THE SHPiEL
VOLUME 5 I ss ue 2,


15 Sh'vat 5768 28 Sh'vat 5768
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January 22, 2008 February 4, 2008
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Dr. Death' Shows



Students the Light


Dr. Jack Kevorkian speaks
to a packed O'Dome about
politics, physician-assisted
suicide and even religion.
BY JESSALYN BERGER
SHPiEL staff writer
Dr. Jack Kevorkian is a name
synonymous with physician-assisted
suicide. His name evokes images of
suicide machines, lethal injections and
videos taunting authorities.
On June 1 though, "Dr. Death" saw
the light-not the light at the end of the
tunnel he led 130 patients to, but the
light of the outside world after serving


eight years in a Michigan prison on a
10- to 25-year prison term for second-
degree murder.
At his speech at the O'Connell Center
Jan. 16, Kevorkian, 79, spoke for over
an hour about euthanasia, the penal
system and his own political views.
Kevorkian, a pathologist, never took
the Hippocratic Oath when in medical
school. He said his only mistake was
not seeking better legal advice.
Traditionally, medical students were
obligated to take the oath as a pledge to
the ethical practice of medicine. Today
it is more a rite of passage and not
required for graduation.
According to Jewish law, active
euthanasia is forbidden and is


considered homicide, although Jews
differ on hastening death when a
person is in pain. Kevorkian mentioned
the Torah at one point, putting forth his
view that it is an "endless discussion,"
with no conclusions.
Kevorkian also said religion is a
"straitjacket on the mind that a person
voluntarily puts themselves into."
Linking the Hippocratic Oath to
ancient Greek religious practices, he
called for the dissociation of religion
from the world of hospices and
hospitals.
"Don't introduce religion into a
medical problem," he said. "The Bible is
SEE KEVORKIAN, PAGE 2


George Dubya's

Magical

Mystery Tour

The fool on the hill visits
Israel for the first time since
taking office.
BY DOUGLAS SHARF
SHPiEL staff writer
George W. Bush's Middle East tour,
which ended Wednesday, Jan. 16 in
Egypt, is a glorified version of Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice's fruitless
early 2007 tour.
Bush, as a lame duck appears to
be scrounging for anything that can be
construed as progress in. Middle East
diplomacy. In frantic legacy-building
style he seems to want to balance out
SEE BUSH, PAGE 3.


1X~ ~s~C~ ______________s________~







21 NEWS


The SHPiEL: Volume 5, Issue 2


Kevorkian speech makes a killing


Days comedian Mark Malkoff
("The Colbert Report") is living
in an IKEA store while his
house is fumigated:

Countries that have an IKEA:

Average annual wage in 2001
for a Wal-Mart sales associate
in dollars:

Poverty line for a family of
three in 2001 in dollars:

Wal-Mart employees in the US
withouthealthcare coverage:

Percentage of 300 million
pounds of Starbucks coffee
that was fair trade in 2006:

Percent chance that Tom Brady
is not thinking about world
ethics:

Chance that you are not
thinking about world issues
because Lost Season 4 starts
in 10 days:


7



40



13,861



14,630



792,300



6




100





86


The SHPiEL does not guarantee that the information or statistics in this table
are either factual or accurate, and in fact we probably just made half of this
crap up. So please don't hold us accountable if you try to show off your new
knowledge in front of all your friends and someone calls you out on your idiocy.


Ha rpergol dtei n blatt'


KEVORKIAN, FROM PAGE 1

literature, not dogma."
Shraga Simmons, an Orthodox rabbi
of Aish HaTorah, wrote that "A person's
soul is not his to extinguish, and he
cannot direct someone else to assist him
in ending his life," And that "Any form of
active euthanasia...is strictly prohibited
and condemned as plain murder. The fact
that the patient is in unremitting pain and
pleads for assistance in ending his life
does not change the law."
Another Orthodox view, from Ohr
Somayach Tanenbaum College is that
"Elimination of suffering is a commendable
goal. In fact, this may permit even
'aggressive' treatment of pain to a degree
that is not standard medical practice."
A Reform rabbi, Marc Rubenstein of
Temple Isaiah of-Newport Beach, supports
passive euthanasia.
He said that "Withdrawing or
withholding life support from terminally
ill patients is sometimes justified by


Arun Gandhi Battles for Peace


BY BEN CAVATARO
SHPiEL staff writer

A grandson of Mahatma Gandhi
lambasted Israel and disparaged Jews in
a recent Washington Post/Newsweek blog
"On Faith," writing that "Jewish identity in
the future appears bleak."
Arun Gandhi, president and co-
founder of the M.K. Gandhi Institute for
Nonviolence at the University of Rochester
in New York, is the fifth grandson of the
Indian independence leader Mohandas K.
Gandi, known as Mahatma.
In the blog, Gandhi wrote that "Jewish
identity in the past has been locked into
the Holocaust experience" and that "Any
nation that remains anchored to the past
is unable to move ahead and, especially a
nation that believes its survival can only
be ensured by weapons and bombs."
Responses from Jews came quickly.
Some Jewish bloggers, such as
"themiddle" on Jewlicious, rebutted
.Gandhi's statement that "We have created
a culture of violence (Israel and the Jews
are the biggest players) and that Culture


of Violence is eventually going to destroy
humanity" as overtly anti-Semitic, while
the blog Solomonia noted that Mahatama
Gandhi himself had an ambivalent
relationship with Jews (he disliked that
they did not love their enemies).
Arun Gandhi later clarified his remarks
but did not apologize, writing:
"I do not believe and should not have
implied that the policies of the Israeli
government are reflective of the views of
all Jewish people."
Gandhi was criticized by Jewish
leaders over his remarks, including
American Jewish Committee Executive
Director David A. Harris who wrote that
"To suggest that Jews today are using
the Holocaust at the expense of others is
reprehensible. Regrettably, in the Internet
age, it is difficult for a writer, especially
one with a popular family name, to retract
such hurtful, misinformed statements,
and, indeed, Mr. Gandhi has fallen short
in his subsequent apology."
Gandhi spoke at UF in October to open
Kaleidoscope: Asian and Asian American
Awareness Month.


Editor-in-Chief
Giselle Mazur
theshpiel@gmail.com

Managing Editor
Joshua Fleet
joshlf@ufl.com

News Editor
Ben Cavataro
cavataro@ufl.edu


Scene Editor
Douglas Sharf
dsharf88@ufl.edu

Executive Advisor/Mentor
Rabbi Yonah Schiller
ravyonah@ufhillel.org

Web Director
Lori Finkel
Imfinkel@ufl.edu


Layout Editor
Jackie Jakob
jjakob@ufl.edu

Public Relations
Brittany Smaridge
bviesti@ufl.edu

Photo Editor
Jeremy Fields
froma@ufl.edu


National Affairs
Hilary D'Angelo
hilaryd@ufl.edu
Corey Smith
corsha@ufl.edu

Political Cartoonist
Jamie Caceres
jnc5122@ufl.edu


N




0-L
ri7'h


The Only Student-Run Jewish Campus Newspaper in the Country, Right Here at the University of Florida


Jewish law by its mandate that 'we are not
to prolong the process of dying.'"
Kevorkian's speech at UF was his
first major speaking engagement since
his release on parole in July. He .spoke
at Wayne State University on Nov. 29 to
about 250 people.
Although conditions of his parole
mandate that he not discuss details on
assisted suicide, Kevorkian still strongly
defended his practices, and called for
decriminalization of suicide so that it is
:"available to everyone who is medically
justified around the world."
Criticizing both the American Medical
Association for prohibiting assisted
suicide and Oregon's assisted-suicide law
for not requiring doctors to be present,
Kevorkian said he was trying to awaken
people, to do "as the Founding Fathers
suggested." He still believes in what he
went to prison for and does not apologize
for it.
"Rosa Parks did an illegal act," he said.
"Was it a crime? Neither was mine."








The SHPiEL:Volume 5, Issue 2


roll up 'Bush maneuver', roll up


BUSH ,.
FROM PAGE
1

everything
else about his
presidency,
like putting 4
a cherry
atop a pile of
disaster.
H i s
desperation
to save his
name is clear.
Visiting the I
Middle East
for the first Israeli children welcome Pi
time in the at the residence of Israeli
seventh
year of his eight-year tenure, the
main objectives of his trip were to
discuss peace between Israel and the
Palestinians (a novel idea) and to stress
the danger of Iran.
Unfortunately for both objectives,
the president pulled a "Bush maneuver."
That is, doing something completely
counter-productive to one's goals.
The first Bush maneuver was
neglecting to put a visit to the Gaza
Strip on the itinerary.
Hamas actually increased the amount
of Qassam rockets that were launched
into Sderot while Bush was discussing
peace in the West Bank.
Bush's fault?
Eh, probably.
Gaza is a major part of the regional
unrest, and Bush's talks with Palestinian
Authority President Mahmoud Abbas
are meaningless there.
The area has been under the control
of Hamas since the militant group
seized power from Abbas' Fatah party
(a faction of the Palestine Liberation
Organization) last year.
Talks with Abbas were doomed from
the start anyway.
Abbas is a proponent of the "right
of return," which would bring an influx
of Palestinians to IsraeLand make
Jews a minority. The Jewish state
would no longer exist.
The fact that this issue was not
discussed at any length can be
called the second Bush maneuver.
Bush told reporters in Jerusalem
that "There should be an end to the
occupation that began in 1967," as
if the water-cooler talk in Tel Aviv
over the past years wasn't already
the status of the Golan Heights.
Bush said both the Israelis
and the Palestinians will have to
make painful concessions to reach Av
agreements, but the reluctance
of either side to accept these
concessions is the reason an
agreement cannot be reached in
the first place.
Bush's Iran strategy-to


f.C'H ...I L l tl 1 .1e 1 t1 u'rl
resident Bush on Jan. 9, 2008 upon his arrival
President Shimon Pere.

condemn the state as a terrorist
financier-suffered the most from a
Bush maneuver.
Perhaps the only tangible
accomplishment during his tour is
the promise of a $20 billion advanced
weapon trade deal to Saudi Arabia,
supposedly to counter Iran.
So, during a peace tour in the Middle
East, Bush pledged to sell billions of
dollars in weapons to Saudi Arabia, the
world's leading petroleum exporter.
Interesting.
Isn't it also fishy that the U.S. would
sell weapons to the world-leading oil
nation while simultaneously begging
for the price of oil to come down?
Oh, George, you're too much.
Maybe Bush's decision-making
comes 60 years too late.
While visiting Yad Vashem, the
Holocaust museum in Jerusalem, Bush
admitted that the U.S. should have
bombed Auschwitz, the concentration
camp that took the lives of an estimated
1.5 million. Everything is just so much
easier in hindsight.
Maybe in another 60 years, the U.S.
president will look back and tell us what
Bush should have done to bring peace
to the Middle East.









P"Copyrighted Material u

Syndicated Content

ailable from Commercial News Providers"
mi


Briefs
BY BEN CAVATARO


IJewislh I: W.:tn i'"l vdailali:zed}
Several U.S. Jewish cemeteries have been vandalized since the
beginning of the year. Four teenagers one 15, two 16, and one
17 years old, were arrested Jan. 13 and charged with juvenile
delinquency in connection with the toppling of 500 tombstones at
a Jewish cemetery in New Brunswick, N.J., on the night of Jan. 1 and
again three days later. Police said that the incident appeared to have
been criminal mischief rather than a hate crime.
In a separate incident, 57 tombstones were defaced Jan. 10 at a
Chicago-area Jewish cemetery. Grave markers in Norridge, Ill. were
spray-painted with swastikas, Neo-Nazi symbols, and the words
"Aryan Power" and "white power." Police are investigating the hate
crime, which cost $100,000 in property damage and stunned the
Chicago Jewish community. The Anti-Defamation League said local
white supremacist groups may be behind the attack.

'TIh'cli < f)rtidu( )tio bt'cn't w"i hlooirary Palestinian citizen
Famed Israeli conductor Daniel Barenboim received honorary
Palestinian citizenship. Barenboim received a Palestinian Authority
passport Jan. 12 after a concert'in Ramallah in the West Bank. The
conductor says he hopes to be "an example of Israeli-Palestinian co-
existence."
Barenboim, 65, is the music director at the Milan, Italy opera house
La Scala. He has frequently visited the Palestinian territories and
championed Israeli-Palestinian relations among youth musicians. In
1999, he co-founded with Palestinian-American professor Edward Said
the Diwan Orchestra, which includes Israeli and Arab members.
>0'oI.'.h .vl-vs rmoUtnill Itimflcrd ha. campaign
Jewish Poles have joined with other ethnic minorities in a
monthlong publicity blitz.
The $205,000 campaign is sponsored by local media outlets, state-
run Polish Radio, and the government's Labor Ministry and local
media. Launched Jan. 1, the message of multicultural awareness
will be spread through newspapers advertisements, billboards in 15
cities and a Web site.
First proposed by the Jewish community, other minority groups,
such as Armenians, Roma and Tartars, are also shown in the ads. The
organizers of the campaign, which is supported by Polish first lady
Maria Kaczynska, say they aim to discard Cold War-era notions of
Poland as ethically homogenous.
tIraeli government, settler reach acrordl
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has reached an agreement
with West Bank settlers for the evacuation of 18 outposts, the Israeli
newspaper Haaretz reported Jan. 14.
A negotiated settlement would involve the disbandment of 18 of
26 outposts established after March 2001, which Israel pledged to
remove under the U.S.-sponsored "road map" to peace plan. The
plan would allow the displaced settlers to move to neighboring
communities and other outposts, and in return would receive
building concessions and infrastructure project permits which had
been postponed.
The report indicated renewed tension between Barak and Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert, who is said to take a harder line on the
settlers. Associates of Barak reportedly called Olmert "rash" in his
determination to evacuate Migron, a large settlement near Ramallah
and believe the Israeli Supreme Court will force its evacuation
anyway.


NEWS 13


I


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41 SPORTS


The SHPiEL: Volume 5, Issue 2


ISome Gators Playin', Some Misbehavin'


BY NERI STEIN
SHPiEL staff
writer

This time
last year, the
sports world
was still abuzz
"i with the Gators'
upset victory
over Ohio State
in the 2006 title
game.
Not only that, but Gator basketball
was picking up with a convincing
victory over Ohio State just weeks
before Gator football also defeated
the Buckeyes.
Has anyone else noticed that
things are a little different this year?
I'm not in Louisiana right now, but
no one seems to care that LSU won
the national championship.
This time last year, ESPN was still
reviewing the title game, deciphering
everything the Gators did right,
trying to figure where the Buckeyes


went wrong (Jim Tressel decided
he didn't need to coach that game),
and complaining about the BCS
Championship.
I get the feeling that this year's
wasn't such a big deal.
College football season is over.
So, why not?
Let's move on to basketball.
While there isn't a national buzz
about the Gators, and we aren't
expected to have much of a run
at the SEC or national tournament
this year, the Gators have gone 15-
2 and 2-0 in the SEC, first against
Alabama with freshmen leading the
way (unsurprising as the team is so
freshmen-flushed) and then against
Auburn Jan. 12 at home.
Nick Calathes, who has been the
SEC's Freshman of the Week twice
now, is doing very well.
The SEC has never been a strong
basketball conference.
SIt's always coasted along the
national scene with one or two
teams-formerly Kentucky, although


the Wildcats last became National
Champions in 1998.
Florida has dominated the past
two seasons, with back-to-back
Championships, but this season
Tennessee Volunteers seem to be
getting all the hype.
The Vols had a nice run to the
Sweet 16 last year, and with the
return of-their star players and Head
Coach Bruce Pearl it is likely they will
win the SEC this year.
Still, the SEC may not even be
represented in the Elite 8 this year.
Some former Gators are getting a
bit of attention, though.
Al Horford, who had the highest
draft pick among fellow Gators, is
playing well for the Atlanta Hawks.
He did get hit with an ejection and
suspension earlier in the season but
is praised for handling it so well.,
I just wish the same could be said
for Joakim Noah. He was suspended
for one game last week by the
Chicago Bulls staff for lateness and an
altercation with an assistant coach.


However, his teammates didn't
think one game on the bench would
be enough. Last week, when Noah
and Horford were supposed to match
up against each other for the second
time this season, Noah's teammates
unanimously voted to suspend him
for one more game.
Horford defended his former
teammate, and said that all he wants
to do is play and that he is a very
"competitive" guy.
Nice try, but even former
teammates are supposed to be
competitive against the other team.
So, some Gators are flying high
and others are just coasting along.
But that's OK.
Urban Meyer is back to work
recruiting ini a year when freshmen
superstars are plentiful, and hopefully
not giving our defense too much of
a break. Billy Donovan is turning
the Gators into one of the strongest
teams, without any superstars but
with a few rising ones.


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The SHPiEL:Volume 5, Issue 2


A fB


SCENE 15


ISJSU's Spring Welcome Week


Day Event:
Spread Your Seed
Time: 12pm-2pm
Location: Plaza of the Americas
Description: Join us in plaza of the
Americas for some delicious food
with your friends while we spend the
afternoon decorating small clay pots
and planting small trees that you can
take home.

Night Event:
Green Festival w/ Shpiel
Time: 6pm-9pm
Location: Hillel
Description: Come with your friends
and get your green on at Hillel where
speakers will be talking to us about
becoming more eco-friendly while
enjoyin delicious munchies around a
hukkah!


Day Event:
Shmooze at the Reitz
Time: 11am-2pm
Location: Collinade
Description: Come enjoy delicious pizza
and hang out with your friends!

Night Event:
Skatestation Funworks
Time: 9pm-ll1pm
Location: Skate station Funworks on
Newberry Rd.
Description: Come out for a night on the
town with your friends grade school style
where you can race on o carts, skate,
play mini golf, and much more.

Wednesday,
. rJanuary 23


I
BB~a~a~B~


A Shuttering Look at the Past


Florida


Photographer


Gary Seidel captures the
horror of the Holocaust

BY JESSALYN BERGER
SHPiEL staff writer

It was 1943 when 4-year-old
Garry Seidel lost his playmates to the
Holocaust. One day the two little girls
who lived next door to him in Berlin
were there, and the next day they were
gone. Only years later would he find


out the truth about the girls. Their trip
was not a simple vacation, but a trip to
one of the darkest parts of the universe:
Auschwitz.
"After my mother told me about my
playmates going away on a trip and her
feeling later that they died at Auschwitz,
I made it a personal priority to visit
the place where they and millions of
others perished- in a very bleak time
in history," Seidel said in an e-mail. "I
simply had to go to Auschwitz again
and again-and to photograph it -to
remind others that 'those who do not
remember the past, are condemned to


repeat it.'"
Hearing the name of the --
concentration camp brings
images of darkness to many.
Seidel captures those images and
calls it art.
"Going back to Auschwitz
is going back into the heart of
darkness, one of the darkest
periods of human history. So I try Ld
to interpret it photographically so
that others, especially younger people,
can experience my visions of such a
place."
After reading the book Schindler's


List by Thomas Keneally, which would
later become a film by Steven Speilberg,

SEE SEIDEL, PAGE 12


PARABOLA MAGAZINE: Shaping Answers to Life's Big Questions


BY ELAINE WILSON
SHPiEL staff writer

On the inside cover of the new
age magazine, Parabola: Tradition,
Myth, and the Search for Meaning,
the correlation between math and,
spirituality is revealed.
It states that "The parabola
represents the epitome of a quest...it is
the metaphorical journey to a particular
point" which renders a traveler
"irrevocably changed."
Should one read Parabola from cover
to cover, chances are he or she would
walk away altered. It is a magazine
about spirituality, self-discovery and
the unending search for answers.
The articles, stories and poems that
grace the pages of the publication make
irrefutable points about the human
condition using relevant mediums-


meaningful even to a postmodern
college student.
They strive to guide the reader on
a search for answers as opposed to
promoting a singular truth-something
incredibly noteworthy about this
publication.
The magazine does not preach.
Rather, it explains different beliefs and
points of view. Contributing writers
do not only represent religious sects.
Secular articles balance out the mix.
Former Pope John Paul II, Sufi leader
Pir Zia Inayat Kahn and an ex-druggie,
substitute teacher by the name of James
Opie all share the pages of Parabola.
One of its most accessible articles
deals with cinema as a means of sodl-
searching and an expression of the need
for this craving.
Films become the perfect blackboard
for the innate desire to find direction.


"We are driven by ..
drivers cannot see," said 4
author John Shirley,
who argues that movies
such as The Matrix, The
Fisher King and American
Beauty can help keep us
en route.
"Films are like dreams;
they articulate the social
subconscious."
Shirley advocates
profound cinema because
it reminds us that we are
too quick to disconnect.
Whether you choose to
read poetry, John Paul II's discussion of
the Internet or enjoy a Jataka tale about
"The Tortoise That Refused to Leave
Home," you will find that Parabola,
serves as a wake-up call.
We are called to cope with


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materialism and egoism with
selflessness and humanity.
Despite the verdict that man
focuses far too much on the individual,
Parabola's contents offer a sense of
hope that this is not the case.


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Thursday,
January 24

Day Event:
Breakfast at Broward
Time: 11am-1pm
Location: Outside Broward Dorms
Description: Come enjoy a delicious and free
breakfast outside Broward Hall complete with
bagles and juice!

Night Event:
Swamp Social
Time: 10-2am
Location: Swamp Restaurant

Friday, January 25

Gator Shabbat at Hillel and
Chabbad








61 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT


The SHPiEL: Volume 5, Issue 2


An Interview with Eric Atria of Morningbell po cto
photo courtesy of Eric Atria

With a dedicated and ever-growing following, Gainesville's own Morningbell is climbing to new heights. They have been praised in The Washington Post, have been
fianalsits in VH1's Song of the Year Contest, and their music was even featured on The Real World Sydney. We had a chance to sit down with Eric Atria (bass, vocals and
Theremin) and get the skinny on the band.


The SHPiEL: So how did Morningbell (MB)
get started?
Eric Atria: Well, we've kind of evolved our
definition of that because my brother and I
have always been in a band. We've been an
official band since.., well December of 2000
was our first show. But that was like, so far
removed from what we are now. So that's
when we like, first started as a band, but I'd
say Morningbell started in late 2003.


TS: So it was you and your brother and you
decided to turn into MB?
EA: We both went to the University of Miami
for undergrad and when I was a senior he
was a freshman. So he was coming to college
with me and I thought that was going to be
awesome, and I had a good friend who was a
drummer... So, he was coming and I was like
'Sweet, we've got guitar, bass and drums that's
the band. And I mean it's evolved. We've had
six drummers. We've had two keyboardists.
But other than that it's always been my
brother writing the songs and me doing all the
business stuff.


TS: Can you describe the MB sound in ten
words or less?
EA: If you had to use just two words I'd say
psychedelic rock. But a lot of people don't
know what that is so then we'd say it's melodic,
multi-layered rock music that's heavily '60s
influenced. But honestly most of our songs
sound like whatever Travis is listening to at
the time...Sometimes I can pick a specific
song and say 'He was listening to a lot of Paul
Simon" and [whoever I'm talking to].will be
like 'Oh yeah I really hear that.'


TS: Describe a typical MB performance,
EA: Well first of all, we always plan like it's the
same people coming. I don't know if it or it
isn't, but we don't want to do the same show
in a row for anybody. And we always try to
have a really big ending. Because it's always
disappointing when you go to see a band and
you really like them and they say 'Alright,
this is our last song' and they play like this
really slow, six minute long dirge that doesn't
go anywhere and you're like, "That's what
you're gonna leave me with?" So we always
try to do something sort of over the top to
end with...And we have lights that we bring. I
developed this light show that's evolved over
the years. We call it the hundred dollar light
show cuz it's low-budge. It's mostly strobe
lights and Christmas lights and spot lights
that we have foot controllers for. So we really
try our absolute hardest to make the show
visually entertaining as well as musically
entertaining.


TS: Can you give us a sense of the mood?
EA: Well, I don't want to compare us to the
Flaming Lips because that's really hard to do
and also a lot of people like to do it lately,
but at their shows it's like your birthday
combined with Christmas eve combined with
New Year's eve. You just can't leave their
without smiling. So we try to do the best we
can to get something like that. We try to make
people leave felling good and excited.


TS: What is your favorite MB memory?
EA: I'd say it was [the show we played at
the O'Dome with Mae]. How many bands do
you know, even bands that we really like
that tour-like The Flaming Lips or Wilco-
they don't always play arenas or 2,000 seat
amphitheaters. Very few people get to play


arenas with professional lights with thousands
of people. It's like, you know, the house lights
turned off and the crowd cheered before we
went on-that was just phenomenal. You get
to pretend to be famous for 30 minutes. It
was pretty sweet.


TS: Your least favorite?
EA: The thing is there's lots of those but they
always end up disappearing because just like
with life you tend to remember fond memories
and kind of just dismiss the bad ones. But, I
would say one of the worst ones was when
we played Alligator Rocks (which isn't there
anymore) and the owner at the end of the
night just gave us $30 for three bands and
insulted us and told us we were failures. So I
cursed him out and spit on the floor and we
left. Maybe you shouldn't print that, I dunno.
I'm not usually like that but C'mon.


TS: What is it like touring with your
family?
EA: You mean because I'm on the road with
my wife and my brother? It's amazing. I mean
we all like our own beds and our own space...
but really on the road the only thing that
matters is where you're gonna sleep, where
you're gonna eat, and where you're gonna
find wireless internet...On the other hand, one
band in Virginia propositioned us for, uh...
that was probably one of the most awkward
moments in the history of the band. They
were like "You guys are married, but you're
musicians right?" And they kept giving us this
hand signal like the football huddle signal.
And we're like "What?" And they asked "Is
it an open marriage?" and we were both like
"No!" So that was pretty awesome. Thankfully
we didn't stay with them.


-v, -' ZC
"Ip ~~.UP"C;D~~-~~rx- :i; M J








TheSHPiEL:Volume 5,ssue 2 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 1 7


In his CD player: Radiohead, Rod
Stewart, Wilco
Local Bands: Oh Fortuna, Team
Mascot
Upcoming Shows: Ladysmith Black
Mambazo, Jerry Seinfeld, Radiohead
Eats Around Town: El Indio, The Top,
Flacos
Local Venue: Common Grounds
Local Bar: The Porch at Common
Grounds
Satchel's or Leo's?: Actually, Big
Lou's. But if you are willing to go for a
drive, Blue Highway in Micanopy is the
best.
Maudes, Coffee Culture or 2nd Street
bakery?: 2nd Street Bakery
Hear Again or Hyde and Zeke?: Hyde
and Zeke, Charlie is cool.
Stewart or Colbert?: John Stewart
Family Guy or Futurama?: Family
Guy up to the end of Season Two, then
Futurama.
Coke or Pepsi?: Pepsi
Natty Light or PBR?: Natty. I'd get
anything over PBR but that seems to
be what all the bars give the band for
free.


Feb. 7 at Orange and Brew, Gainesville
Feb. 9 at Market Street Pub, Gainesville
Feb. 29 at The Atlantic, Gainesville
March 29 at Market Street Pub, Gainesville


April 11 on WMNF's Live Music Showcase
(Tampa Bay Area) 9-10 AM
April 11 on WBUL-USF, Tampa. 2-3 PM
April 11 at New World Brewery, Tampa


Morningbell, from left to right: Eric Atria, Stacie Thrushman, Travis Atria, Chris Hillman.


PBS Documentary Brings it All Home


BY BEN CAVATARO
SHPiEL staff writer

A new documentary that aired on PBS
tracks the American Jewish experience
over three and a half centuries from
the Lower East Side of New York to the
Western frontier, through peace and
war, acceptance and anti-Semitism.
The six-hour program, "The Jewish
Americans," aired 9-11 p.m. on three
successive Wednesdays-two hours
each on Jan. 9, 16, and 23.
It is written, directed, and produced
by David Grubin, who has previously
made documentaries about Robert
F. Kennedy, Kofi Annan, the young
Sigmund Freud, and Abraham and Mary
Todd Lincoln.
The Ken Burns-esque Jewish
Americans focuses on what Ned
Martel of the New York Times called
"emblematic biography"-the story of
specific Jewish Americans, prominent
and ordinary, that represent a larger
Jewish experience.
Some are of the past-the baseball
player Hank Greenberg, who skipped a
game on Yom Kippur; and the enigmatic


Caribbean-born politician Judah P.
Benjamin of Louisiana, who became
Confederate secretary of war and state
before fleeing and becoming a London
barrister after the war.
Others are very much alive-Tony
Kushner, the playwright and self-
described "Gay American Jewish
Socialist," who co-wrote Steven
Spielberg's 2005 "Munich;" and Supreme
Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who
told Grubin that at Cornell all the girls in
her corridor at her freshman dorm were
Jewish, "so we wouldn't contaminate"
the other students.
While the focusof the program,
which cost $3.2 million to produce, is
in the past-the Jewish world of Irving
Berlin ("God Bless America" and "White
Christmas") or Bess Myerson (the first
Jewish Miss America, 1945) -there is
some content about Jews in modern
America, including the Hasidic reggae
artist Matisyahu and the iconic 2003
film "The Hebrew Hammer" ("Shabbat
Shalom, Motherfuckers").
Even as reviewers remarked on the
modern era getting less,attention than
it deserves, they praised Grubin for


avoiding cliches
such as Ellis Island
(Sue Fishkoff -- -
sardonically wrote i
that "Nothing
says American
Jewry like an
overcrowded boat
sailing into New
York harbor").
Ellis Island does
appear, but
alongside other
staples of Jewish
history and
culture including
the Catskill .
Mountains.
Other parts of
the documentary earned high marks,
including the trial of Julius and Ethel
Rosenberg, who were convicted of
espionage for the Soviet Union; Jewish
involvement in the civil rights movement
(including what the Times' Martel calls
the "filmmaker's uncompromising look
at how the black-Jewish alliance of the
early 1960s broke down").
With a focus on Jewish identity from


rabbis, historians and sociologists,
as well as ordinary and famous Jews,
"The Jewish Americans" marks the first
recent, in-depth explanation of this
issue in recent years.
Whether one knows little or a
lot about American Jewish history,
Grubin's engaging work-a balance of
the historical narrative, interviews and
trivia-is worth a watch.


s


:I:T
~"; .. eun








8IKVETCH


The SHPiEL: Volume 5, Issue 2


llllllII III II II IIIIIIII IIIIIIII IIIII 1 PIIIIIIIIII ll OIIIIIIIl OnIIIIIng IOIur MIIInIs II II IIIII IIIIIIII IIIIto t OerIIIIII1111111111111 t h



= loo7/ Dns KhP adOpening Our Minds
IlU ato the Other -


KHADER ABUALHAYJAA I spent
two years
of my life
S* in Wales, in
Sthe United
Kingdom. I
... -" went to a tiny
high school
-. .3 with just
300 students
near a small Welsh village, but I
learned big lessons about life there.
I love it here at the University of
Florida. A lot. But sometimes, among
the Gator empire, I see myself as a
small drop in an ocean of students,
which brings up memories of that
little place in Wales.
In my first few days there, I met-
a half-French, half-British student,
Jonathan Josephs. I soon knew that
he kept his identity deep inside.
He was a son of Israel.
During that first year, we talked
about many things, from school
matters to the sensitive and heated


topics of politics and religion in the
Middle East.
I saw him a lot in the 'Gryn Room'
for worship and spirituality at our
school; a room named after Rabbi
Hugo Gabriel Gryn, a survivor of the
Holocaust. After few weeks, I got
used to it.
On Friday, there was a prayer
service in the afternoons with other
Muslims. Only a few hours later,
around sunset, Jonathan would come
to start the Sabbath while I did my
daily sunset prayers, too. The few
of us who used the room started
to predict when we would see each
other there, down to the minute.
We had many friendly talks, and
in our second year we decided to
establish a Jewish-Muslim Cultural
Activity. We were co-Presidents of
the group.
Sometimes, the weekly meeting
concerned some aspect of Judaism.
Other times, we talked about Islam.
We also talked about our joint


history in modern-day Spain and,
despite misgivings, about current-
event topics from the Middle East.
We believed a better culture could
lead to better politics.
If you have a serious problem
with someone, is it better to address
it nicely and politely or is it better to
wait until the only option left is to
fight each other?
It wasn't easy, however we tried
to remain as mature and respectful
as possible to keep the meetings
enjoyable for everyone.
Sometimes we saw emotions over
reason, but through constructive
discussion we avoided destroying
the beauty of our activity.
I wasn't there for long and I didn't
claim to have a deep and profound
knowledge about everything.
But I learned to have a more
appropriate attitude while discussing
difficult things; to-learn with a more
open mind.
This happened in Britain, in the


heart of the old British Empire, which
inspired many questions about the
Middle East.
Until today these questions are left
without an answer on the ground that
is satisfactory for the inhabitants.
Though I left that place, many
memories remain. Jonathan once told
me that his last name, Josephs, comes
from the Prophet of God, Joseph.
After the diaspora it is really hard to
prove the lineage of the name.
I can relate to it as a Jordanian
of a Palestinian origin, dating back
three generations.
Since my tribe dispersed we
can hardly have a collective social
meeting and many variations of the
last name have started to emerge in
many corners of the Earth.
Perhaps, encouraging more
talks among Muslims and
Jews in the Middle East, in the
United States, and here at UF can
help for a better understanding of
the concerns of both communities.


p111111111 1111111111 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII


THE SHP iE I.


















In preparation for the re-launching of our Web
site, The SHPiEL is seeking:


SBloggers and Web Designers


This is a great opportunity for experience and clips.


For more information contact. Lori Finel at mFin'ikeaplrtfl.edu.








The SHPiEL:Volume 5, Issue 2 KVETCH 19


Oyv ^.e.^Lv


Everyone has gotten on the 'Green
Wagon:' politicians, celebrities,
movies, corporations. Even my
youngest daughter's tushy is swathed
in reusable cloth diapers. Yes, the
green monster is not to be avoided. In
all likelihood, it is going to get much
worse...or better.
So perhaps the Jewish people
should get with the program? After
all, it would be good PR on behalf of
the Jewish faith to formulate a solid
green-policy position using traditional
sources to answer all those who view
Judaism as archaic and irrelevant.
It's too late. The Jews have been
bpd buddies with the trees since
the beginning. We're invested in
preserving 'the environment like
Romney is in his hair. You don't have
to look far into the Jewish tradition.
to see that there is an inherent
relationship to the environmental
movement, regardless of your
politics...or Romney's hair.
Most basic, is the classic creation
story in the Torah which places the


first person in the Garden of Eden
as a culmination of the world's
genesis. Clearly the message is that
the human beings' relationship to the
land is essential. More powerfully, the
first person is not just placed in the
Garden, but has a specific mandate
to "work and guard" the land. Hence
the Green movement is born-and
subsequently
forgotten Jews have
It is hard
to go through buddies w
the Jewish te
calendar and since the
not unearth a
Jewish holiday that doesn't have the
land's produce or seasonal cycle at the
heart of its celebration and meaning.
The major theme of Passover is
the ushering in of the spring, and
its seasonal metaphor of the Jews
blossoming from slavery to freedom.
Shevuot and Sukkot both serve as
harvest festivals, with the latter
marking the time of the first rains.
We also erect a sukkah (a temporary


I:
it
xE


W553^


Presidential Primaries Come Early


BY JOSH FLEET
SHPiEL staff writer

Thousands of young adults come
to college and find out for the first
time that a single vote can make a
difference.
Of the students who choose not to
sink deeper into the bubbling bog of
apathy, some become regular attendees
of a Young Republicans Cigar Night
and others get involved in left-leaning
groups like "Drinking Liberally."
Jagerbombs for peace, anyone?
Still, others become radicalized and
in a sort of political baptism choose
to advertise their newfound love of
overly dramatic activism by pouring
fake blood on themselves and playing
dead in the middle of the busiest


intersection of campus in protest of
the latest manifestations of Bush's
incompetence.
But on May 21 the foundations of
such individualistic idealism began to
crumble and no one seemed to notice.
On that
date, Gov.
Charlie ...the president
C h r i s t to presidential
endorsed
a bill that foreplay is to se
would move
Florida's
presidential primary to Jan. 29, in
violation of both Republican and
Democratic National Committee rules,
and sent surrounding states scrambling
to push their own primaries forward
in an effort to preserve some sense of


ti
u


relevance.
On that date, a vote in the Florida
presidential primary became virtually
meaningless. The DNC decided to strip
Florida of all of its delegatory influence
at the 2008 National Convention. The
RNC stripped
half of the
al primary is violatingstate's
elections as delegates from
its roster.
(. All of this
political drama
and the fact
that the 2008 season of caucuses
and primaries recently began poses
a real dilemma concerning the worth
of a vote. Voting in this primary is
completely nonsensical but you should
do it anyway.


Here's an analogy that will illustrate
my rationale: the presidential primary
is to presidential elections as foreplay
is to sex.
The point of sex, evolutionarily, is to
produce offspring. The point of voting
is to produce a viable leader. Foreplay
and presidential primaries are, in this
context, meaningless wastes of time.
So, why participate in either? Because
it feels good, duh.
Voting, even in the primaries, is what
keeps a democratic system running
smoothly. It keeps the blood flowing.
And doing it makes you feel all warm
and worthy of the democratic tradition.
When the opportunity for some
political action comes your way in the
upcoming months, be sure to use your
head and vote.


SUSAN NEUGROSCHEL, GRI, CRS
RAL4TOR-ASSOCIATEK
(352) 3725375 BUS., (800) 7550086 TOILFREE
352) 371-1326 F1AX
(52) 376-0839 RlwDENCE
(352) 870-1722 CELL
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TERRITORY MANAGER .

Phone: (800) 258-2861
Fax: (877) 942-4135
www.myserviceoffice.com
emailh t.blackmm@'Servikeoefiee.,om


THE SHPiEL

Opinions expressed in this section do notnecessarily
reflect those of The SHPiEL. We encourage comments
from readers who possess all points of view. No,
really, we're interested in what you have to say. Feel
free to write a letter to the editor or you can contact
us with a column idea. Please send comments to
theshpiel@gmail.com.


outdoorsy booth) harkening to the
time when the harvesters would dwell
in the field booths.
It is also a pretty good guess
that Jewish law (halacha) will have
something to say on the matter. It
usually does. There is a concept called
Bal Tashchit (find a local hebreasist
to help you pronounce this one),
which means "do not destroy," and
has origins in the Torah (Deut. 20:19-
20 and later in Maimonides, Mishneh
Torah, Laws of Kings and
Wars 6:8,10).
)een bed This concept
has been
:h the trees applied to
beginning. prohibit many
instances
of needless
destruction. In addition to it serving
as firm Jewish legal ground for
recycling, the prohibition of Bal
Tashchit can quite readily be applied
to the larger overarching need for the
preservation of our environment..
Destroying things is part of life
and sometimes cannot be avoided,
such as when saving or significantly
benefiting human life is at stake.
These are the times when we must


apply all of our competing values and
ultimately determine which takes
priority. Yet, there are instances when
it is clear to everyone, irrespective
of your special interests when
destruction is the only option. Again
see: Romney's hair.
Once again the Torah outdoes
itself, ahead of its time.
As a people and as active citizens,
we' have to figure out how to
apply these ancient precepts to an
increasingly conscious world.
The Jewish belief is that with the
passage of time, we are unfolding the
perfection of the world. The pace at
which that happens will be determined
by the rate at which we participate in
the process of its perfection. And if
you don't believe in perfection, just
look at...

Questions? Comments? A topic you
want addressed? Hit up Rabbi Yonah at
ravyonah@UFHillel.org.







101 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT


The SHPiEL: Volume 5, Issue 2


James' Cinema Highlights Presents:


ATONEMENTN"
WHY CHILDREN SHOULD BE SEEN AND NOT HEARD.


BY JAMES WILKEY
s- SHPiEL staff writer

When I first saw the trailer for "Atonement," my
expectations were low. It looked like any other period
film. Even, a bad period film. It seems appropriate
to begin this review with my own atonement for
misjudging the picture.
"Atonement" is a breathtaking epic romance that
deserves all seven of its Golden Globe nominations-
even if I don't agree with its victories.
It tells the story of Robbie Turner (James McAvoy)
and Cecilia Tallis (Keira Knightly), two World War IIV
era friends who declare their love for each other on
the night they are separated by the actions of Cecilia's
.younger sister Briony Tallis (Saoirse Ronan, Romola
Garai, Vanessa Redgrave.)
Briony accuses Robbie of a crime and the
remainder of the movie depicts Robbie and Cecilia's
attempt to hold on to their love after Robbie elects to
join the military rather than face a prison sentence.
Meanwhile, an aging Briony struggles to carry the
burden of her action's consequences.
"Atonement" begins like any other romance
film, occasionally breaking the mold with a keen
sense of humor and clever editing, but dramatically
transforms into a romantic epic that brings to mind


David Lean's "Doctor Zhivago."
The film is beautifully shot. Each moment is
framed with such care that I almost forgot I was
sitting in a theatre.
In particular, one arresting tracking shot follows
Robbie down a war-spoiled French beach swarming
with British soldiers.
Unfortunately, this scene is also an example of the
mild pacing issues that plague the film.
The acting is fine, but considering how emotionally
charged the film is, the actors are all very subtle.
It's hard to recall a line that wasn't delivered in
monotone.
Regardless, the script and story are so potent
that even the actors can afford to be emotionally
restrained.
What will likely be the most underappreciated
element of the movie is its sound design. Every
noise- the clack of a type-writer, the explosion of
a shell, a sensual moan, dialogue in the background
or the excellent score-is layered with a subtle
complexity that almost made me expect the scene to
burst into a musical.
"Atonement" is one of the best films of the year,
a phrase that wears thin during film studios' winter
race to get their major releases in theatres before the
Oscar cutoff. But this film deserves the praise.


I, lILS MCAVOY 4. I1 KMIGoHTLIY
ATONEMENT


-: .

..

... . .......


'/ I


4..4.
^ J








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,iCs: t s ...t .* ". "- :t- $ 6i *P p fi y^ ,f s se. TCf s I ? s ~ "- ** U Ci --s- i in n. '.- .. *







The SHPiEL:Volume 5, Issue 2


CALENDAR & GAMES 11


Suna odyTedy Wdedy Tusa rdyStra


Twilight Tuesdays
7 pm -


Spread your Seed
Plaza of the Americas ;
0 am 2 pm.


Study Abroad Fair
Reitz Union Colonnade
10 am 3 pm
Men's Basketball
at South Carolina
8 pm


Poetry Jam
Civic Media Center
9:30 pm
Eastern Promise '
Reitz Union Cinema
8 pm& 10:30 pm


UFPA presents: Annie
Phillips Center
7:30 pm
Why Did I Get Married'
Reitz Union Auditorium
6:30, 9 & 11 2


Hoggetowne
Medieval Faire
Alachua County Fairgrounds
10 am 6 pm

Why Did I Get Married?
Reitz Union Auiltorium
8 pm & 10:30 p


4


~Med~e Faire
Alachua County Fairgrounds
10 am 6 pm
The Graduate
Reitz Union Cinema .
8 pm & 10:30 pm
Men's Basketball
vs.Vanderbilt. .
1pm


Yoga
Hillel
5:30 pm 7 pm

The Graduate S
Reitz Union Cinema
8 pm & 10:30 pm


Forida PrimaryVoting
career Showcase
O'Connell Center
9 am 3 pm
Twilight Tuesdays
7 pm .
c LI -


The Graduate
Reitz Union Cinema
8 pm & 10:30 pm
Career Showcase
O'Connell Center
9 am 3 pm -
Girl Talk 0
Common Grounds
10 pm
$14


Meditation Class
Hillel
5:30 pm 7 pm

The Graduate
Reitz Union Cinema
8 pm & 10:30 pm


Hoggetowne
Medieval Faire
Alachua County Fairgrounds
Half Price Day
9:30 am 3 pm
Chinese NewYear
Celebration
Phillips Center
7 pm
Florida ART film festival
Acrositon Reper[ory
Theatre
8 pm 11 pm


Hoggetowne
Medieval Faire
Alachua County Fairgrounds
10 am 6 pm
Men's Basketball
at Arkansas
3 pm
The Real Thing
Constans Theatre
7:30 pm 9


Hoggetowne
Medieval Faire
Alachua County Fairgrounds A flick we've picked
10 am 6 pm
La Vie en Rose La Vie en Rose w ll
Reitz Union Cinema Reitz Union Cinema Music we groove to
8 pm& 10:30 pmp m 8m & 10:30 pm
The Real Thing 7
Constans Theatre. F
2Constans Theatrepm Free Sci-Fimoviescreening
2 pm ; : .,: r 'FtyESDV9"


I


Available


w* *


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Copyrighted i



Syndicated C(


from Commercial


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*News Provide.


News Providers"


-


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JSU's Spring Welcome Weekk
see page 5 or details


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ei


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12 1 FEATURE


The SHPiEL: Volume 5, Issue 2


capturing the past through a new lens


SEIDEL, FROM PAGE 5

Seidel had the final push to visit
the place that had haunted him as a
small boy. Being a child of history,
he felt he had to visit the place
that he considered the darkest of
mankind's recent history.
To capture the stark reality of
the situation he had to photograph
the camp in the winter-the season
when the most prisoners died due
to the severity of the weather. He
remembered one point when he
was the only person in Auschwitz,
and it was about 20 degrees
below zero with snow and ice
everywhere. He thought he had
reached the end of the universe.
However, it is in Krakow, not
Auschwitz, where Seidel's powerful
photograph Rote Genia (Red Genia)
was taken. Based on his photograph
reinterpretation of Schindler's List,
Seidel recreated the scene of a
little girl about 3 1/2 years old in
a red coat standing in a cemetery
in Kasimierz, the Jewish district of




"At-


V1'y


Krakow.
"When I read Schindler's List,
I remembered the story about the
little girl in the red coat," Seidel
said. "I contacted a knowledgeable
guide in Krakow, and asked him
to find a little girl to wear a light-
colored coat, which I could later
hand-paint red. She turned out
to be the niece of my guide-and
she was happy to help, even in the
extremely cold weather. "
Seidel, an accomplished
photographer, sells his historical
works at art fairs. At this year's
annual Downtown Festival &
Art Show in Gainesville, he was
awarded "Best in Show" for his
overall work.
"Gainesville has a very vibrant
and historically aware young
audience for my work. They are
interested in history as I am, and
I always look forward to animated
discussions with those interested
in my historical work," Seidel said.
However, at another art show,
Seidel had an experience that




changed his life.
At an art event in Naples a
couple years ago, an Auschwitz
survivor approached Seidel's booth
and showed him a tattooed number
on her arm. He said she was the
friendliest, most outgoing person
one could meet. She commented
that she could not condemn a
country for the acts and policies of
a madman, and that life goes on.
Seidel was fascinated to learn
that the survivor was one of a
group of about 200 young girls
from Hungary between the ages
of 14 and 18 that were musically
gifted. She was kept alive because
she had a beautiful voice.
The man who kept her alive was
in fact, none other than Joseph
Mengele, the doctor of death at
Auschwitz. She was only 14 years
old at the time.
"The whole conversation was a
few moments in passing, when she
stopped in my booth," he said. "but
left such a very powerful, lasting
impression on me."


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4.
photo courtesy of Gary Seidel
Gary Seidel poses at Auschwitz, the inspiration for
most of his photography.


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photo by Gary Seidel
Rote Genia (Red Genia): inspired by Schindler's List, Seidel enlists the help of his tour
guide's 3 1/2 year old niece to recreate this moment at Krakow in Poland.


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