Uri Westrich (YC ’09) was honored this past week as Valedictorian for Yeshiva College, and spoke in front of his graduating class. Among Uri’s many activities during his time at YU was Eimatai. Uri served as an Eimatai advisor this year working with YULA and the Frankel Jewish Academy in Detroit.
Among Uri’s other talents is a penchant for making videos both serious and humorous, and some of his works can be found here, here and here.
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Posted by eimatai
A great organization called Canfei Nesharim is providing a whole slew of great educational resources on Tu B’Shvat and the Environment. Here is what they have to say:
Tu b’Shevat, the Jewish “New Year of the Trees,” falls this year on February 8-9. It’s a great time to learn and share with your community about Torah teachings on protecting the environment. This year Canfei Nesharim is offering a wealth of NEW resources for this Tu b’Shevat, including FREE colorful haggadot for your Tu b’Shevat seder; synagogue activity suggestions (with resource sheets) for children, teens, adults and communities; FREE “Appreciation for Creation” wallet cards for you to order and give out to your community; “The Trees Sang with Joy,” a new Torah teaching for Tu b’Shevat (available for reprinting); electronic greeting cards to share with your loved ones; and the opportunity to plant a tree in our virtual forest OR in the land of Israel. Don’t miss this great opportunity to learn and educate your community about our Torah-based responsibility to protect the environment. Check it all out at http://canfeinesharim.org/community/shevat.php!
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Posted by eimatai
Stopping the Genocide in Darfur
Peace in the Middle East
Better Health Care
Financial Reform
The War in Iraq
The Environment
Whatever it is that you are passionate about, you have the right to contact your elected officials, and tell them how you feel. It is not so difficult to get in touch with them, and they do take what they hear into consideration when they are making decisions.
Now is the time to reach out to anyone who has been elected to a new position. The new Congress people have not been sworn in yet, and they are still preparing to take their positions. It is now that they will be forming their policies, and it is now that you can have your voice heard before they are fully engaged in their day-to-day responsibilities.
Phone calls, emails, and letter writing are all good ways to get in touch with the people that represent you in government. The more time you have to spend (writing a letter and mailing it is harder than sending an email), the more impact that item will have.
So take the time send a hand-written letter or postcard to your newly elected or re-elected officials.
You can find information about contacting your Senator, your Representative in the House, and your state Governor. More information can be found online to contact other elected officials.
The transition team of President-Elect Barack Obama has made it very easy to give input. Their website, www.change.gov, asks Americans to submit stories, videos and questions, and to share their thoughts with the transition team. They are making it very easy to get in touch with the people crafting the next administration.
So take the time, think about what you care about, and take Action. You can contact the Obama transition team above, or write to them at the following address:
President-Elect Barack Obama
Presidential Transition Office
Kluczynski Federal Building
230 S. Dearborn St.
38th Floor
Chicago, IL 60604
I sent my postcard out the other way, whats on your postcard?
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Posted by eimatai
One of the hardest things to do is thank the people who help make our lives better every day. What’s even harder to do is thank those people who we never even see.
The factory workers, air traffic control operators, medical researchers, farmers, inventors and countless other professionals working behind the scenes are often out of sight and out of mind.
One of the jobs that clearly deserves the most thanks is that of the men and women serving in the armed forces. These people have chosen to serve their country, and defend its citizens and values. They put their lives on the line, and it is important to do what we can to thank them.
It can sometimes be awkward, but one of the nicest things you can do is simply thank anyone you see wearing a military or police uniform. You don’t have to know who they are, but saying “Thank you for your service” can really go a long way.
For those of us who might be a little too shy to do that, Xerox has made it a little easier. They have launched a very straightforward campaign called “Let’s Say Thanks.”
All you do is log on to the web site, and pick out a postcard you would like to send to soldiers deployed overseas. You can then write a personal message, or pick a pre-written message to put on the back of the card. Xerox will print the cards for free, and is partnering with Give2TheTroops who will send the cards to soldiers along with care packages.
If you’ve ever been to camp or away from home for a while, you know how nice it is to hear back from home . Now imagine being in Iraq or Afghanistan patrolling dangerous neighborhoods, and how nice it would be to get a piece of mail from someone you don’t know just to say “thanks”.
Leave a Comment » | Social Action Issues | Tagged: activism, Afghanistan, chessed, Give2TheTroops, Iraq, Soldiers, Thank You, Xerox | Permalink
Posted by eimatai
It’s not too late to register to vote in the upcoming elections! If you are going to be 18 years old by November 4, you can register to vote for this election, but you have to act fast!
Voter Registration Still Open in these States:
California – Must be sent by next week
Connecticut – Must be sent by next week
Maryland – Must be sent by Tuesday
Massachusetts – Must be sent in by Wednesday
New Jersey – Must be sent TODAY, received Tuesday
New York – Must be postmarked TODAY
To register, log on to www.rockthevote.com . Fill out the form, print it out, and mail it in today!
Have your voice heard this November!
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Posted by eimatai
On July 17, Al Gore challenged Americans to take action to fight Global Warming by setting the goal of Zero Carbon Emissions by the year 2019. (The full speech can be seen here) This ambitious yet attainable goal is no simple feat. It will require sacrifice on the part of the American people, and courage on the part of American businesses to take the risk by investing in alternative energy sources.
The organization Gore founded to promote this message is called “we“. On their website, you can find a number of different educational resources, and also learn about how you can become more involved.
Here are a few simple ways you can help move America towards a carbon emissions-free energy in the next ten years:
Contact your local Power Company and ask them to use more alternative energy
Ask major Banks to think twice before funding the building of new coal burning plants
Minimize your own carbon impact at home, school or work
Together, we can accomplish great things. It won’t happen overnight, but if we were able to put a man on the moon in 1969, we can create viable alternative energy sources by 2019.
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Posted by eimatai
