Thank you, Sara. Civility helps us hear each other. Joan
On Wed, Dec 4, 2024, 7:39 PM Sara Mattes <samat...@gmail.com> wrote: > All, > As I have said in the past, Bemis Hall is available to *ALL.* > It was built to provide a venue to host lectures for the education and > edification of the citizens of Lincoln, in addition to offer a venue for > entertainment and dance. > > The scheduler is not a gatekeeper, only a scheduler. > Any applicant who meets the conditions of the Hall for its rental are able > to use it. > I have posted the town website multiple times to make clear who, how and > when it can be used/rented. > Town/municipal organizations (official town bodies) have free use. > Others play a deposit and a fee. > > Please educate yourselves, regarding Bemis Hall : > Bemis Hall > <https://www.lincolntown.org/facilities/facility/details/Bemis-Hall-3> > lincolntown.org > <https://www.lincolntown.org/facilities/facility/details/Bemis-Hall-3> > [image: favicon.ico] > <https://www.lincolntown.org/facilities/facility/details/Bemis-Hall-3> > <https://www.lincolntown.org/facilities/facility/details/Bemis-Hall-3> > > Again, I am confident that Lincoln can parse out what is being presented, > as you have done regarding a presentation you attended. > Perhaps others would have interpreted the presentation in another way. > > I do have some special sensitivity to many of these issues. > > I am in a family of Holocaust survivors. > > I find it offensive to anyone suggest that anyone holds anger at the > current Jewish state, accountable for horrific acts against innocent > Palestinians, is antisemitic. > > As to divisiveness-we are often divided over politics-witness our last > Town Meeting. > > We can rise to the challenge-listen to speakers and (attempt to) have > civil discussion. > > . > > > > > > On Dec 4, 2024, at 5:29 PM, Jonathan Rapaport <mistasna...@gmail.com> > wrote: > > Sara, it was with an open mind that I attended one of Stephen and Barbara > Low’s GRALTA events at the library some years ago. The speaker was a > college professor and member of Jewish Voice for Peace, which is a big > player in the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanction movement (BDS). > (It’s hard to understand how peace will be achieved through an > international ban on Israeli academics, artists, athletes, and hummus. But > that’s a separate topic.) > > The speaker gave a grossly misleading account of Israel’s modern history, > as is consistent with someone wanting to delegitimize the Jewish state. > Then she made a joke about the Holocaust. It is to my everlasting shame > that I didn’t speak up in the moment. > > Discussions around difficult issues require nuance, balance, knowledge, > and empathy. There are important discussions to be had about the war and > suffering in Gaza, and conflict in the Middle East. But as Rosa Elena > eloquently inferred from the flyer, the upcoming event will serve as a > platform for propaganda and bias. Accusing Israel of neocolonialism, > fascism, and genocide are examples of Holocaust inversion. > > It saddens me to see our town’s public spaces used to perpetuate > divisiveness. Perhaps things would be different if someone other than > Barbara Low were in charge of booking Bemis Hall. Lincoln deserves better. > > Jonathan Rapaport > > > -- > The LincolnTalk mailing list. > To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org. > Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/ > . > Change your subscription settings at > https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. > >
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