Maus
It is not my usual practice to recommend books or share articles for you to read. However, given the events of the last week, which began with the banning of Art Spiegelman's Maus by a local school board in Tennessee and continued with the tumult surrounding Whoopi Goldberg's comments about race and the Holocaust, I encourage you to read the book Caste by Isabel Wilkerson. The book is also appropriate for Black History Month.
Wilkerson writes: “The hierarchy of caste is not about feelings or morality. It is about power — which groups have it and which do not.” Even as we combat antisemitism, it is part of the larger fabric of power politics, so we must fight all of it as we engage with all of it.
“Modern-day caste protocols,” Wilkerson writes, “are often less about overt attacks or conscious hostility. They are like the wind, powerful enough to knock you down but invisible as they go about their work.”
Our job is to make visible what is being rendered invisible. With that in mind, I encourage you to read Maus I and Maus II, and take a deep dive and read Caste.
Our next two episodes of Tehillah Talks are conversations about antisemitism and othering and what Jewish ethics demand of us. I learned from our young people that their personal experiences with antisemitism have been limited, yet they understand as Jews, they have a role to play in making the world a better place.
These are important conversations I look forward to having with you in the weeks ahead.
Click HERE to read T'ruah’s Brief Guide to Antisemitism.
Click on the images to purchase your copy of the books.