Fresh Ink For Me

Four years of Fresh Ink for Teens made me a confident writer and affirmed my commitment to Judaism.

Lizzie Zakaim

Four years have passed by in the blink of an eye. All too recently I was a hesitant freshman, discovering my niche in a diverse habitat — public high school — after popping my 10-year bubble of Jewish day school. In high school I encountered many people and many conversations about my customs: Why can’t I hang out on Saturdays? Why do I label my containers “meat” and “milk?” Do I own a dairy farm? I was learning how to cope with my new world, and I eventually found solace in writing. I have since adapted to my diverse atmosphere and wrote about some of my experiences as a Jew in public school (“Discussing God in the Chemistry Lab” and “Confessions of a Day School Dropout”). I am fortunate to have nine articles and one poem published on Fresh Ink for Teens.

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Teen Perspective: Don't Underestimate People With Disabilities

Jake Borenstein for The Jewish Week

Editor's Note: As we recognize the 10 companies selected for the Ruderman "Best in Business' award, we are delighted to bring New Normal readers a teen perspective on employment and disability.

Actress Nikki Reed says, "What is important is to treat everyone like an individual and learning not to generalize disabilities.” She experiences autism first hand because her brother has autism. She strongly supports autism awareness and helping people understand that people with disabilities should be able to have a productive place in society.

Young adults with disabilities need jobs in today's workforce.

These kids are much smarter than we credit them for. Different organizations have already been successful incorporating the idea of inclusion, and it would save the government money on Supplemental Security Income Benefits, OR SSI, government funded monthly payments to help out families with disabled family members.

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Poet Zelda

Prepared by Ken Stein and Rich Walter, CIE, for IsraelEd.org

Zelda Schneurson Mishkovsky, known simply as “Zelda,” was one of the most widely acclaimed and personally beloved of Israeli poets.  The daughter and granddaughter of Chasidic rabbis, Zelda was born in Russia on June 20, 1914. Her first cousin was Rabbi Menahem Mendel Schneerson, the famous Lubavitcher Rebbe who was regarded by his followers as the Messiah.

In 1928, Zelda’s family made aliyah to the land of Israel.  The family settled in Jerusalem, and both Zelda’s father and grandfather died shortly afterwards.  She became a teacher and spent most of her adult life living with and caring for her mother, in both Haifa and Jerusalem.

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A Chipped Tooth

by: Alex Pressman for FreshInkForTeens.com

The tale of a red lollipop and a trip to the Garden of Eden from the dentist's chair.

I suppose it was my fault, most of it anyway. If my time on this Earth has taught me anything it is that nothing bad or good can be completely attributed to one person. Hitler could not have gotten so far with the Holocaust were it not for some gifted Don Drapers in the propaganda department. Jordan could not have won his six rings were it not for Pippen starting at small forward; such is simply the way things are.

It should be noted that the series of events I am preparing to recount are from an early stage in my childhood and could possess more than one historical inaccuracy. Some of the early memories tend to get blurry when I relive them. What I do know for a fact, however, is that Jackie Burnbaum did push me down the stairs, I did break a tooth and I did have an exceptionally profound experience in the dentist's office. Beyond that I suppose much of what will be heard is extrapolation into some of the deepest crevices of my memory. The insight given is surely a result of my exposure to the world beginning long after my little story. After all, everyone is bound to leave that dentist's office at some point whether they are ready or not.

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