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Part 1 here. Part 2 here. By now it should be clear that my abandonment of my ties to Israel, and my support for the liberation of Palestine, are not based on denial of my Jewish heritage or on anti-Semitism. This is a political issue, and a moral one. Jewish people cannot be - and should not be - expected to adhere to some kind of party line of political views. I am heartened that increasing numbers of Jewish people are making their own journeys away from unconditional support for Israel - away from nationalism and towards justice - and I'm frustrated and saddened that so many others are completely entrenched in their loyalties. In this post, I try to address some of the issues many Jewish (and many non-Jewish) people raise when explaining their support for Israel, and their negative beliefs about the Palestinian cause. If you recognize yourself in this post, be assured that whatever conversation I may have had with you, I've had with many others, and I've read and heard m

Part 1 here. For a while I had been reluctant to write this story, because it seemed so baggy and shapeless. The best essays are crisp, with a clearly defined turning point and an easily identifiable ah-ha moment. This story has none of those that I can see. A clear path would make a better essay, but all I have is this murky stew. My path of change of mind and heart about Israel and Palestine was a long one, and when I try to trace it, many seemingly unconnected points stand out. Early warnings In university (1978-1982), I was involved in the anti-apartheid movement, which at the time was focused on divestment from South Africa. I learned a lot about the apartheid system, which was so much more brutal and more repressive than was generally known. I learned about US complicity and involvement in the apartheid regime. No surprise there. But I also learned about Israel's role in South African apartheid. That, I can tell you, I found shocking. Remember the Israel I had learned about

The Self-Hating Jew. This is what I am, according to some. There's a line from an Andrew Lloyd-Webber musical : "I've been called many names, but they're the strangest."* I think of this every time I hear or read the expression "self-hating Jew". What a bizarre turn of phrase. Is it like a self-cleaning oven, or a self-basting turkey? No need to hate me, thanks, I've got it covered! A "self-hating Jew" is the term given  by  some Jewish people who support Israel's policies and actions towards the Palestinian people  to  other Jewish people who do not support those policies and actions. If that's an awkward sentence, it's because I'm avoiding the shorthands of "pro-Israel" and "pro-Palestinian," as that is oversimplified, and open to complaint. In short, a "self-hating Jew" is a Jewish anti-Semite. A Jew who is ashamed of being Jewish, who doesn't like to admit her Jewishness, and who avoids

Revolutionary thought of the day: This war is murder, this conquest is robbery... If this war be called patriotism then blessed be treason. Clarence Darrow, 1898, on the Spanish-American war

This week's healthy slow-cooker recipe features barley , a yummy and healthy grain. I especially love the chewy texture. Barley is one of the four oldest grains to be cultivated by humans.* Unfortunately, whole-grain barley is difficult to find. The more common pearl barley is not a whole grain . I haven't found a convenient place to buy whole-grain barley, so I reluctantly use the pearl version. It's just as tasty and contains fibre, but lacks the full-impact health benefits of whole grains. I don't know if it's cultural predisposition, being raised on mushroom-barley soup as I was, but to me barley's natural partner is mushrooms. I prefer the cremini variety, but you could use any kind you like. This recipe was adapted from my friend and cooking guru Matthew Bin . I got the barley idea from Matt, but I suspect this version would be too mushroomy for him. 2 lbs. beef cubes, preferably locally sourced and traditionally raised 1 large onion, chopped or run throug

I was in the middle of writing a post about my plan to get back into an exercise routine... when I broke my foot. Doing almost nothing. Walking along in the mall, on my way to get my hair cut and then go to work, my ankle turned over sharply. I was horrified, thinking it was yet another ankle sprain. But no... turns out it's a three-part fracture in my foot. I was worried at first: if I could break a bone just by walking, is there a problem with my bone density? Are my bones becoming fragile? But I've learned that fractured foot bones are very common among people who have a history of ankle injuries. Every time your ankle turns over, a ligament pulls at those small, friable bones in your foot, weakening them. This was an accident waiting to happen. I was very sad and frustrated at my ruined plans to be more physically active. But before long, those feelings were replaced with relief that this happened after our trip to Spain and not before. I'm in a walking cast, like a sk

In this post , I described doing reference as "a bit scary," and Impudent Strumpet asked why . I started to write an answer, ran out of time, then found myself on my first real shift at the reference desk! During my training and orientation weeks, I did two half-shifts at the desk during non-busy hours - a second chair, so to speak, when there is normally only one person working. But this week I had my first proper evening shift, during peak hours. It is also exam week for high schools, so every available space in the entire library is filled with groups of teenagers studying (or not studying, as the case may be). The library actually opens up meeting rooms to accommodate them all. So I did it: I got through my first real reference shift, and I really enjoyed it. * * * * But first, why reference is scary. In the general sense, it's scary because I take the job seriously and want to do well. As a page and a circulation clerk, I observed library staff doing reference every

Revolutionary thought of the day: No healthy democracy can endure when the most consequential acts of those in power remain secret and unaccountable. Glenn Greenwald

Here is the definitive piece on why the NFL team in Washington DC must change its name, written by - who else - Dave Zirin: Enough: An Open Letter to Enough Dan Snyder , at Grantland . Please go and read it .

Next week, Toronto's Luminato arts festival will present " Joni: a Portrait in Song ," various musicians performing and celebrating the work of Joni Mitchell. For months, speculation flew about whether or not Mitchell herself would attend, and if she did, whether she would perform. Finally, a few weeks ago, it was announced: Joni will appear at the Massey Hall event ; she will recite a new poem with musical accompaniment. In the lead-up to this rare public appearance, Mitchell - who, of course, is Canadian, and who turns 70 this year - gave a few interviews to Canadian media. Mitchell rarely grants interviews - having long ago detached herself from the " star maker machinery " - but when she does, they are usually candid and enlightening, and often a bit unsettling. * * * * I often refer to Joni Mitchell has my idol. That's no less true now than it was 30 years ago. I've been listening to Joni's music since the age of 10, when I discovered her throug

This has turned out to be one of our favourite slow-cooker meals. It's delicious, incredibly easy to make, super healthy, and inexpensive. Adapted from nowhere: it's my own. Canned beans, properly rinsed and drained, have the same nutritional value as dried beans. They're much easier to use and work well with the slow cooker. Combined with brown rice, they make a perfect protein, and give you lots of fibre. And lots of yumminess. 1 19-ounce can of each: - corn niblets - black beans - white beans - chick peas - diced tomatoes 1 large onion, diced or run through food processor 1 red bell pepper, core and seeds removed, diced or cubed 1 carrot, peeled and sliced 4-5 cloves of garlic, minced or run through food processor bit of olive oil 1 tablespoon dried basil 1 tablespoon dried oregano anywhere from 1/2 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon dried chipotle, according to your preferred level of spice anywhere from a dash to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 2-3 dashes of salt a few turns of freshl

What a difference it makes when you enjoy going to work. What a difference when you don't  dread  your job. Wow! This is what I've done in my new position so far. - I participated in the finale of Grade 4 Read To Succeed, in which the winning classes - the classes that read the most books in each branch library's catchment area - attended an event at Mississauga City Hall. There were songs, games, prizes, and readings by two children's authors. It was a bit weird for me, as I hadn't been involved in the program, but great fun and very instructive. - I did my first programming!! I assisted a more experienced librarian in a kindergarten class visit - two classes, 45 kids. I read Grumpy Bird by Jeremy Tankard. Seemed like it went over well. A little girl ran up to me and hugged me! - I attended a workshop on reference and a webinar on storytelling. - I am compiling a number of readers' advisory lists, as part of a departmental goal, based on a suggestion of mine l

The Casual Vacancy , J. K. Rowling's first non- Harry Potter book, received almost universally poor reviews, ranging from tepid to savage. Reviewers found the book too long for the subject matter, too slow, poorly paced. They thought the plot was a soap opera. They found the writing cliched, studied, heavy-handed. In a book full of characters, they found few noteworthy. As one reviewer put it : "Unfortunately, the real-life world she has limned in these pages is so willfully banal, so depressingly clichéd that “The Casual Vacancy” is not only disappointing — it’s dull." I disagree. Backlash? Impossibly high expectations? A certain measure of that is to be expected, given that Rowling is one of the most successful writers of our time. But it's no excuse. Reviewers have an obligation to put Harry Potter aside and review the book that's in front of them. Maybe they did. Maybe I just happen to disagree with almost every reviewer. Or maybe not. Putting the Harry Potte

Amnesty International is calling for the release of war resister Kimberly Rivera, who was forced out of Canada by the Harper Government. Will you please write a letter in support of her release? Here's how. If you want to write to Kim, you can reach her at: Kimberly Rivera P.O. Box 452136 San Diego, CA 92145-2136 You can also write to war resister Justin Colby at: COLBY, Justin 1450 Alder Rd. Box 339536 Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA 98433-9536 Important Note: The military has very strict (arcane, incomprehensible) rules about what prisoners can receive. Please do not include anything in the letter but the paper you write on. If you send gifts - even stamps, writing paper, or stickers - the letter will not reach Kim or Justin. Be sure to include your full name and address in the return address area of the envelope. Mail with incomplete return addresses will not get through. Even if you do this, there is no guarantee that the war resisters will receive your letter. But if you don&

While I'm not writing, I hope you will read this excellent article by Matt Taibbi on mainstream media coverage of the Bradley Manning court martial. I cannot understand why good writers like Taibbi continue to refer to the "Bradley Manning trial". A trial is, in theory, an impartial hearing, where an unbiased judge and 12 ordinary citizens hear a full range of evidence from both prosecution and defense. Bradley Manning, by contrast, is being tried by his accusers. The accusers are judge and jury, and they write the rule book. What's more, the court martial procedures used by the United States military do not comply with accepted international standards of justice. This was proven in the cases of Chris Vassey and Jules Tindungan , US Iraq War resisters living in Canada. Calling Bradley Manning's court martial a trial connotes justice, fairness, and due process, where none exist.

In defiance of current internet rules, I am posting this on my own blog instead of on Pinterest - but please feel free to share this on Pinterest if you like. I'm going to post one slow-cooker recipe each week until I run out of ideas. Each recipe will use whole foods, be high in fibre and low in salt, and contain no processed foods of any kind. They'll also be easy to prepare. Thai Peanut Chicken, adapted from The 150 Healthiest Slow Cooker Recipes on Earth , by Jonny Bowden and Jeannette Bessinger. chicken drumsticks and thighs, on the bone but without skin 1 sweet onion, run through food processor 1 cup peanut-only peanut butter (i.e. no added salt, sugar, trans fats, or chemicals) 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth 1/4 cup low-sodium tamari sauce juice of 1 large or 3 small limes 4 cloves of garlic, crushed or minced 1 inch chunk of fresh ginger, peeled and grated or minced 1 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar 1/2 teaspoon red pepper (optional, I don't use th

Even though I'm following several important news stories - from the revelations about the massive NSA domestic spying campaign to the slow-motion implosion of the Conservative Party of Canada to the show-trial of Bradley Manning  - I seem unable to blog about anything but my own life. I remember two other times when this happened: just before and just after we moved to Canada, and when I started grad school. Big Life Change has a way of swamping everything else. Career changes are huge transitions, but librarianship is even more than a career change for me: it's an entire change of lifestyle. With the exception of a few years after graduating university and some scattered months here and there, my working life has been fluid and unconventional. As a writer, editor, and activist, I worked from home, and always had the flexibility of my own hours. The paid employment that subsidized that work was usually compressed into either weekends or evenings, and required very low comm

Yesterday was my first day as a librarian! And it was great! I'm only doing orientation and training right now, but I can tell how much I'm going to enjoy this job. I love the environment; I share the same goals and many of the same values. I have concerns, of course - this is not only a career change for me, it's a complete lifestyle change - but I'm not trying to answer every question in advance. I'm trusting that many issues will work themselves out over time. (Patience, the brighter side of aging.) I'm back at the Central Library, in the Children's department (CNCS), where I started as a page in November 2011. After 14 months there, I worked briefly as a page in a branch library, then as a circulation clerk in a different branch. The branch experience was invaluable, and I'll want to have more of it one day. For now, though, I'm very happy to be back at CNCS. I'll write more about my job as it develops. One thing I'm excited about: select

She was a great actor, a brilliant comedian, and the warm heart of one of the most memorable television shows of all time. "All in the Family" was a pioneering show, and she was an integral part of what it made it shine. She created a character that entire generations will never forget. The New York Times obituary notes: Jean Stapleton, the character actress whose portrayal of a slow-witted, big-hearted and submissive — up to a point — housewife on the groundbreaking series “All in the Family” made her, along with Mary Tyler Moore and Bea Arthur, not only one of the foremost women in television comedy in the 1970s but a symbol of emergent feminism in American popular culture, died on Friday at her home in New York City. She was 90. You can watch full episodes of "All In The Family" on Crackle .

You may have heard of the latest anti-woman denail of basic human rights to make international news. A few months back there was Savita Halappanavar , who died in Ireland when she was denied a life-saving, medically necessary abortion. Now there is a woman known as "Beatriz" (not her real name) in El Salvador. Beatriz has lupus, kidney disease, and severe hypertension. She is 22 years old, and she is, or was, pregnant. The fetus she carries is anencephalic (missing most of its brain) and cannot survive outside the womb. Eleven doctors have testified that Beatriz is likely to die if she is forced to continue the pregnancy. Yet the laws of El Salvador do not permit Beatriz to terminate her pregnancy. Beatriz took her plight to court. The Supreme Court of El Salvador apparently so no urgency in this situation, and were slow in rendering a decision. Finally, on May 29, they voted to deny her abortion. The following day, possibly in response to international outcry, El Salvador