i just got a breathtaking compliment from jackie. i’d been feeling a little weird since the jewish-muslim dialogue followed by my film class screening of celebration. it’s the first the dogme ’95 film, a well-acted, intense drama about dysfunctional family life. i appreciated it without being moved, maybe b/c i’ve been exposed to the subject matter before, albeit in a less sophisticated way.
the combination of the two events was a strange one. i didn’t realize i was upset about the dichotomies set up by the “dialogue” until i left it. no one challenged the speaker, mark ellis, over the course of the 2-hour panel, partly perhaps b/c he was pleasing and made jokes, partly b/c his comments were left ambiguous. it was only implied that true jews (him and the small minority of dissenters he spoke for) would, for the sake of conscience, dismantle the state of israel. that there were only two paths: his, the right one, the path of secular community, dialogue, individually apologizing to palestinians, and returning the jews to a position of vulnerability by ridding themselves of a homeland b/c Power and empire are bad; or the other, the path of staunchly, blindly supporting the state of israel. there was no place in his structure for dissent without thorough denial of israel. i felt like he was trying to morally bully me into his corner and i resented it.
stef and i left together and immediately both found ourselves raising questions and objections. when i got back home, i found an email from the jewish advisor suggesting that those of us who felt a lot was left unresolved could meet for dinner. i signed up for that; i hope stef does too.
and then lana pointed out jackie’s comment. you know, i really would love to gather the swattie webloggers together to talk in person. i’ve still never met rabi and i’ve only had fleeting conversations w/ cathy and jesse. it’s so late in the semester. doubtless everyone’s going nuts. but wouldn’t it be fun guys? come on, wouldn’t it?