This week’s Torah portion begins with the famous Hebrew alliteration "Lech Lecha." The phrase translates as “go to/for yourself” and marks one of the first interactions God has with Abraham, the founder of monotheism. The verse continues as God tells Abraham to leave “from your land, from your birthplace and from your father’s house, to the land which I will...

I fell in love with UCLA’s Jewish community the very first time I stepped into Hillel. It was warm, welcoming and familiar — just like the tight-knit community I had recently left behind at my Jewish high school. But after listening to a number of offensive jokes about Persian Jews at Sunday night’s Mr. Hillel talent show, I was reminded...

WESTWOOD — The Progressive Jewish Alliance at UCLA hosted a Community Town Hall last Thursday, bringing students together to discuss a variety of issues affecting the Jewish community on campus. Brad Fingard, Sarah Schmitt and Tal Newfield organized the event, which was the first of its kind put on by the nascent Progressive Jewish Alliance. About 12 students attended, most...

Most of us are familiar with Los Angeles’ Jewish-inhabited areas, including La Brea, Fairfax, and Pico-Robertson. These neighborhoods house multitudes of kosher restaurants, markets, and shops. However, most Jews who live in Los Angeles are not aware of how the city's first Jewish community developed. UCLA’s Alan D. Leve Center for Jewish Studies presented an exhibition of the history of...

The topic of last week's parsha was Jacob and Esau. Jacob and Esau represent many things: body and soul, Judaism and paganism, spirit and matter. Jacob asks Esau if he is interested in selling his spiritual legacy (birthright) for the sensuous pleasures of the flesh (tasty food). Esau’s response is basically as follows: “Look, I am going to die one...

As wintertime rolls around again, the most universally celebrated Jewish holiday —Hanukkah — will begin. When the average Jew is asked about the historical events leading up to this beloved holiday, he will claim the classic Jewish holiday line: "An evil nation wanted to destroy us, the Jews fought back and were victorious — there was some sort of miracle...

The election of Donald Trump surprised a vast majority of pollsters and pundits, with many predicting that Trump had a mere 15% chance of winning prior to the election. Many were shocked at Trump's success due to the huge swaths of people he had alienated with his numerous contentious statements. However, Trump's success is particularly shocking not just because of...

An unsuspecting theatre in the Gindi Auditorium at the American Jewish University was filled with a bunch of nostalgic Israelis last week — and it was beautiful. Yoni Rechter, one of the most notable figures in modern Israeli music, was scheduled to perform, and I had begged my mom to schlep up to Los Angeles from Orange County to take...

This past Monday, October 26, UCLA welcomed seven Druze Israelis to speak at the law school as part of their two-week long tour in the United States. The event was hosted by several Jewish and Jewish-affiliated organizations, including Bruins for Israel, Students Supporting Israel, Chabad, Nessah Synagogue, StandWithUs, and Zionist Organization of America. Simon Etehad, the president of Nessah Synagogue,...

A few weeks ago, I attended the most recent University of California Regents’ meeting as a public commentator. Along with with many other concerned students, I stood before and pleaded to the UC Board of Regents to revise the language of their Statement of Principles against Intolerance, a policy statement meant to express their dedication to ending prejudice on campuses....