Tessa Nath

Tessa is the Editor-in-Chief of Ha'Am. She is a UCLA fourth-year student studying English with a bit of French on the side.

Worked on 258 assignments, created 146, named on 20 bylines for BruinLife.

By (Tessa as editor-in-chief) + 3 others for BruinLife - 4 min read

Editorial: A more understanding academic calendar

A scheduling decision recently brought to light by the University of California system to push the beginning of the 2014 fall quarter back a week has elicited some harsh responses from UC students. The newly arranged schedule ensures that the academic calendar will avoid a conflict with the Jewish High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The decision...

By (Tessa as editor-in-chief) + 1 other for BruinLife - 1 min read

Ha'Am Hits: Jews in the Media

As Jews working in the media, this week the Ha'Am staff decided to look at other Jews who have been featured in the media. Take a look at our hits of the week: 1. A (Jewish) actor whose decision to represent an West Bank company has created some controversy. 2. Boston Globe columnist Jeff Jacoby's grateful response to those who...

By (Tessa as editor-in-chief) + 3 others for BruinLife - 5 min read

Problems in Poland

From the shady unveiling of an infamous blood libel painting that could only perhaps be excused in the name of art, to far more egregious transgressions against not just the Jewish community but any veteran and survivor of the Second World War, the Eastern European nation and prominent perpetrator of crimes against humanity, Poland, has done it again — and...

By (Tessa as editor-in-chief) + 4 others for BruinLife - 6 min read

Mein Kampf makes surprise appearance on e-book bestseller list

A glance at the iTunes digital bookstore’s Politics and Social Sciences category may prompt a double take. Among political journalism dynamos such as Charles Krauthammer, Mark Leibovich and Lou Dobbs, another familiar name seems incongruous — Adolf Hitler. Mein Kampf, the anti-Semitic diatribe written during a period of incarceration by one of the most notorious men in history, sits proudly...

By (Tessa as editor-in-chief) + 4 others for BruinLife - 3 min read

A confrontation: the Israeli Rabbinate and Democracy

Perhaps no Israeli institution has garnered as much criticism lately as the Israeli Rabbinate. In the last several weeks, a series of scandals and controversies have left the Rabbinate reeling under intense public scrutiny. Among several recent controversial decisions is the Israeli Rabbinate's rejection of letters confirming emigrants’ affiliation with Judaism from a Riverdale-based Modern Orthodox rabbi, Avi Weiss. This...

By (Tessa as editor-in-chief) + 1 other for BruinLife - 1 min read

Ha'Am Hits of the Week: Torah and Tikkun Olam

Perhaps we should have been studying instead of surfing the internet, but even the hardworking Ha'Am staff needs a break. Take a look at what Ha'Am's hits of the week are! These were our favorite links relating to Torah (the giving of the Torah was the main topic of the past week's Torah portion) and Tikkun Olam, or the "repairing...

By (Tessa as editor-in-chief) + 3 others for BruinLife - 4 min read

Ariel Sharon: a look at Israel's recently deceased war hero and controversial politician

After the painful protraction of death for eight years, Ariel Sharon, 11th prime minister of Israel, passed away Shabbat afternoon in the Sheba Medical Center near Tel Aviv. While in office, Sharon suffered a stroke in January 2006 that left him comatose. Renal failure on January 1, 2014 led to his death ten days later. Sharon was born Ariel Scheinermann...

By (Tessa as editor-in-chief) + 3 others for BruinLife - 5 min read

10 Reasons to Join Ha'Am

1. You love Jews. It's okay to admit this to yourself. We love Jews too. And since a lot of the world doesn't, we think it's important to publish articles that draw attention to the amazing innovations and advancements in the Jewish community — whether it be on campus, in the LA community, or on a national or international level....

By (Tessa as editor-in-chief) + 3 others for BruinLife - 4 min read

Aftermath of "Aftermath"

Accusations of "Jew" and "anti-Polish agitator" have not been so openly splashed across Polish newspapers since the heights of National Socialism and communism. This public outcry has been inspired by Aftermath, a Holocaust-related drama by Władysław Pasikowski, which has been dubbed "the most controversial Polish film ever." Its actors and director have been accused of Jewishness and of being decriers...

By (Tessa as editor-in-chief) + 4 others for BruinLife - 1 min read

Happy Chanukah from the Ha'Am staff

Photo credit: Talia Kamdjou

We hope that you are having a wonderful week celebrating Chanukah (and Thanksgivuk...