“You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 22:21) This aforementioned moral obligation, influenced by the events of Exodus, has arguably had one of the most positive effects on…
“Intifada”
Ha’Am staff writer Yaacov Tarko and Wali Kamal of Al-Talib work together to deconstruct the different meanings of the word “Intifada” Yaacov: My relatives in Israel have been personally affected by violent attacks in the current “silent Intifada,” and one…
Why should you care about the primary?
What if I were to tell you that we have ruined democracy? Would you believe me? Millennials outnumber both Generation X and the baby boomers, yet our influence on politics is far less pronounced. Our generation skews tremendously towards libertarian…
Urban Dictionary: Yiddish Edition
Suffering threats of persecution during the First Crusade, many Jews migrated to Eastern Europe beginning in the 10th century. As such, various Jewish communities settled in Germany and other Slavic countries, and the continuous oppression they endured by virtue of their…
Bar and Bat Mitzvahs: Different traditions same rite of passage
– The Bar Mitzvah – The bar mitzvah is an incredibly significant event as it is the first public demonstration of a boy’s new role as a full-fledged member of the community. He can now participate in a minyan and…
(Jewish) workers of the world unite: on Marxist Zionism
In modern political discourse in America and much of the West, there is an unspoken assumption that Zionism and leftism are inherently at cross-purposes—that to be left-wing means to be anti-Zionist and hostile to Israel. However, this was not always…
Meet Elana Shushan and her family, the new JAM arrivals
The sound of excited three-year-old confabulation came from behind the door of the second-story Jewish Awareness Movement apartment before it opened to reveal Elana Shushan, wearing a bright smile and a brightly colored orange turban. The preschooler was Tsofia, who…
Inside Jewish India
Each Jewish community around the world is unique, so it is imperative to preserve and maintain their unique aspects. One particular community that many people do not know exists is the Indian Jewish community of the Bene Israel. Some historians…
Call me “Matan”
How a Chinese-American student became the face of Hebrew fluency at UCLA. I had been working on my Hebrew homework one day at Hillel when I heard someone speaking fluent Hebrew beside me. I turned my head and saw a…
Never again: Why Israel has a Jewish identity
Last week, a friend invited me to a political club where the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was being discussed. The lecturer, a fellow UCLA student, was explaining that many Israeli Jews are worried that the minority Arab population is growing at a…