Historically, Jews settled in Iran, and other areas later considered a part of the Iranian Empire, on four significant occasions. The first occasion was after the Fall of Israel in 744 BC when the Israelites were relocated by the Assyrian…
Is God a Sexist?
Ethiopians say that their gods are snub–nosed and blackThracians that they are pale and red-haired –Xenophanes (c.570-c.475 BCE) Traditional religions of virtually whatever stripe are sexist: they cast men and women in sharply different roles, with males dominant. Religion plays a leading…
From Gamal (Camel) to Halalit (Spacecraft): How Does Hebrew, an Ancient Language, Cope with Modern Life and Globalism
One of the most impressive achievements of Zionism is undoubtedly the revival of an ancient and medieval language (mostly Bible and the Talmudic literatures), and its subsequent adaptation into a modern, sophisticated all-encompassing language. Modern Hebrew responds to all the…
Zionism: A Brief Guide in Perplexity
It’s the perfect moment in which to re-examine Zionism afresh–and not only because of the recent spate of fighting between Israel and Gaza, the controversy surrounding the SJP national conference held some weeks ago here at UCLA, or the fact…
Faculty Corner: Zionophobia – our only fighting word
In this inaugural opening of the Student-Faculty Corner of Ha’Am, I would like to elaborate on an idea that I advocated in my interview two weeks ago. The idea is simple: From my observations of campus life in the past…