On Monday, President Donald Trump dispossessed two National Monuments in Utah of more than two million acres of land, representing the largest evisceration of protected territory in American history. On Wednesday, to the deep displeasure of Palestinian political representatives, Arab…
Business, the Natural Environment and Jewish Values: Competing Interests or Symbiosis?
From Ha’Am’s Winter Edition, “The Divide” Conventional public sentiment presumes that pursuit of profit and protection of the environment are mutually exclusive interests. Where does the Halacha — Jewish religious law — fall on these issues? Many businesses have long…
Progressive Jewish Alliance Hosts Jewish Community Town Hall
WESTWOOD — The Progressive Jewish Alliance at UCLA hosted a Community Town Hall last Thursday, bringing students together to discuss a variety of issues affecting the Jewish community on campus. Brad Fingard, Sarah Schmitt and Tal Newfield organized the event,…
Daily Bruin Cartoon Draws Outrage
Jewish groups condemned the Daily Bruin, UCLA’s student newspaper, Monday morning for publishing what they said is an anti-Semitic cartoon. The cartoon, drawn by Felipe Abejón, depicts Israeli Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in front of the two pillars of the…
The End of Nietzsche: God Is Not Dead, But Undead
From Fall 2016 Print Edition, “Transitions” “God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him.” Friedrich Nietzsche is most memorialized in popular philosophy by this catchy, contentious extract from The Gay Science, published in 1882. For all of…
Trumpflation, the Student Debt Bubble and Jewish Socioeconomics
The election of Donald Trump surprised a vast majority of pollsters and pundits, with many predicting that Trump had a mere 15% chance of winning prior to the election. Many were shocked at Trump’s success due to the huge swaths…
Jews and Bruins United: A parasitic relationship
Last week, the UCLA Undergraduate Student Association Council (USAC) elections resulted in a huge victory for the Bruins United “slate,” or campus political party, which secured nine of 14 spots on next year’s student council table. Bruins United has long benefited from…
Israel and Palestine: Beyond two states
Mainstream public discourse on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict revolves entirely around the two-state solution. Under such a peace agreement, the Palestinians recognize Israel’s right to exist and jettison terrorism, tacitly proclaiming that violence is neither an an act of justice nor…
An open letter to the UC Regents working group for the Principles Against Intolerance
Dear Eddie Island, Norm Pattiz, John A. Pérez, Bruce Varner, Avi Oved, Linda Katehi, Dan Hare, and Yvette Gullatt: Your most recent task as regents, chancellors and university leaders is to debate, revise and re-construct the UC Statement of Principles…