Start All Over Again

In The Beginning - Swing Time: The Fall Holidays are celebrated, over, and done. Now we Jews turn our attention to the New Year of 5779. Abq Jew would like to remind you that starting this very Shabbat - Shabbat Bereshit - we once again have the opportunity to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and start all over again.

 

Which immediately brought to what is left, after all these years, of Abq Jew's mind, the song Pick Yourself Up. Sung and danced to by the Jewish performers Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in the 1936 Cecil B DeMille Biblical epic Swing Time.

About which said song Wikipedia tells us:

"Pick Yourself Up" is a popular song composed in 1936 by Jerome Kern, with lyrics by Dorothy Fields. It has a verse and chorus, as well as a third section, though the third section is often omitted in recordings.  

The song was written for the film Swing Time (1936), where it was introduced by Fred Astaire [Frederick Austerlitz] and Ginger Rogers [Virginia Katherine McMath].

Rogers plays a dance instructor whom Astaire follows into her studio; he pretends to have "two left feet" in order to get her to dance with him. Astaire sings the verse to her and she responds with the chorus.  

After an interlude, they dance to the tune. (Author John Mueller has written their dance "is one of the very greatest of Astaire's playful duets: boundlessly joyous, endlessly re-seeable.")

And about which said film Wikipedia tells us:

Swing Time is a 1936 American RKO musical comedy film set mainly in New York City, and starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

It features Helen Broderick, Victor Moore, Betty Furness, Eric Blore and Georges Metaxa, with music by Jerome Kern and lyrics by Dorothy Fields. The film was directed by George Stevens. 

Noted dance critic Arlene Croce considers Swing Time Astaire and Rogers' best dance musical, a view shared by John Mueller and Hannah Hyam.

Wait a minute!

Abq Jew hears you cry.

Fred and Ginger weren't Jewish.

Were they?

Well, Abq Jew must tell you, no. They weren't. But let's take a look at some of the other people associated with Swing Time. It's got plenty of yichus.

Jerome Kern 

Jerome David Kern (January 27, 1885 – November 11, 1945) was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music.

One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in over 100 stage works, including such classics as "Ol' Man River", "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man", "A Fine Romance", "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes", "The Song Is You", "All the Things You Are", "The Way You Look Tonight", "Long Ago (and Far Away)" and "Who?".

Kern was born in New York City, on Sutton Place, in what was then the city's brewery district. His parents were Henry Kern (1842–1908), a Jewish German immigrant, and Fannie Kern née Kakeles (1852–1907), who was an American Jew of Bohemian parentage.

At the time of Kern's birth, his father ran a stable; later he became a successful merchant. Kern grew up on East 56th Street in Manhattan, where he attended public schools. He showed an early aptitude for music and was taught to play the piano and organ by his mother, an accomplished player and teacher.

Dorothy Fields

Dorothy Fields (July 15, 1904 – March 28, 1974) was an American librettist and lyricist. She wrote over 400 songs for Broadway musicals and films.

Her best-known pieces include "The Way You Look Tonight", "A Fine Romance", "On the Sunny Side of the Street", "Don't Blame Me", "Pick Yourself Up", "I'm in the Mood for Love" and "You Couldn't Be Cuter".

Fields was born in Allenhurst, New Jersey, and grew up in New York City. Her family was deeply involved in show business.

Her father, Lew Fields, was a Jewish immigrant from Poland who partnered with Joe Weber to become one of the most popular comedy duos near the end of the nineteenth century. They were known as the Weber and Fields vaudeville act.

Her mother was Rose Harris. She had two older brothers, Joseph and Herbert, who also became successful on Broadway.

Lew Fields and Joe Weber

Lew Fields (January 1867 – July 20, 1941), born as Moses Schoenfeld, was an American actor, comedian, vaudeville star, theatre manager, and producer.

Lew Fields was half of the great comic duo Weber and Fields, the other half being Joe Weber (11 August 1867 – 10 May 1942), born Joseph Morris Weber.

Fields and Weber started performing in museums, circuses and variety houses in New York City.

The young men had a "Dutch act" in which both portrayed German immigrants. Such "dialect acts" (German dialects, Irish dialects, Jewish/Yiddish dialects, Blackface and Black/African American vernacular English) were extremely common at the time, the comedy coming from the actors' mangling of the English language and dropping of malapropisms as they undertook life in America.

In the case of Weber and Fields (or "Mike and Meyer" as their characters were known) and many of the other acts of this genre, this often involved stereotyping by dress and behavior, as well as comedic and often sympathetic portrayals of the characters' attempts to fit into American society.

"Crafty schemes" of "making it big" in America, as well as the attempts of mere survival of immigrant poverty in America, were written into the script of these acts. A typical "Mike and Meyer" routine involved Mike, the short and clever one, unsuccessfully trying to coach Meyer, the tall and simple one, in a scheme to get them a free lunch at a working-class saloon.

Neil Simon

Marvin Neil Simon (July 4, 1927 – August 26, 2018) was an American playwright, screenwriter and author.

He wrote more than 30 plays and nearly the same number of movie screenplays, mostly adaptations of his plays. He received more combined Oscar and Tony nominations than any other writer.

Neil Simon was born on July 4, 1927, in The Bronx, New York, to Jewish parents. His father, Irving Simon, was a garment salesman, and his mother, Mamie (Levy) Simon, was mostly a homemaker.

Simon had one older brother by eight years, television writer and comedy teacher Danny Simon. He grew up in Washington Heights, Manhattan, during the period of the Great Depression.

Wait a minute! How did we get to Neil Simon,
when we were talking about Swing Time!

Well, it turns out that Neil Simon (some say) based his play The Sunshine Boys on ... wait for it ... the vaudeville duo Weber & Fields (see above).

Others say no; Neil Simon based his play The Sunshine Boys on the vaudeville duo Smith and Dale.

Smith and Dale

Smith and Dale were a famous American vaudeville comedy duo. The two performed together for more than seventy years.

Joe Smith (born Joseph Seltzer on February 16, 1884 - February 22, 1981) and Charlie Dale (born Charles Marks on September 6, 1885 - November 16, 1971) grew up in the Jewish ghettos of New York City.

Seltzer and Marks met as teenagers in 1898 and formed a partnership. They named their act "Smith and Dale" because a local printer gave them a good deal on business cards reading "Smith and Dale" (intended for a vaudeville team that had dissolved). Joe Seltzer became Joe Smith, and Charlie Marks became Charlie Dale.

So let's talk about Swing Time's director.

George Stevens

George Cooper Stevens (December 18, 1904 – March 8, 1975) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter and cinematographer.

Among his most notable films are A Place in the Sun (1951; winner of six Academy Awards including Best Director), Shane (1953; Oscar nominated), Giant (1956; Oscar for Best Director), and The Diary of Anne Frank (1959; nominated for Best Director).

During World War II, Stevens joined the U.S. Army Signal Corps and headed a film unit
from 1943 to 1946, under General Eisenhower. 

His unit shot footage documenting D-Day — including the only Allied European Front color film of the war — the liberation of Paris and the meeting of American and Soviet forces at the Elbe River, as well as horrific scenes from the Duben labor camp and the Dachau concentration camp. 

Stevens also helped prepare the Duben and Dachau footage and other material for presentation
during the Nuremberg Trials. In 2008, his footage was entered into the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as an "essential visual record" of World War II.

Not Jewish, as far as Abq Jew can tell.
Still, plenty of yichus.

Which brings us to the entertainment portion of this blog post.

First, the song.

Then, the dance.

IMPORTANT NOTE!

On January 20 2009, the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama,
in his inauguration speech, quoted the lyrics in the song Pick Yourself Up, saying

Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off,
and begin again the work of remaking America.

Shemini Atzeret: Stay A Little Longer!

And Play Some Bluegrass! The Holiday of Sukkot is almost behind us. Today we celebrate Hoshana Rabba (see The Great Hosanna), which is technically the seventh day of the Festival of Booths.

And tomorrow is the Holiday of Shemini Atzeret, the Eighth Day of Assembly. In the Land of Israel, it's also Simchat Torah; here in חו״ל (the Diaspora), Simchat Torah follows Shemini Atzeret.

We all know what Simchat Torah means. But what about Shemini Atzeret?

As it turns out - חז״ל (Our Sages, of blessed memory) also had a problem with Shemini Atzeret.

• In some ways, Shemini Atzeret is the Eighth, Concluding Day of Sukkot. Why else would 'Eighth' be its very name? But Pesach also has concluding days - known simply as Pesach 7 (and in the Diaspora) Pesach 8.
  
• And in other ways, Shemini Atzeret is its very own holiday. For example: we are not required to eat / dwell in the Sukkah on Shemini Atzeret. We are allowed to (of course) - but we don't have to. And we already wrecked our Lulav and Etrog on Hoshana Rabba. As Chabad tells us:

The day after the seventh day of Sukkot ...  is a mysterious Jewish holiday. In some respects, Shemini Atzeret is considered as part of Sukkot, but in other respects it is a distinct holiday unto itself. 

The enigmatic nature of the day is perhaps most overt in the way the Torah introduces it. 

After Sukkot, during which all nations, Jews and non-Jews, celebrated and brought sacrificial offerings to the Temple, G‑d makes a special request of the Jewish people (Leviticus 23:36):

On the eighth day [from the start of Sukkot], it shall be an atzeret to you . . .

The commentator Rashi elaborates that the term atzeret, literally “holding back,” is one of affection, as a father would say to his children who are departing him: 

Your departure is difficult for me. Please stay with me for just one more day!

After all the other nations have gone home, G‑d asks the Jewish people to “hold back” for one more day of celebration—Shemini Atzeret.

Which of course brings to what is left, after all these years, of Abq Jew's mind - the Bob Willis-Tommy Duncan Western swing song Stay A Little Longer.

Here performed by the award-winning bluegrass band The Grascals (formerly Dolly Parton's back-up band and opening act).

Featuring (on banjo, of course) Kristin Scott Benson, this year's winner of the Steve Martin (yes, that Steve Martin) Prize of Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass.

“My family and I are overwhelmed with gratefulness! Getting to know my banjo heroes, many of whom are on the board, is prize enough, but Steve Martin’s graciousness is a huge blessing. We don’t know how to adequately say thank you for something like this!”
Kristin Scott Benson, 2018 Steve Martin Prize
for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass Recipient

Hag Sameach, New Mexico!

Good Yontif, Albuquerque!

and next week ... 5 days of work!

Still Livin' In A Booth

The Season of Our Joy: Remember The Fountainheads? Abq Jew knows, because he has been told: It wouldn't be Rosh HaShanah without their performance of Dip Your Apple in The Honey.

With advice from Rebbetzin Rivka Leah Zelwig, you have undoubtedly completed Building Your Sukkah. All it takes is unionized construction labor, unrestricted financial resources for materials, a rented storage locker (or a three car garage), a degree in Exterior Design, hours of fervent prayer, and a mechona. Or a kit.

So - kick back and relax for three minutes and six seconds before you have to start cooking for Sukkot, aka the Festival of Booths!

Yes. That’s right. ANOTHER Jewish holiday. Sunday evening (TONIGHT) begins the Festival of Sukkot - the Season of Our Joy.

United With Israel reminds us:

Sukkot is one of the three Torah festivals on which Jews everywhere were required to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.  

It is a seven day holiday with the first day being observed as a holy day, similar to the Sabbath, upon which no work is permitted. Outside of Israel the first two days are observed as holy days.

The remaining days of the holiday are referred to as “Chol Hamoed.” The Chol Hamoed days are not outright holy days but they are treated with more sanctity than regular weekdays complete with elaborate meals and nicer clothing.  

Originally, Sukkot was more of an agricultural festival, as the Torah itself calls it: The Feast of Ingathering… when you gather in your labors from out of the field. (Exodus 23:16; Leviticus 23:40-43; Deuteronomy 16:13). It was a thanksgiving festival to God for the year’s harvest. 

Today, it is observed more as a holiday of rest and reflection for the miracles that God did for the Jewish people when He led them in the desert for 40 years.

 To help us celebrate - here are The Fountainheads with Livin' In A Booth:

No etrogim were harmed in the filming of this video.
Lemons are a different story.

Hag Sameach, Albuquerque!

Good Yontif, New Mexico!

Take a Knee on Yom Kippur

Police Accountability - The Rod and the Whip: Engagement; Jewish Literacy; and Jewish Identity are at the heart of every ELI Talk.

As we approach Yom Kippur - when all Jews 'take a knee' - Abq Jew presents one ELI Talk that he found especially meaningful during these Days of Awe.

First, an introduction. This ELI Talk deals with the shooting of Laquan McDonald. To refresh our memories -

The shooting of Laquan McDonald took place on October 20, 2014, in Chicago, Illinois. McDonald was fatally shot by Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke from approximately ten feet away.  

McDonald had been behaving erratically while walking down the street, and was holding a folding knife with a three-inch blade. He did not obey police commands to drop the knife. After the shooting a police union representative told reporters that Van Dyke had acted in self-defense as McDonald lunged at him and his partner.  

Initial police reports described the incident similarly and ruled the shooting justified. However, when a police dash-cam video of the shooting was released thirteen months later, on November 24, 2015, it showed McDonald walking away from the police when he was shot. The knife he was carrying was found to be closed.  

That same day Officer Van Dyke was charged with first-degree murder and initially held without bail at the Cook County Jail. He was released on bail on November 30. The city reached a settlement with McDonald's family.

Mitch Smith of The New York Times today reported:

Officer Van Dyke’s long-awaited trial is underway, with opening arguments possible on Monday, and Chicagoans are watching intently. Here are some of the reasons this case is so significant:

• Laquan McDonald was shot 16 times.
• The video was kept secret for 13 months.
• No Chicago police officer has been convicted of murder in nearly 50 years.
• Only one black person was chosen for the jury.
• Chicagoans are worried about the aftermath of an acquittal.

And most significantly:

• This case has changed Chicago.

Mr Smith explains:

Laquan’s death overturned this city’s leadership, causing or contributing to the downfalls of a Chicago police superintendent, the prosecutor who waited more than a year to bring charges and, now, the mayor. 

Mr. Emanuel, once one of the country’s most powerful big-city mayors, announced a day before jury selection in the Van Dyke case that he would not seek a third term as mayor. His staff has said that the decision had nothing to do with the trial; still, Laquan’s death left its mark on the mayor’s nearly eight years in office. 

The case against Officer Van Dyke has led to policy changes here. All patrol officers have been equipped with Tasers and body cameras, rules for when officers can shoot have been tightened and, on Thursday, city officials agreed to a court-enforced consent decree that would require an overhaul of the Police Department. 

Trust in the Chicago police remains elusive, though, and new police shootings continue to lead to protests. Activists say that even if Officer Van Dyke is convicted of murder, which could lead to a life sentence in prison, systemic problems remain unsolved. 

“I don’t think the buck stops with one officer going to jail,” said William Calloway, who has helped organize protests outside the courthouse, “not when you have hundreds of police shootings through the years.”

And then there is Albuquerque.

And our own Albuquerque Police Department. To refresh our memories -

In November 2012, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) launched an investigation into APD’s policies and practices to determine whether APD engages in a pattern or practice of use of excessive force in violation of the Fourth Amendment and the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, 42 U.S.C. § 14141 (“Section 14141”). 

As part of its investigation, the Department of Justice consulted with police practices experts and conducted a comprehensive assessment of officers’ use of force and APD policies and operations. The investigation included tours of APD facilities and area commands; interviews with Albuquerque officials, APD command staff, supervisors, and police officers; a review of numerous documents; and meetings with the Albuquerque Police Officers Association, residents, community groups, and other stakeholders. 

At the conclusion of its investigation, the DoJ issued a scathing report that uncovered a "culture of acceptance of the use of excessive force", frequently not justified by the circumstances, causing significant harm or injury by APD officers to people who posed no threat. The DOJ recommended a nearly complete overhaul of the department's use-of-force policies. Among several systematic problems at APD were an aggressive culture that undervalued civilian safety and discounted the importance of crisis intervention. 

As result of the report the city and the DOJ negotiated a court-enforceable agreement, which included among its 106 pages provisions to dismantle the Repeat Offender Project and rein in the SWAT team, which had operated outside the command structure for years. 

An April 2016 Fault Lines investigation found that change was only scratching the surface and that the corrupt and violent culture of the police department continued unabated.

In the months since Mayor Tim Keller took office, things have begun to change - Abq Jew believes, for the better.

Any institutional change is slow; nevertheless, see the Progress and Status Summary of the USDOJ Settlement Agreement Entered Into by the United States of America and the City of Albuquerque Regarding the Albuquerque Police Department; Eighth Report; February 1, 2018 – July 31, 2018. Which states:

In December 2017, APD and the City of Albuquerque had major changes in administration and began directing efforts to address the CASA [Court Approved Settlement Agreement]. 

Throughout the reporting period, APD continued to make major changes within the Police Department to include the creation of an Implementation Unit (renamed the Compliance Division) to focus on the CASA and the long-term sustainability for Department-wide improvement, as well as reorganization and movement throughout Command Staff positions.

But APD's road trip to repentance is a long one.

Now let's get back to ELI Talks.

At the heart of every ELI talk is Jewish religious engagement (E), Jewish literacy (L), and Jewish identity (I) with Israel and peoplehood at the core. 

Our work is driven by the values of ahavat yisrael (love of fellow Jews and the land of Israel), chidush (innovation within tradition), and machloket l’shem shamayim (argument for the sake of Heaven). 

Our online presence provides a platform for ideas and sources to be shared, and a home for wide-ranging voices to converse skillfully and compassionately with one another.

ELI talks are not meant to be relics on a digital shelf, rather, they are conversation catalysts intended to be turned, questioned, and contradicted, in prayer spaces and offices, around boardroom tables, and in the intimacy of our own homes. 

Our speakers span the depth and breadth of the Jewish experience, but they aren’t individual and independent voices: they are all connected to each other and to our collective tradition.

If we want a vibrant Jewish future, we need inspired Jewish ideas.

Aryeh Bernstein is a fifth-generation Chicago South Sider with extensive experience in Torah education and organizing progressive Jewish communities. 

His primary employment is with Avodah, as Director of its Justice Fellowship and Yo'etz Ruach of its Service Corps in Chicago. He is also Educational Consultant for the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, where he organizes on police accountability, Founding Director of the Hyde Park Teen Beit Midrash, Staff Educator for Farm Forward's Jewish Initiative for Animals, and Coordinator and Teacher of Mishkan Chicago's Social Justice Beit Midrash. 

He was previously Mechon Hadar's Director of Recruitment and Alumni Affairs and an Editor-Translator for Koren Publishers' English edition of the Steinsaltz Talmud. He has taught at Drisha, the TAKUM social justice beit midrash, and campuses, communities, and organizations around Israel and the U.S., especially Camp Ramah in Wisconsin, where he co-founded and co-directed the Beit Midrash Program and Northwoods Kollel. Aryeh is a Senior Editor of Jewschool.com.

In this ELI Talk, Aryeh Bernstein explores what the Torah has to say about accountability for law enforcement, how the existing police contract is antithetical to it, and why it's so vital according to our tradition that we get this right.

Albuquerque! Get this right!