June 2012 8th Grade - Emek Hebrew Academy Teichman Family ...

T HE V O I C E O F
EMEK
Sivan 5772 June 2012
8 th Grade Boys—Mr. Jones
Produced by Tova Bayever
Special Graduation Edition
To help create dialect, writers use metaplasms: adding or subtracting letters, syllables, sounds to the beginning,
middle, or ends of words. Prothesis adds to the beginning of a word; epenthesis adds to the middle of a word; paragoge
adds to the end of a word---Aephaeresis subtracts from the beginning of a word; Syncope subtracts from
the middle of a word; Apocope subtracts from the end of a word. - Mr. Jones
The Airplane Race
Aryeh Hirsch
In the 1900’s, there was this big airplane race coming up.
Getting closer to the race, there was this 18 year old boy named
Jimmy who wanted to be in it. The only problem was that he didn’t
have a plane, so he decided to get a job at the airport for putting
gas in the airplanes. So he started the job two months before the
race and figured that he would be making enough in order to by the
airplane on time. The first day on the job he went to say hi to his
boss, and his boss said, “how are you doin’, now I’m goin’ to give
you the keys to the truck and you can get to work,” and Jimmy said,
“ok”. Jimmy took the keys and started heading for the door. When
the boss saw him walking away he said, “waaaaait a second, don’t
you need someone to guide for the first day,” and Jimmy said, “ayah
I can use a guide for the first day”. Jimmy got his guide and to
his job he went. His guide showed him around and helped him out
fro the whole day. At the end of the day Jimmy went to his boss
and said, “good night”, as he was driving home he passed the air
racing field and stopped on the side to watch. Some other guy
walking by asked what he was doing and he said, “I’m justa’ taking
a l’ttle look at the planes”. Each day he would go to work and get
paid. At the end of the two months he bought a nice fast plane and
got ready for the race. As the planes were lining up at the starting
line one of the racers said, “Look at ‘im, you think he can win this
race”. When they were lined up the announcer said, “On your
mark! Get set! Go!” As they were flying Jimmy was catching up and
passing through to first place, and the announcer said, “Jimmy is
passing fourth, passing third, passing second, and he is catching up
to first place on the last lap.” As they were coming in for the finish
line Jimmy was passing first place and at the finish line Jimmy pulls
it off and gets in front of the first place. At the winners circle they
announce that the winner is Jimmy and everyone got around to
greet him.
The Guy That Could
Daniel Hami
There once was a very depressed guy that had ‘bsolutley
no life. His favorite food was sherbert. He would walk around telling
everyone, “I have accomplished a’nothin my whole ‘ntire life.”
He lived all alone in a’strage house. Agin and agin he put ‘imself
down with remarks like, “I’m an e’stupid loser.” This remark was
thought to be true. Everyone in town felt bad for him. One day he
was walking and he bumped into an ordinary guy. He was Jewish,
very orthodox looking. He’s like, “Heyyyyyyyyyyy do you want a
job?” The guy answered, “Naaaah, I’m just a loser, who can’t accomplish
anything with my life.” The guy replied, “Duuuuude don’t
get down on yourself like dat, you seem pretty cool.” The guy decided
to give the job a try. It was actually a very chill job. He began to
see himself as someone, not just that weird guy from across the
street. This Jewish guy gave him a chance, and it turned out this job
was his a’calling. Years like he was on his death bed, and his childrin
were standing buy him a ‘crying and he said, “On my tombstone I
want it to say “The Guy That Could”.” He died before his children
could give him a response, but they fulfilled his wish.

Ryan the Cub
Ely Cohen
Hello, my name is Ryan and Ima cub. I wanna share a lil
story of what happened to me last week. I was walkin through the
forest, and a bird comes and offas me a piece ofa worm. I said, “
maaaaaaaaaan, are you tryna poison me,” so then I took it and
through it on the grrrrrrrround. “Are you a-callin’ somethin’ that I
gave you baaaaaaaaad?” the Bird said, “ Who in the world do you
think you are!” I said back to the bird, Ima sorry thayet I was a lil too
mean fo you. I then walked along and saw a rayel scaaaary snake. It
then hayissed ayat me and I didn’t like it one bit. I then went to hit it
and theyn it ate me. I jist couldn’t gayt out, and at this veeery second,
I’m stayill stuck in his stomach. Oh noooooooo, I think he jist
died.
Vegas Baby!!
Joel Manesh
What happens in Vegas stayyyyyyys in Vegas. This is where the
maaaaaagic happens. When you’re at the poker table winning agin
and agin you start to think “am I pushing my luck.” After you think
this, you try one more time and lose all your money. You see yourself
in a photo thinking of yourself as a loser. When you are a-seeing
around everyone winning, you get frustrated and break something
that was worth a million dollars you go poor. You see a guy next to
you thinking of ‘imself that he a hot shot winning, but you know
that he is going to do the same thing and lose all his money. Security
asks you to go with them and you follow. One of them in front of
you and one behind of you. All that’s going through your mind is
“should I run and probably get caught or go to the owner and say I
don’t have the money.” You’ve made up your mind and you take
the risk of running. Their chasing you and you come to a dead end
when you jump off the top and die.
The Frog Who Got Lost
Matan Amir
A-once upon a time there was a little frog that loved his
mother. He was a brave little frog. The following morning, he went
to do his daily chores. First, he went to visit his youn’ owl friend
named Pierce. They both went to gather fruits for they’re families.
On the way, they saw a biggggg hawk. When they saw ‘im, they
were scared, they didn’t know what to do, so they ran away. Benji
the hawk heard a noise, “whooooosh” he thought to himself, it was
dinnertime. He sta’ted to run where he heard the noise. Right when
he saw the frog, he flapped his wings like a machine, bit the frog on
the leg, and caught him. He was crying, and knew he wasn’t coming
home for his favorite dinner; fly wing salad. He then saw a big, dark
cave. He got scared and decided to try and escape when Benji the
hawk fell asleep. He was waiting all night for this moment, and so it
came, he ran out; and found a way back home. His mom was worried
the whole day. After that whole mess happened, they live happily
ever after.
The Frog That Could
Aaron Goldstein
One day, I was wondering why I only hop. My name is Mr.
Labstois. My favorite food is sherbert (Paragoge) ice-cream. I was
hoping around town and then I shouted, “Maaaaaaaybe
(Epenthesis) I will be able to walk one day.” After that I would be
a’callin (Prothesis) random people asking them why I’m a frog. They
would answer agin (Syncope) and agin, “I don’t know bother
anotha’ (Apocope) guy!” so the frog was being chased by ‘umbody
(aephaeresis) but the he realized it was a hawk. And right when the
hawk was about to eat me I ran away and escaped from the hawk
and that’s how I learned how to walk.
A FREE Country
Yair Bittan
Once upon a time People had to go to
schooooool .Unfortunately, it still exists today and in the afternoon
we actually sit in desks and listen to a figure a-talking. Then we
write down what that figure says and then we have a test on it.
Sometimes we even go home with books in our hand to do work at
our house. Then we come back to school the next day and do the
same thing again and again for almost ten months of a year. A person
could do this for at least twelve yearsssss of ‘is life! What a
waste????!!! Why can’t we just stay home all day and if we want to
go to school we will if not we won’t! And then we will control the
world if we want to do something we do it if not we won’t. Then it
could really be a free country where we contrl what we want to do!
But in reality we can’t live like that because everythin would be corrupt.
All you need to do is go to school because there is so much to
learn!
The Lion that Got Kidnapped
Jonathan Ezra
A-once upon a time, there was a lion named Bill. He lived
in a jungle in Africa. He was walking around the jungle, and suddenly
he heard gunshots. “ I better go home and tell Ma and Pa,” he
said. The people who were firing gunshots were people that
worked at a zoo. They were looking for lions to take to their zoo. “
Ma, Ma!” he said, “ I heard gunshots, Ma.” “ I think it was just your
imagination, Honey,” she said. “ But Mooooooom, it ain’t my imagination.”
A couple minutes later, both of the zoo workers came to
the house of Bill the lion. Bill started to run away with his ma and
pa. A gunshot was heard, and the landed on Bill’s leg. “ Owwwwwwww,
that really hurt.” “ I’m sorry, Lil Critter, but you forced
me to do that.” The workers put a net around Bill, and started to
carry him into their truck. “ Ma! Pa! Come save me.” Pa started to
run toward the truck, and another gunshot was heard. Pa had been
killed. “ PA! NO!,” Bill shouted. The next morning, Bill woke up and
he was in a cage with a bandage on his leg. Two other lions were
living in the same cage as him. They were a couple that lost their
child. “ ‘Ey little lion, what’s your name?” one of the two lions said.
“Bill.” “What are you doin’ here?” “ I was taken from my home by
two zoo workers, and they shot me in the leg,” Bill said. “ I don’t
have any parents anymore,” Bill started to cry. “ Since we’ve lost
our son when we were captured, why don’t we become your new
parents,” the male on said. “ Okay, thank you.”

Never Trust a Witch
Nataliya Aharoni
There once was a woman named Ol’ Lady Majestic. I considered
her the sweetest gal to evah live. One morning, as she walked, she
come to a bakery. She was always helpin’ out, a-doin’ somethin’ for
others. She saw a hobo and said to ‘erself, “ima best git ‘er a loaf of
bread.” The hobo was in severe pain yellin’, “help heeeeelp!” Ol’
Lady Majestic took a second look and saw that it was her s’ter. She
brought her s’ter home. Ol Lady Majestic asked ‘er s’ter, “what had
happened?” Her s’ter said the whole story of how an evil witch
tricked ‘er to give ‘er, her beauty. In return, he gave me working
legs to go find my prince by Sunday at dawn. But if I don’t, she will
turn me into one of ‘er hundreds of perfume bottles. As Friday approaches,
‘er s’ter see’s a very handsome prince. As he rides towards
‘er on horses, he faints. Her hideous face scars him. On Sunday,
she ended up without a love, and instead of a perfume bottle,
she kills ‘erself and there was no happily ever after.
Don’t Talk to Strangers
Ortal Benhamo
One beautiful sunny day, a farmer was on his way to milk
Traci, the cow. Once the farmer finished milkin’ good ol’ Traci, he
went to eat breakfast. Meanwhile, Billy Bob the pig was a- doin’ his
daily rollin’ in his mud when a pig just came of the bushes screamin,
”HEEEEEELLP!”
Billy Bob the pig was a curious fella.So he looked in the bushes
and found a bright pink pig.”Who are you?” Billy Bob askt. “I’m
Stanley the pig,” said the mysterious pig. “Come with me. Leave
this stinky farm and we can run away,” said Stanley.
Billy Bob had a lot to think about but, he ain’t gonna think.
So he asked Stanley,”R’we a-gonna be fine. I’ll take care of yew.”
While Billy Bob and Stanley were on their way to bein’ free, they
heard noises, but he ignored it cuz he wanted to show Stanley how
strong he is. Stanley then told Billy Bob, “I hear noises.” Billy Bob
and Stanley were really scared. Then a wolf popped out and ate
him. That teaches us not to talk to strangers.
Don’t Eat Meat
Kelly Jacob
Mia was a-walkin’ in the street one day. She said, “I gota
go home soon.” She looked around and saw a duck. He was by
‘imself, minding his own business. Mia picked it up and said “I’m agoin’
to keep it.” She named it Joe. Mia yelled “maaaaama.” Her
mama made some chicken. Ever’one loved her mama’s chicken.
Mia said to her mama, “I picked up a duck. I’m going to keep it in
my room and ain’t goin’ to let it out.” Mama said, “Okay. Does Joe
want some chicken?” “Maybe,” Mia said, “but not now.” She took
Joe outa his cage. She loved ‘im. She played with him all the time
and thought about how sad it would to lose him. She had him for a
while. One day, her mama made some more chicken. She said,
“Yum,” and ate it. Her mama said, “Hey sweet pea, tomorrow I was
thinkin’ about makin’ some duck.” Mia spit out her chicken. She
then realized eating meat was bad. It was like killing her own duck.
She then decided to never again eat meat.
8 th Grade Girls—Mr. Jones
Always Do Your Homework
Abigail Kheradyar
One morning Emma was going to school and realizes she
didn’t do her homework. When they got to class, Mrs. Lee asked
“where is your homework Emma?” “I a-forgot it at home,” Emma
answers. It wasn’t the first time she lied. “Okay then, bring it tomorrow,”
Mrs. Lee said. In the night when Emma went to bed, she
had this dream that Mrs. Lee and all the other teachers’ a’found out
that she was lying about leaving ‘er homework at home and that
she really didn’t do it. She wakes up screaming. Her m’ther asks
“What’s wrong?” “Nothing I had a baaaaaad dream,” Emma said.
“Okay good night,” Mom said. The dream keeps coming back, and
she couldn’t sleep. So the next morning, Emma decides to tell all the
teachers the truth even if it will get her in trouble. She goes to Mrs.
Lee and tells her everything and says she will never do it again. Mrs.
Lee said, “Okay Ima glad you told me, but I’m goin’ to take ten
points off.”
A Trip to Granma’s
Ariella Gurstein
One bright mornin’, a family of five were traveln’ down
south to visit their granma. The kids were not excited about this
prospect. They had to spend a full week on her ol’ farm. No electronics
or friends, just animals and a bunch acrops. The kids kept
complainin’ but their parents just shook their heads and said, “Your
granma misses you and wants to see ya real bad.” They finally arrived
at their destination. They can tell that granma was excited
‘cause her face lit up as they pulled into the ol’ driveway. The kids
ran out of their car to give granma some “sugar.” “You three kids
are growin’ taller than a sunflower after a rain shower,” granma
exclaimed. “Now come on in the house and we’ll make you snugger
than a chicken in a hen house.” As they finished up their freshly laid
eggs and their milk from “Betsy,” the family cow, granma takes
them to the stables and presents her brand new stallion.
“Yeeeeeeeha,” granma yelled as she galloped around the track.
“Come on kids, grab a horse and ride like the wind.” The week flew
by like the migrating geese and the kids learned an important lesson:
You never gonna know if you will like something till you try.
Don’t believe everything you hear
Sahar Darvish
One hot summer mornin’, out of nowhere I hear a weird,
booming noise. The sound was as if someone shot a shot gun. I
thought my mama was dead! Someone shot her! “What could it
be?”I think to myself. I run down stairs, terrified of the noise I recently
heard. “Maaaaaama where are you? Did you hear thata?” I
yelled out, but there was no response. “Where could she be?” I
think to myself. I begin to worry. I look around the whole house but
there is no sign of her anywhere. I went to our basement where we
keep all the supplies to see if she was a-cleanin’ or som’n’. But, she
wasn’t anywhere in the house. Real weird ‘cause she ain’t at home.
She is always at home. I went to the farm house where them chickens
lay them eggs to see if she was there. And there she was taking
them chickens egg. I asked her “what was dat noise?” She said,” an

egg fell.” “I thought someone shot ya mama. Almost died right there”. Mama said, “Don’t be silly, don’t believe what you hear son!”
The Boy that Lied
Sasha ,Frankel
I was walkin’ home from school in the snowy winter. I got home and yelled, “Mama ,I’m home”. I walked into the livin’ room and
put my feet on the coffee table. “Git your feet offa the table.” “Yes mama,” I replied. “You should be goin’ to do your homework, and do
you want stew for dinner?” she said. “Maaaaaybe,”I came a-callin. “Ok so we are having stew for dinner,” she said. I went upstairs to my
messy room and laid on my bed.” I’m not gonna’ do my homework.” “Tommy, dinner,” Mama said. I ran down stairs and said, “Im’ma done
with my homework.” “Really, you finished fast, I’m gonna’ check it ‘cause I want to see if you got it right,” she said. “Fine, mama I didn’t do
my homework.” I said sadly. “Tommy, I’m very disappointed in you, you lied and for that you are grounded.” She said. “Yes mama, I’m sorry.”
“Next time don’t lie and you won’t get grounded,” she replied, “Yes mama,” I said, looking down at my food.
Don’t Cheat
Vanessa Neuah
Cherry the chimpanzee finally went to ‘is room. “Maaaaama Ima a-goin’ to sleep,” he said. “I thought y’all were sleepin’, tomorra
y’all have a big test, y’all better study.” “I know mama, I did goood night, see y’all in the mornin’.” The next morning when Cherry got to
school, he saw Larry the lobster. They were best friends since last year. Finally, it was the first period class, and Cherry had a test. Before he
went to class, he whispered to his friend Larry, “Can you help me I forgot to study offa the worksheet.” “Yup,” said Larry. Larry and Cherry
were sitting next to each other. During the test, Cherry sent a note to Larry. He asked for help. Larry sent a note back telling him the answer.
The teacher saw that they were passing notes. “Larry who is this note for?” the teacher asked. “This is for Cherry,” Larry replied. The teacher
called up Cherry and Larry. “Y’ all knows that cheating is not allowed?” “Yes, we know,” the kids said. “I weel call y’alls parents.” The two
kids learned a very good lesson today: don’t cheat.
8 th Grade Boys—Ms. Soloway
Rewarding the Good
Aaron Abrishami
About three thousand years ago, the Jews were enslaved
by Egyptians because G-d promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that
he will enchain the nation and miraculously bring them out of
Egypt. Many Jews suffered. They were tortured, hit and coerced to
build pyramids by the Egyptians for Pharaoh. Thousand of
Hashem’s people died because of the acts of the Egyptians; however,
when Moses heard Hashem’s voice, Moshe started to fight for
their freedom. He went to Pharaoh and showed him signs that Hashem
had given him to prove that He is the real G-d. After many
times of Moshe demonstrating the signs, Pharaoh still refused to let
the Jews go.
Hashem then started to show his jurisdiction by plaguing
the Egyptians. He started with blood in place of water, frogs
hopped all over Egypt, lice surrounded the kingdom, and wild animals
were everywhere. However, Pharaoh still refused to let the
Jews out, so then G-d brought the death of the animals, boils, hail,
and darkness, but Pharaoh wouldn’t budge. The G-d of the Hebrews
told Moshe that all Jews should slaughter an animal and take
the blood and smear it around each family’s doorposts. All the Jews
did so, and Hashem’s last plague was the death of the firstborn. The
angel of death passed by all the houses that had blood on the doorpost
and executed all Egyptian boys. Pharaoh was a firstborn and
was really scared; he told Moshe to take their nation, children, animals,
and adults, and leave Egypt to serve their G-d. Hashem saved
us just as he promised, and He always will be by our side.
Now, the United States and Israel are planning to bomb
the Iranian nuclear facilities. President Muhammad Ahmadinejad is
developing nuclear arms to attack Israel with nuclear weapons. He
is setting up his arsenal to kill more than six million innocent Jews.
Also, in Hamidon, Iran, President Ahmadinejad is not letting Jews
visit Queen Esther and Mordechai, the Tzaddik’s burial sites. He is
anti-Semitic, and right when he hears that a Jew does something
wrong in his country, without mercy, he kills them. We have survived
after many tragic times in history and have suffered. We know
that Hashem is with us, and that He will save us just like all the innumerable
times in the past. He loves us, cares for us, and always
thinks about us. He is our G-d who is the one punishing the bad and
is the one rewarding the good.
Jewish Heritage
Adam Green
Dear God,
I don't really know how to express my thoughts into words,
so please bear with me. I find it really hard to understand the meaning
of Judaism. I know it’s a religion, but it’s also morals, teachings,
and a way of life. It’s all really confusing and a lot for me to handle. I
am a Jew, and I do believe in You, but I don't really get a lot of other
things. I mean You love us and all, right? Then, if You love us so
much,why do you keep on hurting us? I mean people are dying as
we speak. Jews are dying. You plan everything, at least, that’s what
my teachers tell me. So, what did we do? I don't get it. Please, I wish
there was a way You could explain. What’s the point of all the massacres
going on in the world? Why are You doing this to us? With
already six million killed, why are there more? Why should I be a
Jew if it puts me at so much risk and in so much jeopardy? G-d, I just
don't get it. I really don't get it. I'm sick of being scared all the time.
I'm so tired of being scared to ride the bus because a bomb was
planted there. It makes me sick to my stomach. It's an awful life I’m
living. I live in Israel, "the land of the Jews", but we also live with

others who hate us. Isn't this our land not theirs? I just want peace.
And if I live in the land of the Jews, I shouldn't be so scared all the
time. Anyway G-d, like I said previously, I really don't know how to
put my thoughts into words. They flow more like pictures and
memories and…. I picture white tulips splattered red, and I see
snakes and venom. But, then later, I see hands interlocked with one
another, all sitting on top of the world. So, let me just get straight
to the point. You can do anything, right? So, can you do one thing
for me? Just do one little thing. Can you make the second image
come true?
Love,
Confused Jew
The Spiritual Trip
Adam Rbibo
It was a Wednesday night. I made sure I had everything I
needed before I left. I said goodbye to my family, and I left with my
dad to the airport. I was so excited, yet nervous. So many thoughts
were running through my head that I couldn’t even count. When
my dad and I arrived at the airport, we were greeted by Rabbi
Green, the Rabbi of Chabad of Tarzana, California. Next, I said goodbye
to my dad, gave him a hug and kiss, assured him that I would
be okay, and began to leave with all the other kids and the Rabbi.
We arrived in New York, and I couldn’t believe my eyes. Everyone
around me was Jewish, from the people working at stores to the
mailman. I honestly felt like I was in the holy land, and this helped
me understand that there really are many more religious Jews in
the world than I thought. During this trip, I learned so much more
about the true meaning of Judaism, and I felt more spiritually connected
to Hashem.
When I went on this trip to New York, I learnt so much
more about the true meaning of being a Jew. I found out that it
isn’t that if we are in a place where there aren’t a lot of people
wearing kippahs that we should still wear our kippahs. But, what is
truly important to remember is that the Jews are a united nation
that stay together as one. I began to see this when I was in a place
in New York called Crown Heights. Everywhere one looks, one sees
a Jewish boy or man with a beard and a black hat wishing you a
Shabbat Shalom or speaking to his friends in Hebrew. I felt like I
was in the most peaceful place in the world. There are also countless
Kosher restaurants, so one always is able to eat Kosher. However,
the main reason that makes you really feel like all the Jews
are still united is when you go to the shul called “The 770.” The 770
used to be the home of the original Chabad Rebbe when he arrived
here from Europe. It is also used as a shul. In the 770, you feel the
kindling spirit that the Rebbe had as he greeted everyone and answered
their questions. You see thousands of Jews from all over the
world ready to celebrate and be happy in his home.
After this trip, I also felt more spiritually connected with
Hashem. I began to get this emotion when I went to the Lubavitcher
Rebbe’s Ohel, meaning burial grounds. As I entered the Ohel, I
walked into a place that looks like a house and washed my
hands.Then, I entered a room where there are hundreds of people.
In this room, one is supposed to take a paper and pen and write
down a bracha or blessing and then write for people you want to
write about. Following this, I went outside and saw a big area that
has four walls and no roof. Inside this area lies the fifth Chabad
Rabbi and the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s grave. I was truly amazed when I
saw how many people had come here from all over the world to
visit the burial grounds. I went through the doors and took a
tehillim book reading sections that is one more than my age and my
parent’s age. As I entered, I felt the holiness and spirit of both Rabbis.
After reciting the tehillim, I read all the people on my list and
tore up the list and left it next to the burial area of both Rabbis.
When I had completed this process, I felt holy and special about
who I am but also very connected to Hashem.
During this entire trip, I did many things that have led to
my new thoughts about the world, like the way I think about Judaism
and my growing connection with Hashem. These things really
make me feel like a better Jew and have made me grow as a Jewish
boy. This really was a spiritual trip that I will treasure in my heart
forever.
Jewish Heritage
Avi Eskenazi
Dear All the Jewish people in the world,
I am an eighth grade student writing to you because of the
many dangers that the Jewish nation faces today. Israel is surrounded
by many countries that would like to see it wiped off the map.
This is just one of the many problems that we face as Jews. In the
world we live, anti-Semitism runs rampant. We cannot continue in
this world if people think of us as, “those fanatic Jews.” That is why
we must show them the real reason why Hashem picked us to shed
His light on the world. Our overall goal is for Moshiach to come. For
Moshiach to come, we must first do all the mitzvot we can. Every
mitzvah is one step closer to G-D and the rebuilding of the Beit
Hamikdash. One example of an important mitzvah is loving our fellow
Jew. Rabbi Akiva says that a person who loves his fellow Jew
like himself is the greatest person known to man. I am not asking for
all of us to be what Rabbi Akiva said, but, if all of us can just try a bit
harder and aspire to be that man, it will make a big difference. All of
us need to get up off the couch and run to do mitzvot as one nation.
After we do that, let’s do it again and make it bigger and better. My
final message for you today is that we must all band together and
fight for the greater good, that is, for Moshiach. Even more, it is that
we cannot slowly seep into the darkness which is within the grasp of
Amalek’s hand. The time is now.
Sincerely,
Avi Eskenazi
My Bar Mitzvah
Ben Mesica
A Bar Mitzvah is the greatest time in the life of a Jewish
man. It was around last year that my family and I flew to Israel for
my Bar Mitzvah. The minute we landed, I felt a rush of adrenaline
run through my body because I knew that I was finally going to
meet my Israeli family at the airport. I haven’t seen them for about
two years. Finally, after going through the security, we all went to
my aunt’s house to get ready for my Bar-Mitzvah party.
At last, I was at my party, and there were colored lights,
food, candy and even a chocolate fountain. Everyone was having a
great time, and we got to take pictures, dance, and talk to each other.
People handed me the most amazing gifts that a child can ask
for. There was a large stack of presents in the corner of the room; it
was about six feet high. I even carried a Torah and walked across
the whole dance floor. About an hour later, my cousins set up a
stage and sang me a song that they had written themselves. Almost
everyone in the room was crying as the song was very emotional; it
was about how much they loved and cared about me. Sadly, the
party was over at about 1:00 a.m., and everyone went home.

Time passed, and the Shabbat of my Parsha was starting.
Suddenly, my parents hit me with a great surprise. They told me
that I had to make a speech at lunch the next day. When the Sabbath
started, we prayed. Then, I went up to be the head of the davdening
without making one mistake. The next morning, I got up
early, began studying my parasha, and then studied my speech and
mastered it. When the congregation finished the prayer, I was
about to start reading and trembled with nervousness. I knew that I
would not quit now, so I took a deep breath and started. At the
end, I realized that I did not even make one mistake. After the prayer,
we went to eat lunch, and I delivered my speech with confidence.
The whole lecture was about Tefillin and what is inside the
boxes. From my speech, I learned many new things about being
Jewish, and I also learned how to read from the Torah.
Being Jewish means so much to my family and myself. I am
proud to be born into a Jewish family and all the religious services
that come with it. Now that I am Bar Mitzvah, I can do the mitzvoth
that are in the Torah, as well as complete a congregation of ten.
Since my Bar Mitzvah, I feel connected to G-d more than I ever
have before.
Igniting the Firework
Benji Halpern
That one day changed my entire life making me who I am
today, a true Jew. My name is Michael, and this is my story; it was a
hot summer day, practically unbearable heat, the brightest skies,
and nothing to do. To pass the time, I decided to surf the web, a
common pastime. When I hopped on line, I couldn’t believe what I
found on just my home page: “Jewish bum causes bank burn down!
Jew pulls fifty billion dollar scam!?!” I couldn’t believe any of this; it
was complete garbage!
I had had enough! After the heat receded, it was time to
confront the issue. I rallied all my friends from school to make a
difference. I told them about the vast amount of anti-Semitism in
the world and told them it needed to stop! We decided to hop in
our Jew-Mobiles and take a road trip to meet our persecutors. We
were ready to rewrite anti-Semitism.
After the 457 mile trek, it was our time to shine being the
Jews we are. We were in front of the headquarters of Yahoo! We
marched our way up with kippahs on our heads and tzitzit hanging
freely.
“Excuse me, Miss,” I said, “May I speak to the CEO?”
“And precisely who are you, little Jew?” replied the woman
whose name was Mrs. Wejitna.
“My name is Michael Sims, and I’m here to stop Yahoo!’s
anti-Semitism!” I exclaimed
“That’s a tall glass of milk, sonny., retorted Mrs. Wejitna.
“Only for one like you missy.” I haughtily retorted.
After that sly remark, Mrs. Wejitna called security, and
now, our only hope was to hurtle for Mr. Furno’s dreaded office.
After eluding security, we davened to Hashem for good luck because
our real mission had only just begun.
It was time! Yes, we were more ready than 500 starving
lions to stop the hatred; nothing would stop us. We entered the
office, and only our arguments could save us.
“Come in,” a voice uttered.
“Hello, Mr. Furno, my friends and I have come to request
that Yahoo! immediately stops posting anti-Jew comments.”
“What rubbish are you talking lad?” Mr. Furno questioned
in a British accent.
“Wwwwel, Sir, I was on the internet yesterday and fffound
anti-Jewish comments.” I said with my voice shaking, for my courage
had only lasted an evanescent moment.
“Michael, I am infact Jewish, and Yahoo! is very pro-
Jewish.” replied Mr. Furno, “but I know just who created these lies!”
All my friends and I were aghast when Mr. Furno told us who was
behind the mystery.
“Mrs. Wejitna!!! get in here NOW!!!” roared Mr. Furno
“Yes,” answered Mrs. Wejitna
“Do me a favor- tell me your last name backwards.” requested
Mr. Furno
“Antijew, Sir,” she replied
“You racist little---” I bellowed
“Michael,” said Mr. Furno, “Wait.”
“Mrs. Wejitna, you are fired from Yahoo!.”
Oh, no no no no no, the story isn’t over yet. Before the
Yahoo! incident, I was not religious; I could barely call myself a Jew,
but Mr. Furno changed my life because of him, I became a true Jew.
I changed from a public school to a Jewish school, Emek Hebrew
Academy. My whole life changed, and now I’m proud to say my
name is Michael Simms, Torah Jew, and Mr. Furno is the igniter to
my firework of Judaism.
One Nation Becoming One Person
Jonathan Bitton
8 th accelerated Through the course of time, Jews have been a
target for nations to completely wipe off the map. These direct
attacks have been primarily aimed at two entities namely the Jews
physical state of just removing them from this world and/or taking
away the spiritual essence of being Jewish. Some people have tried,
but they have not succeeded. From 1939-1945, during World War II,
Hitler, the dictator of Germany, wanted to liquidate the Jewish nation.
Also, during the Middle Ages, Jews were persecuted by the
Christians because of their beliefs. One can see these insane acts
are put into play by the Greeks during the time of Chanukah, and by
Haman during the time of Purim.
Haman could’ve been very successful if the Jews didn’t
know about his plans. It’s funny how one can see Hashem working
through the shadows in helping the Jews kill Haman. He put Esther
as Queen; He had Mordechai save his life, and Haman really built a
gallows for himself. Haman drew lots and planned out a way to annihilate
the entire Jewish nation. He even had the king’s seal to send
off a letter to basically the whole world. But, as one can see, Hashem
works in such miraculous ways and helped us win the war.
Killing Jews because they’re Jews is very prejudiced and, unfortunately,
happens in almost every time period. Not only do these people
kill the Jews of that generation, but they also kill future generations.
Although killing Jews for no reason other than religious
intolerance is criminal, there is one thing worse, that is, taking away
their spirituality. Spirituality is the root of the Jewish people and if
you take that away, there is no more connection to Hashem, and
we’re not Jews anymore. By doing that, one rips the life out of a
Jew. This is exactly what the Greeks tried to do to the Jews. Jews
would be killed if they were caught learning or teaching Torah. Because
of this, some of the mitzvot are lost and are unviable. There
was once a woman named Channah with seven sons; she was called
in front of the king, Antiochus, to commit idol worship. The first six
sons were killed because they didn’t want to worship an idol. The
last son was asked to pick up Antiochus’s ring in front of the idol

causing him to bow, and even he said no and was killed.
Over time, if we could measure the most hated nation in
the world, Jews would take the cake in a landslide victory. Though
we have been killed and persecuted on numerous occasions, we
have survived and will continue to persevere until Moshiach comes.
Then, we will go from the most hated nation to the most loved nation.
From then on, we will live together in peace without anyone
bothering us. We will learn Torah without having to hide and will be
like we were back at Har Sinai, one nation becoming one person.
Jewish Heritage
Jonathan Kiaei
Dear World,
I send out this message as a reminder- a reminder of the
injustice that has been done to my race over the course of history.
Ever since the beginning of time, we, the Jews, have been persecuted
wherever we have settled. Even though in 1948,, the United
Nations recognized the borders of Israel, we have not been given
the right to a peaceful existence. What we want is simple. We ask
for peace. We have roamed the earth from Egypt to Greece and
Spain to Germany in search of it. And so, I ask you the people of the
world to remember and not let history repeat itself and to not let
us fall once again.
Even now, only sixty years after the Holocaust, you have
not learned to accept the Jewish nation as an equal. In France, a
gunman recently killed three Jewish children and a rabbi at a Jewish
day school- an act of pure prejudice. Neo-Nazis have begun to rise
and follow in the footsteps of those who were put to justice after
World War II. These facts cannot be ignored. In order to bring an
end to this injustice, the world must ask themselves one question:
What have the Jews done wrong?
Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Freedom is never voluntarily
given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.”
This needs to change. The world should be on the lookout
to serve justice; the minority should not have to implore the majority
for freedom and liberty. At the same time, I feel that a nation
should be able to defend its rights and jurisdiction. The Jewish people
need Israel, their homeland. In Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s
words, “In every generation, there are those who wish to
destroy the Jewish people. In this generation, we are blessed to live
in an age when there is a Jewish state capable of defending the
Jewish people.” Despite our need for a country of our own, you still
want to take away Israel, a land that would fit into California nineteen
times. We already share our land with Muslims and Christians
and twenty-two Arab countries border Israel. I believe that by
providing for others, we have earned the right to live in our biblical
homeland in peace and safety.
Every day, I pray. I pray for peace. I pray for a day in which
I will not hear about another missile killing my brothers and sisters.
Most of all, I pray for an end to the madness. I await a time when
the world will not discriminate against us, but instead, will value
our many contributions to the world. I pray for a time when the
world will stop judging us negatively every time we defend ourselves.
Thus, I ask the world once again to join the Jewish people
and to fight for what is morally justified. I pray to redirect history’s
ancient circle of bias on another course. I pray to stop the coming
of another Holocaust, not just for the Jews, but for all of those who
make the world a better place. Let’s remember and not let the fog
of prejudice prevent the universe from choosing the right path.
G-d Commands and G-d Rewards
Moshe Eshaghian
G-d is but one G-d
A God that is prayed to and praised
A God that Jews love and fear
A truly respected and awesome G-d
A Jew must not disrespect the Almighty
A Jew shows his respect by following G-d’s commands
Like a soldier to a general
A Jew listens to his master and does what he’s told
How to live in this world correctly
How to get to the next world
G-d shows us these necessities
And from each step in this process
A Jew learns how to get to the next
A Jew also learns to appreciate what chance G-d has given
him
A chance to show that a Jew can follow his master’s bidding
G-d also rewards for good deeds
Every reward depends on the deed
G-d commands and G-d rewards
CONNECTED
Samuel Lapidot
It was a very beautiful and exciting day on July 17, 2011.
My family and I were going to Israel. We were ready to take off to
the airport, “Everyone, get in the CAR!!” my dad yelled, so my family
ran and jumped into the car in anticipation. My dad turned the
car’s engine on, and was about to start driving, but I yelled out,
“WAIT, I have to get my tefilin.” I ran out of the car into the house,
grabbed my tefilin which was on the top of my bookshelf, and ran
back to the car. After that, we drove away to the airport. When we
arrived, I held onto my tefilin tightly and boarded the airplane.
“Only fifteen more hours of flying guys,” my mom said “Try
to entertain yourselves with something.” At that suggestion, my
brothers took out their electronics and started playing on them, but
I just started wondering. I wondered how I could have forgotten one
of my most valuables possessions behind, my tefilin. My mind began
reminiscing to the first day I put on tefilin. It was a Sunday morning
in Los Angeles, and I woke myself up at 6:30 a.m., smelling the fresh
breeze. I got up, and my mom drove me to my synagogue with my
brother. When we got there, I got out of the car and gave my mom
an air kiss. I was walking into the synagogue sensing the refreshing
early morning wind, knowing that today was going to be a memory
that I would carry with me for a life- time. Today was the day that I
was putting tefilin on for the first time. I walked into the synagogue
with pride holding my tefilin in my right hand and feeling like today
was going to be all about me. I went into the Beit Midrash and
grabbed a siddur and sat down. I opened to the page in the siddur
that I was going to say when I put on my tefilin. I opened the bag
that was guarding my tefilin like a lion guards its cubs, and unzipped
the zipper as if I was opening the gates to heaven. I gently pulled
out the box that was guarding my tefilin with my right hand, and I
started unraveling the straps of holiness that kept the box from
shedding its inside light. I then started tying the straps on my left
arm saying the blessings from the siddur. I stopped wrapping the

straps on my hand and took out the other box that was keeping my
tefilin safe, unraveled its holy straps, and put it on my head, right
where my hairline begins and in the middle of my forehead between
the eyes. I then continued to wrap the other straps on my
hand and finger. Right then, I was done. I completely had my tefilin
on. It felt so great the fact that my hand could barely receive blood
from the tight straps. This feeling made me feel like I was a part of a
massive group which I certainly am- known as the Jewish nation. I
smiled as I knew the plane would soon land, and I’d be in Eretz Israel.
Then, I gently reached for my tefilin from my bag, stared at it,
kissed it, and felt a sense of profound peace knowing this is one of
the ways which totally connect me to Hashem.
Defeating the darkness
Shayan Kohanteb
A little over sixteen hundred years ago, in the time of the
Babylonian King Ahasuerus, the Jewish nation in Shushan and all
over the world were in peril because of a nefarious and wicked Amaleki
man, Haman. He along with many other anti- Semitics wished
to wipe the Jewish nation off the map, and he would have done so
if not for two Jews. Mordechai, the prophet, and Queen Ester saved
the Jewish people by standing for what they believe in, doing
what’s right, and having great belief and emunah in Hashem. Today,
the Jewish nation finds themselves in the same perilous position.
The Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has constantly
made the claim that “ Israel and the Jews should be wiped off the
map and annihilated”. Jews must band together and take a stand to
keep the nuclear active Iranians from attacking the country we love.
Over six million Jews live in the holyland and under the leadership
of President Netanyahu, Israel will defend itself and even have a
preemptive strike against Iran, if needed, to keep their citizens safe.
In both the story of Purim and in current day Iran, the
wicked leaders similarly do many things to force the end of the
Jews. Haman used the King’s ring to legalize anti-Semitism and the
killing of Jews; Iran’s president has made it legal to attack any Jew
anywhere worldwide. In other words, these evil leaders have made
it legal to physically attack and kill people. Firstly, everyone is created
from God and in the image of Him. Additionally, who said that
these “people” can just say ‘ go and kill the Jews if you feel like it!’
The Torah teaches Lahavt’ah Li’araiach Chamocha which translates
in English as love your fellow as you’d love yourself and, even more
than that, it’s simple morality.
Today, with the terrorist leader, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,
threatening nuclear war, we, the Jewish nation must see it as a
wake up call from Hakado’sh Barachu. Whenever Jews fail in their
quest to be godly in the world and unified, God allows the world to
act ungodly upon us by blowing up busses and threatening nuclear
war causing inevitable death. Let us not let history repeat itself and
learn from the wise acts of Mordechai and Queen Esther. We must
stand up for what we believe in by having peaceful protests for
president Obama to back the Israelis in their right to self defense.
We must do what’s right by joining groups like Stand With Us, Aipac,
and the Simon Wiesenthal Center to promote Israel. However,
most importantly, we must have emunah in Hashem that he will
take care of us, and we should get on the level to deserve His help.
“ Go, assemble all the Jews!”(Book of Esther 4:16). We only deserve
God’s help if we, the entire Jewish nation, whether Reform, Conservative,
or Orthodox unite; we are all Jews and Queen Esther re-
alized this when she commanded it to Mordechai in order that all
the Jews fast before she would confront the king. All Jews must be
united and stand together like brothers to defeat the darkness.
The Road Towards Happiness
Zalman Tropper
“And he (Israel) encamped there, opposite the mountain”
(Exodus/Yisro, 19:2) Why does this verse refer to us, Israel, as
one person, singular, and not a group, in plural? The Torah is telling
us that at that moment, the Jews were united and considered as
one person. Rashi explains that this is the only time that no one
complained or argued with Hashem. As we all know, everything in
the Torah teaches us something. In order to understand more, we
must comprehend more on what unity means, and why this is beneficial.
To start, the Webster`s dictionary defines unity as, “the
state of being together,” At first glance, one may think that this
means that at any time we get together, we are united like a birthday
or any other type of celebration. But, according to Rashi, this is
incorrect! As we know, Rashi explains unity as not arguing. Now,
can you think of when at your last family celebration there wasn`t
even one argument. Thus, we were never really united. Unlike this
example, when the Jews camped at Har Sinai, not one person argued,
or had a dispute, or fought with another. We can learn a tremendous
lesson here that even when there was an entire group of
millions of Jews, still not one person argued. How much more
should we in heed in our get-togethers the notion of no fighting,
especially since they are comprised of of maybe 100 people.
The answer to the above the question is simple. Although
we wish we can be together more, we all know that people only get
together during times of crisis. For example, when Gilad Shalit was
captured, many Jews got together in order to think of a way to have
him released. In addition, when people are sick, people always get
together and daven for that person. Also, in times of happiness like
during Purim or other Simchos, Jews get together, yet why don`t we
get together during times of peace or neutral times; why do we only
turn to Hashem during times of sadness or happiness? The following
answer will answer all these questions:
Firstly, the reason most people don`t go to Hashem during
times of peace and neutrality is because they don`t look into the
future. Most people are animals and only worry about themselves
at that moment and don`t care what will happen in the future;
therefore, there is no reason to daven to Hashem. Yet, Hashem
wants to hear from us all the time. When He sees that we are taking
life for granted, He has to take away that sense of life being
blithe and bring a faulty situation to our lives, like a sickness or
death. Then, we join together, but since there are problems, people
argue and blame others and that is why there is no unity in this
world. Just like the Jews at Har Sinai who had to witness the ten
plagues, the splitting of the sea, and Har Sinai, we too have to witness
something big in order to go towards Hashem. If only people
would stop and think for one moment why everything happens,
then they`ll will continue to follow the road towards contentment.

8 th Grade Girls—Ms. Soloway
United Nation
Atara Meisels
As I approached the street, I saw throngs of people
laughing, talking, and dancing. The wonderful sound of the music
could be heard from a block away. The sweet smell of cotton
candy, popcorn, and churros filled the air. This party was special.
It was the annual Sukkot party that brought Jews from all over
Los Angeles to celebrate together. As I thought about how we
came together on this day, my heart was filled with joy. Imagine
the happiness and joy that was seen all around.
Throughout our lives, there are various tests that we
have to go through. Sometimes we can forget about all our misery
and just enjoy what is around us. At this Sukkot party, everyone
forgot their hardships and all that they had endured. We
came together as one and forgot about the fights we had. We
embraced our differences and hardships and came together as a
nation.
This gathering every year can bring us one step closer
to Mashiach. At the party, I felt as if we were getting the Torah
with all the unity and dignity we, Jews, had on that one day of
Sukkot. We were all standing around the stage listening to the
music just like when we stood around Har Sinai to listen to the
Ten Commandments and receive the Torah from Hashem. On
that night, everyone was making a Kiddush Hashem by behaving
and acting well. If only we were able to come close to each other
and Hashem every day a year then it would bring Mashiach really
soon. Every Jew needs to realize Hashem has the power in this
world, and he can cause anything to happen, so let’s hope Mashiach
will come real soon.
Avital Shemtov
Dear G-d,
I ask you for things
So dear to me
But, I guess the answers are no
And you disagree with me.
I know you listen to every problem
And erase my tears that belittle my face
You take away all my sorrow
And allow the happiness to replace.
But sometimes I know it’s not as easy as it seems
To be a Jew and understand the meanings
There are many prayers too hard to understand
Knowing you are sitting there judging my plans.
So even though I think the answers are no
Every day you give me strength, so I can glow
Just then I realize the questions are answered
And, I just didn’t know!
My Day With God
Rachel Robin
For a religious, observant family, Shabbat is one of the
most special times of the week. It brings Jewish people closer to
one another and unites us all. Although for some people, Shabbat
seems like a burden, as soon as you realize its importance, you
cannot bear to live without it. Shabbat provides everyone with
close bonds to their family and friends, which is something in
today’s society that everyone is lacking. During Shabbat, we have
the chance to pray to G-d and elevate ourselves to a higher level.
Every Shabbat we let pass by without doing so, we waste our
chance of elevating our souls. This is a privilege that only certain
people are provided with in life. As the nation chosen to bring
light into the world, we must rise to the occasion and not let it
slip from our hands.
Every Friday night I sit down with my family and eat a
beautiful dinner. This is one of the most special times of the
week. It gives us the chance to discuss the events of the week and
time to spend together as a family unit. It has been proven that
children who eat dinner together with their families become
more successful than those who don’t. Sometimes it is hard to get
all the members of your family together during the week, but
that’s where Shabbat comes in handy. Nobody has plans or
things to do. This proves that Shabbat is good for both spiritual
and physical reasons.
Not only is Shabbat a time for family, but it is also a time
that is set aside from the rest of the week in order for us to get
closer to G-D. Because of the day’s spirituality, any little bit of
prayer will bring you closer to Hashem. We have a chance to get
closer to him and must utilize this chance and have faith in G-D.
There is no limit to how much you can pray, and every time you
do pray on Shabbat, your prayer is given a higher reward than on
any regular day. It’s not a regular day. It’s a special day.
For all these reasons, we can see that Shabbat is a vital
part in many children and adult lives. Shabbat is more than just
any regular day of the week. It is holy and provides us with the
tools to become a unified, holy nation. Being brought up celebrating
this holiday, it makes me wish that every other person who
does not celebrate it is able to feel the joy that I feel every Friday
night. This is the joy that brings light to the world, and we must
shed this light as often as possible.
The Book
Miriam Gitlin-Petlak
This book was passed from mother to daughter for as far back as
I’ve been told
They would treasure every page as though it was made from gold
And when I turned twelve, my mom came in my room carrying a
brown little book.
She told me how long it’s been passed down and told me to take
a look

Inside the leather binding held words I could not read
She said that I should pass it on for it’s our family’s creed.
She didn’t know what was inscribed, but then she said to me
It’s from our religion; it’s been around for eternity
Because although you don’t know, we’re Jewish, don’t you see.
I asked her what that meant; however, she was not aware,
She told me if I wanted to find out that I really would have to
care
So as I sat there - I decided one important thing
No matter what it would take, I would find out what it means.
After many years I’m familiar with that book in every way
It is called a Siddur, and I pray from it every day.
Nechamah Abrams
Dear Cousin,
First of all, mazal tov on your Bar Mitzvah! I know it was
a few months ago, but it’s taken me a while to formulate my
thoughts about it. You’re the only boy cousin in the family, and,
to be honest, we’ve waited for your Bar Mitzvah since you were
born. Finally, with your special occasion around the bend, you
invited us to come to Washington, D.C. to celebrate with you. My
mother said she was going with my older sister. At first, I was
angry—you’re my cousin, too- aren’t you? Then, however, I realized
that my mother wasn’t preventing me from coming, she was
protecting me.
Yes, she was protecting me not only from a party, but
also from a culture I don’t associate myself or my family with.
She knew what type of celebration it would be. She knew it
would have pained me to see your family light Shabbos candles
and then drive to synagogue, to see your havdalah service before
Shabbos was over, and your party with non-kosher food and
mixed dancing.
You and I are so different—we’re practically from different planets.
I grew up in a frum, Orthodox community, celebrating Shabbos
and holidays, going to a Jewish day school, learning Torah,
and doing mitzvos. In my sheltered world, my Jewish identity
reigned supreme. You grew up in a traditional reform home,
keeping kosher only in the house, going to synagogue for Rosh
Hashanah and Yom Kippur, not keeping Shabbos, going to a non-
Jewish school, and not learning Torah. For you, being Jewish
came second to being American. We are basically polar opposites,
Yaakov and Esav—distant, yet connected.
Although I knew you were “a different kind of Jewish,” I
wondered when your yiddishe neshamah would reach up and
out to find truth. I wondered when your conscience would bother
you and your curiosity would be aroused about your heritage,
about what it means to be Jewish. Before your Bar Mitzvah, you
asked. You asked what your Bar Mitzvah meant to us, what it
means to be Jewish, and why you should remain Jewish. When
you asked those questions, I was very excited. Would I be able to
kindle your flame again? Was it possible I could turn your embers
into a fire? I was thrilled that you asked and that you wanted
to know. That somewhere under your modern shell you had a
Jewish soul.
We answered your questions with care, trying to answer
in a way that would heighten your thirst for knowledge,
not kill it. Maybe, we answered in the wrong way—forgive us if
we did. You haven’t asked us anything since. If I may, I would
like to ask you a question of my own. Why didn’t you want the
tefillin?
When my friends talk about their many hordes of religious
cousins, I feel left out. If they ask me what I do with my
cousins, I reply that I only have five—two of them are not Jewish,
the other three are not religious, and none of them live close by.
No, I am not ashamed of you. Rather, I wish you would be religious.
When I hear about religious boys proudly donning tefillin
every day, the same question irks me: Why won’t my cousin do
the same?
When our great-grandfather died, my mother received
his beautiful set of tefillin. She was especially close to poppy, and
was delighted to have something so precious of his. However,
they were of no real use to her, and your father didn’t want them.
When your Bar Mitzvah came, she offered to give them to you,
the only boy in the family. You carry poppy’s name, and she
hoped that you would carry his legacy, too. However, you did not
want them—they had no meaning to you.
Well, my hopes that you wanted to learn more and were
on your way to becoming a baal teshuva were not recognized
here, in this episode of your life. Perhaps I am wrong to dream
that you might one day be one of those boys donning tefillin every
day. Perhaps I am wrong to hope that one day I can say “Yes, I
have a religious cousin.” Perhaps all of my dreams will never
come true. Despite it, I will never stop hoping and dreaming these
things.
My mother is saving the tefillin for me—it means something
to me. I am glad to have it and will, G-d willing, one day give
it to one of my sons to use. If, however, you ever change your
mind, and decide that you want them, just call me. I will gladly
give them to you with a full heart. Right now, you may not be at
that stage in your life; but, when you reach it, my hand is already
reaching for the phone.
Love always,
Your cousin
Mr. Raider
Sarah Bracha Schuraytz
“This is for the baby, and don’t be offended if I call you
baby because I still call my youngest son baby, and he’s in his
sixties.”
I remember well the first time I met Mr. Raider. From
the start, I knew he was an incredible man. At that point in my
life, I would’ve been offended if anyone else called me “baby,”
but, with Mr. Raider, it was somehow different. He made everyone
feel comfortable and happy. When he smiled, everyone just
couldn’t help but smile back. No matter how strange or irritating
most people find a person, Mr. Raider was able to find something
that he had in common and could talk about with that person.
I used to see Mr. Raider at shul each week and on some
special occasions. Just like my family, he was a Gilbert and Sullivan
fan, and we enjoyed singing their songs together. One time,
we took him to see a take-off of “H.M.S. Pinafore” and “Star Trek.”
Another time, he came to our house to watch “The Pirates of Penzance”
and eat his favorite food – macaroni and cheese. Each
year at Purim, we delivered poppy seed hamentaschen to him
which reminded him of the poppy seed cookies his grandma gave
him when he was escaping from Poland. Mr. Raider was always
busy because everyone loved him and invited him to all sorts of
parties and events.
I think part of his popularity was because of his great

sense of humor. When he was 98 and went to have his license
renewed, he asked that it only be renewed for two years, not the
regular four. At his 100 th birthday party, he jogged up to the
stage to give his speech. He first said, “Sorry, I didn’t prepare a
speech; I didn’t know I’d have to speak.” Then, he pulled out a
long paper and read, “Four score and seven years ago.” After
that he said, “Oh whoops, wrong paper” and took out his real
speech. It’s the funny little things that he would say and do that
made Mr. Raider who he was.
Mr. Raider always believed in doing “the right thing”
and did what he wanted to do. He was daring enough to quit a
job during The Great Depression just so he could marry his wife.
One year, my family had him for the first night of Sukkot, and it
was pouring with rain. Although he was old, he didn’t mind getting
wet because he wanted to perform the mitzvah of sitting in
the Sukkah. At his hundredth birthday party, Mr. Raider
danced like it was just as easy for him as for a young person.
Even when he aged, he didn’t seem like an old man.
The hardest times couldn’t crush Mr. Raider’s cheerfulness.
As a child, he had to search the streets for food to eat. He
then smuggled into Poland with his mother and brother. Afterwards,
he moved to America and had to learn English. In 1998,
he lost his wife and later, he had heart problems and throat cancer.
Nevertheless, he refused to let those things ruin his life.
He lived over a century from the time when electricity
had just been invented until recently when he would quickly
take pictures on an iPad given to him by two of his grandchildren.
Mr. Raider was proactive and always knew what was happening
in the world. He received a blessing from the Chofetz
Chaim and through everything, he “kept breathing.”
A few days ago, I woke up and heard my mother saying,
“Mr. Raider died.” I began sobbing. I couldn’t believe it. I still
can’t. How can a man so full of life and happiness, a man who
made such a strong impact on the world just be taken away? He
would’ve turned 103 this summer, but now he’s gone. It seems
impossible. It isn’t fair! We can’t change the fact that he is dead,
but as Jews, we can try to carry on his legacy of always being
happy and kind, two extremely important concepts in Judaism.
At his funeral, one of Mr. Raider’s sons read the poem “A
Character” by Robert Service and said it was one of his grandfather’s
favorite poems. When I heard it, I realized that this poem
was the perfect description of Mr. Raider. He must have used
the poem as a guide for his life. The poem says, “… in his eyes a
merry twinkle…round his lips a laughing wrinkle.” (A Character,
L. 5-6) I can see his “merry twinkle” and the “laughing wrinkle”
at this very moment. How I wish I could see him one last time in
person and hear his voice again. I miss him already, and the
week hasn’t even reached its end.
Mr. Raider was like my second grandfather, the one who
died before I was born, although he was old enough to be my
great-grandfather. He was always so glad to see me and would
greet me with a big hug and smile. He made me feel good about
myself. Although he was a small man, he had a huge personality.
I feel so lucky to have known such a man and wish everyone
could’ve had the same opportunity. Being around him, really
made me think about what characteristics a good Jew must possess.
I have decided a good Jew is a person who finds the good
in everything and who shares that view with the rest of the
world.
Many people went to Mr. Raider’s funeral to share their
memories of him because he was a man who could relate to peo-
ple of all kinds. In addition to the crying, there was laughing and
joy. People realized that he led such a wonderful and full life
that one can’t just be sad. Besides, he wouldn’t have wanted that.
As I write this, I can see his face looking down on us from heaven,
smiling. I can’t help but smile back!
All that You Do
Sarah Markowicz
Dear Hashem,
I am writing to you because I am very confused. I am going
through a hard time in my life right now. Over the last few years,
there have been many times that I’ve felt that my world was
crashing down. I’ve felt a lot of pain and distress lately. Therefore,
I am asking You why have You done this? What did I do to
deserve some of the things that occur in my life? I was a good
child. I never told lies and loved to help others. I don’t understand
why things happen the way they do? No matter how much
I cry, weep, beg, and plead, You still don’t answer me. I’ve been
told everything happens for a good reason, and it’s all part of a
greater plan, yet I still can’t seem to understand. Why me?
Every time I hear the news, it’s nothing but sadness, mostly
about the Jews. There are wars and anti-Semitism galore. Bombs,
murder, and much more add to the list of tragedies that happen
daily. Yes, they happen to everyone; however, due to the humongous
amount of anti-Semitism today, a lot of the tragedies
happen to the Jews. I ask myself what we are doing wrong and
yes, everyone has their flaws, but why are we punished so severely?
Some people compare our relationship with You to one
of a parent and child. However, this doesn’t make sense to me
because parents comfort their children and help them when they
are down. Do you do that for me? Well...actually You do.
Therefore, as I think of my problems and feel sorry for myself, I
decide to think of something else. I think of all that You give to us
each and every day. You comfort us when we have feelings of
dismay. You give us blessings without our imploring. You help us,
and sometimes You do answer us with yes-it’s just hard to realize
it when I’m caught up in my big hot mess. So, as I start to see
the light, my situation doesn’t seem so bad. I don’t feel as mad,
angry, and upset, but instead, I feel gratitude towards the One
who knows best. I’m sorry Hashem for being angry at You. I really
appreciate the things that You do. You give me blessings upon
blessings, and I’m forever grateful; I’ve now decided I’ll continue
to stay faithful. I know I do not understand Your reasoning for
things, but I am starting to learn to have patience because I
know, after all, it could be worse. Although I may not be a very
religious Jew, I definitely still believe in You. I believe in Your
miracles, Your power to save us, Your reasoning that is always
for the best. I trust that You love us and are protecting us. You
give us the opportunity to talk to you at any time each day and
welcome us with warm open arms. You never turn us away.
Thus, sometimes life is hard, I have figured that out, but somehow
it becomes much easier when I turn to You. Thank you Hashem
for all that You do.
Love,
Sarah

My Immortal Nation
Shirel Rachel Shemen
Egyptians, Babylonians, Persians
Prominent Nations
Wanted by other nations
Looked up to, powerful, feared
The talk of the town!
Yet, they faded away
Then came the Romans and Greeks
They were huge
Beauty their prized possession
They were famous
But there is an end to everything
Nothing, no one is immortal
Except the Jews!
They are truly immortal
Even after being tortured and killed
They never cease to amaze
It’s ironic
The Jews are 1% of the human race.
Mark Twain once said
“A nebulous dim puff of stardust
In the blaze of Milky Way…
The Jew ought hardly be heard of,
But he is heard of,
Always heard of”
Even though we are a speck of dust
A needle in a haystack
Tiny but tough
We are not scared
We have a loving helping G-d.
Twain also said
“Jews saw all their enemies,
Beat them all,
It’s what always was,
No infirmities of age,
No weakening of parts,
No slowing of energy
No dulling of his alert
Or aggressive mind”
We are a special nation
One who is hated
But secretly feared
One who is wanted
By all its enemies
But never caught.
Hashem, our G-d listen
You can do anything
Give us light, happiness, and life
Give us everything
לכי לוכה התא יקלא לארשי עמש
לכה ונל ןתת םייחו החמשו רוא ונל ןתת
Judaism is…
Tziona Gerson
Judaism is about the connections
you make, and the impressions you
leave.
It’s about the smile that you give to a
person, who you don’t know, but you
think looks like they need it.
It’s allowing the glow of candles lit
each Friday night to lighten your mood
and infuse your soul with peace.
It’s about the struggle between trying
to figure out what Hashem wants
from you, and just trying to fit in.
It’s about the holidays we celebrate
to commemorate miracles that happened,
while trying to recognize that
miracles happen each day.
Being Jewish is praying so many
times it seems redundant, and then only
occasionally catching that fleeting feeling
of a huge presence looking down at
you from behind your right shoulder.
It’s hugging your father and feeling
warm and safe, and thanking Hashem for
giving you that warm caring parent and
the feeling of happiness that you feel
randomly just because you know Hashem
is there.
Fundamentally, Judaism is the loving
acceptance of those who are different
from you, because you know that
everyone is important, everyone has
drives as strong as yours, everyone has a
purpose.