Using Federal Law to Fight Israel Bashing and Anti-Semitism on Campus by Susan B. Tuchman

Jewish students need to know their legal rights, and the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights may help them. In November, the Commission held its first-ever briefing on campus anti-Semitism. The Commission is considering issuing a publication to inform students of their rights under Title VI. Jewish students need to know that they have recourse under the law. They need not, and should not, tolerate a campus environment that renders them afraid to be Jews or supporters of Israel. (ZOA/Jewish Light)

London Jews Say 'No' to Mayor by Leslie Bunder

Londoners fed up with their Mayor Ken Livingstone can now buy a Hebrew and English sticker that offers a message direct to him.

The 'Say lo to Ken' sticker takes the Hebrew word for 'no' which is 'lo' and costs £1 with 10 percent of the revenue going to an Israeli charity that helps disabled people take part in sport. "I'm sure Mr Livingstone's parents never meant to give him a name which lends itself to a play on words in Hebrew," said Mark Rivlin who runs Create Services, a design agency.

Rivlin feels not enough is being done to curb the London Mayor and his various verbal attacks being made on members of the Jewish community which is why he decided to produce the stickers and let Jewish Londoners express how they feel. Two weeks after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Israel should be wiped out the map, Livingstone told a UK Jewish publication that questioning the morality of Israel's foundation was "a perfectly valid thing to say after so many wars." (Something Jewish)

Healing by Horseback Riding

Pioneering research conducted in Israel, known as animal-assisted therapy, is helping people with severe handicaps improve their quality of life. Through a course of therapy that includes such activities as caring for a dog and riding a horse, injured war veterans, or children born with congenital problems, are realizing significant improvement in their emotional and physical conditions. There is something healing about the interaction between people and animals and, while it has not been clearly defined, Israel is at the forefront of using it for the betterment of others. Visit the Israel National Therapeutic Riding Association for more details. (Israel Up Close)

Never Again, Again: Jewish Groups and Individuals Fuel Darfur Rallies by Rachel Silverman and David Silverman

Toting signs of "Never again, again" and "Not on our watch," Jews representing Hillel groups and day schools, synagogues and youth groups, community centers, Hadassah chapters and all denominations came from around the country to the National Mall in Washington for Sunday’s Save Darfur rally. With the genocide in Darfur topping the Jewish community’s national agenda, an unmistakable Jewish presence ran through Sunday’s rally.

The situation in Darfur, which some estimate has claimed more than 400,000 lives, constitutes the first time the United States government has recognized genocide while it is still occurring. Those behind the Save Darfur Coalition say Sunday’s rally aimed to galvanize a multinational peacekeeping force to stop the attacks and ensure that humanitarian aid can be delivered.

Jewish participants like Joseph Milgrom, 92, a wheelchair-bound Holocaust survivor from suburban Maryland, found the message particularly salient because of the Holocaust.

Even Sudanese participants noticed a disproportionate Jewish presence at the rally and in relief efforts in general. "The people in Darfur know very well and welcome the support of the American Jewish community," said Iessa Dahia, a Darfuri now living in Portland, Maine. "They know the Jewish community has been through that in the Holocaust. The Jewish community has said we cannot allow this to happen again. That’s why they are here more than any other community." (JTA)

Jewish and Muslim Youth Together at Shoah Commemoration
by Shirli Sitbon

An Israeli-Arab priest known for his interfaith work flew to Paris on Tuesday to take part in a Holocaust commemoration ceremony which brought together Jewish and Muslim youth. Nazareth-based Father Emil Shufani arrived at the Holocaust memorial in the French capital for the last two hours of the annual 24 hour name-reading ceremony organised in memory of the Jews deported from France during WW2. From Monday to Tuesday night participants read one after another the names of the 76,000 Jews deported from France to death camps and the names of the Jews killed in France by Nazi collaborators.

The closing part was attended by a group of Jewish teenagers and a dozen Muslim scouts who all participated in the public reading, as well as visiting the Paris Holocaust museum together. The group witnessed the six candles lit to represent the six million Jews killed by the Nazi regime and its accomplices.

Nicknamed "the priest of Nazareth," Shufani set up a project in 1988 entitled "Education for Peace, Democracy and Coexistence," which he implemented at his school, the Greek-Catholic St Joseph’s College in Nazareth. At the end of 2002, he launched a project called Memory for Peace in Israel and France, which involved a joint Jewish-Arab pilgrimage to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. And the following year he was awarded the UNESCO prize for peace education. (European Jewish Press)

A 2-Mile Walk to Remember by Joe Howell

Joel Gluck didn't know what to expect when he and his daughter, Hannah, 16, visited Poland last week for the annual March of the Living. About 10,000 marchers on Tuesday mourned the 6 million Jews killed by Adolf Hitler's Nazis. The 2-mile march covers the area between the Auschwitz and Birkenau death camps.

As for Hannah, most of her thoughts of the trip are reserved for her diary. She did say of the walk, "(It) doesn't seem that long, but I guess when you're starving, and you don't have any shoes or clothes, it's a lot longer." She said she was impressed by all the Jews from different countries who participated.

She said it felt odd that the march happened on a sunny day. "I don't really see concentration camps being sunny. It's kind of weird," she said.

But it was that sunshine that kept Holocaust survivor Regina Spiegel alive. "Maybe he, Hitler, is not as powerful as he thinks, because he couldn't cover up the sky, still we could look at the sunshine," she said. At 17, Spiegel arrived at Birkenau. She recalled exiting the cattle car and vicious dogs lunging at the passengers as the S.S. guards beat them with clubs. She was stripped, shaved and given a tattoo - 4641 - on her left forearm. "This became my number for my name. Until then, I was known as Regina Goodman," Spiegel said.

After the war, she married another Holocaust survivor, Sam Spiegel. They were raised in Poland and now work at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., and live in Bethesda, Md. "Never give up hope," said Regina Spiegel. (Knox News)

Trip to Israel Cements Bond with Jewish Homeland by Dana Sacks

What was this pull? Why does Israel hold such an allure for American Jews? I recently attended Tel Aviv One, a leadership conference sponsored by the United Jewish Communities. More than 1,000 young leaders converged on Tel Aviv for a four-day conference.

For me, one of the most moving moments came when we were going into a kindergarten classroom at another Ethiopian absorption center in Lod. As we filed into the classroom, all of the children, most of them having only lived in Israel less than six months, were waving Israeli flags and singing "Shalom Aleichem."

Having left my children in Oregon while I was in Israel, I felt comfortable, and comforted seeing these happy children and knowing they are so lucky to have been given so much and to have the opportunities that their new lives in Israel will afford them. Each of the Portland participants felt this way. There were moments when we all looked at each other with tears and nods of understanding. This was why we donated. This was why we came to Israel.

To me, Israel is my far-away home. Just as your home here needs tending, so does Israel. It's a place that you need to take care of constantly. Just as you need to get your hands dirty in your garden to grow beautiful flowers, so you must get the wonderfully rich dust of Israel in your hands, clothes, and heart. You can't feel the fragrant Mediterranean wind, see the interesting, varied objects of history, nor experience the warmth of the Israeli people from your home. You need to go to Israel to experience it all—to know that Israel is your home, too. (Jewish Review)

Lenny Kravitz to Visit Israel by Eytan Amit

Singer Lenny Kravitz, one of America's most popular rock stars, has announced he will make his first visit to Israel in the summer, Israel's leading newspaper reported. The 42-year-old singer will visit as a tourist, and has not decided if he will perform here during the visit.

During the Jewish-African American reception last week, Kravitz told Israel's consul general in New York, Aryeh Mekel, that he will be arriving in Israel in the next two-to-three months to visit friends in Tel Aviv. (Ynet News)

At the Top of Her Game After Only 5 Months in Israel by Amir Mizroch

Rebecca Glueck (pronounced "Glick") has achieved quite a lot since making aliya five months ago. Originally from Kansas, this 23-year-old has managed to obtain citizenship, find an apartment, enroll in ulpan, become one of the best players in the women's soccer league, get called up to the national women's national soccer team, find a social network and be interviewed on a hit television show.

Currently, there are at least four Israeli-born female soccer players playing on college teams in the U.S., and they usually join the national squad for international games. Rebecca is the only American-born college star and new immigrant playing on the women's national team.

Two days after arriving here, Glueck was introduced to the Ironi Ramat Hasharon women's soccer coach, who immediately realized her potential and guided her to the Wingate Institute, where she met the national women's soccer coach, Alan Shaier. "The [national] coach reminded me of my all-time-favorite-in-the-entire-world coach back in Kansas," Glueck said. "We clicked so well and immediately. He didn't ask me any personal questions, like where I was from or anything like that. He wanted to know what position I played, what I thought of the game, technical stuff. We spoke for a few hours, at the end of which he invited me to join in a friendly game the team was playing that afternoon against a male team made up of Wingate sportsmen."

"Ten minutes later I find myself wearing a white-and-blue sports uniform. I've been in Israel for just a few days. I've met the national coach and now I'm out on the field and I'm like YEAH! Is this happening to me? God, thank you so much!" (Jerusalem Post)

Tel Aviv to Face Four NBA Teams in October
by Allon Sinai and Frankie Sachs

Euroleague basketball CEO Jordi Bertomeu revealed last week that Maccabi will take part in a joint four team NBA-Euroleague tournament in Cologne, Germany, two days after it will play the San Antonio Spurs in Paris on October 8. The tournament will feature the two Euroleague finalists as well as NBA teams Phoenix Suns and the Philadelphia 76ers, with Tel Aviv assured one meeting against an NBA team. Maccabi is then scheduled to fly out to North America to play the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors, completing four games against NBA sides in less then a month.

Last October Maccabi played two games in North America, beating the Toronto Raptors 105-103 and losing 93-79 to the Orlando Magic. (Jerusalem Post)

See Also: CSKA Dashes Maccabi's Threepeat Aspirations - by Ha'aretz Staff and Agencies

The back-to-back European champions Maccabi Tel Aviv lost its title to CSKA Moscow last week, thereby failing in its quest for a historic threepeat, as the Russian side held on to take a hard-fought game 73-69 in the Euroleague Finals at the Sazka Arena in Prague. (Ha'aretz)

The Oscar Goes to...Israeli High School Students
by Tamar Trabelsi-Hadad

Israel is on the map at the Oscar awards ceremony for young filmmakers. The honor was achieved by the 12th grade students of the filmmaking school at Ehad Ha’am high school in Petah Tikva, and former students from Rabin High school in Kfar Saba, who already graduated and joined the IDF.

The ceremony was held on Sunday in Hollywood, at the same theater where the Academy Awards ceremony is held every year with all the famous Tinseltown movie stars. The excited students who arrived from 100 schools all over world, walked on the famous red carpet. Actor John Voight (Angelina Jolie’s dad) was the MC for the evening, and the young winners received small statuettes as well as a prize of 3,000 euros for each film.

The movie "Our War" by 11th graders from Ehad Ha’am high school in Petah Tikva won Best Film for the17 and under category. It also won first place in the People's Choice category. The movie depicts the story of a teen who emigrated from the former Soviet Union to Israel, and after his brother was killed by friendly fire during his IDF service, the teen becomes estranged from Israel and adopts neo-Nazi conduct. The movie ends in a scene where the teen walks on streets laden with Israeli flags.

The second award, in the category of Best Film for nominees 15 and under, was awarded to students from Rabin High school in Kfar Saba, for their movie "Golem." The filmmakers – director Brit Harel, producer Aviel Gandler, photographer Roee Goldman, and editor Gil Shoham – did not attend the ceremony as they are already in the midst of their military service. The movie "Golem" tells the story of a teen that is looking for love with all his might. He falls for a girl who collects butterflies, but eventually love fades and he is left broken hearted. (Ynet News)

Israel Must Live! On the 58th Anniversary of Israel's Independence by W. Thomas Smith

Ten years ago, as a journalist covering the West Bank, I found myself on patrol with Israeli paratroopers in Hebron. Those young paratroopers were proud. What bolstered that pride was a committed-to-death blending of nationalism, military tradition, and religious faith that few national armies can match. Though military service is mandatory in Israel, there is an almost spiritual quality to it. There is a reason for that.

Grafted to an ancient homeland that had achieved statehood only a few decades earlier, the soldiers I patrolled with knew their country was surrounded by enemies. They knew those enemies wanted Israel driven into the sea. They also knew that their forebears had fought a series of blistering albeit successful wars against those enemies, and they themselves were battling domestic - sometimes foreign - terrorism.

Israel had to learn to fight, and it had to learn fast. On the day after declaring its independence, the new Jewish state was attacked by five Arab armies. It won that war, and all others militarily (though there have been some politically based concessions over the years). The nation, however, has suffered tremendously at the hands of suicide bombers and other terrorists, and Israel's citizens have been hit with missiles from neighboring countries.

Fortunately, Israel has become a master of both conventional warfare and counterterrorism. They also stand by their allies. And we Americans - today, deeply involved in our own war against terror - have learned much about combating terrorism from the Israelis.

And on this 58th anniversary of Israel’s Independence, I am reminded of the words of the late social commentator Eric Hoffer, who in 1967 said, "I have a premonition that will not leave me: as it goes with Israel so it will go with all of us. Should Israel perish, the Holocaust will be upon us. ISRAEL MUST LIVE!" (Townhall.com)

Land of Missed Chances by Youssef Ibrahim

A stark reality is coursing through Arab consciousness: No one cares about Palestine. It has been the case for at least a decade. What's new is that even reasonable Palestinian Arabs now acknowledge the truth of their lost state. "It is not a secret that practically everyone outside Palestine have [sic] cleansed their hands," Fahmy Howeidi wrote Thursday in a fundamentalist Saudi newspaper, Asharq Al-Awsat. The outside world has underestimated the degree to which most Arabs have tired of Palestinian Arabs' whining, corruption, and abuse of each other and outsiders. (New York Sun)

Andover: Keep Personal Politics Out of the Classroom Editorial

Teachers, like any other people, have political opinions. That's fine. But the nature of their jobs requires they keep those political opinions out of their classrooms.

Ron Francis, a teacher at Andover High, is also an activist in his free time. The Somerville resident accuses the state of Israel of "violent terrorist" acts against Palestinians. He encourages divestment from businesses that benefit Israel. He defends Hamas, an organization most reasonable observers would consider terrorist, as the victim of a "ridiculously biased" media.

Francis' beliefs are skewed, though he is far from alone in holding them. He has a right to hold these opinions. But he does not have the right to force them on a captive audience in his classroom.

There's no indication Francis has done that. By all accounts, he is a fine and respected teacher of physics and electrical engineering, where, he told our reporter, the issue of Israel and the Palestinians does not come up.

Because he believes the United States aids Israel's violations of human rights against the Palestinians, Francis refuses to recite the Pledge of Allegiance each morning. That displays a bit of immaturity and lack of appreciation — the republic for which our flag stands, after all, enshrines in its founding documents Francis' right to express dissenting views. Hamas, thus far in its tenure, has yet to offer anything similar.

Any chosen profession comes with a set of ethical limits. Good teachers understand that their political activity has no place in the classroom. Parents are sending their children to school to be educated, not indoctrinated. (Eagle-Tribune)

"During the wars, there were always cancellations for reasons of personal security, but this time it's a very different story," said Hebrew University political scientist, Yaron Ezrahi in 2002.

Calev Ben David, former managing editor of the Jerusalem Post said in an interview with the Washington Post during the Intifada that "the rock community tends to veer toward a left, politically correct line, and to some degree it has become politically impossible in that community" to perform in Israel.

Groups like progressive rockers Jethro Tull, Irish boy band Westlife and metal bands Megadeth and the Scorpions, performed in Israel during the Intifada. Other groups, such as the rock group dEUS, performed regularly, as well. "They asked us, so we came," answered Tom Barman, soloist of the band dEUS, when he was asked a few months ago why he and his band have been coming to Israel so frequently in recent years.

Phil Collins Starts the Return

With the Intifada quieted and Israel seen as less of a pariah and a safer place to visit, the international stars are returning. The first major star to play in Israel in several years was Phil Collins who said he wasn't afraid to play in Israel as part of a Middle East tour that included Egypt and Lebanon.

"The moment that Shuki Weiss brought Phil Collins, there was renewed interest and competition within the industry," according to PR professional Moran Paz, who specializes in music performances from abroad. "Producers meet a need that exists in a market, and there is no doubt that the general mood has improved. Aside from which, it is clear that the disengagement [from Gaza] has done a superior public relations job for Israel. There hasn't been a terrorist attack in a long time and, economically speaking, the situation has improved to some extent."

"The foreign music industry is a closed community," explains Shuki Weiss, the biggest Israeli music producer. "Madonna's agent is also Phil Collins' agent, and if he sends the message that everything is okay, after years of Intifada during which musicians were afraid to come here, it does us a great service."

Taking Collins' lead is a host of big name international stars like Eminem and Depeche Mode who are on the crest of a comeback. Ricky Martin, The Rolling Stones and 50 Cent are in negotiations to play. Even British rocker Sting, an outspoken critic of Israeli-policy, is also scheduled to arrive in Israel for a concert this year.

Troubled Waters Stills the Critics

Someone even more controversial for his anti-Israel stance is Roger Waters, former lead singer of Pink Floyd. Waters been a critic of Israel's policies for many years. In Pink Floyd's final album, The Final Cut, he managed to stick in Menachem Begin's name, just after the invasion of Lebanon, with a long list of "fascists" he felt destabilized the world.

To Waters' credit he will still play in Israel despite a campaign by Palestinians to force him cancel his concert in Israel. Groups such as the Palestinian Association for Contemporary Art and the League of Palestinian Artists wrote to Waters expressing concern at his plans. Their letter said: "Palestinian as well as several international artists asked in shock: how can the artist whose name around the world was for many years associated with breaking walls of injustice be in any way complicit with the monstrosity of Israel's wall, declared illegal by the international court of justice?"

Waters responded by declaring "I have a lot of fans in Israel, many of whom are refuseniks [those who refuse to do mandatory army service]. I would not rule out going to Israel because I disapprove of the foreign policy any more than I would refuse to play in the UK because I disapprove of Tony Blair's foreign policy."

Waters did succumb to a certain amount of the pressure when he moved his concert from Tel Aviv to Neveh Shalom, a mixed Jewish-Arab village seen as a symbol of peace and co-existence.

Home Grown Talent, Too

With all these international stars coming to Israel, what about Israelis playing abroad? Miri Ben-Ari, known as the "Hip-Hop Violinist," is gaining critical success and a growing reputation in the U.S. She has already won a Grammy and has a long list of who's who in the Rap, R& B and Hip-Hop scene as collaborators. She just teamed up with Israeli hip-hop star Subliminal on his new record, "Just When You Thought Its All Over."

Gene Simmons, Israeli-born legendary lead singer of "KISS" [AKA Chaim Witz], is experiencing something of a renaissance and has put the garish 70's make-up away to entice a whole new generation of young adults to his brand of rock and roll.

Daphna Dove, who was part of the show Rock Star: INXS, has gone a step further than most stars. Dove is returning to her homeland Israel as she is becoming disillusioned with the music scene in the States. Dove said of her move "NYC showed me who I could be; LA showed me who I don't want to be; and Israel will finally allow me to be who I am."

In recent years homebred Israeli talent has been playing concerts in America and parts of Europe. Rapper Subliminal has a growing reputation in the U.S. and even collaborates with Wyclef Jean on his new album. Idan Raichel has wowed American audiences with his blend of ethno-Ethiopian/Israeli music. Shotei Nevua and HaDag Nahash have played to sold out auditoriums.

This summer Israel will once again re-appear on the international rock and pop radar. The artists will play to packed stadiums as music-mad Israelis embrace the big names who are coming to Israel to play in the coming months. Let the music begin. (The Israel HighWay)

Home l Contact Us l Send your ideas to the Israel HighWay l Back Issues
Subscribe Israel Campus Beat l Daily Alert
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Designed by ST DESIGNS