Zionism College-style

So imagine a group of people who know nothing about Israel. Or Israeli-Palestinian conflict for that matter.

Who have lived in a closet all their lives, without so much as taking a look at the front pages of the newspapers or even the six o'clock news.

These people are like a blank slate.

They ask innocent questions.

Like:

"What is Zion? Is that a person? Like in that old song "By the rivers of Babylon..."

OR

"What is Hamas?"

Excuse me for sounding condescending. I realize that not everyone is as obsessed with politics and the Middle East as I am. People have other things to do. But come on, it's majors in International Studies that I'm talking about here.

Still, there's a good side to their knowledgelessness.

And that is, they really know nothing. You could make anything out of them. You can fill their minds with whatever you want. You're Pygmalion. And they are the clay in your hands.

Imagine a roomful of clueless college students.

The first question that comes to your mind is: why are they here?

These people know so little, that there can only be one real answer to that question: They are there to learn. They are there to find out about a tiny country called Israel, the name of which they hear so often, about which they know next to nothing. They do not come with an agenda. Their minds are clear of the nonsense and the brainwash of radical anti-Zionists.

You could make real *people* out of that bunch. Yes, teaching IS a gratifying job, isn't it.

I guess my professor may be thinking something to this effect, although I admit it, he is not nearly as condescending and elitist about it as I am. I'm a snob, but we all know that already.

So my professor really lucked out. What he's doing can actually be of some use to someone down the road. The usefulness of the information, however, primarily depends on how you teach and what you choose to teach.

My professor has to decide HOW he wants to come across and what kind of narrative he wants to present.

Firstly, a good professor should be accessible. Therefore, my professor dilutes a course heavy on history and documents with a good doze of somewhat self-deprecating humor, the kind any college student can understand and appreciate. He makes fun of everybody, and he makes fun of everybody equally.

Secondly, a good professor should be honest. My professor doesn't even try to hide the fact that he's a left-wing Zionist.

Thirdly, a good professor has many layers. My professor jokes around a lot, but you have to learn to read between the lines. And you learn to adjust to his seemingly light-hearted style, and to see when he's being ironic and where he really stands.

Fourthly, a good professor doesn't shirk controversy. On the contrary, he courts it. He brings up points that seem to challenge his own point of view just to make the class more interesting.

Fifthly, he understands that he cannot change the points of views of people who already have made up their minds. So my professor doesn't preach. He jokes.

Finally, a good professor wants to teach, rather than to brainwash. Therefore, my professors tries to present as many different accounts of the same issues as possible, even at the risk of being criticized for being too pro-Palestinian by Zionists or too pro-Israeli by the Palestinians.

But all this time, a good professor knows where he stands. And so, despite his sometimes overreaching balance in class, my professor calmly, quietly, but firmly demonstrates his own point of view to anyone who'll listen - outside the class. Most people don't. Most people prefer their own opinions to any new information they might learn. But a professor's job consists of what he does in class - and no more.

I don't think I can make a good professor. I can't imagine overcoming the temptation to preach my own point of view and becoming a huge bore. I can't see how I can hold the attention of a whole bunch of people with diverse views on politics. I can't teach, but I can certainly learn, and so I think I'll stick to that.

This second class of "History of Modern Israel" began with an interesting little incident. My professor told us that one of the students contacted him to find out what he thinks about the election of Hamas. The answer was that the professor isn't really concerned with political science as much as with history... But he did manage to connect this question to what the class was about (Zionism as a result of anti-semitism). He did the unthinkable (but what should be an obvious step for any professor dealing with the Middle East and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict): gave out the infamous portions of the Hamas charter. And pointed the allusion to the "Protocols of the Elders of Zion" and certain very clear anti-semitic accusations.

I think it's useful to anyone even vaguely interested in current events to read it:

Hamas Charter

If you have no patience to read the whole thing (I wouldn't blame you), just read the second quote from the top, and the point of this "covenant" will become very clear to you.

Nevertheless, obsessed with details as I am, a different quote caught my eye:

"With their money they formed secret organizations - such as the Freemasons, Rotary Clubs, and the Lions - which are spreading around the world, in order to destroy societies and carry out Zionist interests..."

The conspiracy theories regarding the connection between th Jews and the Freemasons are long-standing.

However, that was not what interested me.

Do you notice anything interesting? No?

Well... what on earth are "the Lions?"

OK, before you all jump on me with disgust, I assure you that I have NOT seen this Hamas charter quote before starting on my story, "The Nameless", where, as those of you who are following it may know, the events revolve around a semi-secret organization called the L.I.O.N.S. (with the members being referred to as "the Lions"), which has international links. As someone in the class pointed out when I asked about this organization, the Lions were somewhat similar to Freemasons, except they were mostly losers (one name arguably appropriate for the less-than-heroic behavior of many of my own protagonists).

As you can imagine, I was more than a little intrigued. Why on earth would Hamas refer to such a little-known organization?!

The information I found this subject is extremely sketchy. Lions, as well as Rotary, are service clubs supposedly created to advance peace. The Wikipedia article presents the Lions as an innocuous, community-based, nonpolitical organization. However... It was created in 1917... Whereas, much more sketchier information I found elsewhere on the web, shows that John Q. Adams was a member of Freemasons and... Lions.

Am I missing something? Obviously, I AM.

So how does that relate to teaching Zionism on campus?

It doesn't, as it's a very tangential issue no one seems to know about.

But it's interesting anyway. As is the class. As you can imagine, given my professor's ability to keept the atmosphere light, no conflicts ensued - and hopefully, none will in the future.

That's how a class on the history of Israel should be taught!

Curious,
Irina