On April 10th, 2016, do-gooders in 70 different countries set out on mission: do a good deed. This year the “Good Deeds Day” organization celebrated its 10th anniversary of making the world a better place, one project at a time.…
Israel
“Night of Unity” draws connection between American and Israeli veterans
Three Israelis and two Americans sat before a crowd of eager listeners in the Bruin Reception Room for a “Night of Unity,” an event hosted by Students Supporting Israel (SSI) and co-sponsored by nine other UCLA-affiliated organizations. Though different in…
Students express newfound understanding of Israeli-Palestinian conflict following Fact Finders trip
As of late, UCLA has essentially emerged as a podium hosting various altercations regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. On several counts — especially in light of the BDS movement — Israel has been shamed and defamed, leaving many onlookers with the…
The dangers of jumping to conclusions
Last week, a video emerged. It apparently shows an Israeli soldier shooting a wounded Palestinian terrorist in the head, killing him instantly. Never mind that the footage was supplied by B’Tselem, an organization well known for misrepresenting and distorting facts. Pay no…
Israeli company rumored to have helped FBI crack iPhone
Over the past several weeks, a major debate has taken place in America over what could be a defining moment for the world of technology. This debate, the FBI vs Apple encryption dispute, proves most intriguing since Cellebrite, an Israeli…
“Intifada”
Ha’Am staff writer Yaacov Tarko and Wali Kamal of Al-Talib work together to deconstruct the different meanings of the word “Intifada” Yaacov: My relatives in Israel have been personally affected by violent attacks in the current “silent Intifada,” and one…
(Jewish) workers of the world unite: on Marxist Zionism
In modern political discourse in America and much of the West, there is an unspoken assumption that Zionism and leftism are inherently at cross-purposes—that to be left-wing means to be anti-Zionist and hostile to Israel. However, this was not always…
Call me “Matan”
How a Chinese-American student became the face of Hebrew fluency at UCLA. I had been working on my Hebrew homework one day at Hillel when I heard someone speaking fluent Hebrew beside me. I turned my head and saw a…
Never again: Why Israel has a Jewish identity
Last week, a friend invited me to a political club where the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was being discussed. The lecturer, a fellow UCLA student, was explaining that many Israeli Jews are worried that the minority Arab population is growing at a…
Zusha comes home
In Hassidic tradition, they tell the story of Rebbe Zusha of Hanipol, a true tzaddik (righteous man), crying on his deathbed. His students and the community surrounded and offered consolation. One student said, “Rebbe Zusha, why do you cry? You…