Jewish minds have been shaping history for as long as we have written records and they continue to shape the modern world, including our own city of Los Angeles. You’ve likely seen films produced by Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer,…
A Nation Within A Nation: Divided Loyalties
When U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar tweeted that Americans’ support for the state of Israel was “all about the Benjamins,” many Jews took offense, and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) published a rebuttal criticizing Omar’s perpetuation of the stereotype that Jewish money…
The Call for Accessible Kosher Eats at UCLA Finds Answers in O.K.T.
An interview with Hillel caterer Ruth Hurwitz reveals that her company, Our Kosher Table (O.K.T.), was the food provider UCLA needed to catch up with other universities that offered Kosher meal options on campus. OKT came to UCLA during a…
Please, for the love of God, can we stop talking about Israel and Palestine?
Is there a single issue more polarizing – especially on the UCLA campus – than the Israel-Palestine conflict? At first glance, it’s a strange wedge issue. Every year, without fail, separate camps dutifully scrounge up last year’s visual aids, take…
Vayak’hel: Making Our Lives Beautiful
And Moses said to the Israelites: See, the Lord has singled out by name, Bezalel, son of Uri son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. He has endowed him with a divine spirit of skill, ability, and knowledge in…
How to Explain Judaism to Those Who Ask
“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…
Students for Justice in Palestine Fails to Appreciate Nuance, Value Truth
This week, Students for Justice in Palestine is holding its annual “Palestine Awareness Week,” a rebranding of their Israel Apartheid Week. Typically, this week serves as little more than an opportunity to spread false or misleading information about the state…
One Jew, Much Opinion.
A staple of any Jewish argument are the extraneous opinions and questions that are lobbed back and forth. As the saying goes, “if you have two Rabbis in a room, you end up with 3 opinions”. I realized that I…
The National Identity of Iranian Jews, As Manifested in their Intellectual & Judeo-Persian Contributions
Historically, Jews settled in Iran, and other areas later considered a part of the Iranian Empire, on four significant occasions. The first occasion was after the Fall of Israel in 744 BC when the Israelites were relocated by the Assyrian…
A Centrist Manifesto on Israel
I am a Jew devoted to Israel. I believe that Jewish life cannot be sustained without Israel at its core, and Israel cannot be sustained without the Jewish people at its side. When I look at Israel, I do not…