I can’t catch my breath. The news about the various student protests all over the country is ubiquitous. There is no break, no occasional sunshine breaking through the storm clouds. Add to that the ever-present shadow of antisemitism and the fear Jewish university students are experiencing. And who can purge the bad taste left behind after a small group of American politicians affirmed their belief that the Jews killed Jesus? And then there’s Hamas dragging their feet on a ceasefire that includes hostage release.
The list above is hardly exhaustive. It’s exhausting. If all this weren’t enough to scream, “Dayenu,” we now have the Newton Free Library imbroglio to add to our existential headache.
I won’t narrate this story of disappointment and insensitivity from the beginning. If you want a snapshot of events, read this letter from the mayor of Newton: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#search/ruthann/FMfcgzGxStzdWCkKhNwBrZnRfrcBJrxJ
Here’s my take: This past July, an independent committee of artists and professors selected and scheduled a photo exhibit for one of the library’s gallery spaces. The photographer, Skip Schiel, titled his show The Ongoing & Relentless Nakba: The Palestinian Catastrophe of 1948 to Today. I don’t know who was on that committee; I hope they are identified. I don’t want to harass them, but I simply want to ask why. Did they want a provocative show? Were they looking to show more support and empathy for the Palestinian story? Did they anticipate the antipathy of some Newton residents?
Schiel’s show of black and white photos is, in and of itself, thoughtful and innocuous. There are no incriminating snapshots of Israeli border police beating back Palestinian demonstrators or, for that matter, no Palestinians throwing rocks at IDF soldiers. It is a small and unremarkable exhibit.
I have no trouble with the word Nakba, Arabic for catastrophe, which many Arabs and some Israelis use to label what is otherwise called the 1948 War of Independence. For many Palestinians, it is an accurate representation of their experiences following the war. After all, it did not result in their freedom.
I do have trouble with the phrase ongoing and relentless because it obfuscates a much larger and more complex story about Palestinians after 1948. And even more to the point, the photos have nothing to do with the Nakba. They have nothing to do with Israel! They are portraits of Palestinians and photos of Palestinian homes. So why name it something so unnerving to those of us who support Israel?
Looking at the photographer’s website, the answer quickly emerges. Schiel is an anti-Zionist who has done extensive work in Gaza and the West Bank. He wants to be a provocateur. This is not unique to Schiel. Artists and photographers have pushed the envelope for centuries; it is intrinsic to artistic expression.
I am neither offended nor threatened by this exhibit. The content is benign, genuinely harmless. I recognize its title is purposely provocative. I am not a fan of the creator of the exhibit. As a Zionist and lover of Israel, it makes me uncomfortable, but it does not seek to delegitimize me as a Zionist or as a Jew.
If I were on the committee that chooses art for the library, I would’ve said no to the exhibit unless Schiel changed the name. I would’ve said that we don’t need such provocation. But others disagree.
I support the notion that artists sometimes want to make us uncomfortable. We come to learn more about the world in which we live when we are thrown back on our heels to question our values and the values of those with whom we disagree. I am a libertarian when it comes to free speech and free expression. Limiting, censoring, or canceling is toxic to the imagination and antithetical to democracy.
But after October 7th, this show should’ve been postponed as a sign of respect for the collective trauma many Jews are experiencing right now. It is contraindicated to erect anything in a public space that includes provocation as its raison d’etre. It’s not the content; the lack of empathy and consideration from the library upset me.
The exhibit is up and running. I oppose any attempt to close it down for two reasons. 1. I am a firm believer in freedom of speech and expression. And 2. It would become a cause celebre; a local story would become a national incident. Which is precisely what Schiel would like for his cause and his career.
The next art installations at the library will be chosen and then supervised with much more attention. We have all learned from this moment. I hope that moving forward, we can lean into tolerance, perspective, and empathy. Because without it, every town hall every public square will look like Columbia – and that is an intolerable future.
Before Shabbat 