Irony. In a book or a movie, it\’s the writer\’s way of giving the observer a slap in the face. People attempt to expect the unexpected, but when it actually happens no one is prepared.
When six German teenagers entered the beit midrash at YULA boys high school, there was an indescribable sense of tension in the air. The four girls and two boys seemed hesitant and slightly anxious as they faced 60 Jewish boys eager for discussion. As a natural skeptic, my personal attitude toward conversing with people of possible Nazi ancestry was not very optimistic.
It was 5 a.m. and there we were, 39 tired teenagers trudging up Masada\’s historic snake path.
For some of us, a \”problem\” is getting seven presents for Chanukah, not eight. However, 70 years ago, these so-called \”problems\” would have been luxuries for the millions of Jews and other minorities living, and dying, during the Holocaust.
Recognizing alcohol\’s long-standing presence in Jewish custom, tradition and culture — especially on Purim, when drinking is a mitzvah — and hearing from some rabbis that it would be impossible to have shuls go completely dry, Aleinu has tried to work directly with the shuls and parents to take responsibility for their teens.
Some might argue that though Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may appear to be a threat to the world, he is serving and providing for his own country and people. But the scores of protests against Ahmadinejad by college students in Tehran over the past couple of months prove otherwise.
I never thought my life would change during my freshmen year. I was in study hall when this tiny, skinny girl came in, pushed in a wheelchair. She hopped out of the chair and sat at the desk right next to mine.
Does comedy nullify hatred? Does comedy grant allowance to bigotry, racism and, most of all, anti-Semitism?
Nov. 3 began the opening weekend of the acclaimed \”most hilarious movie ever\”: \”Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Khazakstan.\” After rushing to the movie theater on Saturday night, I was greatly displeased to find the show was sold out.
You might think that getting up at 5 a.m. on a Sunday in November would be an impossible feat for a teenager, but when I arrived to volunteer at the second annual Run for Her 5K/3K Friendship Walk/Run for ovarian cancer awareness and research, I was surprised by the number of kids who came out for such a wonderful cause.
Social Justice seems to be the central theme that pervades just about any Jewish periodical. Open any issue of The Jewish Journal, for instance, and you will see all sorts of articles and editorials related to tikkun olam, acts of charity and kindness that help to repair or perfect the world.
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