By Rabbi Dr. Tal Sessler of Sephardic Temple In Judaism, words are holy and sacred. The opening chapter of the Torah teaches us that the world was created by Divine speech. Words are powerful in Jewish spirituality. So much so,…
“Night of Unity” draws connection between American and Israeli veterans
Three Israelis and two Americans sat before a crowd of eager listeners in the Bruin Reception Room for a “Night of Unity,” an event hosted by Students Supporting Israel (SSI) and co-sponsored by nine other UCLA-affiliated organizations. Though different in…
Students express newfound understanding of Israeli-Palestinian conflict following Fact Finders trip
As of late, UCLA has essentially emerged as a podium hosting various altercations regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. On several counts — especially in light of the BDS movement — Israel has been shamed and defamed, leaving many onlookers with the…
The dangers of jumping to conclusions
Last week, a video emerged. It apparently shows an Israeli soldier shooting a wounded Palestinian terrorist in the head, killing him instantly. Never mind that the footage was supplied by B’Tselem, an organization well known for misrepresenting and distorting facts. Pay no…
Israeli company rumored to have helped FBI crack iPhone
Over the past several weeks, a major debate has taken place in America over what could be a defining moment for the world of technology. This debate, the FBI vs Apple encryption dispute, proves most intriguing since Cellebrite, an Israeli…
“My Father’s Paradise”: a professor’s journey from Kurdistan to UCLA
One of my main goals upon starting UCLA was to take advantage of opportunities that would allow me to learn more about my heritage. While I was thrilled to find that my campus boasted renowned programs in Persian and Jewish…
Let My People Know: the historical reality of the Exodus
“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…