Comments on: The Boxer, the Rabbi and the Bomb in the Basement http://southjerusalem.com/2008/04/the-boxer-the-rabbi-and-the-bomb-in-the-basement/ A Progressive, Skeptical Blog on Israel, Judaism, Culture, Politics, and Literature Sun, 05 Feb 2012 12:35:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: David http://southjerusalem.com/2008/04/the-boxer-the-rabbi-and-the-bomb-in-the-basement/comment-page-1/#comment-21226 David Fri, 15 Jan 2010 07:21:00 +0000 http://southjerusalem.com/?p=84#comment-21226 I don't agree that because Rabbi Blech is "convinced that Jews are perceived as weak" that logically means "which is to say, he so perceives Jews as weak." But I agree that the rabbi is off base with that statement. The bottom line is, who cares about other people's perceptions. I don’t agree that because Rabbi Blech is “convinced that Jews are perceived as weak” that logically means “which is to say, he so perceives Jews as weak.” But I agree that the rabbi is off base with that statement. The bottom line is, who cares about other people’s perceptions.

]]> By: Whitey http://southjerusalem.com/2008/04/the-boxer-the-rabbi-and-the-bomb-in-the-basement/comment-page-1/#comment-175 Whitey Thu, 03 Apr 2008 18:39:02 +0000 http://southjerusalem.com/?p=84#comment-175 I must say, sadly, that Gerson is kicking a dead horse and that Rabbi Blech, who I'm sure is no miracle worker, is merely trying to bring the horse back to life. Because boxing in America has unfortunately been dead, dead, dead for a long, long time. Even if the boy from Belarus becomes the champion in his weight class, who's going to know it? The newspapers today have given up reporting on boxing because no one wants to read any longer about a sport that today is even more corrupt than it's historically been, which is confusing with all its weight classes, which has no oversight to make it reasonably honest and competitive (e.g. as provided by Kenesaw Mountain Landis for baseball back in the '20s), and which humiliates itself by countenancing matches by ausgespielt one-time boxers in their 40s (e.g. George Foreman and Larry Holmes climbing into the ring, as one cartoonist pictured them, while pushing walkers). But all that said (and it's quite a bit), Gershon, like Rabbi Blech, is making a big tzimmes out of a one-time truly great sport that never really was as dangerous as football, e.g., is today. Gershon is right that Jews have proved themselves without boxing and have forever altered their lemishke image, but what does that have to do with boxing itself? This is the sport that gave us Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney, Joe Louis, Sugar Ray Robinson, Benny Leonard, Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier and so many others who, in their day, were considered the greatest of the great athletes. So it's about athletics, not bone-breaking and not the Jews' image or that of any other group. ***I would like to point out to readers that this Whitey guy is my Dad. And he would never hurt a fly. -- Haim Watzman *** I must say, sadly, that Gerson is kicking a dead horse and that Rabbi Blech, who I’m sure is no miracle worker, is merely trying to bring the horse back to life. Because boxing in America has unfortunately been dead, dead, dead for a long, long time. Even if the boy from Belarus becomes the champion in his weight class, who’s going to know it? The newspapers today have given up reporting on boxing because no one wants to read any longer about a sport that today is even more corrupt than it’s historically been, which is confusing with all its weight classes, which has no oversight to make it reasonably honest and competitive (e.g. as provided by Kenesaw Mountain Landis for baseball back in the ’20s), and which humiliates itself by countenancing matches by ausgespielt one-time boxers in their 40s (e.g. George Foreman and Larry Holmes climbing into the ring, as one cartoonist pictured them, while pushing walkers).

But all that said (and it’s quite a bit), Gershon, like Rabbi Blech, is making a big tzimmes out of a one-time truly great sport that never really was as dangerous as football, e.g., is today. Gershon is right that Jews have proved themselves without boxing and have forever altered their lemishke image, but what does that have to do with boxing itself? This is the sport that gave us Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney, Joe Louis, Sugar Ray Robinson, Benny Leonard, Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier and so many others who, in their day, were considered the greatest of the great athletes. So it’s about athletics, not bone-breaking and not the Jews’ image or that of any other group.

***I would like to point out to readers that this Whitey guy is my Dad. And he would never hurt a fly. — Haim Watzman ***

]]> By: Clif http://southjerusalem.com/2008/04/the-boxer-the-rabbi-and-the-bomb-in-the-basement/comment-page-1/#comment-174 Clif Thu, 03 Apr 2008 15:55:20 +0000 http://southjerusalem.com/?p=84#comment-174 Stereotypes, can anyone be free of them? The weak Jew, the lazy Black, the macho male and on and on. We prey upon the stereotypical other even as we writhe under the stereotypical self. A friend of mine spoke to me in almost reverent tones of how Israelis easily carry weapons, are trained to use them and think nothing of having their armed forces in plain view. It was clear that he felt proud of this while I can only think of how horrible it would be if here in America we had the same situation. A necessity in Israel, maybe. I think it's a wonderful thing that we never see our armed forces, but, unlike my friend, I did not lose family members in the Holocaust. I wonder what it would be like if one truly were born a tabula rasa, if somehow an individual could avoid the indoctrination of elders and freely choose what one is rather than facing the very difficult challenge of overcoming what one has been trained to be before the choice to make oneself can even begin. Could the tender psyche of the immature individual bear the awful anxiety of not belonging that such would bring? I think of the lyrics from "The Living Years" by Mike and the Mechanics... "I know that I'm the product of my father's hopes and fears I know that I'm the prisoner of all that he held dear... " Stereotypes, can anyone be free of them? The weak Jew, the lazy Black, the macho male and on and on. We prey upon the stereotypical other even as we writhe under the stereotypical self.

A friend of mine spoke to me in almost reverent tones of how Israelis easily carry weapons, are trained to use them and think nothing of having their armed forces in plain view. It was clear that he felt proud of this while I can only think of how horrible it would be if here in America we had the same situation. A necessity in Israel, maybe. I think it’s a wonderful thing that we never see our armed forces, but, unlike my friend, I did not lose family members in the Holocaust.

I wonder what it would be like if one truly were born a tabula rasa, if somehow an individual could avoid the indoctrination of elders and freely choose what one is rather than facing the very difficult challenge of overcoming what one has been trained to be before the choice to make oneself can even begin. Could the tender psyche of the immature individual bear the awful anxiety of not belonging that such would bring?

I think of the lyrics from “The Living Years” by Mike and the Mechanics…

“I know that I’m the product
of my father’s hopes and fears
I know that I’m the prisoner
of all that he held dear… “

]]> By: Chris Dornan http://southjerusalem.com/2008/04/the-boxer-the-rabbi-and-the-bomb-in-the-basement/comment-page-1/#comment-173 Chris Dornan Thu, 03 Apr 2008 13:36:34 +0000 http://southjerusalem.com/?p=84#comment-173 Sigh, the British Army and Navy (especially) has had its effective phases and it too has been useful on occasion and Britain also has nuclear weapons. On balance though I would say it has been much more trouble than it was worth, giving us Britons the means to maintain colonial projects and a mentality that is far too quick to resort to violence when other means may be far more strategically effective. Indeed I would say her military prowess was quite tragic. Sigh, the British Army and Navy (especially) has had its effective phases and it too has been useful on occasion and Britain also has nuclear weapons. On balance though I would say it has been much more trouble than it was worth, giving us Britons the means to maintain colonial projects and a mentality that is far too quick to resort to violence when other means may be far more strategically effective. Indeed I would say her military prowess was quite tragic.

]]> By: jonolan http://southjerusalem.com/2008/04/the-boxer-the-rabbi-and-the-bomb-in-the-basement/comment-page-1/#comment-172 jonolan Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:50:47 +0000 http://southjerusalem.com/?p=84#comment-172 This would be funny if it weren't so dangerous. I studied Krav Maga and would have to say that it isn't a fighting style developed for the weak or timid; it's the most brutal martial art I've ever studied. Perhaps the rabbi should visit the IDF while they're sparring. LOL! This would be funny if it weren’t so dangerous. I studied Krav Maga and would have to say that it isn’t a fighting style developed for the weak or timid; it’s the most brutal martial art I’ve ever studied.

Perhaps the rabbi should visit the IDF while they’re sparring. LOL!

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