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Israeli Journalism Students Think Americans Jews Are Boring |
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 by Shmuel Rosner, December 1, 2008 |
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Teaching this semester in the battle-tested Sapir College, near the town of Sderot, I had an interesting experience last week. It is a course in journalism, and Monday morning I have to groups to deal with -- one is a larger group of students I need to familiarize with "journalism's basics" (in college they still believe there's such thing), the other one is the smaller group learning the more advanced "news editing" course.
I have warned them all in advance that there's going to be a
lot of America-oriented material in this course, because these are the topics I'm
dealing with on a daily basis. They weren't quite happy with it --
American means reading material in English -- but agreed to play along.
That is -- until they realized that by "America" I often mean "American
Jews."
We had a show of hands this past Monday. About 80% of my young, eager to please, enthusiastic, curious, fun-loving Israeli students think American Jews are, well, boring. Not personally boring, just generally so. If they were to decide what to do with them, journalistically speaking, they'd ignore them. And these, mind you, are the journalism students: so, in a short while, some of them will get to decide.
One of them, not long ago, had to write an assignment on some Americans visiting Israel. "It is the most boring piece I've ever written," he complained. These visitors were so happy to be in Israel, impressed with its achievement and with its people, so positive. There was nothing to talk about, no questions to ask, no issues to debate. How can one write a piece about such good people?
I asked him to give me the outline of his questioning. It was almost anti-Semitic in nature. All he wants to know -- meeting Jews -- is about money. How much do they have, how much will they give to Israel, and to what causes, will the financial crisis make them give less, did they give a lot in the past.
This reminded me of an article published last week in the Jerusalem Post -- a story detailing the extent to which Israeli media has ignored the General Assembly of the United Jewish Communities, even though it was taking place in Jerusalem this year:
Coverage in the Hebrew media of the General Assembly of the United Jewish Communities, the umbrella body that represents billions of dollars of annual charity donations from hundreds of thousands of North American Jewish households, was generally limited to policy speeches given at the conference by Israeli politicians.
See the problem here?
I think my students, instinctively, do.
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dietrc70
I read Haaretz as well as US newspapers, and I would not be surprised that any Israeli would find American Jews boring.
American Jewish organizations generally do little but throw money at neocon politicians and (mostly) right wing Israeli interests, scream "anti-Semite!" at their opponents, and parrot predigested Likud talking points for American media consumption. If I were Israeli, I would likewise just be interested in the money!
If your students actually want interesting stories, you will have to do better than our insufferably dull Jewish organizations. Interview Paul Gottfried, or if you're more daring, Norman Finkelstein. I'm sure Philip Weiss or Shmarya Rosenberg would be glad to meet your students.
Cori Chascione
Yeah, actions speak louder than words, and in this case it seems that Americans have long defined their major contribution to Israel in terms of dollars-- since well before 1948. Their contributions are seemingly endless and that's a great thing. Still, it makes sense that Israelis associate little else with American Jews.
Cori C
coriac@gmail.com
liamalpha
I'm an Israeli and I don't think "American Jews" are boring. Actually, this is not a very clever statement (try replacing "American Jews" with any other group of people and you'll see what I mean). Maybe from a journalist's point of view, covering a story about tourists visiting Israel is boring. But personally, I'm very excited when a tourist, Jewish or otherwise, is impressed with Israel. This is good, because Israelis are much more likely to express their criticism rather than appreciation towards their own country.
Maybe the students in the article claimed the subject to be "boring" just so it will be replaced with a Hebrew subject?
jewlicious
Duh. Those are the same people that asked me "Who is this Hashem guy everyone keeps talking about?" What, you want nuance and keen insight from tourists?? Go ask a visitor to Thailand what he or she thinks of the recent political instability and the dissolution of the Government. I'm sure you'll be bored shitless by the answer. Even Americans who possess a modicum of Jewish literacy are all concerned about existential issues like what does a Jewish identity entail? How to solve the shidduch crisis? How to better engage unaffiliated Jews in the post denominational era?
For an Israeli these are not relevant issues, a yawn-fest in other words.
As for dietrc70's assertion that "American Jewish organizations generally do little but throw money at neocon politicians and (mostly) right wing Israeli interests, scream "anti-Semite!" at their opponents, and parrot predigested Likud talking points for American media consumption. " nothing can be further from the truth. American philanthropies have supported a wide variety of causes in Israel, social, political and religious, representing the full spectrum of ideologies. Your comment reflects a staggering ignorance of the scope and nature of North American philanthropic investment in Israel.
As for Finkelstein, most Israelis would laugh at the crap spewed by that failed academic and mental midget. Shmarya however - now that would be cool.
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I slur at Jewlicious.com
Herbert Kaine
Yes, we are bored with young Israelis too. we are bored by the efforts of young Israelis to be liked by anti-Semites, oblivious to the effect that the harder you try, the more that you are hated. We miss the old Israel, when Jews would fight on their own behalf and not care what the BBC, Guardian, and CNN thought. We miss the old Israel that rescued Jews from Entebbe, not the new Israel which is afraid to rescue Gilad Shalit. We are bored by Eurovision, FIFA and other idols that you have replaced the Torah with. We are bored with your self loathing. We are bored by the fact that you stand in the pathway of Jihad and believe that it entirely your own fault. We are bored by the fact that you have no leaders of the capability of a Bashar Assad or a hassan Nasrallah
Cori Chascione
All good points-- but in no way could you generalize as such when it comes to 'young Israelis'. Too many people fit your description, but not enough to define young Israeli people as a whole. Not even close.
Cori C
coriac@gmail.com
Zeevico
Funny, I seem to remember the 'old Israel' as having those very same idols. Wasn't it Ehud Barak that organised Entebbe? Or is Ehud Barak part of the 'new Israel' now?
As for the 'old Israel' not caring what the BBC and other media think--well, Israel has never cared about the BBC and its ilk, and it never will. Or were Jenin and Defenisve Shield fought with the BBC standing by, waving a flag in the air? I for one recall with heartfelt nostalgia how the BBC's journalists danced the horah as the Israelis bombed Lebanon. These days of course Western journalists hate Israel and the government doesn't move an inch without coming to them meekly for approval.
Ch.44
As for Finkelstein, most Israelis would laugh at the crap spewed by that failed academic and mental midget.
Yet as state policy Israel, and a lot of Jewish Ameircan groups, use Finkelstein's exact methods in leading the denial of the Armenain Genocide as discussed and shown in depth here last year.