“Eating Animals” author Jonathan Safran Foer takes a stand for ethical eating

Originally posted at JTA's Capital J blog:

Award-winning author Jonathan Safran Foer took the stage at 6th & I Synagogue in Washington, DC Tuesday night to discuss his latest book and first work of non-fiction, Eating Animals.

The book addresses the ethics of animal agriculture and the mainstream American diet from a personal and often emotional perspective. A vegetarian since childhood, Foer discussed the morality of eating meat prepared by what many consider a warped and environmentally destructive system.

Foer often relies on his Jewish upbringing to articulate how tradition and family enter the equation (his grandmother, who is the subject the book’s first chapter, was even sitting in the audience). Despite the book’s strong narrative elements and the author’s background in fiction, Foer adamantly stressed that “as far as nonfiction goes, this is very nonfictional.”

In classic Jewish fashion, the event was kicked off by Foer‘s unmistakably proud mother, Esther Safran Foer. But it wasn’t just a chance for her to kvell; the elder Foer serves as the executive director of 6th & I, a synagogue that has gained cross-cultural appeal by holding a wide range of events in its sanctuary, including rock concerts, comedy tours and of course, book talks.

“I knew Jonathan before he was a reader and before he was a writer,” she said to two floors of jam-packed pews. “I even knew him when he was a vegetarian for the very first time at 9. And as many of you know, I’m his mother, so I can say these things.”

Foer was then introduced by Andrew Sullivan, former editor of The New Republic, blogger and Foer admirer. Sullivan cited his esteem for Eating Animals, noting that the book had touched upon concerns with which he himself grappled.

“To see what is in front of one’s nose is a constant struggle,” Sullivan admitted before ceding the stage to Foer amid loud applause.

Despite the touchy nature of his chosen subject, Foer laid off the sermonizing. The issue of ethical eating is best broached “not by a lecture, not by a reading and certainly not by an argument.” Rather, Foer spent his hour and change at the podium by taking questions from what seemed to be a veggie-friendly audience.

Though he did not advocate vegetarianism (“We don’t have to become vegetarians . . . [that] implies that we have to do everything or nothing.”), Foer emphatically emphasized the necessity of reforming the meat industry and consumer awareness. Knowing where your meat comes from, said Foer, is essential.

In addition to citing the prevalence of animal cruelty, Foer noted that according to recently released figures by a World Bank affiliated magazine World Watch, animal food production is responsible for about 51% of all Greenhouse Gas emissions.

One question addressed the place of hunting in the ethical eating debate, highlighting the argument that hunters are closer to their food source and therefore present an ethical alternative to buying store bought meat.

Foer dismissed this assertion, saying “I don’t think that’s why people hunt.” He stressed that people who choose to hunt are not hunting to eat – they eat what they hunt, an important distinction.

“These are people who I’m sure have access to supermarkets . . . it thrills them to kill things,” said Foer. “Any other explanation is disingenuous, it’s not true.”

The mood took a more lighthearted turn when Foer was asked his thoughts on where Judaism stands on hunting. To this, he responded, “Jews don’t recoil from hunting for ethical reasons, but more that, like, it’s feh.”

The loud guffaws heard across the sanctuary suggested this was an audience familiar with the Yiddish exclamation.

Whether or not audience members were convinced by Foer’s argument, it seemed as though he had given them food for thought. Regardless of their opinion of Eating Animals, Foer asked them to “act on [their] values, even when it’s not convenient, when it’s more expensive, when it’s socially awkward.”

The event, which was co-sponsored by 6th & I and local DC independent bookstore Politics & Prose, concluded with a book signing and light vegetarian desserts.

Is the 'Jewish Fetish' a Two-Way Street?

Stop the presses! The hot Jewish girl is the new Catholic schoolgirl.

My personal Jewish network has been all a'twitter (pun intended) over an article published in Details Magazine's December issue titled "The Rise of the Hot Jewish Girl: Why American men are lusting after women of the tribe."

While tasty Jewish girls have been on the scene for quite a while now (Natalie Portman, anyone?), this article is the first I've seen which suggests that the quest for a Star of David clad sexpot isn't just limited to nice Jewish boys from Long Island.

According to Details, desire for the JILF (Jew I'd Like to F*ck) is more widespread than ever. Hell, apparently 'frum porn' is even a thing, boasting a devout non-Jewish following. And don't think it isn't lost on me that the article in question was written by one Mr. CHRIST-opher Noxon.

While the existence of Jewish-themed pornography disturbs me on a deep emotional level (bagels are for eating!), it does bring up an interesting question. Could the gentile attraction to girls of the hot and Jewish variety be due to its inverse? Do Jewish girls have a fetish for goyishe boys?

Of course, this question stems from personal experience. Despite my best efforts to date Jews, as chronicled in my piece for Washington Jewish Week, nearly every one of my major emotional relationships have been with shaygitzes. Much to my mother's dismay, I assure you.

Why is that? My Judaism is extremely important to me and plays perhaps an intimidatingly large role in my life, both personally and professionally. I agree with Jewish community leaders who warn that intermarriage is an alarming and problematic trend. Why then can't I just settle down with a Jew?

Perhaps it's the thrill of going after something I'm not supposed to go after. Maybe Jews seem too familiar and unexciting. Maybe I have a thing for that Anglo look. It's probably a combination of the three.

Or, as Details would have us believe, those non-Jews have just been going after me especially. It's their fault, Ma.

Those Jewish boys had better step up their game; there's a lot of competition for us Jewish girls these days.

Gettin' Jazzy Wit It: Jazz in the District

Duke Ellington. Bo Diddley. Shirley Horn. These are just a few names that prove Washington, DC's indisputable tie to jazz and blues. All called the District home once upon a time and filled the myriad lounges and clubs which lined U Street with sultry riffs and spirited rhythms.

A few Fridays ago, I was transported back to a bygone era at HR-57 Center for the Preservation of Jazz and Blues, a musical cultural center located a few blocks south of the U Street Metro. The institution takes its name from a 1987 House Resolution which designated jazz as a "a rare and valuable national American treasure."

An evening at HR-57 is most certainly an entertaining one. The place boasts an impressive line up of talented musicians who provide a steady stream of performances. Prices vary depending on the artist, but my $15 at the door bought me an excellent night's worth of jazz. Jam sessions also take place every Wednesday and Thursday night from 8:30 pm to 12:00 pm for a mere $8.

Though HR-57 offers a fully stocked bar, most patrons take advantage of its BYOB policy. Mercifully, the corkage fee is a pittance; only $3 per person.

Despite a rather official and institutional sounding name, the ambiance at HR-57 is all lounge. Low lighting, throwback artwork and exposed brick walls make for a rich, warm atmosphere one might associate with the jazz clubs of the last century.

HR-57 is one of several music venues which many believe herald the return of U Street's glory days. Its arrival in 1993 is part of a larger movement to reinvigorate the neighborhood with trendy new restaurants, shops and recreation centers which are already enticing DC's young and hip.

The U Street area was once the epicenter of the DC music scene, but social turmoil following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968 and the rise of the drug trade in the mid 1960s led to the neighborhood's rapid decline. With it went the area's vibrant music scene.

However, recent renovation and gentrification efforts have breathed new life into the once great U Street. Those critics who write Washington off as a transient city void of any original character should head down there before making any rash judgments. The area is fast remembering its roots, becoming once again a cultural hot spot for those of a musical disposition.

HR-57 Center for the Preservation of Jazz and Blues
1610 14th St NW
Washington, DC 20009-4307
(202) 667-3700

A Long December

And there's reason to believe, maybe this year will be better than the last. Hello, December.

The Pumpernickel's High School Reunion

It seems I have much for which to be thankful.

This past whirlwind of a holiday weekend was filled many an exciting event: succulent turkey; hilarious if not slightly awkward familial boozing; and of course, the mother of all potentially horrible/awesome get togethers, my high school's Five Year Reunion.

Yes, folks. I attended my reunion on Friday night at Public Bar in Dupont. I went with low expectations and simple goals:

#1 Dress smoking hot.
Make everyone forget that weird 'cocker spaniel' haircut you sported in the 10th grade.
#2 Don't drink too much.
It's fun to see the uptight girl from high school let her hair down a bit. It's not fun to see her on the floor.
#3 Be cool.
Not a problem. I've got this one in the bag.

For the record, I wasn't exactly Myrtle Urkel in high school, but I certainly was no Regina George either.

I was a Type B personality, plain and simple. I tended to follow the pack, I was generally afraid to stick out too much and I was easily made uncomfortable in social situations. I was shy, or as the present day Pumpernickel might say, lame.

That being said, five years is a long time, especially in a developmental sense when that time spans the length of a college education. College was for me a time of growth and self-realization; I honestly remember high school as period of incubation, hardly the 'good old times' every John Hughes movie would have us believe it to be.

There was no sex. There was no rock and roll. There was only AP Physics.

Armed with the knowledge that my high school self probably wouldn't recognize my most recent incarnation (or that if she did, she'd be mightily impressed), I sashayed my way into the Thomas S. Wootton Class of 2004's Five Year Reunion.

Despite the fact that the people with whom I had kept in touch showed up about an hour late, I successfully shmoozed my way through a crowd of surprisingly familiar faces. A little secret: the only person with the power to make you feel uncomfortable is yourself. A little confidence goes a long way.

And thus, that fabled fear of the high school reunion wound up being nothing more than a myth. Nearly everyone with whom I spoke, from the old popular crowd to my former science class study buddies, seemed genuinely friendly and well-adjusted.

Nary an awkard moment was had. Though I'm sure many of my ex-classmates underwent similar transformations, I can't help but think my own personal experience was due to nothing short of a metamorphasis. Not to say I'm a cutthroat, always-on-the-go, manic Type A, but with confidence comes a better, more self-possessed gal about town. And one with no fear of high school reunions, to boot.

Of course, it doesn't hurt to look completely different and to be successfully pursuing an exciting career path. Perhaps those factors influenced my perception of things as well.

All I can say is thank goodness for growing up. I wouldn't be 15 years old again for all the money in the world. I do wish, however, that I could shadow my younger self like some kind of uber-chic fairy godmother. My message: hang in there, it's gonna be OK.