film participates in a similar exchange of arms
for images. Each exports guns and violence to
the Middle East, leaving American Jews to
watch, support, cheer, cry, sympathize, and
criticize from their seats. The relationship between Jews and guns remains exportable, as
American Jews can thrill vicariously at films
like “Exodus,” and express their ambivalence
through characters like Zohan and Avner, as
long as those images keep their guns at a distance. Despite their differences, all three films
agree that Jews and guns still only belong over
there, even or especially as over there seems to
grow ever more distant from right here.
SHMA.COM
inherent connection between ethical considerations and their Jewish identities. A certificate
must not only help exploited workers but must
also seize what might be “teachable moments”
of the grandest proportions.
With the Tav Chevrati having reached a certain degree of maturity, I no longer assess its success simply in terms of the number of new
restaurants that join our ranks on a monthly
basis. For me, success is the world-renowned
Rosh Yeshiva who proudly tells his students that,
when entering a restaurant, he first looks for a
Ethics continued from page 20
Tav Chevrati and only afterward for a traditional
kashrut certificate. Success is the 50-year-old
mother who boasts that her ninth-grader only
eats in places bearing our certificate. Success is
knowing that we have not only made a difference in the lives of thousands of restaurant
workers who now receive their due, or thousands of people with disabilities who can now
enjoy a night out like anyone else, but it is the
knowledge that we are educating the next generation of young Israelis to take small steps to
create a more just society inspired and informed
by Jewish values.
Create a Salon in Your Community
Add to the culture of learning in your community! It’s easy!
The Sh’ma Salon is a forum for adults to use the journal Sh’ma as a tool and a
vehicle for discussing issues of contemporary Jewish thought. The Sh'ma Salon
does not require prior Jewish knowledge or in-depth reading on the part of the
coordinators, presenters, or participants.
■ The Salon creates Inclusive
Conversations
■ The Salon is a formal, moderated
small-group discussion on specific
issues facing contemporary Jews.
■ The Salon advances understanding
of complicated issues.
■ The Salon creates a dialogue built
on mutual respect and intellectual
excitement about our differences.
■ The Salon offers opportunities to
teach and be taught, listen and be
listened to, inspire and be inspired.
■ The Salon creates a laboratory for
sharing innovative and thoughtful ideas.
Contact Susan Berrin, Editor of Sh’ma, for more information: SBerrin@shma.com
Go online www.shma.com/salon for a list of topics and guided steps about
how to start a Salon in your own community.
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