Israel Elects...Someone

So Israelis went to the polls yesterday to elect a new prime minister, but Israel being Israel the outcome is kinda crazy. As it stands now it looks like Tzipi Livni and Kadima just barely edged out Bibi Netanyahu and Likud, so she gets the first shot at forming a government. It may be tough for her though, cause after Likud the next winningest party is Avigdor Lieberman's far right Yisrael Beitenu, which may create too powerful of a right wing bloc for Livni to be able to form a governing coalition. Anyways, you can read about the election here, here, and here.

FAITHS ACT TOGETHER – TONY BLAIR CALLS FOR ACTION

Thursday 5^th February: Tony Blair today issued a call to action to encourage people of faith around the world to act together to show the power of "a million good deeds done every day" in the name of religion.

"For billions of people, faith motivates, galvanises, compels and inspires, not to exclude to embrace; not to provoke conflict but to try to do good. This is faith in action," he said, speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC. "You can see it in the arousing of the world's conscience to the plight of Africa, a cause we in positions of political power tried to answer, but which was driven by people of faith."

The Tony Blair Faith Foundation today stepped up its campaign to raise funds and eliminate millions of unnecessary deaths from malaria – giving people a practical way of demonstrating how faith can heal rather than divide the world. Faiths Act Together (www.faithsacttogether.org), is a locally driven campaign urging faith-based activity around its "Story of a Bed Net" film to encourage shared ideas, discussion and actions to tackle deaths from malaria.

Tony Blair said:

"A million deaths a year from malaria is wholly preventable. We want 2009 to be the year that people of faith become the change makers against malaria and take direct action to tackle this preventable disease.

"We have already received hundreds of requests from people around the world asking how to get involved and what action they can take. We all know the problems associated with conflict between religions but there is another, more positive story too."

Faiths Act Together events are not meant to be prescriptive and all action aimed at raising awareness and funds is encouraged by the Foundation. There are toolkits and a freely downloadable film The Story of a Bed Net available, which have already helped volunteers in 27 countries to organise community events and raise thousands of pounds for bed nets.

Up to 500 million people suffer from malaria and up to one million people die unnecessarily from the disease annually. In Africa, malaria kills one child every 30 seconds. Faith Acts Together aims to work with partners worldwide to raise enough money to eradicate deaths from the disease - just one £5 or $10 insecticide-treated bed net can protect an entire household.

The Foundation would like to encourage all those interested to get involved and share their ideas, experiences and events via the website by emailing faithsact@tonyblairfaithfoundation.org.

For more information go to our new website www.faithsacttogether.org

JSU blog featured on jewishinstlouis.org

Hello peeps,

JSUniverse is now permanently featured on the jewishinstlouis.org College Page:

See here: http://www.jewishinstlouis.org/page.aspx?ID=75545 - you guys are the top.

I would like a better picture than the JSU logo though. Someone must have a group shot or some other picture of JSU. Any ideas, send to me - pj@jewishinstlouis.org

One of the blogs featured on jewishinstlouis, Yoni Sarason's St. Lou Jew has recently been named one of StL's top 30 blogs and receives close to 20% of his traffic from jewishinstlouis.org

Thanks for reading!

PJ

FOLLOW UP TO MARGY'S POST!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/05/world/europe/05pope.html?ex=1391490000&en=0abc31671b17af96&ei=5124&partner=facebook&exprod=facebook

HI EVERYONE!!

I hope everyone's week is going well so far! Some upcoming events...

SATURDAY 8pm-11pm FEBRUARY 7TH in the GARGOYLE-- Northwoods concert!! This free "New Folk" concert will surely be great!! Our infamous JSU shotglasses will also be for sale. (jsu event)

THURSDAY2:30pm-3:45pm FEBRUARY 5TH in WHISPERS-- Rabbi Friedman will be hanging with students, STOP BY for coffee/cookies/chats. 

FRIDAY 1:30pm-4:30 pm FEBRUARY 6TH at HILLEL-- Jewish Careers Meeting. Rabbi? cantor? educator? scholar? communcal professional? learn more! rsvp to sjaffee@huc.edu

TUESDAY 6pm FEBRUARY 10TH-- JNF CARAVAN... (wsi event) Details to come...!

WEDNESDAY 7pm FEBRUARY 11th in the DUC Formal Lounge-- Reproductive Choice and Judaism. Presented by the Hillel Women's Series in recognition of Sex Week. Come to this panel to hear from a representative from Faith Aloud, a local organization whose mission is to promote reproductive justice through the moral power of religious and ethical communities. ALSO- a rabbi will speak about how Jewish values speak to reproductive choice.

GREAT STUFF HAPPENING this week and next... I'll report more details as they come.

Cara

Underpass Painting!

Good News! We will be painting the underpass (actually it's the sphere to be a bit more specific) tonight around 8 PM! We're painting to advertise for the Northwoods concert this Saturday night! Since I'm usually banned from touching any paint due to my lack of artistic competency, I usually am the one who runs and gets food/drink for everyone involved. I usually buy ice cream sandwiches but considering it's 17 degrees outside right now I think I'm gonna get hot chocolate. Thus, stop by for free hot chocolate and help paint the sphere! It's really fun (I promise)!.

Challah For Hunger in Studlife!

Click here to see a really great audio slideshow about Challah For Hunger through stud life online. Some really awesome pictures and great commentary from the people who have been baking and selling challah this semester! Also, yesterday 80 loaves of Challah were sold in about two hours! Great job guys!