As Passover slowly ebbs into its remaining days, it is worth noting that on three specific Jewish holidays — Passover, Sukkot, and Shavuot — Jewish law dictates that one should pilgrimage to the city of Jerusalem. For many contemporary Jews,…
Amendment advanced to allow Israeli singles and queer parents use of surrogate mothers
On Sunday, March 2, the Israeli Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved an amendment to the existing surrogacy law, which would allow singles and same-sex couples to have children through surrogacy. The law currently specifies that only heterosexual couples may hire…
Hope for dialogue in the “Promised Land”
Ari Shavit, Israeli reporter and columnist for Haaretz and author of the new book My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel, made a quick stop at UCLA on his United States book tour — a stop which galvanized hundreds…
Ha’Am Hits: Stand With Israel
With Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel garnering so much press recently, Ha’Am’s staff picked their favorite links for why Israel is great — and BDS is, well, not. 1. One reason to support Israel: it’s a bastion of morality…
A confrontation: the Israeli Rabbinate and Democracy
Perhaps no Israeli institution has garnered as much criticism lately as the Israeli Rabbinate. In the last several weeks, a series of scandals and controversies have left the Rabbinate reeling under intense public scrutiny. Among several recent controversial decisions is…
Ariel Sharon: a look at Israel’s recently deceased war hero and controversial politician
After the painful protraction of death for eight years, Ariel Sharon, 11th prime minister of Israel, passed away Shabbat afternoon in the Sheba Medical Center near Tel Aviv. While in office, Sharon suffered a stroke in January 2006 that left…
MERS virus post-hajj
The big scare from October has died down: only one confirmed case of MERS-CoV has been reported in connection to the Muslim hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca and no pandemic has developed from infection-bearing pilgrims returning home and contaminating thousands of…
Ultras and La Familia: Israeli football culture
In Israel, your politics determine everything — where you sit in synagogue, what falafel stand you frequent, and especially what football (soccer) team you support. Israeli football culture, stemming from longstanding traditions of European football hooliganism and city pride, takes…
Jews United Part 2—Laughing All the Way to Freedom: Social Functions of Jewish Humor of Modern Day Exodus
“Rabinovich [the recurring butt of Russian-Jewish jokes] is taken into custody by the KGB. ‘Why do you want to leave the best country in the world?’ the KGB agent asks him. Rabinovich responds, ‘Well, I only have two reasons. My…
Wall constructed, pamphlets passed: Palestine Awareness Week and pro-Israel pushback
Every year, Students for Justice in Palestine reserve Bruin Plaza for their Palestine Awareness Week — a week when they erect a temporary, six-paneled wall complete with drawings and multicolor, bulletpoint displays in order to inform passersby about the Palestinian…