supporting Israel
by Spencer Kent and Gabriella Ring
Buy Israeli
ith Israel's 60th anniversary upon us,
you might wonder what you can do here
at home to help our beloved country. One
great thing about globalization is that products made on
one side of the world are becoming easily accessible to
another. Buying Israeli products essentially supports Israel
because exported product revenues go back to the country
of origin. An increasing number of services and goods are
labeled "Made in Israel" and sorting through them all can
become hectic, so we've selected a few of our favorites.
{ Dead Sea Products
A wide variety of skin care
products originate from Israel's Dead Sea minerals. Its
natural mineral concentration is the highest in the world
at 32 percent. AHAVA (ahava.com) is the most recogniz-
able. Care and Beauty Line (careandbeauty.com ), Belmon
Ltd. (www.belmon.coll/), Dr. Nona International Ltd.
(http://drnona.net/webusa/) are brands that also utilize
the unique water.
{MF} The Jewish National Fund's tree planting pro-
gram is an excellent way to give back to Israel and help
shape its landscape. Through the JNF's Web site at
wwwjriforg, visitors may purchase a tree in honor of a
special occasion. The cost is $18; a certificate is mailed to
the giver or recipient.
Teens can show support
through what they buy.
state now can be found all year-round. Nearly all U.S.
grocery stores sell bagels, lox, pita, hummus, matzah
and challah. One local grocery chain carries about 300
Israeli-made foods on its shelves.
Jim Hiller, owner of Hiller's Markets in Metro Detroit,
is proud to support Israel by bringing these products to lo-
cal consumers — even though it meant suffering some anti-
Israel picketing at his Arm Arbor store.
"The products are mostly unadulterated and as fresh as
possible given the distance they travel to our store shelves,"
Hiller said. "Everything grows in Israel, where the climate
and terrain vary from north to south. It may be a tiny
country, but it produces virtually a taste of everything.
"I support Israel because it is my responsibility and my
honor to support the world's one tiny Jewish nation and
refuge half a world away."
For real Israeli food, you don't have to go to Israel. Try
some falafel, shwarma or shnitzel at Yossi's Israeli Cui-
sine, 7325 Orchard Lake Road, Robin's Nest Plaza, West
Bloomfield. You can even practice your Hebrew with own-
er Yossi Benjamin.
visited Israel. They may
never float in the Dead
Sea or hike up Masada,
but now they can have
their wishes and prayers
placed between the ancient
stones of the Western Wall.
The Web site letter2god.
corn allows people to have their
prayers tucked into the stones
with literally the click of a but-
ton. The best part is you can have
a prayer sent from your home com-
puter, saving you a 14-hour plane
ride for the small price of just $9.99.
{ Buy Israel Web sites } After the second intifada (Pales-
tinian uprising) in 2000, fewer visitors came to Israel and
stores and artists suffered. Some came together to form
non-profit Web sites promoting Israeli-made items includ-
ing art and ritual objects. Check these out: shopinisrael.
corn, buyisraelgoods.com, buyblueandwhite.com . Go to
http://middleeastfacts.com/mef buy-israeli-products.php
for a directory of other Web sites.
Spencer Kent, 18, is a senior
at Birmingham Groves
High
School and Gabriella Ring, 14,
Israeli Food and Hiller's Market } Jewish cuisine
often comes tied to holidays, but products from the Jewish
Letter2god.com } According to the Jewish Agency
Is a freshman at Berkley High
for Israel, 60 percent of American Jews have never
School.
take action
by Adina Applebaum and Rachel Margolin
Becoming Advocates:
Expert teaches teens to stand up for Israel.
"You are the people that can make the difference, and
repeat these false conclu-
the tips I learned from Mr. Lazarus, I can help
I mean that with all sincerity," Neil Lazarus to a group
sions to plant them inside
to change those strong opinions."
of 15- to 17-year-olds who had come to learn about
people's minds. Most of the
becoming leaders in Israel advocacy.
Lazarus concluded the program by explain-
1. Don't explain, market
2. Don't be afraid to say
time, he said, people do not
ing to teens that the best way to make a dif-
Lazarus, a native of England who moved to Israel
understand the real issue, but
ference is to be a history maker, and not a
20 years ago, is a professional Israel advocate. His
just believe what the media
bystander. If you see something that's wrong,
job includes talking to teens worldwide, conducting
tell them.
don't be afraid to speak up and change it.
advocacy workshops and explaining why ft is so im-
portant to support Israel.
He did explain, however,
By the time the program had ended, the
that advocating for Israel is an
overall consensus was positive. Kallie Alpiner,
At a workshop sponsored by the Jewish Commu-
easier process than most may
15, of Franklin summed up this feeling perfectly
nity Relations Council of Metropolitan Detroit, Laza-
think. One tip he mentioned is
when she said, The tips I learned for Israel
rus spoke about the prevalence of propaganda in the
to talk about something peo- Nell Lazarus
advocacy will help me as I go out into the real
news media worldwide and how people are manipu-
pie can relate to. Persuasion,
world and come face to face with people who
lated into believing false information about Israel.
An idea he stressed was the importance of being
able to find the truth in what you see. It is vital to look
beyond what's first presented.
he said, is about the power of direction, and thus,
teens should use stories and personal examples to
get their points across.
Another tip to help teens advocate for Israel is to
Advocacy Tips
don't have the same support for Israel as I do."
If there was one thing students understood from
the program, it was that they can make a difference
because if they don't, no one else will.
someone is wrong. Ft's OK to
contradict someone.
3. Be positive. Talk about the
future, not the past.
4. if you watch the news media,
question them.
5. if you don't know something,
look it up. it's not so hard.
6. Ask for a solution.
7. To answer a media question,
remember H.A.R.M.
H - Hear the question
One example is the claim that Israel exists as
talk about the future of Israel and not the past. Men-
an apartheid state. Apartheid is a racist system that
tion the positive things Israel is doing now and not the
originated in South Africa; and many people claim that
advancements they made 30 years ago. Additionally,
Adina Applebaum,
just as South Africans once gave black African fewer
it is important to be positive and not be afraid to ad-
16, and Rachel Mar-
To contact Neil Lazarus: log
rights than whites, so, too, is Israel denying Arabs
mit someone is wrong.
golin, 15, are sopho-
onto www.awesomeseminars.
mores at the Frankel
com. E-mail him at
their rights as Israeli citizens.
Justin Polk, 16, of Walled Lake said, "It was eye-
You all are the pioneers are tomorrow," Lazarus
told his audience. {
R - Reframe the question
Lazarus explained that the media often use unre-
opening to see the ways young kids are brainwashed
Jewish Academy in
lated facts to come to untrue conclusions and then
into believing anti-Israel propaganda. I hope that with
West Bloomfield.
B2 teen2teen May • 2008
A - Assess the question
M - Message delivered
nell@awesomeseminars.com