“Send us your tired surfers, your poor students, Your huddled bloggers yearning to write free, The ignoble commentators from your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless journalists, tempest-tost to us, We lift our laptop beside the golden door!”

WHAT THE BEACH?

BeachHillel.Com is a project of Beach Hillel, the Hillel of Long Beach and West Orange County, and Rabbi Yonah. Created for and with student members of the tribe, we have been live since September 2, 2004.

WHY DO WE DO THIS?

Being part of the virtual Jewniverse, connecting Jews across Long Beach, Orange County and beyond, providing Jewish content that doesn’t stink. If at any time the content does stink, be sure to comment. Virtual communities, dialogue, I and Thou, getting to know Jew, and all about Jew, that is why we are here.

CAN ANYONE BLOG FOR BEACH HILLEL?

We have several full-time bloggers, and all student leaders of Beach Hillel get blogging rights. In addition, should you want to blog with us… send us a note. In general blogging is open to students and alumni of schools in the Long Beach/OC area. But if you can blog, you might just be who we are looking for!

WHO ARE WE?

Rachel Bookstein: Jewish Web Feminista, Beach Hillel Director

Jewish community leader and educator, Rachel Bookstein, was appointed in June 2004 as the new Executive Director for Beach Hillel. Rachel, a native of California, began her career on campus in Santa Cruz ten years ago, creating programs for students and faculty on a wide range of subjects. Rachel completed her master’s degree in Jewish studies at Oxford University, and post-graduate Jewish studies in Jerusalem. Rachel’s most recent achievements include six years leading and inspiring Jewish communal life in contemporary, post-Holocaust Europe.

As Director of Community Development in Poland for The Ronald S. Lauder Foundation, Rachel inspired and educated a new generation of Polish Jewry. Rachel’s dedication to providing educational opportunities, and empowering women in former communist Eastern Europe, made her a leading Jewish figure in Poland. Rachel Bookstein lives with her husband Rabbi Yonah Bookstein, and their three children in Long Beach.

Rabbi Yonah: Campus Rabbi, Webmaster

Jewishness, new worlds, transcending borders—this has been my life, whether as a peace activist, tree hugger, Polish-Jew-studying grad student, or now as a Rabbi. I love Jews. Love em all over the place. This adventure as a Rabbi-blogger has been as exciting as any journey I have taken. I have met such fantastic Jews along the way, learned so much, and had SO much fun!

Who are we really and how did we get here? It would take a long time to answer that. I hope you can come for Shabbat dinner and after our first L’Chaim I can tell you the whole story. You see, for several years Rachel and I directed the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation in Poland. We lived in Warsaw. Yes, Warsaw. If you are going to Poland, don’t hestiate to write us if you need any pointers.

Our website has, well, attracted much praise and interest in the small but competitive world of Jewish College Student Hillel Blogs. Yes of course this is going to make us very prideful, but we will try to not show it too much. Afterall, it isn’t nice to gloat. In the meantime, we enjoy having you here, so kindly return, we like seeing you here. Byt the way, what are you doing for Shabbat? Do you have a place for dinner? You can also visit my personal blog, which will be a great honor for me.

You can always email rabbi@beachhillel.com If you have a question. Shalom!

OTHER BLOGGERS

Arie

Ldyoftherngs

wass99

ybocher

WileyCoyote10285

justjaclyn

yentapunker

JKaplb

alexisaurus

charity.hammond

lbcckid

pickle613

Miriam(Jewish/Jamaican)

rafiki

CK

We also must give homage, fromage, tribute and tribulations to our blogmentor, webulizer, jewniverse consultant, ck. He is the brains behind Jewlicious.com. and this is what he looks like:Here is his bio stripped from Jewlicious:

I have a love / hate relationship with Jews. Don’t even get me started. I am the product of 11 years of Hebrew day school, a year at Hebrew University in Jerusalem and far more University education than is healthy. I have this never ending fascination with Judaism, similar to a little kid who derives endless pleasure from contemplating his belly button.I love Israel, and I especially love Jerusalem. Love begins and ends in Jerusalem. I’ve led a number of Israel trips, most recently with IsraelExperts and I’ve been to Israel more times than I can count. I’ve been involved in any number of Jewish and Israel advocacy organizations but I have always felt that grass roots stuff I’ve been involved with has been more effective and satisfying. I’m kind of a shit disturber that way.Currently working for DrummerWeb, where we host and design Web sites for a wide range of clients, including a number of Jewish groups, most of whom have no idea of my involvement in Jewlicious. I’ve lived in Jerusalem, Paris, New Orleans, New York and Boston, and am based out of Montreal. Eagerly looking forward to the day, soon, when I finally settle down in Israel.