Two weeks ago I wrote an article about Jerusalem, its vibrant energy, and the stubborn distance between its different groups. I ended with a suggestion, a hope, and a recycled Lennon lyric: let us recognize that despite the differences, we are all the same. "You may say I'm a dreamer." Maybe coming together despite the enormous, irreparable pain caused by...

Illustration by Angelina Ellyason ________________With its many laws and customs, Judaism has always valued the sacredness of marriage. Consequently, marrying Jewish has prominently been seen as non-negotiable for many in the Jewish community. The apprehension of assimilation and having the miniscule Jewish population dwindle down even further haunt our already-worried Jewish mothers, giving them something else to kvetch (“complain”) about....

Illustration by Allison Hernandez _________________In recent years, widespread public campaigns and vocal issue advocacy have helped mental health organizations better apprise the public on the ins and outs of mental illness. But while these organizations have made inroads in clarifying what constitutes mental illness, there remains frequent misunderstanding in popular American culture about it and those who suffer from it....

Illustration by Allison Hernandez __________________ It's the first day of the quarter and your professor has just handed out copies of her syllabus and course schedule. Scanning down the list of assignments, quizzes and exams, you pencil them into your calendar as the professor reads the course description aloud. Suddenly, you realize that an exam has been scheduled for a...

Illustration by M Moore__________________ As I zoomed away from the ancient city, I noticed a freeway extending where the 405 would be. It was called the 50 freeway. "That’s not right," I thought. I googled "50 freeway Israel," and the internet provided what I was looking for. The 50 freeway was formerly called the 405 freeway. "That’s better," I thought....

I wear this dot on my head because I exist in an ever-elapsing ellipsis which began on the head of that mountain Sinai when we heard Moses sigh n’ I cried ‘I will do and I will listen’ and we heard ‘Do this and Don’t do that’ and dot dot dot when God’s voice trailed off and we trailed through...

Despite its increasing presence and impact on college campuses, anti-Semitism’s definition has become inexplicably blurred and political. The Senate Concurrent Resolution 35 was proposed this March urging University of California campuses to condemn anti-Semitism and racism. Responses have varied; however, most backlash has come from those who have disputed the definition of anti-Semitism rather than the purpose of the resolution...

The devastation suffered by Jews in the Holocaust is unforgivable, unparalleled, and unforgettable, so much so that their struggles startled the world in a way never seen before. Americans, particularly, were shaken after this horrifying genocide took place. For many Americans, anti-Semitic sentiment would soften after this tragedy, resulting in the gradual lessening of discriminatory acts. It would appear that...

Monday morning. ______(expletive). You _____(verb) yourself out of bed and head over to your _____(subject) class. Your breath smells like_____(smell) so you pop a _____(something that goes in your mouth). After class you head over to the Hillel to _____(activity) but instead end up taking a ____(adjective) nap. You oversleep and wake up to find that night has fallen and...

Photo courtesy of Austin Yu / Daily Bruin Senior Staff ____________________________________________________Ha'Am, as well as many major national media outlets, have discussed ad nauseam the anti-Semitic comments and/or troubling voting record of USAC council members Fabienne Roth, Negeen Sadeghi-Movahed, Sofia Moreno Haq and Manjot Singh in the Rachel Beyda appointment fiasco. For those living under a rock, on Feb. 10, 2015,...