[ha-Safran]: What is happening to AJL?
Thank you, Yaffa Weisman! Enid Sperber Temple Israel of Hollywood 7300 Hollywood Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90046 (323)876-8330 Ext. 217 Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the AJL === Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu SUBscribing, SIGNOFF commands send to: Listproc @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu Questions, problems, complaints, compliments;-) send to: galron.1 @ osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org
RE: [ha-Safran]: What is Happening to AJL?
I have not seen the books mentioned in the original post, so I can't comment on their eligibility for an award or their suitability for inclusion in one collection or another on the basis of their particular merits. However, I want to register my opinion that to provide Jewish children with books that reflect their reality, we must be open to stories of interfaith families. For the last year and a half I have been the coordinator of The Rabbi Morris Goodblatt Academy of the Philadelphia Region of the Rabbinical Assembly. We offer 30 weeks of Hebrew and Judaica instruction to individuals who are interested in conversion within the Conservative movement. Many of our students are engaged. After conversion, they are married with Huppah and Kiddushin. They will, God willing, be blessed with children whom they will raise as Jews. Those children will have one set of grandparents who celebrate Christmas. When one of those grandparents passes away, the Jewish grandchildren will participate in the funeral, burial, and mourning. Not every interfaith family includes an interfaith marriage. Marga * Marga Hirsch 175 Upland Terrace Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004 610.668.9485 Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the AJL === Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu SUBscribing, SIGNOFF commands send to: Listproc @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu Questions, problems, complaints, compliments;-) send to: galron.1 @ osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org
[ha-Safran]: What is Happening to AJL?
I read Heidi Estrin's post about the Sydney Taylor award in disbelief. Why are interfaith books allowed in the competition for the award. Is a book with the name Jesus acceptable as an award given by a Jewish organization? Is a book that describes celebrating Hanukkah and Christmas acceptable? The answer should be a resounding NO. The meta-communication of such actions is that we accept materials that promote assimilation and interfaith socialization. This is not a religious issue, it is an identity issue. AJL promotes Jewish libraries, Jewish literacy, and Jewish literature. Are there not enough materials that reflect Jewish identity, religious or otherwise that can be entertained as nominees for the Sydney Taylor Award. I realize that many of you may perceive my protest as some kind of right wing bigotry, it is not. I am making a point about standards and limits of subject matter that reflect a Jewish organization. ALA has become an arena for promoting numerous left wing causes and ideas. They promote recommended materials about gay life, teenage sexuality, and the like. Is AJL now becoming another arena for promoting specifically Jewish liberal ideas such as accepting interfaith behavior as normal. Accuse me if you will, that is your right. If this behavior continues then AJL runs the risk of compromising the J in AJL. Eliezer M. Wise Library Director Tuttleman Library of Gratz College [EMAIL PROTECTED] Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the AJL === Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu SUBscribing, SIGNOFF commands send to: Listproc @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu Questions, problems, complaints, compliments;-) send to: galron.1 @ osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html History: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/history.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org
RE: [ha-Safran]: What is Happening to AJL?
I, personally, did not realize that gay life, teen sexuality and interfaith relationships are limited to left wing liberals only. But then, again, I thought that Gratz College was on planet earth. If we don't define Jewish life's rich fabric and identity in this country in a broad and inclusive way, we are compromising the A in AJL... Dr. Yaffa Weisman Librarian The Frances-Henry Library, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion Los Angeles www.huc.edu/libraries/losangeles phone: 213.765-2170 fax: 213-749-1937 Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the AJL === Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu SUBscribing, SIGNOFF commands send to: Listproc @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu Questions, problems, complaints, compliments;-) send to: galron.1 @ osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html History: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/history.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org
[ha-Safran]: What is Happening to AJL?
Well said, Yaffa. I would add that we would also be compromising the J if we don't define Jewish life and identity in a broad, inclusive way. Ann Abrams, Librarian Temple Israel 477 Longwood Avenue Boston, MA 02215 617-566-3960 x116 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.tisrael.org Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the AJL === Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu SUBscribing, SIGNOFF commands send to: Listproc @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu Questions, problems, complaints, compliments;-) send to: galron.1 @ osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html History: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/history.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org
Re: [ha-Safran]: What is Happening to AJL?
--- Ann Abrams [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Well said, Yaffa. I would add that we would also be compromising the J if we don't define Jewish life and identity in a broad, inclusive way. Perhaps, we need to once again define the ages-old question What is a Jewish book? Maybe we could even convince an AJL-er or two to present a session at convention on New Frontiers in Jewish Literature, discussing new types of Jewish books which may tend to get neglected or ignored. *** re : representations of intermarriage I have about a dozen categories of Jewish comics in my private collection. The category which contains comics that I have a strong dislike for are in the category Relationships. It's bad enough that most comic / graphic novel stories involving a Jew also involve a relationship with a non-Jew (as if it was too difficult to write a story about a Jewish couple). However, when the issues of inter-dating / intermarriage are over-simplified and misrepresented, that's just unacceptable to me. While I am an admirer of the late Will Eisner and while I think that _Dropsie Avenue_ is one of his best works, there is a scene in that book that irks me. A Jewish guy is shown marrying an Italian-Catholic woman and the ceremony is co-officiated by a priest and a rabbi. While I have seen such representations in movies and television shows, I have yet to hear of any actual real-life instance of a rabbi agreeing to marry a couple, along with a chaplain of another faith. B'shalom, Steven M. Bergson Toronto, Canada Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the AJL === Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu SUBscribing, SIGNOFF commands send to: Listproc @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu Questions, problems, complaints, compliments;-) send to: galron.1 @ osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html History: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/history.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org
