Journalism by Jewish college students, for Jewish college students.
Originally published in J. Weekly. My experiences in Israel have been some of the most formative of my life. I was bat mitzvahed on Masada, worked in the winery of a kibbutz and made lifelong friends in the country. And yet, my relationship with Israel is complicated, like that of many progressive American Jews. I…
Every year, even if I celebrate it differently and even as my perceptions of Zionism and the Jewish State become evermore complicated, Yom HaAtzmaut always evokes in me a certain special nostalgia. It was only once I was no longer forced to celebrate the holiday like I did in elementary and high school—with Israeli dancing,…
We’re usually pretty hard on Israel here at New Voices, and though more forgiving than some, I’m no exception. Yet, I find that in the midst of all my anxiety over the results of the last election or railing against the settlements, Yom HaAtzmaut provides the ideal opportunity to step back and remember why I…
Attention: I am doing something that is heretical across much of the Jewish spectrum. Very heretical – for two-state JStreet-ers, for your right-wing grandma at synagogue Kiddush, and certainly for anyone remotely associated with StandWithUs and other organizations dedicated to apologetics for the Occupation. I am preparing for the potential end of Israel as…
Hannah Silverfine’s experience with a Jewish education that taught only a very narrow definition of “pro Israel” is not only a problem in the Reform Movement. I agree that a good argument can be made for teaching children why support of Israel is important first, then leave the messy stuff for when they’re old enough…
I have alluded before to (what I see as) the somewhat sorry state of Israel education and advocacy today, especially on college campuses. I spoke about the fact that simply greeting people who claim that Israel is an apartheid state with some falafel and a blue-and-white cupcake is not an effective tool for advocacy in…
I don’t remember much about my brief stint on the high school crew team, probably because it only lasted one spring season when I was fourteen. Most of what I do remember is meaningless—and not exceedingly positive—like not being able to carry my share of the boat and thereby forcing a coach to take over…
The 7th Annual Other Israel Film Festival, ending today at the JCC of Manhattan, presents films focused on the stories of the other 20% of Israel’s population such as Palestinians and other Arabs and Druze. The message of these films is powerful: There’s a whole other Israel out there than the one you see on…
Our generation of Jews is torn on the subject of Israel. While intense discomfort grows in some corners, beaming pride grows in others. As our way of observing Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israeli Independence Day, which begins tonight and continues tomorrow, we asked four Jewish college students with very different takes on Israeli independence, the Palestinian observance…
Yom Ha’atzmaut Sameach! [JTA] Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu wishes constituents a happy independence day. For those who don’t speak Hebrew, the cat and parrot at the end should make it clear that even for Hebrew speakers, this message is bizarre. Click the embedded link for the English version, as well as an insightful discussion about…
Orthodox rabbi “comes out” as LGBT ally [Jewish Journal] In this compelling piece from the Jewish Journal, Orthodox rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz expresses his feelings on the “LGBT issue,” hitting some key points about the debate on sexuality and religion. Yanklowitz writes: “I began to wonder if I was failing at making myself accessible enough to students…
Last Friday at San Francisco State University, the atmosphere of Malcolm X Plaza was thick with music and cheers. The sun was out and so were students. Spontaneous circles of hora dancing erupted in the quad. Students and Israel fellows wearing brand new, bright blue shirts with a tri-lingual peace logo blazing across the chest…