Does Bugs Bunny have a thing against Arabs? [Tablet]
In this piece from Tablet Magazine, Marc Tracy takes a look at some of the Arabic stereotypes in Bugs’ cartoons, in light of accusations that the work fuels hatred and mistrust of Arabs in general.
“Thing is, she has a point! 1957′s ‘Ali Baba Bunny‘ is a little problematic! So is the one where Yosemite Sam is Arab (‘Sahara Hare‘). But of course, these were far from the most racist Bugs Bunny cartoons, and they all were created more than a half-century ago. As to Deek’s charge that ‘the Department of Defense finances such films in order to increase suspicion towards our community in America and abroad,’ I hope she wasn’t referring to Merrie Melodies, which has no visible connection to the Pentagon; in fact, its predecessor, the War Department, famously went after Bugs in ‘Rebel Rabbit.’
Deek muses, ‘I’m talking about the corporations involved in national security and wars, along with Zionist and Israeli institutions … I’m talking about Zionist Christians.’ She should be condemned for paranoid anti-Semitic conspiracy-theorizing, but also urged to leave the Christians out of it: Judging from his Mel Blanc-gifted accent, Bugs hails from a part of Brooklyn not known for its Christians; and you’ll note at the conclusion of ‘Sahara Hare’ that Bugs’ frequent partner-in-crime Daffy Duck emerges in the desert, sees nothing but sand for miles, and assumes, excitedly, that he’s in Miami Beach.”
A green Tel Aviv exhibit? Sounds awesome. [Haaretz]
While undertaking forms of ecological protection and cultivation are admirable, a big part of the process of “greening” our world starts by familiarizing the general public with examples of people doing just that. Take this, for instance:
“Her garden in Tel Aviv’s Hadar Yosef neighborhood will be part of the ‘Houses From Within’ (‘Batim Mibifnim’) exhibition in Tel Aviv this weekend. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday, the public can visit private homes and interesting sites in different parts of the city. The event, sponsored by the Tel Aviv-Jaffa Municipality, will feature an ecological program and offer visits to projects and homes where residents are trying to implement urban agriculture techniques that protect the environment in the city.
The organizers of Houses from Within, Aviva Levinson and her husband, architect Alon Bin Nun, called Stav’s garden the ‘garden of surprises.’ Stav is now completing her doctoral thesis on the environmental benefits of vertical greenery. Her mentor is a researcher from the University of Queensland, Australia.
One fence in the Hadar Yosef garden has hanging plants and a variety of holders. Stav designed some of them with recycled materials such as sheets used for billboards. The holders have a bed of earth and other materials where plants grow.”
Heresy and Judaism [Sh’ma]
In this succinct article from Sh’ma, a Journal of Jewish Ideas, Rabbi Juan Mejia explores the idea of heresy in the faith, as well as its connection to skepticism, debate and the exchange of perspectives.
“The word ‘heresy’ comes from the Greek term ‘hairesis’, which means ‘choice’. In the rich tapestry of Judaism, especially in the realm of midrash and Biblical exegesis, we always have a catalogue of choices and opinions to pick from or to pick a fight with. This gymnastic of the mind and of the will account, in my opinion, for the great skeptical powers of the Jewish people which in turn have established us as a dynamic force of culture throughout our history. May we continue to be blessed with the heretical boons of this culture of multiplicity and disagreement.”
Gays, Mormons, and Conservative Jews [Jewish Journal]
In this piece from Jewish Journal, Mark Paredes (“a member of the LDS Church’s Southern California Public Affairs Council,” according to his bio) explores the Conservative/Masorti seminary of Israel’s recent decision regarding acceptance of LGBT persons, and how it relates to the idea of ongoing revelation of God’s word:
“The Conservative movement has adopted two responsa, or rabbinic onions, on homosexual conduct: one upholds the traditional ban in Jewish law, while another overrides it by claiming that all male homosexual conduct except for a specific sexual act were not prohibited by the Bible but by rabbis. The responsum goes on to argue that a rabbinic, though not a biblical, ban can be trumped by consideration for ‘human dignity’ and ‘respect for others.’ This mirrors the evolution on gay issues in the Reform movement, whose leading rabbis wrote opinions opposing gay marriage until the 1990s, when they stopped citing Jewish law and began appealing to justice and equality (please see this useful database on the website of the Institute for Judaism and Sexual Orientation if you doubt this). The difference is that Reform Judaism does not regard Jewish law as binding; Conservative Judaism does.
Of the three major Jewish movements, the Conservative position on homosexual conduct is the hardest one to respect. Orthodoxy retains the ancient halachic prohibition, and Reform Judaism says it doesn’t care what halacha says about it. Conservative Judaism tries to have it both ways, and the halachic contortions it engages in to justify acceptance of this conduct results in a confusing, schizophrenic policy. When Conservative leaders make a sincere effort to find out what God wants Conservative Jews to do in this regard, I’m sure they will adopt a policy worthy of the movement that produces the most erudite, impressive rabbis in the country.”
