The Finkler Question and Answer

The Finkler Question and Answer

By Dovid Efune

In most cases, when a good book is written and published, it is read, reviewed and then critiqued, assigned to a library shelf and often soon after forgotten.  The Finkler Question by British author Howard Jacobson started out the same way but has since sharply veered off the beaten path and found for itself a position of prominence in the arena of public discourse, specifically on matters relating to Jews and Israel.

The book was awarded the highly prestigious Man Booker Prize and has received many reviews, the vast majority of which were overwhelmingly positive.  Whilst I certainly agree that Jacobson is a highly talented wordsmith and his book is a masterpiece, I am by no means a literary critic and therefore instead of reviewing the book I would like to bring attention to some of the Jewish issues that it highlights.

Through his primary characters, Julian Treslove, a middle-aged non-Jew who is somewhat obsessed with Jews and his Jewish friends Libor Sevcik and Sam Finkler, Jacobson cleverly presents a multitude of arguments and counter arguments on the Arab-Israel conflict. Libor is an older widower who seems ready to bury his head in the sand when it comes to addressing Jewish causes, and Finkler heads a group called ASHamed Jews who are actively embarrassed by 'the way Israel conducts itself.'

The Finkler Question also cleverly explores various expressions of Jewish identity and the struggle of many modern Jews to find the contemporary relevance in their heritage, providing a vivid illustration of the challenges that they are faced with.

One such issue that arises on multiple occasions throughout the narrative is the relationship between being Jewish, and identifying with Israel. There are many Jews that are of the opinion that the two don't necessarily go hand in hand, that what the Israeli's are up to in Israel has no bearing on how Jews are   the world. This is the case of Sam Finklers' group in the novel who claim that it is possible to accuse Israel of war crimes, and yet remain proudly Jewish.

But what they fail to realize, as the author keenly illustrates, is that haters and bigots rarely compartmentalize, and more often than not, in their eyes, anti Israel and anti-Jewish are wholly interchangeable. Israel is the Jewish State, the homeland of the Jewish people and association with Israel is an inherent part of being Jewish whether one admits it or not.

There is also another bigger and thoroughly disturbing malady highlighted by Jacobson that faces Jewish communities around the globe, namely; that very few Jews are actually aware of what Judaism is really about. For the story's characters, being Jewish at times means being smart, at times it means belonging to a group, at times it is ritualistic, guilt ridden or family centric. But most of all, throughout the book, the characters' Judaism is defined by their victimhood. In truth this may be one of the greatest Jewish challenges of our time.

About a year and a half ago, Britain's Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks told me the following:

"The challenge to a new generation of Jewish leaders is to think differently about the Jewish future, to stop thinking of ourselves as victims, stop thinking of ourselves as the people that dwell alone and start thinking about Judaism as a way of life, as a faith and as an approach to the world.  I offer my one line definition of Judaism "Judaism is the voice of hope in the condescension of humankind".  Nowadays when you read about Jews it's about Antisemitism, the Holocaust, boycotts, Israel,  50% out -marriage rates, but that is not who we are, these are the problems."

He then continued to say, "Where do I read in the news about Judaism having a message of hope for humankind, yet when I lecture in America at various institutions, they are hungry for a Jewish message and they certainly don't want a Jewish message which says " the world hates Jews". We are the world's oldest and most persistent victims, I don't think anyone wants that message. If you tell a young generation of Jewish teenagers, we want you to know about Jewish history come to Auschwitz, Bergen Belsen and Treblinka and you'll know what it is to be a Jew, then they will have two or ten thoughts before marrying another Jew and having Jewish children. Who wants to confer the status of victimhood onto their children and grandchildren?"

He concluded by saying, "I'm afraid we have been walking in precisely the wrong direction by focusing on all the negatives of recent Jewish history and the Jewish present and have failed to connect with the spirit. We have failed to connect with the positives and we have failed to connect with the message of Jews to humankind "through you will all the families of the earth be blessed". When you give over this message everyone responds, Jew and Non-Jew alike so I challenge the next generation of Jewish leaders and the generation after to think about Judaism in a completely new way."

The Finkler Question portrays this Jewish struggle in a comprehensive and intimate fashion, the sad fact that most Jews today simply don't know what being Jewish means. Perhaps the Finkler answer comes with a shift in focus; the new generation must direct all of its resources in striving to convey the authentic Jewish message of positivity, hope and belief in a better future.

The Author is the director of the Algemeiner Journal and the GJCF and can be e-mailed at defune@gjcf.com. Please visit www.GJCF.com for more information.

Senseless in Seattle

Senseless in Seattle

By Dovid Efune

PR experts around the country will verify that it is the bargain of the century. For a mere $1794 a Seattle based anti Israel group, the Mideast Awareness Campaign, has drawn significant media attention to itself by arranging to run ads on King County buses accusing Israel of war crimes. The group's website, that appears to be constructed by amateur high school students, is brimming with ludicrous diatribe, including accusations against Israel of ethnic cleansing.

Some may argue that the best way to react to such provocation is to ignore it, act bigger, more mature, allow it to waft away and it will all be forgotten. The rationale behind this approach is that more attention can only aggravate the issue bringing yet more media coverage to the twisted ambitions of the perpetrators.

However, I strongly feel that this response is largely misguided. History has shown that it is the passivity of good men that allows for the triumph of evil, and thus non action is a betrayal of the highest order. The Jewish community of Seattle should respond with the full force and let the Hebrew hammer drop on these haters like never before. This group has unwittingly provided an opportunity for the world to be taught the lesson that if you slander the people of the book, you may just get the book thrown at you.

Today boycotts against Israel and Israeli goods are rampant and are orchestrated in every corner of the globe and often are highly detrimental to Israeli companies and educational or other institutions. There can be little doubt that the general timid reactions to a number of these efforts have shown that sponsors of such boycotts consistently get away with spewing this malicious diatribe. As opposition wanes, the message becomes more one sided and is gradually accepted as a narrative of Jewish aggression.

The King County guidelines do not allow "images and material used to interfere with public safety or insult specific groups to the point that a riot could be incited, vandalism could occur or public safety could be threatened." Clearly these posters haven't made the cut.

So here are some ideas for a strong Jewish reaction:

1. A concerted and coordinated aggressive letter writing and call campaign that targets those running the busses and calls for the company to withdraw the anti-Jewish propaganda from their billboards. This includes reaching out to all companies that currently advertise on the buses.

2. Any members of the Jewish community in Seattle that use the busses to advertise should immediately and publicly withdraw their business in protest.

3. A libel lawsuit should be filed against the bus company and against the group that arranged for the ads, although it is unlikely that it can be won, the threat of legal action will serve as a deterrent, now, and in the future.

4. About 10 years ago, Britain was brought to its knees when protesters lay on the road in front of oil tankers preventing them from reaching their designated destinations. Courageous young Jews should locate the garages where the busses are stored and in a similar fashion, preventing the busses from circulating their hateful message.

Although these efforts may be unsuccessful in preventing the ads from seeing daylight, it is crucially important that people know that those wishing to publicize their hateful propaganda, will not go unopposed, they and their partners will be held accountable.

If the Jewish community is to be effective in eradicating the viral spread of Israeli defamation and Antisemitism, it must be combated aggressively, immediately and in a comprehensive fashion. Lies grow, and Jewish history has shown that the actions they inspire are often calamitous.

The Author is the director of the Algemeiner Journal and the GJCF and can be e-mailed at defune@gjcf.com. Please visit www.gjcf.com for more information.

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Idealistic Moneymakers and High Salaries in Jewish Organizations

Editor's note: believe it has been shown that for most positions, including executives, that monetary incentives actually decrease performance. I listened to a book on tape recently on this subject. There are some positions, like commission sales and piece work, that are tied to pay for performance. However, for jobs that require personal motivation, people are motivated by the personal value they get from the work. When the motivation is switched to monetary gain, people feel like they are working for money instead of meaning, and their performance and enjoyment declines. So, the premise of the article below, that executives that are paid more will do a better job because they are financially motivated is false.

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Idealistic Moneymakers

By Dovid Efune

In a rare youtube video posted on TED.com, famed Austrian Psychoanalyst Victor E. Frankl proclaims in a thick accent, that the primary motivation in life for a healthy majority of American students is "finding meaning in their lives." The other option; "make a lot of money" is quickly dismissed by Frankl with the wave of a hand. This lecture was filmed in 1972 and I wonder if the same holds true today?

The topic of idealism versus self interest in Jewish organizations was brought to light recently following the release of the second annual Forward survey that chronicles the salaries of 74 leaders of Jewish organizations. With almost all top executives earning six figures and a large portion earning close to half a million and more; some donors were left seriously disappointed, wondering if this was the best allocation of their philanthropic dollars. "In a time when so many are in need, it would behoove Jewish communal leaders - and the Jewish community as a whole - to take a long, hard look at these salaries and determine whether they accurately reflect our Jewish values," commented one reader on the website.

There are certainly elements of truth to this, and communal organizations should strive to appoint leaders that are idealistic and selfless enough, perhaps the kind that might volunteer to take a paycut on their own accord. However, there can be no doubt that appealing to the self interest of those that lead idealistic efforts will ultimately ensure the delivery of a better service and enhance the bottom line in the implementation of the mission at hand, ensuring that more people are helped and better work is done.

Whilst there are a select few that are not motivated by self interest at all, most are, including those that have taken responsible positions of community leadership, and have greatly benefitted the community by their accomplishments and achievement.

Ultimately our primary concern must be that the delivery of services is at its best, and a sure way to guarantee this in the non-profit world is to incorporate some of the selfish elements that drive the free market economy. This includes appropriate financial compensation, maintaining a competitive environment and granting recognition and prestige to those that have earned it.

Although success and growth in a capitalist market is fueled by greed and self interest it ultimately creates more wealth and enables the society to better address the needs of its dependants. The same should apply in the world of Jewish philanthropic organizations.

To take this concept a step further, the Commonwealth Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks highlights in his book 'The Dignity of Difference,' that the reason why widespread self interest is able to ultimately bear positive fruit for the community at large is because of the 'social capital' within that society, namely, the level of trust. Because of the idealistic inclinations of many working for non-profit organizations, a charitable environment should have even greater 'social capital,' guaranteeing a potent recipe for enhanced results.

It is the responsibility of those entrusted with overseeing each organization's governance to ensure that these high standards are maintained and upheld, and to quantify correctly the value that is being delivered by the organization's senior executive officers. If it becomes apparent that the good of the cause is no longer being served the appropriate steps must be taken to ensure that this is remedied.

At the same time, qualified executives should not have any second thoughts about collecting substantial salaries, provided they are in good faith delivering for those in their care and are able to quantify the added value that they have brought to their respective organizations. Ultimately there is no greater achievement for an individual than successfully being able to harness and direct the powerful motivation of self interest to the service of helping others.

The Author is the director of the Algemeiner Journal and the GJCF and can be e-mailed at defune@gjcf.com

The Carmel Fire and the Future of Terrorism

The Carmel Fire and the Future of Terrorism

By Dovid Efune

As the catastrophic Carmel Blaze raged in northern Israel last week, allegations of arson quickly surfaced. Two brothers suspected of starting the deadly fire in the Carmel region were arrested on Monday and released shortly afterwards, under restrictive conditions by the Haifa Magistrate Court.

However, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told The Jerusalem Post that "based on an initial analysis of findings on the ground, the fire was caused by negligence."  Reports that the brothers were suspected of hurling burning waste products during a picnic could not be confirmed.

Meanwhile, police and firefighters had to contend with sporadic fires that erupted far from the main Carmel fire zone, leading investigators to conclude that arsonists were attempting to "hitch a ride" on the Carmel disaster. However, on Monday morning police announced that two additional youths from Usfiya were arrested on Sunday night in connection with the breakout of the Carmel fire, and that more arrests could be expected soon.

Although it hasn't been widely circulated in international media outlets, some in Israel have actually reported a wave of terrorist arson by Arab citizens of Israel. Channel 2's website carried a report that Border Police arrested two Arabs, one an Israeli citizen and the other from the Palestinian Authority, who tried to start a fire near Jerusalem on Saturday night. The two were caught in a ravine near the "tunnels checkpoint" at the entrance to the neighborhood of Gilo. A short time later, a 34-year-old Arab man was arrested near Dodge Junction close to Nazareth.

The News1 website reported that Radio Haifa interviewed several people who witnessed car horn-honking and other acts of public celebration in the Arab village of Furadis, south of Haifa, after news of the tragedy became known on Thursday.

Israel National News reported on its website that pictures of the charred victims have already begun making the rounds worldwide. A group called "Mujahedeen of Palestine," identified with Al-Qaeda, put the images of the bodies on a YouTube video. The video includes text that says "Muhammad's lions" came out at night to set alight the land of the "occupiers."

Whilst investigations will continue, and perhaps sometime in the future a public report will shed light on what exactly did take place and where the responsibility lies, one thing is certain, that even if the fires were not a coordinated act of terror, they certainly could have been.

The ramifications of this are frightening and the implications are far reaching. The world has now been presented with another stark demonstration of how terror organizations can use inventive and creative ways to shift beyond the conventional means of terrorist warfare and create mass chaos and destruction through defying the trust that a society places on its citizens.

It was not that long ago that the series of bulldozer attacks in Jerusalem hinted at this seismic shift in terrorist strategy, indicating that the abuse of professional trust could be used as a tool for indiscriminate destruction. These terrorists were operating bulldozers. Imagine for a moment the devastation that could have been wrought had they been operating a mechanical wrecking ball, were employed at a gas plant or in air traffic control.

What would be the value of the preventative efforts of airport security, if one of the pilots flying the airplane is of the same mindset as the bulldozer operators in Jerusalem?

Then, of course, there is the internet. In a Wall Street Journal article on Monday, Mortimer Zuckerman addresses the topic of cyber terrorism at length. Referring to White House counterterrorism czar Richard Clarke's revealing book "Cyberwar," published earlier this year, he points out that cyber terrorists can "tap into networks and move money, spill oil, vent gas, blow up generators, derail trains, crash airplanes, cause missiles to detonate and wipe out reams of financial and supply-chain data. Havoc can be created at the blink of an eye from remote locations overseas."

When it comes to terrorism there can be no doubt that the enemy within is more dangerous than the enemy without, and this week Israel has seen another glimpse of what that enemy is capable of. Of course this threat is by no means limited to Israel; it is a matter that all responsible governments must address by directing ample resources and employing their greatest minds.

The Carmel fire must serve as a stark wakeup call to Israelis and to leaders around the world that counter-terrorism efforts that are just preventative are greatly limited. The world we live in today requires these efforts to be anticipatory, or predictive aiming to foresee potential abuses of power and trust in the professional and public domain.

The Author is the director of the Algemeiner Journal and the GJCF and can be e-mailed at defune@gjcf.com. Please visit www.gjcf.com for more information.

Wikileaks: What Israel can learn from Iran

Wikileaks: What Israel can learn from Iran

By Dovid Efune

On Nov 27^th 2010 it was reported that recently declassified diplomatic documents showed that in 1970 Japan and the United States once reached a deadlock in negotiations over a Nixon administration demand that Japan curb its cheap textile exports. Exposed over 30 years after taking place, this material was of great interest to historians and diplomatic analysts.

On the very next day, Nov 28^th whistle blowing website Wikileaks released classified diplomatic documents that detail current diplomatic maneuvering under the Obama administration, that not surprisingly caused somewhat of a media frenzy. These revelations have raised all kinds of questions about the way American diplomacy is being managed and have been largely embarrassing, although seemingly little concrete damage was done.

Prominently featured in news headlines reporting on the leak, was ongoing US efforts attempting to curb Iranian nuclear belligerency, including a report of Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak warning that the world has just 6 to 18 months to stop Iran from building a nuclear weapon; King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia imploring Washington to "cut off the head of the snake" and Bahrain's king warning that  allowing Iran's program to proceed was "greater than the danger of stopping it."

Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu responded by pointing out that the leaked documents show that "more and more countries, governments and leaders in the Middle East and in the world understand that Iran's nuclear program is the fundamental threat."

Few were surprised by the global concern expressed over Iran, particularly from its neighbors and other Gulf States. What was interesting to note was the warped reaction from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad whose response, I believe, should serve as an important lesson for Israeli diplomats, specifically with regard to representing Israeli positions in the arena of global opinion and conveying the Israeli narrative.

Ahmadinejad alleged the leaks were an "organized" effort by the US to stir trouble between Iran and its Arab neighbors and that the documents were "psychological warfare."He continued to say that,   "Some part of the American government produced these documents; we don't think this information was leaked. We think it was organized to be released on a regular basis and they are pursuing political goals."

One can imagine that many, specifically in the Muslim world, with a lesser education or free access to information, and an unhealthy predisposition towards the US and Israel, are very likely to buy into this propaganda. After all, is it possible that the great United States couldn't prevent the release of this documentation? Perhaps the purpose of this release is to prepare the world for an invasion of Iran, just as the release of British intelligence documents before the Iraq war in 2003?

What Ahmedinejad has done,  as he often does, in a twisted and heinous fashion, is to present a compelling counter-narrative, that tells a story, is reported on the front pages and will sadly convince many the world over of its legitimacy.

Another shocking example of the proficiency of the Iranian counter-narrative effort is the ongoing program to deny the Holocaust. Through exhibitions and conferences, Ahmedinejad is able to grab headlines and perpetuate his message of insanity throughout the world. Although many in the West give little credence to his claims, the fact that this position is circulated, is in itself a triumph of his evil.

A qualified PR professional or lawyer will tell you that in order to combat a negative perception; a counter-narrative is much more powerful than a straight denial. Israel must quickly learn that the best way to combat harmful headlines is to present a compelling story that conveys the correct message.

By way of example, this week the following story was prominently featured by the BBC:

A report entitled; "Dashed Hopes: Continuation of the Gaza Blockade", compiled by 21 different groups, including Oxfam, Amnesty and Save the Children said that there has been "little improvement" for people in Gaza since Israel announced it was easing its economic blockade of the territory six months ago.

"Only a fraction of the aid needed has made it to the civilians trapped in Gaza by the blockade," said Jeremy Hobbs, Director of Oxfam International. "Israel's failure to live up to its commitments and the lack of international action to lift the blockade are depriving Palestinians in Gaza of access to clean water, electricity, jobs and a peaceful future," Mr Hobbs added.

Israel would do well to highly publicize the following counter-narrative that was also reported recently:

The International Monetary Fund reported that Tel Aviv's decision to partially open blockaded Gaza to the outside world enabled the territory to achieve economic growth of 16 percent in the first half of the year.

The Jewish sage Ben Zoma taught: "Who is wise? He who learns from every man," perhaps even from Iran's vile and criminal practices Israel can learn a valuable lesson.

The Author is the director of the Algemeiner Journal and the GJCF and can be e-mailed at defune@gjcf.com. Please visit www.gjcf.com for more information.