As I strolled down Pico Boulevard on my second day back in America, I was struck by the friendliness of all the security guards I passed while en route to my destination. It took me a while to realize that…
How Counting the Omer Makes Time More Real
When a baby is conceived, their parents excitedly count the days until their birth. After birth, each week is precious. During the first years of a child’s life, for a parent, each milestone is important and shared with whoever cares…
Your Right To Strike Ends Where My Right to an Education Begins
The University of California System has a long and proud history of union strikes which are often utilized to stand up for every worker’s right to fair pay, appropriate benefits and equal treatment. Unpopular Opinion: unions have begun to abuse…
Why You Should Get Involved in your Local Jewish Community
Getting involved in your local Jewish community may seem like a daunting task, but you may not realize how welcoming and open most Jewish communities are. Unlike most “religious” communities, people can get involved in their local Jewish community without…
10 Reasons College Students Should Go Tech Free On Shabbat
It will allow you to deepen the relationships you care most about. In this day and age, very few people can sit through a concert, a dinner date or a family celebration without taking pictures and checking social media. Unplugging…
What is Justice?
What is justice? Most definitions of justice are circular. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines it as, “the quality of being just, impartial, or fair.” When you try to figure out what it means to be just, impartial or fair, you get more…
A Peek Inside the National Students for Justice in Palestine Conference
The Students for Justice in Palestine National Conference took place at UCLA over the weekend of Nov. 16-18, 2018. The conference had strict sign-up prerequisites, including limiting registration to six students per school, with the exception of the host university,…
United we stand; and why we’ll never fall
As I made myself some tea and schmoozed at the coffee station after Shabbat lunch this week, I heard a surprising announcement. “Let’s take a moment of silence to honor the people we lost in today’s tragedy.” I waited for…
Waking Lions: A Predator’s Choice
Israeli writer Ayelet Gundar-Goshen, acclaimed author of the novel Waking Lions, named one of New York Times’ 100 Notable Books of 2017, spoke UCLA’s Fowler Museum Feb. 22. She participated in a dialogue about the background of her book and…
Prepare for Purim: A UCLA schedule of events
In 2017 The Forward named UCLA “America’s third best college for Jews” and the best on the West Coast. UCLA’s numerous Jewish organizations, the availability of kosher food and the school’s Jewish studies program all factored into the decision. As Purim approaches, the…