This week’s Torah portion, Yitro, is eponymous to Moses’s father-in-law and a prominent Midianite priest, Jethro (Yitro). The initial section of the portion describes the great respect Moses shows him. It also conveys an episode where Jethro criticizes Moses for overworking…
Dr. David Menashri’s must-attend Lecture: Iran, the US, and the changing Middle East
This past summer’s nuclear accord between Iran and the superpowers of the United States, France, China, Germany, Russia and the United Kingdom has spurred a multitude of opinions among members of the UCLA community. Some see the deal as a…
Open Letter to Congressman Ted Lieu
Dear Congressman Lieu, We students at UCLA acknowledge the work that you have done as Congressman of California’s 33rd District. As Jewish student leaders, we are especially grateful for your willingness to stand up for our community. In addition to…
Bible codes and bad religion
Walking through the old city in Jerusalem on a Tuesday afternoon, I arrived at the Aish HaTorah building overlooking the Western Wall — Judaism’s holiest site. It was about four years ago that I had gone, with about 50 other…
“YUUUUUGE”: Herzog’s barrier problem
A minor uproar occurred this past Tuesday when Israeli opposition leader, Isaac Herzog, of the Zionist Union, unveiled his party’s new plan for national security. Chief among the new proposals was the completion of the wall, separating Israel and some…
Taste of Torah: Singing appreciation
Written by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, Co-Director of Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus (JLIC) at UCLA This week’s Shabbat has a second name, Shabbat Shirah (“The Sabbath of Song”). The reason for this name is that in this week’s Torah…
Why can’t we be friends? Religion and understanding
This past Tuesday, UCLA students gathered for an interfaith event in a small room on the third floor of the Humanities building to discuss many important topics. The event was relatively successful, but due to a miscommunication, there were no…
Extreme Makeover: Conservative Judaism edition
Sometimes in life, one may undergo an identity crisis of sorts, feeling the need to redesign one’s image to the world and get a makeover. The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism is taking “makeover” to a whole new level by…
Blindspot: New Israeli app sparks controversy
Ever since our world entered the tech era, Israelis have been known for their groundbreaking technological developments. However, the app that has drawn the most attention recently is by no means a typical Israeli app that can detect missiles and send…
Chinese-Hebrew Cafe provides an evening of education and cross-cultural interaction
This past Thursday, UCLA’s Alan D. Leve Center for Jewish Studies held its first-ever cross-cultural event, the Chinese-Hebrew Cafe, at which attendees gathered to learn about Chinese and Jewish societies as well as learn some Chinese and Hebrew. The event…