My Mother’s Day was spent visiting the mother of all lands, Eretz Israel. After a short drive to the California Science Center in downtown, my family and I were graced with a long line for the sold out screening of…
Off Campus
Uncomfortable questions left unanswered: Ethiopian Jews in Israel and their fight for justice
A line of policemen armed with shields and stun grenades position themselves across a mob of angry protesters. The protesters wield signs reading “Stop police brutality” and “Black is not a crime.” Their hearts are filled with anger, frustration, and…
Sorrow to festivities: the abrupt transition between Memorial Day and Independence Day in Israel
On Wednesday morning, the citizens of Israel woke up, drank their morning coffee, put on white shirts, and glanced at the candles their mothers, wives, or they themselves lit the night before. Perhaps the picture of the young soldier or…
If you like your nuclear program, you can keep your nuclear program
On April 2, President Obama strolled triumphantly across the Rose Garden in the White House and proudly announced to the world that the United States and its allies had reached an agreement with Iran that would prevent it from obtaining…
Shmuel Rosner talks about the Israeli elections and Iran
On Monday afternoon, shortly after 4:30 pm, the mostly middle-aged to elderly audience members — armed with cookies, pastries and beverages — shifted in their seats as more places were set out to accommodate the large number of attendees to…
The zionist imperative of Passover
This week we celebrate the festival of Passover. If asked on the spot what the point of the holiday is, you would probably respond “to commemorate the redemption from Egyptian bondage.” This interaction is reenacted on the Seder night: The…
Aliyah throughout the ages
Imagine you are living in a land where you must tuck away your kippah or Magen David necklace in public in fear of putting your life in danger, simply because of who you are. This has been an unfortunate reality…
International Jews of UCLA
UCLA’s prestige, location, and admiration for diversity within its student body has made it a highly attractive university for potential attendees around the world. In fact, international students constitute 12.6 percent of UCLA’s undergraduate program. Elinor Samuel: The Tea-Loving Hippophile…
My Grandfather’s Uniform
Last week, I visited the Israeli consulate to renew my passport. As the lady at the desk was happily typing my information into her computer, a sense of relief quietly overcame me, knowing I would soon be one step closer…
The Empathy Gap
The tragedies of the summer of 2014 in Israel began with the abduction and murder of three Israeli children, Eyal, Gilad and Naftali. Though the vast majority of Jews across the world had no direct connection to the boys, we…