Ha'Am Spring 2014 - Relationships between... by Ha'Am: UCLA's Jewish Newsmagazine

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Spring 2014 Aviv 5774

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“Just as the person has within him the power to grow, so the tree has the power to grow.”

118 Kerckhoff Hall 308 Westwood Plaza Los Angeles, CA 90024

(Tz’enah Ur’enah on Deuteronomy 20:19)

The tree’s interconnected branches help it to flourish and demonstrate that relationships enrich our world.

Relationships

between...

Page 2 Spring 2014

[Opening]

Table of Contents Opinion

4-5

The relationship between Nature and Humanity Disney’s Bears: a children’s film deserving of criticism .............. 4-5 by Moshe Kahn

Special Report

6-7

The relationship between prices and Passover On the up and up: is Passover price inflation real? .............. 6-7 by Yona Remer

The relationship between words and the unknown MadLibs: Jewish Bruin Edition .............................................. 7 by Yona Remer

Cover Photo by Talia Kamdjou

Jewish Society

8-9

The relationship between language and anti-Semitism Matar judíos: fizzy lemonade or the call to kill Jews? .............. 8 by Devorah Friedman

The relationship between dating and shomer negiah Shomer negiah: a touchy subject .......................................... 9 by Briana Begelfer

10-12

Feature The relationship between Jewish educators and students Inside the mind of Kerry Chaplin, rabbinic intern at Hillel ... 10-11 by Tessa Nath

The relationship between Lag Ba’Omer and the soul Lag Ba’Omer: holiday of the collective soul ........................... 12 by Angelina Ellyason

Game: Lingua Frankel

Many Yiddish words have crept their way into the English vernacular, which poses many potential problems: · If you consider Yiddish a galus language, you may see its survival as undesirable. · If you consider Yiddish an extremely sacred language, then you may not want goyim using the holy words. · If you want to boycott all Jewish-related entities, you are definitely not worthy of using the word mentsch. · The pronunciations and spelling of Yiddish words transliterated into English are typically ambiguous. · Some of the words may not be in ‘auto-correct’ on your phone. In order to address these concerns, we need to come up with English equivalents of typical Yiddish phrases. The equivalent may be an English word that is already in use, a portmanteau word (a combination of multiple words), or an entirely new word that follows the phonetic rules of English.

Please email your submissions to haam@media.ucla.edu and the Ha’Am staff will judge the translations. For each word, the winner will receive a Ha’Am shirt, and all participants will receive a Ha’Am pen. Mentsch

_________________

Shpiel _________________ Shlep _________________ Shtup _________________ Farbrengen

_________________

Freilich

_________________

Chutzpah

_________________

Shmuck

_________________

Page 3

[Opening]

Ha’Am Spring 2014 Aviv 5774

Editor-in-Chief Tessa Nath Managing Editor Devorah Friedman Business Manager Elyssa Schlossberg App Manager Nicole Rudolph Content Editor Yona Remer Copy Editors Simone Dvoskin Nicole Rudolph Elyssa Schlossberg Layout Editor Nicole Rudolph

Spring 2014

About Ha’Am Ha’Am is the official student-run Jewish newsmagazine at UCLA. We cater to a mainly college-age audience, with the distinct goal of uniting diverse Jewish communities through intelligent debate, maintaining the Talmudic tradition that has sustained our people throughout the millennia. We seek the unique Jewish voice in ageold arguments and perspectives, highlighting what makes the Jews of today exceptional through our articles, personality profiles, and pro-con discussions. We celebrate the intersections of religious and secular life that exist within each Jewish student and writer. This isn’t your grandmother’s Judaism — this is Ha’Am today. (Please note that individual opinions expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Ha’Am as a whole.)

Ha’Am is always looking for talented writers, editors, designers, photographers, illustrators, sales representatives, creative thinkers, and skilled debaters. Look us up on Facebook, Twitter, or e-mail haam@media.ucla.edu to give us your feedback or to get more involved. Or visit our website at www.haam.org for even more articles.

Art Editor Talia Kamdjou Staff Writers Briana Begelfer Birtu Belete Angelina Ellyason Moshe Kahn Illustrators Briana Begelfer Angelina Ellyason Ha’Am Newsagazine 118 Kerckhoff Hall 308 Westwood Plaza Los Angeles, CA 90024

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Download our FREE iPhone app, and visit us online at haam.org The UCLA Communications Board has a media grievance procedure for resolving grievances against any of its publications. For a copy of the complete procedure, contact Student Media UCLA at 118 Kerckhoff Hall, 310 825-2787, or director@media.ucla.edu. The UCLA Communications Board fully supports the University of California’s policy on non-discrimination. The student media reserves the right to reject or modify advertising portraying disability, age, sex, or sexual orientation. It is the expectation of the Communications Board that the student media will exercise the right fairly and with sensitivity. Any person believing that any advertising in the student media violates the Board’s policy on non-discrimination should communicate his or her complaints in writing to the Business Manager, (name of student medium), 118 Kerckhoff Hall, Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90024. For assistance with housing discrimination problems, call: UCLA Housing Office (310) 825-4491, or the Housing Rights Center (213) 387-8400. All opinions expressed in this newsmagazine are solely that of the author, not of the Ha’Am Editorial Board or the UCLA Communications Board. Letters to the editor should be directed to haam@media.ucla.edu

Page 4

[Opinion]

Spring 2014

a children’s film deserving of critism Moshe Kahn Staff Writer

As much as I hate to admit it, I am an urbanite. I enjoy spending time away from the city, but going on a hike is somewhat of a hassle. So when my friend told me about a nature film she was screening at UCLA with the help of the Campus Events Commission, I jumped at the opportunity. I got to view all of the world’s splendors and remain comfortably cross-legged in a climate-controlled auditorium!

The movie is Disneynature’s Bears, which chronicles the first year in the life of two baby cubs in Alaska. The mother nurtures and guides them, teaching them how to survive in the wild while protecting them from various external threats. The story is captivating and the shots are breathtaking, so superficially the movie was enjoyable. But there was something gnawing at me while I watched it, and I walked away feeling somewhat robbed. Since then, I have been thinking about my issues with the movie, and

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homogeneity (among other faults). The new crop of Disney animations seems to be aimed at correcting this. However, these issues really stem from Disney’s tendency to reduce complex issues for the sake of fitting a story into its cheap plastic mold, which has the following characteristics: a clean story arch consisting of a strong dose of goofyness, characters the audience can relate to (the heroes), and other characters (the villains) who attempt to ruin the day of the heroes — all of whom may be easily turned into merchandise. If you do away with the intricacies of an issue as nuanced as gender, then you are bound to upset people

who pay close attention to these issues. It is difficult to imagine Disney solving this except by dissolving itself, and I [...] Disney’s tendency to would surely not advocate doing this. The Disney enterprise reduce complex issues is valuable insofar as it is an art form, a for the sake of fitting a commercial hub, and an inspirational attitude that uplifts many people. And bestory into its cheap sides, Disney is so closely linked to the plastic mold [...]” American ethos from which it emerged that if it would collapse, a different enhow to properly express them. tity would inevitably fill the void. In the past, Disney has been blamed This is not to say that Disney is off the for reinforcing gender roles and racial hook, but rather that Disney is not de-

serving of wanton criticism. If one wants to truly fix the problem that Disney poses, one would have to change American culture such that Disney would become irrelevant. But that is a difficult undertaking. Instead, I will attempt to point out potential problems that arise when applying the stereotypical Disney formula to Nature documentaries. There is a certain level of reverence which Nature commands. No matter how self-involved a person is, the sudden embrace of a sweeping landscape is mesmerizing. How long does this feeling last, before it is flittered away by the human symbol system and emerges as the words ‘that’s beautiful?’ After the words are uttered, there is no returning Nature to its former glory, for it has been anthropomorphized. What becomes important about Nature is not Nature in its own right, but Nature as humans perceive it. Contact with Nature is contact with that which is the

to that which humans can relate to, then this balance is offset, resulting in the unimpeded swelling of the ego. The movie Bears does not stop at this reduction, but goes even further in reducing Nature to that which Disney can relate to. The movie begins with shots of the newly born babies, but just as one begins to wonder at the image with which one is unfamiliar, the narrator’s voice breaks the moment. The narrator, it should be

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The bears have become inconsequential. What matters is the spectacle which their growls and chases provide and the laughs evoked at their expense.”

mentioned, is John C. Reilly, a comedian who typically plays ‘stupid’ characters and whose voice is unmistakably silly. The narration constantly projects human thoughts, desires and activities onto the bears, which is the source of a lot of humor. Then the movie ends, and alongside the credits run “behindthe-scenes” clips, in which the

same and yet totally different from ourselves. In this respect, Nature simultaneously instills one with a sense of fullness (I am part of something so vast!) as well as filmmakers are revealed. humility (I am a tiny entity with enemies The bears have become inconsequenenveloping me!). If Nature is reduced tial. What matters is the spectacle which

Page 5

[Opinion]

Spring 2014

“Elisha and the Bears” by Panistheman, 2009 (Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License)

their growls and chases provide and the laughs evoke at their expense. The story happens to involve bears, but it is only because we humans are able to use our tools to command these animals that anything useful is derived. It is the old story of the might and power of Humanity, of our ability to dominate the world and all its inhabitants. It is the story that Prophets have been arguing against for thousands of years. Elisha was one such prophet, and a story is recounted in Kings II, which pertains to the topic at hand. The waters of Jericho were unpleasant, and Elisha is called upon to heal them. He does so, and as he exits the city a group of children mock his baldness. Elisha curses these children, and two bears exit the nearby woods and eat forty-two children. As with any myth (a term I use with reverence, not derision), the message is occluded through symbolism. The good myth is one which is able to withstand many different interpretations, and so although many before me have shared

their interpretations of the Elisha myth, I will nevertheless attempt my own, which relies on a certain interpretation of blessings and curses that I must first explain. Blessings and curses are spoken by Prophets. As a non-Prophet, I cannot say what powers lie within them and whether these actually cause changes in the world. But from my perspective, these

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the children of Jericho, he is not enchanting them with a mystical spell, but is rather pointing out a flaw in their character. The children have no sense of awe, and the prophet, who prevented their city’s destruction, is simply seen as an old bald man. The children are allowed to run free at the outskirts of the city and do as they please. One can imagine such children

I am afraid that ours is a culture of superficial children who lack the capability of perceiving depth.”

verbalizations do not affect the cosmos, just as verbalizing the beauty of a sunset does not affect the sunset. What they do is provide a window into the mind of the Prophet. The Prophet is one who has a unique perspective and notices that which would otherwise go unnoticed. So as opposed to the verbalization of the beauty of a sunset, which is a tautology to anyone with eyes, the verbalization of a blessing or curse provides new insight. Taken in this light, when Elisha curses

playing in the forest and encountering bears. They have no concept of danger, so they taunt the bears and laugh, with tragically fatal consequences. I am afraid that ours is a culture of superficial children who lack the capability of perceiving depth. These days it is not Prophets who are forecasting our doom, but rather scientists. Whereas Prophets are upright moral characters who provide visions of the future as well as the motivation to work toward or away from it,

scientists are simply conveyors of statistics. Human beings are not motivated by statistics, and no matter how many bar graphs one places in front of someone, his or her feelings about a deeply personal issue will largely remain unchanged. If the world is simply for our enjoyment, then why bother restraining ourselves? Only by looking beyond the human perspective may one learn to truly appreciate Nature, and without a true appreciation of Nature, its preservation is meaningless and its destruction inevitable.

Page 6 Spring 2014

[Special Report]

On the up and up: ‫פסח‬

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is Passover price inflation real?

Illustration by Tessa Nath

Yona Remer

Content Editor

Perhaps no holiday tests the Jewish imagination to the same extent as does Passover. Each year, irrespective of locale, Jews are asked to explore their

ten creates unpredictable and seemingly paradoxical outcomes. One of the many vexing ironies in contemporary Judaism is that for a holiday that seeks to rec-

rigorous dimension, with the restriction large sample size and have a considerof flour, grains and legumes (for Ashke- able margin of error, they certainly renazic Jews). In many regards, the same flect many of the frustrations Jews face economic factors that keep kosher food in preparing for Passover. For a holiday products relatively expensive are ampli- that spans eight days, including four days that revolve around large family[...] in monitoring a basket of goods that bear seemingly fied each and every Passover. Recent efforts to monitor prices at oriented meals, even the most marginal no qualitative difference between Passover kashrut two local and popular Los Angeles ko- changes in price fluctuations can have policy and regular non-Passover kashrut, including Edam sher markets yielded some not-too-sur- serious consequences. prising results. For one, Passover price Largely insulated from the greater Cheese, a pound of Chicken, tomato sauce, a 2 liter hikes were seemingly product specific. Jewish community, the UCLA Jewish bottle of Coca-Cola and a tin pan, the Passover price was Nevertheless, in monitoring a basket community is often immune from many just above 15% more expensive at $21.44 compared with of goods that bear seemingly no qual- Jewish-specific problems. For starters, itative difference between Passover organizations and Jewish infrastructure non-holiday pricing of $18.21.” kashrut policy and regular non-Pass- on campus ensure that kosher Shabbat over kashrut, including Edam Cheese, meals are provided free of charge for ancestral heritage by recreating the reate its historic moment of destitution, a pound of Chicken, tomato sauce, a 2 all. However, Passover marks a clear Passover story that traces the Jewish ex- the costs of doing so are overly cumber- liter bottle of Coca-Cola and a tin pan, departure from this policy. This Passcursion from bondage to liberation. In some. the Passover price was just above 15% over, students were asked to cover the fact, nearly all Passover rituals serve to As a religion most commonly associcommemorate the process of liberation, ated with laws and enactments, Judaism Not only does Passover require incessant cooking, and such as the abstention of leavened bread boasts a robust set of dietary restricin exchange for Matzah and the neces- tions. These restrictions place severe often entertaining guests, but it also demands that those sity of eating the bitter herb as a testa- limitations on what and where practiccelebrating purchase entirely new cooking ingredients ment of the harshness of slavery. With ing Jews can eat. They also serve as without the ability to fallback on pre-Passover cooking changing times, attitudes and norms, a frequent source of resentment from supplies, such as spices and oils.” the celebration of Passover has, remark- cost-sensitive Jews, who see the pracably, remained a potent source of mean- tice of keeping kosher as an expensive ing for Jews everywhere; however, as albeit necessary requirement. And if more expensive at $21.44 compared with partial-costs of meals at Hillel and ancient traditions interact with the mod- the prospect of keeping kosher seems non-holiday pricing of $18.21. While Chabad, ranging anywhere from $15 ern world, the interplay of the two of- daunting, Passover adds an even more the results are lacking a sufficiently to $18 for lunches and $18 to $25 for

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Page 7

[Special Report] dinners. While many students familiar with the free Shabbat meal policy saw the deviation as troubling, the problem harkens back to the market forces that seemingly drive the cost of Passover food higher. Inasmuch as it seems expedient to point fingers — blaming grocers, manufacturers and even the organizations that supply rabbinic approval of food products — the true source of overly expensive food lies in a series of unique economic factors specific to Passover. For one, along with the celebration of Passover is an inherent growth in demand for foodstuffs. Not only does Passover require incessant cooking, and often entertaining guests, but it also demands that those celebrating purchase entirely new cooking ingredients without the ability to fallback on pre-Passover cooking supplies, such as spices and oils. This means that not only is the typical household cooking more for Passover, but it also needs an atypically large amount of supplies and ingredients. Therefore, basic laws of demand and supply would seemingly place upward pressure on prices. Moreover, relative to non-kosher foods, kosher foods appear extraordinarily expensive. This apparent contrast can also be explained in economic terms. The American

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food manufacturing and processing industry is remarkably efficient, utilizing a concept economists like to call ‘economies of scale’ — whereby the production of large quantities of anything is done more cheaply than the production of a few. Much in the same way, Nabisco can cook a batch of cookies at

Spring 2014 However, the grocers are also intimately involved in the process of setting prices. In perhaps the most Bazaar-like shopping experience in America, whereby a cacophony of foreign languages and exotic smells bombard customers, shopping in any of the kosher markets that line

Relative to the American food industry and even that of the annual and regular kosher industry, Passover food represents a much smaller and constricted market. It is an industry consisting of only several million consumers and lasts just over a single week, ensuring that food processors and manufacturers cannot utilize economies of scale to reduce prices.” a fraction of the cost it would take to do so at home. This same principle can be applied to Passover food production. Relative to the American food industry and even that of the annual and regular kosher industry, Passover food represents a much smaller and constricted market. It is an industry consisting of only several million consumers and lasts just over a single week, ensuring that food processors and manufacturers cannot utilize economies of scale to reduce prices.

the intersection of Pico and Robertson is rightfully a unique experience in its own right. Passover is no different. Inasmuch as the discordance and chaos of Passover shopping might leave a shopper with the impression of disorganization and bedlam on behalf of the grocers, prices are actually set by seemingly complex market interactions. On Passover, grocers take considerable risks to ensure sufficient inventory for shoppers. Embedded in the higher-

MadLibs Jewish Bruin Edition

than-average pricing is the fact that grocers are often stuck with surplus Passover food after Passover, when the demand is just about gone altogether. Ultimately, the question remains: what response does a 17% price hike in kosher for Passover food warrant? At its most rudimentary level, price gauging and profiteering seem like probable culprits. However, with further inspection, the mechanisms that control the cost of food are far more complex than initially perceived. It is important to understand that the nexus of Judaism and contemporary society has the tendency to create many peculiarities. Similarly, yet on the other end of the spectrum, stands a report from the Wall Street Journal of the exorbitant and luxurious Passover retreats that depict the extravagance and often six figure price tags of renowned Passover getaway programs. These retreats, too, are reflective of the strange condition of contemporary Judaism. While there is no fault in continuing to kvetch over rising prices, it is important to not let the seemingly unreasonable conditions around us deflect our attention away from the meaning of Passover. After all, spending a bit more for a holiday that asks you to consider your history of having less seems fitting.

How to Play: Grab a couple of friends and a pen. One person reads out the type of word (written in blue), and the remaining players shout out words to fill in the blank. The key is not to look at what will fit in the phrase. Let your imagination surprise you. Once all the blanks are filled, read your creation and enjoy! Submit your best MadLibs to haam@media.ucla.edu. The top MadLib team will win free Ha’Am t-shirts!

You know you have been at Hillel too long when ________________(noun) begins to ________________ (verb) at ________________ (person in room). So you grab your ________________ (adjective) backpack and head to Powell to ________________ (verb) at a table. You notice that the girl sitting next to you smells like ________________ (noun) and you kindly tell her to ________________ (verb). You are running late for class, so you quickly ________________ (verb) from Powell to your class. You stumble in the room, and your professors asks you why ________________ (noun) are ________________ (adjective). You explain to her that you were at a Party With Jews event the night before and forgot that ________________ (proper noun, plural) are ________________ (adjective) because you had too much ________________ (substance). You make it back to to the Hill and your roommate asks you not to ________________ (verb) too much in the room.You are surprised to see he is a wearing a ________________ (noun) around his ________________ (body part). Oh! What a ________________ (noun)! Just another ________________ (adjective) day at ________________ (adjective) UCLA.

Page 8 Spring 2014

[Jewish Society]

Matar judíos: fizzy lemonade or the call to kill Jews? Devorah Friedman Managing Editor

louse, France as anti-Semitic weakens an accusation of violent anti-Semitism. In this vein, the use of any of the aforementioned phrases could be categorized as insensitive and offensive, but accusations of anti-Semitism should be reserved for actual, blatant crimes. It is difficult to limit personal language use, especially given the freedom of speech prized in the US and the remainder of the Western world. Whether or not one believes that calling a fungus “Jew’s ear” or a noisy gathering “Jewish synagogue” is anti-Semitic, we should all agree that it is better to avoid potentially insulting phrases. Perhaps it is time to kill the phrase rather than “kill the Jew.” ___________

With thanks to Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan and Stanley L. Friedman.

a t

a r

Illustration by Tessa Nath

M a t a r J u d í o s : “ t o k i l l J e w s ”

his or her intention would be to use the precise phrase, rather than another, even if the person’s motive was not to be anti-Semitic. Instead of “killing Jews,” for example, residents of León could simply “drink lemonade” as the rest of us do, or gardening enthusiasts could discuss the merits of “spiderwort” and “dayflower” instead of the “Wandering Jew.” However, one could also argue that use of the aforementioned phrases, while insensitive, is not actually anti-Semitic. It is highly unlikely that a cheering crowd or person with a penchant for gardening intends to be anti-Semitic or even offensive. After all, language is only vocal communication using arbitrary sounds in common ways and with common meanings. One might say that just as a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, so too would the act of drinking carbonated lemonade be no different no matter how it was communicated in speech. And even though “matar judíos” in particular might be construed as offensive regardless of how many centuries have passed since mobs gathered to attack Jews before Easter (as might “knishta Juhiya”), the other phrases might not be associated with anti-Semitism. For example, the word “jewel” contains no reference to Jews but rather comes from the Old French jouel and the Latin jocale; “Jewbush” could be thought to be derived from a similar language corruption. Furthermore, the labeling of phrases of anti-Semitic origin as being anti-Semitic themselves could potentially be offensive. One might argue that such reference constitutes an abuse of language, since describing both the use of insensitive language and an act such as the 2012 shooting of Jews in Tou-

phrases — their frequency of use and why they are still in use, for example — but one of the more pertinent questions involves the nature of anti-Semitism: does a behavior or attitude have to be deliberately antiSemitic to qualify as such? The Anti-Defamation League defines anti-Semitism as “[t]he belief or behavior hostile toward Jews just because they are Jewish.” The exact definition of antiSemitism is easy enough to understand in abstract, but what actually constitutes antiSemitism is far hazier in nature. From a legal point of view, the classification of the use of any of these phrases depends on the importance one assigns to intent. In Jewish law, intent to commit a crime is necessary for conviction on a severe matter, such as one which would incur capital punishment. A prime example is that of the accidental killer who is exiled to one of the cities of refuge, as outlined in Numbers 35 and Deuteronomy 19. A deliberate murderer is subject to the death penalty; an accidental killer who is judged responsible due to severe carelessness must pay a steep fee to the deceased’s family, among other penalties (such as a possible death penalty); and an accidental killer who is judged responsible for negligence is exiled to a city of refuge to flee blood vengeance from the deceased’s family, until the death of the High Priest in Jerusalem, at which point the killer may safely leave the city. Intent here is coupled with the degree of negligence involved, both of which are determined by a Jewish court of law, or beit din. While use of a historically anti-Semitic phrase is in no way comparable to the death of a human being, one could also apply this logic. It therefore seems that the accidental user of anti-Semitic language would be held responsible for his or her language choice. However, this would not be considered anti-Semitic to the same degree that deliberate, antagonistic anti-Semitism would. Under Anglo-American law, intent must be proven in order to convict someone of criminal charges. In general, criminal intent is simply the intent to commit the action in question, whether or not the person was aware of its being criminal activity. In application to phrases of anti-Semitic origin, a person could thus be considered anti-Semitic for using such a phrase, since

León, Spain: a young man out with some friends decides to indulge in the tradition of drinking spiked, carbonated lemonade during Holy Week (the week preceding and culminating in Easter). “Let’s go get some lemonade,” he suggests. “Let’s go kill Jews.” It is very unlikely that our Spaniard truly meant what he said; after all, matar judíos is, in addition to its literal meaning of “to kill Jews,” the León vernacular for “to drink carbonated, spiked lemonade during Holy Week.” The strange usage is rooted in Middle-Age pogroms in Spain during Holy Week. Eventually, around 1320 CE, authorities decided to permit the consumption of a soft alcoholic beverage, overriding the usual prohibition against alcoholic drinks during Holy Week in the hopes that people forming mobs would drink themselves into a stupor and be unable to assemble against the Jewish communities. The drink evolved into carbonated lemonade and the original description of the traditional Holy Week practice was applied to the drink’s name instead. Numerous other vernacular phrases of anti-Semitic origin exist in languages other than Spanish, especially among common plant names. For example, in English, numerous plants are known as “Wandering Jew” plants, named for their tendency to “wander” everywhere through vigorous growth and for their output of long tendrils. One of the household names given to the succulent plant Euphorbia tithymaloides is “Jewbush;” whether this is related to its use as a powerful emetic is unclear. A tree fungus, Auricularia auricula-judae, is known as “Jew’s ear,” likely from the phrase “Judas’ ear,” as it is particularly common to the type of tree that Judas Iscariot supposedly hanged himself from. According to UCLA Hebrew Professor Dr. Yona Sabar, in Kurdish the phrase knishta Juhiya, or “Jewish synagogue,” is commonly used to refer to a noisy or unruly gathering. Even the chant often used to cheer or applaud, “Hip, hip hooray,” is described in Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable as having been corrupted from the phrase “Hep, hep,” an acronym for Hierosolyma est perdita, or “Jerusalem is lost” which was chanted during German Jew-hunts during the Middle Ages. Many questions can be raised by these

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[Jewish Society]

Spring 2014

Shomer negiah: a touchy subject Briana Begelfer Staff Writer

When word got out, I braced myself for some interesting reactions (and lots of questions). They ranged from “Wait, are you serious?” to “That’s weird, but cool I guess” to one of my personal favorites from a guy pal, “Ah, so you think my hugs are too intense, huh? Too shmexy?” As I tried articulating an explanation for my newlyadopted change, my grandma listened intently and then said something along the lines of prosta ne normalniya, the Russian equivalent of “simply crazy.” All this crazy talk is about shomer negiah (observance of touch), which, in short, stipulates that guys and girls don’t touch unless they’re close family or married (there are exceptions for medical purposes and emergency situations as well). Traditional Judaism — an astute observer of human interpersonal relationships — puts a far more powerful emphasis on physical touch than many of us do in a more secular lifestyle. At the end of the day, it is all about perspective. This is one of them. In a lecture at Neve Yerushalayim, a school for women in Jerusalem, Rabbi Gallendauer addressed the topic of shomer negiah by saying, “In Judaism, we guard that which is sacred. Where you see the most protection is where there is potential for the greatest holiness. We guard our speech, we guard our usage of G-d’s name. We guard our bodies not because they are dirty or sinful, but because they are channels for holiness. Of course we guard the Torah with coverings. And we even guard our touch. Because touch brings great power.” The idea may seem crazy, at worst, or extreme, at best. But sometimes crazy can be relative. It is natural for everyone to think that their current perspective is the normal one and that anyone slightly to the right or left is an extremist. Bree Marlin, a UCLA English Studies graduate, shares, “To me, the university ‘hook-up’ culture seems crazy. Or the fact that sensuality is used to sell things like soda. And yet in today’s society it seems perfectly normal.” Research has long shown that skin-toskin contact triggers surges of oxytocin release in the brain, promoting feelings of love, trust and connection. “Just a friendly touch buffers the physiological consequences of the stress response,” says Matt Hertenstein, an experimental psychologist at DePauw University in Indiana. Aptly nicknamed the “cuddle hormone,” oxyto-

cin gives touch the power to alleviate stress and foster love and bonding. The latest research, however, has not come as much of a surprise to traditional Jewish thought. The laws regarding shomer negiah suggest that like any powerful force, touch can be used either constructively or destructively. It can bring comfort and love, or it can blur reality, thereby creating illusory feelings of intimacy and closeness where it is not warranted. It is no wonder people often look back at past relationships, thinking, “Why did I ever go out with that guy (or girl)?” In Judaism, relationships are about bringing out the best in one another, about establishing a true soulto-soul connection that reflects an appreciation for who the person is, rather than just the way they make you feel. But often, touching prematurely can prevent genuine objectivity on prospective partners. “I never heard about shomer negiah until I got to UCLA,” shares Mark Solovey, a third-year Psychobiology student. “My initial thoughts were that it’s crazy! But truth be told it makes sense. Sure, it requires a lot of restraint, but nowadays we always hear about all this infidelity in marriages. Shomer Negiah may be a major reason

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Photo by Talia Kamdjou

the back of your mind, you know there’s a foolproof shortcut: getting physical.” Affection comes in many forms. Judaism is definitely all-for physical connection, but only after a genuine spiritual and emotional connection has been made first. All this talk of “no-touchy” begs a discussion on the role that touch does play. Rabbi Lawrence (Leib) Keleman, author of Permission to Believe, explains, “Intimacy, when channeled correctly, is one of the most beautiful things in this world. The intimacy between a husband and wife is sacred. Not dirty, not taboo. It brings Gdliness into the world.” Bereishit Rabbah, a rabbinical commentary on the Book of Genesis, compares the bedroom of a husband and wife to Kadosh HaKadoshim, the Holy of Holies in the Temple in Jerusalem. It is for this reason that shomer

How can a boyfriend and girlfriend not show their affection [...]?” — Mark Solovey, third-year Psychobiology major why Orthodox Jews have such successful marriages.” That is not to say that shomer negiah guarantees a successful marriage. Nor does it say that those who are not Shomer Negiah are inevitably doomed to broken relationships (G-d forbid). But “there must be something to it,” as Solovey points out, since often we lose sight of objectivity under the influence of physical desire. When we say love is blind, we are probably thinking of infatuation. Solovey did share some concerns, however, asking, “How can a boyfriend and girlfriend not show their affection for one another?” Addressing this universal concern, Gila Manolson, author of The Magic Touch, explains, “Two people truly become one by first bringing down the walls not between their bodies, but between their minds and hearts. This requires a lot of intellectual and emotional sharing. In other words, talking. You’re less likely to invest hours of your relationship in deep conversation, hoping to feel close when, at

negiah aims to protect the energy of touch from desensitization. Physical intimacy is meant to be an expression of the soul-tosoul connection two committed individuals have already established. When I first heard about the concept of guarding one’s touch, my initial thought was, “But it’s just a handshake. What’s the big deal?” I soon realized where exactly I was missing the point. It is the word “just,” with all its casual implications, that bothered me. When dealing with something as delicate as human emotions and as meaningful as human relationships, tacking on the word “just” simply seems misplaced. It’s not supposed to be just a handshake or just a kiss or just a one-night fling. Because then we are watering down one of the most powerful expressions of human bonding. And leaving it open for misuse and manipulation. After all, intimacy builds connection that can either lift you up or tear you down, depending on with whom you share it. Of course, I quickly found that shomer negiah can have its awkward moments as

well, especially since many people have never heard of the concept before. After all, we go to school, we have jobs, and we interact with all kinds of people. Josh Weinreb, a fourth-year student majoring in Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, points out, “Shomer negiah beautifies marriage eventually, but if you won’t shake someone’s hand because they’re the opposite sex, it can potentially cast a bad light on Jews who interact with non-Jews.” The issue of handshaking in secular environments has been addressed by many leading rabbis. Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the prominent seventh Rebbe of the Chabad movement, had acknowledged the issue of polite formalities, but insisted that remaining firm in one’s convictions (such as shomer negiah) can actually engender the respect of the interacting party. Lauren Price, a student at the LA Academy of Beauty, comments, “Sure, it’s very bizarre to people like me who didn’t grow up with it or haven’t learned about it. But now that I have, I really do see that it’s an amazing opportunity to connect on a whole new level.” Chances are, if you find something beautiful or inspiring, others will too. And then again, maybe not! But saying “no” can often be uncomfortable in many contexts, Jewishrelated or not. It often comes down to what we are willing to do to stick to our values. Judaism says, don’t be apologetic for what you believe. Throughout various aspects of our lives, we make this mistake far too often. We worry about how we will look, about what others will think. We attempt to modify our opinions as we gauge the reactions of our peers. Education is about learning, not brain-washing. So when we learn about something that isn’t the norm, if we are to be intellectually honest with ourselves, we should investigate. Maybe it is time to reconsider the norm — or at least reflect on its authority. Maybe we are not the first ones to have said, “That’s crazy!” And maybe there are insights beyond our current understanding if only we dig a little deeper. But we will not know until we ask.

Page 10 Spring 2014

[Feature]

Inside the mind of

Kerry Chaplin,

rabbinic intern at Hillel

Tessa Nath

Editor-in-Chief COFFEE WITH KERRY: Kerry Chaplin, the current rabbinic intern at the Yitzhak Rabin Hillel Center for Jewish Life at UCLA, sits down in the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf shop downstairs, ready and eager to meet, learn and chat with students.

There are many rabbis at UCLA. The Jewish Awareness Movement has two, Chabad has one, and Hillel has three fulltime rabbis and one rabbinic intern. Each of these people brings his or her unique perspectives to prayer services, learning groups, and student interactions. Some rabbis are also more famous than others — everyone is familiar with Rabbi Chaim Seidler-Feller’s intensely philosophical and tangential shiurim (lectures), Rabbi Jacob Rupp’s pointed and personal questions (which interrogate your entire relationship to the secular world), Rabbi Dovid Gurevich’s Russian stories and anecdotes to introduce his teachings, and Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan’s optimal attitude. But for those whose interaction with students is less widespread, little is known about their personal styles and interests — to the detriment of the students with whom they could be interacting. One such figure is Hillel rabbinic intern Kerry Chaplin. Each year, Hillel hosts two rabbinic interns, traditionally one from both the Conservative and Reform schools of thought, in order to train them and prepare them for life in the rabbinate. This year, Hillel hosted just one rabbinic intern (Chaplin) and one

music director (Ari Kaplan), constituting a change in their outlook. Since staff intern positions change frequently, students have a limited amount of time during which they can easily form relationships (although most staff is interested in pursuing friendships after their appointment with Hillel at UCLA has ended). As students attending a large research university with an almost dizzying amount of opportunities, it

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Chaplin hails from both La Cañada, Pasadena and Boca Raton, Florida, where she spent a considerable amount of time during her youth. When asked about why she wanted to become a rabbi, Chaplin leaned back in her chair, contemplating her reply: “The things that a rabbi does I really enjoy doing. I love teaching, I love learning, I love being with people in vulnerable moments,

The things that a rabbi does I really enjoy doing. I love teaching, I love learning, I love being with people in vulnerable moments, I love feeling connected to G-d by being with people.” — Kerry Chaplin, rabbinic intern at Hillel at UCLA

is sometimes difficult to sort through the never-ending network of possibilities and to decide on what to engage with. For that reason, this article will seek to explore the under-appreciated role of rabbinic intern at Hillel through the perspective of Kerry Chaplin and her students. Although the year is coming to an end, it is never too late to open a new chapter in the book of human connections.

I love feeling connected to G-d by being with people.” Chaplin narrated her experience at Hillel thus far with a spark behind her dark brown eyes indicative of the passion she expressed for her position. Before answering each question, she took a breath and reflected for a moment about each response, working to sort out her musings into concrete language. Chaplin revealed that one of the aspects

Photo by Talia Kamdjou

of her job that she enjoys most is Bruins B’Yachad, the egalitarian prayer group. Margalit Wollner, a fourth-year Mathematics of Computation major, said that she attends Bruins B’Yachad almost weekly. “I really appreciate the community it is building and it’s a really friendly, fun minyan.” Besides leading services, Kerry also enjoys doing some “learning to reinvigorate [her] understanding of the prayers” with a few students. Chaplin noted, “We’re just bringing ourselves to the learning and bringing what we see in the text, which not only reinvigorates a prayer service, but brings a prayer service to life and makes it our own experience. It also makes us a part of the larger Jewish narrative as well, since we’re reimagining classic litergy as handed down to us and bringing that liturgy to life. We can gain dramatic insights from those experiences, and then when we go to pray, we have new reasons to pray. I’m always finding new reasons to pray.” Two of the students studying the prayer service are Wollner and Rebecca Bucher, a fourth-year English major. Wollner said, “Working our way through the four sections of the Shema in detail helped lead me to a new understanding of the purpose of

[Feature]

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Page 11 Spring 2014

MEDITATIVE LEARNING: Current rabbinic intern at Hillel at UCLA Kerry Chaplin (left) meets with Ha’Am Editor-in-Chief Tessa Nath (right) in the Meditation Garden in order to discuss her experiences over the past year.

prayer and mitzvot as they relate to the creation of Jewish interconnectedness.” Although Chaplin is studying to become a rabbi at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at the American Jewish Universi-

they went around their circle and shared about the four identities, sharing words that might define them. People went around the circle and said things like ‘woman,’ ‘Palestinian,’ ‘Jewish,’ ‘Israeli,’ etc. The woman

Working our way [with Kerry] through the four sections of the Shema in detail helped lead me to a new understanding of the purpose of prayer and mitzvot as they relate to the creation of Jewish interconnectedness.” — Margalit Wollner, fourth-year Mathematics of Computation major

ty, a Conservative school, she does not tie herself down to a specific denomination of Judaism. Chaplin admitted, “I don’t come from a background where guitar is used in prayer. And it’s a lot of fun to come to those types of services here, where Ari Kaplan is the music director and leads this amazing service with a guitar. He creates a vessel for the energy of prayer with the music that he’s leading. It just ends up being fun.” Chaplin prefers to define herself much more ambiguously, reflecting a constantly shifting, analytic perspective of the world. “I met someone in Israel last year,” she relayed, folding her hands and staring off into the distance as she recalled the details of her story. “She told me she was participating in some kind of dialogue group between Arab Israelis and Jewish Israelis. And as the group met for the first time,

told me that she was four relationships, not four identities.” At these words, Chaplin paused and looked down at her hands, using them to mold her meaning in the air. “I see myself in a relationship with myself, and in a relationship with other individuals, communities, and G-d. And I draw on her wisdom to understand that I see myself in relationships with Jewish movements and I don’t see myself as defined.” Chaplin is dedicated to and passionate about her work at Hillel, so much so that she finds the ten hours of week that she is scheduled to work insufficient. She continually finds herself back at Hillel, talking to students. Some of her regular learning sessions are with Yvonne Winer, a secondyear history major. Winer said, “I tend to look at life through a very political lens, so it’s refreshing that

Kerry always brings the conversation back to human interactions, spirituality, and personal morals. I especially love talking to her about Palestinian rights because it’s still a topic being grappled with in the Jewish community. Kerry makes me feel comfortable because she is never judgmental of people with different political beliefs.” Another regular, fourth-year International Development Studies major Hannah Spero, relayed that Kerry “recognizes that a student’s Jewish identity intersects with so many other parts of who he or she is as a whole. Her ability to support students to build on those existing identities through Jewish learning makes her a wonderful presence at Hillel at UCLA.” Chaplin is no stranger to asking deep or daunting questions — she does not shy away from difficult topics when learning with her students, but jumps right into whatever she is discussing.

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Photos by Talia Kamdjou

of, its interest in what kind of food we put in our bodies, its interest in how we pray... All of those are in the grand scheme of the universe, really really small details. But the details matter because in each and every moment the details have to matter, because all that there is, is now. [...] In every moment it’s possible to feel that connection to G-d, to the universe, to each other. And we can do that for every moment. [...] And maybe that’s the ultimate fulfillment of ‘Ye shall be holy’ [in Leviticus 19:2], because G-d is connected to everything.” Chaplin connects a diverse array of disciplines in her life — both Jewish and non-Jewish. Her hobbies include practicing yoga (an undertaking that she hopes to combine with Jewish mediation and prayer) and playing the djembe, a drum which she is experimenting with including in prayer services. Luckily for Hillel at UCLA, Chaplin is

I see myself in a relationship with myself, and in a relationship with other individuals, communities, and G-d. [...] I see myself in relationships with Jewish movements and I don’t see myself as defined [by them].” — Kerry Chaplin

“I believe the world was created for each and every moment,” Chaplin reflected. “That’s why it was created. We see that show up in halachah, in its interest in Jewish life, in its interest in what our clothes are made

returning next year to continue her work with students — an endeavor that is close to her heart. As Spero said, “I consider her not only someone to continue learning with, but also a friend.”

Generation Progress funds, trains, and mentors students running a diverse and growing group of progressive campus media organizations. For more, visit GenProgress.org/ about/journalism-network/jn-overview/

[Feature]

Page 12 Spring 2014

Lag Ba’Omer: holiday of the collective soul Angelina Ellyason

Staff Writer/Illustrator This past weekend, the Jewish nation celebrated Lag Ba’Omer. For the average American Jew, Lag Ba’Omer may be a bit of a mystery — there is no Christian equivalent, it is not commercialized in any way, and pop culture has not poked fun at it, yet. In my quest to understand the holiday, it became obvious why Lag Ba’Omer shies away from the secular, public eye: it’s transcendental, spiritual, and introspective. It is a holiday of the soul. In all of its vagueness and glory, the soul is the essence of an individual, the raison d’être. To look into one’s soul is to understand one’s self. Yet, the soul transcends the individual, for it is merely a constituent of a universal divinity that all people (and objects) tap into. As the story of creation reveals, on the sixth day, G-d “breathed into [man’s] nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7). An ounce of divinity within each and every one of us forms a collective soul, which we may only access by truly understanding and respecting the divine essence of each individual. Lag Ba’Omer, a holiday that commemorates the revelation of Jewish mysticism, offers insight as to the importance of upholding the collective soul. The following is an accumulation of rabbinical knowledge and insight into the holiday and its spiritual implications. The holiday itself coincides with the day that the students of the great Rabbi Akiva ceased dying. History tells us that 24,000 of the greatest Torah scholars were inflicted by a divinely-sent plague during the counting of the Omer (the period between Passover and Shavuot) for mistreating one another. Ironically, it was Rabbi Akiva who interpreted “love you fellow Jew as yourself” as the cardinal rule of the Torah. There are multiple interpretations explaining what transgression was worthy of a wrath so severe. According to Talmud Yevamot, the students “failed to treat one another with respect” (62b). One may question

the redundancy of the wording — why not of respect as a thought, it does point out through their punishment: the students merely state that they did not respect one that sometimes reverence for others were inflected by a plague — according another? The answer lies in the differbreeds envy. In both interpreta- to Rabbi Nachman, a choking disease ence between respect as a noun and tions, the lack of respect wedg- — that symbolically parallels the conserespect as a verb. Rabbi Akiva’s es the students apart, driving quential self-destruction of disrespecting students did indeed revere one each student deeper into his others. Inability to show respect is to deny another; it was simply out own mind and preventing the divine spirit within others; spirit, beof misplaced love that him from transcend- ing like breath, is essential to individuals, each student believed ing the self or truly for without it, we suffocate. that he alone knew understanding the However, there is another interpretation what was best for other. of how the students died: according to Rabbi his fellow Jews, R e s p e c t Yosef Eliyahu Henkin, a prominent Orthoand it manifestis thus the dox rabbi of the 1900s, the Talmud’s word ed itself as means for the plague is actually a veiled reference condescenf o r to the Bar Kochba Revolt against the rulsion. The ing Romans, meaning that the students died discorin the uprising. This is significant, for the dance inability to respect one another through action, particularly to establish a higher level relationship with one another (and consequently with G-d), can hinder progress and evolution of character. Life is a battlefield, and without connecting to one another to tap more and more into the divine collective soul, the Jewish Nation — G-d’s spiritual army — cannot survive, let alone flourish. Preservation and advancement of the community — of the Jewish nation — is thus the telos of existence; individual prosperity consequently is a product of this. Hence, individual divinity, which we call the soul, evolves most as it is able to connect with the divinity within other souls. bewhich to Although each of us has a modest divine tween espy human spark, together we illuminate the world. respecting spirit. The word for respect in The core of Jewish mysticism, or Kaband treating one Hebrew, kavod, shares the same letters balah, as revealed in the Zohar and comwith respect poses a problem, for it is only as the Hebrew word for heavy, kaveid; memorated on Lag Ba’Omer, celebrates through the act of respect — rather than the respect is not a quality to be taken light- this intrinsic divinity. Kabbalah is the soul thought — that one is able to discover the ly, for respectfulness is the way through of Judaism based on one pervasive reality unique essence of a person, and consequent- which to gain insight into a person’s — the divine reality — which underlies evly tap into this broader network of divinity. core, and consequently tap into the col- erything in the world. This appreciation of the A second interpretation understands the lective divine spirit. underlying essence of each and every one of mistreatment to be that “[the students’] Rabbi Akiva’s students’ failure to re- G-d’s creations is in itself the ultimate manieyes looked begrudgingly upon each spect one another prevented them from festation of respect. To respect and to apother” (Rabbi Brander). Although this acknowledging the divinity within their preciate others is to recognize the divinity interpretation hints less at the presence fellow students. This manifests itself within every being, including ourselves.

What is Lag Ba’Omer?

When is Lag Ba’Omer?

What are the meanings behind some of the customs?

Lag Ba’Omer commemorates the death of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, a leading disciple of Rabbi Akiva in the second century, and the day on which he disclosed the Zohar (Book of Splendor), which reveals the deepest secrets of kabbalah (Jewish mysticism). It also marks the last death of Rabbi Akiva’s 24,000 students due to their mistreatment of one another.

Lag Ba’Omer means “33rd day in the Omer”; according to gematria (hebrew numerology), the Hebrew letter lamed (“L”) has a numerical value of 30, while the letter gimmel (“G”) has a numerical value of 3. This year, it fell on the eve of May 17th, and ended the eve of May 18th.

1. Bonfires: To represent the profundity and intensity of the light brought into the world through the mystical teachings of kabbalah. 2. Children playing with toy bows and arrows: (1) Symbolizes the absence of rainbows during Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai’s lifetime, for rainbows are G-d’s symbol of disproval. In Genesis 9: 11-13, G-d promised man to never again destroy the earth, and instead

send a rainbow during tumultuous times; (2) Represents prayer, for when one pulls inwards and becomes in touch with his/her divine spirit, they are able to go further in life. 3. Rejoicing: Lag Ba’Omer marks the end of the mourning period of the Omer, and thus it is customary to have weddings, bar/ bat mitzvahs, upshurnishes (hair-cutting ceremony), and other jolly festivities.