I CHARGE YOU WITH MALICIOUS INTENT.
January 10th, 2010 at 10:52 am
While YOSLY was a well written and an interesting read, it ultimately had a hollow ring to it. Instead of an attempt to build bridges between disparate religious communities, or even state a position but show a slightly balanced view of the good Judaism has indeed brought into the world, this work was ultimately filled with hatred. Anne (your alter ego) came off sounding like a spiteful, arrogant, whiny, and hate-filled individual, filled with the exuberance of her own ivory- tower verbosity, compassionately vapid and, seemingly, always in the attack mode.
While I am sorry for the experience that you went through, there have been many others in your position who have chosen a different path. They either went to learn, spoke with Rabbis, or perhaps did turn their backs on Judaism but did not allow hatred to reign supreme.
Mr. Burr, there is enough anti-Semitism and general hatred in the world to go around one hundred fold. Congratulations for contributing to this sad state of affairs. You are a talented individual, misplacing your gifts by perpetuating contempt and ill -will towards Jews and Judaism. Mazel Tov – you have added to all that is toxic in this world. This is not the case of “shooting the messenger” but rather that the messenger himself is the poisoned arrow.
My former community of fellow Jews includes numerous blacks, Chinese and Hispanics. They have converted according to halacha because they strongly identify with Jewish values. My niece and nephew are of mixed race and fully Jewish. I have religious Jewish Hawaiian friends, Indian friends, South American friends and others of mixed backgrounds calling themselves: Religious Jews. Where is the blood component here? Where is the racism?
More than anything, Mr. Burr, I charge you with malicious intent dedicated to fomenting further hatred and fanning the flames of anti-Semitism. You are undoubtedly not blind and realize the role Islam is playing in maligning Jews and Israel. Are you so self-hating (your Jewish underpinnings) that you throw the rest of Jews to the literary wolves? Do you feel no responsibility to improve the world (tikkun olam) through uplifting literature – but only to tear it down with your dime-a-dozen anti-Semetic rhetoric? Members of my book club agree with me in this regard. What a wasted opportunity, a waste of the paper it’s printed on, and a total waste of our money. Here’s hoping you don’t let Sam, Play It Again !
- Tzippi Sha-ked
Chandler Burr responds:
You ask where is the racism. Here it is: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/17/world/europe/17britain.html?scp=1&sq=British%20Supreme%20Court%20Jewish&st=cse
As for my malicious intent to fan of the flames of anti-Semitism. I understand that since you were born they have fed you a diet of theological and cultural beliefs as parochial and insular as they are deeply rooted and iron-clad. They have dressed you in an intellectual Kevlar that works two ways: It not only prevents anything from getting in, it obstructs at every turn any effort you might make to get out. “You” is in fact a work of tikkun olam (your expression of the responsibility to make the world better) because it raises questions. To name one: The quite obvious contradiction between saying, “I believe in [fill in any traditional religion; all posit people who are important to their god or gods and people who are not]” and, “I believe all human beings are of inherently equal spiritual worth.” You didn’t ignore this question. You simply don’t register it. When a person cannot detect a glitch in a moral or theological system, any discussion of that glitch can only be interpreted as an attack on the system itself. You see malicious intent because you are unable to see anything else.
January 25th, 2010 at 10:53 pm
Mr. Burr requires us as readers to examine what active participation in a religion, any religion, truly means. That members of religions view themselves as privileged insiders and, consequently, others as outcasts is corrupt. It is a view opposed to the kind of secular universalist spirituality inherent in the study of literature. That is Anne Rosenbaum’s understanding of human beings. Hers indeed was a higher view, the true evolution of loving kindness, wisdom, and equality that we can all aspire to.
I have to say that at first I really didn’t like this novel; I found the characters and setting off-putting. But once I saw where Mr. Burr was going, I couldn’t put it down. We’re discussing it at our book club next month and I am looking forward to reading it for the second time and delving into its layers of complexity. When I came to this website, I was hoping to see the lists of books and articles in Anne’s book clubs listed under each group so that I could easily see what I should add to my list of must-reads. “You” is a great read, one of the best of the decade, provocative, and full of the hope that change and self-realization are possible for both the individual and the cultures of the world.
February 8th, 2010 at 7:08 am
What a conundrum! Intolerance for “racism” on one side, and the right to practice religion freely on the other. Mr. Burr, you can’t enforce your view of what is racist without infringing on the freedom of religion.
February 8th, 2010 at 8:50 am
Mr.Burr, the only thing that seems iron-clad is your distorted view of Judaism. Judaism posits that while all people are created in the image of God, we have different roles to play. The roles may not ‘appear’ equal but all are inherently important. Before you malign Jewish philosophy, try studying it. You really went to town with your feelings of rejection. There are admission standards in every level of society: Harvard, libraries, passport control, restaurants, and even English language bookclubs.
February 24th, 2010 at 1:39 am
I would like to disagree with the original poster entirely. I have few comments on Judaism, because I am from Australia and NZ and I have never to my knowledge met a practicing Jew.
Burr’s presentation of Judaism seems balanced and rational. I didn’t see hatred. I saw pain. He reached out, willing to love Judaism and embrace that side of his heritage. He was rejected because of his genes. Ms. Sha-ked’s statement that there have been many others in the same position somehow makes the entire line of thought even more repugnant to me. ‘You’re not special in how you’ve been mistreated, there are many other people we have kicked in the teeth who rightly curled up into a ball and repented the mistake of their own birth.’
Likewise, saying that Burr shouldn’t bring up his negative experiences of Judaism just because Islam is picking on the Jews as well is a ridiculous step of logic. It’s as stupid as saying that if a white man was beaten up by the cops that he shouldn’t speak about it because there are many black people suffering from police brutality.
As for the people who “went on to learn” to come to terms with their newfound inferiority, that meant accepting it as true. That’s a heck of a stupid lesson to learn, in my opinion. Those who expect other people to accept the judgement that they are lesser are messed up in the head.
I don’t see Burr as spreading already rampant anti-Semitism. I can say this candidly; there is no anti-Semitism in my world because we don’t have any Semites to hate. Our entire understanding of the Jewish culture is that Jews were unfairly persecuted and are a nation of victims. We’re inclined to be on the Jews’ side. Any bad PR you have, you’re bringing on yourselves obviously because the only thing kids on our side of the world are getting told is that Jews are the good guys. I see that in this book, too – Burr’s ridiculous (to me) claim that Judaism led to all the great works of literature and culture and business and learning (I’m paraphrasing because I can’t find the quotation in my book at the moment). Suddenly the Jews are responsible for everything worthwhile?
Anyway, this emotionally charged stuff is distracting me. The part of the comment I really wanted to address was this: Anne.
Thank you, Mr Burr, for writing an unapologetically intelligent, certain, feminine and socially-accepted female lead. Thank you for presenting a woman who can state her opinion without being belittled, and for giving her a partner who accepts her as an equal without feeling threatened. I saw confidence, clarity and love.
I liked her. I respected her. Ms. Sha-ked’s attack on your narrator shows more toxicity and malicious intent than anything I saw in the novel.
May 18th, 2010 at 11:46 pm
Хочу и возьму…
While YOSLY was a well written and an interesting read, it ultimately had a hollow ring to it…..