Unpack With YUPAC: News for the Jews: Why Reading One out of Ten is Worth it

As a junior at Stern College for Women, I know how overwhelming it can be to be added to yet another group chat. From class chats and group projects to housing, floor and room groups, the count easily surpasses 75. While many of these chats serve the purpose of updates like “class is starting late today” or “free donuts downstairs, come and get,” most people try to avoid adding another group chat to the list.

I have to start out with an apology because, in this article, I will attempt to persuade you to join yet another group chat that I am sure you think will be a stream of endless links and unimportant information.

Having recently returned from Israel, I can personally attest to the overall unease and vulnerability that our brothers and sisters abroad are facing recently. It is often said in Israel that we are always living through interesting times, and this is no exception. Our support and vigilance are unfortunately needed now more than ever.

The request is simple, with little downside and mostly upside: please stay informed! We humbly implore you to join our chat and get more involved. News for the Jews is the Israel, antisemitism, and other Jewish news updates group chat created by Yeshiva University's Political Action Club or YUPAC earlier this year. A group chat for Israel updates wasn't the most novel idea, but it was created with a very intentional purpose. Most students don't have the time or energy to read the newspaper every day, but as Jews and supporters of the US-Israel relationship, we really should be updated on what's happening in order to stay informed citizens of America and supporters of Israel and the Jewish people in whatever way, shape or form that we can.

It's hard to sit around all morning and read full articles on what is happening every day here or in Israel. The group chat has links to important articles with a short paragraph description of the conclusion as well as general important updates. Of course, we encourage everyone to click on the link and read the entire article for the most accurate account, but we know it's not the reality of every busy student. Each day, there are fellow Yeshiva University students preparing information for you to read in a clear, concise, and easily readable way.

This is a great opportunity to stay up-to-date on all things Israel, antisemitism, politics, technology and international Jewry related. The struggle I have when promoting it is that many people shared with me they don't want yet another group chat constantly sending messages that they will only be reading every one out of ten times. These students cared about these updates but understood they weren't going to look most of the time. I understand this concern. While it's true that many people may only read the updates one out of ten times, I believe that even this small amount of information can be incredibly valuable. In a world where we're constantly bombarded with information, it's impossible to read everything that's sent our way. However, for the one out of ten times that an update in this group chat catches your eye and gets you to read a summary or article, it's worth it.

I have given this argument to many of my friends who shared this concern with me. Sometimes I'll check in with them and ask if they've read anything recently, and most of the time, they will answer with an “Actually yes!” Even if they only end up reading the updates occasionally, they appreciate the opportunity to stay informed about important news. And secondly, who could resist a name like "News for the Jews!" We hope to see you on the chat.

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Photo Caption: News for the Jews is YUPAC’s news updates group chat

Photo Credit: YUPAC