Doi’kayt– a Yiddish word signifying “hereness.” For decades, this was the central principle of the General Jewish Labor Bund, a multinational and decentralized labor organization of Yiddish-speaking Eastern European Jews. Founded in 1897, the Bund and its various branches was…
World
Zionism: A Brief Guide in Perplexity
It’s the perfect moment in which to re-examine Zionism afresh–and not only because of the recent spate of fighting between Israel and Gaza, the controversy surrounding the SJP national conference held some weeks ago here at UCLA, or the fact…
United we stand; and why we’ll never fall
As I made myself some tea and schmoozed at the coffee station after Shabbat lunch this week, I heard a surprising announcement. “Let’s take a moment of silence to honor the people we lost in today’s tragedy.” I waited for…
Hypocrisy arises as Jewish community advocates call for the release of UCSD student and DACA recipient, Orr Yakobi
A Jewish UC San Diego student and DACA recipient was detained at the U.S./Mexico border Jan. 7, after he and his roommate accidentally took a wrong turn into Mexico—sparking widespread advocacy for his release. Orr Yakobi, originally from Israel, who…
“So What?” Making Meaningful Inroads in Inter-communal Dialogue
Click here to see Ha’Am’s Fall 2017 Print Edition: “Growing Pains” Living in Los Angeles gives us no shortage of access to interesting speakers, lectures, panels and workshops on a variety of topics we care about. In the Jewish community, we often…
National Monuments and Israel’s Eternal Capital: A Cognitive Dissonance in our Community
On Monday, President Donald Trump dispossessed two National Monuments in Utah of more than two million acres of land, representing the largest evisceration of protected territory in American history. On Wednesday, to the deep displeasure of Palestinian political representatives, Arab…
Community Will Help Us Overcome Anti-Semitism
An anti-Semitic cartoon published in The Daily Californian reminds us that problems of the past remain.
History of Hypocrisy in UN Attitudes Toward Zionism
From Ha’Am’s Winter Print Edition, “The Divide” There were 33 countries in favor of United Nations Resolution 181(II), which called for the partition of Palestine into independent Arab and Jewish states. At the time of the resolution, 56 countries were…
Business, the Natural Environment and Jewish Values: Competing Interests or Symbiosis?
From Ha’Am’s Winter Edition, “The Divide” Conventional public sentiment presumes that pursuit of profit and protection of the environment are mutually exclusive interests. Where does the Halacha — Jewish religious law — fall on these issues? Many businesses have long…
PewDiePie’s Anti-Semitic Joke: Death to All Jews
Two South Asian in loincloths dance, a poster declaring “Death to all Jews” in their hands: In his attempt to “entertain,” Pewdiepie went too far.