10 | DECEMBER 31 • 2020 

VIEWS

Yiddish Limerick

Happy New Year

Dos is nisht Rosh HaShana, men ruft dos New Year
A naye beginning far alle in here.
 
A yontef far Yidn and also the rest
 
Hobn tzvay naye yorn is really the best.
Lomir trinken a L
’Chaim mit a glazl of beer.

Dos is nisht - This is not
men ruft dos - it is called
A naye - a new
far alle- for everyone
A yontef far Yidn - A holiday for Jews
Hobn tzvay naye yorn- to have two New Years
Lomir trinken - let us drink 
L
’Chaim mit a glazl - with a little glass

By Rachel Kapen

as if people don’t want to 
talk about death. When 
my mom died we took our 
children to the funeral 
home so they would learn 
about what was going to 
happen.
 I also know that many 
times I’m not able to go 
to the cemetery, and with 
shivah now going from 7 
days to maybe 1 or 3, it 
actually becomes difficult 
to see the mourners. Or 
people from other states 
leaving prior to shivah. 
 In this modern world, 
it seems we take less time 
to actually mourn with the 
community. Given that, I’m 
glad the funeral homes are 
looking for ways for people 
to comfort the mourners, 
even if non-traditional.

- Linda Levine Blumstein

Facebook comment

‘Dismantling 
Antisemitism’ 
Panel 

IfNotNow, and the 
movement of young Jews 
it represents, believes that 
fighting antisemitism 
and keeping our people 
safe requires partnering 
across communities and 
embedding our struggle 
within the broader 
movement for social justice. 
 As such, the panel 
discussion’s focus on 
how we can dismantle 
antisemitism in practice 
was highly successful 
(Dec. 24, pg. 10). By 
sharing perspectives across 
different movements 
and communities, the 

conversation built solidarity 
and fostered mutual 
understanding. Insofar as 
our struggles are linked, 
that solidarity will be 
essential if we hope to 
dismantle antisemitism in 
our lifetime.

- IfNotNow Detroit

Statement provided to JN

Zion and Jew are identical. 
Israel is the original 
homeland of the Jewish 
people as Italy is that of 
Italian Americans. Boycott 
Serbia? Divest from 
Ethiopia? Sanction Sri 
Lanka? That’s antisemitism 
and only the left has trouble 
defining [it]!

- Joseph Zaffern 

Website comment

New WSU Press 
Director

I think the happiest 
university press news this 
year is Wayne State going 
from awful turmoil back 
in February to a great new 
director (Dec. 24, pg. 18) 
and lots of vocal support.

- Derek Krissoff

Director

West Virginia University Press

Via Twitter

Awesome to see the Jewish 
News covering WSU Press 
— an important Jewish 
studies publisher — and its 
director, Stephanie Williams.

Rafael Chaiken

Director, Central Conference of 

American Rabbis Press

Via Twitter 

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