Monday, August 08, 2005

French Jewish studies... Cancelled

I was totally set to sign up for this evening class at the JCC:

Vive la France et ses Juifs! An Introduction to the History of French Jewry

How much do we really know about the world’s third largest Jewish community? Delphine Horvilleur, a French journalist and rabbinical student at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, whose family dates back to the 17th century in France’s Alsace-Lorraine region, will take you beyond Rashi and Dreyfus. Gain a broad cultural and historical overview, learn how this diverse community evolved through successive waves of immigration, and consider current political issues, traditions of French anti-Semitism and France's ambiguous positions regarding Israel.


But... It's been cancelled? Did the French-Jewish expert find something better to do (say, a Franco-Israeli culinary tour of lower Manhattan, with Ceci Cela and the Hummus Place as focal points, because that might well be better)? Does the New York Jewish community, myself being the exception, not find French Jews all that fascinating? It struck me as odd, when I initially read the listing, that the class was supposed to go beyond Dreyfus, as if everyone already knows so much about the Dreyfus Affair that it's not worth discussing. I'd imagine that most people interested in signing up for a class about French Jews would have at least heard about Dreyfus, but I'd think a full six classes could (should, even) be devoted to the Dreyfus Affair and its impact on French Jews. If for some reason the JCC decides such a class is worth teaching, and doesn't mind someone with just a B.A....

But seriously, this class looked awesome. And it's one of the few things being offered by the JCC, the 92nd Street Y, or similar, other than Hebrew classes, that isn't specifically tailored to picking people up. OK, not one of the few, but the market for these things appears to be much stronger than the market for Dreyfus classes, and that's really too bad. For example, there's this class, with the clever name, "How to Meet the 'Right' Person." I love how the word "right" gets quotes, as if the most this doctor (or should I say "doctor") can offer is a person who's not too terrible. This class just sounds creepy. Then there's the "Deeper Dating" option, which is presumably not as obscene as it sounds. Regardless, these options are plentiful, but there's not as much out there for those who want more Dreyfus and less dating advice. Sparking romance among Jews is part of promoting Jewish life, but it isn't everything.

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