It has been a while since I heard a good racial joke. I was starting to get concerned about our society forgetting the art of humor designed to demean black people. My worries have been put to rest few months ago when some Telshe Yeshiva students asked me giggling if I watched presidential inauguration. I could not get the joke, until they repeated it few times, until I finally understood that they were saying in-nigeration.
I was somehow comforted but still worried that this kind of attitudes are only found amongst the students but are no longer promoted by Rabbis at the higher echelons of Jewish education. That was until I heard Rabbi Rockmill of Ohr Somayach speak in our shul on Shabbos. In his speech he talked about failures of all systems of government including Socialism, Communism, and now Capitalism succombing to socialism. In the end he sealed his case for imminence of world destruction and arrival of Machiach by mentioning that now "we have one of them, you know, what do you call them - basketball players in the white house."
Dear Rabbi, I honestly think the world you were looking for was "shwartze" or worse. It would be difficult to persuade me that our president's choice of a sport of basketball was what you were after. That what you really meant was that polo-playing presidents are much better. It is striking and disappointing that you interpret election of a black man for US highest office as a sign of impending doom and not as America setting aside bigotries that have permeated minds of most and still permeate the minds of many.
There were many people predicting impending coming of Mashiach and now you, through trashing our social structures and ideologies. Mashiach predictors have one thing in common and that uniting thing throughout the centuries have been how wrong they were. It is convenient to be dismissive about what other people are doing, kvetching about how politicians are selling you out and making all the wrong choices, wrap it with a sincere smile of a wise-looking rav with a white beard and you have a great package of contempt for pretty much everything non-chareidi. Thank you for your productive input and uplifting speech, we will be patiently waiting for complete destruction of the world as predicted by you.
Racism is a funny thing in today's America as it is 'setting aside bigotries'. How many African American voters voted for the white candidate? But no no, this is not a question we should dare entertain. Even African American republicans had found it exceedingly difficult to pick party loyalty over race loyalty, but this is way to complex for a decent Jewish liberal mind to get its hands around. But then again, is not racism a subset of generalizing and making stereotypes. I will be faulted for jumping to conclusion, but nontheless will venture to suggest that my dear friend, the libirated auther, allowed his personal prejedice against his charedi brothers to cloud his otherwise usually sober judgement. The dvar Torah was mis-interpreted. The point of the speech, that isms are coming to the end including capitalism under the current adminsitration. The 'basketball player' was an aside touch of humor, mentioned differently than presented on the blog, and would offend only an especially sensitive ear, looking to get offended. I mean how do you make fun of a president wihout prior record of note. I think the Rav should have referred to him as a Rock Star. This would be a bit more accurate.
ReplyDeleteAs it says in the good book, don't throw stones into glass houses, and take care of your personal prejudices, before condeming others'.
Had good Rabbi meant a Rock-star he would most definitely say so. There is nothing to an "-ism" ending there is Judaism and Antisemitism. His point had little or no semantic significance. And the general drift was:
ReplyDelete- The whole world is condemned and as a result it should be clear to all but most stubborn that our institutions are the only safe heaven
- Unless he was pitching bowling, his comment on having "one of them basketball players," meant a shwarze.
To another point: there is a difference between voting for one of yours and calling election of a person of a particular color a sign of the Armageddon.
Unfortunatily I can't help you. Due to your personal prejudice you mistook the humorous remark with percieved racial overtone for a theme. The theme was that capitalism - the last ism standing, on which our society put its trust in - is falling.
ReplyDeleteOn a different note, I would love to discuss with you, is racism in fact a such a terrible thing, or are certain expressions of racism (such as violence) is what should trouble us. If we by-pass the modern cult of tolerence and pc. It is natural for people with similar background, culture, nationality, etc. to gravitate to each other, making those who do not share the commond denominator a subject of exclusion. If the exclusion is expresses through humor, is that terrible? Why should we be so sensitive to that? Would I be really bother if guys on Southside joke about bagel-eaters running the Brother's economy team. Not realy.
I am sure you will not find much love for bagel-eating sheisters @ Luis Farakhan conventions. However, it is no excuse to descend to the same level, especially if there is no practical need for it. If someone fills their mouth with dirt and spits it @ you, I don't see any use in retaliating in the same fashion.
ReplyDeleteRegarding your point on last falling -ism, nobody knows how many isms are up history's sleeve. Pretending to know that capitalism is on its last legs is just silly. I am sure if you search through papers of the past you will find all sorts of predictions about doomsday. I am sure during oil embargo in the 80s same gedolim were predicting imminent coming of Machiach. They must have been singing the same tune when market crashed in 87 and when towers collapsed in 01 and they are singing it again.
Actually older generations have been singing the same tune for centuries, that the whole world is going down the drain. These proclamations are as old as the world. I find this line of reasoning insulting to a thinking mind.