Journalism by Jewish college students, for Jewish college students.
…Pretty fly for a Rabbi: In keeping with the Arts and Culture theme of my recent posts, I decided to peruse through the various fan-made videos on Youtube of this lyric. (And yes, I sincerely believe that outlandish Youtube videos do count as culture, especially in the blogosphere.) So without further ado, here are my…
When I took a trip to Hilton Head, South Carolina, to visit my grandma, I hardly expected to garner any blog material. But as luck would have it, I found some interesting subject matter about 45 minutes south of Hilton Head: Savannah sits on the South Carolina-Georgia border, a charming town that is full of…
Israeli cinema has grown in stature on the international stage in recent years. Israeli-made films received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2007, 2008, and 2009. Over winter break, I watched two of these films, which both dealt with a challenging subject: war. If you are looking for an action-packed…
Apparently, we have 20 percent more Jews. With the latest release of an American Jewish population study by researchers at Brandeis University, those fretting about the long-term prospects of the community can presumably breathe a little easier. If, as the study claims, there are over six million Jews in the United States today, it would…
Amid the recent controversy in Vancouver about George Galloway and the Canadian Gaza Flotilla, Tarek Fatah is a breath of fresh air. The Canadian author and advocate has dedicated his life to promoting a more liberal version of Islam. However, his opposition to Shariah and support for gay rights has made him the target of…
When the power at my house went out last Thursday night, it was an instant reminder of my technology dependency. I am almost ashamed to admit that I hardly knew what to do with myself. After spending about a minute in shock, I stumbled my way in to the living room and sat down. A…
The hot Jewish news coming out of Vancouver detail a donation dispute (which you would know if you have been following the campus recaps). The controversy surrounds the Social Justice Centre (SJC), a resource group at the University of British Columbia. The organization authorized to donate part of its budget to projects promoting social justice….
For anyone interested in Israeli history, I would highly recommend The Accidental Empire: Israel and the Birth of Settlements, 1967-1977, by Gershom Gorenberg. Even if you don’t traditionally mix with history, have no fear! Gorenberg’s account of Israel immediately following the Six-Day War is an accessible, crisp read. Through a carefully crafted mix of anecdote,…
George Galloway spoke in Vancouver tonight, and as usual, he brought a whole bunch of controversy with him. The Vancouver event was organized by the StopWar coalition, a group that originally formed to oppose the U.S.-led Iraq invasion. Under this guise, they attracted the support of a number of prominent people in the Vancouver area….
Episodes I-III of Star Wars played on television over the weekend. Captivated by the power of the Force, I watched in awe. Those movies never get old. This time around, as I watched a scene involving the Jedi Temple, its grandeur reminded me of artistic recreations of the Temple in Jerusalem. And this seemingly insignificant parallel…
While watching an online TED talk delivered by Shashi Tharoor, I encountered an interesting bit of information. I do not remember the details of the segue, but he mentioned that India is the only country in which the Jews have not experienced anti-Semitism (a brief, yet informative article on the history of Jews in India…
While I don’t know much about the Talmud, I do know that the timeless wisdom of Talmud scholars has consistently been a source of strength for the Jewish people. Furthermore, Judaism’s tradition of rabbinic debate helped create a culture that places a high priority on education and intelligent argument. I was reminded of this today…
Recently I found myself on campus without anything to do during a lengthy break between classes. Looking for an activity to fill my time, I wandered to the library. Out of sheer curiosity, I typed in “Judaism” on the library catalog, wrote down the call number for the first book on the list, and made…
It was a festive weekend for Vancouver Hillel as the University of British Columbia hosted its Inaugural Grand Opening of the newly built Diamond Foundation Centre for Jewish Campus Life. It was a loaded all-day affair, officially starting at 10 in the morning and ending at 5 in the evening. Unfortunately, due to a high…
Sarcasm comes naturally to me. In fact, as a Jew, I feel that sarcasm is ingrained in every single fiber of my body. For years, the Jewish people have used their wit to break the ice, diffuse tension, and in Elena Kagan’s case, get confirmed by the Senate. However, when I first arrived in Canada…