How often do you leave Westwood? When you’re a Jewish student at UCLA, it’s hard to find the time, between classes, studies, campus organizations, and social life to even think about the possibility of taking a day off for a beach outing or a Sunday hike. There just aren’t enough hours in the day. And when everything I could possibly need is found within a mile radius, I find myself rarely leaving.
It is exactly the diligence of the Jewish student population that creates a space in which the expectation is not only personal growth but also community development. These are the students who are going to make a real difference in shaping the Jewish community. These are students like Amir Kashfi, Jordan Nakdimon, and Joshua Feldman whose work for Israel on campus is clearly just a stepping stone for their future community involvement.
But this work is compounded by our classes and studies, our jobs, and our organization work. When do we have time to really be and just exist in the time and place we find ourselves in?
This issue comes in the hopes to relieve some of your tension. With Purim just around the corner, I hope that you take the readings in this magazine a light read, a fun read, and an important read. As the semester comes to an end, I hope everyone takes their well-deserved break to just enjoy themselves. And I am so happy that Purim can be the marking point for our salvation, not salvation from Haman and King Achashverosh, but as a people gaining our freedom from our studies.
Have an incredible restful break and a happy Purim!
Best wishes,
Yosef Nemanpoour
