Traveling far and wide from every corner of the world, Israeli “lone soldiers” risk their lives every day to protect a 10,782 square mile territory for their people; a territory less than 1/16th the size of California. Such a decision…
Matisyahu in concert: music and religion on trial
Matisyahu, also known as Matthew Miller, is a Jewish reggae artist who has reached international acclaim — but maybe you already knew that. Maybe you also knew that Matisyahu began his musical career as an Orthodox Jew of Chabad-Lubavitch affiliation,…
Running it into the ground: moderate musings on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict
It is natural that in times of war the voices of moderation are stifled. A threat to the health of the community awakens a deep internal defensive stance while the scrutiny of one’s peers only reinforces this attitude. For over…
The Shabbos Project 2014: an ambitious shot at Jewish unity and observance
Sabbath, Shabbat, Shabbos, and the less-common Shabbath and Shabbas (an attempt to reconcile Eastern European consonant pronunciation with North African and Middle Eastern vowel vocalization) are all examples of the futility of attempts to standardize the transliterated pronunciation of a…
Inside the mind of Kerry Chaplin, rabbinic intern at Hillel
There are many rabbis at UCLA. The Jewish Awareness Movement has two, Chabad has one, and Hillel has three full-time rabbis and one rabbinic intern. Each of these people brings his or her unique perspectives to prayer services, learning groups,…
Flashback to the year
It’s been a long year at UCLA, marked by special Hillel bashes (such as Joe Bruin’s Bear Mitzvah), USAC elections, and USAC- and BDS-related drama. To wrap up the year, Ha’Am has compiled a list of some of the most…
Grand opening of 10th Annual Student Photo Exhibit at Hillel
Every year, the Hillel at UCLA Dortort’s Center for Creativity in the Arts puts on a juried, themed photo contest, open to all UCLA students. This year was the 10th anniversary with a theme of “Home is…,” run by Perla…
Israel in three dimensions, no glasses required
I love Israel. You love Israel. We all love Israel — but in order not to descend into childish song and let the discussion end there, it is necessary to educate ourselves about the nation we love so much. For…
Editorial: A response to accusations of Islamophobia and false light shed on the Jewish and pro-Israel community, and USAC candidates
Despite centuries of hostility and animosity, it is always a refreshing endeavor to explore the many similar experiences and values shared by the Abrahamic faiths. Of central importance to all Abrahamic religions is the sanctity of the spoken and written…