Diaspora English: The Youth Village

By Daniel Crasnow January 13, 2021

Daniel Crasnow on his visit to the Yemin Orde Youth Village in Haifa.

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My Pluralistic Agenda

By Sara Weissman November 16, 2017

Over the course of my time at New Voices, I’ve been called a lot of things in comment sections, tweets, and emails from dubious Hotmail accounts. I’ve been called a radical leftist, a right-wing apologist, a snowflake, a “silly little girl who should listen to her mama.” (My mama is a progressive, too – surprise!)…

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The Algemeiner Made the Worst List of “Worst Colleges for Jewish Students”

By Ross Beroff December 26, 2016

The Algemeiner recently released a list of the “40 Worst Colleges for Jewish students.” Already students and Jewish professionals on these campuses are reacting to the list, some defending it, some arguing against its creation, and others complaining that their universities were not listed. I do not go to any of the schools referenced, but…

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Why Small Campus Jewish Communities Are the Best

By Miranda Cooper March 17, 2015

When applying to colleges, I gave barely any thought to Jewish life on campus. This was not because I didn’t care about being engaged with a Jewish community; on the contrary, between leading my Temple Youth Group, attending regional NFTY events, working as a teaching assistant at a religious school, and moving up the ranks at…

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Who Speaks for America’s Jews?

By Amram Altzman February 16, 2015

The question of who should speak for the Jews is not a new one, nor is the question of whether or not Israeli political or religious leaders can or should speak on behalf of American (or other Diaspora) Jews. It dates back to a series letters between Jacob Blaustein, then the head of the American…

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The Most Open Hillel: South Dakota State’s B’rith Sholom

By Derek M. Kwait March 19, 2014

South Dakota State University’s B’rth Sholom is more than just the only Jewish cultural club in the state. Its nine members constitute one of America’s most diverse Jewish organizations, as about half them identify as Messianic Jews, or those with Jewish practice who accept Jesus as the Messiah. “We really don’t try to segregate by…

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Missing the Forest for the (Yiddish) Trees

By Max Daniel December 10, 2013

A few weeks ago, Dani Plung wrote a compelling piece here at New Voices about why she studies Yiddish. It is a remarkably fascinating way to connect with her past and rich cultural heritage. It is a unique way to explore her personal identity, both Jewish and not. Among the great wealth of Yiddish literature, she…

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Swarthmore Hillel Declares Itself an Open Hillel

By New Voices December 9, 2013

by The Swarthmore Hillel Board On November 11, former speaker of the Israeli Knesset Avraham Burg was supposed to give a talk on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at the Harvard Hillel house. Instead, Hillel barred him from speaking at the Hillel house, and he ended up giving his talk in an undergraduate dormitory on campus. The…

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Jewish Life in the New York Subway World

By Derek M. Kwait September 17, 2013

The first thing you should know about the new editor is that I am new to New York, having moved here from my native Pittsburgh just after Rosh Hashana to captain this rickety little ship they call New Voices. The second thing you should know about me is that I have a long subway ride…

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American Jewish University: Not Just American Jews

By Sara Gold January 17, 2013

From an outsider’s perspective, the undergraduate college at American Jewish University in Los Angeles may not seem diverse. After all, the college, while not a religious institution, is predominately Jewish. However, AJU students – much like American Jewry as a whole – are differentiated by homeland, customs, beliefs, and individual personality traits, despite being generally…

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5th Graders+Chanukah Songs=Adorable

By Simi Lichtman December 11, 2012

I’m told it’s because I never went to public school and fully appreciated diversity (read: the stubbornness of Jews in insisting that the holiday season include some mention of Chanukah), but I have to admit I went wild when I saw a group of 5th grade students from Staten Island singing Maoz Tzur, Light the Candles, and,…

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Colleges look towards LGBT outreach; How to ensure that your kids love Israel; Zion Square appropriated, and more [Required Reading]

By pkessler March 15, 2012

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…

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Get Jew the Season

By Ben Sales December 22, 2009

To the extent that the subway-riding population is representative of the citizenry of New York, I feel privileged to live in a diverse metropolis. The subway’s signs and ads, in turn, reflect this diversity: I’ve learned more Spanish during my commute to and from work than I did during the week I spent in Mexico…

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