This week’s Torah portion, Vayeshev, begins the narrative of Joseph and his brothers and contains some of the most dramatic episodes in the Torah. Vayeshev opens with rivalry between Joseph and ten of Jacob’s other sons over Jacob’s apparent favoritism of Joseph and…
How Judaism can help students maintain sanity
A college student’s lifestyle can be extremely unhealthy. Besides the physical health issues that may come from binge-eating ramen noodles every finals cycle, students may also develop mental health issues such as severe anxiety and depression, which may be induced…
Azerbaijan: A “Model for Tolerance”
Along the shore of the Caspian Sea lies the republic of Azerbaijan, a country that gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Although composed primarily of Shi’ite Muslims, this country is still the home to “the largest all-Jewish settlement outside the…
An open letter to the UC Regents working group for the Principles Against Intolerance
Dear Eddie Island, Norm Pattiz, John A. Pérez, Bruce Varner, Avi Oved, Linda Katehi, Dan Hare, and Yvette Gullatt: Your most recent task as regents, chancellors and university leaders is to debate, revise and re-construct the UC Statement of Principles…
Unity by music, division by BDS
For many musicians, “Good evening, Tel Aviv!” is a brave political statement. Just to perform in Israel, singers and renowned musicians from all around the world are forced by opinionated fans to take a political position on the highly nuanced…
The Judaism in thanks-giving
Thanksgiving is perhaps one of the American people’s favorite national holidays. It is a time when individuals unite with friends and family to bask in one another’s company, increase their caloric intake, and brag about the items they intend to…
Our democratic fight
As a student who grew up in a democratic and liberal environment, I was constantly told to be proud of myself and to stand up for who I am and what I believe in. Earlier this week, the student government…
Non-denominational or non-Orthodox?
As an Orthodox Jew, there have been many times in my life where I have felt unwelcome in the wider Jewish community. This feeling of discomfort has arisen in a wide variety of circumstances: from being unable to attend certain…
JWW honors Gabriel family with night of music, art
At their annual gala in recognition of leading community philanthropists, Jewish World Watch presented the Katzburg Gabriel family with the Global Soul Award Wednesday night in Royce Hall. According to co-founder Janice Kamenir-Reznik, Jewish World Watch (JWW) was founded in 2004 in…
Taste of Torah: God is in this place
This week’s Torah portion, Parashat Vayetze, starts with Jacob camping for the night and resting his head on a stone to sleep. He dreams of a ladder stretching to the heavens, with endless angels ascending and descending the ladder (Genesis 28:10-12).…