“Escape the Daily Grind” on Nov. 12 Bob Dylan Awarded 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature
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Jewish Federation of NEPA Non-profit Organization 601 Jefferson Ave. U.S. POSTAGE PAID The Scranton, PA 18510 Permit # 184 Watertown, NY Change Service Requested Published by the Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania VOLUME IX, NUMBER 21 NOVEMBER 3, 2016 Facebook censors Ukraine Jews for “Escape the Daily Grind” criticising Holocaust collaborators BY SAM SOKOL on Nov. 12 JNS.org Eric and Angela Weinberg, have invit- JERUSALEM – A Jew- ed the community to a Jewish Federation ish figure in Kiev found of Northeastern Pennsylvania event, of his Facebook account which they are co-chairs. A program that suspended after a post de- has been called “challenging and fun” tailing Ukrainian collab- will be held on Saturday, November 12, oration in the Holocaust at 7:30 pm, at the Electric City Escape, was flagged as violating 507 Linden St., Scranton. the social networking The event will feature an adventure site’s terms of service. game where participants will be locked Eduard Dolinsky, director in a room and have to find clues, break of the Ukrainian Jewish codes and open locks in a series of Committee, an advocacy puzzles within 60 minutes in order group, told JNS.org he Monument to the murdered in Babi Yar, Kiev. (Photo to win. These puzzles are designed to Angela and Eric Weinberg found himself locked out courtesy of Wikimedia Commons) challenge one’s wit, patience and prob- of his account on October lem-solving skills to beat the clock. “It org or call 570-961-2300, ext. 2. For 20 after posting an old video of a Soviet a post discussing the responsibility of will be a great evening and we hope confirmation, make a $20 paid reser- trial of two members of the Ukrainian World War I era Ukrainian leader Simon you can join us,” said organizers of vation. Space will be limited and those Insurgent Army who participated in the Petliura for a series of pogroms against the the program. interested have been urged to RSVP as murder of Jewish civilians during World country’s Jews. The post, which contained To register, visit http://jewishnepa. soon as possible. War II. a Russian epithet for Jews, was removed Dolinsky is an outspoken critic of the from both journalists’ timelines. Ukrainian government’s alleged support “I felt there is anti-Jewish censorship on for revisionist history. This wasn’t the Facebook,” Briman said. While he didn’t Bob Dylan awarded 2016 first time he was censored by Facebook believe the government had any involve- after expressing his views online. Over ment, he does believe its passage of the bill the past several weeks, two other posts honoring OUN and UPA had emboldened Nobel Prize in Literature critical of Ukraine’s past politics have online trolls targeting his posts. “We are BY JTA STAFF also been removed by the social media talking about a well-organized community (JTA) – American singer and songwriter site. “I believe that this is an orchestrat- of Ukrainians, who well understand what Bob Dylan has been awarded the 2016 ed attack of Holocaust deniers here in they are doing,” Kogan added. Nobel Prize in Literature. Dylan, 75, was Ukraine, the post was absolutely correct,” Unequivocally, experts say freedom recognized for “having created new poetic Dolinsky said. He was careful to avoid of speech is restricted in Ukraine. Pro- expressions within the great American song foul language or any other objectionable fessor John Paul Himka, a Canadian tradition,” the Swedish Academy, which is content, which would have resulted in a researcher who focuses on the Holocaust responsible for choosing the Nobel laure- prompt takedown, he added. in Ukraine, said while he was unaware ates in literature, announced on October 13. Dolinsky had previously expressed of any arrests related to such issues, he Born Robert Allen Zimmerman and disapproval of a sign placed at the Babi pointed to the recent government ban raised Jewish in Minnesota, Dylan wrote Yar ravine in Kiev on the 75th anniver- on the Polish film “Woyln,” which de- some of the most influential and well- sary of the two-day massacre of 33,000 tailed the WWII mass murder of Poles known songs of the 1960s. His hits include Jews by the Nazis. The sign memori- by Ukrainian nationalists during the “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “Like a Rolling alized members of the Organization war, as proof of stifling free expression. Stone” and “Times They Are a-Changin’.” of Ukrainian Nationalists, who were The Simon Wiesenthal Center ques- Dylan is the first American to receive Bob Dylan onstage at the 17th Annual later killed at the site. The OUN, and tioned the propriety of Facebook removing the prize in more than 20 years; novelist Critics’ Choice Movie Awards at The its offshoot UPA, were both implicated Dolinsky’s post. “It’s a very sad day and Toni Morrison won in 1993. He will re- Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles on in the murder of Jews and Poles during a very serious matter if any criticism of ceive the $927,740 prize in Stockholm on January 12, 2012. (Photo by Christopher the war. While the groups were initially the efforts of the Ukrainian government Saturday, December 10, which is Alfred Polk/Getty Images for VH1) supportive of the Germans, later they to distort the history of World War II and Nobel’s birthday. turned against their erstwhile allies over the Holocaust are taken down by Face- Dylan is the first artist seen primarily as he wants to attend the December 10 prize the issue of Ukrainian independence. book,” said Dr. Efraim Zuroff, director of a songwriter to win the award, a fact that ceremony in Stockholm. The Swedish Similar signs at the Kiev municipal- the Wiesenthal Center’s Jerusalem office. has stirred a “divisive debate” in literary Academy said on its website that it had ity also aroused the Jewish leader’s ire. “Such a ridiculous policy basically gives circles. Many writers have called for him not yet been decided whether Dylan will Dolinsky commented on his Facebook the Ukrainian government a green light to turn down the award. attend any events during the Nobel Week in account about both of the sign postings, to continue to glorify individuals who “The news about the Nobel Prize left Stockholm ahead of the awards ceremony. which were subsequently removed as participated in the mass murder of Jews me speechless” Dylan told Sara Danius, Dylan told The Telegraph that receiving violations of Facebook’s terms of ser- during the Holocaust.” permanent secretary of the Swedish the Prize “is hard to believe.” vice. Last year, the Ukrainian parliament Asked about the Facebook incidents, Academy, according to a statement on passed a bill making the denigration of Volodymyr Viatrovych, director of the Nobel Prize’s website. “I appreciate the OUN and UPA illegal, although it Ukraine’s state-sponsored Institute for the honor so much.” Federation failed to establish a specific penalty for National Memory, told JNS.org he did Dylan contacted the Swedish Academy violators. Academics and human rights not believe that “Ukrainian politics of himself the week of October 28 and said activists around the world condemned the decommunization has some influence on he would accept the prize, Danius told on Facebook law for censoring historical debate and politics of Facebook. There are no cases Sweden’s TT news agency. Danius also told The Jewish Federation of Northeast- establishing an official state narrative of of censorship or limitations of freedom of Swedish Radio that Dylan is not obliged to ern Pennsylvania now has a page on the Holocaust. speech in the laws of decommunization.” attend the prize ceremony, but is required Facebook to let community members Like Dolinsky, Ukrainian Israeli jour- Neither Facebook nor other repre- to deliver a lecture or perform a song. know about upcoming events and keep nalists Shimon Briman and Alex Kogan sentatives of the Ukrainian government Dylan told the London-based The Tele- connected. have also complained about Facebook responded to requests by JNS.org for graph in an interview posted on its website censorship. Briman and Kogan had shared comment. on October 28 that, “if it’s at all possible,” Candle lighting INSIDE THIS ISSUE November 4................................. 5:35 pm Buhkarian Jews November 11 ............................... 4:28 pm Breast cancer research Fighting violence November 18 .............................. 4:22 pm Central Asia’s Bukharian Jews Hadassah Medical Center A black rabbinical student leads are thriving in Israel, Moscow continues its leading-edge re- an “Army of Moms” in fighting PLUS and the West. search in breast cancer detection. Chicago’s gun violence. Opinion .......................................................2 Story on page 3 Story on page 4 Story on page 7 D’var Torah ...............................................8 2 THE REPORTER ■ NOVEMBER 3, 2016 A MATTER OF OPINION How Jacob Neusner brought Jewish studies into the mainstream BY ALAN J. AVERY-PECK according to the same norms of anal- The last point is perhaps the most place within the academy, benefitting (JTA) – Jacob Neusner, the famed ysis that were routinely applied to the significant. Through critical examina- from critical study while also demon- scholar and almost mythically prolific Bible and New Testament. tion, massive projects of translation strating how Jews and their literary author who died on October 8 at age In his earliest writings, Neusner and commentary, and his application and intellectual legacy contribute to 84, almost singlehandedly created the showed conclusively that rabbinic of disciplines ranging from literary human learning overall. modern study of Judaism, and in doing books – the Mishnah, the two Talmuds, study to anthropology, Neusner In this work, Neusner defied so he revolutionized our understand- collections of midrash – expressed brought the study of Judaism – and entrenched religious and academic ing of the history of Judaism and our distinctive ideologies uniquely suited the university-trained scholar of Juda- monopolies, whose approach to perception of what Judaism can mean to the time and place of their authors ism – into dialogue with scholarship these texts and commitment to a tra- to Jews today.