Never-too-late New Year Greeting

I’m still basking in the New Year glow. There is something so hopeful about switching from December to January that every other monthly transition lacks. Maybe this year will be one of peace. Maybe we will discover a cure for cancer. Maybe we can create an environment that is sustainable. Maybe we can help people find a meaningful occupation, true love, safety, hope.

It will happen … One Day…

.. but only when we realize that despite our differences we can only achieve it together.

Happy New Year.

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Alon Shalev is the author of three social justice-themed novels: Unwanted Heroes, The Accidental Activist and A Gardener’s Tale. He is the Executive Director of the San Francisco Hillel Jewish Student Center, a non-profit that provides spiritual and social justice opportunities to Jewish students in the Bay Area. More on Alon Shalev at http://www.alonshalev.com and on Twitter (@alonshalevsf).

One Day – A Message for the New Year

I spent a long time trying to think of a profound message for my top-of-the-year post. I settled for a song of hope, a beautiful accompanying video, and a wish that we can all move towards a transformation – personally and as a society.

Matisyahu is an example of a person who can be what he wants. He grew up in West Chester, Pennsylvania, as a Reconstructionist Jew (more experiential than the Orthodox theology) and found himself moving to the opposite end of the axis as he became an Orthodox Jew.

This never stopped him developing his love for reggae and his ability to feel comfortable as an orthodox Jew and a reggae/hip-hop artist is a lesson for all. This song is his gift to the world.

Wishing everyone a year of peace, prosperity and love. One day…
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Alon Shalev is the author of The Accidental Activist (now available on Kindle) and A Gardener’s Tale. He is the Executive Director of the San Francisco Hillel Foundation, a non-profit that provides spiritual and social justice opportunities to Jewish students in the Bay Area. More on Alon Shalev at www.alonshalev.com