There are times when simple words are not good enough or sharp enough to get across a message. How can you thank a person that has given so much of himself, not only to a community, but especially to you?…
Stav Shaffir in Beverly Hills
Last Wednesday, April 13, local members of the Jewish community filled the sanctuary at Temple Emanuel in Beverly Hills to listen to former social protest leader and current Zionist Union MK Stav Shaffir. The event, hosted by J Street Los…
Project Tzedek at UCLA takes the 2016 Walk to End Genocide
“Genocide” is a term that the Jewish community does not take lightly. By definition, genocide is the systematic elimination of a group due to their particular culture, ethnicity, religion, race, or nationality. If a person were to delve into a…
Persian-Hebrew Cafe
The intoxicating aroma of Persian foods such as kebab filled the room, and the attendees were eager to learn Persian and Hebrew conversational skills. Jews came, Persians came, and even some who were neither participated. Today, Iran and Israel are…
“Night of Unity” draws connection between American and Israeli veterans
Three Israelis and two Americans sat before a crowd of eager listeners in the Bruin Reception Room for a “Night of Unity,” an event hosted by Students Supporting Israel (SSI) and co-sponsored by nine other UCLA-affiliated organizations. Though different in…
Students express newfound understanding of Israeli-Palestinian conflict following Fact Finders trip
As of late, UCLA has essentially emerged as a podium hosting various altercations regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. On several counts — especially in light of the BDS movement — Israel has been shamed and defamed, leaving many onlookers with the…
“My Father’s Paradise”: a professor’s journey from Kurdistan to UCLA
One of my main goals upon starting UCLA was to take advantage of opportunities that would allow me to learn more about my heritage. While I was thrilled to find that my campus boasted renowned programs in Persian and Jewish…
Meet Elana Shushan and her family, the new JAM arrivals
The sound of excited three-year-old confabulation came from behind the door of the second-story Jewish Awareness Movement apartment before it opened to reveal Elana Shushan, wearing a bright smile and a brightly colored orange turban. The preschooler was Tsofia, who…
Call me “Matan”
How a Chinese-American student became the face of Hebrew fluency at UCLA. I had been working on my Hebrew homework one day at Hillel when I heard someone speaking fluent Hebrew beside me. I turned my head and saw a…
The first-ever Mr. Hillel competition
12 nice Jewish boys vying for our hearts in an effort to raise money for admirable causes? Don’t mind if we do. Taking place this past Tuesday night at the Kerckhoff Grand Salon, the first-ever Mr. Hillel Competition was a…