Words of the Week

by Erika Dreifus on
3

“I feel a bit like a curmudgeon when I complain that the march’s wonderful joining of the victims of the attacks—journalists, polices, and Jews alike—felt hypocritical. But, given the silence at every other attack on Jews, it seems clear that the only reason the public at large paid attention was because of the Charlie Hebdo connection. I sadly predict that in the future, if only Jews are victims, people will just shake their heads and move on.

I stress: I am not asking for sympathy. I ask the general European population to recognize that these attacks directly threaten them and the liberal democratic society they treasure. It begins with the Jews but it never ends with them. They must realize that they ignore atrocities against Jews at their own—not just our—peril.”

Source: Deborah Lipstadt, “Hypocrisy After the Paris Terror Attacks” (Tablet)

Pre-Shabbat Jewish Literary Links

by Erika Dreifus on
Disabled

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.

  • Over on The Whole Megillah, you’ll find the latest Jewish Book Carnival–news, reviews & interviews galore.
  • In which Abe Mezrich argues that the late Robert Stone was “one of the greatest non-Jewish Jewish writers.”
  • Beyond “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” Gabe Friedman summarizes the raising of the profile of author Stefan Zweig.
  • On Hevria, Chaya Lester offers “Welcome, Paris. With Love, From Jerusalem.”
  • And a France-related post of my own–including some specifically French-Jewish content–on my other blog.

    • Shabbat shalom.

    Midweek Notes from a Practicing Writer

    by Erika Dreifus on
    6

    Vive la France!

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    Before I earned my MFA, I earned a PhD. In history. In French history.

    In fact, ever since my first middle-school French class, France and its language, literature, culture, and history have been a significant part of my life. So last week was hard. It was hard on Wednesday. And as a Francophile Jew who—to be completely honest—has been a little frightened of traveling in France as reports of anti-Semitic incidents have filtered back here (mainly in the Jewish press) over the past year or two, I found Friday very hard, too.

    Rather than write anything “new” on last week’s events, I’d like to highlight a few of my past France and French-related writings. (A few, at any rate, that have a presence—if not complete accessibility—on the Internet.) (more…)