by Chuck Fax Recently I gave a speech at Ohio Northern University about Israel's contributions to the world. Located in Ada, Ohio, Ohio Northern is a pastoral venue with a sharp, sophisticated and highly politicized student population. The audience consisted mostly of international relations and history students and faculty - only two of whom had been to Israel, and few if any of whom were Jewish. There was a healthy representation, however, of Arabic students and faculty. While the audience came to argue, they left with a new appreciation for the positive role that Israel plays in the improvement of humankind. And that has been my experience every time I’ve given the speech as part of a campaign called Positively Israel, spearheaded by Jewish National Fund (JNF). That is because virtually … Continue Reading
Telling the Story with Feeling, Then and Now
by Eric M. Lankin The most significant obligation in the observance of Pesach is that we the Jewish people must spiritually re-experience the Exodus from Egypt, seeing ourselves as if we were redeemed. As we tell the story on the Seder nights of the Exodus and God's power that redeemed our people from slavery, we must virtually bring ourselves back to those moments. Interestingly, by only reciting on the Seder nights the content of those stories, for example, who were the protagonists and antagonists, the chronology, and the physical scene of each of the events, we miss the spiritual power of the experience because we leave out the emotions of the people who were living through the events. If our obligation is to see ourselves as if we were redeemed from Egypt, we must recognize that not only the … Continue Reading
State of Her Own
by Erin Kopelow and Ariel Beery for Tablet Magazine If all goes according to plan, this March we’re going to bring a daughter into the world. Specifically, we’re going to bring her home to our apartment on Chen Boulevard, in the center of Tel Aviv, the city we’ve made our home, though we were born in the United States and Canada. Had you asked us six years ago where we dreamed of raising a family, we’d have answered “Israel” without hesitation. But recently we’ve begun to doubt whether we should raise her in the Jewish state. It’s not the escalating situation with Iran that gives us pause, or the fact that our daughter will one day serve in the army: We decided to live in Israel with full knowledge of the security threats it faces. The reason we are concerned about raising … Continue Reading
Court Disqualifies Election of JNF World Chair
from The Jerusalem Post: Effi Stenzler now expected to retain chairmanship until 2014 The Central District Court in Petah Tikva published a ruling on Sunday disqualifying Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Shalom Simhon from the post of chairman of the Jewish National Fund. Current JNF chairman Effi Stenzler had filed a petition to the court against Simhon’s appointment last year as chairman of JNF in June by the Meretz, Reform and World Labor representatives in the joint Labor/Meretz/Reform faction of the World Zionist Organization, on the grounds that the election had been conducted “undemocratically” and outside of Labor Party auspices. The petition also named Defense Minister Ehud Barak, former religious affairs minister Shimon Sheetrit and the Artzeinu faction of the … Continue Reading
Battle for JNF/KKL Leadership Goes Back to Court
from The Jerusalem Post: Battle over JNF leadership going back to court Attorneys for Jewish National Fund/Keren Kaymet Leyisrael chairman Effi Stenzler will file a lawsuit in Petah Tikva District Court on Monday against the parties that signed a deal that would replace Stenzler with former religious affairs minister Shimon Sheetrit. ... The Jerusalem Post obtained an agreement signed on June 2 by representatives of the Artzeinu Reform faction in the World Zionist Organization, Kadima and its allies from the Conservative Movement’s Merkaz Olami, and Mizrachi/Israel Beiteinu, which together comprise a majority in the WZO. Kadima supports the deal because it includes vast powers and financial benefits for its candidate to be co-chairman of JNF, MK Eli Aflalo. Sheetrit agreed to give Aflalo many … Continue Reading
Friends of Yemin Orde Receive Challenge Grant for Rebuilding
Friends of Yemin Orde (FYO), the U.S. fundraising arm of Yemin Orde Youth Village, has announced it received a $360,000 challenge grant from an anonymous donor to help offset millions of dollars in rebuilding costs as the Village recovers from severe damage it sustained during a wildfire in northern Israel last December. This is the first time that FYO has received a challenge grant specifically designed for its special fire emergency fund. The fire destroyed 40 percent of the Village including key offices, classrooms, a library and residential homes. FYO also received a significant contribution from the Jewish National Fund to help rejuvenate the Village’s green space, which was scorched by the fire. Michael Frieze, Chair, Friends of Yemin Orde Board of Directors, said the challenge grant will … Continue Reading
Israel at 63: The Best is Yet to Come
by Russell F. Robinson I was at Shabbat dinner last week, with friends and family sitting around my table, eating, drinking, and talking but my mind was elsewhere. I was thinking about what I wanted to write about Israel’s 63rd anniversary. The conversation at the table veered to my upcoming trip to Israel. Someone asked: “Are you taking Continental, U.S. Air, or Delta, or El Al?” Someone else said, “You know El Al is now partnering with American Airlines.” It was enough for me to tune in but then I tuned out again. Dinner proceeded and we passed around some wonderful Israeli wines. So many different wines produced in Israel are now available in the United States. Really award-winning wines, some of the best in the world today. We sipped, we talked, the white wine is better, the … Continue Reading
Hillel Holds Day of Service in Carmel Region
This past Friday, student groups of Hillel Israel traveled to the Carmel Forests to hold a special day of service with the aim of assisting in the recovery efforts of the area after the fire disaster of last winter. The Day of Service is planned to become a tradition in Hillel Israel with the overall aim of strengthening the connection between social action and Jewish identity in Israel. As part of the day's activities the participants volunteered in sites within the forests and together with Jewish National Fund staff evacuated debris remaining from the fire and assisted in building infrastructure to defend various place in the region from future fires. In addition these activities were accompanied by joint study of Jewish texts and issues related to communal responsibility and involvement. This … Continue Reading
Fundraising for Israel: Has the Time Come for a Quid Pro Quo
What if the Diaspora demanded something in return for the financial aid they deliver each and every year to Israeli society? The worst fire in the history of the State of Israel is behind us and the process of assessing needs and rebuilding has begun. Residents have returned to their homes, the emergency command headquarters at the University of Haifa has been dismantled and the immediate crisis has passed. In between the recriminations, the government has begun a needs assessment. And so have most players in the global Jewish world. As of today, 44 have lost their lives in the fire - 36 Israel Prison Service members, police officers and fire service members and one teen-age fire volunteer. According to the Jewish National Fund (JNF), 25,000 were evacuated, homes were lost and more than … Continue Reading
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