There’s an old joke that less-affiliated Jews tell a lot. “I’m Jewish. Well, I’m Jewish.” This joke is supposed to be funny because, as the suffix ish denotes, they only share some characteristics of a Jew. But what exactly are…
Taste of Torah: L’Chaim, to life!
Written by Danielle Natelson, director of engagement at Hillel at UCLA. This Taste of Torah goes out to all my friends in the Jewish Bruin class of 2015, so if it’s coming across your news feed I suggest you keep…
That one time I kept Shabbat
So here’s the deal. I’ve never fully kept Shabbat before. A shame, I know. But this past Shabbat, I decided to give it a try. After a stressful week, a day of rest would be nice. Let’s just say, I’ll…
Song Parody: “Oy! Vey!”
Oy! Oy! Oy! Vey! “Are you eating all your food?” Yes mom, 14P keeps me full The meals here are the best in the west First week was so much fun Signed up for way too many clubs My phone…
Bringing down the ignorance
As a new student, the ongoing tradition of Students for Justice in Palestine’s mock Apartheid Wall installment on campus this Tuesday was my first experience with the organization’s activism. The Wall stated a number of non-contextualized facts regarding the Israel-Palestine…
Taste of Torah: Abraham’s intervention
Written by Naomi Karp, director of student life at Hillel at UCLA. This week’s Torah portion, Vayeira, is jam packed with action, comedy and drama. The penultimate event is the Akeda, the binding of Isaac. To briefly recap: God instructs…
The Temple Mount: conflict and future
Following this summer’s tragedy and controversy with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the recent closing and reopening of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem triggered an additionally sensitive dimension for Israel’s stability. On Wednesday, October 29, Rabbi Yehuda Glick, founder of the LIBA…
Kosher Korner: Omi’s Amazing Chicken Soup
This Friday night, I’m going to host an intimate (and crowded) Shabbat dinner in my apartment as part of Hillel’s quarterly Shabbat Around Westwood (nicknamed ShabbAW). While I could just get it catered with Hillel’s help, I’ve decided midterms be…
The Bruins’ lone soldier
Traveling far and wide from every corner of the world, Israeli “lone soldiers” risk their lives every day to protect a 10,782 square mile territory for their people; a territory less than 1/16th the size of California. Such a decision…
Taste of Torah: the need for continuous personal growth
Written by Rabbi Jacob Rupp, senior rabbi at the Jewish Awareness Movement at UCLA. Contemporary research reveals that millennials, more than ever before, want to find a job that is fulfilling. Gone are the days that we work for the…