Category: Science and Health

So many issues dealing with “rights” get muddled up by bullies who throw out insults rather than arguments. You would think, for example, that the trans rights movement is about trans rights, right? Actually, the movement is more about whether or not we have the right to debate it. Take the recent case of assistant […]

This current election cycle has staunchly reinforced the reality that the world is in deep need of repair. No matter who one voted for, exit polls from across party lines clearly indicate a need for a seismic shift in both domestic and global policy. There are macro issues, such as unaffordable healthcare, a nation-wide housing […]

Dear all, One of these timers is accurate. One is not. Which is which? We often realize that time is relative. Some moments speed by. Others drag their feet. The last ten minutes of Shakespeare in High School English class often seemed like five years. But the first five years of Maya and Eli’s life have gone by in […]

A Petition of Consideration was filed to UCLA’s Undergraduate Students Association Council (USAC) Judicial Board on Nov. 25 alleging that USAC Cultural Affairs Commissioner (CAC) Alicia Verdugo discriminated against Jewish students when hiring staff members in the fall. Ha’Am, a student-run newsmagazine at UCLA, first reported on the petition; the publication’s editor-in-chief, Bella Brannon, filed […]

For most Americans, Thanksgiving morning is often associated with watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and some football games, all the while preparing the festive meal. But for the members of the historic Congregation Shearith Israel (the Spanish & Portuguese Sephardic Congregation in Manhattan), an additional feature of Thanksgiving morning is, appropriately, a religious service […]

One of the best things about Thanksgiving are the leftovers. Simply give them a makeover for the perfect Shabbat meal.  For instance, your traditional Thanksgiving cranberry sauce can become the star of Shabbat. “Cranberry sauce makes a delightful dressing for salmon or chicken, bringing a festive twist to your meal,” Aderet Dana Hoch, registered dietitian […]

During their Nov. 14 meeting, the UC Board of Regents discussed the report published in October by the Task Force to Combat Antisemitism and Anti-Israel Bias at UCLA, calling the findings “deeply troubling.” As previously reported by the Journal, the report found that 75% of Jewish students, faculty, administrators and staff believe that the “antisemitism […]

Altruism is not a given; many have argued against it. Social Darwinists, inspired by the theory of evolution, argued against helping the poor. Charity, they maintained, runs counter to the “survival of the fittest.”  Helping the weakest in society would only undermine progress by allowing the unfit to procreate. Ayn Rand attacked altruism as collectivism […]

      Life Torn and Sewn Together (comments on Torah Portion Chayei Sarah) 2024 Comments on Torah portion Chayyei Sarah (adapted from previous versions)   Pain, regret, hurt, and betrayal form part of the backdrop of the book of Genesis. Those tragic moments often produce visions of God and the appearance of angels. Sometimes […]