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…
Opening eyes: anti-Semitism
Anti-Semitism. Yes, folks, today I will be broaching the subject that you have likely pondered, discussed, and debated so much that it seems like reading this article will finally do your brain in like a mallet to a cantaloupe. “Why,…
Zusha comes home
In Hassidic tradition, they tell the story of Rebbe Zusha of Hanipol, a true tzaddik (righteous man), crying on his deathbed. His students and the community surrounded and offered consolation. One student said, “Rebbe Zusha, why do you cry? You…
The challenge of prosperity: Dustin Hoffman vs. Haman
Written by Rabbi Dovid Gurevich, Co-Director of Chabad House at UCLA Rabbi Yisrael ben Eliezer, the founder of the Chassidic movement and known as “the Baal Shem Tov” (“possessor of a good name”), famously interpreted the Mishnah’s dictum regarding the…