SW Michigan Jewish Film Festival

April 19th – Celebration Cinema
http://swmichjff.9f.com/

The very first Southwest Michigan Jewish Film Festival will be held on
April 19, 2009 at Celebration! Cinema Crossroads in Portage. Join
us for five movies that will warm your heart, lift your spirits, and broaden
your horizons!

JUST ADDED!!

Rabbi Fully Eisenberger, campus rabbi at the University of Michigan, will be a guest speaker and lead an educational discussion following “Max Minsky and Me.” Rabbi Eisenberger is also a rock singer (with his own album) who will sing and lead singing after the double feature at 1:30 (“The Hope” and “Circumcise Me”). Don’t miss it!

Passover Seders

As they have done in recent years, families in the community are saving seats at their Seder tables for college students. This is a great way to connect with the Kalamazoo Jewish Community and can be a lot of fun.

If you would like to join a local family for a Passover Seder email (kazoohillel@yahoo.com) us with your name, a phone number to reach you at, and which night(s) you would like to go. The first night is April 8 and the second is April 9.

WMU Alumnus to Compete in Maccabi Games

Chad Mahakian, a recent WMU graduate, will be competing this summer at the Maccabi games in Israel on the US team. If you did not catch the article in the Herald in print this week you can read it online here. Mazal Tov to Chad!

Relay For Life Team

Relay For Life is coming up and Hillel has their own team! For those of you that don’t know, the American Cancer Society sponsors this community event to raise money in the fight against cancer. Many teams will be camping out at Kanley Track and in between walking around the track we will be having fun games and other activities to mix up the night. This is a great and fun way to raise awareness and funds for a great cause. Not to mention a fabulous way to earn community service hours! The event starts on Saturday, March 28 at 11:00am and goes until Sunday, March 29 at 11:00. We will need people to walk around at the event starting at 3:30 and are in half hour intervals.

You can join the team by clicking here. If you do not have an account with Relay For Life you can set one up through their web page as well. There is not minimum to participate but fund raising is made really easy through the web page.

Bellsteins Event

March 3 – 7:30 PM
Bell’s Eccentric Cafe (downtown Kalamazoo)

Going to be in Kalamazoo over spring break? We’re hosting our second ever event for the “older crowd.” On March 3 join the Bellsteins crew, new 20’s group, for a drink and good company at Bell’s Eccentric Cafe (downtown Kalamazoo) starting at 7:30 PM.

Hillel Goes to the Movies (Updated)

Feb 22 – 3:00 PM
Rave Motion Pictures (downtown Kalamazoo)

Meet up downtown for an afternoon hangout at the movies. We will meet up at 3:00 PM to see The Reader. Hillel will cover your ticket and please remember to bring your student ID. If you need a ride downtown please email kazoohillel@yahoo.com and we’ll pick you up.

Shabbat Dinner at COM

Feb 20 – 6:30 PM

Congregation of Moses, just down the road on Stadium Dr., has invited students to their monthly Shabbat dinner. It is this Friday, Feb. 20 at 6:30pm, and all you need to do is RSVP with your name and number of guests by Tuesday Feb. 17 (send an email RSVP to kazoohillel@yahoo.com) so they know how many to prepare for. If you need a ride to Congregation of Moses please include that in you RSVP and we will arrange for a ride.

Three Great Events this Weekend

We have some really exciting events going on this weekend. Starting with a fan favorite Friday night Shabbat Dinner. Then on Sunday there just so happens to be a Jewish book fair going on right here is Kalamazoo and we are welcoming back a great friend and WMU Alumni, Jeff Surowitz, to share the “Jewish wisdom kabalistic insight” on the Secret to Happiness.

Friday: Shabbat Dinner
Get ready for the second Shabbat dinner of the semester! As always, anyone and everyone is encouraged to come have a home cooked kosher meal and welcome the Sabbath.

In ancient times, our people used to offer sacrifices on this night. Lucky for us, the dinner is from 7:00 until 9:00, so we won’t even have to sacrifice a night of partying! So come to the basement of Kanley chapel this Friday, the 7th, and kick it with some Jews from around campus! (It’s sure to make your parents happy too.)

Kanley chapel is located by the flag poles on WMU’s main campus, across from Sangren Hall, and next door to Waldo Library.

Sunday: The Secret to Happiness
The key to happiness is to appreciate what you have. Sounds simple. So why are so many people unhappy? Humanity’s greatest thinkers have been searching for the secret to happiness for centuries. Harvard’s most popular course – Positive Psychology: The Science of Happiness – claims to have discovered the secret. By exploring this exciting new concept, along with 3500 years of Jewish wisdom and kabalistic insights, you’ll learn actual tools for getting the happiness – real, deep and meaningful happiness – you want and deserve.

Jeff Surowitz of the Jewish Federation of Metro Detroit returns to lead the exciting discussion. Sunday, November 9; 6 – 8 pm in the Bernhard Center’s President’s Dinning Room. Free pizza dinner for those who RSVP by Friday. No charge.

Sunday: Kalamazoo Jewish Book Fair
The Kalamazoo Jewish Book Fair will be held at the historic Ladies Library Association (333 S. Park Avenue) and will feature a couple of speakers. See the flyer here for more details.

Pro-Israel Rally

A message from the WMU Hillel President

On October 16, Jeff Halper will be speaking on campus, he is the co-founder of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD). Don’t let such an unassuming name fool you. Halper’s motives are sure to go beyond his NGO’s namesake.

Why It’s Important
As the President of the WMU Hillel, Western Michigan Universities Jewish student organization, we have received concern from faculty and community members about what Halper stands for. Though an Israeli he may very well be preparing to spread an anti-Israel message.

The European Union recently turned down ICAHD’s request for funding because of the organizations failure to comply with the EU’s policies. With lose of funding, it is clear that Halper is making a run around the states trying to bolster his press starved NGO.

Halper also supports a single state solution. While the most that seek a realistic peaceful solution support a two state solution. His opposition to a two state solution and anit-Israel rhetoric works against building peace between Israel and her neighbors.

Why Support Israel
Israel contributes to the world in significant and productive ways. Twenty percent of the work force in Israel is university graduates and it’s universities top researches develop technology that is used throughout the world.

Multinational companies recognize this talent and have established research and development facilities in Israel. Companies of which include Microsoft, Motorola and Intel.

As the only democratic state in the region, Israel has proven to be a very strong ally to the United States.

Israel is the largest trading partner the US has in the Middle East. With many Israeli companies traded on both the Tel-Aviv stock exchange and U.S. exchanges.

I have not even touched on the amazing culture of Israel yet. To start, as most know, Israel has significant landmarks to many religions; The Temple mount (Dome of the Rock), Kotel (Western Wall), historic churches, the cities of Bethlehem and Jerusalem just to name a few.

Actually, virtually every where you go in the country has some sort of significance to one group or another that is a direct reference form biblical days.

There’s a thriving artist community in Tzfat that ranges from Kabbalah inspired ultra-contemporary to crafty tourist gifts. The geography of the land in the Golan Heights produces some of the highest quality wine in the World and you can go clubbing in Tel Aviv with nightlife that rivals that of LA or NYC.

Our Responsibility
I encourage you to attend this talk, at 7 pm October 16 in 1035 Fetzer Center, because it is part of our academic commitment to critically listen and welcome friend and foe to share in our community. I also encourage you to join a group that will be gathering the hour before at 6 pm by the flagpoles in support of Israel.

Sincerely,

Jay Pliskow
WMU Hillel President

Pro-Israeli Rally

October 16 – 6:00 PM

Jeff Halper, will be giving a talk during Peace Week at WMU. Mr. Halper is an Israeli Jew that is billed to talk about the “Israeli Occupation authorities.”

Our concern is that Mr. Halper, though Jewish and Israeli, has another agenda that is Anti-Israel.

Hillel is organizing a Pro-Israeli Rally to gather at 6:00 pm by the flag poles and will then head to the talk held in the Fetzer center at 7:00 pm. The plan is to meet and talk about how we love and support Israel, then listen to Mr. Halper’s talk, then civilly raise contention to Anti-Israel speech.