USAC meeting on November 13th, 2018 discussing A RESOLUTION IN FAVOR OF EQUALIZED ACCESS TO UCLA FOR NON-COMMERCIAL SPEECH EVENTS; SPECIFICALLY IN REGARDS TO SJP. Part one. USAC meeting discussing policy and NSJP at UCLA. Part 1. Posted by Ha'Am News…
The Mizrahi Project: The next generation of Jews are Mizrahi
When one feels like “the other” it is a surreal experience. Even more surreal is to feel like an outsider in a space that is so familiar. This is the Mizrahi experience in Ashkenazi Jewish communal spaces. It is to…
Isaac: A biblical introvert
We know less about Isaac than any of the other patriarchs. In the major events of his life he is acted upon – being bound for the Akedah and having Jacob steal the birthright by fooling Isaac in old age.…
Finding female empowerment in Judaism, Part I: The stories of the Bible
Judaism comes with a set of beautiful morals, including everything from making the world a better place to giving and donating. Another value I recently learned is very Jewish is female empowerment. Many tales of the Bible embody and exemplify…
D’var theory: The ancient and contemporary polymath
It often seems like one’s academic major in higher education is a blood-bound oath, and America’s culture of specialized labor promotes that stoicism in kind. Judaism by contrast touts the polymath, a person of wide-ranging knowledge or skill, as the…
Apple updates icon for key diet element
Bagels are an integral part of my diet and identity and I truly feel that no bagel is complete without lox and cream cheese. This is a fact that I finally understood when Apple released the bagel emoji. When Apple…
To name a thing is to call it into being: A reflection on the Pittsburgh tragedy
To name a thing is to call it into being. In the beginning were the heavens and the earth. And darkness was on the face of the deep. “Let there be light.” And there was light, and it was good.…
Parashat Hayeh Sara: Maintaining our identity
The traditional Shabbat Torah reading this week is the section called Chayai Sora – our early history after the life of our matriarch Sora, or Sarah. We meet up with a number of key figures in the unfolding saga of…
6 ways to show you are proud of your Judaism
On Saturday, October 27th, a gunman opened fire in a Pittsburgh synagogue killing 11 innocent Jews and injuring 6 others. The attack occurred at Tree of Life Congregation in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh. With the occurrence of this tragedy, the…
On Solidarity, Peoplehood, and Empathy: A response to the Los Angeles vigil supporting the those hurt and lost in Pittsburgh
Jews from all over Los Angeles came together on Sunday for a vigil in support of the families who were affected by terror Saturday morning in Pittsburgh. With a growing list of 64 Jewish organizations sponsoring the vigil, the question…