[HANASHIR:14328] Anthems etc

[rachel gurevitz <gurevitzr...>]

Ok, the Brit took the bait (well, one of them)...

A thought about context... national anthems are nationalist - that's what they 
were invented for.  If you are in a setting where it is possible and desirable 
to explore the nature of nationalism (I recommend Eric Hobshawn's 'Invented 
Nations' for adult reading on this topic - actually, the title might be Nations 
and Nationalism, and that's a term he coins in the book), then all of the above 
already discussed on the list can have its place.  But sometimes it doesn't.

Generally, as Jews singing Hatikvah, we feel proud and lucky that the state was 
created.  Today's painful difficulties and complexities are another matter.  
The only time I was somewhere where I felt the tune (not even the words) was 
used inappropriately was at a Christian-Jewish-Muslim conference in Germany 
last year, where a number of  Palestinians had travelled with a Jerusalem group 
of Jews (Rabbi Michael Marmur and family from HUC Jerusalem), and when someone 
(not from Israel) decided to start one of the Shabbat Birkat hamazons off with 
Shir hamaalot sung to Hatikvah, it did not go down well.  And yes, I know, it 
was a European tune before it was Hatikvah, but that wasn't the point.  Context 
is everything.

And on a lighter note on context.. I find it very entertaining that the tune 
most associated with Graduation ceremonies in the USA, was composed by an 
English composer (Elgar) and set to words which are sung every year at the Last 
Night of the Proms (major classical concert series every summer at the Royal 
Albert Hall, London), called 'Land of Hope and Glory' - it is our unofficial 
'second' national anthem and includes such classics as 'rulers of the seas' and 
'God who made us mighty, make us mightier yet'!

Oh... and Jesus.  A teacher always knows when the kids are just trying to get 
off subject to waste time but... teaching about the Jewish Jesus, and C1st 
hasidism is pretty interesting stuff, and probably a complete eye-opener to 
most adults as well as kids.  There's definitely a place for teaching about 
Jesus in a Jewish curriculum... but context, context.

Love to friends that I only usually get to see at HN and will miss yet again 
because of college exams... but I'll be there next year!
Rachel Gurevitz

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