Dennis, a graduate student in Journalism at Medill University, is a participant in the 'Do the Write Thing' program at the GA for Jewish College Student Journalists.

Immediate Thoughts on Peres' Speech

Simon Peres covered a range of contentious topics – the stumbling economy, oil dependence, the possibility of peace in the Middle East – but his theme and tone remained constant. Peres spoke in the fashion and form of a lullaby: a warm tone of voice, rhythmic pauses between talking points, and a perpetual theme of gentle reassurance.

He opened with the economy, and, as might be expected, the subject was greeted with a quiet buzz of unhappy murmurs from the crowd. Peres sidestepped the negativity by redefining the economy in hopeful terms: Israel's economic strengths are greater than their fiscal returns. Science and technology unlock human potential, and the advancement of knowledge constituted "real wealth." Israel itself is more than a country or a land – it is a future. This soft refocusing removed Israel from the unflattering landscape of statistics and pessimistic realism. Peres ended this portion of his speech with a microcosm of his overall message: there was no need for pessimism, and, "a focus on hope and happiness would make problems disappear sooner."

Peres then moved to the issue of energy, and here, too, he promoted a theme of constant improvement – with Israel at the head. The current system of oil dependence has spawned a host of problems: an expanding chasm between the rich and poor, and an economic crutch for dictators like Chavez, with oil profits contributing to a military machine and terror. But energy alternatives were eminently possible, and could readily contribute to a better world. Peres cited Israel as the most economic in its usage of water and land through its modern science: "…growing vegetables almost without land, fish almost without water…" and in the same theme, energy resources like the sun would soon be harnessed through technological innovation.

Peres sees peace on the horizon as well. First, he discussed the hawkish road towards peace, acknowledging Israel's past military victories - pointing out that losing one would have meant the end of Israel's existence, but "…one day of war does not support one day of democracy…and peace victory is more important than military victory." Peres stated that the road towards peace necessarily involves negotiations and treaties, painful and arduous as they may be. All peace agreements would involve sacrifice, and none would be perfect, but that "…perfection is contrary to existence. Imperfection is a condition to remain alive."
Peres acknowledged Iran as a dangerous presence in the region, one with advanced military capacity, and which would subvert all Middle Eastern states to a theocratic rule. But while he did not downplay the severity of Iran's threat, he also points out that Iran's hostility is something of an inadvertent boon. Iran's imperialist bent is worrying not just for Israel, but the entire Middle East – and thus, has created an unprecedented common ground.

Peres made frequent references to his positive relationship with new President-Elect Obama. Though Obama is arriving, and Peres departing, it remains fitting. Peres built his speech around the foundation of hope: for Israel's economic progression, for the specter of peace becoming more tangible, and above all, in the illimitable capacity of the Jewish people. Now, we must hope he is right.

Daniel is a participant in the 'Do the Write Thing' program at the GA for Jewish College Student Journalists

The General Assembly of UJC could not have been hosted in Jerusalem at a better time. Today, on Monday the 17^th of November, Israel was reminded of the special connection and bond that it has with world Jewry.

This assembly is a meeting of minds and ideas of many participants both Israeli and those who flew in from the US and Canada. Important figures from Israeli politics and the world Jewish community spoke in front of large audiences conveying their messages as well as optimism towards the future.

Along with speeches, the building complex of Binyaney Hauma is also filled with booths which represent many organizations promoting their causes and interesting passerby's in their services.

Even though there are many obvious gains for the participants arriving at the GA from abroad the real gain is actually for the many Israeli's participating, especially the ones with little knowledge about or contact with world Jewry.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert opened the event by saying "Once Israel was the concern of world Jewry. Now world Jewry is the concern of Israel."

Because Israel finds itself responsible for Jew related events worldwide, from helping immigration to advocacy to fighting anti-Semitism, it's rare for Israelis to remember how much aid and support they get from the Jewish communities abroad.

Both in finances and in lobbies the world Jewish community makes many of their local policy decisions with Israel in mind.

Even so there is a large gap between the work in the field and the awareness of the local populace. While programs like Birthright and Masa are more famous many other activities and projects of the United Jewish Communities are not. As such, hosting the General Assembly in Jerusalem helps the awareness and reminds the Israeli community of the friend that is has both in the UJC and world Jewry as a whole.

With four days full of speeches and activities the General Assembly looks to not only inform the public of the issues at hand but also to start new initiatives which look to preserve and strengthen the bond of the Jewish community worldwide for years to come.

We boarded Bus 2 and headed north to meet a new generation of immigrants. Led by the Jewish Agency, the day highlighted that organization’s work to encourage and support young olim from all over the world—giving Israel’s next generation a “soft landing” in their new home.

The bus was a microcosm of the GA, including representatives from Federations in New York, DC, Florida, Illinois, California, Colorado, Connecticut and more. Our group included Federation presidents and executive directors as well as people who are newly involved with Federation; people who had been in Israel dozens of times and one who was making her first trip

Our first stop was Kibbutz Yizre’el in the Jezreel Valley. This kibbutz, established in 1948 by demobilized Palmach soldiers and still run in the traditional manner as a collective, is home to a Garin Tzabar, a group of young “lone soldiers” who made aliyah as a group from North America. The Garin Tzabar groups are formed by Jewish Agency aliyah emissaries. The soldiers have develop close bonds with each other and with their “adoptive” kibbutz families, and the kibbutz is their home base when they have time off from the IDF. Bus 2 chatted with the soldiers and with the kibbutzniks who work with them. We also had a tour of the kibbutz factory, which manufactures robots that clean swimming pools, and enjoyed a picnic lunch in the sun on the beautiful kibbutz grounds.

Next stop: a second kibbutz, also in the north but on the Mediterranean coast near the town of Zichron Ya'akov. Kibbutz Ma’agan Michael, the largest kibbutz in Israel, was established in 1949 by a group of settlers who played an important role in Israel’s struggle for independence: They served as cover for an illicit underground arms factory. Today this kibbutz is well known for housing one of Israel’s most popular ulpan programs, where 18-26- year-olds from all over the world come to study Hebrew intensively for five months. For new olim, the program is heavily subsidized by the Jewish Agency. “Tourists” who don’t intend to make aliyah pay a much steeper price. The group met with several ulpan students, who hailed from the FSU, Canada, US, Belgium, Holland, and Chile, and visited a class.

The last stop, a boarding school in Herzeliya, is home to teens who came to Israel on Na’aleh, a Jewish Agency program that helps kids as young as 16 make aliyah without their families. The visit spotlighted Babayit Beyachad (At Home Together), a program that gives each teen an adoptive family so that they feel supported in their new homeland. The teens and Bus 2 then joined in a drum circle, an emphatic and unusual end to a long, fascinating day.

By Wayne L. Firestone, president of Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life

As I write from the United Jewish Communities General Assembly in Jerusalem, three words from Hillel International Board of Governors Chairman Edgar M. Bronfman describe the scene: “hope not fear.”

These are the three words that Edgar used to encourage Richard M. Joel as they launched Hillel’s renaissance in 1994. They are the title of Edgar’s new book which advocates an optimistic and celebratory approach to Jewish life. And they describe the atmosphere here in Jerusalem where hundreds of young people to bring a spirit of energy and excitement to this annual gathering of Jewish leaders. And this is by design. The conference organizer, UJC Senior Vice President Nachman Shai, saw the enthusiasm of Hillel activists at last year’s UJC GA in Nashville and wanted to bring it to Jerusalem.

The Bronfman family cares so deeply about our young people that the Samuel Bronfman Foundation sponsored the Next Gen conference on the opening day of the GA, providing an opportunity for young people from Israel and North America to explore issues of the Jewish identity together. On Sunday, Hillel paid tribute to Edgar’s commitment to Israel and Jewish students by naming our Israel headquarters in his honor.

I am encouraged that the voices of young people are no longer excluded from the conversation but are welcomed and encouraged to contribute. In his remarks to the UJC GA plenary, Prime Minister Olmert listed Jewish identity along with Israel’s security as a fundamental issue for the Jewish state. Mr. Olmert spoke directly to the young people in the audience and told them that they are the future of the Jewish people. He reiterated the country’s support for breakthrough educational programs such as Taglit-Birthright Israel and MASA.

It was frankly thrilling for me to see hundreds of Israeli and American students interacting with one another at UJC Next Gen programs and at the GA. Many had been involved in other Israel-Diaspora programs such as Otzma, Taglit and MASA, in which Israeli and American young people can engage in meaningful conversations about their Jewish identities, reinforcing one another in their appreciation for Jewish peoplehood. I did not encounter any of the cynicism that one might expect from this age cohort but rather a spirit of optimism and entrpreneurship that is very encouraging for our future.

With the ongoing UJC support for these programs, and for youth-oriented agencies like Hillel, we can strengthen our future and advance the GA’s theme: “One People, One Destiny.”