It's the country with the highest number of readers, egg eaters, and hi-tech entrepreneurs per capita...the country where the cows say, "Ehh...moo." It's Israel, and this week, come celebrate it with a large, vibrant Israeli Shabbat dinner, followed on Sunday by pin-point Israel advocacy sessions led by two experts from Israel and the US!

Other events this week include: Bar-Ilan International MBA info session, JTS Lunch-n-Learn, Dietrich Bonhoeffer presentation (German Pastor and the Holocaust), Yitzhak Rabin memorial, CMU vs. Pitt Blood Drive, Brotherhood Badass Movie and Poker Night, and Being There, Living Here: An Intimate Israeli evening at the JCC.

Monday, November 6 Bar-Ilan University International MBA info session, with Cindy Sinvani, the program's coordinator at the campus near Tel Aviv. Come learn how to pursue your business ambitions in the heart of theMiddle East's most dynamic economic center! 11:30am @ the Hillel JUC. For more info contact Sahar.

Monday, November 6 "Is Pluralism a Plus?" Come for delicious pizza and discussion in a special lunch-n-learn led by Jamie Beth Schindler, Director of Admissions at the Jewish Theological Seminary's Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education in NYC. Get inside info about one of the top Jewish graduate schools in the US. 12:30pm @ the Hillel JUC. For more info contact Sahar.

Monday, November 6 What would you do if your government pursued genocide as public policy? How far would your conscience take you? Join us for a powerful interfaith program on the life and legacy of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German Lutheran pastor whose active opposition to the Nazis cost him the greatest price. 8:00pm in Cathedral of Learning Room G-8. For more info contact Sahar.

Tuesday, November 7 In 1990, shortly after public protests and courageous actions brought down communist dictatorships throughout Europe, a simple yet tremendous public service announcement (PSA) was broadcast on US TV. Various deadly weapons were shown in quick succession -- artillery, machine guns, fighter planes, missiles, tanks -- and then the narrator declared: "The most powerful force of the past century" and a hand was shown placing a completed ballot in the box.

16 Years later, that PSA is just as relevant. Don't give away your right to choose your government. VOTE THIS TUESDAY.

Tuesday, November 7 Tartans for Israel invite you to a memorial service for Yitzhak Rabin, 11 years after the Israeli prime minister was assassinated. 8:15pm in the UC Wright Room. For more info contact Hannah.

Wednesday and Thursday, November 8 and 9 Come show your school spirit by doing a mitzvah and donating blood in the CMU vs. Pitt Blood Drive. 1-7pm @ the Hillel JUC. As the Talmud says, if you save a life, it is as if you have saved the entire world. For more info contact Jackie.

Friday, November 10 Come with friends to the Hillel JUC for a large Israel advocacy Shabbat dinner, with delicious Mediterranean food and special guests from the community. Celebrate Israel's beauty, innovation, and democracy, and enjoy an eye-opening panel discussion with four local veterans of the Israel Defense Forces, almost all in their 20s. Services at 5pm followed by a FREE dinner at 6pm @ the Hillel JUC. For more info contact Sahar.

Sunday, November 12 Join fellow Jewish students and pick your Israel advocacy training session! Experts Aryeh Green and Jonathan Cohen, from Israel and the US, will lead simultaneous sessions on how to best advocate for Israel, using various approaches (print, oral, pro-active, reactive, etc.). 1-2:30pm @ the Hillel JUC, with delicious pizza! For more info contact Sahar.

Sunday, November 12 Brotherhood Badass Movie and Poker Night. Come for food, film, cards, and fun with the guys. 6:30pm @ the Hillel JUC. For more info contact Justin or Josh.

Monday, November 13 Annual Kristallnacht commemoration program, co-sponsored by the Jewish Studies Program and the Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures. This event will include readings by students, a video, and musical presentations. 4:30pm in Cathedral of Learning Room 363. For more info contact Professor Alex Orbach.

Wednesday, November 15 "Heretical Clergy in the Early Enlightenment: The Jewish Case and Some Christian Parallels," a presentation by Professor Matt Goldish of Ohio State University. 4:30pm in 115 Mervis Hall. Light refreshments will follow the lecture, which is co-sponsored by the Jewish Studies Program, the Department of Religious Studies, and the Medieval and Renaissance Studies Program. For more info contact Professor Alex Orbach.

Sunday, November 12 Being There, Living Here - An Evening of Shared Reality with Pittsburgh's Israeli Community. Show your support for our local Israeli community and experience a dramatic film about life in Israel during the war with Lebanon. 7pm @ the Jewish Community Center in Squirrel Hill, 5738 Forbes Avenue. For more info contact Leah.

Now through December 30 The Framery proudly presents "Pure Faith," the latest collection by Israeli ethnographical photographer Harel Stanton. Don't miss this stunning visual exploration of faith around the world. Check out Harel Stanton's website. The Framery is located at 4731 Butler Street in Lawrenceville.

Cool Space Locator seeks an intern ($10/hour) November 2006-May 2007 to take the lead in helping staff plan and organize Cool Space Awards 2007. Cool Space Locator is a non-profit organization committed to helping small business owners and non-profit leaders make wise real estate choices. For more info and to apply, contact Robyn Barber.

JEVS Internship - Summer 2007 JEVS (Jewish Employment and Vocational Service) awards a limited number of stipends to Jewish university students who expect to reside in the Delaware Valley in June-August 2007. Interns visit a variety of organizations within the Jewish communal service system. For more info and to apply ASAP, contact Peggy Truitt.

Need-based Scholarships for 2007-08 The Central Scholarship and Loan Referral Service (CSLRS) of the United Jewish Federation (UJF) of Greater Pittsburgh offers need-based grants to Jewish students (undergrad and grad) who have been residents of Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Washington, or Westmoreland Counties for at least two years. Applications will be available in November, with an application deadline of February 6, 2007. For more info contact the Career Development Center of Jewish Family and Children's Service @ (412) 422-5627.

This week's Torah portion is Vayera. Learn more here.