The PragueGnosticator -- Second Day in Prague
In which I predict that I will remain very conscious of my Jewish identity while in Prague.
Today I took care of essentials such as procuring a desk in studio with a good location (near a window and not too many people walking behind me) and cooking some food for myself. Here is my very fine desk in the back right corner:
In the grocery store, I found a prepackaged selection of familiar and unfamiliar root vegetables which looked good for soup. And so I found myself cooking with celeriac, the root of the celery, which I have never used before. Apparently it is common here, but celery stalks are not! It is also quite tasty, and together with parsnips, carrots, leek, parsley, and what may have been a turnip of sorts, it made a delicious soup that required no seasoning.
While I was cooking, one of the people associated with the program came to speak with me. It seems that she had heard that I was Jewish, and had a concern that I would be angry with her because she supports Palestinians. Apparently a Jewish professor had in the past objected to her views in a manner she found insulting. So now she wanted to get straight with me right away that she is not an anti-Semite, and to find out whether I would be attacking her if she expressed her views.
My first response was to doubt whether there was a practical problem, for how often would studying landscape architecture in Prague necessitate discussion of the middle east? She asserted that she was one to express her views freely. So I asked her, very briefly, about her basic stance on matters Palestinian and Israeli. She said that she felt that much of the founding of the state of Israel had been done in a way that was unfair to Palestinians, who were "there first."
Well, I decided that my objective was to calm her down, not to reach agreement with her. I also thought it would be helpful to leave her with a positive impression of at least one Jew... even if, or especially if, that Jew did not entirely agree with her.
So I told her that I very much support the existence of the state of Israel, and that I consider it very important for Jews to have a homeland, since the lack thereof has contributed to the oppression of Jews over many hundreds of years. And I told her that I knew that many unfair things had happened in the history of the state of Israel (this statement deliberately left ambiguous), and I had no problem with people debating the policies of the government, or examining inequities and trying to right them. I said that while we might find that we disagree on some points, that striving for fairness and justice was absolutely a good thing.
And after a bit of this sort of talk, we spoke about food. I took an interest in her health, and in how her diet had helped her significantly with a health problem. And where to buy organics, and where to buy good paprika. And all the while, I was fuming inside. She had the temerity to bring up a potentially volatile topic with me because she didn't want to have to exercise tact in a discussion of middle eastern politics that we were unlikely to have ever had, had she not initiated it? And, in asking me to accept that "she's not anti-Semitic," is she not attempting to procure a "get out of jail free" card?
Now, she had felt attacked for her views in the past, I understand. I don't know the content of these reported attacks. If she was called an anti-Semite before, I can take heart in knowing that she considered this a foul thing to be called. And I think her objective now was to preclude further attacks.
Two things are bothering me most. One is being singled out as a potential troublemaker or enemy because I am a Jew. Two is the notion that she should be free to say what she wants, but she does not want me to get upset with her for saying it.
I was previously given to understand that taking a vocal stand on an issue implied a willingness to enter into debate, and entering into debate clearly does always run the risk of ad hominem (or in this case ad feminam) arguments. Just ask President Obama -- or any politician at all. I suppose that the presumption that I am unable to express differences of opinion in a civil manner, while disappointing to me, suggests only that this woman thinks of me as being no different than any number of people.
Moving on with my day, I set out to explore Prague on foot, and try to find the Jewish Quarter. Here was my first clue:
Here, too, occurred the interesting moment in which Hebrew became the local language in which I was most fluent. Hah!
I found the Starnova synagogue and several others. I spent some time trying to absorb the facts that Jews had been building here for nearly a thousand years... and that their edifices survive to the present day... and that the Nazis has intended these buildings to be museums of a defunct people... but here was a Jew from another continent standing with a hand on their stones, while the Nazis are roundly denounced by majorities throughout the world. It was an odd sensation of strength and survival together with reflection on smallness against the backdrop of the universe.
I eventually managed to find the door to the Kehilla (also by reading Hebrew). Inside, a man at a desk emphatically informed me, more or less in English, that this was not a tourist attraction, I could not get tickets, and this area was not open to the public. In a hesitant voice, I asked, "Kosher shop?"
"Harumphy-mumphy-blah blah blah."
"Kosher food?"
"I must inspect your bag."
And folks, that is what he did, and he left no corner unsearched. Satisfied, he led me to a flight of stairs at the back of the building. He indicated by hand motions that I should go up the stairs, down the hall to the right, and down the stairs on the right. I mimed it back to him to ensure that we were communicating. And then I followed those instructions.
The kosher shop is a small room with a refrigerated display case, a freezer, and several pantry shelves. There was Bamba and there were a number of dry convenience foods. I bought a bottle of Kosher wine and a box of Shabbat candles. I wanted to ask the woman at the cash register about the kosher marks on food packages here, but I was feeling shy by now, and another woman entered, whose young son was crying because he had been woken from a nap to get out of the car and come inside the store. So the woman at the cash register and I sympathized with mother and son.
I was able to take a web address for kosher issues in Prague. And if I can find that site translated into English, I'm sure it will help me.
By now I had had all the strong feelings I cared to have for the day, so I went to the Tesco, which is like JC Penney, and priced dishes. I also bought a pocket sketch pad from the art supply store. I cooked dinner at school, and then I went home.
Today I took care of essentials such as procuring a desk in studio with a good location (near a window and not too many people walking behind me) and cooking some food for myself. Here is my very fine desk in the back right corner:
In the grocery store, I found a prepackaged selection of familiar and unfamiliar root vegetables which looked good for soup. And so I found myself cooking with celeriac, the root of the celery, which I have never used before. Apparently it is common here, but celery stalks are not! It is also quite tasty, and together with parsnips, carrots, leek, parsley, and what may have been a turnip of sorts, it made a delicious soup that required no seasoning.
While I was cooking, one of the people associated with the program came to speak with me. It seems that she had heard that I was Jewish, and had a concern that I would be angry with her because she supports Palestinians. Apparently a Jewish professor had in the past objected to her views in a manner she found insulting. So now she wanted to get straight with me right away that she is not an anti-Semite, and to find out whether I would be attacking her if she expressed her views.
My first response was to doubt whether there was a practical problem, for how often would studying landscape architecture in Prague necessitate discussion of the middle east? She asserted that she was one to express her views freely. So I asked her, very briefly, about her basic stance on matters Palestinian and Israeli. She said that she felt that much of the founding of the state of Israel had been done in a way that was unfair to Palestinians, who were "there first."
Well, I decided that my objective was to calm her down, not to reach agreement with her. I also thought it would be helpful to leave her with a positive impression of at least one Jew... even if, or especially if, that Jew did not entirely agree with her.
So I told her that I very much support the existence of the state of Israel, and that I consider it very important for Jews to have a homeland, since the lack thereof has contributed to the oppression of Jews over many hundreds of years. And I told her that I knew that many unfair things had happened in the history of the state of Israel (this statement deliberately left ambiguous), and I had no problem with people debating the policies of the government, or examining inequities and trying to right them. I said that while we might find that we disagree on some points, that striving for fairness and justice was absolutely a good thing.
And after a bit of this sort of talk, we spoke about food. I took an interest in her health, and in how her diet had helped her significantly with a health problem. And where to buy organics, and where to buy good paprika. And all the while, I was fuming inside. She had the temerity to bring up a potentially volatile topic with me because she didn't want to have to exercise tact in a discussion of middle eastern politics that we were unlikely to have ever had, had she not initiated it? And, in asking me to accept that "she's not anti-Semitic," is she not attempting to procure a "get out of jail free" card?
Now, she had felt attacked for her views in the past, I understand. I don't know the content of these reported attacks. If she was called an anti-Semite before, I can take heart in knowing that she considered this a foul thing to be called. And I think her objective now was to preclude further attacks.
Two things are bothering me most. One is being singled out as a potential troublemaker or enemy because I am a Jew. Two is the notion that she should be free to say what she wants, but she does not want me to get upset with her for saying it.
I was previously given to understand that taking a vocal stand on an issue implied a willingness to enter into debate, and entering into debate clearly does always run the risk of ad hominem (or in this case ad feminam) arguments. Just ask President Obama -- or any politician at all. I suppose that the presumption that I am unable to express differences of opinion in a civil manner, while disappointing to me, suggests only that this woman thinks of me as being no different than any number of people.
Moving on with my day, I set out to explore Prague on foot, and try to find the Jewish Quarter. Here was my first clue:
Here, too, occurred the interesting moment in which Hebrew became the local language in which I was most fluent. Hah!
I found the Starnova synagogue and several others. I spent some time trying to absorb the facts that Jews had been building here for nearly a thousand years... and that their edifices survive to the present day... and that the Nazis has intended these buildings to be museums of a defunct people... but here was a Jew from another continent standing with a hand on their stones, while the Nazis are roundly denounced by majorities throughout the world. It was an odd sensation of strength and survival together with reflection on smallness against the backdrop of the universe.
I eventually managed to find the door to the Kehilla (also by reading Hebrew). Inside, a man at a desk emphatically informed me, more or less in English, that this was not a tourist attraction, I could not get tickets, and this area was not open to the public. In a hesitant voice, I asked, "Kosher shop?"
"Harumphy-mumphy-blah blah blah."
"Kosher food?"
"I must inspect your bag."
And folks, that is what he did, and he left no corner unsearched. Satisfied, he led me to a flight of stairs at the back of the building. He indicated by hand motions that I should go up the stairs, down the hall to the right, and down the stairs on the right. I mimed it back to him to ensure that we were communicating. And then I followed those instructions.
The kosher shop is a small room with a refrigerated display case, a freezer, and several pantry shelves. There was Bamba and there were a number of dry convenience foods. I bought a bottle of Kosher wine and a box of Shabbat candles. I wanted to ask the woman at the cash register about the kosher marks on food packages here, but I was feeling shy by now, and another woman entered, whose young son was crying because he had been woken from a nap to get out of the car and come inside the store. So the woman at the cash register and I sympathized with mother and son.
I was able to take a web address for kosher issues in Prague. And if I can find that site translated into English, I'm sure it will help me.
By now I had had all the strong feelings I cared to have for the day, so I went to the Tesco, which is like JC Penney, and priced dishes. I also bought a pocket sketch pad from the art supply store. I cooked dinner at school, and then I went home.