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Gene Lichtenstein

Gene Lichtenstein

Criticism Remains

Shortly after the bomb went off at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, killing seven and wounding more than 80, David Ward, president of the American Council on Education, sent off a strongly worded statement of sympathy.

Hollywood Dreams

They told this story at the recent Film and Television Writer\’s Conference and swore that it was true.

Dissent in Los Angeles

A few weeks ago, two Israeli army reservists came to Los Angeles to explain why they (members of an organization called Yesh Gvul), and perhaps 450 of their fellow reservists, refused to serve their time of duty in the Occupied Territories.

Differing Views on European Anti-Semitism

The talk here in Los Angeles — about anti-Semitism and Europe — is by turns angry and cynical. And not just from the proverbial \”Jewish man on the street,\” so quick to respond both to real and imagined slights. It is almost as though the suspicion that Europeans could not be trusted, that they were fundamentally bred to the bone as anti-Semites, had finally been confirmed. A Jewish leader here, with considerable professional experience working with European organizations, is bitter: The Europeans need oil, he tells me, and the Arabs have it. The rest is conversation.

The Mideast Comes to L.A.

I suppose there has always been a division between Jews who are affiliated and those who are not. Two separate worlds. The first wears the definition with pride: The Jewish Community. The second by default or distrust or indifference, or maybe choice, seems to be cast adrift, at least from fellow Jews who make up the \”community.\” Now, with the crisis in the Middle East heating up, with American foreign policy suddenly thrust into the very center of the action, with Europe turning against Israel and European crowds singling out Jews, the question arises: Will the two groups come together, accept a common Jewish identity? On the basis of partial evidence, I would say, not in Los Angeles. Or, at least, not yet.

An Affair to Remember: Hollywood and the Jews

Oscar night is almost upon us, and there is considerable talk (and pride) about three of the chief contenders — Halle Berry, Will Smith and Denzel Washington — all of whom are black. But don\’t be fooled: Hollywood and the film industry is still primarily a Jewish story, no matter who deserves and carts off the evening\’s prizes.

Well Versed

The trouble with reading Judith Viorst\’s delightful new book of verse, \”Suddenly Sixty, And Other Shocks of Later Life,\” is that you recognize another decade has gone by in her life and so, presumably, in yours as well. \”Suddenly Sixty \”follows on the high heels of those earlier guideposts – \”It\’s Hard to Be Hip Over Thirty,\” \”How Did I Get to Be Forty,\” and \”Forever Fifty\” – and like them charts the changes and new quirks in her life as another 10 years flit by.

Beginnings and Endings

Every newspaper editor knows that one day he will have to step down. He may put the idea out of mind or revel in denial. But the thought is always there, loitering out of sight. Departure may come suddenly by way of death, illness or age. Or it may spring up with the changes that appear everywhere, while the editor persists in remaining unchanged and, therefore, out of step. Or there may simply, and unexpectedly, be an offer he can\’t refuse.

The State of Play

Almost from the day that negotiations at Camp David broke off this past summer, foundering over Jerusalem, Arafat has been traveling the world meeting with heads of state – in Europe, the Arab countries, the U.S. – and trying to rally support.

Jewish Angst

Recently, a Chinese-American doctor was monitoring my heart as the speed and incline were increased on the treadmill during a stress test. Perhaps he wanted me to relax; perhaps he was bored and was trying to make conversation. Apropos of nothing but my presence on the treadmill, he casually tossed the question at me: \”What do you think of Lieberman as the vice presidential candidate? Were you surprised?\”I gave a perfunctory answer, yes and no, and then heard myself say, \”When I was a boy, his nomination would have been astonishing. Jews were outsiders then. But now we\’re part of the U.S., just like any other white American.\”

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