In almost 40 years of introducing thousands of students to Judaism and Israel I’ve learned a few things along the way. Jewish students face new and different challenges than they did in 1982, but some of the same challenges, especially ones dealing with Israel, haven’t changed. Jewish students are attacked and harassed for their support […]

C.S. Lewis was almost prophetic when he wrote, “The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one’s ‘own,’ or ‘real’ life. The truth is of course that what one calls the interruptions are precisely one’s real life — the life God is sending one day by […]

“Nothing to celebrate.” That was the response of the U.S. Jewish group Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) to the UAE, ending animosity and non-recognition that lasted since 1948. Though bilateral trade that will benefit peoples in both countries, Palestinians included, easing the effects of climate change and saving lives in the operating room, they couldn’t […]

In 2004, I experienced a brush with terrorism and my closest encounter with death. I haven’t told many, but the aftermath lives with me unto today. Everyday. As I still live with this pain, I cannot even imagine the pain that still resides with those who actually lost their loved ones, whose service and bravery […]

A groundbreaking and historic diplomatic summit between the United States of America and the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea in Singapore has the potential to reverse the course of a conflict that has existed between the two nations for nearly seventy years. US President Donald Trump and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un will meet […]

“Iran lied, big time” Netanyahu announced on Monday, April 30. In a public presentation the Israeli prime minister trumpeted that he has conclusively proven “that Iran is brazenly lying when it says it never had a nuclear weapons program”. Iran’s foreign minister has retorted with denial and derision, tweeting that the Israeli prime minister is […]

Yesterday concluded Vice President Mike Pence’s first official visit to the Holy Land. After his previous planned Middle East trip was delayed by the all-important Congressional Tax Reform, using his Vice Presidential tie-breaking vote to pass it, he has kept his promise to make an official visit. After two months have passed since President Trump […]

A few weeks ago, President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. While the Jewish people do not need the international community’s recognition to know that Jerusalem, David’s City, is our capital. Though, the President did the State of Israel a great service. Following his lead, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama, announced that they […]

Leading pro-Israel activist Sarah Zoabi is not in the mainstream demographic when looking at who represents the Hasbara movement. While the movement which aims to defeat anti-Israel sentiment by explaining the truth about the State of Israel and the challenges facing it, is a movement that is mostly represented by Diaspora Jews. This is the […]

    It is ingrained in the Jewish tradition to celebrate life, to help others, and to bring light to the world. This can be seen from the videos of Jews dancing in the streets in 2017 after David Ben-Gurion’s awaited speech on Israel’s independence. This can also be seen through thousands of Tikkun Olam […]

On September 11, 2001, the country that stands for democracy, freedom, and liberty, came under attack. Not since World War II’s Pearl Harbor attack by Japan had the United States faced true warfare on their soil. The result was more than significant, a seven year war on foreign ground and a stricter travel policy. Though, […]

As the United States and the Caribbean brace for hurricane season, acts of generosity are vital to the victims of these natural disasters. While Hurricane Harvey’s ended the lives of at least 51 Texans to date, its major causality was the City of Houston. This past hurricane ended a 12-year drought of major natural disasters to make “landfall” inside the […]

      Last month, when Conan O’Brien told the world that he was going to be filming a special in Israel for his talk show, many Israel supporters did not know what to think. While many musicians come to the Jewish State to sell out shows, there are just as many celebrities that want to gain […]

In their hometown of Raidah, Yemen, the Dahari family faced anti-Semitism on a daily basis. While most cases of hate crimes against Jews in the United States include verbal attacks and vandalism, anti-Semitism in the Middle East is not as widely understood. In 1948, the State of Israel declared and confirmed her statehood, consequentially a […]

At some point we must ask ourselves, when does it end? The “it” is the egregious anti-Semitism spouting from every corner of world. Recently, we have seen prejudice against the Jewish People comes from many different mediums. Last week the source was Imam Ammar Shahin of Davis, California’s Islamic Center of Davis whom had called for Allah to “annihilate” Jews […]

“Never Again,” has become the mantra for the Jewish People and all other nations that have been heavily persecuted against in the past. The world claimed to stand against and not tolerate anti-Semitism and racial/ethnic prejudice. As many of us think what happened in Nazi Germany of course could not take place in the United States or in […]

Even though the Temple Mount is the holiest site in Judaism, the State of Israel does not question the right of Muslims to pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque or visit the Dome of the Rock. Though, many in Israel’s Muslim population and in the Palestinian Authority’s jurisdiction not only oppose Jew’s right to pray at […]

In this day and age, getting a high-quality job is difficult. Since “the internship” has become a prerequisite for being in the race for a good job, the competition for finding one that builds your resume while providing you real-world experience, has only made the process more difficult. The good news though, the State of […]

In these last few days, American Jews in Israel have been welcoming a little bit of our past lives back into our Aliyah living. Steve Leibowitz (founder of American Football Israel), Robert Kraft (owner of the New England Patriots), and Yonah Mishaan (American Football Israel Trustee) have brought to us “Touchdown in Israel II,” a sequel to their original event of […]

Before my trip to Istanbul, Turkey, I was a tad skeptical about what the trip would be like. Istanbul has always been a city of conquest, from the Byzantine to the Romans to the Ottoman Empire, Turkey has a unique place in history and Istanbul was the nucleus. A city once known as “Constantinople,” Istanbul was a […]