After arriving in Jerusalem, I was incredibly surprised by the international character of the city. The downtown triangle neighborhood could have come straight from Europe, if not for the white limestone. These limestone blocks compose every building, crumbling shacks and high-rises alike. Apparently the use of this stone is mandated by the municipal authorities; a […]

What does it take to be an Israel advocate? Who are the types of people that dedicate their lives to Zionism? Do they rely on historical facts? Emotions? An unconditional love of the land?I found it interesting to explore Judaism and the keys to successful advocacy through the eyes of powerful activists that dedicate their […]

Our first Shabbat in Israel, and it was bound to be spectacular:Friday night, a large group of us left the hotel to walk to the Kotel. There, I joined the women on the right side of the Western Wall to sing and dance, as we ushered in Shabbat. Many of us also joined IDF soldiers, […]

“The incredible ZOA experience.” That is what I think when I refer to this trip. So far the programs by the ZOA have been informative and insightful. But what has made it so special. The people? The staff? Or maybe the content? I must say all of the above. The first night was an impressive dinner […]

Getting the chance to return to Israel never loses its excitement for me. Stepping off the plane to embark on a two week journey with the ZOA to experience and learn about Israel and the role we college students play as its advocates back home made the trip that much more exciting. One of the basic […]

WHEN IS THE MEDIA GOING TO TREAT ISRAEL AS AN, INDIGENOUS, ABORIGINAL FIRST NATION ?WHEN JEWS ACT LIKE IT IS !! Unbeknownst to most, Jews are a People, Judaism is their religion, and the Land of Israel is their ancestral homeland—an unbroken history of 3,500 years– and a modern nation since 1948. Indigenous people have the […]

Israeli leaders are shooting themselves in their PR foot. There is something wrong with the tone and language of political debate in Israel. It would seem from the events of recent days –– in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu brought Avigdor Lieberman, head of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, into the governing coalition, replacing Moshe Ya’alon as […]

For Jews, the Temple Mount (site of Solomon’s Temple and the Second Temple is the holiest place on earth. The adjacent Kotel (the Western Wall) is the second holiest site to Jews. A recent decision by UNESCO (the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization), however, shamefully distorts, deletes and denies Jewish – and in […]

Does President Obama intend to permit the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to pass a resolution criticizing or condemning Israel for the “settlements” –– the Jewish communities in the West Bank –– as illegal or an obstacle to peace and calling for peace agreement encompassing a Palestinian state? It depends which Obama Administration officials one […]

I’d like to publicly thank our New York State senator, Jack Martins, for his important role in protecting Jewish and other students from harassment, intimidation and violence perpetrated by the anti-Israel, anti-Semitic, anti-American hate group “Students for Justice in Palestine,” on City University of New York campuses. Many students who live in our local community attend […]