Most of the Holocaust films Hollywood has produced in the last 20 years present hope in the face of Nazi evil, portraying the heroism of righteous gentiles, whose sympathy and humanity triumph over prejudice. Such films promote building a better world through strengthened relations between Jews and gentiles, but one element is conspicuously absent: courageous Jewish heroes.
Photographer Adam Cohen’s latest project, a collaboration with writer Craig Friedman, blends imagery and words using Internet technology. Their blog, The New American Census, features photographs that capture elements of American culture. The blog, subtitled “the first census to sense America,” was launched in December 2009 and Cohen and Friedman say the project aims to show life as it is, taking inspiration from the world. It encourages viewers to actively observe their surroundings and question--and struggle with--the images around them...
Mashups push boundaries. They question traditional notions of creativity, originality, ownership, and even identity. Like a musical collage, the individual components stand on their own, but when put together with a fresh ear, a whole new set of meanings emerges; the final product is greater than the sum of its parts. And for some young Jews, mashups are the vehicle for expressing the postmodern Jewish experience. It's a limited, but telling, phenomenon.
The amazing thing about the age of the internet is that anyone can have a voice; anyone who wants to can express themselves, and even in the realm of food, the results are inspiring, creative, and bridge-building. Anyone from a Yemenite grandma in Tel Aviv to an eco-warrior teenager in New Jersey who can get their head around a simple template such as Wordpress can join this growing global community.
Amid the shopkeepers’ competing voices, enticing potential customers with the sweetest watermelons, the ripest tomatoes, and the best deals, Israelis expertly weave their way through the narrow labyrinthine lanes of the Shuk. It is easy to differentiate between the locals and the tourists, the former busily doing their shopping in preparation for that evening’s meal, the latter slowing down to gawk at the colorful sights and tantalizing aromas emanating from various stalls. A former Taglit-birthright israel participant states, “The Shuk was totally different than anything I have ever experienced. It seemed utter chaos to me, but all of the natives were totally relaxed and in their element. It was an amazing window into the world of an Israeli.”
