"Mezuza-gate" and all its implications.

This story is so bizarre. The NY Times reports:

Judith Regan was investigated in the spring of 2003 after an editor complained that she had boasted of removing the scrolls from her neighbors'’ mezuzas and replacing them with torn pieces from dollar bills.

A mezuza is a small slender case containing a scroll inscribed with a prayer that many Jewish families place beside their front doors...

...In that incident, an editor at ReganBooks, an imprint of HarperCollins, said that in early May 2003 she was in Ms. Regan'’s office when the publisher made the remark that "“she and her former husband would go around their apartment building, changing mezuzas with bits of dollar bills,"” according to an individual involved in the investigation, whose account was confirmed by the two executives.

In my humble opinion, it's pretty unlikely that ridiculous prank ever happened, because had Judith Ragen opened the mezuzah cases in her building, chances are that many of them would haven been empty. Do you know how many Jews think a mezuza is a decorative Judaica item with a Hebrew letter that gets hung on a door? Next time you notice a mezuzah on an unlikely door (i.e. someone who is completely unaffiliated and most likely hung the mezuza up for nostalgic reasons, to attract Jewish customers, or because they got it as a gift), try and get a peak inside and notice if the case is empty.

In non-heimish establishments, mezuza cases are sold empty-- there's no way the average Jew would know better. But how about the observant people who spend outrageous amounts of money on mezuza cases that are original, handmade, one of a kind pieces of art, and then proceed to fill it with the least expensive, standard, least mehudar scroll? This would be an example par excellence of missing the tochen (essence) for the klippa (literally, encasing). What's making me think of all this is Judith Ragen's supposed dollar-stuffing stunt. People are upset that she would even joke about being so crass, but all I can think about is how many Jews voluntarily do the same thing (hanging bills on the wall) to themselves (amount varies per community).

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In the time of the Spanish Inquisition, the Marranos came up with many innovative ways of hiding their practice. But unlike prayer, shabbos or other private mitzvoth which could be observed undercover and in secret, mezuzah was by its very nature a public mitzvah that, if hung on any home's entrance, would immediately spell the family's demise! The Marannos ingenuously devised a most unlikely mezuza case that solved the problem-- a statuette of the Virgin Mary, which had a hollowed out foot with a mezuza scroll hidden inside. The statuette was hung by the front door of their house, so that when they kissed the Madonna upon entering and exiting their homes, they would actually be kissing the mezuza.

Because I'm in the mood, let's play a little reductio ad absurdam... We're told materialism is the idol, so to speak, of the current age. In that sense, kissing the virgin Mary and kissing a flashy mezuza that screams $$$ is spiritually equivalent. In fact, kissing the virgin Mary may be less morally questionable because it's clear that the Marronos did not genuinely worship her. Money and materialism, on the other hand, are real objects of devotion.

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I vaguely remember my great-grandmother, who passed away when I was 5 or 6, hanging all sorts of strange things above the doorpost to "compliment" the mezuza. I distinctly recall a matzah hanging in a ziploc from pesach to pesach above the door; then there was also the ritual of smearing honey in the doorpost around the new year. My husband's grandmother, may she live long, is also unusually focused on the mezuzah, kissing it many times a day while mumbling her personal requests to G-d.

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Mezuza means many different things to different people. It's unfortunate that to Judith Regan it was a bowl of soup to spit in, on the way to the mouthes of the people she hated. On the other hand, because of her sophomoric act, the NY Times had the opportunity to educate its readers about exactly what a mezuza really is, "a small slender case containing a scroll inscribed with a prayer that many Jewish families place beside their front doors." Not bad at all.

How I wish Judith Regan would not have been fired because of anti-semitism.

Really, do we have to take the blame for everything?

The NY Times quotes her lawyer: "They were looking for an excuse to fire her, and they fired her, and called it anti-Semitic." (link)

I consider this tactic anti-semitic. Suddenly the reason that Judith Regan is out of a job is not because she has been publicly obnoxious to many people over the years, not because she was recently involved in the repulsive OJ debacle, not because she has had been carrying on a public feud with the her (incidentally Jewish) superiors. No, it's because the ever vulnerable Jews felt slighted by her marginally offensive comments (made in personal communication, mind you).

This hypersensitivity is going to backfire. People have a very low tolerance for groups that cry "victim" too often. There is real anti-semitism in the world that poses a real threat to Jewish security. Judith Ragen is not one of them!

Churban al Yisrael- no other words will do

New York Magazine has an article on sex abuse of children in yeshivos (link). It's heart-wrenching, just tragic and will hopefully lead to positive change and reparations. I'm with the people who would rather not discuss this issue, but only because it's unpleasant and painful, not because I believe it should be ignored. The discussions at DovBear and Canonist I & II are better places to deal with the details of the case and the legitimacy of anonymous allegations, but I thought of an angle which hasn't yet been mentioned and is consequential.

I truly think that a big reason for what the article calls ‘orthodoxy’s institutional cover-up of sexual abuse’ comes from the frum velt's lack of respect for science and its subset- medicine. The ultra-Orthodox are as concerned for their children’s safety as anyone else, if not more; the reason for this horrible mess is that the concern does not translate into an up-to-date understanding of what in fact constitutes a threat.

Pedophilia is not a yetzer hora, it's a psychiatric condition. Accusing a rabbi of sexual abuse of this kind is beyond the realm of lashon hora or defamation—it’s stating the fact that they are mentally ill and hence a threat to society. Pedophilia is such that no matter what the person's level of piety or observance, he will feel the urges (if he’s a tzaddik, he won't act on them or only in private without involving real children). Making ignorant statements like, 'he's a rebbi/ talmid chacham/ respectable Jew, so he can't possible have this problem' ignores mountains of evidence that proves that even the nicest people can be afflicted with the sickest disease, and being otherwise good doesn't make them any less liable or less dangerous.

Every community has sick individuals and that in no way reflects on the values of the community. Dismissing these allegations because they’re a “shanda” on the community is not only horribly insensitive to the victims, it is hurting the entire community by turning a psychiatric condition and criminal activity into an issue of religiosity. Judaism should stand irrespective of the people who practice it. Defending criminals who are mentally ill based on their religion is a perverted misuse of righteousness and does nothing but tarnish all that's good and true in Torah.

Pedophiles don't reflect badly on our community; it's the leader's refusal to acknowledge or deal with the problem that does! Isn't that obvious?

It also wouldn't be contrary to any Torah way of thinking to turn to the experts regarding these issues--as in, secular experts on abuse and psychopathology. A little research will tell you that pedophiles are typically drawn into jobs that involve constant contact with children. Considering that, would it be 'hepech daas Torah' to take the secular route and require psychological evaluation of all teacher and counselor applicants? If the Rebbi is a yisras shamayim in public areas of his life, that doesn’t guarantee that he does not pose a threat in private areas. Obviously the incidence is rare, but rare is still a formidable problem. We aren't scientologists who believe on principle that our religion overrides medicine, psychology and outside wisdom; so let’s incorporate the secular approach, which takes into account all these unpleasant but proven factors, into our educational model. We also should not be so wary of secular authorities getting involved in prosecuting the abusers. Clearly, a beis din does not have the capacity to pursue criminal charges. I can somewhat empathize with the difficulty involved in turning against colleagues and friends with such terrible charges, but that's not excuse for allowing the behavior to continue. Simply hand over the responsibility to secular authorities and let them conduct the investigation so that communal relations can remain intact while criminals are apprehended.

Ezzie also makes a great point:

These cover-ups do damage to innocents completely unrelated to the matter at hand: Every accusation of a cover-up is automatically believed, simply because they are so widely practiced. This results in innocent people being accused and having their lives destroyed by those with agendas against them or their families.

It's during times like these that strong leadership in the Jewish community is most sorely missed. If only there was a person of stature who could stand up and offer guidance, condolence, something that would reflect a true Torah opinion.

Unchecked Russian Immigration to Israel Hurts Russian Jews the Most

The Jerusalem Post reports: "The Great Synagogue in Petah Tikva was broken into and desecrated on Thursday morning. The perpetrators drew swastikas on the walls, on the ark and on Torah Scrolls. They also wrote 'Hitler' on the doors of the synagogue and flung the contents of the ark onto the floor. They covered every Jewish symbol with spray paint and signed the name Rammstein - the name of a German heavy metal band who some associate with neo-Nazism. They also drew the symbol of a known devil worship cult on the synagogue's walls.
[...]
In July 2005, the government opposed a proposal by Shinui MKs to strip individuals engaged in neo-Nazi activities of their citizenship. The bill was submitted following reports of non-Jewish Russian-speaking immigrants who have become involved in neo-Nazi activity in Israel. Earlier that year a Russian-born IDF soldier with a swastika tattoo on his left arm, who admitted to maintaining contacts with neo-Nazi groups abroad, was arrested in Ariel. His mother was also detained for questioning after she spoke of her hatred for Israel and expressed support for neo-Nazis."

The rate of anti-Semitic vandalism and assault has increased dramatically in Israel over the last ten years, following the increasing rate of Russian immigration. The Law of Return, which remains unchanged since 1970, states:

1. Every Jew has the right to come to this country as an oleh**.

2. (a) Aliyah** shall be by oleh's visa.

(b) An oleh's visa shall be granted to every Jew who has expressed his
desire to settle in Israel, unless the Minister of Immigration is
satisfied that the applicant

(1) is engaged in an activity directed against the Jewish people; or

(2) is likely to endanger public health or the security of the State.

"(3) is a person with a criminal past, likely to endanger public
welfare.".

The Law of Return has been under much criticism lately since this relatively lenient immigration policy has afforded many non-Jews and Jew haters, particularly Russian neo-Nazis, to enter Israel and receieve citizenship. The Russian website Darkon. ru promised to deliver Jewish identity cards and Israeli passports in a mere 10 days for 10,000 euro. The site assures non-Jews who wish to enter Israel that, "The Russian law from the year 1993 enables one to declare by means of a court of law and with no proof at all of a change in one's nationality, among others, to a Jewish nationality, which entitles the Russian to the Law of Return and therefore entitles him as well to make "aliyah" to Israel." In addition, anyone with a non-Jewish grandparent may apply for automatic citizenship.

Now, why would a neo-Nazi or anti-Semite choose to immigrate to a Jewish country where they'd be immersed in the people and culture they hate? The case cited in the JPost article, of the IDF soldier who was arrested for association to neo-Nazi organizations. He was a kid with a swastika tatoo and a room full of nazi literature, but his mother was a full fledged neo-nazi supporter who, when challenged, said she immigrated for the absorption package.

I found an old record of anti-Semitic incidents (pre 2000) perpetrated by Russian immigrants on the website Pogrom.org.il.

• 1999, an inscription appeared on the wall of the “Binyan Klal” building in Jerusalem: “Death to the zhids; may Russia be glorified.” Under this slogan was an SS sign .
• On February 26, 1999, Novosti Nedeli reported on the appearance of swastikas and slogans such as “Long live great Hitler” and “The end of the Jews is near” on the building of the Sharon cinema in Netanya .
• The July 15, 1999 issue of the Russian-language daily Vesti published a photograph taken in Ashkelon showing a swastika and an inscription proclaiming “Death to zhids” written in Russian; the author wrote that swastikas and other, similar inscriptions can be found in many locations throughout Ashkelon (this information has been confirmed by numerous statements) .
• On August 1, 1999, it was reported in Kiriyat Yam that an anti-Semitic organization of teenagers, known as “olim,” were breaking furniture and fixtures in a local synagogue, and had harassed people there (reported in Hed Hakrayot” and others) .
• On October 13, the Jerusalem Russian-language weekly Our Jerusalem, published a brief article about a male student of the “Boer” school in Jerusalem who stated candidly, “I am a fascist and I am going to kill all the Jews.” The boy wears a swastika openly, and threatens to return with his fascist friends.
  
• On October 17, 1999, the Israeli public learned about attacks to three Bnei Brak synagogues, where walls were covered with swastikas and inscriptions of “Long live Hitler.” The information about that event was published in the Russian and Hebrew press, and it was reported that the perpetrators of the attacks had been identified. It was discovered that they were non-Jewish teenagers who immigrated from the CIS. All the media that had reported it made no further mention of the event afterwards. A year later I approached the local police station to inquire concerning any follow-up of the investigation, and I was told, “… an indictment has been issued … the perpetrators have been found guilty by a juvenile court” .

More recent incidents include the neo-nazi soldier and the repeated synagogue vandalism throughout heavily Russian immigrant populated cities (Beit Shemesh, Be'er Sheva, Petach Tikva). In addition to vandalism, there are many reports of beatings and intimidation using nazi slogans, etc...

What isn't clear in these reports and so rarely discussed in the criticism of the Law of Return is that most often the victims of anti-Semitism are Jewish Russian immigrants. While other Israeli's are highly offended by new comers to their land who hate them and want to destroy then, and while holocaust survivors are of course horrified by the use of the nazi imagery in the Jewish and supposedly safe state,the actual targets of thes incidents are most often Russian Jews.

The reason Russian jews immigrated to Israel in such outstanding numbers (somewhere over a million) is because they were the victims of terrible anti-Semitism and persecution in Russia for decades. At the first opportunity to leave, they did, and flocked in huge numbers to Israel's welcoming shores. However, when post-communist Russia's economy declined and many non-Jews (or people only distantly related to Jews) looked for a way to escape the poverty, they too immigrated to Israel, considering it not an aliyah but an immigration like any other, but with a hefty severence package.

Any Russian immigrant to Israel will tell you that settling, absorbing, finding employment are all very difficult. Besides for the standard prejiduce against immigrants, Israelis are especially wary of Russians, because many of them hold high level degrees in engineering or medicine, and they pose a real threat to an already tight Israeli job market. The Russian community has also become a formidable player in politics, with representatives in the Knesset (Sheransky, Lieberman...)--they by and large fall on the right wing spectrum, be it likud or Yisrael Beiteinu, and support a platform of perserving an all Jewish state, in other words, Arab free. Again, Israeli's resent that such a new and foreign population could have such clout in an issue that they have only recently become involved in.

Recently, some emigrees have reportely returnd to Russia, citing less prejudice and better economic opportunity in their homeland. I don't know whether the emigrees were Jews or not, but in most cases, despite whatever hardship they face in Israel, Jews are afraid of returning to Russia because of a high rise of recent anti-SemiNazis there.

The neo-nazis in Israel don't target Israeli neighborhoods or citizens, for the most part, because their actions would not be tolerated for a second. Instead, they target fellow Russian immigrants who are (1) used to being harrassed for their Jewishness, and (2) would take longer in reporting the incident because of fear of backlash against the entire Russian community. As such, the Russian Jews who escaped from Russia because of hatred and anti-semitism against them are facing some of the same home-grown hate in the Jewish land of Israel. The tragedy is that because of forgeries, and intermarriage, it's virtually impossible to seperate the Jews from the non-Jews in order to weed out those that pose a threat to Israeli society; so the general Israeli public condemns the entire Russian immigrant community and for these acts, when in fact, these are the very people who suffer from anti-Semitism in Israel the most.

Update: Video on Ynet- via westbankmama.

Tsanchanim Bakotel

You've all seen this picture,

but have you heard their story?

You've studied the soldiers' expressions
as they beheld a miracle,
but have you heard their voices?

You've noticed the tears between the
grainy black-and-white,
but did you hear the cry?

Listen to a heart-wrenching recording
of the 1967 capture of the Kotel.
(Follow the English transcript to catch every detail.)

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This post would be more appropriate for Yom Yerushalayim (which is when I first heard it at Hirhurim) but it's also connected to Yom Hazikaron. There is a reason I post it now, as Israel celebrates its it's independence and I hear people hotly debating the religious validity of Israeli holidays. I want to show the hardliners who feel no gratitude or connection to the secular State that no matter what your politics, no matter where you fall in the religious spectrum, and no matter how you identify with Zionism, even you will be moved to tears when listening to this recording.

Chasidic tongue unleashed

I started this as a comment in response to Chaim’s post at Life-of-Rubin, but I got too worked up and it got too long, so I’ll just post it here as is:

Chaim- You bring up a great point that needs to be repeated. Crown Heights, a nearby chassidish community, recently experienced a MURDER, several brutal beatings, armed muggings, break ins, tire slashing, in addition to excessive religious profiling and ticketing (even though crown heightsers don't drive like Boro Parkers) etc... What was the community response? A few lame and totally ineffective community council meetings with the local police commissioner and councilmen. It didn't help in the slightest, but it still hasn't crossed anyone's mind to riot!!! To anyone who is trying to defend what happened, I have four words: give me a break.

Second, I'm always surprised that people won't accept that it's possible to be both Jewish and an idiot. History has proven that unfortunately religion, even piety, does not preclude a total lack of common sense or propriety. So why does everyone immediately generalize and turn the mess that a few dozen rowdy youth staged (maybe a few hundred men?) into a stain on world Jewry? Indeed, it was a terrible chilul hashem and it was disheartening to see frum Jews engaging in lawless, violent behavior—something I’d like to think antithetical to my value system. But can anyone really say that violence, civil unrest, and dangerous behavior are characteristic of Chasidim? J-blogs are up in arms everywhere about this, and understandably so, but some reactions are just downright unreasonable. Charlie Hall suggests (in a comment) that there is a growing trend of violence among Chasidim because of a brawl he witnessed last year in Dougies Restaurant. He can’t be serious! Steven Weiss thinks it’s appropriate to equate last night’s riots to the Crown Heights race riots where, let me remind you, a Jew was lynched and an entire community terrorized for over a week! Am I missing something? Even Psychotoddler, who is ever so gentle and respectful and never posts an ill word, vents his frustrating that ‘we jews’ are acting as though the law doesn’t matter. PT- I am as upset and disappointed as you, but why blame all the Jews for the actions of a few? In short, the world is quick enough to group all Jews into the category of "smelly savages" based on the reprehensible acts of a few. With such sentiment coming to us from outside, must we be our own harshest critics?

Finally, as disgusted as I am with the actual events, I am possibly more horrified by some of the filth that is being spewed by some bloggers and many commenters who finally have their day to unleash their spite for Chasidim. (And I’m not talking about the police boards or anyone cited above.) I won’t quote verbatim because I rile at the thought of having to re-read those comments but the gist is:

“Chasidim are different—they talk/dress/look different, they’re insular and backwards, they cheat the government, they drive like maniacs, they have smelly beards and strange peyos, they have no regard for authority, etc… Let's just admit it, WE ARE EMBARESSED OF CHASSIDIM. Ha, they’ve finally shown their true colors, so we can finally say what we thought all along—get those primitive Chassidim as far away as possible from our civilized brand of Judaism.”

I first thought this was a knee-jerk reaction to an embarrassing event, as in, immediate distancing--“don’t know him, don’t like him, have nothing to do with him.” But that’s not the case because disassociation looks very different than hatred. This is a deep-seated resentment towards the group as a whole, and while I’m not surprised that people feel that way because it’s the way of the world, I’m shocked that such outright bigotry would go unchecked. I’m not comparing the two events, but consider the following example. Civilized people don’t talk about the C.H. race riots by making sweeping generalizations and calling all black people chayoth or whatever other derogatory term available. It’s racist and it’s wrong, in all respects. The people involved in that incident acted like brutes, their community leader did nothing to control the violent mob, and David Dinkins failed miserably in his position as mayor by delaying the mobilization of riot police until most of the damage was done. Notice the people I point the finger at are all black and their actions were very much driven by their race. But despite all this, it would be absolutely wrong to lay the blame on being black in general. It’s not just wrong, but small-minded and stupid. I think most people would agree with me here. Again, please take the analogy apart from the actual events—I’m not actually comparing the riots.

My question is, why can’t the same standards apply to our own bretheren? Why is it okay to lump Chasidim all together and call them vile names? I don’t think things will ever be hunky dory between all Jewish groups, but can't we make disagreements less ugly? As stupid as the guy sounded when he told reporters the riots were because “those cops are just giving too many tickets”, that’s how stupid someone sounds when they say “those Chasidim are all just [insert choice word here]”. Just the fact that people are referring to Chasidim as “these people” makes my blood curdle. Think long and hard about the people who usually employ such descriptors, and then decide whether it's wise to call any group of Jews "these people".

I am sure that most Boro Parkers oppose what happened. In fact, the video clips show what look like many more spectators than protesters, so I think it’s possible that many of the people who spilled onto the streets were more interested in getting a peek at the action than making any trouble. The people who are responsible had better fess up and make amends for the chilul hashem they’ve made, but the rest of us should show the many thousands and thousands of peaceful and virtuous Chasidim the courtesy and respect that they deserve.

Israel Votes

Erev shabbos rant- dedicated to the weak stomached

Could I call myself a female Jewish blogger if I didn't let off a good rant every once in a while? So here I go:

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First let's deal with why I'm blogging at 5 a.m.! Actually, I'll answer that later... a little suspense thrown in :)

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Next up: I saw this comment on Musing's discussion about the yeshiva tuition crisis:

"I know people who aren't established in their professions or are still in school taking their chasunah money and going to Israel spending at least $1,500 in the process. In my opinion that is fiscally irresponsible."

Sure, I agree, it's fiscally irresponsible. Wait, who am I kidding?--it's the best thing a young couple could do! I haven't been to Israel since before I got married. It's been too long and I MUST go back... but now there are a million other considerations, i.e. kids, work, etc... All I could think of is, "I should have been irresponsible and done it while my time and money were still my own!" Now, at 5 a.m. I notice the Israeli bloggers are up and doing their thing and I can only think, *sigh* I wish I were there! Ahh, if only moshiach would come and take us all back. The other option is I could renew my vows and use that gift money to run off on a fiscally irresponsible trip to Israel.

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Another (rather unrelated) epiphany I had this very early Friday morning is an exception to the rule of emotional contagiousness through written language that I went on and on about earlier this week. Whether or not you've read the other post, you'll agree that writing carries a lot of hidden meaning that isn't written out point blank in letters. Emotion especially gets communicated through subtext (or tone) rather than words. Well, I've discovered the tricky exception: sarcasm. When someone reads a statement without seeing (or hearing) the writer or experiencing the emotional context where it was written, it can be very difficult to decipher whether the words were intended as satire or as humor, in light mockery or bitter irony... these subtle distinctions often require more cues. A good writer will choose their words to precisely reflect the message; for the rest of us there are emoticons or repeated LOL's.

You must be wondering, why in heaven's name am I having such esoteric internal dialogue at dawn? Well, there's an answer coming. This week BloginDm- a great j-music expertise blog, in the minute chance you haven't seen it-posted a question from a reader, RL. This guy asked, in too many words, if the in-house expert could name the Carlebach tune that goes, 'na na na na na uh uh na na...' I thought it was hilarious because if you wrote out any Carlebach it would actually look like that, and also because I'm corny sometimes. So I sent Blogindm this email (he doesn't take comments...) with a link to a cool 'query by humming' website called Musipedia that can name any tune. Sof sof, he thought it was funny and posted my email, but in retrospect I'm afraid it looks like I was giving a serious response to what was obviously meant as a joke. In short, I look like a moron. Yay. That's what I get for claiming that language can delivery the most nuanced emotion.

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And finally, as promised, we return to the segment called: "why mommies never get a good night's sleep." This edition involves a surprise wake-up at 4:30 a.m. by a toddler screaming "I fwoo up, I fwoo up" as though it were the most exciting thing to hurl three meals (plus snacks) all over the room. So the saga begins. I had to bathe my daughter, change her linens, wash the mattress, air out the room, get her to drink so she doesn't dehydrate, wait till she uses the potty again, calm her down to get her sleepy, and finally after she fell asleep, I started doing the laundry because you can't throw vomit soiled things into the hamper for later! Even my husband got a special treat--he dressed her while I cleaned her room, and she goes and vomits some more on him. Fun for the whole family! (Should I add a smiley face to denote sarcasm?)

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This concludes my first official rant. And now to start my day (and my third load of laundry)...

Shabbus Shuloym!

I dare you not to yawn... then I dare you not to take what you read to heart.

Yawning is a surprisingly powerful act. Just because you read the word “yawning” in the previous two sentences—and the two additional “yawns” in this sentence—a good number of you will probably yawn within the next few minutes. Even as I’m writing this, I’ve yawned twice. If you’re reading this in a public space, and you’ve just yawned, chances are that a good proportion of everyone who saw you yawn is now yawing too, and a good proportion of the people watching the people who watched you yawn are now yawning as well, and on and on, in an ever-widening yawning circle… And finally, if you yawned as you read this, did the thought cross your mind—however unconsciously and fleetingly—that you might be tired? I suspect that for some of you it did, and which means that yawns can also be emotionally contagious. Simply by writing the word, I can plant a feeling in your mind.

(Malcom Gladwell: The Tipping Point, p.10)

Gladwell above addresses what he calls the stickiness factor of features of a social epidemic, i.e. why some ideas or things catch on and become trends and others just don’t stick. Yawning is clearly a ‘sticky’ concept. The reason I quote this paragraph is not just to pull a prank on anyone who loads this page. (I’ll admit the image of everyone yawning at the computer is making me laugh, only I can’t really laugh because I’m still yawning… but back to my point.) Consider this statement:

Simply by writing the word [yawn], I can plant a feeling [of tiredness] in your mind.

The fact that just reading a word can immediately trigger an unconscious and involuntary response tells you that the “emotional contagiousness” of written material is unbelievably powerful. Information processing isn’t about the text that you mindfully read; it isn’t even about the infamous subtext anymore. Understanding comes as a result of a knee-jerk emotional response to the very base meaning of the transmitted information. Every input translates into a cascade of automatic psychological reactors which we hardly control.

The reason this bothers me is because it greatly undercuts the positive effects of free speech. In an open exchange of ideas, every party has equal opportunity to state their case and refute their opponent’s. But emotional contagiousness makes any refutation a moot point, because the initial processing of the offending opinion has profound effects regardless of its validity.

So when one critic after another tear apart anti-Semitic or anti-Israeli positions, they try to make it impossible to rationally uphold the hateful argument. However, the layman who is exposed to the argument is not taken by either side of the debate as it doesn’t concern them. The casual observer’s response is an unsophisticated emotional reaction to the implicit triggers-- a result that is most insidious because it doesn't warrant reevaluation.

I keep thinking about the average newspaper reading Joe who reads an article on the Israel Lobby paper and then keeps reading to learn how academics spin the facts. This uninvolved but sincere citizen will come away from the article having caught two emotional bugs: (1) don’t trust Jews, and (2) don’t trust the academic elite. Even if the second argument is ultimately more convincing, the impression of the first remains. The worst part is that because the hateful feelings are barely persceptible, Joe will never even have to feel guilty about having those thoughts--and they'll always be there.

My point is: if I make you yawn and then convince you that you’re not actually tired--you’ll believe me that you’re not tired, but you still will have yawned!

The Plot Against America... by Ivy League and Israeli Academians

Today's NY Sun reports:

A paper recently co-authored by the academic dean of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government about the allegedly far-reaching influence of an "Israel lobby" is winning praise from white supremacist David Duke.

The Palestine Liberation Organization mission to Washington is distributing the paper, which also is being hailed by a senior member of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist organization.

But the paper, "The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy," by the Kennedy School's Stephen Walt and John Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago, is meeting with a more critical reception from many of those it names as part of the lobby. The 83-page "working paper" claims a network of journalists, think tanks, lobbyists, and largely Jewish officials have seized the foreign policy debate and manipulated America to invade Iraq. Included in this network, the authors say, are the editors of the New York Times, the scholars at the Brookings Institution, students at Columbia, "pro-Israel" senior officials in the executive branch, and "neoconservative gentiles" including columnist George Will.

Duke, a former Louisiana state legislator and one-time Ku Klux Klan leader, called the paper "a great step forward," but he said he was "surprised" that the Kennedy School would publish the report.

"I have read about the report and read one summary already, and I am surprised how excellent it is," he said in an e-mail. "It is quite satisfying to see a body in the premier American University essentially come out and validate every major point I have been making since even before the war even started."

Alan Dershowitz likens the paper to The Protocols of the Elders of Zion:

"Sorry, but it sounds very similar to me. The only difference is the Protocols are a forgery, but this is actually written by two bigots."

In response to the public praise and support of a former head of the Klu Klux Klan, Dean Walt said,

"I have always found Mr. Duke's views reprehensible, and I am sorry he sees this article as consistent with his view of the world."

Mr. Walt must be even sorrier that someone exposed his academically sanctioned anti-Semitism for what it is. It's about time that we call a spade a spade. If the Jews need David Duke--a white supremacist and unapologetic anti-Semite--to point out bigotry, then so be it; but at least the farce that is academic freedom of speech is being stripped away.

The most interesting aspect of this paper, without which it be a typical product of liberal academia, is that it relies heavily on Israeli sources, specifically the work of revisionist historians who have in one fell swoop redefined Zionism as racism, misappropriated the legacy of the Holocaust to Palestinian plight, and given scholarly credence to anti-Semitism. Their work is being eagerly accepted by the likes of the authors above (note Norman Finkelstein's liberal quotation of Benny Morris at his recent Columbia lecture). How wonderful for Israel's haters to have a kosher brand of anti-Semitism available.

Update:
Required reading on this topic-

• Daled Amos: The Israel Lobby: An Antechamber To Debate

A self-hater's Paradise

Tonight's Oscars will be hosted by an unabashedly liberal Jew.

Tonight's Oscars will be honoring a film that is unabashedly offensive to Jews.

Expect to see a humiliating display of apologetics and feigned indifference to what has unfortunately become morally acceptable.