But now, there are better resources than ever available for Jewish students who want to counter all the criticism.
The Jewish Student Online Research Center (JSOURCE) has always excelled in providing kids with the raw materials they need to critique Mideast issues. Now, the information has taken a quantum jump with the publication of “Myths and Facts Online: A Guide to the Arab-Israeli Conflict.”
Make no mistake: The information here comes from a strongly pro-Israel perspective. The discussion of the Sabra and Shatilla massacres in Lebanon in 1982 makes it seem as if Israel had virtually no responsibility for the killings.
The opening page of this section of JSOURCE offers a concise historical index of the conflict, going back to the pre-Mandate period.
Each section cites a number of common claims of Israel’s critics, followed by factual accounts to refute those claims. The section on the Six-Day War begins with the myth that “Arab governments were prepared to accept Israel after the Suez War.” Then, there is detailed information bolstering Israel’s claim that it acted pre-emptively.
Despite its slant, the site is packed with solid information, arranged in a way that will make it especially useful to student activists interested in defending Israel on campus.
The site is flawlessly organized and attractive; navigation is a breeze.
The JSOURCE site is the work of the prolific Mitchell G. Bard, a longtime pro-Israel activist and author of “The Idiot’s Guide to the Middle East Conflict.”
Check it out at www.usisrael.org/jsource/myths/mftoc.html
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Palestinian refugees have been in the news for a year, thanks to the now-stalled negotiations and the al-Aksa intifada. Less known to the world are the many Jewish refugees from the countries that are now Israel’s implacable foes.
The plight of Iraq’s once-flourishing Jewish community is a good example. A new Web site devoted to “Iraqi Jews who left Baghdad during the 1960s and 1970s” brings this dispersed community to life for outsiders, and provides Iraqi Jews scattered around the globe with a link to their past.
The bulk of the site is a kind of online photo album showing scenes of Jewish life in Iraq during the 1950s and 1960s. Despite the exotic locale, many of the pictures look like Jewish gatherings anywhere during that time — ordinary-looking kids gathered in their classrooms, religious-school outings, birthday parties, pictures of life at a local university.
There is also an extensive collection of links about Jewish life in Iraq, including a site offering a chilling account of the 1969 hanging of nine innocent Jews in Iraq.
And there are a handful of family genealogies that may help some track their relatives.
The site is well designed and attractive; all it lacks is a general history of Jews in Iraq. Check it out at http://thesite2000.virtualave.net/iraqijews/index1.html
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The World Wide Web abounds with good Jewish “portals” — sites that try to make some sense out of the fascinating chaos of cyberspace.
Observant Jews should check out TorahJew.com, a densely packed site that covers the range of Jewish life — for those of a more Orthodox persuasion. Don’t look here for Reform or Reconstructionist links.
The site’s opening page offers a number of categories: Torah Study, Commonly Asked Questions, Tefillah, Chassidus, Being Jewish, Jewish Shopping and so on.
Click on each to get a ton of links, mostly to other organizations that provide the information you’re seeking. There’s a strong emphasis on learning sites.
TorahJew.com is a quirky place. A button right at the top of the opening page brings you to an essay by Mark Twain “defending” the Jews — a defense that will make your skin crawl.
The organization leaves something to be desired, as well. Links are jumbled together, and there’s considerable overlap. Still, the site is reasonably easy to use, and there’s enough information here to keep you out of mischief for a long time.
Check it out at www.TorahJew.com
The writer is a Washington-based correspondent who has been writing about Jewish Web sites since the early 1990s. His columns alternate with those of Mark Mietkiewicz. Besser can be reached at [email protected]