General News

Want to be the new Executive Assistant to Rabbi Michael Lerner?

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There is one paid position opening at Tikkun for the Executive Assistant to Rabbi Lerner. This is a one year position starting in late June / early July that involves many various skills and responsibilities as well as an orientation of support, service, and dedication to Rabbi Lerner, his work, and a spiritual progressive worldview. Think you know the right person? Send them to the job posting. We also have many exciting internship and volunteer opportunities with Tikkun, the Network of Spiritual Progressives, and Rabbi Lerner.

Culture

Videos from Network of Spiritual Progressives Conference up online!

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We are beginning to put videos of some of the speeches from our conference in June up online. To get you started we’ve got some great speeches by Rep. Keith Ellison, Lester Brown, Sister Joan Chittister, Gary Dorrien, John Dear, Rev. Dr. James Forbes, and a Q&A with Rabbi Lerner, Peter Gabel, and Sister Joan Chittister. More to come after the new year . . .

Politics & Society

The Darkest side of Occupation: Hebron 2

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Mike Godbe, a young American on a free Birthright tour of Israel, continues his diary and photos of the tour, reporting his experiences and the ways the tour staff present the history and politics of the country. Earlier posts from East Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Masada, Mt. Herzl, Jerusalem, a kibbutz, and Caesaria can be accessed by clicking the corresponding links. March 21, 2010 – Hebron
I have been putting off writing this post about my visit to Hebron because I do not feel sure of myself in conveying the power of the experience, or communicating what I witnessed daily life in Hebron to be. For the Palestinians that hosted me, fed me, and showed me around, it is important that I bring their stories outside Hebron.

General News

An introduction to Occupation: Sheikh Jarrah and Bethlehem

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March 19th & 20th – Shiekh Jarrah and Bethlehem
On the recommendation of the activists I stayed with in Tel Aviv, I made my way to Jerusalem in time to attend a demonstration outside the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah. I was going to attend one of the demonstrations that has been happening at the wall by the West Bank village of Bi’lin every Friday for the past five years, but there was not room for me in the carpool from Tel Aviv. Later that day I read in the Jerusalem post that Israel would not longer be allowing Israelis and internationals into Bi’lin and Ni’lin (another West Bank demonstration sight) on Fridays between 8am and 8pm, essentially precluding future non-Palestinian presence at these famous demonstrations (in the past five years the Bi’lin demonstrations have attracted such big hitters as Nelson Mandela, Jimmy Carter, and Desmond Tutu, among others). Despite not being able to attend the demonstration in Bi’lin, the demonstration outside the neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah was a huge eye opener. The situation in Shiekh Jarrah (offensively titled the Hebrew name on the map I got at my hostel) is unique, even for east Jerusalem.

Politics & Society

Yitzhak Rabin, epiphanies, and Tel Aviv on the final leg of the Birthright Tour

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Mike Godbe, a young American on a free Birthright tour of Israel, continues his diary and photos of the tour, reporting his experiences and the ways the tour staff present the history and politics of the country. Earlier posts from Masada, Mt. Herzl, Jerusalem, a kibbutz, and Caesaria can be accessed by clicking the corresponding links. Wednesday, March 17th, 2010
The day began with a much welcome 2 hour bus ride to Tel Aviv, which most people slept through the entirety of due to only getting a few hours of sleep the night before. Our first destination was the Save a Child’s Heart Foundation, based out of the Wolfson Medical Center in South Tel Aviv.

General News

The fortress of Masada, victimology, and IDF awkwardness on the Birthright Tour

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Mike Godbe, a young American on a free Birthright tour of Israel, continues his diary and photos of the tour, reporting his experiences and the ways the tour staff present the history and politics of the country. Earlier posts from Mt. Herzl, Jerusalem, a kibbutz, and Caesaria can be accessed by clicking the corresponding links. Monday, March 15th, 2010
I woke up at 4:45 this morning for an optional sunrise hike to the top of a nearby ridge. It is noticeably drier here in the south than in other parts of Israel we have been.

Politics & Society

Greeting the IDF, Mt. Herzl, and Bedouin hospitality on the Birthright Tour

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Mike Godbe, a young American on a free Birthright tour of Israel, continues his diary and photos of the tour, reporting his experiences and the ways the tour staff present the history and politics of the country. Earlier posts from Jerusalem, a kibbutz, and Caesaria can be accessed by clicking the corresponding links. Sunday, March 14th, 2010
Today we met the six IDF soldiers that will be joining our group for the remaining five days of the program. All of them are between the ages of 19 and 21, half women, half men. When birthright was started around 2000, participants in the program were not allowed to walk through many parts of Jerusalem or go out at night, like we now are, because of the high level of danger during the second intifada.

Politics & Society

Jerusalem on the Birthright Tour

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Originally posted under Dave Belden’s name, now under Mike’s so all his posts can be accessed together. Mike Godbe, a young American on a free Birthright tour of Israel, continues his diary and photos of the tour, reporting his experiences and the ways the tour staff present the history and politics of the country. Earlier posts are here and here. Friday, March 12th, 2010
Today was spent in the incredible and ancient city of Jerusalem, a city that has been besieged 36 separate times. Today was a beautiful clear day, unlike the past few days that have been dusted by the sandy haze created by changing seasonal winds blowing from the east.

Politics & Society

Kibbutzim, the Goldstone Report and Rachel Corrie as presented to young American Jews on a Birthright Tour

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This is the second post from Mike Godbe, who is on a Birthright tour of Israel (the first is here). Mike is a 2009 graduate of Vassar College, who has been working with Peace Action West in Oakland, CA. He has a thoughtful take on the way that young Jews like himself are introduced to the history and issues of Israel / Palestine on these tours, that are provided free to any first time Jewish visitors to Israel who are aged between 18 and 26. [Originally posted under Dave Belden’s name, now under Mike’s so all his posts can be accessed together.]
Thursday March 11th, 2010. We began the day with a wonderful hike down the cliffy mountainside of the Arbel.

Politics & Society

What you learn on a Birthright Tour of Israel

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What is it like to go on a Birthright tour of Israel? These are free tours provided to first time Jewish visitors to Israel between the ages of 18 and 26. Tikkun reader Mike Godbe, who is on one of the tours right now, is sending us his impressions. We will be running them over the next few days, along with his photos. [Originally posted under Dave Belden’s name, now under Mike’s so all his posts can be accessed together, by clicking on his byline above.