Robert Murphy at PorcFest XI (2014)

Shavua Tov and good evening. I have begun to plan out some talks I am going to give at PorcFest this June 21-28. If you havent heard of PorcFest, check out my blog post about it. There has been an on and off Jewish presence at the festival, but with me moving to New Hampshire in (literally) a month or two, there will be a more permanent presence. Last year there was supposedly an Oneg planned, but I left before it occurred.

In any case, here are the topics I have prepared:
Jewish Libertarians — Jews have figured prominently in the libertarian “movement”. Who are they and why does libertarianism attract Jews?

Antisemitism in the Liberty Movement — Why does a movement that has had so many prominent Jewish thinkers also attract so many antisemites?

Israel: Founding, Government, and Economy — What is the state of the Israeli economy? Why is Israel so socialist and bureaucratic? What are Israeli politics like compared to the US? Is libertarianism feasible in Israel?

Zionism of the Free State Project — Zionism and the Free State Project have a lot in common. Both seek to bring likeminded people together in one place to create a strong community. (look for a forthcoming blog post)

History of the Arab-Israel Conflict — A conflict that has claimed only less than 100,000 lives in the past century occupies so much discourse and spills over into political discourse. There are two (or perhaps more) competing narratives with staunch defenders that make it difficult to sort out the truth.

Jews in Liberty — For centuries, Jews have been oppressed by government after government and have had to turn to each other for basic needs. Even now, in the safe haven of America, Jews still turn to nongovernment public services. How do these services prove that private enterprises can replace the government? (I hope to have my book done by then, and this will showcase it)

Shabbat — It is said that more than Jews have kept Shabbat, Shabbat has kept the Jews. Join Jewish Libertarians in celebrating the weekly day of rest as we close out PorcFest!

I have also previously talked to Will Coley of Muslims 4 Liberty about a prospective religion and liberty panel that will be in one of the main tents. The rest of these will likely be at my tent or some available space. I invite Jews, libertarian and libertarian-leaning, to come to PorcFest this year. It will soon be time to reserve a campsite, whether for an RV or a tent. There is always open space available, but the prime spots go quickly. Additionally, you can always find a place to crash and my site will be open to a few people if necessary, but its easier for singles than families to come unprepared.

Additionally, I am probably going to need help with organizing some of this. I can do it all, but I would also like some time to walk around, attend other workshops/seminars, and such. The main things I would need are staffing a booth that hopefully will have my book for sale, and maybe some trinkets, AND help with Shabbat. I may end up contacting the local Chabads about catering a meal, but if someone is planning to go to PorcFest and can cook, that would rock! Also, if anyone knows a libertarian-leaning rabbi who can lead prayer, that may be of interest. We might be able to raise money to pay travel expenses. On that note, this campsite is going to cost some money and I will be doing some fundraising at some point this year. Once I find out how much it costs, I will know more of the goal.

Looking forward to seeing fellow Jews there! I know many have come in the past and some complained about antisemitism, but I would like to see them back so we can have a good presence. Will Coley said there used to be a lot of Islamophobia as well, but he worked hard to stomp that out. While I am tolerant of hatred and dissent, most people are not and they should feel welcome in the “public” areas of PorcFest.