As bloggers around the world geared up for October 15 to write about climate change and the environment, the Israeli blogosphere focused on a different date. This year, environmental organizations, activists, and perhaps bloggers as well, will mark October 24 as a day of climate change protest across the Middle East.

Events are being organized under the auspices of Friends of the Earth Middle East and 350.org. Activists in Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria are all expected to participate. 350.org provides lists of regional protests, including one for Israel, while the Green Prophet blog supplies an additional list for all known Middle Eastern activity.

The name “350″ sources from the idea that:

350 parts per million is what many scientists, climate experts, and progressive national governments are now saying is the safe upper limit for CO2 in our atmosphere.

Our current count is 387.

Blog Action Day

A number of Israeli blogs have chosen to use Blog Action Day to bring the issue of climate change to the forefront, advocating for continued attention to the issue beyond the designated day.

JGooders promotes the Jewish Climate Change Campaign, urging readers to get involved with Jewish Social Action Month (JSAM), which begins on the Hebrew month of Cheshvan, starting October 19. JSAM, JGooders explains, will be commemorated by social action events in Jewish communities throughout the world.

While communities and environmental activists seek to raise awareness in the global community, what better way to get their ideas across than through images, videos in particular?

Alison Avigayil Ramer of Your Virtual Community Organizer posts “Top 10 Climate Change Videos for Change.org's Blog Action Day.” Among these is a video called “Flat,” by Israeli filmmaker Nitsana Bellehesen, which portrays the world in 2050. The video shows boys and their fathers visiting an exhibit dedicated to the female breast– which no longer exists due to the cancer induced by environmental and atmospheric toxins.

At one point, a boy points to a photograph in the gallery and says, “Look at that one. That baby is eating her breast.” The father responds, “Well, that's actually how babies used to be fed.”

While viewing of this powerful film is highly recommended, you should be warned that there is explicit nudity.

Ramer encountered the film, which was shown at the Breast Fest 2009: A Film Festival that Targets Breast Cancer, at the hub for social entrepreneurs where she works in Tel Aviv. She writes:

Web video can be an extremely effective way to raise consciousness about a sustainable business or cause. Video is a great interlude to all the text online and is relatively inexpensive to make, share and watch. The moving images and music can captivate an audience and convey thousands of words in just a few minutes. Especially today, now that we have numerous ways to share video on social networks and blogs, video has great potential to become viral and carry your business, non-profit organization or cause to thousands or even millions of viewers.

Note that while thinking about climate change can be disturbing, that feeling of discontent should lead to action, not apathy. At Judaism and the Environment in the Talmud, Carmi Wisemon, executive director of Sviva Israel, a prominent environmental organization, writes about the role of reflection in Jewish practice.

Israel and the Jewish world have just celebrated the holiday of Sukkot, in which they build huts where they eat meals with their families, spend quiet meditative time, and sometimes even sleep under the stars. Like Shabbat (the Sabbath), as well as many other Jewish holidays, Sukkot provides the opportunity to cease all action and think about our place in the universe.

Wisemon writes:

So this Sukkot [holiday], as we relax in our sukkot [huts], and admire the natural splendor of our lulavs and etrogs, think about the deeper meaning of the holiday. We can all do our bit to prevent climate change, and that includes a 2,000 year-old tradition of praying for rain to fall– neither too little nor too much– in Israel, but also in the Philippines, Indonesia and even Atlanta.

On my own blog, The New Jew, which focuses on philanthropy and social innovation, I published a post on “Caring About the Environment, Jewishly.” There I share a speech by environmental activists who urge us to think about how the practices of traditional Judaism connect us to the natural world.

Shabbat– is an ecological treasure! A day to rest from shopping, manufacturing, driving!

Kashrut (keeping Kosher)– the idea that what we eat matters, that it’s upon us to minimize suffering of animals! We need to update this to take responsibility for the full impacts of what we eat, the stuff we buy, and what we put into landfills. We vote with our dollars and with our forks for the full story of our food and our stuff.

Brachot (the blessings over our food)- invite mindfulness of where our food comes from. To bless food we have to figure out whether it grew from the ground or a tree; from there it’s a short step to thinking of how it was raised, whether the people involved in getting it to us were paid a fair wage, whether its story helped or hurt our environment.

In keeping with the natural theme, Elisha at O'Sprinkles profers beauty through photography and reminds us what our fight is really about: growth and renewal in the natural world.

As you finish up October 15th, urge yourself to use Blog Action Day as part of a continuum. How can you reduce your carbon footprint, improve the way you use natural resources, and reassess your consumption patterns?

The Jewish Climate Campaign leaves you with some suggestions.

The Telegraph states the following evidence to further their claim:
- Sabourjian is a common Iranian Jewish name
- “-jian” is a well known Jewish ending to Persian names

The article also publishes responses by various experts who opine that President Ahmadinejad's virulently anti-Israel stance may be orchestrated to draw attention away from a possible Jewish past.

Original inquiries into the subject were spurred by Persian blogger Dr. Mehdi Khazali, who first raised the issue of the president's heritage during Iran's June presidential elections. (The blog has since been deleted by the Iranian government.) The president was asked to identify his name during a debate. Challenged by his opponent, “My full name is Mehdi Karroubi. What is your full name?” Ahmadinejad responded, but without including Sabourjian as one of his surnames.

Israeli Blogosphere–

How is the Israeli blogosophere reacting to these claims? Many bloggers are calling the them “holey” and cite the irony of someone so virulently anti-Israel having possible Jewish family ties.

Jaron of the Jaron Report questions the significance of President Ahmadinejad refusing to address his alleged name change.

Not denying it is a far cry from admitting it.

I also haven't denied that I'm Elvis Presley, which doesn't prove that I am Elvis Presley.

This is manipulative journalism in the sense that they are trying to get readers to make faulty assumptions. First, prove the switch of names, then try to address the reasons and subsequent psychological fallout.

Jaron continues:

While I am definitely not Elvis Presley, Ahmedinejad may in fact turn out to be of Jewish descent.

If this story does ring true, it certainly would explain Ahmedinejhad's Holocaust, Jew, and Israel obsession.

The Muqata's takes a stronger stance.

So… is Ahmadinejad a Jew? Other than being an historical oddity, I don't find it of much relevance. He's a madman, leading a country threatening to destroy Israel.

A commenter on the Muqata corrects the story that the Telegraph seems to be putting forth as breaking news. The commenter explains:

The story of Ahmadinejad's Jewish origins — including the specifics… was first revealed some months ago, by Iranian blogger Dr. Mehdi Khazali. In retribution for this, Khazali was arrested by the Iranian authorities….

You can read all about this in this article from the Jerusalem Post dated July 3.

The Telegraph's fraudulent attempt to pretend that they just now broke this story themselves is sheer chutzpa. This is yet another example of the mainstream media taking credit for a news story broken by a blogger — a phenomenon that seems to be getting more and more common.

If you read the Telegraph article carefully, you'll notice that there is a brief mention of Khazali way down near the end. This is their attempt to cover themselves. But the article does not explain that the entire story was, in fact, shamelessly lifted from Khazali's blog.

The Jerusalem Post article states that:

Dr. Mehdi Khazali, who reportedly participated in several recent opposition demonstrations, was reportedly summoned to a special court convened for religious figures, detained and transferred to an unknown location.

Before his detention, Dr. Khazali was director of the Hayyan Cultural Institute in Teheran. No further information is available on Dr. Mehdi Khazali's well-being. If you have updated information, please share your knowledge in the comments section– if you feel safe doing so.

The Jerusalem Post cites other governments' reactions to this news.

The “Jewish Ahmadinejad” dispute even spread beyond Iran, when Bahrain's oldest newspaper, Akhbar al-Khaleej, was briefly shut down by the governing authorities two weeks ago after it published an article recycling the claim.

Jewlicious' CK adds a humorous note on what it would mean for Israeli Jewish programming if Ahmadinejad truly was Jewish.

The family converted to Islam when little Mahmoud was 4-years old for “a mixture of religious reasons and economic pressures.” Consequently, Ahmadinejad qualifies for the law of return and can become an Israeli citizen tomorrow. He can even qualify for a Birthright Israel trip, if he was a little younger.

Taglit-Birthright Israel is a program that provides free group tours of Israel for 18- 26 year old Jews.

In response to Ahmadinejad's repeated claim that Iran is not anti-Jewish, only anti-Israel, CK jests:

Of course this news ought have no effect on Ahmadinejad’s political career. As we all know, Iran has always treated its Jews well and I am sure Mahmoud has nothing to fear. Nothing at all. I look forward to having him over for a Shabbat meal whenever he has the chance.

Persian Jews in Iran–

According to Wikipedia's article on the living conditions of Persian Jews in Iran, Jews and Muslims have similar legal rights under the Iranian constitution. A study by the U. S. State Department, however, asserted that there are some restrictions on Jews' rights in Iran. In response, the Association of Tehrani Jews declared:

“We Iranian Jews condemn claims of the US State Department on Iranian religious minorities, announced that we are fully free to perform our religious duties and we feel no restriction on performing our religious rituals.”

Wikipedia notes that as a result of the Association's statement, “The U.S. Government was accused of trying to create tension in Iran.”

The Jewish Virtual Library further remarks:

Today, Iran's Jewish population is the second largest in the Middle East, after Israel. Reports vary as to the condition and treatment of the small, tight-knit community, and the population of Iranian Jews can only be estimated due to the community’s isolation from world Jewry

Recommended Reading–

- “A Humble Beginning Helped Form Iran's New Hard Man” (UK Guardian, July 2005)– a profile of President Ahmadinejad and his background, including interviews with some of the Sabourjian family from the small town of Aradan (population: 7,000) where he grew up.

Robert Tait writes that the name Ahmadinejad sources from the words “Ahmad,” meaning “virtuous,” as in the Prophet Mohamad, and “Nejad” meaning “race.” The name in full praises Islam and affirms the Ahmadinejad family name as part of the “virtuous race.” Tait also describes the president's family as devout Muslims whose religious values infuse their lifestyle

From Global Voices Online–

- “Iran: Protesters Greet Ahmadinejad in New York” (Hamid Tehrani, September 23rd, 2009)

- “Iran: Testimonies of Torture and Rape” in relation to the June presidential elections (Hamid Tehrani, August 22nd, 2009)

- “Iran: Mourning the Victims of Protest” (Hamid Tehrani, July 31st, 2009)

- “Iran: Storm of Protest After the Election” (Hamid Tehrani, June 13th, 2009)

- “Iran: Reformist and Activist Blogger Arrested” (Hamid Tehrani, June 19th, 2009)