Almog Behar read poetry and spoke at Syracuse University tonight.  A third generation Israeli, his parents (or was it just his mother?) came from Iraq. In his remarks he told the old story about the mizrachi immigration to Israel in the 1950s, and about the suppression of Arabic in favor of Hebrew. More interesting is the turn he makes the introduction of Arabic with Hebrew. I had to leave early. One of the things that he said that interested me the most was how Arabic makes his Hebrew easier and more free, less reactive and prone to violence. I’m attaching a link to this interview with him here. The reflections in the interview on Judaism are also worth considering. In context marked by polarization, the focus in his work on connections makes for an imperative correction.