BDS Causes Hundreds of Palestinians to Lose Jobs

Article: Last year, Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) activists called upon people to boycott SodaStream, an Israeli company that produces soda making machines for residential use. Famously, Scarlet Johannson refused to stop being the spokeswoman for the company, despite intense pressure on her to do so. Previously, the SodaStream factory was in an area of Israel where Palestinians and Israelis could both work. However, due to pressure from BDS to move the factory because it was in the "settlements," SodaStream has moved its factory to a new location in Israel that most of its Palestinian employees cannot go to because it is too far away to travel daily. They have thus lost their jobs. And as a result, BDS has cost Palestinians workers hundreds of jobs.

Kids: Do you think activists in BDS care? Argue why and why not. What is their larger goal?

Hawaii Lava Flowing

Article: Mount Kilauea started erupting in June in fits and starts. Now lava is appearing close to some homes. Scientists know that big eruption will happen any time now but don't know when to tell people to evacuate their homes. See pictures here of the lava beginning to flow. 
If you were a scientist in Hawaii, what would you recommend that people do?  

Chinese Hebrew U Student Wins 1st Round in Chinese TV Competition

Article: Lechao Tang is 24 years old. His name means "happy."  He went to college at the University of Oregon to study linguistics and fell in love with Hebrew, so he decided to pursue his masters degree at Hebrew University in Bible and Ancient Near East Studies. “I couldn't resist the beauty of the Hebrew language, so I chose to study further." He also teaches Hebrew online through a Chinese web service and runs a Chinese blog about ancient Israel. 

This past week, Tang was invited to represent Hebrew University and Israel on China's highest-rated game TV show, alongside students from Harvard, Yale, Cambridge and other prominent universities. The episode was a trivia program, testing their knowledge of the Bible. Tang won! Tang said on the show that he was excited to represent both China and Israel, and spoke for two minutes about what it is like to live in Israel and at Hebrew U. The hosts of the TV show--a husband and wife team--spoke on the show about how went to Israel and placed a note in the Kotel/Western Wall, praying for a baby boy. And this year they had one! They said the Kotel brought them luck.  

Kids: in what ways are Tang and the show's hosts "good will ambassadors" for Israel? 

Watch his video here. At 32 minutes into it, see a clip of Tang's ulpan/Hebrew language classmates wishing him luck in Hebrew and a tour of Hebrew University in Chinese. 

 

IsraAid in Kurdistan

Kids: recap of what is going on with ISIS in Iraq and Syria.

Article: Israeli volunteer workers have joined the effort to help the Kurdish people, who have been displaced because of ISIS. These people have been kicked out of their homes and are in desperate need of everything: beds, food, clothing, etc. (Kids: how would you feel if you were suddenly forced out of your home and had nothing? What would you miss most?) IsraAID has now sent beds, blankest, and food to over 1,000 families in the Kurdish city, Duhok, in northern Iraq. It also included enough powdered milk for all of the 1,015 babies under the age of 1. Many of those in the refugee camp are living in tents even though there were recent rainstorms flooding the camp and cold weather has caused temperatures to dip below zero. More Kurdish refugees are arriving each day from Turkey.

According to IsraAID, the Kurdish people "really love Israel." They were aware that the foods were coming from Israel and were so happy. The Kurds and Israelis have much in common--both are battling radical Islam and trying to promote democracy in the region.

IsraAID has provided help to disaster zones around the world, from Haiti's earthquake to Japan's tsunami.

 

NY Times Goes to Iran -- Ironic?

Article: The New York Times, one of the most trusted and celebrated sources of news in the world, is offering a 13-day trip to the "once-forbidden land of Iran" for $7000 a person. The New York Times' motto is "All the News That's Fit to Print" and prides itself as a bastion of liberalism. Yet they are not printing in their advertisement that Jews, gays, and anyone who has an Israeli stamp on their passport is not welcome on the trip. Kids: why? The purpose of the trip is to learn about Iran, yet the trip skips over Iran's desire to have an atomic weapon, its hosting of anti-Semitic conferences, its entrenched hatred of Jews and Israel, its public lashings and killings of gays and women, and its persecution of non-Muslims. Kids: why?

Kids: why is it ironic that the NY Times is sponsoring a trip to Iran if the NY Times also purports to support liberal values? (Parents, help unpack this question for your kids) What could be dangerous about going to Iran as a tourist? Why are people interested in going to Iran? Do you think an American trusted news source should promote a trip to a place that discriminates and persecutes Jews, gays and minorities?

The Ice Bucket Challenge to Cure Disease

Article: There is a big trend right now -- the Ice Bucket Challenge. People nominate a friend to take the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, which means posting a YouTube video of themselves being doused in ice water and hopefully then donating to research to find a cure for Lou Gehrig's Disease, a terrible neurodegenerative disorder which confines patients to wheelchairs and limits the ability to speak and breathe. Click here for a video of celebrities doing the Challenge. (Kids: have any of you seen this yet?)

While this Challenge is the new fad, many people don't know that Israeli researchers are helping look for the cure, doing stem cell treatments. They may have had breakthrough success, extracting stem cells from ALS patients, inserting chemicals into the cells, and then re-injecting the stem cells into the muscles and spines of the patients. The few patients who have had this treatment showed dramatic improvement within weeks in breathing, speech, even walking!  A cure may be on the way. 

Ebola Around the World

Article: Ebola, a deadly virus, is having its worst outbreak in history, mainly in Western Africa. It is spreading to other countries by people who visit West Africa--often as aid workers--and bring it back home with them. Ebola first presents as fever and stomach problems, but can quickly lead to death. As of now there is no vaccine for it. Ebola is not an air-borne virus, meaning you can't catch it by breathing the same air (like on an airplane) as someone who has the virus. It is caught through bodily contact or fluids, meaning someone who sneezes on you or touches you who is infected. Right now governments are working to keep those with the virus away from those without it and anyone who has come in contact with someone with Ebola is kept apart for 21 days--the time it takes for the virus to present itself. Obama is talking about screening people at the airport about where they have been and maybe even taking their temperatures (kids: why?) because fever is one of the first symptoms. Obama is not yet blocking flights from Africa (kids: why?) because aid workers need to get there.

Kids: what are ways to help the people in West Africa? Israel is sending three mobile clinics to Africa to help. Israelis will train local people on how to use the clinic equipment and treat others. In the coming months, IsraAID plans to send 30 medical personnel to West Africa to train people and help fight Ebola.

Happy Sukkot!

Chag Sameach! We are currently celebrating Sukkot, the Feast of the Tabernacles, where Jews traditionally build Sukkot or booths to "dwell" in for seven days like the Israelites wandering in the desert.

Here are some pictures of how Jews in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, celebrate Sukkot. Look at these pictures then compare them to where you live and how you celebrate the holiday. Look at things like dress, weather, where the sukkahs are placed, how people prepare for the holiday.Now look at these pictures from Sukkot in Jerusalem. And compare Brooklyn and Jerusalem to how your life.

Have a wonderful holiday!

Israeli Teenage Gymnasts Receive Silver Medal in Worldwide Competition

Article: Israel's national gymnastics team made a historical win this past week, taking home the silver medal in the 2014 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships. The event took place in Turkey and was the Israeli team's biggest win ever. The five Israeli girls, all teenagers, performed as a group in perfect synchronization. The girls are Alona Kushewtzki, Ida Meirin, Yuval Pilo, Katia Levin, Karina Lichber, Lihi Shuchtowitz. (A lot of these names sound Russian. Why might that be?) The girls didn't even make one mistake! They had been practicing for up to 10 hours a day, every day, before the competition. See the video of their performance. Congrats Israel!

Gmar Chatimah Tovah -- a Meaningful Yom Kippur

Tomorrow marks Erev Yom Kippur, the most holy day of the Jewish calendar. Ask your children:

• Why do grownups fast on Yom Kippur?
• What do we pray for? 
• What special prayers do you have for this Yom Kippur? 
• Watch this video, of the Lubavitcher Rebbe giving advice on Yom Kippur customs. Then speak about why the Rebbe suggests eating sweet cake (like honey cake) before Yom Kippur, and why someone who gives tzedakkah/charity receives more in return than the monetary value he gave.  

School: a History in the U.S.

My daughter asked me to do a "current event" on the history of schools: when did kids start going to school, etc. So here we go: 

For thousands of years, people have had the ability to read and write, though often it was only boys who were taught or only the elite. For instance, during Roman times, it is estimated that only 3% of Jews were literate (could read and write their names). In Medieval Europe, only the clergy were usually literate. The first "schools" were through institutions set up by the Church to teach their own.

Question #1: How many years ago did the first schools begin in the United States? 
Answer: 1635 (almost 400 years ago!) There wasn't even a U.S. yet, just British colonies. In 1690, the first textbooks were brought over from England.

Question #2: Where was the first public school? 
Answer: Boston (why was Boston probably the first place?). In 1642, the colonies made it a law that all colonies provide public education, however it was not free. Two hundred years later, by 1870, all states had free public schools.

Question #3: Who went to school initially? 
Answer: Only boys. (Why not girls? What were they doing?) Girls who did learn to read and write were usually taught at home, by tutors, and were part of the elite.

Question #4: Were there separate classes for each grade?
Answer: No, all classes were in one room, under the direction of one teacher.

Question #5: When did it become a rule that all kids had to go to school? 
Answer: By 1900 (a little over 100 years ago), almost all states required kids to go to school until age 14. (Why not 18?) Half of all kids at this time went to one-room schools.

Kids: what do you love most about school? What would you do if you didn't have to go to school?