Rootless Zine 2

R ootless Cosynopolit an

Voltntte Is s ue 1

A t n Ltg tt :i t t c ttLto u t C u I h n' t I ILc s r s t rt rt c c

F o r I s r a e l .t h e e v e r l o v i n ' p c o p l c :I d o i l f o r you' D e a r R c a d e r s .I c a n ' t b e l i e v ei t ' s t h a t t i m e We have a lot i.n common. You're a world y e a r a g r i n , f i n a l s .k l e z k a m p .C h r i s t m a s fannous crimina.I defense J,awyer who p e r m e a t i n ge v e r y p o r e o f N e x ' Y o r k C i t l a l teaches at Harvard. r/m a third year law student who goes to cardozo/ Lhe a n e w i s s u eo f t h e w o ! ' s tc i r c u l a t e d .m o s t Harward of lower Fifth Avenue between 12in and 13Eh streets. oh, and we boLh u n d e r a p p r e c i a t e dz i n e c o t n i n go u t o f care a lot about the future of the 3ewrsh people. You $rrote a whole book about W a s h i n g t o nH e i g h t s : R o o t l e s sC o s m o p o l i t a it carled v a n i s h i n g A m e r i c a n J e w " "The searching for Jewish rdentity in the T h e t h e m eo f t h i s i s s u ei s C u l t u r a l Next Century." And I read that book. You seem to think that there is a crrsrs R e s i s t a n c eO. r r a t h e r . c u l t u r a l i n s i s t e t t c e . in Amerrcan Jewrythat's the Vanishrng Jew of the title. * I n s i s t c n c et h a t j u s t s a - v i n gH a p p y H o l i d a l ( r a t h e r t h x n M e r r y C h r i s t m a s )d o e sN O T And the crisis we Jews find ourselwes in now? whrther the cri-si-s? one can s o m e h o wi n c l u d e m e i n t h e o n s l t u g h to f hardly weekly open a Jewish without reading more news about the sad state t r e e s .c h e s t n u t sa n d s l e i g hb e l l sj i n g l i n g . of * I n s i s t e n c et h a t k l e z m e r i s n o t a f a d . a s j-ntermarried Anerican we've Jewryand assimilated ourselwes to the very br:-nk. An -hi (see Simon Rawidowi,cz' s excel.l-ent essav rsraer, m a n y i n t h e J e w i s h i n s t i t u t i o n a lr v o r l d s e e r The t o think. Everdying People for another pornt of view). Nonetheress, many agree that a * I n s i s t e n c teh a t t h € d e v i l ( o r t h e J e w )i s i n problem exists. And what's the soLutr-on? FuIIy funded trips to Israel, socral t h e d e t a i l sa n d t h a t t h e d c t z i l s a r e w h a t young Jewish clubs for singles, synagogiue based ',continurty,, programs, all m a k e u s s o u n i q u e l y ,s o l o v a b l v ,r r s . these have been put forward. as sofutrons to the probJ-em. I would suggest that a T w o g r e a t f i g u r e so f C u l t u r a l R e s i s t a n cael deeper rnvestrgation into our "problem" might merit better sol-utions. Thrs e p i t o r n i z et h e R o o t l e s sC o s m o p o l i t a n : rnvestigatron woul-d start wrth the people who created the policy and ideologry M a u r i c e S a n r u e la n d S i m o n R a w i d o w i c z . that woul-d be central to the Iives of those in the DiasporaZi-onism. I know I B o t h m o v e d e a s i l l f r o m e a s t e r nE u r o p et o you about Zj-onism, Mr. World don't have to telf W € s t e r n E u r o p e t o t h e t i n i t e d S t s t e s .B o t h Fanous -though-no onew e r e a t h o m e i n t h e s e c u l a rn n d r € l i g i o u s recognizes-him-now-without-his mustache. But, indulge a pedantic faw student w o r l d s . B o t h w e r e a t h o m e e q u a l l yi n for a moment. H e b r e w a n d Y i d d i s h . T h e y h o v e r e do v e r m a n v w o r l d s a t o n c e -s o r n e t h i n gt h a t Zionism as a modern movement had many important leaders and thinkers, one of p r o b a b l yw a s n ' t e a s y -b u t i t t a k c sm 1 ' b r e a the most importan+* being Ahad Ha'am (One of the People) . The influence of the a w a l ' t h i n k i n ga b o u t h o w m u c h h a r d e ri t i l j . s ( b o r n work of Ahad Ha'am Asher Ginzburg) profound)-y still felt rn Amerl-ca, t o d o t o d a y . 1 0 1 - e a r sf r o m n o w , w h o w i l l b get the wide acknowledgment though he does not generally or interest accorded a b l e t o p u l l o f f t h i s k i n d o f m a g i ct r i c k ? to other leaders of the Zi-onrst mowement Like *Rawidowiczwas as much a loverof golus Theodore Herzl. But it was Ahad Ha'ann who worked the formul-a out that would al1ow all segiments of Jewish . e o f Z i o n , : r s s t r a n g ea s t h a t s o u n d s H society, secufar and religj-ous, to bel-iewe in, and $rork for, l n s w e r e d t h e c r y o f t h o s ew h o w o u l d the establishment a b a n d o na l l t h r t w a s s y m b o l i z e db y g o l u s of IsraeL as a modern, polrtical entity. He is also, i-n my oprnion, the father (theTalmud. Yiddish,the "ghetto j-n the US. I'm not talking of secular Judaism as we experi.ence it formal about m e n t a l i t y " . . . ) w i t h h i s b r i l l i a n t c s s a yO r t l . secular Judaism, Ii-ke che Humanisti-c Judaism movement or the Yiddi,shast Conceptof Galut, Galut, he 2rgued, is not : f mean the culture movement of yesteryear. of the average/ Conservative or p i e c et h r t c r n b e c a s t o f f . e x c e p ta t t h e Reform identified Arnerican Jew. e x p c n s co f t h e w h o l e . G o i n g b a c k t o t h e f i r g o l u s i n B a b y l o n - h e a r g u e dt h a t g o l u si s a A syntheslzer power was needed because of Ahad Ha'am's the Jewish attitude i n t c g r a lp a r t o f t h e J e w i s he r p e r i c n c res homel-and was so fragmented. toward creating a Jewish Sone religrous Jews felt m u c ha sZ i o n . rt was heresy fsraeJ, until to rebu-ild the Messiah c a n n e . ( S o m e J e w s , s u c h a s t h e " S i g h . C u l t u r a l R e s i s t r n c eH . ow do I love Neturei Karta feel stil-l this way) Some movements felt t h e e .r y l ' h od o I l o v e ?J e r v l i aE i s e n b e r gt,h c Jewish that securj-ty g c n i u sb e h i n d T r i l e c t i c . t h e l € t t € r so f W a l t and peace was j.ntertwj.ned with the rights groups of other mrnority i-n Eurooe t-he proper B e n j a m i n a n d A s j a L a c i s s e tt o d o o - w o p and that course was to stay where they were and work for the t h r e e p a r t h a r m o n y - t h r o a ts i n g i n g - f u c k e d \atsf6rmdnf ^€ 6r'6ryone. Some felt that the Jewrsh homeland shouLd be rn places g o r g c o u sm u s i c .T a l k a b o u l r e s i s t a n c ew- h +-han rsrael, other most notable uganda. Ald nany/ many people simply could not was the lasl time you saw a showin New p r o l e c t belreve that such a could succeed at aII, no matter under what banner Y o r k C i t y w h e r e t r e a u t i f u lF A T w o m c n :-t went' forward. r o c k e d t h e h o u s ea n d i n c i t € dl u s t i n e v e r y o n e ' sh e a r t s ? * J e w l i a , D o v C h a r n e v ( f o u n d e ro f s w c r t s h The anLeresting thj-ng about Ahad Haram 1s that it seems that he himsetf didn,t really bel-iewe that Israei as a politicai real-ity was even possible. f r e e A m e r i c a n A p p a r e l c o m p a n v ) ,S a s c h a He was cer:ainly cautj.ous in his hopes and he adwocated B a r o n - C o h e n( a k a A l i G . ) , A m y G o o d m a n extreme care in preparat:on D e m o c r a c yN o w . I l o v c y o u a l l . Y o u k e e pt for mass aliyah. He obserwed that many settlements had failed due to inadeguate smiling. trar"ni.ng in the necessary skiLLs and unrealisti.c expectations on the part of t' l^ the settl-ers. underrying this attitude \fl'1 was Ahad Ha'am,s berief that the P e a c ea n d i r i e v i b e s , 0 creatj-on of a modern Israel was not an end unto itsel-f and cerCainly not the Rokhl bas Cyprus. editor-in-chief arI o^ -n- g a- , .w, - a tI - rt^ei o g a Er Ln^ *el ! 4 r r- ev^ F! !LL ^r r s ^ . . - r ^ ^ t o E r e t z Yrsrael. He saw 1t more as a Rootlcss Cosmonolitan ' J e w i s h solution to the Problem' of the day (more on thrs rater). Ahad Ha'ann foresaw, cJuite accurately, that most Jefws wouLd stay in the Dl_aspora as condttions there improved and only those troubl,ed by their status as Jews t-n grol.us (the exile) woufd go !o the new homeland.. Dear

Mr.

Dershowttz

lrleno /o Derskowt'/2, coafia*J Ga* Pq Z Neat trick. Ahad Ha'am assr,rmed that both secular in and religious Jews shared coInmon a desire to preserwe the Jewj.sh people spiritual entity as a distsinct, Seeular Jews might leawe it at that. Religious further. He Jews would take it sj.multaneously cut the heart out of secuiar Judaism wh:.le elevatrng the Orthodox as the gatekeepers of Judaj-sm's This essence would be well essence. cared for and would, everyone theoretically, rndrrectly benefit e1se. Trickle down Judaism was born. Huzzah. I should point out at thi.s juncture in the context of the that secuLar Judaism, work of Ahad Ha'a:n, would include Ahad and Reform movements. the Conserwatiwe Ha'am himseff was born into Of course, he a Hasidic family in a Russian shtetl-. -.he brrght Ieft and that }J.ghts that shtetl way of lrfe for as soon as possible and modern ways of cosmopofitan with training stayed Odessa, His tradrtional him, nonetheless, family is for the rest of his 1ife. Being raised in a Hasidic not something so easily cast On the one hand, he found the traditional off. world he relected a in whj-ch he had been raised Rationally, to be 'petrj-fied' traditional, way of life of stagnating in order to choose the flexibility modern:.ty. But he struggled rejection to harmonize his rational of that with traditi-on hj-s emotionalcontemporary attacLrment Note weJ-l the very to it. resonance prod.uced a confused of this struggle. ft body of work dewoted to finding those elements by a modern person and of Judaism that could be accepted were worth preserving. what was it could cause one to That is, in Judai.sm that were reject yet Jewish values it as a way of life cling at the same time? "Lo it na

I annar

rra I rra.l

Or

something

like

i n

j-hcmqot

rrcq

hrrf

the

attachrnent

to

those

values

was

that.

egalitarian

feelings

{osnc'fr{,fo

+

Top 5 .t 8oa,<s ii 3- , j3ro.I *{"e-

?rcPil Ever DY''r''1 bv Si,,a*du,,dau t

walued.

of the rejection But Ahad Ha'am was dead consistent in one sense- his wholesale (and by extensj-on, form of Jewish Reform Conserwative) movement as a legj,timate not to practice. is subject religious He formulated thus: religion his belief demand (or suggest) reform might tso dewelopment. For example, femin)-sts but the Patriarchs are wLrerever that the'Matriarchs be inserted in the ]-iturg1' liwe in a we unquestionably mentioned. They might ask for thj-s, even though upon patriarchal Rabbis are looked where adwances such as female society to them. According askance, even in the Conservative movement whi.ch ordains continue their where Jews could Israel Ahad Ha'am's formula, would be the place of the Jewish When, under spiritual developrnent unimpeded. the influence of become intolerant imperatiwe of social society had truly Israeli lustice, would rt be the most then, and only then, misoqyny and supportive of eguality, most fo raflFet orrrdceDpst. natrlrel thind in the world for the litrrrro unimpeachable

ffa,

.

really cared with me so far? If you cared you'd move to Israel. If you really, Ahad Ha'am you'd And what about Good question. everyone else? be Orthodox. explicitly beliewed, and wrote, homeland would serve as a that the new,Jewish 'focus walues for the of spiritual i-dentrfication' of emotionaland a 'source was rest of the Diaspora' to sound familiar? Problem was, the former Star-,ing easy, too easy. And the Latter? I'm sti11 waiting. ground. We've arrived investigation into the back on familiar A cursory 'Jewish foundatj-ons of Zionism Probl-em' to be intimatel-y shows today's 'Jewish has been kinds connected to yesierday's Problem' Education of all But let's be touted as the answer to ioday's crisrs of Jewish alienation. the kind of education Drawrng on my own honest about that's been on offer. and many of those it bhat the experience, of my generation, becomes obwious own and Reforrn movements too coLlusive in thei.r Conservatiwe hawe been far sprrrtual obsolescence. That is, in return for, what' (?), the educationaL arms of these movements newer included a Lruly Jewishly educated and creatj,ng people. was to create observant The goal akrn to a terrorist a group of people, sleeper cel1, l-j-ke the platoon in the Manchurian who cared about the Candidate, survi'.ral of the Jewish people though they drdn't as a unique spir:.tual entityquite know why. Their 3ctual would knowledge and culture of Jewish practi-ce

Z.TncJe'*s'

-!oc;*t ?a*{rrn5o{

a4A,1f#ttrr*';:f" t'**"e 3 .ES 5c"Y5, Nt moirs L1 At"'"t'

lta em (fcotnsic'fecl Si*o"r) 61-a."^ I

aT ' t. Ah*dfla r

lr

'

4hc Z,'cnisna at

Vy {tat F'+u.eVario,:5quYhdrs

5.

\i o'; #en$itr5

ra1 Nl"r,Q, Somu*r

remain project

low, identifi-cation but their would be successful. Jewrsh

wrth Israel would culture in America

be high. Israelas would becorne a disaster.

For many of us in our 20s and 30s, the education we reeeived seemed haphazard and mediocre at the trme, but:.ts larger usefulness and clarity of purpose l.rannmae arri^on+ ,!hon further exami_nation. memorv FOr examD1e, a Hebrevr school bcFrq i s hci nd tauoht tn rFe.i Hehrew Fi nc so far. When s h a r e d b v m a n v vo- f .m r L lv rvvwhat the words meant, it came to learning one mi-ght thj-nk that we would be in the context the language of the liturgy. That is, the taught for 90t of us, was gorng to be lhe only context we would synagog'ue in which ever use Hebrew. teach us what we were saying rather So why not nonsense than 1et us chant Hebrew was taught, But no, whatever s.'J-Iables? for the most part, was modern IsraeliHebrew. My name is RachaeI. f'm hungry. Pleased conversat-ional, as Can f meet you latrer at the d:-sco? Come Friday to meet you. nighE we might we weil have been chantrng nam-ho-yo-rengi-kyo it meant to us. Further, for all with pronunciation. were afl taught lhe standard Israeli/Sephardic Of course, (rnyself parents included) for many people spoke Hebrew with the Eastern , their practice So, even when there accent. was rituaf in the European Ashkenazic where glaring/ in accents, often home, the difference struck a note of discord Hadn't hawe been harmony. I recentl-y this should mentioned to my brother. there pronounced Hebrew so differently than we drd? Yeah, he noticed that our father He just wrongr aI1 those thought that Dad had been doj.ngr it he had noticed. My Hebrew school was a Holocaust years. The examples are endless. teacher pronunciation have from Pol-and. Her natrve of Hebrew wouLd undoubtedly surwivor I wonder Eoday accent, though I never heard 1t spoken. a Ceep Ashkenaz carried (the orthodox when she went to her own shul her and if, swrtch bothered i,f this from my conserwative across the street synaqoqTue) she spoke in the ofd shtrbl ray

or

not.

goal of teaching if us Hebrew had been to enrich the uLtirnate More importantly, hide wouLd newer have had to so tortuously my teacher of Judaism, our practrce us prepared Ahad Ha'am saw for for self. No, we were being the role her true a big mass with vaguety sentimental ago/ the undifferentiated, aIl those years at the ready. We wouLd not be able to participate gui-1t and checkbooks complex prepared. No matter, we had been so inadequately because religrousJ-y we find, And should all. or Reform observance i.sn't real, after Conservative oE if we wanted to inclease our Jewish connection, that some accident, through for in general, the Zronrst something meaningful we were even just searchingf me a grea: A, just told activation. My friend, was there, awaiting suggestion berng Most of what she remetnbered about her own Hebrew school- experience. story and in Israel obserwance were thrngs like the difference between holiday taught how the teach.rng I commented that about kibbutzim. I remenlf,ered here and stuff (the Israeli grawity. Weird, anthem) and the shma were giwen egual of Hatrkwah on. how they chose seemingly random things Eo focus I choughts out loud, What was the point? Then my friend tol-d me kibbutzim. How useless! Ilati-kvah, graduatj-ngi ends as to how to mark from coJ-J.ege she had been at loose that after of A's Europe? A friend A cross-country trip? Back pack through the occasj-on. a totally to work on a farm for the surrmer. That seemed cool, was going who Her mother, experi-ence. My friend A mentioned different thj.s to her mother. A kicking and screa.ming to Hebrew school aII those years, had dragged why not go to a krbbutz? DING! WouLd you like to pfa!' a game of suggested: +,o sa1', the plan why nct go to a kibbutz? Needless dj-dn'!- go far solitaire? with who send foiks us to kibbutzirn. interwiewing the people like after and my friend, who up to then had been pretty much as unaffilrated Nonetheless, however temporarrly. from Judarsm as possible, had been 'activated', alienated pLrrpose had almost been fu1fil1ed. Now al,I she has to do rs He:. true Almost. it wrll- be a true nake a Lot of monev and donate to Israel and she reall-v z l :rra h fa r

a€

7. t aa

rjltrmately, here is how, whether we a1l the real story we wanted to or not, Not because we beli.eved became Zioni-sts^ rn it, but because we had no choi-ce. (most of by consciously That is, cutting off American Jews from their culture rvhich is Eastern European in origin) and subscj-tut:.ng the deferred culture nodeJ- ernvisioned by Ahad Ha,ann, a deal was struck thought we wanted then. I ask you Mr. Dershowitz. h1:mo

rrnrr

,

va € r

a ^v ,u. r- S € . u

But when it comes about the crJ-si-s. Peace

and

\r\ +t rf

It

rokhL

irie

We're was it

time

wi_bes,

to

look

for

a solution,

r

ask

you

paying now for what we worth it? Not that I

to

thj-nk

a lj-ttl-e

more

Roo*[es> Co:*: '[^.* 5

prili*t

ltssrs -f

An'",ui.i kif' .i ]Ann.{o*J|

L.Abrillia"{

q^d a' ti;to5o?ht t-

il{;tJ q;*{^so'rr' dF

iiu

eflihmc

tC* Rao*fes5 titqa ' Cosmo?o

tlqre Z. Mqrjh6{US

J;tt rirl 3'u t^r'{4 S$qh>+,rcS Vo*

l(neuj Yo.l l.$- oatY needad,Nrs-.ooi nc\t"r

q11e$ v,f f? +e llld " thlho caft s?

3 . YousL o-rl}fo4 tt lcaE*,L27"n {alaa'tt

h" darcKh \ ?ionisn o{A'Lr's ft"'''j a,i u*r to 5;^tof.. ^r, D - .;bao-r /a riucl,\;ddialr 4. *cel11 lri.oaatYsi5 ta AS Ail'S fuflur44'

iio&rn tirvs. -t1. *;fit a ica€ tr ' o';t,' t {;sk*i.;4 -

kli*:*:t::*y

bq Pete Rushefsku

Uthatthehellisthattlting? An Iittroductian to the Klezmer Tsintbl When North .Anrerican.Ieu'sthink of klezrrerntusic.-jazzvbrassbandsled Lrv c l t r i n e r sL r s L r acl lor u t el o r r r i r r dB r r ti r r earliertjmes. thc'kIeznrerknpcl.t.e,s (ensenlbles) in Easterl Europewere predontinantlvstritrobandsled b,"violins acconrpanied by the tstmhl (crrlbalonr). or hatnntereddlrlcinter.

board".).The first record of a .leu'isir player of the instllLurentcomes fi'om r'r'hete Lerlberg (nourLvir'. L,lc-zrine) r'r'asapprovedb1'the Abus Cyr-nbalista musician'sgLriidto plav fbr Catholic b a n q u e l si n 1 6 2 9 M i g r a t i n g . l e ui s h nrusiciansr.l'crehettcetbrthcentral to the Eastern snreadof tl-retsintblthrotLgh Er-uopeand the Balliansover the nert ot-tt' Several tluee centr"tties l:::,:' tlentlontrrg' ?,*u,.= ate wofll-t

The tsirnblispla,vedlikt: a xvlophone bLrtentploysstringsinsteadof wooclor metalirlocks.The plaverstriliesthe > t r - i u Susi t h u r a i l e t so f r c np a d d e cul i t l r c o t t o no r I e a t h e rA. s w i t h a p i a n o ,e a c h riotestrLrckon the instnrurentresoniitcsa coLlrseof foLrror fir,estlingsthat have beenplacedclosell,togetherand tuned to the sanreprtch.The multtple strinss prol'idethe tsirrtblwitlia rich ar-rd often hauntingsonority.Of cclurse.the dorvnside,to this constructionis the larqe nunrberof strinesto lieepiu tune--ntost tstntbl.sliirve over tu'ent).coLtrsesand nrore tltan otrehundredstlings whiclr nrLisibe chechedand adjlrstedprior to perfonlanc:

the Adan N4icliienitz-considered literature' Shaliespeareof Polish baseclhis characteriaukielthe ;;ilJy Mrckiewitz-'s^ ,.i .t" t;itblist (fi'on-r realeptc Pan Tader'rsz)on lr-lttsterplece of Fe1'orr.iran ili. i.r.ttonn"r Mordkho of St' ta'rr.r* ancl\'ar-rlielLibelmar-r Petersberg The most f anror,Ls klezntel musicirn of a l l t i m e u ' a sp o s s i b l vM r k h a i l G n z r i < o v ( 1 E 0 6 - 1 E 3 7B ) .o m i n S h l i l o r "( n o r vi n BelarLrs). GLrzihovplavedtsimbl and flute,br"rtgainednotorictyas a pla-v-er of the sltrrotfirlel, which though literall-v translates as "straw violin" lvas real11,' a prin-]itrv e xylophone.

Tsiutblsevuii,ed lronr a nrcdiei :.1 Gerrnan instrun-ietri cal Ied tl-teltctcli h rt.t t (literallytranslatingto "choppine

Y' Jish16adrSu*^o, 7l

P o s t c a r dO n e :

I o m e n s c o n c e d s te o my,sw e a ty,so o ty,New Yor k, but the cour seis f o n t o s t i co n df ' m h op p yto b e h e re -th o u gh not oboutm y clossm otes. f meon,I 'm n e u r o t i cbu t n o t l i ke th e se f o l ks.f' m not needyoboutEVERY SI NG LEL I T T L E T H IN 6

f d o n ' t n e e o t o b e t o l d f ' m d o i n qo k o y e o c h

t ime f s o yo s e n l e ncea f yrd rsho n d f d o n 't needto hovesomeone sit b e s i d em e o t t h e Y i d d i s h

co sef d o n' t under stondsom ething ondf

d o n ' t^ e e dt o h o v eo l u n c hd o t e t o t h i n k I ' m o w o r t h w h i l eh u m o nb e i n q . Te ny e o r so f t h e r o p yl o te r o n d .ye s, s true, f' m hoif- sone, only b.,, compoflSon.

'l'l '

o u(5/

tr:,^f'l^JaaeS

.{n rncrediblevitluoso r.r'itha flair' for e r - l t e r t r i u n r cC n t .r z i l < o rt o t t r e dt l t e S r e l t of Eiirope fi'om Odessato operahotLses Paris.And u,hat shtick-- though not zlll obserl ant Jen' ( several exceedrn-9i1reportsof hiur concet-tizingor-iShabbos silrvive).GLrzikovwould alrl\reon stage Jressedin F{asrdicgarb. ti-rencarefullr' hrs xy'lopironeblock by block assenrble cn a bed of stt'aw.The attdtence's laLrgirter soon brol,,eittto a hushedau e. as GrLzihor,r'r'ouldiaunch into dazzlirtg and classicalthetles. soloson Jewisl-r

The lastof the greatJeu'ishtsin-rblists u'as.losepirMosliowitz. Bom tn Galatsr. R . o r r r r i ui ui at i r e i E - 0 s . M o s k o \ l\ t z vrlroseiather r.ras also a tsimbl plaver. prodig-v*. toLrredE,uropeas a c1-rild coEurigratingto Neu' York, ile becat-ue at etrteftalner) (and cl-rief ner o\\ Vloslior'r'itzand Llrpou itz's r'r'inecellar cn the Lou'er East Side. a popLrlargatheringplace for the cit1,'sYiddish

ir-rtelligentsia.

\ s t u j t a n r e l rt lo h r s p o p u l a r i t v F . renclr \\,omen virlr"roso's ocier1, adoptedthe ri1,r or' (sideioclis)as a poplrlarcoiffe r'r-nrt-d rrglv t "C Ltzilior s." t not sLrrprisi

\\iith Moskou'itz's deatl.rin the 1940s' tstntbl might have passedinto the .Ter,r'isl-r oblivion.bLrtlLrckily,aspectsof this greattraclitionhave sun'ived' The instrut'tlentis still quite popular in parts of Eastem Eltr-opeand Balkans,often w'ill-rRoll ( gypsy)utltsiciatls' associated The .TewishslrrllalllesZimbier arid Zimbahst--actressStephanieZimbalist of Renington Steelefaureatldher musical family collle to r-uind-f'attrorts ser\e as testalllellt to aucestorsl'rtho

The Jeu'ishtsintblevenmade occasional appearances outsideof the Paleof Settlement.lsaac Isaacs\\'as a German hnr-rr ,lrrlr-rnrr-r nlrver r,iho made his the tavernsand theatersof living plal,ing Dr-rblrn.later becoming l Sth centnr'1' c-mployedas the pet-sonalentertainerof a u ell-linovnir brothel madat-n.

n 1lrvedthe tnstrtttnetlt'

\ l L i c l l r r t e ra' .t t l r cb c l i n n i n go I t l r c ".

o'.ri,'ilrn*'rrr'rr'

"

I r i e r - i . r O t t tl s i p t l , l C t -

u as tcaturedin a var"rdeville tour of \or-tir -{nrericaand .ALrstralia as "Uncle Sarl ar-idI'lis Magic Strings." Sittin_c :rtu'hat looliedto be a piano.he would ' r l : r r l l t , o n c r t i r t , ,l r ; r l s o f B c c t l t u r e 3 ' s

Fitih. at which poir-rtthe prop '"voLrld ! I T

. o l l r u s e r c r c r l i u r t l t e J L rI c i : t r c r '

a

P o s t c a r dT w o :

lond

idJ;>h

Mosi pronrisinglla , . s n r a l ln u p t b e ro f lileznier ntusiciernsherr.,e r,r,orl<ed to r e ! l \ i et h e i n s t r i r n r e tsr ti n c et h e I 9 7 0 s . Irrtei':stnt the rcintblhas qrou,nof late eiongw,ithexplorationof tlie older E r r r o p e l nI t l e z r r r er re p e f l o i r .l e nd styles. I t s e e m st h e a r t o f . l e w i s ht s i m h l u , i i l i v e o n a s l o n g : r sl i r e r . ler . c r r r r r s i c i n n r vsi l [ r tirepatienceto lune.

oq?

c u l t u r eb y b e i n g h e r eo n t h e 4 t h o f g l o t o b o u tA m e r i c o n f o ml e o r n i n o jul; , . F o r e x a mp l e ,th e h y o l do h o t d o g eoiingcontestat coneyr slond "Wiener w h i c hi s c o v e r e db y t h e n e w s p o p e rl isk eo r e o l e v e n t .H e o d l i n e : win r . e r e c e i v e sfro n kSo f a g ra te fu lnction."Then,two doysloter ,ther e' s n ti o nco u g htthe winnerin the oct of biting o s c , r n d o lo' .n e l e l e vi si osto d o w i ro n h i s f i r s t h o t d o gb e f o r e t h e s t o r t i n gp i s t o lw o sf i r e d . W h o t d o moyoskz of Tndependence,you hot d o g sh o v eto d o w i th th e D e cl o rotion n o t h o t d o g si n t h e i r m o d e r nf o r m o r e r t t u r n so u t u p o ni n v e s t i g o t i ot h indeedon Americoninvention.As onother example,both of Americon c u l t u r eo n d i t s p e n c h o nf to r h e o d l i n e - w r i t i nt9h,e w h i t es u p r e m o c i swth o s h o to b u n c ho f J e w s ,B l o c k so, n dA s i o n si n t h e m i d - w e s its r e f e r r e d t o i n n e w s p o p e r s - i q b l o i od ns dt h e T i m e so l i k e - o s s l o y - s p r eseu s p e c t .A" s i n , "Sloy-Spree SusPectShoots Self." f";*A

a chct's :ine stule ratttttrgs o11oltl' Yi cldish tc

.fot'

aar!"t si oiltlll ;'n h o spit als dt sa7t7t

by reenalcat:

goli'itt cxatn1tlc,t'rtt1g1'(at-alnft trti:l lnA'l1l Oi 'it alxC tlxffe t l t ' C

i u : l r n r i n c ir. c a l l h e r : l ' a i s ch e l l . n o l . iL l s t I r e r 'b. u t t h e p t " < 4 t ' co/f h e r ' .r a i s el r e l l a s a v e s s e l r: a i s eh e l l a s a b c a c o n a . t o r c h .a n d i p t h r n ko f t i r eb o d i e so f a l l t h e a t i e n l sa n d |esiclenla s t t h e b o r ; r i - c s(te n t r e . f o rg ( ' t ' i L t t t ' i a ' ( ( r r c .a s v e s s e l s- a s r o o n r so f n r e n r o l r ' t. h e t ' e a r e s o n t a u \ 'i n t h e h o s p i t a rl ' i ' i t hr a i s eh e l l . ' . h e l ea r e s o n u l n \ / i n t h e h o n t e u h e r e t t t r g f ea t - a u n 1c h a i s t r r ad i e d . t h e r e a r e s o r r t a l t v a i t h e t e r r a c eu i r c r er a i z l l i v e d L r n t isl h e f e i l i n r o n t h sa g o t h c v a l ' e\ \ ' o n r e n ' sb o c il e s . inerr'b s o d i e sa . l l o l d a n d g e t t i n ao, l d e r .e v e t r t ith p a s l 1 0 0 .s o n r ep a s l 1 0 5 .t l r e r c a l l o L r u u ' h a t d o u'e a n d t h e i r d i s h e v e l e dr r e n r o r i e s . h d c u ' i t h t h e m ? u ' h a t d o u ' e h e a r ?t h e v a v e alrvavsbeen or.rrteachers,artd u'hat are thev t e a c h i r l ql t s n o u " ? l l r e r ea r e l i t e l a l l vr n i l l i o n so f d o l l a r si n v e s t e d in presen'ing t l i e s ep e o p l e .u , e s u c c e e di n p :e s e r v i n s , t hj ;e-b o d i e s .l t u t n o 1t h e i r r t r i n d s . u , e ' r ' ed e c i d e dt o r e s p e c t h e r n i s 1 o p t ' e s e r v e t h e i r b o d i e su ' i t h o n h , u r i n i n i a a l t t e n l i o u1 0 t h e i r n t i n c l se. v e n t h o i t g ht i t e i r r l i n d s a r e l l r e i r ' l e n t p l eosf d i g r i i t l , t. h e i rh o u s e so f n r c n - ! o r 't\hi .e h o s p r t a lu ' h e l e r a i s el r e ) l s i l s i s pan of a rrrassivecare contp/ex.titere are t h r e eh L r g e : b L r i l d r n g e sa .c hu , i t h i t s o u , n t a s k inlhe ntcttrixctJcare each building has its o u , n s p e c i f i co r i e n t a t i o n .i 1 i s a s r a n d i o s e c o n m u n i t v p r o j e c t .o n e o f p r e s e r v a t i o tiit r t h e t e t ' n r su , e s e t f o r o u r s e l v e sa n d o l r r e l c l e r so. f l e n u , i t l r o L rct o n s Ll rt a i i o i r . I the terrace thet, have the lesicieritshave inclepenclertcet h e i r o l l , n l i i t c h e n s .a r r de a t c o r r r r r r r r r a l l l s nddr.rplogrrrrrs o r ) c ea d a r . t l r e i rr r r e a l a a r e d e s i g n e da r o L l u dp h y s i c a la c t i v i t i e sa n d jeu'ish culttt'e. there is yiddish hout"'. d i s c u s s i o on f c u r r e n te v e r ' r tisn I i d d i s h .r h e r d r s .e x e r c i s et.h e r e i s : c r a J i s .t l r e r e i s : L ' n r c t ' t c t i t l n t L- ,inht a r e b e e ni o 1 o or t r a r t -or f t h e s ee v e r r l s i: h a v e p e r f o r u r e da t t l r e n r .t h e l ' b r e a l
r:

c h a s s i d i cb o r s c h o i r s .b o l i l l , cn e r d r p i a n o t r i o s . u n c l e l c o o l i e cpi a r t o ' ro c a l d u l s a n c ll i l i e u s . ( l e s b i a n l)i l e z t l l e rb-a n d s .b t t l u e a l e a l l u ' i s p so f a t h i c l i p i t s t \ \ ' e a l l n t i s sl l t e r l l a l ' l i si(e a n c ti h a l r e a l i l r ' i sp a l p a l r l et.i l e f e s i c i e l l ti a g e t . r r l i r l i l c i t t u l r a ll l r e _cr i l l t lltcr Ilttttt ltl t l i e i r r i c h a n d c o n t p l e r r t t e t l l o r i e st r e i r l g p r e s e u l e da s b l a c l i a n d r i ' h i t ec l t r s t vs h a d o u ' s t h e v c l a p a t t h e e l t d . s l r L r f f l eo t r l - b a c l <1 c r u ' h e e lo f f o r t L u r eI.l a l r . i o n g g a n d b i n g o . i ' r n ) u c k v e r t o t t g lt o l i r r o u ' s c ' , t l roef t h c n l i n c l o s e rf o c u s a r r dt h e l r l r e f a c e t l i e v L r r i n gt o arlcl et,erv cltees)'eveltt. l'acesof fit-s1-u'ave r :c c so f ' f i d d i s h s e c o n d - r . l ' a v1e- e m i n i s n f. a t l a n s l a t o r sa t t d p r o f c s s o r s f. a c e st i r a l i i n o w r e g i o n a ia s h l < e n a zt ai t t t i r l f o r e v e r r n i g t . t : f a c e st h a l L t n i o n i z e df:z r c e st l r a l e s c a p e d- it r s t b e f o l e . d L l r i n ga n d a f l c r : f a c e sf l ' o n l c o m m u r . r i sste c r . t l al ri t e r a r v o i r c l e s :f a c e so f e v e r v s l < i l la n d t r a d eu ' e ' r ' ef o r g o t l e ni l r p l a c e o f l a u ' . i r ' ) o ) t e \c' .l n t p . r l e r s -a n c lz - i o n i s t b r ai n u ' a s hi n g .

II il-'e erPotex ceritie 'honre' Iinou,r.ras llre [r1'1o.r't nanredafter t h e p h a n r a c e r . r t i c ac lo n r p a n vt h a t f t r n d e di t . e a c h p a t i e n th a s t h e i r o \ \ ' u r o o n r .t h e r e i s h a r d r v o o de v e l v u , l r e r ' et h. e m a z e o f h a l l u ' a l s are eacir narriedafter birds and trees.there a r e i r r d o o rt r e e sg r o \ \ ' i l r gi n t h e l o b b r , .a n d l parrots narled :is and chai. their cage is 8 f e e t h i g h a n d 4 f e e t r v i d e .t h e i r s t L r n n i n g c o i o u r sf a d e i n t o t h e f l u f f y ,t o l ' s h u m a n sp u t i r r t ot h e i r c a g e f o r t l r e r nt o e r r j o v t l t e f i r s l l i r n e i u ' e n t t h e r e . i t h o L r g l rit h a d a c c i d e u t a l l yg o n e t o t h e u t u s e u t nb e c a u s e e a c hr o o m h a d a g l a s s c a b i n e t o u t s i d e u , i t h p i c t L r r eo sf family. artifacts.'judaica t h e r e i s a n e e r i e f e e l i n g o f p r e - d e a t h i. t h i n l i t h e v a r e t r f i n g t o m a l < et h e i r l i v e s i r . n p o n a n t b u t i n s t e a dt h e y a r e a r c h i v i n gt h e i r I i v e sa s d i s t l r r t n r e n r o r ' )b e f o r et h e l a r e e \ e n g o n e .

for a e a c h f e s i d e n t i a fl l o o r i s d e s i g n a t e d i e v e l o f t l e u t a l c a p a b i l i t l ' .a s t h e n r l m b e r s i n c r e a s ea. b i l i r y d e c r e a s e si .t h i n l i : t h e y a r e g e f t i n s c l o s e l a r l d c l o s e rt o G o d . r a i z l ' sn e x t step is to go to the apotex.slie had a test to s e eu ' h i c i t f l o o r s h e ' ds e t i l l t o .t h e y a s k e dh e r . e l ' s a r d :l v h a t ' s7 l a r i t l t n t e t i cq L l e s t i o l l st h n r i u u s5 ? s h e s a i d : 6 l a n d t h e 1 t"o l d h e r i t was wrong. for da1'safter she larlented that a n s \ \ ' e r a. s l < i n gh e r s e l fu ' h y s h e d i d n ' t r te t t e r 't h e l ' c o n c e n t r a t et.h i n l i h a r d e r 'c. o r - t t b 4 t l i f l o or.all iler t h e g e t o n t o l r e r s i r e ' d told the lnd is said: she the 2nd. are ort frierrcls t o o .alld n r o l l v t h e r e . i i l i , " s t o b e . the place floorfourth the . on r.r'hen readl she's bella *'iro knor,r's?also. raizl is corrsidereda strb.sidi:edvvailirtg/isl. she Ilas no Inollev d e s p i t er ' v o r k i r r gh e r e n t i r el i f e a s a sarl.lpletlal<erarrdshop owllel" seallls'rress. she has to rvait lortgertharrpeoplervitlt . ow l u r o n e \ /s.h e ' s9 8 a r r di r r t i l e l t o s p i t a l h n . r u c hu ' a i t i r r gc a n s h e d o ?

III the baycrest hospital t h i s p l a c e w a s t l t e o r i g i n a lt n o i s h a vz e l < a l r i n r . bac.l< on cecil streetwlrerrraizl first i r t r r n i c r a l etdo t o r o n t o i t r r r o v e dr . li r l r rhe -ielvishshift northw.ardto batirLrr-st and lar.l,rence a ,u d n o r v h o L t s etsl t e s i c k e s to f t h e g e r i a t r i c s .e a c hf l o o r h a se a s ta n d w e s t . r a i z l ' so n 3 e a s t .t h a t n i e a r r s h e , sn o t as h e a l t h y , a st h o s eo n 3 u , e s tw h o c a n r n o s t i y wheeltherr.rselve a sr o u n da n d e a t i n t l t e dining roont. tl-rereare peopleon lrer floor rvho come and go, otherswho seem to be s t u c l
slresays:nurse! doctor! solrleone

t o o k m y h u n d re dd o l l a rs!i to o k it out of the bank, and they took r"nY h u n d r e dd o l l a rs!P l e a seg i ve me somethingto eatl i haven'thad a bite ali dayl theY'restarvingff\e here! nul'seldoctorl

3 r n o n t h sa g o . r a i z l f e l l o u t s i d et h e r e r r a c e . a n d l o s tc o n s c i o L r s n e s h s .eh a d a h u t e b u n r p o n h e r h e a d .d u e t o i n t e r n a b i l e e d i n go u t h e b r a i r . tr.v e d i d n ' t k n o w i f s h e ' dn t a l < ei t . v v h e r r i f i r s t s a n h e r . s h e u , a st o t a l l _ cr 'l e l L r s i o n a l . s h e c o u l d n ' te a t . a n d c o Llrd b a r e l l ,u r o v e .s h e t h o r , i g htth e r e w e r e c f e a t L l f e isn t h e c e i l i n g c o r n e t ' ss. h e l i e p t a s l , i n _nqt e t o t a l i e h e r siroesoff u,hen sire u,asr.r'1 rvear.in_9 an,r..let n r e e x p i a i n :r a i z l w a s s h a r pa s a I < n i f e t. h a t ' s w h v s h e ' sr a i s eh e l l . h e r r n e r r r o r yw., a sI i k e s t e e l ,h e r h u u r o u ra n d h u n r i l i t v l i k e s r t r o o t h stone.as her body Luiraveledr.,,,ithout anv parliculad r i s e a s ej u . s t o l d a q e- s h eh e l c l c n t o h e r r v i t s l i l < ea r o p e . i n t e r n a lb l e e d i r r g has softenedever1,,edge. she forgets,she d o e s n ' tr , r n d e r s t a nsdh. e t h i n l , si t ' s m i d n i g l r t u ' h e u i t ' s n o o n . s h e ' ss t i l i i s a s k i n d a s e v e r , b u t t h e r e i s a t r a g i c l o s st o h e r c o n f u s i o r -r a l o s so f d i e n i t r ' . i l o v e m y a u r r tl i l < ea b u b b e . l i k e a g o d - m o t h e r ,I i k e a n a n g e l .i w a u r h e r t o l i v e - u o t j u s t n t a n a g ew j t h h e r l r e a r l , v e i n s .s k i n a n d s t o m a c h .s h e h a s t a u g l r tr r e t h e t h i n s s i v a l u e r n o s ta b o L rnt r 1j e u , i s h n e s s y i d d i s h . s e c u l a rr e s p e c tf o r t r a d i t i o u , incredi b le cr"r I i nary tal ent. h urrroLr r.,lefti st

p o l i t i c s .t r L r s tc. o r n u r o ns e n s e a . nd stleet strarls. slre ahvayrssays.COITIITIOI-I SenSe

isn't so comrnonl am i right? ithinl<: wlrat does it rnean,c1uoli4,ctfliJe?are we h o l d i n g o n t o t h e i d e ao f r e s p e c a t nd str-rffing o u r e l c l e r sl v i t l r c y b e r - t e c h n o l o gtyo l < e e p t h e r l w i t h r . r sa. s t l . r e i rs o u l s l o n g t o d e p a r t ? t i r e r ei s s L r c ha s p e c t r u l ro f i d e a sb e l r i n d e r - r t h a r r a sw i ae. a r e o n i y a c c u s t o n r etdo t h i n k i n g i n t e r u r so f d e a t h - b e du, r a c h i n e - f o r l u n g s m e r c v . b u t w h a t a b o u tt h e p r o c e s sw e g o t h r o u g l iw , i t ho u r e l d e r s ?w h a t a b o u t p a c e r r a l i e r st h a t p r e v e n tt h e r nf r o r n d y i n g p e a c e f r r l l iyr rt h e i r s l e e p ? u , h a ta b o u t a l l t h e t i n r e v v es p e n d r n a i n t a i n i n ga r r di m p r o v i n gt h e i r q u a / i t 1o' J / y ' i v e r s u st l r e t i u r e r v e s p e u dl e a n t i n gt l t e i r d y i n e l a n g u a g e sr,e c i p e s .a u d t h o u g h t s ?r . v e r e c v c l ew h a t w e t h i n k t h e r .k, n o w ' .a n d s h o r v i t t o t h e n i i n 2 - D . a s w e f r - a r r t i c a l lpyl a n f o r t h e i r b r L r t apl f e s e r v a t i o nt.h e r e i s n o g r o v v t h . j r t s tr l a i n t e n a n c e .

ott"^",IarreJ lI -fu ri.Boc/( Reul.l:t:DoU /ot RushraFf by Qoktl bosCyPr''rS

\-/

e u r ua n dn o w G u e s sw h oe l s ei s c b s e s s ew d i t ht h e J e w j sphr o b l e mD? o u gR u s h k o fnf ,o t e dm e d i ac r i t i ca n do n - l i n g , o t h r nS g a c r e dt :h eT r u t ha b o u tJ u d a i s m . e x p e fo t n J u d a i s mw i t h h i s n e wb o o k N B u tw h e r eR u s h k o d f fi a g n o s et h s ep r o b l e m a s l a r g e lrye l i g i o u Ish, a v ec o m et o b e l i e vteh a tt h ec r i s i si s c u l t u r aJl .n a d d i t i otno h i sb e e(fs )w i t ht h ew a yw e p r a c t i cree l i g i o(nw h i c hl ' l lg e tt o i n a m o m e n ta) ,l o to f w h a tR u s h k o df fe p l o r e s l . rw h a tp a s s e fso r c u l t u r eL.i k e a b o uti h ec u r r e nsi i a i eo f A m e r i c aJne w i s h a f f a i riss a c t u a l lnyo tr e l i g i o ubsu tc u l t u r aO J e w so b s e s s ewdi t h ' m a r r y i nJge w i s h ' b a s e nd o to n a n ya c t u arle l i g i o ucso n v i c t i o nbsu to n a n a i t a c h m e tnot i s a n e m p t ys e l f - a f f i r m a tci o c h o s e n e sO s .h h o wh e a b h o r st h o s ew h o s ea t t a c h m etnotJ u d a i s m en lebratin t hge i ro w n w i s d o mi n b e i n gb o r ni n t ot h er i g h tr e l i g i o n B.e i n gJ e l v i stho t h e mb e g i n sa n de n d sw i t hb e i n gc h o s e na, n dt h a ti n t u r n r e f l e c ttsh e i ro w nm a t e r i as lu c c e s(sa n dc o n c o m i t asnpt i r i i u af al i l u r eH ) .ea s k s " . . .h o wc a na n e n l i g h t e n ei ndd i v i d u a l s i g no n t o a s e ro f c u l t u r avla l u e tsh a ta r ep l a g u ebdy b o u r g e o a i ss p i r a t i o na sn d d , a r ew e a d m i it t ,q u i t eo s t e n t a t i o u s m a i e r i a l i s nT r ?h"a n kG o dl ' m n o te n l i g h i e n o e rdI ' dp r o b a b lbye a B u d d h i sbt y n o w .

SY *J

qJ

\E !:-

r en o tc u i t u r avla l u e sl c. a ns a yt h a tw i t hc o n f i d e n chea v i n g B o u r g e oa i ss p i r a t i o nasn do s t e n t a t i om u sa t e r i a l i sam g r o w nu p i n o n eo f t h e" g o l C egnh e t t o so"f L o n gi s l a n dW . h i c hi s n o tt o s a yi h a tb o u r g e o a i ss p i r a t i o na sn do s t e n t a i i c u S m a i e r i a l i samr e n 'at l i v ea n dw e l la n ds h o p p i n gR, a t h et rh a nc u l t u r avla l u e st ,h o u g ht ,h e ya r em o r ea c c u r a t esl ye e na s i s y m p t o mosf a p e c u l i ahri s t o r i c a cl c i d e nt ht a ts e v e r eAdm e r i c aJne w sf r o mt h e i ro w nc u l t u r eA. l e t h acl o m b i n a t i o nf e x t r e maes s i m i l a t i o a n oi n s i d i o uZsi o n i s m i s t o b l a m eT. h ea s s i m i l a t i oans,w ea l lk n o w i,s r e s p o n s i bfloer t h e j e t t i s o n i nogf t h eb a l l a sot f t h a tw h i c hs e iu s a p a d o- u rl a n g u a g feo, l k w a y sa,i t i t u d e m s ,u s i cl,i t e r a t u rhei,s t o r yy,o u k n o w ,a l lt h ef u n s t u f ft h a tn o t o n l ym a k e sl i f ew o r t hl i v i n g b, u tg i v e si t c o n t e x t ,o o .

\.: \-'

F=

ql

P\ ;so '-* ;: ( \ u)

b ,e t w e etnh eD i a s p o raan dt h en e w A n di h e j n s i d i o uZsi o n i s m P ? u ts i m p l ya, d e a w l a ss t r u c ki ,d e o l o g i c asl lpye a k i n g S t a t eo f l s r a e ll.s r a ew l o u l dfu n c i i o na s a s p i r i t u acle n t e ri ,n t h et e r m so f A h a dH a ' a mo, n eo f t h e a r c h i t e c tosf Z i o n i s t i d e o l o g yT,h o s ei n t h e D i a s p o rw a o u l dr e a pt h eb e n e f i tosf t h e n e we r ao f J e w i s hl i f ea n dc r e a t i v i ttya k i n gp l a c ei n o sf t h eD i a s p o rw a o u l dp r o v i d em a t e r l aslu p p o r t t ol s r a eal n di n r e t u r n l s r a e ll.t w a sa y v i n - w idne a l ;t h ec o m r n u n i t i e e m p t i n e sosf o u rc o l l e c t i vJee w i s he d u c a t i l s r a ewl o u l dd o t h es p i r i i u a" lh e a v yl i f t i n gf"o re v e r y o neel s eT. h es u c k i n g ( n r i n eD. o u gR u s h k o f f ' sp,r e t t ym u c ha l ln o n - O r l h o d o Je x w so u tt h e r e i)s n o a c c i d e nTt .h ep r o b l e mi s n ' tr e l i g i o np,e rs e b u tt h e d i s a s t r o udse a lw e s t r u c ka t i h e p r i c eo f o u rc u l t u r asl o u l .

(/) *(

(4+ qi J \ 'C * i-

\tIrt

c€ ;cc

. h a t ' sa S o m e w h e ar el o n gt h el i n eJ e w i s h n e sb se c a mseo m e t h i nogn ed i do r d i dn o td o ,r a t h e r t h awnh a to n ew a s T n a t u r ar le s u lot i a s s i m i l a t i oAns.t h ep r o c e scso n t i n u eist ',sh a r dt o k n o ww h a tp a d so f m ea r ed i s t i n c t lJye w i s ha n d w h a tp a r l sa r ee v e r y t h i negl s e J. e w i s h n e sbse c o m erse d u c e tdo t h e o n l yt h i n gl e f tw h i c hi s u n e q u i v o c a lnl yo l B,u ts i n c er i g o r o urse l i g i o upsr a c t i caem o n gt h en o n - O r t h o diosx,t o a g r e aet x t e n t , e v e r y i h i negl s e :r e l i g i o upsr a c t i c e h a tc o r eo f J e w i s hi d e n t i t yW. h a ts e t sm ea p a nf r o n o n - v i a b laeh, e i g h t e n esde n s eo f c h o s e n n e cs as m et o s y m b o l i zt e n o n - J e w sD ? i f f e r e n c le' m . d i f f e r e nbt e c a u sle' m D i f f e r e nTt ,h i sl s t h e m o d e r nt a u t o l o goy f J e w i s hi d e n t i t yS. p i r i t u a l l y i t ' su n f u l f i l l i nlgn,t e l l e c t u ailil'ysr e p u g n a n t .

J< r<(,

:-\'= (r) (r)

5

qi

triJ :oo boo a b

h a ts e e m st o p a s sf o r c u l t u r ai ld e n t i t y A n dy e tt h ed i f f e r e n cies r e a ia n di t t r a n s c e n dt h s eo b n o x i o uest h n c c e n i r i stm . h ol a mi s m u c h m , u c hm o r et h a nw h a tI i o d a yR . e l i g i o upsr a c i i c et h, o u g hi m p o r l a ni ts,j u s to n ep a do f b e i n gJ e w i s hW d o .W h oI a m -w h a tm a k e sm e c i i f f e r e n t -tihsep r o d u cot f t h o u s a n dos f y e a r so f i m m e r s i oinn a s e to f c u l t u r avl a l u e s t h a tr e r n a isnu r p r i s i n gilnyt a c t . t et hd ew o r l do f s p o r t sa st h e yh a v ei n i n t e l l e c t u a l l ' l lg i v ej u s to n ee x a m p l eJ .e v r sh a v en e v ebr e e no v e r - r e p r e s e ni n , n d ,y e s ,l ' m q u i t ea w a r e i i e l d sT, h i si s n o ti o d e n yt h a tt h e r eh a v eb e e nJ e w i s h a t h i e t im c o v e m e n ft rso mt i m et o t i m e a e i t hm o r et h a na k e r n eol f t r u t h T o f t h e h i s i o r yo f J e w i s hb o x e r sI.' mt a l k i n gg r a n ds c a l eh, e r e l.t ' s a s l e r e c t y pw . he y e e no f f e r efdo rt h i si s J u d a i s m e explanaiio t hna th a su s u a l l b ' sm p h a s iosn l e a r n i nags a d u t y ,a s i f t h ed u t yt o s t u d y s ,e l i b a cfyo, r h a sg e n e r a lrl ye j e c t eads c e t i cb,o d yd e n y i n p g r a c t i c eC e x c l u d epdh y s i c aalc t i v i t yl n i a c i ,J u d a i s m e x a m p l ei s, f r o w n e d upcnT . h eE n g l i sahu t h oM r a u r i cSea m u ehl a da m u c hm o r ep r o v o c a t i tvaek eo n t h eJ e w i s h r e l a t i o n s ht iops p o r t sH eb e l i e v et dh a t h es p o r e l t h i co f c o m b afto r c o m b a t 'ssa k et-h en a k e di m p o s i t i oonf o n e ' sw i l l i c e s s a goef b e i n gg o o df o r g o o d n e s s o v e ra n o t h ej u i t ht h ep r o p h e t m r s tf o r f u n- w a sf u n d a m e n t ai lnl cy o m p a t i bwl e s a k eE . i t h eyr o us a wl i f ea s a g a m ew i t hn o h i g h epr u r p o steh a ni n d i v i d u tarli u m p ho,r y o us a wi t a s a c h a l l e n gt o elive , y e x t e n s i o nt h, ew a r r i o rw) a st o p u t , 5 e c a u sGeo dc o n m a n d eldf .T o e l e v a t teh e a t h l e t e( a n d b a s e t h i c a l lay s p o s s i b l e s sb o v et h ep u r p o s e f u t h ep u r p o s e l e a Tlh. i sc u l t u r sep e c i f ivca l u ej u d g m e ngto tf i r m l ye m b e d d ei d n t oJ e w i s hc u l t u r ae s m u c ha s a n yl a w E v e nt o d a yt.h eJ e v r i saht t i i u dteo w a r d s p o r t sr e m a i nasm b i v a l e n t . N o to n c ei n N o t h i n g S a c r e d o e sR u s h k oaf fd d r e scsu l i u r ael d u c a t i o lnn.t h ep o s t - p e o p l e h opohda s eo f J u d a i s m thai w o n ' tb ej u s tf o r " J e w s "a n y m o r e . h e e n v i s i o n ns a , t i o n aclu l t u r w e i l lb e u n , r e c e s s aTi h ' re. l ' sb e c a u steh en e wJ u d a i s m

.Y a<\

{:\ :F . : { i{\ \ t-

qJ

.\

-s

qJ

U)

p:

\,< -=

o

:.Y Y!

A\

!5 *: f

\

s3,

\.

i,t,

K

"1."S qLa-J*J"Jqrspr" Ilecdaa {otl$. rt;s rJ good s{v{F.

i tny dc u l t u r aait t a c h m e ntthse, e t h i c ai ln s i g h tos f J u d a i s m S t r i p p eodf i t s p a r t i c u l a r a w i l lb e a v a i l a b tl e o a l l ,m u c hl i k e B u d d ihs m . " 0 n c ew el e tg oo ft h ee x c l u s i voi tfyb e i n g G o d ' cs h o s erna c ew, ea r ef i n a i lfyr e et o p r o s e l y t iJzued a i s nW r .en r a jyu s th a v e u si no u re f l o r t s t o g i v eu pc a l l i nigt " J u d a i s ni nr "o r d etro d os o .f u i g ht th i sw o r di t s e ibf ea ni c o nt o u sn o w ?D o e si t s e r v e t os h a r e o u ri n s i g h iwsi t ho t h e r s.?. . m i g h a tp o s t - J e w fi sohr r no fJ u d a i s o m a k eu st h em o s itu t u r i sr te l i g i oonn mn c ea g a i n i h eb l o c k T mta l l ,b u ti t sf i n e sht o u rl.t w o u l db ea w a yf o ru st o p l a ya p a r itn ? h i sw o u l dn o tb et h ed i s s o l u l i o fnJ u d a i s a s a v i n tgh ew o r l df r o mi i s e l fw. i i h o uetv e r t a k i n t hgec r e d i T t ei t z v a h . " t .h eu l t i m a m

i{

(\. (,) .: qJo -\ -

T h er e l i g i ofno r m e r lkyn o w na s J u d a i s mG. e t h es h o t g u nM, a , K n o c k - k n o cwko, r l dV , / h o ' st h e r e ?

9L<

A T h i s' m i s s i o n i spti' r i l o s c p hoyf J e v r i shhi s r o riys a s o l da s i i i s l u d i c r o uasn dh a sb e e np r o p o u n d ebdy b o t hJ e w sa n d a* lr Li e a sa r n i s s i o n the T sh.ei d e ai s t h a it h eJ e w i s hp e o p l h w,h i c hd, e p e n d i nogn y o u ra f f i l i a t i oins,e i t h elra y i n g anti-Semite ) o r t h ec o m i n go f C h r i sot r s i m p l yb r i n g i ntgh eB i b l ea n di t s r u l eo f l a wt o t h ep e o p l eos f t h ew o r l dF. o ra n t i f o u n d a t i of n c)Y 5 " e v o i do f c r e a t i v i t l , rl.I]t S e m i t e st h, em i s s i o n i spth i l o s o p hhya sb e e nt h eb a s i so f t h ea c c u s a t i ot hn a tt h eJ e w sa r ea " f o s s i l d rl -tn; t^ \! Yl f o, r o n e ,f e l tv e r ys t r o n g ltyh a tt h eJ e w ss h o u l dh a v e o r t r u el i f ef o r c eT, h ee n r i n e nh ti s t o r i aEnd w a rTd o y n b e e Fal o:.: lal a:s p e n d sa g o o dp a r to f h i s H i s t o r ye x c o r i a t i ntgh eJ e w s d i s a p p e a r ebdy n o w ,a s t h e i rm i s s i o nw a sc o m p l e t eT.o y n b e e t=l i'>.i I :il ,:'l > f o rt h i sv e r yr e a s o n , A F

n u r o p ae f i e tr h eF r e n c h R e v o i u t i ot hnem i s s i o n i p Je s th i l o s o p hwya sa w a yt o F o rc o s m o p o l i t a n w si n W e s t e rE t f l i b e n ya n df r a i e r n i tJye. w sa r g u i n fgo r f u l lc i v i lr i g h t s r e c o n c j lt eh ea n c i e ndt o c i r i n oe f e l e c i i ow n i t ht h en e ws p i r i o ml i s s i o n r e r r o v etdh e yc o u l dc o m p l e tteh e i rh i s t o r i c a a n de m a n c i p a t i b e rse r e oe n l i e v etdh a to n c ea l ls c c i adl i s a b i l i t i u n r. F r e n c o i s a p n e a sr J e w sb e c a n rf eu l l vP r u s s i a o h rw h a t e v e r . a n dJ e w i s hn a t i o n al ilf e , r v o udl d s v o l u t i ohna p p e nrso c e l e b r a w I t ' sn o c o i n c i d e n ci hea i R u s h k o f fr' e t eh a th e ' sh a sb e e nd o i n ga l la l o n gA. n di t ' sh a r d t .h a ti s ,R u s h k o fsf ,o no f a J e w i s h n o tt o s e ea n de l e m e noi f s e l f - j u s t i i i c a toi rorna t i o n a l i z a tiinotnh ew h o l ep r o j e cT t h a na l lo f f a t h e ar n dn o n - J e w i snhr o t h earn ds e l f - p r o c l a i r n e d ' l a p Je se wtdu' r n so u tt o b e ,b y h i sa n a l y s i sm, o r eJ e w i s h t o d a y .S " ot h e r e l u s ." T h eJ e w sl a b e i elda p s e d "h,ew r i t e s",m i g h bt e p r a c t i c i ni hg e m o s tl e g i t i m aftoer mo f J u d a i s m A n Ch o wd o e sh e c o m et o u n d e r s i a nwdh a tm i g h ct o n s t i t u t"el e g i i i m a t Je u" d a i s mT?h r o u g h i s t o r i c a ln d a r c h a e o l o g i icnasl i g h t sh,e s e t so u ti o s e eJ e w i s the x t sw i t hf r e s hu, n b i a s eedy e s : t o t h eT o r a h 'osr i g i n af ol r m sa sp o s s i b l e a sc l o s e " F o ra g e n u i nree n a i s s a ni ncJeu d a i s rnoro c c u rw, em u s gt e to u r s e l v e s ot h e yc a nb er e b o rinn a n e wc o n r e x tt.h. .ec u r r e nJte u r i scho n d i t i oonu, rd i s c o n n e c tfiroonmt e x ta n do n ea n o t h earn, d y a yr e q u i ruest o g oa b i tf u r t h ebra c kt h e no u rs a g e s o u rq u i t em i s d i r e c tneodt r o nosf r a c ea n dn a i i o r riadle n t i tm e fs s u g g e s i el dt ' sn o ta b o urte j e c t i nt hgeR a b b i isi ;' sa b o unt o th a v i ntgo e x p e r i e nrceel i g i oenn t i r e tl yh r o u gthh ef o o t n o t o o t her s ". w i l lb e .B u tt h e nf Judaism t e d i ae c o l o g yc ,h a o sm a r he, v e nw h a t h ei n t e r n evte r s i o o Rushkom f f a yk n o wa l o t a b o u m , p i n o z ah,e s e e m st o h a v en o f e e lf o r p o e t r yo r t h ec o m p l e x i toyf h u m a nn e e d s . m a na i n ' tg o t n o s o u l .I i k e h i sh e r o S g em o s ti n e f f a b l e , i v e nt h ep r o p elri n g u i s t ai cn dh i s t o r i c a co l n t e xd t ,o c u m e n ct so n c e r n i nt h S p i n o zbae l i e v etdh a t g y .o r n de a s i l yu n d e r s r o oadst h o s ec o n c e r n i ngge o m e t r N h u m a ne x p e r i e n c( lei k et h eB i b l es) h o u l db e a sc l e a a i n t e r p r e t a t i cnne c e s s a r y

= d

6

r-ll

r)l

a v tl v l

U

G)e A;

Ll]l tr ^l

eq)

-l

;:'

q)

'h

rrl{

d e l lb y e q u a t i o nasn dd i a g r a m sP.o e t r yw, i t hi t s i n t e r p l aoy f v i s i b l ea n d O f c o u r s eh, u m a ne x p e r i e n ci se r a r e l yc a p r u r ew i s k ,R a t h et rh a np u tJ u C a i s m6' s1 3p o s i t i vaen dn e g a t i v e h i d d e nm e a n i n gi s, a m u c hb e t t evr e h i c lfeo rs u c ha d i f f i c u tl a p r e c e p iisn a c o m p r e h e n s ci voed es, o m e o nhea dt h ew i s d o mt o d i s p e r sieh ec o d ew i t h i na m a s s i v pe i e c eo f n a r r a t i v e p o e t r yJ.u s ta s e v e r yg e n e r a t i ol ena v eist si m p r i not n t h en e x te, a c hg e n e r a t i o ni n' st e r p r e t a t ioofnt h eB i b l ew a s g odern o nu .s h k ocf fl a i m st o b e a p p l y i nm i n f l u e n c eh da , dt o b e i n f l u e n c ebdy. t h ep r e v i o ugse n e r a t i o ni n' st e r p r e r a t i R t h e o r yh a st a u g hut s a n y t h i n gi t,' si h a tt h er e a d ecrr e a t e s l i t e r a rcyr i i i c i s m t o t h eE i b l es, o h e s h o u l dk n o wi h a ti f p o . n r o r .h e r ei s n o o b j e c t i vm e e a n i n go ,n l ys u b j e c t i vr e a d e r s , l h em e a n i nogi i h et e x ta s m u c ha st h ea u r h o T

UI col

-

h ec o n t e xot f t h eB i b l ea, n d Rushkop f fr o p o s etsh a ic r e a t i v i ot yr s p i r i t u ag lr o w i hw i l lc o m eo n l yw h e nw e c a ni n t e g r a t e n . h e t h et h r a tm e a n s e e i n g a l l e g o rwy h e r ew e o n c es a wh i s t o r (ya s a l lJ e w i s ht r a d i i i o ni n, t oa n e r "prr a c t i coei J u d a i s r W ne gE a b y l o n i agno C s w i t ht h eE x c d u s t o r y c) r u n e a r i h i nt hg ef o r e i g rnc o t so f o u rs i o r i e sa n di a w s( a c k n o w l e d g ti h o R u s h k o fffa, c i n gu p t o t h e M a r d ua k n dl s n r aar si h ep r e c i e c e s soofrtsh eJ e r , v i sMho r d e c h a ni dE s t h e ra) ,c c o r d i nt g i s i m p e r a i i vf oe r i i s f u t u r e . n o n - l i t e r an lo, n - d i v i naen dn o n ' u n i q uoer i g i n os f J u d a i s m g i sc u ef r o mt h ew o r l do f c o m p u i i n R g ,u s h k o d f fe s c r i b ewsh a th e c a l l s S o w h a ti s c u r n e x te v o l u t i o n asrtye p ?T a h i n h i pr e l i g i c n3. p - " ns o u r c ei n . e a n sn o tj u s th a v i n g l roduct t h ef i n a p a n " o p € ns o u r c er e l a t r c n s ht o . t l r ec o n p u t ew r o r l dm o r u s ea s i n t e n d e d l i .h eu s i n gM i c r o s oVf t/ o r dt o t y p et h i sr e v i e wb,u ta l s oh a v i n ga c c e s tso t h ec o d ew i t h a v a i l a b fl e w h i c ht h e p r o g r a mi s w r i t t e ni n o r d e rt o f i r s t ,u n d e r s i a nhdo wi t w o r k s .a n dt h e n ,b e a b l et o m o d i f yi t u s i n gi t s o w n

(.,, li

* [!

r'rr .

rl

!,/l MI F t

^t

FJ

U

oA

\

=

e l F -

-

c t Jv' * oi

r- h' ll Gl 9l

.rl rrl

vl

*l >(t L rt rqv AA

t-J

\J

More RsAt
c o m p u r el ar n g u a gO e .f c o u r s et ,v l i c r o s op frio d u c tasr en o to p e ns o u r c ew, h i c hh a sl e dm a n yc o m p u t esra v v yp e o p l ieo p r e f ei rh e U N I Xo p e r a r i nsgy s t e m f o r i i sf l e x i b i l i a t yn dt r a n s p a r e n cJ yu,d a i s ma,s i t s t a n d sn o w .i s M i c r o s o fRt ,u s h k o f f aa l d e rast t e m p t i nt ogs i l e n c he i m a r g u e sl n. f a c t h , eg i v e sm a n ye x a n r p i ej nsh i sb o o ko f R a b b i a s n do t h e ri n s t i t u t i o nl e n o u l dm e a nn o tj u s t w h e nh ea t r e m p it so s h a r et h ec o d e( a sh e s e e si t )w i t ho i h e r sT. o b e a n o p e ns o u r c er e l i g i ow e o tj u s t k n o w i ntgh eT o r a hb, u ta l s ot h eh i s t o r i c ca oi n t e xf tr o r nw h i c ho u r" p r o g r a m sa"r i s eT. h j sw o u l Ci n v o l v n t r a d i i i o nJael v r i ssht u d ya sw e k n o wi t ,b u tc r i t i c ahl ,i s t c r i c a ln dl i t e r a reyx a m i n a t i o fnt h es o u r c etsh e m s e l v eFso. r e r v r e et hneE a b y l o n i agno d d e slss h t aar n dt h eJ e w i s h e r o i n e b ,y l e a r n i nm g c r ea b o uti h er e l a i i o n s hbi p example E s t h ew r , ew o u l dl e a r nv ; h atrh ea u t h o ros f i h ef u l e g i l lEast t h efro u n csj o a p p e a l i nagb o utth es i o r yo f l s h t atrh a tt h e y t o J e w i s ihe x tw i l lb r i n g w a n t e idt f o rt h e m s e l v eUsn. d e r s t a n Ciihnegt r a n s f o r m a i ipcrno c e sfsr o mn o n - J e w i s ho u r c e u s a d e e p eur n d e r s t a n d ionfgw h a ti s s o J e w i s ha b c u it t .

v i

r$l

A i'

('/ a F * !

T h i sk i n do i h i s i o r i c a ln dl i t e r a rsl rc r u t i niys n o tn e l vo r r e p r e s s eTdh. ei d e at h a tt h eT o r a hh a dm u l t i p laeu t h o ros r r e d a c t o ri s f a i r l yc l d h a i .T h a t ' sa i a c t l. t r r r a ny o tb et a u g h itn H e b r e w s c h o o ib, u ia n yu n d e r g r a d u a co t em p a r a t i v e g yu a r t e rw t heen e c e s s a fr rya m e r / o rEk v e na s u b s c r i p t i ot onB i b l i c aAl r c h a e o l o Q l yo u l d r e l i g i ocno u r s e w o u l dp r . o v i C r ,o u l ds e et h i sb e c o m p e a r to f t h es t a n d a rJde w i s he d u c a t i oTnh. i sk i n do f s t u f fi s d o t h et r i c k R . L r s h k ,ohi fo w e v ew f f a k e si t o u tt o b e ?P r o b a b lnyo t ,l s i t i n t p o r t ajnuts tb e c a u s e f a s c i n a t i nr go .b e s u r e B . u ii s i t a s i m o o n r nat s R u s h k o m s o m eR a b b ids o n ' tw a n tv o ui o k n o w ?D e f i n l t eni vo t .

: v

-Lr .-N Ft" AA i r-rr rl r \l

d

\JI

PostcardThree:

N

E

ml E l

! -

6(g

^i

ofSpinoza a n dR u s h k o cf fa n ' tg e te n o u g h t h, a tn a u g h t y S p i n o zwa a sa b i gl : e l i e v ej nr t h i sk i n do f c o n t e x t ucarl i i i c i s m " S p i n o z a i i e r a rcyr i t i c i s m o n t h eT o r a h , n o r e s s o m e o f t h ef i r s le x t e n d el d e x a r n p l h e e , c c n d u c t e d h e r e t i cF.o r r e d i s c o v e r irnhgel o s t( o rr e p r e s s ekdn) o w i e d gt h e a tt h eb o o kv r a sn o ta d i v i n eo r i g i n a lT. "r u ee n o u g hb, u th e d o e s n ' t o h i sp h i l o s o p hoyf t h e g i v eu s t h ew h o l ep h i l o s o p h i cpai cl t u r eS. p i n o zsae to u tt o u n d e r s t a nt hdeB i b l ea c c o r d i nt g r egl,y i n sg o l e l yo n t h ea i do f " n a t u r al il g h t "T. h a ti s ,h es o u g hot n l yt h ep l a i nm e a n i nogf " t r u em e t h o do" f u n d e r s t a n d i n , e r el i n g u i s t a i cn dh i s t o r i c a l g l s eT. h eo n l yt o o l sh e a l l o w e hd i m s e ltfh, u s w w h a t h ew o r d sc o u l di e l lh i ma n dn o t h i n e f , p i n o z da i dt h i ss o t h a t a n a l y s i sm- e t h o d tsh a tw o u l de x p l i c a tteh et e x t ,r a t h etrh a ni n t e r p r ei t , A c c o r d i ntgo R u s h k o f S y n di n t e l l i g e n oc fet h ei n s i g h tos n t h e i rp a g e sH. eb e l i e v et dh a ti n d i v i d u a l s J e w s" c o u l db e g i nt o a p p r e c i attheeb e a u t a r e i rn a t u r aul r g et o b e h a v e s h o u l db ei r e et c i n t e r p r er et l i g i oonn t h e i ro v r ni,n a m a n n etrh a ta l l o w etdh e mt o d i s c o v et h a a n t e dt o e x p e r i e n c e t y " i n t e r p i e tw" a sv e r ys p e c i f i ca. s I p o i n t e do u t a b o v eS, p i n o zw a e a nb e t h i c a l l y\.."l r h aSt p i n o z m S c r i p i u rien t h es a r n ew a yh e e x p e r i e n c egde o m e t r ya s a n u n m e d i a t edde s c r i p t i oonf t h ew o r l dt o b e u n d e r s t o o d w h oh a st r i e dt o r e a di h eB i b l eb y i t s e l cf a nt e l ly o u ,t h e r e ' s r ys.a n y c n e w r t h o ut ht en e e df c r a d d i t i o ncaol m r n e n t aA s o m ec r a z yc, o n i r a d i c t o sr yh i ti n t h e r e l.i ' s p o e r r yf ,o l k s ,T r y i n gt o g e ts o m ek i n do f p l a i nm e a n i n gl i,f ei n s t r u c t l o n s s i m p l yf r o mr e a d i nigh eE i b l ei s o f t e nl i h ei r y i n gt o f i g u r eo r i th o wtro f a l li n l o v eb a s e do n r h e" p l a i nm e a n i n go"f a n e . e . y y e r e dp ,o e t i cy,e s ,d o w n r i g hmt y s t e r i o udso c u m e n t c u m m i n gpso e mU. / h e ni t c o m e st o u n d c r s r a n d ianngi n c r e d i b Il a h a v eb e e nd o i n gf o r l i k et h eB i b l ei,n t e r p r e t a t i iosnn ' ia n a f t e ri h o u g h ti,t ' st h ew h o l eg a m e .A n d t h a t ' sw h a tp e o p l e housandsof years

I

Yl

.:i

:a

Y,JJxAbnr) , {??

Y i d d i s hh o sn i n ew o yso f mo ki n gplur ols:not oneof them involves t h o t y o uc o nm e m o r i z e . T h e roer e o l s ot h r e e q e n d e r si n Y i d d i s h ( m o s c u l in e ,fe mi n i on ne d n e u te r)cnd osidefr om octuolgender edwor ds f o r p e o p l e( w o m o nm, o n ,h u s b o n dw, i f e , m o t h e r ,f o t h e r , e t c . )t h e r e i s n o rrl

n o r d w i l l h o v eo p o r t i c u l ogr e n d e r T r e o s o nf o r w h yo p o r t i c u l ow . h i sm e o n s f o r e v e r yo n en o u nyo u l e o rnyo u hoveto memor izeolsoits genderond its

r)

l6

lllr

l-$

:ig€, a..l -:

IF iiSiI l€ rJ

p l u r o fl o r m . f n N e w Y o r k ,i t i s p o s s i b l e t o o r d e r b r o w nr i c e w i t h y o u r C h i n e s feo o d .

-f*iv^ J

v(s

p'i

!.-rI i tx( , '-

Nl (\tl O D \ I r-t

u)

-C

T h eh i s i o r i aann dp h i l o s c p h S e ri m o nR a w i d o w iccaz l l e d S p i n o ztah e" g r e aitr r e s p o n s i bo lfem o d e r n times." i r r e s p o n s i bnloetb e c a u shee d a r e dt e i ls o m e" t r u t h a ' ' b o u t h eo r i g i n o s f t h eB i b l eb, u tb e c a u shei sqo P^ ^H.r^u-o^ vhn 4^ u^ t+u, d, -i lr yr . , k i l l e dt h ev e r y" i i f ef o r c e "o f t h eB i b l e : S p i n o z oa f f e r sa n i n t e r p r e t a t icoonn f i n e tdo t h e ' w i t h i n. w i t ht h ee l i i i r i n a t i o n f i h e[ h i d d e n l a y e ro f m e a n i n g a n dt r a d i t i o n ] . ''language" 'history" anci ( n e i i h eori w n i c hi s f u l l ya c c e s s i b l eT)h. i s[ i n t e r p i e t a i i onna]r r o w st h et e i t . . .s t u l t i i i e s [ a n c li]t s i t . T h i sm e a n st h e" t e x t "r e m a i n "sa si t i s , "i s f i n i s h e dn,o t h i n gc a na n ds h o u l db ea d d e di.t i s i s o i a t e di t. i s b o u n ot o d i s a p p e ai nr i t s s p l e n d i d i s o l a ' r i oTnh. i sa l s om e a n si h a tt h ep o s t b i b l i caatl l a r g eh a st o c o n f i n ei t s e l tf o t h a tw h i c hi t f i n c s a b s o l u i e lcyi e a ra n dd i s t i n citn i h e B i b l eT. h e r ei s n o t a l l io f t h ep r e s e nwt i t ht h ep a s t n, o c o n t a c tn, o c l a s h or conflict w h i c hi n t e n s i fcyo n t a c tn, o c i i s c u s s i ovnr i i ht h e[ p l a i nm e a n i n g ] t h r o u tghhem e d i u mo f t h e I h i d d e nm e a n i n g n] ,o s r r u g g t e w i i ht l i e t r u em g a n i n go" f t h ep a s tf r o i nt h ep e r s p e c | voef t h ep r . e s e notf,t j m eo l da n dn e w .

dcn j\ Gv U!

L o t so f p e o p l e h 3 v es t r u g g l ewdi t ht h em y s i e r i eosf t h eB i b l eT, h e i a r r g u m e n at sr et h e r ef o r u s t o r e a dT. h ec h o i c ei s n o te i i h e r ' i a k i ni tgo n f a i t h ' o ro p e n i n og n e ' se y e st o t h eh i s t o r i c tarlu t hT. h ei n s t i t u t i o nJaeiw i s hw o r l dm a ya p p e a i : c p r e s e nl t a s s c ,b u i i t ' sl e s st o k e e ps o m eh c r r i b lsee c r etth a nt o h i d et h ea b o m i n a bj o l ebt h e y , v de o n ee d u c a t i nl g, : : peoplw e h ot h e ya r es u p p o s e dtlhy e r et o s e r v eB. u tR u s h k o sf fh o o t sd o w nt h i ss t r a wm a n o , r s t r a wR a b b io, v e ra n f , o v e rb e c a u siet i s n e c e s s a troy h i sc o n c l u s i oanb o uti h en a t u r e o f t h eJ e w sa sa n a l o no r 0 e o p l e .

(JDE

I

i- )i

rvi tli

I

5qt :?i

ue.'i

" B yi n c r e a s i o nu g rp e r s p e c t o i vnet h eT o r a h n ' sa r r a t i vwee,p u l o l urselvo eu s to f i t ss e e m i n gl il n y e acrh a i no f e v e n t sW. e n ol o n g etrt n c j e r s i ai tnadsa r e c o rodfo u rf i x e dh i s t o royr a f o r e t e l l ionfgo u rG o do r d a i n ef udi u r ei n , s t e awr tes e ei t a s s o m e i h i ni hga ti s h a p p e n i n i nge v e r m y o m e nl ti i. s n o ta r e c o rodfJ e w i shhi s t o raysm u c ha si t i s a d e s c r i p t i o fnt h e e t e r n ah lu r n acno n d i t i cfnr ,o mw l r i c w h em a yt h e ni n f eor r e n a cot u ro w nf u t u r e s . , , W h i 'i s i t s o i m p o r t a nf ot r R u s h k oifhf a tJ e w sr e l i n q u i st hhe i r ' p e o p l e h o oFdo' ?ro n et h i n gt,h ew a yR u s h k o f f s e i si t u p , ! g ! g [ g ! e t h a tt h 9 . : l e wasr ea p e o p l ec a n n obt u tl e a dt o i u n d a m e n i a l i sTmh.a ti s ,t o s e et h eJ e w sa s a 0 e o o l ew h o s e i s t o r yi s r e c o r d eidn t h eT o r a hi m p l i etsh a t h eT o r a hi s l i t e r at lr u t hT. o r e g a r idt a s s u c hc a no n l yl e a oI o s l a r , " a vl i d e n cm e e a ntto u n d e n i a b l y ' p r o v e ' t h aeJt e w s m e a n i n gasn dc r e a t i vCe e a t hE. i i h e r / oHr ,el a y so u tm u c hh i s t o r i c e ch , i l d i sphh a s eo f h u m a np s y c h o l o g i c a l a n dt h e i ri n s i s t e n coen ' c h o s e n n e s sa' inso u t m o d e d a r en o ta p e o p l e C e v e l o p m eHn et .e v e nc r t e ss, u r p r i s eS,p i n o z aM. i g h t nt' ht ef a c tt h a tR u s h k o cf fo m e sf r o ma m i x e dm a r r i a gaen df e e l s i n f l u e n chei sc o n c l u s i ot h n a tt h ei n s t i t u t i ot hna te x c l u d ehdi m , t h eJ e w i s h h i m s e laf n o u t s i d et ro i n s t i t u t i o nJaul d a i s m p e o p l ed,o e s n 'at c t u a l leYx i s t ?

6 l<

UI ^v l l vl

.{l

I.:rI r )t

r f other T h ef a c tr e m a i n tsh a tt h e s u b j e cot f i h eT o r a hi s t h eJ e n r i sphe o p l el.t c o u l dh a v eb e e na b o u ta n yn u m b e o g tr o u p sw e r ea s s i m i l a t ei ndt o . .wc o u l di t n o t ?M a n yd i f f e r e n g r o u p s. . t j u tr tw a s n ' tl.i h a dm a n yo u t s i d ien f l u e n c e sh. o s e r es u b o r d i n a t et oda u n i q u eg r o u pp u r p o s e . i t t? A l l t h e s ed i f f e r e netl e m e n tasn dp e o p l e w r hf a t h en e o n l el s r a e l . . . ' . a o J u d a i s mi s b o i ha r e l i g i c na n da n a t i o n acl u l t u r ei n a w a yt h a tC h r i s t i a n i ltsy n o t .E v e r yC h r i s t i asnt r u g g l efso r h i s o w n s a l v a t i o nT.h o u g hr n i s s i o n a rayc t i v i t yi s a n i m p o r t a npta r to f m o s tC h r i s t i atnr a d i t i o n tsh, ei n d i v i d u aCl h r i s t i a ins s a v e C b ,u tt h a t a ,n dt h u sh i so w ns a l v a t i o n w h e nh e a c c e p ths t ss a l v a t i oi n J e s u sC h r i s tA. J e wm a yl o n gf o rt h eM e s s i a h T .h eM e s s i awhi l lo n l yc o m ew h e ne v e r yo t h e Jr e wh a sd o n eh i sp a r t o p e r f e ct th e lcnging i s m e a n i n g l eisnsi s o l a t i o n w o r l dt h r o u g ht h e o b s e r v a n coef G o d ' sl a w .T h i ss p i r i to f k l a ly i s r o e lt,h es e n s eo f g r o u pr e s p o n s i b i l iat yn dg r o u p t hgeJ e w sa s a p e o p l eT, h i si s n o tt o s a yt h a tJ e w sa r e ,b y n a t u r eo, n l y d e s t i n yi ,s a n i m p o r t a nkte yt o u n d e r s t a n d i n ' s a l v a t i o nl 'n. d e e dt ,h ef a c ti h a tJ e w sh a v er a r e l yt r i e dt o s p r e a d t h e i rg o o dn e w sh a sl e s st o c o n c e r n ewdi t ht h e i ro w n h a v e i n w h i c h t o o o f t e nf o u n dt h e m s e l v e s . t h e y r e p r e s s i v e i n c r e d i b l y c i r c u m s i a n c e s s a ya b o u ts e l f i s h n e si hs a ni h e

vl FI

,44 \lv

ir th

F

PostcardFour: r'r I

ul

I n Y i d d i s ht h e r e a r e f t v ew o y so f t h i n k i n g : i.

D\l

t o b e l i e v eo r b e l i e v ei n s o m e t h i nigm p o r t o n (t e . g . I t h i n k6 o d i s reol).

t,

(,

r-ll

UI vl YI

2.

t o t h i n k o b o u tp h i l o s o p h i cm oo l t t e r s( e g . f p o n d e rt h e m y s t e r i e s

r.l l

UI

o f T o r o h i n my sp o reti me ); 3.

t o t h i n k [ t h e o c t i o n J@ . 9 . I t h i n ko b o u tY i d d i s ho l l t h e t i m e ) ;

4.

t o h o v eo n o p i n i o n w i t h s o m eu n c e r t q i n t (ye . g . I t h i n k i t ' s o n t l z t h

e!l

Street), 5.

t o h o v eo p o i n to f v i e wo b o u to m o t t e r o f w o r l d l yi m p o r t o n c e , o f t e n

s t r o n g l yh e l d( e . g . It h i n kC l i n t osnu c k s ) .

{^i$n

CJ

q./

r.rt

(D

\./l

i

Nl ar c'{l F

|h

F

{os*{

1"

&s t,Ko€€Kevie'J" {&t-

Prev'ou) ?^* )

, na g r e e . , n ds a i Cv a l u e cs a nb ed e r i v efdr o mJ e w i s h t e x t sO . nt h i sw e ,m ea n dR u s h k o fcf a S o ,J e w i s hv a l u e sa r eg o o d a Problem l s ,w i i h o utrh ea t i a c h m e noi sf g e n u i nceu l t u r aclc n n e c r i oJne, w i s hs i u d yi s a h a r ds e l la n dn o tm a n ya r e , o n - l i n etahri n k e rR. u s h k opf fr o p o s etso f l i pt h es c r i p tR. a t h et rh a np a s s i v e al yl l o w i ntgh el a wt o b u y i n gL. i k ea n yg o o d n d e f i n eu s ,v r ew i l ld e f i n et h el a w ," T h ei m p o r t a tnht i n gi s f o rJ e v r st o f e e lc a p a b loef m a k i n tgh e i ro w nd e c i s i o n s , i n d i v i d u a lal n y dc o i l e c t i v e al yb, o uw t h a ti h e yb e l i e vaen dh o wt h e yp r a c t i ciet i n t oe x i s t e n c eC. "a n ' st a yt h e r e ' s a n y t h i nbga da b o u e r C u c a r i npge o p l se o t h e yc a na c ti n i e l l i g e n t l Jy u d a i s m 'rse a c t i otno t h ea d v e not f g l o b a i i s amn d y l eo l h a l a k h tecv o l u t i o nH. "u h ?T h i s t h ei n s i g h tos f c h a c sr n a t hc a nf o s r ear m o r ec o m p l eaxn di n t e r c o n n e c tset d y r u m sc, l a s s r o o m s , l o d e lb, u ta l s ou s i n g" c o m m u n i ft o d e v i s i ntgh e i ro w ne i h i c am s e e m st o m e a nn o tj u s te a c hp e r s o n ' o o m p a raen d a n de v e no n - l i n n e e t r r r o r kv si e,c a nc 0 n r p a raen dc o n r r a st ht es t r a t e g i ewse h a v ed e v e l o p e" dH er e c a l las " p r o g r e s s i v e . O r t h o d oR x a b b i .T" h eR a b bai s k sn o tw h e t h ehre k e e p s c o n t r a sct o n v e r s a r i b o :nt ' . v e chni n r s eal fn da k o s h ebr u th o w . l ni h e e n s u i n Igo v ef e s tR u s h k ohf fa p p i ltye l l st h eR a b b i .h a tt o h i m ,t h el a wp r o h i b i t i nugs f r o m y e a n "st h o us h a l nl o i a d di n s u ltto i n j u r y "H. e ' s ' e x t e n d et hdep r o h i b i t i o nh"e, s e e t h l nagk i di n i t s m o t h e r 'rsn i l kr e a l l m n o te a i i n gc h i c k ew e x p l a i n tso, i n c l u d e n i t he g g sl.n s t e aodf r e a c t i nign h o r r o rt ,h eR a b biis d e l i g h t eadn dh e a n d l n s i d e r a t ioofnh a l a k h awha se v e n co R u s h k o pf fa te a c ho t h e ro n t h eb a c kc, o n t e ni n t t h ek n o w l e d gi hea t" t h o u g h t f u r r s i o on f h a l a k h aA hn . dw e b o t hf e l tn t o r eJ e w i s hf o r i t . " ve m o r ei n r p o d a nt ht a na n yp a r l i c u l a

6

hn vra tv vl .^U TI Lr

vl

ool .F I

e u s h k o df fo e s n 'kt n o wt h a tw h a th e ' sr e a l l yd o i n g E x t e n d et d h ep r o h i b i t i o nW?e a s ewl o r d sf o rs u r el.t ' sh a r dt o b e l i e vR g o d .H ei s s a y i n gt h a th e u n d e r s t a n fdhsep u r p o s oe f t h e h e r ei s n ' t" e x t e n d i rtrhgep r o h i b i t i o bn u" tl i t e r a l lpyl a y i n G p r e c e pt o t b e a i o r n ro f " e t h i c at rl a i n i n gT" .h el a w f, o r h i m ," r n e a nns o it o ' a d di n s u ltto i n j u r y " T ' . o t r yt o u n d e r s t a nad p u r p o soer m e a n i nbge h i n d h eS a g e sa n dt h eR a b b i sa,n de v e r y o neel s eh a st r i e dt o d o ,p r e t t y t h el a v . ri s s o m e i h i nt g m u c hs i n c ep e o p l e s t a r t e cd c m m e n t i nogn t h eT o r a hB. u tn c S a g eo r R a b boi r p h i l o s o p h enro, m a t t ehr o wd a r i n go r r hseo n et r u ep u r p o s be e h i n d t h el a wa n d c o n t r o v e r s ihaal ,se v e rt : k e ni t u p o ni r i m s eti of d e c i d teh a th e u n d e r s l a n d f as , t nR u s h k o faf d m i r e sb,e l i e v etdh a tt h e l a wi t s e l w t h e nc r e a t ea n e v l,ar v tf c r t h a lp u r p o s eE. v e ni t 4 a i n r o n i dwe hs o p e r f e cat n cn o r ; u b l e crio f u f t h e l r e v e l a r i ol tnm a yb e r h o r , g h t f u i tim y o t i v a t e bd u. ti n e s s e n c e . , a yb e e t h i c a l lm R , \ rscJh/ lr n^ fv {r r

.i < J ,m r ' rc kr i\ nr rng

rr

U)

0,

cJ

c.,

e

av

rc rh. ir i( 'J p .

riu

n a n yo f t h ew o n d e r f u l i n t h ew o r l dy, o uc o u l dm e n t i o m l" ission i d v a n c i nJgu d a i s m "' se t h i c a m I f y o uw a n n at a l ka b o u a w o r l d T . h e ;rt a n g ef r o m i n t h e e n g a g i n t g h e m b y i n t h e i r J u d a i s m J e w s w h r c h s e e k i h o u g h t t o e n g a g e s c h o o lo sf uh - M a d d(aT o r a ihn i h ew o r l d p) h i l o s o p h y h eO r l h o d o x T o r a h e n e w aml o v e m e n i t o M i c h a eLle r n ear n dh i sJ e v r i sR t so u l d a n i v e r s i tYyo. u ' di h i n ka w r i t eirn N e wY o r ki n i e r e s t ei nd r a d i c aJle w i s hm o v e m e nw e m a n a t l ni rgo mY e s h i vU , u s h k ohf fa sn o r e a a l p p r e c i a t i foonrw h a ti t m e a n st o b et i e dt o ,a n d . u tt h a t ' sa l m o sbi e s i d teh ep o i n tR h a v eh i sp i c k B e i t h i na c o m m u n i tby u, t a n dp r o g r e sasr en e v e pr o s s i b lw y .n dI d o n ' tm e a nt h a tc h a n g e r e s p o n s i bt loe, a c o m m u n i i A n ith t h a lb e i n gp a r to f a c o m m u n i i iys a b a s i ch u n r a n e e dt h a ti s i g n o r e do n l ya t g r e a tr i s k .H i so b s e s s i ow l i m i t sa n yu n d e r s t a n d ionf gi h i sn e e d". F i x i n gJ" u d a i s mw, h a t e v et hr a te n c o m p a s s ei ssg, o i n g u n l v e r s a l i z Ji nugC a i s m cu l l t u r aiid e n t i t yt h a tt e l l su s s o m e t h i nagb o u iw h ow e a r e , t o h a v et o s i a dw i t i tc o n n e c t i nogu r s e l v ei so a m e a n i n g f u r i g h th e r er, i g h in o w

Fli

>\

vt

vlF

l':l

.:

Fl

4H

*i ;i

Fi'e: Postcard

V'Jdr.3!,loor), I 17 7 Americons conspendon entireevening with

Areyouhoppy medicolcoverage. friendsdiscussing

Q.l.si;o^s, C onarncnt

S,

S'b naiss i oa S ad i-

, '.

ini

roh\t 0d"lsYi"3.'"

;-

H 9

withyourHMO?Howmoycareoptionsdoesyour workplo ce hove?Canyousee o doctor outsrdethe HMO

list?Whot aboutphysiotheropyZ Dentistry?Heoring --r='

drugs?Etc. oids?Prescription

4"t'{^

}n*s

c)

The Nerd as Jew,the JewasNerd: Daniel pinkwater and the Fsotericaof Cult'rrai rResisiance :lE-E*e-.*<__'-

By Rokhl bas C-vprus

From a Jewish point of two elementsare inseparablefrom any discussionof "'iew, the Jewish problem: anti-Semitism and assimilation.For to a Jew the problem essentiaiiyisthis: how can the Jeu'ishpeoplesun'ive in the face of hostilitywhich ttu'eatensto destroyus, and, on the other hand, in the face of a friendlinesswhich threatensto dissolr'eour group ties and submergeus as a *'hole by absorbrngus individually? Ben Halpern,America is Different in The .Teu,s: Social Patternof an AmericanGroup (1958) Kinda iike being a nerd, huh? It's hard to be different, especiallyin junior high, especiallyif your name is Ronald, Melvin or Eugene,as are many of the boys of Daniel Pinkwater's books. A tyoical Pinkwater book featuresthe u,hitestof u'hitebreadparents, Old Country grandparents,and very confused protagonists struggling with their nerdy identity. Even rf it were possibleto be parl of the popular crowd, they're pretty sure they don't belong there.What then? Alan N{endelssohnthe Boy from Mars. Leonard (the narratorof "Alan Mendelssohn") goes to great lengthsto tell the reader about his parent'snew suburbanritual, the barbecue-where the dog even has iiver for dinner. "I larerv what had happened-my lather had come out of the garage,stepped through the back door, kissed my mother, patted Melvin [the dog] on the head, taken off his coat, and hung it on a hook, first taking his apron off the hook...Next my father had gone outside (that was the secondslam) and startedbuilding a fire in the portable barbecue.This had been going on all summer...Besidesthe hamburgersor steak,we would have salad.My parentshad been to a restaurantu'here they servedthis specialsaladwith choppedhardboiled egg on it, and anchovies,and all sorts of stuff. The waiter makes the saladat the table, and he has theseoversizedpepper mills and salt shakersmade of wood, anrl he does a whole routine with the salad.Anyrvay, my fatherhad gotten the same kind of wooden salt and pepper shakersand the same kind of big stainlesssteel saladbowl, and he would go through the whole routine every night...Now I u,as getting bored- my parentsweren't, though." Compare this with Leonard's Grandparents: "My grandmotherlikes everyoneto call her 'Old One'. . . She believes that everyoneought to eat only raw food, except meat, which she believes no one should eat at all. She spendsall her time grinding up nuts and rvheatberries and soybeans,and mashing them togetherwith honey and raisins and stuff. It tastes better than it sounds." The irony is that the Grandparents(we're not sure whose parentsthey are) are strict vegansand in later sceneswe seecomic confrontationsbetweenthe parents.die-hard

@

who cometo dinnerandwon't eat anythingbecauseit's meateaters,and the grandparents not "healthy'. Substitute"healthy" u'ith "kosher"andyou get a pretty familiar story. stonesis usuallysomething Self-inducedcultural amnesia.The subtextof Pinkr,r,ater gain for to mastery over their lir.'es, escape in order Leonard, Meivin or Eugene like this: to fully self-actualize,first theymust go backto the bulliesanddefeatmad scientists, the old u'aysin general,andreintegratethat knowledgeinto City, the Grandparents, (usuailyin usedbook stores)andusethatknou'ledgeto completetheir themselves, adventures.Toyremay be the bestest a iittie differently: schoyre,but for theseboys,the truth is packaged LIFOs Footreflexology gy. Hlperstellararchaeolo Hlper intelligentchickens Explodingchoppedliver The universeas a poppybagel Many fat men in polyestersponjackets The zloty as the universalspacetime currency Blongl You area pickle. parentsarealwaysclueless,trusting-andalwaysin the processof reinventing Pinkri,ater themselves as whitebreadaspossible.LeonardNeeble'sparents,for example,havejust relocatedthe family from The Old Neighborhood to the suburbof West Hogboro. Wheredid theseparentscomefrom?How did theygetto be so radicallydifferentfrom theirown parents?At leastwithin Pinkwater'soeuvre,we neverfind out. We are etemallyat the full daylightof assimilation, surrounded andconfusedby remnantsof a culturewe belongto but no longerunderstand or cantakepart in. WhatsomereviewershavecalledPinkwater's his juxtapositionof unrelated surrealism, subjectsandthings,his impositionof the fantastic on thenormal,very oftenseemsto be, on closerinspection, world on the thejuxtapositionof theJewish/Yiddish world. What no one in anyof the criticism to be found on Pinkwater Americarrr'-Gentile wantsto sayis thatthese"funny oddsandends"arethe culturalfroth of a Jewish upbringingof a specifictime periodin Americanhistory,thebeginningof the culminationof Jewishassimilationin thelate1940'sand '50s.JustaskMannyMoe and Jack,theNafsulianspacepirates,(otherwise knownasthePepBoys,foundersof the Pep Boyschainof automotivestores.) What Pinkwaterobviouslyfinds funny,andwhathe usesover and over, is the discovery andJewseverywhere of Jew'ishness theyshouldn'tbe.William, the youngnarratorof "FatMen From Space"getsa filiing anddiscovers thathis toothis actinglike a radio receiver.He picksup signalsfrom as far awayasTnnidad,Coloradoadvertising:"ln East Tnnidadtherewill be a meetingof theCorvboy's Mah JonggClub". Not oniy does Wiliiam stumbleon cowboyswho playMah Jongg,but spacepirateswho eatiatkes.One nightWiliiam picksup transmissions from a spaceship which is aboutto invadeEarth, looking for snacks.Lots of snacks.TheytakeWilliam aboardwhen they rcalizehe has beenlisteningto their inter-shipcommunications on his toothreceiverandtherehe learns of theirplan.He hasbeencapturedby a spaceburger pirateship from theplanetSpiegel which is roamingthe galaxyin searchofjunk food.The alienfat men in polyestersport jacketsproceedto float down to earthandeatall the prepackaged andjunk food on the planet.The earth'ssalvationturnsout to be whenthespacepiratesdiscovera giantpotato pancakelaunchedin spacein the vicinity of theplanetZiegler. They leavethe earthin chaos and take off after the mammoth iatke.

Justas childrenof immigrantsfled to the suburbsandproceededto forget asmuch as possibleaboutu'heretheyhadjust comefrom.Yiddish.the naturallanguageof these peoplefor the lastmillenium,\ /asiost alongw,ithAshkenaziHebrew.Engiishbecame the languageof the Jewsof America,alongwith artificially transplantedmodern, Sephardic Hebrew,oftentaughtby Hebrewschoolteachersfron-rPolandandRussia.The assimilation of AmericanJewsis a familiarstory,onewhich periodicailyinspiresbreast beatingby Jewishcommunalieadersand fantastic"plans" to do every4hingfrom preventingjew'ishintermarriageto makingeveryJewishkid in americastayfor a yearin Israel.All theseschemes missingthepointthatwhatshouldbe thesekids', andadult's, naturalbirthright, theirculture(mostof it Yiddish)hasbecomeas aliento them,asif it might asrvellbe from Mars.Pinkwater,geniusthathe is, seizeson this ideaagainand

agarn t g

P o s t c a r dS i x :

Iq ?f Y,rt;" {anJ,

os Jchn-JohnMoniarogeSoroundme.T chooseto see little os possibleof it, but o foir bit trickles in. A normollyupbeotyoungwomoncomeuPto me ond Honnohof schooltodoy:"Isn't it trogic? AboutJFK ee to Juni or?,'Therewos o longPouse.I sippedmy cof f , " ummh."" Of ovoid hovingto reply. Honnohmurmured course,they hoven'tf oundthe bodiesyet, so there's still hope."f heordmyselfsoy,"There'sno hope"' stroight f oced.And three doysloter whenthey f ound

I thought , shecon'tsoyI -qd^'1-trn her' the bodies,

Postc:rrdSeven:

L JJs\lqnJ,f f77

this to New York' becouse I must 6e geltinghordened wezkloctuo||ytriedtoshopinoshoeStorewithosignup,'.No Browsing."Itwosoneofthosekindwitholockeddoorondif

in' But whenI

buzzes You visuoli n s p e c t i otnh e clerk

youPoss

theYw o u l d n ' lte t m e in.AzoY knocked,

tuf menin nYu-York'

YottrFuture in the Stars...ond Books By Rokhl bns Cypnts \\'e have al\avs soilqht to lttlor'rrhe tirnrre:\\iill I tall in lor.e) \\'rll I ger a good ;ob,l \\'ill Conqressreall,", p l t a s e . L t t i r c g i t l t a x i n 2 0 0 9 ' .T) i r e s ea r e t h e q r ' r e s t r o ' s . ) r r . a u c e s t o r . s a - s k e ct hi e m s e l r e sa s t h e y . r , . l . o ' , l u o t t l i e s t a . l - r ' s k i e sA n d * ' e ' r e s t i l i a s k t t i gt h e n rt . t l a v . t i r o L r c h l r ' s u r o r e r i k e l v t h a t ' u e s e e kI h e a n s * . e r . s , . r books .arlte' than the heai enl' bociies And so. .i.ar r'.l.lels. I br ing 1,outhe rrc'711ir.i rrl/r.riof mocier. s o o t h s a Y r t r aq 'c o n r b i t l a t t o tol f n r l r - o / o g t( d i v i n a t i o na c c o ; c i r n - g t n r i . i , i g n t a n dh j l t l 1 6 1 1 1 , , ,( rt rl i:rr. r n a t r o n iI]tel.pl'etillgraildonl].,,choseltrr
L) r r F n t1I t r b tt y,,1t:;' (-Srt.l i f trt ri rt -sI r \ { ) \ a D r i ) e l1l - l ) u c e r r b c r l ( l l / r r l l a r r r ri - i n l l r r c r l ( , r ' i i t l , l t ti-l r L e L t. l c r t : c .l t c l i "i

D c r I ) t t lrr t 1 1( T t u r t ts ) i-\prl Jlr \ir,r i()t 5 l t l . l t r r c -L ) r l t t l ) r c : i t e e \lotrlcr\ talie \ tgItr

i - i i . ,i - l L r l a c r I r c n ty

J { e s i r L Jl sl l r l l . i r e t i I , l r J l c d t ) l l J l l l l s t r n r D l c r c s t i r )c, o r r n l r r r r l l r , l t .f l i r r L r s l - l t ch o i v a n d l l t e c a r l l r i i . t h e s r o e c j r n t i t i t c i ) r ( r l l n c .l i t l c r s c c t i n tl n ( ) r ) c / ) / . / r / / , ' r 'l r l ( t t r t t t t t\rt r , t t r : l t c ' l t t , l , l t t t t t t r .r L r r u s . t h i r1{ , t i rlrt a r c c o l n c ( l l ) i t r . t | ( j ! { ) | l f t u c l t ) c l l l l t \ l t ( t l t e l r r t l r n c s rsI t o U r c V c r y t i a r ! r l i ( ' o r r t i n L Ll e ( ) c l t ( ) o s rc J l ( l i t l l \ u t t l v o L r ' 1l Jt e l l n c S i a r s r g n

\ t ! r l i J f i u \ - I s i l c - { c srl ' o L ri c ( i L t c cr o r t t L : \ 1 ( c l c c l t o t t t l , l t t e l r c p o l l L r l i o r \ : r r L sr l - r o t t i pr lr r t i r t t b l Ir l r l t t( ) l ' 1\ ' ( ) t t rc l b l t l t t r r . c e l l . itrr p l r t r n e sh. r r c i, l ri r c . e r t c l r r l r l tr i c - r r r l l i j c I a l l ' r c s b n I ) n i l O r \ .l l ( J 1 r eL! l t ) f r l O r :l t l r l l l l i l l | l r l i 0 i r , : l i l t t_ \ ( ) L_r! { )l r ) r l c e P l - r r on r r r c l ri ! t l r l l r o t t r t t i l i t t b e e l l e c l r r q _ v ( ) uJrt t o r ) (i ri t o l -l I r ) n t e l t t l ) r r ' , r L rl r) \ , \ ) r k c r r r l t l r t e e .c l : : , : i l t l r r t . a i i e r : t \ r r l r l l l e b r t . b r ' l o | er 1 l { n ) l 1 1 1 c

. , ' r . , i r t t iI c i r J i T : i ' i 1 1 r r r S ( G r n t i t ri ) ( \ i r t l L i - . l i r r cl 0 t

Di T:it (Ctpricttrn) ( D c c c ; r l l e rI L . l r n u r t \ l ( . r ) 1 . t b , L , tr t , t t a ( ) l r c l r ) l ( ) \ c , l l l \ e l : r , t r t r l j t S c a L t c rl.t r r tt I t l t s o t t i c r \ 7 / r 1 (r - 5 c r C n r l \ l. r J D L l I t l r t !

\ l o o J . r ; : -l i e r r e r r t l a d o c i r n t c r t t i i . l s h t l i s a r , - I l e b l e r i i r n l t v p c l r \ \ , h l c h . a n r o n , l o t h e l . s .l l l c R r s h r c 0 n r | t e D l a | vi s l ) ti D t c d F : t r t l a v i r n I x n c i . d i s p o s s c s s .1 t r : s l t ] r e t i r r e )

l itltr'I0 clcrn ltrrusc.l zigclc. i ltttrrglt enl lilc itllil l ) e l o n r r t s sn t a \ b ( s c f , l l c l c (rl b o L r t .l t l t r , s r e t l i r, ,n d i ) 5 \ , c l l c r i\ . r [ : l l n ] c l i t r r g o v l s l tl ' t c \ \\ , c J , . \ t c ; o l r t l t o l

Y r r u n c r c r l . n ( ) \ ! .G c { l r l . u l t e n y t t r i n t i g h r b e n a l l < i r i gl l o l l c 1 to n r l / r t r l . r / ? t rr i r r t L r c l i c t jr L l t i e t v r t r r ta t n t . l n t l l r g l . t t c n r r t r n l g l l t s l f r i i c .I r r t rb e i l c r o r \ \ o t s c . v o u r . r v h o l cu o r l r i i r r l l L r e ! L r | r c ( l l t s ( l f 0 l l t S t i l t s l g n l o a r r t r c l :f a u t . L r s

i r c l c o n r r \ ( ) l l r cs c r c n l l l r l r ) v ( ) l l rl i l a . D o n l l L r s cl l c t n . l ) u 1

I t l t . r ' , . r 1 , . t . .t ( t , t ' ' . . \ l r \ " \ L l l . \ \ ' . : j 1 , . \ (\ ., , 1 : . . ( ,\ l t , I , . r . l c l o r g r n r ; : c d ' ) ' o i r ' J l c o r ; t c t o l o ! t ' t l t l l o r r l r , r l _ vc. e s r t i r l r n t l slull laalirr?]()(i gcl \\'hcI c\cr!lllJns rs rn ils pirtc. I

Di'frty i.f isclt (Crrfi ) ( . l r r n eI I - . l r r l vI I ) I l c k s l t c t- r l b b r n r c l l a p l l o i a l

i)lollll\e

l / q s s 1 ' ; 'T r ' ( , v , 9 c r .( A t l u , ] 1 1 u s ) ( . l l n L r r r) . 'l ( ) - l r e b l i r a r v I 7 r

I l u g a . ft < ' - p l r q r c . p e s t JI c n c ( ' Z a t ' b l r -t o s r i r c l t t l c f c s t l n c u ' o r c j sl b r ) , o u . C ' a n c e l ; \ h e l i s h c r t S I n y o u r s t l l s \ ( ) n r c l h f l t l t r o s 1c r r b s ( i o i l ' 1 e \ p c c t B u t t h t s s c r l i t t a p l t r o v a l v o L rs c c l i n t a v n o l I i t c r a l l v b e r a i t L l n t c a l l l n a t L t r e .\ \ / h r l v o u

.\/r1rlr l'orrcr /)//1'-.\plrlnrcill j 1.g// [( rocii- s\\ iltg Y L r p .\ L : r ur c h a v l ! t gt ( ) o l l n t l l c . l l o u s c n t l l e .l i l | r l v i L l c i s 5 L r c s . \ t 1 r [ i l r L r sf h r l r s . r l v L r LrLc ] r r i l r g | t t h c c l o s c c l u a r t e r $ sc l i l ( c 1 o e r l J a p a t l n r c r l l r l c P r o r i r . r t r tlY t l a l ( e se V c f ! t h 1 1 r g

r e e l i r s r l t p r o r a l l i o n r v o L r rp e e r) . _ v r ) Lpl tJ l C l t l S ,v o U l e \ l o r e l s i l t r s r r c c r ii s s t r s t l ) n g . r f t r o r r l t l c s; r o i r r d r c l r l s I t , " n r g l r lJ r d v o u r l i n t a s i e \ b v d a 1 , i h c t r i r l v t h r r r l i l r a t r v r l l s a l r c i h c l r L r rot l d r s a l t p r o t a l )\ s \ \ r h r t n c yl l o u s t o n s r n g . t i t c t r e a t c s t l o v e o l a l l i s i e a r r r i l t gt o l r l r , c r l t c s c l l ( a n c c r . l 0 0 l i r n i l t t n t r r t l l n d : n r r J c S l a r s i g n u l t o s e o P l l ( ) 1 t v o r rs l r o L l l t l \() J ctle rborrl I rbrr

r j j l l l r r r i l .e v c n l o v r n g l o r r r l r t v c do n c s Y t l L rn t a t i t c b a l r l r n g ( t \ c t 5 0 r ' n c t J r D gl t l i c s t o r r g c 5 l ) u c c .L ) t l l t l \ \ l t l i c 1s i -1 ( tv o L l ) s o r r l . l b r q e l l l t t r t r t y o u r l r i n l i I i c q c n c r o L r sl o l h o s e l | r L r r t d l , L r rAr q t r a l . r L raSn,d y O L ri v i i l i r J \ c i l ( ) l i | l t s t o t c g r c t Fis/r (Pi-sccs)

qt

Iii- iVlatcltl0l

(l ebrttrv

.\ | r r lilt I t l,- cr r)ss cYc(l .\ltlrtlr ol, (itr-

hoLtsc coal

cortrcrl

1() ILr(latstll

Sontelirlc: it c()ll\flsloll is tlltltc llllLl r clirtlru Lll tcli'itLltl. tl l i el)f,nSe Lrl sl:rrril l)erllrtl: \'oll l(ll()\\ \()lllc()llc \\ll() lll:

e

cllaltqttlg lloll\ccolls

ssrvirt3 ltr jrtlr:c r btroli b1 it: covct ircirlrlc r'x' :' hrtt tltt t rtl c

I l t L i tL r s

D c r E r t r n r rt , - l r i t ' s ) q \ I r r eh ) I , \ l ) r ' j1l ( ) \ I r t ; t| -l l c s t t l t l-; t j o u i rjtr r l .r l c l r r r r o r c \ i r r 1 ' - r -l : i 1 1 1 i 1 g 5 l l , t l t t . t ' , t l , r , t l , -N J r l l . . - . i - t : r , ' ,t .

\ ' r J : . l t , . : t r t c \ ' , , r . 1( r . , . , i

,) '11.tl. 1 \,,,il . -

: s 1 ; e c i i l l v a s \ ' ( ) L ri l t c t i n r i c r l l t c r n l J L r c n c r r ) l L l t c p o i c l t t rt ric Jirlr

lllt(i

S r r t ) ' ] 0 r r l ' ) ct-) t s { ) l r r c l l ' t l t , l . c c c i i s i o c l l J r _r,oLrr cne rg-r ( in it bc ilorre l Dtlnrrrltlt' Slroirlrj r orr trlit lltrs \ b : o l L r t c j r lhtert scttoLt:ii'' \ ' \ ) \ r r \ t i \ r \ i s f i o ! \ l t c h ( , i . r il i ) r Lilrfr

i-cJbl. _ v r r Lr ic r l l o i c : l l t c l t l . r c e l ) o r r ' i r j r r r i l t l l v o L t l h t r r J ,_ r o t r . i t L r L L l i tl .j r r t s r r ( ) to l t l \ l ) J ( j l i l \ o u . r l i r ( r i ( j t l t ( ) s c i [ i ] | | ( l \ 1 ) i l

f - ) i , V l o - v/r\/, ' i r , l o)

l'lll ll()(

tttr.tltlr'lt,tl' i. orrl\ i() iel

Slrt sl':tl tll trrlllot I

lrI:/r(-Jcllolt \/7a1lr)/('iC-!lCl

l l c l r o r t c s l n \ o L L l ( j a f , l i l t g \ l r t r j t l t e t c . , \ i 1 1l ) c : t ( ) i e ! t c l :

ciratt:tcti- l)t:ccs. itttl )1)tl lllrlll' iilc\'rc rlL)l lirr rcrl Stoll lrittti ot lrrrt ll etlcl trll r,itLloril. i-ll tlltlll lrc Orl tll'looi'ing:o L r t h c r l r u n t l . i l ( ) t l t c s d o l l l t t l l l i e l l l e t l l l t t t . l t l t i I t l t r t t r g c i l L tr L t s rltrn:tc ol hdrrt iS ils casr l:

Lt'yIt (Lt'tt) ( . i L r l )l l' - . \ L r q L Ll :l t ) | | t n lt ti t li- zir.:zrlgv

fyl^ lll, ")(

i \riluil l-- Scglcr|bd I i I A / \ l ' l ' ' ' \ ( \ ' r l l l ' | r r::1' r l r-' : r r ' L r ' - {" ' / ' . l 1 L i j l L , 0Lnj r , \ \ | r . , ; , , r . . - i r r r . r il L r ' r , . r ' l r ' .r q r L I l t r s s 1 , r r1 , 1 1\1/ l19 1 r b , . r l s l ) c t l t l ; t s L L \ l l \ . ( l u i r t t t u l ! L ( )g c i r l r t t l r s r l l r r r l t c n a J i r . : rl r t l l l p l t r o r e l t r s . I ) c t . l t a l ti st r r l l i jrlrrltclrcrr foi)n Oct orcr il. \ rittrr \ 0 1 i l c u r r J i r s r 0o| r j e r t r ) r J t ( i a S t ) c L I gr j ( ) r ) t l ) t r r r ' il r r r r t{ l t c L r I c r r l t , rs c c l ( st 0 r i r r r r r _ , . r l . rr ( r , , . r r ' l ' , . , .t : r i t . . r " . , \ \ ' : . . r i . l L . , , - . a , , , i . . . . . . r . ,

D t ' r E k r e t t( S c o r p i o ) t O c l r r b cI rl - N t r r . c n . t bI eI )r l : l , r ' s o t t i - i i i r L l l .d c l c c l \ I t r t t t t I i t r t t - - ttr t illtcl i J t ii t - r l ' , t c / - l c t ' 1 1 a l cC l l i p r r t J ) h c r r S c i t r t ) r o .l h c t c s s r r n t c l l n r i l j t r i l l lt \,()ul ltLlLlfe I llllllli t'lc L'cv rvoltl itcrc rS /./rriorrr \,'orr l.itou rrltal.s wt.(rn:l ' J r , l I : i l r 1 .r , , r . L r , r , i r i . , , \ \ i , i l \ .; i \ L " 1,. iirr, lr. .lr it iinlcss vrtrr lil<e whcre _ r , o r r ' r eh e r r j e r J l J u l r o r r h l r c t o b c r h c onc Io ntal\c lhlt choice. Slar srgri to sccli ()ilt: (.apricorn