Upon Three Things…

There is a classic Jewish teaching that has become mainstream to such an extent that, I believe, it rarely gets the full contemplation it deserves. Yet, in our current day and age, when many of society’s building blocks are being…

My Six-Pointed Friend

The following poem and subsequent commentary were submitted by Hailey Zill, a third-year student majoring in World Arts and Cultures and Sociology. Hailey is passionate about all things art, Jewish, and travel but most importantly, she loves cats; she is…

Choosing to Intervene: Jewish Perspectives on End-of-Life Decisions

The following is an opinion piece submitted to Ha’Am by Rachel Fox who is a third-year Neuroscience student at UCLA. ——————— Our tradition teaches that all are made in the image of G-d, but provides little explicit guidance when it…

“Ben Gurion Looks at the Bible” Holds Wisdom for the Current Chapter of the Jewish Story

Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, was a socialist who rejected the Marxist belief that all important struggles are economic. Rather than believing that religion, nationalism, and moral ideals obscure economic struggles, he saw intellectual and moral struggle as important…

On Campus, Jewish Students Now Confront the Quintessential “Covenant of Fate”

When he delivered his essay Kol Dodi Dofek to an audience of American Jews on the eighth anniversary of Yom Ha’atzmaut in 1956, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik formulated his vision of post-1948 religious Zionism by referencing the terrors of Treblinka,…

Shavuot Customs and Modern-Day Lessons We Can Take From The Book of Ruth

Background on Shavuot: The Spring Harvest Festival The end of the Spring Quarter coincides with one of the most significant holidays in Jewish tradition: Shavuot. Shavuot celebrates the spring harvest festival and marks the acceptance of the Torah–the Jewish Book…

“Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother”: A Surprising Source for Modern-Day Motivation

Perform a quick search of “motivational quotes” on Google and you will be greeted with a large sample of internet wisdom. Like these: “Dreams don’t work unless you do.” “Nothing is impossible – the word itself says, ‘I’m possible.” With…

Jewish Diversity in Film

Within the vastness of Jewish culture, there exists an immense diversity of ethnic, religious, national, political, sexual, and gender identities. Although not regularly discussed in the mainstream media, the Jewish community’s diverse array of backgrounds bring their own unique voices…

Earth Day: A Jewish Take

Earth day is about more than just posting a few candid shots of trips to the Grand Canyon on Instagram, it is about taking a day to appreciate our natural resources and recognize the damage that has been done to…

Passover Revisited

“In each and every generation,” we read in the Passover Haggadah, “it is one’s duty to regard themselves as though they had personally gone out of Egypt.”  During the first night’s seder this year, I found myself further reflecting on…