Spring Break
OP-ED: Culture X ignores largest culture on campus
by Cindy Kaplan
Op-Ed | 4/15/08
Posted online at 2:26 AM EST on 4/15/08
It's a night to celebrate the different cultures on this campus and to bring communities that otherwise wouldn't come together into the same room for the biggest performance of the year. It's Culture X-and this year, it forgot about one pretty big culture at Brandeis: Jewish culture.
Culture X began at 7 p.m. with the doors closing at 6:45 p.m., but Shabbat only ended at 8:07 p.m. Shabbat-observant students were not be able to attend this event because of the timing. While it was free, and technically one would not be breaking Shabbat to have gone, many Shabbat-observers believe in only doing things in the spirit of Shabbat, a category performances do not fall under.
I understand that many people at this school do not observe Shabbat and that there should be programming on Friday nights and Saturdays for them. Two of the major events that I've planned during my time here at Brandeis-Purple Rain and SunDeis-have both been on Shabbat. However, it deeply offends me, both personally as an Orthodox Jew and more generally as an open-minded individual committed to inclusiveness that Culture X is on Shabbat.
The latter is more important for this article, because while not everyone can relate to the experience of being an Orthodox Jew, I hope many of us can relate to promoting inclusiveness. The fact that a portion of this campus is being excluded from this event goes against every message the event tries to send. It was a night about respecting others' cultures. Those who observe Shabbat were being told that their culture is not as important as other cultures. That their culture not only would not be celebrated, but also will be ignored. The reason Culture X did not start at 8 was to give enough time for people to prepare themselves for the after-party. That essentially translates to "Your culture is less important than people looking hot so they can dance and get their party on."
If the Hindu students on campus could not, for whatever reason, participate in Culture X, I believe there would be uproar, at which students would rally behind the marginalized minority. Or perhaps it wouldn't extend that far-someone in the Intercultural Center would chime in early enough and say, "Hey, maybe we should figure out a better schedule." Should the observant Jews be treated any differently?
Culture X began at 7 p.m. with the doors closing at 6:45 p.m., but Shabbat only ended at 8:07 p.m. Shabbat-observant students were not be able to attend this event because of the timing. While it was free, and technically one would not be breaking Shabbat to have gone, many Shabbat-observers believe in only doing things in the spirit of Shabbat, a category performances do not fall under.
I understand that many people at this school do not observe Shabbat and that there should be programming on Friday nights and Saturdays for them. Two of the major events that I've planned during my time here at Brandeis-Purple Rain and SunDeis-have both been on Shabbat. However, it deeply offends me, both personally as an Orthodox Jew and more generally as an open-minded individual committed to inclusiveness that Culture X is on Shabbat.
The latter is more important for this article, because while not everyone can relate to the experience of being an Orthodox Jew, I hope many of us can relate to promoting inclusiveness. The fact that a portion of this campus is being excluded from this event goes against every message the event tries to send. It was a night about respecting others' cultures. Those who observe Shabbat were being told that their culture is not as important as other cultures. That their culture not only would not be celebrated, but also will be ignored. The reason Culture X did not start at 8 was to give enough time for people to prepare themselves for the after-party. That essentially translates to "Your culture is less important than people looking hot so they can dance and get their party on."
If the Hindu students on campus could not, for whatever reason, participate in Culture X, I believe there would be uproar, at which students would rally behind the marginalized minority. Or perhaps it wouldn't extend that far-someone in the Intercultural Center would chime in early enough and say, "Hey, maybe we should figure out a better schedule." Should the observant Jews be treated any differently?
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 17
Paul Trusten, R. Ph. '73
posted 4/15/08 @ 11:59 AM EST
That the needs of Jewish students are ignored at Brandeis is
a cruel insult to all of the Jews who did, and do, sponsor the
university. Besides being the Jewish contribution to
U. (Continued…)
Alan Royals
posted 4/15/08 @ 12:19 PM EST
Well said Justice Kaplan. Earlier this year, the Diversity Committee held a dinner for all university scholars (merit scholarships which are not RMS specific) during Kabbalat Shabbat, and now the biggest cultural event on campus in part excludes the biggest culture on campus. (Continued…)
Elyssa Cohen
posted 4/15/08 @ 2:15 PM EST
Well said Cindy Kaplan, I hope your message, and voice is heard. Especially as there have been recent protests to represent voices of minorities, and Jews a minority in the world, are being repeatedly forgotten within the planning of events on campus that is supposed to remember how Jews for years were unable to receive the education they deserved due to prejudice, and antisemitism. (Continued…)
Fuck You Cindy Kaplan
posted 4/15/08 @ 7:55 PM EST
Jesus. Fucking. Christ. This is the saddest article and string of responses ever. Either go or don't go. Stop whining. You said yourself it was free. You could have technically gone without fear of God striking you down. (Continued…)
Emily
posted 4/15/08 @ 10:14 PM EST
There were accommodations made so that anyone that observes Shabbat could also participate in Culture X. For participants who observe Shabbat, the groups that they were in were placed in Act II. (Continued…)
Tamara Beliak class of 2000
posted 4/15/08 @ 11:24 PM EST
Brandeis has often had a difficult time balancing being a Jewish school and a Secular school.
Culture X for years has been a great way to share the diversity on the campus. (Continued…)
John Blake
posted 4/15/08 @ 11:31 PM EST
The author makes one good point, that Culture X is a night to celebrate different cultures. Alas, she assumes that the Brandeis Orthodox community actually cares enough get to together and celebrate different cultures. (Continued…)
Judith
posted 4/15/08 @ 11:35 PM EST
I thought that this was a really well written article and that it made some excellent points. Go Cindy Kaplan!
I would however, like to respond to some of the negative comments that have been posted in regard to this article. (Continued…)
RMS
posted 4/16/08 @ 12:19 AM EST
3 clarifications:
-The silent demonstration on 4/10 was not to represent minorities voices, it was give all students a voice, since no of us have one in terms of things delineated that we have the right to do
-Diversity Committee's Scholars Mixer last December started @ 5p and went past 8p. (Continued…)
Op-T
posted 4/16/08 @ 8:06 AM EST
several points are to be made:
segregation and exclusivity exist because of people like you, Cindy.
it is unfortunate that you take such a culturally rich event and are quick to turn it into negative. (Continued…)
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