First Week (Last Week)

Thomas Friedman is the foreign affairs columnist for the New York Times. He toured some campuses this past year and came up with a name for the current body of American college students: Generation Q. He says that students are generally more aware of current events than ever, yet we are surprisingly QUIET about them. Instead of protesting the Iraq war, or the environmental crisis, or government corruption, we simply blog about them on the internet. 

I think blogs are sweet, but Friedman's got a point. Instead of demanding real change, people just sit around and complain on their blogs. Nevertheless I firmly believe in the merits of dialogue and I know that only good things can come out of such an interesting project such as this. Honestly, I was a little disappointed, because I signed up for the class in spite of the blogs, hoping to spend more time talking to Israeli and Palestinian students. This whole blog thing terrifies me because it means I actually need to come to terms with what I believe and face criticism from the general public. I'm excited to meet our counterparts at Hebrew U and Al-Quds, in the meantime I hope I warm up to this whole bearing-my-soul-online-like-a-MySpace-junkie thing. 

So last week was the first week of class. It was a pleasure to meet you, I hope can all get through the new-quarter jitters quickly so we can get down to some challenging, unpleasant, and constructive debate.

אם־אשכחך ירושלם תשכח ימיני

"If I forget thee, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning"

It's difficult to translate accurately, but this verse from Psalm 137 captures the indescribable connection between the Jewish people and Jerusalem. Forgetting Jerusalem should be unimaginable, just like forgetting how to use your hand, or that you even have one. I was raised in this tradition: that Jerusalem the eternal capital for the Jews, the holiest and only holy city for Jews. I can also respect other people's beliefs and can respect the fact that Jerusalem is holy for others for many reasons. 

First and foremost, I am a Jew and I don't see this term as a pejorative. Acting Jewish sounds a little weak to me and I wish more people were proud to be Jews. I went to an Orthodox synagogue in Toledo, Ohio a city with 3000 Jews and shrinking. I attended the Hebrew Academy of Toledo until seventh grade, went to Sunday school, got bar mitzvahed in 2000. 

I guess you can also call me a Zionist, although some people think it's a dirty word. To me, being a Zionist means that Jews are a distinct nation of people with a distinct identity, belief system, and culture. For others, the word "Zionist" means many things: blind Israel supporter, racist, even Nazi. Even though I think there are some crazy Zionist zealouts out there, I find these comparisons baseless and insulting. I love Israel, I'm not above criticizing her, and it doesn't make me a racist.

Its a little ridiculous to talk about our identities all in one post. I have lots to talk about. I hope I don't offend anybody too much.