Community
A Forum Dedicated to Faculty and Alumni
Earth Day: A Jewish Take
Earth day is about more than just posting a few candid shots of trips to the Grand Canyon on Instagram, it is about taking a day to appreciate our natural resources and recognize the damage that has been done to…
Vegan Shavuot
Shavuot, the Jewish Spring Harvest Festival, centers around many deep-rooted Jewish customs such as all night learning, Tikkun Leil Shavuot. This kabbalistic tradition aims to correct the faults of our ancestors, who were unprepared to receive the Torah, by demonstrating…
What Israel’s Newest Laser Interception System Means for Its Safety & Security
On Twitter, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced that the Israeli military has successfully tested its newest laser interception system called the “Iron Beam”. According to the Prime Minister, this new invention is the world’s first energy-based weapon that uses…
Passover Revisited
“In each and every generation,” we read in the Passover Haggadah, “it is one’s duty to regard themselves as though they had personally gone out of Egypt.” During the first night’s seder this year, I found myself further reflecting on…
Toys Were Us: The Decline of Youth
—- “Youth is dead” is a doozy of a claim, but it’s a valid claim. Maybe youth itself isn’t what’s dying, but youthhood. When I talk to my parents, my Jewish Papa, or my hometown Rabbi, they reminisce about the…
Law or the Land?
As Israel becomes more and more enveloped in the consciousness of Jews around the world, I cannot help but question my view on what should come first, the Torah or the land. Tradition, and the laws that bind Jews to…
The Third Intifada?: An Outline to Last Month’s Outbreak of Terror in Israel
While UCLA students call for an intifada from the comforts of their Los Angeles campus, Israelis and Palestinians suffer the consequences. Last Tuesday, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), a pro-Palestinian student organization with an anti-Semitic history, protested on Bruin…
Liberté, Égalité, Antisemitism!
On Sunday, April 24th, it was announced that Emmanuel Macron, who has already served his first term as President of France, will now enter his second five-year stretch as leader of the country. While Macron may have superficially won the…
Why the U.S. Government Should Not De-List Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps
As the Biden Administration and its allies push to revive the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran, the Islamic Republic has indicated that the benefits afforded to them under the new agreement are not sufficient and have…
How the 2022 Negev Summit Has Strengthened The Relationship Between Israel & The Arab World
At a historical summit between Israel and its Arab allies in the southern Negev, the Israeli government hosted the United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken along with foreign ministers from Bahrain, Egypt, Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).…
A Rainbow Filter Can’t Fix This…
“Never forget” is a phrase that is easier said than done. As much as we would like to believe that society has advanced far enough to accept history as fact, and teach it as such, book bans are now commonplace…
The 43rd Anniversary of An Antisemitic Revolution
This past January in Tehran, hundreds of cars and motorbikes paraded the streets celebrating the 43rd anniversary of the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Led by the now-deceased Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and his band of fanatics, revolutionaries overthrew the Shah of Iran…
From Berlin to Beijing, History Repeats Itself
Just one week after International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the world blinds itself to genocide. The 2022 Winter Olympics are being held in Beijing, China despite significant evidence of China’s crimes against humanity. In an extravagant yet deceiving opening ceremony, Dinigeer…
“Love Punk Rock, Hate Nazis”: How Punk Rock Mobilized Against Fascism and An Interview with Brian Brannon of JFA
Playlist to accompany ofc- https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3sqFbCB2Y5L0sQ4tr6Tsky NAZI PUNKS FUCK OFF! A hundred thousand punk rockers, adorned with anti-Nazi paraphernalia, band merchandise and crude denim jackets, walk seven miles through bustling Central London. Their march crosses key National Front strongholds. A masked…
What the Colleyville Synagogue Hostage Crisis Can Teach Us
An armed 44-year-old radical jihadist British citizen named Malik Faisal Akram took several hostages at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, Saturday, January 15. In his final phone call, Akram stated that he would free the individuals in exchange for…
Paper Golems: An Interview with Isaac Brynjegard-Bialik
“I always knew that we were going to be really Jewish,” artist Isaac Brynjegard-Bialik told me. His exhibit, Paper Golems: A Pandemic Diary is currently on display at the Dortort Center for Creativity in the Arts at UCLA Hillel. “I’ve…
New Year, Still The Same Old
Not again. As we gear up for the start of winter quarter amid a nationwide spike in Omicron cases, most UCLA students may also be experiencing symptoms of déjà vu. Memories of the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic gather…
The Danger of Iran’s Continuous Pattern of Anti-Semitic Government Leaders
In 2016, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, appointed a 55-year-old anti-Semitic hardliner and Islamic jurist, Ebrahim Raisi, as chairman of that Iranian government’s reserve for terrorism, the Astan Quds Razavi. Fast forward to August of 2020, 60-year-old Ebrahim Raisi…
A Love Letter to Jonathan Richman: The Punk Rock, Nice Jewish Boy
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7JoikWz5i62uwvidMTjRuM– playlist In a dizzying era of hedonism and bloated art-rock, Jonathan Richman’s music was “A Plea for Tenderness.” Finding joy in little pleasures is a cornerstone of Richman’s lyricism. “New England” celebrates Maine’s magnificence just as the sweet, nostalgic…
Bennett, Bibi, & Iran
Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu was ousted as Israel’s prime minister on June 14, 2021, after Naftali Bennett and his Yamina party formed a government with other right and center-right Israeli parties. While both Bennett and Netanyahu have political differences, both…
18 Mizrahi Dishes because Mizrahi Heritage Month is Never Over!
Mizrahi Heritage Month ended in November, but it is not over in our hearts. According to The New York Times and other sources, Mizrahi is “an umbrella term for Jews from North Africa and the Middle East.” Mizrahi Jewry contains…
Jewish World Series
There is a famous scene in the 1980s classic film Airplane, where an elderly woman asks the flight attendant for some “light reading.” Cleverly, the flight attendant hands her back a leaflet titled “famous Jewish sports legends.” From actors to…
New Jewish Student Union Hopes to Build Inclusive Community For Jewish Students
This quarter, a new group of liberal Jews have been introduced to the UCLA campus: The Jewish Student Union. “Over the last few years there have been discussions surrounding what does Jewish community on campus mean,” said Sachi Cooper, UCLA…
Rocking it from the Casbah to CBGB’s: How Jews Pioneered Punk Rock
Playlist to accompany- https://open.spotify.com/playlist/169oIfuoRJ1HVBo0AxE8lN With its blaring power chords, anti-establishment overtones and do-it-yourself fashion, the early punk scene is the last place you’d expect to find angsty Jews. Yet from Sylvian Mizrahi and Johnny Thunders of the New York Dolls…
COVID Aliyah
In August 2020, despite global lockdowns, travel restrictions, and the rampant spread of COVID-19, I had the unique opportunity to take a gap year and study at a yeshiva, a program for post-high school students to pursue Judaic studies in…
Freshman Finds Comfort in Jewish Community
“There are Jews in Nebraska?” said my new roommate, smiling at me with oblivious enthusiasm. “There’s a small community,” I said, thinking back to the intimate Jewish cohort of 16 I grew up going to synagogue with. Being raised in…
Return to Campus Spaces
For students coming back to Jewish spaces at UCLA, return has meant an exciting redefinition of places like Hillel and the Bayit, as well as challenges with attendance and community. During one Friday night dinner in the beginning of the…
Abolhassan Banisadr: A Power-Hungry President
In France, 88-year-old Abolhassan Banisadr died from a long illness on Saturday, October 9, 2021. After supporting Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Banisadr became Iran’s first elected president in February of 1980 but was shortly impeached and fled to France following an…
At Home at UCLA
On a humid Westwood night, my roommates, Mai and Chelsea, and I were walking back to our dorm. Our stomachs ached with laughter and our bellies were full from a night out. “Which way should we take home?” Mai asked.…
How to Succeed on Final Exams
As courses transition to an in-person format, students must adjust to the different testing conditions. Gone are the days of taking a final exam in bed on your laptop. More importantly, gone are the days of taking a final exam…
Jews in the Civil Rights Movement
On March 21, 1965, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. marched from Selma to Mongtomery, Alabama in order to support voting rights for African Americans. Next to him stood Rabbi Abraham Joshua Herschel, a Jewish theologian who faced Nazi perseuction…
A Coalition to End the Reign of Prime Minister Netanyahu?
Israel’s democratic fever dream has almost broken. After four elections in two years, a coalition government finally seems poised to end the 12 year reign of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The proposed coalition could give Israel a semblance of stability…
No Action Taken Against Anti-Semitism on Social Media
Social media runs our lives. From the moment we wake up to the moment we go to sleep, our phones are bombarded with notifications from various social media sites. We spend an average of over two hour a day on…
Valley Of Tears: A Somber Look at the Yom Kippur War
Earlier this year, as I was doing my patriotic duty by socially distancing and scrolling through HBO Max, I found myself watching an Israeli war series titled Valley of Tears. The show focuses on the Yom Kippur War, a traumatic…
Conflict Rises Between Israel and Gaza
Violence intensified between the Israeli government and Hamas on Tuesday, May 11, after Hamas fired initial rockets. More than 83 Palestinians in Gaza and six Israelis were killed as a result of this ongoing conflict, according to “The New York…
The Mizrahi Black Panthers of Israel
When considering civil rights in Israel you would be remiss to not focus on the treatment of Palestinians, and their relationship with Israelis. But this year marks the 50th anniversary of a different civil rights movement, one that pitted Israeli…
Let There Be Light: What to Watch During Passover Holidays
That special time of year has come again. Seder plates, cups of Maneshevitz, and whacking families members with onions during Dayenu fill our homes every March. As a child, my cousins and I loved searching for the Afikomen, a half-piece…
Historical Ha’Am: “30 Year After and the Threefold Identity of Iranian-American Jews” By Diane Bani-Esraili
In “30 Year After and the Threefold Identity of Iranian-American Jews,” Diane Beni-Esraili explores the dual identities Iranian-american Jews and the struggles of representing her countries, ethnicities, and her faith. Beni-Esraili explains the importance of taking an active role in…
Historical Ha’Am: “Gay and Orthodox: A Struggle for Religious Rights” By Yona Remer
It is always hard to balance different identities especially when facing discrimination. In “Gay and Orthodox: A Struggle for Religious Rights,” Yona Remer discusses the struggles of homosexual Orthodox Jews and their fight to be accepted. Remer explores the discrimination…
Hope Concerning COVID-19
As time goes on, promising developments have occurred in regards to the COVID-19 pandemic. Listed below are some recent developments in regards to COVID treatment and prevention. According to MayoClinic, there is one effective FDA-approved medication to treat COVID-19 and…
Jewish Representation in Hollywood
Midge Maisel, Schmitt, and Larry David have all found their ways into our homes. I watched Seinfeld as a kid on my television and streamed “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and “New Girl” on my laptop, like many others. I learned…
2021: A Promised Land for American Jews?
With 2020 in the rearview mirror, it is a good opportunity to look at what 2021 holds politically for American Jews. 2020 saw the (current) best chance for a Jewish president fizzle out in March, when Bernie Sanders suffered primary…
Media to Watch and Look Forward to in 2021
New year, new media. As we wait for the fate of the world, new movies and books are being released and TV shows renewed. Here is a list of some Jewish related media to look out for: Movies: “Wonder Woman…
Fourth Time’s the Charm: the Upcoming Israeli Election
Israelis will cast their ballots on March 23 in the country’s fourth early election in the past two years. The election was spurred after two major parties, Likud and the Israel Resilience Party, failed to reach an agreement over state…
Health Resources
We know this is a difficult time for many people. In light of that, we have compiled a list of resources offered by UCLA to students. A full list of resources including on campus, online/phone, peer, and community services for…
Op-Ed: The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain Treaty
When the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain announced that they were opening diplomatic ties with Israel, the first thing that came to mind was how massive this landmark deal is. The twin announcements doubled the number of Arab countries that…
Covid Forces the Closure of Jewish Newspapers Nationwide
For over 30 years, the Jewish Journal opened the floodgates of information for the Jewish community. They published weekly print editions, and typically included a feature piece, an in-depth story, or occasionally profile, on a historic event or person on…
Exploring the Jewish-Owned Delis of Los Angeles
North Beverly Drive. Pico. Fairfax. The homes Nate ’n Al’s, Factor’s Famous Deli, and Canter’s Deli respectively. During my time in quarantine and in the spirit of supporting Jewish-owned businesses, I explored the closest Jewish delicatessens the LA area had…
Escaping the Zoom-verse
If you’re like most of us, you have spent 2020 with your butt glued to a chair, brain numb, eyes glazed over, staring at a screen that now encompasses your entire universe. This universe, or Zoom-verse, is where you conduct…
It’s never a bad time to bake. Here are some recipes to try out at home!
Whether you bake for fun, to de-stress, for friends and family, or just to eat delicious goods we understand your need to bake. So here are some fun recipes to try out, and eat too! Want something with chocolate? Smitten…
Conspiracies Have Reached The Mainstream
Conspiracy theories used to be a joke in society, fun stories that tried to explain world events in a convoluted way that assigned meaning to trivial details. People who believed in things that weren’t based on facts or science, such…
“Off UCLA”: Jewish Resources, Organizations, and Events available during COVID-19
The pandemic has not only changed most students’ lives it has also changed the way Jewish communities on campus operate. Generally, pre-Covid, Jewish organizations such as; OU-JLIC, Hillel, Chabad and JAM would be a safe haven and a place for…
COVID Revives Kavanah: A Personal Jewish Journey
Every Friday night, I would eat Shabbat dinner with my family. And every Saturday morning, we would arrive at our temple ‘fashionably’ late –– before the Rabbi’s sermon but after the start of the Haftarah. Always on PST: ‘Persian Standard…
Kosovo, Serbia and Malawi Open Embassies In Jerusalem
Three more countries have announced they will open embassies in Jerusalem in the coming months. Serbia is planning to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, following the precedent set by the United States and Donald Trump. Malawi and…
High Holy Days: Cannabis and its Connections to Jewish Culture.
With April 20th on the way, arguably a national “high holy day” for stoners across the globe, the world of marijuana is given a huge spotlight, especially among the youth. It’s no secret that we’ve seen menorah-shaped glass bongs or…
Beyond the Buzzwords: Debunking the Accusation of Israeli Pinkwashing
In the world of BDS activism “pinkwashing” has become the new black, but like most fashion trends, it’s all style and no substance. The BDS movement often incorporates catchy, but unsubstantiated phrases like “ecological imperialism,” “homonationalism,” and “pinkwashing” into their…
To Matzah or Not To Matzah?
It is certainly no secret that celebrating holidays on campus is quite difficult as a student; on Yom Kippur, considered one of the holiest days in the Jewish calendar, we have mandatory classes or examinations. Likewise, on Passover, which commemorates…
Shavuot Customs and Modern-Day Lessons We Can Take From The Book of Ruth
Background on Shavuot: The Spring Harvest Festival The end of the Spring Quarter coincides with one of the most significant holidays in Jewish tradition: Shavuot. Shavuot celebrates the spring harvest festival and marks the acceptance of the Torah–the Jewish Book…
“Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother”: A Surprising Source for Modern-Day Motivation
Perform a quick search of “motivational quotes” on Google and you will be greeted with a large sample of internet wisdom. Like these: “Dreams don’t work unless you do.” “Nothing is impossible – the word itself says, ‘I’m possible.” With…
The Wonderful Timing of Purim This Year
While children across Jewish Day Schools are reciting the infamous Purim song La Kova Sheli Shalosh Pinot and stuffing their faces with handfuls of Hamantaschen, the reality of the ironically perfect timing of Purim this year rings a more grim…
Purim 5783: Lots of Luck
You know how it feels to search frantically for something – say, your car keys – only to discover that they were in your pocket all along? This is how I felt as I was brainstorming some topics relating to…
Explaining Judicial Reform in Israel
Following the election of long-time Likud party leader Benjamin Netanyahu last November, the Prime Minister has assigned positions in government to politically repressed right wing politicians who have had long-standing issues with the Israeli Supreme Court. Netanyahu himself was indicted…
What a New Democratic Iran Would be Mean for Israel and Iranian Jews
As Israel continues to thwart the Islamic Republic of Iran’s terrorist activities in the Middle East and inside Tehran, the ongoing protests inside Iran, despite the government crackdowns, many Iranian Jews and Israelis are continuing to have hope that the…