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…
Ha’Am chic
Every day is a fashion show, and Bruinwalk is our runway. The outfit a student chooses to wear to school can reveal a lot about his or her character— unless it’s finals week, during which there is a mutual understanding…
Anti-Semitism and today’s desensitization
A few strokes of graphite, easily erased. Technically speaking, that’s all it was. My initial reaction upon finding a swastika drawn on my desk, where my Hebrew 1B class and other sections of Hebrew are held, was somewhat one of…
New Jewish fraternity Sigma Alpha Mu redefines what fraternities are all about
If you’re a Jewish UCLA student, and unless you live under a rock, you’ve definitely heard of the new Jewish fraternity Sigma Alpha Mu, also known as Sammy. Just kidding! Sigma Alpha Mu is still small, but is growing rapidly…
“If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be and why?”
My experience at the Bayit began after I was asked this question: “If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be and why?” This question has been in the “Bayit Interview Question Bank” for a few years,…
The Walls: A political cartoon
Politician Awareness Week(PAW): A Great UCLA Tradition This political cartoon was written by Daniel Peikes and illustrated by Shaina Kashanirokh.
Light out of Darkness: Memories of the Holocaust
This past Wednesday, Feb. 17, I had the pleasure of attending a screening of Andrew Rosenstein’s senior film project, Light out of Darkness: Memories of the Holocaust. Running just under two hours, the film documents the stories, memories and testimonials of…