The Western Wall wails

The Titanic of Today   Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1902-1994) of righteous memory, the Lubavitcher Rebbe and the seventh and last leader in the Chabad-Lubavitch dynasty, never visited Israel. He also never gave a definitive reason as to why. Legend…

Rock in the Red Zone: a reflection

On Wednesday, January 20, I had the opportunity to attend an on-campus screening of Rock in the Red Zone, a documentary directed and produced by Laura Bialis. The documentary chronicles the experiences of Bialis as she moves to the Israeli city…

Open Letter to Congressman Ted Lieu

Dear Congressman Lieu, We students at UCLA acknowledge the work that you have done as Congressman of California’s 33rd District. As Jewish student leaders, we are especially grateful for your willingness to stand up for our community. In addition to…

“YUUUUUGE”: Herzog’s barrier problem

A minor uproar occurred this past Tuesday when Israeli opposition leader, Isaac Herzog, of the Zionist Union, unveiled his party’s new plan for national security. Chief among the new proposals was the completion of the wall, separating Israel and some…

Blindspot: New Israeli app sparks controversy

Ever since our world entered the tech era, Israelis have been known for their groundbreaking technological developments. However, the app that has drawn the most attention recently is by no means a typical Israeli app that can detect missiles and send…

January 1 in Tel Aviv

On Friday, January 1, 2016, the Israeli city of Tel Aviv was rocked by terror as Nasha’at Melhem, a 31 year old Israeli citizen of Palestinian origin, embarked on a shooting spree along the bustling and popular Dizengoff Street. The…

Israel’s battle for sovereignty

When it comes to the tiny State of Israel, there is no shortage of controversial news topics. The newest debate concerns the Government Transparency Bill, which would necessitate Non-Governmental Organizations that receive most of their financial backing from “foreign political…

Israel: a values discourse

“The Shalom Hartman Institute is a pluralistic center of research and education deepening and elevating the quality of Jewish life in Israel and around the world. Through our work, we are redefining the conversation about Judaism in modernity, religious pluralism,…

Yiscah Smith: activist, leader, hero

We are a species that categorizes. Categories permeate every facet of our lives, as categorization is a natural process for us to organize the world around us. Essentially, humans naturally dissect one another into compartments, or identifiers. Consider how others…

How Hadas Libman keeps it on par

Hadas Libman is the latest diamond in the rough in Jewish Athletes. She hails from Israel and sacrificed time away from her family to live the dream of becoming a professional women’s golfer. She won her first Israeli Open when…