With the recent panic over the Charlie Hebdo terror attacks in Paris and its implications for the future of free speech in the Western world — in addition to the safety of Jews in Europe — UCLA students have done little to discuss other atrocities in the world. Among these number the 2000 Nigerians killed in a recent Boko Haram...

Persian girls are known for their beautiful hair, unique attitudes and determination to succeed. But hold up — it's not so simple, no one’s life is a happily-every-after fantasyland, and just like everyone else, Persian girls deal with their own set of common problems. Here is a short list of the many challenges that Persian girls face on a daily...

Have you ever had difficulty trying to find the right words to say? Language allows us to communicate with one another but also tends to limit our ability to say what we mean and mean what we say. It is perhaps one of the most important yet most limiting of all human capabilities. Nowhere is this phenomenon more apparent or...

As murmurs in Hebrew permeated the room and the predominantly sprightly, older crowd found their seats, it became quickly evident that this event would exude a vibrant energy. Hosted by the UCLA Nazarian Center for Israel Studies and entitled “Not So Special Relationship?: Israel-U. S. Relations During the Obama Administration," the event promised an appealing forum to learn about the...

This past Sunday afternoon, current students and alumni of UCLA, USC, CSUN, and SMC gathered to ask questions about American Jewry and the State of Israel to Rabbi David Baruch Lau, the Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Israel, during his first trip to the West Coast. Chabad at USC hosted the event, modeled as a town hall meeting, during which students...

Politics are a big deal everywhere, but they’re a huge deal at UCLA. Student government candidates, for example, go to great lengths to promote their elections, swallowing Facebook feeds with flawless photos in front of Royce Hall and inundating Bruin Walk with campaign posters. School administrators, for instance, engage with state government leaders to discuss school policy and to lobby...

It's that time of year again. When most of America is making eggnog and selecting the perfect Christmas tree, Jews are lighting candles in their windows, eating fried food, and giving gifts. One has to wonder if the Maccabees were here now, whether they would grab a dreidel and join the festivities, or shake their heads in utter dismay at...

An Introduction to the Series: Judaism has always been somewhat of a romantic religion to me. Perhaps it is because it never ceases to evoke within me an authentic array of emotions, ranging from awe to love to apprehension. Through my knowledge of biblical and Talmudic tales of the nation of Israel, I would advocate that the purest love (that...

On Tuesday, Nov. 18, the Undergraduate Student Association Council — the governing body of UCLA's undergraduate population — voted to approve a resolution calling on the UC to divest from companies that allegedly profit from the violation of Palestinian human rights. The council passed the resolution overwhelmingly, with eight members affirming the vote, two opposing, and two abstaining. With such...

The recent terror attacks that took place in a synagogue in Jerusalem have led me to reflect on my own experience in witnessing Israel's resilience to terrorism this past summer. Tragically, these innocent people were killed simply for being Jewish. Their lives were brutally taken away from them while they were reciting their daily prayers in synagogue. Despite all these...