for college students by college students Explosive Topic MSU Hillel students help Kentuckians harmed by mountaintop mining. By Nina Patchak East Lansing S pring break in Kentucky? Why did 10 Jewish kids head to Harlan Country, Kentucky? Seems like an unlikely place for stu- dents to travel on spring break, but it was the one place the 10 curious stu- dents from Michigan State University were needed. MSU Hillel's Teva group decided to head there to understand the grow- ing issue of mountaintop removal. Teva means nature in Hebrew and the group focuses on learning and improv ing the outdoors. The Appalachians were calling our names. Mountaintop removal is the process where coal companies take explosives and blow the tops off mountains to extract coal in the fastest and easi- est way. Debris from the explosions is Front row; junior Jessica Langnas, Bloomfield Hills; juniors Jared pushed down into the valleys, further Berman, Erinn Kohn, Robert Goldman and Marla Kerwin, all ruining the landscape. Not only are from West Bloomfield. Back row: junior Zack Fealk, Huntington mountains left bare, but all the rich Woods; junior Nina Patchak, West Bloomfield; junior Sam Appel, Huntington Woods; sophomore Amy Shulman, West Bloomfield; soil is unusable; forests then are clear- and senior Sam Plotkin, Huntington Woods. cut and animals are left without their habitats. Even the vast rivers that flow throughout the Appalachian region are sites are only a hike away from people's homes left me with the contaminated from the metals. feeling that not only are the resources exploited, but also the As a student leader on this trip, I expected the environmental people. The air the people breathe is polluted. Their homes are left degradation to be extreme; however, I was completely speechless with a layer of coal filth and, worst of all, they are in areas where about its effect on the people, who have built their lives around boulders could come crashing down upon their homes. Not only the coal industry; now only 11 percent are working in the field. are the people in Harlan County affected, but also most states that Mountaintop removal requires far fewer workers and they need to touch the Appalachians: Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee. be experienced in using explosives. Often this means bringing spe- The 10 of us from MSU Hillel worked with an advocacy group, cialized workers to the area from around the country; leaving area Mountain Justice, to fight against coal mining in the area. Our workers without jobs in an industry that used to sustain them. group was welcomed at Holy Trinity Church, which housed us dur- Coming from Michigan, I have a strong familiarity with our will ing our adventure. During this weeklong trip, we went to old coal to protect the Great Lakes. Learning that dangerous mountaintop sites and planted 50 trees each. We traveled to people's homes so we could help them prepare for weather changes. Harlan County is one of the poorest counties in America, and people do not have the means to improve their homes. During these projects, we insulated, calked, painted, changed light bulbs and created connections with these people — Tikkun Olam, repairing the world, one step at a time. Apart from the hands-on learning, we gained understanding of what the people of Harlan County are like. We listened and danced to mountain folk music; tasted the cuisine of classic fried dishes; hiked in the Appalachian area; and watched a number of videos to familiarize ourselves with the atmo- sphere we were in. And we learned how to drive along mountainsides as wildlife quickly passed us. The MSU Teva group stops for a photo in Virginia, just across the stateline from Harlan County, Ky., where they vol- unteered for a week and worked with the advocacy group, Mountain Justice. 42 May 19 4, 2011 For me, this was a life-changing experience. I realize "life-changing" often gets thrown around, but this trip sincerely gave each of us an adventure we will never forget. @ Nina Patchak, Teva chair, is a junior at MSU from West Bloomfield Israel Fellowship participants: Chad Weiner of Royal Oak, a recent graduate of Wayne State University, and Shayna Hodge of Ferndale, who attends Oakland University Newfound Knowledge Affirming her Zionism through HMD's Israel Fellowship. By Shayna Hodge Auburn Hills ow can I accurately explain what the Hillel of Metro Detroit Israel Fellowship was? To me, it was an impressive educational program that taught participants the positives and the not-so-positives concerning Israel. At first, I had a feeling this program would end up being extremely biased and one-sided, but I was wrong. We learned about what it is to be Jewish in Israel as well as what it is to be Jewish in the diaspora. We also covered history and facts about Israel ranging from Israeli inventions to history of the land. HMD's Israel Fellowship was a 10-session program from January through April that provided 10 participants from Wayne State University, Oakland University and University of Michigan-Dearborn with a stronger sense of Israeli culture and history as well as tools for advo- cacy. Funded by the Charles H. Gershenson Trust, the program is unique to HMD. Students networked with community leaders, engaged in extensive discussions and completed assignments to fully absorb the material. One class that really had an impact on me was taught by Professor Howard Lupovitch, who spoke of the dif- ferent facets of Zionism. I found it especially interest- ing that Theodore Herzl never intended for Israel to be primarily Jewish, rather just a safe place for the Jewish people to call home; Herzl's plan was for Israel to be secular. This session helped me come to the positive conclusion that I am a Zionist and believe Israel should forever be a safe place for all Jewish people to consider their home. HMD's Israel Fellowship filled me with important knowledge of Israel and the Middle East. This program gave me the tools to stand up for what I believe in, backed by facts instead of opinions. For example, in my world politics class at Oakland University, other students would question Israel and her motives; some didn't really know what they were talking about. With my new- found knowledge, I could stand up for what I believe in and point out facts on the topics at hand. Over all, this was an amazing educational experience and now, more than ever, I am proud to say I am a Jewish American Zionist. @ H Shayna Hodge of Ferndale is a second-year student at Oakland University. She was a participant on Taglit-Birthright Israel 2010 and on Alternative Spring Break 2011.