On Obama and Settlements

By smelamed March 30, 2010

Barack Obama: Arrogant. Barack Obama: Despicable. Barack Obama: Muslim? The other day, as I do every day, I rode to work on Jerusalem’s bus #28.  The commute is usually long and tedious, and only made palatable by the sounds of my iPod.  On this specific morning, I found myself sitting behind two elderly women.  Normally…

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Us and Them

By hdilman March 25, 2010

There has been much tension lately between the United States and Israel.  While the tension between the right leaning-Bibi and the left-seeming Obama seems to center around the peace process and controversial building in Israel, I’ve found there to be a certain attitude present in Israel that is very anti-Obama.  Throughout the years the United States has…

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Don’t Sleep on Slavery

By Carly Silver March 24, 2010

“Let my people go!” is the cry of Moses that has resounded through the ages. As Passover approaches, we remember our ancestors who were oppressed by Pharaoh and freed through the grace of God and the courage of Moses. Why, then, did some South Carolinian Jews participate in the propagation of the Confederate states in…

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Unplug on the Sabbath for a Change!

By kseeger March 23, 2010

Obviously, technology has changed ancient traditions as it has evolved over the years. Jews who are accustomed to observing the Sabbath by giving up the use of electronics now face greater challenges. Last Saturday (March 20) Reboot held the first annual National Day of Unplugging. On this day, Reboot encouraged thousands of younger Jews to…

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Israel, Eugenics, The Past and Future

By smelamed March 22, 2010

For years they wandered, desperate to be at home in their God-given land.  Despite constantly being at the mercy of cruel, tyrannical leaders, they tried to live lives of dignity.  Above all else, they were certain that they were God’s chosen people and that eventually, the land they loved would belong to them.  The trials…

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The Purple Cabbage Stuff

By astrick March 20, 2010

If you’re familiar with my work you’ll know that in just about every meal that I eat I include “The Purple Cabbage Stuff” as a side dish. It’s that beautiful purple stuff on all the plates. See here or here. Well, this week I decided to try and make it all by myself. I looked…

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The Global Citizen: Our Responsibility in Zimbabwe

By jsiegel March 19, 2010

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. In a weekly commentary on the Torah…

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The Jewish democratic conundrum

By hdilman March 18, 2010

Last Saturday night in Jerusalem, protesters rallied against a bill that prohibits women from sitting in the front of certain buses.  These buses (which are already in operation) separate men and women in the name of religious purity. Although few buses are segregated, this has become a hot topic in Israel. Women argue that they…

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Under Your Israeli Umbrella (Eh, Eh, Eh)

By Carly Silver March 17, 2010

“Come on, rude boy, boy, can you get it up?” asks Barbados-born singer Rihanna on her latest single, the aptly-titled “Rude Boy.” The raunchy hit song will likely be in her set list for her May 30 concert at Bloomfield Stadium in Jaffa. Reports say that it has taken “months of negotiations” to get the…

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What are the implications of the nonprofit funding model?

By Harpo Jaeger March 15, 2010

Yesterday afternoon, I spent two hours on the phone for Brown/RISD Hillel’s fund drive.  We asked parents and alums for donations ranging from $20 to $1000.  About half of the funding for our Hillel comes from board members, and the rest from other donors like the ones we were calling.  The implications of funding an…

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South Africa’s Democratic Transition And What It Means For Israel

By smelamed March 15, 2010

As Israel Apartheid Week finally winds to a close across campuses around the world, allow me to take a look back at the demise of the original Apartheid in South Africa.  Though South Africa’s Apartheid and Israel’s occupation are two wholly different animals, at their core they are very much alike.  In both, the government…

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Grandma’s Cookin’ (Liver and Onions)

By astrick March 15, 2010

I can count on one hand the amount of times I’ve eaten liver in my life. The first time was when I had paté not knowing it was liver. The second time was at a holiday party where they served chopped liver. The third time was when my friend’s roommate’s girlfriend came over to cook…

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Rabbi Crashes Girl’s First Birthday Party?

By ekrasner March 12, 2010

At the home of a Persian Jewish family in Great Neck last December, according to the Jewish Week, Ashkenazi Rabbi Mordecai Asheret and an entourage of four others crashed a young girl’s first birthday party. The celebration consisted of “mixed dancing and traditional Iranian fare,” which the uninvited rabbi vehemently opposed. He declared that those who chose…

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That’s What She Said!

By Carly Silver March 10, 2010

Try to follow my train of thought. I watched the most recent episode of The Office a week ago, when Pam and Jim finally have their baby. Spoiler alert: she’s named Cecilia Marie Halpert. My brain immediately floated to the name “Cecilia,” which sounds like an Anglicized version of the Latin name “Caecilius,” who was…

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Egypt II

By meuriarte March 10, 2010

This is the second post of a series. To read the first post, click here. The next morning we walked passed the synagogue on our way to the main boulevard. It was an impressive cement building with a giant Magen David centered above the entrance, which had two Greek columns on either side. The temple…

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