Ariel Goldberg Discusses Sanctuary, in Its Many Forms, With Laurie Melrood

Writer and curator of community engagement at Tuscon's Jewish History Museum, Ariel Goldberg, spoke recently with Laurie Melrood, Jewish social worker and community organizer, for PROTOCOLS's issue 5, "Tikkun/Repair." They discuss Jewish survival, historicizing the Holocaust, community, social work, the Sanctuary movement, the Rio Grande, and more. From this conversation:

AG: In this museum, we have this really interesting photograph of street art taken in Guatemala that says, “Si Hubo Genocidio” (Yes, there was genocide). Because, in one of our exhibits on the elements of genocide, there’s the denial panel. That’s where this 2013 photograph by Daniel Hernández-Salazar of the wheatpaste street art appears. But in this panel, it doesn’t have the space necessarily to speak about the genocide in Guatemala. It speaks about it through this image of street art inside this city where it happened. But there isn’t any recognition of the U.S. involvement in what led to the Guatemalan genocide. So, I’m thinking about how American Jewish identity can include an awareness of all the violence and imperialism.

LM: What is American Jewish identity? What is it composed of? I might have stated it quite differently when I was a younger person. And now as an older person, I think I have a much more encompassing definition that has to do with that listening and accompanying that I referred to. That I don’t know all the answers. I see and I feel that we are in a very degenerate period right now. And all of those realities of the United States being superior, of dominating the world conversation, we see the illusion of all that. Countries are losing respect for the U.S. That’s also an opportunity. It’s a gift. Because to see all that stripped away is really an opportunity for people to question, “What are the basic values and what are the requirements of survival in a society that portends to be the most powerful country in the world?”

If one can’t see the illusion in the relationship between the U.S. and Central America, or the relationship between the U.S. and the Middle East, one could possibly see it in the way in which this country is impacted by climate change. Because climate change is a thread that ties everything together, across the world. If one sees climate change, one has to address and understand how it’s allowed to progress to the levels it has. And then one has to look at the question of power and of the meaning of power opposed to environmental improvements for human survival. It’s really about survival of the entire world at this point. If Jewish people wish to define that as a Jewish question, I’m cool with that. If they want to see environmental degradation as something we as Jews can address, that’s good. If Jewish people wish to join with other communities that are addressing the impact of climate change, or addressing the impact of world power as defined by the U.S., I’m also down with that. I just wish people would stop the silence. Because silence clouds your eyes. You are not able to see as well when you are not saying anything.

Please find it all at PROTOCOLS.