Letters

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.

The Edward Rothstein article was probably the finest piece of writing I’ve ever read on the subject.

I have enjoyed reading the articles in the Cancellation issue (as I have enjoyed all of the issues to date) with one caveat: while presenting accurately the problems with “wokeness” and “cancel culture,” I think the essays underplay or outright ignore that both, while at times overreaction, began as a necessary response to language and demeanor that were hateful, hurtful, and inconsiderate. 

Though I often want to jump in on the discussion for an article or two each issue, this recent issue found me chomping at the bit on several articles because they resonated so much with my experiences.

There are exceptions to every generalization and counter-anecdotes to every story, but Ari Blaff’s description of the current situation in Jewish Studies and Israeli Studies is, on the whole, accurate.