By Les Rosenblatt on the Galus Australis site:
http://tinyurl.com/m5km9d
Les Rosenblatt says:
September 16, 2009 at 2:40 pm
I expect australia’s small Jewish community mainly based in melbourne and Sydney will continue to look to the AJN for its social reflection in all the photos of well-groomed would-be noticeables at various fund-raisers, openings, etc.
It will also read with more or less interest the odd bit of coverage of scandal in the courts, stresses in the jewish education system, the latest on Jewish births, deaths, marriages, and Australian/Jewish political system/personages interaction.
In other words, standard ethnic community newspaper fare – tabloidish, parochial commercial, social, cultural and sporting material.
Where the AJN has been remarkably disappointing is in its hard-faced denialism of complexities of Jewish identity, religious belief, and political diversity amongst Australian Jews with particular reference to the contradictions and complexities of Jewish nationalism in relation to global and middle-east (including Israeli-Palestine conflict) issue engagement.
It was sadly evident that the sportingly fair-minded (to the extent that a former sports editor turned AJN editor could continue to be so) Ashley Browne would run up against the Jerusalem Post-loving owner of the AJN who would be happy to see the Likud/Irgun/Labour militarist orthodoxy of Israel embraced as the pre-eminent beacon of security for Jews nervous about their place in the world.
Absolutely no need to even admit to any alternative possibilities. Simply give AIJAC its weekly column, extract large slabs of copy from the Jerusalem Post, publish press releases from the Israeli embassy,and showcase Michael Danby as local hero. The rest is spam or real estate.
Ashley did allow a variety of opinions in his letters columns and did at least try to be reasonably inclusive of the not too controversially border-line article. But it was not going to wash with the owner and his command of his property.
I predict the new editor will last perhaps 18 months and be a bit like the Jonathan Shier effect in the ABC during the Howard years – a dull flash in the same tarnished pan.
Les Rosenblatt.
AJN WATCH - the on-line voice of Australian Orthodox Jewry observes and comments on matters of interest to that community. We particularly monitor prejudice and monopolistic abuse of influence in the pages of the Australian Jewish News - the main source of information to and about Australian Jewry. We spotlight errors, expose misrepresentations and vigorously advocate our community's positions.
yidl yidl misch dich nischt
ReplyDeletedu a chap dort a klop ales falt doch
of dein kop yidl yidl misch dich nischt.
Sad my comment was to elicit tolerance in this current dispute but the censors did not like this.How short the memory of man is. I spent my childhood in camps whre intolerance ruled. I thought you people learned but you are just as bad. The tora is being used as a footbal to justify the worst traits of a most selfish intolerant lot.Well, I learned the tora,talmud,talmud babli,pirkei uvot and an array yidish philosophies.But I always thought God is above all this and his kindnes and creation prevails above all. How wrong he can encompass a world. your intolerance does not allow a little corner of kindnes.Zedaka Vachesed
what a sad lot you are Shalom Kavod
Where the AJN has been remarkably disappointing is in its hard-faced denialism of complexities of Jewish identity, religious belief, and political diversity amongst Australian Jews
ReplyDeleteThere is no question the Community could benefit from a continuing discussion of Jewish identity, particularly in relation to Jewish continuity and other 21st Century challenges.
What it does not however need, is endless, disproportionate amplification of the minority views of extremists, couched as "diversity".
I refer of course, to people such as Antony Loewenstien and those who share his toxic views, all of whom could fit in a small classroom (and none of whom were in Shule this week unlike the remainder of the relatively non-observant Jewish community).
We do not need more discussion or analysis of their fringe views, any more than the broader community needs more (ahem) 'honest discussion' of the views of witches, pedophiles, murderers and transvestites.
Regrettably, like most fringe extremists, these minority dwellers cannot appreciate how unpopular their views are, and like a spoiled child, demand attention they simply do not deserve.
The AJN has always assigned a disproportionately high amount of space in the letters page to these minority views. I cannot say whether it was an editorial decision or (as I suspect) simply a lack of contribution and them simply printing whatever was submitted. Clearly something the fringe-dwellers worked out. Admittedly they didn't sense the irony, having letters published week after week insisting there isn't enough airing of their views.
Shalom - We did not 'censor" your previous comment at all. However, unlike you, we observe Shabbat and Yom Tov.
ReplyDeleteYour comments time stamp shows that you sent it in at 6.55 pm on Friday evening that was both Shabbat and Rosh Hashana. One would think that a person who studied as much as you claim to have done, would've known that.
Well, I posted some pretty explosive revelations about Alex Fein, and they appear to have been censored.
ReplyDeleteYou sure did, and we thank you profusely. Hopefully you and others will continue to forward such important information to us. But you have to appreciate that because it is indeed so 'explosive' we would really wish to have some further details which confirm these revelations. (Imagine the hullaballoo if we published and it turned out to be incorrect.)
ReplyDeleteCan you get us some evidence to substantiate your revelations?
(We are considering the Sunday Age report by Tom Hyland http://www.theage.com.au/national/the-retu...90822-euho.html - but are hoping to get more.)
Can you get us some evidence to substantiate your revelations?
ReplyDeleteApologies to everybody who is in the dark about this. It's a terrific scandal.
I'll get someone to be in touch. Can you please set yourself up with an email address.
ajnwatch@gmail.com
ReplyDelete