Journalism by Jewish college students, for Jewish college students.
With the announcement that Jewish reggae/rapper/pop artist Matisyahu would be releasing a new album on July 17th (Spark Seeker, be there or be… not there) came the news that the artist would also offer a free download of its lead single. Above is the video. Click through for more info on how to get an…
Anat Hoffman, Women of the Wall, featured on CNN [Umm, CNN?] This is a little late in coming, but this great piece about Anat Hoffman, women’s rights in Israel, etc., is currently on the CNN “Amanpour” blog. Written by Samuel Burke, this is one of the widest recent exposures of the Israeli organization. “Hoffman is the…
As John so eloquently posted yesterday, the death of a celebrity always leads to an outpouring of grief, real or feigned. Maurice Sendak’s profound influence on children over the past fifty years stands on its own. And if I may hypothesize, someone who spent so much of his life breaking barriers wouldn’t want to be…
Two weeks ago we celebrated Yom Haatzmaut – Israel’s birthday. It’s an exciting time of year for those of us who care and advocate for the state of Israel. Celebrations commemorating Israel’s Independence Day happened on college campuses all over the country. And yet I observed two troubling trends surrounding many of these events that do injustice to Israel, to pro-Israel advocacy, and to the intelligence of college students.
Jewish ‘Avengers’ [JTA] As the latest round of superhero adaptations makes its way into theaters, JTA harks back to its Jewish roots, which this time, go further than the creators. The Avengers was a handle taken on by a group of Jewish resistance fighters in Lithuania during World War Two. “So as you’re chewing on…
Anytime an entertainer (actor, musician, novelist, you name it) passes away, it seems the collective culture leaps up and cries, “They were one of my favorites!” See the Internet on Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse, Davy Jones, Dick Clark, et cetera. There’s nothing inherently wrong with this, especially when it’s true. But for every heartfelt…
Bob Marley’s heirs to Israeli MK: “Stop using ‘Iron Lion Zion’” [Haaretz] Given the title of the Bob Marley song, it’s probably a given that someone might think to use it for Israel-related material (propaganda or otherwise). But it seems a recent use of the song has raised the ire of Bob Marley’s heirs. Haaretz reports:…
(Above, an otherwise unrelated video of Rabbi David Rosen talking about Hindus) The American Jewish Committee Global Forum, currently underway here in the basement of the Washington D.C. Grand Hyatt, is full of impressive people. In the span of 30 seconds at last night’s reception, I spotted a half dozen people whose conference badges identified…
Bob Dylan, Madeleine Albright, Shimon Peres and Jan Karski will all receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom this summer. “These extraordinary honorees come from different backgrounds and different walks of life, but each of them has made a lasting contribution to the life of our nation,” President Barack Obama said in a press release. The…
Not Jewish enough [Huffington Post] While it is widely known that the Orthodox world does not accept the halachic decisions of the non-Orthodox (Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, etc.), including their conversions, being one of those converts carries with it a certain emotional weight: the knowledge that, for many, you just aren’t “Jewish enough.” In this powerful piece,…
In recent months, the reputation of horse racing has been tarnished, in many ways due to the HBO TV show Luck. In March, Luck was canceled because several horses were fatally injured on set. Such injuries are all too common in horse racing and often are the reasons people object to animals being raced. Tragic…
Peter Beinart is not the most popular pro-Israel, Zionist critic of Israel these days.
His new book, “The Crisis of Zionism,” has spurred controversy and debate, particularly when it comes to his two new catch phrases: a boycott of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, or “Zionist BDS,” a reference to the largely anti-Israel movement to boycott, divest from and sanction Israel; and calling the West Bank “nondemocratic Israel.”
I like to reflect on endings a lot. More accurately, I hate when, in books and movies, the scene ends with a character driving away and immediately having this crystalizing moment of reflection in which everything that had been so murky becomes clear. That’s not how life works. So when it comes to addressing graduates, those…
What they don’t tell you at graduation [Wall Street Journal] Is it May already? Blogger Charles Wheelan offers well meaning, touching advise to graduating seniors. Note: it may not always be what you want to hear. “1. Your time in fraternity basements was well spent The same goes for the time you spent playing intramural sports,…