Freddie Rokem-Distinguished Visiting Professor

[Conrad Alexandrowicz]

While I hesitate to bring this up because it causes distress, embarrassment, resentment and even anger, I feel I must do so in order to point directly to an issue of great importance that the academy in Canada seems determined to ignore.

In fact, in Canada as a whole we are very far behind in our recognition and understanding of this issue, that is, the international campaign of BDS—Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions—that was initiated in 2005 against Israel for its crimes against the Palestinian people: its campaign of terror against a population under illegal military occupation, its ongoing program of land theft, its legally established program of discrimination against Palestinian Israelis—at least 20% of the population— as well as the slow-motion genocide that is its appalling siege of Gaza.

This boycott is not solely of goods and commercial interests; its aims and intents also includes the academic the academic sphere.

Please note that the American Studies Association—among many other groups around the world—has endorsed the academic boycott. http://www.bdsmovement.net/activecamps/academic-boycott

“It can never be business as usual. Israeli Universities are an intimate part of the Israeli regime, by active choice. While Palestinians are not able to access universities and schools, Israeli universities produce the research, technology, arguments and leaders for maintaining the occupation. [Ben Gurion University] is no exception. By maintaining links to both the Israeli defence forces and the arms industry, BGU structurally supports and facilitates the Israeli occupation.” — Desmond Tutu<http://www.timeslive.co.za/world/article675369.ece/Israeli-ties--a-chance-to-do-the-right-thing>, talking shortly before the University of Johannesburg cut its ties with Ben Gurion University<http://www.bdsmovement.net/2011/uj-bgu-5379>.

I recall hearing Dr. Rokem speak at the 2012 Memory, History, Performance conference at U of O in which I participated, and I gleaned from what he said at various times that he is one of a growing number of progressive Israelis who fully understands the terms of this conflict, as well as the nature of Zionism as a discriminatory ideology. The irony of this situation is that Dr. Rokem is very likely more cognizant than Canada's academic community both of the real nature of the conflict—not that portrayed by media massively influenced by Zionist lobby groups— as well as of the international campaign of BDS—and the fact that it includes academic exchange as much as any other variety.

As difficult as it may be for scholars to address and engage with this issue, I believe that, as in the case of the apartheid regime in South Africa—to which the situation in Palestine/Israel is often compared—the only way to effect real change is to endorse and participate in an all-encompassing program of boycott against a regime that consistently flouts human rights and international law, and has been doing so for decades with impunity.

I hope that you will consider this letter with the same serious intent with which it was written.

Most sincerely,
--
Conrad Alexandrowicz, Associate Professor
Movement, Acting and Devised Physical Theatre
Department of Theatre
University of Victoria
P.O. Box 1700 STN CSC
Victoria, BC.  V8W 2Y2

Office: 250.853.3727
Cell: 250.580.5524



From: Yana Meerzon <Yana.Meerzon at UOTTAWA.CA<mailto:Yana.Meerzon at UOTTAWA.CA>>
Reply-To: Yana Meerzon <Yana.Meerzon at UOTTAWA.CA<mailto:Yana.Meerzon at UOTTAWA.CA>>
Date: Wednesday, March 12, 2014 7:40 AM
To: "Ric Knowles <rknowles at UOGUELPH.CA<mailto:rknowles at UOGUELPH.CA>>" <CANDRAMA at LISTSERV.UNB.CA<mailto:CANDRAMA at LISTSERV.UNB.CA>>
Subject: Dr. FREDDIE ROKEM: Distinguished Visiting Professor in Ottawa, March 24-29,2013


[cid:image001.jpg at 01CF3878.D4A72AF0]    [cid:B978F2CA-D0CD-4727-9523-ED88CE48264E]


Dr. Freddie Rokem
Tel Aviv University
is the Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of Ottawa
March 2014



University of Ottawa is proud to host a world expert in theatre theory as its Distinguished Visiting Professor program. Dr. Freddie Rokem is Emanuel Herzikowitz Professor for Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Art and teaches in the Department of Theatre Studies at Tel Aviv University. His areas of interest combine theatre and philosophy and his books include Performing History: Theatrical Representations of the Past in Contemporary Theatre, which received the ATHE (Association for Theatre in Higher Education) Prize for best theatre studies book in 2001, and was translated into several languages. He is also author of Strindberg’s Secret Codes (2004) and Philosophers and Thespians: Thinking Performance (2010). Rokem is the co-editor of Jews and the Making of Modern German Theatre (2010) and is also a translator and a dramaturg.


During his stay as a visiting scholar the week of March 24, 2014 Professor Rokem will be meeting with students and faculty and holding a round-table event for graduate students. Professor Rokem will also be delivering a public lecture titled "Possessed by Theatre: ‘The Dybbuk’ at Habima, 1922". Habima, the first institutionalized Hebrew theatre founded in Moscow during the 1917 Revolution, staged a repertoire of experimental works, of which “The Dybbuk” remains the most renowned. The play presents the story of a young bride possessed by a dybbuk and was authored by folklorist Sh. Ansky based on materials he collected during his expeditions among Eastern European Jews on the eve of World War I. Habima’s Hebrew-language seamlessly performance blended Soviet experimental theatre with Jewish folklore to great critical acclaim. Rokem will discuss the inaugural performance that forever changed the history of Jewish theatre.

The schedule is attached

“Publishing-not-Perishing”
(a workshop on publishing for the graduate students)
Thursday, March 27, 10-11:30 am
Department of Theatre, Room 309
(This event will be in English)



"Possessed by Theatre:  ‘The Dybbuk’ at Habima, 1922"

(open lecture)

Thursday, March 27, 2:30 to 4 p.m.

Department of Theatre, Academic Hall

Free of charge. (This event will be in English)



“The Use of Space in Chekhov’s Dramaturgy”

(a dialogue with the students of THE 4123,

Practice of Dramaturgy)

Friday, March 28, 1 – 2:30 p.m

Morriset Hall (MRT), Room 251 (This event will be in English)



Information: Dr. Yana Meerzon, Telephone: 613-562-5800, ext. 2243

E-mail: ymeerzon at uOttawa.ca<applewebdata://96DAD599-87B9-4EDF-B7FC-39E4F6081F49/privend/Downloads/ymeerzon@uOttawa.ca>

Professor Rokem’s visit is sponsored by University of Ottawa’s program of Distinguished Visiting
professor, the Faculty of Arts, Department of Theatre, and Vered Jewish Canadian Studies Program.



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