[Peace-discuss] Ann Arbor Vigiler

[David Green]

Henry Herskovitz is a Jewish activist in Ann Arbor who
is part of a weekly vigil at local synagogue during
Saturday morning services. Some other Jewish activists
think this is clearly the wrong tactic, and only
serves to alienate Jews. My views are not clear on
this matter, but I enjoy reading his posts.

Message: 7         
   Date: Mon, 08 Aug 2005 15:59:47 -0400
   From: Henry Herskovitz <hersko at umich.edu>
Subject: Report on Beth Israel vigil 08-06-2005


Tactics and Hope

It's been over a year since the film "In Whose Honor"
(1997) was 
viewed. 
Charlene Teters, a peaceful, yet dedicated Native
American woman, held 
lone 
vigils at the University of Illinois basketball arena
to oppose using 
Native Americans as mascots. This powerful film
culminates with an 
incredible show of racist power, when the Illinois
state legislature 
passed 
a law "protecting" Chief Illiniwek from the protests
of those who would 
raise legitimate, moral questions. See more info at: 
http://larryjzimmerman.com/narep/honor.html

Fast forward to this week's Associated Press news
headlines: "NCAA bans 
Indian mascots, nicknames from postseason events"  and
visit 
http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=99569§ion=Sports
to 
see 
the victory that Ms. Teters can take pride in. Who
says street protests 
are 
ineffective?

BIC Congregants Support JWPF Claim

Jewish Witnesses for Peace and Friends have long
maintained that "Beth 
Israel is a political institution as well as house of
worship, using 
its 
faith to promote a nationalist political agenda:
support of the State 
of 
Israel". This past Saturday saw a family dress their
two children in 
T-Shirts promoting the State of Israel. Saturdays past
have witnessed 
other 
children sporting "We Stand With Israel" baseball
caps. And one 
congregant 
drives his car (He drives on the Sabbath?) with an
outstretched hand 
flying 
a small Israeli flag almost every Shabbat. They say a
picture is worth 
a 
thousand words...

Harassment at Saturday's vigil

Congregant Dan Cutler, vocal critic of JWPF, stopped
by on his way to 
the 
sanctuary, and photographed - or at least attempted to
photograph - 
members 
of the vigil group, in spite of their clear wishes to
the contrary. 
Sam(*) 
did not want the photograph taken and held one of our
signs in a 
protective 
manner. Mr. Cutler, in true playground fashion, tried
to wait Sam out. 
Two 
vigillers went to retrieve cameras of our own, and Dan
beat a hasty 
retreat.

Two Celebrity Vigillers Bring Total to 12

Bill and Annie - our new friends from Boston - paid us
a return favor, 
and 
showed up at Saturday's vigil. Activists for many
years, they shared 
their 
experiences with the greener members of JWPF. They
explained that 
during 
the Vietnam era, two main peace groups (more like
'currents', not 
cleanly 
defined) formed, separated by tactics: One was the
anti-Imperialist 
group, 
calling for affinity with the Vietnamese struggling
for independence; 
the 
other group called for "Give Peace a Chance", and was
critical of the 
tactics of the former. In the end, Bill explained,
both groups realized 
that the movement calls for all voices to be heard;
that the silencing 
of 
one group by another is truly counterproductive.
Thanks, Bill and 
Annie!

Final Quote

"We would have made more progress against terrorism if
we had brought 
peace 
to Palestine rather than war to Iraq"
-Robin Cook (1946-2005)


* - not real name

Reject Zionism,
Henry Herskovitz
Jewish Witnesses for Peace and Friends
<http://www.a2vigil.org/>http://www.a2vigil.org



		
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