Journalism by Jewish college students, for Jewish college students.
JTA has published a new op-ed by me, a response to an piece by some Zionist Organization of America honchos published in JTA earlier this week: Op-Ed: Title VI should be used only on true hatemongers, not political opponents By David A.M. Wilensky NEW YORK (JTA) – In the eyes of the Zionist Organization of…
I never know what to do on Yom Hashoah. Some students read names in the library foyer – a powerful experience, especially in a room with vaulted ceilings where sound reverberates throughout the entrence of the building. Some educators strive to reach out, to teach the messages of the Holocaust so that everyone, not just…
When the paper I run, The Beacon, ran an op-ed entitled “Why it’s Time for Jews to Get Over the Holocaust,” the reaction was incensed. In fact, it was more than incensed. Readers were so wounded by the suggestion that they “get over” an event so personal and so tragic for so many of them that…
Israeli band to perform on Yom Hashoah in Germany [JTA] Acclaimed Israeli group Balkan Beat Box (above), once members of the now defunct JDub label, were scheduled to perform Wednesday in Munich, Germany. The group released a statement saying that the scheduling was an unfortunate coincidence, but they intended to perform nonetheless. Stonybrook no longer…
Rabbinically intermarried [Sh’ma] Can a couple, both intensely devoted to their particular expression of Judaism, co-exist in a household? (Probably.) The more prudent question is… What does that look like? Rabbi Julie Adler, Director of the B’rit Milah Program of Reform Judaism, shares her own experience: “We’re each pretty certain that our way of observing Judaism…
Apparently Facebook is more accepting of Palestinian peoplehood than, oh, I don’t know, Newt Gingrich. Obviously, this joke was too good to be missed, so I posted this very screenshot to Facebook earlier today. David (the Editor here) aptly pointed out that Facebook isn’t actually claiming that the Palestinians are a people, just that there do in…
I am Jewish, and in my eyes this gives me the right to be self-depreciating. It’s the same for every culture I have encountered: each pokes fun at themselves slyly amongst themselves and (usually) gets offended if an outsider tries to do the same. So when I read Howard Meyer’s critique of tired Jewish stereotypes…
Stereotypes, Oy [Huffington Post] Howard Meyer laments the longevity of unflattering Jewish stereotypes, claiming they are representative of the prejudices of a few discontents years ago and have little relevancy in today’s Jewish communities. He cites examples from the Seinfeld episode “The Yada Yada”, above, in which Jerry’s dentist converts to Judaism “for the jokes”,…
The strongest people in my life have always been women. I didn’t plan for that. It just happened. Growing up in a restrictive, uber-religious environment, I am familiar with every scripture (both Jewish and Christian) used throughout history to justify the inferior treatment of women. And yet, like something out of a fairy tale or…
Gender and the Wall [Tikkun] The gender segregation at the heart of politics surrounding the Western Wall has been increasingly contentious over the last few years. In this blog from Tikkun Magazine, Joan Reiss explores the challenges often faced by the Women of the Wall, an activist group seeking the equality of women… well, at the…
JTA reports that members of the now-defunct Boston University branch of Jewish fraternity Alpha Epsilon Pi are under investigation following apparent hazings. The disturbing article reads: “Police responding to a noise complaint early Monday morning discovered the Boston University students in the basement of the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity house. The men were found bound together…
The Great Schlep begins again [Forward] After a successful 2008 campaign to encourage young Jews to talk to their elders about voting for Obama, the follow-up (again called The Great Schlep) has grown by leaps and bounds. The Jewish Daily Forward reports: “The group, called the Jewish Council for Education and Research, ran a high-profile campaign…
We received an odd letter here in the New Voices office last week: A single piece of paper with a collection of magazine covers featuring some classic money-Jews (Madoff, Greenspan, etc.) and the words “WALL STREET JEWS” in large letters followed by “…OCCUPY WALL STREET” in smaller letters. I guess it’s kind of true, in…
As a recent high school graduate, I can safely say that figuring out what to do with your summers can be a minefield. Going to camp is fun, but doesn’t look that great on college applications. Taking classes at a college can be education, but you don’t really want to spend anymore time in school….