ASU student does the 'write thing'
FARRAH KAYE
Special to Jewish News
Seven days, three countries, three prime ministers, one president, dozens of meetings ... and me.
Let me explain my list. I recently went to Israel for seven days. To get there, I had to go to Switzerland first for a layover, thus meaning I went to a total of three countries (and in one day!).
Israeli Prime Minster Ariel Sharon, former Israeli Prime Ministers Shimon Peres and Benjamin Netanyahu, along with Israeli President Moshe Katzav, all spoke at the General Assembly.
I attended meetings at Magen David Adom, General Assembly, Jerusalem Post, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and more.
So who am I and why was I so lucky? I'm still wondering myself, but I was selected by USD/Hagshama to attend "Do The Write Thing," an annual seminar held in conjunction with the General Assembly. I, along with 22 other college students who show some interest in Jewish journalism, spent seven days doing and seeing things the average person can't even imagine.
And no, I wasn't scared.
Let me explain something. In Israel, like in most European and overseas countries, street crime is low. IDF soldiers/reservists keep cafes and bars safe from terrorists. And considering the events of Sept. 11, Columbine High School or earthquakes, are we really safe anywhere?
I saw the Kotel (also known as the Wailing or Western Wall). I shopped on Ben Yehuda Street. I went to a site of a bus bombing and held a memorial. I saw the security fence. I went to the mall. And I came home in one piece.
So now that I've explained that I was safe, I want to explain what I did. "Do The Write Thing" is for budding Jewish journalists. We had media passes and our advisors work for major Jewish newspapers in the country (including the Jewish News' own Contributing Editor Leni Reiss).
One major highlight of the trip was a panel of journalists, including author Mitchell Bard, Sam Norich of The Forward, and Dan Pine of the Bay Area's J.
They offered us advice on fair reporting, how to get into the industry and asked some of the participants to report on the trip for their papers.
A day at the Jerusalem Post, Medialine and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was another highlight. Gil Hoffman, former "Do The Write Thing" participant, offered us a panel of writers who gave us advice about writing in Israel.
David Harris of Medaline introduced us to a world of fair reporting that is not seen on mainstream American media. And Deputy Director General Gideon Meir from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs gave us a once-in-a-lifetime lecture on media bias.
Other than the media aspect, we attended the General Assembly as well. We joined the GA and along with 6,000 North Americans and Israelis, marched through the streets of Jerusalem, ending with festivities and shopping on Ben Yehuda Street. The local Israelis welcomed us, and had signs in their stores that read, "Discount for brave tourists" or "Thank you courageous North Americans." They stood on the side of our route and applauded us. We sang, we danced, we ate, we shopped; most importantly, we did it all together.
Prime Minster Ariel Sharon, during his speech at the opening of the GA said, "The Jews will not be broken." It is important for the Jewish people to stick together, and, if possible, go to Israel and support our homeland. It is also important to be educated on current issues in order to properly fight ignorance.
Arizona State University student Farrah Kaye participated in "Do the Write Thing 2003," a conference for Jewish campus journalists held in conjunction with the United Jewish Communities General Assembly. This year it was held Nov. 13-20 in Jerusalem.
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