Josh Keller is the President of Scubi Jew at Eckerd College.  He wrote this piece during his summer internship at Clean Ocean Action on the New Jersey Shore.  

What do you love about the ocean? Is it the waves? Is it the fish, whales, or dolphins? Perhaps you love the salty sea air or the warm sand between your toes at the beach. Nationally, counties along the shore constitute less than 10 percent of the total land area (not including Alaska), yet are home to over 39% of the population (NOAA 2017...

A photo the Heritage ran last week of Hillel staff displaying their banner underwater was more than just a cool picture. These Hillel members are focused on "Tikkun HaYam"-repairing the seas-and are making a stand to "dive against debris."

For the sea is His, He made it-Psalms 95:5

Most people with a moderate amount of biblical knowledge can recite the opening line of the Torah without having to give it much thought:  "In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth." Genesis 1:1

But what comes n...

My name is Sophia MacVittie.   I'm a marine biology major at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida and this summer, I have had an amazing opportunity. I'm spending my summer working as a volunteer at the Interuniversity Institute (IUI) in Eilat. Dr. Buki Rinkevich of the Institute of Oceanographic and Limnological Research in Haifa connected me with two of his graduate students at IUI. I have been working on what is considered to be the forefront of coral restoration research. My job has been ful...

One of my favorite movies of all time is “Fiddler on the Roof.” In the very first scene Tevye says: “Because of our traditions, we've kept our balance for many, many years. Here in Anatevka, we have traditions for everything: how to sleep, how to eat... how to work... even how to wear clothes. For instance, we always keep our heads covered, and always wear a little prayer shawl. This shows our constant devotion to God. You may ask, "How did this tradition get started?" I'll tell you….I don't know. Bu...

“In the Beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  And the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep.  And the Spirit of God hovers on the surface of the water.”  (Gen.1:1-2). 

While we are taught that God is omnipresent and there is no place where the Divine presence does not dwell; there are few places that evoke a spiritual experience or a connection with the Divine more surely than the surface of water.  Stand on a beach and look ou...

Ben Gurion University  researchers have discovered deep springs on the floor of the Dead Sea, which provide fresh water to the rapidly dwindling lake. Meanwhile, a parallel study by German researchers has found new forms of life growing around the fissures in the sea floor. The Dead Sea is shrinking as the water level drops at an alarming rate — about a meter a year. Israeli and German scientists have been researching groundwater springs which discharge from the sea floor to understand the impact of...

In a different kind of Taglit-Birthright trip, a group of young American Jews passionate about scuba diving came to Israel to learn about the country and about Jewish values -- from deep underwater • The result: A wave of connection.

Sigal Arbitman

Taglit-Birthright participants go diving 

Photo credit: Yehuda Ben-Yatah

Anyone who was in Eilat two weeks ago may have seen them -- a large group of enthusiastic young people in wet suits, dripping water and carrying around heavy diving equipment.

The young pe...