Journalism by Jewish college students, for Jewish college students.
This year I became a Peer-Network Engagement Intern (PNEI) for my Hillel, which is a paid position that works in conjunction with Hillel International in DC. The program varies from campus to campus, but essentially my responsibility at Johns Hopkins is to help engage Jewish students on campus, and to try and connect them to…
In some ways it feels like yesterday that I walked into this apartment for the first time, toured Pardes for the first time, and met the people who turned out to make up what came to be a fantastic and interesting community of friends. In reality, however, nearly four months have passed. A few weeks…
Despite the unrelenting rain, seven people made it to Pittsburgh’s first Pre-Aliyah Community Meeting on Tuesday. The purpose of the group is two-fold — to bring people together and create a network of those interested in aliyah; and to provide resources to the group from the Jewish Agency and Nefesh B’Nefesh. After the meeting started on Jewish…
Ashrei. That was the start to the service I led at my temple two weeks ago. Standing at 5’3, squeaky voice me, I stepped up to the bima at my local Conservative synagogue. A mere 40 minutes later, the service concluded with “yasher koach” being whispered left and right. But after stepping away from the…
Bailey Spagat is participating in Career Israel, one of Masa Israel’s 180 programs.
is apple picking! Or at least that’s what I think. On Sunday, I went apple picking at Triple B Farms in Monongahela, Pa. which is about 45 minutes from Pittsburgh on winding roads that caution you: “Winding Road Next 1 3/4 miles”. I appreciated the heads up, as I was driving the tiny but formidable…
Jews in Rosh Hashanah on Aleksander Gierymski’s picture “Święto trąbek I” Confession: I’m writing this on Sunday. It won’t be posted until Monday, but sometimes I feel particularly motivated, and I write these things. Why am I writing now? Because Yom Kippur is still on my mind, as big days in the Jewish calendar often…
It’s been just a week since I returned from a Hillel Leadership Retreat with a sore back, campfire-smoke in my hair, and a beaded bracelet (well, a piece of string with four beads) on my wrist. But it feels like it’s been a lot longer than that–those of you in college realize the time warp…
I’m a new face here at New Voices. None of you know me, and I don’t know any of you yet.The first thing I want to do is say that I hope your New Year has been sweet so far. Because let’s face it, shall we? For some of us, 5770, in many ways, totally…
The Global Citizen is a joint project of New Voices and the American Jewish World Service (AJWS). Throughout the year, a group of former AJWS volunteers will offer their take on global justice, Judaism and international development. Opinions expressed by Global Citizen bloggers do not necessarily represent AJWS. Last week, I began discussing the importance…
The Global Citizen is a joint project of New Voices and the American Jewish World Service (AJWS). Throughout the year, a group of former AJWS volunteers will offer their take on global justice, Judaism and international development. Opinions expressed by Global Citizen bloggers do not necessarily represent AJWS. Throughout the world, friends, a revolution is…
A few weeks ago, I wrote about community, specifically the Jewish one amongst the colleges and universities in Pittsburgh. While the University of Pittsburgh’s community is flourishing (at least, that’s how it appears on the outside), the sense of community at Carnegie Mellon University is waning. As I talk to friends, both Jewish and goyim,…
Each morning, I wake up to the playful sound of “RooCoo!” The crowing alerts the group of Americans and our madrich, or counselor, that breakfast is ready. I emerge from my cocoon of blankets and sleeping bag and peel off one of my several layers. I stumble from my geodesic dome and step out into…
Back home in Dayton, Ohio, the Jewish community is tiny. The only way to engage in that community is to go to services and see the same people over and over again. As for the services themselves, you have three choices–reform, conservative, or Chabad. Here in Chicago, though, it’s quite different. My college campus has…