10 Years, 70 Years, 24 Years

Remembering My Father:  On November 29, 1947, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution calling for Palestine to be partitioned between Arabs and Jews.

That was 70 years ago, before Abq Jew was born. Yet he remembers that day as if it were yesterday.

Here is a map of the 1947 UN Partition Plan.

Wikipedia tells us:

The United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine was a plan for the future government of Palestine. The Plan was described as a Plan of Partition with Economic Union which, after the termination of the British Mandate, would lead to the creation of independent Arab and Jewish States and the Special International Regime for the City of Jerusalem. On 29 November 1947, the General Assembly adopted a resolution recommending the adoption and implementation of the Plan as Resolution 181(II).

A lot of things have changed since then. But just as important - a lot of things changed before then.

Let's start with the map itself. Do you notice anything missing?

Most people who were born after 1922 don't.

So let's look at this map to the right, which shows the area of the original British Mandate.

What's missing in the 1949 map above is the entire area of Palestine that lies east of the Jordan River.

What happened to all that land? Abq Jew hears you ask. Well ....




The British government decided to remove 78% of the area of the Palestine Mandate from the jurisdiction of that Mandate.

As the map to the left shows, the British created a separate Arab entity there, called Transjordan. They then gave that land to Emir (later, King) Abdullah.


How could the British do that, Abq Jew hears you ask. Well ....

Let's look at the document that (in a sense) started it all - the Balfour Declaration. Wikipedia tells us:

The Balfour Declaration (dated 2 November 1917) was a letter from the United Kingdom's Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour to Baron Rothschild (Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild), a leader of the British Jewish community, for transmission to the Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Ireland.

His Majesty's government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.

The "Balfour Declaration" was later incorporated into the Sèvres peace treaty with Turkey and the Mandate for Palestine. The original document is kept at the British Library.

1. As you can easily see, the Balfour Declaration supports a national home for the Jewish people in "Palestine." And when the Balfour Declaration was written, "Palestine" meant all of Palestine - both west and east of the Jordan River.

2. As you can also easily see, the Balfour Declaration supports a national home for the Jewish people "in Palestine." And "in Palestine" meant exactly that, and was never intended to imply all of Palestine.

The British, for their own reasons, went with the second interpretation. There are others, of course (followers of Vladimir Jabotinsky, for example), who still hold with the first interpretation.

In any event, everyone (perhaps) recalls what happened right after the UN vote on November 29, 1947. Wikipedia (and The New York Times) reminds us:

 

The Plan was accepted by the leaders of the Jewish community in Palestine, through the Jewish Agency. The Plan was rejected by leaders of the Arab community, including the Palestinian Arab Higher Committee, who were supported in their rejection by the states of the Arab League. The Arab leadership (in and out of Palestine) opposed partition and claimed all of Palestine.

The rest, as they say, is history. Go and learn!

My father, Richard W Yellin, of blessed memory, certainly chose an already memorable day on which to pass on to the World to Come.

Abq Jew has often written on his father's yahrzeit - in 2016 (Starting With Aunt Bea), in 2013, (For the 19th of Kislev 5774), in 2012 (5 Years, 65 Years, 19 Years), in 2011 (Boogie Woogie), and in 2010 (My Father's Yahrzeit).

This time around, ten years after his father's passing, it's the civil date (yahrzeit is still several days away) that Abq Jew recalls. November 29 also turns out to be the day in 2001 that George Harrison died, at age 58, following a battle with cancer.

But let's return to the Land of the Living. And let's start with Tom Lehrer. Wikipedia tells us:

Thomas Andrew Lehrer (/ˈlɛrər/; born April 9, 1928) is a retired American musician, singer-songwriter, satirist, and mathematician. 

He has lectured on mathematics and musical theater. He is best known for the pithy, humorous songs he recorded in the 1950s and 1960s. 

Lehrer was born to a Jewish family and grew up in Manhattan's Upper East Side. 

His work often parodies popular song forms, though he usually creates original melodies when doing so. A notable exception is "The Elements", where he sets the names of the chemical elements to the tune of the Major-General's song from Gilbert and Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance. 

Lehrer's early work typically dealt with non-topical subject matter and was noted for its black humor in songs such as "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park". 

In the 1960s, he produced a number of songs dealing with social and political issues of the day, particularly when he wrote for the U.S. version of the television show That Was the Week That Was. 

Despite their topical subjects and references, the popularity of these songs has endured; Lehrer quoted a friend's explanation: 

"Always predict the worst and you'll be hailed as a prophet." 

In the early 1970s, he mostly retired from public performances to devote his time to teaching mathematics and music theatre at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Well, it's getting close to Christmas, also known as Xmas, but in politically correct circles referred to as "The Holidays." Along with Chanukah, Hanukkah, Khanikeh, and Kwanzaa.

Anyway, Abq Jew's father (and mother, also of blessed memory) loved Tom Lehrer. 70 years, 10 years, and soon (for Mom) 24 years. Abq Jew remembers, with Tom Lehrer's A Christmas Carol.

Rabbi Neil Gillman, Philosopher

Theologian & Professor Dies at 84: Amid the happiness of Thanksgiving, JTA announced over the weekend -

Rabbi Neil Gillman, professor emeritus of Jewish philosophy at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and one of the premier theologians in the Conservative movement, has died. He was 84. 

His death was announced Friday by the Rabbinical Assembly. 

The author of numerous books, including, in 1991, Sacred Fragments: Recovering Theology for the Modern Jew, Gillman was associated for over 50 years with JTS, the main seminary of the Conservative movement, as a student, administrator and member of the faculty, emphasizing the intersection of Jewish theology, Conservative Judaism and Jewish education. 

“Gillman’s innovative thinking about how to construe Jewish faith and how to justify it, his use of anthropology as well as philosophy in approaching questions of God and life after death, and his ability to combine complete intellectual openness and honesty with a commitment to Jewish tradition mark his work as truly important, indeed, a real gift to Jews and non-Jews alike,” Elliot Dorff, the Sol & Anne Dorff Distinguished Service Professor in Philosophy at American Jewish University, said in introducing a collection of essays released in Gillman’s honor in  2013.

Abq Jew wrote about Rabbi Gillman in December 2010 (see Talmud and Torah and Zombies and The Final Tisch; No Zombies), when he was first reading The Death of Death.

In the final chapters, Rabbi Gillman dismisses the doctrine of the immortality of the soul - it's just not enough - and makes a very strong case for the traditional Jewish belief in the resurrection of the dead.  

Only resurrection of the body, says Rabbi Gillman, will prove God's supreme power, solve the problem of  the misfortune of the righteous and the prosperity of the wicked (tzaddik vi'ra lo, rasha vi'tov lo), and make each of our individual lives eternally meaningful. 

Abq Jew remembers Rabbi Gillman from his time at the Jewish Theological Seminary. In 1975, Rabbi Gillman and Rabbi Joseph Lukinsky z"l taught an Introduction to Philosophy course that totally blew the mind (he had more of it then) of Abq Jew, a guy from California with an engineering degree and very little formal Jewish learning.

Here is JTS's statement on Rabbi Gillman's passing:

With deep sorrow, we join the family, the Jewish world, and countless others in mourning the loss of Rabbi Neil Gillman, professor emeritus of Jewish Philosophy and a giant presence at JTS for more than half a century. 

He was a beloved teacher, colleague, and friend, whose lucid writing and philosophical insights profoundly influenced Jewish theology in the contemporary world. 

An award-winning author, his writing was both learned and accessible, helping Jews and non-Jews wrestle with the most challenging theological issues, including questions about God, revelation, suffering, and death. 

As a professor and dean of The Rabbinical School, he mentored and inspired generations of students, challenging them to explore the meaning of their relationship with God as they went on to careers as clergy, educators, and scholars. 

The impact of his teaching and writing is immeasurable and will be felt for years to come. 

We extend our deepest condolences to his beloved wife, Sarah, his daughters, Deborah and Abigail, his grandchildren, and the entire family. May they be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

It's Traveling Time!

Twas The Week Before Thanksgiving: And all through the sky, the planes were stacked up with family and friends ready to fly.

Meanwhile, the news at AVClub.com is

Steve Martin And The Steep Canyon Rangers
release a charming video for “Santa Fe”

Wherein Gwen Ihnat tells us that

New single “Sante Fe” is bolstered by an animated video by Fantoon’s David Calcano, premiering here at The A.V. Club. 

All the characters and musicians are portrayed by Tex-Mex food items, as the story of a long-distance relationship between a taco and a sack of french fries perseveres even through several travails. 

The song itself uses to horns to brighten the score, “Ring Of Fire”-like, racing to keep up with the frantic strumming of Martin’s banjo and other strings beneath.

Yes! Trumpets!

And the news at PasterMagazine.com is

Steve Martin Talks About His New Album
and How He Tells Stories in Song

Wherein Joshua Miller tells us that

When Martin and the North Carolina-based band Steep Canyon Rangers convened to record their new album, The Long-Awaited Album, it wasn’t exactly a surprise that the project would be rooted in bluegrass, with plenty of banjo playing.  

But one listen to The Long-Awaited Album opener “Sante Fe,” with its flurry of mariachi trumpets, makes it evident that he isn’t going to stand on ceremony or rest on traditions. Putting horns on a bluegrass song has historically been a no-no, but with the help of producer Peter Asher—best known for recording albums by Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor and Neil Diamond—Martin was moved once again to bend the rules. 

Martin began writing “Santa Fe” about five years ago, and when he revisited it he realized it would sound better with the trumpets. He had spent some time living in the New Mexico capital, where he heard plenty of mariachi music, so the sound was dear to him. 

“What could be more appropriate if you’re writing a song about Santa Fe than to have those joyful horns be on there?” he says.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, Abq Jew would like to thank everyone who has supported his work over the past year. And if ... ahem ... you would like to be thanked next year ... just click the box below. Please!

But as first stated - it's traveling time! From Albuquerque to Santa Fe and all points in between and beyond!

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

Bernie Bernstein, Salvator Mundi

And Beasties of Burden: Oh, yes! We'll talk about Bernie Bernstein, Salvator Mundi, Les Amoureux, and more! But let's start with this cute cow photo

A farm in western Germany. (Boris Roessler/AFP/Getty Images)

from Sarah Kaplan's article in The Washington Post, which points out that (according to a new study published Wednesday in the journal Nature,) the First Cause of Income Inequality in the very old days Way Back When was not hedge funds, as you might expect, but cattle.

This is because, Ms Kaplan doesn't state directly, on Creation Day 6, The Holy One, Blessed Be He, for reasons known only to Him, decided to put ALL the major beasts of burden in the Eastern Hemisphere.

Sure, the Westies got alpacas and llamas, but just try to get them to plow a field. Or schlep heavy stuff from Point A to Point B. Which all goes to show that

A priori, the world was not a level playing field.

Salvator Mundi (Yeshiva Bocher Crosses Fingers & Hopes For The Best)

Which is certainly true in the Field of Art. And which, of course, brings us to Salvator Mundi, the recently rediscovered work by good ol' Leonardo da Vinci.

Travis M Andrews and Fred Barbash report in (again!) The Washington Post

Leonardo da Vinci’s painting, “Saviour of the World,” sold for $450,312,500 Wednesday at auction, Christie’s said. The price, which includes a buyer’s premium, makes it “the most expensive painting ever sold at auction,” the auction house said in a statement. 

The previous record for the most expensive painting sold at auction was $179,364,992 for Picasso’s “Les Femmes d’Alger” (“Women of Algiers”), according to Christie’s. The highest price previously paid at auction for a da Vinci was in 2001 for his “Horse and Rider,” a work on paper, which went for $11,481,865. 

The bidding ... coordinated out of Christie’s New York office, lasted a little less than 20 minutes, with four and then just two final bidders battling it out.

Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I

As Abq Jew has pointed out (see Jewish Druish Canadian), Gustav Klimt's 1907 Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I sold for $135 million in 2006 - at the time, a record price for a painting.

Marc Chagall’s “Les Amoureux” (1928) showing the artist in an embrace with his first wife and muse, Bella Rosenfeld, sold for $28.4 million at Sotheby’s auction of Impressionist and Modern art. It was an auction high for the artist.
Credit 2017 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/Adagp, Paris

Abq Jew hesitates to but inevitably must point out that our most beloved MOT Marc Chagall (along with most of the Impressionists) just isn't in the same price category.

Not That Bernie Bernstein

In the meantime, Bernie Bernstein (of whom Google says this is a photo, although not of that Bernie Bernstein) is, says columnist Dana Milbank in (yet again!) The Washington Post, wants the world to know his name!

It is time for us as journalists to come clean and to recognize the great debt our profession owes Bernie Bernstein. 

After years of toiling in obscurity, Bernie gained national attention Tuesday when an Alabama pastor shared with a local TV station a voice mail left by Bernie. 

“Hi, this is Bernie Bernstein. I’m a reporter for The Washington Post calling to find out if anyone at this address is a female between the ages of 54 to 57 years old willing to make damaging remarks about candidate Roy Moore for a reward of between $5,000 and $7,000,” it said. 

“We will not be fully investigating these claims. However, we will make a written report.”

This produced a rather harsh response from Marty Baron, The Post’s executive editor, about the person “falsely claiming to be from The Washington Post. The call’s description of our reporting methods bears no relationship to reality. We are shocked and appalled that anyone would stoop to this level to discredit real journalism.” 

To which Mr Milbank responds

I understand my colleagues’ reluctance to admit that The Post gathers its news by making robo-calls and paying people to say bad things that we do not confirm. 

That is why, for decades, Bernie Bernstein and his colleague Woody Woodward have toiled in The Post’s basement, doing random-digit dialing, 10 hours a day, seven days a week. Bernie and Woody broke scoop after scoop, yet they were always hidden from view while others got the credit. 

Until now. Bernie is speaking up. When I found Bernie in his windowless office Wednesday, he was distraught. 

“I can’t believe Marty said I don’t exist! ‘No relationship to reality’? ‘No Washington Post reporters or editors named Bernie Bernstein’? I made this paper!”

Indeed, you can’t quarrel with success. Bernie and Woody broke the Watergate story, while upstairs their more telegenic colleagues Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein (no relation) got the glory. 

Woody and Bernie robo-called everybody in Washington and offered $1,000 — it was cheaper back then — for anyone willing to make damaging remarks about Richard Nixon.  

 Yes, it's been another tough week.

But at least the races for Abq Mayor and District 5 Councilor went well!

Shabbat Shalom, Albuquerque!

Good Shabbos, New Mexico!

Sabbath Peace, World!