Hey UCI Jews! Have you ever seen something at UCI and thought to yourself, “What’s up with that?” Welcome to our new series, where we’ll bring you these funny, yet puzzling, aspects of college life. 

                                          Guys in Tanks

What’s up with that? Since when did guys think this was a good idea? It seems a little cocky to me, and to be honest, most guys cannot pull it off.  Also, if you have hair under your pits, keep it to yourself. And rarely do guys smell good enough to have that much of their bodies exposed. Call me old-fashioned, but I like a simple crew-neck t.

-Rebecca G

                             

A few short months ago, I never would have predicted that Hillel at UCI would be making history. I was never aware that we had such power. I was never aware that I had such power. Yet on the night of May 4, 2012, I could not have been more thrilled to say Ha-motzi in the company of individuals from UCI Hillel, CSU Fullerton Hillel, Delta Lambda Phi, and Irvine Queers. That date marked the first Queer Shabbat in UCI history. For the first time at UCI, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender-identified Jewish students came together to enjoy a home-cooked meal and each other’s company, while learning about the intersection of two distinct identities.

It all began in February at the 15^th Annual National Union of Jewish LGBT Students (NUJLS) Conference at American University in Washington, DC. “Identities are labels, names, adjectives and personas. They help us to make sense of the world and who we are in the world,” said Dan Furmansky, Campaign Leader of the Standing on the Side of Love Campaign, a campaign that seeks to raise compassionate religious voices to influence public policy and attitudes toward LGBT individuals. “We queer Jews are connected through our experiences” he continued. Who we are and what we do are equally important. Hearing these truths spoken out loud inspired me to attempt connect queer Jews through the unique experience of a Queer Shabbat.

The night began, as any Friday night Shabbat would, with individual arrivals of UCI Hillel members, and continued with the arrival of members of Irvine Queers, the largest LGBTQ organization at UCI, Delta Lambda Phi, the National Social Fraternity for all men regardless of sexual orientation, and CSU Fullerton Hillel, in larger groups. My apartment was decorated with rainbow streamers and Jewish LGBT Pride posters, as well as a timeline of events in Israel’s progression toward becoming the tolerant country that it is today. Guests also entered the living room to a wide array of different pamphlets containing information about LGBT rights in the Middle East sprawled out against the coffee table and counters, as well as an abundance of freshly-baked cupcakes frosted with rainbow-sprinkled stars of David. The apartment soon reached its full capacity as students with both differing and shared sexual and religious identities socialized and enjoyed a hearty meal.

After most had finished eating, I gave a brief speech stating my intentions in planning such an event. I relayed all that I learned at the conference, explained the impact and depth of the speeches I was fortunate to hear while in Washington, and most importantly, expressed my appreciation that such an event could take place, and for the individuals who made it possible. As I reiterated the quotes that had inspired me to plan this Queer Shabbat, I was reassured of their truth. Queer Jews are connected through our experiences. The unique identities we share and our resulting experiences help us to feel like more than just a collection of young adults from every corner of Orange County. They make us feel like Mishpachah—like family.

Written by Eli Heller

For many of us, our initial impression of college life involves long nights of studying and party filled weekends. But for myself and many other Jewish students at UCI, our college experience has been enriched by having the opportunity to participate in service events on campus. As a member of Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority, I have had the opportunity to give back to the community through our own organization, through the larger Greek community, and through the different Jewish organizations at UCI. As a motto to live by, we as members of AEPhi continually strive to be women who are “dedicated to selfless service and inspiring others.”

Living by this motto, on April 19^th and 20^th AEPhi held our 3^rd annual Manicure for the Cure and Pink Shabbat philanthropy events. Each year students and community members come together to help us raise money for two organizations, Sharsheret, an organization dedicated to addressing the challenges facing young Jewish women with breast cancer, and the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. At our Manicure for the Cure it is great to be joined by women (and also a few men!) who are excited to get their nails done for a good cause. And it is always a pleasure to have the company of friends and family at our Pink Shabbat as we eat delicious food and learn about the causes that AEPhi supports. Throughout my time as a member of AEPhi, participating in these events has been a particularly meaningful experience. This year I had the added privilege of planning the event with one of my other sorority sisters. In order to make this event a success, not only did we need to put all the small details into place, but more importantly we needed to rally the support of friends, family, and community members. With our busy schedules filled with different obligations pulling us in a bunch of different directions, it is often easier said that done to come together for a common cause. But this year we were definitely successful in uniting the community to help us benefit these two organizations.

Reflecting on this experience, it has reinforced for me the importance of service to others and expressing my connection to Judaism through social action and philanthropy. As college students, we have the unique opportunity to be able to bring large numbers of people together to benefit the greater good, while having fun and enjoying each other’s company. And I think this is one of the strengths of the Jewish community at UCI, to be able to collaborate and work together in order to continually engage in service to others.

Written by Allison Beer

iFest is a week-long celebration that Jewish students on campus look forward to each Spring quarter. At a school that is often roped into media drama concerning tensions between Jewish students and other religious student clubs, the purely cultural tribute to Israel is a refreshing change of pace. And this year’s iFest 5 was just as fun and busy with events as its predecessors!

The week started off at the flagpoles in the center of campus with “Talk Israel: Join the Conversation.” This event was the chance for anyone interested in learning about Israel’s challenging topics to chat with local rabbis, Israelis, and students alike. People discussed politics, language, and religion while snacking on bagels and lying on beanbags under a massive canopy. The relaxed vibe continued the next day when Idan Raichel visited UCI’s Student Center. Considered the epitome of Israeli music, his multicultural reggae style has made him known the world-over and his popularity was reflected in the room. Students and a large number of community members greeted the intimate interview and beautiful piano renditions with generous applause. For fans in the crowd, it was an amazing experience. After the interview, attendees filed out to Ring Road where they were greeted by Anteaters for Israel and Chabad, ready to give away iFest goodies and Kosher lunch. The most popular iFest give-away is by far the T-shirt, which features a new design every year. As the week went on, more and more students wore the shirt on campus to come together and show their support. Wednesday featured another inspired outlet for the campus community to participate in with Artists 4 Israel. This is a group of artists that recreate the artistic pulse of Israel with pieces that are beautiful, creative, and effectively spread a positive image of Israel. Students worked together with the artists to create a massive graffiti mural, a colorful and cool memento of iFest 5.

iFest 5 was special in that it marked two very important holidays for the Jewish state. Idan Raichel’s performance occurred on the same day as Yom Ha Zikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day. He was careful to point this out during the concert; he played pieces that honored the holiday, connecting Israel to Irvine in a very touching way. This week also overlapped with Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s 64^th Independence Day. iFest 5 celebrated by bringing a Tel Aviv party to Orange County on Thursday night. The venue was packed with students from all over Southern California, who came to enjoy the music from DJ Miles and Electronic Dance Union. The last event during the week was the Friday Shabbat. The tables were set beautifully, delicious food was served and awards were given. Attendees enjoyed lively conversation and a giant cake frosted to look like the Israeli flag. The iFest Shabbat dinner always hosts a lot of people, who gather to commemorate all the hard work and fun that accompanies the program each year.

Eran Hoch, the 2011-2012 Israel Fellow for OC Hillel, remarks “iFest made me realize how amazing the Jewish community is. People care!” As a senior undergraduate who has been active within Jewish student life at UCI for some time, I have to agree. This was the 3^rd iFest I have had the pleasure of helping with. Every year as I sit behind the table loaded with T-shirts and sunglasses, a community member comes up to the booth and talks about how glad they are that iFest is still around.  The event is a way to showcase the vibrancy of the Jewish community and strengthen Anteaters’ connection to Israel. Now that the week is over, a lot of students have put away the T-shirts and are focusing on midterms. But soon, iFest 6 planning will start and before you know it the tents will go up and the club party beats will play to offer us a terrific distraction from our studies once again.

Written by Naomi Lichtner, Social Action VP of the Hillel Student Board

Spring is here, and every Jew at UCI knows that means iFest has finally come after months and months of planning and coordinating.  The annual Israeli culture fair is now in its 5^th year and has been widely received by the UCI campus community as a fun and positive week of games, food, shopping, and information all meant to reflect what life in Israel is like. Every iFest has featured an “Electric Garden” club night in the spirit of Tel Aviv’s wild night life that attracts more and more students as the years go by. Most importantly, the fair sidesteps the muck of politics so students can enjoy it without feeling like they’re being preached to.

 I was lucky enough to be at UCI to witness the 1^st iFest. By the time I graduated when iFest was in its 4^th year, it had grown to engage over 3,000 students. From its inception, iFest has been one of the focal points of the UCI Jewish community because it takes almost all year to plan and organize.  It’s become a great teamwork experience for UCI Jews, but iFest is much more than just some social event a club throws on campus to spread awareness. With the media and the UN constantly dragging Israel through the mud, and with Israel being attacked on college campuses around the world, many Jewish students have come to expect hostility whenever Israel is mentioned on a college campus. iFest changes all of that because, for at least one week out of the year, we’re able to celebrate and show our pride about Israel without fearing some sort of political backlash. We’re able to enjoy Israeli culture with our fellow non-Jewish students and friends who might otherwise not want anything to do with the politics of the situation. Most of all, iFest is a festive and colorful reminder that Israel is a nation of people that has its own culture, its own history, technology, quirks, fads, contributions to the world, and- yes- politics,  just like any other country.

 As I grew through college, I only saw iFest getting bigger and better, engaging more students and bringing more fun to campus.  I wish I could be at UCI this week to see what you guys have all planned this year, but I trust it’ll be something awesome. My favorite parts of iFest are skipping lecture to help out all day and smoke some hookah with friends at the Aroma café. Most of all, though, what I love about iFest is its apolitical nature. We’re so used to the issue of Israel being a tense and divisive one caught in the middle of controversy, hatred, and factual distortion that a simple culture fair exclusive of politics brings more joy to us than any other culture fair could possibly bring to its own community.

 Happy 64^th birthday, Israel!

Written by Aaron Elias

Throughout my life and especially my last four years at UCI, I have come to see the varying range of practicing Jews that there are in the community. Whether they are Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Sephardic, Ashkenazi or anything in between, everyone has a different way of practicing. Passover is one of the holidays that these differences truly are apparent. Who keeps kosher for Passover and how strict are they? Who eats rice and corn? And who completely disregards the “rules” altogether. What type of Seder do you take part in? The thirty minute Seder, the four hour Seder, or none at all? Or maybe you celebrate just by watching the Prince of Egypt? How do you choose to celebrate Passover?

    

For me, it’s about family. For the past few years that I have been in college, my family has held a second night Seder to which I’ve invited my AEPhi sorority sisters and friends from UCI to my house. It is nice being able to bring together my school family to my actual family.  We eat traditional Ashkenazi food including brisket, fruit kugel, and matzah ball soup.  This year we read the thirty minute Seder and all really enjoyed each other’s company.

Since the Seder the other night, I have thought about the story of Passover and how everyone chooses to celebrate. I think it’s interesting how traditions are so inherent. But there’s the common thread that everyone is celebrating the Jewish people being freed from slavery in the land of Egypt. No matter how you celebrate, whether you still eat bread, search all over Southern California for kosher for Passover Diet Coke, have a huge Seder with your family, or just attend a chocolate Seder, we are all free to choose how to celebrate.  I think that’s the coolest part of it all; no matter how you choose to observe Passover, we are all doing it for the same reason.

Written by Courtney Kravitz, Jewish Life Coordinator for Hillel’s Social Media Team and past President of Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority

Pesach 5772, 2012:

By Ari Friedman

 

Coming up this Friday evening, on the 15^th day of the Hebrew month of Nissan, the holiday of Pesach—known in English as Passover—will be celebrated by the Jewish People throughout the 4 corners of the Earth.

I am going to share some thoughts on the significance of this holy-day, but instead of writing a book about the entire story of Pesach and all the laws and practices which embody this holiday (the Hagaddah—or Passover Seder guide—has already been written), I will simply just share some insights I thought of earlier today.

I am not sure if it would be surprising if many Jews who have celebrated Passover before remember the chag (Hebrew word for holiday) as that burdensome week (actually 8 days) where we can’t have any bread or pizza and have to stay up all night, exhausted at a crammed dining room table in our grandparents house, saying stuff in Hebrew that we don’t even understand.

 Although this is a slight exaggeration (I truly hope nobody feels this way about Pesach, the chag in which we celebrate the birth of our nation—the Israelite Nation of the Jewish People, then called the Children of Israel—and our liberation from slavery in Egypt), I couldn’t help but realize that perhaps one—if the not most—important line in the Hagaddah is recited all the way at the end of the Seder, when everyone is already tired sleeping and/or hung-over.

I am referring to, of course, the line which encompasses our single most common National ambition: לשנה הבא בירושלים הבנויה transliterated: Le’Shanna Habaa, b’Yerushalayim Ha’Bnuyah:

This phrase, which is recited and sung in the form of a melodic prayer, translates to “for the year to come in the built Jerusalem!”

One might ask, “How is this verse the embodiment of the most central National desire of the Jewish Nation?” Well, first we must understand that the holy-day of Pesach—like every Jewish holiday—is not simply a day in which we commemorate the past events in which our ancestors lived and endured because we were told to never forget, but rather we do so to tap into the holiness of the events which occurred in the days of our ancestors in order to harness this holiness and understand its relevance in order to apply it to our lives and national desires today in our contemporary generation.

I will attempt to explain what I mean by relating this point to the verse above. My apologies if I fail to accomplish this. You are free and encouraged to leave any response you’d like below and I will be happy to clarify anything.

Let us first consider the verse which encompasses the most integral National desire of the Jewish Nation:

“Le’Shana Habaa” = “for the year to come” = Next year
“B’Yerushalyim” = “in Jerusalem”
“B’Yerushalyim Habnuyah” = “in the built Jerusalem”

Now let us consider the most succinct version of the story of Pesach: “There was a famine in the Land of Israel, the Children of Israel descended from Israel to Egypt because there was grain, generations later the Israelites became slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, Pharaoh attempted to impose a Holocaust on our ancestors, G~d intervened with 10 plagues and commanded Moshe to liberate the Israelites and lead them through the Sinai desert and back into the “Promised Land” of Israel.”

So how do these two points relate to our lives today? Well, first of all, as the verse in discussion implies, our National desire remains to return to our National capital of Jerusalem. However, not just any Jerusalem, we—the Jewish People—desire to return to “Yerushalyim Ha’Bnuyah”—the built Jerusalem. This means we wish to return to Jerusalem and build our holy city to the utopian city that it is destined to become, complete with the restoration of the Beit HaMikdash, the Holy Temple.

 Just as this verse depicts the national desires of the Jewish Nation today, so too has it been our Nation’s desire to return to our homeland and (re)build our Temple in Jerusalem in every generation since our exile in the year 586 BCE at the hands of the Babylonian Empire, and again in the year 135 CE at the hands of the Roman Empire.

And how does this also relate to the overall story of Passover? Well, many people might not realize this but the reality of the Exodus entails that 4/5ths of the Israelite People remained in Egypt…that’s correct, 80% of the Israelite slaves willingly left themselves behind while only 1/5^th—the 20% of the Children of Israel who are the ancestors of every Jew today—walked across the split Sea of Reeds into their/our homeland in joyous freedom and redemption.

I will now close this piece by attempting to bring together all of which has been discussed into one clear message.

We live today in a generation where the fulfillment of our Nation’s desires—our returning and rebuilding of our holy capital of Jerusalem—can be made a reality. Unlike the Jews of Russia, Germany, or Palestine 100 years ago (and for thousands of years prior throughout every corner of the Earth), we have the freedom to return to and rebuild Jerusalem.

My friends, the message I wish to leave with you will be in the form of a challenge: this coming Pesach, when we sing “Le’Shanna Ha’Baa B’Yerushalayim Ha’Bnuyah,” contemplate deeply on the meaning of our Jewish desires, and recognize that we—each and every Jewish soul—has the ability to return to our homeland—the Land of Israel— and to our capital—Jerusalem— not only “next year” but actually “THIS YEAR”. We are permitted—actually free—to return home and rebuild our country and lead humanity to peace. This is the time of our freedom, the time of our redemption.

Please join me, my friends, in the redemption of the Israelite Nation of the Jewish People.

And may HaShem allow us to return to Jerusalem and rebuild His Beit HaMikdash in Jerusalem so that we may Serve Him in Peace—in Shalom.

לשנה הבא בירושלים – Next year in the built Jerusalem

לשנה הזאת בירושלים – This Year in the built Jerusalem

חג פסח כשרושמח – A Kosher and Happy holiday of Pesach

עם ישראל חי – Live! The Nation of Israel

אמן - Amen

Written by Ari Friedman

This past Wednesday at Hillel’s weekly Open House, we were joined by a speaker from the World Zionist Organization. In the spirit of Women’s History Month, a group of students participated in a discussion called FeminIsrael. Together we discussed the history of influential female Israeli poets and songwriters. We turned our open house into a lounge setting, by reading poetry, listening to music, and inviting students to participate in an open mic session. To me, the theme of our discussion was the connection of poetry and music to Jewish tradition, and the role of women in carrying on this legacy.

Hoping to learn more about the role of women in Judaism, I took the opportunity to speak with a few female students and the Director of Hillel at UCI. Each of the women whom I spoke with offered a unique perspective on Judaism, feminism, and the role of women. Common to each woman I spoke with, was a sense of pride and empowerment by identifying as a Jewish woman.

One of the questions that I asked in each of my interviews was, “What does it mean to you to be a Jewish woman?” Lindsey Eskow, a first year student and VP Recruitment of Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority, explained that for her being a Jewish woman empowers her and fills her with the desire to “continue the Jewish heritage.” In my interviews, it was clear that the women I spoke with embrace the importance of Jewish women in the role of continuing traditions and building family and community. Rebecca Goldberg, Director of Hillel at UCI, described that there is “no more important role” than being a Jewish woman, being in charge of the household, and “keeping the religion alive.” Briana Booth, President of Hillel at UCI, also described her commitment to growing the Jewish community by encouraging students to remain active in Jewish organizations on campus.

What I learned from speaking with these women, is that being a Jewish woman and a feminist does not merely mean being equal to men, but also having unique responsibilities that men do not have within Judaism. Rebecca explained that the responsibilities of being a Jewish woman bring one to a “higher spiritual level than men.” Alyssa Wolk, a first year student, also described a feeling of spirituality, especially connected to women’s responsibility of lighting the candles on Shabbat. For Alyssa, a moment that exemplifies her experience as a Jewish woman was participating in Chabad’s Shabbaton and lighting the Shabbat candles with about 100 other women. There is often a “misconception that women are lesser in Judaism,” described Rebecca, and she “can’t stress enough how that is not the case.”

It is not difficult to find examples of strong and powerful women in Judaism. At our Open House we discussed the influence of the female poets Fania Bergstein, Yona Wallach, Rachel the Poet, and Leah Goldberg. For Lindsey, examples of strong Jewish women come straight from the Torah with the stories of Sarah, Leah, and Miriam. Lindsey also described her contemporary role model, Sally Priesand, the first American female rabbi. She explained that to her Sally Preisand is an influence both in her faith and to the women’s rights movement.

Speaking with these four women helped to broaden my perspective of the role of Jewish women and their importance in the Jewish community. Though some of us may have different experiences, by virtue of coming from different backgrounds and affiliations, there is a link of empowerment and community building that connects us as Jewish women. At the end of each of my interviews, I asked the women if there was anything else they’d like to add to our conversation. With a closing that I think is representative of each of my conversations, Briana simply expressed, “I love being a Jewish woman.”

Written by Allison Beer

Have you ever walked into a room and known that you shared two distinct identities with every person in it? I have.  

Last weekend, Jake Farris, Matthew Readdick and I were lucky enough to attend the 15th Annual National Union of Jewish LGBT Students Conference in Washington, DC. This Conference, entitled “Advocating our Identities,” took place at American University, and was organized with the intention of bringing LGBT Jewish high school, undergraduate, and graduate students in the United States and Canada together to better understand the intersection of their somewhat uncommon identities and meet others who share them. Over 80 students from over 25 campuses were present for the conference. Through a series of workshops, including ones such as “Coming Out 101” and “Organizing Queer Jewish Life on Campus,” as well as “Mishpacha” discussion groups, we learned more about our identities and collected valuable resources to bring back to our respective campuses. The conference also featured a variety of significant speakers, such as Arthur Slepian, founder and Executive Director of “A Wider Bridge,” an organization that sends LGBT American Jewish students to Israel to meet their Israeli counterparts, and Dan Furmansky, former Executive Director of Equality Maryland and Campaign Leader of the Standing on the Side of Love campaign, a campaign that seeks to raise compassionate religious voices to influence public policy and attitudes toward LGBT individuals.  

Aside from the fun of visiting the famous monuments, the thrill of learning about the intersection of LGBT and Jewish identity, and the excitement of listening to moving speeches from significant LGBT Jewish Speakers, what I found most moving was the overflowing empathy each high school, undergraduate, and graduate student felt for one another. The intersection of Jewish and Queer identities is not common. Discussing coming out to Jewish parents with an LGBT ally or non-Jewish queer friend can be liberating and pleasant. Yet sharing coming out stories with other LGBT Jewish students was something new. It was something I had never experienced. Before attending this year’s NUJLS Conference, I was unaware that a college student living on the opposite side of the country could relate to every aspect of my story, and I to his.  

Upon returning from the conference, I have quite a lot of planning to do. Reason being that I am planning to start a Queer Jewish organization on UCI’s campus. Because our Hillel is fairly small and very few UCI students identify as both Jewish and Queer, this will be a challenge. Yet with the participation of our friends at Chapman University and CSU Fullerton, this dream will become a reality. Forming groups helps us to understand others and ourselves better and is necessary for our success as individuals, employees, and friends. Expect to see a Queer-themed Shabbat on your calendar for next quarter!

Written by Eli Heller