For these Jews, Halloween is celebrated as a simply American holiday
By Hannah Davidson
For Mitzpeh
@hhannahdavidson
Despite its religious background, Halloween is widely celebrated among Jews, including students at this university.
It is believed that Halloween originated from Celtic culture, and was a part of their religious ceremonies and traditions, according to History.com. But over time it has ...
SAFRA makes strides on campus with Sephardic students
By Dylan Spilko
For Mitzpeh
@DylanSpilko
The Jewish community at this university continues to expand with an on-campus group that is revamping their organization for the semester.
SAFRA, otherwise known as the Sephardic Association for Festive and Religious Activities, is a relatively new organization that aims to help Sephardic ...
Jew You Should Know: David Stein
By Yakira Cohen
Features editor
@CohenYakira
3...2...1
The energy is contagious.
Fans are cheering, players are sweating, and the Xfinity Center is bursting with energy as the bright yellow numbers tick down.
This is no ordinary Maryland basketball game. It’s not even a university-sanctioned event.
It’s the National ...
From Jew-ish to Jew: How Jewish students connect to faith at UMD
By Ndeye Aminata Ndiaye
For Mitzpeh
@aminableu10
There is a big difference between being born Jewish and choosing to be Jewish. Although born into Jewish families, some students were largely uninvolved with their religious identities until they found the Jewish community on this campus.
One of them is sophomore computer science and finance ...
First official Pakistani Jew opens door for Jewish community
By Jake Baum
For the Mitzpeh
@JakeatUMD
On March 28, the Pakistani government notified Fishel Benkhald that he would be permitted to identify his religion on his government-issued identification as “Jewish.”
In any other civilized country, this event would be insignificant. But in Pakistan, a nation where over 96 percent of citizens ...
Backman’s Corner: What does it mean to be an educated Jew?
By Eli Backman
For the Mitzpeh
@Mitzpeh
I received an email from a student, who was writing a thesis paper, with the following question:
“Who is an educated Jew?”
Before you continue reading, stop and think a moment how you would answer that question. What formula would you use to reach a ...
