On Tuesday, Feb. 9, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders became the first Jewish-American ever to win a presidential primary. Sanders defeated former New York Senator and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by a margin of 22.4 percent, with 60.4 percent of…
Of prophets and politics
Among all of the ridiculousness that is this years presidential race, this past week, Republican candidate Ted Cruz welcomed the support of televangelist Mike Bickle in a statement which can be read here. To be quite frank with you, this really…
Failed Messiah sells out
“I very frequently hear from people: ‘I’m so glad that you do what you do…even though I hate all of it…because I wouldn’t know what’s happening [in my community] if I didn’t [read your articles]. I wouldn’t be able to…
Can Hillel really be the center of Jewish student life for all Jewish students?
The Zionist (and anti-Zionist) public eye has recently been focused on the Open Hillel movement. Open Hillel is an organization that promotes pluralism of ideas and political opinions within the Jewish community and encourages organizations, such as Hillel, that lead…
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…
Interfaith Shabbat and confronting dialogue
This past Friday night, February 5, Hillel at UCLA hosted “Interfaith Shabbat,” an evening with programming for non-Jewish visitors interested in learning about Judaism and Shabbat and/or building rapport with Jewish students. The evening began with a choice of Orthodox…
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…
Bible codes and bad religion
Walking through the old city in Jerusalem on a Tuesday afternoon, I arrived at the Aish HaTorah building overlooking the Western Wall — Judaism’s holiest site. It was about four years ago that I had gone, with about 50 other…
James Franco’s Bar Mitzvah: holy rite of passage or Hollywood fanfare?
It seems like every now and then, another Hollywood movie star steps into the Jewish spotlight. The most recent was actor James Franco, who announced his bar mitzvah ceremony through Instagram. Born to a Jewish mother, Franco is indeed Jewish,…
American Jews and voting rights
In California, 6.6 million eligible voters are not registered — and that is truly pathetic. From Saudi Arabia to North Korea, in so many countries around the world, people do not have a say in the policies that directly affect…