Basketball Stories (College and Pro)
“>HERE to read more.
Over the last couple of months Bruce Pearl’s name has been popping up in the news. To our knowledge he still does not have intent on coaching anytime soon.
He also apologized for what he did to the University of Illinois, which really put him on the map. Pearl was a whistle blower against Deon Thomas signing with the Illini. Read more
“>HERE to read more.
28 teams representing 16 schools descended upon University of Maryland this past weekend for three days celebrating basketball, Shabbat and Jewish comradery. The weekend began with students arriving at UMD Friday afternoon, followed by Orthodox, Conservative and Reform Shabbat services occurring in respective places. Saturday provided players and fans with plenty of activities. In addition to services in the morning, such events as a Maryland football scrimmage and a music festival were offered to all. But by 8:30 PM Saturday night, game time had approached. Men’s and women’s Teams from schools such as Cornell, Brandeis, Yeshiva University, New York University, Rutgers, Miami, Barnard and Stern began round robin play, with each team playing three games to determine seeding. Sunday saw bracket play with teams eliminating one another until the final champion stood alone. On the men’s side, a Yeshiva University team captained by 6”1 senior Steven Ritholtz, the second place team from the 2011 tournament, came out on top against the Jonah Weisel-led Maryland team. On the women’s side, a University of Maryland team captained by 5”6 sophomore Danielle Miller beat the University of Pennsylvania team. Leading up to the tournament, each team was responsible for raising $1200 to finance food and jerseys. Although from an outside perspective the weekend seemed to emphasize competition and rivalry, it resulted in a whole lot more. The weekend wasn’t about Reform vs. Conservative vs. Orthodox, but about Jews being united through something as simple as basketball. Scott Scheff, a sophomore guard playing for Columbia, put it best when he said, “It’s really great to see so many people and have the chance to meet new people.” Maryland sophomore guard Josh Rappaport stated, “It was fun and surprisingly competitive, but, at the end of the day, it was a great way to bring Jewish college students together. For me, and I’m sure many others would echo this, it was just as great to play competitive, organized ball again as it was to hang out with all my friends that were here representing their respective schools.” At the end of the day, the tournament was not only about basketball, but about bringing together young college Jews in a natural forum.
– Elan Kane
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April Israel Factor: Romney trumps Obama. But why?
The two Presidential rivals were closer last month, but the April 2012 survey of the Israel Factor (now part of our exclusive J-Meter feature) draws them apart.
Romney scored 7.22 (out of 10) in March, and is now on 7.5. Obama scored 7.11 last month and is now on 6.9. All in all, Romney was always ahead of Obama in our survey and is still leading on the question we ask every month: Looking ahead for 2012, please rate the following presidential candidates on scale of 1 (bad for Israel) to 10 (good for Israel).
It is interesting to ask, though, why the panel thinks Romney is better for Israel than Obama. As you can see from the chart above, Obama is doing today better than he did in the past – it is not his best survey, but in the last year the panel’s approach towards him was generally more positive than in the past. So why would our expert panel still think Romney is the better one for Israel? Why do 5 of the 10 panelists rank Romney higher while only three rank Obama higher (the others give the two the same rank)?
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One possible answer to this question might be found in the first question we ask this month (see full statistics here): Please rank the two presidential candidates – Barack Obama and Mitt Romney – on the following issues from 1 (totally disagree) to 10 (totally agree).
In two categories our panel give Obama higher marks: Shows good understanding of Middle East affairs (but that probably comes with the experience on the job); can advance the Israeli-Arab peace process (not that anyone really believes the peace process can be advanced at this time). On three categories – two of them are the more important categories – our panel tends to give Romney the upper hand. He “can be trusted to halt Iran’s nuclear program” better than Obama – but not by much. He “knows how to deal and to get along with Israel’s government” – that’s the polite way of saying: he will not fight as much with Prime Minister Netanyahu. Here Romney’s lead is significant and easily understandable, but I think is also insignificant.
The third item on the list is the key to understanding Romney’s lead over Obama in so many Israel Factor surveys: Romney, our panel believes, “is a true friend of Israel” – more so than Obama. Six of our panelists gave Romney the higher mark on this question, and only one gave Obama the higher mark. Call it the gut feeling question, the “true friend” test was always one of the most telling tests for candidates ranked by the Factor. Israelis trusted Presidents Clinton and Bush – opposites in many ways – because both of them easily passed the “true friend” test. Obama, the colder, more inaccessible President never did.
But for some reason, Romney does. He is not the warmest candidate. He is not the most engaging leader. But flip-flop on all other matters aside, on Israel the panel finds him to be consistent, and trustworthy. So what if he doesn’t understand the Middle East – he can learn. So what if he doesn’t have much better chance of stopping Iran – we know he’s going to try. So what if a Romney presidency will not be good for the peace process – Israelis are busy with more important things (Iran). Until Obama surpasses Romney in the “true friend” test, it will be hard for him to be considered “better” on Israel than the Republican candidate.
April Israel Factor: Romney trumps Obama. But why? Read More »
The Israel Factor 04.2012, Questionnaire
1. Please rank the two presidential candidates – Barack Obama and Mitt Romney – on the following issues from 1 (totally disagree) to 10 (totally agree):
|
Issue |
Obama |
Romney |
|
Shows good understanding of Middle East affairs |
|
|
|
Can be trusted to halt Iran’s nuclear program |
|
|
|
Knows how to deal and to get along with Israel’s government |
|
|
|
Can advance the Israeli-Arab peace process |
|
|
|
Is a true friend of Israel |
|
|
2. On a scale of 1 (bad for Israel) to 10 (good for Israel) please rank the following candidates for vice president:
|
Candidate |
|
|
Joe Biden (Current VP) |
|
|
Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty (GOP) |
|
|
NJ Governor Chris Christie |
|
|
Florida Senator Marco Rubio |
|
|
Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan |
|
|
Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum |
|
|
Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell |
|
|
Ohio Senator Rob Portman |
|
|
Puerto Rico Governor Luis Fortuno |
|
|
New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez |
|
|
LA Governor Bobby Jindal |
|
|
Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush |
|
|
Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee |
|
3. Looking ahead for 2012, please rate the following presidential candidates on scale of 1 (bad for Israel) to 10 (good for Israel):
|
Candidate |
|
|
Barack Obama |
|
|
Mitt Romney |
|
|
Newt Gingrich |
|
|
Ron Paul |
|
The Israel Factor 04.2012, Questionnaire Read More »
The Israel Factor 04.2012, Full Statistics
1. Please rank the two presidential candidates – Barack Obama and Mitt Romney – on the following issues from 1 (totally disagree) to 10 (totally agree):
|
Issue |
Obama |
Romney |
|
Shows good understanding of Middle East affairs |
7 |
6.1 |
|
Can be trusted to halt Iran’s nuclear program |
6.4 |
6.8 |
|
Knows how to deal and to get along with Israel’s government |
5.7 |
6.56 |
|
Can advance the Israeli-Arab peace process |
6.2 |
5.11 |
|
Is a true friend of Israel |
6.4 |
7.56 |
2. On a scale of 1 (bad for Israel) to 10 (good for Israel) please rank the following candidates for vice president:
|
Candidate |
|
|
Joe Biden (Current VP) |
8 |
|
Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty (GOP) |
5.71 |
|
NJ Governor Chris Christie |
6.78 |
|
Florida Senator Marco Rubio |
6.37 |
|
Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan |
5 |
|
Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum |
5.56 |
|
Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell |
5.8 |
|
Ohio Senator Rob Portman |
5.8 |
|
Puerto Rico Governor Luis Fortuno |
4.83 |
|
New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez |
5.17 |
|
LA Governor Bobby Jindal |
5.67 |
|
Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush |
6.78 |
|
Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee |
6.44 |
3. Looking ahead for 2012, please rate the following presidential candidates on scale of 1 (bad for Israel) to 10 (good for Israel):
|
Candidate |
|
|
Barack Obama |
6.9 |
|
Mitt Romney |
7.5 |
|
Newt Gingrich |
5.44 |
|
Ron Paul |
2.11 |
The Israel Factor 04.2012, Full Statistics Read More »
Yehuda Amichai Poems on this Yom Haatzmaut
An Arab Shepherd Is Searching For His Goat On Mount Zion
An Arab shepherd is searching for his goat on Mount Zion
and on the opposite hill I am searching for my little boy.
An Arab shepherd and a Jewish father
both in their temporary failure.
Our two voices met above
the Sultan’s Pool in the valley between us.
Neither of us wants the boy or the goat
to get caught in the wheels
of the “Chad Gadya” machine.
Afterward we found them among the bushes,
and our voices came back inside us
laughing and crying.
Searching for a goat or for a child has always been
the beginning of a new religion in these mountains.
Jerusalem
On a roof in the Old City
laundry hanging in the late afternoon sunlight:
the white sheet of a woman who is my enemy,
the towel of a man who is my enemy,
to wipe off the sweat of his brow.
In the sky of the Old City
a kite.
At the other end of the string,
a child
I can’t see
because of the wall.
We have put up many flags,
they have put up many flags.
to make us think that they’re happy.
to make them think that we’re happy.
Wildpeace
Not the peace of a cease-fire,
not even the vision of the wolf and the lamb,
but rather
as in the heart when the excitement is over
and you can talk only about a great weariness.
I know that I know how to kill,
that makes me an adult.
And my son plays with a toy gun that knows
how to open and close its eyes and say Mama.
A peace
without the big noise of beating swords into ploughshares,
without words, without
the thud of the heavy rubber stamp: let it be
light, floating, like lazy white foam.
A little rest for the wounds –
Who speaks of healing?
(And the howl of the orphans is passed from one generation
to the next, as in a relay race:
the baton never falls.)
Let it come
like wildflowers,
suddenly, because the field
must have it: wildpeace.
Yehuda Amichai Poems on this Yom Haatzmaut Read More »
April 26, 2012
Yes, Israel will still be around in another 64 years, but we need to change our ways
Israeli Nobel winner Daniel Schechtman talks to David Horowitz of the Times of Israel about how he sees education as key to a successful future for the Jewish state.
Salaries are low and will stay so for the foreseeable future. Some Arab sectors have good educators, especially in chemistry. They can’t find jobs, so they become teachers. In some religious schools, they see teaching as a mission and so they’re not so worried by low salaries. But overall, this current system with colleges for teacher training is faulty. The government funds teaching training colleges per capita. If a college can attract 300 students, the government says, we’ll fund 300 students. So, of course the college will do everything to get 300 students. There are too many colleges and there’s competition for students. They accept everybody. And I mean everybody. That means low-quality entrants. The graduates can’t teach because they were not chosen properly.
The Arab springtime of nations?
Writing in Today’s Zaman, Shlomo Avineri looks at the way ahead for the Arab world in the wake of a year of revolution.
Simply put, a rosy outlook for countries like Egypt cannot be assumed on the basis of exhilarating images on CNN or Al Jazeera or the fact that masses of young, well-educated, English-speaking men and women are connected through Facebook and Twitter. The great majority of Egyptians were not in Tahrir Square, and many of them lack not only access to online social networks but also electricity and safe drinking water. Democracy and free speech are not at the top of their agenda.
In a wide-ranging interview, President Barack Obama talks to Jann S. Wenner of Rolling Stone about the upcoming election, racial politics, and, of course, the Middle East.
As for Iran, I came into office in 2009 saying, “Let’s see if we can end 30 years of mistrust between the United States and Iran.” That outstretched hand was rebuffed, in part, because Iran embarked on repression of its own people after the elections in 2009, and they continue to pursue a nuclear program that nobody in the international community believes is simply for peaceful purposes… There is a window of opportunity to resolve this issue diplomatically, and that is my fervent preference. There’s no reason why Iran shouldn’t be able to rejoin the community of nations and prosper. They have incredibly talented and sophisticated people there. But this continuing pursuit of nuclear weapons capability continues to be a major challenge, and it’s going to be consuming a lot of my time and energy over the next several months.
Mubarak’s Old Stalwarts Vie for Supremacy
Khairi Abaza of the National Interest takes a look at the battle for control of the country being waged via Egypt’s presidential election.
Wittingly or unwittingly, Tantawi enabled the Muslim Brotherhood to dominate the political scene in hopes of outmaneuvering Suleiman, but he soon found himself losing control of the country. And while the generals exchange recriminations with the Brotherhood in public, they cannot seem to cooperate with the intelligence and police forces—the only other people who can muster guns and international support.