Waltz With Bashir

Waltz With Bashir: What does it say about Jewish Identity?
Having an Israeli film nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film is rare, quite rare actually. While it has only happened eight times since the award’s inception, twice have been in the last two years . In 2007, it was Beaufort, a movie about the Israeli Defense Forces unit station in Beaufort, Lebanon. In 2008, it was Waltz With Bashir, an animated documentary film(along with one other in 2008, was the first of its kind) about an ex-soldier’s memory about the 1982 Israeili War in Lebanon. Written and directed by Ari Folman, the film depicts Folman’s journey to recollect his lost memory from the war; he served in the IDF at the age of 19 at the time. Highly praised by many critics for its innovative cinematographic nature and depiction of the psychological effects from war, it has been nominated and collected numerous awards. In addition to the aforementioned Oscar nomination, it won the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film, an IDA Award for Best Documentary, and an NSFC Award for Best Film. Besides the importance for the Israeli cinematic community, the film is quite significant on the level of Jewish and Israeli identity. In today’s world since the establishment of the State of Israel, when one asks “What defines Jewish Identity?” one common and expected response would include Israel. In one way, this film represents the difference in Jewish identity and Israeli identity. Jews all around the world as well as in Israel live in the shadow of the Holocaust. As presented later, some in the Jewish community have a feeling of victimization, yet as this film presents the IDF’s actions in the Sabra and Shatila massacre, we recognize that Jews as well are subject to human nature.
Ever since the establishment of Israel in 1948 and the Arab-Israeli war of 1948, there have been disagreements between Israel and the PLO. There have been numerous conflicts in the Middle East since, most notably the Six Day war in 1967 and the Yom Kippur War. Tensions began to grow with the rise of the Palestinian Liberation Organization during the late 1960’s and 1970’s. In March of 1978, PLO militants hijacked an Israeli civilian bus, killing 34. During this time, it was estimated that there were 15,000-18,000 PLO members living in southern Lebanon in what was referred to as “camps”. After continued terrorist attacks in Israel and Israeli airstrikes into Lebanon, the climax ensued in June of 1982. Called “Operation peace of the Galilee” by the IDF, Israel invaded Lebanon with the purpose of attacking and pushing back at the PLO terrorists in the southern part of the country. A few months later, the PLO withdrew its forces in southern Lebanon, and the two countries reached an agreement for a security zone that both the IDF and Lebanese government would patrol. Later in 1985, Israel completed its withdrawal from the region.
Given the precursors of war, one of the biggest events from the war was the Sabra and Shatila massacre. During this time in Lebanon, there was civil war between the Christian Phalangists, and the PLO Muslims. After the IDF’s invasion into Lebanon, it seized control of two PLO refugee camps in Sabra and Shatila. From this point on, the exact details of the events in the massacre have been and continue to be a hot topic for debate. As portrayed in the movie, once the IDF had control, Phalangist forces came to flush out the rest of Palestinian terrorists; it is estimated that 700-800 were killed. The issue of debate arises when analyzing the IDF’s involvement and responsibility in the massacre. At the time, many Israel citizens were outraged in the possible IDF involvement. After an investigation Supreme Court Justice Kahan dismissed IDF responsibility, yet did acknowledge failures from certain IDF officials.
The documentary film begins as Folman is hearing about a friend’s nightmares from the war; 26 dogs chasing to find him. Folman realizes that since his time in Lebanon in 1982, he has almost no memory of his encounters. He begins to reconnect with old friends he was with in the war, to see if they have the same issues, or to hear their accounts to jog his memory. Besides old friends, he meets with a psychologist and journalist (Ron Ben-Yishai) to get a better understanding of what happened on that day in Sabra and Shatila. With real audio from the discussions, the film jumps back and forth from animations from the encounters with friends, to Folman’s memory of what he saw and other’s stories. The movie gets its title from a scene of fighting in Beirut, where the IDF soldiers are amidst gunfire, one soldier jumps out of the bunker and while continually shooting his gun, does a waltz across the street.
The film was highly reviewed and praised for its artistic talent, but Folman wanted it to be more than artistic. It’s significance can be seen as two-fold(and two-sided), first that it presents a clear picture of the horrors of the violence in the Middle East. Secondly and slightly more controversy, some argue that it paints a different and darker perspective of Jews and victimization. Categorized as an anti-war film, Folman used animation to show the harness of war. While he could have made a more common type documentary of him recounting his war experience, the animated avenue for this film had value. At the Cannes Film Festival he commented, “Because it is animated, I hope that a sixteen year old boy watching 'Waltz With Bashir' in Israel will say, 'I don't want to take any part in this war again” .
In America, we have public issues of debate over the years, especially dealing with going to war. One of the most controversial in history is Vietnam. The war in Lebanon for Israel, mostly due to the Sabra and Shatila massacre drew similar backlash and public protest . Bringing to light what happened on this day was another reason for making the film according to Folman,
“I didn't want you as the audience to go out of the theater after watching 'Waltz With Bashir' and think, yes, this is a cool animation film'. These things happened ... thousands of people were killed, kids were killed, women were killed, old people were killed”
While it is a positive step to bring to light the details of the massacre, the harshness of war and a therapeutic avenue for those involved, one interpretation of the film paints a picture of the perception of the Jewish community. The persecution of the Jews has been documented throughout history, from the destruction of the First and Second Temple, to the Spanish Expulsion, to the Holocaust, to the current turmoil in the Middle East. Professor Salo Baron confirms the idea that Jews feel victim of persecution in an article in The Independent, and discuss how suffering is the center of Jewish life . While this is a common thought of most Jews, the movie brings to light that Jews are subject to human nature. In this instance, the IDF soldiers just watched as the Phalangists killed many Muslims. After a graphic scene in the movie where four soldiers watch from a hill as a Muslim is killed, a soldier asks his higher officer the agenda of the mission. The commander responds that Ariel Sharon, Defense Minister at the time, was aware of the proceedings and it was alright. According to Gideon Levy, a Haaretz correspondent, the movie is a farce of an anti-war film, and shows how even in Israel in current day, some are still looking behind a shadow of victimization, “Oh, how we wept, yet our hands did not spill this blood. Add to this a pinch of Holocaust memories, without which there is no proper Israeli self-preoccupation” . Here, Levy is criticizing the idea of remorse that Folman’s film shows, but not taking blame. While the IDF forces watched and let the massacre happen, they did not take physical actions to stop it; but the viewer is supposed to feel remorse for Folman and the soldiers for the psychological toll it took on them.
While Levy is frustrated that the film is “an act of fraud and deceit, intended to allow us to pat ourselves on the back” , one could interpret the production of the film representing an acceptance of guilt in the event. As movie director, Folman felt compelled to tell this story now, after significant time has passed since the incident(over 25 years). Agreeing on the issue of Folman’s remorse, Jayson Harsin of the Bright Light Film Journal doesn’t see it with such a negative connotation. Additionally, Harsin may have a clue of why Folman made the film, “crimes that have been charged against the perpetrators have been forcefully ‘forgotten’ in some cases through the assassination of key witnesses. For example, Elie Hobeika, the Phalangist commander during the massacre, was murdered in 2002, months after victims had filed a lawsuit in Belgium” (it should be noted that it took Folman four years to complete production of the film). Similarly, Tom Tugend and Ben Harris of JTA.org see a potential meaning of the film, “For a nation that much of the world sees as brutal and militaristic, that's either an astonishing admission or a savvy PR move”
Going back to Folman’s purpose of an “anti-war” film, his intentions are clear to stop the violence in the region. Folman told Haaretz, “In principle I don’t believe movies can change the world, but I’m a great believer in their ability to form small bridges” . A significant step given that the Lebanese Government has banned Israeli movies; there was a private viewing party in Beirut, Lebanon in January 2009. Put on by UNAM, a Lebanese organization focused on documenting the country’s war history, it was shown to 90 individuals. Agreeing with the importance of showing the film, UNAM founder Monika Borgmann mentions, “The subject of this film is a crucial moment in the history of Lebanon, for the history of Israel, for the history of the Palestinians, and for the history of Palestinian life in Lebanon” . Whether or not one agrees with the intention or factualness of the film, it is evident that it does bring to light discussions of the current turmoil between Israel and Palestinians.
When discussing Jewish Identity, most assume Israel is often a part of that. On the first day of a Jewish Folklore class(class call number: FOLK-F359, Spring Semester 2009) at Indiana University, when asked “What is Jewish?”, one of the first responses was Israel. While this may be the perception for most Jews around the world, and specifically in America, Waltz With Bashir shows us that although Israel is a part of Jewish Identity, at the same time it is actually distinctly different from Israel and Israeli Identity. In this sense, the content of the film isn’t as significant as much as the recognition the film received. Given that Israel is the official homeland to the Jews, it wouldn’t be out of the question for Jews in America to support success of the country, even in a cultural sense such as this. In what had become a popular movie for Jews and non-Jews alike to see because of its powerful message, Tugend and Harris mention that “the Israel Consul for cultural affairs in conjunction with a New York Foundation for Jewish Culture produced a viewer guide to be distributed to Jewish groups all across the country”. This guide helped promote the film within the Jewish communities, but also included factual research of the Sabra and Shatila massacre. Although the film can give a sense of pride to Jews to have an Israeli film gaining recognition, a deeper issue is evaluated in terms of Israeli identity. As discussed earlier, most in Jews in America would not recognize the Lebanaon War of 1982, and more specifically the Sabra and Shatila massacre prior to seeing the film. Given that it is an important aspect of Israeli history and Israel is associated with Jews and Jewish identity; clearly there is a lack of education in non-Israeli Jew’s education of Israel. Evidence can been seen in an interview JTA performed with David Saranga, Israeli consul for media and public affairs. In his statement about the purpose of the film, he claims, “the fact that the person who is asking the tough questions is an Israeli shows the morality of the Israeli society and the Israeli soldiers. So it's important to show what are the moral values that the Israelis and the Israeli soldiers have”. The key here is that in his analysis, not once does he mention anything Jewish or relating to Jews, it is all Israeli. Additionally, while it has been presented that those Jews Israel and the soldiers involved feel remorse and feel the repercussions of their action in the massacre; Jews in America do not have similar issue they must confront as a people.
When looking through the lens of Jewish identity and the film’s impact on such, Waltz with Bashir can be interpreted in many different ways. Some see it as an admittance of guilt and remorse for the IDF’s actions in Sabra and Shatila. Conversely, it represents that although Jews have faced hardships and persecution in the past, everyone is subject to the poor aspects of human nature. In the last scene of the film, it shifts from animation of Folman’s memory to real-life pictures from the massacre, all in silence. As shown by the harness of the violence, it is evident that the fighting in the Middle East has an impact on the larger Jewish community and global community.

End of Semester Reflections

As the semester concludes, I thought it would be fitting to have my last post reflect upon the semester. I was a little skeptical before I took the class because I took a modern Jewish culture and society class last semester and wasn't entirely fond of it; especially due to the "folklore" aspect. I do recall on the first day upon reading the syllabus that I was excited for the media aspect of the class. Being a young male adult, I will admit I am interested in technology, and was excited to see how the Jewish world embraces the 21st century. Overall, I have to say I enjoyed the class. It brought a new perspective to Judaism for me as well as helped develop my critical thinking and out-of-the-box thinking. Some random thoughts:
-In my last Judaism related class, I focused a lot on myself and Judaism. In this class, I learned and shifted the focus to Jewish communities.
-I really enjoyed learning and researching about all the different communities within Judaism, such as Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, as well as the non-traditional groups. it wasn't just helpful to learn briefly about what they believe in, but how they perceive and identify themselves.
-The blog network, especially in the Jewish community is huge!!
-I enjoyed the class session and assignment on music, it was interesting to see the mix of religion and music
-I found doing the blogs very helpful in terms of collecting my thoughts for the class. In four years I have had numerous types of assignments throughout the semester to keep me enganged in the class. I found the blogs to be most effective.

Holocaust

The Holocaust could be considered the most important event in Jewish Histroy, the destruction of six million Jews. Many are shy when bringing up the subject or discussing it. This is the case especially in America due to the government's absence of participation until too many had been killed. I would venture that almost any Jew today would have basic knowledge of the Holocaust(either learning in Hebrew school, regular school, from parents, grandparents or other survivors).

Discussion and education of the Holocaust is extremely important in contemporary Judaism. Just as the old adage goes, "you will never know where you're going, unless you know where you have come from". Especially today, in 2009, this is the case as survivors of the Holocaust are aging, and it is rare to speak to a survivor. In class today we explored Holocaust remembrance museums and Jewish heritage museums. I specifically looked at the Bremen Jewish heritage museum in Atalanta, GA. After looking at the website of the museum, it seems there is a huge focus on education. While there are many exhibits on the Holocaust, there are a few exhibits and a focus of Jewish heritage in America and Georgia. Atlanta has one of the larger Jewish populations and have been a fixture in the region since the 1800's. It is significant to combine these two histories into one place, so Jews and Non-Jews can learn from our past.

Genetic Jewish Identity

Upon reading Rebecca Alpert's "What is a Jew? The Meaning of Genetic Disease for Jewish Identity", I was surprised to read about the contemporary views of Jewish identity. She mentions the standard Halakhic definition of a Jew is either your biological association (mother being Jewish) or religious transformation(conversion). This is consistent with what we discussed in class previously, about who is defined as a Jew, more specifically we have learned that even with religious conversion, some are not respected as a Jew unless their mother is a Jew.
Therefore, I was surprised to read about the contemporary view that Alpert mentions. "Many contemporary religious Jews also reject Jewish identity based on lineage as they are uncomfortable with secular Jews claiming Jewish roots based either on nationality as is the case in the state of Israel, or on ethnicity as is the case in the United States and other countries"(3). Given that they dismiss the genetic aspect, they are concerned with a religious aspect. Clearly if you are born into a Jewish family you don't have to convert, but your Jewishness is based on your connection to G-d. We have discussed Jewish culture in this class quite a bit, and I for one have always respected any individual claiming themselves a Jew based on their own interpretations of the religion. And while I respect the opinion that being a Jew should be based on a theological connection to G-d, I cannot fully agree. Besides for attending services at a synagogue and having a Minyan, someone can pray or have a connection with G-d on a personal level, without ever speaking aloud in front of anyone else. Therefore, how can someone else judge one's connection to G-d?

Messianic Judasim

While I had heard about Jews for Jesus before, and heard the term Messianic Jews, I really wasn't sure what it meant or what it was about. After reading Kollontai's piece describing this group of people, I have a much clearer understanding. Their beliefs are quite similar to most Jews, yet differ in the fact that they believe Jesus is the Jewish Messiah. Since we had been discussing different communities withing Judaism recently and their respective identities, naturally I had questioned the culture of Messianic Jews. Kollontai answers this question with, "Studies show that traditional Jewish lifestyle and life-cycle events are a very important part of Messianic Jewish identity, although Messianic Jews, like many contemporary Jews, vary in their degree of observance." (4). Kollontai also mentions that Messianic Jews are not respected by Contemporary Jews as part of the community. I wonder though, why not? Reform Jews have difference beliefs from Orthodox, but most would still consider them Jews. So in this difference or religious belief, why the debate? After reading further in the article, I can understand the resistance, as some feel, "The core of this opposition stems from the view that Messianic Judaism is a serious threat to Jewish identity and continuity because it is an extension of evangelical Christianity — a tool used to convert Jews to the fundamental beliefs, creeds, dogmas and practices of the Christian faith." (8)

When looking at www.mjaa.org, I went and found the directory of congregations of Messianic Jews. I was surprised to find one in Indianapolis, and one in Pittsburgh(my home town). After looking at other states, I found a few more overall than I would have expected; I didn't know this group was so large.

Intermarraige and Judaism

It appears that Intermarraige is another of those hot topics in Judaism today. There is a comical stereotype played sometimes about Jewish mothers telling their children they have to grow up and meet a nice Jewish boy/girl. It comical because most people know that a Jewpish parent is very adament about meeting a Jewish spouse. And the same goes for grandparents; I know first hand my grandmother asked me after my first year at college if I had met a nice Jewish girl.

Clearly the issue is very important to most of the Jewish faith; the primary way an ethnicity or religion continues is through offspring. Especially with the hardships and crusades against the Jews in history, it is important to carry on the faith. From my observations before we discussed it in class, Intermarriage was for the most part, frowned upon. This position was confirmed during our class discussion. Personally, I do not understand why the issue is met with so much angst. As I presented in class, what is it that Jews are looking for, Quality or Quantity. Clearly the most influential aspect of a child choosing religion is their parents, and a child with two Jewish parents will most likely decide to follow the religion. however, I do not agree that just because both parents aren't Jewish that the end result can't be the same.

For this reason, I am very glad to see the website interfaithfamily.com. It seems like a great place with resources for parents and children from an Intermarriage. On of the hardest aspects of an Intermarriage falls on the child, who at a young age, may have be confused by the difference in beliefs. On the sire, there is a whole page dedicated to "Growing up in a Interfaith family". I think this is a great resource to have, and I only found it after search around for 10 minutes. I think it would be much better to publicize this page on the site more.

Ethnographic Research

I found Monday's class on conducting ethnographic research very valuable. Last semester for a Modern Jewish Culture and Society class, I conducted my own ethnographic research on an issue we discussed in F359. I wrote a paper on if/how an organized trip to Israel via Birthright or Study Abroad affect's one's Jewishness. I interviewed four of my peers who had been on this program, and had almost no instruction on how to properly interview them to get the maximum value out of it. Therefore I found Monday's class very valuable. Specifically, how to properly ask questions. One of the biggest pieces of advice I found was how simpler is better. Instead of asking a two part question, I learned to keep it more opened ended.

Additionally, I think using the three questions as a starting point would be very beneficial. For my topic about the movie, "Waltz with Bashir", I began to frame these questions in my context. First, in terms of what group of people are involved, I think this question could have an infinite answer. While one would initially think it involves the characters in the movie, the production crew, and those on both side involved in the fighting in Lebanon, I would argue it involves everyone who sees the film. At this time, I cannot make any judgment on the second two questions, but I think they will properly provide guidance for my research.

Jews of Color

This week in class, we discussed a very interesting, yet rarely discussed topic, Jews of color. While I have never met an African American Jew, I have had a friend in the past that is a Jew and of Asian heritage. Therefore, since I had no prior experience even discussing the subject, I was very open to learning about this community in Judaism.

In a video we watched in class showing an African-American shul, I was surprised to see how the Rabbi conducted his prayers. He said the same prayers as any Rabbi would, but had a slightly different tune, he added some "soul"! In thinking more about music's influence on Judaism, i find this very interesting, as that type of tune is usually associated with African-American Gospel Church music. While Jews can't be considered a race, African-Americans and Jews both represent ethnicity and it is truly unique to see them blended together.

While reading the article titled "Jews of Color", I was shocked to say the least, when I read about the Rabbi that didn't believe Akemee was Jewish and the Yeshiva that drew Naomi away. Considering that Jews face anti-semitsim, I would expect them, especially leaders in the community, to be more aware and considerate.

Birthright

We began class on the first day by watching a video from Birthright promoting the trip. We recognized Birthright was trying to show the aspects of Israel that would appeal to college aged students, the tourist aspects, the fun in going out with friends, the new friendships made. At that time, before we explored the different aspects of Jewish Identity, I would venture to guess most of the class associated Israel with being Jewish.

A very different answer would come now with that question of "does Israel= Jewish?" According to Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, it seems that these trips to Israel would try and associate the two together. I find her eight themes of the Israel Experience interesting, as I conducted ethnographic research last semester of how a trip to Israel through Birthright or studying abroad affects one's Jewishness. I conducted four interviews, two students went on Birthright, while the other two spent a year studying abroad at Hebrew University after their Birthright trip. I can see similarities in my research and the eight themes Kirshenblatt-Gimblett presents. All of my informants mentioned something on the lines of the Right of passage, where they felt a personal transformation in their experience. Additioanlly, I recognize they during Birthright they had the Israel and Tourist experience, while the two who studied abroad felt the Realities. More specifically, i beleive that those who studied abroad saw it as a form of aliyah.

Jewish Films and Festivals

Yesterday in class, we watched two Jewish Films, "The Unchosen Ones" and "The Tribe". Both were done in very different ways and both entertaining. While "The Unchosen Ones" depicted the various stereotypes of people in or visiting Israel, and had a comedic undertone. The second film was more about Jewish history and the current state of Jews and Jewish culture in America. What i found most interesting about "The Tribe" is that at almost no point were there any live actors or actual people on film. About 90% of the film entails a narrator talking while images, computer generated graphics, animations, and clips from other films are on screen. At the very end, we finally see people on screen, in the format of the Brady Bunch and one person in each of 9 squares on the screen. Each person is Jewish and standing in front of a white background wearing only black. I believe the overall film's objective is to portray the Jewish identity as many different things. Also, while it discusses the diaspora and assimilation of Jews in America, it seems as if the creators want to viewer(if Jewish) to not forget their heritage and continue on as a proud Jew. At one point, the films talks about all the different types of Jews one can be associated as, whether it be Orthodox, Conservative, Modern Orthodox, Ultra Orthodox, Reconstructionist, Reform, Cultural Jew, Atheist Jew, Culinary Jew, etc... Again, I interpret this to mean that there is no particular type of "right" way to be Jewish, but we must continue our ways to keep our people(The Jews) going.

On a different note, when I googled Jewish Film festivals, an assortment of festivals came up from many, many cities across the country. As Jews, we don't really reflect on our identity or heritage on a daily, or weekly basis. These films we watched in class are the types of films at these festivals, and I believe the festivals are so popular because it makes us reflect on our Judaism and Jewish identity.

Jewish Theatre

Today, I visited a website "All About Jewish Theatre". As I usually do with a website of any group, organization, or business I am unfamiliar with, I first looked under the "About Us" tab to get a flavor of this organization. it seems their overall goal is to provide a commonplace for discovery and communication about Jewish culture in terms of the stage. While the site doesn't explicitly say, I infer that they do not affiliate with any particular sect of Judaism, and therefore am not surprised they have no classification for who their material is intended for(including non-jews). When browsing the general content of the site, needless to say, I was impressed with the depth of the content concerning plays, musicals and shows revolving around Judasim. More specifically, under the recourses tab, they have a library of all types of cultural productions for all things Jewish.

While browsing the Play and Film sections, I decided to search for anything Purim, and found a lot less than I had expected based on the topic. Much of Jewish history is taught orally, and the traditional way to tell the story of Purim is through a play. When thinking further on this, I came to realize that many productions of this story are on a small scale, whether it be at local Synagogues or JCCs(Jewish Community Centers).

I began to think about what we were discussing in class how there is a comical aspect portraying Jew's influence in Hollywood and Broadway, and realized there are many productions that have one awards and accolades with Judaism involved. In particular, I was looking at the lists of films, and noticed "Brighton Beach Memoirs" by Neil Simon. In this instance, it is a show about a Polish Jew teenager living in Brooklyn and his coming-of-age tale.

Sephardic Jewish Music

This weekend, I attended a conference on Sephardic Jewish Music for class.

I attended a concert performed by Divahn. I had no prior knowledge so I had little expectations for what I was going to hear, and did not expect to enjoy it. The group is very talented instrumentally and vocally. While I could not recognize most of the music, besides a song about Yigdal and Havdallah, it sounded so familiar and comfortable to me for some reason. When trying to understand why, I came to the realization of how important music, melody and dance is to Judaism. Thinking back on my childhood, at synagogue, all prayers had a melody. At all holiday celebrations, there was singing traditional songs. In Hebrew school, songs were a popular way to teach young children many Jewish traditions.

In reading Richard Kostelanetz's piece "Sephardic and Me" I understand his point how Sephardic American Jews and different from Ashkenazi American Jews. While any Jewish community I have been apart of, I have rarely come across Sephardim(I will note unless it is stated, one can't entirely tell unless told). While I understand his perceptiveness, I can't comprehend why there is such a divide. As Kostelanetz explains there is quite a difference in cultural aspects such as pieces of Art, but for some reason I get the impression he sees a divide in these communities beyond the culture.

Jews and the net(b-linked)

While I was in B'nai Brith Youth Organization in high school I was elected Regional President and as one of my responsibilities, I attended an International Convention. At this convention in 2004 with all the youth leaders from each Jewish community in America, the International Director introduced to us b-Linked.com. He mentioned it would be a new portal for us(current BBYO-ers) to connect with ourselves around the country as well as with new and potential members. At the time, I thought it was a cool idea and glad to see BBYO had a new website, but didn't think much would come of it.

Let's move forward 4.5 years to taking a class on "Jewish Identity Today" and reading about b-linked in the Spring 2006 issue of the Journal of the Jewish Life Network. Upon reading this article by Matt Grossman(the director at the time), the words and message about b-linked, I had heard before. "With that in mind, BBYO fine-tuned its target audience, identifying a market of 100,000 Jewish teens who it considers to be “on the fence” Jewishly, and set out to create b-linked. It’s an unconventional entry point to Jewish involvement" (5). While at first 4 years ago I didn't think much of it, thinking now more analytically about the internet and it's uses within Judasim, I think BBYO took a great leap forward. It is clear that the current teen generation is extremely tech savvy and spends a substantial amount of time on the internet. As we have seen in class, there are tons of websites out there revolving around Judaism and connecting Jews together(providing information on various organizations); but b-linked allows for teens who are in BBYO or even Jewish to connect with each other. I think it's great that BBYO was able to be agile in understanding whats on the mind of a current teenager in America, and appeal to that.

As we discussed in class, the vast internet can be many things, good and bad. Some are afraid of its content, freedom, and insecurity, while others appreciate its how easy it is to learn, connect with others, and get information. As soon as Jewish communities and organizations understand the importance of the internet, such as how BBYO has, the more modern these groups can become for the 21st century.

In terms of the websites to look at, I enjoyed seeing www.2lifemagazine.com. It is a magazine based on an entire virtual world!! Ha! Second life is a computer network where people can create an Avatar(person) in a virtual 3-D computer world. I find it amusing that people created a Jewish magazine about a virtual world.

Listening to Moshav

After a highly debated and trade of our Jewish music CD(we traded "Camp Songs" and got Moshav's "Misplaced") I can honestly say I was surprised and enjoyed the music. Upon hearing the other albums given out in class, I wasn't expecting much to say the least. I do enjoy Rick Recht's music and am a huge fan and listen often to the tunes of Matisyahu, but didn't imagine what we got in class to be similar...I was wrong.

But getting back to Moshav, it kind of reminded me of The Fray, or a mix between Ben Kweller, John Mayer, Jack Johnson and others of that rock/pop/alternative variety. Here is what I thought about the music as in relates to class:

How does the music relate to Judaism?
While not coming off as very "religious" music, these artists definitely have a strong connection to their Judaism as well as G-d. The first song in the album is titled "The one and only", and after listening it clearly refers to G-d. The track with the album name "misplaced" is about Hashem as a guide in life. Side note: one song not directly related to Judaism, is about the wars in Israel.

What companies are putting these albums out?
Jewish Music Groups LLC

How does the artist identify with Judaism?
The group compiled of three artists was raised in Israel. Their parents came to Israel from America and settled on a Moshav lifestyle, which is similar to a kibbutz but with more independence. The group grew up listening to Rabbi Shlomo and eventually started playing with him. Teens coming from America visiting Israel began hearing Moshav’s music and they slowly became popular and raised money to come to the United States. the primary relate to Judaism through their music as explained above.

How does the artist fit in terms of genre/Judaism/media exposure?
It has typical rock and alternative sounds, it is a new type of genre, not necessarily classified as either Rock or Pop or Alternative.


I would imagine my colleagues may have had very different music than Becca and i did, and I am interested to hear their reactions in class.

Heeb

For our assignment to read a Jewish magazine, I decided to read Heeb. In high school, I had read it once or twice before and at the time enjoyed seeing a popular national publication similar to any other pop-culture orientated magazine, but centered around things Jewish. Since then, I had almost long forgotten about the magazine until our assignment.

I enjoyed browsing the current edition. Just like in the past, I enjoyed the satirical humorous articles, such as the one about Bacon Wellington(clearly a food that violates the Kosher laws). It seems that the magazine is targeted at Jews who are fairly assimilated into American culture(probably not very religious) between the ages of 16-30. In this context, the Bacon Wellington article shows that even though one doesn't follow the laws of Kahrut, they aren't less Jewish. In a way the magazine presents Jewish culture for the modern day. I got this intention also from the article about Heeb reaching out to the three Jews live "where a bustling community of three Jews live among the throngs of Gore-tex –clad ski bunnies"(www.heeb.com).

Unlike most of my colleagues in class, I do not see much wrong with what Heeb does. Do not get me wrong, I in no way support mocking the Holocaust IN ANY WAY, but I do believe there is a reason and purpose for the competition. Just as we discussed in class, and has gotten national attention on Oprah; there are some Holocaust survivor stories that are stretching the truth. I think that the publicity this competition gets will actually bring to light the fact that some of these stories have been wrongly dramatized and made up. I am not insensitive to the subject at all, and again do not support mocking the Holocaust survivors in any way; but I do recognize this magazine is intended for humorous purposes.

Chabad

When I noticed on the syllabus we would be speaking about Chabad during the class, I was excited. In the past few years, I have heard much about the growth in the Chabad movement, and it's nitch within the Jewish world. I grew up in a conservative Jewish community, yet I would say I am more aware of beliefs according to the Lubavitch than Conservative Judaism.

Therefore, I wasn't surprised to hear the current state of Chabad in Sue Fishkoff's "From Brooklyn to your Living Room", "The Jews who attend their prayer services, who show up for Channukah parties and Torah classes, and who end up giving them money, are not Lubavitchers. Most are not even Orthodox. For the most part, they are non-observant or even unaffiliated Jews[...]who are responding to something in the Chabad message" (11). I have personally seen this change in Chabad. In the past two years, my mother(a non-observing Jew for 48 years) has become extremely involved in our local Chabad house in Pittsburgh, PA. Three years ago, she went through difficult brain surgery to remove a benign tumor. The recovery was rather difficult on a physical, but also on a mental level. As the removal of a tumor is a rather serious life obstacle, she began to look into spirituality. She spoke with our Rabbi at our Conservative Synagogue, and while he is a great leader in the community, she did not feel a strong connection. At this point she discovered Chabad. She completely re-connected with Judaism as she saw it with a new light. Through the help of a Chabad Rabbi, she discovered the beauty in Judaism, and how much of an impact it can have on us. She began taking weekly JLI(Jewish Learning Institute) classes, and has since taken on a leadership role within Chabad to increase the JLI program and learning within the community.

Upon looking at www.chabad.org, i realized that the site's purpose is for someone more 'on the outside' of Chabad, having no prior knowledge. The site isn't intended for Chabad Rabbis or those living in Crown Heights in Brooklyn. Rather it is for someone like me know if trying to learn more about Chabad, or someone with no prior knowledge. In this sense I find it extremely informative, unlike other Jewish websites, as it actually provides information to what the Chabad movement believes in. The first five tabs on the left include all subjects that Chabad has opinions on, from daily life, divorce, holidays, Kashrut and Israel.

1/29

While reading an excerpt form Samuel Heilman's "Sliding to the Right", I was very surprised by the idea that "Some therefore advocate that one can be a better Orthodox Jew in a land where Jews remain a tolerated minority"(298). I was shocked to read this; I was always aware there were anti-Zionist Jews, but never expected them to be Orthodox Jews. At first I could not understand this thought, but after re-reading the section a few times, I can see this point of view. Founded on the principle of separation between church and state and through the centuries of religious freedom, one can safely practice religion and live in a safe religious community in America. I find this especially ironic as I visit the Orthodox Union's website and the first thing on the page is about the war in Israel and how "War brings soldiers closer to their Judaism".

Speaking of the website, I found it very informative, aesthetically pleasing, well organized. Compared to the main websites of Reform and Conservative Judaism, this website really seems like the "home" of Orthodoxy on the web. If I were to venture a guess, I would imagine this site to be the most popular, or have the most average hits of the three. It seems to have a plethora of information here, and mainly serves Orthodox Jews or those who have an understanding of Orthodoxy already. I liked the main scrolling headline with pictures, with 6 different stories or news points. Upon my visit, two were for the weekly parsha; Bo.

By looking at the tabs on top and the left, it appears the Orthodox Union caters to providing resources for Orthodox Jews. Opposed to the other two website, apparently one can become a member of the Orthodox Union. they have different prices for each type of membership. Most surprisingly, during the membership process, it is strictly monetary and not based on religious views.

1/27

I could not access Wertheimer's 2007 article, EBSCOHost required an additional log-in. Therefore this entry will be focused on the websites we have explored for class.

In evaluating the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism's home on the web, I was surprised that the site doesn't clearly define the group's basis for Jewish identification. I was shocked I could not find where the group defines Judaism, who is Jewish and the principles of Judaism. Under the "About Us" tab, there is information on the bylaws, history and mission statement of the organization, but not on conservative Judaism. Next, I explored the tab Jewish Living, however this only presented information on prayers and Torah study.

Although it didn't touch on this important idea I feel a national Jewish website should have(basic definition of Conservative Judaism), compared to www.reformjudasim.org, I thought the USCJ's website is organized better. Reform Judaism had little information on their site and send the viewer to many other links for information. the UCSJ's site had many different tabs on the top and the left of information. I also liked how you could more easily find a local conservative Synagogue on the UCSJ's site.

Overall, it seems that the Reform site gives more information to a non-partisan viewer, while the UCSJ assumes most people viewing the site are Jewish and most likely Conservative Jews finding information about the parent organization.

I did however find www.shefanetwork.org very helpful for theological information on Conservative Judaism. I was especially impressed with the Audio/Visual Torah section, to see that some in the conservative movement are in tune with the newest technology, and can reach out to even the most tech savvy of us. I think this section would be most popular with the younger population of Jews, as they might not have patience to read the weekly Parsha(that is a whole other topic, today's youth impatience that is), but would listen via a podcast.

Thoughts after first week

I was very intrigued by the first reading titled "Inauthentic Jew". It was surprising to hear this perceptive from a non-Jew that is married to a Jew living in a Jewish culture. Last semester I did some research on what is "Jewishness", and concluded it was too fluid of a term to define because it means something different to each person. I liked how he breaks down Jewishness into four separate parts; religion, nationality, culture and race. I can concede in agreement these are the four main pillars one can interpret how the Jewish religion related to them. Although culture is very broad and covers much from Jewish cooking to Jerry Seinfeld, I would say there is one more category for Jewishness, and will appropriately call this part self interpretation.

I can also relate to Cheng's discussion of "Who is Jewish" . In high school, I was involved with a Jewish leadership organization B'nai Brith Youth Organization. I was regional President, and when discussing increasing membership, there was a topic among the executive board and director of who should be allowed to join the organization. We created a policy that anyone could join even if the person wasn't a practicing Jew, but if their parents were Jewish, or other members of their family were Jewish, or even they just wanted to learn more about Judaism.

I was slightly surprised visiting www.reformjudaim.org, in that besides giving information about what is Reform Judaism, it doesn’t have much information besides that. I did appreciate how it gave a link for the Jewish Calendar though, very convenient. The website is informal that it provides many links for Reform Judaism for more information and member organizations.

First Entry

This is my first blog entry!