Outing, after Admission [New York Times]
College diversity programs are looking to expand and bring outreach to another historically discriminated against minority – the LGBT community. In the past, a handful of colleges, either overtly or covertly, have targeted gay students as part of their diversity outreach programs. Now, the University of California system proposes, admitted students will be able to declare their orientation upon admission.
“If the University of California system decides to ask students about their sexual orientation, its decision might in some ways contradict the board overseeing the Common Application, which last year rejected a proposal to ‘add optional questions on sexual orientation and gender identity.'”
Zion Square, the appropriation [Tablet]
Peter Beinart’s new Zion Square blog, which launched this week and promises to start “a conversation about…the struggle to confront the ethical responsibilities of a world in which Jewish fortunes have radically changed,” an anonymous web user has bought the domain name zionsquare.org, under the pretext of turning it into a propaganda outlet, reports Liel Leibovitz of Tablet.
“Journalists live and die by their bylines. And so on. The only people who refuse to reveal themselves are scoundrels and cowards.”
Pope to use Cuba trip to urge for the release of imprisoned Jew [Washington Post]
Pope Benedict XVI, lobbied by supporters of Jewish humanitarian Alan Gross, intends to ask the Cuban government to release him during his upcoming trip to Cuba, the Washington Post reports. The U.S. State Department has unsuccessfully tried to wrangle Gross’ freedom from the Cubans for the past two years.
How I learned to stop worrying and start loving Israel [JPost]
The Jerusalem Post publishes an interesting op-ed by Mitchell Bard, a foreign policy analyst who claims that in order for Jewish children to establish a genuine connection to Israel, they must be immersed in its culture before reaching college.
“In the last few years, educators, advocates and philanthropists have finally recognized the need to make Israel education a part of pre-collegiate education. Much more needs to be done, however, to equip young Jews with the information and tools they require to understand Israel and to build an identity with Israel that will lead them to a lifelong love and commitment to their homeland. Here are some of the essential steps forward:”
