Journalism by Jewish college students, for Jewish college students.
This week my group took a little trip up to the Golan Heights. We spent one night in a hotel and two days hiking and sight seeing around the area. On the first day, we went to Mt. Bental, an old inactive volcano that houses an old army barrack turned tourist attraction. The mountain is…
The Global Citizen is a joint project of New Voices and the American Jewish World Service (AJWS). Throughout the year, a group of former AJWS volunteers will offer their take on global justice, Judaism and international development. Opinions expressed by Global Citizen bloggers do not necessarily represent AJWS. Last week, I began discussing the importance…
If suburban Connecticut doesn’t exactly scream “farm†to you, maybe you should look a little harder. Born and raised in Connecticut, I had a farm over the hill from my house and rode horses at farms nearby. Still, none of that prepared me for the option Hillel presented to its students for 2010 spring break:…
…And other things I learned at a Columbia University Hillel party.
Balancing ritual, culture, observance and secularism as a college Jew.
Though many critics say the Opening Ceremony of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics was not as extravagant as Beijing’s in 2008, it still had some memorable occurrences, even for Jews. If you happened to watch it, you might have noticed that Iran and Israel were marching nearby each other. While some news sources say this…
Earlier this week, the world celebrated the twentieth anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s release from South African prison. Though Apartheid wouldn’t officially end for another four years, Mandela’s release – more than anything else – heralded the racist institution’s imminent demise. As Umkhonto weSizwe leader Kebby Maphatsoe would later remark, “on that day we knew that…
Hookah-smoking has been gaining popularity with Jewish students at campuses across the country as a recreational activity. But is it a new road to coexistence or just another hazard to your health?
I don’t have much to say about this, but check out some Palestinian protesters in the West Bank utilizing the latest 3-D movie hit/best picture nominee for their own ends. Pretty impressive, at the very least, that they were able to get all that blue paint: It seems dubious to compare the message of “Avatar”…
Here I set out to explore and explain Israel’s numerous spices and flavors, but first I suspect I should set out to explain who I am. If I truly did that, we would all die of starvation (because I would never get to the food), so for now, I will just explain the basics. My…
About a week ago, I was browsing the New York Times’ On Religion section, one of my favorite things to read, for obvious reasons. I came across this piece, called “An Offensive Tackle Named Shlomo.” Despite the fact that I am the farthest thing from a sports fan, I read this article with interest. It…
Although the main chunk of my volunteering in Israel revolves around tutoring English in Israeli schools, another opportunity is to work at the local soup kitchen in Nes Ziona. Many people really enjoy it because it is different from the schedule of the schools. The lady who runs the kitchen is full of spirit and…
For those of you that know New York, you’ll know that Jews have become as much a part of the Big Apple as the Statue of Liberty. From bagels to black hats, the Diamond District to door mezuzot, we’re a huge part of the city. Still, New York is made up of a lot of…
I was in Wadi Musa Jordan to see the ruins of Petra, one of the seven wonders of the modern world, when our Bedouin tour guide called me “cousin.” This was the first time I had ever been called “cousin,” and I was unsure how to take it. I was traveling with seven friends from…
Today is the 1,324th day of Gilad Shalit’s captivity. In fact, as I write this, it’s been 1,324 days, 14 hours, 19 minutes, and roughly 31 seconds since Shalit walked free. I know this not because of any particular concern on my part, but because everyone in Israel knows this. It’s impossible not to. Along…
A Thousand Leagues from Hillel Or, A Moderately Fictional Version of How I Began a Search for the Hare Krishna, Avoided a Lecture on Duck Gender Rights, and Ended Up at Whole Food Part I began my journey to a Hindu temple. Part II continues with the journey to ISKCON, the Krishna temple downtown. Huh….