Being an "Observant" Jew in a Public School

(Side note: If you are unfamiliar with the customs of Rosh Hashanah, I suggest you check this out Rosh Hashanah)


Wednesday evening marks the beginning of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. The holiday carries on until Friday at sundown and then shabbat, the Jewish sabbath and day of rest begins immediately and ends Saturday at sun down. For most kids the Thursday that we have off of school is spent out doing whatever they want to, seeing movies, sleeping late, hanging out with friends, shopping, etc. As a conservative and "observant" Jew I spend the day differently.The video below should help you better understand what the holiday is about. 


This is how the conversation went with one of my teachers went last year when I asked him to sign my absence note:
-Me: Good morning (teacher's name). I am going to be missing school Wednesday for Rosh Hashanah, would you please sign my absence note?"
-Teacher: Oh, nice. Sure. I thought Rosh Hashanah was Tuesday. Catching up on sleep?
-Me: Nope. Going to synagogue and praying for 5 hours.
-Teacher: Really? I never knew. What do you do on Rosh Hashanah?
-Me: Well, Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Years. So, my family and I go to synagogue together from 9 until 2 and then we go home and start preparing for dinner where we have 20 people over and then we have some Jewish traditions that we follow also like listening to the shofar, eating apples and honey for a sweet new year and a round challah. 
-Teacher: You do all that on our day off? That's so unfair that you have to miss school a second day and are so busy like that too!


I am unsure how I feel about the last thing that he said there- that it is unfair for me to not be given the school day off for a religious observance. In the defense of the school board, they did give off one day for those who wish to observe the holiday, and in the United States we have separation of church and state, so religion should not interfere with school. However, if we are using that as an excuse, then it makes no sense that we are given off Good Friday and our winter break is planned off of when Christmas is and so many other Christian holidays. In a place where we believe in separation of church and state, then why have all 44 of our presidents been Christian? Why do we only ever hear Christmas music? For me, having to miss school because I am Jewish has just always been how it is. It's annoying to have to catch up on work and tests I missed, but it does strengthen my sense of Jewish identity. Choosing to miss school for the second day of Rosh Hashanah means much more than if I was just given the day off to go to synagogue. What do you think? Is it unfair that students have to miss school to observe religious holidays?

Blue Jeans Love

Summer is ending, the weather is cooling, and my wardrobe is changing. It's just about time to break out my good old blue jeans. I, like nearly every other girl my age, love jeans. And for that matter, not just girls or people my age love jeans - but everyone loves jeans. When my uncle was in Russia in the 1970s, a man tried to buy the jeans he was wearing off of him. However, Americans' love for jeans tops all.

JEAN HEAVEN

Why is that, you ask? Well, there are a few different theories. One theory is that jeans are a symbol of hard work. Miners and other physical laborers traditionally wore jeans while they were out working (history of jeans) and as Americans we are proud of our hard work. Another theory is that jeans are useful. We have developed a notion that jeans match anything. Furthermore, jeans are quite versatile: they can be dressy enough to wear on the red carpet, or casual enough for cleaning your own carpet. Jeans can be shorts, jeans can be pants, and they can be worn year round. Every person, despite age and size differences, can find jeans that fit. Some options that make them so lovable are multi-button front closure, zippers, elastic waists for the older generation or the pregnant, jeggings (jean leggings) for those who love their comfort, and pockets galore. My favorite jeans are skinny jeans from Nordstrom that I can tuck into boots or wear with ballet flats or sandals. Lastly, they are always a great buy because they are so durable and even if they get rips or holes, you can pass them off as distressed, which is now a jean style in its own right. 


Now it's time to deal with the designer jeans issue. Designer jeans are a symbol of status. One way to tell if  jeans are designer jeans is by the stitching on the rear pockets. Different stitching designs are easily recognizable to jean lovers but they are not flashy, which gives off the message of wealth without the need to show it off. Personally, I don't think that designer jeans are worth $200, which is how much some cost. After trying on a pair of Citizens of Humanity jeans two years ago, I fell in love with the soft, rich color and promptly splurged for them. Two days later, while wearing them during a very mild hike in a nearby forest preserve, they ripped on the left leg from a tree branch just barely brushing them. I have had my favorite Nordstrom jeans for almost a year, though, and they aren't even fraying at the leg.


Jeans are a very American thing, but in my opinion designer jeans are not because they do not represent many of the American values listed above.  My question for you now is: why do designers want to make jeans, which traditionally have been so ordinary, into something so extraordinary? With that being said, tomorrow is going to be cold, so enjoy your jeans.

Yoga On The Rise

  

School starting again marks a whole new year of rigorous academics, busy social lives, and of course extra-curriculars beginning again. With my hectic life starting anew, there have been few things I have been craving as much as an invigorating yoga class, and I know that I am not alone. This past Friday at dance lab in school, when we were given a few minutes to stretch on our own, I chose to start with a downward dog. Seconds after  beginning the pose, a chorus of sighs and chatter between friends erupted with everyone saying the same thing: "I could really use some yoga right about now." My fellow classmates, some who are my best friends and some who I had never met in my entire life, made me truly question why has yoga, a practice which originated in Buddhist India, become so popular among teens in America?


One of my favorite parts about yoga is that it truly is for everyone. As teenagers, we are expected to be adults in more ways than we are given credit for. We are taught from an early age to accept criticism. Although we have become accustomed to being told that we are not good enough, whether it is through a grade given on a paper or being cut from your high school's sports team, we obviously enough do not like it. In yoga, acceptance is the norm and we are not given criticism but rather adjustments. This friendly atmosphere is much more welcoming than a class where you are constantly competing for the higher grade or a sport where you want to be seen as the star player on the team.

Yoga offers modifications for everyone's abilities and needs. (http://www.yogachicago.com/nov03/yoga-for-teens.shtml) For example, almost all types of yoga encourage inversions, which allow the deoxygenated blood in your legs to travel back up to your brain. Not everyone is able to hold a bound headstand (me pictured at left), so people can opt to do less difficult versions of inversions such as the shoulder stand, or legs up the wall - a pose where you lie on your back and let your legs form a 90 degree angle resting against the wall.

Yoga is a safe haven to everyone who practices it. It is an endeavor  that encourages self-acceptance, experimentation, relaxation, and of course, a good workout. I believe yoga is popular among American teenagers because it tells us we are good enough just the way we are.