Yishai Fleisher Podcast: David Friedman, the fight for campus and remembering the ‘Baba Sali’
Yishai is on the road again! This week, he speaks with former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman about the state of the Abraham Accords; Rabbi Schneur Oirechman of Chabad Tallahassee who is fighting assimilation; Florida State University student David Glasser, who is dealing with antisemitism; and Joel Griffith, who celebrated Israel’s new coalition with Young Jewish Conservatives at a swanky hotel rooftop in Miami.Muslims help shut down protest, burning of Torah scroll in Sweden
Plus: Exodus Torah and the Yahrzeit of the “Baba Sali,” Rabbi Yisrael Abuhatzeira.
The Yishai Fleisher show is a popular English-language podcast exploring Israeli life, politics, and Jewish thought. Drawing on his experience as a journalist, legal and biblical scholar, IDF soldier and spokesman for the Jewish Community of Hebron, Yishai sheds light on everything from global and Middle East news to weekly Bible/Torah study, health, family and of course, the amazing rebirth of Israel.
In the joint statement, the Swedish Jewish communities and Amanah said that “it is with deep concern that we once again witness islamophobic hate manifestations in the streets of Sweden. Once again racists and extremists are allowed to abuse democracy and Freedom of Speech in order to normalize hate against one of the religious minorities in Sweden, by burning the Quran.”“You People” Normalizes Farrakhan’s Views On Jews
“Our tragic European history has taught us that book burnings often signal the onset of the normalization of hatred towards a group in society,” the statement said. “Historically against Jews and currently against Muslims. Not recognizing these manifestations of hate as an expression of threats and incitement against ethnic groups constitutes neglect of history,” the statement of Jewish leaders said.
They concluded by saying that they wish to express their “support to the Swedish Muslim Community and clearly state that every action and sign of prejudice and hatred is unacceptable.”
According to Swedish DN news, an Egyptian writer is a 34-year-old man whose name wasn’t published. He told DN that he was advised against carrying out his plans by representatives from the Islamic League in Stockholm's mosque, and was quoted saying that “they [the Islamic League] say it is against Islam and I wouldn’t be representing Muslims when burning a copy of the Torah outside the Israeli embassy.” He added that “it's okay – I would be representing myself.”
According to Swedish media, the 34-year-old Egyptian writer submitted an application for a police permit to hold his demonstrations on Saturday, January 28 at 1 p.m. Yet he told DN on Thursday afternoon that he has decided to postpone his planned actions “for a couple of weeks.” According to the report, he was also approached by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, who asked him to “tone it down.” According to Rabbi HaCohen, a further meeting with the author and Muslim leadership took place, through the mediation of Amanah, in which he decided to cancel the request entirely.
The 34-year-old explained to DN that he is “tired of his tax money going towards protecting right-wing extremist Rasmus Paludan's repeated Quran burnings,” most recently outside the Turkish embassy. His actions are intended to claim that Swedish law is hypocritical.
The following movie review began with angry texts I sent to friends and colleagues yesterday, as I was watching You People, the number one movie now streaming on Netflix. It premiered on Holocaust Remembrance Day, and I’ve got to hand it to them on the timing: nothing says #neveragain like #rightnow.
There are numerous spoilers below, but when a movie starts out so rotten, it is impossible to ruin it. If I had to sum up the most basic problem with You People, it wouldn’t be the abundant Holocaust jokes, like Ezra buying a small diamond for his fiancé, and deciding that he’ll lie that it’s his grandmother’s “from the Holocaust.” You know, “the Holocaust” – the get out of jail free card for every Jew.
It’s also not that the Jewish parents in the film are played by actors whose families used to be Jewish, generations ago, but then assimilated into extinction. No, the main issue with You People is that everyone in the film loves Black culture and no one in the film loves Jewish culture. In fact, they hate it.
In an age of celebrating marginalized identities, how could it be that that one identity would be lauded while the other would be highlighted for its guilt (Ezra’s grandmother in the opening Yom Kippur synagogue scene (incorrectly) tells him that he can’t be buried in a Jewish cemetery due to his tattoos), its shame (Ezra refuses to wear a yarmulke during Yom Kippur services after his mother asks him to), its sexual violations (after services, Ezra’s orthodontist offers to examine his genitals, other members of the synagogue say sexually inappropriate things), its big-nosed Jews (both of the Jewish women Ezra dates have prominent noses), and its money-loving Jews (in his first date with a Jewish girl, she comments how exciting it must be that he gets to work with so much MONEY everyday!)?
Because in You People, Jews are not considered a marginalized group. Instead, they are white, rich, privileged and responsible for the suffering of marginalized people in the world. And the way they get to this reality is by continuously lying and misrepresenting the Jewish past and present. So let’s jump right into the lies and misrepresentations.
