UCLA’s prestige, location, and admiration for diversity within its student body has made it a highly attractive university for potential attendees around the world. In fact, international students constitute 12.6 percent of UCLA’s undergraduate program. Elinor Samuel: The Tea-Loving Hippophile…
Is it time to move to Israel already? And other questions about the future of Diaspora Judaism
The Impetus: What happened? As most of the world is abundantly aware, on Jan. 7, two radical Muslim terrorists charged the offices of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, killing 12 journalists whom they held responsible for depicting the prophet…
“Accepted” outsiders: the Jewish people in Germany today
“Germans and Jews never mixed well.” This was spat during one of my ten trips to Germany throughout my lifetime — each of which was accompanied by my family’s mini travel Shabbat set. The quote is a declaration of hatred…
You are why you eat; or why I keep kosher
Personal responsibility is rather like the pet tarantula you might have begged your parents for when you were little: it sounded like so much fun until you got it, but then you realized that aside from being fuzzy and hairy,…
Debate Table: the absurdity of kashrut in the contemporary world
I’ve never eaten the much vaunted In-N-Out hamburger; I’ve never tasted the rumored deliciousness of a sizzling slice of bacon; and I’ve certainly never bit into a savory ribeye steak at an upscale restaurant. As a product of a conservative…
The harm of “innocent” generalizations
Think twice before you say you want to date a “nice Jewish boy.” Jewish gender stereotypes, whether flattering or pejorative, are harmful to the survival of our people. Not only do they express inaccuracies about Jews, but they affect how…
Jewish Humans of UCLA: united in our differences
Growing up, I was always fascinated by the diversity of Judaism. I loved the idea that the religion was portable and adaptable; that each person could make it his or her own, yet feel one hundred percent assured of the…
Instant Gratification
Do we have it too easy? I woke up this morning with a song stuck in my head. It took me less than a minute to log onto iTunes and purchase it, enjoying it while I made some instant coffee…
The Shabbos App: pro-Shabbos?
In the world of ever-evolving consumer high tech, it should come as no surprise that an app has been created to assist Shabbat-observant Jews. There are other apps to assist Jews out there, like Rustybrick’s Minyan app or G-dscast’s Wake…
My Grandfather’s Uniform
Last week, I visited the Israeli consulate to renew my passport. As the lady at the desk was happily typing my information into her computer, a sense of relief quietly overcame me, knowing I would soon be one step closer…