We went to Mount Meron expecting an unforgettable cultural experience. Then we got trapped in the crush. We’re still processing what we saw there. We arrived at the entrance of the mountain shortly before midnight. My friends and I had come from Tel Aviv on a private bus through Jeff Seidel’s Jewish Student Center, seeking […]
Author Archives: Jeff Seidel Staff
05
Aug
Aug
Nothing is more critical for The State of Israel than peace and security. This week Israel plans on implementing some sort of annexation over the Jordan Valley. The move may be one of the most polarizing moves in the long history of the Israeli-Arab Conflict. The Geneva Convention IV article 47 and the Charter of […]
12
Sep
Sep
Article By CHEMI FRIEDMAN September 11, 2019 INYAN Jeff Seidel As the sky grows steadily darker and Shabbos envelops Yerushalayim in its warm embrace, the Kosel Plaza is packed with Jews of all affiliations, everyone coming with a singular goal in mind. They all want to take in the sanctity of Shabbos at the Kosel. […]
23
May
May
One month into my semester in Israel, I can’t help but think about how grateful I am for the people I’ve met here so far. In particular, I am astonished by the generosity of local families and organizations that are here to ensure we have the best time possible. About a week into our time […]
George Deek is an Arab-Israeli diplomat. In 2018, Deek was appointed Israeli ambassador to Azerbaijan. He is the first Israeli Arab Christian to become an ambassador. Deek grew up in an Eastern Orthodox Christian family in the Ajami neighborhood of Jaffa, in a building where the other tenants included Muslims, Catholics, Jews and a Catholic priest of Jewish ancestry.[2][3] His father, who worked as a tax advisor,[3] was one of the leaders of the Christian community in Jaffa who served as chairman of the Orthodox Association, and was considered a well-known and popular figure in the city until in 2015 a square was inaugurated in his memory in Jaffa in the presence of Mayor Ron Huldai.[4] According to Deek, his grandparents fled to Lebanon for safety when the 1947–1949 Palestine war, having been told that the Jews would slaughter them if they remained in their homes, but expecting to return home once Arab armies defeated the Jews.[3] According to Deek, when the war ended, his grandparents felt that they had been “deceived”, and decided to return illegally to their home in Jaffa rather than remaining in Lebanon as refugees. Since reentering the country was illegal, Deek’s grandfather, an electrician, was arrested and jailed.
