<p>Elon Hillel - like many Hillels - does a good job of attracting kids - especially boys - with food! And then the fun programing, and then the more serious programs, etc. I think S2 was at their brunch today - in his words - “it saves a swipe” - meaning it’s a free meal that does not cost him one of his 300 meal swipes for the semester. I think he enjoys it more than he is willing to admit, and that’s just fine.</p>
<p>@HartLevine, thanks. </p>
<p>I’m keeping a close watch on the Elon Hillel with our new director. I miss Nancy already. She used to send us unsolicited emails about our daughter during her freshman year last year at Elon.</p>
<p>I haven’t heard much blatant anti semitism on campus, but I have heard some of what I think of as unawareness- kids who know little about the history and culture of the middle east repeating something they read in class, or online, as fact. </p>
<p>Thank goodness college age kids have grown up in a time of relative safety, with events such as the holocaust being no more real to them than a story in a book. Violence is in video games. I’m grateful and wouldn’t have it any other way, but they have no clue about how it feels to grow up in constant danger.</p>
<p>I know it is naive of them to make quick judgments about a long and complicated situation, but it is also hurtful to hear them. I sure don’t want to get into the debate on this thread and get it shut down. Just expressing my own sadness when hearing anti-Israel sentiment. </p>
<p>Yes, Nancy will be a very tough act to follow - she kept a close eye on S2 during the first few weeks of freshman year and was also in touch while he was on Birthright this past summer. But the overall group is so strong and Ginny has been there for several years, so I hope for the best.</p>
<p>Pennylane - I agree - we won’t be debating Middle East politics on this thread! But I think it will be acceptable to share reports of campus incidents of anti-Semitism and the resulting responses. </p>
<p>^ yes, we should share. All kids, including ours, should feel safe at their colleges.</p>
<p>So hard to follow this forum with the new system of notifications…sorry I’ve been so out of touch. My son is starting his sophomore year at Goucher and he loves it. If anyone has any questions about Goucher, please feel free to ask her or via private message. </p>
<p>Glad to hear it! It’s always fun to hear how things turned out.</p>
<p>Thanks RVM!</p>
<p>Hi! Just want to stop in and say hello to all my long-time friends here, who I see are still posting! RVM - this is definitely the best thread on CC!</p>
<p>I just received the Reform Judaism Magazine - college issue. I haven’t read the past few pages of the thread, but I’m sure you are all discussing it. Happy to see Delaware (where my DD just graduated from in May) listed among the great schools for Jewish students that you haven’t heard about. Several schools that this group discusses are also on that list. We are definitely thought-leaders in that regard!</p>
<p>As for my DD, she is now a Masa Teaching Fellow and arrived with her group in Be-er Sheva this week. Yes, it was quite a stressful summer for me thinking about her going. But all is good now. She feels safe and is excited to begin her 10-month adventure there. Thank goodness for the internet - we’ve already video chatted and I know she will always be in touch. Now if it were my son, I’d never hear from him!</p>
<p>Speaking of my DS, he just started his soph year at Miami (not my B student) and is doing great. Only time he went to Hillel last year was for Rosh Hashanah, but I think he is going to try it again next week (one of his closest friends at UM goes to Hillel and keeps asking him).</p>
<p>On another note, a business colleague had this piece in the NY Times yesterday. Even though it’s not “Jewish related,” I thought of all of you and wanted to share it with you. Good insights as your kids head off to college.</p>
<p><a href=“Opinion | Is Your Student Prepared for Life? - The New York Times”>Opinion | Is Your Student Prepared for Life? - The New York Times;
<p>Good luck to all of your kids who are just starting their freshman year and to those who are well on their journey!</p>
<p>Thanks for reminding me that the 2014 issue - the college issue is out - lots of great articles:</p>
<p><a href=“The RJ Insider's Guide to College Life Fall 2014 by Reform Judaism magazine - Issuu”>http://issuu.com/reformjudaism/docs/college_lores</a></p>
<p>This is the best issue I have seen yet!</p>
<p>Shout out to some of the “Hillels You Have Not Heard Of” - Elon, CofC, University of Colorado, University of Delaware and University of Rhode Island - we’ve heard of you!</p>
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<p>This would seem to imply that being anti-Israel is a sub-genre of antisemitism. It is not.</p>
<p>The two generally go hand in hand. I would want to be aware of anti-Israel protests taking place on my student’s college campus and if they were anti-Semitic as well, and how the college was responding. I certainly believe in free speech and the right to peaceful protest and demonstration. But if you look at what has been taking place across Europe, the pro Palestinian protests have very quickly led to acts of violence against Jews. So yes, I see a strong correlation between the two.</p>
<p>I don’t want to veer off into Middle East politics, so I’ll just add this:</p>
<p><a href=“A ‘concerned’ US is monitoring the rise of anti-Semitism worldwide - The Jerusalem Post”>http://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/A-concerned-US-is-monitoring-the-rise-of-anti-Semitism-worldwide-374380</a></p>
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<p>Interesting article on a new application procedure at Goucher from today’s Wash Post:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/goucher-college-allows-video-applications-without-transcripts-or-test-scores/2014/09/03/5e01f512-3384-11e4-9e92-0899b306bbea_story.html”>http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/goucher-college-allows-video-applications-without-transcripts-or-test-scores/2014/09/03/5e01f512-3384-11e4-9e92-0899b306bbea_story.html</a></p>
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<p>I think this is a great idea if it supplements standard academics, but using this alone worries me- not for the school but for the student. </p>
<p>College is a big financial investment, and it isn’t fair to enroll a student who isn’t prepared. I could see using this video to help consider a student who doesn’t test well, but every college student needs a certain level of competency in writing and math before taking college courses and a video doesn’t convey that. </p>
<p>Agreed. Test optional is one thing, but transcript optional? It will be interesting if they seperately track admission rates, yield and freshman retention rates for this subset.</p>
<p>On a completely different note, one of our longtime posters is hospitalized, with a serious health crisis. I don’t have her permission to identify her, even by her CC screen name, so I will refrain from doing so, but if you would still send prayers, positive energy and good thoughts her way, I’m sure she would appreciate. </p>
<p>Yes, RVM, will do. Best wishes to her for a full and speedy recovery!</p>