The past month has been challenging for both our UCLA community and our nation at large. On our campus, tensions flared between the pro-Israel and anti-Israel communities as the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel surfaced at both the…
A lack of communication in the fight against BDS
The global movement to boycott, divest from, and sanction the world’s only Jewish state ignites a pervasive controversy throughout not only campus life at UCLA, but the Jewish community as well. In previous years, the Jewish strategy was to take…
Legal battle over passport highlights United States’ refusal to recognize Jerusalem as a part of Israel
A United States passport is one of the most powerful documents in the world. It entitles the holder to travel unimpeded throughout most of the world’s countries, and affords the full protection of the United States government. Like all passports,…
The Pro-Israel response to BDS: appropriate, or not enough?
Did the pro-Israel and anti-BDS communities do all they could to mobilize support against the divestment bill?
Resilience: the ultimate protection
The recent terror attacks that took place in a synagogue in Jerusalem have led me to reflect on my own experience in witnessing Israel’s resilience to terrorism this past summer. Tragically, these innocent people were killed simply for being Jewish.…
Editorial: USAC President Devin Murphy resigns, timing brings new beginnings
In a surprising turn of events, the Undergraduate Student Association Council President Devin Murphy announced Friday that he would be resigning from the position effective immediately. This move follows weeks of deliberation regarding the parameters of this coming Tuesday’s divestment…
Don’t Call Me “Jewish”
There’s an old joke that less-affiliated Jews tell a lot. “I’m Jewish. Well, I’m Jewish.” This joke is supposed to be funny because, as the suffix ish denotes, they only share some characteristics of a Jew. But what exactly are…
That one time I kept Shabbat
So here’s the deal. I’ve never fully kept Shabbat before. A shame, I know. But this past Shabbat, I decided to give it a try. After a stressful week, a day of rest would be nice. Let’s just say, I’ll…
Why Are Student Leaders and Jewish Bruins Under Attack at UCLA?
There will always be that one person who does not like you. There will always be that one person who thinks you can do no right. And while you acknowledge your own faults, that one person sees them as far…
Shomer Negiah: a touchy subject
When word got out, I braced myself for some interesting reactions (and lots of questions). They ranged from “Wait, are you serious?” to “That’s weird, but cool I guess” to one of my personal favorites from a guy pal, “Ah,…