Antisemitic Tropes Haunt ‘Wendell & Wild’
Despite a thoughtfully diverse cast, the movie falls short when it comes to its only Jewish character.
Journalism by Jewish college students, for Jewish college students.
Article Archive
The Dark Side of Curiosity: A Review of “Three Identical Strangers”
A few weeks ago I met my boyfriend, who is an identical twin, at the movies to watch the critically acclaimed CNN documentary, “Three Identical Strangers.” Both being film buffs, we were excited to experience a film that was talked about nonstop at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. It was talked about for good reason….
Netflix’s Latest Teen Flick Models Toxic Masculinity
Not even Molly Ringwald could save Netflix’s new teen romantic comedy. In the wake of the #MeToo movement, at a time when women’s rights are in and sexualizing women is out, it seems rather odd that Netflix chose to stream its latest teen flick “The Kissing Booth.” The film, starring Joey King, Joel Courtney and…
Dear fellow liberal Zionists: The establishment doesn’t want us
Three weeks ago, I attended a small lunch event at Hunter College’s Roosevelt House featuring spokespeople from the New Israel Fund and Breaking the Silence, as well as the Israeli human rights lawyer Michael Sfard. Given the recent tension at my alma mater between student supporters of Israel and members of Students for Justice in…
The Reform Movement Must Apply its Values to Israel
Early in my Jewish education, I was taught that, as Jews and as human beings living in an imperfect world, we are obligated to stand up and speak out in the face of injustice. However small or large the perceived wrong, and despite our shaking legs and cracking voices or how powerful and vocal the…
To Check Privilege is to do Teshuvah
The recent debacle about the (Jewish, day-school alum) Princeton freshman who claims he “checked his privilege” dominated my social media network for a good two weeks. A few people came out in his support, but most people – myself included – were furious at his complete inability to consider the advantages he may have…
Jewish Geography: The Academic Reality of Yiddishkeit’s Favorite Game
I am a History and Geography major. No, I do not look at maps all day: Geography is actually a real academic discipline, which can basically be summed up as “the study of the land and the things on it.” All sorts of Geography exists: cultural, physical, political, linguistic, theoretical, and demographic among them….
Jewish Tokenism and Tolerance: On Liberals, Narratives, and Costa Rica
Zach Cohen’s New Voices article was not exactly the most adulatory of Costa Rica. His piece prompted responses: one from Q Costa Rica and two from the Costa Rica Star – an initial piece and a follow-up. These pieces took a largely self-defensive, mocking, and somewhat anti-Semitic tone. Yet at the same time, the pieces…
Costa Rica Defends its Jewish Record Against…?
I am blessed to have had the opportunity to travel extensively in the last six months. Following a four-and-a-half month stint in Costa Rica studying at la Universidad Nacional in Heredia, I traveled in Israel on Birthright provider Kesher. After leaving those travels, I had a lot of thoughts on what it means to be…
No, I Will Not Stop Criticizing Israel on Facebook
I post a lot of things about the Holy Land on Facebook. I mean, I post about a lot of things – South Africa, migration politics, tasty coconut-based desserts – but also a lot about Israel and Palestine. And many of the things I post are not terribly adulatory of Israel. In fact, they’re starkly…
An Honest Look at Israel
One Thanksgiving during college, my father told us that though we criticize many of the United States’s policies and actions, we should never forget that we live in the greatest country in the world: a country that pioneered and sustains religious and civic freedom, political equality, tolerance and democracy. His point was that criticism and appreciation should…