<p>speaking of detours, I’m scheduled to give the opening prayer at my temple board meeting tomorrow night. any suggestions or resources? TIA</p>
<p>that NY Times link on increases in college apps had some scary numbers. apps up 12% at Pitzer, one of D’s favorites.
and as a Grinnell alum, I"m really curious about the 52% increase in apps there…</p>
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<p>I always find that prayer books other than the one used in my congregation can be a very good source of English readings. If your congregation is neither Reform nor Reconstructionist, I could go pull a few siddurim off my shelf and find a suggestion or two.</p>
<p>^^^I also like taking detours when I have (or anyone has) something that they think should be discussed by a group of parents re: our college kids and the campuses they are on.</p>
<p>What shocks me, I suppose, is that Hillel on campus, or Hillel Main office or ADL or someone has not already spoken up to condemn these words. Actually, it doesn’t even have to be a Jewish group, since the “Chaplain” was referring to Americans. I’m rather disgusted that Northeastern Univ. has not said anything.</p>
<p>Mothek: I understand you wanting to talk about colleges too…but isn’t your D going to be attending a college in MA that has underlying anti-semitism? It is all around us.</p>
<p>I’m concerned about my S1 who is in Boston…and S2, who may look at Northeastern or Wentworth down the street from Northeastern…I know it could happen anywhere and it does!!!</p>
<p>How vocal are the Hillels on campus?</p>
<p>I am not looking to open up a can of worms…but Israeli’s are notoriously “Republican” thinking and US Jews are overwhelmingly Democratic.</p>
<p>C43: Thank you for writing what you did…educating people is a HUGE battle. Even educated Americans don’t always know the facts! Although I have Christian friends that know more about Israel than I do and they think Israel should take out Iran! There are soooo many people out there hearing one sided information and then taking it as truth!</p>
<p>Sorry, guys. We can go back to “regularly scheduled programming”. I guess I just get so crazed by these people who make these comments and no one condemns them. I really wish we could have a leader in the White House who is a friend of the Jews and of Israel.</p>
<p>End of rant :)</p>
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<p>chocchip, that’s actually what makes me a little wary about the entire thing. Whenever I first read a piece of news I’ve not heard about elsewhere, I do a google search to see who else is reporting on it. When a story is just starting to get traction, I might see stories on a few blogs…but then it starts spreading to blogs that are nonpartisan, and into the mainstream media. On the other hand, when I see a story confined to blogs that all have similar ideology…well, it makes me a little more skeptical. Especially for something like this not being picked up by Hillel or the ADL or JTS or the Wall Street Journal or National Review’s blog “The Corner”. For me at least, that’s why this doesn’t set off alarm bells in my head.</p>
<p>Did you all see this? Elon apps are up 10% over last year.</p>
<p>[Applications</a> Surge to Berkeley and Virginia - NYTimes.com](<a href=“http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/23/regular-admission-tally-2012/]Applications”>Applications Surge to Berkeley and Virginia - The New York Times)</p>
<p>I would be interested in the surge in apps- does it reflect an increase in population applying or the fact that people are applying to more places since it is hard to get into a college. Also economics plays a part. The economy in general must have an influence.</p>
<p>If the increase is because of an increase in apps, then they must have to go further down the wait list. A student can only take one spot no matter how many colleges he or she applies to and gets accepted at.</p>
<p>The number of college applicants is down this year from last year. It is 300,000 less than two years ago. I think the number of schools that kids apply to is up.</p>
<p>Interesting that Adler is resigning as editor, as he OWNS the newspaper. FWIW, the paper has gone down the tubes since he bought it, and although we still get it, I usually just read the bar mitzvah and wedding announcements and the obits. Our renewal just came in the mail. I think I 'll wait on that decision.</p>
<p>I found the edition that Adler wrote that editorial in our recycling pile. Yowza.</p>
<p>Maybe this thread had something to do with the increase in applications at Elon. How many of those kids are Jewish B students? I noticed that some of our other favorites (Miami of Ohio and U Richmond) had increases also.</p>
<p>momjr, there are a lot of fads in things, including college apps. When people in our area began to mention Elon, for example, in the first couple of years, no one had heard of it. Now if you mention it, parents will say, “I’ve heard good things about Elon.” Mostly what they have heard is that other people are mentioning it. There is a bit of an echo chamber. Same thing with High Point and perhaps Richmond. What’s interesting is that most of the people saying or repeating positive things have zero knowledge directly or factually. They are repeating a second, third or fourth hand opinion. I’m not making any statements about Elon or High Point or Richmond, just observing how opinions seem to be formed and then application decisions made. In Malcolm Gladwell’s best book (IMHO), The Tipping Point, he made some really interesting observations about things like this.</p>
<p>favorites (Miami of Ohio and U Richmond) had increases also.</p>
<p>Again, I’m completely shocked. Never thought of those schools as J “friendly.”
Especially Richmond! … I picture Confederate flags and Robert E Lee birthday parties.</p>
<p>And speaking of which, at Wash. & Lee, they do celebrate Lee’s birthday on MLK day.
So I’m not completely way off in some regards.</p>
<p>chocchipcookie, You mentioned possibly visiting NEU and Wentworth. We visited the latter. I thought there was little chance for any aid at all at NEU so did not encourage my son to apply. He did get a boatload of merit at Wentworth so we visited. It was quite strange that NEU was not mentioned at all and the campuses adjoin. Not down the block or a mile away - they are right next to each other and I don’t think the colleges do anything at all together. It was strange. My impression of Wentworth is that while they are trying to get more residential students, many come in on the T daily and live at home.</p>
<p>MarkBass - one of the observations I have made is that you should perhaps evaluate colleges not just on where they stand today in terms of Jewish population and Jewish life - but where they are headed. Miami of Ohio does have a decent Jewish population and vibrant Jewish life. Richmond is a smaller school - but evaluated in the context of its size - has a reasonably active Hillel and Jewish life. W & L - well - they are trying. New Hillel building and I think a Jewish applicant to W & L has a bit of an advantage. </p>
<p>I appreciate the fact that many schools that never paid much attention to their Jewish population before are waking up and analyzing the data - Jewish students graduate at very high rates and Jewish parents put a very high priority on a college education. Then they realize that in order to attract (most) Jewish students - they need a Hillel, maybe a Jewish Studies minor and so forth, as many Jewish students and parents want to see these things in place before considering a particular college. I am generalizing, of course, but as the high school population in the US begins to decline - colleges are looking to subgroups that might bolster their numbers - whether Chinese students from abroad or Jewish students in the US.</p>
<p>Not necessarily a school for the average “B” student - but for a strong B+/A- student perhaps. Here’s some Hillel info:</p>
<p>[Washington</a> and Lee Hillel :: Washington and Lee University](<a href=“http://www.wlu.edu/x49967.xml]Washington”>http://www.wlu.edu/x49967.xml)</p>
<p>This is a 12-page booklet about Hillel and Jewish life at W & L:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.wlu.edu/Documents/hillel/Hillel%20Brochure.pdf[/url]”>http://www.wlu.edu/Documents/hillel/Hillel%20Brochure.pdf</a></p>
<p>They note that the incoming Class of 2015 contains the largest number of Jewish students in university history. </p>
<p>Frankly - I would give W&L high marks for demonstrating what a college can do to attract and retain Jewish students in a relatively short period of time. Between the new Hillel House, new Hillel director, and their marketing efforts - quite impressive.</p>
<p>Build it and they will come!</p>
<p>Good insight on your part last year, RVM, to have started this thread. Colleges are also realizing that Jewish kids bring a lot to the college campuses and they are not all A students.</p>
<p>Kathiep: Interesting observation about NEU and Wentworth. Haven’t visited yet, so didn’t know how close together they are. If he fell in love with being at a college in the city (which somehow I doubt), and he liked Wentworth for instance, then I would have him get active at the NEU Hillel. I’d have to find out how many students are commuters versus residential to see whether or not it’s a viable option, and how he would feel. (He’s still quite young as a sophomore and even though he’s leaning toward engineering, anything could happen in the next two years…we also may consider Champlain, so I know where to reach you! :))</p>
<p>MarkBass, there were Jews in the confederacy–some fairly highly placed, too. 
The confederate secretary of state was Judah Benjamin. </p>
<p>Has anyone else read Dara Horn’s “All Other Nights”? It’s about a Jewish Union soldier who has family in the south, and who is asked to act as a spy for the north. [A</a> Passover Plot and a Civil War Spy Tale - WSJ.com](<a href=“A Passover Plot and a Civil War Spy Tale - WSJ”>A Passover Plot and a Civil War Spy Tale - WSJ)</p>
<p>Totally agree with RVM about how more and more schools are looking for ways to attract Jewish students. Look back at how USC heavily recruited more Jewish students and professors. Same for Vanderbilt. Those used to be schools for B (even C!) students. Not any more!</p>
<p>OT request – any must-do places/things we should do in Israel? DH and I have a tentative itinerary but want to see if there is anything I am missing or would be worth moving things around to visit. Feel free to PM me so I don’t fill up bandwidth here. Thanks!</p>
<p>Restaurant, hotel & tour guides recommendations would be great!</p>
<p>CountingDown, we are just back from a two-week trip. PM me your itinerary and I’ll give you our recent information on places we stayed, things we did, places we ate, and our tour guides.</p>
<p>RVMom, some good points. Thanks.</p>
<p>S/T, that looks like an interesting read but I think it should be pointed out that “It’s about a Jewish Union soldier who has family in the south” makes it out to appear to be a true story. It’s not. It’s a novel with made-up characters.</p>