Thanks, Shir, I'll check it out. Do you follow the Israeli "Idol" show at all? This has been making the email rounds here, about the American woman who entered -
Meet Nikia Brown, a 34-year-old African-American woman who converted to Judaism and made aliyah. She's now a contestant on Israel's version of "American Idol." Link
I don't know when the show was on or what happened to her.
I thought she was very sincere, beautiful, and a terrific singer. Points off to the Israeli judges for 1) commenting on her "soul" and "rhythm" (like they couldn't think of other ways to compliment an African American ?!?) and 2) telling her that her lack of understanding of Hebrew (she can't really "feel" the songs?) and her American accent are huge problems she'll have to fix. Just a little bit of chauvinism there... Non-English speakers sing in English all the time!
I'm not sure. We learned it in Hebrew, and the only line I can remember is the "al HaTorah, v'al ha'avodah, v'al gimilut chassadim" part.
"Al shlosha devarim ha'olam omaid: al ha-Torah, v'al ha-avodah, v'al gemilut chasadim" - it's from the Ethics of the Fathers in the Talmud, IIRC.
We have a big poster of that line that we hang in our sukkah each year!
Points off to the Israeli judges for 1) commenting on her "soul" and "rhythm" (like they couldn't think of other ways to compliment an African American ?!?)
well, it's kind of like the way that people like to tell me that I'm "articulate" and "well spoken". I always want to say "I'm a lawyer, why would you expect anything else?"
telling her that her lack of understanding of Hebrew (she can't really "feel" the songs?) and her American accent are huge problems she'll have to fix. Just a little bit of chauvinism there...
I don't watch Israeli Idol. I don't like reality shows, though I watched some of the first seasons on American Idol.
I can see the remark on her "soul" and "rhythm" in three aspects: one, as an actual compliment. It's a good thing to say to any competitor there - which means, forgetting she's African American and treat her as an Israeli. Two, as a stereotypical thinking - and hey, that comes from someone who was attacked yesterday because someone thought that the fact the she wear pants and cleavage must means she's impure and danger to the humanity. Maybe there's a common thing here between Israeli and the U.S.: both of our countries are a kind of a melting pot; in order to create uniformity, you'd have to reduce your conceptual world into clear (binary) cuts. If contradicting parts are living next to each other in that conceptual world, you've won the cultural game and your culture is strong (see Capitalism and human rights talk for an example - their basic elements are contradicting each other, yet some of the richest people on earth keep giving money to charity). And three, an insult in disguise.
There's a good chance all three aspects are on the same line of thinking, of course.
As for the second remark... well, part of me wants to agree. I don't know if it's because it's my first language, but I feel Hebrew differently. Something in it, in there. It's in my bones, the meaning of the words, and their origins. I can tell what's Aramic and what's from Chazal and what's from the Bible. But it's just in the feeling, as well. I mostly listen to music in English, and there, the words come last or next to last in their significance of my loving to a song. In songs in Hebrew, it's almost the most important thing. I can fall for a song, even in a genre I dislike, just because of the lyrics. While I don't agree that you need to understand the words and speak the language to sing in it, you need to do so to be a good listener of it.
But their remark reminded me of the reaction to Josie Katz, lead singer of The High Windows [link] . Her band mates (including her partner) kept telling her she needed to work on her accent (she didn't understand a word of what she was singing), while hiding from her the praises her singing got.
"Al shlosha devarim ha'olam omaid: al ha-Torah, v'al ha-avodah, v'al gemilut chasadim"
Amazing. Even when it's put into English alphabet, I still understand it faster than I do when I read English-English.
I have always said that I can only talk to babies and God in my native tongue. Doesn't seem to work in any other language.
And, guys? I got so much love and support from you - not only in the past 24 hours, but... I just wanted to say thank you. I still don't know what's gonna happen from the site (agh, nobody returned to me yet about legal consulting and/or extra admin - and I'm not starting this alone, because I won't be able to handle it on my own during test season and I don't have the legal knowledge, and I won't open the site without it), but I get to turn a horrible experience and feeling into agency, and I wouldn't have the guts to do it without you. The thought that someone judged and hurt me just because of what I wear still makes me want to cry, but the thought of what I can turn it into makes me hopeful - if not for the "they. won't. ever. shut. me. up" aspect alone, which I embrace wholeheartedly.
Shir, can your friends with Women in Black help any?
How come florescent lights look red for a few minutes after I come in from the sun?
Florescent lights generally have a green hue to them. I think red and green are opposite on the color wheel. I'm guessing it has something to do with iris clamped down from daylight, and perception over compensating. Or something along those lines. But I'm a sound guy. So I might be a bit off
I'm not that close with anyone on WiB, omnis. But I'm gonna send some more emails tomorrow. People tend to respond better to personal addressed emails than to a tweet.
