Yasmin Alibhai-Brown to speak at JCORE event.

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown will be performing her one woman, Shakespeare inspired show about the challenges of belonging at Alyth Synagogue London, on Wednesday 18 November.

The event is a Jewish Council for Racial Equality (JCORE) event.

JCORE : “works with the Jewish and wider communities to promote a positive multi-ethnic UK free from all forms of racism.”

JCORE also believes that :

“As Jews, we know what happens when others stand by and do nothing. That’s why our community needs to speak out – to help to bring about change and challenge racism at its roots.”

Perhaps JCORE would like to discuss with Yasmin Alibhai-Brown Yasmin several comments she has made over the last few years.

Such as :

“The over-influential Friends of Israel”.

and ‘the wrath of Moses’ and ‘accusations of anti-Semitism because I dare to raise the question’.

Norwegian university will not impose academic boycott of Israel.

Ynet news reports :

Board of trustees at second largest university in Norway decides against academic boycott. Board Chairwoman: ‘I don’t think boycott will help, but will allow it to be openly discussed’

Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), the second largest university in the Scandinavian country, decided on Thursday not to impose an academic boycott on Israel, the university spokesman told Ynet.

The university rector, Torbjørn Digernes told Ynet that “according to my recommendation, the university’s board of trustees decided unanimously not to impose the boycott on Israel.

Read the rest of the article here.

Colin Shindler’s Inaugural Lecture

Trials of the Diaspora: A History of Anti-Semitism in England – Anthony Julius – Order now

“This is an essential history and so it’s fortunate it has been written by a man with the extraordinary fluency, staggering erudition, scholarly integrity, intellectual acumen, and moral discernment of Anthony Julius.” –Philip Roth

“Part history of an irrational hatred, part forensic analysis of a sophistical lie, part literary criticism – for, as Anthony Julius shows, anti-Semitism is a species of fantastical literature, all figure of speech, misquotation and fancy – this exhilarating work nails a defamation which, to humanity’s discredit, persists to this hour. Indispensable.” –Howard Jacobson

“Anthony Julius has produced a brilliant and readable account of a shameful stain on the national reputation. The best dissection I’ve seen of Britain’s oldest and least acknowledged racial prejudice.” –Nick Cohen

“Writing against a backdrop of rising violence and abuse directed at English Jews and the State of Israel, Anthony Julius insightfully and passionately traces antisemitism’s abject history in England from the medieval period until today. This eminently readable book is thoroughly researched and nuanced, and its take on contemporary antisemitism is a true tour de force.” –Jehuda Reinharz, Richard Koret Professor of Modern Jewish History and President, Brandeis University

Trials of the Diaspora is a ground-breaking book that offers the first ever comprehensive history of anti-Semitism in England. Anthony Julius identifies four distinct versions of English anti-Semitism, which he then proceeds to investigate in detail. The first is the anti-Semitism of medieval England, a radical prejudice of defamation, expropriation, and murder, which culminated in 1290, the year of Edward I’s expulsion of the Jews from England, after which there were no Jews left to torment. The second major strand is literary anti-Semitism: an anti-Semitic account of Jews continuously present in the discourse of English literature, from the anonymous medieval ballad “Sir Hugh, or the Jew’s Daughter” through Shakespeare to T. S. Eliot and beyond. Thirdly, Julius addresses modern anti-Semitism, a quotidian anti-Semitism of insult and partial exclusion, pervasive but contained, experienced by Jews from their “readmission” to England in the mid-17th century through to the late 20th century. The final chapters then deal with contemporary anti-Semitism, a new configuration of anti-Zionisms, emerging in the late 1960s and the 1970s, which treats Zionism and the State of Israel as illegitimate Jewish enterprises. It is this final perspective which, in Julius’s opinion, now constitutes the greatest threat to Anglo-Jewish security and morale. This book, the first history of its kind, is sure to provoke much comment and debate, and comes as a timely reminder that English culture has been in no way immune to anti-Semitism – and in certain ways is still not to this day.

Pre-order today for the reduced price of £17.50 in hardback on Amazon.co.uk

 

 

Jewish Telegraph article on the Octagon Theatre Bolton.

Read the article here.

There’s an error in the article. “Before he was cut off in mid-sentence, Mr Khan implored the audience…” should read : “Before he was cut off in mid-sentence, Mr Gold….”.

David Cesarani on Kaminski and the Tories on The Guardian’s Sounds Jewish.

Listen to the October edition of Sounds Jewish Here.

Unpacking the PACBI Excuse

Interesting article on DIVEST THIS! : Unpacking the PACBI Excuse.

INVESTIGATE: All My Children

The Octagon Theatre in Bolton announced they were to show the play “Seven Jewish Children” with a panel debate. They have now decided to show “Seven Other Children” as well and now have a slightly more balanced panel for the panel debate.

http://www.octagonbolton.co.uk/AllMyChildren.asp

All My Children seeks to offer audiences the opportunity to consider the issues raised by All My Sons and Seven Jewish Children. We have also extended an invitation to Richard Stirling, the author of Seven Other Children, and the original cast of the New End Theatre production of Seven Other Children to perform the play as part of the event. Seven Other Children was written as a direct response to Seven Jewish Children.

Some speakers have been suggested by the Bolton Palestine Solidarity Society. Other speakers, including Richard Gold and Jonathan Hoffman will be offering an alternative perspective. Scroll down for a full line-up of speakers.

Although some speakers have firm political views, they understand that the purpose of the event is to consider the issues raised by the three plays, and to assess their merits as plays.

The convener and facilitator for All My Children will be David Thacker, Artistic Director of the Octagon Theatre Bolton.

Order of events

Performances

1. Octagon Theatre Bolton presents
An extract from
All My Sons
By Arthur Miller
Director David Thacker

“An excellent cast is headed by George Irving… Margot Leicester… She gives a beautifully layered performance… Miller’s powerful work still has resonance today, as does his condemnation of those who make deceitful profit from war.” THE STAGE

Although some productions of Miller seem to show him to be dated and long-winded, Thacker has shown that with the right hand on the helm he can still be as powerful, emotionally-charged and relevant as he ever was.” BRITISH THEATRE GUIDE

Discussion of some of the issues raised by the play.

2. Octagon Theatre Bolton presents
Seven Jewish Children

By Caryl Churchill
Director Elizabeth Newman
Performed by the cast of All My Sons
“Carol Churchill’s ten-minute play was written in response to the recent tragic events in Gaza. …What she captures, in remarkably condensed poetic form, is the transition that has overtaken Israel, to the point where security has become the pretext for indiscriminate slaughter. Her play becomes a heartfelt lamentation for the future generations who will themselves become victims of the attempted military suppression of Hamas.” Michael Billington (THE GUARDIAN)

An open analysis of the play – facilitated by David Thacker

3. Evergreen Theatrical Productions Ltd presents
Seven Other Children

By Richard Stirling
Director Simone Vause

“The issues to be raised and discussed during the afternoon are sensitive but vital. As is happening in similar theatres elsewhere, such as in Norway and California, the Octagon has shown it is not afraid of embracing these issues in a theatrical forum for debate.” Richard Stirling (WRITER)

A theatrical response to Seven Jewish Children allows Caryl Churchill’s play and Seven Other Children to be subjected to balanced scrutiny, in the context of a debate about the responsibilities of writers and artists in society.

Cast
Simona Armstrong
Rob Cavazos
Philip Chamberlin
Gerel Falconer
Joel Laurence
Joy McBrinn
Claire Malka
Jodie Osterland
Phineas Pett

An open analysis of the play – facilitated by David Thacker

All My Children will be the sixth in our Investigate series, which is designed to encourage theatre-goers to investigate plays and consider the issues raised by them. The first in this series – on verbatim theatre – was chaired by David Edgar who, in his summing up, said that it was the most important discussion on theatre that he had ever attended.

Speakers

Linda Clair – Chair of Manchester Palestine Solidarity Campaign. Of Jewish origin. Recently visited the West Bank.

Richard Gold – an editorial board member of Engage. Engage is a single issue campaign. It focuses on anti-Semitism.

Jonathan Hoffman – co-Vice Chair of the Zionist Federation. His articles and letters are published in a wide range of newspapers including the Jerusalem Post, the Guardian and the Independent.

Dr Brian Iddon – Labour MP for Bolton SE and secretary to the All Parliamentary Britain-Palestine Group. Has visited Palestine several times. He is also a patron of the Octagon Theatre.

Asad Khan – Consultant Physician in Bury. Visited the West Bank in 2007. Member of Physicians for Human Rights, Israel and the British Medical Committee on Palestine.

Richard Kuper – Chair and Publications officer of Jews for Justice for Palestinians, an organisation of more than 1,300 Jews in Britain.
Norma Turner – Manchester health care worker. Visited Gaza post Jan 2009 and recently visited the West Bank.

Final Plenary

UPDATE : The minibus bringing the cast of “Seven Other Children” from London has a few spaces on it. So if anybody wants to come and needs a lift from London and back then contact engage.

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown and the “over-influential Friends of Israel”

Read about Alibhai-Browns bigotry Here.

It is hard to believe that someone as bright as Naomi Klein gets it wrong so many times.

This is a guest post by Absolute Observer.

New Voices in an Interview of Naomi Klein.

Reading I thought, yup, she nicely sums up the BDS campaign in a few words. Then, you realise that she is not talking about the anti-Zionists, but Jews! (I like also the way NK takes the latest anti-Zionist view (see the President of Iran) and projects the Israel – Holocaust link onto the Jews, as if that is the only way Jews think about Israel.

“There’s a way in which we want to exclude Israel from the world and say it is so special, so different, that no analysis except for one specific to the Jews and the Holocaust is allowed to have any place in the discussion. For so many Jews, there’s a deep defensiveness around Israel, a profound desire to see Israel as an exception in every way. I get letters from people saying, I agreed with you about everything in the book, but you lost me completely on Israel.’”

Then there’s this gem……….Here it is Klein herself who can’t seem to break the link with Jews and their experience in Germany (all 250,000 them!) which she then universalises. Apparently, it is “shocking” for Klein, that Jews “of all people” can be “right-wing economists” bearing in mind, not their experiences in Nazi Germany, but in Weimar!

“Of all people”??

Whilst someone once asked, “Will Jews never be forgiven for the Holocaust?”; Klein now asks, will Jews ever be forgiven for the economic conditions that may, assuming other factors being equal, give rise to “Fascism”?

“One of the most disturbing reactions that I got to the book was when I presented it in Germany. Some of the right-wing economists I’m writing about are Jewish, like [Milton] Friedman. Talking to German journalists who were essentially accusing me of anti-Semitism was a really unique phenomenon. I never make an issue in the book of Friedman being Jewish, but I can tell you on a personal level that I find it shocking that Jewish economists, of all people, knowing the history of the conditions in the Weimar Republic that created the rise of fascism, willfully shocked economies and created conditions where tens of thousands of people were suddenly thrown into poverty.”

Looks like that on this question, the German journalists understood the point Klein was making better than she did herself.