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July/August 2008
From the Editor
Nadine Epstein
Many Americans and Israelis agree with writer Amos Oz that the only path to peace between Israel and the Palestinians is through a two-state solution. Others take a bleak view of the current peace process. To them, it seems hopeless, foolhardy, even outright dangerous.
Every Moment contains plenty of serious subjects to keep the neurons in your brain firing, and this one is no different. In the last issue, I spoke with Israeli writer Amos Oz, who eloquently put forth his view that the only path to peace between Israel and the Palestinians is through a two-state solution—the quicker the better.
Though many Americans and Israelis agree with Oz, others take a bleak view of the current peace process. To them, it seems hopeless, foolhardy, even outright dangerous. In the belief that it is important to understand their vision of Israel’s future, Associate Editor Eileen Lavine asked nine such critics the following question: “If the peace process cannot or does not work, what do you envision happening in Israel over the next decade?” Shoshana Bryen, Steven Emerson, Daniel Gordis, Morton Klein, Benny Morris, Daniel Pipes, Judea Pearl, Shlomo Riskin and Meyrav Wurmser offer us their appraisal of the continuing conflict and what should be done about it. Read what they have to say in “If Not Peace Now, What?”.
Our columnists, too, hurl themselves headfirst into contentious subjects. Eric Alterman argues that Jews are and should be “the world’s most famously disputatious people” and hails the birth of J-Street, a new organization that hopes to rival AIPAC. Marshall Breger and Gershom Gorenberg delve into the conundrum of religion-versus-state issues in Israel. Gorenberg challenges the country’s Supreme Rabbinic Court ruling that annulled a conversion performed 15 years ago because the convert does not currently live by Orthodox law. Breger also finds this case scandalous and uses it to explore what he considers the failure of religious Zionism and to question the rabbinate’s role today.
I traveled to Newton, Massachusetts, to visit Anita Diamant, author of The Red Tent, which has sold three million copies since it came out a decade ago. As one of many women for whom The Red Tent opened a portal into Judaism, I was pleased to meet the author of seven Jewish lifecycle books, three novels and a book of personal essays. Diamant has used her success to spearhead the creation of a one-of-a-kind pluralistic mikveh called Mayyim Hayyim [living waters] in Newton. Learn more in my profile, “A Mikveh of Her Own.”
Associate Editor Susan Fishman Orlins offers a new take on Jewish gangsterdom and an era populated by the likes of Meyer Lansky, Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel, Louis “Lepke” Buchalter and Benny “the Meatball” Gamson, made famous in films, plays and books. Gone with the mobsters themselves is the shame of having a gangster in the family. Orlins tracks down some descendants of gangsters—among them Lansky’s step-granddaughter and Buchalter’s half great-nephew—and discovers a new world of Jewish sleuths digging into their families’ criminal pasts.
As the nation gears up for the November election, we examine the crucial role that American Jews play in financing presidential campaigns. And for those of you with strong opinions, we present the Moment Magazine Presidential Election Poll. Vote now and let us know if the magazine’s readers lead, follow or buck national trends. Turn to page 13 for instructions on how to vote, or visit momentmag.com. Be warned: We may include your opinions in our next issue.
There’s so much else packed between these covers. Read about the nuances of the word “shtick” and O.K. Corral sharpshooter Wyatt Earp and his Jewish wife. “Ask the Rabbis” will be of special interest to those of you who loved or hated the cover of the May/June Moment (we call it the swimsuit issue): The topic is women and modesty.
As usual, our book section is exemplary, thanks to the guidance of Mitchel “Mike” Levitas, the former editor of The New York Times Sunday Book Review and Moment’s literary editor. A beautiful essay about Franz Kafka and Polish-language writer Bruno Schulz (whose 1934 The Street of Crocodiles and Other Stories has been republished in a new edition) opens the section, followed by reviews of The Lazarus Project; Ghettostadt, Lodz and the Making of a City; and History Lesson: A Race Odyssey.
The Moment Magazine Music Guide appears in this issue, and with it, a special treat: a poignant introduction by musician Peter Himmelman. We dedicate this issue to the memory of the late Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, who played classical violin, and bluegrass mandolin and fiddle, and to Danny Pearl World Music Days, which will run throughout October 2008 in commemoration of Danny’s birthday on October 10.
This issue also marks the debut of inthemoment, a blog in which members of the Moment family will observe the world and opine. In the first entry—also appearing in the magazine on page seven—I write about my trip to Mountain View, California, to attend the Google seder. Yes, you read this right: The whiz-bang Internet search company rolls out unleavened bread, fine kosher wines and international Jewish cuisine for its employees, whatever their religion. For a longer version of this blog entry, which includes never-before-published Google recipes for brisket with horseradish salsa and chocolate-dipped macaroons, visit Moment's online blog.
We at Moment wish you wonderful summer reading.