ROI is a diverse community of young Jewish innovators and leaders from around the world. United by their participation in the annual ROI Summit in Jerusalem, members of the ROI Community are representative of the new DIY, can-do spirit sweeping the Jewish world. Find out more about us or keep up with the latest ROI Community news below.
Between Daniel Silverstein’s hip-hop rendition of the portion of Vayeshev and Marcus Freed’s multiple voices playing just about all of Joseph’s relatives in Vayechi, G-dcast’s British accent is largely inflected by ROI. Check them out below:
Daniel Silverstein on Vayeshev
Marcus J. Freed on Vayechi
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Parshat Vayechi from G-dcast.com
More Torah cartoons at www.g-dcast.com
In an attempt to provide some balance to our presentation of the young Jewish opinions about the current situation in Gaza and the South of Israel, I asked some friends in the ROI Community and beyond to share their perspectives on Israel, the conflict, and how to achieve peace in the region. Their opinions range from right to left and hail from the US, Israel and around the world, consisting of text, images and videos - each person working the medium most resonant to them. Over the next few posts, I’ll be sharing some of those opinions with you, and I hope you’ll stay tuned and join us for what I hope will be a rousing, but respectful discussion with an end goal of peace.
Kicking things off is 2007 ROIer and Israeli Yoav Sivan, who gets points for both responding first and for sharing this editorial he wrote for Ha’aretz over a decision by Britain’s Channel 4 to allow Ahmadinejad to “deliver an alternative Christmas speech, to be aired shortly after the Queen’s.” Sivan is understandably upset, especially when the station’s news chief notes that “this message continues a long tradition of offering a different perspective on the world around us.” Sivan says, “She is confusing reporting on different perspectives with displaying them.”
Indeed, to uphold its professional duty, Channel 4 is required to rigorously track Ahmadinejad’s “different perspective” and tell us about it. It should send its top reporters to Tehran and ask him difficult questions about his positions and how he proposes to promote them in the Middle East. [...] Among his finer statements are “Israel should be wiped off the map” and “we do not have homosexuals in Iran.” And this is why Channel 4 invited him to address the British nation. They wanted a celebrity, and Ahmadinejad is a sure bet.
To be sure, I do not think Channel 4 supports the destruction of the State of Israel, nor the execution of homosexuals. No. The problem is that Channel 4’s officials think that public statements by a leader of a country on the verge of acquiring nuclear capabilities are a joke. And therein lies Channel 4’s biggest lie.
In their Jewdar blog, Heeb Magazine comments on the media battle that Israel is losing, with their inimitable Heeb style, under the post heading: Hamasturbation, which they define as “the subtle stroking that Gaza’s most beloved mass murderers receive from certain figures in the press and the diplomatic corps.”
Although some may consider him right-wing and non-representative of American opinion, the Muqata writes from Israel, providing on the ground liveblog coverage of the conflict, sharing his own observations as well as tidbits from the media like this one:
4:46 PM Hamas lets loose an earth shattering threat: If the IDF continues its operation, we promise to hit [with missiles] Tel Aviv, Rishon L’Zion and Rechovot. (reported by Ehud Ya’ari, Channel 2, Israel TV)
Brooklyn-based ROIer and “Orthodox Anarchist” Dan Sieradski shares his perspective on the conflict, noting that he’s against the blockade of Gaza, the isolation of Hamas, the treatment of Palestinians under occupation, the settlement movement, and Israeli politicians using the situation to propel themselves to higher posts. But he also thinks that “Hamas is its people’s own worst enemy, and that their refusal to halt their rocket attacks, despite their inefficacy and the lethal retaliation they incur, bespeaks an eagerness to sacrifice the lives and well-being of their people.”
I believe that Hamas willingly provokes attacks in order to orchestrate photo-ops and mount a body count which they use to manipulate public opinion. And I believe that Hamas is in bed with nefarious Islamic regimes whose human rights records make Israel look saintly, and that if Israel does not tamp down on Hamas’ armament by these powers that it is only a matter of time before Hamas is firing long-range Iranian missiles into Tel Aviv or sneaking dirty bombs into downtown Jerusalem. (For more, see here.)
Over in Denmark, Karoline Henriques was featured on a television morning program (just this morning) about the conflict. She was on the show with a man named Mohammed and this is how she described the program (which is in Danish):
This is the link to my television appearance (this morning) where I and a young Palestinian guy talk about how the conflict affect us on a day-to-day basis: how I worry about friends and family sitting in shelters, and how the conflict has resulted in a new wave of anti-semitism in Denmark and the recent shooting of two Israelis. And I point out that the Danish media’s coverage is extremely biased, leaving out facts from the Israeli side. Both I and Muhammed agree that the conflict cannot be exported to Denmark.
More opinions are coming in, and we’ll post them here, so stay tuned.
Mazal tov to Jessica Peters, who recently got something she has been pursuing for a few years now: her Israeli citizenship!
Jessica proudly displays her Israeli passport
This report was submitted by Leah B. Stern.
After a grueling air campaign that began seven days ago tonight, Israeli Defense Force troops marched into Gaza in the dark.
From where I stood, close to the border, one could feel the ground shake as the sound of massive explosions reverberated throughout the countryside. I could see the darkness of the Gaza skyline, punctuated by red flares and tracer bullets and I could hear the sounds of combat between the IDF and Hamas as evidenced by artillery and machine gunfire.
This was the fruition of a carefully executed plan, formulated ten days ago and executed in a private meeting Friday night between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Barak, and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.
The IDF entered Gaza at three different points - these included from the north close to the Mediterranean Sea and through the old Israeli settlements as well as from the Karni crossing. As I write this troops are already at least 2 km inside Gaza.
Large and varied forces are taking part in this stage of the operation including infantry, tanks, engineering forces, artillery and intelligence with the support of the Israel Air Force, Israeli navy, the Shin Bet and other security agencies.
The cabinet has authorized an emergency call up of tens of thousands of IDF reservists. Hamas for its part, has long prepared for Israel’s invasion, using the cease fire period to dig strategic tunnels and rig some areas with explosives in anticipation of an IDF ground assault.
The happy couple: Tomer Altman and Joanna Samuels
Tomer is Jewlicious’s first known (as far as I know) blogson - a follower of Jewlicious, he followed the blog all the way to the second Jewlicious conference in Long Beach, and returned the following year with a blog of his own (Oy-Bay, devoted to young Jewish life in the Bay Area), a bus of Bay Area Jewliciousers, and an ambitious idea to transform the future of Jewish journalism, which he took to ROI for the last two years, too.
Mazal tov to the bride and groom. Now get back to your blogs, kids!
As many of you know, ROICommunity has a Twitter profile (as do many ROIers). And of course, anyone with a cause is all over Facebook these days. So when the war in Gaza broke out, netizens of Twitter and Facebook began to show their support at each of those sites.
On Twitter, newest kid on the block is HelpUsWin, which was designed to be an aid in the PR battle for Israel and is posting links to news items as they happen. There’s also StandWithUs, and IsraelConsulate (the NY one, new to Twitter), has announced they’ll be holding a press conference via Twitter tomorrow (TUESDAY), 1-3 PM Eastern (NY) time.
For liveblogs of war coverage, check out IsraellyCool and Jameel@Muqata.
On Facebook, HelpUsWin has also started a group.
We’ll continue to bring you reports from Leah Stern and other ROIers with observations on the conflict as we receive them. Feel free to submit your reports - and your favorite sources for news about the conflict - to us via the comments section, using the “contact us” form or via email at esther.kustanowitz at gmail.com. And here’s to wishing that such reports soon become unnecessary.
This is the second in a continuing series written by IBA News reporter (and ROI participant) Leah Stern about her experiences covering the war in Gaza.
“WAR IS NOT PRETTY: WE’RE NOT IN THE MOVIE BUSINESS.”
By Leah B. Stern
My experience on the border yesterday really shook me up. I had a hard time falling asleep; the images of the day – the sights, smells and sounds spiraling in my head. I also watched two hours of Sky News before going to bed, which probably did not work in my favor. At around 5 am, I woke to the rumbles of F-16’s. I live in Tel Aviv and I could hear the fighter jets flying low over my apartment. I always remember my friends, who lived here during the first Gulf War, telling me how war is always the scariest at night. I couldn’t help but think what it must feel like in Gaza City or in Sderot.
My insider on the other side, Haled in Gaza City, told me that he finally made it home and spent the night huddled in the dark with his family around one lit candle. They had lost two cousins and an aunt since the fighting began. They attended a funeral and then ate a can of tuna for dinner. Explosions continued to boom throughout the night.
Just 20 km over the border, Sderot residents were experiencing a similar type of fright. The Rosenkrantz family had to call the family doctor over, because their youngest son, Amir was having uncontrollable panic attacks. He ended up strangling the family dog. Amir spent most of today undergoing counseling – in a bomb shelter. His mother begged her husband to pack up the house so that they could go and stay with family in Jerusalem.
For me, today was not spent dodging missiles or running for cover as the Red Dawn Alert emergency siren wailed. Today, I was stationed with the Channel One Arabic team, who told me war stories. Danny, a senior correspondent, reminisced about the multiple wars he had covered over the years. He told me about his time in Gaza City, traveling around the remote villages there. I asked him if he missed being a war reporter. He said, “Leah, every reporter deserves their chance to get in on the action, to be on the frontlines. My time is over for that, it’s your turn to see how dark and dirty this part of the world can truly be.”
My first interview of the day was with Education Minister Yuli Tamir. She was attending an educational conference in Tel Aviv on the provisions being made for those children in the south who will be spending their days in bomb shelters rather than at school.
Read the rest of this entry »
Smoke rises from Israeli missile strikes in the northern Gaza Strip as seen from the Israeli community of Netiv Hasara, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2008. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)
A STRIKE ON HAMAS TERROR. ONLY AN HOUR’S DRIVE AWAY
By Leah B. Stern
When I took my dog for a walk early this morning on Dizengoff Street in central Tel Aviv, all was business as usual. Merchants were opening up their shops, parents walking their children to school, trash was collected.
One-hour’s drive later and I found myself on the Gaza-Israel border in the south of the country, where life was the extreme opposite. The sky was covered in thick black smoke. F16’s were flying overhead. Dozens of tanks began massing on the border. A white balloon floated overhead. It’s a missile defense system called an Aerostat.
I could hear explosions and gunfire sporadically. I counted about 8-10 large booms an hour. More and more troops began arriving at the border, shooting their tanks’ cannons to make sure the equipment was working properly. Other soldiers lined up on their stomachs looking out towards Gaza. Some put on tefilin and said prayers. Others spoke to the crowd of international media that had gathered. Many chose to meditate alone and keep to themselves.
This is day two of Operation Oferet Yetzuka (‘Cast Lead’). The goal of the operation according to Defense Minister Ehud Barak: “To bring a fundamental improvement in the security situation in the south. To protect 250,000 people in the south, 100,000 children that have been under constant rocket fire for months.”
Read the rest of this entry »
Michelle Citrin weighs in on the state of Jewish music over at Jinsider (via WeJew). What do you think? Who’s your favorite Jewish artist? And when will there be a Grammy category for us?
These are tough times. The US economy was faltering, and then many Jewish (and non-Jewish) investors were hit by the appalling news that their millions had been squandered by investor Bernard Madoff. Jewish organizations weren’t the only ones hit: Hollywood writer (”Forrest Gump,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”) Eric Roth also lost big, as did Hollywood big names Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg.
But whether organizations and programs were hit by either the plummeting economy or this additional investment scandal, there are some tough decisions ahead. (For more about the issue of federations and family foundations, see this JPost article.)
In Los Angeles, a group of about 100 people gathered at the Westside JCC through spiritual community IKAR (where ROIer Ari Moss is a community leader) for a volunteering opportunity on Christmas Day, preceded by a study session on tzedakah, led by dynamic rabbi Sharon Brous. Some interesting questions emerged from the discussion, including:
Do we give because it’s a mitzvah or because it’s the right thing to do for humanity? Does how much we give matter?
Does it matter why we give? Is it okay if some of us only give because we feel guilty? Is feeling guilty the same thing as feeling obligated? And is giving “freely” better than giving because we are obligated to?
To whom do we give? To Jewish causes first? Do we make sure that basic human needs are taken care of (shelter, food, clothing) before other “necessities” (emotional health, education and culture)? What is truly necessary and what is a luxury?
What does it mean to be obligated? Who obligates us? Is obligation about connecting to a community or about creating a structure of regular giving which is in place even when a person is not feeling personally inspired?
Feel free to share your thoughts on these and other questions regarding tzedakah here or by emailing your comments to us at esther.kustanowitz at gmail.com.
Happy Hanukkah from the Four Corners Project! from Four Corners Project on Vimeo.
ROIer Lauryn Kronick (right) with With Miss Zambia (far left) and music producer TK at the Born & Bred video music awards
I’ve been in Lusaka, Zambia for over five months now and am finally starting to feel “at home” despite some of the hardcore lifestyle changes. Work has been a challenge… my job description from Canada hasn’t meshed well with the newspaper I work at here in Lusaka, so I’ve been doing a lot of entertainment and political reporting as well as a bit of human rights reporting.
Either way, working in the media industry has been an eye-opening experience. I’ve seen corruption first-hand, dealt with some sketchy situations, wrote about topics which have been heart-wrenching and inspirational…overall it has been a fantastic experience. I’ve also managed to pick up a lot of Nyanja (one of the main languages spoken) and can have basic conversations now.
Tonight I’m going to the only synagogue in the country for a latke dinner. I made a menorah (make-shift) out of tealights (very convenient for our power which routinely goes out at my place). I’m making my Zambian roommate latkes this week, and teaching him how to play dreidel as well.
I am supposed to return to Canada in February but am actively looking for a way to stay here a bit longer, if possible, just so I can travel a bit around Southern Africa if funds permit.
Miss you all and chag sameach.
-Lauryn
Greetings ROIers…hope you’re having a Happy Hanukkah, wherever you are. This year, we’re giving you the gift of outtakes! An outtake is a film clip that didn’t quite make it into the polished, finished video. So sit back and enjoy a few minutes of the clips that didn’t make the final cut. Do you remember where you were when these classic bits were filmed?
The Pass the Candle video has passed 11,000 views, and been translated into sign language, so that even the hard-of-hearing can celebrate Hanukkah with Will and Michelle.
Now, go behind the scenes with Will and Michelle and see what one of their recording sessions is like. Ah, the light banter of collaboration…enjoy!
Are you ready to be a hero??
In this newest video from “Jewish Robot” William Levin (ROI 2006, 2008), check out the team of SuperJews…then go to SuperJews.org to find out more and join a team for Hanukkah Color War, coming this holiday season to a Facebook page near you!
Over the eight days of Chanukah, join a team in committing online acts of virtue…By taking part in the debut year of this international micro-activism event, you can win a coveted SuperJews Gold Medal for your Facebook profile while strengthening the Jewish world one click at a time. This campaign is being run by United Jewish Communities and the Jewish Federation system with an all-star team of partners including JTA, JESNA, JAFI, FJC, JDC and Hillel.
Check out our very own Y-Love with Erran Baron Cohen singing “Dreidel,” from EBC’s “Songs in the Key of Hanukkah,” live on Conan O’Brien’s show!
Matt Bar’s BibleRaps is coming to NYC, New Jersey, Connecticut, Western Mass, Boston, Philly, DC, LA and Portland, so listen up:
Are they dope? Yes! But don’t take their word for it.
“Matt and Ori are rock stars pioneering new ways to educate our children.” -Jerry Silverman, Executive Director, Foundation for Jewish Camp
“Students loved his sessions and we heard them singing his songs for days after. I can’t wait to book him for all of our upcoming Hillel groups! - Esther Abramowitz, Director of Student Life in Israel, Hillel
Matt, a 2008 ROIer, assures us all that booking prices are “financial-crisis-sensitive.” To book contact: bibleraps.curriculum@gmail.com, and tell him you read about it on ROI120.com.
Y-Love and Lindsay break it down for ROIers at the NY Happy Hour
ROIers never stop, so it was a special privilege that a few came out for a special bar meetup and to share a few words about their lives and projects.
Eli Winkelman is planning her Challah for Hunger component at the upcoming Hazon Food Conference, which is being organized by ROIer Emily Freed (who couldn’t attend because she’s the opposite of being New York-based).
Our tech guys Aryeh Goldsmith (whose idea it was to pass the candle) and Micah Bergdale are midway into some great projects (separately) that they’ll share details about later. But we all raised a glass to Micah, whose birthday it was!
And Yitz “Y-Love” Jordan, fresh off his collaboration with Erran Baron Cohen on “Songs in the Key of Hanukkah,” announced that he’ll be appearing on Conan O’Brien’s late-night talk show for his Hanukkah episode this Friday. The show’s taped in advance, and of course, airs on Friday night, when observant Jews can’t watch it. But maybe that’s why God invented TiVo…
Special guest star at the bar night was visiting Birthright Israel NEXT South Florida director Lindsay Litowitz, in from Florida for a few days only, and spending her time with us for a mid-week surprise that was most welcome.
Break a leg, Yitz, and good luck to all our ROIers with their projects!
Here it is, the latest from Michelle Citrin and William Levin (ROI Grantees ‘08), just in time for Hanukkah!
Will and Michelle created this video with an international team of contributors, many of them who they met through ROI (including Jewster’s Aryeh Goldsmith). How many ROIers do you spy passing the candle?
The video was produced with some additional support from JTA and the Jewish Channel. For a behind-the-scenes look, check out Michelle’s MySpace blog.
As part of the worldwide healing after the terror in Mumbai, Chabad of San Diego convened the community at large to share thoughts and prayers for the victims of the attacks and to remember Rabbi Gavriel & Rivkah Holtzberg, Chabad Lubavitch emissaries to Mumbai, who were murdered along with their guests as they were held hostage by the terrorists in the Chabad House.
The service was held held last Tuesday, December 2 at the Chabad Educational Center in Scripps Ranch; city and community dignitaries from the UJF, FBI, ADL, and Chabad addressed the gathering, and others — including one Indian Jew, one person who had recently visited the Mumbai Chabad House, and a brother of a Mumbai victim — shared personal accounts.
Brett Robbins, a 2007 ROI participant, attended the rally and shared his reflections with us.
Wow, what a gathering. I figured it would be more prayers than presentations, however it ended up being vice versa. After watching an incredible video about their childhood, their story, the birth of Chabad Mumbai and the tragic ending of it all, I feel as if I know the tragically murdered couple and the four other victims now as if they were in our community.
Nonetheless, we are left with more questions than answers. However, what we do know is that good will always overcome evil and the more good we do, e.g. spreading the light, the less evil has an opportunity to spread into our lives as a people and a community. Currently the Chabad community plans to build more schools, more synagogues, more centers, send more money into Mumbai and around the world than ever before.
If you have questions or comments, please let me know. The overall from this will be made a positive one. Where there is an end there is a beginning. We know justice will be served and our safety upkept.
– Brett Robbins
“Our task now is to offer comfort and support to the survivors, and take action in memory of the victims,” Chabad San Diego Rabbi Fradkin had said in promotion of the gathering to the community. “Rabbi and Rebbitzen Holtzberg reached out to the community to brighten lives with acts of goodness and kindness – and each of us should renew our own commitment to embrace that spirit.” For more info on the attacks on the Chabad House, to take on a mitzvah, or to get a glimpse into the lives of Gavriel & Rivkah Holtzberg, visit: www.ChabadScrippsRanch.org
ROI rockers Josh Nelson (2008) and Michelle Citrin (2006, 2008) are two of the featured players in this new holiday special devoted to music about Hanukkah. Check here for airdates and times.
And did we mention that the deadline for submissions to Pass the Candle, Michelle’s collaboration with William Levin, has been extended to December 5? Well, now we have. Get out there and pass a candle to be part of the international celebration of Hanukkah.
The following is a message from Emily Freed, who’s been busy working with Hazon on the second annual Food Conference…
ROI Chevre:
Greetings from sunny California! Here on the California Central Coast (about 90 minutes south of San Francisco along the Pacific Ocean), the fall days have been spectacularly beautiful with clear blue skies and magnificent sunsets.
Although I can’t promise the sun will stick around until the end of December (although the holiday season in California is usually sunny and crisp), I can guarantee everyone an amazing experience at the 2008 Hazon Food Conference. The third annual Food Conference will be held at Asilomar Conference and Retreat Center on the Monterey Peninsula December 25 – 28 where 500 people are expected to attend the four day gathering that will explore the intersection of Jews, food, and contemporary life.
Highlights from this year’s conference include; discussions on sustainable kosher meat production, food safety and labor policies, urban agriculture, Shmita, cooking demonstrations on sauerkraut, pie, and sourdough bread, worm composting workshops, Shabbat and Havdalah on the beach, and bike rides along the sea. For those looking for familiar ROI faces at the conference, you’ll find sessions on Israeli agriculture with Isaac Hametz (2008), urban agriculture with Rafi Bratman (2007), Challah making with Eli Winkelman (2007, 2008), Bibliyoga with Marcus Freed (2008), and Jewish Female Farmers with Farmer Freed (2007, 2008). Rumor has it Sarah Lefton (2006, 2007, 2008) and Sasha Perry (2008) will also be making cameos at this year’s conference too.
Food served at the conference will be kosher, local, sustainable and mostly organic. During the conference, Asilomar will be a glatt kosher facility supervised by a mashgiach by the Vaad HaKashrus of Northern California.
(You may also want to check out this recent article on the new Jewish food movement in the J: “Sowing the Seeds of Faith.”) For more information about the 2008 Hazon Food Conference, check out www.hazon.org/foodconference and hope to see you all there!
A note from ROI: Remember, if you’d like a subsidy on attendance at this or any other Jewish conference, be in touch with us about the ROI Speakers Fund: info@roi120.com.
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