Wednesday, May 21, 2008

What's in a T-shirt?

In recent years advocacy efforts have gone beyond the traditional rallies & op-eds we are accustomed to.  Apparently, now Urban Outfitters has brought pro-Palestinian advocacy to new levels.  First, it was their “Anti-War Freedom Scarves,” which look like kaffiyahs and have become the newest fashion craze in New York.  Every time I see one wrapped around the neck of a “hipster” New Yorker I cringe for the ignorance and stupidity of the wearer (I’m pretty sure most don’t know what the scarves really mean).

But now, Urban Outfitters has hit a new low with their “Victimized” t-shirts.  These depict three children holding guns, a Palestinian flag, and the word victimized in huge letters on the bottom.  Both the scarves and the t-shirts have been removed from the website and shelves of Urban stores, citing they are sorry they caused offense. To see the t-shirts click here: http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/30019_Urban_Outfitters_Glorifies_Terrorism

My issue, however, is who at Urban Outfitters permits this stuff to be sold in the first place??

Many of you may remember a few years ago when they came out with the “Everyone loves a…” t-shirts.  The Italian girl/boy shirts had pizzas on it, the Catholic ones had crosses, and the Jewish ones had dollar signs.  Yes, they were all a bit stereotypical, but clearly the Jewish one crossed the line and, after complaints, they quickly changed the design of the t-shirts.  However, if they quickly take these offensive items off their shelves once they get complaints, then the question is: did they know all along that they were offensive?  Given the recurrence of these incidents, one would think that they would pay more attention from the start.  Unfortunately, even though they took the kaffiyahs off the shelves, the fashion trend they sparked was so great that you can now find them at street vendors!  Therefore, addressing the problem only after is not enough.

I admit I am a fan of the graphic t’s they sell.  I have a “little miss” shirt, a couple promoting voting, and some partisan political ones.  However, I’m going to rethink my purchases in the store... at least until they seem to put more thought into their decisions.  Where does a retailer draw the line at being activist and being offensive?  It might be one of those “I know when I see it” circumstances.  But, it seems like Urban Outfitters has done this a little too many times for that approach to continue.

 

Posted by Stephanie at 15:06:01 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

The United Methodist Church, Israel, and Us

By: Rabbi Barry H. D. Block 

Most things are not as simple as they seem.


In recent months, leadership of the American Jewish community was engaged in concern about the United Methodist Church.  Often the matter was reduced to sound bytes.  “The Methodist Church is anti-Israel.”  “Here comes one more Mainline Protestant Church, a group of self-righteous liberals, using Israel as an excuse to be anti-Semitic.” 


These pithy statements were not only overly simplistic; they were false.  In the end, the United Methodist Church proved itself to be the fair-minded friend of the Jewish people that it has been for decades.  But telling the story will take awhile.  Like most important things, it’s not as simple as it seems. 


It all started early this year, when one group of the Church published a very biased anti-Israel tract.  The United Methodist Church is a large and complex organization.  It has many arms that act rather autonomously.  Just because one United Methodist group does or says one thing does not mean that every Methodist Church, each Methodist individual, or the Church as an overall organization, agrees. 


The group in question is the Women’s Division of the Board of Global Ministries.  Funded by United Methodist Women in churches around the world, the Women’s Division possesses significant resources.  It is also seen by some Methodists as a far-left renegade.  Most United Methodist Women in local churches have no idea what is being done in their name and with their money.


The so-called “Mission Study” published by the Women’s Division called the establishment of the State of Israel the “original sin,” leading to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  It calls Israelis “terrorists,” and compares then to Nazis, even branding David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first Prime Minister, as an “extremist,” rather ironic considering that Ben-Gurion was a socialist! 


No question about it:  The Women’s Division “Mission Study” drips with anti-Semitism, in the name of concern for the Palestinian people.


Word about the “Mission Study” began to get around, when the American Jewish community learned that the church as a whole would consider divestment from companies doing business in Israel.  Such an action, taken a few years ago by the Presbyterian Church (USA), and then rescinded, likens Israel to apartheid South Africa or to Sudan in its ethnic cleansing of Darfur.  The Jewish community began to mobilize.


When I first read about the concern, I was skeptical.  For almost a decade, I have been deeply involved in Methodist organizations in south Texas.  No organization does more good in our part of the state than Methodist Healthcare Ministries, even though few in our community know anything about it except for its half ownership of the Methodist Healthcare System.  Not long ago, someone who heard me introduced on a panel, with a bio listing all the Methodist Healthcare boards on which I serve, was moved to asked, “Is the Rabbi a Methodist?”  When it comes to health care, I’m a devout Methodist.


My contact with Methodists, including our wonderful Bishop here in south Texas, Joel Martinez, led me to believe that the Church as a whole would not likely take strident anti-Israel action.  My Methodist friends have shared with me texts, including “Building Bridges.”  That magnificent document, adopted in the late 1990s, goes farther than any other church’s statement of Christian-Jewish relations.  The Methodist Church affirms that Jews have a permanent covenant with God.  It acknowledges the long and painful history of Christian anti-Semitism, including shared culpability for the Holocaust.  And the Methodist Church celebrates the Jewish State of Israel.


This Church would not, I believed, adopt the anti-Israel position for which some folks hoped.


Basically, anti-Israel forces that favor divestment as a strategy were ultimately beaten back by the Presbyterians, and then a variety of other churches have found ways to avoid major confrontations.  The Methodist Church offered seemingly fertile ground, only because it is so democratic.  Any Sunday School class, indeed any Methodist individual, can offer a resolution for consideration by the Church’s General Conference, which meets every four years.  The rubber would meet the road in Fort Worth, in ten days in April.


The Jewish community was ready.  The Jewish Council on Public Affairs, or JCPA, which is the umbrella organization for Community Relations Councils in San Antonio and elsewhere, took the lead, with the arms of Reform Judaism and the American Jewish Committee quite involved.  Rabbis and lay people across the country spoke one-on-one with delegates to the General Conference.


In San Antonio, we are blessed.  A man by the name of Byrd Bonner, a long-time friend of Rabbi Stahl’s and of our congregation’s, is a significant national leader of the Methodist Church.  He headed the panel that considered and utterly rejected each anti-Israel divestment resolution, keeping in touch with me and with JCPA throughout the Conference.  While parliamentary maneuvers were attempted within the Conference as a whole, Byrd Bonner and others managed to muster more than 90% of delegates to reject this anti-Israel strategy.  Despite the contemptible “Mission Study” from the Women’s Division, the United Methodist Church proved that it’s the furthest thing from an anti-Israel, anti-Semitic church.


I should emphasize that, while the Jewish community was mobilized, Methodists took the lead.  We are so proud of Byrd Bonner here in San Antonio, but he was not alone.  Christians for Fair Witness in the Middle East – an organization that shares our concerns for a safe and secure Israel, and also for the welfare of the Palestinian people – played an important independent role. 


Even more significantly, a major arm of the United Methodist Church, its General Board of Christian Unity and Interfaith Relations, took very positive steps in interfaith dialogue, entirely independent of the Israel matters.  At that group’s behest, the General Conference adopted a resolution calling for heightened awareness of the Holocaust and of Yom HaShoah, our Holocaust remembrance day.  The Conference also adopted a resolution specifically rejecting the notion of targeting Jews for conversion.  Indeed, the United Methodist Church is most friendly to Judaism and the Jewish people.


Like most relationships, ours with the United Methodist Church is not without its challenges.  That nefarious “Mission Study” is still out there.  Methodists and others do offer more fair analyses of Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and we can and will work to see that Methodist churches use those for teaching instead of the Women’s Division tract.  Also, in the final hours of the Conference, one highly problematic resolution about Israel was adopted.  Though the resolution lacks the force of something like divestment, it does unjustly blame Israel alone for the current situation.


The United Methodist Church, like most organisms, is made up of many parts, and it’s complicated, even to insiders.  Some arms of that church, like any organization, may do some things we don’t like.  But who among us has any friend with whom we have never disagreed?  How many married people or others in long-term, loving relationships have partners who have disappointed them?  Blake, you may be flawless in your grandparents’ eyes, but probably not in the sight of your parents, as much as they love you.


Most things in life are not as simple as they seem.  The relationship between the Jewish community and the United Methodist Church can be complicated at times.  And yet, events of recent months have permitted me and others to see that bond tested.  I am pleased to report:  When it comes to the Jewish people and the people of the United Methodist Church, the state of the union is strong.

Posted by Martine at 12:50:39 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Shmita: Sabbath for the Land

 

 

I just returned from Israel where I spent the week with family and friends, absorbing the realities of a Jewish state.  Some aspects of a Jewish state elicited a guffaw (see articles on Mikvah ladies and  chametz), but some I found to be insightful, meaningful and even useful.  For now, I will focus on the commandment of shmita, which is taking place this year, 5768.  Leviticus 25:3-4 explains the mitzvah of shmita.

Six years you may sow your field, and six years you may prune your vineyard and gather in the yield. But in the seventh year the land shall have a sabbath of complete rest, a sabbath of the Lord: you shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard.

 

Torah doesn’t talk science, but in this case, the spiritual tradition is right on target.  The text continues with the ramifications of fulfilling and ignoring the law.  If you fulfill: “then shall the land make up for its sabbath years (26:34).” But, “the land shall be forsaken of (those Israelites who did not practice shmita), making up for its sabbath years by being desolate of them (26:43).”  This isn’t just God having funwith random laws.

Scientifically speaking, when one plot of land is used in the same fashion, year after year, the soil becomes depleted of its nutrients.  Eventually, crop yields weaken until the land is so depleted that it must be deserted.* On the opposite end, when a farmer allows land to lay fallow, nutrient balance is naturally restored, allowing for endless use and production.

Science and Torah take it one step further. Though the owner is not allowed to work the land, the naturally growing fruit remains available to people, wild animals and livestock. By allowing animals in the fields, they naturally fertilize it (think feces), enabling greater yields.

Michael Pollan, author of Omnivore’s Dilemma, spotlights a modern farmer who, by using methods similar to those demanded in Leviticus, manages a model sustainable farm.

It’s rare when Jewish law and modern science lead to a uniform conclusion - hopefully we’ll eventually get the message. 

* Today, many farmers “solve” this problem with intense (oil-based) fertilization, an energy-intensive endeavor that, due to chemical run-off, is the source of a whole range of other environmental problems.


The vision of the Torah is still alive:
Jewish Farm School
Adamah, The Jewish Environmental Fellowship


Posted by Liore at 17:01:49 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Friday, February 01, 2008

When Music Unites… Tikva is Created

National symbols, especially anthems, are always a problematic issue for minorities. As Jews in the Diaspora (in some countries more than others), we feel a certain alienation when we sing them. When anthems speak of forefathers and the past - as most anthems do - it's just difficult to connect fully... Our families were usually not native to these lands and our ancestors were not part of glorious independence battles.

But that's the beauty of Hatikva, Israel's national anthem. While it refers to a particular people, it doesn't speak of the past and it doesn't speak of battles. It speaks of the future and, as its title declares, it speaks of hope. That is quite remarkable. For a country frequently accused of militarism, Israel's anthem is one of the few whose lyrics have nothing to do with war. Moreover, its music, rather than being a marching band playing a battle cry, has a mournful, but hopeful tone.

This, to me, is positive. When the main symbol of a country speaks of hope, of the future, and of being "a free nation in our own land," one gets the sense that this is a promising society that can successfully bring people together -- especially when all of its citizens, Jews and Arabs, already have a legitimate and strong connection to the land and call it their own. Therefore, I remain optimistic about the ability of Israeli Arabs to not only be full Israeli citizens - as they are by law - but to feel fully Israeli. And feeling, as we Diaspora Jews know quite well, is as much about symbols as about feeling at home.

As Gadi BenMark writes in his Ha'aretz article "'Hatikva' in Arabic?": "When the Israeli national soccer team competes overseas and ‘Hatikva' is played, Arab Israeli players who are representing Israel stand silent." Ironically, it was Israeli Arabs who scored crucial goals in a couple of games during the qualifiers for the 2006 World Cup.

I was at a bar in Jerusalem when Israel was playing France in Tel Aviv during those qualifiers. When Walid Badir, an Israeli Arab, scored the goal to tie the game when there were only 7 minutes left, we all went nuts. You could hear the whole neighborhood cheer. It was an amazing feeling to see Israel tie against a world power in the sport, and to see Israeli Arabs and Jews playing together and waving the Israeli flag while running around the stadium in celebration.

How much nicer it would have been if the Arab players would have also sung Hatikva, or an equivalent with which they could proudly identify. As I said before, Israel's anthem is quite unique in its lyrics and in its music. It seems to me there's room for an additional official anthem that also speaks of hope and also speaks of the future - an anthem that retains Hatikva's powerful melody, but whose lyrics contain words that would make Walid Badir not only wrap himself in the Israeli flag, but also sing its anthem proudly and loudly.

Remember, the story I just told took place in March 2005, with the Intifada still going on, and with a climate totally different from today's. If Israelis, Jews and Arabs, could accomplish that symbolic feat back then, I remain hopeful of what they can accomplish today. After all, this is not unprecedented, Canada did it.

Posted by Salomon at 16:42:49 | Permanent Link | Comments (1) |

Someone else's problem?


In a recent article in the The Forward (link) I state that there are “wicked” forces at work in at least two mainline Protestant churches. That’s pretty close to a “fighting” word – but one carefully chosen – and referring to a “fight” that was joined a long time ago. There is a serious problem in the Mainline Protestant-Jewish encounter. Groups affiliated with the churches, but not speaking officially for the church, have grown so in their hatred for Israel that they have checked their civility at the door. What was once criticism of Israel has morphed into outright anti-Jewish animus. And those in a position to put a check on the problematic forces have taken a pass. Where are the voices of those who are in a position to say that this hatred is not the way?

Here are the specifics. Several months ago, a United Methodist Church group – the General Board of Global Ministries Women’s Division - produced a slick 225-page Mission Study on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The mission study is filth. Zionists are called racist and compared to “Nazis. “ Israelis are repeatedly called “terrorists,” Jews are called “monsters.” Jewish heroes like David Ben Gurion are called “extremist.” Arab rejection of Israel is written out of the history and in its place is woven a narrative of Israelis who wanted to ethnically cleanse the land of Arabs they consider “less than human.” Israel , according to the mission study, is born in “original sin.”

Those of us who work in Jewish communal organizations are often accused of calling the churches on every word that they write. We didn’t do that here. Several months ago, The Forward ran an article calling attention to the mission study. We hoped leaders in the church would take a look at this document and do something. It was raised in conversations. Nothing happened. And while church leaders were silent, the mission study was being used to train Methodists that Israel is the stuff of evil. The mission study is that pernicious.

The other item that triggered the “wicked” label is a PowerPoint that has been posted on the website of a group chartered by the Presbyterian Church (USA) and guided by a senior church professional. That document compares Israel to Apartheid era South Africa, states that Israel is not a democracy and that Arabs living in Israel have no legitimate rights or claims. It says that Israelis care only about security, have no desire to cede land for peace, and want Palestinians to live in Bantustans. It repeats the often told myth that Jews lived in peace under Muslim rule, because that is the solution this group offers. The website calls a two-state solution only “qualified justice.” Preferable to it is a one-state solution. And then comes the clincher – it says “Jews in the Diaspora must get a life.”

I can’t say that I have my head wrapped around why such nastiness is allowed free reign in church life – but I do know it is time to call it what it is: wicked. And to call on those in leadership positions to use their full voices to do the same.
Posted by Ethan at 15:18:41 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Thursday, January 24, 2008

4,200 Reminders to the United Nations

The UN Human Rights Council held an emergency session today in which they passed a resolution condemning Israeli military action in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and demanding that Israel lift the fuel blockade on Gaza. The resolution proposed by Arab and Muslim countries passed with 30 votes in favor and 15 abstentions. European Union countries abstained from the vote because the resolution made no mention of the rockets fired from Gaza into Israel and their effect on Israeli civilians.

While the UN forgot to mention the suffering of the residents of Sderot and southern Israel who have lived with a constant bombardment of Kassam rockets since Israel left Gaza in 2005, the Israeli Consulate in NY placed 4,200 powerful reminders on their front door.


4,200 balloons representing each Kassam rocket that has been fired into Israel from Gaza since 2005.

To read more on this check out Jpost.com

Posted by Martine at 18:15:25 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Thursday, January 17, 2008

As Qassams rain down on Sderot…don't forget our friends in Ashkelon

This morning the IAI team was fortunate to meet with Lea Malul, the Public Affairs Officer for the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon.

For obvious reasons Jewish communal collective focus has been on the residents of Sderot who, since the disengagement from Gaza in the summer of 2005, have borne the brunt of the thousands of rockets aimed directly at their population center.

What few realize is that all of the victims of trauma go to Barzilai Medical Center only 6 miles from the Gaza border and now well within the range of the qassams which continue to land on and near homes, schools, synagogues and businesses.

Barzilai’s proximity to the Gaza border makes it the nearest referral center for all the district’s injured and traumatized and has thrust the 500 bed general governmental hospital, into the role of a Front Line Military Hospital. Barzilai, equipped with its own helicopter landing pad, is faced with the daunting task of serving the 500,000 inhabitants of the area, a substantial number of whom immigrated to Israel in the past 15 years from the former USSR and Ethiopia. Apart from Sderot and Ashkelon itself, the hospital serves populations from Ashdod, Kiryat-Gat, and Netivot as well as the local villages and Kibbutzim. As a result of the nearly 2000 Gazan missiles fired directly into the area, Barzilai has treated several thousand patients with acute and Post Traumatic Stress Disorders and Stress Diseases as well as over 500 physically injured. In addition to this new role as regional trauma center, the Barzilai Medical center also has its own School of Nursing and serves a teaching hospital affiliated with the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

Rockets have also landed almost on the hospital itself: one falling in a nearby park only a few thousand yards from the fence. This situation requires Barzilai to be continuously prepared and able to deliver top medical treatment to all injured soldiers and civilians. Due to the mounting attacks, and occupancy rates of over 150% (not to mention the rate of hospital beds per 1000 population being the lowest in Israel) it has become almost impossible for Barzilai to cope with and fund all the needed medical services.

Barzilai struggles daily to maintain its high quality services and capabilities under the rapidly growing demand.

In short, Barzilai is understaffed, undefended and underreported.

Posted by Amos at 17:24:41 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Friday, January 11, 2008

What's wrong with women in power?

A few years ago I wrote my undergrad International Relations thesis on Female presidents and Prime Ministers. I became completely obsessed with the sixty or so women who have served in these positions around the world and also somewhat intrigued by the idea of a female nominee in 2008. So after Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton won the New Hampshire Democratic primary on Tuesday—the first time a woman has won a primary in the United States I have begun to think a little bit more about the idea of a women as President.

Then a few hours ago I saw my JTA Daily Briefing with the headline “Ms. Magazine refuses pro-Israel ad”. It seems Ms. Magazine rejected a pro-Israel ad from the American Jewish Congress showcasing Israeli female political heavyweights-Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik, Foreign Affairs Minister Tzipi Livni and the president of the Supreme Court, Dorit Beinish. According to the JTA article, Ms. Magazine’s executive editor said the ad showed political support for one of Israel’s parties, which violated magazine standards. Also, the editor said there will be a spread profiling Livni. Now, I am not really sure how I feel about this. I love that they are doing a spread on Tzipi Livni, who I respect as a female leader, but am disappointed that Ms. Magazine would not allow an ad showcasing the amazing fact that Israel has women in these top leadership positions.

This leads me back to the US, where women voters have played an important role in the primary contests so far. There have been two interesting articles in the New York Times this week, “Women are Never Front Runners” by Gloria Steinem followed by “Can Hillary Cry Her Way Back to the White House” by Maureen Dowd. Both take somewhat different approaches, as you can tell by the headlines. Steinem, who I tend to agree with sites gender as being one of the most restricting forces in American life and speaks about the female voters who were seen as being biased if they supported Hillary and disloyal if they didn’t.

Are feminists supposed to support Hillary because she is a woman? Is it betrayal to support another candidate? Or do we do what Steinem suggests and say “I’m supporting her because she’ll be a great president and because she’s a woman.” Israelis in multiple parties have elected women to top positions since electing Golda Meir, one of the first female Prime Ministers in the world. Yet, here we are in the U.S. having a media war over whether Hillary won the New Hampshire primary because she cried. Followed by Dowd, saying “at her victory party, Hillary was like the heroine of a lifetime movie.” This after months of reporters (including Dowd) criticizing Hillary for not seeming human enough. Personally, I am a fan of Lifetime movies and wait for the day when there is a Lifetime movie about the first female President of the United States. Or maybe the movie could be about Israel’s Livni, Itzik, and Beinish. That would work too. Smile

Posted by Stephanie at 15:21:17 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Thursday, January 10, 2008

On A Lighter Note...The Israeli Music Scene

I have been listening to Hebrew/Israeli music since I was a child. I have sweet memories of singing and dancing with my parents in our living room to the songs of the Halutzim, the generation of pioneers that built the State.

Over the years my collection of Israeli music has outgrown my English one. When I lived in Israel I fell in love with Beit Habubot, translated as House of Dolls, and had a really fun time seeing them in concert. They have a great sound - a mix of different genres and powerful lyrics. They recently put out a new CD called Shuv Hahiyuch, a follow-up to their debut Madafim.
You can listen to some of the music off the new CD on their MySpace page at
 http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=147757346.

I was recently introduced to the music of a group of three women called Habanot Nechama. They have an awesome sound, folk- like in both English and Hebrew, that I have never heard from the Israeli music scene. Their song So Far has done well on Israeli radio stations and can be heard (along with some other songs) on their MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/habanotnechama.

Turn up your speakers and happy listening! 


Posted by Martine at 16:09:29 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Israel-Diaspora Relations

From Martin...

This past year, I was given an additional month of vacation in appreciation for 20 years of service to the agency.  With this extra time off I undertook a special project for the New York UJA-Federation and CRB foundation that explored the use of shared interests to connect Jews around the world and to strengthen Israel-Diaspora relations.  The result is an almost 40 page document, the executive summary of which appears below.  I welcome your thoughts and reactions and let me know if you wish to receive the full document. Martin

 Executive Summary

There is persuasive evidence to suggest that ties among Jews around the world and feelings of connection to the State of Israel, especially with respect to the younger generation, are weakening.   An exciting vision of Jewish identity, individually and as part of the Jewish people -- an answer to the question “why be Jewish” -- needs to guide our efforts to counter this trend. One answer to that question is to be heir to a millennia-old civilization with traditions and values that can enrich personal lives and at the same time contribute to the repair of the world (Tikkun Olam).

Besides an overarching vision, we need programmatic tools or devices that will strengthen relationships among Jews and offer opportunities for joint experiences and collaborations.   Shared interests -- professional affiliations, issues of common concern, even hobbies -- provide an entry point for such interactions, especially for unaffiliated and marginally affiliated Jews. But they can also deepen connections among already committed members of our community.

Much is currently being done to bring Jews together around shared interests.  Federation Partnership 2000 (P2K) programs increasingly focus on people-to-people exchanges of this kind. But overall they still reach a very limited number of Jews, in large part because they are confined to geographic linkages inherent in the program. The Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) experimented with a non-geographically limited, shared interest-based people-to-people initiative for several years, but dropped the program in 2004. Other institutions address Jewish Peoplehood and Israel-Diaspora relations in a scholarly or conceptual manner designed for elites, and do not offer much in the way of concrete programs that bring Jews together more broadly.  In terms of young people, Taglit is succeeding in lighting a spark in tens of thousands in the United States and around the world. And MASA provides a framework to deepen connections to Israel through long term programs.

There are many obstacles to be overcome, including vast cultural differences separating Jewish communities as well as the Jewish community’s inclination toward competition over cooperation.  But, if properly structured and funded, a Global Jewish Peoplehood initiative -- with the mission of connecting Jews worldwide based on shared interests and values -- can succeed.   

Early attention should be given to the possibility of establishing a global Jewish environmental movement.  In addition, we should be examining the potential for more systematically using the internet and new communications vehicles (e.g., Facebook) to connect Jews on the basis of shared interests.   And the organized Jewish community should be doing much more to strengthen Taglit alumni follow-up efforts and to encourage participation in MASA programs.      

 

Posted by Justin Gage at 13:52:17 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |
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