Applications are now online for Selah National Cohort 10!
The Selah Leadership Program is a collaboration between the Nathan Cummings Foundation and Jewish Funds for Justice, in partnership with the Rockwood Leadership Program. Selah trains a cross-section of leaders in Jewish and secular organizations to be effective, sustainable and collaborative agents for change. Selah is the first leadership training designed specifically for Jewish leaders working across the social change field. Since its founding in 2003, we have trained more than 200 leaders from 165 organizations.
The Selah Leadership Program provides unparalleled training for social change leaders, new tools to enhance organizational vision and facilitate change, and the opportunity to learn among some of the Nation’s most innovative and inspiring Jewish social change leaders. This cohort is broadly designed for Jewish leaders across the country who are dedicated to social change and justice and have at least 7 years of experience in their field. We encourage applicants from secular and Jewish organizations that work on social change from multiple approaches including, but not limited, to: community organizing, direct action, social entrepreneurship, advocacy, education, and arts and culture. The application process is highly competitive. Learn more about Selah, get an application, or recommend someone you know.
Applications are due by Tuesday, March 1st, 2011.
Training dates:
Training 1: Sunday, July 24 – Wednesday, July 27, 2011; (East Coast)
Training 2: Sunday, December 4 – Tuesday, December 6, 2011; (West Coast)
It sounds like a dream: a Muslim woman wearing a full head covering, laughing and joking with an orthodox rabbi as they paint a mural of Run-DMC for Brooklyn schoolchildren. But on Martin Luther King Day, 2011, that dream was real.
On that day, over 50 Muslims and Jews gathered together in the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn to participate in the kickoff event for United in Service: The Jewish Muslim Volunteer Alliance (JMVA). They came came from the Council for the Advancement of Muslim Professionals New York Chapter, Uri L’Tzedek: Orthodox Social Justice, and Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School, or because they heard about the groundbreaking event from family or friends. Together, they painted several large murals inside IS 292 junior high school.
Kyla Pollack, the Co-founder and Chair of JMVA and Chair of Interfaith Service Initiatives for Uri L’Tzedek, explained that: “We formed the JMVA to create a group where Jewish and Muslim New Yorkers could unite around our commonalities and our shared interest in improving our city. By working on service projects together, we demystify each other and hopefully open up space for dialogue. It’s an opportunity for people who wouldn’t otherwise interact to come together around a shared, positive goal.”
Fariha Khaliq, a member of the JMVA steering committee, added, “It is important to educate ourselves about other cultures, traditions and religions.” Khaliq and Pollack, along with four other young New Yorkers, first met in October to form the JMVA and plan its events. By all measures, last week’s kickoff was a smashing success. More »
The ongoing saga of Rahm Emanuel’s mayoral aspirations have seen a lot of back and forth. First, Rahm’s residency during his work in the White House was challenged in the Cook County Electoral Commission. He got by that. This last week, an Appellete Court ruled Emanuel ineligible on those same residency issues. Immediately following, his campaign sought and won a ‘stay’ order by the Supreme Court so that ballots for the upcoming election would not be printed without his name.
The Supreme Court of Illinois announced it would hear the case and handed down a ruling the Emanuel is eligible to run and is to be included on the ballots. Polls put Rahm as the front runner, and the candidate enjoys solid support from the city’s Jewish community, Obama’s team and his old boss Bill Clinton. Though many disparagingly view him as the anointed successor to Mayor Daley or the practitioner of a particular brand of hardball politics, it seems to me he’s likely the right guy for the job.
It is his destiny. His dharma. Meet the new Boss… Chicago’s first Jewish mayor.
Uri L’Tzedek is fast-paced and fast-growing organization: This past year Uri L’Tzedek has grown
from a local, New York based organization to a movement with national importance. We are looking for a self-motivated indivudual who can join this dynamic national team working with the Director, Associate Director of Operations, President, Board, Chair, and many volunteers As a grassroots effort, we show that individual actions can significantly contribute to justice in the world.
The Director of Programs anchors the ambitious programmatic agenda of the organization. The
Director of Programs reports to the Director and also works closely with the Chair of the Board of Directors.
Primary Job Responsibilities:
· Engagement: Recruit and cultivate relationships with Uri L’Tzedek’s core constituencies
including young professionals, students, congregations, Rabbis, and other stake-holders.
· Program Design and Implementation: Develop Uri L’Tzedek’s programmatic
vision. Oversee Uri L’Tzedek’s menu of programming including the Tav HaYosher, Uri
L’Tzedek university fellowships, and social justice Batei Midrash. Leads the day-to-day
operating and logistics for these programs.
· Program Evaluation and Improvement: Evaluate Uri L’Tzedek’s current programs
with a focus on national scalability and replication, innovation, and added quality.
· Management: Recruit and manage committee heads.
Oversee educational and
programming staff including the Tav HaYosher team, Chair of College Initiatives, Social
Justice Rosh Beit Midrash, and local teams.
Please send cover letter and resume to jobs (at) utzedek.org.
Remember the ‘Macaca’ incident that ended the Senatorial campaign and presidential aspirations of George Allen? You may recall that in the ensuing fallout he denied his Sephardic Jewish heritage, inherited from his Tunisian mother Etty Allan (nee Lumbroso).
The New Voices blog pointed out today that J Street U, the college arm of J Street, will begin offering a Birthright trip this summer called, “Explore Israel: Progressive Zionism and Social Justice.”
As Ben Sales points in the post, this means two things. Both of these things were already known by some, but denied vehemently by others. So let’s take a look at what Ben says this announcement indicates:
J Street is pro-Israel: For all of you who didn’t know this already, this trip proves that J Street is, in fact, a group that supports a Jewish and democratic state in the Land of Israel. [...]
Birthright doesn’t necessarily have to gloss over Israel’s flaws: [...] It’ll be interesting to see how that plays out, but it is a different approach from other Birthright trips.
Many may recall Jackson’s tsuris in 1984 when, during a presidential bid, Jackson referred to NYC as Hymie-town. Ever since, he has made strides to make amends and build bridges to the Jewish community.
This fall, when bombs were sent to Chicago synagogues from Yemen, Jackson showed up at Anshe Emet Synagogue to show his solidarity. It would have been better had it been on Saturday during services, but ‘A’ for effort.
Still, there is always room to improve relations between African-Americans and Jews. And so Rabbi Michael Siegel took the opportunity to invite Jackson back to the Synagogue for Shabbat services… on Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend.
Rev. showed up at Shul for a lively Kabbalat Shabbat service with Cantor Alberto Mizrahi, gospel choir in tow. They belted out a few numbers (and made a few people uncomfortable with the mention of Jesus). The messages of solidarity were reinforced, and all were reminded of the time when a previous Rabbi of Anshe Emet marched with Dr. King. “We Shall Overcome” was sung. Kaddish was recited for Dr. King by a crowd of hundreds. Then we all hit the oneg buffet.
All in all, an inspiring evening. Though part of me is always a little cynical about such symbolic acts, it’s easy to put it in check when you think about how far we’ve come since 1984. We’ve got a long way to go still toward fixing the rift between Blacks and Jews, but with more events like these, we shall overcome… someday.
(This is actually a misleading title, because I am not on the road anymore, and have not been since Friday morning, Israel time.)
In the end, no one implores anyone else to make aliyah. It is suggested by those who love me, as a concept, not as a panacea. I was given implicit instructions by someone I deeply respect to not make any decisions about Israel while in Israel, leading me to the conclusion that doing so would be like having an extended relationship with someone while drunk.
On the last night in Tel Aviv, we wander the streets, search for hookah, watch the anarchist punk kids alongside the Lubavitch folks in the kikar. I hide out upstairs at Loveat. I recognize the woman behind the counter from six months ago, her hair is much shorter now, reminding me once again that people have ordinary lives here, they do things like go to work and get hair cuts. I seem to lose that knowledge, even though I want other people to have it. (In Israel, I’m always too paranoid to get a hair cut, so I just do it myself.)
We sit together in Gan Meir, which reminds me of Tompkins Square Park, with fewer dogs. A kid eavesdropping on our group’s conversation wants to make a l’chaim to ganja. We all love him immediately. I see the Facebook albums of the future.
In the airport, everyone discusses the impending semester while checking their email via the free Ben Gurion wireless and drinking beers. Two people learn that they are in a math class together. One person runs into a childhood friend in the bathroom. We are all gobsmacked to be leaving on time, since the idea of snow in New York is now disproportionately terrifying. No one seems emotional, but then, you can’t tell by looking at someone always, and maybe it’s better to leave emotion out of it? That seems to be the crux of the problem.
I wake up on the plane thoroughly confused, imagining instead that we’re all on the bus, being spoken to by our tour guide, not the pilot. I remember about standing at the corner of Shenkin and Ben Yehuda, sucking air into my lungs, hoping to keep something in and something else out. Everything feels bleary and heavy and not quite real, which is the way of it on planes. Around me, the people who were once strangers sleep through turbulence. What has this meant to them?
Independent filmmaker Eliyahu Ungar-Sargon has released Generation Gap, an interesting short film about the impact of the Holocaust on three generations of his family, including his grandfather Wilhelm and father Julian. Watch the entire Generation Gap film below. Ungar-Sargon previously released the controversial feature-length documentary, Cut: Slicing Through the Myths of Circumcision. His second feature-length documentary, A People Without a Land (more on it later), is post-production right now.
The Turkel Commission, established by the Israeli government to investigate the IDF’s conduct during the bloody Gaza flotilla fiasco, ruled today that (surprise) Israel is totally innocent and did nothing wrong. This parody is circulating on Hebrew-speaking Facebook pages as a result:
Let’s set aside their missing hyphen and the fact that their list of categories goes far beyond morals and ethics. Let’s check out their panel of 71 experts:
First of all, they’re all rabbis. There are no Jewish scholars of any other sort of training, no cantors nor any academics.
Second–and more egregiously–the rabbis are listed as being in one of three categories: Conservative, Orthodox and Reform. There are no Reconstructionist, Renewal or unaffiliated rabbis on the panel of experts.
Aside from the exclusion of Jewish voices that don’t fit into the trichotomy, it may also make some people cling to one panelist’s answer, ignoring other answers because they’re from another denomination.
I took a look at a few questions on the site and found that, in many cases, I would have been unable to determine which rabbis were from which denomination based on the answers they gave.
As any of us who are at all politically involved can attest to, it’s pretty damn hard to stay optimistic about world politics. We’re surrounded by immense amounts of pain and suffering, and the governmental structures that supposedly exist to improve those conditions usually move far too slowly, often doing too little too late. I observe this dynamic everywhere I look – on Israel-Palestine, US domestic issues, foreign policy, and global financial problems. Particularly for progressives, who by definition are interested in “progress” – that is, substantive change in the way the world works – it’s incredibly frustrating to have to abide by the glacial pace of most policy discussions. More »
The word Renewal arouses suspicion in me. At Limmud NY on Friday, there was a Renewal service being offered. It was led by David Ingber, the endlessly fascinating spiritual journeyman who founded the flagship Renewal outfit in New York, Romemu. The music was by Romemu Musical Director Shir Yaakov as well as Shoshana Jedwab on the drums.
I took a lot of notes. By way of a review, here they are, polished a bit:
Kirtan Rabbi: We began with Hareini Mekabel Alai by Kirtan Rabbi, which I love. I hadn’t expected tunes from KR to show up here, perhaps because I’ve never heard them anywhere except on his albums. I suppose it shouldn’t have been too surprising, given that I’m on KR’s e-mail list and I know that he plays at Romemu pretty regularly. It was a very nice beginning to the service.
Things that make me suspicious: Shir says things like, “Breathe in the first breath of Shabbat. Breathe out the previous week.” OK. What is this Kol Haneshama?
Things that make me downright uncomfortable: Shir says, “Don’t worry about the recipe book. Enjoy the meal we’re making together.” Don’t worry about the siddur? Fat chance. Also, a curious thing for him to say, as we’ll see later. This is the attitude that makes me suspicious of Renewal. More »
Every year at Limmud NY, there is a panel discussion or two with an irrelevant topic. The panel is just an excuse to get a group of interesting Jews who wouldn’t otherwise talk to each other to talk to each other.
This year’s was ostensibly about Shabbat. Moderated by writer and JLife Consulting founder Dasee Berkowitz, it included:
The content of the panel was great. Better than that were the reactions. Pinson spent a lot of time making great faces at what everyone else was saying–one of his best reactions was the bizarre facial contortion was provoked by Marc’s assertion that he has stopped checking email on Shabbat.
There was a pretty big crowd for the panel. It included:
Arthur Kurzweil (author and speaker; father of Malya)
Yoni (Limmud NY’s mashgiach for at least the last four conferences)
In the case of the various family members I could spot, watching for their reactions and the occasional eye contact with the panelist they were related to as they were inevitably mentioned in the course of the discussion of their Shabbat observances was endlessly entertaining.
On the side of the road in the Negev on the bus, watching our driver read the paper. Last night, Ehud Barack split from the Labor party to form his own. Apparently, he and Netanyahu had been planning this for weeks. We are all bleary eyed from adventures in the Bedouin tents, and two students have ankle ailments. I watch the rest of our group disappear into the distance on a hike.
On Sunday at Yad Vashem, I find myself sobbing (like a person in a Holocaust museum?) while watching black and white film of children in Poland before the war singing “Hatikvah.” They get me every time, those kids and that song, and yet the sting of it always manages to surprise me. At the end of the museum, in the room where quotes are projected onto the wall, I cry into a handkerchief of my grandmother’s, and it’s hard to tell if I’m crying because of her, or because of the Holocaust, or because the student beside me is also crying, and we are seeing the baldness of each other’s grief. I wonder what seeing me cry makes her think about the impact of this place, or if she doesn’t even know I’m in the room.
This is the work: throwing darts and hoping that one of them will hit someone, somewhere, knowing that we will likely never know exactly how. Today, I”m completely exhausted and therefore doubting my dart throwing ability. There’s a weird science to this, knowing when to throw, and it has to be balanced with your ego, your need to make them see who you are. For example, as much as I want to tell them the story of being at the Kotel last summer on the day Anat Hoffman was arrested, stomping around the slippery streets of the Old City incensed and sweaty, I haven’t yet. A relationship figures out its own way to be complicated, in its own time.
There’s no such thing as a normal day in this country, I think. Is that true, or is it just something Americans believe? In Israel, all sorts of crazy things happen-miracles, coincidences, encounters-or is that just what we’re told, and so we’re more open to the possibilities? (Oy, cynicism. You are a worthy opponent, but sometimes, I wish you would go away.)
I am uncertain if Ynet’s pairing of the related link on this article is deliberate or serendipitous. Either way, it’s chuckle- or forehead slap-worthy, depending on how you view it.
Remember the ‘Macaca’ incident that ended the Senatorial campaign and presidential aspirations of 
Many may recall Jackson’s tsuris in 1984 when, during a presidential bid, 
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