| An American journalist named Ben Harris, who works | | | | around 100,000. These kids couldn't get the permit to |
| for Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA), is traveling the | | | | open the bar, so they essentially occupied the place. |
| world in search of stories about Jews in their various | | | | They are squatters, three years later. And the place |
| communities. He says in his blog how unique this | | | | is a huge success. There's a video about them on the |
| assignment has been.The blog has all the reports on | | | | blog. (Hungary is a special situation, for a recent |
| his work as the “Wandering Jew,”. | | | | JTA story reports on how few Jews live there. They |
| This lively interview with the Wandering Jew, | | | | hope to bolster its Jewish population through |
| American Journalist, Ben Harris, about his travels and | | | | immigration. Ben Harris says in one report about his |
| traveling, was done mostly by email, with two | | | | visit to Hungary: “The offices of the Haver |
| conversations via webcam on Skype. When this | | | | Foundation occupy one room of an apartment on |
| writer spoke to him off the record for background, | | | | the third floor of building around the corner from my |
| he was in the Jewish Telegraphic Agency offices in | | | | hotel (convenient, see?). There I met Mircea Cernov, |
| New York City, but the reported interview via email | | | | the Romanian-born director, just before noon. With |
| comes mostly while he was abroad. He reports in | | | | Cernov as its only full-time employee, Haver uses a |
| his blog about getting the assignment: “Imagine | | | | network of some 30 volunteer educators to bring |
| this: Your boss calls you up one day. He tells you he | | | | Holocaust and Judaic studies to Hungarian public |
| wants to send you on a trip of many months, pretty | | | | school students. "’Generally speaking, |
| much anywhere you want to go to write about ... | | | | Hungarian society became very intolerant, I would |
| well, pretty much anything you want to write about. | | | | say, or a bit aggressive,’ Cernov told me. |
| You will be blogging, making videos, Twittering, and | | | | ‘Everything is very polarized. There is no dialogue. |
| writing that old standby, the feature story. Starting | | | | I think that is the most problematic thing at all levels |
| now, he says, you are to spend your days | | | | of society, from the top political elite to the level of |
| scrounging up great stories of Jewish life and | | | | civil society.’" I’ll be sure to offer the |
| dreaming up interesting ways to report them around | | | | video to readers. Thank you. There's a lot to say |
| the world. Amazing, right? “That's more or less | | | | about European v. American Jewish identity -- if you |
| the genesis of The Wandering Jew, a new JTA | | | | can sharpen the question a bit maybe I can be more |
| project that will take me across Europe and North | | | | helpful. Do you plan to meet a famous or |
| America in the coming months, searching out stories | | | | prominent Rabbi? Have you? Who? Are you getting a |
| that illuminate the many ways people express | | | | friendly reception? I'm getting an unbelievable |
| themselves Jewishly. Along the way, we'll hopefully | | | | reception. I've been able to tap into truly transnational |
| shed some light on some larger themes of Jewish life | | | | networks of young Jews that have been incredibly |
| in these early years of the 21st century.” | | | | helpful and illuminating to me on the way. In almost |
| How do you pack for this trip of yours? Nothing | | | | every city I've visited, there has been someone who |
| special on the packing really, though I probably travel | | | | has taken it upon themselves to show me around, to |
| less lightly than I should. I have a wheeling Victorinox | | | | show me a good time, to introduce me to the |
| suitcase, a NorthFace backpack with all the fragile | | | | relevant people, etc. I've also had the chance to |
| items -- laptop and cameras mostly -- and a tripod in | | | | meet the leadership of the local communities. In |
| a third bag. I can manage alright with everything, but | | | | Poland, I spent the Sabbath here with the chief rabbi, |
| I'm not exactly light on my feet. I generally | | | | a New York born and bred rabbi who has been here |
| manage on my own. Backpack on one shoulder, | | | | on and off for about 15 years. He's one of the |
| tripod on the other, and the suitcase trailing behind. | | | | selfless Americans I mentioned above. Will you |
| Again, if you're looking for tips on light travel, I'm not | | | | tell us his name and the Temple or community of |
| your guy. I have waaaay too much stuff. Have | | | | which he is a part? You have some thoughts on this, |
| you anyone to help you carry all that stuff? Where | | | | as I see by your answer. His name is Michael |
| do you usually stay, by the way? Hotels? Will you tell | | | | Schudrich. He's the chief rabbi, so that's his |
| us the names of one or two that you recall, and how | | | | community I guess. He's one of the selfless |
| about the food? I normally stay in hotels, but | | | | Americans I mentioned above. (Here is a taste of |
| Europe is expensive, so I have had to get creative. | | | | Ben Harris’ reporting on Michael Schudrich: |
| The Pfefferrebet hostel in Berlin was clean and | | | | “Poland's chief rabbi, Michael Schudrich, has the air |
| adequate, though not cheap for a hostel. I paid 59 | | | | of someone who enjoys being a little unorthodox. I |
| Euros for a private room. It was also a little noisy, | | | | suppose you have to be to leave behind a |
| and I need quiet to work and sleep. So I upgraded to | | | | comfortable Upper West Side upbringing, spend six |
| the Hotel Amano, a very stylish place, and about 25 | | | | years leading a community in Japan, and after that |
| more Euros a night. The room was tiny and the heat | | | | set up shop in post-Communist Poland. He's an |
| didn't work. Berlin was not great on | | | | Orthodox rabbi who was originally ordained at the |
| accommodations. In Warsaw, though, I stayed at | | | | Jewish Theological Seminary, a vegetarian in a |
| an exquisite hotel. The hotels are relatively | | | | meat-and-potatoes country, and seemed to relish |
| inexpensive here, even the nice ones, so I treated | | | | telling me about seeing the Grateful Dead perform at |
| myself a bit. The room was gorgeous, staff incredibly | | | | Nassau Coliseum in 1973.”) This is |
| helpful, though the Internet was a bit pricy, which | | | | interesting, to learn about the Jewish community of |
| was an issue for me. But I would highly recommend | | | | Europe “growing” and “growing up.” |
| the place -- the Hotel Rialto. Food wise, it has | | | | In Central and Eastern Europe, not surprisingly, the |
| varied. I sampled kosher Hungarian ghoulash in | | | | legacy of the Holocaust and Communism has been |
| Budapest and kosher Wienerschitzel in Vienna. But | | | | the dominant narrative of Jewish life since World War |
| this part of the world is meat and potatoes country, | | | | II. The Holocaust wiped out an entire generation, and |
| and frankly it gets old kind of fast, especially not | | | | most survivors and their children who grew up under |
| being a meat eater. I found a lovely vegetarian | | | | Communism denied or hid their Jewish identity. When |
| restaurant a few blocks from my hotel in Warsaw | | | | the Iron Curtain fell, rebuilding those communities |
| and I've been there three times already. Any | | | | began in earnest, largely with philanthropic help from |
| special tips to travelers who want to know about | | | | the West. Now 20 years have passed, and the |
| packing and carrying? You are now a professional | | | | work continues. But in significant ways, the |
| traveler. My best tip is bring an inexpensive laptop | | | | communities are beginning to deal not just with the |
| and familiarize yourself with the crucial travel sites. I | | | | baggage of the past, but with the very same |
| have no idea how I could have pulled this off without | | | | challenges that Jewish communities everywhere are |
| web access -- every city I visited, I read the | | | | facing -- how to engage the young, how to ensure |
| reviews, checked the maps, made hotel and flight | | | | continuity, build support for Jewish organizations, etc. |
| reservations, networked with people over Facebook | | | | And that, I believe, is a sign of their maturity. |
| and Twitter, searched recommendations for food, | | | | One issue you see in the East is the absence of a |
| and on and on. Here's a good story for you. In | | | | philanthropic culture. In America, Jewish organizations |
| Mexico, I was in Zacatecas visiting friends for the | | | | are almost entirely private non profits that rely on |
| weekend and wanted to visit Guadalajara to be with | | | | the support of their membership to survive. In the |
| the Jewish community there for Yom Kippur. But | | | | former Communist bloc, this notion remains a foreign |
| communities in Mexico are very closed -- you can't | | | | one. Most Jewish communities are official entities, |
| just show up. And we tried to get in touch with | | | | recognized by the state, and often receive |
| people there and were having trouble. Then out of | | | | substantial public funds for their activities. Their |
| the blue I get a message on Twitter from someone | | | | members expect services. This makes it hard for |
| who was following my trip, just asking if I was | | | | innovative projects outside the communal structure |
| planning to come to Guadalajara. I responded | | | | to win support. At present, the majority are |
| immediately that not only did we want to come, but | | | | dependent on philanthropy from Americans and |
| we couldn't find anyone there to host us. Turns out, | | | | Israelis. There's some effort to change this, but |
| the guy who Tweeted me was the rabbi of one of | | | | there's a long way to go. It was you who told |
| the two synagogues there. He invited us for dinner | | | | me something of the differences, and what you said |
| before the fast and generally hooked us up with | | | | rang true. Jews in Europe tend to be more |
| everyone we needed to see. Was amazing. | | | | conservative and Orthodox. Americans are more |
| Most of my movement around Europe has been by | | | | secular and most are Reform. Say something on this, |
| air, though I have taken some trains mostly for | | | | and about mixed marriage. That's not quite the |
| shorter hops. I have a lot of equipment with me. I | | | | situation. What I said was that European community |
| have a Sony HD video camera, a wireless lav mic, a | | | | institutions are generally Orthodox, or hew to |
| Samson USB mic (for voiceovers mostly), a heavy | | | | Orthodox standards. Most Jews everywhere are not |
| duty tripod, various electrical adaptors and | | | | particularly religious. But in Europe, this creates a |
| connectors, and my MacBook pro for writing and | | | | certain tension. Religious pluralism is not a widespread |
| editing video. All my work is done on the laptop, and | | | | value here. In several countries I visited, only certain |
| for interviews I either write, record, or take notes | | | | Jewish religious movements are represented on the |
| right into the computer -- and sometimes a | | | | established community councils. Other groups are |
| combination. Depends on the circumstances really. | | | | effectively left out in the cold. And because these |
| Recording tends to be the worst option because of | | | | councils are conduits for public funds, the other |
| the time required to then go back and transcribe the | | | | groups are at a significant disadvantage. In |
| interviews. How did you hook up with this | | | | America, if the existing communal institutions are not |
| assignment? How long will you be gone, and will you | | | | serving your needs, religious or otherwise, you go |
| do it again? Or don't you know, yet? I really | | | | down the street and start your own. Of course, you |
| have my editors to thank. The trip is being financed | | | | can do that here too, but the price is higher -- it |
| by grants that we have received for a number of | | | | normally means being shut out of money. And given |
| different types of coverage. I don't have to worry | | | | what I saw before about the philanthropy thing, the |
| about it. The Europe stretch is about six weeks. | | | | other groups struggle, or get funds from abroad. |
| Before that I was in Mexico for 10 days and in | | | | In Hungary, I met a young Jewish theater troupe, |
| Nevada for a week. When I return before | | | | the Golem Theatre that gets 95 percent of its |
| Thanksgiving, I will be setting off again a few days | | | | support from abroad. There are plenty of other |
| later for about 2.5 weeks in the American South -- | | | | examples. On the intermarriage thing -- this is an |
| Mississippi, Texas, Arkansas and possibly some others | | | | issue everywhere. But in the former Communist |
| are on the schedule. I would love to keep doing this. | | | | countries, you rarely find a single young Jew who has |
| It's exhausting, physically and mentally, but the | | | | two Jewish parents. And if your mother is not |
| opportunity to travel and meet incredible people is | | | | Jewish, Orthodox Judaism does not recognize you. |
| really to good to pass up. If JTA is willing to keep me | | | | Also, given the tiny numbers of young Jews in a |
| on the road, I'm happy to keep at it. (Just at the | | | | lot of these communities, it’s hardly clear that |
| beginning of November, 2009 Ben Harris reported on | | | | the younger generation is going to do much better |
| how things were going with his stories and travels. | | | | finding Jewish mates. It’s so good to be |
| He has his ups and downs: “One after another, | | | | wined and dined, especially as part of a worship |
| the stories I intended to pursue have fallen through, | | | | community. Is there a characteristic you noticed |
| or wound up not being stories at all. After three | | | | about the practice? Food? Hospitality? Where did you |
| weeks on the road, I have to admit the possibility | | | | sit, for instance, and did you give a short speech? |
| that it's me -- too little sleep, too many nights in | | | | Were you introduced? (One seminar I took at a San |
| strange hotel rooms, a certain fatigue beginning to | | | | Francisco Bay Area theological seminary – |
| set in. And I know it's dangerous, if not lazy, to | | | | Presbyterian – had as visitor to the luncheon the |
| traffic in crude stereotypes. But after weeks in which | | | | editor of “Weavings,” and he gave about |
| I've barely seen the sun (except for the few hours I | | | | five or ten minutes of talk to everyone from his |
| spent in transit above the clouds), it's hard to | | | | table. Very informal, and memorable in that he |
| resist.”) Who is your favorite person | | | | commented on religion and Hollywood and movies. |
| you've met, or most memorable, so far? Tell us | | | | That was the subject of the seminar.) It |
| something of the character of the European Jew, as | | | | depends. In Osnabruck Germany, they had me give a |
| contrasted with the American. If you want to do so. | | | | little talk on Friday night, which they translated |
| I'm reluctant to name favorites, but given Europe's | | | | sentence by sentence. In Warsaw, Rabbi Schudrich |
| difficult Jewish history, there is no shortage of | | | | conspicuously invited me up to sit next to him at the |
| amazing stories. In Germany, I met an Orthodox | | | | communal Shabbat dinner. Normally, I try to slip in |
| rabbi who was born to a Jewish mother and | | | | unobtrusively and sit in the back. But that's often not |
| non-Jewish father in Budapest. Intermarriage and kids | | | | possible. Best of luck and good travels on your |
| with difficult, or even unknown, Jewish identities is | | | | journey. Images: (1) Ben with Miriam Tauber |
| extremely common in Europe because of the | | | | and Donkey in Zacatecas, Mexico. Note sombrero on |
| Holocaust and decades of Communist oppression. But | | | | donkey; (2) Ben Harris at work with his notebook |
| this guy had an amazing story of discovering his | | | | ("Hard at Work"), Cafe Spinoza, Budapest; (3) The |
| roots, and today is helping to rebuild Jewish life in | | | | Wandering Jewesss at Burning Man. This quote from |
| Germany. I could share some more details about him | | | | Ben Harris' blog:" My companion for the week at |
| if you're interested. Please do tell us more. This | | | | Burning Man was the Wandering Jewess, who as the |
| is interesting, to learn about the Jewish community of | | | | director of the Six oints Fellowship, knows a thing or |
| Europe “growing” and “growing up.” | | | | two about art. Here's her take on the Burn's artistic |
| I've also come across a lot of American Jews who | | | | offerings and their relationship to Jewish experience: |
| have, for various reasons, left the relative comforts | | | | One way to characterize Burning Man is as an art |
| of Jewish life in the United States behind and | | | | festival. When I'm pressed to reduce the meaning of |
| dedicated themselves to helping Jews, particularly in | | | | art to a sentence, I often say that art |
| Eastern Europe (my travels have been entirely in | | | | "creates meaning in people's lives," or "helps us see |
| central and Eastern Europe so far -- I'm heading west | | | | the world and our experiences in a new way." Part |
| this week), rediscover their identities. Their | | | | of the allure of Burning Man (and part of what made |
| selflessness has been quite inspiring. In Budapest, | | | | it such fun) was that I often felt like I was living |
| I met a group of young Jews who had opened a bar | | | | inside a gigantic piece of ephemeral participatory |
| event space as a sort of hangout for young Jews | | | | performance art." |
| and as a way to participate in the wider Hungarian | | | | (4) Rabbi Michael Schudrich with friend; (5) On his |
| discussion. Hungary is unique in this part of Europe | | | | bicycle at Burning Man, Ben is seen here in the |
| because its Jewish community is so large. Most were | | | | Nevada desert. All photos courtesy Jewish |
| totally wiped out during World War II. But a sizeable | | | | Telegraphic Agency. |
| number of Hungarian Jews remain -- estimates are | | | | |