Next, serial Republican Newt Gingrich preached that the Palestinians have no authenticity at all. In support, sociologist David Rubinstein summoned the ghost of Yasser Arafat to testify that  Arafat – and not Al Gore -  did indeed invent Palestinian identity. Good thing. Palestinian is a helluva lot easier off the tongue than Non-Israeli/Lebanese/Syrian/Jordanian/Saudi/Egyptian-Arab.

The much-hyped 3rd Intifada was an overwhelming shanda. In such a mamash fit of cabin fever did the West Bank Beverly Hilltoppers march down their price-taggers against the Israeli army and Islamic mosques. Sadly, ‘twas just smoke before the fire this time (Murray Richtel and Daniel Gordis here), as ultra-orthodox haredim pit their uber-Hasmonaean holy warriors against merely-orthodox Jews in Beit Shemesh, Jerusalem, buses, the army and elsewhere. Wanna see it?

The maybe-known-as-Palestinians, meanwhile left to occupy themselves with inventing their new identity, were quietly recruiting real circus clowns – no kidding - to “teach young Palestinians the circus pedagogy to stimulate and develop their physical, mental, artistic, emotional, social and cognitive abilities.” The article, below, is from an acquaintance living near Ramallah, Sam Bahour. I read Sam because he speaks his own mind, I get an insider’s perpsective, and though we don’t agree on everything – including some of the views expressed below — we don’t have to in order to reach a constructive outcome.  Happy New Year.

Palestinian Clowns Are Everywhere, by Sam Bahour

Some Palestinians refuse to just sit still and accept their fate as a permanently, militarily occupied people. One would think by now that Palestinians would have received the message loud and clear – the world couldn’t care less about their fate. But no, these Palestinians just refuse to sit still. They continue to defy their reality and can be seen across the Holy Land – jumping, climbing, swinging, falling, tripping, singing, twirling, juggling, cycling, tight roping, and the like. Their nerve! To think they can attempt to live a normal life when the powers that be are spending billions, literally, to cause a collapse of Palestinian society.

And who is it exactly I speak of? Palestinian clowns. No, I’m not taking a swing at the political leadership, at least not here. I’m talking about the real thing: circus clowns, like in clowns that make you laugh and make you forget that the boot of occupation is pressing on your neck. I can understand your confusion. Clowns and circus do not usually appear in the same sentence with Palestine. You are probably much more attuned to how Palestinians have been labeled over the years by some Israelis and their marionettes – everything from terrorists, crocodiles, ‘beasts walking on two legs,’ grasshoppers, cockroaches, slaves, ‘a community of woodcutters and waiters,’ the ‘penniless population,’ ‘not worth a Jewish fingernail,’ all the way to the most recent classification of being an ‘invented people.’

As many are bent on dehumanizing Palestinians, systematically and with contempt, others are mending the wounds of a people who have been purposely stripped of their well-being in one of the world’s most unjust chapters of history. One group tending to that process of mending the deep wounds that 44 years of military occupation continue to inflict is the Palestinian Circus School (PCS), based in Birzeit, Palestine. Yes, you read correctly. There is a Palestinian Circus School in Palestine! However, as I have learned while working closely with this professional team of circus artists, this is not what we all think of when we first think of circus. There are no elephants here, only Palestinian children engaged in a form of art and expression that uses their body to tell a story which can make audiences laugh, cry, or both.

Although the school recently moved from Ramallah to its newly donated headquarters in Birzeit (thanks to Dr. Hanna Nasir), its activities are spread across the West Bank, and Gaza will be added as soon as possible. The School operates local circus clubs and gives performances in various cities, villages and refugee camps. The Palestinian Circus School is a non-profit, non-governmental organization established in 2006 and registered with the Palestinian Authority since February 2007. You can read more and view some videos of their work at: www.palcircus.ps .

My consulting firm, which mainly serves the private sector, was commissioned by a unique donor, the Drosos Foundation, to assist the Palestinian Circus School in developing a five- year business plan which we successfully completed. Drosos has a rock solid motto of being ‘committed to enabling disadvantaged people to live a life of dignity.’ It is rare I would choose to write about one of my work assignments; however, what I witnessed over several months sparked an interest that I want to share. I also want to appeal to you to support their efforts. Likewise, Palestine is flooded with donor agencies, and most want to drive Palestinians’ development agenda, so when I worked with a funding agency that was sincere about supporting Palestinians by providing resources, but didn’t stand in the way of indigenous planning, I felt this was one of those cases that is the exception and also deserves to be shared.

Contemporary circus (or nouveau cirque as it was originally known in French-speaking countries) is a genre of performing art developed in the late 20th century, in which a story or theme is conveyed through traditional circus skills. It may all look like a game to the untrained eye, but this is serious business. At its heart, this style of circus is a societal change agent. The Circus School teaches young Palestinians the circus pedagogy to stimulate and develop their physical, mental, artistic, emotional, social and cognitive abilities. The circus then employs these skills in bringing smiles to the faces of children throughout Palestine, especially in marginalized areas.

If you spend any time in any part of Palestine, or even in Palestinian refugee communities outside of Palestine, you will quickly notice that the ultimate weight of this conflict is falling on the shoulders of our youngsters—shoulders that should never have to carry the weight of a military occupation! These young minds continue to be systematically damaged, but society is not standing still.

The Palestinian Circus School puts smiles on children’s faces as well as using the platform of circus to link to a global circus arts community. Circus schools and troupes worldwide are acting in solidarity with Palestinians by exchanging trainers, performances and experiences. It’s serious business with serious results. Maybe that’s why, last year, Israeli authorities denied entry to Mr. Ivan Prado, the most famous clown in Spain, who was coming to perform to Palestinian audiences.

Robert Sugarman, author of The Many Worlds of Circus, described the impact of circus best when he wrote, “By turning you upside down, we teach you to stand on your own two feet. By dropping objects we teach you to catch them. By having you walk all over someone, we teach you to take care of them. By having you clown around, we teach you to take yourself seriously.” The children of Palestine have had their lives turned upside down. Help us bring a smile to their faces and build confidence in their futures to make their lives worth living.

So, as you prepare to bring in a new year, I appeal for your generous support to the Palestinian Circus School in any way you can. You will not be disappointed. …. Donations to the Palestinian Circus School in the U.S. can be made through The Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA is a tax-exempt 501(c) 3 organization, so your gift is tax-deductible) www.mecaforpeace.org/partners/palestinian-circus-school. Direct donations and/or student scholarships can be made via the School’s website at home.palcircus.ps/en/1/1/3 . Happy Holidays.

 

 Sam Bahour is a Palestinian-American business development consultant from Youngstown, Ohio living in the Palestinian City of Al-Bireh in the West Bank. He is co-author of HOMELAND: Oral Histories of Palestine and Palestinians (1994) and may be reached at sbahour@palnet.com. Disclosure: Sam’s firm, www.aim.ps, provides consulting services to PCS.

Rebecca Caspi & Aluf Benn

You’re more likely than most Israelis to remember Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “Churchillian” speech to the U.S. Congress. While Bibi was Bam-Baming Obama in D.C., Masterchef barbequed Bibi in the home TV ratings, 46 to 29. Don’t be surprised, suggested Rebecca Caspi and Aluf Benn, during the What Do Israelis Really Care About Anyway? panel at last month’s Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) General Assembly.

Boulder Jewish News editor David Fellows wrote about the panelists’ opening premise  that although Israeli Jews and American Jews may scratch themselves the same, they do not share the same itch. (Or maybe it’s the other way around.) Caspi, Director General of JFNA Israel, and Benn, Editor-in-chief of Haaretz, believe that difference oft-causes our off-target diagnoses of the cause of Israeli anxiety. Go ahead. If you haven’t hocked your brain’s back-of-a-napkin for an iNod, jot down your answers to these questions recently put to Israelis by media outlets Yediot Achronot, Maariv, and the Jerusalem Post:

1. What was the most significant event of the past year? [Note: poll taken prior to the Shalit release.]
2. What do you consider to be the greatest threat to the State of Israel?
3. What are the most important topics for the coming year?
4. What do you view as the most or second-most acute tension in Israel?

Time’s up. The rest of you may now verify here  that the correct guesses are:

1. The Carmel Fire.  2. Social divides.   3. Education  4. Tension between secular and ultra-orthodox.

Somewhat surprised? Not to worry. Media-marketers easily mold our beliefs into reality-to-suit. While Haaretz’ Hebrew readers get social protests, science, culture, education et al, editors skew articles for English readers toward all ” ‘Hamas & Abbas’ Netanyahu, Iran”, et al the time. To explain, Benn digs deeper into American Jewish psyches:

“The Right vs Left debate in the U.S. misses the point. That debate is not about real life Israel, but about an ideal. Israel, a projection on Israel. The Israeli quest is to be a normal developed country, to live an American-like suburban life. For the American Jewish Right, that quest sometimes hurts the image of Israel as an island of struggle against Islam and Iran, and for the Left, it’s inconsistent with the image of an Israel in struggle to be an ideal of justice. ” [author’s sidetrack: for an odious illustration of the latter in the extreme, watch the Occupy Birthright YouTube video.]

Read the poll results for lots of fascinating stuff. Did you know that 1% of the 30% who are at times “embarrassed to be Israeli”, are blushing over “lousy TV”? Apparently, not everyone likes Masterchef.

We cross borders easily via our Jewish identity, connecting through Jewish values. I’m not interested in the Jewish continuity concern, without content. We’re inspired by today’s valuable and relevant Torah.”

So what’s a nice Swedish girl doing in a place like the General Assemble of the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), the belly of the ‘Jewish Establishment’?

Many of my peers are frustrated with big, closed door Jewish institutions where we’re not heard. But I see their importance. So we just need to create cooperation and openings for fresh voices. I was at the GA in Florida in 2008, and here in Colorado, there’s a younger, more exciting vibe.”

Ms Radestad’s right. Federations know they have a rep – ossified, top-heavy, definitely not sexy – so JFNA & host Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado kicked the GA2011 door open wide, and a horde of hip hairdos and 3-day growths clutching gizmos, flocked in. Give kavod where it’s due. This was way more than cool decor, oversized pictures of thick frames on Jewish It-girls&boys, and an Exhibition hall loud enough to cause the over-50 folks room service. No, this ran deep to program content of, for and by NextGen Jews, beginning with the conference opening message from Empowered Judaism author Rabbi Elie Kaunfer’s lips to Ms Radestad’s ears: if there’s no Torah in it, it’s not Jewish.
The GA’s whole-community conscious menu featured healthy entrees like The Jewish Futures Conference, featuring Darim Online founder Lisa Colton’s digitally formatted conversation on The Jewish Prosumer; The Butterfly Effect – Micro-grants for Macro-impact facilitated by the multi-task/talented Jewish Chicks Rocker, Naomi Less; and lots of ‘How-Big-is-our-Tent’ and ‘Israel, can we talk’ conversation. My favorite: Next Gen in the Shark Tank. There, the brave few had a couple nano-minutes to pitch their real-life project ideas to gently punching panelists like Rose Community Foundation’s Sarah Indyk and Jewish Federation of Metro Detroit’s Scott Kaufman, and the audience texted in their votes. (And da winnah is:from Detroit, Community Next. fix! fix!)

Okay, so maybe it was all a bit heavy on  newJew-speak (memo to grant writers & web editors: delete innovative and creative), the tired re-prefix, and some truly over the top self-aggrandizing (memo #2: bury, forever, thought leader). But the common aim has merit: connection to Jewish purpose and community building through traditional Jewish values ramped up to 21st century realities. Anneli Radestad’s only disappointment? “I would have liked each day to begin with some chevruta [partnered] study of Talmud or Torah.” Sometimes a good book just needs a new cover. Take a look at this one.

Enjoy more pix here.

Rabbi Gavriel Goldfeder’s “50th Gate: A Spirited Walk through the Counting of the Omer” was the sleeper hit of the Pesach / Shavuot season. Now, his new book, “Relationship 1:1 The Genesis of Togetherness“, has been published by Alternadox Press, and he’ll be reading from it on Sunday October 30th at 2:00 pm at the Boulder JCC. I caught up with R. Gavriel in his office-without-borders at Pekoe Sip House on N. Broadway, to crack the book.

Have you seen “Crazy, Stupid Love?” There’s lots of ambiguous, confusing and committed relationships. Reminded me of the Book of Genesis. Are they both romantic comedies, or romantic tragedies?

What they have in common is seeking advice about love and how it works. CSL harps on old stereotypes – there is some thing called manliness that women find irresistible and, predictably enough, it isn’t the same thing as love. The Torah has a different goal and a different way of getting there. Marriage in Torah revolves around self-awareness and awareness of one’s partner, developing effective tools, and getting used to change in relationship. Those make for boring movies, but exciting marriages.”

Is “Relationship 1:1” like “Zen & The Art of Marriage Maintenance,” or “Twelve Steps to a Hotter Marriage”?

Maybe more like “Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten“. The lessons revolve around basic themes – patience, perseverance, trust. But those issues become so much more complicated when applied to marriage. Marriage is where all those lessons are really put to the test, where they matter the most, and are the most satisfying when we get them right.”

Many of the Genesis relationships you draw from are parent and child, or sibling & sibling. How did you apply those to husband and wife?

In “Getting the Love You Want“, Harville Hendrix writes about something called an Imago. An Imago, is the sum total of all the important relationships we’ve had. We make our partner our Imago, which means all of our old loves and wounds are rolled up into this person. On one hand, we project old pains onto that person. On the other, we can resolve all those past pains with this one person. So, inevitably, your relationship with your partner bears reflections of your relationship with your parents, siblings, first loves, lost loves. Understanding those relationships will help you understand your relationship with your partner.

The same is true in the Torah. People find their partners within complex filial ties – Jacob escapes from Esau—and finds a wife. Isaac’s mother dies—and he is comforted by his new wife. Joseph is sold by his brothers down to Egypt—and finds a wife, and names their kids for his issues with his family.”

On a scale of 1 – 10, how familiar should the reader be with the Book of Genesis?

Just the basic Sunday School stories will do. There is some stuff in here that people may not have heard,so I offer a summary of each parsha at the beginning of each chapter, along with what to read if you want to cover all bases.”

Is your book only for husbands & wives?

It’s useful for people who are thinking about getting married, in order to prepare them for some of the identity questions that come up. And it’s certainly about committed relationships. David Schnarch, in his classic “Passionate Marriage“, writes that the book is for committed relationships because, people only do this kind of work within committed relationships.

This same book could have been written about friendship, or community. Both of those are, or ought to be, committed relationships. And the same questions arise there as well. But this is the lens I see Torah through, because I think marriage is the most important relationship we choose.”

When should a couple read 1:1? Is it preventative maintenance, a band-aid, or open heart surgery?

Yes. Yes. And Yes. I’ve found that people who were dating or engaged are benefiting from the book, too. It is about establishing a common vocabulary of relationship. It is never too late to do it, though the sooner we do it, the better off we are.”

How should a couple read your book? Curled up together? Separately? After the other has fallen asleep?

I’ve heard some couples are reading it together and finding it helpful, and others who are reading it independently. Different people will find different ways to use it. But it is important that both partners read it. It’s not fair for one person to be operating under one angle of relationship and the other partner through another.

I did it to my wife once – I read a book that inspired me and, without sharing much in the way of details, I began expecting certain responses from her that she could not have known about. It took us a while to figure out what was happening.”

Leslie buys 1:1 for Terry for Hanukkah. Which night should s/he give it to him/her?

First night for sure! Get to work as soon as possible! But the Hanukkah chapter, chapter 11, is a good place to start just the same. Which reminds me: all the chapters are independent of each other, and can be read stand-alone and at any time.”

And will it work under The Tree?

This is Bible. Jewish slant, but Bible just the same. Most of the inspiration is from right there in the text itself. So any Bibliophile would find it useful, especially anyone who wants to improve their marriage and learn some Bible at the same time. The book does not require any particular belief system – just belief that marriage and commitment are important, and that marriages can improve.”

You wrote a lot of 1:1 at Pekoe Sip House in Boulder. How many punch cards did you go through? Could you have done it at Ozo, or Vic’s?

Well, Pekoe has a vibe that I haven’t found anywhere else. Combination of people, location, good drinks. Hip, but not too hip. This book is about people. The Torah is about people. I needed to have people around me so I could remember that.”

It took 3,000+ years for someone — and that would be you — to come up with this concept. What’s your next project, or does only the Rebbetzin know for sure?

Interestingly enough, my next book is the opposite of this book. I took a book about sex and marriage, and applied it to Torah.”

S/he wants to go see “Crazy, Stupid Love.” S/he wants to Netflix “Kramer vs. Kramer.” Who wins?

Everyone wins either way. We get to know each other, we have what to talk about. Just make sure someone gets their way.”

Thanks. I’ll let her have her way, tonight.

“Relationship 1:1 The Genesis of Togetherness” is available on Amazon.com and at alternadox.net

Encounter equips Jewish leaders with tools to help resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and to create more constructive Israel discourse and engagement in their communities. Their flagship program, based in Israel, brings Jewish leadership on 2-day tours to Palestinian cities in the West Bank to meet with their wide range of Palestinian partners and gain exposure to Palestinian life. Encounter provides a crucial educational component that’s been missing: on-site experience and rare, face-to-face access to many lesser-heard voices of credible and mainstream Palestinian leaders.

Founded six years ago, Encounter has already brought over one thousand established and emerging Jewish leaders to the West Bank, drawing from Rabbinical schools, synagogues, campus Hillels and other Jewish communal organizations. Encounter is distinguished by its successful draw from Jewish leaders across political affiliations, denominations and generations. Its goal is no less than to seed a new cadre of American Jewish leadership equipped to grapple with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, catalyzing change in communal groups, boardrooms, classrooms and campuses.

As we follow the United Nations proceedings and uncertain outcomes of the Palestinian proposal, it is important stay as informed as possible, including Palestinian perspectives from representative and influential voices. Encounter is encouraging as many Jewish leaders from Colorado as possible to take advantage of this remarkable opportunity. If you’re planning to be in Israel, Encounter’s staff will welcome your inquiry about upcoming opportunities to participate. Visit www.encounterprograms.org to learn more.

But if you’ve only got 30 minutes, check out the shuk (market) in Ramle. It’s closer to the airport. Pound for pound, there’s more IL packed into this down home shuk than anywhere east of the beach. While  trendy cafes and boutiques infiltrate Jerusalem’s shuk Mahane Yehuda, the shuk Ramle stays the real deal. Health Department hasn’t cracked down here, yet. No sneeze guards, plastic gloves, tongs. Elbow your way in. Grab/Bag/Cash&Carry. Gleanings feed the needy. Leviticus 19:9-10.

Photographer Irus Hayoun Rosenfeld suggested our Ramle drive-by as a pretext to visit her mother in nearby Lod. More incentive: mom’s Tunisian dishes are best in show. I didn’t get much other local lore in my half-hour. But historic conquerors of Ramle had cool names for your kid’s garage band or your grandchildren (b’shaa tova): Ikhshidid, Fatamid, Seljuq, Crusader, Mameluk, Turk and Brit.

Ramle today is mostly Jewish with a significant Arab minority – a flip-flop from pre-State days. For how that happened, you can try on various narratives and choose the one that suits you, or do some mixing and matching. That many younger Jews and Arabs are more interested in unveiling a cooperative future than prevailing about the past, may bode well. Here’s some place and face images.

More from Scene In Israel and This Year In Israel is here.

Built in the late-1920’s by merchant and artisan immigrants from Greece, Bulgaria and elsewhere in the Mediterranean Basin, crowded Florentin joined its neighbors in decline during subsequent decades of exile to the suburbs. Now, it’s emerged as an eclectic blend of trendsetting art&design types, holdover working class heroes, post-grads, oldsters and scenesters set among knocked-up, fixed-up and built-up apartments, studios and galleries.

High fashion, retread trashion, eco-chic – its all designed, sewn and worn on the same beat streets that serve deliciously cheap ethnic food (eat Levinsky street!) and overpriced cuisine. Furniture making, too, is inspired by dilapidated cool. “Florentin is where we discovered the beauty of decay,” scavenged furniture designer Joy van Erven told the Jerusalem Post. Take that, Ikea.

Lacking the know-how to verify that there’s quite the nightly pub&club scene here, I day-hopped trades & carpentry workshops to a buzzy band-saw soundtrack. Charly, a third-generation lathe shop owner, took a break to show me around a few blocks featuring some impressive graffiti riffs. A few of ‘em are in this filmstrip. Have a look.

More from Scene In Israel and This Year In Israel is here

For a radical change of scenery, bus west to the gritty, sweat soaked streets of south Tel Aviv. Exit at the Central Bus Station, and welcome to Neve Shaanan. Citrus groves long ago, this neighborhood’s dilapidated international-style architecture now shields crowds of minimal-income foreign laborers, refugees, and illegals from Africa, Asia and eastern Europe, and their parasitic moneychangers, check cashers and SIM card sellers. Word is the “Russian Mafia” has set up shop here for its prostitution and human trafficking network. Legitimate and risky business types alongside assorted hanger-outers saturate this safe haven from the furious up-scaling sweeping Tel Aviv-Yafo. Did the freewheelin’ streets make them easy targets for terrorists? From 2002 – 2006, bombers killed 37 and injured more than 200 people in Neve Shaanan.

My camera and I were oft greeted with suspicious glances and evasion. But also with smiles and warm welcomes, and for the asking, workshop tours, coffee and conversation, and tastes at world-food stands. Over a couple of days, I was tossed out of a lotto shop, invited into a music store for new tunes, solicited, cursed, serenaded, and detained for an accident witness statement. Whether all of Neve Shaanan’s newcomers will be absorbed into the great Israeli peoplehood experiment is tbd. For now, an energetic and enterprising spirit fuels hope to move up and out of this low-rent district. Though when speculators finish tidying up nearby Neve Tzedek and Florentine, folks may be outted before they’re ready.