As a student who grew up in a democratic and liberal environment, I was constantly told to be proud of myself and to stand up for who I am and what I believe in. Earlier this week, the student government…
Israel
My night at the Friends of the IDF Gala
As I entered the glamorous Beverly Hilton Hotel last Thursday, November 5, for the Friends of the Israeli Defense Forces Gala, I felt a strong sense of community. Surrounding me were philanthropists, professionals, actors, and of course, American and Israeli…
Baba Joon: a reflection
On November 3, I had the chance to attend the 29th Israel Film Festival at the Ahrya Fine Arts Theatre in Beverly Hills to watch the film Baba Joon. This particular film screening was co-sponsored by the Younes and Soraya…
Nostalgia’s dreams come true: Yoni Rechter’s visit to Los Angeles
An unsuspecting theatre in the Gindi Auditorium at the American Jewish University was filled with a bunch of nostalgic Israelis last week — and it was beautiful. Yoni Rechter, one of the most notable figures in modern Israeli music, was…
Laniado Hospital – a paragon of coexistence
And it continues. Every morning we wake up hearing about more horrific attacks in Israel, and it seems that there is no way to stop them. The mainstream media carelessly throws around the word “Intifada,” seeking to grab attention, but…
Israeli-Druze Delegation Panel results in uproar, tears
This past Monday, October 26, UCLA welcomed seven Druze Israelis to speak at the law school as part of their two-week long tour in the United States. The event was hosted by several Jewish and Jewish-affiliated organizations, including Bruins for…
Avigdor Lieberman’s political silver lining to the current tensions in Israel
The recent uptick of interethnic violence in Israel is likely to benefit Avigdor Lieberman, one of the biggest losers of the last elections. Lieberman is the head of the right-wing Yisrael Beiteinu party, whose base is the large number of…
“Allegedly”: the latest rage in media bias against Israel
Every day my heart falls as I see yet another article about attacks in Israel. As if to add insult to injury, these articles are usually titled something like this Boston Globe article, “4 Palestinians shot dead in latest violence,…
Peace of Art
Last Thursday afternoon, I had to ward my house from cops. Apparently the good Samaritans on frat row, or perhaps passersby, were concerned and decided to let someone know that four “vandals” (as some people had assumed) were parked in…
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…