Archive
As the Religious Chair of a small-ish sized Hillel at Miami University of Ohio, I hear the word “pluralism” frequently. And I too am guilty of branding our Hillel as pluralistic. “We have a pluralistic minyan,” I tell prospective students. But despite my dependency on the term, I question whether a pluralistic minyan is possible, […]
Tim Cohen, senior VP of Hillel, wants you to know that the Jews are under attack. Beware, there are protestors. And, apparently, their most disruptive tactic is to tape their mouths shut and sit in their seats–then walk out. Also, Hillel needs more money. We at New Voices got one of those annoying form fundraising […]
Rapper Drake is a melting pot of cultures. He is African-American, Canadian, and Jewish, a wonderful cultural package all rolled into one. When asked by a reporter if he was a better Jew than Harvey Levin, who runs gossip website TMZ, Drake replied, “I don’t know. I’m one of the best Jews ever to do […]
Shmarya Rosenberg, the writer of FailedMessiah–a blog covering the Orthodox world–reposted a column by Gary Rosenblatt, editor of the Jewish Week, calling for support of New Voices. Rosenberg, who was involved in the North American Jewish Students’ Network decades ago, then wrote his own account of how the Jewish Establishment has not paid enough attention […]
Maybe we’re not so different after all. Apparently it’s just as hard to be a friendly, amiable and polite person at church as it is at synagogue. [Cartoon Church] Here’s a moving series of short biographies about the Jewish servicemen and servicewomen who have given their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001. One of […]
Tent? Check. Warm coat? Check. Sleeping bag? Check. Shabbat candles? After looking over UF Hillel’s weekly e-newsletter, I read about an event that I think has potential to change up modern day Shabbat services. Sure, there’s the typical get dressed up, sit for two hours staring at a siddur, and schmooze during dinner, but one […]
It’s really striking just seeing Tzfat– there’s nowhere else like it. It’s so old looking, city walls and stone arches, but then you see the bullet scars in a wall and you remember the whole city was evacuated just five years ago. Despite that, it’s peaceful. For all the talk about the divisions in Israel […]
A Northwestern student visits the Jewish community in our socialist neighbor. [Schmooze] While a student at Maryland works for social change during an Alternative Spring Break. [JewMD] And a student in Israel finds out what it’s like on the other side of the Jordan River. [Pink Pangea] Kids at a Hebrew charter school in New […]
Despite the area’s controversial standing, a kibbutz in the Golan Heights was my favorite part of Israel. On the kibbutz, the air was damp and sweet with the scent of clay. Sun-baked mountains surrounded us and a few were even dusted with powdery-white snow. Each morning we would rise from our beds and walk through […]
Birthright says that it doesn’t “deal in politics,” but that’s impossible given how politicized Israel has become. So what’s stopping Birthright from allowing J Street U to facilitate a trip? Here’s why that trip should happen.