In his editor’s letter, Brett Krutzsch reflects on the play Leopoldstadt and what it reveals about today’s political situation. The European Jews in the play could not anticipate what was to happen to them; today, we do have an awareness of the increasing rise in fascist ideologies. As Brett writes, “Let us act with that knowledge and with the urgency our current situation demands. And may we not be passive bystanders.”
With these comparisons in mind, the March issue opens with the newest installment in Kaya Oake’s “Not So Sorry” column with the article “Fetishizing Forgiveness,” where she reflects on how the pressures to forgive people, institutions, and officials can allow injustice and abuse to continue.
Next, in “In the Amazon, Religious Women Lead the Way,” Pilar Timpane profiles a Catholic nun who faces death threats for her activism to protect Brazil’s indigenous communities and their land.
Then, in “What Does BDS Really Mean?,” Adele Oltman, an advocate for Palestinians, suggests that BDS, the movement to “boycott, divest, and sanction” Israel, does not actually do anything to improve Palestinians’ lives.
And in “Tipping Points,” Toby Cox offers a reflection on how the climate crisis is making the “religious ecology” – the interconnected lives of humanity, animals, and vegetation – abundantly, and painfully, clear.
The issue also moves away from issues of bystanders and political action, and takes a look at two new books that we believe will be of interest to Revealer readers. In “Searching for God, One Bestseller at a Time,” Daniel Burke interviews religion professor Stephen Prothero about his new book God the Bestseller, which tells the story of a religion editor who was responsible for many of the 20th century’s most popular books about religion.
And, in an excerpt from the new book Funny, You Don’t Look Funny: Judaism and Humor from the Silent Generation to Millennials, Jennifer Caplan explores how Jewish humor has changed over time.
Our March issue also features a conversation with Jennifer Caplan for the newest episode of the Revealer podcast: “Jewish Comedy.” We discuss how Jews developed a reputation as a funny people, if antisemitism has contributed to Jewish humor, and how Jewish humor is changing as the image of American Jews diversifies. You can listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
