2008 Woodie Awards
Yeshiva Was the "Buzz" at the GA
Students Plan to Engage in National Jewish Agenda
Zev Nagel
Issue date: 12/6/04 Section: News
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Included in Yeshiva's delegation were nine presidential fellows, Rabbi David Israel, director of the Max Stern Division of Communal Services, and Mrs. Hedy Shulman, director of Media Relations. Yeshiva's delegation participated both in the Hillel sponsored Shabbat prior to the convention opening, and three days of convention events that ran from November 14-17.
"It is important for the greater Jewish community to meet our students and understand the energy they bring to the conversation about the Jewish future," said Yeshiva President Richard M. Joel. "Likewise, our students must understand and appreciate the commitment and contribution of the thousands of diverse leaders that make up the organized Jewish community."
Though Yeshiva did not have any program presenters at the GA, Yeshiva students did contribute to the pre-convention Shabbat program including divrei Torah at meals and at prayer services. During the entire convention, Yeshiva maintained an information booth in the GA's exhibition hall along with the other 120 conference exhibitors. Among the other exhibitors were a wide array of Jewish organizations ranging from American Friends of Magen David Edom to the Society for Humanistic Judaism. Notable booths included the Jerusalem Post, which offered visitors to sing karaoke or take a photograph with one of its conference correspondents, who just happened to be dressed as Elvis Presley, in front of a Western Wall façade. Yeshiva's booth featured a flat screen monitor that ran a series of three short videos about Yeshiva, wireless internet access for delegates, and a smorgasbord of Yeshiva paraphernalia.
The 2004 GA ran under the banner theme of "Imagine," an ambiguously broad agenda that included plenary sessions on Israel, the 2004 Presidential Election, and the future growth of North American Federations. Highlights from the plenary sessions included NBC's "The West Wing" star Joshua Malina, Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, CBS News Correspondent Dan Raviv, a debate between CNN's "Crossfire" host James Carville and The Weekly Standard founder William Kristol, and an appearance by Israel's first Olympic Gold Medal winner, Gal Friedman.