Beyond the Pale

In this broadcast of Alexis Goldstein's and Jesse Meyerson's Disorderly Conduct the intrepid duo take-on the blockbuster economics bestseller Thomas Piketty's Capital in the Twenty First Century,  the role of Wall Street in the North Carolina Republican primary and interview the historian, political economist and activist Gar Alpervitz. 

In this broadcase of Alexis Goldstein's and Jesse Meyerson's Disorderly Conduct Alexis shares her dream Senate Banking Committee hearings, Jesse waxes poetic about his dream for a basic income, and Prof. Stephanie Kelton (@StephanieKelton) joins to talk about her dream monetary policies (Spoiler Alert: she says the Fed isn't that powerful).   

 Alex Kane hosts a show dedicated to the political situation in Palestine. He sits down with two contributors to the new book Gaza Writes Back: Refaat Alareer, who edited the book, and blogger Yousef Aljamal.  The two are Gaza residents currently touring the U.S. And closing out the show is an interview featuring Ali Abunimah, the author of the new book The Battle For Justice in Palestine.  They discuss the Palestinian Authority, the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement and comparisons between Israel/Palestine and South Africa.

Hosted by Adam Sacks. I. Spiegelman Retrospective with Marianne Hirsch II. Ukraine Crisis with Mikhail Nemirovsky III. Mahler comes home to Vienna and New York via Fennez Electronica   IV. Folksbiene Returns with a Purim Spiel   AND   a plug for the ongoing Sephardic Film Festival which we will cover soon, when we return on air! Check out: sephardicfilmfestival.org  

Black-Jewish Culture Celebrated in a curated DJ show of humor, music and speeches: I. Those of Black-Jewish Heritage - Rain Pryor, Rachida Jones and Drake, II. Jews Inspired by Black Culture: George Gershwin, Bob Dylan and Joachim Prinz  III. Black Judaism - Black Hebrew Israelites of America.  

Host Alex Kane looks beyond the headlines and stereotypes of Jewish settlers in the Occupied West Bank in conversation with doctoral candidate in Anthropology, at the University of California Berkeley, Callie Maidhof. Maidhof recently lived in a settlement for 10 months and, while the gun-toting, religious/nationalist ideological settler does exist, the majority of settlers see themselves as apolitical and are seeking a suburban middle-class lifestyle. The broadcast ends with Maidhof's interview with Ariel settler Orit Arfa, whose YouTube videos "Jews Can't Stop" and "Gaza Wrecking Ball" went viral.

Adam Sacks hosts our Super Bowl Sunday show coming after the passing of Pete Seeger and Shulamit Aloni was dedicated in part to their memory and legacies.  Jonathan Kirsch joined the show revisiting and rescuing the pre-Holocaust boy avenger who improbably sunk into obscurity Herschl Grynszpan.  Finally we selected a number of striking and dramatic new films showcased in the recent Jewish Film Festival that our listeners should not miss. Here is what we reviewed: "Friends from France" "Before the Revolution" "Cupcakes" "The Jewish Cardinal" "The Strange Case of Wilhelm Reich"      

Helena Cobban of Just World Books on the life and times of Ariel Sharon; student activists Emily Unger and Lex Rofes from Open Hillel on the national organization's crackdown on campus groups deemed "anti-Israel"; and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Mirta Ojijo, author of Hunting Season: Immigration and Murder in an All-American Town

Beyond the Pale co-hosts Kiera Feldman and Alex Kane host a show all about Israel/Palestine. David Lloyd, a founding member of the U.S. Campaign for the Academic of Cultural Boycott of Israel, joins us for a discussion about the American Studies Association's decision to boycott Israel.  Then, Beyond the Pale mourns the passing of Eyad Sarraj, a Palestinian human rights activist and mental health advocate, by replaying an interview the show did with him in 2008. And Max Blumenthal is interviewed about his new book, Goliath: Life and Loathing in Greater Israel.

Beyond the Pale dedicated its last show of 2013 to remembering the Zayde of Jewish Punk, Lou Reed, who exited stage left the past fall. Meanwhile, thanks to a new graphic novel and upcoming film, Brian Epstein, the Gay Jewish manager of the Beatles unexpectedly steps ever more into the limelight in that most epic and near-tragic pop cultural story of our time. Finally, the oft-overlooked middle period of Chagall, when he was in exile in New York, returns to New York and audiences are now confronted with a singular case of Holocaust art that made the crucifixion its central symbol.    Three separate guests joined Beyond the Pale for the show: 1. Steven Lee Beeber: author of HEEBIE-JEEBIES at CBGB's, find out more at www.jewpunk.com.              2. Viveak Tiwary: Broadway Producer of "American Idiot," and more, and author of "The Fifth Beatle." Find out more at thefifthebeatle.com.     3. Susan Tumarkin Goodman:Senior Curator of Chagall: War, Love and Exile, find out more at thejewishmuseum.org.

On today's show we rebroadcast another Disorderly Conduct, co-hosted by Alexis Goldstein and Jesse Myerson.  When a drunk driving, rich Texas teen mows down and kills a family of four, the presiding judge accepts the defense that he suffered from “affluenza” and needs rehabilitation, not imprisonment.  Jesse and Alexis explore the lessons one might take from taking social and material factors into consideration for our justice system, writ large.   It’s been five years since the 2008 financial collapse, but at long last  the Volcker Rule was approved by all five of the necessary financial regulatory agencies. It is set to go into effect April 1, 2014.  Alexis explains what the rule covers, why it represents a slight shift in the balance towards reform (and away from Wall Street), and how much still remains to be done to protect our financial system and ensure greater equity.  Reporting from Roots Camp 2013 in Washington DC, Alexis and Jesse talk with three participants about their projects: Hannah Love (@LoveHannahE) an organizer with Planned Parenthood of Oregon (the number one state for reproductive freedom in the U.S.) Steven Pargett (@YoungBlackThnkr) of Dream Defenders about their “Prisoners of Profit” Campaign in Florida and its target, Youth Services International. Duncan Meisel (@duncanwrites) on-line campaign manager for 350.org’s global campaign to solve the climate crisis.       

Alex Kane looks at the lives and legacies of Andre Schiffrin and Nelson Mandela. First, he speaks to Diane Wachtell, the executive director of The New Press and a long-time colleague of Schiffrin's. A 2011 Beyond the Pale episode where Schiffrin was interviewed by Esther Kaplan and Marilyn Kleinberg Neimark is also played.  Lastly, South African political analyst and blogger Jonathan Faull talks about Nelson Mandela.

A one-hour version of Beyond the Pale's Tenth Anniversary broadcast live from the Center for Jewish History on November 13, 2005.  

A three segment show around a single theme: critically examining the Hasidic Community of New York. Featuring three broad angles: a. history and religious practices, b. sex abuse scandals and relationship to civic authorities, c. educational deprivation the struggle to leave the community.  The first segment with Prof Allan Nadler, Director of Jewish Studies at Drew University and author of The Hasidim in America, dove deep into the reaches of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth of the 18th Century to explore why the Hasidic movement raised alarm at its inception. We then fast-forwarded to present day to a pessimistic prognosis for Hasidic-non-Hasidic relations. Paul Berger of the Forward returned to the show to explore big picture issues behind the sex scandals. How and why do community leaders block reporting to law enforcement, why are so many of the scandals same sex, and what are the economics behind the resistance to bring perpetrators to justice. With Rachel Berger of Footsteps, we considered the challenges and isolation facing those who leave the community, not to mention the utter lack of college ready scholastic skills. The show closed with the moving personal story of Yossi Schwartz who became a truck driver after leaving the community and still bemoans his elementary reading level in English.

 Journalist Kathryn Joyce talks about the murder of 13-year-old Ethiopian adoptee Hana Williams and the crisis of abuse and neglect perpetrated by fundamentalist adoptive parents. Then, we talk with author Jordan Goodman about his new book, Paul Robeson: A Watched Man. Plus: Hebrew Union College Professor Sarah Bunin Benor on the Pew study on Jewish demographics that has incited heated debates about the numbers.