Dec. 17, 1976
Learning To ‘Throw’ Old Myths
Anthony Baum’s feet shot out from under him like two small birds taking flight. His yarmulke skidded across the floor and Anthony himself came down, with a grunt, on the rubber mat. Within seconds he was back on his toes, right side up, ready for more. Is this some new form of persecution? No, just the opposite.
Anthony Baum is learning Judo. With all the accompanying throws, yells, grunts, falls and general fun, he is learning to protect himself. But in this case, Judo is being taught not because of the ancient prescriptions of the Asian world, but in deference to Jewish philosophy.
Anthony is one of 36 kids at the Hebrew Academy here who take Judo classes after their regular school day. The defensive art is taught by Ed Coppola, a math and science teacher at the academy. Although the course is regarded as part of the Academy’s physical education program, there are also strong feelings about the self-defense aspect and the aesthetic connections.
Academy director Rabbi Pinchas Lipner points to a verse in the Talmud recounting the time Jacob was confronted by his enemy: “Jacob was ready with three things. First, a present for his enemy; Second, a prayer; and third, he was ready for war, ready to defend himself. So we see that we, as a Jewish People, are taught to trust in God but at the same time, if we have to fight for our existence, we do it. We believe strongly in the Jewish philosophy that we should rely on and believe in God but we must also do our share. We are putting that philosophy into practice here.”
Rabbi Lipner … also sees the practice as dispelling one traditional myth that is overripe for dismissal: “The idea that Jews are helpless is psychologically detrimental and belongs to a past generation.” There is an even less exotic notion involved as well. The incidence of violent crime and assault in the City has been rising to a new high and Rabbi Lipner rapidly concedes that Judo “is a way of protecting ourselves in a violent society.”
From Aug. 20, 1976
Dec. 13, 1996
Mezuzah holding AIDS blood spurs strident calls to museum
A mezuzah containing HIV-infected blood sparked a small but intense reaction from Bay Area Jews following its installation earlier this month at Berkeley’s Judah. L. Magnes Museum.
Though the exhibit’s installation on Dec. 1 was a “sensitive and sobering” experience, curator Michal Friedlander said, the museum logged at least a half-dozen “horrible” telephone calls last week. At least one man wrote a letter cancelling his membership.
To mark World AIDS Day on Dec. 1, the museum installed a mezuzah designed by Santa Monica artist Albert J. Winn. The mezuzah contained a vial of HIV-infected blood drawn from Winn’s arm six months ago. The vial replaced the roll of parchment inscribed with two Deuteronomy passages that is traditionally found inside a mezuzah casing.
“Blood on the Doorposts…The AIDS Mezzuzah” remained at the museum for four days, as scheduled.
Museum officials said the callers’ complaints ranged from fears of a pubic health risk and anger over the alleged desecration of a ritual object to tirades against the morality of homosexuals and wild assertions that gays with money and power invented the AIDS epidemic to evoke sympathy.
“Gays get what they deserve. They bring it on themselves,” one caller said.
The individual who cancelled his membership wrote the museum a letter calling the mezuzah a “disgrace to the Jewish people” and comparing it to anti-Semitic graffiti.
J.’s print editions go back to 1895, and have never been digitized. We seek funding to make this precious history available online for future generations. Please contact [email protected].