Monthly Archives: January 2014

(The Right of Return & One State Solution Look Like This) Palestine No Longer Israel (BADIL-Zochrot)

That the world is full of potential and possibility, does not mean that there are reasons, if not necessary and sufficient, why some potentials and possibilities are actualized and why some are not at certain historical moments and geographical places. … Continue reading

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(Jewish Cultural Categories) National Jewish Book Awards 2013

As interesting if not more so than the actual books themselves is the broad range of categories identified by the Award organizers and the way these categories map out the shape of American Jewish culture. The shape of American Jewish … Continue reading

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Bubbles & Circles — Scarlett Johansson Syria Soda Stream

I’m of mixed mind about the rolling brouhaha regarding movie star Scarlett Johansson’s transformation into the public face of SodaStream and “Apartheid Israel.” If there is a larger and genuine political meaning to what can be viewed as a little … Continue reading

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Happy Mordecai Kaplan (Loose Modern Judaism Relaxed)

Delighted to be corrected by a photograph of a happy Mordecai Kaplan smiling with colleagues in the early 1950s at the Teachers’ Institute. Easy laughs and relaxed posture. Thanks Maria Carson and Mel Scult for sharing. Modern Judaism should look … Continue reading

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Iconic (Hats & Jackects) Ultra-Orthodox

Iconic The ultra-orthodox will always define the Jewish imaginary. It’s object related –the distinctive costume and the control of the book.

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Judaism As Aesthetic Civilization (Mordecai Kaplan)

(Enrico Glicenstein) It turns out that Kaplan thought at least a little bit about art in relation to Judaism, which is very interesting. There are two facets to his thinking, in general, and we see it here as well. The … Continue reading

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Mordecai Kaplan on a Donkey in Palestine (1925)

This photograph of Mordecai Kaplan on a donkey in Palestine was taken in 1925. Kaplan went to Palestine to represent the ZOA at the opening ceremonies for the Hebrew University. It appears on p.203 of Communings of the Spirit, Mel … Continue reading

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Unhappy Place — Mordecai Kaplan– The Jewish Theological Seminary (1913-1934)

What an unhappy place the Jewish Theological Seminary was for Mordecai Kaplan, and what an unhappy place he must have made it in turn. From this there is a lot to learn about Conservative Judaism and institutionalized liberal religion in … Continue reading

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Data Collection & The Digital Barn (NSA)

I’ve been sifting through and trying to assess ongoing arguments about data collection and surveillance at the NSA. Still ambivalent, I’m going to narrow my focus on particular statements as they appear stated in this or that argument as a … Continue reading

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William Barrett, Lionel Trilling, and the “Residual Legatees of the Enlightenment” (Fabricating the Counter-Enlightenment Part V)

ZJB: An excellent and detailed post by James Schmidt at Persistent Enlightenment. He picks up the question of Enlightenment, liberalism, counter-enlightenment and conservativism as debated in the U.S. by William Barrett, Lionel Trilling, and others at mid-century, at the dawn … Continue reading

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