One funny and a joke, one funny and not a joke, one serious and important

Three articles of note today:

First, the Elders of Zion are calling it quits, moving to Florida:

The Elders of Zion, the venerable and shadowy Jewish organization that controls the international banking industry, news media and Hollywood, has announced that it is disbanding so that members can retire to Florida and live out their golden years on the golf course.

“We had a good run,” said one senior Elder, reminiscing over old photographs of world leaders in his musty, wood-paneled office at an undisclosed location. “Maybe we ran the world for just a little too long. Anyway, now it’s Obama’s problem.”

After a humiliating year left most of its financial holdings, as well as the entire civilized world, on the verge of collapse, the organization has re-defined its mission in terms of bridge games and making it to restaurants for the Early Bird Special.

Next up, what would you do if you were an Israeli defense contractor seeking to ingratiate yourself to new clients?:

Let's say you're a defense-company marketing executive. And you want to make a splash at the Indian defense ministry's annual air show. Do you: (a) buy expensive gifts for New Delhi's generals; (b) treat the press to Kingfishers and samosas; (c) produce a Bollywood-esque video featuring bare-midriff girls, flower-draped missiles, and the catch phrase "dinga dinga dee?"

Unfortunately for us, Israeli arms-maker Rafael chose C.

Finally, a serious and important post about the future of the peace process:

The international community's passion for throwing money at the Israeli-Palestinian problem is understandable, especially in the wake of Israel's war in Gaza (what else can they do now?). Another donor effort may do wonders to make all of us feel better (having participated in half a dozen I know the feeling of accomplishment), but it covers up more disturbing trends that will limit the effectiveness of the assistance America and others want to provide.
...
But on balance, I suppose there's a rough compensation here: America helped pay for the Israelis to blast a fair amount of Gaza; I guess it's only right that we help defray the costs to rebuild it. In short, without an effort to put the Palestinian humpty dumpty together again with a unified view of governance and negotiations as well as a coherent strategy to achieve Palestinian national aspirations, it's hard to see how there can be sustainable development in Gaza. And doing that is beyond the skill set of anyone I've talked to lately.

The moral of the story in that last article is that if the U.S. is to be a productive force for peace in the region, we need a serious rethinking of our approach. Unfortunately, it looks like domestic politics is, as usual, hampering that.

Elizabeth Taylor reaches across the isle with $100,000 donation to the Alliance for Christian Education

Anyone else think this story is a little weird? Elizabeth Taylor (Jewish entertainer whose philanthropy has usually focused on HIV/AIDS) just donated $100,000 to the Alliance for Christian Education, "because our new president challenged us to break down barriers that divide us."

Elizabeth Taylor gives $100K to Christian program

LiLo Converting to Judasim?

If Perez Hilton.com and JTA say it, it must be true.

Lindsay Lohan is converting to Judaism for her girlfriend!

Perez Hilton: Could LezLo be meshuggana? Converting for Saman?

JTA: Lohan plans conversian to Judasim

Live Video-Blogging Leviathan Production!

Check out our update from the press center...

Hampshire College SJP Seeks 5 Minutes of Fame

Hamsphire college's Students for Justice in Palestine is claiming that the school's board of trustees has divested from Israel, making it the first college in the U.S. to do so. But the school says it's cutting ties with the six companies in question because they've violated the college's standards for social responsibility- not because of anything Israel related. Looks like somebody jumped the gun bigtime on this one.

Mass. college denies Israel divestment- JTA.org

-lizrick

Israel EAP Restored!

This is a short, impromptu update to inform you that:

ISRAEL's UC-sponsored Education Abroad Program is reinstated as of only a couple weeks ago. If you are interested in next year's immersion program you only have until next Wednesday, February 18th to apply (see link below). Look for an in depth article about the history of the program and reasons for cancellation/ reinstatement in our next print issue.

http://eap.ucop.edu/prospective_participants/countries/israel/

-Matt

Objectivity vs. Reflexivity, which is more True?

Photojournalism, photo-documentary, and visual sociology… What do these all have in common?

They all convey a perceived sense of truth and authenticity. But why do these multiple categories of “truth” exist? As the prominent sociologist Howard Becker claims:

“Meaning arises in the organizations they are used in, out of the joint action of all the people involved in those organizations, and so varies from time and place to place. Just as paintings get their meaning in a world of painters, collectors, critics, and curators, so photographs get their meaning from the way people involved with them understand them, use them, and thereby attribute meaning to them.” (Becker)

Becker suggests that meaning in an image comes not only from what the image maker puts into it but also from what the viewer brings to the image. In today’s world of image-saturated media it can be hard to tell what to make of advertisements, television, art, and the internet.

So what is the difference between photojournalism, photo-documentary, and visual sociology? To understand, one must look at what each attempts to accomplish. Photojournalists typically produce images for daily newspapers. They claim to be “unbiased, factual, attention-getting, storytelling, courageous, and complete”. But how complete can a photo be when the photojournalist has daily deadlines? How in-depth can a photo be if the format demands instant readability? Ultimately this mode of representation can only at best reflect a superficial understanding of the events and social phenomena being photographed.

Similarly documentary photography is plagued by complex subjects, deadlines, and editors. Documentary photography is supposed to “dig deep” at big news, “be concerned about society, playing an active role in social change, and be socially responsible”. But just how unbiased can one be when producing images (hardly scientific or objective) regarding social justice? These photos after all represent somebody’s or some organization’s view regarding a story, and that story has to sell!

At the other end of the spectrum is visual sociology. Ethnographers have the advantage of credibility. A researcher can easily spend five years or more on one subject of inquiry. A researcher usually procures funding through grants relieving the pressure to embellish the truth, or cut details. The researcher is the editor, and with proper consideration for reflexivity the work speaks with its own transparency. Social theory shows that humans inherently are not capable of an “objective” truth. Visual sociology accounts for this by not attempting to be objective but rather incorporate the ethnographer’s relevant personal information. The result is hopefully a more complete truth that leads to the viewer making their own interpretation while considering all factors involved in making the image.

So why does the matter?!
Think about this the next time you watch CNN or read something in the newspaper, and consider how much of the story you probably aren’t getting. Journalists (and civilians alike) have biases, and are short on time. They are usually not experts with years of experience in any one story they are covering. Editors aim to sell. Do not take anything for granted. Perform your own research and see what you find to be true.

Work Cited:
“Visual sociology, documentary photography, and photojournalism: it’s (almost) all a matter of context” by Howard Becker

-Matt Borden

Breaking Through Glass Ceilings Via Clear Mehitzot

An Orthodox synagogue where women can read the Torah and lead services in front of men is stirring things up.  

Jezebel- "Can One Woman Start an Orthodox Feminist Revolution?"

Waltz with Bashir

I can't wait to see "Waltz with Bashir" when it makes its way to Santa Cruz. It recently won a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language film, and it's been nominated for an Academy Award in the same category. The movie is about an Israeli man piecing together his experiences in the 1982 Lebanon war. Here's the U.S. trailer. 





This article from JTA gives some really interesting context. It's really interesting to hear the director speak about the (surprisingly positive) reaction to the film he's received in Israel. 

-lizrick

Leviathan's News Roundup

A New York Times study illustrates that symbolic gestures, like Israel officially apologizing for the 1948 war and Hamas and co. recognizing Israel's right to exist, are surprisingly important elements to both sides of the conflict.

• NYTimes.com- How Words Could End a War

Anti-Semitic acts around the world in January '09 triple last year's number.

• Haaretz.com

Thomas Friedman lays down why the window of opportunity for a two-state solution is drawing to a close...seriously this time.

• NYTimes.com- This is Not a Test

Quick (pessimistic) bites from newspaper op-eds in response to the Gaza ceasefire.

• BBC News- Media Cool on Gaza Ceasefire

Birthright finalizes $20 million pledge from "world's richest Jew," despite fear that financial crisis would end the free trips to Israel.

• Haaretz- Birthright Nails Down Tycoon Adelson's $20m Pledge for Youth Trips

New, updated version of Rehov SumSum (Shalom Sesame/Israeli Sesame Street) to be released, targeting Israeli, Arab, and Jewish American kids!

• Jpost.com- Say Shalom to a New Sesame

-lizrick

Qaddafi's One-State Solution Misses One Thing

Today's New York Times features an OpEd by Muammer Qaddafi, the leader of Libya, titled The One State Solution.

Qaddafi completely fails to address the main reason Israelis and Jews oppose a one state solution- the fact that "Israstine," as coined by Qaddafi, will not be a Jewish state. This article never mentions the fact that because the Arab population is larger than the Jewish population of the area, the democratically elected government and subsequent legal system of the state will not be Jewish. Assimilation, according to this article, is the main barrier to a one-state solution.

I have no problem with the NYT discussing a one-state solution- hell Qaddafi makes it sound reasonably peaceful. But printing an article that will be read by millions of people without mentioning the largest issue, let alone suggesting a solution to it, is misleading. While I'm sure plenty of NYT readers could care less about whether a Jewish state exists, ignoring the fact that millions of people do care deeply about the topic is wrong, and presents a watered-down view of the issue.

-lizrick

Honestly Threatening, or Irrational Gut Reaction: You Decide

This poster is up all over campus advertising the rally at the bookstore tomorrow. I gotta admit, I've had a terrible day today because I was convinced that the sign read, "Retribution Justified" or "Retaliation Justified" instead of "Resistance Justified," and that the boy was throwing a rock at the tank in the picture. I read it as essentially justifying and supporting violence in Gaza; that somehow because the Palestinian people were occupied, throwing a rock, or any form of violence, would be an acceptable and admirable response. Instead of being an anti-Israel rally, I read into it as more of a pro-Hamas rally, and it really, really scared me.  

So technically, I let my emotions get the best of me and I misread the language and image of the sign. But nonetheless, even though it may not say "Retaliation" or "Retribution," I still feel like the word "Resistance" in this sign is inherently violent.  Even without the language and image, I still feel threatened by the message of the protest. I'm just not quite convinced that "Resistance" is separate from "Retaliation" or "Retribution" on our campus. 

Is the sign an effective tool to motivate people to attend the rally tomorrow? I honestly don't know, and really hope not. To me personally, the sign is about as pro-war and anti-dialog as a political message can get, and I feel physically threatened by it. But hey, at least it rhymes. 

-lizrick

 

 

Shalom

Hello! and welcome to Leviathan Jewish Journal Online. This is the parallel online version of the award-winning Leviathan Jewish Journal, the long standing Jewish voice of UC Santa Cruz.

Leviathan is a student-run, quarterly publication at UC Santa Cruz. We publish articles ranging from on-campus Jewish culture to national and international issues of interest to Jewish readers and all informed readers alike. It is our goal here at Leviathan to publish relevant, timely pieces in a format that can be approached by anyone. In the tradition of Jewish scholarship, Leviathan is a safe space for expression of many ideas be they: faith-based, personal, academic, or creative in nature.

Leviathan Online takes advantage of the instantaneous medium that is the internet. Here you will find articles and posts that address time-sensitive subjects of a more fluid or immediate matter.


Who are we you ask?


Michaly Bick

Matt Borden: mborden@ucsc.edu
is a third year anthropology major and the Art Director/staff writer at Leviathan. Aside from re-sizing and color profiling all the images during production weekend, he helps execute design, shoot photos, produce art and generally photoshop. Matt's interests include: ethics, art, Jewish theology, comparative religion, history of religious thought, and-of-course shawarma.



Katie Dubin-Wheeler

Darin Fryklund

Shari Geller

Alex Heifetz

Alexa Levine

Stacy Miller

Robby Pleasant

Liz Rickles
is enjoying her fourth year as a Leviathan staffer. She is interested in Israeli-Palestinian conflict resolution, Israeli society, gender studies, and Jewish identity in the 21st century. Liz studied at Tel Aviv University for five months during the Fall of 2007. She misses the language, the culture, and the bars that stay open until 4 a.m.




David Shere

Tracy Spiegelman

Charlotte Watter

Danny Zweier