Ha’Am is celebrating the release of our Fall Print Edition today, themed ‘Lost in Translation.’ Readers can pick up a copy from Hillel, at our Thursday Challah Bake with Chabad, or at media kiosks around campus starting tomorrow, 12/04. The digital edition is available at this link. Below is my Letter from the Editor, where I explain the theme of the print edition and what we at Ha’am hope to accomplish by publishing. Following that, you’ll find an invitation to our Challah Bake.
Dear Reader,
In the harrowing year since October 7, amidst turbulence in our political landscape and a near-relentless flood of maximalist headlines, many of us have felt “mugged by reality.”
The theme of this issue is “Lost in Translation.” Two years ago, I would have associated the phrase with struggling to follow Hebrew without vowels at synagogue. Today, the metaphor of a translation error seems apt to describe how our pleas, experiences, and history are misinterpreted and spun out of context.
We’ve each found ourselves “lost in translation.”
When conflict is zero-sum instead of “for the sake of heaven,” our capacity to participate in spiritual, national, and overall human life suffers.
It’s hard to ignore the impact of cheap slogans that now dominate our campus discourse. We find ourselves increasingly swept up in social media’s demand for bombastic rhetoric, as if louder voices somehow carry more truth.
Nevertheless, when we reduce those we disagree with to caricatures, no matter how deep the divide, we indict ourselves as much as those we oppose. Ben Zoma said: Who is wise? He who learns from every man, as it is said: “From all who taught me have I gained understanding” (Pirkei Avot 4)
In the pages of this magazine, you’ll encounter vigorous debates, heartfelt testimonies, and profound expressions of anguish. Grace Overman shares her experiences confronting antisemitism and ableism on UCLA’s campus. Yehuda Cohen, the father of hostage Nimrod Cohen, offers a heartfelt plea for peace in what I consider the most important piece I have ever written. Our team’s search for the best challah in LA will remind you of the joy found in everyday life. (In my opinion, Chabad Rebbetzin Elisa’s challah wins every time.) Mia Toubian connects the fervor of 1980s activism to our modern moment, offering timeless wisdom for us all. Megan Freeman’s brilliant photo essay documenting UCLA’s October 7 Memorial captures how light can be found in darkness.
As we showcase a spectrum of Jewish identities—Orthodox and Reform, students with diverse perspectives on the State of Israel, and students with varying voting choices in the American election—I hope you’ll learn from each of them.
With love,
Bella Brannon
Cover Image: Authors of articles featured in the Fall Print pose in front of the Hillel building.
Left to right: Megan Freeman, Bella Brannon, Delilah Hirshland, Liana Nitka
