Journalism by Jewish college students, for Jewish college students.
Last Thursday, I participated in Israel’s first ever Susan G. Komen “Race for the Cure.” I didn’t think much of it when I signed up in school; my mom was the one who got excited when she heard, as she lost her mother to breast cancer in 1984. But I guess in an absentminded way,…
Surprise, surprise. The bill proposed and backed by the ultra-orthodox hasn’t garnered a majority in the Knesset. And why should it? Instead of helping incorporate the ultra-orthodox into mainstream Israeli society, it encourages unemployment and separatism. This idea of separatism is not new to the ultra-orthodox. They thrive on it. For instance, in order to…
Always behind the rest of the world, Israeli universities are finally in session. Everyone is back to school, back to “normal” college life. Everyone, it feels like, except me. When I would picture myself finishing college, I would imagine the great sense of accomplishment I would feel as my professor handed me my diploma at…
While Bibi and Lieberman were busy battling it out in the Knesset last week, I took refuge up north. I guess “taking refuge” isn’t the correct term to use in this instance; I went up north because I wanted to and because my job required me too, regardless of what was going on in the…
When my younger sister was a lot younger than she is today, she used to kvetch a lot, especially when she wouldn’t get her way. At first, since she was the youngest, we would try to appease her. That worked for a little bit, but then she’d get cranky after a while. So then we…
I found myself feeling immersed in the Holocaust this morning. That’s not as morbid as it sounds- let me explain. The program for which I work is sending a delegation of their students to Poland immediately after Succot. Being as we live in Israel and Israel is a Jewish state, the entire country has vacation…
Dear Mr. Vick, It is my understanding that you live in Jerusalem and act as correspondent for Time Magazine. Based on what you wrote in your last article in the September 13 issue of Time, I find this hard to believe. How can you live in Israel and insist that Israelis are not interested in…
I have to admit, I wasn’t at all up to date with the unfortunate situation in Haiti until this morning. I knew that there had been a catastrophic earthquake with a tremendously high death toll, but I must admit that I didn’t really pay it much mind (I know, there’s no excuse, I’m a political…
This past December YU hosted a symposium about life in the orthodox world for gay observant Jews. The symposium was the first of its kind for the university and the brainchild of YU’s “Tolerance Club”. From all accounts, the hall was filled to its capacity; many were not allowed in due to safety concerns. Four…
Last week I read an article in the Jerusalem Post. The article was an opinion piece, and the writer was of the opinion that any attempts to promote aliyah among US Jews were futile, useless and a waste of time and money. There will be no mass aliyah from the US and Canada like there…
I was surprised to learn that one of my friends was involved in Bar Ilan’s student union. Who gets involved in the student union?! To put it mildly, participation in events hosted by the student union are not a popular pastime, so involvement in the student union, working for and with them is practically unheard of. You…
  Some time last week, thieves broke into the Auschwitz concentration camp and stole the famous “Arbeit Macht Frei” [“work frees”] sign between 3 and 5 in the morning. While waiting for investigators and police to locate the sign, the museum’s curator has put up another sign in its place.   This sparked…
This Shabbat, Midreshet Lindenbaum (where I work as a dorm counselor) took the girls to Safed. From what I understand, Shabbat in Tzfat (Safed) is a particularly interesting “chavaya†(experience) and is considered a must for those here on their gap year. To add fuel to the fire, this wasn’t just Shabbat, it was Shabbat…
Every six months, there’s one event that I look forward to immensely.  American comedian, Avi Liberman, brings in three American comics in order to do a series of shows whose proceeds go to charity. It’s a great way for English speakers to have a night out that is reminiscent of “the old country†while giving…
You know, I think that the ‘Black Eyed Peas’ were onto something when they wrote the words to their song ‘Where is the Love?’:  If you only have love for your own race, Then you only leave space to discriminate And to discriminate only generates hate And if you hate than you’re bound to…