Reading Hardballkid's journal

Again, here I am up till the rooster crows working on an essay due later today. Not to mention I have 3 more that are due sporadically throughout the week along with a novel I need to finish reading so that I can have something intellectual to say about it on the test Tuesday. Procrastination, you gotta love it. Yea, so I am on my 5th cup of Tazo green tea- which helps to keep me up. Most likely its the large amounts of homey that I stir in. I quests you could say I enjoy a little tea with my honey. It sure is going to be one hell of a busy week, let me tell you.

However, the weekend was pretty enjoyable.
On Friday we had a campus trip to L.A. where we visited the Museum of Tolerance and the Wilshire Boulevard Temple, which I must say, is gorgeous and beautifully done.

The Museum of Tolerance was new to me, despite the fact that I have lived in Southern California all my life. And to some degree, I was emphatically disappointed. I was disappointed for a few reasons (paying particular attention to the last two):
1) Its lack of artifacts & original relics
2) How it sadistically employs modern entertainment technology to appeal to young visitors and manipulate their emotions.
3) Its attempt to make the Jewish Holocaust relevant to Los Angeles' largely non-Jewish and non-white population by setting it in the context of modern racism and genocide.

First of all, I went in with full intent of comparing it to my experience at the National Holocaust Museum in D.C. And, superficially, it fell short quite quickly.

I was about 13 when I visited D.C. and the museum. Let’s just say, I cried like an infant. It was a very eye-opening and visually horrid experience which I am truly glad I got to witness. So, I went to L.A.'s with that memory (and a tissue in my back pocket- just in case).

To begin with, it’s not near as extensive nor does it dive into as many details. In its own way, it openly declares its intent to use history to teach lessons of tolerance and responsibility to its visitors, which in itself is a noble goal. Additionally, its flashiness is not intended to appeal to historical/bookish individuals who were already familiar with the history.

I took the most issue from the he "Point of View Diner," which uses interactive video technology to present moral issues to groups of visitors. This $1.4 million high-tech "Point of View Diner" attempts to motivate the visitor to, after a short movie scenario, asks questions about hate speech & race relations in America today. It’s basically the "latest cutting edge technology to relay the overall message of personal responsibility." This interactive exhibit then allows, following the scenario, visitors to input their opinions on what they have seen and question relevant characters. I saw the whole thing as being poorly done and very tunneling in its manipulating views.

Not to mention, the exhibit failed to mention that the Supreme Court has already ruled on the issue of free speech.

The high points of the museum, I believe, were the gas-chamber like room (where we hear horrifying stories of barbaric cruelty, then edifying testimony of resistance against overwhelming odds) and the actual testimony/life story of a survivor that met our group at the end of the tour. I think these were the 'realist' & tangible verification I sought from the beginning.

If you haven’t been there- I still recommend going on any basis. The tour part takes approx. 2 1/2 hours.
As with anything, it has its goods & bads- you just need to be able to decipher which is which.

After the museum and some lunch we headed over to the Temple where we were given a guided tour and sat in on their Kabbalat Shabbat Service. I was really astonished on how 'progressive' this individual temple was. Not only did the have women rabbis (& soon Presidents) but they also partake in inter-faith relations. However, it was overall an enjoyable experience that included majestic architecture. It was pretty breathtaking to be standing on the platform with the doom overhead and murals on the walls. I was thoroughly surprised that the Rabbi willingly took out and read from the Torah, which definitely was a new experience.

Well, I believe that to be a longer diversion then I wished. Back to work on this formidable essay. Hopefully Ill have time to watch the sunrise and the dawning of a new, and undoubtfully, difficult & tiring week ahead.

Now are ye undeceived! Welcome, again, my children, to the communion of your race!