Something Ext ra
•
Getting Into College
There are no quotas for Jewish stu-
dents at America's colleges anymore, says
educational consultant Steve Goodman.
However, the opposite is also true —
just being Jewish and engaging inlegiti-
mate Jewish activities is not enough to
gain admission to the college of your
choice.
Goodman, founder of the
Washington, D.C.-based admissions
consulting company Top Colleges, spoke
to high school students and their parents
Feb. 4 at the Jewish Community Center
in West Bloomfield. The program was
co-sponsored by the JCC, the Toledo
JCC and the Jewish Community
Council of Metropolitan Detroit.
An active member of the Washington
Jewish community, Goodman says he
encourages his students to go on group
trips to Israel. But, when writing about
these trips on college applications, it's
Pro-Israel On Campus
important to distinguish yourself from
the crowd of other students who have
gone to Israel.
"The point you have to make is: How
does my involvement in the Jewish com-
munity make me different from other
students who are involved in the Jewish
community?" he said.
In his talk, Goodman also focused on
identifying the right schools for each
student, understanding the increasingly
complex college application processes
and avoiding the "deadly 20" application
topics.
"It made me think about applying for
college differently," said Dan Hulbert,
16, of Royal Oak, a junior at Kimball
High. "I was more aware of what you
should tell colleges about yourself when
you apply."
— Diana Lieberman, staff writer
High school seniors Noah Smith and Rachel Lasser listen during the program.
Some 50 students were treated to
pizza, salad and literature, including
handy fact sheets titled "Israel and the
Palestinians: Quick Responses to
Difficult Questions" and "Crash
Course in Middle East History," dur-
ing an Israel advocacy program at the
Irving and Beverly Laker Education
and Youth Complex of Congregation
in West Bloomfield on Feb. 9.
The program, "Israel On Campus:
What the Student Handbooks Don't
Tell You," was organized by the Jewish
Community Council of Metropolitan
Detroit and featured three speakers
from the University of Michigan
Hillel's American Movement for Israel.
Avi Jacobson, 21, a U-M senior, told
the group the pro-Palestinian move-
ment is small, but well organized on
campus. He cited a pro-Palestinian
film currently being produced in a U-
M classroom and the push for Israel
divestment last summer.
"The issue is drawing the line
between anti-Semitism and anti-Israel
activity," he said after the 45-minute
talk. "On this campus in particular,
there's very few anti-Semitic acts, but
there's a lot of anti-Israel activity. A lot
of it has been focused on the politics."
Rachel Lasser, 18, a senior at
Birmingham Groves High School, has
applied to U-M. "It's important to
learn how to represent yourself as a
Jewish person and be able to speak up
for yourself and be more educated
about Israel," said Lasser of Bingham
Farms.
The speakers pitched the benefits of
joining Hillel, including better under-
standing of the situation in the Middle
East and inexpensive tours to Israel.
Dan Hulbert, a junior at Royal Oak's Kimball High School, speaks with
educational consultant Dan Goodman.
'cha
Don't Know@
2004
The American Indian tribal names Shawnee and
Mendota have a special meaning in "Jewish
America." What is it?
— Goldfein
• nEd •as Jo qmqns
s! c•uum ‘sltpaH -elopuaw
sEsuEN Jo gin
-qns tisrmai i s! '.uEN cuorssm aaumEgs :Jamswv
2/13
2004
12
— Harry Kirsbaum, staff writer
Quotables
Do You Remember?
"Every Jew needs to have Jewish pride. We don't
want to be modern-day Marranos."
February 1984
— Rabbi Chaim Shneur Nisenbaum, a Lubavitcher
in Paris who opposes a French proposal to ban the
wearing of kippot, as well as Muslim head coverings,
large crosses and other highly visible religious garb,
in public institutions to protect French secularism
as reported by JTA.
Mr. and Mrs. David Holtzman add to their Israel
philanthropy by endowing the director-general's suite
at Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan. They share a
close personal relationship with David Altman, Bar-
Ilan's director-general, the youngest at any Israeli uni-
versity.
David Holtzman is also an associate member of
Hebrew University's board of governors and has been
a staunch supporter of Israel Bonds — serving previ-
ously as Detroit's general chair.
— Sy Maned°, editorial assistant