Lea Silverman

Teleconferencing With Tel Aviv

Published on June 24, 2004

Students at UCLA participate in a live teleconference with its sister class at Tel Aviv University in Israel.

The new face of Russian Jewry

Published on May 27, 2004

When Tatyana Sharfman applied to immigrate to the United States, she was not yet sure that she wanted to leave her native country of Russia. Her aunt, who had left Russia in 1992 and now lives in the San Fernando Valley, was determined to bring over the rest of the family, and so Sharfman began to fill out the necessary documents.

"She kept asking us, 'What are you doing over there?'" Sharfman recalled. "We didn't take it seriously, really, but we filled out some papers just because we had these papers."

Sharfman knew that it was typically a long process to emigrate from Russia, and she did not really expect to be accepted. However, one day the approved documents were returned by the government, and her family faced a life-changing decision: "To come or not to come?"

Campers Hit the Great Outdoors

Published on May 27, 2004

Nestled deep within a Malibu canyon off the Pacific Coast Highway, the Shalom Institute, a Jewish summer camp and nature center, has planted an extensive organic garden on its grounds this year and plans to incorporate the age-old tradition of farming into its summer programs.

Russian Singer’s Star Shines Again

Published on April 29, 2004

The waitress at Canter's Deli looks vaguely annoyed as Aida Vedischeva makes herself at home in a back booth, spreading her memorabilia across the table.

Egyptian Woman Speaks Out for Israel

Published on April 22, 2004

Nonie Darwish spreads an Egyptian newspaper across her knees and points to an old black-and-white photograph of a family. She identifies her father, mother and siblings in the photo.