Featured this week

Brandeis: Great Israel Experience; Returning Is a Tough Transition
by Shana D. Lebowitz and Holly Leighton

Only half a year earlier, Rachel Schuster '08 never could have imagined herself standing atop the rocky terrain of Mount Masada at sunrise, listening to the live music of Beri Saharof. That all changed one night while she was studying abroad in Israel. Today, a smile creeps slowly over Schuster's face as she imagines herself standing atop the desert mountain, surrounded by early orange sunlight and barren cliffs, gazing breathlessly at the Dead Sea below. "It was just amazing to be in the desert and hear the music and slowly see the sunrise as the concert was ending," she remembers. "You're totally exhausted, but it's beautiful." She says this about the concert but might as well have been talking about her entire experience in Israel. (The Justice)

UC Santa Cruz: Hillel Aims To Ease Mid-East Tensions on Campus

The University of California, Santa Cruz has created a program in response to strained Israeli-Palestinian relations on campus.  Last spring, six campus departments sponsored a conference on post-Zionism that sparked heated debate between pro-Palestinian and Jewish students. This summer, Santa Cruz Hillel met with University Chancellor George Blumenthal and Executive Vice Chancellor David Kliger to create a new program aimed at educating and healing. “The purpose of the series is to promote reasoned dialogue between differing perspectives in a way that furthers the university’s core educational mission,” explains Blumenthal. The program, entitled Illuminating Dialogues, began October 10 and consists of four public lectures by scholars, political leaders and peace advocates intimately acquainted with the Mid-East conflict. Illuminating Dialogues’ final lecture will take place on December 5. Yossi Beilin and Yasser Abed Rabbo, the principal architects of the Geneva Accords, will present. (Hillel)

Columbia: Anti-Defamation League Director Condemns Recent Books on Israel
by Laura Schreiber

The director of the Anti-Defamation League warned of the dangers of modern anti-Semitism and discussed misconceptions about the influence of the American pro-Israel lobby in a speech on campus last week. The event, hosted by LionPAC, featured ADL head Abe Foxman in the Robert K. Kraft Center for Jewish Life. The speech was scheduled in part to respond to an on-campus speech earlier in October by John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt, authors of controversial book, The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy. The ADL is a Jewish-based anti-bigotry organization. Foxman began by emphasizing that anti-Semitism is still a relevant issue in the world today despite gains that have been made. “I was convinced that certain issues of the past, certain concerns that the Jewish community has had, were relegated to history,” he said. “Unfortunately, in the last several years I’ve been convinced that it isn’t yet so.” Foxman railed against Mearsheimer and Walt, claiming that their book’s underlying sentiment was that Jews desire control, are disloyal, and are responsible for sending nations to war. In response, Foxman wrote his own book, The Deadliest Lies: The Israel Lobby and the Myth of Jewish Control, which attempts to undercut Mearsheimer and Walt’s arguments. (Columbia Spectator)

McGill: Give Up ‘Right of Return,’ Nusseibeh Tells Fellow Palestinians
by David Lazarus

For Sari Nusseibeh, true peace between his own people and Israel won’t come from canny manoeuvres at the negotiating table. Ultimately, the Palestinian philosopher and humanist argued in a recent lecture at McGill University, peace will result from the mutual realization and acceptance of the fact that neither side will get everything it wants. For Palestinians, peace will mean giving up on the long-held dream that they will return one day to land they left almost 60 years ago. For Israelis, peace has to mean giving up on the dream that it can hold on to occupied land or that Jerusalem will never be the capital of two nations. "On both ends, I believe a new paradigm has to be created based on an equitable settlement,” the 58-year-old Nusseibeh, the president of Al-Quds University in the West Bank, said in a relatively brief, 20-minute address to a crowd of about 600 in the Stephen Leacock Building. (Canadian Jewish News)

UMass: Amherst Professor Lectures
by Ben Williams

Amherst College professor N. Gordon Levin thinks there are still a number of obstacles blocking peace in the Middle East that aren't going away anytime soon. Levin, who spoke at the Jewish Community of Amherst last week to a gathering of community members, addressed some of the major problems that need to be overcome before any sort of peace agreement between Israel and Palestine can occur. Levin cited the fact that there is a very powerful right wing in Israel today. Although only a small minority of Palestinian factions are violent, the right wing opposes peace talks and doesn't recognize any Palestinian settlement as legal. They also seize upon Palestinian violence as proof that the Oslo accords, the most serious attempts at peace in the region, will never work. (Daily Collegian)

Michigan-Dearborn: Israeli Flag Stolen Multiple Times
by Kristina Calvird

During last week's Global Fest, the Israeli flag was stolen twice from the University Center. Student Activities Office (SAO) hung between 55 and 60 different flags around the UC representing different nations. These flags were hung earlier in the week before Global Fest. According to SAO, the Israeli flag was ripped down early last week. SAO then filled the missing space with another 3 x 5 ft. Israeli flag. This second flag was then stolen again the next day. None of the other flags were touched. This is not the only year that the Israel flag has gone missing from Global Fest. "This has happened one other time since I've been here," said Student Activities Supervisor Amy Karaban. Karaban has been here since 2004. Henderson confirmed that the Israel flag disappeared last year as well. (Michigan Journal)

SUNY New Paltz: This One Time, at Hillel Convention...Getting in Touch with Your Roots
by Amy Lubinski

The SUNY New Paltz Hillel, the foundation for Jewish Life on campus, held its second annual Hillel Convention this past weekend, Oct. 26 through Oct. 28. This year’s theme was “This One Time, at Hillel Convention . . . Getting in Touch with Your Roots.” Over 60 students participated in the convention to celebrate Jewish culture, many of which were invited from other SUNY schools including Albany, Plattsburgh, Oswego and Oneonta and were hosted for the weekend in residence halls by other Jewish New Paltz students. A discussion was held on who had taken their Birthright, which is a free 10-day trip to Israel for anyone who hasn’t taken an organized trip to Israel yet, Giller said. The students who have gone were asked to share their experiences with the rest of the students in the room. Many students have gone very recently, including Hillel secretary Ilyssa Leeper, a junior elementary education major who went on her Birthright this past summer. “It was easily the best 10 days of my life,” Leeper said. (New Paltz Alto)

Texas at Austin: Wife of Soldier Abducted from Israel Speaks to Students
by Katy Justice

Karnit Goldwasser wakes up every morning unsure if her husband is alive, but she refuses to give up hope. The Texans for Israel organization sat in on a video conference on campus Tuesday with five other U.S. universities to listen to Goldwasser and ask her questions about what she is doing to try to save her husband and the two other men who were captured more than a year ago by different militant groups in Israel. In June 2006, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev were on their last day working for the reserve service in northern Israel when members of Hizbullah, a Lebanese political party with ties to terrorism, attacked the workers' Humvee and took them to Lebanese soil, according to www.habanim.org, which was set up to coordinate resources to find the three men who were abducted. (Daily Texan)
    See also A Personal Plea from Karnit Goldwasser  (YouTube)

Virginia Tech: Rafael Harpaz Works to Promote Peace with Israel
by Rosanna Brown

Rafael Harpaz earned a B.A. in international relations from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and as a part as his diplomatic training he has studied under the auspices of the Rothschild Foundation at the Hebrew University. He currently holds the position of director of public affairs at the Embassy of Israel in Washington, D.C. Harpaz is responsible for the relationships between the Embassy of Israel and the District of Columbia, Virginia, Maryland and the American Jewish community. He came to Virginia Tech after April 16 to represent Israel and to bring the remains of professor Liviu Librescu back to Israel. Sponsored by Tech's Hillel, he visited Tech again last week to pay his respects to the April 16 memorial on the Drillfield. (Collegiate Times)

Yale: UN Slammed for Failing to Address Anti-Semitism
by Paul Lungen

A watchdog organization has given the United Nations a mixed grade - at best - for its treatment of anti-Semitism and, at the same time, was highly critical of Louise Arbour, the UN’s high commissioner for human rights, for being virtually silent on the issue. The UN Watch document, titled The United Nations and Anti-Semitism, 2004-2007 Report Card, lauded some senior UN officials for speaking against Holocaust denial and rebuking Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. But it found “most worrying… the UN’s record [of] an intensification of one-sided, redundant and irrational measures that taken together, form an infrastructure to demonize and deligitimize the Jewish state.” The report accused the General Assembly of a “double standard” for passing an “extraordinary amount of...resolutions singling out Israel for condemnation.” It also stated the UN Human Rights Council descended to “unimaginable lows, with no less than 100 per cent of its condemnatory resolutions passed against Israel - at the expense of tackling all of the world’s worst abusers.” The report was presented to the Yale Club in Manhattan and later at Yale University’s Initiative for the Interdisciplinary Study of Antisemitism. It found “progress in some areas.”  (Canadian Jewish News)

UCLA: Students Take Stand
by Lucy Benz-Rogers

To show support for three kidnapped Israeli soldiers and their families, Bruins for Israel hosted an event last week in Bruin Plaza with members from the UCLA community present. The event included speeches by Yaakov Dayan, consul general of Israel for the Western region, and Rabbi Daniel Bouskila of Sephardic Temple Tifereth Israel in Westwood. Similar events took place all over the world to try to get more support. “(People) all came together to speak out and call on all the world leaders and humanitarian organizations,” said Lian Kimia, head of community outreach for Bruins for Israel. (Daily Bruin)

UC Santa Cruz: Beatles Songs and Ancient Religion
by Annie Liebman

Classic rock ‘n’ roll and the search for Utopia meshed during an intimate discussion of the religious philosophies that make up Messianism, a belief that a particular cause or movement is destined to save the world. The lyrics to “Imagine” by John Lennon lit up the screen at Engineering 101 while a small group of students and Santa Cruz locals listened to renowned Israeli journalist Gershom Gorenberg relate a thousand-year-old religion to modern-day pop culture. Gorenberg said the song was a classic example of Messianism. “It calls for a new order that wipes away the past and establishes a reign of peace,” Gorenberg said. Messianism is also a critical component in understanding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Both Israelis and Palestinians believe that the land, which Israel now occupies, belongs to them. Wanting ownership over the land is the reason for infighting between the two sides, but their fundamental belief in Messianism is at the heart of it. Gorenberg said that Messianism is a barrier to compromise, because each group believes it will never have a perfect world if it isn’t allowed to live in the holy land, he stated. (City on a Hill Press)

George Washington: Translator says Theology is the True Motivation of Terrorists
by Amanda Lindner

The first person to translate several Al Qaeda documents into English said that terrorists' true motivations are based in Islamic theology, not Western grievances. At a lecture last week sponsored by Students Defending Democracy, Raymond Ibrahim, editor and translator of “The Al Qaeda Reader," said that Osama bin Laden and other extremists justify their actions by citing activities such as American troop occupation and America's loyalty to Israel; but in fact, this is merely propaganda sent to the West to hide terrorists' true motivations, which are based in Sharia (Islam-inspired) law. He asserted that as long as there are those who take Sharia law seriously, there will be terrorism. In a document like Bin Laden's “Why We Are Fighting You Letter,” targeted to Americans and Westerners, the justification for terrorism is "attacks in Palestine, the stealing of wealth (oil), and American occupation for the security of Jews." Ibrahim contends that these grievances, though not necessarily fabricated, are propaganda to justify an “eye for an eye” mentality. (Daily Colonial)

UMass: Forgotten Refugees
by Matt Hoffman

Why don't you hear about the Jewish refugees? Instead of complaining, Jews carry on with their lives in dignity. Israel treats Jewish refugees far differently from the way Arab countries treat their brethren. A culture of Jews helping Jewish refugees led many impoverished families to be successful. For example, Jerry Seinfeld's mother is a Jew from Syria. Yet, Arabs continue to languish in refugee camps. Why? As Ralph Galloway, a United Nations relief worker stated, "The Arab states do not want to solve the refugee problem. They want to keep it as an open sore…as a weapon against Israel. Arab leaders don't give a damn whether the refugees live or die." For the sake of the Arabs, the campus community should demand that those responsible for the Arab refugees - namely, the Arab countries and the Palestinian Authority - allow their refugees to live good lives. Isn't it an outrage that Arab leaders treat their refugees so poorly to make political gain out of their situation? (Daily Collegian)

Michigan: Israel Critique on Campus
by Michal Lando

The target is professor Joel Kovel and his new book, Overcoming Zionism. The campus is the University of Michigan. But the controversy is all too familiar. On the one side are those who say universities have become centers for anti-Israel rhetoric. On the other are those who claim pro-Israel forces are stifling debate and limiting academic freedom. The latest bout of academic warfare has taken shape at the University of Michigan - home to one of the largest Jewish student bodies - where many are up in arms over the handling of Kovel's fiercely anti-Israel book. The university, which has a contract to distribute books from left-wing British publisher Pluto Press, has been strongly criticized for distributing the recently-published Overcoming Zionism. In his book, Kovel argues that the creation of Israel was a mistake, and advocates for a "one-state" solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in which Israelis and Palestinians would form a new country that isn't Jewish. The controversy led the university to temporarily halt distribution of the book and to review the relationship with the British publisher. But last week, Michigan announced it would renew its contract to distribute Pluto Press books. The university has defended its decision, saying the relationship with the British press was one of commerce, not scholarship. (Jerusalem Post)

Northwestern: NJ Intern Seeks to Foster Peace Through Green Activism
by Debra Rubin

Daniella Cheslow is a 22-year-old East Brunswick woman whose roots in the Israeli soil go deep. Cheslow - born in Israel to an American father, Jerry, and a South African mother, Michelle - came to the United States with her parents at age two. She has returned to the place of her birth twice in the last year in the hope of fostering peace between Jews and Arabs while bettering the environment. Cheslow, a recent graduate of Northwestern University, now plans to spend at least a year in Israel working with the Heschel Center for Environmental Learning and Leadership. The Tel Aviv-based think-tank looks to build a sustainable future for Israeli society through education and social, economic, and environmental activism. (New Jersey Jewish News)

Technion: A Day in the Life of a Volunteer
by Tuvit Neizer

Dolev Geva had some free time between final exams and the beginning of the following semester at the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology. The 20-year-old biochemical engineering student is enrolled in the Israel Defense Forces atuda program, which permits soldiers to defer their military service to study. Geva decided to use his free time to volunteer. "Exams had just ended, my classes were only beginning the following week, and this activity fit the time frame," he says. Geva ended up volunteering at a mass bar and bat mitzvah celebration for young victims of terror, organized by the Israel Terror Victims Association and Kav Manche, an organization that hosts events for sick children. The long day began at the Western Wall plaza in Jerusalem and continued with performances until the evening. "The concept appealed to me. I was looking for a major event that took up most of the day - something substantive, not just some minor activity. The day has just begun and I have no complaints. I just hope that I am really helping. I've mainly served as an usher since the morning," says Geva. (Ha'aretz)

Toronto: Fight Terrorism within Parameters of Law: Barak
by Sheldon Kirsher

Describing himself as “a protector of democracy,” Israel’s former chief justice  says Israel should wage war against terrorism only within the parameters of the law. “There are no black holes,” Aharon Barak declared in a speech at the University of Toronto last week. Delivering the Andrea and Charles Bronfman Lecture in Israeli Studies on “Human Rights in Times of Terror,” Barak said Israel distinguishes itself from terrorists by working within the legal system, while they act outside it. Barak, the president of Israel’s Supreme Court from 1995 to 2006, called for “a proper balance” between the imperatives of state security and the need to preserve human rights. (Canadian Jewish News)

Wisconsin: Campus Silent on UW Investments
by Anita Weier

For the first time in memory, no University of Wisconsin students, staff or faculty showed up at a trust funds investment forum conducted yearly by aBoard of Regents committee. "Two years ago, the room was full," Tom Reinders, portfolio analyst for the investment funds, said at the unattended event Thursday. Israeli conflicts were the issue two years ago, and people supporting Israeli policy and those opposing actions by the Israeli army against Palestinians or the removal of settlers' houses all made their cases. Reinders, who has attended the sessions for six years, said it was the first time no one came to speak. (Capital Times)

Group Urges Efforts to Counter Anti-Israel Propaganda
by Debra Rubin

Jewish college students must be prepared to counter anti-Israel propaganda on campus. That was the message delivered by two representatives from Stand With Us, an organization striving to make sure Israel"s side of the story is told on campuses, in the media, and in houses of worship. The two appeared Oct. 14 at Congregation Ahavas Achim in Highland Park to speak to high school and college students and their parents about how to deal with anti-Israel messages. "There is a lot of anti-Israel hate speech on college campuses," said Ron Kutas, East Coast campus coordinator. "We work really hard to try and get teams of students out with a factual pro-Israel message." (New Jersey Jewish News)