JVibe - Jewish Teen 'Zine

JVibe is a magazine made just for Jewish teenagers. Each issue features lots of advice, humor, and great stories. On the cover of each issue, there is a Jewish celebrity. The most recent issue has comedian and actress Sarah Silverman on the cover. Past Jew-brities have included Andy Samberg, Seth Rogen, and Shia LaBeouf.

The main focus of the magazine is, of course, Judaism, but it also centers a lot around giving and charity. Many of the articles are about tzedakah projects and things that kids are doing in their communities to help. One that pops into my head is about a beach clean-up. Kids from all around the city (exactly what city, I don't remember) gathered to pick up trash and debris littering the beach. Good deeds (mitzvot) like these are really inspiring.

Teen issues take up a big part of the magazine. They write about things like drugs, self esteem, expressing yourself, and much more. Here's the other thing about JVibe: It's funny (sometimes). In the end of one of their most recent issues, they have a list of the "Top Ten Best Jewish Heroes of All Time." The list is a countdown and includes:

10. Sarah Silverman, because she makes male comedians blush on a regular basis.

9. Judah Maccabee, because, although he didn't know it, he was directly responsible for the creation of latkes, dreidles, and star-shaped sugar cookies.

8. Zach Braff, because he kissed Natalie Portman in Garden State.

7. Woody Allen, because he made it kinda cool to be an intellectual, nerdy, neurotic Jew. Kinda.

6. Jon Stewart, because he drops Yiddish slang on national TV.

5. Moses, because no one ever beat him in a game of "Part the Sea."

4. Barbra Streisand, because she's sold more albums than Miley Cyrus ever will.

3. Esther, because she could drop it like it was hot.

2. Jack Black, because he proved that Jews can convincingly talk like pandas.

1. The dude who invented kosher hot dogs.

Rahm Emanuel should be on that list for being the first Jewish Chief of Staff. And speaking of politics, Rod Blagojevich is out of office, just to let you know.

I admit the magazine is a bit on the cheezy, "jolly do-good" side. But it's message is a good one: Give and uh.. do some good things.

"JVibe is a bi-monthly publication for today’s Jewish teens. Filled with celebrity interviews, the latest in music, movies and sports, conversations with teens and info on what’s hot in Israel, JVibe presents a unique offering that goes far beyond the typical teen magazine." - Their "About Us" page.

Tz-Tz-Tzedakah

I've already had my thirteenth birthday, which means my Bar-Mitzvah is coming up! I'm really excited. So far, I've conquered three aliyahs, as well as the before/after haftorah/torah blessings. My mom is absolutely swamped planning for my celebration. She's working really hard *wink* hi mom *wink*. Anyway, one thing we haven't done yet is decide my Tzedakah project. In respect of the non-tribesmen out there, I'll give you a little background on what it is.

"In Judaism, tzedakah refers to the religious obligation to perform charity, and philanthropic acts, which Judaism emphasises are important parts of living a spiritual life; Jewish tradition argues that the second highest form of tzedakah is to anonymously give donations to unknown recipients. Unlike philanthropy, which is completely voluntary, tzedakah is seen as a religious obligation, which must be performed regardless of financial standing, and must even be performed by poor people; tzedakah is considered to be one of the three main acts that can annul a less than favorable heavenly decree." - Wikipedia (I actually planned on writing my own summary… but this was right there)

My Sunday school class has a Tzedakah box. The little container is passed around the table every week so we can donate (usually one or two dollars). In our congregation, our class gets to choose where/who we give the money to. Our class hasn't decided yet, but I have a feeling we'll do something with Chicago's homeless.

Its traditional for B'nai Mitzvahs to front Tzedakah projects as a form of "giving back." We've been brainstorming for the past couple of weeks, trying to find one that was "leaning local," and (obviously) for a good cause. One of my readers sent me an email suggesting Tikva. Its a children's home for abandoned or abused Jewish children. We thought, though, that we'd like to do something more in our community.

As I was thinking about more project ideas, I remembered the Inspiration Cafe. We knew about it from something my parents did, but I forgot what (maybe they donated to it or something). Its a restaurant in Uptown Chicago that serves homeless people, and not just food. There, they help provide homes, jobs, and a secure foundation for homeless people to get back on their feet. I thought it was perfect because A. Its in Chicago, meaning I can go volunteer personally and visit the people I'm helping, and B. Just handing out money to "hobos" can be anything but helpful. Sometimes your donations, though kindhearted, enable them to purchase more drugs or whatever. I'm not saying all homeless people are like this, but there definitely are quite a few who would do this. The Inspiration Cafe lets you help them fo' sho, without the risk of them blowing your charity.

So far, this place definitely seems like my pick. Here's what they have to say about themselves:

"Located in Uptown on Chicago's north side, Inspiration Cafe provides restaurant-style meals, case management, support groups, life-skills training, financial assistance and other services to homeless men and women in a therapeutic community that promotes dignity and respect.Guests of the Cafe have access to the full range of Inspiration Corporation's programs, including employment training and career services, voice mail, and subsidized housing. Inspiration Cafe's goal is to help men and women overcome the causes of their homelessness and find stability by securing income and affordable housing.

Inspiration Cafe was founded in 1989 by Lisa Nigro, a Chicago police officer who began searching for a personal response to the homelessness she encountered in Uptown. She began by loading up a red wagon with sandwiches and coffee to distribute to homeless individuals on the streets."

Sounds really nice, right? But, if you have any suggestions or ideas for a Tzedakah project, why don'tya send them in. It would be very helpful. Thanks.

The December Crisis: Surviving the holidays

As Jews, my family is confronted with an age-old problem: Do we celebrate Christmas? It is a Christian holiday, hence the name CHRISTmas. Some people, not including us, consider it to be offensive to participate in another religion's holiday. But I disagree, and here's why.

According to me, my friends, and Wikipedia (of course!), Christmas is not only a Christian holiday, but a cultural holiday. This is a result of the incredible popularity it has attracted, not only in the United States, but internationally. A majority of that popularity does, in fact, come from Christians. And the more mainstream Christmas gets, the more followers it has.

Some people might believe that Christmas is too well-marketed, or "sold". That's a legitimate claim, considering Christmas, and the holiday season in general, is a goldmine for sellers. Others might say it has become materialistic, focusing too much on gifts. Fortunately, as result of that is an ever-growing appeal to people, mostly children, and a strong sense of giving.

What's your opinion? Does your Jewish or non-Jewish family celebrate Christmas? Please, leave a comment below to share your thoughts!

Custom Chocolate: Best party favor!

Almost everybody loves chocolate, so what better gift to give than, you guessed it, chocolate. My mom (aka Bar Mitzvah planner beast) found this site a few days ago. Possibly one of the best ideas ever, it turns America's favorite candy into an amazing, customized party favor. I will be probably be using the website for my own upcoming Bar Mitzvah party, and I can't wait!

Each candy bar costs about $2.00. You can choose to include silver foil, gold foil, or no foil. Additionally, many designs are available. But the best part of all, is the Nutritional Facts. They're parody'ed! Of course, you can change the brand name, logo, etc. Mmm.. Chocolate.

Maxwell Street Klezmer Band

Are considering hiring a band for your/your child's Bar or Bat Mitzvah? When suggested to a kid, this band may seem 'uncool', but in my opinion, its a great choice–for the luncheon. Not a party. But you may think differently! Just ask yourself/child, and consider choosing the Maxwell Street Klezmer Band. Here's a little info about it.

My mom showed their site, KlezmerBand.com, to me a couple days ago. It seemed convincing, and I wanted to know more about it. Upon further investigation, it seemed pretty exciting and like kids would love it. That said, by kids I don't really mean teenagers. 'Too-cool-for-school' teens especially wouldn't like it, but that's no expert analysis.

This is copied from their website:

What is Maxwell Street?
Maxwell Street was to Chicago what the Lower East Side was to New York. At the turn of the century, when the first wave of immigrants came to America, Maxwell Street became famous for its open-air Sunday marketplace crowded with Jewish pushcart peddlers, creating a carnival atmosphere enjoyed by Chicagoans and visitors alike. Like the Yiddish theater of yesteryear, a performance of the Maxwell Street Klezmer Band brings the optimism, pathos, irony, zest for life, and unique humor of the American Jewish immigrant to the modern stage.

Band Biography
In 1983, before klezmer music gained its recent popularity, Lori Lippitz founded the Maxwell Street Klezmer Band. Working within the Chicago Jewish community, the band reintroduced traditional dance music to weddings and other Jewish celebrations. Over the years, the band has performed on stages across the country (including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center) and played nine tours in Europe. Their third CD, You Should Be So Lucky!, is one of the ten best-selling klezmer recordings in America.

Maxwell Street is:

• The founder of the Klezmer Music Foundation and organizer of the Midwest Klezmer and Yiddish Music Institute (since 1995) at the Kaplan JCC, the Midwest’s only annual forum for klezmer and Yiddish music workshops. The Institute attracts over 800 participants a year and trains musicians of all ages.
• The sponsor of the Chicago Junior Klezmer Orchestra, a training ground for young klezmer musicians, since 1993.
• A founding partner of the Yiddish Arts Ensemble, scoring and staging original English-language musicals based upon Yiddish folklore.
• On the roster of the Illinois Arts Council Artstour of recommended performers.

The Style
Clarinet, saxophone, violin, trumpet, trombone, piano, bass and percussion make up the band, rounded out by a duet of female singers. Musical Director Alex Koffman spices the band’s potpourri of Yiddish songs, dance and theater music with his original arrangements, inspired by his classical and jazz background. With its big band instrumentation, Maxwell Street moves easily among various styles: Russian and gypsy music, folk songs, theater songs and Yiddish pop songs from the 1920's-50's. Their performance creates a multi-dimensional picture of the lost Jewish culture of Eastern Europe, spiced with vignettes of America seen through immigrant eyes.