If you are humanistic (which Judaism in my opinion is), naturally you’ll be startled when someone makes a racist remark. Assigning certain characteristics with ethnicity is not cool. It makes you wonder what if this person wouldn’t agree with elements in MY personality.
People that we love are people that love unconditionally, that accept us with our faults. This is why taking the side of the weaker link in society is fashionable in some circles. For a time Jews served that image. Being persecuted can make you attractive. It could be that our time has come now to be the supporters for other discriminated minority groups, as an act of strength.
RUSHESרעשס festival will carry this humanistic flavor into action by bringing diversity of Jewish voices to Israel in the course of our most critical festival: Purim.
Purim shpiel was always serving a satirical vehicle in our heritage, providing the opportunity to respond to anti-Semitism. The liminal nature of Purim gives us the confidence to ignore the rules, to poke fun and to criticize social structures and norms; Yeshivah students lampoon their Rabbis, communities send up their leaders- Without this annual societal reality check- tensions are ratcheted up without a mechanism to resolve them and become violence.
The first Jewish humor festival in Israel will open its doors in March 2013 and it will promote Jewish culture on its attractive side. We posses grand rich culture of self clever and on the edge humor and we treasured it now into a spectacular collection.
We cannot wait to share it with you and the rest of the world.
Putting it in Israel- the melting pot of contradiction, we wish it will contribute to open access nature of what we want to create- a merge of progressivism with tradition.
But we cannot do it alone. We depend on the generous support of sponsors, donors and partners to continue our work. Take out theoretical debates on human rights into creation and entertainment.
Everyone who takes part as a participant or an audience is a benefactor of this festival.
If you are interested more in our cause, and would like to know in what way you could help to RUSHES רעשס project we are always looking for volunteers, more artists and ideas.
Write your questions to Dana on this email: makingitonce@gmail.com.
See you next year in Jerusalem
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