Freedom of speech
I find myself in the unenviable position of being a lightning rod in the clash between extreme religious belief and open and free expression. Here's how this situation came about.
Having read the books "Who wrote Shakespeare?" by John Michell, and "Who wrote the Bible? by Richard Elliott Friedman, both well known experts in their respective fields, it occured to me that they would make an interesting pair of book reviews. I have been invited many times to review books for the AACI Library Club, and when Rachel Rubin-Hirsch, Exective Director of the AACI, called and asked me to give one or two book reviews I sent her a blurb and she agreed and we arranged the dates and she put the blurb into the AACI Bulletin for November.
Here is the actual blurb:
"Who wrote the two most important books in the world, the Bible and Shakespeare? Actually no-one really knows! Consider this, William Shakespeare had no formal education, no example of his hand-written texts have ever been found, when he died there was no ceremony (contrasted with many contempories), and 18 of the plays published in the First Folio in 1623 (7 years after his death) had never been seen before. There are many other candidates for the writer of "Shakespeare," including Christopher Marlowe, and each will be considered.
If you accept that God himself did not actually write the Bible, then who did? Biblical exegesis has been going on for over 100 years, and it is now pretty much accepted that 5 main hands wrote the Five Books of Moses (not one for each book). The presence of duplication in the Bible is a common feature, find out why. The identity of some of the authors of the Bible will be considered.
There will be two lectures by Prof. Jack Cohen, one based on "Who wrote Shakespeare" by John Michell and one on "Who wrote the Bible?" by Richard Friedman, each acknowledged experts in the field."
At first sight this seems quite innocuous. However, soon the AACI received calls and e-mails threatening to resign if I was allowed to give the talk on the Bible! One woman in particular organized this and gave them an ultimatum and threatened disruption if I was allowed to go ahead with the talk. So I had a meeting with the President, Arthur Opolion, and Rachel and I was told about these objections and I was asked if maybe it would be better not to deliver this lecture. I refused, I said that the two talks were conceived as a pair, and that to give in to this kind of religious coercion would amount to censorship. Since the AACI is not a religious organization, it is perfectly permissible to present these kind of educational lectures and if anyone disagreed they simply could stay away, or come and civilly ask questions or resign. I said that if I was forced not to give this talk I would give neither and I would resign as VP and I was sure that many more secular people would resign than ultra-orthodox. Well, we agreed that I should go ahead and give the talks and later the Board was presented with the situation (I was away) and voted overwhelmingly to support my right to speak.
Later someone sent me a copy of the letter this woman had distributed, and I add it here with my reply:
"Dear Friends,
As a life member of AACI, I am requesting a few minutes of your time. Most of you are also members, I believe. If you read the November AACI bulletin, you may have seen that there was an annoucement of Prof. Jack Cohen who is going to give two lectures, one in November and one in December. The subject of the December lecture is total APIKORSIS. He is going to speak about how our holy Torah was written by different people, which is a huge "CHILLUL HASHEM". The exact writeup was as follows:
"If you accept that G-d himself did not actually write the Bible, then who did? Biblical exegesis has been going on for over 100 years and it is now pretty much accepted that 5 main hands wrote the Five Books of Moses (one for each book). Duplication in the Bible is a common feature and we will find out why. The identity of some of the authors of the Bible will also be considered."
This is the height of aetheism and has no place in a public forum in Eretz Yisrael. It's like a missionary speaking, "l'havdil". Chas V'Shalom someone not religious should hear this and believe the garbage, and many of AACI's members are not religious and very susceptible to be persuaded.
Please write an e-mail or call AACI to the attention of Mr. Arthur Opolion, the chairman of AACI, and ask him to call off the lecture. I called him and also Rachel last week, and after giving them 10 days to do that, Arthur told me tonight that Cohen WILL speak on that subject. I told him I will make trouble if he does that. And he as a religious man will also have to answer to Hashem for doing it.
The Dec. bulletin is almost ready for printing, and I am pleading with you to side with me and have him "uninvite" Prof. Cohen to give that lecture by telling him that it's a huge Chillul Hashem, and there's a big protest, and everyone involved will have their "cheshbon" with Hashem, if it takes place. Freedom of speech does not give anyone the right to "overthrow" G-d.
I have also asked Rabbi Leff to call him, and will have other rabbis do the same, if needed, or appear there to refute him and make him look like a fool.
Opolion's e-mail is: opolion@netvision.net.il. AACI's e-mail is: rachel@netanyaaaci.org.il
PLEASE DO THIS RIGHT AWAY BEFORE THE BULLETIN FOR DECEMBER IS PRINTED.
If indeed, the Prof. does go ahead and speak on that subject, I ask all of you to appear at AACI on that morning (Thursday Dec. 18th) and disrupt his speech.
Please tell your friends and neighbors to protest as well.
Please do not write me and tell me everyone can say whatever he wants. No he can't!!! There are limits. Doubting that G-d wrote the holy Torah, with which the world was created, is the height of being a "boor and am ha'aretz". If the professor would learn what the Torah is all about, he wouldn't talk that way.
Thanks so much. "Tizku L'mitzvot"
B'Vracha,
Sandy Portnoy"
Here is my distributed reply:
Dear Mrs. Portnoy:
I am in receipt of the letter that you are circulating that is both inflammatory and insulting.
First, let me inform you of some facts of which you are apparently ignorant:
1. The two book reviews that I suggested to Rachel are the latest in a series of reviews that I have been asked to give at AACI and I suggested them to her as a related pair for their educational content. The titles of the talks are merely the titles of the two books, one on Shakespeare and the other on the Bible.
2. The book "Who wrote the Bible?" is authored by an eminent expert, Prof. Richard Elliott Friedman, Prof. of Judaic Studies at the University of Georgia (formerly at UCSD), and himself an Orthodox Jew. You can look him up, he is well known in the field. He published this book in 1987 as a popular account of his more scholarly works. This book has sold perhaps a million copies since then and is widely known and available (this is what you call "garbage" without ever having seen it).
3. I in no way will discuss the question of the existence of God (i.e. I am not trying to "overthrow God,"), nor will I analyze the content of the Bible as such, only what is Friedman's analysis based on 100 years of Biblical exegesis.
4. I think it is objectionable and arrogant for you to start a campaign to censor my talk and to give AACI "ten days" to accept your ultimatum, when you are evidently ignorant of the actual situation.
As a VP of AACI, which is not a religious organization, I would resign and leave AACI, perhaps with many other secular people, who reject this kind of crude religious coercion, if your campaign succeeds.
What is needed is reasoned discussion, not threats of disruption. Instead of strengthening klal yisrael, your letter is an example of division and is reprehensible.
Yours etc.
Jack Cohen
The first lecture on Shakespeare is to be given tomorrow, let's hope that doesn't arouse too much controversy!
Having read the books "Who wrote Shakespeare?" by John Michell, and "Who wrote the Bible? by Richard Elliott Friedman, both well known experts in their respective fields, it occured to me that they would make an interesting pair of book reviews. I have been invited many times to review books for the AACI Library Club, and when Rachel Rubin-Hirsch, Exective Director of the AACI, called and asked me to give one or two book reviews I sent her a blurb and she agreed and we arranged the dates and she put the blurb into the AACI Bulletin for November.
Here is the actual blurb:
"Who wrote the two most important books in the world, the Bible and Shakespeare? Actually no-one really knows! Consider this, William Shakespeare had no formal education, no example of his hand-written texts have ever been found, when he died there was no ceremony (contrasted with many contempories), and 18 of the plays published in the First Folio in 1623 (7 years after his death) had never been seen before. There are many other candidates for the writer of "Shakespeare," including Christopher Marlowe, and each will be considered.
If you accept that God himself did not actually write the Bible, then who did? Biblical exegesis has been going on for over 100 years, and it is now pretty much accepted that 5 main hands wrote the Five Books of Moses (not one for each book). The presence of duplication in the Bible is a common feature, find out why. The identity of some of the authors of the Bible will be considered.
There will be two lectures by Prof. Jack Cohen, one based on "Who wrote Shakespeare" by John Michell and one on "Who wrote the Bible?" by Richard Friedman, each acknowledged experts in the field."
At first sight this seems quite innocuous. However, soon the AACI received calls and e-mails threatening to resign if I was allowed to give the talk on the Bible! One woman in particular organized this and gave them an ultimatum and threatened disruption if I was allowed to go ahead with the talk. So I had a meeting with the President, Arthur Opolion, and Rachel and I was told about these objections and I was asked if maybe it would be better not to deliver this lecture. I refused, I said that the two talks were conceived as a pair, and that to give in to this kind of religious coercion would amount to censorship. Since the AACI is not a religious organization, it is perfectly permissible to present these kind of educational lectures and if anyone disagreed they simply could stay away, or come and civilly ask questions or resign. I said that if I was forced not to give this talk I would give neither and I would resign as VP and I was sure that many more secular people would resign than ultra-orthodox. Well, we agreed that I should go ahead and give the talks and later the Board was presented with the situation (I was away) and voted overwhelmingly to support my right to speak.
Later someone sent me a copy of the letter this woman had distributed, and I add it here with my reply:
"Dear Friends,
As a life member of AACI, I am requesting a few minutes of your time. Most of you are also members, I believe. If you read the November AACI bulletin, you may have seen that there was an annoucement of Prof. Jack Cohen who is going to give two lectures, one in November and one in December. The subject of the December lecture is total APIKORSIS. He is going to speak about how our holy Torah was written by different people, which is a huge "CHILLUL HASHEM". The exact writeup was as follows:
"If you accept that G-d himself did not actually write the Bible, then who did? Biblical exegesis has been going on for over 100 years and it is now pretty much accepted that 5 main hands wrote the Five Books of Moses (one for each book). Duplication in the Bible is a common feature and we will find out why. The identity of some of the authors of the Bible will also be considered."
This is the height of aetheism and has no place in a public forum in Eretz Yisrael. It's like a missionary speaking, "l'havdil". Chas V'Shalom someone not religious should hear this and believe the garbage, and many of AACI's members are not religious and very susceptible to be persuaded.
Please write an e-mail or call AACI to the attention of Mr. Arthur Opolion, the chairman of AACI, and ask him to call off the lecture. I called him and also Rachel last week, and after giving them 10 days to do that, Arthur told me tonight that Cohen WILL speak on that subject. I told him I will make trouble if he does that. And he as a religious man will also have to answer to Hashem for doing it.
The Dec. bulletin is almost ready for printing, and I am pleading with you to side with me and have him "uninvite" Prof. Cohen to give that lecture by telling him that it's a huge Chillul Hashem, and there's a big protest, and everyone involved will have their "cheshbon" with Hashem, if it takes place. Freedom of speech does not give anyone the right to "overthrow" G-d.
I have also asked Rabbi Leff to call him, and will have other rabbis do the same, if needed, or appear there to refute him and make him look like a fool.
Opolion's e-mail is: opolion@netvision.net.il. AACI's e-mail is: rachel@netanyaaaci.org.il
PLEASE DO THIS RIGHT AWAY BEFORE THE BULLETIN FOR DECEMBER IS PRINTED.
If indeed, the Prof. does go ahead and speak on that subject, I ask all of you to appear at AACI on that morning (Thursday Dec. 18th) and disrupt his speech.
Please tell your friends and neighbors to protest as well.
Please do not write me and tell me everyone can say whatever he wants. No he can't!!! There are limits. Doubting that G-d wrote the holy Torah, with which the world was created, is the height of being a "boor and am ha'aretz". If the professor would learn what the Torah is all about, he wouldn't talk that way.
Thanks so much. "Tizku L'mitzvot"
B'Vracha,
Sandy Portnoy"
Here is my distributed reply:
Dear Mrs. Portnoy:
I am in receipt of the letter that you are circulating that is both inflammatory and insulting.
First, let me inform you of some facts of which you are apparently ignorant:
1. The two book reviews that I suggested to Rachel are the latest in a series of reviews that I have been asked to give at AACI and I suggested them to her as a related pair for their educational content. The titles of the talks are merely the titles of the two books, one on Shakespeare and the other on the Bible.
2. The book "Who wrote the Bible?" is authored by an eminent expert, Prof. Richard Elliott Friedman, Prof. of Judaic Studies at the University of Georgia (formerly at UCSD), and himself an Orthodox Jew. You can look him up, he is well known in the field. He published this book in 1987 as a popular account of his more scholarly works. This book has sold perhaps a million copies since then and is widely known and available (this is what you call "garbage" without ever having seen it).
3. I in no way will discuss the question of the existence of God (i.e. I am not trying to "overthrow God,"), nor will I analyze the content of the Bible as such, only what is Friedman's analysis based on 100 years of Biblical exegesis.
4. I think it is objectionable and arrogant for you to start a campaign to censor my talk and to give AACI "ten days" to accept your ultimatum, when you are evidently ignorant of the actual situation.
As a VP of AACI, which is not a religious organization, I would resign and leave AACI, perhaps with many other secular people, who reject this kind of crude religious coercion, if your campaign succeeds.
What is needed is reasoned discussion, not threats of disruption. Instead of strengthening klal yisrael, your letter is an example of division and is reprehensible.
Yours etc.
Jack Cohen
The first lecture on Shakespeare is to be given tomorrow, let's hope that doesn't arouse too much controversy!
posted by Jack Cohen at 11:00 AM
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