Challah 4 Hunger!

For those of you at the Rhythms For Rebuilding Concert last night (congrats to all the awesome performers!) you heard me mention the new Challah For Hunger Initiative we're starting on campus. Challah For Hunger was started in several years ago in order to raise money for Hazon, an organization dedicated to fighting world hunger. With C4H, students will be baking loaves of Challah to sell on campus to students. The proceeds will be donated to Hazon. If you're at all interested in baking, selling or helping out in any way with C4H please let us know! We're still working out some of the details but we hope to be selling Challah on campus soon!

A little thursday afternoon soccer....

There is an English Premier League soccer team based in north London called Tottenham Hotspur (commonly referred to as "Spurs"). While studying in London last semester, I became a fan of the Spurs largely due to their underdog status especially relative to the other London based teams. I also enjoyed rooting for the Spurs because they traditionally have had a large Jewish following. According to Wikipedia, "The club, as with many clubs in London, has a large Jewish following and this led to much provocation against Tottenham supporters of an anti-semitic nature. Tottenham supporters, Jewish and non-Jewish, united against this and adopted for themselves the nickname Yids, developing chants to support this. Many of the fans view adopting “Yid” as a badge of pride as helping defuse its power as an insult. Today it is mainly used as to distinguish themselves from other football supporters." Yesterday, the Spurs faced their arch rival Arsenal (also based in north London). The match ended in a 4-4 draw and is being recognized as one of the truly great matches in recent memory. If you have time and are at all intrigued by soccer I recommend watching the entire video below. If you don't have much time, watch until the first goal is scored. It's extraordinary.

Check out this video: Arsenal v Tottenham

Second Screening: Praying in Her Own Voice

This Sunday, November 2nd at 7 pm, there will be a screening of Praying in Her Own Voice in Ursa's TV Room. Please join us in watching this thought provoking and inspirational film. See the earlier blog entry on the film for a trailer and more info. If you have any questions email Jessica at jessica@stlouishillel.org.

jewishinstlouis

Hi :)

I'm PJ. I graduated from Wash U last year, and now I work for the Jewish Federation in St. Louis.

I wanted to let everyone know that jewishinstlouis.org is an excellent resource for anything Jewish in St. Louis: Events, News, Israel, Food, Singles' stuff, College stuff, Jobs...it's all there. Plus I write for them, so you know it's pretty sweet.

We're also on facebook. I update it like a machine, so check it out at anytime.

Please contact me:
314-442-3844
info@jewishinstlouis.org

Great job so far JSU! Keep up the good work.

Thank you for reading!

PJ Edelman

PS, see JSU on jewishinstlouis!

Dance Marathon 2008!

Dance Marathon 2008 was amazing!! Thanks to our great, wonderful, enthusiastic team captains, Avi Rose and Ariela Shmidt! It could not possibly have been as much fun as it was without your SPIRIT! I am posting a two snapshots of the JSU teams... but i know we took some great pictures-- so please put them up if you have!

Good luck to everyone with their Sunday workload!

Cara

Screening of "Praying in Her Own Voice" Monday at 8 pm

This coming Monday, October 27th at 8 pm in Wilson 214 the Women's Series presented by Hillel will be hosting a screening on the documentary Praying in Her Own Voice. It is a fascinating, thought provoking, and powerful piece about Judaism, Feminism, and Israel. It depicts the courageous struggle of the Women of the Wall in the last few years for the right to wear a talit and read from the Torah at the Western Wall the same as men do. It successfully premiered in August at the prestigious San Francisco Jewish Film Festival and is now touring the festival circuit. The film explores and generates important discussions about Jewish Identity, American Jews and Israel, and social justice. See the trailer for the film below.

A New Holiday!

So now that the seemingly endless stream of Jewish holidays are over for a bit, it seems appropriate to bring to light the possibility of a new Jewish holiday. In fact, the new holiday was proposed only a few miles away by a group of 6th graders over at Parkway West Middle School. The notion of "Hit a Jew Day" has angered parents and administrators alike. Tip of the cap to PJ for this one....

JSU and Dance Marathon

Per tradition, JSU plans to have a strong (dominant?) presence at this weekend's Dance Marathon. In fact, JSU has two teams participating in Dance Marathon, JSU1 and JSU2 (morale captained by Avi Rose and Ariela Schmidt respectively). Visiting hours are from 4 PM until 2 AM starting this Saturday afternoon and everyone is encouraged to come visit! It really is an extraordinary event so if you're not participating we definitely recommend you stop by to check it out!

New Sorority on Campus

So Greek Life is looking to add a new sorority on campus. Read below about this cool new opportunity to help choose what sorority it will be.

As many of you know, the University if looking to have a new sorority on our campus. To this end, prospective sororities will be here today(10/21/08 - Steinberg Hall), Wednesday (10/22/2008 - Whitaker Hall), and next Tuesday (10/28/08 - Steinberg Hall) to make presentations to the University and we need student feedback. Greek life would like 25 representatives from the Student Body to view these presentations and evaluate the sororities. If you are available this evening from 7:00-8:30, Wednesday from 7-8:30, or next Tuesday from 8-9:30 please respond to this email ASAP. We appreciate students taking time to participate in a decision that will change our campus significantly. Please pass this along to your group members and if you can send a name or two that is willing to go.

Yewande
--
Yewande Alimi
Student Union Vice President of Finance
Washington University in St. Louis
finance@su.wustl.edu
su.wustl.edu

Last Sukkot Event! Tomorrow Night!

Everyone should come to Smuckers in the Sukkah (tip of the cap to D. Schwartz)! We'll be making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in the South 40 Sukkah from 6-8 PM to ultimately donate to a local shelter. There will also be information and materials related to homelessness and poverty. Please join us for this special social justice event!

New Einsten Book

A new biography on Albert Einstein takes the unusual angle of questioning his mathematical calculations in his string of early 20th century experiments and discoveries. Hans C. Ohanian's Einstein's Mistakes: The Human Failings of Genius brings Einstein down to a human level while still proclaiming his discoveries as revolutionary. A review from the LA Times can be read here.

Sukkot Top Ten

Here is a Sukkot related top ten list courtesy of bangitout.com. Enjoy! Also, if you're a senior come to the mojito night in the Hillel Sukkah sponsored by JSU and Hillel. Should be a great time. Keep an eye out for the exciting social justice Sukkah night this Monday. We'll let you know more about it over the course of the weekend.

Top Ten Lulav/Esrog Shaking Techniques

10. The Sarah Palin Shake - no experience necessary. Just look good and wink a lot while shaking.

9. The Tzippi Livni Shake - Kadima! Kadima! Kadima!

8. The Ahmadinejad Shake - gather all the parts to shake (esrog, lulav, hadasim, aravot), threaten to shake, then insist it's not for shaking at all

7. The Philadelphia Phillies Shake - take lulav and hit your esrog over the mechitza.

6. The Wall Street Shake - completely drop your esrog, break its pitom and everyone else's, then beg for new ones, ideally from the communal building fund

5. The Obama Shake - shake it towards the left, and then bring it towards the right, if anyone in the audience is pro-Israel

3. The McCain Shake - shake it towards the right, but bring it hard left if anyone mentions Bush

2. The Joe Biden Shake - do whatever, no one seems to care.

1. The Dow Shake - Shake up and down, then down again, then down a whole lot more. The key is to make sure no one has any clue which way you'll shake next.

Senior Mojito Night

Hello fellow seniors! Tomorrow night we will be having our second senior program of the year. At 8:30 PM in the Hillel Sukkah JSU and Hillel will be offering Mojitos! A mojito is a delicious and refreshing drink of Cuban origin. Please come out and celebrate the beginning of fall break with mojitos in the sukkah!

Sarah Silverman Video

So I know that many of you have probably seen this already but I still think it's hilarious. Also, check out the post below and facebook for the terrific Sukkot events we have going on this week. Finally, come to the JSU general meeting tomorrow night at 9 PM in the DUC.

Sukkot

Sukkot Events this week on campus:

St. Louis Hillel has two sukkahs during this week of Sukkot. One is at the Hillel building and the other is on the South 40 on the swamp. Below you'll find a schedule of events for the week. Feel free to stop by the sukkahs anytime during the week to have lunch.

Tuesday, Oct. 14, 7 pm

Homelessness & Hunger Awareness Dinner 

South 40 Sukkah

Join students for a brown bag meal while discussing issues of poverty. 

Wednesday, Oct. 15, 8 pm

Yoga in the Sukkah

South 40 Sukkah

If you've never done downward facing dog in the outdoors this is your chance! 

Grad Student Pizza Party in the Sukkah, 6:30 pm

Hillel Sukkah

Join St. Louis area grad students for some pizza and socializing. RSVP by 10/14 to marisa@stlouishillel.org.