My Favorite Place in Israel

Read before closing song at Camp Coleman "Mishlachat Shabbat" services 06.26.10

You don't have to be from Israel to appreciate the place. It is for this reason that my favorite place in Israel isn't the Western Wall, or the Dead Sea, or Tel Aviv Beach, or even the incredible hospitality I experience staying at the homes of close friends.

No, my favorite place in Israel is the arrivals announcement board in the terminal at Ben-Gurion International Airport.

The land that for 2000 years our people could only hope for now welcomes thousands of visitors daily from all over the world--from familiar-sounding places like New York and Atlanta, and from obscure-sounding places like Zagreb and Addis Ababa.

They come from New York to see the sites.

They come from Atlanta to taste the food.

They come from Zegreb to speak the language.

They come from Addis Ababa to meet the people.

They all come because it belongs to us all--and because no matter where they come from, they know they are coming home.

And God's Name, It Shall Be One

Read before the Aleinu at Camp Coleman Shabbat Services 06.11.10

At the end of Aleinu we say the words, “Bayom hahu yiheyeh adonai echad, ushmo echad / On that day, God shall be one, and God’s name it shall be one.” For me, this is problematic, because God has soooooo many names. For example:

If God’s name shall be one, and God is listening to 6.5 billion people, then God is multilingual.

And if God’s name shall be one, and there’s the possibility of life on other planets, then God is multilingual and intergalactic.

If God’s name shall be one, and God is all-knowing, then God is a multilingual intergalactic Wikipedia.

If God’s name, it shall be one, and God is all-powerful, God is a multilingual intergalactic Wikipedia, and presidential prime minister of the infinitely executive branch.

If God’s name, it shall be one, and God is all-good, God is a multilingual intergalactic Wikipedia, presidential prime minister of the infinitely executive branch, and distributor of life rafts and pool floaties.

If God’s name, it shall be one, and God is science, God is a multilingual intergalactic Wikipedia, presidential prime minister of the infinitely executive branch, distributor of life rafts and pool floaties, and forest ranger of atomic orbitals.

If God’s name, it shall be one, and God is art, God is a multilingual intergalactic Wikipedia, presidential prime minister of the infinitely executive branch, distributor of life rafts and pool floaties, forest ranger of atomic orbitals, and a cubist-fauvist impressionist jazz architect.

If God’s name, it shall be one, and God is a healer, God is a multilingual intergalactic Wikipedia, presidential prime minister of the infinitely executive branch, distributor of life rafts and pool floaties, forest ranger of atomic orbitals, cubist-fauvist impressionist jazz architect, and an open-heart surgeon / dental hygienist.

If God’s name, it shall be one, and God is our moral compass, God is a multilingual intergalactic Wikipedia, presidential prime minister of the infinitely executive branch, distributor of life rafts and pool floaties, forest ranger of atomic orbitals, cubist-fauvist impressionist jazz architect, open-heart surgeon / dental hygienist, and a referee umpire line judge.

If God’s name, it shall be one, and God is the source of food, God is a multilingual intergalactic Wikipedia, presidential prime minister of the infinitely executive branch, distributor of life rafts and pool floaties, forest ranger of atomic orbitals, cubist-fauvist impressionist jazz architect, open-heart surgeon / dental hygienist, referee umpire line judge, and vendor at the eternal pretzel stand.

If God’s name, it shall be one, and God is the source of water, God is a multilingual intergalactic Wikipedia, presidential prime minister of the infinitely executive branch, distributor of life rafts and pool floaties, forest ranger of atomic orbitals, cubist-fauvist impressionist jazz architect, open-heart surgeon / dental hygienist, referee umpire line judge, vendor at the eternal pretzel stand, and the cumulonimbus precipitating evaporator.

If God’s name, it shall be one, and God hears our prayers, God is a multilingual intergalactic Wikipedia, presidential prime minister of the infinitely executive branch, distributor of life rafts and pool floaties, forest ranger of atomic orbitals, cubist-fauvist impressionist jazz architect, open-heart surgeon / dental hygienist, referee umpire line judge, vendor at the eternal pretzel stand, cumulonimbus precipitating evaporator, and an echo chamber with built-in tectonic subwoofers.

So please rise as we praise the multilingual intergalactic Wikipedia, presidential prime minister of the infinitely executive branch, distributor of life rafts and pool floaties, forest ranger of atomic orbitals, cubist-fauvist impressionist jazz architect, open-heart surgeon / dental hygienist, referee umpire line judge, vendor at the eternal pretzel stand, cumulonimbus precipitating evaporator, and echo chamber with built-in tectonic subwoofers.

And, if God is anything else, pray to that name too.

We Hate Yom Kippur

Our parents host an annual Chanukkah party. When we were kids, our dad would write a Chanukkah play every year for the kiddies to perform. The plays always included great song parodies. When the kids grew up, the plays ended, but the song parodies kept coming. Now for their parties, mom and dad invite their friends to write and perform parodies of their own. This year's contest: write a parody that describes your favorite or least-favorite Jewish holiday. Below, the Reiser kids's response.

Redefining the Hillel Portfolio

I was surprised to learn that NFTY regional boards do not have a VP of Israel. There are board positions for other Jewish content areas, like Religion, Culture, and Social Action, but not one for Israel. Surely there are Jewish experiences to be had outside the realm of Religion, Culture, and Social Action. While I considered the gaps in the NFTY portfolio, I wondered what areas of Jewish life might be missing from Hillel.

Hillel at Emory has VPs of the following: programming, religious life, Israel culture and advocacy, social justice, multi-cultural outreach, Muslim-Jewish relations, freshmen engagement, Greek engagement, marketing and communications, finance, and program evaluation.

This spring, we’re launching a new board position for public policy—someone to offer Jewish perspectives on political, social, and economic affairs. We just hosted an expert panel on Jewish perspectives on healthcare reform. I would love to see a similar forum on climate change or the global south.

Hillel at Emory has JBiz and JHealth, for Jewish pre-professional students. I would love to add JLaw.

Many campuses have Jewish GLBTQ groups. And women’s groups. And men’s groups. And environmental groups. And a capella groups. Michigan has a Jewish Engineering Association. UF just founded the JAM Network for Jewish Artists and Musicians. Yale hosts an annual Klezmerpalooza. Emory just started a Jewish yoga program, and is now home of the world's only Yiddish collegiate a capella group.

As a writer, I would be interested to see a Jewish student newspaper or literary magazine—with coverage of campus events, travel writing, editorials, fiction, poetry, and cartoons. I would also be interested in a Jewish scholarly journal, with the best student essays from across the Jewish studies department.

Hilarious in the New Yorker

Hilarious short Hanukkah stories in the New Yorker

Shouts & Murmurs: Hanukkah Stories

Israel ed at day schools, camps, and campuses

I'm currently reading an article by Alex Pomson and Howard Deitcher evaluating Israel education in Jewish day schools. I'm hoping to shed light on how to improve Israel education at URJ Camp Coleman. The similarities between school and camp programs are surprising. Particularly, Pomson and Deitcher note that in day schools the key stone of Israel education is not formal classroom curriculum. More impactful are Israel travel programs and meeting Israelis face-to-face (having an Israeli basketball coach or exchange student, for example.)

When it comes to cultivating a love for Israel, the value of human interaction cannot be underestimated. As a younger camper at Coleman, I remember that it was never cool to have an Israeli counselor. Finally my last summer, I had an Israeli counselor who won the Coleman talent show by rapping Shaggy and Outkast. He became an overnight camp sensation. The power of a Birthright trip is well established, but the impact of meeting Israeli peers is still largely underappreciated. I've led teen and college trips to Israel, and consistently hear participants say that they liked the place but they loved the people.

How might human interaction strengthen Israel awareness on the university campus? Universities, although they are unlike the real world, are not as constructed as the camp "bubble." Students should work to create Israel programs that are more widely attractive than your typical advocacy speaker. Bring an Israeli musician to campus, or an athelete, or a fashion designer. I'd love if a student asked me to help him find a grant to bring Omri Casspi or Yael Naim to campus.