Notations From the Grid (Special Thanksgiving Eve Edition): On Education & Inspiration

On this #Thanksgiving2019 Eve here in the United States, we hereby present the following courtesy of Common Sense Education:

Inspiration for your digital classroom

Foster Storytellers with Apps That

Boost Creativity Help students express themselves through digital storytelling. See the Top Picks list Play Digital CompassTM Today! The award-winning middle school game for #digcit learning. Get your Educator Guide FAMILY ENGAGEMENT RESOURCES Movies That Inspire Gratitude in Kids Encourage families to gather 'round the screen together this Thanksgiving. Browse movies by age The Resources You Need to Teach SEL Edtech tools, articles, and more! Explore your SEL Educator Toolkit As we go dark in our Platforms, we wish all a great Happy Thanksgiving and look forward to our engagement with our community next month as we begin our final year of 2019.

Notations From the Grid (Weekly Edition): On the Dangers of So Much Dishonesty

Notations From the Grid (Weekly Edition): #RandomThoughts

Please enjoy these #RandomThoughts: 

Notations From the Grid (W-End Edition): On The Art of the Possible

Notations From the Grid (Mid-Week Edition): A Snapshot of Laws

Our team was out and about in the Community over Veterans Day Week-End and we captured this while at the City of Laguna Niguel Sea Country Center.   We note this because it was kind of appropriate as we hereby note a snapshot of laws that is at the heart of making sure there is a life well lived and to avoid potential challenges: 

Federal Laws

Americans with Disabilities Act

Age Discrimination in Employment Act

Equal Pay Act of 1963

Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act of 2008

The Civil Rights Act of 1964

Enforcement

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Avoiding Illegal Behavior

Gifts May Be Hostile

HR Quid Pro Quo

Welcomed, Sought Out, Encouraged

Preferential Prejudice Permitted

Quid & Quo Welcomed

Court Numb to Dentist’s Removal

General Hostility OK

Discipline for Poor Performance Not Harassing

Dirty But Not Discriminatory

HWE Too Many Hugs

Making a Difference

Porno Presence Enough

Notations From the Grid (Special Weekly Edition): On Mother Earth

As we've seen the fires in California, Australia, the Amazon, we complied a number of must reads along with a call to action: An effect of rising deforestation in Brazil, Amazon fires turn into a global crisis Between January and August 19, 2019, Brazil has seen 72,843 fires, an increase of 83 percent compared to the same period in 2018, according to data by Brazil's National Space Research Institute (Inpe).

Scientists: Human Extinction Is Extremely Likely Forget nuclear weapons, biological warfare, and the slew of other ways humanity could cause its own destruction for a moment. If you take into account only naturally occurring phenomena, researchers determine that the probability of our entire species going extinct in any given year is as high as one in 14,000. READ MORE → This is why it is imperative for us all to listen to this:

Notations From the Grid (Special #VeteransDay2019 Edition): Saluting Courageous Soldiers

On this Veterans Day Week End here in the United States and Remembrance Day, we salute courageous soldiers including those in the Breaking the Silence Movement in Israel who have spoken up: 



 

We’ve had a busy few weeks. Apart from our regular work here in Israel, we also brought our photo exhibit to the J Street Conference in Washington DC. But we’ll get to that later; first, let us tell you about the two biggest things we’re working on at the moment:

Lone Soldiers' Tour Every year, thousands of Jews from the Diaspora join the Israeli military. Like Israeli-born soldiers, many of these ‘Lone Soldiers’ are sent to serve in the occupied territories, maintaining Israeli military rule over millions of Palestinians. Throughout November, a group of US-born IDF veterans will be speaking at synagogues, campuses and other venues - many of them the very communities in which they were raised. We believe the Diaspora Jewish communities cannot look away from what's happening on the ground, and have a responsibility to hear from those Israeli soldiers who grew up in their midst. We will be holding panel events in Philadelphia, New York City, Boston, St. Louis and Washington DC. For a full list of stops on our tour, click here.

Expose[d]: A portrait exhibition by Quique Kierszenbaum  For over a decade, celebrated photojournalist Quique Kierszenbaum has documented IDF veterans who gave testimony to ‘Breaking the Silence’. As a photographer who has worked with some of the world’s best-known news outlets, Kierszenbaum has dedicated himself to the composition of 52 photo portraits of the young men and women who, as soldiers, participated in routine patrols, checkpoints and night-time raids of homes across the occupied territories as well as large-scale military incursions. They stood in front of his camera with their faces, identities and stories exposed - and without the blanket of anonymity which our testifiers are given as a matter of principle. The result is a series of 52 portraits of former soldiers, Israelis who were sent to uphold a military regime in the occupied territories, alongside 52 testimonies that describe in stark detail what that process means - to them as individuals and to us as a society.  ‘Expose[d]’ will run from November 14th to December 5th at 5 Rabenu Khananel St. in Tel Aviv. This is a must-see, so if you’re in Israel at the time, please join us; and if you know of someone who will be, tell them to look up details by searching Quique Kierszenbaum Photographer on Facebook.

What we’ve been up to On October 27th-29th we had the honor of presenting our very own photo exhibit at the J Street annual conference in Washington DC. J Street's annual conference draws thousands of community representatives, young leaders and rabbis as well as politicians and executives every year, and this year's guest list included some of the biggest names in Israeli and American politics (including Democratic 2020 Presidential candidates), community leaders, presidents of organizations and activists from around the world. Our photo exhibit was originally put together in 2004 by the founders of Breaking the Silence, a group of over 60 IDF Nahal Brigade veterans, and has since toured the world, from the Israei Knesset and the EU parliament, to campuses and forums around Israel, North America and Europe. The exhibit is comprised of photos taken by soldiers while they were serving in the occupied territories, and gives the viewers a glimpse of life for millions living under military occupation as seen by the soldiers who upheld it. But this time was particularly special. Among the hundreds of visitors who attended the conference and came to the exhibit were several congresswomen and men, as well as senior Israeli and Palestinian politicians and officials. We were particularly pleased to welcome Rep. Ilhan Omar to our exhibit, who had planned to come on a tour of Hebron with us earlier this year but whose entry was barred by the Israeli Government in an attempt to cover up the occupation. The cover-up attempt will not be effective as long as we continue breaking the silence and sharing our stories with anyone who’s willing to listen. Banning Reps. Omar and Tlaib from making a congressional visit to Israel and the occupied territories seems to have had a ripple effect, peaking interest in visiting the territories and hearing about what goes on there. This week, the Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy released a virtual reality app which lets its users visit - virtually - the very places which the Congresswomen were banned from entering. And of course, the app’s tour of Hebron is guided by former IDF soldiers from Breaking the Silence. Check it out on Android or iOS.

We’re always pleased to be keeping busy with special events and meeting friends and supporters from around the world, but all the while, we’re making sure to keep up with the bread and butter of our work: collecting testimonies from former soldiers, taking groups and individuals on tours of the occupied territories, and giving talks to groups from near and far. If you’re planning on being in the area soon - or if you know of someone who is - join us on a tour. Our next tour, to the South Hebron Hills, will take place on November 12th. Thank you as always for your ongoing support for our important work. Yours, The Breaking the Silence team

Notations From the Grid (Weekly Edition); @Snowden Speaks to @trevornoah

Notations From the Grid (W-End Edition): The paradox that is Persia: @AbbasMilani at TEDxStanford

Please Enjoy this courtesy of Professor Abbas Milani On the Paradox that is Iran.