What is beautiful to the Jews? [Tablet]
How should Jews respond to the work of great Western classical composers, when so much of their work is rooted in a Christian understanding of the world? Is there an “appropriate” response, or does it really even matter? David Goldman explores the relationship between a Christian conceptualization of beauty and aesthetics, and that of the Jewish people.
“This past July, I dined in a kosher restaurant in Vienna with a young priest from an Austrian Stift who is finishing his studies in philosophy in Rome. As we finished the wine, Father A. challenged me: ‘What is your definition of beauty? My opinion of you will depend a great deal on your answer.’ That is an important issue for Catholics, who believe that an earthly institution, namely the Church, holds the keys that unlock what is locked in heaven. If that is possible, God must make himself knowable in some way to humans, for example, by taking human form. One of these ways is beauty.”
Unidentified chemicals used at car checkpoints on Palestinians [+972]
What sorts of devices are being in Palestinian cars during predetermined Israeli checkpoints, and what security purpose do they serve? Haaretz explored this question in a recent article, but +972 has added a few more details to the story with a personal account of the device (and the inspection).
“The checkpoint examination usually goes like this: There are about six lines of cars going out through the checkpoint. At each line, there are one or two ‘security’ officers that ask for IDs, and decide whether the car and its riders do or do not constitute a major threat to Israel’s ‘security’ and ‘existence.’ If they do not, the officer gives the car a white ticket, which means they are done with the ‘security’ check. If they do, then the car gets a green ticket. Once you get the green one, you have to go to the far right line for a special check. You are asked to open all doors, take out all your belongings and go through a physical check while the car is separately searched.”
Pointy bras and kabbalah: Madonna to launch world tour in Israel [Jerusalem Post]
It looks like Israeli fans of Madonna will get the first look at her new worldwide stage show, which launches at Ramat Gan Stadium in late May.
Jewish day schools take bold financial steps to make programs affordable [Forward]
With threats to the survival of the day school program for many Jewish communities, some leaders are trying secure the continued use of the programs and make them as open as possible: all this in light of discouraging downward trends for Jewish day schools in general.
“According to recent Forward analysis of reports by the Avi Chai foundation, non-Haredi day schools are in a state of stagnation or decline. The Schechter Network of Conservative Judaism has lost 20 schools and 35% of its enrollment since the late 90s. Unaffiliated schools, commonly known as community schools, are barely holding steady. For day school proponents, the shrinking numbers and shuttered institutions represent a blow to the idea behind Jewish education, the notion that Jewish day schools are a key to Jewish continuity.”
