So what exactly is kosher? What does it mean to keep kosher? And what exactly are all the rules one must follow to keep kosher? For someone who (kind of) identifies as Jewish, I found myself asking these questions quite…
The Art that Fought the Holocaust
“Black milk of morning we drink you at dusktime We drink you at noontime and dawntime we drink you at night We drink and drink We scoop out a grave in the sky where it’s roomy to lie.” Those are…
Historical Ha’Am: “Shakespeare and the Jews” by Natasha Zwick
When I was flipping through some old Ha’Am newspapers this week while searching for a Historical Ha’Am article, I came across the title “Shakespeare and the Jews,” and my attention was immediately fully devoted to this piece. As an English…
Hanukkah Gift Guide
As Hanukkah fast approaches (Dec. 22 this year), there arises the annual question of what gifts to get for your friends and family. If you’re tired of giving and receiving socks, gift cards, or body wash, you’re not alone. With…
From Rap to Rock: Top Ten Modern Hanukkah Songs… Besides Adam Sandler’s
“Hanukkah is The Festival of Lights Instead of one day of presents We have eight crazy nights!” – Those are the words famously sung by Adam Sandler on Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update on December 3rd, 1994. By that point,…
Ha’Am’s Introductory Hanukkah Guide
What is Hanukkah? Hanukkah comes every year and can be described as a holiday for showing praise and appreciation for the Maccabee’s glorious overthrowing of their Syrian-Greek oppressors. The story highlights their recapturing of Jerusalem and their realization that they…
Staff Member Sarah Fields on the AntiSemitism She Has Endured and How it Has Shaped Her
California’s San Francisco Bay Area is a progressive hub. However, it was the Bay Area where while growing up, Ha’Am’s own Sarah Fields’ Jewish identity was pushed away from her due to vicious acts of antisemitism. A young Sarah Fields…
A Jewish Guide to Handling Stress
Stressed out? Some Jewish tips to keep you sane: Another year, another fall quarter. In 2013, when my husband and I were starting out at JAM at UCSB, my husband made a Facebook post wishing all the students much success…
My Maternal Grandmother is a Jewish Convert. So What am I?
Until she was a junior in high school, my maternal grandmother was unaware of the existence of Judaism. It was not her fault– she had been raised in what she calls a “bubble:” a religious community in rural Michigan, where…
That’s a Wrap: A Message From the Editor in Chief, Winter 2019
How often do you leave Westwood? When you’re a Jewish student at UCLA, it’s hard to find the time, between classes, studies, campus organizations, and social life to even think about the possibility of taking a day off for a…