Posts Tagged ‘ aju ’

Jewish Diversity in LA – Stop and Smell the Hummus WITH VIDEO

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By Alex Student

On April 25, the Digital Journalism class at American Jewish University gathered at their regular meeting time to participate in a group reporting assignment. A few years ago, the newspaper staff travelled to Fairfax Avenue and provided an in-depth look at this LA neighborhood. But this year, not only did we venture out into LA, we also brought LA to us…in the form of hummus!

Hummus was brought in from three LA restaurants that are known for their hummus: Sunnin in Westwood, Haifa in West Los Angeles and Nagila, which is just a few blocks west of Haifa.

The 13 journalism students sampled the different types of hummus in a blind taste test fashion; only Professor Gordon Haber knew which ones were which.

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE.

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Persian Immersion at AJU

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By Brittany Domb

As part of our spotlight on different cultures of Jewish diversity in Los Angeles, I interviewed, via email, three former or current AJU students who are Persian Jews.

Nicole Bakhshi, 23, graduated from AJU in 2011 with a major in bioethics and minor in psychology. Originally from San Diego, Bakhshi lived in LA for four years while attending AJU. As an RA her senior year, she organized a Persian Immersion event celebrating Norooz, the Persian New Year (hence the inspiration for the title). Nichole Koshki, 20, is a junior at AJU majoring in bioethics. Rebeccah Minazadeh, 22, is a junior at AJU majoring in bioethics with a minor in psychology.

Common themes echoed by the three are that the Persian-Jewish community values family and does not see being Persian and Jewish as two separate things – Persian Jews see themselves as both. Read more »

Human Rights Week Calendar

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DO YOU KNOW YOUR RIGHTS? AJU’s Social Justice Club invites you to enlighten and educate yourself. March 18–21 will be the much anticipated Human Rights Week. This is a chance for you to open your eyes and see how you can take action. This week is inspired by the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights, with each day based on a theme from the Declaration, including liberty and equality. The week will kick off on Monday with a choral performance of the Declaration and end with an inspiring action fair where you can find a way to help with any of the issues we discuss. Read more »

Special Report: Diversity at AJU (Part II)

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AJU students participate in last spring’s Sophomore Service Learning program, a required course that gives students an opportunity to do community service. Photo: Jessica Yuz.

By Sara Gold, Copy Editor

Last week, we revealed that half of the students in the undergraduate school feel that AJU is diverse and half does not, according to surveys completed by 70 percent of undergraduates.

The consensus among students and faculty is that while the undergrad school is outwardly homogeneous, there exists considerable diversity within the mostly Jewish population. Thus, it seems that, despite the implications of its name, American Jewish University can be seen as either diverse or not diverse, depending on whether one emphasizes the general demographic composition or focuses on individual personalities. Read more »

Special Report: Diversity at AJU (Part I)

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AJU students hanging out in the lobby. Photo: Emily Bayer.

By Sara Gold, Copy Editor

From an outsider’s perspective, the undergraduate college at American Jewish University in Los Angeles may not seem diverse. After all, the College of Arts and Sciences, while not a religious institution, is predominately Jewish. However, I researched AJU’s demographic and religious composition and investigated how students perceive the school’s diversity.

To obtain data, I asked 85 undergraduate students—roughly 70 percent of the student body—to complete an anonymous survey. The survey included demographic questions such as age, birthplace and major, as well as questions about students’ personal observance of Judaism and their perception of the AJU community. Read more »