Vol. 88 No. 5 • May 2023
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10 Iyyar - 11 Sivan 5783
People Love Dead Jews: Author Dara Horn to Speak about Antisemitism and Her Latest Book By BARBARA DAB
Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville Annual Meeting Set for June 7
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oin Jewish community members and leaders on June 7 for the Federation’s annual meeting to be held at the Gordon Jewish Community Center. The evening begins at 5:30pm with a celebration for Life & Legacy members, followed by the meeting at 7:00pm. The full slate of officers and amendments to the Federation’s constitution will be posted online on May 5. Use this link to see the slate, all additional information, and to register for the events. www.jewishnashville.org/annualmeeting. •
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n her provocatively titled book, “People Love Dead Jews: Reports from a Haunted Present,” author Dara Horn delves into the notion that the world prefers stories about Jewish tragedy, like the Holocaust, rather than addressing the very real and current rise of antisemitism. “The central problem the book is exploring is the role dead Jews play in a wider society’s imagination,” says Horn. The book’s origin stems from a request by Smithsonian Magazine to write about an incident at the Anne Frank Museum regarding a Jewish employee who was not allowed to wear his yarmulke to work. The story is documented in the first of 12 essays, and the book was inspired by requests Horn received in the wake of the Tree of Life mass murder in Pittsburgh. “It occurred to me what my editors and these magazines wanted me to write about was dead Jews,” she says. But it was precisely the challenge to explore a difficult issue that led to the book’s concept. “There’s something that happens when you’re a writer that the moments that are uncomfortable are where the story is.”
Author Dara Horn will speak about antisemitism and her book People Love Dead Jews on May 16, 7:00pm at The Temple as part of The Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville’s “Shine a Light on Antisemitism” series.
Another topic touched upon in the book is Holocaust education. It is one Horn has written about most recently in an article in The Atlantic that suggests Holocaust education is making antisem-
itism in this country worse. “There are a lot of people who that’s what they know about Jews, that Jews were murdered in the Holocaust,” she says. But what about the broader experience of being Jewish? “There’s a lot of places with mandated education about the Holocaust. But there is no mandate for learning about who Jews are.” She says while the focus on the Holocaust is well intentioned, it leads to ignorance about the broader story about living Jews and Jewish life. The book’s focus is not specifically on the Holocaust, however. Horn makes clear this is merely one aspect of what she views as exploitation of a broad Jewish narrative in this country. “There’s basically two threads that go through the book,” she says, “One is that people tell stories about dead Jews that make them feel better about themselves. The other thread is that living Jews have to erase themselves in order for those stories to get told and in order for them to gain respect.” A prime example of the erasure Horn speaks about is the essay dealing with Jewish Heritage Sites. “This is a brilliant marketing term that the travel industry has come up with,” she says, Continued on page 19
Light in the Darkness: West End Synagogue Strengthens Relationship with Nashville’s Muslim Community at Annual Iftar By BARBARA DAB
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n one of Nashville’s darkest days, a light shone in the sanctuary of West End Synagogue. As the city was still reeling from the murder of six people at Nashville’s Covenant School a day earlier, Jewish congregants, community leaders, and members of the Islamic Center of Nashville joined together to pray, to learn, and to break bread. The event had been planned for months. It was the second time Jews and Muslims would gather during Ramadan to share an iftar, the main meal during the fasting day. But when the day finally came, it was a celebration against the backdrop of a city in pain. Rabbi Joshua Kullock, A Publication of the
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of West End Synagogue, said, “Coming after a very difficult day, an event like this won’t solve all the problems, but it is a step in the right direction.” After the Jewish evening prayers, Kullock was joined by Imam Ossama Bahloul, of the Islamic Center, for discussion and to answer questions about the two faith traditions. “It is useful always for people to sit together,” said Bahloul, “We are all part of the human family, and each life deserves dignity, safety, and protection.” Both Kullock and Bahloul grew up outside the United States; Kullock in Argentina and Bahloul in Egypt. Bahloul said the proliferation of gun violence is something he did not experience in his
JCRC Seder Filled the Soul and the Body, page 2
home country. “I grew up in a village. I don’t remember anything like this. We didn’t have security measures in the schools,” he said. A question was raised about the growing antisemitism both locally and around the world. Kullock said understanding the differences and building relationships between people will help. “We need to be exposed to each other’s customs not to convince, but to learn to work together to make the world a better place.” Bahloul said the COVID19 pandemic showed the importance of building community. “No one can be well until all of us are well. Antisemitism and Islamophobia, can be fought when Continued on page 20 48 Hours of Learning with the Kabbalah Coach Shimona at Chabad, page 9
Rabbi Joshua Kullock (l) of West End Synagogue, and Imam Ossama Bahloul, of the Islamic Center of Nashville, speak to community during iftar celebration. Health & Beauty Special Section page 21