JCast Network

Hillel is the largest Jewish campus organization in the world, Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life provides opportunities for Jewish students at more than 500 colleges and universities to explore and celebrate their Jewish identity through its global network of regional centers, campus Foundations and Hillel student organizations. Hillel is working to provoke a renaissance of Jewish life.

Hillel’s mission is to enrich the lives of Jewish undergraduate and graduate students so that they may enrich the Jewish people and the world. Hillel student leaders, professionals and lay leaders are dedicated to creating a pluralistic, welcoming and inclusive environment for Jewish college students, where they are encouraged to grow intellectually, spiritually and socially. Hillel helps students find a balance in being distinctively Jewish and universally human by encouraging them to pursue tzedek (social justice), tikkun olam (repairing the world) and Jewish learning, and to support Israel and global Jewish peoplehood. Hillel is committed to excellence, innovation, accountability and results.

We had the opportunity to speak with current and former AVODAH fellows about their experience and why they decided to participate in this important inititive. AVODAH: The Jewish Service Corps strengthens the Jewish community’s fight against the causes and effects of poverty in the United States. We do this by engaging participants in service and community building that inspire them to become lifelong leaders for social change whose work for justice is rooted in and nourished by Jewish values. Participants in our service Corps program live out and deepen their commitments to social change and Jewish life through a year of full-time work at anti-poverty organizations in Chicago, New Orleans, New York, and Washington, DC. This work partners Corps members with service providers and residents in low income communities and equips our Corps members and alumni to emerge as lifelong agents for social change, whose work for justice is rooted in and nourished by Jewish values. After participants complete this intensive year-long program, Pursue: Action for a Just World provides a broad platform for long-term leadership in social change and Jewish life.

This week, Aaron Herman had the opportunity to talk to attend Tech Crunch Disrupt New York, and speak with a number of Israeli tech start-ups who have new and revolutionary tech products.

Israel is at the forefront of disruptive technology. Since the beginning of the technology revolution Israeli companies have set the bar when it comes to innovation. We attended Techcrunch Disrupt in NYC and spoke with Israeli’s that are transforming the whey we connect, share and do business.

This week, Aaron Herman had the opportunity to talk to Sam Hoffman, the Producer and Creator of Old Jews Telling Jokes.

Old Jews Telling Jokes was born in an empty storefront in Highland Park, New Jersey in the summer of 2008. Eric Spiegelman and Tim Williams of Jetpack Media had asked Sam if I had any ideas for an internet show and it was suggested: “how about we shoot my father and his friends telling jokes?” Surprisingly, they agreed. The rules would be simple. Every joke teller had to be at least sixty years old and “Jewish.” The age thing I would be strict about, the Jewish thing would be in spirit. If nothing else, we would make portraits of people who had lived at least six decades and that would be something to see.

And from there… History

This week, Aaron Herman had the opportunity to interview Yonatan Nir, the co-writer and co-director of the new film Dolphin Boy.

Seventeen year old Morad Azba’s innocent text message to a female classmate in an Arab village in the North of Israel triggers a brutal beating at the hands of the girl’s brother and his friends. Unable to speak, recognize his family, or make eye contact, Morad’s post trauma symptoms are so severe that his Israeli doctor, world renowned psychiatrist, Dr. Ilan Kutz, recommends further treatment in an institution. But Morad’s father Asad cannot bring himself to limit Morad’s freedom and asks Dr. Kutz if there’s another option. There is one alternative, albeit unconventional—Dolphin therapy in Eilat’s Dolphin Reef — contact with the Dolphins might help restore Morad’s broken life. Morad’s father sells and mortgages everything he can, including his beautiful land in Northern Israel, and accompanies his son on this riveting journey. Filmed over the course of Morad’s four year therapy, the award winning DOLPHIN BOY is a profound confirmation of the healing power of nature, patience and unconditional love—and a most under-reported and inspiring story about the relationship between Israel’s Arabs and Israel’s Jews. You can learn more at www.dolphinboyfilm.com.

This week, Aaron Herman had the opportunity to celebrate Yon Ha’Atzmaut with Dor Chadash at BB Kings in New York Ciity.

Over 1,000 New Yorkers came out to BB Kings to celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel Independence Day) hosted by Dor Chadash. We spoke with attendees and asked them what Yom Ha’atzmaut meant to them .Dor Chadash is a dynamic community, empowering a strong network of Israeli and American Jews to:

Since October 2003, Dor Chadash has successfully carried out more than 186 programs attended by more than 30,000 Israeli and American Jews in the New York area. They have discovered an incredible need among Jews in New York to connect with Israel in an authentic way. From providing educational events with prominent Israeli speakers, to showcasing the best of Israeli cultural offerings, to dancing to Israeli pop music on Jewish holidays, Dor Chadash has something for everyone who is passionate about Israel. Central to our mission is that we use the energy and passion of volunteers to carry out extremely innovative Israel-related programs that appeal to a diverse and sophisticated group of Israeli and American Jews. You can learn more about

This week, Aaron Herman had the opportunity to visit New York Tech Day. NY Tech Day is a “science fair” for tech startups to showcase their companies to the public, investors and press.

Many of the most prominent NY Tech startups attended including tumblr, Meetup, SecondMarket, Boxee, and Knewton. The event will also showcase newbies such as SpaceSplitter, Digital Ocean, Unroll.me and Songza. In addition, more than 35 notable VC firms attended, including Spark Capital, Greycroft Partners and Lerer Ventures.

NY Tech Day is the brainchild of Alec Hartman and John Petersen who themselves are young entrepreneurs and founders of Mail Canvassing (http://mailcanvassing.com/.) “We want to create an event that benefits startups of all sizes and helps them connect with the resources they need to grow. They can demo a new product, recruit for open positions, or just say hello to the tech community. The result has transformed NY Tech Day into a ‘science fair’ for startups,” said John Petersen, co-founder of NY Tech Day.

What does it take to be a social entrepreneur? Once you have an “innovative” idea how do you get it funded? Luckily, there are opportunities for young innovators to bring their projects to market and help foster their skills. We had the opportunity to speak with Felicia Herman of Natan and Emily Comisar from Birthright Israel Next about the Natan/Birthright Israel NEXT Grants for Social Entrepreneurs.

This week, Aaron Herman had the opportunity to speak to the writer and director of “Reuniting the Rubins.”

The seder brings together families from near and far. Every family has some dysfunction. In the new film Reuniting the Rubins Director/Writer Yoav Factor puts together a truly unique story about a seder you don’t want to miss. An uptight lawyer, Lenny Rubins, (Timothy Spall — The King’s Speech), has to put his dream retirement on hold when his ailing mother (Honor Blackman — Goldfinger) emotionally blackmails him into reuniting his estranged children for a holiday gathering.

They may be peas from the same pod, but in Lenny’s eyes, his grown-up children are certainly not even from the same planet: a ruthless control-freak and hard-nosed capitalist (James Callis — Battlestar Galactica), an outspoken, argumentative eco-warrior committed to the cause (Rhona Mitra — Underworld: Rise of the Lycans), an outer-worldly Buddhist Monk; and to cap it all, a bible bashing born-again Rabbi!

While they might quarrel, fight, and perhaps even be starting a war in Africa, they are still family. It is going to take a whole lot of soul-searching and sacrifice for everyone to come together in this heart-warming and comic family reunion that will have you thinking fondly of your own.

This week, Aaron “The Schmoz” Herman had the opportunity to attend the 6th Annual Manischewitz Cook Off with Celebrity Chef Claire Robinson at the JCC of Manhattan.

He got a first-hand view of the cook-off, where it is all about quick meals.

We spoke with the Finalists:

JCast Network congratulates Eric Silberman of Lincolnwood, IL for his “Mod” Matzo Ball Soup for winning the cook off.