I just got back from Bloomington, Indiana. My first visit there. The place has always resonated in my mind because my parents’ best friends made aliyah, moving to Israel in 1968, after living in Bloomington. It wasn’t just the ‘67 war that called them to Israel. Indiana was largely bereft of Jewishness, and it freaked them out. The father in that family was a brilliant scientist. He had trouble getting together a religious minyan in IN, and he worried that his kids would marry non-Jews if they grew up there. They were treated wonderfully in Indiana; but that wasn’t enough, they wanted a Jewish life. Israel.
The day I was there, the Indiana Daily Student had a picture of toddler Shlomo Weisenberg on the front page, in its coverage of the 7th annual "Israelpalooza" celebration at the school. "Celebrating 60 Years" was the headline– and of course there was no mention of the occupation or the treatment of Palestinians. While I was there I saw a girl walking around in an Indiana for Israel tshirt, and I met a member of the fine organization Brit Tzedek who told me that the impressive Shaul Magid is at Indiana. Indiana University is also home to Alvin Rosenfeld, who wrote the horrifying AJC report on anti-Zionism being a form of anti-semitism. Rosenfeld’s position is now reflected by the U.S. State Department, in its definition of antisemitism.
Stray impressions. But they are all important evidence that we are no longer outsiders. The fact that Indiana University now obviously feels like home to many Jews… The fact that Rosenfeld’s parochial position is echoed by the State Department… The fact that so many of the superdelegates are Jewish, as the Forward reports–
“Politics in America has become a Jewish profession, just like arts and the law… We now are overrepresented in all these areas.”
There are just as few Jews in America as there were when I was a kid, more or less. But back then David Remnick’s father was a dentist; my friend Jim Cramer’s dad was a shopowner in Philadelphia; Joe Lieberman is 15 years older, but his dad was famously a bakery-truck driver; and so on. In my generation we’ve entered the establishment. And elite places in American society like Bloomington are havens for Jews. My people have not come to terms with this new identity, or responsibility.
Related posts:
- Former Indiana Congressman Says Securing Israel Was Hidden Agenda for Iraq War
- How Two Jewish Publishers Who Privately Opposed Zionism Folded
- In Indiana, Obama Dreams Not of His Father
- ‘Birthright’ Should Welcome Non-Jews (and Other Reflections on the Obama Effect on Identity)
- Michael Walzer on Jewish Identity: Jewish Writers for Jewish Readers!
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"I just got back from Bloomington, Indiana. My first visit there. The place has always resonated in my mind."
Mine too …
http://www.indiana.edu/~kinsey/
Indiana's War Casualties
March 19, 2008:
Spc. Ronald D. Allen Jr., 22, Mitchell. Pfc. John D. Amos II, 22, Valparaiso. Sgt. Brock A. Babb, 40, Evansville. Tech. Ryan A. Balmer, 33, Mishawaka. Cpl. Nathaniel S. Baughman, 23, Monticello. Cpl. Jason J. Beadles, 22, La Porte. Staff Sgt. Michael A. Bechert, 24, New Castle. Sgt. Jarrod W. Black, 26, Peru. Cpl. Jonathan F. Blair, 21, Fort Wayne. Staff Sgt. Richard A. Blakley, 34, Plainfield. Spc. Clinton C. Blodgett, 19, Pekin. 1st Lt. Shaun M. Blue, 25, Munster. Sgt. 1st Class Craig A. Boling, 38, Elkhart. Sgt. Kenneth R. Booker, 25, Vevay. Lance Cpl. James E. Brown, 20, Owensville. Spc. Roy Russell Buckley, 24, Portage. Sgt. Kyle W. Childress, 29, Terre Haute. Sgt. Robert E. Colvill Jr., 31, Anderson. Spc. Jeffrey W. Corban, 30, Elkhart. Lance Cpl. James R. Davenport, 20, Danville. Pfc. Darren A. Deblanc, 20, Evansville. Pvt. Cory R. Depew, 21, Beech Grove. Command Sgt. Maj. Steven W. Faulkenburg, 45, Huntingburg. Sgt. James D. Faulkner, 23, Clarksville. Spc. Matthew C. Frantz, 23, Lafayette. Pfc. Nathan J. Frigo, 23, Kokomo. Spc. Luke Frist, 20, Brookston. Spc. Carter A. Gamble Jr., 24, Brownstown. Spc. Zachariah J. Gonzalez, 23, Indianapolis. Lance Cpl. David J. Grames Sanchez, 22, Fort Wayne. Pfc. Deryk L. Hallal, 24, Indianapolis. Pvt. Jesse M. Halling, 19, Indianapolis. Pfc. Nicholas S. Hartge, 20, Rome City. Spc. Adam J. Harting, 21, Portage. Sgt. David M. Heath, 30, LaPorte. Pfc. Shawn D. Hensel, 20, Logansport. Pfc. Christopher E. Hudson, 21, Carmel. Spc. Nicholas R. Idalski, 23, Crown Point. Lance Cpl. Eric Indianapolis, 21, Avon. Spc. William A. Jeffries, 39, Evansville. Sgt. Rickey E. Jones, 21, Kokomo. Spc. Chad L. Keith, 21, Batesville. Staff Sgt. Matthew A. Kimmell, 30, Paxton. Staff Sgt. Bradley D. King, 28, Marion. Pfc. David A. Kirkpatrick, 20, Upland. Spc. Johnathan A. Lahmann, 21, Richmond. Pfc. Richard P. Langenbrunner, 19, Fort Wayne. Cpl. Eric R. Lueken, 23, Dubois. Pvt. Robert L. McKinley, 23, Peru. Spc. Antoine J. McKinzie, 25, Indianapolis. Staff Sgt. Frederick L. Miller Jr., 27, Hagerstown. Spc. Christopher T. Monroe, 19, Kendallville. Sgt. Robert J. Montgomery Jr., 29, Scottsburg. Pfc. Robert W. Murray Jr., 21, Westfield. Staff Sgt. Paul S. Pabla, 23, Fort Wayne. Pvt. Shawn D. Pahnke, 25, Shelbyville. Sgt. Nicholas J. Patterson, 24, Rochester. Spc. Brian H. Penisten, 28, Fort Wayne. Pvt. Jonathan R. Pfender, 22, Evansville. Cpl. Willard M. Powell, 21, Evansville. Sgt. Joseph E. Proctor, 38, Indianapolis. Cpl. Cody A. Putman, 22, Lafayette. Sgt. Duane R. Rios, 25, Griffith. Staff Sgt. Jonathan Rojas, 27, Hammond. Spc. Gregory P. Sanders, 19, Hobart. Seaman Apprentice Shayna Ann Schnell, 19, Tell City. Cpl. Aaron L. Seal, 23, Elkhart. Pfc. Anthony P. Seig, 19, Sunman. 1st Lt. Neale M. Shank, 25, Fort Wayne. Pfc. David N. Simmons, 20, Kokomo. Pfc. Steven F. Sirko, 20, Portage. Lance Cpl. Matthew R. Smith, 20, Anderson. Cpl. Darrell Smith, 28, Otwell. Pfc. Nathan E. Stahl, 20, Highland. Cpl. Joshua M. Strong, 21, Lebanon. Lance Cpl. James E. Swain, 20, Kokomo. Cpl. Lance M. Thompson, 21, Upland. Staff Sgt. Marvin L. Trost III, 28, Goshen. Spc. Andrew R. Weiss, 28, Lafayette. Spc. Raymond L. White, 22, Elwood. Spc. Michael J. Wiesemann, 20, North Judson. Pfc. David A. Wilkey Jr., 22, Elkhart. Cpl. Bryan S. Wilson, 22, Otterbein. Cpl. Ryan A. Woodward, 22, Fort Wayne. Lance Cpl. Scott A. Zubowski, 20, Manchester.
Source: Associated Press
What's in a name, time, place?
Specialist Gomez set aside thoughts of a free Iraq or a safer America and, like generations of soldiers before him, simply started fighting for the soldier next to him:
A few days ago I realized why I am here in Baghdad dealing with all the gunfire, the rocket attacks, the IEDs, the car bombs, the death. I have only been here going on a month and a half. Already I have seen what war really is… but officially its called “full spectrum operations.” No I don’t down Bush, he is my CinC, and I think he is doing an good job with what Clinton left him. I don’t debate why we are involved in Iraq. I just know why I am here. It is not for the smiling Iraqi kids, or the even the feeling of wearing the uniform ( it feels damn good though :) . I am here for the soldier on patrol with me.
But why are you there in the states. Why are you having that nice dinner, watching TV, going out on dates…
Daniel Gomez, e-mail to friends and family. Sept. 27, 2006
Interesting, the department of religious studies faculty at Indiana University Bloomington is somewhat evenly divided regarding christian and judaic researchers. I always forget america has as much jews as there are christians. Also interestingly some professors in "Jewish Studies Program", like one Bert Harrill may say about their work: "at least indirectly, my work can be a resource for those who wish to understand Christianity's role in oppressive social practices…"
By reading some of the titles of their work one may take a picture of the "nature" of the work going on there:
Christian (sample)
-Feminist Critique of Western Religions
-Queering Fundamentalism: John Balcom Shaw and the Sexuality of a Protestant Orthodoxy
-'Intellects Inflamed in Christ': Women and Spiritualized Scholarship in Renaissance Christianity.
-Prophetic Daughter: Mary Fletcher’s Narrative and Women’s Religious and Social Experiences in Eighteenth-Century British Methodism.
-Ethiopian Demons: Male Sexuality, the Black-Skinned Other, and the Monastic Self.
-War in the Twentieth Century: Sources in Theological Ethics
-New Israel, New Canaan: The Bible, the People of God, and the American Holocaust
Jews (sample):
-Surviving Sacrilege: Cultural Persistence in Jewish Antiquity.
-Preserving Memory: The Struggle to Create America's Holocaust Museum.
-Textual Reasonings: Jewish Philosophy and Text Study at the End of the Twentieth Century.
-Encircling the Law: The Legal Boundaries of Rabbinic Judaism.
-The Literary Context of the Moses Birth story.
-The Cannibalistic Language in the Fourth Gospel and the Greco-Roman Polemics of Factionalism.
There is a clear difference between the christian perspective (what of women and queerness – in an english sense – in christianity) and the jewish perspective (religious renewal, persistence, memory).
what cntrol of the media accomplishes. overrepresented? overrepresented only when the country, america, comes third, if that, to jewish elites-in-america and israel.
Yes and Mark Spitz wanted to die for Israel but never quite got around to it. Such a courageous guy in that swimming pool.
interesting about spitz willing to sacrifice himself for israel. robert kraft's(patriots owner) wife has a nephew joining the israeli army. she is proud that he is willing to fight for israel/jews. she isglad he is not in usa military. to be in iraq is to fight for israel's purposes, but better to let usa non jews do this.
didnt realize it at the time; but when in college lit course, jewish prof assigned mainly jewish authors and in indirect way attacked christianity.
anonymous, it would help if you could give us a link.
All I can find is a really interesting and quite diverse department of religious studies.
And the faculty has a highly interesting mix of research areas:
http://www.indiana.edu/~relstud/faculty/
One of the largest and oldest departments of religious studies in the States!
http://www.indiana.edu/~relstud/about/
The Department of Religious Studies at Indiana University, Bloomington is one of the oldest and largest departments of religious studies in the nation and continues to be recognized as a leader in the field today. Our faculty study religious traditions across the globe, from Asia to Africa to Europe and North America, from antiquity to the present, and from a variety of perspectives. Some of us are primarily historians, who explore how particular religions originated and developed; others of us are ethicists or philosophers, who bring religious texts and practices to bear on questions of abiding and immediate interest; and others of us are ethnographers or anthropologists, who analyze how communities make meaning through religious beliefs and rituals. Most of us combine all of these ways of thinking about religion in our work, and we all are interested in the role that religion plays in culture and society more generally.
Anonyma, the link was given by Phil there at "impressive Shaul Magid." And if you do not put the effort to at least read the summary of each professor there do not expect me to give you more credit than trying to conceal the fact that "one of the largest and oldest departments of religious studies in the States" has become a jew-oriented and feminist-oriented think-tank.
By the way, most of the people there who appears to have no academic reason to be there are in the pseudo-christian team.
I was expecting someone to read the titles and criticize my tendentious selection of titles, but all that you could manage was reading the department self-definition and come here say I must be wrong because what I say is not in accordance with what they want you to believe.
Interesting. For what it's worth, I had relatives who lived in Indiana many years. I myself lived on the border with Illinois.
Nobody I knew ever even met a jew in Indiana. Many since then have had children who died overseas. They have no clue. This is in accordance with history, of which, they also don't have a clue.
Thanks, anonmyous. Seems indeed I missed a central link:
The Impressive Shaul Magid:
http://www.indiana.edu/~relstud/faculty/magid.shtml
I still think that is quite an interesting staff. As as someone brought up Catholic I think feminism is fine. … And I do not see your Jewish dominence with 4 of 33.
Impressive indeed. All hail feminist ideology and "rainbow" Hassids.
Feeling obtuse today, Anonyma? Like implying there are 4 jews amidst 29 christians? When in fact the departmenty comprise a multitude of religious perspectives. And I mean such a multitude there is little room for christianity.
Ok, since you managed to find only 4 jews there (I have no idea how you did it) I will begin my list with these 7.
Weitzman, Morgan, Magid, Linenthal, Levene, Harrill, Halberstam.
Notice that I left Stein and Ackerman out only because I tend to believe older people were more decent (or more german) and did indeed try to "cross the faith", not to say they might not be jewish like ahem Fisher who is out of the list because he is into fishing, I mean asian religions.
Do not continue this cover up. It is shameful. If a mere monkey is able to find the bananas hinding in the pine tree do you really believe americans are that blind they will not perceive the jewish group is both far greater than you (and I) say, it is also the only group seemingly "allowed" to focus their study on their ethnic interest? I mean the researchers on christianity are a minority and even then in their study christianity itself is incidental, while the jews are left to pursue judaism to it's most obscure and meaningless "profundity". Why is it so?
And please do not test my patience anylonger. I have no time nor the stomach to discuss the obviousness of the bad deal christian americans are being submitted in those "religious study" departments. That is in a nutshell: conservative judaism is quite ok, while christianity should be pursued through a liberal, feminist, dilluted, infantilized perspective.
Anonyma, I regret directing the term "obtuse" at you. I'm in a hurry and I did fume when I saw your defective jewrithmetic. I apologize. But do try to be less bitchy and more careful next time, otherwise I will think you are Leila in drag.
Phil, have you ever stopped to ask why jews are 'over represented' in these fields? Hard work? sure. Intelligence? sure. BUT ethocentrism? WASPs intentionally dismantled and disenfranchised themselves out of guilt – jews complained it 'wasnt' fair that WASPs looked out for their own. Once the Jews got in positions of power they became worse than the WASPs- one only need look at Harvard to see this.
That's my beef with this new elite.
do you honestly think the arts and law are better fields now? The abstract 'art' movement and crap architecture like the freedom tower and Disney concert hall? spare me.
im not sure why jews are overrepresented and whether ethnocentrism–the crony system you seem to be saying–is a factor. maybe it is, it's hard for me to judge from being inside jewish culture. yes i got alot of my jobs in media or most of them from jewish friends, and there was a jewish kind of understanding at work. but i felt like the business was porous,others could come in and were encouraged. i feel the establishment is a shared establishment now, tho just as elitist in the wasp days…
as for the law and other fields, their character; everything changes. cultures move thru, fads and styles. i cant say if they're better or worse. at myold newspaper, we lost the colorful street reporters and got ivy professionals. something was lost, something was gained. i know in the long run, there was a jewish component to that professionalization, but i have never wanted to go to the barricades over that.
i do go to the barricades over the Religious attachment to Israel and how it's distorting foreign policy.
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