Skip to content
Project 2025
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories
Texas Deadly Floods: Who Is To Blame for the Devastation?

Texas Deadly Floods: Who Is To Blame for the Devastation?

Why a College Degree No Longer Guarantees a Good Job

Why a College Degree No Longer Guarantees a Good Job

From Red vs. Blue to Common Sense: Solving Money in Politics Together

From Red vs. Blue to Common Sense: Solving Money in Politics Together

The American Flag's Meaning: Hope and Heartache

The American Flag's Meaning: Hope and Heartache

I Fought To Keep VOA Independent. Now It’s Gone.

I Fought To Keep VOA Independent. Now It’s Gone.

A new ‘Hallelujah’ for the war in Ukraine

A new ‘Hallelujah’ for the war in Ukraineplay icon
Hallelujah - Leonard Cohen's song for Ukraine with new lyrics, 2022
www.youtube.com
David L. Nevins
By David L. NevinsMar 10, 2022
David L. Nevins
David L. Nevins serves as co-publisher of The Fulcrum. Additionally, Nevins serves as co-founder and Board Chairman of the Bridge Alliance. Nevins brings business acumen, vision and a tireless this-must-and-can-be-done zeal to the burgeoning movement to bridge divides to transform the political process. As a business leader, Nevins excels at building bridges between people and organizations from the right, left and center for civilized conversation and then action. He co-founded the Bridge Alliance because, as he says, “No matter how well managed and how well funded anyone organization is, significant political reform will not happen without an alliance to further collaborative interactions. Together we can and will raise the collective impact of all.” He is a member of the Aspen Institute Society of Fellows, with a focus on the Aspen Rodel Fellowship in Public Leadership, he established and continues to work with The Nevins Democracy Leaders program at Penn State University. Nevins graduated with honors in economics from Penn State in 1969 and received an M.B.A. in finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1971.
See More Writings by author

So often in our history horrific and unforeseen events bring us together as a nation. That is happening today with the united condemnation of Russia’s attack on Ukraine.

As we all search for the answer that might solve this humanitarian crisis, artists are adding their voice. One such artist is Shirely Serban, known best for her humor and satire. She recently said the crisis in Ukraine moved her to rewrite the lyrics of Leonard Cohen’s 1985 song “Hallelujah.”

Serban spoke of her motivation for writing the song:

“I know that I'm more known for funnier songs, but with recent events, it's hard to find humor. I played with the lyrics of Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah' yesterday — all about trying to find joy in the midst of all this, then recorded it with my guitar this morning. Ukraine is very much in my heart at this time. This song is for all unwittingly caught in the conflict there. Also remembering the very many in Russia who want nothing to do with this, including those who are putting their own lives in danger through protesting. And not forgetting victims of war and unrest around the world today — you are not forgotten.”

The word “hallelujah” comes from the word “hallelu” in the Hebrew Bible, where it represents a shortened form of the unspoken name of God. Overtime “hallelujah” has become a refrain in times of celebration, mourning, regret, catharsis and reconciliation.

Today is one of those times.

Serban’s “Hallelujah” helps us all as we all try to find some hope and joy in the midst of this crisis. And perhaps it will inspire people.

“I'm well aware that a song doesn't stop the guns and tanks, but it can help people voice what is hard to do otherwise. And that might lead to action. For those who pray, they may pray more. For those who petition others in power, it might lead to a renewing of that. Or giving to charity, or just being mindful of others around the world. I've had people commenting who are going to Ukraine to help defend it. But really, the song at essence is a statement of shared sorrow,” she said.

Latest news

LGBTQ Refugees Came to America To Escape Discrimination. Now, They Live in Fear in the U.S.
Governance & Legislation

LGBTQ Refugees Came to America To Escape Discrimination. Now, They Live in Fear in the U.S.

The Musk Gambit: Can a Feuding Billionaire Fix American Democracy?
Democracy

The Musk Gambit: Can a Feuding Billionaire Fix American Democracy?

Read More

From Vision to Action: Remaking the World Through Social Entrepreneurship
blue and brown globe on persons hand
Photo by Greg Rosenke on Unsplash

From Vision to Action: Remaking the World Through Social Entrepreneurship

Social entrepreneurs are people who launch ventures aimed at promoting positive change in their community and in the world. I am such a person. In 1982, I founded a nonprofit organization called Search for Common Ground (informally known as “Search”). My bottom line was not financial gain but making the world a better place.

My credentials as a social entrepreneur grew out of my hands-on involvement in building Search from zero into the world’s largest nonprofit group involved in peacebuilding. My partner and closest collaborator was—and is—my wife, Susan Collin Marks. By the time we stepped down from Search’s leadership in 2014, we had a deeply committed staff of 600 employees working out of offices in 35 countries. In 2018, Search was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Keep ReadingShow less
Bruce Springsteen Speaks Out: Rise With Us and Raise Your Voices

Bruce Springsteen and Max Weinberg perform during the first night of 'The Land of Hopes and Dreams' tour at Co-op Live on May 14, 2025 in Manchester, England.

Getty Images, Shirlaine Forrest

Bruce Springsteen Speaks Out: Rise With Us and Raise Your Voices

During Bruce Springsteen’s recent Land of Hope and Dreams tour in Europe, the legendary musician drew the ire of President Trump at a concert in Manchester, England, on May 14, 2025. Springsteen openly criticized the Trump administration, calling it "corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous" and urging the audience to stand against authoritarianism.

He expanded on his concerns during the introduction to My City of Ruins, delivering a powerful statement on the state of democracy. Addressing the crowd, he declared: "There’s some very weird, strange, and dangerous shit going on out there right now. In America, they are persecuting people for using their right to free speech and voicing their dissent. This is happening now. In America, the richest men are taking satisfaction in abandoning the world’s poorest children to sickness and death. This is happening now."

Keep ReadingShow less
Navy Midshipmen’s Win Inspires Trump’s Vision of Strength

President Donald Trump honored the Navy Midshipmen football team in the East Room of the White House during a ceremony presenting the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy, Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Washington.

Photo by Matthew Shea/Medill News Service

Navy Midshipmen’s Win Inspires Trump’s Vision of Strength

WASHINGTON – With grit and team camaraderie, the Navy Midshipmen football team marched into the White House Tuesday, ready to hoist the Commander-in-Chief Trophy for winning the series in December against the Army and Air Force academies.

Their performance, both on and off the field, mirrored the kind of resilience and relentless spirit Trump said he wanted to see across the entire U.S. military.

Keep ReadingShow less
The White Lotus Politics: Is Hollywood Storytelling Shifting Right?

Premiere of HBO Original Series "The White Lotus" Season 3 at Paramount Theatre on February 10, 2025, in Los Angeles, California.

(Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)

The White Lotus Politics: Is Hollywood Storytelling Shifting Right?

As HBO's The White Lotus nears its season three finale, Mike White's dark exploration of the human condition through privilege and class has not only continued to seep into our cultural conversations but has increasingly woven itself into our political ones. The series, which has always been inherently political, made it more overt this season through the friendship of three women with clashing political views (played by Michelle Monaghan, Carrie Coon, and Leslie Bibb)—that culminated in a now-infamous dinner scene that captured the current political malaise defining so many of our American interactions today.

For an entertainment industry long viewed as American culture's most progressive stronghold, this show exists at a time when the Trump administration is censoring museums and muzzling news organizations, all coinciding with a swell of conservative voices gaining more visibility within the broader culture. Take NBC's Saturday Night Live, which, this March, invited country singer Morgan Wallen to perform for a second  time, years after a video surfaced of him using a racial slur outside his Nashville home in 2021.

Keep ReadingShow less
© Copyright 2025