Letters

It is essential for funders, and the Jewish community at large, to accept that not every investment in an artist or cultural organization will result in such a slam dunk—and that that’s okay.

There is something even more important than a definition of Jewish art. Does the art enrich Judaism, Jewish history and culture?

In the course of the discussion, Rabbi Wolpe says: “According to Balzac, who knew something about human nature and money, ‘behind every great fortune is a great crime.’”  This quote, though widely and casually cited, is inaccurate and highly misleading. 

I opened this issue of SAPIR on culture with great anticipation…Thus, my deep disappointment when I realized that you had covered literature, cinema, food, television, and theater marvelously. You featured a critically important article about the challenges and current role of museums, but a hearty discussion of Jewish visual art was utterly absent.

I found “The Jewish Future Needs Yiddish” a great read because it stresses the importance of language to culture and makes the case as to why we as Jews should study Yiddish. While I agree with that sentiment, I disagree with the stance of learning to speak Yiddish, on reviving it.

While many lament the lack of Jewish engagement among a younger generation, our experience at the Yiddish Book Center suggests that there is tremendous opportunity to foster that deeper connection not only through learning the Yiddish language, but by creating opportunities to engage with the literature and culture even without knowledge of the language.

I disagree with Mr. Podhoretz in part. We can’t let this redefinition of Cool stand. We must continue to and encourage the search for truth and beauty, because what else are we fighting for?

Re: Adam Hoffman’s piece, “Flipping the Script on Intersectionality”: I think the vast majority of people misunderstand “intersectionality,” and I think that Hoffman does a disservice to the term by furthering public misunderstanding of its true meaning. 

Like all issues of SAPIR, the cancellation issue sparked many thoughts and ideas. All the articles are incredibly valuable. But the one by Felicia Herman struck a chord in me as the CEO of a Jewish organization. The sad paradox is that the realities that Felicia describes (CEOs and communal professionals afraid of “saying the wrong thing”) doesn’t affect those on the extremes but those of us who try to “hold the center” and defy the dogmatism of both sides.

Reading Bret Stephens’ thoughtful piece on cancel culture, especially the passage about the victim-oppressor model which it utilizes, brings to mind one issue that was not addressed in SAPIR’s last volume about education. That is the drive to bring Ethnic Studies—specifically of the flavor known as Critical Ethnic Studies, which is built on this victim-oppressor model—into public school K-12 education.