Today, in Israel, cutting down a fig tree in Tzfat is not something you can get away with easily. Several years ago, I volunteered with the Israeli city’s municipality. One day, my fellow volunteers and I were tasked with helping…
End of an era? Reflections on Benjamin Netanyahu
Recent events have put the political future of Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, in jeopardy. Several criminal probes have been opened against him on corruption allegations, and he and those close to him have been questioned by police on several…
Muslim Student Association: “Understanding the Current Political Climate”
On the evening of Feb. 1st, UCLA students, a majority of them Muslim, flocked into Ackerman’s Bruin Viewpoint room to attend “Understanding the Current Political Climate,” an event hosted by the Muslim Student Association. This event was intended to help…
Taste of Torah: Meaning in Matzah
Some of the most renowned Jewish practices are discussed in this week’s Torah portion, Parshat Bo. Our portion goes through the last three of the ten plagues, which took place in Egypt, and it then finishes off with the mitzvot…
New Hillel Group LGBTJew Aims to Connect Queer Jewish Students
Senior Kayla Eber, a Design Media Arts major, founded UCLA’s first Jewish lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) social group for Jewish students in October of fall quarter. The group’s mission is to provide a communal environment for LGBT Jewish…
Taste of Torah: Two Jews, three opinions? More like one Bible, four opinions!
One of the most perplexing questions that a student of Tanakh can ask is derived from two verses of this week’s Parsha. God appears to Moses, after the Egyptians refuse to let the Jews go and opens up with…
The Plasco Building: A Reflection
Panic struck the people of Tehran, Iran on January 19, 2017 as they watched the city’s beloved, 17-story Plasco Building collapse to the ground. The incident is believed to have been caused by a fire that started in the morning…
Separating a Person from their work: What do we do with Carlebach’s music?
One of the more obscure ‘secrets’ of the Jewish community involves the legacy of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach. Anyone who has been to a Friday night prayer service has almost certainly sung some of the many tunes composed by Carlebach. Many…
Our Imperfect Memory
From Fall 2016 Print Edition, “Transitions” Imagine you were to enter a time machine and travel ten years into the past. To avoid drastically altering the course of history, you would, of course, be sure to keep yourself hidden and…