Judaism and Tattoos
by Rabbi Menachem Levine for aish.com
Even though you can get buried in a Jewish cemetery if you have one, there are a number of compelling reasons why the Torah prohibits tattoos.
“Rabbi, if I get a tattoo, can I be buried in a Jewish cemetery?”
As a rabbi in Northern California, I’ve been asked this question many times. It’s a widespread misconception amongst American Jews that a tattoo bars one from being buried in a Jewish cemetery.
24 Teens Immersed in Israel’s Culture, Context
By eJewishPhilanthropy
Two dozen teens from seven states attend the Teen Israel Leadership Institute at the Center for Israel Education the weekend of Oct. 26 to 28.
Twenty-four teens gathered at the Emory University campus in Atlanta from Oct. 26 to 28 for the second Teen Israel Leadership Institute hosted by the Center for Israel Education and the Emory Institute for the Study of Modern Israel.
The weekend featured a mix of activities, discussions and educational games designed to expand students’ knowledge and understanding of Israel and Zionism and to help them plan learning programs back home.
Why this fitness trend should be your next workout
by Michael d'Estries for FromtheGrapevine
Learn all about the martial arts craze that's beloved by celebrities and hardcore exercise enthusiasts.
If you're someone who desires a workout with a purpose beyond just getting in shape and losing weight, you're going to want to take a hard look at Krav Maga.
The self-defense system, a form of martial arts invented in Israel, is quickly becoming a popular discipline for building strength and getting fit. It's also an inclusive physical art, capable of transforming people of all sizes and weight classes into powerful self-defense gurus.
Hillels and Israel, Part II: A Widening Divide at Northeastern
BY HANNAH BERNSTEIN for newvoices.org
This is part 2 in a 3-part series about politics, identity and Jewish community on college campuses. Click here to view part 1.
When Lindsey Bressler got the first text, it was Nov. 8, 2016 — Election Day. She was watching the news with her peers at Northeastern University, crying. And while she was upset about the election, there was something else going on, too. Her friends on the local Hillel’s executive student board had just been fired from their positions and were now banned from seeking additional leadership positions with the organization for a year.
“I felt pretty surprised about the results of the general election that night,” Bressler said, who was in her fourth year of a five-year program at the time. “But with the Hillel board firings, I didn’t feel surprised at all. It just felt like it matched the mood of the night.”
Hillels and Israel: How Campus Jewish Communities Are Grappling with Polarizing Politics
By HANNAH BERNSTEIN for newvoices.org
This is part 1 in a 3-part series about politics, identity, and Jewish community on college campuses.
On the eve of Rosh Hashanah in 2015, a new wave of violence arose in Israel. Often referred to as the “stabbing intifada,” it led to both Palestinian and Israeli deaths.
A world away, the American Jewish community was watching. Brooke Davies was beginning her junior year at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. The local Students for Justice in Palestine organization was holding a vigil for the Palestinian victims who had died in the attacks. In solidarity as the chair of the local J Street U chapter, a pro-Israel, pro-Palestinian political organization, Davies decided to attend. She marked “Going” on Facebook.