Parisian Jewish art inspires pride

As my friend and I sat in a Kosher Cafe in the heart of Paris this past summer, we looked around the room and noticed the large amount of Parisian Jews. Although they live in a society that is highly…

The Jews go Greek

Parties, friends, ladies and chaos — these are all components of what appears to be the fraternity lifestyle, as portrayed by the film industry.  With such shallow-seeming incentives, many bystanders cannot understand the reasons for joining such groups. However, the…

Fatah outraged over soccer match between young Israeli Jews and Palestinians

Once again, Fatah, the Palestinian political party led by Mahmoud Abbas, has shown that peaceful intentions are not on its agenda. The Jerusalem Post reports that “Mifalot, an organization seeking to promote peaceful coexistence through sports” organized a soccer tournament…

American Jews recognized with their own heritage month

Irving Berlin. Joan Rivers. Groucho Marx. Sarah Silverman. Fanny Brice. Lou Jacobs. Sophie Tucker. Barbara Streisand. Harry Houdini. George Gershwin. These are comedians, magicians, songwriters, performers, actresses, composers, singers, and even a clown. They are also all Jewish, yes —…

Archbishop Gomez unites Catholic and Jewish communities

UCLA is a very diverse campus with numerous religious and cultural groups. There has been a recent struggle to unite these groups in a peaceful manner and to engender collaboration. Within this campus and beyond, the necessity for inter-religious relations…

Shtar shines at UCLA

Shtar (meaning “Talmudic contract” in Hebrew), a Jerusalem-based hip-hop group, made a stop on their tour at the UCLA Jewish Awareness Movement house on Thursday, April 11. Originally created by two Yeshiva students, Ori ‘M’Ori’ Murray and Brad ‘Binyamin Adam’…

Is “separate but equal” okay in Israel?

According to fast-breaking developments first reported this week by the Jewish Daily Forward and subsequently amplified in the New York Times, a compromise may be in the works that would allow women to lead services, carry Sifrei Torah (Torah Scrolls),…

The endangered right: freedom of religion for Dutch Jews

In the United States, the decree that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof” is an integral part of living in a free country. In fact, it is the first amendment…

Genocide of the soul: the new Jewish face of anti-Semitism

Anti-Semitism is still the greatest threat to the Jewish people, but the threat comes from within the Jewish state.   I was dismayed to read the news last week about the new Egyptian government’s cancellation of a screening of a…

A memorial to Daniel Pearl and democracy, featuring lecture from Condoleezza Rice

A gentle nudge in the back, a graceful shuffle forward past the competing person to the right — exciting muttering and the loud patter of feet eagerly moving toward two open doors filled the entrance to Korn Convocation Hall in…