Sundown: Gobble, Gobble, Baa, Baa

Hadara Graubart — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:00:49 +0000

• Turkeys aren’t the only animals that should be shaking in their boots this week. Israel and the Jewish community in Senegal have donated 99 sheep to needy Muslim families there to sacrifice for the holiday of Tabaski, which marks Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael, as “a symbolic gesture between Israel and Senegal, between the Jewish community and the Muslim community.”* [VOA]
• Finalists for the 2010 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature have been announced, including Danya Ruttenberg and Sarah Abrevaya Stein. [JTA]
• A collage made of cut out portions of the Torah and the Koran was kept out of an exhibition in New Haven, Connecticut. Artist Richard Kamler says he intended “to create a common ground.” “You’re not going to cry ‘fire’ in a crowded movie theater, even if you have free speech,” says one of the organizers. [NH Independent]
• Hadar, a new council for English-speaking immigrants in Israel, plans to find ways to maximize their influence in the nation. Some have criticized its right-wing bent, but, says the chairman, “we are not trying to be all things for all people.” [JPost]
• Israel is working on new weaponry—including “cutting-edge anti-missile systems and two new submarines that can carry nuclear weapons”—to prepare for a potential conflict with Iran. [AP]
• Have a happy Thanksgiving. We’ll see you Monday.

*Correction, November 30: This post originally stated that the Muslim holiday Tabaski marked Abraham’s binding of his son Isaac.

Tablet Magazine » Senegal

Sundown: Gobble, Gobble, Baa, Baa