A few weeks ago, I attended the most recent University of California Regents’ meeting as a public commentator. Along with with many other concerned students, I stood before and pleaded to the UC Board of Regents to revise the language…
Taste of Torah: Parashat Shelach Lecha and shlichut at UCLA
Written by Yair Vardi, Israel Fellow at Hillel at UCLA This week, we read parshat Shelach Lecha — שְׁלַח לְךָ. This is the famous parashah of the spies. Moses chose twelve men, leaders from the twelve tribes of Israel, to…
Taste of Torah: feminist lessons and benefit of the doubt
In honor of my Prodigious Babes series, I wanted to write this week’s Taste of Torah with a focus on the female protagonist of Behaalotecha (Numbers), Miriam. The parashah concludes with a rather bizarre incident: G-d punishes Miriam with tzaraat…
Shariff Mordechai Hazan: an African American man’s journey to Judaism
When you think of Shavuot, you might be reminded of staying up all night learning or eating cheesecake. A lesser known custom is reading the Book of Ruth. There are many reasons for this custom, the first being that Shavuot…
Traveling Jews: tips for going abroad
While the official school year is nearing its close, many students are making plans for the future. For some, this means preparing for a study abroad program and/or traveling to other countries during their much deserved “break time.” As someone…
Old mosaic, new eyes: Israel in 3D with the Y&S Nazarian Center for Israel Studies
Two weeks ago I wrote an article about Jerusalem, its vibrant energy, and the stubborn distance between its different groups. I ended with a suggestion, a hope, and a recycled Lennon lyric: let us recognize that despite the differences, we…
“Shabbat!” Music Video (“Uptown Funk” Parody)
“Shabbat!” performed by Soof Hacohen and AJ Goldsman, lyrics by Ellie Fridman __________________________ We do not own the rights to the original music. Music credit: “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars__________________________ Ellie Fridman’s original parody lyrics can be…
Art: an alternative means of interfaith?
Sponsored and funded by the Pamela and Randol Schoenberg Foundation, the Fine Art Show located at Hillel on May 21 drew dozens of applicants and 150 viewers, and left the winner with $1,000 and the Philliss and Lou Mann Prize…
L’Chaim to Rabbi Chaim: Celebrating 40 years of service to Hillel at UCLA
Portrait of Rabbi Chaim Seidler-Feller in his Hillel office at URC, a selection from “Looking for a Rabbi: Photographs by Shelley Gazin, 1999-2001.” (Copyright 2015. Shelley Gazin. All Rights Reserved.) _______________ Some would start a farewell address to Rabbi Chaim…
The path from Hebrew major to the Alan D. Leve Center for Jewish Studies, 56 years in the making
Illustration by Rivka Cohen ________________ Assuming all other suitable conversation topics have been dealt with, sitting around a bar table, one might wonder aloud what the role of Jewish Studies is at a large public university. Is it to provide…