I read the most disturbing statistic of my life this week.
Dr. Steven Windmueller of The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs published a paper in July entitled "The Unfolding Economic Crisis: Its Devastating Implications for American Jewry." In it, Dr. Windmueller states:
The Jewish GDP is $9.7 billion [...] 1% for the arts
ONE PERCENT?! If anything, more resources should be put into the arts during the economic recession than any other time. It's the great unifier of the Jewish people.
Since this is my first post, I suppose I should take a step back and give a bit of background. If I could spread a mantra around the Jewish education community, it would be:
I believe באמונה שלמה (with full faith) in the power of Jewish arts and culture. I believe that Judaism is an ethnicity with a rich, diverse palette of cultures that need to be shared in order for Jews to be truly educated about themselves and indeed one another. I also believe that people more easily relate to the arts than most other Jewish things. We can dialogue with the art, critique it, enjoy it, and of course, share it. We can judge it harshly or gently, and either way, it nourishes our souls. Throughout the long Jewish history, art has come from our religion, our personal relationships, and our experience as a people of the world. But most importantly, I believe that Jewish arts and culture is not merely a thing of the past. Rather, it is a living, breathing movement of people, young and old alike who continue to inspire and be inspired by the Jewish spirit. There are Jewish dance companies, filmmakers, musicians (check out my "Biblegum Pop" band, Stereo Sinai at www.stereosinai.com!), painters, photographers, writers, actors, and others who are longing for more outlets for expressing their Judaisms. And the only thing missing is a deep desire by the greater Jewish community to interact with their art.
One percent? Come on, people.
Share Jewish arts, appreciate Jewish cultures, enrich the Jewish future. The rest is commentary, go and learn it.
I believe באמונה שלמה (with full faith) in the power of Jewish arts and culture. I believe that Judaism is an ethnicity with a rich, diverse palette of cultures that need to be shared in order for Jews to be truly educated about themselves and indeed one another. I also believe that people more easily relate to the arts than most other Jewish things. We can dialogue with the art, critique it, enjoy it, and of course, share it. We can judge it harshly or gently, and either way, it nourishes our souls. Throughout the long Jewish history, art has come from our religion, our personal relationships, and our experience as a people of the world. But most importantly, I believe that Jewish arts and culture is not merely a thing of the past. Rather, it is a living, breathing movement of people, young and old alike who continue to inspire and be inspired by the Jewish spirit. There are Jewish dance companies, filmmakers, musicians (check out my "Biblegum Pop" band, Stereo Sinai at www.stereosinai.com!), painters, photographers, writers, actors, and others who are longing for more outlets for expressing their Judaisms. And the only thing missing is a deep desire by the greater Jewish community to interact with their art.
One percent? Come on, people.
What a great post - and a topic that so desperately needs to be put on the table more often. Alan, I hope you push this with your work at Project InCiTE!
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is, right on, Alan! Those of us, like you and me, who have been involved in the arts side of Judaism (in my case music & theater) have always been appalled at how little funding there is for our work.
ReplyDelete