The 11th Iranian presidential elections, scheduled for June 14, are fast approaching, and as election day draws near, many prospective presidential candidates (they must be approved by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei before they can run) are publicly distancing themselves from…
Silicon Wadi: Israel’s economic future
Chances are, you have heard of Silicon Valley. Often mistakenly attributed to successful entrepreneur Ralph Vaerst, the term “Silicon Valley” refers to a large swath of Bay Area land replete with both large and small technology firms — the growth…
Kosher Korner: Arepas
Anyone who has had the pleasure of participating in the three-day madness that is Coachella can attest to its beauty. I knew that Coachella’s amazing lineup would leave me speechless, but even the Postal Service, my favorite band since middle…
The “Gaza Doctor” Abuelaish: Feminism Will Deliver Peace to the Middle East
As a part of Kehillat Israel’s (a Reconstructionist Congregation in Los Angeles) “Week of Civil Discourse,” put on by the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for Israel Studies at UCLA, Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish was invited to speak in Broad Hall…
The Curious Case of Israeli Guns: the NRA’s Faulty Logic
On early Friday morning, an army of several thousand heavily armed law enforcement officials descended upon the tranquil Boston suburb of Watertown in hopes of capturing the elusive second suspect in the Boston Marathon bombing, Dzhokar Tsarnaev. Tsarnaev is now in…
Jewish and Christian interfaith dialogue: loving Israel and loving each other
There were 19 people seated around the large oval table on the third floor of Hillel at UCLA. On Friday, April 12, the Berman Library (colloquially dubbed the Zionist Library as a tribute to the content of a multitude of…
Shtar shines at UCLA
Shtar (meaning “Talmudic contract” in Hebrew), a Jerusalem-based hip-hop group, made a stop on their tour at the UCLA Jewish Awareness Movement house on Thursday, April 11. Originally created by two Yeshiva students, Ori ‘M’Ori’ Murray and Brad ‘Binyamin Adam’…
Is “separate but equal” okay in Israel?
According to fast-breaking developments first reported this week by the Jewish Daily Forward and subsequently amplified in the New York Times, a compromise may be in the works that would allow women to lead services, carry Sifrei Torah (Torah Scrolls),…
The endangered right: freedom of religion for Dutch Jews
In the United States, the decree that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof” is an integral part of living in a free country. In fact, it is the first amendment…
Elliott Abrams, national security official to two presidents, comes to UCLA
Wearing a red tie, Elliott Abrams, the renowned American diplomat who served under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush — most recently as Deputy National Security Advisor for Global Democracy Strategy — could be seen talking with a friend…