This Week in Jews

A livestream, that Seattle Times article, and maybe a restaurant

The big news this week is that I hosted my first livestream with Yassine Meshkout. There isn’t really an accurate term to describe who Yassine is, so just watch the video and check out his work, in particular, The Jewish Conspiracy to Change My Mind, and then Sorta Contra Zionists. What impresses me about Yassine is his ability to fit into no box at all while appearing totally normal and relatable.

Now that I’ve learned some lessons (like, no matter how much I barracade the doors, children will still try to get in; get better lighting), I’m excited to announce that the next livestream is scheduled for this Sunday at 4 pm PT with Portland-based Substacker Max Steele.

A lot happened this week for Jews in Seattle, starting with the Seattle Times story about the University of Washington Stroum Jewish Studies Department, featuring professor Devin Naar and Hazel D. Cole Fellow Gilah Kletenik discussing the purpose of Jewish studies, anti-Semitism, and anti-Zionism in this crazy moment.

That sound you heard was the sound of everyone in the Jewish community choking on their morning coffee upon opening up to the front-page coverage of local Jewish academics parsing the meaning of anti-Semitism for everyone to read. Responses were mixed, from brilliant, to not as bad as I thought, to “despicable betrayal.”

I am not going to jump into the ring here except to say I can appreciate this kind of conversation on the academic level, but find it irrelevant on the reality level. Virtually no serious media attention has been paid to the campus anti-Semitism/Islamophobia climate report, the shutting down of a Regents meeting by activists while Jewish students and community leaders spoke about safety concerns, the shady organizers behind the UW encampment, the increase in bullying in secondary schools, and so on. The Jews are tired, and most of them are not turning to Jewish studies departments to figure things out, because they are busy living through it. Not to mention that Jewish studies torched its own credibility years ago. And that is all I am going to say about that.

Speaking of tired, please read these excellent remarks given by AJC board president Sam Jefferies at the gala a couple of weeks ago, republished in ParentMap:

I’m tired of the schools that teach hate and the teachers who teach it.

I’m tired of the Jews who tokenize themselves, and make headlines condemning their own simply because their last name ends with Berg or Stein.

I’m tired of reporters who ignore broken windows and red triangles.

I’m tired of the media telling me that other minorities matter, and that Jews never really did.

I don’t usually cry during speeches by board presidents, but listening to Sam’s raw remarks, I lost it and sobbed right into my dinner napkin. We all hold so much in all the time, rationalizing and tucking our emotions away. I spent the first 20 minutes of a concert this week going down a thought hole about what I would do if the performer made some call for solidarity with terrorism. It took half the show and a large beer to relax and enjoy the music.

Perhaps I was on higher alert because last weekend I went to see October 8th, which miraculously had showtimes at a few Greater Seattle theaters. In the entire theater that night, there were four people, including me. (To be fair, going to the movies is not the outing it used to be, and no one seemed to be in the theater at all.) This is an important documentary that covers the response to October 7th, especially on college campuses, including the harrowing story of a student body president who was nearly recalled for her affiliation with Israel. I hope everyone has a chance to see it.

Now for some good (?) news. It looks like moshiach a kosher meat restaurant is coming to town. Gillie’s is opening in Renton “imminently,” according to the Va’ad, Seattle’s governing body for all things Jewish law. Is Gillie’s the reincarnation of Gold Schnitzel, the surprisingly good meat restaurant randomly located in a gas station plaza in Renton? Will it actually open? And stay open? If so, it will join the new meat falafel truck, Julius Eats, for a record number of two meat establishments — if they can both manage to stay afloat.

That’s all for now. Join the live chat on Sunday, and Shabbat shalom.

Emily

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Announcements

Check out the Seattle Jewish community calendar.

Candlelighting in Seattle is at 7:05 p.m. The parasha is Vayakhel.

Congregation Kol Shalom invites you to join them for a musical Scholar in Residence Weekend on Friday and Saturday, April 4 and 5 at 9010 Miller Rd NE, Bainbridge Island. The weekend will feature renowned ethnomusicologist, composer, and klezmer musician Zisl Slepovitch presenting several lectures and workshops. This program is funded through an Ignition Grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle. Program details and registration information can be found at: www.kolshalom.net/scholar

SURVIVING SURVIVAL: Two Short Stories by Holocaust Survivor Chava Rosenfarb

A little red cap materializes into a child playing in the snow; smoke from memorial candles twists in the air revealing images of lost souls; scraps of detritus magically transform to enchanting toys. In these surreal tales, the ghosts of the past ebb and flow through the lives of Holocaust survivors as they struggle to adjust to life after devastating trauma.

The powerful short stories by renowned Yiddish writer Chava Rosenfarb, herself born and raised in Lodz, Poland and a survivor of the Lodz Ghetto, have been newly translated into English by her daughter, Goldie Morgentaler. Evocative and unsetting, these narratives of Surviving Survival explore the intricacies of memory, guilt, and the delicate balancing act of moving through pain to achieve stability. This production, by Tales of the Alchemysts Theatre, will weave music, song, and dance into a portable stage reading.

Saturday March 29, 7:30 PM; Sunday, March 30, 1 PM. Isaac Studio at Taproot Theatre, 212 N. 85 St., Seattle

Tickets: alchemysts.click4tix.com

Shoutouts

Shout out to Rachel Rosenfeld, Executive Director of Mercaz Seattle, our very own community builder extraordinaire who is this year’s co-recipient of the Pamela Waechter Award. Rachel, we are so proud of you and so fortunate that you have invested your energy into growing Mercaz, the Northend’s Modern Orthodox Kehillah. —Ruth Etzioni