BIG TENT FOR ISRAEL ON 27/11/11

 WHEN CRUCIAL MOTION EQUATING ZIONISM WITH RACISM WAS DEFEATED

A "MIRACLE" VOTE SAVED J-SOC FROM ANNIHILATION

http://www.thebigtentforisrael.org/ 

About 30 years ago I attended a student Union debate at Manchester University where the motion was to equate Zionism to Racism and if passed to ban J-Soc. Manchester University was and still is one the biggest universities and if passed this would have swept throughout the UK and we would literally not be talking to you today as an organisation of UJS and J-Soc. After an hour or so we were really being destroyed on the debating floor and even hard line jews and zionists were beginning to doubt themselves. Not one single jew had the remotest idea what to do or say. We had not a single argument, we did not know how to counter any arguments the other side put forward, we did not know how to express ourselves or how to fight for our cause. We were uneducated and untrained. We were hopeless. A few moments before the debate was to close and the vote was to be taken a jewish friend of mine stood up from the audience, he was not even a Manchester student, and said something that has, regrettably, faded from my memory. He spoke for less than a minute, perhaps only 20 words or so. After the debate he could not remember what he said, he did not know where the words came from and he even questioned whether he had even spoken. What he said swung the debate and all the jews were back on side but crucially all the neutrals came over to our side and the motion was defeated and we are here today because of that. I truly believe I witnessed a miracle that day and I also believe that the Big Tent in Manchester is another miracle in the making. 

The students of today are the leaders of the jewish community of tomorrow both in Israel and the diaspora. Amongst them will become Presidents of Shuls, Chairman and members of the Board of Deputies and the other major anglo/jewish/Israeli bodies. Many of them will become volunteers for the various charitable organisations. A few of them will become Ministers in Government and maybe even a future Prime Minister. Some of them might become Rabbis and teachers. A lot of them will become influential in business and in lobbying groups. They will all however be needed to defend our judaism, our freedom and that of Israel.

To learn that there is a well funded and well organised campaign to deligitimise Israel with its headquarters in London is not a surprise but nevertheless a shock. The fact that our oppressors are now using their intelligence is a totally new threat and takes its lead from the example we have set over many years. The biggest worry is that they are active and doing things to deligitimise Israel whilst we respond in the stoically British way and just let it happen without so much as a whimper. Before the second World World War some say we did not do enough to fight off the threat of Hitler and look what happened. It was just 60 odd years ago and take a look around the world at the atrocities happening every second of every minute of every hour of every day and should therefore never think it could not happen again. Sweeping changes accross the Middle East could bring new threats to Israel but one prediction I will make is that whatever becomes of places like Syria there will always be an Arab, Muslim, anti semitic, socialist threat to Jews and Israel.

The Big Tent puts an end to this. Students will be educated and inspired, trained and motivated and empowered to be the next front line in Anglo Jewry's fight against this insidious and hidden campaign based on anti semitism and lies. Only the students can save us now and we pray that they will rise to this challenge. Their future starts in Manchester on Sunday 27th November.

I am not involved in the Big Tent organisation and nor am I a Macha in a Shul or on any other Committee etc. I have however congratulated Rabbi Guttentag on being the only person to rise to the challenge presented by the REUT report on the deligitimisation of Israel and also made him will aware of what I think he has done wrong in respect of the Big Tent. My only connection is that as of today I offered to supply leaflets to some kids I know to give out at their schools.

The Big Tent is now officially endorsed by the Board of Deputies and all other major Anglo Jewish organisations including the UJS.

This is a momentous occasion for Anglo Jewry and Israel and no less so for Manchester and provincial jewry

It is time to put all other news aside including news relating to the Big Tent and to support it, glorify it and make it as big a success as it needs to be.

http://www.thebigtentforisrael.org/

ADAM COHEN - LIKE FATHER LIKE SON

I first heard about Adam Cohen on the Leonard Cohen forum and was morbidly curious and hoped he would at least sing the same type of music as his father even if I knew nothing was ever likely to compare to the great man.

My first impression of Adam was through his You Tube confessional that he had all but given up singing after a failed career but was giving it one more go with a new album called Like A Man. The preview clip sounded promising and my wife Karen assured me he looked good

Apart from that I found a few quite sexy sounding French songs but frankly anything in French sounds sexy and anything sexy sounds good.

I am so desperate for anything “Cohenesque” that I have seen the Webb Sisters and the Keith James tribute show but I am totally convinced that I would not have bought tickets to see Adam if I did not like his music. So based on one track, the title track to Like A Man, I became the excited holder of 2 tickets to see Adam live at the band on the Wall in Manchester.

When I finally got the whole new CD I realised I had not made a mistake but at the same time I could not disassociate Adam from his father. Having see Cohen senior on every one of his tours since 1985 (all 3 of them) and 6 concerts in all including 4 shows during his recent 3 year long tour Adam was going to have to be good to make an impact on me. The last time I saw Leonard I got right up in front of the great man for the encores so was determined to be up close to his son and Karen certainly was not complaining.

The show opened with Mia Bloomfield warming up the stage with half a dozen songs and she was really good so I was not disappointed when she announced that she would be back to play in Adam’s band.

Finally Adam appeared with Mia and Michael his drummer, guitarist, pianist, backup vocalist etc. Ten songs and lots of chatting later it was all over but I hope that this is just the start of something that will last many years. Adam is talented, writes great songs and has bucket loads of charisma.

It must be difficult having a father who is so famous, successful and who is simply better than you will ever be but if Adam did not have a talented father he would not have had the chance of inheriting the talent he has so it’s a catch 22.

I am confused because on the one hand Adam wants to break free from living in his father’s shadow but yet the show was so totally overshadowed by his father and Adam was equally to blame for constantly referring to him and even led a sing along to So Long Marianne.

Adam could have come on, sang 20 songs and gone back to his hotel but he did not. Instead he engaged the audience in conversation about himself, his father and how he tried and failed to force himself to not only be a success but to do it by way of a genre of music he neither liked nor was competent at. Instead he has finally accepted that he is part of a dynasty of music that deserves to be honored by him and this realisation has freed him to express himself with a collection of truly beautiful songs.

Ok so Adam’s songs do not quite have the breadth of musicalilty or depth of poetic imagery of his fathers and he does not even have a back catalogue. Furthermore Adam is not yet able to afford to be accompanied by a band, like his father’s, who could provide a great evening of entertainment without either Cohen at their helm but he really is a great singer in his own right. He recounted how Paul Mcartney recently attended one of his concerts and assumed even he was morbidly curious but was much boosted when Paul admitted that he wished he had written “over rated himself”


Adam cannot help it but if you closed your eyes and just listened to the voice singing or talking you really could be forgiven if you thought it was Leonard himself on the stage. 

Adam invited references to his father when he asked the audience why we had come to hear shouts of “Leonard” in response and when he asked if we wanted to hear a Leonard Cohen song to hear cries of “yes” in reply. I think this tour brings with it a sense of closure. Adam gives the audience chance to once again express their feelings about Leonard and Adam has the opportunity to hold his hand up and say "yeh my dad is Leonard Cohen and there is nothing I can do about that". 

There is a saying “if you cannot beat ‘em, join ‘em” and I say good luck to Adam and make the most of it. However I feel that Adam just wanted to get this monkey off his back or chip off his shoulder and I believe that Adam will go on to make many more great albums and to carve out a great career for himself. I am sure that Adam will stay true to himself and by that he will be staying faithful to the Cohen brand of music and he will through his albums and shows perpetuate what his father started but also fulfill his own potential.

When I saw Leonard Cohen the last time and probably for the last time in Lille in 2010 I was lucky enough to get the great man’s set list (well Karen got it actually). It was a lot easier to get hold of Adam’s set list and even to get it signed but it’s a nice double to have achieved and Karen even got a kiss on both cheeks (from Adam if you were wondering).


I told him that I am also a Cohen and we spontaneously gave each other the secret hand single of the Cohens used from ancient biblical times to the present day and that is worth more than a kiss to me.

ARTISTS TRACEY EMIN & MARINA ABRAMOVITCH AND MUSICIANS ANTONY AND RUFUS WAINWRIGHT ARE GREAT MODERN PERFORMANCE ARTISTS

In 2008 I saw an excellent Tracey Emin retrospective exhibition in Edinburgh and I remember it having an impact on me at the time but having just seen the Emin Retrospective at the Hayward Gallery in London I now see things more clearly.

I recall, in Edinburgh, being blown away by the brutal honesty of Emin through her art but after the Hayward show I was just as overwhelmed by the realisation of Emin’s status as one of the only truly credible contemporary artists.

In 2009 I went to a talk and show by Marina Abramovitch, the world renowned Performance Artist, at the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester. The talk was particularly enlightening.

Abramovitch made the point quite persuasively that Performance Art is the only worthwhile form of art and that 2D art such as painting and even 3D art such as sculpture has little merit. Performance art, she explained, included the sort of theatrical acts that she is known for such as her recent 28 day “silent sit in” at MOMA in New York.

Abramovitch also suggested that dance and music were also forms of performance art. And, surprisingly, until I had considered it further, she ranked music as the highest form of performance art. She explained that in her opinion the risk involved in singing ones own songs containing ones own music but especially ones own lyrics sets music apart from any other form of performance art. Of course we are talking about singer songwriter music and not teen pop music.

More reecently I went to a show entitled “The Life and Death of Marina Abramovitch” featuring various theatrical performances by Ambramovitch herself and others and featuring the words and music of Antony (whom I will refer to later). If proof was necessary of Abramovitch’s conclusion in her lecture then this show was it.

I should not have been surprised however as my first love is music and I have very often found myself quite literally overwhelmed by the music I am listening to. I recall the very moments I first heard Dylan singing Sara, Springsteen sing Thunder Road, Neil Young sing After the Gold Rush and many other such occasions. The only time such moments have been improved upon is hearing these songs being performed live as this is a combination of the music and performance. An anology to this is my contention that an autograph is only worth having if the autographer provides it personally to you hence I would never buy an autograph.

So why does music rank so highly. The writer has written the music he or she hopes we like and has written the lyrics which in general express their views on politics, society, relationships, ethics morals and any other such personal views. Even more significantly, however, the lyrics are often very much more personal than just the writers opinions but are often a “bare all, sole searching, expose” of the writers life and feelings.

Rufus Wainwright has just completed 5 nights at the Royal Opera House. 5 different shows on consecutive nights at the same venue featuring different guests and formats is unusual in itself but the most unusual feature was the very personal nature of the shows. The first 2 shows had Rufus recreating Judy Garlands famous Carnegie Hall concert and the last featured Rufus performing songs from Opera. The other 2 shows, that I attended, featured in various combinations his sister Martha, father Loudon, a step sister, a cousin and a brother in law. 

There is little argument that the Wainwrights are the greatest musical family in the history of contemporary music. Neither Rufus or Martha had spoken (very much) with their farther for many years and I assume that the recent death of their mother and Loudon’s ex wife appears to have brought them back together. Furthermore I do not know to what extent Rufus is a self publicist or whether his obvious and self proclaimed love of being in the spotlight is a genuine personality characteristic. That said I found the 2 concerts particularly moving especially the second involving his father and I feel that the concerts were in themselves more than just a gig and were in fact a performance of the life of the Wainwrights.

Through her art Emin reveals her life story and what a life it has been. Furthermore understanding Emin through her art is relatively easy. Emin does not hide herself so deeply that she cannot be found. I am actually now of the opinion that other contemporary artists simply do not reveal anything about themselves or anything else for that matter but simply purport to have done so and allow critics to invent something remotely plausible.

Let’s consider two examples.

In the Video work “Humiliation at the Dance Competition” Emin reveals her humiliation at the hands of the men who used her body for underage sex when she was going through a period in her life as a “slag” (her description of herself) after she had been raped, aged 13, but has the last laugh on them by exposing them as the perverts they are.

In any persons life the question of having or not having, being able to have or not being able to have children comes up and I am sure that for any woman who has had children and even more so for those who have chosen not to even though they can this question becomes all the more acute when they approach the time they can no longer conceive. Emin has chosen not to have children and therefore the several abortions she has had have been particularly traumatic for her, especially as one was done in a “back street clinic” and she nearly dies as a result and she has expressed this through her art.

There is of course the accusation that art can be too self indulgent but in my view it can never be as long as it is delivered with integrity subtlety and I believe that Emin achieves that.

In a similar way Antony and Rufus reveal their very complex and troubled personalities through their music and do so with such honesty and sincerity that it is taken in by the listener with the respect it deserves. I think it is no coincidence that Antony has often enhanced the performance of his music to incorporate some sort of theatre as in his Turning shows in 2006 and his operatic form of concerts over the past 2 years and as previously mentioned he has written the music and lyrics for and performs them in the Marina Abramovitch show.

One rarely reads about Emin’s life in the tabloid press although they did have a go at her “Bed”. Emin’s life story, however, is interesting not because she is a celebrity or because we human’s are generally fascinated by other people’s misadventures but because of the way she reveals herself through her art. She does it in an accessible way yet with subtlety and even humility. She does not patronize the viewer by trying to outwit them or by conning them into believing the work is something more than it appears to be.

Contemporary art is rarely judged by its beauty although its construction can be impressive or visually appealing therefore I believe it must be judged on what its says to the viewer and Emin’s work says a lot. It also speaks in a language that is neither so blatant as to be crude but at the same time it is not too ambiguous as to be overly self indulgent or conceited.

I could just as easily end this synopsis of art talking about an artist like Tracey Emin or Marina Abramovitch or a musician such as Rufus Wainwright or Antony as I believe they are all great artists producing great art with the sole difference being the form in which their art is performed.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN CONCERTS ARE THE BEST PARTIES I HAVE EVER BEEN INVITED TO

A great party has to have a great host, great company and great entertainment so for a concert to be a great party the singer and his band must be beautifully singing and brilliantly playing great music and they must be looking after their guests well enough to make every single one of them feel special.

I was fortunate enough to get into Bruce Springsteen in 1976 not long after he began his career in 1973 and just as he was finally getting the recognition he deserved at least in the USA although it took another few years for him to catch on in the UK. My first Springsteen album was his seminal Born to run (1975) and I remember where and when I bought it and the first time I held my own copy of the heavy white cover with the incredible photo of the Boss and the Big Man on the cover.

Springsteen had however already released 2 great albums, Greetings From Ashbury Park and my personal favorite, The Wild the Innocent and E Street Shuffle at either end of 1973 and he still had 2 more classics, Darkness on the Edge of Town and The River to release in 1976 and 1978 respectively.

During the 80s and 90s Springsteen continued to release average albums in a wide variety of styles from the solo acoustic Nebraska to the pop Born in the USA before a return to (better) form in the 00s with the Rising, Springsteen’s response to 9/11, Magic and most recently Working on a Dream.

Springsteen’s reputation for live performance has been one of legend for the past 40 years when as a 24 year old he began to play his own music but commercial success was not easily come by until he released Born to Run and its tracks became the foundation of his live shows from that day until this.

It may sound like I think Springsteen peaked over 33 years ago and I suppose on one level that is true both in terms of his studio and live work but the reality is that he set such a high standard with his first 5 albums and early performances that it would never have been possible to top it or even maintain it. That said he remains a great songwriter and performer even to this day.

I first saw Springsteen live in 1980 at both his gigs at the Manchester Apollo, tickets for which I had queued for 48 hours from Friday morning to Sunday morning. Well I was 19 and it seemed like a fun thing to do and was well worth it not just for the tickets but also for the banter in the queue.

£6 got me a 4 hour show the like of which I have never witnessed before or since and there are not many singers and bands I have not seen in the past 33 years including Springsteen about a dozen times. A Springsteen show is really the greatest show on earth.

I do not know of any singer who has evoked youth culture better than Springsteen save for perhaps Paul Simon in his early years with Garfunkel and not even Simon talked about it in quite such a frank and brutally honest manner. Listening to Springsteen’s first 5 albums is like a documentary on teenage life in the 60s and post Vietnam America.

On one level Springsteen’s songs are bleak and depressing as the youngsters he portrays are typically at odds with their parents, unemployed, involved in things they should not be, trying to make relationships with the opposite sex and with a feeling of abject helpless and hopelessness. However at the same time he makes you realize how exciting these times were in these youngsters lives as they begin to break free of their parents, get jobs, learn right from wrong and form relationships and decide on their futures. Springsteen also emphasises the fun that can be had on the journey through this period in life, driving fast cars, partying on the beech and making out with the opposite sex, getting a first job and beginning to settle down. It is a journey that Springsteen has been through himself and he is happy to show you the scrapbooks he kept along the way in the form of his albums or to let you in for an actual taste of the action at his concerts.

I will take a look at Bruce’s scrap book another time so why do I suggest the concert is a party to which one has been invited rather than a gig one has bought a ticket for.

As I said earlier it is Springsteen’s life and the lives of the ordinary people around him in the 60s and 70s being performed and for that you have to be allowed in or invited. We know that the entertainment (the songs) is good and it is an accepted fact that the members of the E Street band are unsurpassed in their individual and collective brilliance. So if the host is good we certainly have the makings of a great Party and as a host there is no one better than Springsteen.

Springsteen is the only musician I know who is ready, willing and able to forgo his own enjoyment of his own party to ensure each and every one of his guests is having a good time and he has to work hard on this as he often has up to 100,000 guests at his parties. Springsteen encourages you to get up and dance when normally you are too shy or lazy to do so, he cajoles you into singing along despite you having a terrible voice and he encourages, enables, frees you to have a good time whether or not you are in the mood for it, have a stressed out life or are normally a wall flower at parties. Fans do not need to try to have a good time as it comes so easy, fans do not need a drink to free them from their inhibitions they are just uninhibited and fans do not need to be asked twice for a dance as they always say yes the first time. Why, because it is Springsteen himself asking each and every fan to dance with him and it is Springsteen who goes around everyone in the audience making sure that they are having the best time they have ever had and if necessary to help free them from their inhibitions and the stresses of the life they inhabit.

Attending a Springsteen gig is a life changing privilege and one of the most enjoyable and unique experiences it is possible to have. That’s what turns a Springsteen ticket into a invitation and a Springsteen concert into a party and it is Springsteen who makes every one of his shows the greatest party ever.