What is it about Thanksgiving and Americans? We have a visceral connection to this all-American holiday that makes celebration among American Jews almost universal, even American Jews living abroad.
Gilad's Story
by Adam Stewart on October 12, 2011
Today is the first time I have seen Aviva Schalit smile. After over five years in captivity her son is coming home. A nation takes a big sigh of relief, and the woman who has become Israel’s conscience – an Israeli “every”-mother, can go back to being an actual mother.
I – like many others living outside of Israel – have felt a part of this chapter in Israel’s history. Gilad’s story has become my story both as a person and an educator. And through this bitter and conflicted saga, I hope that we have been able to provide a glimpse into the soul of Israel and convey a sense of what Jewish peoplehood feels like.
Six Jewish Heroes
by Aryeh Halivni on September 27, 2011
It is not every day you get to meet six Jewish heroes. I was fortunate enough to have done just that, in an amazing experience last year at the Kotel.
First, a little background:
In the aftermath of the Arab riots throughout Palestine in 1929, the British convened a commission of inquiry to investigate the cause of the unrest. The Shaw Commission's recommendations granted the Arabs absolute ownership of the Western Wall and adjacent property. Jews were forbidden to bring Torah scrolls to the Kotel, to pray loudly, or to blow the shofar, so as not to offend the Arab population.
My Story
by Michael Hoffman on September 22, 2011
Here is my story.
When I stepped foot on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus as an incoming freshman, I was there to get away from the life I had been living in Baltimore.
Giving Voice to the Teen Israel Experience
by The iCenter on June 29, 2011
New Teen Internship to Leverage the Power of the Israel Experience
CHICAGO – Aimed at empowering teens to be peer educators and ambassadors for the Israel experience, the iCenter is launching the MZ Teen Israel Internship, a national leadership program for teens returning from summer Israel experiences.
Re-imagining Israel Education
by Chaviva Galatz on June 1, 2011
Toward the end of May, I spent about four days at a conference of sorts as a member of the 2011 iCenter Fellows. What is the iCenter?
The iCenter serves as a national address and advocate for high-quality and meaningful Israel education. The iCenter is dedicated to developing and enhancing the field of pre-collegiate Israel education in North America, in both formal and informal settings.
