A conversation with Ethiopian actor and activist, Shai Fredo

Picture this: it’s 1984, you are eight years old, and you have just taken a year-long journey to a new country. Everything in this land is different. You cannot speak the language, you do not understand the culture, you are…

ARTiculations: Welcome to Ha’Am’s Fall 2015 Ongoing Art Exhibit

Are you a world-renowned painter? Perhaps a top-notch doodler? Do you keep a sketchbook? Does your mom keep your drawings on the fridge? Have you ever gotten a gold star for an art project? Did you ever wish you had?…

Shariff Mordechai Hazan: an African American man’s journey to Judaism

When you think of Shavuot, you might be reminded of staying up all night learning or eating cheesecake. A lesser known custom is reading the Book of Ruth. There are many reasons for this custom, the first being that Shavuot…

Traveling Jews: tips for going abroad

While the official school year is nearing its close, many students are making plans for the future. For some, this means preparing for a study abroad program and/or traveling to other countries during their much deserved “break time.” As someone…

“Shabbat!” Music Video (“Uptown Funk” Parody)

“Shabbat!” performed by Soof Hacohen and AJ Goldsman, lyrics by Ellie Fridman __________________________ We do not own the rights to the original music. Music credit: “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars__________________________ Ellie Fridman’s original parody lyrics can be…

Art: an alternative means of interfaith?

Sponsored and funded by the Pamela and Randol Schoenberg Foundation, the Fine Art Show located at Hillel on May 21 drew dozens of applicants and 150 viewers, and left the winner with $1,000 and the Philliss and Lou Mann Prize…

Jewish wanderlust: Jewish destinations outside of Israel

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” — Marcel Proust As a graduate embarking on a ‘year off’ before law school, I find myself curious to see the world while the…

Recovering the plundering of the Holocaust

“Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I” by Gustav Klimt, Public Domain ____________ The Holocaust was one of the worst events in human history, and people keep it in their minds so they should never forget. Never forget the infiltrations of Nazis…

Is marrying Jewish still relevant?

Illustration by Angelina Ellyason ________________ With its many laws and customs, Judaism has always valued the sacredness of marriage. Consequently, marrying Jewish has prominently been seen as non-negotiable for many in the Jewish community. The apprehension of assimilation and having…

Poem: “I wear this dot on my head”

I wear this dot on my head because I exist in an ever-elapsing ellipsis which began on the head of that mountain Sinai when we heard Moses sigh n’ I cried ‘I will do and I will listen’ and we…