and now the beginning...

Now that my English communications class is officially over, I can write about what I want to write about... mainly politics.

This week I have been volunteering as a writer for the 7th Annual Herzliya Conference. I LOVE IT! So many influential people! My first day on the job I offer to help edit. I got the job right away. I was basically thrown into the pit and I lapped it up. I loved every minute of it. Tonight, during some down time, I decided to sit in the crowded main lobby and study for my Micro-Economics exam. Four very influential business big-wigs came over, one by one, to ask what I was studying. As I told them, each one said "ew, I hated that class." It's good to know I am not the only one. Maybe if I had a boyfriend who understood econ I would understand it better, but for now I will just settle for being slightly clueless.

Anyway, I managed to catch a break tonight in speaking with Dan Hackel. He is a news correspondent living in the Middle East. When I posed the question of how a person like me finds an internship during non-internship periods, he gave me some great advice and his business card.

The highlight of my evening though was when I was handed Senator John McCain's speech- four hours early. My eyes were the only set of eyes to read his speech before he gave it live via satellite. As I read his speech, and then later transcribed his speech (as this was part of my job), those same eyes got a bit misty. For once, someone acknowledged that it was OK to be pro-America AND pro-Israel. So often I hear from people how much they despise America. It's frustrating. I will admit I am a republican, I bleed red. I am a proud American AND a proud Israeli... but when Israeli's who are NOT American tell me how much they cannot stand America and our foreign policy, I feel sick. Israeli politics are not perfect. Nor is American politics. Yet I can't help but feel betrayed by my own people. American-Israeli's, like myself, often voice their anger about America in very unappealing ways. They talk about the war in Iraq, how we should not be there. Yet EVERY politician I met with today expressed how wonderful that the US is in Iraq. They explained that FINALLY someone had the chutzpah to help these people. Former Governor Mitt Romney put it best when he said that only Muslims will be able to defeat radical Islam, but we can and should help. (By the way, I summarized his speech as well. His contacts here AND the contacts from my school requested- or demanded-that I give them what I wrote before it hit the Internet. When they were all done, I received accolades for summarizing his work. Perhaps if I hated America, like so many of my counterparts, I may not have been so generous in my summarization- but I am a proud American.)

Anyway, I volunteered to work the Conference tomorrow as well- but this time as an editor. I will get to review speeches translated from Hebrew to English. It is days like today where I am thankful that I live in Israel...

family

So, nothing replaces your real family. Ya know, the ones that give birth to you and claim you as their own. Your flesh and blood. However, I am learning what 'family' really means when your own flesh and blood are not supportive of your life. When I needed help finding internships in the States, my friend Sarah was more than helpful. I know I can always turn to her when I need help because she is incredibly pro-active. Talya is the friend I go to when I need someone to just give me the line "it will all be ok." Gayle is amazing at making me see the brighter picture. Anyway, I have these great friends, both here and abroad, that make me realize what the real meaning of family is.

the scare.

Earlier in December I decided to act like an adult and get an AIDS test. A friend of mine was concerned about getting it done on her own, so I went with her. The tests were done at school and it was great to see how many young people were taking control of their own lives. A few weeks go by and all I can focus on is this test. A test that could change my life forever. All the horrible scenario's ran through my head. I wound up calling a friend of mine back in Michigan who is HIV positive. He calmed me down but not for long. A few of my friends here tried to calm me down as well- telling me that I'm a good girl, and good girls don't get AIDS (what planet are they on??). I knew I wouldn't be ok until 2 January 2007 when the results were in. My friend and I went together for moral support. As she steps up for her results, she is handed a piece of paper that reads negative. I was next. Statistics were running through my head. I kept questioning myself. What if I had HIV? What would I do? I was sweating profusely. The nurse noticed that I looked a little pale and said "don't worry, you're negative!" I asked her how she knew. She said "everyone at this school is negative!" And what came out of my mouth?? Not a sigh of relief but rather "well, at least we have a clean school!" Brilliant Hillary, brilliant. I got my piece of paper that read negative and wanted to cry. I was really nervous! I made a pact with g-d right then and there. No sex unless it's with someone I am in a committed relationship with. Somehow I hear my dad laughing. Anyway, the scare is over. I am clean. Life is ok.

The lie that wouldn't die...

So I bet y'all are thinking I'm going to write something juicy... well, perhaps I am. Have you ever heard of the book: The Protocols of the Elders of Zion? No? Yes? Well, this is the book that fuels hatred. In fact, it is a book written by a Frenchman, but published in Russia. It's a book that "proves" the Jewish Conspiracy to take over the world. It is, in fact, a lie. There is no such thing as the Jewish Conspiracy. There is no book that 'proves' we are trying to take over the world. Yet every major regime that has tried to kill off the Jews, has used it as a resource. This book is our greatest enemy.

Tonight I thought about the time I went to hear Judge Hadassa Ben-Itto speak. She is a 78 year-old woman who spent 6 years following the trail of the 'Protocols'. She could be your grandmother, or any other Israeli woman that you meet. But she isn't. She is a hero of mine. A Holocaust survivor who went to Israel from Poland, to make a different life. She broke barriers by becoming the first woman to be selected to the Israeli Supreme Court. She hung up her robe to search for the truth of the 'Protocols'. She is a woman who invited me for Shabbos dinner- without knowing me. She was impressed that young woman, like myself, would want to listen to what an old woman, like herself, would have to say. I could listen to her speak for hours. She has a lot of wisdom inside such a small body. She has a fire that does not stop. She refuses to stop her quest to enlighten Jews, and to get them to act up. Most 78 year-olds are complaining about being sick. She is empowering people, city by city, to act up and take a stand against lies such as the 'Protocols'. Her book "The Lie That Wouldn't Die" is an amazing book. She illustrates how the 'Protocols' came to existence, and how people in Pre-Holocaust Europe AND South Africa fought back.

If you ever get the chance to meet Judge Ben-Itto, take the chance to really get to know her. She is an amazing woman. Also, seek out her book. Put her book in Public Libraries. Tell Borders and Barnes and Nobles to put her book in their stores. It is an important book for people to read. With so much hatred against Jews, it's time we act up and stop sitting around!!! GET UP AND DO SOMETHING!!!

Twice in one day! Consider yourselves lucky. This week I wrote a position paper for my Globalization class. The topic: Roman Law vs. Common Law. Was it entertaining? No. Was it fun to write? No. Did I ask Talya for help? Yes. Thank goodness for friends that are lawyers. I learned a lot. Mainly, I learned I have no interest in being a lawyer. Sorry dad. Right now we're learning about Financial stuff. Foreign Direct Investment, the International Financial Market... all that jazz. I have to say- I'm quite interested in this stuff. It's been interesting to see how the financial markets have changed since September 11. That dark day in American history had a major impact on the financial world. Anyway, my point is, I am starting to like this class.

CEO

I was reading an article this morning in the New York Times about the CEO of Home Depot. Robert Nardelli was recently ousted as CEO. Something hit me after reading this article- what does one do after they have been fired from being CEO of a large, publicly traded company? I joke with my stepdad, Joe, who is about retire from Ford that he can go work at Home Depot to kill some time. This doesn't work so well when you were the CEO of Home Depot. You can't go work for the same company you ran. I mean, you can't just go work in plumbing for that company. If you were the leader of a country- you can go on to do humanitarian work. Maybe write a book or two (ala Jimmy Carter but we've already discussed him). What do you do when your previous job was CEO of a large company? I have been researching this and I can't find anything. Do you go to knitting classes? Maybe go back to school? If you're Dick DeVos, you run for Governor of Michigan. He was never the CEO of a LARGE corporation though. So I will leave this out in the open- what would you do?