From the category archives:

PORTFOLIO: Writing

An Ecosystem in a Parking Lot?

July 22, 2011
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Published on JewishLA.org on July 19, 2011 Believe it or not, it is possible for living things to sprout and thrive in a “concrete jungle.” Just ask Devorah Brous, Certified Master Gardener and Coordinator of Netiya, a network of Jewish institutions and community members who strive to tackle hunger in Los Angeles. On July 14th, [...]

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Happiness Goes Viral

December 18, 2010
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First pubished in 2009 YouTube, bad gifts, and the plague all have something in common: they spread radially within interconnected groups of people. Now you can add happiness to that list.A new study shows that happiness is more than an individual experience, it’s a collective phenomenon. Happiness disperses within three degrees of social separation. In other [...]

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Hunger in Los Angeles: Enough is Enough

November 4, 2009

The economic downturn has dominated public discourse for the last 18 months. every dayhe latest numbers on unemployment, the gdp, and market positions. but absent from the agenda is one very important, very human statistic: one in eight Americans faces hunger every day. For those who have access to adequate food, the concept of chronic [...]

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volunteer spotlight: rwanda reborn

September 25, 2009
jonah platt

An interview I did with a volunteer/ supporter of the nonprofit I work for. Orignally published on JewishLA.org. In April of 1994, the Rwandan government broadcast a call to arms over national airwaves inciting compatriots to rise up against a mortal enemy—their own countrymen. Hutu civilians took up machetes and went on a 100 day [...]

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grilled cheese? yes please! from abstinence to extravagance at the grilled cheese invitational ’09

May 1, 2009
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Published May 1, 2009 on LA2DAY.com I have a little secret…I hate grilled cheese. Even as a kid I couldn’t stand it. Warm, oily goo oozing out of slices of limp bread, charred in creamy liquid fat. Really. I’d rather eat pond scum. But you’d be surprised how many loyal grilled cheese fanatics there are [...]

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the new face of philanthropy

April 27, 2009
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Originally published on JewishLA.org. Technology is radically changing the relationship between individuals and the organizations they support. The status quo dictates that companies speak and supporters listen. Traditional media-television,print, and radio-all follow this unidirectional model of communication. But the Internet has transformed the spread of knowledge into a multilateral conversation between organization and member, and among members. The [...]

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whip it good: the return of roller derby

February 12, 2009
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Photo: LosAnjealous.com Roller derby is a mythological sport of sorts. It exists on vintage t-shirts and trucker hats. It aired on TV in the 70′s. But the game was a hoax, doctored with fake fights and other gimmicks to pump up ratings.You can imagine my surprise when a friend suggested we spend a Saturday night [...]

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finding perfection in the ecuadorian rainforest

October 2, 2004
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Ecuador is a harsh beauty. The sun blisters the skin, and poverty the soul, of all who dare to get close to her. Those who subject themselves to her brutal love go blind. They stare blankly ahead as a six-year-old girl sings for nickels on the trolley, alone. After three months of living in Quito, [...]

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