Fusing her passion for ancient Rabbinical culture with expertise in gender, sexuality and disability critical theories, the research of Julia Watts Belser (Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies at Georgetown University) builds fascinating conceptual bridges between the early and modern.   Her session ‘Disability and the Destruction of Jerusalem: Gender, Sex and Flesh in Early Jewish Narrative’ at Glasgow University yesterday explored violence and disablement as a powerful metaphor for metropolitan devastation and colonial domination in Hebrew texts.  Whilst the event was

The Siege and Destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans Under the Command of Titus, A.D. 70 (1850). Image in the public domain.

not directly project-related, I felt certain that attending would enhance my wider appreciation of Jewish identity and cultural memory.

A small turnout – due to the summer recess and a coterminous graduation ceremonies – enabled the planned lecture to seamlessly morph into an informal seminar, facilitating discursive analysis of various Midrash (passages from Lamentations and the Bavli Gittin).  A fertile exchange of ideas revealed the multiple ways in which the body impaired by war has been retrospectively imagined in ancient Jewish texts.

Penned between the 5^th and 7^th centuries, these trans-temporal texts re-conceptualize the earlier destruction of the Second Temple, and the ensuing cultural and political occupation.   Firstly, we explored how passages from Lamentations configured imperial oppression as effecting physical changes in the body, so conspicuous as to render “Zion’s precious people” unrecognizable: the potent imagery of their once bright and ruddy skin now “dry as wood” and shrunken “on their bones” expresses imperial subjugation through physical degeneration and emaciation.

Consideration then turned to the story of Rabbi Tsadok – “a small, shriveled old man” exuding a quiet yet extraordinary spiritual power procured through frequent fasting enabling him “to teach one hundred sessions” although he “eats but a single fig.”  The Roman authorities duly enforce medical intervention, ensuring that “little by little” his frail body “was restored.”  The disabled body is thus represented as a site of political protest: implicit in this rehabilitation discourse is the premise that to restructure the body as functional – according to the definitions imposed by the dominant regime – is to neutralize personal and religious power by undercutting the agentic right to intentional self-denial.  The Rabbi’s chosen self-disablement is emblematic of his unwillingness to conform to Roman hegemony.

Contrastingly, extracts from the Bavli Gittin, a Babylonian Talmudic text, dwell upon the post-destruction Jewish body as still exquisitely beautiful.   The Roman captors are depicted as utterly decadent – reveling in opulence and covetousness – epitomizing the weakening of the state and pre-empting its downfall.  Despite acknowledging the sexual abuse and subjugation of Jewish subjects, however, the text is clear that they remain physically undiminished and unstigmatised in the corporeal sense.  Indeed, in an radical departure from prevailing and expected gender paradigms, the Bavli Gittin deals empathically with women as victims of sexual violence and conceptualizes the violated female body as the personification of shared corporate, communal and divine loss.

Julia’s expert analysis of these passages emphasized the ethical imperative to consider the absence of the dismembered, amputated, nameless and faceless in this genre of literature: her work is a timely reminder that the politics of memory and storytelling inexorably influence exactly whose stories are told.   Her forthcoming publication, Corporal Catastrophe: sex and flesh in the ruins of Jerusalem, promises to be a fascinating read.

On Tuesday, Victoria Stobo and Kerry Patterson of CREATe (the RCUK Centre for Copyright and New Business Models in the Creative Economy based at the University of Glasgow) hosted informal copyright training at the SJAC. Kerry related a little about a project she had been working on, which explores the application of rights clearance and copyright legislation to the digitisation of the Scrapbooks of the poet Edwin Morgan (1930-60s). She was accompanied by Postgraduate Researcher Victoria – her PhD uses surveys and case studies to understand how copyright affects digitisation. Both ably, thoughtfully and comprehensively answered the many tricky questions posed to them by the director, volunteers and project staff.

First they explained the fundamentals – copyright occurs at the point when an original work is created. Most unpublished archival materials are in copyright until 2039, and for many materials copyright endures for the life of the creator plus seventy years. Orphan works – materials created by an untraceable or unidentifiable rights holder – could be make available, provided it could be demonstrated that prior diligent search had been fruitlessly performed. The Intellectual Property Organisation (IPO) website contains comprehensive guidelines on how to search, and facilitates the registration of orphan works. The focus was very much upon addressing the practicalities of digitising, publishing and displaying archival materials, identifying and minimising risk.
The extent to which oral history transcripts could be reproduced, digitised or published if the interviewee was deceased was assessed. It was concluded that heirs should be consulted for permission, even though the signing of a consent form by the participant might arguably be understood to constitute an implied licence. Other issues discussed included conventions for the crediting of images supplied to the researcher by the Centre, whether the rights of photographs taken by a freelancer and published in a newspaper belong to the individual or the publication, the copyright of the paperwork created by now defunct organisations.

Striking a balance between mitigating risk and enhancing accessibility, in the final analysis, were considered to be key to successful digitisation. Much, of course, depends upon the extent to which the organisation is risk averse. Following the session, Victoria and Kerry were treated to a tour of the Centre.

Undoubtedly many more questions will arise once the process of digitisation begins in earnest in January 2017. In the meantime, I for one left reassured that workable solutions to the potential pitfalls digitisation were available.

Dr Kenneth Collins lecturing on ‘Poles and Jews in Wartime Edinburgh.’   Image reproduced courtesy of Harvey Kaplan, Scottish Jewish Archives Centre ©.

It’s hard to believe that more than half a year has elapsed since ‘Jewish Lives, Scottish Spaces’ first got under way.   So much has been achieved – two oral history interviews, continued scoping of selected collections of the Scottish Jewish Archive Centre, a pilot digitisation project, and crystallisation of our research plans to name just a few of our many accomplishments.

The convening of the second six-monthly Project Advisory Board Meeting a few days ago therefore gave pause for reflection on our progress in relation to significant milestones.   A team of academics with expertise in digital humanities and historical research, archives and library professionals, and representatives from Jewish community organisations were in attendance at the Scottish Jewish Archives Centre on Wednesday 30^th March.  The remit of the Board is to meet biannually to critically appraise the project’s strategy, progress and outputs, and also to offer specific expertise on matters relating to their individual areas of knowledge.   They perform this role consistently and cohesively well, drawing upon their experience to offer fresh and constructive insights which help to resolve challenges and move the project forward.

After a preliminary update on our progress and publication plans, the focus of the meeting was very much upon the practicalities of digitisation: selection of sources, equipment purchase, funder requirements, open access, timeframes and ethical issues all received attention.   Much ground was covered, and we left eagerly anticipating the next phase of the project.  The meeting will convene again towards the end of this calendar year where the emphasis will be on knowledge exchange and impact.

After a very productive meeting, attendees were treated by Harvey Kaplan and Dr Kenneth Collins – Director and Chairman respectively of the Scottish Jewish Archives Centre – to a tour of the Synagogue and Centre.   In the early evening, Kenneth Collins delivered an engaging lecture to an audience of academics, volunteers and members of the Jewish community.   Dr Collins – current Edgar Astaire Fellow in Jewish Studies at the University of Edinburgh – shared selected insights from his extensive research into Polish Jewish medical students and soldiers in Scotland.   Although the lecture’s title suggested an emphasis on Edinburgh –where a Polish School of Medicine was established in 1941 – consideration was given also to the role of Polish Jewish refugees in the provision of mental health services and psychiatric medicine in Dundee, Aberdeen, Dumfries and Glasgow.   Of especial interest was Dr Collins’ discussion of the extent to which Polish Jews in Scotland during wartime experienced anti-Semitism.   The talk captured the interest of community and academy alike, generating numerous questions.   A lively reception followed, where delicious kosher food was abundantly served, courtesy of Mark’s Deli in Giffnock, bringing a successful day to a relaxing close.

From left: Fiona Brodie, Paul Maloney, Howard Brodie, Mia Spiro and Deborah Butcher. Photo supplied courtesy of Fiona Brodie, Scottish Jewish Archives Centre ©

One of a selection of 1950s theatre posters on display.  Image kindly supplied by Claire McKendrick, Scottish Theatre Archives©

On Tuesday 29^th March, Mia Spiro and Deborah Butcher enjoyed fascinating lunchtime visit to the Scottish Theatre Archive (housed within Glasgow University Library), accompanied by Fiona and Howard Brodie from the Scottish Jewish Archive Centre.  First we were treated to a tour by Claire McKendrick, followed by a display in the Seminar Room.    Various sources were on show, including posters, programmes, a scrapbook of newspaper cuttings, and hand-annotated scripts complete with by stage sketches and director’s notes.

Of particular interest are a selection of photos of stage scenes of Ansky’s classic supernatural tale of Jewish folklore ‘The Dybbuk’ – acting in an exaggerated style perhaps to engage an audience unversed in the Yiddish – are exhibited.    Alongside are two character sketches signed Bet Low:  the first of a distinctive middle-aged woman, her rugged facial features buried beneath a mass of curly hair and her stout frame concealed by traditional rustic costume;  the second of a tall, slender man with serious expression.  Both are vaguely familiar and generate much discussion, although their identities remain frustratingly elusive.

Howard’s father, Maxwell Brodie (1926-1998), was actor, stage manager and director with the Jewish Institute Players, the Avrom Greenbaum Players and the Unity Theatre, his involvement spanning half a century.   For Howard (who also performed with the Avrom Greenbaum Players) many of the names and faces appearing in cast lists and photos are also family friends.   Indeed Fiona credits some of the Players’ success to the fact they belonged to such a close-knit community – living, working, worshipping and socialising in close proximity – affording them ample opportunities to rehearse, share ideas and refine their craft.

Claire’s demonstration of the online catalogue – searchable by name, document, collection and event – equips us to independently discover materials relevant to our interests.  Key holdings include the papers and correspondence of actor and director Samm Hankin, and the articles and letters of the acclaimed actress Ida Schuster.  Avrom Greenbaum’s correspondence with individual playwrights (such as Sylvia Regan) promise to reveal something of his broader cultural impact, and, reciprocally, his own creative influences.   There are also various materials relating to the Glasgow Unity Theatre, with whom the Players temporarily amalgamated during the 1940s.  These mostly pre-1960 sources complement the extensive Avrom Greenbaum Players collection (as the Jewish Institute Players later restyled themselves) housed at the Scottish Jewish Archives Centre.

Later on we were joined by Dr Paul Maloney, Research Fellow at Queen’s University Belfast.   Paul has previously explored the history of the Scottish music hall.  He is now working upon cataloguing the Jewish Institute Players’ collection, assessing various aspects of their history including the influence of vaudeville, and popular variety theatre, on Scottish Jewish amateur dramatics.  All in all, this was a highly informative and enjoyable introduction to the Scottish Theatre Archive.

Edna Cates, niece of Avrom Greenbaum.  Copyright © 2016 [Deborah Butcher]. All Rights Reserved.

‘Acting means living, it’s all I do and all I’m good at.   If I weren’t getting paid well, I would still be acting in a small troupe somewhere’ is how Morgan Freeman voiced his passionate and prideful dedication to his craft.   Cast alongside Freeman and fellow Hollywood great Danny De Vito, the Glasgow-born Michael Cates was once lingering on the shaky precipice of stardom before the wheel of fortune took a calamitous turn when an untimely car accident involving Freeman resulted in the film’s cancellation.   Although his elusive celebrity ambitions were cruelly dashed, Michael’s natural talent has indeed transported him across the Atlantic to tour with the innovative, award-winning Blue Man Group.   That he was destined to tread the boards is however unsurprising, for his mother Edna (maiden name Green) was the niece of the phenomenal playwright and founder of the Jewish Institute Players, Avrom Greenbaum.

Edna initially agreed to an interview to shed some light on the creative legacy of her uncle to theatre national and local, and to reflect also on his personal contribution to the company and wider community.   His one act plays (ranging from the hilarious Watch on the Clyde to the more sombre Bread of Affliction about a Russian Pogrom) and poetry coincide with many of the themes of ‘Jewish Lives, Scottish Spaces’ project: the dramatic performance of a distinctly Scottish-Jewish identity, the artistic expression of diasporic experience, and the transformation of Scottish urban landscapes into real and imagined Jewish cultural spaces.

Her testimony enlivens my understanding of the various memory objects – theatre programmes, photos, postcards and ephemera – lodged at the Scottish Jewish Archives Centre.   She articulates what involvement with the Players meant to those, like herself, happy to devote much of their leisure to learning lines and perfecting performances. She touches upon the group’s role in facilitating and reshaping relations within the Jewish community – revealing that many of the Players met or got to know their future spouses at club rehearsals – as well as the interplay between the Jewish and non-Jewish communities through the collaborative involvement of the troupe in the 1940s Unity Theatre.

A charming and highly self-deprecating, natural raconteur, Edna is effortlessly able to weave details both humorous and touching into an engaging and extraordinarily candid life narrative.   Echoing Freeman’s love of acting, she wistfully recalled her own youthful aspirations:

‘All throughout school there was nothing I ever wanted to do except being on stage. I was the class clown.’

Passing the King’s Theatre in Glasgow as an ambitious schoolgirl, she confidently assured her friends ‘I’ll be there one day!’   Although breaking into the highly competitive professional theatrical world ultimately proved an unattainable dream– hindered by the lack of local Drama College and daunted by the prospect of forsaking family to relocate to London in uncertain pursuit of fame and fortune – Edna nevertheless enjoyed what she recalls as ‘a wonderful experience’ with the amateur yet highly acclaimed Jewish Institute Players.

Unassumingly, she attributes much of her success to invaluable encouragement of her pre-eminent and inspirational uncle – ‘Uncle Abie’ she affectionately calls him – who recognising her talent, secured parts for her in numerous plays. While still a girl she landed a small part in the festival-winning production of The Dybbuk, in which Ida Shuster topped the bill as Leah, and at the tender age of 14 she was cast as the lead in Dear Ruth.   She also played the bride in Blood Wedding and counts Café Crown, Winter’s Journey and The Dream amongst the highlights of her varied theatrical career.   Active also behind the scenes, she tried her hand at directing Morning Star and Brighton Beach Memoirs during the 1980s, and served on the committee of the Greenbaum Players (as they became known following Avrom’s death) when the company relocated to Coplaw Street.

Edna spoke adoringly of the Uncle Abie she remembers as ‘so clever, modest and quiet.’   ‘He had these fantastic eyes’ she mused ‘you just listened to every word, and just a wonderful sense of humour.’     Watching Edna captivatingly holding court, regaling us with a delightful selection of annecdotes of mishap and mayhem – untimely curtain closures, actors appearing late on stage, bungled and improvised lines – it is striking how many of her uncle’s qualities she shares.   The intergenerational legacy of the Greenbaums, happily, lives on!