Do you remember the Kellogg-Briand Treaty? It was big news in 1928. A big pact signed in Paris, 62 nations came together, promising to outlaw war as a tactic of national policy. The signatories all pledged not to use war to resolve “disputes or conflicts of whatever nature or of whatever origin they may be, which might arise among them.” A great idea, and a very popular one, worldwide, in the wake of World War I. Americans loved the idea as well—the Kellogg of the pact was Frank K. Kellogg, the US Secretary of State. The treaty passed the US Senate 85–1. Peace, it’s wonderful. read more

This Saturday, December 12^th, will mark the centenary of the birth of Frank Sinatra. That he was one of the greatest of America’s popular singers—many would say the greatest–is beyond question.   The security and the richness of his vibrant baritone, the impeccable diction, his sensitivity and his swagger, his ability to both soar and swing, his unmistakable intelligence as a singer both in his selection of material and phrasing, all mark him as unique.

To properly listen to Frank Sinatra you must extricate the artist from his myths, and must forget about his rat pack chums, the women, the mob, his explosive temper, his boozing, his tough guy affectations, and all the other aspects of his personal life that intruded on the musician. In some ways he is not unlike the other great popular singer born in 1915—my choice, if anyone cares, for the greatest popular singer of the century—Billie Holiday, another singer whose myth sometimes obscures the art. But if Holiday is the myth of the damned artist, self-destructive, hooking up with a series of terrible men, hooked on drugs, whose life’s downward trajectory ended while she was in custody for heroin possession, Sinatra’s myth is the opposite, no scandal, no setback ever got in the way of his relentless ambition to become, in the words of perhaps his most famous song, “king of the hill/top of the heap.” The contrasting myths no doubt reflect what it meant, on the one hand, to be black and female, and on the other, white and male. read more

This is a case of a young man of humble origins who suddenly and unexpectedly becomes the first king of the Israelites. His first coronation is done privately and God’s spirit comes upon him as he needs to immediately step into his new national role for which he does not receive a set of instructions, nor does he have role models; he is the first one and he starts his role as king with God’s spirit upon him. It seems to be a promising and fortuitous beginning but it does not last. As a result of his sin of which he says, “I have transgressed the word of God and your word because I feared the people,” he is being punished. read more

My Hanukkah celebration began today with my email filled with wishes for a Happy Hanukkah from people of different faith communities and from secular friends; some came by the house, like my friends Sam and Jim who came over with a gift, an uplifting card and the brightest warmth of friendship. Each of our friends, far and near, is a light in our Menorah. For all of us our connections with one another are the light we bring to the festival. Our bonds and common humanity are the firm light we have as we face fears and violence. Across differences we affirm our shared humanity and we know that our connections and coming together are the candles that we light on Hanukkah. On our first night as we light the Menorah we remember that Hanukkah is a festival of freedom and light. read more

I love Thanksgiving, yet I cheer for the lucky turkey that gets the presidential pardon because I am on the side of turkeys. I know that it is hard to make a case for them. I admit that turkeys are unattractive creatures with huge bodies and tiny heads with folds of drooping skin around their chins. They keep puffing their feathers pretending to be peacocks, emitting dreadful sounds that provoke their tribe to respond in a loud disorganized chorus.

I recognize that my support for the turkeys’ right to live could disqualify me as a Thanksgiving enthusiast. Moreover, not only do I side with turkeys, I am also an anthropologist with an interest in the origin of myths. As with all myths, research of historic documents indicates some issues with the facts in the Thanksgiving myth. The Pilgrims didn’t really have the kind of Thanksgiving that we recount in our schools; one of the early Pilgrims’ official Thanksgivings to God was rejoicing their massacre of the Pequot Indians in Mystic Connecticut. read more

While debating an academic boycott of Israeli universities Friday, an overwhelming majority of American anthropologists rejected a motion to reaffirm the discipline’s historic commitment to non-discrimination

 Denver, CO. A turning point in American academic history took place Friday night during the annual business meeting of the American Anthropological Association (AAA). With an all-time record attendance of more than 1500, the Association debated a resolution to boycott Israeli universities which was eventually upheld. Minutes into the debate, the Association refused to take up an amendment to the boycott resolution which affirms the AAA’s “long standing support of academic freedom and its opposition to measures that foster discrimination on the basis of race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age or disability’. The proposed anti-discrimination clause was rejected by a crushing majority of AAA members attending. With this rejection, and by embracing the boycott resolution which discriminates Israeli universities later that evening by a 1,040 to 136 majority, the AAA repudiated its long cherished values of promoting pluralism and tolerance. read more

Anthropologists for Dialogue on Israel/Palestine
Promoting the use of anthropology in working towards peace and justice
in Israel/Palestine

Peace and Two States is an Anthropological and a Justice Position*
November 20, 2015 / Anthro-Dialogue

By Ayala Emmett, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology, U of R

My question for you my fellow anthropologists who are supporting ostracizing and isolating Israeli academics, is: What have you done for peace and a two state solution? Numerous anthropologists on this site have already posted compelling arguments against your position; for me, a long time peace activist anthropologist and writer, your answer is critical. If your answer to the question: What have you done for peace and two states, is your vote tomorrow, think again. Those of us who have been peace activists all those years, have done fieldwork among peace activists, published, gave talks, supported local activists have not seen many of you supporting our efforts to end the occupation and promote a just solution. It seems to me that like the right-wing, you embrace rage rather than compassion, destruction rather than supporting co-existence (yes, I know it’s been a long time, much too long, I was there) and you have made the task of those of us on the left, who spoke up on this anthropological/political ground for years, so much harder. I do know what I have done for peace and two states. Do you? read more

Ben-Gurion found King Saul particularly touching because of the contradiction between Saul’s significant achievements described in the first chapters in the Book of Samuel, and the king’s tragic end. Two verses are used by Ben-Gurion to demonstrate Saul’s skillful victories, “Saul consolidated the kingdom over Israel. He waged war against all his enemies all around-with Moab and the descendants of Ammon and with Edom and with the kings of Zobah and with the Philistines…and he rescued Israel from all its oppressors.”* read more

Ba-ta-clan. Before Friday, for those who cared about such things, it was the name of a fairly obscure operetta by the 19^th century French master of light operetta, Jacques Offenbach. Now it is the latest entry in a long list of places that have been synonymous with tragedy, horror and senseless death and murder. The world has come together to mourn, and ponder what to do next. The question of the hour is what to do about ISIS. It is a serious question, and it deserves a serious answer.

It is much easier to say what not to do. What we should not do is, as some are already doing, talking about restricting civil liberties, or blaming Edward Snowden. One ill-thought through Patriot Act was enough. We should not be blaming Islam for this tragedy. God knows we’re no fans of George W. Bush, but at least after 9/11, he was forthright in saying that Islam was not our enemy. Even the term “radical Islam” is far too imprecise. (Why are there no radical Jews or radical Christians?) We know that when the term “radical Islam” is used it filters right into the atmospheric of religious prejudice to become Islam is radical. To listen to the current crop of Republican candidates attack Islam, or governors say they want no Syrian refugees, or at least no Muslim Syrians in their state is to listen to a party which has no shame to use this tragedy to support and perpetuate xenophobic, and racist ideologies. read more

Two weeks ago I went to pick up food from our restaurant, which is 7 kilometers from my house in Kiryat Motzkin and close to the port town of Acre. We don’t own the place, but we refer to it as ‘our restaurant’ because for many years it has been a place that we call a culinary home away from home, we eat there at least once a week, we do take-outs we bring family and friends to celebrate, to enjoy good food and good company. When the restaurant is not busy, or when we stay late, the owners join us for coffee and conversation. We know about each other’s life and families. read more