Ha'Am Newsmagazine Winter 2019

U C L A’ S J E W I S H N E W S M A G A Z I N E Est. 1972

Winter 2019

Table of contents Ha’Am Quarterwalk Things to look out for

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Jews Behind the Scenes Nicole Schussman

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How to Celebrate Purim Negeen Arasteh

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Dvar Theory: Evolution of the Masks, Physical to Social Ben Balazs

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They Tried to Kill Us, We Survived, Let’s Eat Grayson Peters

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Five Great Last Minute Purim Costume Ideas Alyssa Bonchick

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Winter 2019 Staff Editor in Chief Yosef Nemanpour Editors Ben Balazs Nicole Schussman Sammi Dorfan Layout Ezra Einhorn Margalit Zimand

Writers Alyssa Bonchick Ben Balazs Devorah Norton Grayson Peters Kate Burt Negeen Arasteh Nicole Schussman Sam Forman Vera Levi

Marketing Kate Burt Patricia Ortega-Simó Rivkah Chaya Adison Kol Ha’Am Ben Balazs Lead Nicole Schussman Lead Melody Hashemieh Ziv-Yisrael Haikin

Letter from the Editor How often do you leave Westwood? When you’re a Jewish student at UCLA, between classes, studies, campus organizations, and our intertwined social lives, it’s hard to find the time. It becomes nearly impossible to even think about the possibility of taking a day off for a beach outing or a Sunday hike, there just aren’t enough hours in the day. And when everything I could possibly need is found within a mile radius, I find myself rarely leaving.

It is exactly the diligence of the Jewish student population that creates a space in which the expectation is not only personal education and growth but also community development. Students that set this bar are people like Amir Kashfi, Jordan Nakdimon, and Joshua Feldman whose work for Israel on campus seems not like a burden, but a divine command.

But this work is compounded by our classes and studies, our jobs, and our organization work. When do we have time to really be and just exist in the time and place we find ourselves in?

This issue comes in the hopes to relieve some of your tension.

With Purim just around the corner, I hope that you take the readings in this magazine as a light read, a fun read, and an important read. As the semester comes to an end, I hope everyone takes their well-deserved break to just enjoy themselves. And I am so happy that Purim can be the marking point for our salvation, not salvation from Haman and King Achashverosh, but as a people gaining our freedom from our studies.

Have an incredible restful break and a happy Purim!

Best wishes,

Yosef Nemanpour Editor in Chief

Ha’Am Newsmagazine is published and copyrighted by the ASUCLA Communications Board. All rights are reserved. Reprinting of any material in this publication without the written permission of the Communications Board is strictly prohibited. The ASUCLA Communications Board fully supports the University of California’s policy on non-discrimination. The student media reserve the right to reject or modify advertising whose content discriminates on the basis of ancestry, color, national origin, race, religion, disability, age, sex or sexual orientation.

The ASUCLA Communications Board has a media grievance procedure for resolving complaints against any of its publications. For a copy of the complete procedure, contact the publications office at 118 Kerckhoff Hall @ 310-825-9898 Cover photo licensed via Adobe Stock

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Jews Behind the Scenes

By Nicole Schussman

Jewish minds have been shaping history for as long as we have written records and they continue to shape the modern world, including our own city of Los Angeles. You’ve likely seen films produced by Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and Universal Pictures, but you’re probably not familiar with the Jewish history behind these production companies.

Paramount Pictures was formed in the mid-1910s when Adolph Zukor and Jesse Lasky merged their individual production companies with William Wallace Hodkinson’s Paramount Pictures. Both Zukor and Lasky were born to Jewish parents.

Zukor immigrated to the United States from Hungary in 1889. He grew up poor but was financially successful in the fur trade before realizing that there was financial opportunity in the film industry, as well. He headed his company until the day he died at 103 years old.

Lasky was born in San Francisco in 1880 to poor Jewish parents. After trying a startling number of career paths, including panning for gold and opening his own nightclub, Lasky decided to try his luck at the film industry. Despite his initial success, he was ousted from his company after losing $20 million in the Wall Street Crash of 1929. He died as an outcast from the movie industry.

Warner Bros. was created by four brothers named Jack, Sam, Albert, and Harry Warner. The boys were born to Jewish parents who immigrated to Baltimore from Poland to escape an oppressive government. They grew up poor, and perhaps because of their impoverished upbringing, the four brothers actively sought financial opportunities.

The creation of Warner Bros. can be attributed to Sam

Warner. As a young man, Sam was shown a Kinetoscope – an early film device– and was inspired to open his own movie studio with the help of his brothers. Unfortunately, their first major success only occurred after Sam’s early death.

The subsequent success of the company made Jack greedy, and he eventually executed a plan to force his brothers out of the company, which severed their relationships with him forever.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, known for its famous roaring lion image, was formed by the merging of Metro Pictures, Mayer Productions, and Goldwyn Productions.

Metro Pictures was owned by Marcus Loew, a Jew who grew up impoverished in New York City. He left school at the age of nine to work, and he succeeded in the business of owning theatre companies before shifting focus to Hollywood.

Louis B. Mayer, the owner of Mayer Productions, was born in Ukraine to Jewish Russian parents who immigrated to Canada to escape oppression. He was also born in poverty, but he was financially successful as a theatre-owner before creating Mayer Productions in Los Angeles. Although at one point he was the highest paid man in America, Mayer was ousted from MGM after the merge.

As you can see, there are jews behind nearly every clapperboard in the film industry. But when we make movies, it’s not just about producing films. It’s about touching the lives of millions of Americans, regardless of race, religion, age, or political orientation. Specifically, jews in the film industry tell a common narrative of escaping poverty and oppression to achieve one’s dreams and create a legacy that outlives one’s life.

It’s about overcoming one’s past to create a community for the future. More than anything, it’s about being Jewish.

CONGRATS NICOLE SCHUSSMAN Editor in Chief 2019-2020

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How to Celebrate You’ve heard of Purim, right? It’s a day we dress up, feast, and listen to stories. Sound familiar?

For some, Purim may just be another day to dress up, eat and socialize. But Purim isn’t just about the triangle-shaped cookies (hamantashen), the parties, or the noise-making (I apologize to my parents for the many headaches I must have caused around Purim with noise-makers).

Purim is a commemorative holiday which celebrates the miraculous salvation of the Jewish people in ancient Persia which took place more than two millennia ago on the 14th day of the Jewish month of Adar. (Shoutout to the one and only, Queen Esther!)

This year, we celebrate Purim on Wednesday night, March 20th until Thursday, March 21st with gifts of food, charity, feasting, Megillah readings and lots of joy. (The Megillah is the scroll containing the story of Purim from the Book of Esther.)

Here’s the lowdown on Purim so you can partake in all the festivities! (No FOMO allowed!)

By Negeen Arasteh

Shabbat Zachor–The Shabbat of Remembrance

Shabbat is a day of rest on the 7th day of the week of the Jewish calendar. It begins with candle-lighting a few minutes before sunset and ends when three stars light the sky on Saturday evening. On Shabbat, many Jews around the world refrain from work-related activities and spend time with their family and friends.

On the Shabbat before Purim, which occurs on March 16th this year, we read a special Torah portion in the synagogue called Zachor (“Remember”). This portion reminds us of the deeds of the Amalekites and their baseless hatred which inspired their plot to destroy the Jewish people. In this Torah portion, we are instructed to eradicate the evil of Amalek from the earth.

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Ta’anit Es

Machatzit HaShekel–The “Half ” Coins On the afternoon of the “Fast of Esther” or before reading the Megillah, we traditionally give to charity with three coins in half denominations (three half-dollar coins work) to commemorate the half-shekel given by each Jew as as part of the communal offerings in the Holy Temple (Beit HaMikdash).

On the 13th dawn until n Esther and th the Purim st I know what that we surv worry! It is o nant ladies, n are exempt).

Some tips th Stay hydrate and drink lo fast begins.

Wake up ear ing before th and chug wa something sm and filling (I half an hour before).

Ha’Arba Mitzvot– The Four Good Deeds

Lehazin le Megillah – Listen to the Megillah: All you need to do is to head over to your local synagogue to hear the whole Purim story from a handwritten scroll of the Book of Esther.

You need to hear it twice: once during Purim night (March 20th), and then again on Purim day (March 21st). The custom is to make noise using noise-makers such as graggers or stomp on the floor whenever Haman’s (the Purim story villain) name is mentioned.

Pay attention to the words because this is a situation where every word counts! If you miss even one word, you’ll need to listen to the whole Megillah all over again. (Also, be aware that if you’re talking in synagogue during the reading of Megillah you can and will be shushed.)

Matanot LaEvyonim– Give to the needy Since Haman tried to kill all of us Jews together, one of the central themes of Purim is Jewish unity. In the spirit of unity, we make special efforts to care for the needy.

All you need to do is give money or food to two needy people on Wednesday, the 21st, during the daytime. If you can’t find people, often synagogues will collect money for this purpose or you can put two coins in a Tzedakah box (charity box).

On Purim we give to whomever asks regardless of their bank account balance or status (Pro tip: Keep some spare change or bars of food with you during Purim day so you can fulfill this mitzvah easily).

Mishloach Manot– Send gifts of Food to Friends Costumes?

To celebrate friendship and community, we send packages of two or more ready-to-eat So where do the costumes come in to food items to our friends during the daylight hours of Purim (March 21st). It is prefplay? Good question. The miracle erable to hand-deliver the food gifts to your friends through a third-party because of Purim was disguised as if it then you’re helping them partake in a good deed. And don’t forget to leave a happened through natural note! It doesn’t count if they don’t know that the gift came from you. events. So the costumes In Persia, the traditional custom was to send ajil (mixed nuts in Persian) are traditionally made and halva or other Persian shirini (sweets). to allude to how G-d According to Poopa Dweck–an expert on Syrian Jewish cooking– helped us during their tradition is to prepare ma’moul (a marshmallow– dipped, the Purim story nut stuffed pastry) and kar’bij (a nut-stuffed pastry). There’s but through a so many awesome types of ways to get creative with these “hidden” gifts of food so feel free to make a themed basket for way. your mishloach manot and watch your friends faces light up!

Seudat Purim– Have a Purim Feast During the daytime on the 21st, celebrate Purim with a festive meal. It is tradition to begin the meal before sundown and continue late into the evening.

Decorations, wine, meat and bread are are staples of the sther–The Fast of Esther Purim feast. Feel free to of Adar (Wednesday, March 20th, 2019), we fast from invite people over to nightfall to commemorate the fasting of Queen celebrate, or join a he Jewish people, which happens a few times in big Purim Feast. tory as they pray to G-d to save them.

And most Purim Katan– Mini Purim t you must be thinking. We are celebrating importantOn years such as this one when it is a Jewish leap vived, why do we need to fast? Don’t ly, have year, we have two months of Adar. In this case, only a minor and short fast (pregfun! we celebrate Purim in the second Adar and nursing moms, and sickly people during the first Adar we have a tiny Purim . or Purim Katan. There’s no real set way hat may help you: to celebrate this; however, most ed the week of the fast people try to add a little extra joy ots of water before the to this day. So try doing something that gives you joy on rly in the mornthis day like cooking he fast begins Overall, now you’re armed and your favorite dish ater /eat ready to take on this Purim seaor watching your mall son with your new knowledge. favorite movie I do with some r Happy Purim, Everyone! friends.

A special thanks to Rabbi Turkoff and Rabbi Goldfarb from my seminary days at Machon Alte, Tzfat, Israel. Without notes from their classes, this guide wouldn’t be possible.

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D’var Theory: Evolution of the Mask, Physical to Social

By Ben Balazs

Few things bring more delight to me than festivities in the Jewish tradition. Among them, Purim nestles itself comfortably as the chief party animal, and I think it achieves this with the wonderful inclusion of costumes.

Dressing up as your favorite meme, celebrity, inside joke, or prominent T.V. or movie character is a ton of fun, especially when the time comes to compare costumes with friends and family. What I plan to explore here is the development of the idea of wearing a disguise, as well as its purpose in a postmodern space.

Beyond celebration and hobby, the disguise has become a psychiatric phenomenon in the last few decades.

Researcher Robert Jay Lifton explains in his academic journal article “The Protean Man” that there exists a new kind of individual “characterized by constant shifts in identification and belief, and results from such broad factors as the velocity of historical change, [and] the revolution in mass media.” The result of these changes is the crafting of a sociopolitical mask.

Social encounters today are multidimensional, meaning that beyond face-to-face contact, we interact with each other using video, audio, and web platforms like social media. The result is an individual who communicates with more people than they ever have, meaning new tools are needed to compensate for the fact that we now socialize with communities outside our family and immediate neighborhood.

That tool is the aforementioned sociopolitical mask. From one clique to another, we exchange masks to meet the needs of the people in those groups.

But is it unhealthy for a person to never settle on a distinct personality, opting

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photo via flickr.com

instead to adapt to their numerous social groups?

The New York Times published a review of Lifton’s findings where they addressed those very questions. Author Richard A. Shweder wrote, “A person with a protean self is a ‘willful eclectic’ who draws strength from the variety and disorderliness of historical change and upheaval. His or her integrity is defined by an ability to stay on the move between partial, incomplete and irreconcilable realities.”

This is to argue that the fragmented self is not only healthy, but exceptional.

More often than not, we applaud those who can quickly adapt to new discourses.

Antithetically, writes Shweder, Lifton describes the “fundamentalist self… a consistency freak who avoids psychological fragmentation by defending the world against evil, embracing a totalizing world view and looking forward to the end of time.”

This character is more prevalent in America’s current political climate.

There are growing numbers of diehard lefties and righties who hail their beliefs as ultimate truths, disregarding any dissenters as misguided, ignorant, or sinister. Perhaps as Lifton implies,

those who assert a lifestyle that is determinative are also committing to an idea that the world functions in a linear manner - a mindset unsupported by the real world.

Lifton’s concept of the Protean is meant to stabilize, not scatter, our social identities, even going far enough to call this new approach one of “self-process” - a shared understanding that humanity is at its best when it allows room for change or growth through trial and error. His work is also a warning to those who only ever wear one mask, in that they are electing to limit their potential as socially complex creatures.

Keeping this knowledge at hand, take Purim as an opportunity to consider the roles you play in your life, and break down where you were a year ago in your social interactions with where you are now. Pin the nuances and changes you made to your social mask – the clothes you wore, your vocabulary, your politics, your interests and hobbies – and you’ll find that the spots in which one has explored more options and alternatives is probably also the place in which one’s social prowess has significantly improved.

Purim - Too Morbid?

By Grayson Peters

Like Ha’Am News on Facebook fb.me/HaAmUCLA for current updates on Jewish and UCLA news.

“They tried to kill us. We survived.

Let’s eat.”

Many of our holidays deal with this same progression of events. Jews were confronted with an existential threat, we surmounted it, and now we indulge in symbolically relevant dishes. But what does this continued retelling and celebration of our nearbrushes with death say about us as a people?

Purim is an especially morbid holiday if one pauses to really consider it. Threatened by Haman’s plot to exterminate all Jews in Persia, the Jews are narrowly saved when King Asaherus’s wife Esther reveals herself to be secretly Jewish and exposes Haman’s conspiracy.

Having just escaped genocide, the Jews launch a preemptive war against anti-semites, supposedly killing 75,000.

This would not have been a happy moment in our history, and upon closer examination, the way we celebrate it seems questionable.

Dressing up in costumes (including as Haman) and getting soused (a mitzvah, according to the rabbis) is a strange way to commemorate the near-extinction of our people, especially given our long history of tangible persecution. Imagine, for a moment, if we commemorated our peoples’ survival of the Holocaust by getting drunk and dressing up in various Nazi-themed uniforms.

Imagine if, instead of eating tricornered hamantaschen pastries in the shape of Haman’s hat, it was traditional to bake edible swastikas once a year. See where I’m going?

An obvious rebuttal would be that the events of the Purim story took place in the 4th Century BC and are thus far removed from the modern day and that, moreover, all of those persecuted Persian Jews survived. But these traditions don’t exist in a vacuum, and it’s fair to ask whether trivializing an attempted genocide in antiquity is wholly appropriate in the post-Holocaust era.

Purim actually has a long history as a deeply-felt story of resilience, even during the Holocaust itself.

According to one account, a frommemory recital of the Megillat Esther in Buchenwald “was accompanied by spontaneous singing and dancing.” Rabbi Irving Greenberg characterized it as “the holiday for the post-Holocaust world.” This interpretation holds that Purim is a celebration not of our losses, but of our enduring survival.

So, how should we approach the costumes, drinking, and apparent goofiness of the holiday’s traditions?

My answer is to simply embrace it.

Why should we not celebrate with all appropriate irreverence the repeated failures of those who have tried to annihilate us? In my mind, there is no greater disrespect possible than caricaturing the genocidal foes of our past.

But keep in mind that, while wearing tri-cornered hats under the influence may make for a great evening, there’s more to Purim than jello shots and wacky costumes.

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Five Great Last Minute Purim Costumes Ideas

By Alyssa Bonchick The Jewish holiday Purim begins the evening of Wednesday, March 20th and ends the evening of Thursday, March 21st.

Purim celebrates the Jewish people being saved after the Jewish people are saved from Haman’s evil plot to kill all of the Jewish people. Purim is known as the “Jewish Halloween”. The Jewish people are instructed to read the Megillah which recounts the story of Purim, give money and gifts to a least two poor people, drink alcohol, eat hamantaschen, and dress up in costumes.

There are many different reasons and explanations as to why people dress up on Purim. One popular reason involves the coincidences and miracles that occurred throughout this time in history. Many of the characters in the story seemed to appear in the right place at the right time. But, through all of this, G-d is nowhere to be found. His name isn’t even mentioned in the Megillah. Just as G-d was hidden we hide ourselves with costumes to commemorate the miracle that was the salvation of the Jewish people at this time. We want to remember that G-d always there, even if it may not appear as so.

To join in on the celebration, here is a list of easy, classic, and fun costumes to help you get in the purim spirit. Although this list includes some Purim costumes, you can dress up as anything to clebrate this hoiday!

Hamantaschen Head to your local craft store or Amazon and buy giant pieces of felt or craft foam and cut out two triangles, one for the front and one for the back of you. Put a piece of colored felt or foam in the center to represent the jelly.

Use duct tape or string to attach it to your body.

Image Credit: Pinterest

Purim Grogger Two piece of poster board can easily be attached to the front and back of you with string. Use markers and pencil to decorate them with Purim symbols and colors. Add a paper towel can be attached to represent the handle.

Haman The villain, Haman, is most famous for his three-cornered hat.

This link gives you easy steps to make the hat just using construction paper: https://biblebeltbalabusta. com/2013/02/16/easy-haman-hat/

Israeli Soldier Bring out your army green cargo pants or even an IDF shirt to play the part of the soldier. A hat and toy gun can be the perfect accessory to complete the look.

Hamantaschen Baker Pull out a cooking apron, sprinkle some flour on your face, and carry a rolling pin or some hamantaschens to add a finishing touch. Image Credit: Walmart All Photos Via Wikicommons

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Image Credit: Pinterest

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