As a part of Kehillat Israel’s (a Reconstructionist Congregation in Los Angeles) “Week of Civil Discourse,” put on by the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for Israel Studies at UCLA, Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish was invited to speak in Broad Hall…
The Curious Case of Israeli Guns: the NRA’s Faulty Logic
On early Friday morning, an army of several thousand heavily armed law enforcement officials descended upon the tranquil Boston suburb of Watertown in hopes of capturing the elusive second suspect in the Boston Marathon bombing, Dzhokar Tsarnaev. Tsarnaev is now in…
Income inequality in Israel: Netanyahu’s neo-conservative policies
In a state founded on principles of collectivism, social justice, and equality, today, Israel’s government espouses economic policies that are radically different from the original ideals, and the negative consequences are catching up. Prime Minister Netanyahu has consistently pushed for…
The SodaStream controversy: should we boycott settlements?
Israel has long prided itself on being an environmentally conscious, technologically advanced nation. SodaStream is therefore exactly the kind of product Israel wants to promote: a machine which carbonates tap water, relegating fizzy drinks in a can as unnecessarily expensive…
The Jewish Museum in Munich: an attempt to reconcile identities in conflict
Munich. For many Jews, the first name associations may be the 1972 Olympics, or the destruction of the main synagogue during Kristallnacht, or the concentration camp Dachau. However, a city that once was a hotbed for anti-Semitic activity is now…
Why go kosher?
I find myself keeping kosher for the first time. Do I believe in the strict guidelines? No. But in respecting my roommate’s lifestyle, I have reevaluated my own stance on Kashrut. Here is how I make sense of it: It…
A review of Geraldine Brooks: stories that transcend time
School was out and it was time for my customary summer bookstore expedition. After taking an unnecessarily long, albeit usual, amount of time browsing the shelves, I happened upon People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks. Based on the history…
Eco-pollution: Israel’s silent threat
Israel is advertised as one of the most environmentally conscious countries in the world. Perhaps most well known is the Israeli irrigation drip system, which involves a hose that slowly drips water directly to the root of the plant, strategically…
Blurring democracy: the Orthodox vision of respecting women
It was my first time at the Western Wall. It should have been a beautiful and emotional moment, one that allowed me to connect to the history of the Jewish people. And yet, something irked me. Perhaps it was the…