Staging History

by: Charlie Goldsmith for Fresh Ink for Teens

A high school production of ‘Letters to Sala’ made the Holocaust feel relevant to all audience members.

Presenting the Holocaust on stage in a way that high school students can relate to is challenging. Many Jewish teens have strong emotional ties to this history while non-Jewish teens may view this time period as the distant past. Last month, I attended a local high school’s production of “Letters to Sala,” a play written by Arlene Hutton. The show demonstrated how high school theatrical productions can provoke emotion and introspection among diverse audience members. The play was performed at Mount Notre Dame High School in Reading, Ohio, and the cast was comprised of students from a Catholic girls’ school and other Cincinnati-area high schools. The actors conveyed a difficult topic and moved the entire audience.  For schools or groups looking for an alternative to the classically powerful, “Diary of Anne Frank,” “Letters to Sala” is an outstanding option.

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My Special Sister

by Noa Rubin for Fresh Ink for Teens   

I’m in awe of the intelligent and reflective young woman my little sister, who is autistic, has become.

“First you, Ron. Harry! Wait for Hermione!” my sister Naomi barked in a British accent while we waited in line for a waterslide. The other kids tried to go in front of us and she said, “No, sorry, but my wizard friends need to go first.” I apologized to the strangers and waited my turn. Later at the pool, a girl from the waterslide pointed to Naomi and whispered to her mother, “That’s the one who was talking to herself!”

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Telling the Teen Story: A guide to share with teens at Pesach

ReformJudaism.org
The Passover Seder is the ultimate educational experience. It is an interactive method of story-telling, a learning (and re-learning) of our people's ancient memory, and navigating through text and time and tradition to make that story our own.

Teenagers are an integral part of the Passover experience, bridging the children and the adults who can bring a unique perspective to any Seder. While they may be too old to be participating for the first time with fresh eyes, they are still questioning, struggling, and wrestling with the themes that we experience during Passover as they contemplate their own journey towards adulthood. Just as the Jews were redeemed from slavery and led into freedom, so too do we have an obligation to guide our teens towards their ultimate understanding of the journey towards adulthood. Teens have an obligation to make the Passover story their own, so they too can tell it for generations to come. We urge you to begin to see your teens as leaders capable of great understanding and even greater potential to embrace their Judaism and find new and innovative ways to make it relevant for us and for everyone at your Passover Seder.

Download this resource to engage in a dialogue with your teen, or as a starting point for them to lead a seder table discussion.

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How Not to Plan a Bar Mitzvah in 13 Easy Steps

By Stephanie D. Lewis for Kveller

By the time our fifth child was nearing the age for his bar mitzvah–Judaism’s traditional rite of passage–we decided to search for a more meaningful and less materialistic experience than our other four children had. You know, the synagogue ceremony (which many showed up late for or skipped altogether) followed by the huge dining/dancing affair (which put my large Jewish wedding to shame) in a social hall.

If this alternate idea sounds intriguing and you’re also looking to accomplish a similar goal, just follow these 13 simple steps.

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Passover is coming soon, check out our Passover Holiday Spotlight Kit

Israeli Intelligence

by: Bailey Frohlich for Fresh Ink for Teens

Facts for you to counteract myths about Israel.

I recently walked with my grandmother and sister down a main street in Bal Harbour, Fla. on the way to eat dinner at a local restaurant. Out of nowhere, a woman on a bicycle rode by us and screamed, “How could you support apartheid against Palestinians? It’s like the Holocaust over there!” To be honest, I didn’t process her words at first. Our modest attire of mid-length skirts and T-shirts did not automatically indicate we were Jewish or believers in Zionism, so why would she randomly shout the word “Holocaust” at us?

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Laughter With Lots Of Marshmallows

Fresh Ink for Teens: Shira Wald is a senior at Maimonides School in Brookline, Mass.
Throughout my three years volunteering at the Gateways' Sunday Program, I have learned from my students as much as my students have learned from me. Gateways is an organization that helps students with special needs learn about Judaism and become active participants in their Jewish communities. Each year I have had the opportunity to work with a new student and gained new insights and experiences from each one.

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Family Of Woman Injured In ATV Accident Raising Funds For Hospital

Jen Granek for WJZ

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (WJZ) — It’s been nearly six months since an Owings Mills woman suffered a traumatic brain injury celebrating her 40th birthday in Costa Rica. It’s a story WJZ has been following.

Now Ron Matz reports on her progress, and how her friends and family have turned this tragedy into a way to help her and others.

Last October, Jennifer Granek suffered a severe head injury in an ATV accident in Costa Rica.

“She is making baby steps, but those steps are in the right direction,” said her husband Brian Granek. “She’s making very small improvements daily.”

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