on the cover: supporting Israel

continued from B1

connection between the students and Israel stron-
ger and more personal."
Akiva student Elana Greenbaum, 13, whose fam-
ily is housing Maayan and Adi during the school
year, said, "It's nice to have Israelis around us. They
bring a piece of Israel to our school."
While I would never question my loyal to Israel,
my ultimate home, I admit that I am not always up
to date on current events and, therefore, it is some-
times hard to fully understand the facts of news re-
ports.
Reading a newspaper or the stories floating
around on the Internet is not necessarily a reliable
and impartial way to learn the truth about the con-
flict in Gaza and about Israel in general.
In hashkafa (philosophy) class, we spent about
two weeks discussing how to really search for truth
in the news media. We learned about the impor-
tance of being literate and critical when it comes to
reading the news and when debating about Israel
with others.
By breaking down stories found in newspapers
and online, we explored the topic of ethics in jour-
nalism. We learned the skills to really examine a
story for accuracy and eventually wrote letters to
the editor of the Detroit News and the Detroit Free
Press based on the slanted journalism we found.
At the Frankel Jewish Academy in West Bloom-
field and at Hillel Day School in Farmington Hills,

students wrote letters to the soldiers expressing
support and solidarity. This act of kindness really
worked to bridge the distance gap through our com-
mon Jewish bond.
FJA student Rachel Pieczenik, 14, truly enjoyed
the experience.
"It was really cool to write the letters because I
know it must have meant a lot to them since they
mean so much to us," she said. "It's great that we
can connect through letters even though they are

so far away."
No matter the miles, when teens keep Israel in
mind, they take action.
Kayla Winer, a 14-year-old FJA
student, explained, "It's important
for us as Jews to connect to our
homeland, and it is much easier
than most people think." {

Elizabeth Kirshner, 14, is a freshman at

Yeshivat Akiva in Southfield.

get involved!

Jewish teens love Israel and would love to help, but many

every rocket means to the Israelis living near Gaza.

teens just don't know how.

Find an article online or in the newspaper, and really exam-

At the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces official Web

ine it for truth. Really search to see if the facts are accurate

site, there is a section that allows you to send a soldier a

and if they are stated clearly. A journalist can state a fact but

personal hygiene or snack package. This is a great option that

in a way that disguises it, and the court of public opinion is

could really make a soldier's day.

what counts when it comes to supporting Israel. Then, write a

On Facebook, get the Causes application and join the

letter to the editor with feedback to get your voice heard.

cause "Friends of the IDF." Ask others to join, too. Spreading

awareness is that easy.

On Standwithuscampus.com , you can look up the "15 Talk-

ing Points for Israel." You can use these when talking about

Also on FB, a popular trend now is to use the Qassam-

Count application, which automatically changes your status

the current Israel situation. This way you can back up state-

ments with facts.

to a rocket count of how many have been launched from Gaza

With all these options and more, there is no reason

into southern Israel. So many people are doing this, and it re-

teens can't do a lot to help support Israel, its soldiers and

ally spreads the facts in a way that makes people think what

people.

teens in action

by Gabriella Ring

super sunday

T2T staffers help raise funds to aid community.

Grab envelope. Grab card. Write neatly. Print first and last name. Print account number. Write dona-

tion amount. Stick in envelope. Address envelope from address on card.

These were the directions I followed while volunteering for Jewish Federation of Metropolitan De-

troit's Super Sunday on Feb. 8. The purpose: to solicit donations for Federation's Family Assistance

Project that helps people in this economic downturn and for other Federation agencies.

Volunteers phoned people for donations and marked them on a special form and also gave out

information if people needed help themselves. Those forms were sent over to the thank-you note

writers, who addressed envelopes and signed cards.

I sat at a table with about four or five older ladies, all with excellent penman-

ship. After receiving directions, I went to work. I didn't want to count how many

envelopes I did; I knew my help would contribute to the overall goal, regardless

E

of quantity.

We began work at 1:30 p.m.; I stayed until about 2:40 p.m. It was a valuable

experience. I'm glad I and other Teen2Teen staffers could make a difference in

the lives of others. {

Gabby Ring, 15, Is a sophomore at Berkley High School.

T2T Executive Editor Kell Guten Cohen and T2T staffer Sarah Spitzer, 17, a senior at

Yeshivat Akiva in Southfield, make Super Sunday calls for donations.

B2 teen2teen February • 2009

iN

visit JNt2t.com