8 Elul 5767 22 Elul 5767


THE SHPiEL
VOLUME 4 ISSUE 1
August 22, 2007 September 5, 2007


Bonnajoo: Notes from the kosher underground


GISELLEMAZUR here were
tens of thou-
asands of them,
& trudging along
Sm with their be-
S longings on
.E- their backs, the
S hot sun beating
down relentless-
ly on defenseless red skin. Some traveled
only minutes, many journeyed over days.
Finally, they came to rest in this land of
physical, emotional and spiritual freedom-
the hippie holy land.
Bonnaroo 2007 had begun.
While many may be familiar with the
free-love-drugs-hippie-Mecca, the Jew-
ish subculture of Bonnaroo is significantly
overlooked. The obvious parallels are quick
to spot- a long journey. A common desti-
nation. A home that consists of little more


than what can be carried. Even living in
a tent city; free from the frivolous mate-
rial possessions like the Bedouins. Clearly
these are loose parallels, but they line up
none the less.
The festival, as I discovered, is a very
conducive environment for all-out Jewry
(though the staunchest observers may be
forced to let down their payos a bit).
The ability to bring food bought else-
where into the park makes keeping kosher
simple enough.
For less devout followers, there are
plenty of booths that serve pork-free meals
and food that doesn't combine meat and
dairy. Keeping Shomer Shabbat is a little
more complicated, but most BonnaJews
leave a little room for flexibility. Walking is
the sole means of transportation, so avoid-
ing vehicles is easy. Camping out means no
electricity, so for mustering up enough will


power to keep from turning on that flash-
light, anyone can be observant. However, it
is not possible to avoid hearing the music
that floods the air and penetrates even the
hardiest and holiest of camp sites, but hey,
I mean this is Bonnaroo.


Of course, above all else there is the
-problematic task of attending services.
Fliers littered the campgrounds wel-
coming all who were interested to attend

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2


That's so Israel, Typical Tension '07


BYJOSH FLEET
SHPiEL staff writer

I look into Chovav Glick's eyes
and know his intelligence.
He tells a story about some Arabs
he knows from a neighboring town:
"My house is near the security wall
[outside of Jerusalem]. My father's a
doctor and helps out the Arabs from
this town sometimes. Then the Arab
men will come over sometimes and
they will fix things in our house."
He struggles for words occasion-
ally. He lived in Cleveland for several
years as a kid so his English is good.
The trouble is not a lack of skill. He
wants to convey not just the facts but
the right emotions.
"The older Arab men like 30 or
40 years old, they are happy to work.
They only want to feed their fami-


lies. The younger ones like 18, they're
more, eh," he searches.
"Radical."I help him.
"Yeah. Usually they won't work
for us. There was one time: one of the
older men brought his son with him
to work in our house. I thought,'OK,
cool, he wants to work.'The man's son
says, 'Yeah. I'm happy to work. I'm
happy to work here because one day
they will take this away from you and
I will live here.' He said this to me."
And he points at himself, laughing,
unsure.
Tension. His experiences with
neighboring Arabs are filled with it.
The ancient stone streets of Jeru-
salem are forever flooded with it. It's
the unifying, if underlying, aspect of
Israeli society, culture and politics.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 9


Cross-cultural mitzvah in the Ukraine


to provide shelter for


Past a weed-
riddled yard and
through a shabby
green gate,
barely hanging
on to its hinges,
a depressed and
impoverished
house struggles
the widowed, 80-


something-year-old Golde. The windows
are cracked and the wood on the house
is little more than termite fodder. Inside,
her house is comprised of an entry way, a
tiny square kitchen and a bedroom. The
bathroom is a metal pot in the kitchen;
the septic tank a shoveled hole in the back


yard.
For 10 days in June, 15 University of
Florida students helped rebuild many
homes like this one in the cities of Kharkov
and Konotop- cities shadowed by the Iron
Curtain that fell just 16 years ago.
Heading the group was Naomi Sage
of the Joint Distribution Committee-an
international Jewish charity organization-
and UF Hillel's Rabbi Yonah Schiller.
The UF participants assimilated with the
Kharkov Hillel and Beit Dan. The trip's
focus was community service and fusing
American and Ukrainian youth-culture.
But in a country where being Jewish was


CONTINUED ON PAGE 3


~.'~rs~RF~4-T~4~3~riCe~~F*~i~lb~I~?~
~
;r
ri I
i~
4
,-- :
i.- Z~L~C -~i`l-~L~6(p13+3~8~G~lllt~Sl~%i ~B*r LsF~B~AlllsBB~%s~li~' B
s,.
d











Letter from the editors:


Manchester, Jewnited


i3~p St3i{TfLe~r,



W6V3 56pwr <1 ij ha1, tA'5 If 9o ah Jlk)hw
T 6 a ppe-Ae-d A5 54FvI.e-1 -FroKt crazj road
t be,5f darm rL do-oo t6 5AiTC& Parl5jOf
5e-At- to He- peA. _-11We". -d e- edpeL55 -Fe.t arNd
Almmie-r trips (bth 4 A tca aI1.d n1Atapkufrca)L We- eVeu
rMfna aej toje St0" Worn dore-.
1 S31Te -1L' _9f it arm otdN Upia &-A ar, aTLc/
We- Lve- &of5 to &ooI -ForwarC/ to.
lAeJve- ope-ed the- -tffEIL Va* arld 04r bac4- i55ie-5
W*19 500 be- avaihabe- or- 04 we-b 5i-, the-3kpOe.or
A50rv, 5.e- I.e- -Face<- have- joirLe-d he- ra&5 op
Ahe- 5fI-{ThL edrte, iA1.cd4'i~ 3al1d --Ete ~ifw endt
-E6(or )anifeu e -rorre'-& t Ae- -rvte.- er ator of Ae-
?A~4yaor' *t arLd Ele arnrv+ 5e.OhofL, iAe-
rAVeAJe_, aitd J1acje- Ja40b, oir &reo .Fe~-ave-r.
35iij, we- are- Aarwaj .oorn -Tor &leW peopLe to
e-Ypeariw1et WrAf F-re-itt po &5lOfL. 1e_54're to PooP-
ir5cde -For de-taI6 o01 how o4 cai1Je-t itvo~ed.
-,1d re-ve-r &a5f- e-ar's 3tih-fL promofioriaa
pa Jlaa&1,Ule4V ar.c{ 3Orte- fLCr1urVtaai ? Po.Paroid'0 6 e4d L4
to bere-ve- We- hd a roc4rcjood/ -hnte-. qoU cat be-t tk5

,r Ae- pa&Tuj WiN be- aL e-j4af jorUJ45 ce.e&rafio&..
Artd tee-p rr e"r5 opeJL to A!he 5f-ee-t -For 5ore.
3t5-Pi-L 3porL5ore~d COreA e-ve-&t..
a4 in& A6 ari'd throg'1h it ak Wee- hope- We-'ve gJoteA
3i-fLr, tin.P&g ab0 the- eAd&e5 po5i3iMe-, For
Si .4re- to 1e- the- btc.5f j r te*-

laU the- C9AWat-be- WAe thoh


Ae- 3tth-01L
ctrf-orila 20ard


CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

"Shabbataroo"-a privately, run service held at one of the camp sites. Regrettably, I
was obligated to volunteer during the event so I can't vouch for its validity, but the mere
fact that it existed is
a testament to the
proud Jewish pres-
ence.


And no tribute
to Jewish culture is
complete without a
concerned, guilt-rid- :'
den Jewish mother, '
and this yiddishe
mama took the form
of singer, pianist and
guitarist Miss Re-
gina Spektor, who
commanded that we
drink plenty of water
and take care of our-
selves in the blister-
ing heat.
"I am Jewish, so
I have that whole
guilt-thing going,"
Spektor said, speak-
ing sincerely, to the ,
crowd."I worry about
each and every one
of you individually, *.
and there are 80,000
of you. That's a lot of
worrying, so please
take of yourselves." ..
On Monday .*
morning, the exodus
from the farm kicked
up so much dust and
dirt, the attendees
wrapped bandanas i
and scarves over their .-
faces like tefillin. As
we began our exodus '*" '
back to Gainesville,
I turned around to
look out the back
window for just one A flower child dances fr
last look..............................
Contrary to Lot's
wife, I'm still waiting to turn into a pillar of salt.


; '.-


4-r
~. . .
S!; d-


~ -2


eely during a Bonnaroo show.


The Only Student-Run Jewish Campus Newspaper in the Country, Right Here at the University of Florida
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .


E
0
>


Editor-in-Chief
Lori Finkel
Imfinkeleufl.edu

Managing Editor
Giselle M/azur
giselleleuuA.edu

News Editor
Joshua Fleet
joshlfeufl.edu


Scene Editor
Douglas Sharf
dsharf88@ufl.edu

Arts &L Entertainment Editor
Danielle Torrent
greeneoneeufl.edu

Executive Advisor/Mentor
Rabbi Yonah Schiller
ravyonaheufhillel.org


ChiefVisionary
Leo Stein
tintin@ufl.edu

Layout &L Design
Jackie Jakob
Sjjakob@ufl.edu
Tracy Flack
Tracyll5@ufl.edu


Israel Correspondent
Kimberly Gouz
kimgouzegmail.com

National Af fairs
Hilary D'Atngelo
hilarydeufl.edu
Corey Smith
corshaeufl:~edu


Pff rmaion-hed U M7`Pnfrmaion hevi
.0000








ones _. 0 mformatp
storyhead nfo: matoon-, --,yheadhes on
*000 *of 0 ee Soso 0 0 0 0 00 00 00 009 0*0 *000*000-0 0


back in the USSR

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

nearly impossible before 1991,
participants walked away with much more
than an education.
"Just seeing the conditions that the older
people live in breaks your heart,"said Jessica
Sharf, sophomore sociology major, "but
hearing their survival stories and finding
out that they are still making an effort to
express their Judaism...that is strength, that
is courage. That's inspiration."
The group uprooted Golde's entire
yard and painted around the windows-
but never felt that undeniable sense of
accomplishment that typically accompanies
altruism. Instead they felt only futility.
"I feel terrible," said Aaron Crespin; a
building construction sophomore. "We
worked all day and for what? This woman's
life isn't changed at all. We just painted her
windows."
Golde had put on make-up for the
occasion-it wasn't often she entertained
such young guests. From the look of the
cosmetics on her dresser, she probably
hadn't touched them in years.
There are thousands like her. Liza served
her country as a doctor for the Communist
government for 51 years. Now she gets a
government pension of $90 a month. Her
living conditions are similar to Golde's. She
lost her family in the Holocaust and was
widowed 10 years ago. Painting her walls is
a pitiful excuse for compensation, but the
real gift is the presence of young people.
Having the volunteers around brought
many smiles to the faces of the elderly, even
if only for a short while.
The JDC oversees and funds Hesed
centers around the world, especially
within the former Soviet Union. Elderly
Jews can apply for help from the Hesed
centers which provide a variety of services.
Volunteer Hesed workers bathe, cook and
clean for the elderly-5.2 million hours
of assistance since 1991. They send food,
winter relief and medical care.
The statistics are astounding,
with 950,000 food packages thus far.
Countering this depressing-but-real issue
of astounding poverty was the intrigue of
hanging out with Jews of the same age
from another part of the world. Some
spoke English well, some could barely get
by. Regardless, communication was not
half as much a problem as eating virtually
the same meal twice a day for 10 days. Oily
fish or chicken with roasted potatoes and
cucumbers, all showered in dill.
"I am the least picky eater in the world.
The only thing I can't do is dill. There
is dill on everything here. If I'm having
trouble with the food, everyone is," said
Scott Tankel, a political science and Jewish
studies junior.
Jewish life has grown rapidly since
Ukraine's independence from the Soviets
in 1991, and many Ukrainians have only


recently
begun to
discover their
Jewish roots
and become
involved .
with Jewish
organizations.
For most, the
Hillel and -
the Beit Dan
are Ukranian
c e n t r a 1
hangouts. The
Ukrainians
performed a
variety show
upon the -
Americans'
arrival to the ; .,...,:.. .'
Beit Dan that Doug Sharf shovels coal fi
included skits elderly in Konotop.
and dancing.
Dancing is a
cultural favorite. Several of the Ukrainians
in their mid-20s were in a professional
break-dancing troupe. All of the social and
volunteer activities were done alongside the
Euro-peers and international friendships
were sealed.
Although the trip was primarily
in Kharkov, the second biggest city in
the country, three days were spent in
K6notop. Running water is a luxury in the
small town of about 95,000 where public
water pumps are still needed. The students
were there to see a small Jewish village that
is fueled by passion alone to survive.
According to the unofficial leader
Gregory, the village has grown from very
few to several hundred Jews. The fire in
their hearts was palpable during a small


.. S'.., photo courtesy of Doug
or the The UF volunteer group poses under a gazebo they erected at the Jewish
Center in Konotop.


Klezmer concert that welcomed the UF
students to the village. To leave their mark
in Konotop, the students built a-playground
at the Jewish center. A few went to shovel
coal into a cellar for a widow who pleaded
for them to take her money for their work.
What hit many UF students hardest
was the Holocaust memorial. To see a
memorial in a village where there are only
several hundred Jews and very little money
was an inspiration to carry on Judaism that
cannot be explained. This inspiration took
form when the group planned their follow
up mission for the coming school year: a
charity effort dubbed Adopt A Babushka
(Russian for grandmother or old lady). The
goal of the program is to raise, awareness
of the plight of the impoverished old Jews


and to raise at least $7,000. to send to the
Hesed in Ukraine. This sum is sufficient to
aid about 10 elderly clients for a year. To
reach their goal, the group is organizing an
on-campus goods drive, letter campaigning
and presentations in Jewish communities
and Hebrew Schools all around Florida.
It difficult to understand the hardships
suffered in the world unless they are
witnessed first hand. Ihe least an individual
can hope for is to inspire other privileged
people to visit these real-life tragedies and
then encourage others to do the same.
The volunteers took this lesson to heart,
and all left enlightened with the fact that
sometimes to change your life, you have
to help change the life of someone less
fortunate than yourself.


-.--..-'-
.... .-. . .. .. """ -
-. .. -, ... ~ ... i .. .... ... .. -
.~. .' ._ "






0a

opomons, We as opflonsdeas
.............* ** ** ..........................*e ....-* *


Cafla pwJJ

Ask me what
I did all summer,
and I'll feed you
the automatic
response: I
migrated to
Chicago, had fun,
made friends,
blah blah blah.
But my mind is
just itching to you,
Tony the Tiger style, that I finally lost my virginity:
"I had S-S-S-S-S-SEX, and it was G-G-G-G-G-
G-G-GREAT!"
Yes, just two months shy of 21, I finally I lost my
V-card. On a queen-sized air mattress in a cramped
room with a real live boy, two weeks before I left to
come home. .
OK, so the g-g-great part wasn't exactly true. I mean
the boy was fine (not that I had much to compare it
S to, G-d save his ego). Sure it hurt, but not as bad as I
expected.
No, unlike the horror stories I've collected, I didn't
'take it like ripping off a Band-Aid'as one friend's story
went, or scream in (literally) bloody pain like another.
Nor did I suddenly 'become a woman,' sprout
golden wings and transform into a divine goddess
possessing i fir it. i'.ir'.i orldly knowledge.


And unlike cheesy after school specials, we didn't
breathily whisper "I love you" to each other in some
dramatic manner for a falsified sense of comfort.
Yes we liked each other and had gotten to know
each other, and I wasn't pressured into it. We had
talked about having sex, but I decided when it would
happen. So then one night it happened- cautiously
and carefully. Less sexy, more matter-of-factly. This is
how you have sex. This is how sex works.
Afterward, I didn't feel any different except that I
can now understand what the greatest love songs are
all about, why rap videos are so especially offensive and
why they say that breaking up is hard to do.
Because as he put it, my leaving Chicago was
like we were forced to break up due to circumstances
beyond our control.
I had another year to finish up at school, and he
would go back to his job at a ski resort in Colorado,
one Emergency MedicalTechnician's degree richer. We
had agreed not to do the long distance thing, but we'd
keep in touch. And contrary to everyone's predictions
'(Mother), we have.
Still, everyone was right about one thing- the
first few times suck. I became afraid that I, a girl with
such high sexual energy, creativity and curiosity, would
never enjoy sex.
"I want it to feel good for you, I want to make
you happy," he said, as we werc .jir.2 at it. Now I


understand why some girls fake- it. Look, if you really
want to make me happy, you'd magically make it stop
hurting and start feeling awesome. But like everything
else in life, practice makes perfect.
Once knocked off, you've gotta climb back up on
the proverbial horse. Just like riding a. bike. A bird
in hand is worth two in the bush. Two wrongs don't
always make a right, and when life hands you lem-
So I spent my last night in Chicago at his place
climbing back up on that proverbial horse. Completely
magnificent- I'm totally sold. Maybe it was the
whole, "We may never see each other again" thing
that heightened arousal, but it worked. The sex was
gorgeous and I enjoyed it thoroughly...twice.
Most of my friends were between 14 and 18 when
they lost their virginities, so after comparativelywaiting
so long, you can imagine the pressure built up to lose
mine in just the right way.
But I wouldn't have wanted to lose it any other way.
And it just goes to show you: keep your shirt on, and
don't get your panties in a twist because patience is a
virtue.


Game Show Network's popular show "Without Prejuice?" is not without


FARYN HART I had just
returned from a
summer in India
&. during which I
was temporar-
Sily freed from a
constant grapple
with preconcep-
tions and stereotyping. In South Asia I was
welcomed by those honoring the custom
ofAthithi Devo Bhava, Guest is God. Ac-
cording to the custom, wherever you went,
people treated you like God. I would be
floating benightedly if I thought this was
a selfless characteristic of an entire society,
as most civilizations have a history of wars.
and a presence of xenophobia. But it was
still magnificent to feel instantly accepted
and treated with respect and genuine love
without initially having to prove anything
or create a favorable impression.
And after those liberating weeks I
stepped off the plane at JFK airport and
through the security check after which the
frisking long continued.
While getting an updated TV fix I dis-
covered a new game show on the Game
Show Network, "Without Prejudice?" For
those of you who have been lucky enough


to miss out on this painstakingly para-
doxical waste of air time, the show abuses
the very vice it wishes to abolish. I guess
the use of the question mark gives them
authority for this. Five contestants sit in
a green room awaiting the possibility of
being granted $25,000 if they can simply
outwit a panel and seem needy or desirable
enough. The first contestant is booted after
an unimpressive self introduction and the
hopefuls are whittled down after we find
out about their background, education, oc-
cupation, opinions on certain controversial
issues and a hidden camera test on ethics.
"It is up to you," the show said, to deter-
mine whether prejudice was a factor in the
panel's judgement. "Discuss amongst your-
selves until the next program begins."
I am not sure if it was the unsuccess-
ful, close-minded program or the adver-
tisements during the show that bothered
me more. During the first "business with
America" break my sitting room.fell silent
for at least a full minute after an advert for
The Council on American-Islamic Rela-
tions. The ad had three citizens dressed in
stereotypical Muslim attire declaring their
service to the country and the slogan "I am
an American Muslim."


I'find it tragic that prejudice is some-
thing that has to be so directly addressed
and corrected while we waste away in front
of the box that entertains by caricaturing
and satirizing ethnicity.
It is the mystic pursuit of enlighten-
ment that desires an existence free from
burdens of the mind: beliefs, opinions, ide-
als, concepts. I don't expect the nation to sit
together chanting for an hour a day. All I
ask is for a convincing argument as to why
the intolerance exists.
What made the Aryan of the ancient
Indus Valley Civilization the apotheosis -
the mold- while all others deemed worthy
of subservience or disadvantage?
In another 30-second slot during the
program's advertisements actress Julianne
Moore calls to "Promote Freedom; Embrace
Equality" in a public service announcement
for the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against
Defamation. See, even the famous people
are doing it it must be cool.
I am sorry if I have unfairly judged any-
one in my attempt to voice one of the very
few things that bothers me, but I simply
don't understand why one would limit one's
view when there is so much beauty to en-
joy.


If there is anything I bring to share, as
a former citizen from a newly freed South
Africa, it is the appreciation of Ubuntu.
This concept (disregarding just for a mo-
ment my enlightenment), a humanist ap-
proach to allegiance and relationships, is
explained by Desmond Tutu who coined
the term "Rainbow Nation" to describe
the young democratic country as such: "A
person with Ubuntu is open and available
to others, affirming of others, does not feel
threatened that others are able and good,
for he or she has a proper self-assurance
that comes from knowing that he or she be-
longs in a greater whole and is diminished
when others are humiliated or diminished,
when others are tortured or oppressed."
We honor those like Elie Wiesel, Mar-
tin Luther King Jr., Emmeline Pankhurst,
Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Abra-
ham Lincoln and even Bono, who actively
fought (or fight, to include our mono-
nymed hero) for equal rights and justice
for the silenced, if not to make the world
a better place and accelerate our journey to
utopia, then to work on the ego and cure
xenophobia.
Or at least ensure that fourth graders
quote you in their oral history reports.


-" .... .. .. ...... . -. ..
..7..7............


A .







01 0 0 0 0

opmnonsgpuons
~ .000000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0


The Desert Within


LEO STEIN


, t


Iv i4
Tfi^ .


After a year of
making the Israeli
desert my home, I
had to come back
to Gainesville
to finish college.
While there, get-
ting closer to the
Bedouins, my Is-


raeli heritage, and the real Israeli/Palestin-
ian conflict meant more to me than having
a typical study-abroad experience.
To begin, it's amazing how naive Amer-
icans are about Israel. While I was away
I got all these e-mails asking about my
health. Did I feel as threatened as the cor-
porate American media trained me to feel?
From my experience, living in Israel never
felt dangerous. My Arab friends taught me
a lot about myself, and the truth is that al-
most everyone here wants a peaceful two-


coming up with a territorial solution.
There's also something quite special
about the desert. When most people think
of Israel they picture the holy land as Je-
rusalem or the metropolitan Tel Aviv, but
they've got it all wrong. Most of the coun-
try is made up of desert which is where I
felt the most spiritually connected. It makes
sense why all the Zionist Americans immi-
grate to the classic Jerusalem but imagine if
there were no malls, bright lights or ancient
holy sites. There's nothing except canyons,
rocks and sand (oh my). Instead of looking
at all the things around you, you see your-
self. When the night comes, you can't see 5
feet in front of you. You are wrapped in a
blanket of silent darkness.
As a rabbi once told me, you need to
go out there and scream out to the heavens
with all your heart and hear the echo rever-
berate for miles.


residual withdrawal symptoms make me
ache for a fix. It takes some time to get used
to the materialism, junk food and party
world that I'd forgotten so quickly. Having
to buy a watch at Target, I couldn't help but
notice all the anorexic girls posing for fash-
ion merchandise and pretending that this
was beauty.
Beautiful was watching the 65-year-old
Arab Druze woman make me hummus
and promise me that I'd eat until I couldn't
move.
Beautiful was waking up on the molded
desert sand and walking all day just to find
the house where they made the best dried
mangos ever tasted. Some day, I'll find
my way back and maybe do some organic
farming there.
The return flight was filled with Birth-
right kids who just spent 10 days circling
around Israel. They gabbed on about all of


I wi
...
,,....




4 '
.:'.: .* .. ... '

,,.... .Y; ^-*.. *




In the Negev, the Bedouins play music long into the wee hours of the morning. Music is a large part of the spiritual desert
experience.
.................... ...,...........,..........'.............,....,...". .-...................................


state solution, save for ultra-Orthodox
Jews and fundamentalist terrorists. It's so
tiring to hear opinions from the people
who've never even lived in Israel explain
what needs to be done and how the coun-
try should be run. When you spend some
time there, you see how all sides screwed
up and that the issue runs way deeper than


As a Bedouin shepherd told me, you
need to stand still while the sand storm
flows through and paints your body with
the earth. The Bedouins tell a million sto-
ries and poems about the desert and the
closer I felt to the desert the more con-
nected I felt to my faith.
Now that I'm back in the States, these


(Ef E PaulKennedy
COi fMin 'n f I ) 0 Service Manager
business telephone systems paul@kennedycomimunication.com
& da6a networking direct: 386487.1525

',,, ,'. r,,l, :r, -;|T|
4131Nw I ,'h.', .', .. f J. ,: ; 2 ,;;1' 5
S'....' 310i 5W34 o, a9O, ,a 3474 'p. 235369.7372
-.426 SWCrnCU., 45, iae Cl 3225*p. 36,752.9765
tz -H11*MB ascwau~aaa22* ,w2's


the touristy sites most Israelis have stopped
paying much attention to. I wanted to tell
them, "You don't understand. It is so much
more than that. It is where we return to
ourselves." I wanted to scream to them,
"The heart of Israel beats within us-even
when we're physically too far to embrace
it."


CONSTRUCTION CO.
Proud Supporters of
Hillel at UF and The ShPiel


Definition: He-brew Semitic
language of ancient Hebrews, read from
right to left.

In Judaism, letters are more than just
pieces put together to form words- they
are a guide to a much more complex
underlying message.

Take the word ann (emet). Simply
translated, this word means "truth."
The first letter x (aleph) also happens
to be the first letter of the Hebrew
alphabet.
The middle letter n (mem) falls in
the middle of the alphabet.
The last letter n (tafj is the last letter
of the alphabet.
"Truth," therefore, represents the
alphabet we rely on to convey what we
know to be true, or the alphabet we use
to explain what we do not know to be
true.
Beyond literary .beauty, even
grammatically these letters are more
like symbols that represent structures,
names and phases.
Look at xnn again. What happens
when we take out the x symbol, our
crowning beginning? We're left with
nn, which means to "die."When we are
void of where we came from or absent
of our foundation, then we're living an
empty truth. Without our crown, we're
not really living anymore, since it is our
crown which creates. us (and not the
other way around). So we should live
with Nnn, and encompass all of what
we are and what we may be. -


Living in a town like Gainesville that
is void of certified kosher restaurants or
even a decent-sized kosher section at
the grocery store, sticking to a heeb-
friendly diet can be tricky. But there are
ways to check if the food you purchase
is up to standards with the man (or
woman) upstairs.
There are a few big rabbinical
institutions that certify if a food/drink is
the real-Hebrew-deal or not. When you
go shopping, check for these Jew-legit
symbols on the packaging somewhere:



You may come across other "kosher
supervision" signatures by different
rabbinic establishments, but these are
the most common. Sometimes there
are letters next to the symbol: D=Dairy,
P=kosher for Passover, Pareve=not dairy
or meat. Oh, and don't expect pig meat,
shellfish, or Jell-O to be part of the
club.


:~.': ;. ~ A
;JIM ; A ;,111
'''''''''''&0









places sounds places sounds sights




Bagels Unlimited "-
2022 SW 34th St. t. p *-' :--
(352) 372-7006 ';-
You know how Jews love their
bagels with lox and shmear. Bagels
U limited makes fresh bagels daily .
and also serves up some of the best t.T--
damn eggs and'taters around.


Farah's on the Avenue
1120 W University Ave.
(352) 378- 5179
For middle eastern cuisine and quality hookah
smoking (not like those Hookah Hut jokers)
there is no better place in town. And the bar
isn't half-bad either.



Hillel
2020 West University Ave.
.(352) 372-2900
Other than being the mother ship, Hillel's Caf6
Jerusalem offers the only kosher dining in town.
Also check out the Hillel Sports lounge and the
OY Vev Cate.


Krishna Lunch
Plaza of the Americas
Weekday afternoons
Um, $3 all-you-can-eat and it's vegetarian which means
no worries about pork or that whole'cooking in the
milk of the mother'thing.


Ward's Supermarket
515 NW 23rd Ave.
(352) 372-1741
The store is locally owned. The produce is locally grown.
You will never look at grocery shopping the same way.


D'Lites Emporium
4216 NW 16th Boulevard
(352) 375-4484
Other than Hillel, the only place in town serv-
ing certified kosher desserts ... and they're oh so
delicious.


Satchel's Pizza
1800 NE 23rd Ave.
t352) 335- 7272
The environment alone is worth the
trip. This groove' Gainesville hot spot
has the best pizza in town... and se-
riously, who doesn't want the chance
to eat in a converted '65 Ford Falcon
van? While there, be sure the check
out Lightnin' Salvage out back.


Good Eats


Union Street Farmer's Market
Sun Center Downtown
With live acoustic music, fresh produce, hand-
made jewelry and clothes, the market is a good.
time even if you aren't looking to shop.






The Atlantic
15 N Main St.
1'.52) 264-9844
Indie Dance Partr on Thursday
nights is the only place you can
break it down like you are danc-
ing naked in front of your mir-
ror and not feel selt-conscious.


lhe Civic Media Center
1021 W Unidversit Ave.
152) 373-0010
Despite their pro-Palestine, ann-Zionist literature, we have
to give them street cred for screening controversial films and
hosting commurntl classes, as well as sponsoring many com-
mnuniti arts and entertainment projects.

Common Grounds
211) SW 2nd Ave
t352) 372-7320
The biggest and best venue in town, CC's is host to most
major bands that come to rown and you never have to worry
about a dress code.


Hear Again CD
818 W runmversi;
(352) 373-1800


Hyde and Zeke
402 NW 10th
S 1352) 376-1687


Wayward Coun
807 W Universi
(352) 335-0800




The Downtown Comnunity
111 E University Ave.
With all sorts of free concerts
festivals, the plaza is perfect tc
evening on the town.

Tim and Terrv's
1417 NW 1st Ave
(954) 373-3786
This old house was converted
store and venue, and is sure to
plethora of colorful characters
amazing music. It is the best I
for quality bluegrass and jam-
runes.

The Hippodrome State Theal
25 SE 2nd Place
(352) 375-4477
For great plays, musicals, shov
toreign or independent movie
Hippest place to be

, --.- . .. .'-- ... .


L



~-


r- ..
I







ptas sounds places sounds sights
. .IE..--- .------ -- --.------- -u- .-----.------------*---------


Gal


es


Records


Video Rodeo
1119 \V University Ave
(352i 356-1S790
For those times when the only
cure is a night of Mel Brooks and
Woody Allen all topped off with a
Jew-tastic screening otfJesus Camp.


Book Lover's Cafe
505 NW 13th St.
(352) 384-0090
Super discounted novels and a vegetarian
cafe, this place is an awesonm locale to
study or jit relax.

Goerings Book Srore,
717 NW 1st Ave.
i352) 377- 3703
Better book deal than the campus store
and a chilled \ibe that is great tfr just
hanging -out.


Shopping


Flashbacks Recycled Fashions
509 NW 10th Ave
t3521 375-3752
For those times when the idea of going
to Goodwill or SaJly gives you the heebie
jeebies, this second-hand store is first
rate.


The Salvation Army
55 NW 23rd Avenue
(352) 373-7597
Okay, yes, this is a Christian
organization, but the sweet
deals on furniture will be a
iodsend when decorating
)o)Lr nIew pad.


Lori and Giselle got this
couch for just $2.50 at Salvy.
They also got a sweet deal
on a Sylvania 20-inch fiat
screen TV!DVD combo for
$100 when buy.com lists it
at $268.99!


I


S Inc.
Ave.


Plaza
series and
r a low-cost


nto a nmIsic
host a
and sorme
lace in town\
land 'rpe

re

s and
It's the


Entertainment


''






00 ,O .. 00 00

* 50op in6o n d a s 5d. eses0 sj
0000," Goo .6600906 .:-'. I i .i.,.


(


(


6e// oi,

doZ don)'z a 6LLOdY
BY DEREK BERNSTEIN

D ear Pronfe;,iona Spor~ t 7 Fan Owoners,
My nane is and I am a huae sports
fan. ae fSUreted fhh-ocut ran. I know /7o if -ees to
3et a sun AMurn onj Us one sde omy -face, and .TVe paid
\0o f1or a hot dog and co/a. here isn' a p/ace X d rather
e on a Sandc--he// any day ~ending in Y"- than oaZd a my
avoritZe profesiona/ sspo5pis venue.
/o.wever, Zam wr;0t;ng tZo e// you "taZ .1 a-m disapqpo;ined.
Disappointed in a// of you ecse yoou hae put you1-
pyc.hec'Js in ot of your ans.
ha7t' 5s ;n a name? A.oua/d a rose Jy any ot/ her name
nme// as Stoee ? i )e//, /eZd mie Ze// you /f a rose Zwas ca//led
M~e A1ier'ican A'-r/ine Arena ;I' coCa/d 1me// horr,-/e.
4Aou. as horrtA/e as Mhe names o/f arenas and s4adiays
f~ai p/a ue ocr proofess,'ona/ sports.
Cou/d you imagine G-nway Par- Aein Ca//ed 1/ad Press
and Se1a/ Ffe/d, olr AMadison iuapae ,art-den Aecomi, n "Mr.
C/ean Arena?' V ;Z;er- n T.
But as Z /oo1,C across the ncton T- am saddened t'o see
SfadiU'vS Lvk'h na/'nes.of cf.o orrta'ons Sra.imped aw--oSS z'he
1 -on of/' t/e ,u;/d;,n%.
My adi-;r-atCon of sports i dampened to /nozi haZMd /
favor' e sports tZea'ms va/ae Z'e Aoonom do//ar ,core Mhan
'eeping tZMe myS,'5~ece oCf ee pr-ofession/ game.
6t1owin up in Or/ando, I /oved going to t'e *0 'ena.
The stad;m m/y Magic p//ayed in represented 'he ci ty /ived
in and /oced and made /me fee/ proud to e a fan.
N/c/Oiow when I /oo, up at 'hat DU//dng, i i;s draMed in a
whi;t'e Ztap tZhad reads 7/) ualerhoUse. "The o/d stad4um,'
,'// Soon Ze e-raed, and zti/ s aeie eVen /&,Voreo youn,
fears W eoase a ine n hen do/opa ,- 51o ian5 eoo6 a zacol( seae
to a an S ez'pe/-irenc.e.






your t'eams Mha.d go for- hundreds of m///;ons of doll//ars.
)lt/ not" use thad ,Money to prevent s-tadi',,,s fr'o/7m
sec(ohin, /,'-/e ,ore than otl/-shaped i//Aoafrds? ,/a,,e
zhei7 a/t'er your rand chI/dren, ~'he a/s5y he// any'hmin other
S,'han Zthe oh-SlDo-/ean'nefu/ //ee ,e/d.
Zf/you 1 a/Ce ,:;s pac ZIpron;-se o0 a/ua/se s;i -hrouh
rain de/lays, qe-' sunzurtned aun'i/ y fae pee/s and .2 //eVen
keep aynI; tzosehe outraweous/y priced hot' does.
yicned a /oya/ and disappo;-ined &fan,


TARGET COPY

oPEN 24 HOURS

Mitch Bayer
Customer Relations
(352) 538-9903
mitch@target-copy.com


(~;//;n na1/e here),


: ~S -:,: *
.. A S.,.:a b 'g~~~"i


(


Thinking Outside the Lox

with Rabbi Yonah
I am random parking lots and rest stops when-
not sure of ever I stopped to open the back hatch to
the hour excavate some deeply embedded item. Us
Sor where wandering Jews, we traveled to 22 states
exactly I and 10 major cities. Oh, and of course,
was when the most precibus cargo-our three kids,
my wife all under the age of 6, the youngest at 18
Allison, months young.
God bless There are so many stories to share, and
her soul, though I won't do that now, what I will say
first told is that the trip was not a disaster. In fact,
me about The Insane Idea. Now, I consider it was amazing. There were the backseat
myself a risk-taker, and I generally don't flare-ups, where.all the kids simultaneously
shy away from a new experience for fear worked themselves into a crying crescen-
of harm. However, The Insane Idea struck do-a symphony of red-faced fury. Yet, so
me with a terror similar to the fear I felt infrequent were these episodes that they
as a younger man when encountering my were almost funny.
eighth grade 230-pound crazed enemy, Touring on the road, I had the chance to
Tony Callis. My first religious experience see which food I found to be essential, what
was when he miraculously allied himself clothes I actually wear and what thoughts
with me when we started high school, continually resurface. As travelers, we have
The scariest thing about The Insane an improved ability to sniff out who we are,
Idea was that is was born from my wife. In what are our dreams, our goals and what we
terms of plans, she doesn't get ideas-she think is important. Traveling seems to have
gets decisions. At the moment I heard The the unique ability to bring out what's most
Insane Idea, I knew that was exactly how pertinent in life. We are now in the Jewish
we were going to be spending our summer month of Elul, a time when we try to take
vacation, all 230 pounds of it. a hard look at ourselves as we head towards
And indeed, after a brief obligatory Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. Perhaps
"discussion" about the wisdom of such a this is one of the reasons why the Jews are
plan, we began packing our car with tents supposed to wander. I think JRR Tolkien
(2), clothes (approximately 200 articles), a said it best, "Not all those who wander are
cooler, reading material (to keep the adults lost." Whether we are on the road or just
human), children's books on CD (a bunch: travelling around in our thoughts, this year,
to keep the kids quiet), camping stove, -let's get a better sense of who we are and
beach toys (kept to minimum), diapers where we want to go.
(never can have too many) and much much
more. On many occasions our overstuffed Questions? Comments? A topic you want
car elicited a "glad I'm not you" chummy addressed? Hit up Rabbi Yonah at
laugh or a self-righteous smirk in dozens of ravyonah@UFHillel.org.


.----- -
~''''i' ''c-:~~-:~ r` :~~ rEr~~ ;~-
.~... rir
; .; ~n-.~li_R~~r~:' Irl~~ e:*:t*'.r'5tl..:
.1






0 0 0 0 0f 0

weas o.pons. apdeas pn oiii
0006 ..S. .. .@S0 0 000000 SS S SI-@ @ SS O @ OOO O @ @ @ @ @ O *O *O @ S O S S e5


same schtick, new


season


CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

And this summer was no different.
June saw virtual civil war in Gaza. After
weeks of bloody infighting, Hamas suc-
cessfully kicked out their Fatah counter-
parts and set up home base there. Fatah
withdrew to the West Bank.
Palestinian National Authority Presi-
dent Mahmoud Abbas then dissolved the
Palestinian unity government which had
only been established in March. From
there, Abbas called a state of emergency.
Now, fear that Hamas may attempt to gain
control over the West Bank mounts. Ten-
sion abounds.
On the streets of Jerusalem a proposed
gay pride parade in late June. 2007 drew
thousands of marchers as well as thou-
sands of ultra-Orthodox protesters. A po-
lice force of 7,000 was deployed to ensure


the marchers' safety.
Days before a similar parade was set
to take place in September 2006, the ul-
tra-Orthodox actually rioted in the streets,
setting fire to dumpsters and blocking traf-
fic. This time incidents of violence and de-
struction- were less apparent, though one
protestor was arrested after Israeli police
found a makeshift explosive device on him.
The man said he aimed to blow up the de-
vice along the parade route.
Further- south at the border of Egypt,
Israel now faces a moral dilemma that is
turning into both a tense societal and major
security issue. As refugees from the Dar-
fur region of Sudan flee genocide, they are
turning more and more to Israel for help.
Earlier this summer, the number of
people entering the country through this
border grew. Many kibbutzim in the Negev
region of Israel welcomed the refugees into


their communities and empathized with
their plight. Israel was after all founded
"out of the ashes" of another case of mass
genocide-the Holocaust.
But still, the citizens of Darfur come
from a fundamentalist Islamic country that
is on Israel's enemy list. And the addition
of so many non-Jews threatens the status of
the Jewish majority (the Jewish percentage
of the population pie is already decreasing
due to Arab birth rates) that the Jewish
state is naturally expected to maintain.
On top of this, as word -spreads of Is-
rael's treatment of refugees from Darfur,
Africans from countries other than Sudan
are traveling to the Egypt-Israel border.
They see opportunity on the other side of
the fence. Israel sees a growing threat to its
ever-shaky security.
Chovav, who recently wed and finished
with his army service, tells me of a tradition


in Israeli families to say a special prayer for
newborn children. It's a prayer of hope that
in 18 years the child will grow up and need
not face compulsory military service. His
parents said it to him and-he will say it to
his unborn. It's a prayer of hope for peace.
It's a prayer for a time without so much
turmoil.
Not much is certain in Israel. This sum-
mer, as over every summer of its near 60
years of existence, tension was assured. Ev-
ery relationship, every conversation, every
word, every breath tightly wound, perpetu-
ally on the verge of snapping. Israelis and
Arabs. Jews and Muslims. Haredi (reli-
gious) Jews and secular. New immigrants
and Sabra natives. Radical youth and be-
nevolent old, radical old and innocent
youth, radical right and far left. Labor and
Likud. Hamas and Fatah.
And still, they all pray.


77 7



4~TT-r .:1 X-1


,en I


4500 Newberry Road
Gainesville, FL 32607
phone: 352-336-6037


W.W. Gay
Mechanical Contractor, Inc.

FLORIDA (904) 388-2696

Jacksonville
Gainesville Orlando St. Augustine
Little Rock, AR


'* 1
.. -. :' ..: ... 1.
.~-I. .i. r-.
i.~. t'b' : r. u~i:
L."rr ~-~ ;1~. t.


Drasn osnbr


IF







newsletter schtfschtuff
o t @ o g o to loo o4 J O ooooo 40OO OO OOO O@ OI 00 @@ OO OO OO OO IOO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO


* AFwiys-On Inlernel connection
* Down lods up lo 12 Mbps ( -w,~ rfl hun DSL!)
* 1 GB of e-mail storage per account
* FREE security software


/ A'w 9P//T42. cA/tE
Access lo up lo 240 hannds
No fong term contracts or equipment lo buy
Free standard cable on additional TVs
SAccess to Pay-Per-View and On DEMAN D


r r '%


S~~- ,


01P rt. i
-P K. '
C:^/nwL~m^a~^^avs^-? .%^ K-^ t^? k +^^ a.^.i ^^* h I i^rf 'C;%s
i.^ m si^?a :^**9s'ie:*'4^~~"1' ~ l'sS-^&g a'A^ ^a aa^ '~"r^ tfl s^vs "' ;s


!.Fr j- Km i ,':"


.. ..M -.. .i 'n r,,', ,s ;M
-A, n,, rn ;, .rA &'


RPRESTON


E ^ ^SS'?' 1- O i I? '
L ,ECTRIC, IN_.*
SJay Lnkenhelt
E iay -y' cpresicnir tie-l.eic cnll
4000 S.W. 35th Terrace ainesvmIe, 1PL 32sf i
Vorirr i' 352 73-3'i Fi; 1,5a-X5-38;8ii


SWEETWATER W
~~, OR ",_ GANIC COFFEE ROASTERS

&:.t-rK Thinking Globally-Roasting Locally.


100% iuretsiaae 6 n .- Organic
-_-'-', %- 3sAg faitea feiroom. ra6ica
ARTISAN ROASTED & FAIRLY TRADED


.7, ;., ...--
S- '

FOR -iE BET OFFICE
EQUiFENT '1 7
C O .F-1', X Pg, rT S C A
MIKE SANjJLZ 352-377-5817

i .j C: *


.: . ', "%: .i' ,'. *: K ^ ;^ .' ;


II



L %';:;


Personalize products for YOUR business or or-
ganization, and boost exposure by generating
name reccgniti~r, Premier is your source for
everything custom. We offer a complete de-
sign and printing solution for all your apparel
and accessory needs.


'


i


-


~~
~


r- .~.






0 P
--.:;.mu rrnsic fu
I ).(q.I.'~I~Ifh11 hI:IHr' huir
.................... q~. ............................................ .w~ ................


A SoCalled Jewish I
I M Uy G-d is
GISELLE ZU going to kick your
m" G-d's ass."
It sounds like
U *something an -
Syear-old would yell
e on a playground.
S0Cona it's the
Actually, it's th
opening yri ,
nr SoCalled (ak

sh Dlgin)'s song these are the Goo
D oy \gof bu m G hettoblast t
Old Days, off his fourth album
released June 12. ent Jewish arti
SUnlike other pro s me watched only
SoCalleds sense of humor is m h
s talent.'The self-proclaimed necorment
from Canada is a witty social commetst
While his music has Jewish roots, it's
VVle his musicd some parents m
necessarily religious, and e due to s
even find him inappropriate use tord
allusions and the occasional ur seay
us college-aged Yids, he is exactly
doctor ordered. Yiddish culure ar
His emphasis on s t-f-ts
f theiddsh language begs a tip-ft
For years the dialect was treated as a
y slangra and only recently have
class language and nng their
people started rec'ing


SoCalled's pride in his roots is a refreshingly positive
representation ofJudaism in the mainstream.
"I'm this little white Jewish dude living in the
country," SoCalled said, in j
a press release. "It doesn't J I :! ,
make sense for me to rap '
about guns, cars and hos. I. i
o I'm not going to rap about J
a hos. What should I make
d music about? I should try '
,r, to represent who I am."
The most unique aspect .
sts of SoCalled's musical
by styling is his sampling
boy of klezmer music. In
itor. an interview posted on
not YouTube he explained
eightt that most DJs like to
sexual sample rap, hip-hop
.For and salsa music because
t the they have a distinct,
funky groove. He said
id use it was important to
he-hat. use traditional Jewish '.
econd- music .to introduce it
young to the world and show
heritage even an accordion or a clarinet player
can rock with the best. Ghettoblaster also
features a plethora of underground MC's, a 92-year-
ld lounge singer and even a Hasidic children's choir.


When I began -digging for samples I found
these oldJewish records, and theywr a Clue about

t alnky old tradition that had been forgotten"
Cantorial music.. a press release."Yiddish theatre,
th records ha ll kinds ofweird sounds... and
the records had the most amazing breaks. And I

realized that Icould make my
thpem. p--y music--from
them."
SoCalled has performed
with the likes of C Rayz
: Walz, Iillah Priest,
Matisyahu Fred Wesley
B -1 Susan r y
us Hoffman-Was,
S Frank London and Irving


""" SOCalled
Sr ields. Tie was also

t: "c'g ah documentary
-''. 'tracking his experiences
on the first ever klezmer
7 -. cruisehat traveled the
S: Dneiper River in the
S; Ukraine from Kiev to
.Odessa. isen,
his first album, won
S the German Crics
Prize for World Music
Album of the Year in
Seder a Pa2003. Both 2be SoCa/ed
der assover seder dinner soundtrack- and
ueme-ies are also critical acclaimed.
For more information on SoCall ed, visit his
Web site at http://vww.soc aledmusi sitom.


Tonya Blackman
TERRITORY MANAGER
Phone: (800) 258-2861
Fax: (877) 942-4135
www.myserviceoffice.com
e-mail: t.bllakian@serviceffice.eonm


SUSAN NEUGROSCHEL, GRI, CRS
REALTOR-ASSOCIATE'
(352) 372-5375 BUS., (800) 755-0086 TOLL FREE
(352) 371-1526 FAX
(352) 376-0839 RESIDENCE
(352) 870-1722 CELL
susanneug@aol.comn


M. M PARRISH,
REACTORS"
3870 NW 83rd Street
Gainesville, FL 32606
Each Ollice Is Independently
Owned And Operated. wwv.mmparrish.comn


g.r





1r 0
afte.rthou hts ... n diPtj.s afterthoughts e is




THE SHPiEL




&i




WANTS YOU!

The SHPiEL is always looking for new
staff members, and that could be you.
Positions are available in the following
areas:
Writing
Copy Editing
Photography
Advertising
Public Relations
Graphic Design/Layout
Business Managing
Distribution
Web Design

A few pay a small stipend and many can be taken for school credit.
If interested, please contact Lori Finkel at Imfinkel@ufl.edu or Giselle Mazur at
gisellel @ufl.edu.
The SHPiEL is an equal-opportunity organization, so being Jewish is NOT a requirement.

... .. .* ... ..... .. .... ......