THE SHPiEL
VOLUME 4 Issue 8
17 Kislev 5768 1 Tevet 57686 November 27, 2007 December 10, 2007


He's Got the Balls to


Give You the Backhand


Gator-turned-
tennis player ranks
top 200 in the world
BY DANIELLE TORRENT
SHPiEL staff writer
After spending only Spring 2007 as
a University of Florida student, Jesse
Levine withdrew from school.
Since then, the 20-year-old Jewish
Gator has been ranked one of the top
200 tennis players in the world, playing
in the U.S. Open and practicing with
the world's No. 1 tennis player, Roger


Federer.
"I keep in touch [with Federer] now,
and he gave me an email to congratulate
me on the last two tournaments," Levine
said.
Levine went pro in September and
spent the weekend after Thanksgiving
in Knoxville, Tenn., competing for his
third consecutive Challenger event
title, which he lost. He won the first two
in Champaign, Ill., and Nashville Tenn.
The weekend closed a six-week run for
Levine on the road as a professional.
"I'm tired. I'm not going to lie,"
Levine said in a phone interview Nov.
23. "My body's been wearing out."
The decision to enroll at UF was


a difficult one, Levine said, as he had
always wanted to be a tennis player.
He went 21-0 for the university,
never losing a dual match, and the
Intercollegiate Tennis Association
named him rookie of the year.
But Levine said goodbye to
Gainesville and entered the world of
professional sports with the U.S. Open
in August.
"In order to take my tennis to the
next level, that was what I needed to
do," he said. "You only have so many
years in you -- it's grueling on your
body. You can always go back to school;
SEE TENNIS, PAGE 3


Another Bush

We Need to

Get Rid Of
BY DOUGLAS SHARF
SHPiEL staff writer
December is the month when every
American Jew secretly wishes he or she
could guiltlessly join in the Christmas
fun. Proof? Hanukkah gift-exchanges.
Giving gifts for our winter holiday is
actually a Western innovation (never
done until relatively recently and still
not done in other countries). But if we are
willing to softly assimilate into WASPy
culture, why stop there? Observe the
epitome of nausea: the Hanukkah Bush.
The Hanukkah Bush has become
alarmingly more common in recent
SEE BUSH, PAGE 8







2I NEWS


The SHPiEL:Volume 4, Issue 8


Orthodox School Girls Gone Wild


H g e







Years since Hanukkah
episode of "Rugrats" aired: 11


Percent of daily fat serving
in one potato latke: 1


Price of quality
frankincense per kilo in US 78
dollars:


Approximate height in
feet of Christmas tree in 85
Rockefeller Center:


Number of days Jews will
be getting gifts before 21
Christians this year:


Probability of spinning a
'shin' on a dreidel: 1/4


Stars (out of 4) Roger Ebert
gave to "The Nightmare 3 5
Before Christmas":


Percentage of Americans
who understand the .03
meaning of Kwanzaa:


New schools allow girls to
study Talmud, wrap tefillin

BY NERI STEIN
SHPiEL staff writer

What exactly is going on with Orthodox
girls in Israel these days- girls studying
Talmud? Girls leading services?
Even though most Orthodox and
Conservative synagogues in Israel still use
mehitzot (dividers), schools are breaking
down barriers.
Two Orthodox schools for girls recently
opened in Jerusalem are shaking things up.
The schools, Midrashiat Habanot and Tehilla,
are pushing the envelope on Orthodox
education and beating out the competition.
Tehilla was founded by Beverly Gribetz,
an American who previously ran a school in
Manhattan. Midrashiat Habanot is a .sister
school to the Shalom Hartman Institute and
is run by Rabbi Donniel Hartman and Chana
Kehat, founder of the religious feminist
group Kolech.
Both schools allow students to study
Talmud and encourage girls to enlist in
the Israeli Defense Forces a change from
the tendency of Orthodox schools to favor
national service instead.
Both schools also encourage girls to wear
tallitot (prayer- shawls) and tefillin (scrolls
with biblical verses on them), both practices
generally reserved for men. The latter is still
considered a little too radical for even some
students.
However, Tehilla still does not allow
girls to lead services like its sister school
Habanot.
Gainesville resident Keshet Margolis, who


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was born in Beer-Sheva, Israel, thinks the fact
that the innovation is coming from inside the
Orthodox community makes it even more
significant.
Margolis, citing the gap between Israeli
society and traditional Orthodox practices,
said it is hard for Orthodox Jews-especially
girls-to find their place.
Orthodoxy widening its scope is just
another step in the evolution of Judaism,
Margolis said, and allowing women to
study the Talmud opens the door for new
interpretations and options, for girls.
These revolutionary schools, however,
almost didn't get the chance to open. The
Israeli Ministry of Education's first response
to the idea was that no more classroom
space was needed for Orthodox girls. But the
Hartman Institute and Gribetz fought on until
the ministry gave in.
After all, Rashi's daughters were allowed
-to study Torah so why can't today's women?
But these new schools have come at a
price. Gribetz's former school, the 148-year-
old Evelina de Rothschild, may close in the
next few years because of the loss of so many
students to Tehilla.
Both institutions want to provide a good
education for students, while many in the
Orthodox community believe they should be
offering a good education "for girls."
Students and parents of the schools
have openly welcomed these new ideas,
but a majority of the students come from a
similar background: most are native English
speakers.
These schools are truly groundbreaking,
surpassing Jewish schools in the U.S. by
offering comprehensive sex education for
boys and girls-a concept almost unheard of
in the Orthodox community until now.


Tonya Blackman
TEBRIMOW MANGER
Phone: (800) 258-2861
Fax: (877) 942-4135
www.myserviceofficcom
emal: .bMalackusei.eofice.com


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


00l
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Editor-in-Chief
Lori Finkel
shpieleic@gmail.com

Managing Editor
Giselle Mazur
theshpiel@gmail.com

News Editor
Joshua Fleet
joshlf@ufl.edu


Scene Editor
Douglas Sharf
dsharf88@ufl.edu

A & E Editor
Danielle Torrent
greeneone@ufl.edu

Executive Advisor/Mentor
Rabbi Yonah Schiller
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Chief Visionary
Leo Stein

Copy Editor
Ben Cavataro

Layout Editor
Jackie Jakob

Public Relations
Brittany Smaridge


Photo Editor
Jeremy Fields
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National Affairs
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The SHPiEL:Volume 4, Issue 8 NEWS 3


Levine makes every shot a powershot


TENNIS, FROM PAGE 1

you can't go back to tennis."
Levine left a large population of
Jewish students at UF. Now, he said
his religion keeps him connected on
some level to other Jews around the
country.
"I wouldn't say it plays a big role,
but you do meet a lot of people," he
said. "There are certain fans that
come up to you because you are
Jewish."
He also befriended an Israeli tennis
player "because of that bond," Levine
said.
While he was raised in a Conservative,
kosher home in Boca Raton, Levin said
he had to change his strict diet a bit
while away from home.
"On the road I do 'kosher-style,' "
he said. "I would never eat ham or a
cheeseburger or something like that. It's
kind of hard to be completely kosher."
Following the Knoxville Challenger,
Levine returned to Gator Country to
visit his friends.
"It was so hard to leave Florida," he
said. "UF is an amazing place."


photo courtesy of Jesse Levine
Then, he will be taking a week or two
off to spend some time with his family
to "go play some gold with the little
brother," he said.
In December, he will be in Brevard
County, Fla., to play in the Harris Corp.
and OMNI Healthcare Rally with Roddick
charity event. And in January, Levine
will be flying down under for the 2008
Australian Open.
Levine said it's tough on the road
and there's not much to do. But he
spends what free time he has doing
magic tricks.
"I'm trying to make my living playing
tennis now."


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SShorts



Briefs
BY BEN CAVATARO


{(rab, Israeli leaders arrive in Maryland for peace talks)
Arab and Israeli diplomats have converged in Annapolis for a landmark
Middle Eastern conference. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Foreign
Minister Tzipi Li\n, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, and Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas have arrived ahead of the beginning of the conference
Nov. 27, set to be opened by President Bush. Syria was also set to join
the talks after the status of the Golan Heights was added to the list of
issues to be discussed, drawing harsh criticism from Iran, Hezbollah and
Hamas.
The summit marks the first major pan-Middle Eastern gathering
between Arab and Israeli officials since the 1996 Egypt meeting. Hopes
are high for progress; Reuters reported that one Palestinian shopkeeper is
selling souvenir dove and olive branch-labeled mugs that read, "In case of
the conference's failure, smash me."
C(erman Jewish veterans' association formed
Recalling the rarely heard story of Jewish soldiers in Germany, a new
organization aiming to research and publicize the military contributions
of Jews held its first meeting in Berlin.
The 85,000 Jews who fought for Germany in World War I were cited
as the impetus for the formation of the German Association of Jewish
Soldiers. Michael Berger, the group's president, sees the Reich Federation
of Jewish Front Soldiers as a precursor to the modern group. The Reich
Federation was established in 1919 to organize Jewish war veterans and
combat the growth of anti-Semitism in postwar Germany. It claimed a
membership of up to 40,000 before being banned when the Nazis came to
power. Under Hitler. many Jewish World War I veterans were killed or fled
Germany during the Holocaust.
The German Association of Jewish Soldiers plans to work with the
Central Council of Jews in German\.
fColk'ssA. 5 IsrdEli (l.- bE-,reaks world r-cord)
A giant Israeli flag was spread out below the Jewish fort of Masada
in Israeli Nov. 25. According to the Israeli tourism ministry the flag
measured 2,165 feet long and 330 feet wide, weighing in at 5.2 metric
tons. Guinness World Records officials verified the length and declared
the mammoth banner record-breaking.
The huge blue-and-white flag is a result of the work of Grace Galindez-
Gupana, a Filipino businesswoman and evangelical Christian who decided
to make the flag to show her love for Jews and Israel and celebrate the
Filipino-Israeli relationship. The Associated Press quoted Galindez-
Gupana as saying God "spoke to her in thunder and lightening" asking
her to make the flag, which was made in the Philippines and later shipped
to Israel.
The Israeli flag was accompanied by a slighter smaller flag of the
Philippines, which weighed 3.8 metric tons. Both flags were held done by
stones in the desert. The fags were displayed at the foot of the ancient
Masada, the site of a mass Jewish suicide after being sieged by the Romans
in the 'year 72. The mountain has become a symbol of the endurance of
the Jewish people.

UJournalist writes books about yearlong experiment in
biblical living
A book by a U.S. journalist on an experiment to live according to the
strict laws of the Bible was published in November. "The Year of Living
Biblically," by A.J. Jacobs. chronicles his attempt to literally follow the all
the Bible's commandments for an entire years.
Jacobs, a secular Jewish New Yorker who writes for Esquire magazine,
previously gained notoriety for his 2004 book The know-It-All, about his
humorous quest to read the entire "Encyclopedia Britannica."
In his newer. 389-page book, published by Simon & Schuster, Jacobs
enlists the advice of a rabbi and stacks of books on the traditional 613
mitzvot to help him follow each law. In the course of a year he stones
adulterers, blows the shofar at the beginning of each Hebrew month,
grows a beard, and gets rid of all his mixed-fiber clothing.


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41 NEWS


The SHPiEL: Volume 4, Issue 8


Ron Paul to Stop Babying Israel, Zionists Agree


BY JOSH FLEET
SHPiEL staff writer

Rep. Ron Paul is a long-shot candidate
for the Republican presidential primary.
Ron Paul thinks the United States should
withdraw its funding from Israel.
Ron Paul also wants to kill you.
OK, well maybe he doesn't want
to kill you, but the Republican Jewish
Coalition, a political lobbying group
that advocates Jewish support for
the Republican Party, has tried to
kill his influence within the Jewish
community.
Paul was not invited to the RJC
Candidates Forum in October, an event
which aimed to introduce Republican-
presidential candidates to the national
Jewish community.
The RJC did not invite presidential
hopefuls Rep. Duncan Hunter or Rep.
Tom Tancredo because each is also a
long-shot.
Another reason Paul may not have
been invited is that he has consistently
voted against funding and assisting
Israel, and has been openly critical of
the American pro-Israel lobby.
Many of Paul's views fall on a


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different line than his presidential
peers. He's against the war in Iraq, the
war on drugs, the income tax and the
Patriot Act.
He supports states' rights,
Constitutional rights, freedom of the
Internet and gun ownership.
Paul is a libertarian running under
the republican guise.
But he is not hiding his wishes to
withdraw support from Israel. Paul
thinks the U.S. should withdraw its
presence from the international political
scene by pulling out of the UN, NATO
and all of the Middle East.
Strangely, while Paul's views have
alienated him from the elite Jewish
Republican community in America, his
stance on Israel has garnered support
from American emigrants now living in,
of all places, Israel.
Zionists for Ron Paul, founded by
Yehuda HaKohen, think that Israel's
relationship with the U.S. is dangerous
and that Israeli dependence upon
American monetary aid must be ended.
Paul thinks America should withdraw
such aid from Israel, its neighbors and
the rest of the world.
He would like for Israel to remain


photo courtesy ofTA.org
photo courtesy ofJTA.org


a U.S. military ally and he promotes some disconnect from the U.S. won't
open trade and travel between the two kill Israel either.
nations.
The fiber-Zionists of the group For more information on Zionists for
Zionists for Ron Paul don't think Ron Ron Paul, visit http://zionistsforronpaul.
Paul wants to kill you. And they assume blogspot.com/


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SCENE 15


The SHPiEL:Volume 4, Issue 8


THOU SHALT NOT GET NOOKIE


Semitic slandering of
premarital sex proves
equally ineffective as
method of birth control

BY LANA SELIGSOHN
SHPiEL contributing writer

YOU ARE GOING TO HELL. WHAT
YOU DO IN THE BEDROOM WITH YOUR
GIRLFRIEND IS SATAN'S COMMAND.
ABSTAINING FROM SEX IS THE PATH TO
HEAVEN.
The preaching in Turlington on
the University of Florida's campus
has become easily ignorable rhetoric
and to many, Jewish or not, talk of
abstinence is synonymous with radical
evangelizing. Especially in the current
conservative government, it's easy to
associate moral issues like abstinence
with Christian, faith-based groups and
programs.
Negiah.org, however, prides itself on
being the "first abstinence Web site for
Jewish teens." The site, divided into four
sections for "Your Bod," "Your Mind,"
"Your Life" and "Your Soul," combines
short articles, intended to summarize-.
from a Jewish perspective-all the
reasons to remain abstinent.
The Web site is sponsored by the


National Conference of Synagogue
Youth, a sect of the Orthodox Union. Its
articles are to-the-point and incorporate
a moderate amount of Jewish teachings,
especially in the "Your Soul" section.
Much of the rest of the Web site,
however, seems trivial and recycled,
repeating much of what we've already
heard
from pro-
abstinence
supporters
in the past.
Although
m a n y
Conservative
and Reform
Jews see sex
as necessary
to preserve
the Jewish
faith, it's not
particularly
new that
Orthodox
Jews are
preaching restraint in relations between
the opposite sexes.
Many religious Jews are shomer
negiah-they observe the laws of
touching-which means that they may
not have any physical contact with the
opposite sex except for close relatives
and business (shaking hands).


"Being shomer negiah is a beautiful
thing and I truly respect people
who practice it," said Alex Harper, a
sophomore at UF. "On the same token,
in this modern age, it is much more
difficult to keep and practice negiah
than in biblical times."
Incorporating Jewish canons with the
no-sex-until-
marriage
stance poses
the same
question that
responsible
parents and
educators
"have been
wondering
for a long
time: Does
teaching
abstinence
really work?
In 2006,
researchers
f r o m
Columbia University and the
Guttamacher Institute looked at the
reasons why teen pregnancy was
decreasing.
In 1995, there were 100 pregnancies
for every 1,000 teenagers ages 15 to 19.
In 2002, the number declined to 75 for
every 1,000. According to the study, 86


percent of the decline was attributable
to contraception, while only 14 percent
was attributable to abstinence.
"I don't think that it is that practical
to only teach abstinence for any faith,"
said Hayley Apfel, a UF sophomore. "It
ignores the idea that many teens will
do whatever they want when it comes
down to it."
The Web site helps educate teens
about the dangers of premarital sex,
such as STDs and pregnancy, in a
straightforward way.
However, many of the claims seem
doubtful at best.
Reminding teens there is no
"condom for the heart or for the mind"
or presenting a story that suggests that
"in nearly every culture, when a man
looks for a wife, he prefers a virgin," is
dangerous because these bold blanket
statements ignore the facts.
Negiah.org 'does a good job
summarizing many vital statistics
that we've heard so many times
before. However, these repetitions
leave out many important stories and
circumstances that must be presented
for modern teens to make complete and
informed decisions.
Even more so, incorporating snippets
of Jewish morality seems to alter the
stories, as Negiah.org takes on the feel
of contemporary evangelical tactics.


The Passion of the Fries


The temptation of fast food on
campus and the alternatives
that could just be the savior
to your health

BY JEREMY FIELDS
SHPiEL contributing writer

Like Evangelical Pastor Ted
Haggard-caught using the services of
a male prostitute in 2006-Rachael Shea
faces temptation daily. And just like
Haggard, it's tough not to give in.
"I try to eat healthy, but it's a little
hard with French fries around every
corner," said Shea, a sophomore at the
University of Florida.
UF is littered with fast food
restaurants. There's a Kentucky Fried
Chicken, Taco Bell, Wendy's, Chick-fil-
A, and two Burger Kings.
Recent studies have suggested that
over a third of college students across
America are overweight; having more
unhealthy food choices increases the
risk of an unhealthy diet.
Self-control isn't the only issue. Part
of the appeal of fast food is that it lives
up to its name.
"Between classes, clubs and Greek
life, I barely have time to sit down and


eat," she said. "Why take 30 minutes to
eat at Gator Dining when you can grab a
burger and fries and be done in 10?"
While the mere existence of these
restaurants on campus facilitate an
unhealthy diet, poor decisions also
play a big role in fast food's harmful
effects.
So don't be a chazzer. Moderation
is an important part of any diet, and
isn't easy to extract from a fast food
menu. Stick with a medium-sized meal,
instead of the super-sized alternatives,
to minimize damage.
Avoiding certain foods at these
restaurants can make a fast food
dining experience healthier: stay away
from soda-it has no nutritional value;
beware of creamy salad dressings
because they're high in fat; choose
grilled chicken or fish sandwiches over
burgers. Take advantage of the healthier
side items fast food franchises now
offer.
But hey, if you're going to eat fried
foods, stick with latkes-they're just as
bad for the body, but twice as good for
the soul.
Even some of the allegedly healthier
choices featured on fast food menus
contain many preservatives, MSG,
artificial colors and other not-so-


healthy elements that
consumers should
avoid.
A healthy meal
shouldn't have sodium
and saturated fat as its
main ingredients.
As far as on-campus
food choices go, there
are many alternatives
to fast food that are
both fresher and
healthier.
Capeesh, Noodle
Bar and the various
sandwich places on campus all offer
freshly prepared meals that rarely
feature a high fat-content, and at speeds
comparable to the more traditional fast
food choices.
Eat at places like Broward Dining,
where nutrition is emphasized. Friday
night dinner at Hillel is another healthy,
and not to mention free, alternative.
While the long-termrisks of unhealthy
diets are frequently mentioned-
heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and so
on-the immediate consequences of
malnutrition concern Dr. Ronald Zack.
"I'm amazed that kids are able to
function with all the junk they eat," he
said.


Symptoms of malnutrition interfere
with students' daily responsibilities.
Between all-night study sessions,
weekend keggers and other collegiate
responsibilities, getting adequate rest
at night can be hard enough. Fatigue,
weakened immune system and an overall
lack of attentiveness-all symptoms of
a body lacking essential nutrients-
doesn't make getting to class on time
any easier.
"If you're not eating right, chances
are you won't be the most fun person to
be around," Zack said. "You'll be tired,
you'll be aching, you'll be grouchy. This
is your body screaming at you to feed
it."







61SCENE


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The SHPiEL: Volume 4, Issue 8


Christma


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Of Kippot (Skull Caps) because you just
gotta roll deep like that.



Take that and

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The SHPiEL:Volume 4, Issue 8 SCENE 7






O ent Cut-Out Collection

(Because seriously, what the f*ck is a Chanukah bush?)

The Beard
If l Because there's nothing like stroking your face when talking
I words of Torah. And religious women like it that way, I think.

o




rPimp That Ride
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SNo car is complete without
The HI ppy Iippy Hlasd Couple some good ol fashioned
Easily recognized by his long flowing side-lock and tzitzit, and her long flowing and bling.
colorful skirts, these Hippy Hasids can be found dancing about campus in Chaco
Sandals, singing their favorite Phish niggun or discussing the infinite depths of Rebbe
Nachman's thought.

-__ l -s--sa


Collect Them All!
in the next issue:
SThe Gainesville Gush Katif Settler
SThe Mensch
SThe Pseudo-Sketchy Pseudo-Israeli
Orange & Blue "Shaidle" for Gator Moms








8 KVETCH


The SHPiEL: Volume 4, Issue 8


Ju4 yamae MO RLe {ay


F o u r
months of
inflated
phone bills
and $17 in
text message
charges each
month for
nothing.
That's not
even factoring
in time spent online talking to him,
effort wasted thinking up witty things
to say, and concerts of favorite bands
forgone last weekend when he finally
came to visit.
This is a story about the.guy who's
been in most of my columns this
semester; the one from New England.
Ever heard the saying that you
determine if someone is shtuppable
within the first five minutes of meeting
them? Well for me, it only took three.
I picked him up from the Jacksonville
airport on a Thursday evening. After
the initial excitement was over and he
jumped into my car, I knew the rest of
the weekend would be hell.
He just wasn't IT. He didn't have
IT. I don't know what IT is, but he


lacked it. His presence didn't make me
giggly, excited or delightfully nervous.
It annoyed me. He was a YesMan, and
agreed with every opinion I had and
laughed at everything I said. I mean,
I'm funny, but not that funny.
And we still had four more days to
go.
I thought maybe things could get
better... maybe he could grow on me.
The first night, he slept in my bed with
Mne. After all, he did travel all that way
just to see me. I pretended to be sleepy
early on in the evening.
"What, no goodnight kiss?" Maybe
if he hadn't failed to brush his teeth.
I forget how I slithered my way out
of that one, but no, there was no
goodnight kiss.
Yeah, that boy grew on me alright.
Like a parasite.
My roommate advised me to avoid
being alone with him too much, to stay
in groups. So the next night I dragged
him to a Shabbat service. If I so much
as talked to another guy, I felt his eyes
branding his initials into me. Thank
God it was an Orthodox service, and I
was able to escapelfor an hour on the
women's side.


I stalled as long as possible, but as
the evening grew late and the crowd
dwindled, I could no longer put off
the inevitable. We'd have to go home.
Alone. Together. Just me and him, him
and me, in my big empty apartment.
Alone and together.
When we got there I felt nauseas.
Maybe it was the fact that I couldn't
face waking up next to him again,
wishing he was anyone else. Or maybe
it was the mixture of grape juice, vodka
and gin in a salad-lined stomach. Most
likely it was both. But I realized I
needed to let him know how I felt.
"Look, I'm too emotionally scarred
from my last relationship, or whatever.
I mean, it's not you, it's me, and stuff.
Maybe I'm just not ready for this type
of thing," and all that other delightful
cop-out garbage people use to put the
blame on themselves when relationship
opportunities just don't work out.
He bought it, but maybe he had no
other choice. He offered to sleep on the
couch, and I politely (and excitedly)
accepted. That couch served as his
bed for the rest of that long weekend.
OK, I realize you're probably
thinking I'm an evil person right now.


Look, I wanted this to work out: I really
did. Getting involved with someone
who lives far away was just easier for
me than dealing with my own issues.
It's just nice to have that person you
can always call to make you feel good.
I guess he was more an idea to me than
a real person.
The hour and a half ride back to
Jacksonville on Monday brimmed with
silence, except for the mix tape I threw
on. At the check-in gate, he gave me
one of those half-ass side hugs and
without looking at me, told me to take
care of myself.
Well; we had agreed on one thing.
By his visiting me, we at least gave
"us" a shot, even though "us" ended
-sooner than Milli Vanilli's career.
Moxie's back to square one, which,
despite what shows like Sex and the
City might tell you, isn't at all a terrible
place to be. No initials to brand me, no
one's property.
Sweet freedom once again.


Loe


I Do Give a Damn About


The SHPiEL's Reputation


GISELLE MAZUR


Dear Readers,


0 In early
November, a
H group of SHPiEL
S staffers attended
the Eighteenth
E
Annual "Do the
Write Thing
Conference" sponsored by Hagshama,
the youth branch of the World Zionist
Organization.
DTWT is a program for Jewish
journalists to explore journalism
through a Jewish lens and is a subsection
of the United Jewish Communities
General Assembly, the largest gathering
of Jewish leadership in the world.
The Conference in Nashville offered
us opportunities to network with
students from other schools, speak
to professional journalists in a forum
setting and attend a press conference
where we were able to discuss Israel with
Isaac 'Buzi' Herzog, Israel's minister
of the Diaspora, Society and the Fight
Against Anti-Semitism and the minister
of Welfare and Social Services.
Some big names were in
attendance, including Democratic
National Committee Chair and former


presidential candidate Howard Dean,
Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen, and U.S.
Secretary of State CondoleezzaRice, who
made speeches at the General Assembly
opening and closing ceremonies.
Yet even with such a diverse political
representation, surprisingly enough
these speakers were not the source of
the greatest controversy.
During one of our journalism
-seminars the conversation focused on
the question: "How do you honestly
report the situation in Israel while still
maintaining a positive image of Israel?"
The panel proposed "branding"
Israel by means of reporting all the
great things Israel has to offer and even
suggested that journalists voice their
own opinions as a form of what they
called New Journalism
This idea of New Journalism, they
explained, fed off the fact that there
is no longer such a thing as unbiased
news, so we should just throw away the
idea of evenly weighted reporting and
blatantly state our opinions.
As both a Jew and a journalist, I was
deeply upset by this advice and topk
offense that a conference, which


the fight of the foliage


BUSH, FROM PAGE 1

years. Jews want to fit in. Jewish
fourth-graders defend Hanukkah:
"We have eight days of presents, you
guys only have one. Our presents
even get better as the days go on."
Right. The gifts escalate
from a pair of socks on night number
one to two pairs of socks on night
number eight. No matter how you
try to decorate Hanukkah, it cannot
live up to Christmas.
In Israel (and in Jewish
tradition), Hanukkah is among
the least important holidays. The
meaning of Hanukkah hardly
compares to the triumph of Passover
and the spiritual renewal of the High
Holy Days. But everyone else is
getting presents in December, so we
have to as well. And everyone else is
putting up a tree, so...,
"I actually support the idea of a
Hanukkah Bush," said Asher Novek,
a directing student at New York
University. "Originally we didn't give
gifts for Hanukkah but we do now,
so the line is not obviously drawn."
Halacha-Jewish law-forbids
the practice of non-Jewish religious


rituals. One point of contention is
whether a Christmas tree is religious
or just a winter tradition. Call me a
super-traditionalist, but I wouldn't
be caught dead with a Hanukkah
Bush because I feel it weakens
Jewish identity. (I would rather have
Christians light an oil lamp than
have us erect trees). If we are going
to put up a tree, we might as well
keep our foreskins and start doing
manual labor.
"I think a Hanukkah Bush is a
stab at the Christian faith," said
Sam Arnold, an incoming freshman
at the University of Florida who is
not religious, but has a Christian
mother and a Jewish father. "We
came up with the idea of bringing
festive foliage inside the house and
a Hanukkah Bush is minimizing the
power of the Christmas tree through
mockery."
'I would be perfectly OK with
eliminating the gift exchange from
Hanukkah. If American Jews are not
getting what they want in December,
they will get it some time during the
year. We should be content letting
the Christians have their big day on
Dec. 25. and stay out of it.


SEE REPUTATION, PAGE 11








The SHPiEL:Volume 4, Issue 8


KVETCH 19


Thinking Outside the Lox with Rabbi Yonah


Please don't call me Rabbi Scrooge.
I am sure my Christian clerical
comrades also grow a little nauseous
as we usher in the Capitalization of
Christ.
If I were a Christian clergy rep, I
would have plenty to say about what
Christmas has morphed into in the
U.S., but as a Jew I will leave that
inside job for an inside guy.
Additionally, some have claimed
that a similar spirit of market has
given the smallish Jewish holiday of
Chanukah a more prominent place
in our yearly calendar of religious
observances.
I say "Bah humbug!" at such a
suggestion.
Being a Jew in the U.S. has its
unique flavor. Let face it, even
though my kids in public school learn
the meaning of Kwanzaa, can play
the dreidel song on a recorder, and
know which animal is represented


this Chinese year, we still live in
a Christian country and Christian
culture is pervasive.
We can't ignore it any more than
we can ignore the "Market spirit"
that is pumped into the malls like air
through the ventilation system.
There is no time when Jews are
made more aware of their being
"other," than during Christmas
time. This is a good-thing, actually,
since being the "other" or even the
"outsider" is what Chanukah is all
about.


Back
in the
second
century


cast out. Many Jews at that time
couldn't take the heat and bowed
to the pressure by converting or
undergoing reverse circumcisions
(ow!). Chanukah was a reaction to
this trend.
The reason we celebrate Chanukah
today is because we as a Jewish
people still retain the universal
human desire and need to fit in.
Chanukah teaches us that fitting in
doesn't have to mean casting aside
what makes us Jews.
The


Chanukah teaches us that fitting in
doesn't"have to mean casting aside
what makes us Jews.


B C E,
when the
Maccabees were fighting for
religious and political freedom and
independence, being Jewish was not
so easy. During the High Holidays,
your rabbis like to drone on and on
about assimilation...but if you lived in
Ancient Greece as a Jew, assimilation
had a different meaning.
If you were not hip to the Greek
thing you were ridiculed and socially


spirit of
Chanukah
is- about
holding


tight to
the Jewish
reigns as we ride our lives across the
American plains.
Jewish spirituality does not
require that we take an isolationist
strategy; rather, our mandate is an
approach that is much more noble
and difficult. We are supposed to
integrate while at the. same time
remaining proud Jews.
For many of the tribe that is not


easy. We tend to
be firmly rooted
in one world
or another, not
both worlds
simultaneously.
We must make
choices and
stand by them.
We choose to be Jewish, not
by rejecting our non-Jewish
surroundings, but by opting for
one Jewish option over another.
Learn how to make a latke or light a
menorah and stick it in the window
of your apartment.
If you are left with the question,
"Who really cares?" or "What's the
Jewish thing really got to do with
me?" then Chanukah is the perfect
time to be proactive and ask Jewish
peeps who do seem to care, aim to
get a few answers, which will always
generate a few more questions.
And aren't questions better than
answers?

Questions? Comments? A topic you
want addressed? Hit up Rabbi Yonah at
ravyonah@UFHillel.org.


A Swastika, By Any Other Name, is a Buddhist Peace Symbol


Why we associate names and symbols with negativity


FARYN HART On a recent
soul-searching
escapade











off its blue mosaic sign caught my
Theacross the seas,
SI found myself
in the city that
Claims the
wondrous Taj
Mahal: Agra,
India.
I began the indecisive vegan's
nightmare of narrowing down the
vegetarian restaurant options. I settled
for Sri Sri Ganesha. The sun ricocheting
off its blue mosaic sign caught my
attention.
The orgasmic scents became stronger
as I bee-lined, but when the restaurant's
sign came into clear view its blue logos
sent a chill over my perspiring body.
A Magen David- Star of David--
blazoned alongside a swastika.
It took a moment to gather my wits
and for relief to set in as I remembered
the very reason I ventured to this
culturally rich country. India is the
birthplace of Hinduism, Buddhism,
Jainism and other faiths in which the
symbols that represent enemies in the
West signify sacred union and good


fortune in the religious cultures of the
East.
But what is it about these symbols
that lead us to associate them with
specific ideals?
Carl Gustav Jung was a Swiss
psychologist, responsible for founding
the schoolofAnalyticalPsychology(a.k.a.
Jungian Psychology).Jung introduced
the term "collective unconsciousness,"
which is a universally objective
psyche shaped by archetypes, intrinsic
processes of thought influenced by
symbol, myth and ritual.
Scientific babble aside, if you see a
red octagon you will stop your car for
oncoming traffic, or the symbol for the
Roman god Mars-the male symbol with
a circle and an arrow- will automatically
stimulate visions of a yellow-crooked-
toothed Brit purring "Yeah baby!"
Adaptation and distortion of symbols
like the swastika of the Nazi Party can
create unavoidable stigmas.
Hitler's vision of the Aryan race
came from the concept that the modern
German descended from the pristine,
Indo-Aryan culture of thousands of
years ago.
But the symbol has morphed from


its Sanskrit meaning svastika, svasti
(well being) to represent fascism and
white supremacy.
The name Adolf, which means Noble
Wolf has become taboo and unpopular
because of its negative association with
Adolf Hilter, leader of the Nazi Party.
Names like Saddam, Dick, Gaylord
or these days even Osama, make you
question just what these parents were
thinking.
Apart from this, Jung's collective
unconscious has led us to represent our
hearts on our sleeves-to let the world
know just what we stand for.
A buzz cut means skin head or GI,
keffiyeh, a traditional Arab headdress
worn as a scarf by hipsters in the
U.S., means terrorist, bell bottoms mean
hippie.
I can't wear my colorful, rainbow-
esque scarf without comments like,
"Yeah girl! Wear that with pride."
We are no longer able to separate
symbols from what they represent, and
while that is ultimately the purpose of
a symbol, adaptations have clouded our
judgment and acceptance.
As Jews, there is the obvious and
urgent need for a united stand against


foes, but stigma divisions should not
further separate us.
Back in that restaurant in India, I
was presented with a symbol of my
faith juxtaposed with the symbol of the
system which sought to eliminate it.
That shook me, but only before I
looked past the social association with
the shapes. The original meanings of
unity, direction and good fortune were
replaced by conditioned symbolism-
something I battle with constantly.
So if I decide to grow a toothbrush
moustache, I would like to be given
the social freedom of representing the
genius of Charlie Chaplin instead of
being associated with Hitler.



THE SHPiEL
Opinions expressed in this section do
not necessarily reflect those of The
SHPiEL. We encourage comments from
readers who possess all points of view.
No, really, we're interested in what you
have to say. Feel free to write a letter to
the editor or you can contact us with a
column idea. Please send comments to
theshpiel@gmail.com.








101 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT


The SHPiEL: Volume 4, Issue 8


'My Kid Could Paint That' But Not Many Could Film It


BY JAMES WILKEY
SHPiEL contributing writer

"My Kid Could Paint That," by
director Amir Bar-Lev, epitomizes
what documentary film making
should be.
Bar-Lev tells the story of Marla
Olmstead, a 4-year-old artist known
as a prodigy to some, and as a fraud
to others.
The film tracks Marla's journey
as she rises to fame, chronicling
criticism about the authenticity
of her work and her parents'
"response.
This film is good because
it is honest. Bar-Lev begins the
film by providing a fly-on-the-
wall perspective of--the events
surrounding Marla's fame. However,
Bar-Lev's passive "fly" approach
eventually flies him right into the
heart of the story.
The story shifts dramatically
when people begin to accuse Maria's
parents of doctoring her paintings.
Everyone involved with supporting
Marla's work begins to question the


authenticity of her talent, including
Bar-Lev.
This is where "My Kid Could
Paint That" is at its best. Bar-Lev
doesn't hide anything from the
audience. He presents both sides-of
the argument over Marla's paintings
and isn't afraid to show how rapidly
the opinions about Maria's work
change.
Midway through the film one
of Bar-Lev's subjects, the first
journalist to cover the Marla story,
asks him why he is making the
documentary and Bar-Lev presents
an answer, becoming a subject in
his own documentary.
Bar-Lev records his feelings,


answers questions and starts to
show up on screen toward the end
of the film. He integrates his opinion
into the movie and allows the
audience to see the story through
the filmmaker's eye.
I was tempted to complain about
the quality of the movie's footage.
Much of the early shots are grainy
and blurred. As the film advances,
however, the picture gets better,
helping the film display the passage
of time.
"My Kid Could Paint That" is
well-shot, well-cut, honest and
compelling. Fresh and original, it
tells a story worth hearing.








The SHPiEL:Volume 4, Issue 8


CALENDAR l11


Twilight Tuesdays
8:00 pm.



Gator Basketball
vs. Stetson

Shpiel Party
at \\ hi.-kc Room
10pm


LCSG Lecture Series:
Why be Kosher?
8-930 pm


Challah back
6:00 -7:45 pm.

j~bsajh pj |


Beatrice Fernando
at Hillel at 7 pm
The Patrick McDufly
Allstars atSidebar


Gator Basketball
vs Vermont


Mayday Parade
at 1982 at8 pm


1
Umoja Orchestra,
at Common Grounds
at 9 pm


Funkatron
at Sidebar


Craft Festival 2007
at O Dome at 10 am


Craft Festival 2007
at O Dome at 10 am


Gator Basketball
vs. Jacksonville


Twilight Tuesdays
8:00 pm


Hanukkah
begins t( sundo-n


JSU's Winter
White Out Party
at Venue at 10 pm


Gator Basketball
vs. Fla. A&M

FALL CLASSES
END


READING DAYS

NO CLASS


Morningbell
at 2nd Street bakery


Weekly MFA Poetry/
Fiction Reading at
Goering's Bookstore
8pm


MOVIE SHOWTIMES at the Reitz Union !


"Superbad"
.\ jc d:,da,. 28th
8:00, 10:30
Thursday 29th
8:00, 10:30


"The Simpsons Movie"
Friday 30th
6:30, 9:00, 11:30
Saturday 1st
8:00, 10:30


we're journalism

REPUTATION, FROM PAGE 8

aimed at making participants
the best journalists they could be,
would allow such a suggestion to
be made. I did not go to journalism
school for four years just to pump
out political propaganda for the
World Zionist Organization, or
to specialize in public relations
fluff.
While I do see the need to
report both the positive and
negative happenings in Israel, I
will never agree that news should
be biased. Yes, it is difficult to
report without personal opinion
shining through on at least some
level, but to shed the holiest of
journalistic doctrines in the name
of Israel is not the image I feel The
SHPiEL needs.
There's more than one side to
every issue, and at The SHPiEL
we do our best to give you all the
facts and let you come to your own
conclusion. We would not want to


ts, not PR reps

insult you by prefabricating an
opinion for you
Right here and now, on this
very sheet of documented,
archived paper, I pledge to the
readers of this publication that we
will always strive to provide you
with honest, balanced reporting. If
you, our readers, feel we have not
held up our end of this bargain, I
welcome you to tell us so and keep
us in line. We enjoy your letters
and encourage an open dialogue
because that is what journalism is
really about: sparking a fire under
the issues in the hope that the rest
of the general public will catch.
With the semester coming to
a close, we will work harder than
ever to make the coming year the
finest The SHPiEL has to offer, and
we can only hope that you, the
readers, will make sure we do just
that.
Sincerely,
Giselle Mazur
Managing Editor


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121 SCENE


The SHPiEL: Volume 4, Issue 8


Kosher Clothing? No Sweat.


BY ELAINE WILSON
SHPiEL staff writer

It's not about appearance as much as
how it was made.
Meet 'kosher' clothing: threads
that come with the guarantee they
were assembled under fair laboring
conditions. Sure, you're not eating what
you wear, but kosher extends to include
the non-edible, focusing on the issue of
production.
Leviticus 19:16 states: "Do not profit
by the blood of your neighbor." This
makes sweatshop conditions a relevant
topic in accordance With ethical
questions and Jewish law.
On Nov. 4, a group of organizations
that support the eradication of
sweatshops and the institution of fair
working conditions produced a fashion
show in Los Angeles to make consumers
fully aware of the production processes
behind some of their favorite fashions.
Entitled "Rags to Righteousness," the
show starred quality garments fashioned
without the aid of unjust labor.
The Progressive Jewish Alliance was
one of the organizations dedicated to the
cause. Founded in 1999, the organization
decided during its inaugural days to
.fight against sweatshops and their
abuses.
Zach Lazarus, one of the fashion
show's producers and a representative
of PJA, said in a phone interview that


sweatshops are a sensitive subject
in Los Angeles, which has the highest
concentration of sweatshop labor in the
nation. i
Lazarus said that PJA was "founded
as an organization dedicated to
organizing, advocating and educating
on issues of justice."
When asked how the message was to
be spread nationally, Lazarus asserted
that it extends much further than Los
Angeles, and that PGA works with
international Hillel so that Hillels across
the country can be involved.
This cause has been fought for by
many Los Angeles-based organizations,
namely the Garment Workers Service
and No-Sweat Apparel; the latter was
featured at the fashion show. Boasting
"Union-Made Sweatshop-Free" casual
wear, No Sweat Apparel's fashion line
displays solid colored, logo-free tees
and tanks, as well as some with designs
that hail Middle Eastern origins.
In many ways, the publicized origin
is what separates No Sweat from its
competitors. Its Web site, http://
nosweatapparel.com/, posts links that
enable potential buyers to view the
sources of the clothing, establishing
a reputation of quality and humane
-working conditions. Browsing the online
store, the Eye of Fatima, or hamsa,
makes its way onto T-shirts only to
represent the Bethlehem-manufactured
wear. The intent is to not only reach


the interest of Jews, Christians
and Muslims alike, but according
to the Web site, "the placement
of the eye in the hand implies
vision in action-what we strive
to provide every day."
PJA shares this sentiment, as
Lazarus said he certainly saw this
vision at Rags to Righteousness.
"We wanted to make sweatshop
free clothing more accessible,
as right now it's mostly online,"
Lazarus said.
SJewish concern regarding this
issue doesn't stem only from the
call for kosher today, as Jewish
anti-sweatshop sentiments began
100 years ago in the LoweriEast
Side, Lazarus said.
Now heralding from California
instead of New York, the plight is
the same, and PJA even offers a
curriculum for download that
gives information about the history of
the Jewish labor movement.
Kosher clothing isn't just for the
Jewish world-the ethics surrounding
what we buy and how it's made are
universal. The Progressive Jewish
Alliance most certainly speaks to the
Jewish community, but how will it
reach outside of the Jewish sphere and
into the broader community to address
universal issues?
According to Lazarus, they "try
to keep [their] work meshed within


photo courtesy of www.nosweatapparel.com
the Jewish community and broader
organizations."
One such example is the Garment
Workers Service of Los Angeles, a
secular organization.
The next time you are looking to
purchase a new outfit, consider the
labor-and the nature of the labor-that
went into producing your potential
purchase. As PJA sees it, progress
comes with being "absolutely dedicated
to working alongside the greater
community as a whole."