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Last update - 16:36 05/07/2007
Dual loyalty, baseball, and the Israeli psyche
By Bradley Burston


For the immigrant, the majority culture is inevitably despotic. This is not to say that it will in all cases dismiss, ridicule, exploit and discriminate against the newcomers in its midst. On the contrary, the dominant culture may well be seductive, exhilarating, even, in rare cases, authentically welcoming. The message, however, stays the same: You're ours, now. Even if we'll never treat you as one of us, you'd better act as if you were.

This may explain a recent opinion piece in the Jerusalem Post, timed to coincide with the opening game of Israel's first professional baseball league, entitled "Baseball is too American for us Israelis."

"I did not make aliya to promote American culture in Israel or to live in an American ghetto, but to become part of the Israeli landscape," writes Brian Freeman, who moved to the Jewish state from the baseball-besotted heartland American city of Cincinnati, Ohio 18 years ago.

The cultural baggage which Freeman left in Ben-Gurion airport's Arrivals area included more than his childhood love of the arcane sport, which could be said to be the common religion of North American Jewry.

He also stopped observing such holidays as Thanksgiving, "or any of the other customs left behind. Frankly, I don't understand those US immigrants who do it, as if our Israeli/Jewish culture is lacking somehow."

One way to deal with this is to give up and give in. Brian Freeman has solved his problem by sparing his children the culture of his birth. "Why should I create a dual identity for them? The idea of moving here was to have an Israeli identity and not continue as if I was still living in the Old Country."

Well and good. Except that this country, this culture, this very Israeliness was built of, and immensely enriched by, the cultures of the people who left distant homes to come here. And for all that Israelis and, for that matter, North Americans, may look down on North American culture, there may well be something in it for Israelis.

Consider this game for which Israelis have no patience. What on earth could baseball have to teach them? Herewith, some possibilities:


  • You think you know your opponent. Think again.

  • You think you know yourself. Think again.

  • Respect patience.

  • Respect practice.

  • Acknowledge error.

  • Respect opponents.

  • Respect rules.

  • Respect teammates.

  • Respect activities foreign to your experience.

  • Learn to use your hands, not just your feet.

  • Learn to take advice.

  • Learn to evaluate and internalize criticism.

  • Respect self-discipline.

    That is, appreciate and adopt the ability to temper personal ambition for the good of the collective. This is similar to

  • Sacrifice for the common good is not always the act of a sucker.

    In the end, trying to spare your kids a dual identity may not be the wisest choice. There may be a type of cultural dual loyalty which we possess whether we like it or not. There's something to be said for embracing it.

    Even that November Maimouna of ours called Thanksgiving. Even the hated strain of Americanism can have its moments, among them, this commemoration of disparate people helping each other through hard times, people of different backgrounds, outlooks, customs - people who could be enemies - celebrating the fact of being alive, and together.

    There's worse things than dual loyalty to co-existing cultures. One of them is denial. Try what you like, you can take the oleh out of America, but you can't take America out of the oleh.


    _________________


    Recent blogs:

    Hamas as the new Israel
    They're here, they're queer - be proud of Israel
    Hamas wants Israel to starve Gaza
    Why there is no Palestine

    __________________



    The guiding principles of the talkback forum for this article will be mutual respect and openness to dialogue. Participants, even if they rule out, dismiss or oppose coexistence, must, within the confines of this forum, practice it.

    Censorship will be unapologetic.

    Political orientation will have absolutely no bearing on whether a comment is posted or rejected.

    The following will be grounds for deletion:

    1. Racist remarks, as well as slurs on the basis of religion, ethnicity and gender.
    2. Use of the terms Nazi, Hitler, to describe the actions and policies of Israelis, Palestinians or other parties to the Israel-Arab conflict.
    3. Disparaging remarks, personal attacks, vulgarities and profanities directed at other participants in the forum.
    4. Advocacy of violence against individuals or religious, ethnic or racial groups, including statements which may be construed as urging attacks on leaders, officials, security forces or civilians.



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      1.   "Respect rules."???? 11:53  |  Daniel 03/07/07
      2.   america is ... 11:58  |  ravi 03/07/07
      3.   Freeman is right 12:24  |  Oleh Vatik 03/07/07
      4.   Pioneering 12:29  |  Ethan 03/07/07
      5.   Learning from baseball ? 12:32  |  Daniel W 03/07/07
      6.   The Palestinians throw So Many Curve Balls 12:41  |  Ronnie Wolman 03/07/07
      7.   baseball and cricket 12:42  |  David 03/07/07
      8.   Slow news week, huh BB? 12:42  |  WWACD 03/07/07
      9.   O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum 13:08  |  Yonatan 03/07/07
      10.   Poor Brad: another failure. 13:24  |  Margie in Tel Aviv. 03/07/07
      11.   By all means. 13:30  |  M. Franks-Lhermann 03/07/07
      12.   Artificialy shedding one`s culture?! Neah... 13:40  |  Lily 03/07/07
      13.   Baseball 13:49  |  j10 03/07/07
      14.   in agreement 13:57  |  Lauren 03/07/07
      15.   I don`t think BB has us failed here 14:05  |  Lily 03/07/07
      16.   Daniel W of Rehovot 14:06  |  Nik Miller 03/07/07
      17.   Exporting the American revolution 14:19  |  Joe Sittizen 03/07/07
      18.   Is Israeli "culture" handed down from Mt. Sinai? 14:48  |  HH 03/07/07
      19.   Baseball in Israel 15:16  |  Avram Rosenthal 03/07/07
      20.   BB isn`t a base on balls 15:26  |  peter 03/07/07
      21.   Baseball in Israel 15:26  |  Avram Rosenthal 03/07/07
      22.   Ungrateful! 15:46  |  Rob 03/07/07
      23.   Neurotic Jews 16:05  |  Danite 03/07/07
      24.   SPIT BALLS AND BRUSH BACKS 16:18  |  FOX 03/07/07
      25.   Hey Peter from Montreal 16:21  |  FOX 03/07/07
      26.   For Children, It Will Be Great 16:26  |  Tony Anthony 03/07/07
      27.   American Culture 16:29  |  David 03/07/07
      28.   FOX sure I played "kadur basis" 16:32  |  peter 03/07/07
      29.   Baseball is boring 16:41  |  George W 03/07/07
      30.   #6, Ronnie, Israelis don`t throw curves? 16:49  |  newageblues 03/07/07
      31.   hello newageblues 17:21  |  Danite 03/07/07
      32.   anyone who makes aliyah was disloyal to us 17:33  |  mehmet 03/07/07
      33.   Right Anglo Values Have Nothing To Do With Baseball 17:44  |  Yoram 03/07/07
      34.   reply to #27 18:00  |  bri 03/07/07
      35.   #31, Danite, a reasonable response 18:03  |  newageblues 03/07/07
      36.   Good Article Bradley 18:26  |  Bill 03/07/07
      37.   newageblues "I hear you but" 18:28  |  Danite 03/07/07
      38.   reply to #@27 18:59  |  David 03/07/07
      39.   Indeed Danite 19:13  |  Mark Lincoln 03/07/07
      40.   What does it have to do with article? 19:15  |  not Danite and newg. 03/07/07
      41.   O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum 19:17  |  Mark Lincoln 03/07/07
      42.   Baseball too American? 19:54  |  MichaelF 03/07/07
      43.   #10 - Margie 19:59  |  MichaelF 03/07/07
      44.   #23 - Dante 20:03  |  MichaelF 03/07/07
      45.   #29 - George W 20:07  |  MichaelF 03/07/07
      46.   Basketball is an American invention 20:25  |  steve 03/07/07
      47.   Bradley, you hit a home run this inning! 20:34  |  Thomas Jackson 03/07/07
      48.   Dual Loyalty? 20:59  |  P. J. Casey 03/07/07
      49.   MichaelF 21:14  |  not newageblues 03/07/07
      50.   American baseball 21:23  |  YIDN 03/07/07
      51.   #32, Mehmet 21:35  |  Hannah 03/07/07
      52.   Michael F 21:37  |  Danite 03/07/07
      53.   mark Lincoln 21:38  |  Danite 03/07/07
      54.   "Sacrifice for the common good is not always the act of a sucker" 21:41  |  Efox 03/07/07
      55.   #47, Thomas Jackson 21:55  |  Hannah 03/07/07
      56.   Danite 22:05  |  David 03/07/07
      57.   Hannah is really dana 22:08  |  Danite 03/07/07
      58.   Let it be...Give and Take. Americans have adopted many Jewish/ 23:40  |  Virginia 03/07/07
      59.   Yes to Thanksgiving, no to baseball 00:53  |  Tosefta 04/07/07
      60.   #57, Danite 00:59  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 04/07/07
      61.   Hannah #55 On "Anti Americanism" 01:05  |  Tim R 04/07/07
      62.   Hannah #51 ...Talking About Traitors...Here Are A few I can Think 01:29  |  Tim R 04/07/07
      63.   #62, Tim R. 01:58  |  Hannah 04/07/07
      64.   # 59 Tosefta, good post. Just want to say, Passover and Shavuot 02:34  |  Virginia 04/07/07
      65.   baseball gives you time to appreciate your surroundings 02:35  |  newageblues 04/07/07
      66.   #57, Ms Kohn 03:20  |  Hannah 04/07/07
      67.   Tosefta #59 - seconded - Baseball anywhere - DOA 05:13  |  dana 04/07/07
      68.   Baseball and other customs 05:24  |  RK 04/07/07
      69.   Tim R #61 - let`s qualify this, shall we? 05:32  |  dana 04/07/07
      70.   46 07:17  |  Elias 04/07/07
      71.   Bradley`s Dual Loyality goes to Hamas , 08:01  |  Joseph E . 04/07/07
      72.