Journalism by Jewish college students, for Jewish college students.
Knesset passes “photoshop law” [Haaretz] Earlier this week, the Knesset passed a law banning the use of underweight models in advertising campaigns and requiring ad agencies to disclose when a photo has been digitally altered in order to make a model look thinner. The measure, which comes on the heels of similar efforts in the U.S….
As a cognitive psychology major, I’m incredibly biased when I say that Roi Ben-Yehuda’s outline of the cognition behind Israel’s recent inflammatory rhetoric is fascinating. However, there’s no denying that history and psychology are irrevocably intertwined, and hopefully Ben-Yehuda and I can make the case that when it comes to diplomacy, a cognitive analysis of…
Standing Silent in Baltimore [Washington Post] Standing Silent, a new documentary exposing sexual abuse in the Jewish community in Baltimore, is Phil Jacobs’, a reporter for the Baltimore Jewish Times, healing project after he too was the victim of sexual abuse. The Washington Post offers haunting photo coverage of Jacobs as he speaks to…
Outing, after Admission [New York Times] College diversity programs are looking to expand and bring outreach to another historically discriminated against minority – the LGBT community. In the past, a handful of colleges, either overtly or covertly, have targeted gay students as part of their diversity outreach programs. Now, the University of California system proposes, admitted…
I shudder to think that violence is being hailed as a legitimate and necessary solution to any problem, much less the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has been through far too much bloodshed already. But Rabbi Donniel Hartman disagrees. So maybe I’m wrong. Maybe I don’t have the torah expertise that he has, maybe I don’t…
Shimon Peres wants you to be his Facebook friend [JTA] President of Israel Shimon Peres has launched a clever media campaign, enlisting the help of remix artist Noy Alooshe to extend his message – be my Facebook friend, for peace. Civil War Bigotry, Revisited [Slate] While pretty much everyone is familiar with the racist history leading…
‘Slutwalk’, the controversial feminist movement in which women dress provocatively in response to social criticism that labels women who have been raped while being dressed “immodestly” were “asking for it” is coming to Israel. While I agree with Varda Bachrach that the term slut is derogatory and otherwise detrimental to female empowerment, I find the message…
Purim & the Hunger Games [Tablet] Abigail Miller discusses the similarities between the age old Jewish holiday and the popular book series, highlighting the importance of pageantry, in an insightful portrait connecting past to present. “When fashion blogger Michael von Braithwaite writes, “You probably won’t want to dress like a dystopian hero every day, but if…
The first reaction I had upon reading that students were repaying their loans late at higher rates than ever was cynical, and entirely justified. To all the banks losing money because college students haven’t paid their loans back: are you really surprised? Most top colleges in this country cost upwards of $50,000. That’s more than a good…
Suspended by Skin Color? [NY Times] New data from the Department of Education has shown that although African Americans comprise less than a fourth of the nation’s public school systems, their share of suspensions and other disciplinary action is disproportionately high, suggesting that they may face harsher disciplinary action in school. “Education is the civil…
Facebook is a source of endless procrastination for college students, a place for middle schoolers to explore their burgeoning sexuality via pictures taken in mirror reflects, and occasionally, a place for political and social activism. This is one of the latter stories. As Rabbi Jason Miller commented in this Jewish Week blog post, Facebook is…
Training to be a Jew [Tablet] Jake Kohlman, a Jewish soldier in the American armed forces, reflects on how his basic training enabled him to connect to his religion. “At that Sunday service, for the first time, I started to understand. The chaplain’s words lifted my spirits. I remembered why I had joined in the…