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Jewish Journal

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April 26, 2021

12-time Oscar Nominee and Non-profit are Bringing Adversaries and Art Together for Peace

Leave a Comment / Entertainment /

Songwriter Diane Warren knows what it takes to bridge divides. Since 1979, she has written hundreds of songs spanning a litany of genres. Her songwriting collaborators include Beyoncé, Elton John, Gloria Estefan, Snoop Dogg, and even writing with rockers such as Joan Jett, KISS, and Alice Cooper.

And many agree that her songwriting is powerful.

Several of Warren’s songs became number one hits on the Billboard Top 100. Twelve of them have been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song—including country tearjerker “How Do I Live?” from the film Con Air and the power ballad “I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing” from Armageddon (which is still Aerosmith’s only #1 hit).

Warren’s most recent Academy Award nomination is for a song called, “Io Sì” (italian for “Seen”) from the film The Life Ahead. The film is about an elderly holocaust survivor in Italy (played by Sophia Loren) who takes care of a young Senagalese refugee.

Co-written and performed by Laura Pausini, the song is a heart-wrenching compliment to the film’s motifs of solitude, trauma, and the struggle for human connection.

The refrain in “Io Sì”, “I want you to know that you’re seen,” resonates with audiences around the world all suffering a shared peril. It has now been recorded in several languages by Warner Music Italy, streamed millions of times by listeners.

“The song took on added meaning with what’s going on in the world because we don’t see each other, really, so many people feel invisible,” Warren said in a recent interview. “Then we have COVID on top of it. People can’t see their friends, can’t see their families, they’re locked in their houses and apartments.”

The opening lyrics of reassuring love speak directly to those audiences: When you feel like no one understands you, I will, I will. / When you think no love can ever heal you, mine will, mine will.

Warren’s lyrics aren’t just platitudes. She is an active member of the Creative Community for Peace (CCFP) — a non-profit founded in 2012 that gets prominent artists and performers to promote the arts as a bridge to peace, to counter antisemitism within the entertainment industry, and to galvanize support against the cultural boycott of Israel.

Warren’s lyrics aren’t just platitudes.

The arts are a vital mechanism in creating lasting change. For audiences living far away from a conflict zone, an effective way to get the unaffiliated to take notice isn’t just the evening news. Politicians and generals can yell and scream at people how they should feel about something, but it’s the artists who create the feeling itself.

The CCFP stands firmly that entertainers boycotting Israel are not helping in the quest for peace between Israel and Palestine. A film, a song, a book, a painting—those tell a story, they bring in new audiences, create new perspectives, and promote empathy.

Warren agrees, that “nothing can change the world like music. Music goes to your heart not to your brain, it’s visceral. You react to music, you don’t think about music.”

When The Life Ahead director Eduardo Ponti (who is also Sophia Loren’s son) sent the script to Warren, she thought it was “such a beautiful story” of bringing people together.

“The idea that you can make families with whoever, you become a family no matter what your background is, what the color of your skin is, what your beliefs are, true love,” Warren explained in an interview with CCFP.

Warren’s own family was very much on her mind during the 93rd Academy Awards. Although her song did not win, the day held an even more special meaning for her: the ceremony took place on what would have been her father’s birthday, April 25th.

“My dad was the first person to ever believe in me,” she reflects, noting that her first Oscar win after twelve nominations would have been a “great birthday present” for her father.

Warren’s father passed away in 1987 at age 70, just before her first Oscar nomination for writing the song “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” from the film Mannequin (a song which played on screen during this year’s ceremony immediately following the acceptance speeches from the producers of Nomadland after winning Best Picture).

Before the ceremony, when asked if she had been preparing a speech for her potential first Oscar, Warren lamented that she had not done so, admitting “I’m just gonna cry if it happens!”

And it would have been fitting, as audiences listening to her acclaimed song lyrics over the years have been brought to tears as well.

Brian Fishbach is a music journalist in Los Angeles. 

12-time Oscar Nominee and Non-profit are Bringing Adversaries and Art Together for Peace Read More »

East Jerusalem Clashes Are Worst Violence in Years

Leave a Comment / Israel, News, Wires /

(The Media Line) Tension continues to flare in Jerusalem’s Old City following several nights of violence between Palestinians and Israel Police officers.

Clashes have taken place almost nightly directly outside Damascus Gate, part of the Old City’s wall,  since the start of Ramadan on April 13.

Hundreds of police officers in riot gear, some on horseback, are deployed around Jerusalem. Police officers have confronted the protesters with stun grenades and rubber bullets, while the demonstrators threw water bottles and hurled rocks at police.

The current violence is the worst in years between Israel Police officers and Palestinians in the city holy to Muslims, Christians and Jews.

Palestinians accuse police of keeping them from holding their traditional Ramadan evening gatherings on the steps outside Damascus Gate, something they say they’ve done for years. Police have set up metal barriers in the amphitheater-style plaza.

The Israel Police have used water cannons and stun grenades to disperse the gathering Palestinians after the daily end-of-fast prayer services. More than 100 Palestinians have been wounded, while the Israel Police said at least 20 officers have been injured. At least 40 Palestinians have been arrested.

Palestinian political analyst Rasem Obeidat told The Media Line that the violence will continue unless things change.

“These confrontations will continue as long as the harassment by settlers and extremists and the escalation by the Israeli security establishment continues,” he said.

He accuses Israel of restricting Palestinian movement because it wants to impose its sovereignty and control over the city.

Obeidat said that, with their protests, Palestinian youth “broke the barrier of fear and became more daring and audacious in confronting the extremist settler groups and the occupation army.”

One young Palestinian man who has been involved in the scuffles over the last few nights accused the police of intimidation.

“We have always sat here outside Damascus Gate and there weren’t any problems; the police are causing problems by forcing us to leave,” said Suhaib, 19, a Palestinian from east Jerusalem.

These confrontations will continue as long as the harassment by settlers and extremists and the escalation by the Israeli security establishment continues.

Eli Nesan, an Israeli political analyst and expert on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, told The Media Line that the ongoing tension is not beneficial for either side.

“Things should return to normal because the continuing tension between Jews and Arabs in Jerusalem is not in the interest of any party. Merchants in east Jerusalem will suffer if the situation continues,” he said.

The tensions in the city fueled parallel protests throughout the West Bank and Gaza, seeing Palestinians demonstrating in solidarity with their brethren in Jerusalem. Palestinian militants in Gaza launched dozens of rockets toward Israel on Friday night and Saturday. Israel responded with airstrikes targeting Hamas positions in the coastal strip.

Hamas, the Islamist group that governs Gaza, with other Palestinian armed factions issued a joint call for Palestinian armed resistance in Jerusalem.

“After a long series of protests and demonstrations, we have reached the conclusion that without weapons we cannot liberate our land, protect our holy sites, bring back our people to their land or maintain our dignity,” senior Hamas official Mahmoud Zahar said.

Nesan says that there are some who are attempting to take advantage of this tension.

“Hamas is taking advantage of this issue, trying to inflame emotions and tension and escalate the situation in east Jerusalem,” he said. Still, Hamas is not going too far, since it is not interested in a major military escalation with Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Saturday attended an emergency security meeting with senior defense officials, including army chief of staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, and afterward said that he had instructed security forces to prepare for “any scenario” in Gaza.

“We are maintaining the freedom of worship for all residents and all visitors to Jerusalem as we do every year,” Netanyahu said in a statement on Saturday night. “I call for calm on all sides.”

The head of the far-right Religious Zionism party, Bezalel Smotrich, criticized Netanyahu for his “calm on both sides” statement, saying that: “Maybe it’s time to replace him.”

Nesan says that such rhetoric may be seen as “incitement” and a call for increased violence against the Palestinians, but he says its “just talk, no more” unlike Hamas.

Tension had continued to mount throughout Jerusalem. On Thursday night the Lehava Jewish extremist group held a protest calling for “death to Arabs.”

This is a spontaneous demonstration that came within the framework of defending Jerusalem against the occupation practices and policy in the city, and therefore any Palestinian party trying to ride the wave is wrong and will lose

At the same time, there have been attacks by Palestinians on a number of individual Jews in the city, including a Jewish man beaten by a group of Palestinian youths in east Jerusalem, a Jewish man attacked in a park in west Jerusalem and several attacks on Jews as they walked to prayers at the Western Wall.

Palestinians in Jerusalem were warned against any faction trying to capitalize on the events.

“This is a spontaneous demonstration that came within the framework of defending Jerusalem against the occupation practices and policy in the city, and therefore any Palestinian party trying to ride the wave is wrong and will lose,” said Obeidat.

The office of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas issued a statement condemning “the growing incitement by extremist far-right Israeli settler groups advocating for the killing of Arabs.”

On the other hand, Obeidat says that Netanyahu may use the tense situation to save his political career.

“He is experiencing a deep internal political crisis and is unable to form a fourth government, and thus he may push for escalation as part of an attempt to influence the religious Zionist parties,” he explained.

Early on Saturday, Jordan strongly condemned “the racist attacks on Palestinians.”

Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi tweeted: “As the occupying power under international law, Israel is responsible for stopping these attacks and for the dangerous consequences of failing to do so.

East Jerusalem Clashes Are Worst Violence in Years Read More »

Stray Bullet Kills Jewish Reporter for NPR Affiliate in Kansas City

Leave a Comment / News, United States /

(JTA) Aviva Okeson-Haberman had come home after apartment hunting in Lawrence, Kansas, where the reporter for the Kansas City NPR affiliate was about to start a new job covering social services and criminal justice.

On Friday, Okeson-Haberman was hit by a stray bullet that entered her first-floor apartment in Kansas City’s Santa Fe neighborhood. The Jewish journalist was found unconscious and rushed to a hospital, where she was placed on life support.

On Monday, her colleagues at the affiliate, KCUR, posted an anguished obituary reporting her death. Okeson-Haberman was 24.

Kansas City police are investigating the shooting.

“Social services is a tough beat, but I’m a tough reporter,” she wrote in her application for her new job at the Kansas News Service, a statewide reporting initiative headquartered at KCUR. “I’ll ask the hard questions, dig into the data and spend time building trust with sources. It’s what’s required to provide an unflinching look at how state government affects those entrusted to its care.”

Okeson-Haberman hoped to focus on foster care because she had spent time in foster homes in her teens.

One of her most compelling recent reports was an audio diary of nurses on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic. Peggy Lowe, the reporter who found Okeson-Haberman unconscious and went with her to the hospital, told the first responders about those reports.

“That made the nurses love her last night, even though she wasn’t conscious,” Lowe said in the KCUR obituary.

Kansas City’s mayor and the governor of Kansas were among those who offered their condolences and memories of Okeson-Haberman on Twitter.

Okeson-Haberman, a native of Springfield, Missouri, won prizes for her efforts at the University of Missouri’s highly regarded journalism school, from where she graduated in 2019.

One of her early reports for KCUR was in 2018 at an event featuring talks by survivors of gun violence, among them Jewish students from the mass killing that year in Parkland, Florida. She also spoke to Jack Reeves, a friend of Reat Underwood, one of the victims of a deadly antisemitic attack at the Overland Park Jewish Community Center in suburban Kansas City.

“Losing someone that you personally know is unlike any other feeling because it’s not like it’s some issue that you are isolated from that’s happening on the other side of the country,” Reeves told her. “It’s something that is happening in your community that you have a direct relationship with.”

Okeson-Haberman’s passion and powers of suasion are evident in a high school report from 2015 on practical ways to help the environment. She urged other students to emulate her temple, which she said was “like a church for Jewish people,” and which donated 50 cents for each page of Hebrew school homework for a cause chosen by the class.

“Last year we chose WWF (World Wildlife Foundation), a charity that helps wild animals,” she said at the time. “They wrote back, telling us we raised enough money that we had saved a tiger! They had also enclosed a picture of the tiger. So maybe you could do something like that for your neighborhood. Many small steps lead to one great deed.”

On April 9, on Twitter, she announced her new job and seemed more than ready to take on the task.

“I won’t officially start until mid-May but in the meantime you can DM me or reach me at aviva@kcur.org,” she said.

Stray Bullet Kills Jewish Reporter for NPR Affiliate in Kansas City Read More »

Four NY Synagogues Vandalized

Leave a Comment / News, United States /

Four New York synagogues were vandalized over the weekend. The instances of vandalism occurred at the Chabad of Riverdale, Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel of Riverdale, Riverdale Jewish Center and Young Israel of Riverdale. According to the Community Security Service (CSS), all four instances of vandalism were perpetrated by the same individual, and they all involved the smashing of windows.

“From a security perspective, we are concerned that Jewish institutions are being harassed or vandalized for the third consecutive time in one week,” Evan R. Bernstein, the CEO and national director of CSS, said in a statement. “The eyewitness accounts of our volunteers, coupled with footage of the alleged perpetrator days before committing the acts, represents a clear desire to inflict harm on the Jewish community.

“The Bronx’s Jewish community, however, should be reassured that The CSS is monitoring the situation closely and that its trained safety and security volunteers are on the frontlines to work with law enforcement to ensure the highest level of security for its Jewish institutions.”

The New York Police Department (NYPD) tweeted out a photo of the suspect from security footage:

According to The Dark Wire news site, a fifth incident of vandalism occurred on April 26 at the Riverdale Jewish Center.

New York politicians condemned the vandalism. Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, said in a statement that he was “appalled” by the vandalism and that he is directing the New York State Police Hate Crimes Task Force to help the NYPD.

Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a statement that he was “appalled” by the vandalism and that he is directing the New York State Police Hate Crimes Task Force to help the NYPD.

“We stand with Jewish New Yorkers — an essential part of the fabric of our state — as we do with all victims of bigotry, and I look forward to seeing this investigation resolved quickly,” he said.

 

Representative Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) similarly tweeted, “We are angered, saddened, and disturbed to hear of the anti-Semitic hate crimes in Riverdale. Riverdale is an inclusionary, accepting and loving community. Riverdale is a resilient community, and hate has no home there, or anywhere in our district, state, or country.”

Jewish groups also denounced the vandalism. “A truly disturbing string of #antisemitic attacks in the Bronx this weekend — with multiple shuls the target of violence,” the Anti-Defamation League tweeted. “@ADL_NYNJ is hard at work with the Jewish community & @NYPDHateCrimes to assist in bringing the individual responsible to justice.”

The American Jewish Committee similarly tweeted, “These attacks remain all too frequent. We cannot allow antisemitism to become the new normal.”

Stop Antisemitism also noted in a tweet that the vandalism occurred the morning of the various rallies to support justice for Sarah Halimi, the Jewish woman who was murdered in France. “We demand those responsible are fully prosecuted with hate crimes!”

Four NY Synagogues Vandalized Read More »

Oscars 2021: Jewish Nominees (Nearly) Strike Out

Leave a Comment / Entertainment, Hollywood /

(JTA) — It was an unusual Academy Awards in several ways.

Forced to adapt to social distancing protocols, the ceremony was split into different venues but mostly took place in Los Angeles’ Union Station. For only the second time in history, a woman won best director — and the first woman of color at that, as the award went to Chloe Zhao for “Nomadland,” which also won best picture. And then there was Glenn Close’s meme-able dance to the self-explanatory 1988 song “Da Butt.”

Also notable: a very low number of Jewish winners.

To be fair, there was not a large pool of nominees to begin with. And “Nomadland,” a portrait of homeless nomads who move around the American West, did feature one Jewish producer who got his hands on the top prize — Peter Spears, a former actor best known before Sunday night as a producer of “Call Me By Your Name,” the hit 2017 drama based on Jewish writer André Aciman’s novel of the same name.

Here’s a roundup of the other results and moments we had our eyes on:

–Sacha Baron Cohen lost in the best adapted screenplay category — his “Borat” sequel was beat out by Florian Zeller’s “The Father,” an adaptation of his own play. Cohen was also nominated as best supporting actor for playing Jewish activist Abbie Hoffman but lost to Daniel Kaluuya, star of “Judas and the Black Messiah.”

–Ann Roth won best costume design for her work on “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” and tied the record for oldest Oscar winner in the process (James Ivory was also 89 when he won best adapted screenplay for “Call Me By Your Name” in 2018). Along the way to working on over 100 films and plays, Roth has designed costumes for some of the most respected works of the last half century, ranging from “Midnight Cowboy” to “The English Patient” to the recent lauded Broadway version of “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

–“White Eye,” an Israeli short film that tackles white Israelis’ biases toward African migrants, lost in the live short category to “Two Distant Strangers.”

-After winning best screenplay at the Golden Globes, Aaron Sorkin‘s “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” about the 1968 Chicago Seven protesters, was up for six Oscars. Sorkin was personally up for best original screenplay. But the film didn’t win any on Sunday night.

-Pixar added to its Oscars chest, as “Soul” was awarded best animated feature film. In December, Rabbi Benjamin Resnick compared the movie’s philosophy to ancient Jewish ideas.

-For Jewish songwriter Diane Warren, 12th time was not the charm. Her tune “Io sì (Seen),” from the film “The Life Ahead” — which stars Sophia Loren as a Holocaust survivor — was nominated for best original song, the 12th time she had been nominated in that category. It lost to “Fight For You” from “Judas and the Black Messiah.”

-“Mank,” director David Fincher’s film about the legendary Jewish screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz, was up for a leading 10 awards, but only won two — best cinematography and best production design.

-Several famous Hollywood Jews were included in the show’s annual “In Memoriam” segment, paying tribute to stars and other industry veterans lost in the past year. The familiar faces included Carl Reiner, Jerry Stiller, Joel Schumacher, Joan Micklin Silver, George Segal, Sumner Redstone, Ronald Harwood and Walter Bernstein.

In accepting an award for his humanitarian work, filmmaker Tyler Perry talked about combating hate and about his inspirational mother. In one story he recounted, he found her at home one day when she was supposed to be at work. He said she worked at a Jewish community center, and there had been a bomb threat at the building. “She couldn’t believe that someone wanted to blow up this place,” he said.

Oscars 2021: Jewish Nominees (Nearly) Strike Out Read More »

“Shark Tank” Star Apologizes for Tweet Praising Farrakhan

Leave a Comment / News, United States /

Daymond John, one of the stars on ABC’s “Shark Tank,” issued an apology on April 25 for praising Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan in a since-deleted tweet. On April 22, John wrote that Farrakhan’s speech during the funeral for the late rapper DMX was “powerful” and that Farrakhan’s “deep understanding of the Bible and respect for other people’s religions was truly inspiring.”

Several Twitter users responded to John and pointed to Farrakhan’s history of anti-Semitic comments. In response, John tweeted that his “comments on Minister Farrakhan were only related to what I had just witnessed, unbeknownst to his prior stances. As someone who was fortunate enough to have a step dad of Jewish faith, I do not condone and never would any anti-Semitic, prejudice or any remarks of hatred.” He added that he deleted the tweet “to avoid further pain and confusion to anyone who has felt hurt in the past by any negative comment of his.”

Users replied to John with gratitude for his apology. “Thank you for acknowledging this, apologizing and deleting it!” Stop Antisemitism tweeted.

“Thank you for this, and please don’t be swayed by the pro-Farrakhan bullies who turn a blind eye to his antisemitism, misogynism, and homophobia,” writer and researcher Karys Rhea similarly tweeted to John.

During his speech at the funeral, Farrakhan said that DMX had a positive impact worldwide because he was “genuine.” DMX, whose real name was Earl Simmons, died from a heart attack on April 9.

“Shark Tank” Star Apologizes for Tweet Praising Farrakhan Read More »

What Caitlyn Jenner Can Learn from Schwarzenegger

Leave a Comment / Columnists, Commentary, Opinion /

I don’t think that Caitlyn Jenner will become governor of California. But I’ll admit that I didn’t think that Arnold Schwarzenegger would get elected either, nor Donald Trump for that matter. So my record on first-time celebrity candidates is not exactly stellar.

At this early stage, there’s no way of knowing whether first-time candidate Jenner will turn out to be Schwarzenegger or Trump or Ronald Reagan or Jesse Ventura or Angelyne. But as Jenner prepares for her role as the latest GOP contender in California’s increasingly unusual recall campaign, there may be some lessons from Schwarzenegger’s candidacy that will help us determine the decathlete-turned-reality-TV-star-turned-politician’s level of seriousness.

After Schwarzenegger chose Jay Leno’s Tonight Show’s couch as the platform from which he announced his candidacy back in 2003, it was widely assumed that his campaign would consist largely of muscle-flexing and movie one-liners. But Schwarzenegger went in the opposite direction: He soon began emphasizing his policy goals, which allowed him to be taken more seriously than a neophyte celebrity candidate might have otherwise be seen.

Shortly after his announcement, Schwarzenegger convened a series of issue-based meetings with policy leaders that highlighted his interest and attention to the more substantive aspects of governing. Large-scale rallies received a lot more publicity, but talking about jobs and taxes with the likes of Warren Buffett and George Schultz helped convince voters that the movie star understood the demands of the job.

Schwarzenegger went on to outline policy goals over the course of the campaign in a range of areas, from economic growth to environmental protection to campaign reform. It’s doubtful that he would have been elected without his larger-than-life persona and off-the-charts name recognition, but that tangible platform provided him with the credibility that allowed him to triumph.

It’s impossible to guess whether Jenner will follow that example, and so there’s no way of knowing how Jenner’s decision might impact the campaign or which side will benefit most. Her presence in the race will certainly increase media coverage and public interest for the recall, which is very good news for its supporters. But unless she takes the time to demonstrate a familiarity with the basics, Jenner’s involvement could also contribute to the circus atmosphere surrounding the election, which is exactly what Gavin Newsom and his advisors want.

The unique nature of Jenner’s candidacy also serves to underscore the sheer unpredictability of a recall election. Most public opinion polls show Newsom surviving the effort by a comfortable margin, but as California continues to navigate its way out of the pandemic, increasing case rates in neighboring states offer a reminder of how precarious those improvements — and Newsom’s standing — could be. The challenges of reopening the state’s public schools have already proven to be politically perilous, and ongoing challenges with drought, wildfires and homelessness all represent wild cards as well. Newsom has a strong advantage at this point, but his survival is by no means assured.

Newsom has a strong advantage at this point, but his survival is by no means assured.

That uncertainty makes Newsom’s efforts to prevent another Democratic candidate from entering the race even riskier — and potentially reckless. The peculiar nature of the recall means that Californians will vote on two questions on the ballot — first a simple yes-or-no on whether Newsom should remain in office, the second a list of potential replacements. If Newsom succeeds on the first question, support for Jenner and the other candidates will be irrelevant. But if Newsom does come up short, he will be forced to leave office and his successor will be chosen from the list of alternatives presented in question two. Right now, that means that the next governor would either be a Republican or a quasi-celebrity (or in Jenner’s case, both.)

Newsom’s allies strenuously argue that the presence of another Democrat on the ballot will rob the governor of the ability to argue the recall is nothing more than a partisan effort. “Beware the Evil Republicans” isn’t just a catchy bumper sticker: It’s a powerful message in this deep blue state. But if the recall does manage to pass, then Newsom will have left his party out in the cold and left his state to be run by a conservative governor who publicly supported Trump in last year’s election.

Newsom’s hubris represents a gamble of immense proportions. Running the risk of losing his office to another Democrat would be a considerable blow to his ego. But the possibility of being replaced by a Make-California-Great-Again Trump acolyte is something that a more circumspect governor might want to spend a bit more time trying to prevent.

Dan Schnur teaches political communications at UC Berkeley, USC and Pepperdine. He hosts the weekly webinar “Politics in the Time of Coronavirus” for the Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall.

What Caitlyn Jenner Can Learn from Schwarzenegger Read More »

Satirical Semite: The Missing Goat

Leave a Comment / Columnists, Opinion /

My first home in California was at a summer camp where I worked as head of drama in 2009. That was where I learned my first American word, “S’mores.” Although I never understood the appeal of roasting Graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallows over an open fire, it is an important custom.

My time at camp was memorable, not least because it was the summer of Swine Flu. It was the first time I had stayed in California for an extended period, and the nearby Santa Monica mountains looked familiar from all those episodes of M*A*S*H, when Los Angeles doubled for South Korea. We didn’t realize that the summer camp would quickly build something resembling a M*A*S*H unit (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) when many campers came down with swine flu, wrecking their trip to camp. The nurses’ office was overrun with sick children, an old dining room was converted into an infirmary with 100 beds and some parents who had just dropped off their children at the start of camp had to return and take them home again. I then learned my second word in American English: “Purell.”

The last 14 months have been intense for everyone, so perhaps it would be prudent to convert all of America into a Jewish summer camp. Shopping malls can be converted into Israeli dance pavilions, camp staff can drive on freeways in golf buggies and office blocks can turn into climbing walls. Electric power cables can be used as zip wires, peoples’ front yards can become horse riding trails and public sidewalks would make perfect archery ranges.

I heard a true story about a summer camp that was reclaimed by nature due to last year’s coronavirus shutdown. The site operated on its year-round skeleton staff, who tend the grounds, and one person looked after the camp’s horse stables and other animals, which included three goats. The goats were securely surrounded by a steel pen and safe as could be. Except one day a goat went missing. It didn’t make sense. The gate was untouched, the fence untampered, and there was no explanation.

A few days later, a staffer thought of looking at the security camera footage and discovered what happened to the goat. There was a tree next to the pen; a mountain lion climbed the tree, edged along the branch, reached into the goat pen and pulled out its dinner. Phew. The mystery was solved. The summer camp facilities manager could relax! They would fix a grill to the roof of the goat enclosure, relieved that the petting zoo animals would be safe from the carnivorous mountain lion that now resided in the grounds of the summer camp. Problem solved!

It gets even better. As the manager watched the following night’s security camera footage, more animals wanted to join the petting zoo. The mountain lion was joined by her two cubs and two adult lions, a pride of five that calmly walked through the camp. Apart from this popular summer camp being taken over by deadly animals, the grounds would soon be ready for action next summer. The most disturbing thing of all was that the lions were not wearing masks and not socially distanced.

Apart from the camp being taken over by deadly animals, the grounds would soon be ready for action next summer.

The very next day, a maintenance person took matters into his own hands when he saw a mountain lion wandering through the camp in broad daylight. He aimed his rifle and shot it on the first try. He disposed of the body but found a tag in the animal’s ear, so he threw that in a trashcan at home. Within 24 hours a large vehicle with tinted windows showed up outside his house, and two black-suited officers stepped out and arrested him for killing an endangered species. It turned out all of the animals were tagged and micro-chipped. The authorities already knew that the lions had to be reined in, but the unfortunate maintenance guy had to serve one week in jail and got fired, all in the name of wanting to protect the camp.

It’s less than two months until the summer fun begins. Young athletes are clamoring for camp sports, while would-be singers and actors are eagerly awaiting auditions for the camp musical. Maybe this year it’s best to skip performing “The Lion King” and just stick to eating S’mores. Please pass the marshmallows.

www.marcusjfreed.com

@marcusjfreed

Satirical Semite: The Missing Goat Read More »

Climate Action Has Never Made Me Feel More Jewish

Leave a Comment / Commentary, Opinion /

Fiery orange skies. A record number of tropical storms. A global pandemic, triggered by humanity’s unstinting exploitation of natural resources. For 364 days of the year, doomsday messages dominate the world of climate media. As a graduate student in Environmental Communication, I consume a lot of them. And sometimes, those messages consume me.

But then there is Earth Day.

Once a year, motivational newsletters flood my email inbox, inspiring me to reduce my meat consumption, plant a tree in my backyard and beautify the world around me. I go on my favorite hike, notice native plants in newfound places and try my best to convince my parents to invest in solar panels. On Earth Day, I feel true motivation to take action on behalf of our planet’s climate. This 51-year-old holiday makes me feel like a sustainable world is possible and that, by reducing my own carbon emissions, I can make an impact in this monstrosity of a crisis.

Yet when I consider just how bad our climatic future might be, Earth Day feels painfully inadequate. As the highest emitter of carbon dioxide cumulatively, America is not doing nearly enough to reduce its emissions. President Joe Biden’s recently proposed infrastructure plan aims to reduce emissions by investing $2 trillion in public transit, electric vehicle infrastructure, disaster relief and climate research. Although the plan is an important start, it would only cover a fifth of what multiple reports estimate the federal government must invest to avoid the most severe consequences of global warming.

Unless we commit to spending $1 trillion each year for the next 10 or more years, experts predict we will see an increase in the frequency and severity of global pandemics as well as a catastrophic rise in sea level, shortages of food and water, increased violence and warfare and economic collapse.

Meanwhile, our individual efforts to curb emissions are often futile. For decades, corporations have lied about their role in the climate crisis, using slick PR campaigns to convince us that the fate of the planet rests on our isolated actions to curb individual consumption. Since the 1990s, for example, the plastics industry has spent millions of dollars on fallacious recycling campaigns so they can sell more plastic without public pushback. Corporations know that when they deflect attention from their own, much larger carbon footprints, they can continue to profit from destroying the environment and harming communities. This is why I keep getting those saccharine eco-newsletters. Earth Day, despite its radical origins, has absorbed the myth of individualism.

Our individual efforts to curb emissions are often futile.

The hypocrisy is almost too much to stomach. I am happy to bike more, eat less meat and buy locally — these things all have positive ripple effects — but I’m not deluding myself. That isn’t the best I can do to stop our climate crisis. What we need is good policy, now. While research suggests that individual behavior change is significant at a societal level, strong federal policy is necessary to affect change on a structural scale.

That’s why I am taking leadership with Dayenu, an intergenerational climate action organization that harnesses the power of community to advance new climate policies. Dayenu offers an alternative to individualistic climate approaches by coordinating political action on climate change.

Before joining Dayenu, I never imagined being an organizer. I also barely thought of myself as Jewish. I’ve never been at the frontlines of political movements before. And I only came to my Judaism five years ago, after learning that my grandparents survived the Holocaust.

In some ways, I’d already been channeling Jewish values in my environmental work — I just didn’t have the community and ritual to frame it. My coursework in food systems and my love of farming have connected me with family, cherished friends, agrarian history, and personal wellness practices. The values that keep drawing me back to the soil can all be found in Jewish tradition.

Before I joined Dayenu, I had seen Jewish values and environmental values as two distinct systems for leading meaningful lives; the former might offer community, spiritual guidance and a connection to my ancestors, while the latter could challenge me to consider what it means to be a human and a future ancestor on a dying planet. Now, as I learn more about climate organizing and Judaism, I have come to believe I need both Jewish and environmental values to sustain my work –– and that, actually, they’re one and the same.

As I chant “Dayenu” for our climate, I imagine my grandmother, who will turn 100 this June, as a young woman singing with her family in the years before she hid from the Nazis. When I raise my voice for the climate, I am honoring her resilience and that of my ancestors while acting to ensure my own descendants can, one day, do the same. Our history demands us to act boldly, even when we are daunted by the crisis we’ve inherited.

You can contribute to making a difference by picking up the phone and calling your representatives to demand that they respond to the climate threat. Already, Congress is drafting legislation to ready American infrastructure for a warming future. Your participation in the Dayenu call campaign will help push for bigger and bolder investments within President Biden’s American Jobs Plan. When the federal government prioritizes the climate, we stand a better chance of creating a world reflective of b’tzelem elohim, in the image of divine wonder and justice.

Grace Wallis co-leads the Dayenu Circle at The Orchard. She is currently finishing her graduate studies in Environmental Communication at Stanford University. To participate in the Dayenu Call Campaign, please visit Dayenu.org/call.

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Protestors Rally for Sarah Halimi in Front of French Consulate

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About 150 protestors, including many French residents, gathered at the Los Angeles French Consulate on Sunday to protest the French Supreme Court’s decision that the killer of Dr. Sarah Halimi will not be held criminally responsible because he was under the influence of cannabis.

On April 4, 2017, Halimi, a 65-year-old French Jewish physician, was attacked in her Paris home by Kobili Traoré, a 27-year-old neighbor and reported drug dealer. According to court testimony, Traoré beat her while screaming “Allahu Akhbar” while reciting verses from the Quran. He then threw her out of her third floor window to her death.

The Los Angeles rally, one of nine held across the world, was organized by the National Bureau of Watchfulness Against Anti-Semitism (BNVCAO). Speakers included Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean and Director of the Global Social Action Agenda for the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Roz Rothstein, co-founder and CEO of Stand With Us, David Suissa, editor-in-chief of the Jewish Journal and local Frank activist Francky Perez, U.S. representative of BNVCAO.

Similar rallies were held in Miami, Paris, Marseille, Tel Aviv, London, Strasbourg, the Hague and Rome. The Paris rally drew an estimated 250,000 people.

At the rally, Perez noted legal options that remain in the case. “The European Court of Human Rights can condemn France, but it will leave us unsatisfied because it will only be symbolic. What we want is for the murderer to be tried and condemned by what we call in France ‘Court d’assise’, a jury trial.  So there may still be the possibility of a review trial if the lawsuit is filed on a different motive.”

“We are furious and at the same time deeply hurt and very concerned that anti-Semitism continues to rise to dangerous and deadly levels in France,” Rothstein said as she led in the crowd in a chant, ‘I am angry!’ President Macron says the law has to change. Ok. Words are great, but words are cheap without action.”

“We are furious and at the same time deeply hurt and very concerned that anti-Semitism continues to rise to dangerous and deadly levels in France.” – Roz Rothstein

Rabbi Cooper said, “We mourn our sister Sarah, whose soul was murdered a second time by French judges, who snatched justice from her by setting her murderer free because he smoked pot. We declare in front of French territory here in Los Angeles, no Justice for French Jewry, no peace for French Jewry, no future for France.”

L.A. resident Irwin Ruben, a 75-year-old psychiatrist who attended the rally, said, “I’ve been following situation for several years and I am angry. I want to do something. Pot does not make you psychotic. It just makes you high. This ruling is crazy.”

Photo by Harvey Farr

Angelique Bohbot, 43, who is French and a U.S. citizen, said: “I am here as a French Jewish woman. I am very mad. I am not happy to be French right now. I am here to support Sarah.”

At the time of publication, Traoré remains in a French psychiatric hospital.

Harvey Farr is a community writer for the Jewish Journal.

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