Kinky Break

It all begins with my brother Sam, who has been suggesting some time that I learn about music. Shortly after my return from France, I decided to create an account on Pandora, in order to expose myself to the world of popular contemporary music. Within a few weeks, my station had quickly morphed to include artists whom I associate with my parents, and particularly with my Father. This is why, when he asked me how I was feeling, while picking me up on Dragon Day to bring me home for Spring Break, and I replied that I was "looking for fun and feelin' groovy," he understood the reference.
But what pleasantly surprised my parents the most was not that I could make Simon and Garfunkle references, but that I had learned that I love the Kinks. For those of you who don't know, the Kinks are another band from the British invasion, and have continued to produce albums well into the 21st century. The only song you've probably heard by them is "All Day and All the night," which I sang in duet with Josefin the night we first tried out the new CJL karaoke machine.
My parents and I spoke about the Kinks for most of Shabbat dinner, and on Saturday night, my Dad gave me a pile of CDs to listen to while I was home: the Ultimate Kinks Collection (2CDs), Preservation Acts I and II (a 2-volume rock opera), and Muswell Hillbillies, my Mother's favorite CD. Needless to say, I had listened to all of them by Tuesday evening, and continued to search for more tracks on Spotify.
I enjoy the Kinks mostly because of the wonderfully caustic lyrics of the lead singer and songwriter Ray Davies, who with his brother Dave makes up the historical core of the band. The songs are ironic, edgy, and often quite funny. They range enormously in their topics: from the memory of drinking tea at grandma's house ("Have a Cuppa Tea"), to an encounter in a dance hall with a transvestite ("Lola"), to a social commentary on the squalor of the urban poor ("Deadend Street"), to an imaginary fascist takeover of jolly old England (Preservation). Songs' protagonists hail from every class of English society, the ultra-wealthy ("Sunny Afternoon") to the hypocritical middle class ("A Well-Respected Man"), to the playboy ("Dedicated Follower of Fashion") to the homeless and jobless ("Sitting in the Midday Sun"). There are a few typical of the love songs that one associates with the Beatles' earlier years together, but more often than not, relationships in songs are painful or complicated, with such lines as "I'm going to miss her bloodshot alcoholic eyes" ("Musswell Hillbilly").
At least half of the songs are about people with messed-up lives. "Do It Again" describes the hypnosis of daily drudgery, "Apeman" is about a modern Luddite, "Celluloid Heroes" is about the dark side of Hollywood stardom, and the title "Acute Paranoia Schizophrenia Blues" says it all.
Ray Davies consistently pushes the right emotional buttons to make listeners smile or squirm, as necessary.
So, that's what I accomplished this break: a bit of music history. Thanks to Josh Mitrani for giving me the idea of blogging about music. If you don't already, you should read his blog.

~JD

"The basic indifference of Petain and Laval left the field to the zealots. Vichy antisemitism seems to us neither the work of mass opinion nor of the men at the top. It was pushed by powerful groups and fanatic individuals, given a free hand by the indifference of others ready to abandon the values of the hated ancien regime" (Marrus and Paxton, Vichy France and the Jews, p. 19).

Birthright Journal II

Tonight's post is a continuation of the previous one. The following is an edited transcription of the remainder of my journal entries from my time on Birthright Israel.

Saturday 1/14/2012

Up before 7:00, dressed and down for hotel breakfast with Sam Feldman and Bryce, the only 3 awake (Avery joined us soon after). We had a really good discussion of Shomer Shabbat, and Torah, etc. I chilled in their room a bit, borrowed Hunger Games from Sam, and practiced for services. 11:00, accompanied by neither roommate, I arrived at the quintuple Bat Mitzvah: Margo, Jess, Liz, Jon, and Pricilla. I sang my Conservative melodies, and listened to the speeches of the B’nai Mitzvot -- Jess’s even got me to tear up, and was perhaps my first spiritual experience in Israel. Her joining in Hillel for Yom Kippur, made her part of a community (later, I let her know of my appreciation). Chilled for a while, read Hunger Games and talked to Shereen in the lobby (she asked me if I was Conservative recognizing the tunes which I used t lead), then lunch (roommates were up) - good talk with Margo & Bryce. Presentation by Masa, who want us to return to Israel, then swimming in the pool until 4:30, just as the other were leaving. When done, couldn’t find the entrance, and was running the circumference of the building with nothing but a small towel around my lower body (kept on thinking of “girding up my loins”), but made it back, and on time: on the bus, down to the Hebrew Union College for a guitar0accompanied Havdallah, with Shereen’s friend Yosi (after putting b’nai mitzvot on the chair for Hava Negillah). Then, night out in Jerusalem: at first, with Sam Moss, Margo, and Bryce -- mediocre Italian restaurant (after some searching) followed by Judaica shopping (Bryce & I just watched). After that, to the club -- new group, morphed into Bryce, Sarah, Adar, Margo, Avery, Will ♥ Michel, Jake, Chloe, and Clarissa. I danced - 1^st time - but alone, albeit with great energy. We went next to a bar, in which I was totally overwhelmed by a single Tubar beer, of which Clarissa ended up drinking ⅓ or so. Played “Never Have I Ever,” in which I revealed my lack of romantic attachments. Avri was wasted, Will & Michel were cute together, and Sara & Adar were least friendly (Margo, too). Having a wonderful time, we wandered a bit, made it back to the club, danced more. We all headed back to the bus at 11:30, and I was slightly drunk (<1 beer), and skipping (which Corryn thought was adorable). Back to room, to sleep past midnight.

Sunday 1/15/2012

Up, again for 7:00 breakfast club, and packed up to leave the hotel. Drove to the capital in Jerusalem, and Avishai explained to us about the Knesset, its history, its problems. We walked on to the beautiful High Supreme Court building, a fantastic piece of architecture: arches, pillars, past & present, width & narrowness, squares and circles. Saw the Court’s library, and a room where court holds session. From there, we drove to the Herzl National Cemetery, visiting the graves of the leaders, as well as of the IDF. Among others, saw the graves of and discussed the significance of Herzl, Yitzchak Rabbin, Eli Cahan, Michael Levine, etc. Really a very sobering experience, and I hope that none of our Israelis end up in that cemetery. We returned to the market of last week for lunch -- I got in a very intense argument with Sam Moss, Matt, and Bryce in defense of vegetarianism. We went on to take a very long drive north, during which everyone around me was sleeping -- the landscape was impressive, and would be more so on Monday. We got to the hostel past 7:00, ate lousy cafeteria food, and moved into a surprisingly nice room, with its own bathroom (Sam Moss & Matt again). Found the party room (Red Rover), then 9:00 meeting -- worst charades game I’ve ever played. I had “Starbucks,” and other groups had “Amsterdam,” “Camouflage,” etc. Afterwards, party started on the balcony/lawn. Played Truth or Dare, then “Never Have I Ever,” when some people from the other Birthright trip showed up. I like Group 357 overall. I was with Margo, Will, Michel, Jake, Avery, Sarah, Tehila, and, of course, Adar, whom we all love (koala slippers). Back to the room, hit the sack past midnight.

Monday 1/16/2012

7:00 breakfast club again: sat with Sam, Will, Bryce, Avery, Jake (crowd unsurprising). On bus for our most beautiful ride yet, up to the Golan Heights. On the way, we passed through Tiberias, with Rambam’s tomb, and also by Lake Kineret, on which Jesus walked. Also passed the loaves and fishes place, and a significant mountain). So green and plentiful, and gushing with water. We made it to the hike at Tel Dan - very muddy, but possibly my favorite destination yet on our trip. Wonderful because of the natural beauty and clear water (and the fact that I was speaking to Jess, whom I like very much), but also because of the ruins. First and foremost, the altar, c. 900 B.C.E., established by Yarav'am. Setup like that of the Temple in Jerusalem, no pig bones, and even iron barbeque tools. Looked out on the Syrian and Lebanese borders simultaneously, including the remains of the Syrian canal the Israelis had bombed. Saw the ruins of a 2800-year-old city gate, where judges held trials, and the 4000-year-old 1^st arch in human history, through which Avraham may have walked. Gave me a very strong sense of historical connection. Lunch at a rest stop -- ate sandwich from hostel, and talked to Sam Feldman and Hannah, among others). We drove on to drop off the Israelis -- hope I get to see them again (gave warm-and-fuzzy notes, to Or, Adar, and Yanai), and some people cried. I made the joke about Brits leaving without saying goodbye, and Jews saying goodbye without leaving. Drove on to a volcano, which gave us a breathtaking view of the now-fertile former swampland. Chilly up top, even saw snow, and Avishai took us into a bunker, and gave us another military lowdown, focusing on the defense of Golan in the Yom Kippur War. We stopped in the café at the mountaintop, and some people got hot chocolate, then drove to Capernaum Vista olive press, where we got a unique politics-loaded pot-stirring talk from the press owner. He was a good salesman, and got us to try his olive oil (orange really good) and skin care products (I bought nothing). He also created, instantly, a debate about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: on the bus back, Jess, Matt, Bryce, Margo, and I had an excellent conversation. Back at hostel, another subpar diner, and somehow Sam Moss and I reminisced about CJL people we know and love. Bryce and Sam Feldman were in our room for this, and Bryce requested to see FB photos of the people we were discussing, and we used the lobby terminal: a photo of Rachel, Jacob, Peninah, and Marissa made me instantly realize how much I miss them all. Acutely, painfully aware. 9:00 game, series of questions for whole group, Yes, No, or Maybe. Will you keep abreast of current events in Israel (Y)? Are you planning on engaging in Jewish activities on your return (Y)? Would you marry a non-Jew (N)? Would you raise your children Jewish (Y)? Afterwards, had a nice heart-to-hear talk with Margo about Aliyah, orthodox conversion, ended up sucking Shereen into our conversation. Shereen had shared her story of rock-bottom, pulled-out-of-the-gutter-by-the-Jewish-community story. Bed past midnight.

Tuesday 1/17/2012

Up at 6:50, shower, breakfast (almost alone), journal, then packed up the bus, and drove to Tzfat, passing Hattin (as in, the Horns of Hattin) on the way. Sat with Bryce, who’s still sick with a cold (note: a stomach bug has been going around the group), and arrived, in the rain, at Tzfat, the city of wind. We visited the house of Yosef Caro, the synagogue of Yitzchak Luria, and a candle factory. I dropped ₪5 for the Caro house upkeep, as tzedakah. Bryce and I walked through a few of the art galleries together, and Matt and I watched a Chabad woman making wax carvings of Jacob’s Hands. We drove on, in the continuously beautiful landscape, to the Roman ruins at Tzippori, where we hiked around, visiting a mosaic shop, the roads, and various reconstructed mosaics. I was quite pleased and impressed, and Avishai discussed with us the significance of the Mishnah, and the 2000-year-old problem of adaptation. There was what might have been a synagogue floor, with Hebrew writing and pagan imagery (Zodiac). What does that mean? Finally dry, long bus ride to Tel Aviv, and Bryce and I continued our very intellectual conversation: poetry, Chinese classics, Kabbalah, martial arts, “superstition,” biology, religious tolerance, intermarriage, etc. Eventually, made it to hotel in Tel-Aviv. Sam Moss, Matt, and I removed in our smallish room. I finished some writing, then 6:30 dinner -- more table talk with Bryce, and back to room until 9:00 p.m. departure time for night out in Tel Aviv. The night started kind of slowly - went to a café, but Bryce and I sat outside with Avri, where the two of them talked punk music and horror films. I was unable to contribute, but listened respectively. Next up, a bar, where I was in the corner. Sam Feldman bought me a beer, and not much happened, until I was asked to film karaoke (I was with Matt, Bryce, Sam Feldman, Avri, Sarah, Will, Michel, Margo, Adar [yay!], Chloe, and Clarissa). We followed Adar, whom we had met after the café, to another place, where the dance floor was the bar itself. Again, cameraman, then danced a little with the girls, and Will insisted I take my 1^st shot: an ultimate vodka; it took a little while for the alcohol to take full effect, but finishing Avri’s beer helped too, as we exited. By this time, we had well under an hour left: Chloe apparently had gotten sick, so I carried her piggy-back: Will was telling her to kiss me, but I told her she didn’t need to, if she didn’t want to -- so she didn’t, but she laughed about my statements about street-crossing safety. So we walked the streets, and some headed back to the rendezvous point, while Sam, Bryce, Margo, and I stepped into a bar for a quiet moment, and spoke until we all met back up again. Hannah was feeling frigid, so I gave her my hoodie to wear. We bussed back to the hotel, and after talking to Sam Moss a bit, went to bed past 2:00.

Wednesday 1/18/2012

Up without the slightest hangover, with energy, ready for the last day of Taglit, in Tel-Aviv. We drove downtown, seeing the fashionable socialist-designed World Heritage site, and some people took a 10-minute coffee break, and we went on to see some orientalizing ‘20s luxury multi-million homes, before stopping by Independence Hall, where we saw a presentation on Israel’s declaration of independence in 1948, by a really excellent guide, who went on to play the audio recording of the event for us. Then we stopped by Jaffa, where Avishai lives, and he showed us around, including the shores of the Mediterranean, where I got just a little wet. We had free time to eat and shop, after discussing Tel-Aviv-Jaffa’s role as a border in the Israeli-Palestinian open conflict, ending in military conflict. Sam Feldman and I wandered around -- he walked into a restaurant, and asked for a pepperoni pizza, ended up getting a margarita, a whole pie, while I ate my soy-hotdog sandwich left over from the day before, and we looked at the cheap fleamarket goods. On the bus ride to Jerusalem, I spoke more to Sam Feldman, and filled out an evaluation form. On the bus, on the way to the Education Fair, where I saw a few uninteresting booths, but also a program for teaching English and learning Hebrew in Israel, no experience required, and a stipend provided. Bus ride, filling out yet another evaluation form, arrived at a greenhouse/bikeshop, where we sat in a circle and shared our favorite experience -- most people very honest, and many said Matzada or the Bedouin tent (I said Golan, and Jess’s Bat Mitzvah speech, and she was very touched). We had an OK-dinner: I wound up sitting with Grant, Jon, Hon, Aaron, Perry, and some others. Then drove to David Ben-Gurion airport. We received our shirts and mezuzot, and waited a really long time, but made it (talked with Madison, Lexi, and Bryce, whose olive oil I’ll be bringing back for him). Boarded the 11:30 flight, after goodbyes to Shereen, Jess, and Adina (unintentionally missed Avishai), and after shuffling seats to convenience Kyle and Rachel, wound up between a Jewish woman from Brooklyn, and an Israeli woman and her cute 15-month-old.

Thursday 1/19/2012

Finished my flight back to the United States, helping the woman and her baby through customs. There were some quality hugs as many of us parted ways, and I finally made it to the right gate, where I chilled with Sarah, Trevor, Liz, and Andrew. Main topics -- people we didn’t like, and hookups. Andrew and I flew the two flights to Dulles, then Syracuse, and I met my Mom at the airport: I was and am so happy. Chattered to her all the way back, read some, and befriended Shereen on Facebook, unpacked, ate dinner, bed around 9:00!

~JD

"The we/they divide within this society shifted from one that emphasized social identities based on either one's association with autochthonous gods or immigrant gods, to a definition that focused on the origins of one's ancestors and time of arrival" (Sandra Greene, Gender, Ethnicity and Social Change on the Upper Slave Coast: A History of the Anlo-Ewe, p. 108).

Birthright Journal I

I've decided to publish a slightly-edited and highly-expurgated version of my journal from the days I spent in Israel, on the Birthright program. I realize that they are quite banal, but I still hope that they are at least somewhat enjoyable. These first entries last from the day we flew to Israel, until Erev Shabbat.

Sunday 1/8/2012-Monday 1/9/2012

I was out of bed around 8:00 on Sunday, breakfast with parents, read took a 1-hr. run in the snow. Shower, then, 25 min. later, had a good ride to Philly airport with my parents. Found Sam Moss in airport. Hugged & kissed goodbye, then -- off. Security etc., bought a new pair of shades. Slice of pizza with Sam, discussed France and Washington, respectively. Read a lot of Josephus, not much water, on the plane ride (10 hours) to Tel-Aviv. Surprisingly good vegetarian food. Tel-Aviv passport and customs took around 90 minutes of waiting (well into bk. 2 of Josephus). Very thirsty, but got water and cell phone as we left. Drove to hotel with guide Avishai, and we had about an hour to move in. Rooming, coincidentally, with 2 Cornellians, Aaron & Andrew. Mediocre dinner, with people I haven't yet gotten to know. After dinner, much better. Played Spoons and B.S. (I did quite well). New friends: Becka (CU), Chloe, Jake, Will, Alex, Clarissa, and Jess, among others. Had to leave around 10:30, tired. “Florus acted herein as if he had been hired, and blew up the war into a flame, and sent some to take seventeen talents out of the sacred treasure, and pretended Caesar wanted them” (Josephus, The Jewish War, 2.14.6).

Tuesday 1/10/2012

Today’s theme: Temple. Up at 4:30 a.m., read for about 2 hours in the hotel lobby, Josephus, because I couldn’t sleep. Surprisingly good continental breakfast, talked with Sam (not Moss), Margo, Matt, and others. Bus to the Hasse Promenade, a beautiful overlook of the city. Saw a lot of foliage I didn’t recognize: I wish Dad were here to identify it all. The city has 3 divisions: East, Old, and West. We bussed to the Jewish Quarter in Old Jerusalem, within the 16^th-century Ottoman fortifications. Visited the archaeological site of the Southwest corner of the Temple’s retaining wall. Herod built so much, even sewers! Said Kiddush on the steps ascending to the Temple (and hamotzi), saw an old mikvah, and an old בית for a trumpeter. 570-ton blocks! Incredible! Walked over to the Wall. I cried, but not as much as I thought I would. Put my little note in the crack, near the left. A Chabad guy got me to put on tefillin, and I touched the Wall while reciting the Shema and following 2 paragraphs in Hebrew, wearing tefillin. We had more time than I needed (2 hr.s) for eating & shopping -- I didn't spend any money. But I had another good conversation with Margo, who has just converted. Eventually, we walked to David’s Tomb, just above the “Room of the Last Supper.” Both, obviously, apocryphal and spurious. Throughout, Avishai offered numerous helpful comments on current religio-political events, and how they related to what we were seeing and experiencing. Back in hotel, just a few pages of Josephus (into Bk. 3 now), then yoga stretching in a group, and discussion of visit to Holocaust Memorial tomorrow. Yom HaShoah is on the day of the Great Warsaw uprising, apparently. Dinner, and game of Bananagrams, then workshop with artist Tamar. Crafting Mezuzot with clay from Israel. I made a little Sefer Torah for mine. Feeling really tired, I helped to carry out everything. Bed around 11:30.

Wednesday 1/11/2012

Today’s Taglit theme: Holocaust. Up ~ 6:50, down for breakfast. In the hotel, talked with Bryce, Jon, Sam & Sam, etc. Very chilly: rode off to Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum. We met our guide Elizabeth, and she took us to the Children’s Memorial, a circular black hallway of mirrors and candles. We entered the Museum, which, with the tour guide, was one of the best history museums I have visited in a while. Pre-Holocaust Europe, eras of anti-Semitism, photos of bodies prepared for immolation (and what was in their pockets), the rise of Hitler and the growth of anti-Semitism in Germany, the Nuremberg Laws, the racism, the shopsigns & yellow stars, the ghettos, the blitz, the piles of Judaica for a future museum, Operation Barbarossa, the defense of Poland, Poland and Hungary, shoes, cast-off clothing, mass graves, “extermination tourism,” the gas chambers, Father Dubois, sinister used clothing, old photos, malnutrition in post-liberation (50k didn’t make it), renewal of life and Aliyah, the 2 million unknown names. Afterwards, documentary on Ovadiah ____, “Let my memory be love,” on the survival of a Saloniki survivor of Auschwitz and his wife Aliza. At ~12:10, I became super-grumpy/miserable, and remained so for most of day. To market for an hour (too stingy to buy lunch) walked around with Sam, Andrew, Becka, Karyn, Karen. Saw a dreidel with a פ. Jewish eco-seminar, mediocre. Cold and wet, but seeing the cornucopia of Israeli goods quite fun: sights and smells! Also, free ruggeleh. 10-min. walk back to the hotel, 1-hr. nap, dinner. Heard Margo’s description of her direction of “The Dybuk,” almost painful. Also talked with Jake, and heard Avery talk about DMT. Shabbos prep. In lobby (4 B’nai Mitzvot); looks like Friday, I’ll be leading Shalom Aleichem, Kaddish, Mi Kamocha, Aleinu, and, on Saturday, Ashrei, Kaddish, Mi Kamocha, and Aleinu. Afterwards, “Crazy Moses” -- received 2 leis, in order to “get laid.” Great. Then, eco-game about consumption of resources. Shower, wrote this, bed before 11:15.

Thursday 1/12/2012

Up at 6:45 in Jerusalem Gold Hotel, finished packing, breakfast with some of my favorite Birthright people, then everyone on the bus, headed South, for the Negev. We discussed the politics of Israel and its surrounding states, and the wars of 1967 and 1973, and the events of the ‘90s, 2000, 2005, and 2009. We picked up 7 Israeli students & soldiers at an ארומה: Adar, Or, Gal, Tanai, Nimrod, Yonatan. Adar and Or are both a lot of fun. We drove, and continued the discussion of war and politics. We also stopped for lunch, where I sat and ate with Margo, Bryce, and Sam not-Moss (I had a sandwich I had made at the breakfast buffet). We stopped also at a ridge overlooking the Gaza Strip, and, later, at Sderot. Sderot is a border town, where the police station had rusted rockets (€500 to manufacture), sirens, reinforced playground structures and bus stations, IronShield protection, etc. We continued to the Bedouin campsite for camel/donkey riding Pushier people got their rides first, the rest of us walked. Sam not-Moss and I walked out together, along with 4 other guys, and Jess. Way back, Bryce and I rode a camel (I was in front). Bryce & I had a great time on camelback, and I didn’t fall off. We had some time to chill around the camp, and attended a “lecture” of sorts, on Bedouin hospitality: tea & coffee, the Ur, and explanation of the ways things have changed. Synergy yoga in a circle. Sam not-M and I were partners. I fell backwards on him, and he dumped me on my head. We could laugh about it, though (accidents both, but funny). We went to our dinners, sitting around common dishes of pilaf. The only Bedouin tent in the world with soy meatballs! I had the veggie meal with 4 girls. Bonfire! S’mores! Bed late! Tent well-heated.

Friday 1/13/2012

Up at 4:35 a.m. in the Bedouin tent. Bussed to Matzada, which we hiked. Sat with Margo and Sam-not-M, very cold, at the top, waiting for what was the most beautiful sunrise I have seen, ever. The clouds brilliantly changed color, from red to orange to golden. I really, really wanted to kiss a girl at the exact moment of sunrise, but clearly don't have anyone. Avishai led us on an excellent tour of the palaces, cistern, swimming pool, (breached) fortifications, and synagogue, where the suicidal choice was made. Avishai really did an excellent job: then the freezing group descended the snake path. Descending wasn’t bad for me, but it really hurt some people’s legs. Step by step, the air became warmer, and I was feeling quite ready for swimming by the end. We ate breakfast in the Matzada tourism center, then hopped back on the bus, pressing some truly incredible landscapes on the way to the Dead Sea. (We visited this stupid Dead Sea store beforehand, which sold cosmetics products.) When we arrived, it was chilly again, and the Sea was too choppy for swimming; we were, however, allowed to enter the hot springs, which we did. Super-sulfurous, so all of my hand chappings inflamed. Suddenly, Shereen announced that flash floods were coming, so we needed to hit the road before it closed. We all scurried out of the springs, and got off in a timely manner, in the rain. Small floods cropped up. We arrived at the hotel: I was with Matt and Sam M. They slept, and I excused them at services that night, of which I led about half. Oh, and I led OK, too. Shabbat dinner at 7:00. Hey, I had a good time, though (can’t remember quite with whom -- Jess, maybe). Afterwards, stayed up until midnight or so in the lobby with most of the Taglit kids in my group. Beat Grand and Or in chess, played kings, and spoke with Priscilla. Went to bed super-happy.

There will be more soon, I promise.

~JD

"On vit Quasimodo debout sur le parapet de la galerie, qui d’une seule main tenait l’écolier par les pieds, en le faisant tourner sur l’abîme comme une fronde. Puis on entendit un bruit comme celui d’une boîte osseuse qui éclate contre un mur, et l’on vit tomber quelque chose qui s’arrêta au tiers de la chute à une saillie de l’architecture. C’était un corps mort qui resta accroché là, plié en deux, les reins brisés, le crâne vide" [They saw Quasimodo standing on the parapet of the gallery, holding the schoolboy by the feet with a single hand, and swinging him over the abyss like a sling. Then, they heard a sound like that of a bony box shattering against a wall, and they saw something fall, which stopped a third of the way down on a projection from the facade. It was a dead body which had caught there, bent in two, its kidneys shattered, its skull empty] (Victor Hugo, Notre-Dame de Paris).

Questions I Tire of Answering II

I explained the premise of this series in my post on vegetarianism. There is a series of half a dozen questions which almost all acquaintances have asked me by the time they have become my friends. I am writing this post so that I can simply tell people to read my blog.

Q: So, what do you study?

JD: I major in history.

Q: What kind of history?

JD: I don’t specialize in any particular era or region. I studied abroad in Paris, and incidentally, I happen to be a French major, but I really don’t know too much about French history. I spend a lot of time outside of class reading the Greek classics and Judaica, but I’ve taken only one course on Ancient Greek history, and zero courses from the Jewish Studies department. On the other hand, I’ve taken two courses on Southeast Asian history, but I’ve only read two or three books on my own concerning this region of the world. I am deliberately trying to cover as many regions of the world as possible in my studies. I still have yet to take a course on eastern or southern Africa, central Asia, the Indian subcontinent, or Australia. I’m also very weak on the Romans, medieval Europe, the United States, east Asia, and… you know, this list is getting too long. The point is, I get around.

Q: Why can’t you settle down and learn something?

JD: As an aspiring teacher of history, I hope to gain a broad appreciation for all regions of the world, in all eras. I love history. I think that history is important, because, although I do not believe that it can predict the future, it explains our past and present. History can be the dynamite to demolish all the lies, fabrications, and fallacies which ignorance, hatred, small-mindedness, bigotry, and prejudice create. In other words, people should learn it. Although this is not the place to explain all of my motivations to become a teacher, I want to be the best history teacher ever. That sounds naïve, but if I can tell my students about everywhere, everytime, then I might be able to show them that history is more than a narrative of irrelevant dead white men. If I can do this, I might be able to educate them, and, who knows, change their lives. I know that my own history teachers have, and have affected my worldview (I spent the other night explaining, for instance, why the Tea Party are not fascists to a left-wing acquaintance).

Have a good Spring Break, everyone!

~JD

“The difference is that Uruguay is a case of redemocratization, where Congress went to work effectively as soon as democracy was restored… no Uruguayan president could have gotten away with decreeing a drastic [and disastrous] stabilizations package… the president must go through the Congress” (Guillermo O’Donnell, “Delegative Democracy”).