Saturday, February 18, 2006

Scholar Lipstadt Signs on as Judge of Israeli Anti-Semitic Toon Fest

(Note, this is a real story)

Showing she has a sense of humor as well as great courage, professor Deborah Lipstadt of Emory University has volunteered to serve as a judge of the Israeli anti-semitic cartoon festival discussed earlier.

Lipstadt wrote to contest organizer Amitai Sandy, "I have lots of experience dealing with antisemites and deniers. [I was sued by denier David Irving in a Brit. court and won a smashing victory.]"

Lipstadt, the Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish and Holocaust Studies at Emory, wrote on her own blog,
I am exhausted by all the sturm and drang of Butz, Irving, AAUP, and others. [I never thought I would string those two names with the AAUP. For details on AAUP see previous post of February 10th.]I think I need a breather, so I have decided to volunteer to be a judge in the Jewish cartoon contest. There are few people who can judge antisemitism better than I. [Not an accolade I claim proudly.]

So, bravo to Professor Lipstadt and here's hoping she enjoys her break. I can't wait to see what other Jews join her in speaking up for free expression and Jewish humor.

Frank Rich has yet to comment.

No comments:

Searching for Connection to the World to Come

Who has ever heard a message from the dead, had a near death experience, or had vivid memories of a past life? Ever played with a Ouiji boar...