The Jewish democratic conundrum

By hdilman March 18, 2010

Last Saturday night in Jerusalem, protesters rallied against a bill that prohibits women from sitting in the front of certain buses.  These buses (which are already in operation) separate men and women in the name of religious purity. Although few buses are segregated, this has become a hot topic in Israel. Women argue that they…

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Israel for the first time

By hdilman February 25, 2010

One of the most exciting events, and a personal favorite of mine, is seeing Jews arrive in Israel for the first time.   Before they arrive in Israel they brew up high expectations that cause them terrible excitement.  Therefore, they are generally overcome by  emotion when they do arrive in Israel.  I have only hazy memories of…

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The beautiful Golan Heights

By hdilman February 18, 2010

This week my group took a little trip up to the Golan Heights. We spent one night in a hotel and two days hiking and sight seeing around the area. On the first day, we went to Mt. Bental, an old inactive volcano that houses an old army barrack turned tourist attraction. The mountain is…

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The Global Citizen: The Importance of Community in Prayer

By jsiegel February 18, 2010

The Global Citizen is a joint project of New Voices and the American Jewish World Service (AJWS). Throughout the year, a group of former AJWS volunteers will offer their take on global justice, Judaism and international development. Opinions expressed by Global Citizen bloggers do not necessarily represent AJWS. Last week, I began discussing the importance…

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Judging Judaism from the outside

By hdilman February 11, 2010

Although the main chunk of my volunteering in Israel revolves around tutoring English in Israeli schools, another opportunity is to work at the local soup kitchen in Nes Ziona. Many people really enjoy it because it is different from the schedule of the schools. The lady who runs the kitchen is full of spirit and…

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The Israeli attraction to America

By hdilman February 4, 2010

Part of my volunteering in Israel consists of talking with junior high students.  The idea is that when the students are talking to someone who exclusively talks English, unlike their teachers, they will improve their communication skills.  The idea of sitting with students for an hour at a time, just talking, at first seemed like an…

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Using Evil to Get to Peace

By hdilman January 21, 2010

Last week, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to have a traditional Shabbat in the Old City of Jerusalem, with a group of my friends. Together, we were 5 North Americans, and we were all hoping the same thing: to get some of that “sparkle and spirit” that one always hears about from…

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The evolution of a Zionist

By hdilman January 13, 2010

While volunteering in Israel on a 5 month MASA program, working with Israelis ranging from ages 7-17, me and my fellow volunteers are always asked the same question: why do you love Israel so much that you are living here? They can’t get their heads around the fact that people not only want to, but…

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