The Duma
This Monday our rabbinic, education, and cantorial class reconstructed the Duma, the Russian Parliament of 1907. Everyone was divided into 7 groups, representing political parties of the time: the Bund (socialists who promoted internal change in Russia while keeping Yiddish and Jewish culture), the Poalei Zion (socialist-Zionists), the Territorialists (who wanted a Jewish homeland NOW, no matter where it was), the Autonomists (who wanted to live in Russia with Jewish autonomy), the Russian communist party, the America party (who supported immediate immigration to the land of opportunity) and the Haredim (ultra-Orthodox).
Obviously, in real life the so-called "America Party" won - people voted with their feet, and all of us in the room were the descendents of former Russians and Poles. But in our re-creation - in which everyone gave a speech, sang their song, and asked questions of another group - the Zionist party came in second. This was completely inaccurate - there WAS no Palestine really at the time - but I think that students living here in Israel wanted to believe that even back then, our great-greats knew we'd get here. (Personally, I voted for the Bund, which is what I think I would have done had I lived in that time.) Heckling was tolerated, even encouraged, so a couple speechwriters got booed off (though the speeches were very well-prepared), and we all made fun of everyone else. My job was co-songwriter for the Zionist party, and we came up with a new song based on "If I Had a Hammer."
If I had a nation,
I'd build it in Ziii-on...
I'd be a socialist,
While living in Zi-oon
We'd start a revoluu-tion
Following Borochov [the founder]...
etc. (now I don't remember the rest)
It was quite fun. The haredim were the best - these young post-college rabbinic students got really into being Orthodox from the shtetl. Their costumes were beautiful, as the men were in dark suits and all the women had pillows under their jackets and looked like they were pregnant with triplets. They set up a mechitza (screen) between the men and the women, and wouldn't let anyone enter the room of the Duma unless they went in on the correct side. Their slogan was "Boycott the Duma!" and since my party was Zionist, we went at it - they thought (and the haredim still think) that only the Messiah could bring about change and a Jewish state. At one point their group brought a trash can over and pretended to light it on fire (like the real haredim did to protest the Gay Pride Parade last week). If it wasn't so funny it'd be offensive.
I didn't take any pictures of my own, but here are some from Jessica. Here are others from Mara, including a very goofy one of me.
I learned a lot about Jewish history in the Settlement of the Pale in Russia, and how they interacted with the more general population. It makes me wonder: is socialism dying out? It was such a heady movement one hundred years ago, but now no one believes in it. And my generation especially, who grew up with the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the privatization of the kibbutzim, doubt it even more than our parents. My great-aunt met her husband at a protest (or was it picket line?) - but I don't know of anyone today who really thinks socialism can work. Jews contributed immensely to that ideology - it's sad that it's going by the wayside.
Obviously, in real life the so-called "America Party" won - people voted with their feet, and all of us in the room were the descendents of former Russians and Poles. But in our re-creation - in which everyone gave a speech, sang their song, and asked questions of another group - the Zionist party came in second. This was completely inaccurate - there WAS no Palestine really at the time - but I think that students living here in Israel wanted to believe that even back then, our great-greats knew we'd get here. (Personally, I voted for the Bund, which is what I think I would have done had I lived in that time.) Heckling was tolerated, even encouraged, so a couple speechwriters got booed off (though the speeches were very well-prepared), and we all made fun of everyone else. My job was co-songwriter for the Zionist party, and we came up with a new song based on "If I Had a Hammer."
If I had a nation,
I'd build it in Ziii-on...
I'd be a socialist,
While living in Zi-oon
We'd start a revoluu-tion
Following Borochov [the founder]...
etc. (now I don't remember the rest)
It was quite fun. The haredim were the best - these young post-college rabbinic students got really into being Orthodox from the shtetl. Their costumes were beautiful, as the men were in dark suits and all the women had pillows under their jackets and looked like they were pregnant with triplets. They set up a mechitza (screen) between the men and the women, and wouldn't let anyone enter the room of the Duma unless they went in on the correct side. Their slogan was "Boycott the Duma!" and since my party was Zionist, we went at it - they thought (and the haredim still think) that only the Messiah could bring about change and a Jewish state. At one point their group brought a trash can over and pretended to light it on fire (like the real haredim did to protest the Gay Pride Parade last week). If it wasn't so funny it'd be offensive.
I didn't take any pictures of my own, but here are some from Jessica. Here are others from Mara, including a very goofy one of me.
I learned a lot about Jewish history in the Settlement of the Pale in Russia, and how they interacted with the more general population. It makes me wonder: is socialism dying out? It was such a heady movement one hundred years ago, but now no one believes in it. And my generation especially, who grew up with the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the privatization of the kibbutzim, doubt it even more than our parents. My great-aunt met her husband at a protest (or was it picket line?) - but I don't know of anyone today who really thinks socialism can work. Jews contributed immensely to that ideology - it's sad that it's going by the wayside.
posted by Michal at 7:39 AM
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