Journalism by Jewish college students, for Jewish college students.
Latkes, matzah, kugel, and hamantashen: these are all foods that I feel like I was born to love. They are just a few of the many foods associated with Judaism on select days of the year. While these all have some religious significance, there are many foods, like bagels, that are coveted by so many…
Sukkot reminds me of the American Midwest of popular imagination. And this Sukkot has so far been all about hardy corn-fed boys braving snappy fall weather to erect a temporary structure in which to conduct the business of life for a week. I did not build the Sukkah that currently stands proudly behind Swarthmore’s dining…
This is a bit of a cop out post this week, but I’ve been reflecting. Recently, I had a conversation with a friend who said, “It’s a weird time to be young and Jewish. Then again, it’s always a weird time to be young and Jewish.” I think he’s probably right. There’s so much attached…
For as far back as I can tell, my family has been Jewish. I don’t necessarily mean that every relative kept the Sabbath or kept every commandment, but they, at least nominally, adhered to the Jewish religion. Sure, I do have relatives that converted to Judaism, but my direct ancestors, as far I as can…
It is usually expected that you wear your finest clothing to synagogue services. Depending on your level of religiosity you may add or subtract a garment of clothing (ie, kippah/ talis); however all congregants seem to be dressed up. Women may wear skirts or dresses, while men tend to wear sport jackets or suits. This…
I don’t really know what the audience of the New Voices magazine/website is, but I assume that it’s one that has a better Jewish background than I do. Maybe some of the people who stumble upon this post or anything else I’ve written for New Voices will think, “this guy is an ignorant fool who…
Going to a Catholic, Jesuit college does leave Jewish student life with a bit to be desired. Don’t get me wrong, I love it here. Being in any kind of faith-based community, even if it’s not my own, creates a warm environment and an interesting forum to expand one’s religious horizons. Still, though, it’s important…
Do you ever feel like you just don’t get it? No matter what, it just doesn’t make sense. You try and then you try a bit harder and every time you think that maybe, just maybe you got it, it just slips away from you like a helium-filled balloon on its way to greener pastures….
While looking back through my fiction writing that I’ve done, I realized that Jewish influence has come out in full force. Here’s a taste of what I wrote the summer before junior year of high school, simply titled, “Moses.” Behind him, a whistle seared the air, and a smacking sound was followed by a man’s…
Add this to the plethora of reflections on Rosh Hashana. My Rosh was dissatisfying; sorry if that’s bad karma or something. And it’s my fault. I will now enumerate the reasons why it didn’t live up to Roshes of yesteryear: This was my first year attempting to observe Rosh Hashana while at school. And now…
Similar to Ashley Tedesco’s entry, I struggle between what to do at college for the Holidays. Though there is a Hillel on my campus that offers services and several meals, it is difficult to actually honor a holiday in a different manner than what you grew up with. Besides missing the home cooked meals of…
The first major political tragedy I remember was the death of Yitzchak Rabin in November, 1995. I was nine years old and until the Twin Towers fell Rabin’s assassination was my “Where were you?” moment, at least in Jewish school. I was walking into my parents’ bedroom and my mother had the TV on. She…
Being a new Jew, independent of an observant family or significant other, can make holiday celebrations difficult. This is especially true as a college student. I’m a hundred miles from home–a place that’s already showing signs of impending Christmas decorations. So this Rosh Hashanah, just like the last, I’m left in New York City, scrambling…
“Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about Dr. Whatley. I have a suspicion that he’s converted to Judaism purely for the jokes!†exclaimed an outraged Jerry Seinfeld in a famous episode of his sitcom. In that scene, he bristles at the idea that his dentist, a converted Jew, makes Jewish jokes so freely. A…
Every time I sit down with my friend ‘Megan’ (not her real name), we have the same conversation, which consists of comparing our respective “ethnicities” and discussing how we view our particular cultural grouping in America and its effect on our respective world-views. She’s a leader of a campus Asian-American group and takes very seriously…