“So, am I really going to Hell?” I asked, with the nonchalance of a person inquiring about the weather. It was a Monday, and I was walking back from class with my best friend, Samantha, who was Christian. She shifted…
Meaningful Clothes: Spiritual Attire Then and Now
When I was a kid, I wasn’t very enthusiastic about going to synagogue, but I especially hated having to get dressed up for temple. Putting on fancy clothes just reinforced the formality and discomfort of the whole experience. If prayer…
The American-Jewish Songbook: The Civil Rights Movement
When I think back to my earliest Jewish experiences, it’s hard not to think about music. Passover was the euphoria of “Dayenu”, Yom Kippur the devastating elegance of “Avinu Malkeinu”. I remember birthdays and bar mitzvahs and weddings–lots and lots…
10 Ways to Give Charity With an Empty Wallet
“Another GoFundMe.” You wonder aloud if you should dip into your savings. “Donate money to Wikipedia!” You close the tab and eye your wallet warily. Luckily, there are ways to give to others without spending an arm, a leg, and…
The Mishkan: A Lesson in Unity
The Midrash to Proverbs opens with a quote from the Book of Job: “Where can wisdom be found? Where is the source of understanding?” (Job 28:12). In the Midrash, Rabbi Tanhum ben Hanilai suggests that these questions refer to King…
In search of the Israeli Bob Dylan
Israel is a place characterized by multiple conflicts. Situated in one of the most politically unstable regions on the globe, the nation-state of Israel is comprised of ancient populations and recent arrivals who have sedimented its modern society into layers…
6 Ways to get Involved in the Los Angeles Community
Challah for Hunger Challah for Hunger is a national charity that bakes and sells challahs on college campuses. The organization donates all the proceeds toward ending hunger in local communities and spreading awareness of the current problems of food shortage…
An Ethical Kashrut Certification—Tav HaYosher: Where Are They Now?
Discourse around labor circles in California has, in the past decade, been stung with major shifts in equity. This change has even seen local light on UCLA’s campus, specifically in regards to boycotts from the custodial staff who felt they…
Finding Female Empowerment in Judaism, Part II: Women’s Customs
In my prior article, Finding Female Empowerment in Judaism, Part I: The Stories of the Bible, I highlighted several Bible stories that demonstrate and exude female empowerment. I will now continue the series by examining women’s spiritual roles in the…
D’var theory: The ancient and contemporary polymath
It often seems like one’s academic major in higher education is a blood-bound oath, and America’s culture of specialized labor promotes that stoicism in kind. Judaism by contrast touts the polymath, a person of wide-ranging knowledge or skill, as the…