Sabbath, Shabbat, Shabbos, and the less-common Shabbath and Shabbas (an attempt to reconcile Eastern European consonant pronunciation with North African and Middle Eastern vowel vocalization) are all examples of the futility of attempts to standardize the transliterated pronunciation of a…
“Matar judíos”: fizzy lemonade or the call to kill Jews?
León, Spain: a young man out with some friends decides to indulge in the tradition of drinking spiked, carbonated lemonade during Holy Week (the week preceding and culminating in Easter). “Let’s go get some lemonade,” he suggests. “Let’s go kill…
Flashback to the year
It’s been a long year at UCLA, marked by special Hillel bashes (such as Joe Bruin’s Bear Mitzvah), USAC elections, and USAC- and BDS-related drama. To wrap up the year, Ha’Am has compiled a list of some of the most…
How to build a Lag Ba’Omer bonfire
This Sunday counts the 33rd day of the Omer, or the period between Passover and Shavuot, when the Omer barley offering was brought in the Holy Temple. Lag Ba’Omer, as it is known, derives its name from the Hebrew system…
Matzah meals: Easy kosher-for-Passover recipes
Whether you’re at home, in the dorms, or at an off-campus apartment, Passover brings a change in menu options. Never fear; a diet of buttered matzah isn’t your only alternative to pricey kosher-for-Passover meal plans! We’ve put together recipes for…
Genetic screening event educates, informs
From late Wednesday morning to early afternoon, Tammy Rubin and Jessica Kianmahd welcomed people into the Grand Salon in Kerckhoff Hall to have their arms pricked and several small vials filled with blood. The blood is being shipped to the…
LA County seal controversy is a heavy cross to bear
To those unfamiliar with the history of Los Angeles County, its official seal appears to be a strange assortment of unfamiliar symbols, with a Native American woman and some animals thrown in for good measure. To those involved in the…
Ha’Am Hits: Quarter flashback
With the end of the quarter and finals in sight, the Ha’Am staff took a break from studying to look back at the events that have happened since winter break ended in January. Take a look at some of the…
Ha’Am Hits: Purim
With Purim next Sunday, the Ha’Am staff has been busy preparing. Check out our favorite Purim-related links from around the Web. 1. Brush up on your knowledge of Jewish law and custom pertaining to this major historical holiday with this…
Kosher Korner: Ghouribi (Moroccan Butter Cookies)
These melt-in-your mouth cookies are traditionally served as dessert at the festive meal on Purim day. They’re less sweet than most cookies and hamantaschen and are supposed to resemble Queen Esther’s jewelry. (If you also want to make hamantaschen, check…