NPR Yiddish radio series becomes lightning rod

CNN ^ | 4/24/02 | N/A

[Drango]

NEW YORK (AP) -- The Yiddish Radio Project, a 10-part series now airing on National Public Radio, was meant to be a sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking glimpse of an immigrant community at its peak.

But after violence erupted in the Middle East, the program featuring gems of Yiddish radio from the 1930s to 1950s is attracting anti-Semitic e-mails from listeners of NPR's 700 member stations.

[Drango]

The "liberal" NPR audience expressing their view?

[johniegrad]

"Liberal Rage" in the face of growing liberal political impotence.

[rabidralph]

The "liberal" NPR audience expressing their view?

Obviously.

[Thane_Banquo]

Yeah, many liberals secretly hate Jews, because Judaism is the foundation of capitalism.

[Shermy]

"The vituperative nature of some of the e-mail caught everyone off guard," said Henry Sapoznik, co-producer of the series. "Some of it is what I call good old-fashioned nativist American anti-Semitism."

I think this "nativist" means "right-wing." What is "some?" Probably very little, per their audience.

Jeffrey Dvorkin, ombudsman for NPR, added: "What happens in the Middle East always evokes strong emotions from people, but this time has been quite unexpected for me." etc.

If it's left wing, it's not "anti-semitism", but the "middle east."

[jonatron]

NPR was also criticized by some who said the network's news coverage of the Middle East is biased toward Palestinians. They accused NPR of using the Yiddish radio series to placate Jewish listeners.

Exactly. As an old jewish woman told me, this yiddish series seems to be an attempt at making NPR look less anti-Israel. But she was no longer going to support them with her $$$, even though they kept sending here little cards in the mail.

[DSHambone]

As a conservative Anglican - I love the Yiddish radio series!

It shows the hopes and fears of imigrant America. Jewish, Polish, Irish...whatever, these folks came over here and transformed themselves into Americans. And any culture that gave us a great work like "schmuck" is worth preserving.

[headsonpikes]

LOL!!!

Not to mention 'schnorrer' and 'schlemiel' and 'kvetch'. ;^)

[tomahawk]

When I listen to NPR's Middle East coverage, I think that Al Jazeera must have set up shop on American radio. It's blantanty biased towards the "Palestinians". They typically interview Arabs who lie, and leftist Jews who criticise Israel.

[steamroller]

How many middle American traditionalists listen to NPR?this crap is emenating from the same slimy crew who invaded Washington along with a few Joe Sobran fans.I used to like Sobran,but he's gone way over the deep end.BTW Yiddish has some useful terms,like the difference between a schlemiel and a schlemozzel.A schlemiel spills the soup at a formal dinner-the schlemozzel is the one it spills on.:)

[gcruse]

"If this was a series on Delta blues and there was turmoil in Mogadishu or Rwanda, no one
would confuse American blacks from the Delta with warlords in Africa."

So, here the co-producer of the NPR show compares
modern-day Israelis to warlords.  I think what we have
here is, "Jews of the 30s were ok, but Israelis of today are warlords."

This program deserves all the hate mail it gets.
 
 

[headsonpikes]

Jews qua victims are socially acceptable; non-victim Jews are 'beyond the pale', so to speak. ;^)

[gcruse]

.I used to like Sobran,but he's gone way over the deep end.

I had a letter to the Dallas Morning News published
in the 1980s staunchly defending Joe Sobran from
something or other.  I did a 180 degree turn on
him a few years ago, myself.  He is sleeze.
And so is his pal Pat Buchanan.
</subliminals>

[gcruse]

I like that. It says a lot.

[gcruse]

 
Jews qua victims are socially acceptable;
non-victim Jews are 'beyond the pale', so to speak. ;^)

To draw it out a little... Jews as victim will be accepted as
long as they remain victims.  When they become
successful, ie have their own state,see part II.
 

[willyone]

Not to forget putz.

[headsonpikes]

It all seems so obvious, to anyone who isn't pushing a subterranean agenda. ;^)

[headsonpikes]

Who could forget 'putz'?

Only a 'nebbish'. lol

[Aedammair]

What about schwantz (sp?), is that a yiddish word? It is one of the best euphemisms ever!

[jimt]

The "liberal" NPR audience expressing their view?

Exactly. National Proletarian Radio's "All Things Distorted" attracts a liberal audience. And the Palestinians are a liberal cause de jeure.

And there's nobody who will sink to lower, more ugly insults than a liberal. Think of your favorite liberal Congresscritter.