As the story of Purim goes, the Jewish people had to conceal their Jewish identities, thus explaining one of reasons why we adorn ourselves with costumes on Purim. Regardless of the reason, who doesn't love a good dress-up party? On Wednesday night, many of UCLA's Jewish students gathered at the Westwood Chabad House for their annual Purim celebration — and...

Written by Devorah Friedman, Ha'Am's External Managing Editor This week's Torah portion, Ki Tisa, begins with the completion of the Tabernacle and ends with a description of Moses' relationship to G-d and his devotion to the people he led through the desert, with the episode of the golden calf in between. The calf episode, in which the Israelites became concerned...

In the Torah, a hero is not someone who chooses to do precisely what he or she wants to do as an individual, not someone who never does wrong, and certainly not someone who never errs. In the Torah, a hero is someone who accepts responsibility for his or her people and looks out for them, even at great personal...

Last Monday, a US jury ordered the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization to pay over $218 million to the victims (and their families) of terrorist attacks in Israel that the PA provided material support for. The trial provided retribution for attacks that took place between 2002 to 2004, which killed 33 people and injured over 450. The fine...

Modern Jewish dating has moved way past the traditional matchmaking days á la Yenta of Fiddler on the Roof. Nowadays, Jewish dating generally involves the following questions: Is he a nice Jewish boy? Does she attend synagogue? Is she going to be a doctor or a lawyer? How tall is he? Does he keep kosher? All of these questions can...

Inspired by the holiday of Purim, the University of California Police Department has implemented a new test to determine student driver intoxication levels. The new policy, which goes into effect Friday, will have an officer showing students side-by-side photos of Mordecai and Haman and asking them to identify these characters from the Purim story. The cutting-edge technique was developed by...

Hinduism has been compared to the Ganges River, for it has been flowing and evolving over many centuries. In order to extend this metaphor to Judaism, one would need to alter it slightly. Judaism is best compared to the river described in Genesis 2 which flows through Eden and parts into four separate paths. While there is some form of...

Written by Rabbi Jacob Rupp, Jewish Awareness Movement at UCLA In this week's Torah portion, Tetzaveh, Moses' name is not mentioned. The Talmud explains that after the sin of the Golden Calf in next week's Torah portion, G-d was prepared to get rid of the Jewish people and to start over with Moses' lineage. Ever the self-sacrificing leader, Moses tells...

A history of symbolic violence It does not appear coincidental that a recent rise in rhetoric leveled against Jews across the world has coincided with a devaluation of the term anti-Semitism. Jews often use the term not only to describe violent action motivated by extreme prejudice against Jews, but also symbolically damaging actions for which negative feelings toward the Jews...

On a beautiful Saturday morning, most Southern Californians like to take advantage of the first day of the weekend by heading out for a rewarding and calming hike, and UCLA sophomore Noah Lizerbram feels no differently. For Lizerbram, however, experiencing nature is not just a recreational activity, but also a spiritual one. Having started Hillel's new Chai On Life program,...