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Observance

Slaving Away

On Passover, we recall that Moses was a stranger in a strange land. An illustrated column imagines how the story might sound in a contemporary Israeli classroom.

By Etgar Keret and Asaf Hanuka|April 15, 2011 7:00 AM|11comments
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Etgar Keret and Asaf Hanuka

Translated by Sondra Silverston
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  • Srule Brachman

    Lea, the teacher could have made this a very teachable moment using Noam’s cruel remark to Ling.
    Lea might have talked the class about antisemitism, racism, xenophobia, etc.
    Explaining to Ling about such negative feelings from Noam might have helped like sort this out.
    She could have asked the class about options to Noam’s thoughts and actions.
    By discussing his thoughts about Ling, she might have related this to the Egyptian attitude toward their Hebrew slaves.
    And explained the present day parallels to the many people of the world craving for freedom today. Then brough it right back to the discussion of the lesson

  • http://www.myspace.com/heebsterpr Matthew B

    this is really bad.. Good art though. Just bad story. Like unentertaininf.

  • Steve Stein

    I liked it… very poignant. I didn’t know if this was the complete story. Lin’s meaning was clear only through her “thought bubble”, and it’s never explained “out loud”. It does seem like it should have been a ‘teachable moment’… but in practice the moment would have been ruined by the profanity, just as shown. What was “f*ck” before translation? Dunno if elementary kids here in the US really use that language – do they in Israel?

  • http://Tablet s. c.

    Mr. Stein:
    What universe are you living in??!!!

  • Dan Klein

    Oh Wicked Son, when will you learn?

  • http://zackarysholemberger.blogspot.com Zackary Sholem Berger

    Can we get a link to the original? I’m curious to see what word the kid used too.

  • Steve Stein

    @sc – say more words?

  • ruby

    Were the writers not educated enough to know that traditional commentaries see the jews as quite unwilling to leave Egypt? Or were they assuming that the contemporary teacher is so uneducated? And the breakdown in the educational process happens just as we reach the “teachable moment” of explaining the centrality of our homeland, of Eretz Yisrael, of political responsibility, in the religious and cosmic imagination of the Jewish people. A coincidence? Or is this the ‘teachable moment” that causes these writers to say “f–k you.”

  • Jehudah Ben-Israel

    Dear friends,

    I wish you a happy Pesah, hoping that you will celebrate our coming as a people out of slavery and into our collective liberty in Eretz Israel (Land of Israel) pleasantly, in the company of family members, close friends and as part of your community, and of course, with the rest of ‘am israel (the People of Israel / the Jewish People) the world over.

    Sadly, of late, some, including amongst our own people, have taken for granted the safety and liberty of our people and its modern natioanl home, Israel. Indeed, too often we encounter the demonization of Israel, the de-humanization of its people and its leaders, and together the de-legitimization of Israel’s institutions and the very existence of this tiny and only nation-state of our Jewish people.

    Let us at this coming Pesah re-dedicate ourselves to the liberty of the Jewish people, and its historic, ethical and legal right to national self-determination and independence in its homeland of Eretz Israel (Land of Israel). Let us not take for granted Israel’s security, the safety of its citizens and the very existence of Israel. And, let us harness ourselves to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Jeiwsh citizens of Israel, their freely elected leaders and the women and men who defend Israel in uniform day-in and day-out.

    May this comingn Pesah be one of happiness to all of us, wherever we may be.

    Hag Pesah Sameah,

    Jehudah Ben-Israel
    Qatzrin, Israel

  • Rachel

    A poignant little story, but it really helps to have a solid background in knowing what’s going on in Israel.

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Slaving Away

On Passover, we recall that Moses was a stranger in a strange land. An illustrated column imagines how the story might sound in a contemporary Israeli classroom.

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