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…
The Real Rabbis of Westwood: An Interview With Rabbi Naftali Hanfling
This series is named after the popular TV franchise known as the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. We have a bit of a different mission, though. Whereas the Real Housewives series aims to highlight drama between its subjects, the Real…
Positive News During the Coronavirus Crisis: Celebrities Raise Money to Help Others in Time of Need
Due to COVID-19, many hospitals, small businesses, and relief organizations are under great financial stress. Fortunately though, there are many individuals and groups doing their part to raise funds. For example, many actors and musical artists are hosting online events…
Have You Ever Wondered What Jewish Life is Like at Other Universities?
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, I joined the “Zoom University Hillel” Facebook page alongside nearly 15,000 other young Jewish college students from around the world. It has since been utilized for many purposes, including the sharing of memes,…
Life in Quarantine: Expectations vs. Reality
It’s quarantine 2020. First week of quarantine we were all in a panic, thinking the world was over and then slowly realizing that the world was still going on. After the initial panic and realizing that life is still going…
Shayna Lavi on the Anti-Semitism She Experienced at UCLA
On May 14, 2019 a guest speaker came into one of my anthropology classes at UCLA. Her speech was supposed to be on Islamophobia but instead her speech became anti-semitic and anti-Israel. She classified a “good” Jew from a “bad”…
Life in Quarantine: Surviving the Zoomiverse
Welcome to the Zoomiverse, Bruins! By now you’ve probably figured out that this quarantine isn’t going anywhere (and—neither are you). That’s okay! We’re all in this together. It’s definitely tough navigating our new day-to-day world, but our HA’AM Team is…