Journalism by Jewish college students, for Jewish college students.
Recently, Eden Abergil, an Israeli and former IDF soldier (discharged last year) posted some “controversial†photos of herself and Palestinians on her facebook page. In an album labeled, “IDF- the most beautiful time of my life,†Abergil, in IDF uniform, is posing with Palestinian prisoners while they are blindfolded and handcuffed. The comment under the…
I last blogged about the controversy surrounding Pride Toronto’s decision to ban the group “Queers Against Israeli Apartheid” from marching in this year’s pride parade. Since then, the controversy has done anything but slow down. After the decision, QuAIA accused the city of censoring their freedom of speech, and organized resistance in an attempt to…
On July 4th Toronto will hold its 30th annual Pride Parade. Approximately 500,000- 1 million people attend the event to celebrate the city’s proud gay community. But this year is not without its controversy; one that is forcing the entire city into debate. The other day Pride Toronto declared that “Queers against Israeli Apartheid” cannot…
Monday, I got a call from the Jewish Agency. They said, “Good news, you’ve been approved to make Aliyah!” And so that was it. Perhaps it was a decision I’d already made, but there was my stamp of approval, my final confirmation. I remembered a converation I had had with someone just the other day. Upon…
Elie Wiesel is considered one of today’s biggest spokesperson on the lessons on the Holocaust. He teaches generations of people about the danger of discrimination against any kind of group. His inspiring story and brave soul has been a source of inspiration for people all over world. I heard Wiesel speak a few years back…
I’ve been given a unique experience in Israel: to partake in a conference, organized through the Jewish Agency for Israel, that is training Shlichim to go to American camps. Shlichim are Israelis ages 18-40 (most are in their early 20’s but there is a speckle of older Israelis) who are being trained to understand American…
There has been much tension lately between the United States and Israel.  While the tension between the right leaning-Bibi and the left-seeming Obama seems to center around the peace process and controversial building in Israel, I’ve found there to be a certain attitude present in Israel that is very anti-Obama.  Throughout the years the United States has…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Wednesday January 27th, 2010, marked the 65th year since the liberation of Auschwitz by Soviet forces. Each year, leaders from around the world make their way to Germany in order to commemorate the day. This year, photo ops showed Bibi in Auschwitz and Shimon Peres giving a speech in the German parliament. People all over…
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…
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…