For the third year in a row Shorashim/Club Israel, JCRC Israel Initiative and Hebrew students across the Chicagoland area came together to celebrate Israeli culture.  Over 350 students from seven high schools were part of our biggest excursion day yet.

The day started with a special screening from the Chicago Festival of Israeli Cinema, “The Name My Mother Gave Me”.  The movie is an uplifting and moving documentary that follows a group of Ethiopian and Russian-born Israeli adolescents whose pre-Army leadership-training program culminates in a trip to Ethiopia. The picturesque valley of the Ethiopian region of Gondar is the scene of remarkable discoveries as the Ethiopian participants reunite with their past, each undergoing a personal transformation. This life-changing journey turns a group of initially dissimilar young men into brothers, who together confront their pasts and move forward.

Here is a trailer of the movie:

After the movie, students had the unbelievable opportunity to meet the director of the movie Eli Tal-El who answered their questions and spoke about the importance of the film.  He told the students that if they had to take away one message from the movie it would be that anything is possible.

Here is clip of him speaking to the students:

Following the movie the students traveled to Congregation Beth Hillel for a festive Israeli lunch and a program in honor of Yitzhak Rabin.  The students were divided by school to learn about what happened on November, 4 1995 when Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by a fellow Israeli. This tragic event sent shockwaves throughout the entire country of Israel and Jewish communities across the globe.  Now, 14 years later, the students discussed the relevance of this incident and how it affects their lives today.

On Tuesday, students had the one a kind opportunity to listen to 3 Israeli singers who performed on the Israeli version of American Idol, Kochav Nolad.  The singers spoke about their lives as young Israelis and showcased their amazing talent.

Here is a clip of their performance:

POSTED BY: Gabe @ Club Israel   NO COMMENTS  

Do you like TV?

If you do, you are like most American and Israeli teenagers who on average watch about 3 hours a day of TV.  In those 3 hours are about an hour of commercials and besides pushing a specific product they say a lot about a society.  Because they have to appeal to the masses, the commercial must connect to the average viewer and if they are successful strike a cord with the members of society.

The following commercials show different dimensions of Israeli society as well as demonstrate Hebrew language in popular culture. As you are watching, try to look past the obvious and see the underlying cultural implications of each commercial.

For example, what is uniquely Israeli about this commercial?

If you have been to Israel is this beach scene accurate?

This commercial touches on the Israeli notion of “hutzpah”.  Anyone that has been to Israel has experienced this hutzpah whether in line at the grocery store or at the beach.  Additionally, it plays on young Israelis’ tendencies to travel abroad.

This commercial is from the Israeli show “The Ambassador” a play off of the popular American show “The Apprentice”.  Each week one contestant is voted off and the winner gets a chance to represent Israel to the world.  For one of the tasks the contestants had to create a commercial that would “sell Israel” to people living abroad.

This is the winning commercial:

Why did this commercial win?

What is Israeli about the idea of the show and the commercial itself?

This commercial speaks to Israelis’ obsession with how the outside world views them.  Would this commercial be successful in the U.S.?

At the most basic level why is it interesting that this commercial that appeared in Israel?

What is the cultural joke about Israelis in the commercial?

This commercial is a prime example of the Americanization of Israel.  Not only was it in English but it presupposed that most Israelis have seen Pulp Fiction and get the joke.  this implies that an average Israeli speaks English well enough to understand the commercial and watches popular American movies.

Here’s another commercial that highlights the Americanization of Israel.

Israel as a country has been dealing with external political issues since its inception in 1948.  This has influenced its culture in many different ways, including its commercials.

What country is he in?

Why was this country chosen and what does it say about the current preoccupations of Israeli citizens?

This commercial fictionally takes place in Iran and the lines that appear in Hebrew at the end of the commercial say “In life this is still impossible, but with the internet these connections are created every day.”

This next commercial also deals with Israel’s conflict and presents an important message.

Is this vision realistic?

This next commercial garnered both domestic and international scorn over its portrayal of modern day Israel.  It is fascinating to think that just a commercial in Israel is news for the entire world.

(The end of the commercial translates to- “all everyone wants is to be happy, join cellcom”)

Why do think this caused international/domestic uproar?

What does it say about Israeli society?

This last commercial is from El-AL, Israel’s official airline.  It aired in honor of Israel’s 60th anniversary last year.

What song are they singing?

What is special about this commercial and what does it show about Israeli society?

Can you identify the people and where they are from?

This commercial in 1 minute shows all of the different waves of aliyah through song.  Almost every segment of society is represented and shows the modern multi-cultural face of Israel.

If you have any comments or other commercials, please let us know!

POSTED BY: Gabe @ Club Israel   NO COMMENTS  
TAGS: Chicago, commercials, funny, Israel, shorashim, tv

Join Shorashim, Young Judaea, Habonim Dror, and the Israel Scouts in an Israeli-style, community-wide Teen Yom HaZikaron Ceremony dedicated to Ehud Goldwasser, Eldad Regev, and the students killed at Yeshivat Mercaz HaRav.

This event will both pay tribute to the sacrifices of the fallen soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces and honor the memory of those innocent Israelis killed in acts of terror.  It will include songs, readings, video clips, and personal stories.  The event is open to 8-12 grade, admission is free. 

Sunday, April 26th

5:00-7:00pm

Doors open at 4:45, ceremony will begin promptly at 5:00

Beth Hillel Congregation Bnai Emunah

3220 Big Tree Lane

Wilmette, IL

After the ceremony, we will transition into Yom HaAtzmaut with a concert by Ethiopian-Israeli rap group Strong Black Coffee! 

POSTED BY: Miriam @ Club Israel   NO COMMENTS  
TAGS: ceremony, ehud goldwasser, eldad regev, habonim dror, Israel, israel scouts, mercaz harav, shorashim, strong black coffee, teen, yom haatzmaut, yom hazikaron, young judaea

On Sunday, March 29th, eight teams of American and Israeli teens gathered in the Chicagoland Jewish High School gym to play for a cause- Israel.  “This is what we’re all about,” says Miriam Brosseau, Shorashim’s High School Program Manager.  “It’s bringing Israelis and Americans together- and what better way to do it?”

The day began with the teams shooting hoops and listening to Israeli dance music to warm up.  Gabe Axler, Shorashim’s Director of High School Programs, then gathered the group on the bleachers and introduced the afternoon.

“Kiryat Gat has had a tough year,” Gabe recalled.  “It sits within firing range of the missiles from Gaza.  And that’s what makes today so much more meaningful- we have a group of Israeli teens here from that city, we’ll play some basketball, and help make some positive change in Israel.”

Four teens from Kiryat Gat then stepped up and introduced themselves.  They were visiting the States as part of a JUF-sponsored program called Kolot, which also focuses on philanthropy and teens making a difference in Israel.  They talked about what the program meant to them, and how amazing it was to be a part of the games that day.

Finally, the celebrity referee and guest speaker, Lavon Mercer, got up to introduce himself.  Coach Mercer spent fourteen years in Israel, playing for Maccabi Tel Aviv, serving in the army, and eventually becoming a citizen and raising two children there.

“People don’t understand Israel, they don’t see it as it really is,” reminded Coach Mercer. “It’s up to you to tell them the truth.”

Then the games began.  The teams of three integrated Americans from Chicago and Israelis from Kiryat Gat.  The tournament was guest-reffed by Brad Sugar from the Jewish Student Union and Sid Singer from the Chicago Foundation for Jewish Education.  Friends and fans watched and cheered from the stands, or headed to the nearby cafeteria to nosh on pizza, sing karaoke, listen to Israeli music, and play Guitar Hero. 

At the end of the afternoon, Team Tiddlywinks from CJHS won the tournament on their home court.  They received Maccabi Tel Aviv t-shirts signed by Coach Mercer, but all the teams walked away knowing they had done something unique and meaningful.

“I can’t wait to do it next year,” remarked Stu Sufrin, a freshman from Evanston High School who filmed the event.  “It was awesome!”

POSTED BY: Miriam @ Club Israel   NO COMMENTS  
TAGS: "levon mercer", "march madness", basketball, Chicago, Israel, JUF, lavon mercer, shorashim, teens

As part of ongoing outreach to Chicago-area  synagogues, Shorashim has developed a four-part series on Israel through a cultural lens for Congregation Beth Am of Buffalo Grove. The first session will be a timely discussion of Israel’s participation - and relative, if not controversial, success in the popular Eurovision Competition.

Three months before the Eurovision Song Contest is held in Moscow, Israel will hold on Monday its pre-Eurovision contest, aimed at determining which song will represent the country in the event. Four songs will compete for the honor, and viewers at home will be asked to dial *11 and vote for their favorite one. All the songs were written, composed and will be performed by Noa, Mira Awad and Gil Dor. (Ynetnews.com)

The Eurovision competition - one of the longest-running programs in the world - is broadcast every year and features a pop song from each participating country. Each country votes in a series of rounds, finally declaring a single victor.

Beginning in 1956, the contest far predates “American Idol” and its European counterpart “Pop Idol.” Additionally, the focus is on national representation, and countries draw a significant amount of pride from emerging victorious.

Israel claimed its first victory in 1978 with the song A-Ba-Ni-Bi written by Ehud Manor and performed by Izhar Cohen and Alphabeta. Many broadcasters in Arab countries cut the broadcast when it was clear Israel was going to win. Jordanian TV ended the show with a still photo of flowers.

As host to the competition (because of the previous year’s victory), Israel became the third country to offer back-to-back wins in the competition, this time with the folk favorite Halleluyah! Because  on the following year, the contest was scheduled for Yom Hazikaron (Israeli Memorial Day), Israel could not host and it was moved to The Hague.

In perhaps the most controversial Eurovision of all time, Israel return to the winner’s circle in 1989 with a performance of the song Diva by Dana International. Dana was not only a cultural ambassador for the State of Israel, but was as well, the first transsexual winner of the competition. Born Yaron Cohen in 1972, Dana performed as “Sharon” Cohen long before her sex-reassignment surgery in 1993. She took on the persona of Dana International in 1992 and became a world-wide pop sensation.

In 2007, Israel became embroiled in another Eurovision controversy in which their submission “Push the Button” by Teapacks was thought to include hate-filled rhetoric against Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The band claims that the song is about the violence and the danger that comes from hate and ignorance.

Many of Teapacks’ fans consider Push the Button to be one of the band’s worst songs. Below is the video for the song - Sitting in a Cafe - that propelled Teapacks to fame in Israel in 2001.

This year’s contribution will be sung by Noa (Achinoam Nini) and Mira Awad and will represent the first time that an Israeli Arab (Awad) will sing for the country. Noa and Awad have been singing together for years, and often speak about the need for understanding and coexistence. Below is an interview for a Dutch television program about their version of the Beatle’s Song We Can Work it Out:

Tonight, Israelis will decide which song they will send to the Eurovision contest. Which do you think it will be?

Ma’amin B’Chalom - “Faith in the Light”

Eiynayich - “There Must be Another Way”

UPDATE: “Israel: Noa & Mira to Moscow with Einaiych”

POSTED BY: Adam @ Club Israel   NO COMMENTS  

Shorashim’s Club Israel announces March Madness for Israel: The First Annual Teen Charity Basketball Tournament- register your team today!

Sixteen teams of three will play on behalf of Chicago’s Partnership 2000 city, Kiryat Gat.  Teams will be joined by Israeli players straight from Kiryat Gat!  In addition to some exciting games, the event will feature food, music, and our celebrity referee and guest speaker, Coach Lavon Mercer!  Coach Mercer, formerly of the San Antonio Spurs, lived in Israel for fourteen years, playing for Maccabi Tel Aviv and serving in the IDF.  “Israel’s Biggest Ambassador” (he stands at 6′10″) now coaches at Spelman College and speaks about his experiences around the country.

March Madness for Israel will take place:

March 29th, 2009

1:00-4:00pm

at the Chicagoland Jewish High School Gym

1095 Lake Cook Road

Deerfield, IL 60015

Each team is asked to pledge a minimum of $180 on behalf of the JUF Israel Emergency Campaign in order to participate.  All funds raised will be dedicated to youth initiatives in Kiryat Gat, Chicago’s Partnership 2000 city.  To register your team, or for more information, email Gabe by March 22nd: gabe@shorashim.org

This event is brought to you by Shorashim’s Club Israel and the JUF/Hillel Israel Initiative.

POSTED BY: Miriam @ Club Israel   NO COMMENTS  
TAGS: basketball, charity, Chicago, Israel, israel emergency campaign, kiryat gat, lavon mercer, partnership 2000

Make a difference while having fun with teens from around Chicagoland!

Mitzvahpalooza is a festival of hands-on volunteer projects that will directly benefit the Chicago community. At Mitzvahpalooza you will complete projects that will support shelters, food banks, and disadvantaged youth.

Take a break from volunteering to watch your friends perform in Chicago Jewish Teens Got Talent! Or…do you sing, dance, make people laugh, or have another talent? Enter the Chicago Jewish Teens Got Talent competition! Winners will receive $500 for the charity of their choice and additional funds to enhance their Jewish life!

The Leevees members Shawn and Dave will be the Emcees for the evening and will also be performing!

Mitzvahpalooza will be held at Wilmette Park District’s Community Recreation Center, 3000 Glenview Road.

Email teens@juf.org to request an application form. Please include a brief description of your act, your name, age and school.

This concert is cosponsored by the Teen Professionals Kehilla: BBYO, B’nei Akiva, Community Foundation for Jewish Education, Chi Town Connection, Friends of Israel Scouts, Inc-Tzofim, Habonim Dror, JCUA, JF/JUF, JSU, NCSY, NFTY, Response Center, Shorashim/Club Israel, USY, and Young Judaea

POSTED BY: Miriam @ Club Israel   NO COMMENTS  
TAGS: Chicago, Chicago Jewish Teens Got Talent, concert, event, JUF, Mitzvahpalooza, teen, The Leevees, tikkun olam

Hebrew language students from six area schools joined Shorashim in getting a taste of Israeli culture. The program was offered on two days, three schools participating each day, and included the screening of an Israeli movie (as part of the Chicago Festival of Israeli Cinema), a festive lunch, and a program and memorial ceremony in honor of the life and legacy of former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.

“…[This] program should be a model of quality educational activities. It was a very effective learning experience.”
-Edith Belkind, Hebrew language teacher at Niles North High School

The students began the day with a private screening of the hit Israeli film “Noodle.”  The film gave them an intimate glimpse into Israeli society and culture while offering an opportunity for them to test their Hebrew language skills.  Afterward, the group left for an authentic Israeli lunch followed by breakout sessions tailored to each school and led by experienced educators on Israel.

One of Shorashim’s speakers was Jay Footlik, who worked on Jewish community relations in the Clinton White House, was present at the signing of the peace treaty between Israel and Jordan, and now works closely with Yitzhak Rabin’s son, Yuval.  Mr. Footlik provided both personal and political perspectives on Rabin.  Sessions were also offered by Shorashim edcucators Gabe Axler and Miriam Brosseau who spoke about youth reaction to Rabin’s assassination through graffiti and street art.  Lee Van Spier, shaliach to Young Judaea Midwest, and Yaniv Gal, shaliach to Habonim Dror-Camp Tavor, taught a joint session in which they shared their personal experiences of having been at the rally where Rabin was killed and then discussed a variety of Israeli newspaper headlines from the days that followed.

Both days ended with a presentation marking the assassination and highlighting the lessons learned from it which are still resonant in both Israeli and American society.  The day then closed with thanks to all the students, teachers, staff, and volunteers who made the event possible, and singing and dancing to Israeli songs.

The Rabin educational program, lunch, and speakers was sponsored in part by JNF Caravan for Democracy - High School Edition. Club Israel is in cooperation with the JCRC/Hillel Israel Initiative and is a beneficiary of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago.

POSTED BY: Miriam @ Club Israel   NO COMMENTS  
TAGS: Chicago, film, Hebrew, Israel, Israeli culture, Jay Footlik, Noodle, Yitzhak Rabin

Shorashim’s Club Israel has visited several schools in Chicago offering a glimpse into the future of the Jewish state in honor of Israel’s sixtieth birthday. Israel 2068 is a program based on TIME Magazine’s feature, Israel in 2068.  The premise of the feature was to ask twelve prominent writers, statesmen, and thinkers the following: Israel has existed for sixty years so far…how do you feel it will respond to the challenges and opportunities of the next sixty?

Club Israel selected four of the twelve responses, choosing to focus on those by Israeli writer Etgar Keret, Talmudic scholar Adin Steinsaltz, former U.S. national security advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski, and Holocaust survivor/writer/humanitarian Elie Wiesel.  The students were divided into groups, each taking an in-depth look at one of the essays (some classes even read Hebrew translations), before coming back together to discuss the main ideas, commonalities, and differences among them.

The program gave the students insight into what different sectors of society might be thinking about the future of their state and encouraged them to consider their own opinions.

POSTED BY: Miriam @ Club Israel   NO COMMENTS  
TAGS: 60, Adin Steinsaltz, Elie Wiesel, Etgar Keret, Israel, Zbigniew Brzezinski

With the success of Israel’s animated documentary, “Waltz With Bashir,” which won Best Film at the Israeli Film Critics Awards and has been selected as Israel’s entry for Best Foreign Film at the upcoming Academy Awards, there is now hieightened interest in Israel’s contribution to the art of animation.  Shorashim’s Club Israel has taken advantage of this cultural wave to create a program which examines the complexities of Israeli culture through the eyes of cartoons.

The program includes three short animated films- a trailer of “Waltz With Bashir,” ”Pickles Season,” “Words Bite,” and an animated Etnix music video entitled “Linda.”  Students then use this accessible and familiar medium to discuss different aspects of Israeli society.  Why, for instance, would someone use animation to tell a story in the first place?  What, if anything, makes these animations uniquely Israeli?  What sorts of issues are presented, and why?  These are the sorts of questions with which students are challenged to look at Israel in new and exciting ways.

Below is the English version of “Pickles Season,” a short film in which a young man recounts his experiences growing up in Israel.  It takes a quirky, heartwarming perspective on the way his family and Israel have changed together over the years.

POSTED BY: Miriam @ Club Israel   NO COMMENTS  
TAGS: academy award, animation, cartoon, foreign film, Israel, Pickles Season, Waltz with Bashir