Israel, Eugenics, The Past and Future

By smelamed March 22, 2010

For years they wandered, desperate to be at home in their God-given land.  Despite constantly being at the mercy of cruel, tyrannical leaders, they tried to live lives of dignity.  Above all else, they were certain that they were God’s chosen people and that eventually, the land they loved would belong to them.  The trials…

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The Purple Cabbage Stuff

By astrick March 20, 2010

If you’re familiar with my work you’ll know that in just about every meal that I eat I include “The Purple Cabbage Stuff” as a side dish. It’s that beautiful purple stuff on all the plates. See here or here. Well, this week I decided to try and make it all by myself. I looked…

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South Africa’s Democratic Transition And What It Means For Israel

By smelamed March 15, 2010

As Israel Apartheid Week finally winds to a close across campuses around the world, allow me to take a look back at the demise of the original Apartheid in South Africa.  Though South Africa’s Apartheid and Israel’s occupation are two wholly different animals, at their core they are very much alike.  In both, the government…

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Israeli Apartheid Week: Part of the Problem

By Ben Sales March 8, 2010

The Israeli occupation of the West Bank is a problem we cannot ignore. Sam Melamed agrees with me. He also says that Israel isn’t an apartheid state: on that we agree as well. Where we differ is in how we choose to approach Israeli Apartheid Week, which purports to strive to bring peace to the Palestinians…

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ShakShook Things Up!

By astrick March 8, 2010

The word on everyone’s mind lately seems to be Shakshouka. What is it? Check out the Wikipedia definition right here: Shakshouka (also shakshuka, shaqshuqa, chakchouka; Arabic: شكشوكة‎; Hebrew: שקשוקה‎) is a North African dish consisting of poached or fried eggs cooked in a sauce of tomatoes, peppers, onions, and spices (often including cumin, turmeric, and…

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The Problems with Israeli Apartheid Week

By Ben Sales March 1, 2010

It’s not often that I take to the New Voices blog to disagree with one of our writers, but I’d like to respond to Sam Melamed’s post from earlier today. Sam defends Israeli Apartheid Week as an effort “to louden international calls for the BDS movement – that is, the boycott of Israeli goods, the…

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Israeli Apartheid Week Begins, Blame Game Commences

By smelamed March 1, 2010

Today, the sixth incarnation of Israeli Apartheid Week gets underway.  Aiming to amplify international calls for the BDS movement–that is, the boycott of Israeli goods, divestment from the Israeli economy and placement of sanctions on Israeli imports, respectively–organizers have planned various demonstrations in more than 40 international cities over the next 14 days.  And though…

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It’s Finally the Time to Make Hamentashen!

By kseeger February 23, 2010

With Purim right around the corner, I feel like it is appropriate for me to post about one of my favorite Jewish holiday cookies—Hamentashen! A hamentashen is a triangular cookie with a filling in the center (often fruit or poppyseed). It is funny to recognize the different stories behind the shape and symbolism of hamentashen….

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Israel at the Olympics

By kseeger February 16, 2010

Though many critics say the Opening Ceremony of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics was not as extravagant as Beijing’s in 2008, it still had some memorable occurrences, even for Jews. If you happened to watch it, you might have noticed that Iran and Israel were marching nearby each other. While some news sources say this…

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What the Latest West Bank Investments Really Mean

By smelamed February 15, 2010

Earlier this week, the world celebrated the twentieth anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s release from South African prison. Though Apartheid wouldn’t officially end for another four years, Mandela’s release – more than anything else – heralded the racist institution’s imminent demise. As Umkhonto weSizwe leader Kebby Maphatsoe would later remark, “on that day we knew that…

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“Avatar” Meets the West Bank

By Ben Sales February 14, 2010

I don’t have much to say about this, but check out some Palestinian protesters in the West Bank utilizing the latest 3-D movie hit/best picture nominee for their own ends. Pretty impressive, at the very least, that they were able to get all that blue paint: It seems dubious to compare the message of “Avatar”…

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Spices

By astrick February 14, 2010

Here I set out to explore and explain Israel’s numerous spices and flavors, but first I suspect I should set out to explain who I am. If I truly did that, we would all die of starvation (because I would never get to the food), so for now, I will just explain the basics. My…

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All in the Family

By meuriarte February 9, 2010

I was in Wadi Musa Jordan to see the ruins of Petra, one of the seven wonders of the modern world, when our Bedouin tour guide called me “cousin.” This was the first time I had ever been called “cousin,” and I was unsure how to take it. I was traveling with seven friends from…

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Does Sustainability Mean Sacrificing Comfort?

By dbarmash January 20, 2010

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…

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Germans in the Holy Land

By meuriarte January 19, 2010

It was a beautiful sunny day with a crystal clear sky. Outside the airplane’s window we could see Gaza and the ocean beyond. The jump instructor asked my friend, Regina, where she was from; she had such a pretty accent, but he couldn’t place it. Germany, she told him. Alright, her instructor shouted, just like…

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