not bound because the study of Torah is never complete, she said.

Postponed because of the pandemic, Seeing Torah is finally on display at Hebrew College through Dec. 10 as part of the colleges centennial celebration. Taken together, the 54 squares of quilt present a biblical arc that references the personal, political and historical. The first Torah portion, Genesiss Bereishit, is an explosion of color capturing the energy of creation. Rabinoff-Goldman offers an artistic rendering of the verse Let there be light with the Hubble Space Telescope images in mind. I looked at those images from the Hubble and thought, this is what it looked like when the earth was created, she said.

At the outset of the project, Rabinoff-Goldman switched from working in cotton to silk. She found that silk was not only more luminous, but the fabrics sheerness allowed her to layer the colors. Viewed together on the wall at Hebrew College, Rabinoff-Goldmans quilted pieces serve as both plot points and commentary. For example, the third book of the Torah, Numbers, records Miriams death in Hukkat. It simply says in the Torah, And Miriam died. My representation of Miriam is the visual eulogy she does not get in the Torah, said Rabinoff-Goldman. Miriam wears a colorful tunic of blues and yellows striped with red and green. In the background are representations of events in her life that profoundly impacted Moses and the Israelites.

Two chapters later, the Torah portion is Pinchas. Miriams feminist legacy is carried forward through the five daughters of Zelophehad. In the absence of sons, these women are allowed to inherit their fathers land by no less than a decree from God. Rabinoff-Goldman presents a contemporary take on this prescient story by depicting her version of the Womens March. Additionally, the slogans We Can Change the World and Re-Arrange the World, are amplified in large black letters.

Rabinoff-Goldman offers another feminist image for the iconic words of Judaisms central prayer, the Shma, found in Vaetchanan in Deuteronomy. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might, begins the prayer. Alongside those words, the artist offers a picture of a pregnant woman walking in the desert, presenting the prayer as a gift to future generations.

For her affecting interpretation of Ekev in Deuteronomy, Rabinoff-Goldman had two verses in mind. One is the famous line commonly known as, Man does not live by bread alone. Second, later in the chapter Moses commands the Israelites to circumcise their hearts and not be stiff-necked. She explained: I was conflating these two ideas because to me they both represented ways to access a spiritual life by opening the heart and by accepting that what we have is not necessarily from us, but from God. As for, Man does not live by bread alone but by the mouth of God, I understood those words to mean that the mouth of God is like the words of Torah, providing spiritual sustenance.

Rabinoff-Goldman also brings forward themes of social justice in the Bible, as in the Shoftim chapter in Deuteronomy. She illustrates the words, Justice, justice shall you pursue, with a magistrate of the day copying the words to emphasize that, Thus he will not act haughtily toward his fellows or deviate from the Instruction to the right or to the left, to the end that he and his descendants may reign long in the midst of Israel.

She offers blunt criticism of the Trump White House with a verse from Metzora in Leviticus: Something like a plague has appeared on my house. The end of the chapter discusses leprosy, and Rabinoff-Goldman envisioned a kind of leprosy invading buildings and homes. In her quilt, the White House lurks in the background as an example of an extreme case of leprosy dwelling in an edifice. You have to take out the bricks and re-plaster, she said. And the bricks say xenophobia, disenfranchisement, racism, climate change denial, isolationism, misogyny and so on. The young man in the foreground is re-plastering the White House with democracy.

Rabinoff takes a pro-migrant stance with a verse from Mishpatim in the book of Exodus: You shall not oppress a stranger, for you know the feelings of the stranger, having yourselves been strangers in the land of Egypt. The Statue of Liberty holds her torch aloft and wears a button that strikes out the word wall.

The words of the Torah also personally resonate for Rabinoff-Goldman. At the end of Deuteronomy, Moses tells the Israelites he will not cross into the Promised Land with them. She works with verses in Vayelech, which include Moses telling the Israelites, Moreover, the Lord has said to me, You shall not go across yonder Jordan. The accompanying image is that of a young woman and her granddaughter exchanging a piece of art similar to Seeing Torah.

I was turning 60 when my grandson was born, said Rabinoff-Goldman. I thought, I wont live long enough to know the end of his story, which is a way to contemporize the story of Moses not crossing over into the Promised Land. Its an ongoing narrative in our lives.

In introducing Seeing Torah, Hebrew College president Rabbi Sharon Cohen Anisfeld reflected Rabinoff-Goldmans spiritual journey and determination to continue her Jewish studies. Said Anisfeld: It isthroughdeep literacy that we give riseto rich intellectual, spiritual and cultural creativity, [and] it isthroughJewish education that we give birth to a vibrant Jewish future. What better expression of those values than an art exhibit born of deep and sustained study of the yearly Torah cyclethat is itself a work of visual midrash? Undertakenincidentallyby someone who had supposedly retired but has shown us all what it means to cultivate a lifelong capacity for learning, creativity and renewal.

Want to learn more? Hebrew College is featuring alumni-led talks about the Torah portion of the week as it pertains to Anita Rabinoff-Goldmans Seeing Torah exhibit beginning Monday, Oct. 4. Find more information here. For information about viewing the exhibit through Dec. 10, 2021, click here.

Never miss the best stories and events! Get JewishBoston This Week.

Judy Bolton-Fasman is the arts and culture writer for JewishBoston.com. Her essays and articles have appeared in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Forward, Tablet Magazine, Cognoscenti and other venues. Her memoir, Asylum: A Memoir of Family Secrets, is out now. Email her at judy@jewishboston.com.

Link:

The Art of Making Torah Visual | JewishBoston - jewishboston.com

Seeing Torah Art Exhibit Talk With Rabbi Allison Poirier – jewishboston.com

Posted By on September 28, 2021

Join us at Hebrew College for our alumni-led talks about the Torah portion of the week as it pertains to our Seeing Torah art exhibit on campus.

Masks are required to enter the building.

Fact Sheet

When

Tuesday, October 26, 2021, 1:15 pm - 2:00 pm* Registration closes on October 22nd at 1:00 pm

Where

Hebrew College160 Herrick RdNewton Centre, MA 02459

CJP provides the above links concerning third-party events for your convenience only. CJP has no control over the content of the linked-to websites or events they describe, and accepts no responsibility for the websites, including any advertising or products or services on or available from such sites, or for any loss or damage that may arise from your attending, or registering to attend, the described events. If you decide to access any of the third-party websites linked to below, you do so entirely at your own risk and subject to the terms and conditions of use for such websites and event attendance. CJP is not responsible or liable to you or any third party for the content or accuracy of any materials provided by any third parties. All statements and/or opinions expressed in the linked-to materials or at the described events, and all commentary, articles and other content provided at the third-party websites or at the events, are solely the opinions and the responsibility of the persons or entities operating the linked-to websites and events. The inclusion of any link on this website does not imply that CJP endorses the described event, or the linked-to website or its operator.MORE

Read the rest here:

Seeing Torah Art Exhibit Talk With Rabbi Allison Poirier - jewishboston.com

Global Neural Control Market Executive Summary and Analysis by Top Players 2021-2027: MIT, Hebrew university, Haier, Neurotechnology Bulk Solids…

Posted By on September 28, 2021

The Global Neural Control Market from 2021 to 2027 primary research analysis, first published by MarketsandResearch.biz, was created with a fantastic blend of operating characteristics, inventive solutions, feasible solutions, and cutting-edge technology to provide a better user experience. The Neural Control market report contains marketing surveys, segment market share, regional presence, strategic plans, advancements, expansions, and technical developments, as well as a portfolio and performance comparison of the economys foremost companies.

The Neural Control marketplace research also includes a feasibility analysis of all markets in the region, calculated based on their market size, growth rate, and attractiveness to present and prospective opportunists to forecast the future market growth.

DOWNLOAD FREE SAMPLE REPORT: https://www.marketsandresearch.biz/sample-request/213657

The market has been reduced depending on

Hardware, Software

The shrinking of the market due to the presence of dominant players:

MIT, Hebrew university, Haier, Neurotechnology

Market share, dominating segments and geographical data are all examined in detail in a comprehensive report.

The market reduction based on

Hospital, Research

Through strategic analysis, micro and macro market trends, pricing analysis, and a full assessment of market circumstances, the Neural Control Market research report keep a close eye on crucial competitors.

The market has been reduced based on region:

North America (United States, Canada and Mexico), Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia), South America (Brazil, Argentina, etc.), Middle East & Africa (Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)

ACCESS FULL REPORT: https://www.marketsandresearch.biz/report/213657/global-neural-control-market-2021-by-company-regions-type-and-application-forecast-to-2026

Way to gather a few of the reports significant advantages:

Customization of the Report:

This report can be customized to meet the clients requirements. Please connect with our sales team (sales@marketsandresearch.biz), who will ensure that you get a report that suits your needs. You can also get in touch with our executives on +1-201-465-4211 to share your research requirements.

Contact UsMark StoneHead of Business DevelopmentPhone: +1-201-465-4211Email: sales@marketsandresearch.biz

Read more here:

Global Neural Control Market Executive Summary and Analysis by Top Players 2021-2027: MIT, Hebrew university, Haier, Neurotechnology Bulk Solids...

‘Dear Evan Hansen’ Actor Ben Platt Escapes From Anxiety By Being In The Spotlight – NPR

Posted By on September 28, 2021

TERRY GROSS, HOST:

This is FRESH AIR. I'm Terry Gross. My guest Ben Platt stars in the new film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical "Dear Evan Hansen." He originated the role in workshop productions of the show and then won a Tony for his performance as Evan Hansen in the original Broadway production. He started his film career in the movie "Pitch Perfect" as Benji, the nerdy kid who desperately wants to join a school a cappella group. In the 2019 Netflix comedy series "The Politician," Platt starred as a high school kid who plots every move in his life to achieve his ambition of becoming president of the United States. He now stars in an episode of the new anthology series "The Premise," and he has a new album called "Reverie."

In "Dear Evan Hansen," Platt plays a high school senior who has terrible social anxiety. He has a hard time talking to people. He's fidgety and hunched over but longs to be seen and to have friends. He's on antidepressants and anti-anxiety meds, and his psychiatrist has given him the exercise of writing encouraging letters to himself. The movie opens with him writing one of those letters.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "DEAR EVAN HANSEN")

BEN PLATT: (As Evan Hansen) Dear Evan Hansen, today is going to be an amazing day. And here's why - because today all you have to do is just be yourself but also confident. That's important. And interesting, easy to talk to, approachable - but mostly, just be yourself. You know, that's No. 1, obviously. Be yourself but, like, a confident version of yourself, like, approachable and interesting and not weird or anxious or depressed. But you're not weird or anxious or depressed. I don't even know why you're bringing it up. You can't be scared to talk to other people. You said you could be better. You said this year would be different. You're overthinking it. Do you like having no friends? All you have to do is just be yourself.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WAVING THROUGH A WINDOW")

PLATT: (As Evan Hansen, singing) I've learned to slam on the brake before I even turn the key, before I make a mistake, before I lead with the worst of me. Give them no reason to stare - no slipping up if you slip away. So I got nothing to share. No, I got nothing to say. Step out, step out of the sun if you keep getting burned. Step out, step out of the sun because you've learned, because you've learned. On the outside always looking in, will I ever be more than I've always been? - 'cause I'm tap, tap, tapping on the glass. I'm waving through a window. I try to speak, but nobody can hear. So I wait around for an answer to appear while I'm watch, watch, watching people pass. I'm waving through a window.

GROSS: In one of the letters Evan Hansen writes to himself, he confesses his fear that no one will ever notice him. He wishes things could be different and that he could be different. The letter is intercepted by another student, Connor, who refuses to give it back. Connor is infamous for being a weird, angry loner and has bullied Evan before. Soon after Connor dies by suicide, Connor's parents find the dear Evan Hansen letter in Connor's pocket and assume it was written by Connor to Evan confessing Connor's own insecurities. The parents meet with Evan to learn more about their son from Evan, who they think knew Connor best. Evan wants to tell them the truth, but they don't let him interrupt their incorrect interpretation, so Evan goes along with it and reluctantly keeps getting deeper and deeper into the lie.

Ben Platt, welcome to FRESH AIR. I'm so happy I got to see the movie because I didn't get to see the show. And I really enjoyed the film. So thank you so much for coming on our show.

PLATT: Thank you for having me. I'm a big fan of the show. I'm very pleased to be here.

GROSS: So many young people deeply identified with Evan Hansen and his anxieties, his loneliness, his feelings of being shut out and not good enough. But when you were playing Evan Hansen on Broadway, as more and more people were identifying with the character, your life was changing and making you not only seen but famous, a star on Broadway. And you're getting interviewed and performing on TV. You got a Tony. And I'd imagine that, in some ways, you were getting further and further away from the character as more and more fans were confusing the character with you 'cause I'm sure it was a boost to your confidence to have the show go so well and to be so applauded for it in reviews and awards and all that.

PLATT: Absolutely. I mean, I think - although on some level and in some regard, I did feel closer and closer to him in the sense that I - as I've already mentioned, of course, in any interview within the first five minutes, I'm a very anxious person. And so I think that the growing notoriety that you mentioned and the kind of larger magnifying glass that the show brought to me and to the performance definitely added to that anxiety and that pressure. And I think that that's something that Evan certainly operates with. And so I think that element of it made me feel a bit closer to him.

And additionally, the experience, while it was, you know, incredibly gratifying and fulfilling, was very isolating as well and kind of a lonely one because of just the nature of the role and how kind of monkish my lifestyle needed to be to support the role. And especially when we were doing, as you mentioned, press during the day and performances on television and things like that, it required that any, you know, moment that I had to myself was spent, you know, resting and recharging and saving up physical, mental and emotional energy to continue to recreate the show eight times a week.

And so in my own mind, I certainly continued to feel connected more and more to Evan in terms of the anxiety and the worry about, you know, others and what others might think and what others might be saying. And, you know, those things come along with the territory of something that gets that kind of attention.

GROSS: So was your anxiety similar to his? I mean, do you have stage anxiety?

PLATT: No. I think that's, for me, the place that I am the least anxious. That's the place where my mind is the most quiet. I think that's part of the reason that, since I was very, very young, I've wanted to do this. I think it's, like, a really special kind of reprieve to me because when you're - I mean, any kind of performance on film as well, but particularly for live performance on stage, it just requires that your whole being be incredibly present.

And I think a lot of my anxiety comes from the inability to be present and feeling stuck in worries about the past or what's to come rather than being where I am. And so being on stage for me is kind of the antidote to that because there's no option but to be present where you are. So I would say that's my least anxious, but I'm much more afraid of, you know, social situations or, you know, flying, traveling. There's - other things are triggers more so than Evan's stage fright.

GROSS: So I want to play another song from the movie adaptation of "Dear Evan Hansen." And just to set it up, Connor dies by suicide. And when he was alive, everyone thought of him as a crazy, combustible kid, someone to avoid. He had no friends. His sister thought he never even noticed her, and she found him threatening. His parents hardly knew him because he was so remote. And when he dies, there's a memorial for him in the high school 'cause he's become a lot more popular in death (laughter) than he was in life. And the student organizing it tries to recruit your character, Evan Hansen, because she believes you and Connor were best friends.

And you're - you know, Evan doesn't want to do it because he knows it's a lie. But he caves in. And when it's his turn to speak, he's shaking at the mic. His voice is barely audible or comprehensible. He knocks over the mic. It falls to the ground. He falls, too. He gets up. And then he sings a song about Connor. And remember; he didn't really know Connor very well. He knew him from two brief, uncomfortable incidents. And so what he's singing about is really more about his own anxieties which he's projecting onto Connor. So this song is called "You Will Be Found."

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "YOU WILL BE FOUND")

PLATT: (As Evan Hansen, singing) Have you ever felt like nobody was there? Have you ever felt forgotten in the middle of nowhere? Have you ever felt like you could disappear, like you could fall and no one would hear? Well, let that lonely feeling wash away. Maybe there's a reason to believe you'll be OK 'cause when you don't feel strong enough to stand, you can reach, reach out your hand. And, oh, someone will come running. And I know they'll take you home. Even when the dark comes crashing through, when you need a friend to carry you. And when you're broken on the ground, you will be found. So let the sun come streaming in 'cause you'll reach up, and you'll rise again. Lift your head and look around. You will be found.

GROSS: That's Ben Platt from the new movie adaptation of "Dear Evan Hansen." Taken out of context, that song sounds so inspirational. And that's how it's interpreted by all the students at the memorial. And videos of you at the memorial go viral. But the song is really both the truth 'cause it's Evan Hansen's truth, but it's a lie because, A, it's not about Connor, but, B, Evan Hansen has never felt found. He has no hope that he will really be found.

(LAUGHTER)

GROSS: You know? And I like that tension between seemingly inspirational but actually far from it.

PLATT: Absolutely. I mean, I think that's what's fascinating about the piece in general. And that's why it sometimes is somewhat polarizing because it does require that level of discomfort and that gray area and that kind of nuance of things being healing and redemptive and meaningful but also morally ambiguous and difficult and wrong and predicated on a lie. And I think as much as he is singing about, you know, all these things that he's finally found in this belonging that he finally has, I think he's also on some level singing about - you know, that at some point or another, everyone will be found out and everyone's truth will be revealed. And that is - you know, that includes him.

GROSS: You're a few years older now than you were when you originated the role. What did you do to look as young as possible?

PLATT: (Laughter) I think my first thing I did was release the feeling of, you know, having to be 100% a realistic teenager because, ultimately, I was 27 years old when we made the film. And this is a very specific situation, in terms of a character that I was lucky to create and develop, and that the studio and the director asked me to, you know, be the one to sort of shepherd that performance on screen. And I can only do so much.

So I wanted to first kind of release myself of, you know, doing things that are impossible to do and just focus on really giving a great performance. And I think anything that I did physically was really for my own emotional satisfaction, to feel separate from myself, to feel transformed and separate from Ben Platt and just be able to, you know, inhabit somebody different. So those things - the more obvious ones were that I grew my hair out and, you know, allowed it to become as Jewish and curly as possible.

GROSS: (Laughter).

PLATT: I shaved my face multiple times a day. I shaved my arms. I lost about 15 pounds. So, yeah, I feel that I did everything that my adult body would allow me to do.

GROSS: Well, let's take a short break here, and then we'll talk some more. If you're just joining us, my guest is Ben Platt. He stars in the new film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical "Dear Evan Hansen." He originated the role on Broadway and won a Tony in 2017 for his performance. We'll be right back. This is FRESH AIR.

(SOUNDBITE OF KRISTINE BLOND SONG, "LOVE SHY")

GROSS: This is FRESH AIR. Let's get back to my interview with Ben Platt. He stars in the new film adaptation of the hit Broadway show "Dear Evan Hansen." He won a Tony in 2017 for his performance in the starring role of the original Broadway production. He also has a new album called "Reverie" of original songs. And you can see him in the new anthology series "The Premise" in the episode called "Social Justice Sex Tape."

You know, in the show, as Evan Hansen, you're hunched over. You're fidgety. Your body is so tight with tension. How did the posture that you had to stay in eight performances a week (laughter) on Broadway - how did that affect your back and your voice?

PLATT: It definitely was a challenge to shake that off. And I think definitely I've inherited some of it. I think my family already has sort of less-than-perfect posture in the genes. My - you know, my dad's parents were both a little bit hunched. And, you know, I - my whole family could use a reminder or one of those shirts that buzzes when you're not sitting upright.

(LAUGHTER)

GROSS: Oh, yeah. I've heard of that.

PLATT: So I think leaning into that eight times a week was not the best for me. I was really, you know, lucky and privileged in that I had a great physical therapist named Natalie Kinghorn, who's just an absolute genius, who would work on me twice a week as I was doing the run to sort of try to reset me a little bit and undo some of the work of Evan for those 2 1/2 hours each day.

I think in terms of the voice, you know, I have a wonderful, brilliant vocal teacher named Liz Caplan, who - I refuse to sing anywhere in public without warming up with her. And she is just really gifted and did a lot of work with me to kind of put the notes into my body in the correct posture in the healthiest way possible and then allow the Evan posture and sort of physicalization to be on top of that and to kind of become a sort of added layer rather than trying to learn how to sing from an unhealthy place. So just the nitty-gritty detail of getting to work with her throughout the entire process helped me to just maintain a sustainable vocal life while also, you know, living in this very - as you said, very tense, very sort of rounded character.

GROSS: So this is really kind of funny - when you left "Dear Evan Hansen" on Broadway, somebody took over the role, Noah Galvin. And now you're partners.

(LAUGHTER)

PLATT: Yes, we are.

GROSS: That's just crazy. So can you describe, like, how that happened, you know, like, how - 'cause so many people would be a little insecure or jealous about the person replacing them. Like, maybe they have a different take on it. Like, maybe they'll be great. Or maybe they'll show me something I didn't know about the role that I should've known. I mean, there's so many ways you can be competitive and insecure as opposed to falling in love with the person.

PLATT: Totally. Well, first of all, I will say that I did get to see him. And through my tears of experiencing the show for the first time, he was wonderful. But basically, you know, we've known each other long before the "Evan Hansen" experience. We were friends in the theater community and through doing some comedy together and having a lot of mutual friends and already had quite a foundation of friendship before the "Evan Hansen" thing happened. And, obviously, his being cast and replacing me was very separate from me knowing him. He just was the right person for the job. And, you know, the creative team was in love with him. And I was thankful that I was, you know, getting to cede this legacy to somebody that I loved and trusted. And it's just kind of one small aspect of our many years of friendship now turned, you know, romance and partnership.

For many years, as a young person, you know, I sort of avoided the idea of being with another artist or another actor because, you know, you hear all these stories about how difficult it can be and how difficult it may be to have, you know, differing levels of success or to find support for each other or to, you know, have room for each other, things like that. And I think while that's certainly a valid argument, I think it was one among many kind of preconceived notions that I had that were not very useful to me and trying to find a partner, which I was not very successful at until meaning Noah.

And so I think he has a really special ability to, you know, be entirely selfless and, you know, can take up all of the air in the room and be the center and, you know, be as funny and as brilliant as anyone you've ever seen but then also has the ability to just be fully, you know, in my corner and to support me. And I can only hope that I can do the same for him. And I think that the "Evan Hansen" experience was sort of a little microcosm of what was to come in that regard.

GROSS: Were you able to enjoy watching the show, watching through somebody else on the role that you originated?

PLATT: Yes and no. I mean, I think luckily, it was, again, Noah, who I loved and trusted and who I think is so talented. And so I - in terms of seeing the actual character that was, you know, a wonderful experience. I think for me, it was more - it's like, you know - it's like revisiting an ex or going back to a place that was - as wonderful as it was, you know, there was a lot of trauma associated with it, too, given the kind of emotional angst that I had to kind of go to each night. And so watching it, regardless of my emotional state in the moment, when I get to those moments in the show, I naturally become emotional and go back to those kind of mental spaces. And so it's never an easy thing to watch. You know, film is a similar experience in terms of I can appreciate and be proud of the piece and of my performance. But it's also - it's never a kind of an easy, breezy thing to watch, so yes and no.

GROSS: What row were you in?

PLATT: Oh, goodness. I was at the very back of the orchestra, whatever the very last row is before the little, like, sort of aisleway, which...

GROSS: The I-don't-want-to-be-seen place (laughter)

PLATT: Exactly. And I was - luckily, I shuffled in...

GROSS: You can walk in at the last minute and walk out.

PLATT: Exactly.

GROSS: Right (laughter).

PLATT: Exactly. And I had my best friend, one of my best friends, Max Sheldon, with me, and he squeezed my hand the whole time. And it was a nice Band-Aid rip-off moment.

GROSS: Well, let's take a short break here, and then we'll talk some more. If you're just joining us, my guest is Ben Platt. He stars in the new film adaptation of the Broadway musical "Dear Evan Hansen." He originated the role on Broadway and won a 2017 Tony. We'll talk more after we take a short break. I'm Terry Gross, and this is FRESH AIR.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "IF I COULD TELL HER")

PLATT: (As Evan Hansen, singing) He said there's nothing like your smile. It's of subtle and perfect and real. He said he never knew how wonderful that smile could make someone feel. And he knew whenever you get bored, you scribble stars on the cuffs of your jeans. And he noticed that you still fill out the quizzes that they put in those teen magazines. But he kept it all inside his head. What he saw he left unsaid. And though he wanted to, he couldn't talk to you. He couldn't find the way, but he would always say if I could tell her, tell her everything I see, if I could tell her how she's everything to me. But we're a million worlds apart. And I don't know how I would even start if I could tell her, if I could tell her.

GROSS: This is FRESH AIR. I'm Terry Gross. Let's get back to my interview with Ben Platt. He stars in the new film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical "Dear Evan Hansen" about a high school senior with profound social anxiety and insecurity who has no friends until he kind of accidentally ends up telling a lie, a lie that gets bigger and bigger and that makes him seem inspirational. He originated the role on Broadway, won a 2017 Tony for it. He started his film career in "Pitch Perfect" as Benji, the nerdy kid who wants to get into the acapella group. He starred in the Netflix series "The Politician" and stars in the "Social Justice Sex Tape" episode of the new anthology series "The Premise." He also has a new album called "Reverie." He started acting when he was a child.

You started performing when you were, like, 6 years old. I think your first role was the prince in "Cinderella." Do I have that right?

PLATT: That's correct. Yeah. My - I went to this youth program called the Adderley School for the Performing Arts that all three of my older siblings had done before me. And as soon as I was old enough to join the youngest class, I - my parents put me in. And I - so yeah, "Cinderella" was the first role. And I was bit quite forcibly and immediately by the bug.

GROSS: So did you have any clue, then, that you were gay (laughter)?

PLATT: I think - did you ever see "Fun Home," that wonderful Alison Bechdel...

GROSS: Yes. Yes. I love that.

PLATT: Yes.

GROSS: Yeah.

PLATT: So the song "Ring Of Keys" in the show is all about, like, this experience of identifying with queer people before you're even old enough for it to be sort of a sexualized discovery. And I do really identify with that. I think I was around, you know, queer people by virtue of being in the theater. And, you know, I knew a lot of gay men. And, I think, before I had any, you know, sense of, you know, any kind of attraction or sexuality or anything like that, I think I just identified on a more human level with them. And I think I felt like I saw myself in them and that that seemed like the kind of person that I might become.

So I think, yes, on some level, I was always aware. And then, of course, once I was through puberty and old enough to understand - or at least in the midst of puberty - understand what that really meant, that's when I was like, oh, of course. That's what this is.

GROSS: Were you at age 6 feeling any kind of disconnect between being, like, the heterosexual prince who awakens - oh, no. Wait. It's "Cinderella," not "Sleeping Beauty." Right.

PLATT: Yes, just chases after her and puts - not that - I mean, not that much disconnect because he does try shoes on a bunch of women. And he also - I was wearing a sequined sort of...

GROSS: (Laughter).

PLATT: ...Sort of a sparkly vest that I loved wearing. So no, I think I was just thrilled to be in a cute outfit and singing songs.

GROSS: Right. And then you were in a production of the "Music Man" at the Hollywood Bowl when you were how old?

PLATT: I was 9. Yeah. That was my first professional gig.

GROSS: That's pretty big, 9-years-old. And you were Winthrop, who's the - like, the kid who stutters and gets to sing "Gary, Indiana." Were you nervous being in such, like, a big and important venue? I mean, that's not a school stage or summer camp.

PLATT: Yes and no. I mean, the opportunity came out of the fact that my - the casting director from the bowl approached Janet Adderley, who ran my youth theater program, and said that they were going to do "Music Man" at the bowl. They were going to start doing this tradition of doing a musical every summer. And of course, "Music Man" has lots of kids in it. They needed a band and Amaryllis and Winthrop. And did she have any kids that she wanted to send in? And so much to my good fortune, she asked my parents if they would let me go in. And I think I was nervous about it, but mostly just excited that I could add another show period to my calendar, like, to the roster of activities that I had to do. So the idea of getting to do my Adderley show and then also doing another musical, regardless of what it was, was, like, thrilling.

And so I think, probably, there was a moment of adjustment of how large that house is and, obviously, on what a large scale it is. But I think I just got so much joy from singing and performing and also being taken seriously. Like, to be in a situation where there are adults and this is people's jobs and, you know, everybody is as kind of die-hard passionate about it as I felt, I think I just felt, like, kind of in heaven. So I think mostly it was just an exciting shift as opposed to, like, a scary one.

GROSS: It strikes me that, like, well, Broadway, but also, like, the theater community in high school, you know, like, the theater kids, that that would be two of the most comfortable places to be if you're gay because, like, so many people on Broadway are gay. Like, if Broadway was homophobic, that would be kind of ridiculous. I mean...

PLATT: (Laughter).

GROSS: ...I'm sure some people are. But really, though, it's got to be a relatively comfortable place, and maybe ditto in - you know, among theater kids in high school. So did those seem like comfortable places?

PLATT: Absolutely. I mean, I think, in terms of the scale of the gay experience, I had a huge amount of privilege in the sense that I was in a liberal bubble. And my parents were very accepting. And I had known and worked with gay people my whole life. And I had other gay people in my school. And as you said, my theater program was very open about those things - and, you know, certainly felt accepted and did not face the kind of adversity that so many young queer people have to face. That is truly just revolting, that it's still happening. But, I think, regardless of that, you know, any queer experience - which I think is also shifting in the right direction, which is very encouraging.

But I think any sort of young queer experience, there will be aspects of society or, you know, institutions or things that are in place that just don't feel made for you or that don't feel, you know, that they've been created with you in mind, you know? For me what comes to mind is, you know, summer camp, which I loved going to summer camp. And I loved my Jewish summer camp. And I know that, you know, even in the recent years they've done more work to kind of service, you know, queer kids and kids that are, you know, non-binary or trans, trans youth.

But I think, you know, going to something that is so binary like that, where, you know, you're spending so much time with, you know, your male counterparts, and so much emphasis is put on separation, you know, while you're a young person who's queer, connecting pretty much only with girls - all my friends were girls. And so, you know, the inability to, you know, be part of that community and to feel like sort of an outlier in the sort of male side of things, I think, was my kind of version of that outsider experience of being a queer person. But again, I couldn't have been luckier in terms of the hand that I was dealt in that regard. And to your question, yes, theater, more so than any industry, I think, has always been not only welcoming to queer people, but essentially, you know, built and run by queer people. And it's - they're, like, the lifeblood of the whole thing.

GROSS: You mentioned Jewish summer camp. Is that where you were Sky Masterson in a Hebrew version - Hebrew-language version of "Guys And Dolls"?

PLATT: (Laughter) That is - yes, that's correct. When you're in the oldest age group, you're allowed to be in the musical, finally. And of course, it was "Guys And Dolls" my year. So I was Sky Masterson in Hebrew.

GROSS: Could you possibly sing a few bars of, maybe, "Luck Be A Lady" in Hebrew?

PLATT: Yes, I can.

GROSS: Oh, good.

PLATT: (Singing in Hebrew).

GROSS: That's great. Did you know Hebrew? Or were you just kind of doing it phonetically?

PLATT: I knew some. I went to Jewish day school through middle school and was bar mitzvah'd. And so I knew the pronunciation and how to read and write. Obviously, I needed some help with the meaning of things. But yeah, that's kind of - that was the height of my Hebrew. I think my - I've lost a lot of that skill now. I can probably make my way through a very, you know, generic conversation. But I certainly don't know what many of the words I just sang mean.

GROSS: (Laughter) OK. So you come from a showbiz family. Your father, Marc Platt, has produced, you know, musicals on stage and screen as well as dramas. So did you have a very showbizzy (ph) mitzvah?

PLATT: I did, but that was purely of my own desire and my own making. I really wanted a musical theater-themed bar mitzvah, of course, because it was my passion and the only thing that I cared to obsess over. And so each table was a different musical, and I was at the "Wicked" table, naturally. All of the little table cards were tickets, you know, for the show. And I performed "Walk Like A Man" as Frankie Valli, and my brothers and father were the other Four Seasons. And so we were in, you know, matching...

GROSS: Oh, that's great 'cause the bar mitzvah is when you officially become a man (laughter).

PLATT: Exactly, exactly. My dad would be so proud that you got that thematic element. So yeah. It definitely was as theatery (ph) as they come. And then my family has a beautiful tradition of performing songs for each other at events. So if it's a - you know, it's a wedding, then you, you know, perform a rewritten song about the couple or, if it's a bar mitzvah, a rewritten song about the bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah. And, you know, my immediate family will do this. Then my group of first cousins will sing a song. My aunts and uncles will sing a song. It's a really wonderful tradition.

And so for my bar mitzvah, my parents and siblings sang a medley from "Company" which is a, you know, wonderful Stephen Sondheim musical. And my - you know, my dad rewrote, you know, "Company" to be about Benjamin. And if you know the show, it starts with all these, you know, pet names for the character of Bobby. But in my case, it was Benny, Benny, Bubi, Benny, Baby. And they sang, you know, a kind of a full medley of rewritten songs from that. And that, I think, was one of the greatest gifts I've received of any kind - is that song, and I keep the lyrics with me still. And my dad is very proud of the lyricism in that particular song.

GROSS: So I think this would be a good time to take another short break. Let me reintroduce you. If you're just joining us, my guest is Ben Platt, and he stars in the new film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical "Dear Evan Hansen." He originated the role on Broadway and won a Tony in 2017 for his performance. We'll be right back. This is FRESH AIR.

(SOUNDBITE OF THE CURE SONG, "IN BETWEEN DAYS")

GROSS: This is FRESH AIR. Let's get back to my interview with Ben Platt. He stars in the new film adaptation of the hit Broadway show "Dear Evan Hansen." He won a Tony in 2017 for his performance in the starring role of the original Broadway production. He also has a new album called "Reverie." And you can see him in the new anthology series "The Premise" in the episode called "Social Justice Sex Tape."

Link:

'Dear Evan Hansen' Actor Ben Platt Escapes From Anxiety By Being In The Spotlight - NPR

What Does It Mean To Be German? – JSTOR Daily

Posted By on September 28, 2021

What does it mean to be German? This question has been an open one for more than 200 years, and in the last century, a provisional answer along false lines of racial purity came at the cost of millions of lives. Today, with the resurgence of far-right parties like Alternative for Germany (AfD), vlkisch ideals seem once more attractive. An examination of the earliest attempts at German self-definition may help understand their deep-seated and enduring appeal.

In an effort to trace the beginnings of German nationalism, historian Chen Tzoref-Ashkenazi examines the work of Friedrich Schlegel, an enthusiastic advocate of the Romantic movement. In 1808, Schlegel published ber die Sprache und Weisheit der Indier (On the Language and Wisdom of the Indians), one of the most influential books to advance and popularize the theory that Europeans originated from India. His argument relied on the linguistic similarities between Sanskrit and many European languages, including Greek and Latin. These ideas, however, were not original. They reflected his continents growing interest in India.

Toward the end of the eighteenth century, the British Empire consolidated power over the Indian subcontinent. As a result, European journals and organizations dedicated to the collection, analysis, and distribution of information on India began to proliferate. In 1784, for example, the English philologist William Jones founded the Asiatic Society of Bengal, where he would soon sketch the relationship between Indo-European languages that Schlegel later championed. For Germans, the dawn of Indian studies would have a profound effect.

Their obsession with India coincided with an intense desire to forge an emerging national identity. The threat of French domination, spurred by Napoleons imperial project to make Paris the new Rome, motivated German intellectuals to find an alternative course of the history of civilization to that beginning with Greece and Rome, Tzoref-Ashkenazi explains. A different foundational story of Europe would not only demote France, but also vindicate the view of Germanic tribes as brutal barbarians who destroyed the Roman Empire.

Like scholars of the Renaissance who had rediscovered the historical chain that linked their own culture with that of ancient Greece, Tzoref-Ashkenazi writes, so the explorers of India would unveil the true origin of European civilization. In the view of men like Schlegel, the Europe of the Napoleonic Wars was not just too Greco-Roman and Frenchit was also overly divided. Its unity, however, could be reasserted via India, the alleged birthplace of the entire continent. A new hierarchy could then take shape, as German culture had remained truer to its [Indian] sources. Europes newfound bonds would, thus, conveniently center around Germans.

Additionally, at home, Schlegel was deeply worried about the religious secularism of his contemporaries. In response, he tried to find evidence for the truth of Christianity in Indian mythology. In texts like Kalidasas Shakuntalathe first Indian play to be translated from Sanskrit into a European languageSchlegel and his supporters found attractive models of inspiration based on religious devotion. They believed the romantic poetry of India could inspire European poetry and thereby spawn a continent-wide cultural rebirth.

Both domestically and abroad, an idealized understanding of India provided Schlegel and many other Germans the opportunity to define a powerful identity. It would take over a century before the concept of an Aryan race [sic] and the Nazi Partys appropriation of it swayed Germanybut the seeds had already taken root.

Support JSTOR Daily! Join our new membership program on Patreon today.

JSTOR is a digital library for scholars, researchers, and students. JSTOR Daily readers can access the original research behind our articles for free on JSTOR.

By: Chen Tzoref-Ashkenazi

Journal of the History of Ideas, Vol. 67, No. 4 (Oct., 2006), pp. 713-734

University of Pennsylvania Press

See the rest here:

What Does It Mean To Be German? - JSTOR Daily

The comforting fusion of matzo ball ramen – Salon

Posted By on September 28, 2021

I hustled into Shalom Japan in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, on a stormy Friday night. It was dimly lit inside and had all the ambience of a casual Japanese ramen joint. Inside the bathroom, there was an enlarged photo of a Levy's Jewish Ryead from the '60s, which read "You don't have to be Jewish to love Levy's real Jewish Rye" in large black letters, with a picture of a Japanese boy dressed in a white shirt and red tie holding his sandwich next to an open bag of Levy's Jewish Rye.

There was only a handful of tables. I grabbed a seat at the bar with an open view of the kitchen to my right. A native New Yorker I had met in Berlin happened to be in town at the same time and joined me. I saw chefs Aaron Israel and Sawako Okochi busy at work and turned my attention to the menu, giving it a cursory glance. But we both already knew we were getting the matzo ball ramen soup. How could we not?

Matzo ball ramen soup: It sounds like forced fusion, doesn't it? But it actually makes sense. Matzo balls are chameleons of the soup world. They can just plop into a bowl without crashing the party. Chefs and husband-wife duo Aaron Israel and Sawako Okochi combine their Ashkenazi Jewish and Japanese backgrounds for a warm, brothy bowl that just makes sense.

Historical Jewish cooking mirrors the well-known story of persecution. Jews made similar dishes as their neighbors, with religious Jews adapting recipes to make them kosher. When they'd get kicked out of town by some new royal decree, they'd take their recipes, settle someplace else, and start blending their food with that of their new neighbors.

But what's happening at Shalom Japan is something different. The matzo ball ramen wasn't birthed out of persecution, but out of love. We can increasingly see this across the Jewish culinary world. In many ways, Jewish food is evolving on its own terms for the first time in history, and dishes like Shalom Japan's matzo ball ramen are a celebration of that freedom.

Shalom Japan uses a chicken broth with char siu chicken, scallions, and nori as its base for the soup. For a little extra, you can get a soy-marinated egg, foie gras dumplings, or an additional matzo ball. Though basically a vegetarian in my own kitchen, I tend to indulge in unique experiences when I travel. So I decided to go for the foie gras dumplings, and the soy-marinated egg was already a no-brainer.

After a few slurpy noodles from the steamy bowl of ramen, one of the waiters stopped by and asked how we liked the matzo ball ramen and if we'd ever had it before.

"I've had ramen and matzo ball soup before," I nodded. "But not together."

"For someone who isn't Japanese or Jewish, it just makes sense to me," he said, clearly smiling behind his mask.

Back in Berlin, I took a crack at my own matzo ball ramen, and it came together nicely. There was the earthiness of the veggie broth, with carrots, celery, turnips, parsley, onions, and dill: just some of the building blocks of so-called Jewish penicillin. I added corn and chopped scallions, following the lead of Shalom Japan. With the noodles I started the shift to Japan, as they were different from the wider egg noodles more typical of Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine. Then I went full ramen with the soy-marinated, soft-boiled egg halved and left on top, with the egg yolk still oozing out.

Shalom Japan throws some garlicky chile oil on top, so feel free to use your favorite brand or make your own. Drizzling some of the soy marinade over the dish, with its chile pepper flakes, also helps bring it all together. (Oh, and I slid a small sheet of nori on the side just to be fancy-ish, I guess.)

Ultimately, one of the best things about this dish is that you can easily make it your own, to tell your own story. Use your own cherished broth and matzo ball recipe. Try skipping back-and-forth between Ashkenazi Jewish and Japanese staples, like dill or miso. Bring it out to break your Yom Kippur fast, to serve with Passover leftovers, or just to make a boring Saturday night feel special.

***

Recipe:Matzo BallRamen

Prep time: 2 hoursCook time: 2 hours 30 minutesServes: 6 to 8

Ingredients:

Vegetable broth

Eggs, matzo balls, and assembly

Directions

Vegetable broth

Eggs, matzo balls, and assembly

Read the original post:

The comforting fusion of matzo ball ramen - Salon

Hoshana Raba, Simhat Torah: What you need to know about the holiday – The Jerusalem Post

Posted By on September 28, 2021

The Sukkot holiday is about to end, but this festival comes with some quirks unique within Judaism.The last day of the week-long festival is marked by a day known as Hoshana Raba, that has more in common with the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

The next day is a separate holiday altogether: Shmini Atzeret. Also known as Simhat Torah, this holiday does not require most of the unique Sukkot customs like a lulav, etrog or sitting in the sukkah, but instead focuses on the Torah, as a new cycle of reading the Five Books of the Torah begins.

cnxps.cmd.push(function () { cnxps({ playerId: '36af7c51-0caf-4741-9824-2c941fc6c17b' }).render('4c4d856e0e6f4e3d808bbc1715e132f6'); });

Here is a rundown on everything you need to know about Hoshana Raba and Simhat Torah.

Hoshana Raba is still part of Sukkot, so many of the holiday practices and meaning are the same. One still must use the lulav and sit in the sukkah. However, the day has a heavy focus on judgment and repentance.

As noted by Chabad, it is considered the final day of judgment in the cycle that began with Rosh Hashanah. If Rosh Hashanah is when God deliberates His verdict and Yom Kippur is when it is finalized, Hoshana Raba is when the verdict is delivered.

The theme of judgment includes another aspect: rain. Sukkot is believed to be the time when rainfall first begins, harkening back to the holiday's tradition as an agricultural holiday. The autumn rainfall allows crops to grow, continuing through the winter until Passover in the spring, and allowing the crops to be harvested in the early summer, around the time of Shavuot.

It is believed by some that Hoshana Raba is when God makes His judgment on the rainfall for this year. This makes sense, as it is supported by the fact that Jews begin praying for rainfall the following day.

Simhat Torah, by contrast, has a different focus altogether. Also known as Shemini Atzeret, the name refers to the number eight, as it is the eighth day following the seven days of Sukkot. The day is mentioned in the Bible and is considered part of the three pilgrimage festivals (shalosh regalim) like Sukkot, Shavuot, and Passover. However, it contains other rituals and practices specifically for Simhat Torah.

The holiday itself didn't use that name until later, and exactly when it began isn't clear. However, the custom of dancing with the Torah dates back at least to the Geonic period.

The day is one of celebration and happiness, with an importance placed on renewing the cycle of reading the Torah. The cycle begins immediately, with synagogues reading the first parsha in the Book of Genesis right after finishing the final parsha in the Book of Deuteronomy. As noted by Chabad, "this is because as soon as we conclude studying the Torah, Gods infinite wisdom, on one level, we immediately start again, this time to discover new and loftier interpretations."

Though Hoshana Raba is ostensibly considered a day of Hol HaMoed, the prayers that are said bear more similarities to Chag. In Ashkenazi synagogues, this extends to the nigguns (melodies), which may blend Hol HaMoed, Yom Tov and even High Holy Day tunes together.

Continuing the themes of the High Holy Days, some wear kittels during Shacharit prayers, and some Sephardim recite selichot.

The Torah is still read, and Mussaf is still recited as is the case with the rest of Sukkot.

However, where the day really stands out is its practices with the Four Species (arba minim). As is the case with Sukkot, the lulav is shaken during Hallel and the congregation marches around the synagogue for the Hoshanot. However, there are seven Hoshanot as opposed to the typical four.

After this, worshipers take five branches of aravot (willow) that are usually bound together and then ceremoniously smack them against the floor, wall, or other surfaces. This ritual exists as a symbolic way of eliminating sins and praying for rain. No blessing is said for this.

That night, however, leads into Simhat Torah.

As one of the three pilgrimage festivals, the prayers said on Sukkot are said again on Simhat Torah, though with some verses alternated. Hallel is still recited as well, though the lulav is not used.

However, the real heart of the service is the Torah.

During the Maariv service, the Torahs are paraded around the synagogue in what is known as Hakafot, with each one typically dedicated to certain people, the first one usually going to rabbis and kohanim. This dancing usually does not stay confined to the synagogue itself and can even spill out into the streets as the singing and dancing continue for hours.

This is also done during the Shacharit services the next morning, though they are followed by reading the Torah scrolls. During this time, every male in the congregation - including children - gets an aliyah. A special aliyah is also given in some congregations to all the children called Kol HaNe'arim (all the children), where a large tallit is spread above them as they get the aliyah.

The last aliyah given for the parsha Vezot Habracha, the final parsha in the Torah, is considered a great honor and the one who gets it is called the Hatan Torah (husband of the Torah). This is followed by parshat Beresheet, the first parsha in the Torah, being recited, with the one who receives this aliyah being given the honor of Hatan Beresheet (husband of Genesis).

But another important part of the Simhat Torah prayers is Tefilat Hageshem (prayer of the rain), when we begin praying for rainfall. The hazzan for this part dons a kittel like during the High Holy Days and following this until Passover, the sentence "Mashiv haruach umorid hageshem" is included in every Shmone Esrei.

It should be noted that in the Diaspora, Simhat Torah is spread over two days, with the first day being called Shmini Atzeret and featuring the Tefilat Hageshem prayer and the second day featuring the Torah celebrations.

Chag begins: 5:43 p.m.

Chag ends: 7:08 p.m.

Chag begins: 6:03 p.m.

Chag ends: 7:09 p.m.

Chag begins: 5:53 p.m.

Chag ends: 7:08 p.m.

Chag begins: 6:06 p.m.

Chag ends: 7:09 p.m.

Chag begins: 6:06 p.m.

Chag ends: 7:09 p.m.

Chag begins: 6:26 p.m.

Chag ends: 7:25 p.m.*

Chag begins: 6:24 p.m.

Chag ends: 7:23 p.m.*

*As explained above, there are two days of Yom Tov abroad, so the time it ends refers to the second day.

Originally posted here:

Hoshana Raba, Simhat Torah: What you need to know about the holiday - The Jerusalem Post

Antisemitism in the ‘New West’ – San Diego Jewish World

Posted By on September 28, 2021

By Steve Kramer

KFAR SABA, Israel Do you worry that Jew-hatred might affect your comfortable American life? Do you think that Jew-haters will ignore you because your Jewishness is unimportant for you? If not, why not? Does this worry if you feel it fall below your concern for abortion legislation, diversity and gender issues, climate change policies, etc.? With this in mind, its time to wake up to the new West.

Jew-hatred wont recede (forget about disappear) unless the West retreats from both left and right wing authoritarianism, which manifests itself as dogmatism, snide assurances of righteousness, condescension, and often punitive attitudes toward dissenters. Jews are always prime targets for authoritarians because Jewish influence far outweighs Jewish numbers in many different aspects of society. Antisemitism (I prefer Jew-hatred, which includes Jews and Israel) is alive an well in countries with few Jews and even, no Jews.

Recently, Tuvia Gering, an analyst at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, wrote: not only has China prompted the UNSC [United Nations Security Council] to hold three meetings against Israel, it has also given Chinese state-affiliated media, diplomats, CCP [Chinas Communist Party] members and nationalist keyboard warriors free rein to lash out at Israel with anti-Semitic and anti-Zionist comments.

Gering also said, [China] has consistently failed to empathize with Israel, acknowledge Israels security concerns and the fact that it is threatened by cynical and murderous terror organizations armed by Iran, to which [China] has grown closer in recent years.

Its essential to realize that some political parties may eventually target YOU! You may think of yourself as a cultural Jew, but the Jew-haters see you with a black hat and a long beard, like in a Woody Allen classic, or as a machine-gun toting Israeli settler. Far-fetched, yes, but lately proven by reports on surging antisemitic crimes. Perhaps the worst of it is that Jew/Israel-hatred is flourishing in Western colleges and universities.

CNN reported: The young Gen Z [born: 1995-2012] Americans are confronting hate both in person and online in ways that have surprised and alarmed them, according to organizations that help Jewish Americans and monitor anti-Semitism.

These attacks are becoming more and more prevalent, as Jew-haters like the Squad gain publicity and popularity. This Left flank of the Democratic Party is very worrisome. Just this past week this group and its allies succeeded to strip an important bill in the House of Representatives of its component to resupply Israel with ammunition for the Iron Dome anti-missile system, a key component of Israels military defense. However, when this item quickly came to a vote on its own, it was overwhelmingly passed. Eight members of the Democratic party (roughly 4%) voted against the bill, joined by one Republican libertarian.

Perhaps the most recognized member of the squad, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, unexpectedly voted present (tantamount to abstaining) when the votes were counted. Conjecture has it that she will oppose Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer, the self-proclaimed Guardian of Israel, in the November 2022 election. If she were to win that Senate seat, AOC would be in a much more prominent position to advance her agenda, which includes a large dose of Jew/Zionism-hatred.

AOC is emblematic of the worst kind of Leftist wokeness which is infecting the Democratic Party and must be fought by its many Jewish adherents. Unfortunately, being woke is what most young people aspire to, urged on by the likes of Facebook/Messenger, Twitter, YouTube, WhatsApp, WeChat, Instagram, TikTok, mass media, woke teachers and professors, and many more.

Theres extreme right wing Jew-hatred too, which often results in deadly attacks on Jews and Jewish institutions. But right wing nationalists are rightfully excoriated by the media and have little chance of turning the country in its direction. The less violent but still lethal woke variety of Jew-hatred can, and is changing the direction of the West and especially the US.

A personal story: When I was quite young, probably in junior high, and before I made aliyah to Israel, the subject of an (unlikely) war between Israel and the US came up among friends. Who would we support? The obvious answer was America but I said, Israel. Why? Because it dawned on me that after the US finished with Israel, it would come after us Jews.

Phillip Roth dealt with Jew-hating federal legislation in his 2004 alternative history novel, The Plot Against America. It chillingly depicts how average Jews were first persecuted, then marginalized, and eventually transferred or even killed as the legislation passed by a fascistic president became the law of the land. In 2020 HBO produced a mini-series based on the book.

With this in mind, even Jews who disdain their religion should not take for granted that their status of Jewish parentage is immaterial. For the Jew-haters, any Jewish connection is very significant. And most of my readers, raised in the aftermath of WWII and the Holocaust, should know that those whose heritage included even one Jewish grandparent were fodder for the ovens. Not only that, Israel-haters extend their hatred to Jews automatically. (See Note below.)

Some might regard these doomsday thoughts as irrelevant, but is it really less important than the effects of climate change in the 21st century? I could go on

If you discover legislators that are anti-democratic and foment Jew-hatred in your preferred political party, try to do something about it. Let your Congressional representatives know your objections. Be careful about whom you vote for and dont necessarily vote the ticket. Try to choose a candidate to vote for, not one to vote against. Acquaint yourself with the ethos of your chosen party to make sure that its going in a direction you are comfortable with.

Finally, remember that Jew-haters include you (religious Jew, proud Jew, Jew by birth only, and Christian Zionists) in their schemes. Only an enlightened not woke population can keep the US and the West on the correct, safe path of freedom.

Note:

Condemning Israel for its ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, occupation, apartheid, and war crimes is not anti-Semitism, teachers claim.

The San Diego chapter of the American Federation of Teachers passed a resolution this month rejecting Israels legitimacy as a country and accusing the Israeli government of carrying out ethnic cleansing, apartheid, and war crimes against Palestinians.

*

Steve Kramer grew up in Atlantic City, graduated from Johns Hopkins in 1967, adopted the hippie lifestyle until 1973, then joined the family business for 15 years. Steve moved to Israel from Margate, NJ in 1991 with his family. Steve and his wife Michal live in Kfar Saba.

Here is the original post:

Antisemitism in the 'New West' - San Diego Jewish World

‘We Need To Call Out Hatred’: Rabbi Urges Cobb Schools To Address Anti-Semitism Head On | 90.1 FM WABE – WABE 90.1 FM

Posted By on September 28, 2021

School officials recently found anti-Semitic graffiti on bathroom walls at two Cobb County high schools. Swastikas and the words Hail Hitler and Heil Hitler were written on walls at Pope and Lassiter high schools. Some of the pictures were posted on Instagram, indicating the incidents were part of a social media challenge called devious licks.

Cobb officials said the students responsible are facing disciplinary charges.

Still, some community members said the school district hasnt done enough to confront discrimination in schools.

Larry Sernovitz is the senior rabbi at Temple Kol Emeth in Marietta. Since the first incident at Pope High School, hes been working with schools and the district on addressing anti-Semitism and other forms of bias. He said the first step is to call the acts what they are.

For too long we havent called out hatred in our country, Sernovitz said. This is Marietta, Georgia. This is where the lynching of Leo Frank happened. This is a[n] area which has known anti-Semitism for decades, and it has been swept under the rug.

Extended interview with Rabbi Larry Sernovitz

Read more from the original source:

'We Need To Call Out Hatred': Rabbi Urges Cobb Schools To Address Anti-Semitism Head On | 90.1 FM WABE - WABE 90.1 FM

Rabbi from Scranton invited to Vatican – WNEP Scranton/Wilkes-Barre

Posted By on September 28, 2021

Rabbi Daniel Swartz will take part in discussions on climate change with Pope Francis.

SCRANTON, Pa. Rabbi Daniel Swartz of Temple Hesed in Scranton thought at first it might be a scam when he received a letter several months ago from the Vatican.

"The Jewish holidays that we just celebrated are sometimes called, 'the days of awe.' Which is the sort of approximate translation is 'norah' in Hebrew, which lies on the border of 'wow' and 'oy.' You know, part wonder, part terror. That's sort of exactly what I feel like," he said.

Rabbi Swartz and his wife leave for a vacation in Italy on Saturday.

After that, they'll go to the Vatican, where the Rabbi will take part in a discussion with Pope Francis on climate change.

The Vatican invited only 50 people from around the world.

Swartz is one of only a handful of Americans and one of only two Rabbis.

"This pope has been such an inspiration to me in terms of his care for the planet and the poor, and so to bring a little bit of Scranton there to Italy is great," Swartz added.

The team has been working hard on a global declaration about the importance of combating climate change.

Rabbi Swartz played a big role in writing the document that he will sign at the Vatican.

His name will join scientists and world leaders but, Rabbi Swartz believes faith leaders play just as important a role in fighting climate change.

"Hope is the belief that if you work hard enough, it can get better. And that's something faiths have carried since religion was inventedthat possibility of hope. And so, we really want to preach hope to the world," he said.

How they'll do it is something they'll discuss with Pope Francis.

Visit link:

Rabbi from Scranton invited to Vatican - WNEP Scranton/Wilkes-Barre


Page 652«..1020..651652653654..660670..»

matomo tracker