Making more meaningful connections

We have a problem with the way Jewish communities are trying to bring Israel to its Jews. There is plenty of literature on American Jews distancing from Israel because of politics, associations, and identity conflicts. Do we have to be pro-Israel? Do we have to pick one side or the other in terms of how we want to make this peace deal? Explain again in 2011 terms, not 1948, why we need Israel? It's all about politics and American Jews are generally uncomfortably with "dual-loyalty" and confrontations that threaten their social status. There's no way to avoid any of this as long as Israel exists and Zionism remains a political philosophy. How do we mitigate this issue for Jews who are uncomfortable getting that involved politically but want to do something with or for Israel? The answer is: reorganize Birthright to serve the specific interests and needs of students, not a "one-size-fits-all" experience as critics like to term it.

Let's be honest. I wasn't crazy about hiking through a forest where we held onto each other for support to avoid slipping on wet rocks during my Birthright trip. Kayaking down Jordan river was fun and relaxing, but I was thirsty. Not for water. But thirsty for knowledge about the area's significance, not the water. I wanted to go back to Tzfat, where we had arrived from, and talk more about spirituality and mysticism. Or the Golan Heights and hear more in details about the battle for the land in 1967 and why we had to capture it from Syria.

With each successive visit to Israel, I discover more and more of Israel's jewels beyond the nature. I was already thinking along the same lines as Haaretz's reporter, Anshel Pfeffer, in his piece here, when I started writing this entry. Basically, Birthright trips should offer much more than it does now. Israelis often refer them to Taglit, which means "discovery." But what does Taglit really mean in figurative sense these days? Taglit came to me in 2007, not 2005, when I started exploring Jerusalem by foot and bus, through Mehane Yehuda shuk and various quarters in the Old City, and then to Tel Aviv along Allenby Street, if only briefly on my first visit. The more I experienced Israel firsthand such as figuring out the proper custom for those Egged buses when Shabbat was over and having iced drinks with Sudanese refugees, the more I felt connected to the country at the moment and, at the same time, the memories of my Birthright trip began to wane. By the time I left Israel after 7 months, I had long forgotten the events of my Birthright trip, only with pictures and e-mails with one of the participants who I had befriended.

I'm not suggesting that we let 18 year-olds with little street-smarts to wander out in Israel alone but rather take them to meet real Israel, with real issues. As Pfeffer wrote,

Israel is a much more interesting and complex country than Birthright would have its alumni believe and if the majority of participants, who rarely bother open a newspaper and whose websurfing habits are confined to celebrity gossip, enjoy the trip, that’s fine, but once they get back to their countries of origin, some of them may act as pro-Israel activists on campus for a while, but the rest will be looking for the next thrill.

The serious minority, those who in a few years from now will be the real opinion-makers and leaders, are either already involved and informed, and therefore Birthright was superfluous for them, but most of them are simply too intelligent to buy into this saccharine alternative to the real Israel. And they are the target audience.

Right on target, Mr. Pfeffer, but should we focus on expanding the numbers of the "serious minority"? Beyond general community leadership (such as executive director of a Jewish Community Center or Federation), we could build leaders in other areas by connecting American Jews with their real interests and hobbies that exist in Israel.

When Hebrew University's Rothberg International School e-mailed me announcing a new dance program, I was immediately excited. How wonderful would this be for students interested in dance and learning from Israeli and Russian dancers? It's an unique opportunity. If one could simply participate in something in Israel, the connection, I think, would all be more meaningful because of cultivated relationships. What if a Birthright trip could be designed around dance, while following the curriculum of visiting the Old City, Masada, and the like? Would dance workshops in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and in a Bedouin camp make a more lasting difference?

Everywhere I looked out the window on the Egged bus between cities, I saw opportunities for young Americans to connect with Israel, through like-minded peers. Right now, I'm thinking how I would love to visit and talk with people involved in ever-growing therapeutic riding programs.

It's still lacking in all areas of Birthright. I perused Birthright NEXT's website to see what they had done since 2005. Comparatively much more. Back in 2005, there wasn't a lot and mostly based in large cities like New York and geared towards post-graduates, not rising sophomores. I had to find my own way in maintaining my connection to Israel, which I did through Colgate Jewish Union and study abroad. Now, I wonder if the increase in opportunities and programming has proven to be more effective. Probably, especially with the social media being all in the range in helping people find like-minded peers.

I didn't see any programs that could reach specific audience. I've glanced through MASA but the descriptions are still vague. Volunteer in what? What are the options? Where could the kibbutz be? Are there any possibilities to work on healthcare or refugee issues?

I could be suggesting a post-Zionist view here by doing away with kibbutzim but the most important issue is simply keeping American Jews connected to Israel through whatever means to make that happen.

I say, change the programming and organization of Birthright trips. Jewish communities need leaders who can serve in different areas, especially in the cultural realm. Give more options for students to discover how their passions translate in Israel. During my policy-focused Germany Close-Up: American Jews Meet Modern Germany trip sponsored by American Jewish Committee, students who were interested in international relations or political science seemed to be much more engaged with the speakers and sincere in their attempts to understand German-Jewish/Israeli relations. Because of this trip's nature, I actually almost felt like my 5-day trip to Germany was more meaningful than my 10-day trip to Israel.

No, seriously, we should promote Israel differently. Why? If we don't tell young people that there are intimate opportunities in Israel that are so relevant to them, why should they care? And that's not good news if they don't.

Without their involvement in Israeli culture as future participants of their respective Jewish communities, American Jewish communities will certainly be devoid of creativity, cultural exchanges,, and a politically neutral connection to Israel.

Let's get back to this.

Sorry, Nefesh b'Israel, to have neglected you for so long. Are you accusing me of flirting with another blog? Guilty as charged. I've been running a separate, anonymous blog for my trip to Germany that had a different focus from this.

But I promise that I will give some reflections of being Jewish in Germany and Israel over time.

Right now, I'm on the job hunt again. Instead of San Francisco, I've put my eye on Washington, DC. Being in Germany made me realize how much I care about international/foreign issues, especially regarding Jewish politics and communities. I was asked by a recruiter today, "Why DC? Why not Chicago or New York or LA?" I said, "Because I like to talk politics and international issues. I like to be surrounded by all that stuff." It's just so intellectually exciting for me when I learn about new issues and more deeply about the old ones, listen to other perspectives, and read debating columnists and op-ed pieces. Mainly, I want to be part of the cultural, social, and political exchanges that goes in tandem with globalization.

And Berlin was pretty darn big with so much politics, history, and culture. It's the size of New York City in terms of land (but half the population at 1.3 million versions 2.6 million). In a way, I got to live in New York City but for cheap. After living in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, Berlin, DC, and San Francisco, and growing up near New York, DC is taking the prize. Given that I enjoyed living in Berlin, Jerusalem, and DC in the past, I've found that I really want to be in the heart of a country, where passions reach their heights. I can taste all the important debates and decisions are being conducted. I'm only a heartbeat away from those lawmakers, activists, and lobbyists who are trying to make changes. And I can jump in, like I can (maybe) counter-protest at the AIPAC since I'll be in the city during the conference, to drown out all anti-Israel/Zionist chants with pro-Israel ones.

Well, I'm not driving on the Belt anyway so that's one less major complaint.

Betting on the Koran in the Rabbi's Sermon

Too bad that this hilarious e-mail I received a week or two ago didn't ask if the congregant wished to place bets on topics that the rabbi would discuss in his sermon. (The said e-mail was basically a satire of seating arrangement questionnaire, which included a question if you wanted to sit next to a doctor or be as far as possible from your in-laws.)

Before I went in, I thought in my head, "Okay, I want to bet $20 that the Rabbi's going to bring up the recent peace talks, and maybe $50 if he talks about Koran book-burning... that's so recent, would the Rabbi have had enough time to think about how to discuss Islam in this context?"

Turns out that I would've won the money.

Since the announcement for Koran book-burning, I felt real chills. This was a deja-vu of the book-burning in Nazi Germany that took place in spring 1933. Certainly the intentions were different thing but it's still a hate crime. As an American, it is still so hard to believe that there are people in this country willing to defying the principles that this country was founded upon.

I've been largely silent on the mosque-near-Ground-Zero issue because I am still so conflicted. My parents and brother are completely opposed to it. When we discussed this a few weeks ago, I tried to play Devil's Advocate but that failed. It could be the media but it is becoming scary to me, as a Jew, to see Muslims in America suffer from anti-Islam activities and speeches. I was so shocked to hear of a passenger who climbed in a taxi cab and had asked the driver if he was a Muslim, and the driver said his final word, "Yes." He was shot right then. Then I read about this little mosque in middle of nowhere between Rochester and Buffalo being bullied by the larger community (teenagers driving by and honking during prayer services, dog feces, etc). Although my parents are willing to acknowledge that we should, as Jews, be more sympathetic and tolerant towards Muslims because of our long history as victims, but 9/11 was just too personal for them (being New Yorkers and having worked in/near WTC).

The media is quite sensational, especially as these days leading up to our 9th anniversary of 9/11. The savvy journalists remember to question in their articles, "Is this an act of ignorance or pure hatred for what the fundamentalists did on 9/11?" But for most part, the media frames the situation as this- the Muslims are scapegoats and the Americans are simply acting out their anger for what 9/11 terrorists have done to their country.

So far me, I think, being a second-generation post-Holocaust, that I can support the idea of a Muslim community center near Ground Zero because I do believe it can serve as a purpose. As a social historian, I've found that discussions become more effective as memories become more tempered and there is a growing emotional distance between generations. Right now is, unfortunately, as much as we'd like to nip in the bud with the young children, not the right time. You have to look at the Holocaust in Germany and Eastern Europe. Politics certainly influenced censorship of the truth but among the people, discussions were very difficult and no one wanted to put up memorials. 50-60 years later, they are able to confront the Holocaust and teach the children about it and build these memorials. And you have these young Germans and Eastern Europeans willing to study Jewish history and learn Yiddish or Hebrew. From a historian's standpoint, you really need to give things time to heal. By placing a Muslim community center, the teachers and leaders can teach the next generation the importance of balancing religious ideology with modernity. By placing this place so close to Ground Zero, it serves as a constant reminder of why violence never has a solution and why there must be tolerance and respect.

This will just have to be a deferred dream for Muslim-Americans to build a community center near Ground Zero. At the moment, they need to come out publicly and educate America about their religion and culture, and spread their friendship circles.

Made the paper

And... yes. The letter made the paper. Subjected to edits, of course.

Unemployment and the Jewish Future

I submitted a letter to the editor of J-Weekly (San Francisco) in respond to this article written by an older Jewish professional complaining about the lack of kindness in the Jewish community towards unemployed Jewish professionals.

Needless to say, as an unemployed and inexperience Jewish professional (wanna-be), I was outraged.

After negotiating with the editor, I've got my piece down to 200 words (okay 202 to be exact). And here it is.

Sherri W. Morr’s op-ed piece, “For job seekers, the Jewish community lacks kindness,” fails to address the Jewish future and the need to recruit young people to work in Jewish communities to maintain our existence. Present Jewish leaders are already worried about how to engage young people with the community. They have set up engagement and volunteer programs for 20-somethings. But they are not hiring them as an additional incentive to be involved. I respect the fact that Morr is an experienced Jewish professional and communities are in financially trouble. I am without a job too but can work for less in exchange for experience. I have a master’s in Jewish Studies from the University of Michigan where I focused on American Jewish history and worked at its Hillel part-time as an administrative assistant. During my interviews, I gave hiring managers an opportunity to hire and train an empathetic young Jew who is actually interested in working in and caring about the community. What’s good without a future for the American Jewish community if leaders don’t start bringing in and training eager young people, the next generation of Jewish leaders, to advocate for the community in the United States and abroad?

Let's hope that this version gets published for this coming Friday's paper.