Words of the Week

“There’s no reason to spoil The Narrative, the great story of a benighted Israel governed by hard and bad men and growing increasingly intransigent and soulless and mean—as evidenced by their opposition to Obama’s attempts to reach a mutually-beneficial nuclear deal with Iran. When it comes to Israel, it’s the only story the Times knows how to tell, even when the facts get in the way. For that, we’ll always have The Correction.”
–Liel Leibovitz, “The Correction” (Tablet)

But. Also.

Words of the Week

Shavit_Ari“We have a decade.”

Usually, I use these “words of the week” posts to point you to something I’ve found especially resonant or urgent in the press regarding Israel or another aspect of Jewish life. Almost always, I point you to something that you can read for yourself online.

But this week, I’m doing something different. And here’s why. (more…)

Words of the Week

“Regrettably, instead of giving voice to the aspirations of both Palestinians and Israelis, this text addresses the concerns of only one side. It is deeply imbalanced and contains many elements that are not conducive to negotiations between the parties, including unconstructive deadlines that take no account of Israel’s legitimate security concerns. In addition, this resolution was put to a vote without a discussion or due consideration among Council members, which is highly unusual, especially considering the gravity of the matter at hand. We must proceed responsibly, not take actions that would risk a downward spiral.”
–Ambassador Samantha Power, “Explanation of Vote at the Security Council Session on the Situation in the Middle East, Including the Palestinian Question”

“[The American Historical Association] would instead be correctly seen as an organization that places political opinions ahead of assiduous scholarship. It would send a chill especially to young scholars whose careers could be ended or damaged if they were to take a different view of these events.”
–Jeffrey Herf, quoted in “US Academic Org Ushers in New Year with Anti-Israel Vote” (The Times of Israel)

“[N]ot only does the committee stop short of calling for Salaita’s restoration, it also cites ‘legitimate concerns’ about whether Salaita’s anti-Israel expressions on social media make him ill-equipped to stand before a classroom.”
–Liel Leibovitz. “U. of Illinois: Donors Didn’t Derail Salaita Hiring” (Tablet)

Pre-Shabbat Jewish Lit Links

Photo Credit: Reut Miryam Cohen
Photo Credit: Reut Miryam Cohen

Every Friday My Machberet presents an array of Jewish-interest links, primarily of the literary variety.

  • “A smarter dream would be to get a quality Jewish paper in the hands of every Jew in America. At the very least, that would keep Judaism in the game for the multitudes that now ignore it.” So argues David Suissa as he explains “Why Judaism Needs Journalism.”
  • And several Jewish journalists and writers are among Batya Ungar-Sargon’s “10 Women’s Voices We Want To Hear More From.”
  • The Jewish Week‘s Gary Rosenblatt does a superb job presenting the significance of Yossi Klein Halevi’s Memoirs of a Jewish Extremist: The Story of a Transformation, one of the most memorable books I read in 2014.
  • ICYMI: Remember the Scholastic map flap last year? This time, HarperCollins is in the hot seat.
  • Just under 2 weeks left to enter poetry for this year’s Anna Davidson Rosenberg Awards for Poems on Jewish Experience. No entry fee indicated.
  • Shabbat shalom.