4 1111111111111111111111111111111111111MIMP . being jewish spreading the word by Laura Katsnelson continued from page TT3 Passover dilemma ublic-school teens vary in observance of the holiday. A s Passover 2010 approaches, each Jewish teenager in public school has a decision to make: Should he/she keep Pass- over? According to Jewish Telegraphic Agency reports, ap- pro ximately 85-90 percent of Jewish kids in America attend secular publ is schools, making this a question that produces far-reaching consequences. On one hand, these mainly Reform and Conservative Jews may feel obligated to keep this eight-day connection to their faith. But on the oth- er hand, the temptations and isolation that come with public-school life make it all the more difficult. Walled Lake Western High School, a local public school whose Jewish population is noticeable yet not dominant, is an example of such a setting. Senior Chad Schram, 17, of West Bloomfield says, "I would really want to do more to keep Passover, but I only do it partly." Many students like Chad won't eat bread but may buy cookies in the cafeteria or eat cereal for breakfast. "High school is so busy; it's hard to spend time planning out my meals so I usually end up buying food," he says. "And there are a lot of temptations, especially at lunch." However, some kids at WLW go out of their way to control their diets during the holiday. Junior Alex Meisel of Farmington Hills and senior Scott Klein of West Bloomfield keep Passover to the extent that they do not eat yeast and bring lunches to school. Both say they make the effort because of the way they were raised. Alex adds that it gives "a sense of tradition that makes me feel connected and accomplished." Scott, who considers himself a Conservative Jew, says, "I feel like it's something I need to do ... it's a custom that I should continue." The diversity at WLW is usually seen as a great thing by its Jewish students, but during Passover it can be hard to have friends who don't quite understand what a Haggadah is. Still, Scott says that his non-Jewish friends respect his decision to keep Passover and go so far as to support him during the week. It seems that while keeping Passover in public school is not simple, it is very possible if one packs the right food and finds the right company. "Ac- tually, my friends look forward to Passover time," Alex says with a laugh. "They like matzah, so I always bring extra to give out!" H organization. The leadership experiences, the people I've met and things I've learned during the last four years have inspired me more than anything. BBYO has allowed me to realize my potential as a teen, and it has taught me I can make a real difference in the world. "I've gained a deeper understanding of who I am as a Jew, and I've made friends from across the globe I share such a deep connection with. Besides that, it's important to me that BBYO stays strong for years to come so more teenagers like me can experience all that BBYO has to offer." Was it a difficult decision to run for Grand Aleph Godol? "It was probably the hardest decision I've ever made. It was a choice be- tween moving on to college with all my friends or risking it all and running for the opportunity of a lifetime. I knew the choice would affect my life for the next several years. I spent nearly two months going back and forth and talking to people. I realized the opportunity was too great to turn down." How did you react during elections? "There were seven candidates and each of us delivered speeches and an- swered questions. As nervous as I was, it was the best delivery I had ever given and it was the greatest feeling of relief knowing I gave it my best shot. "After voting, we were narrowed down to two. We were each asked a question and, after more voting, the current president announced I had won. Even now, I still can't believe I won. It truly is a remarkable feeling." Sam Gringlas, 16, is a sophomore at North Farmington High School. teens in action continued from page TT2 After brunch, guests potted trees for Tu B'shevat and in the spirit of re- newal. The 3Gs will plant the trees at survivors' homes in the spring. The event was a wonderful way to show our appreciation to the survivors and it was special for them to spend time together and share their memories. Their strength, courage and perseverance will long be remembered by future generations. Author Elie Wiesel said, "Link your destiny to that of your people." Our existence is an affirmation and a proud link in the chain that perpetuates our grandparents' legacies and that of the Jewish people. { } Michelle Kappy, 18, and Anna Eisenberg, 16, co-chairs of Laura Katsne !son, 17, is a senior at Walled Lake Western the Third Generation of Holocaust Survivors, are students High School. at Frankel Jewish Academy in West Bloomfield. teen2teen staff • Teens, Party we you in Pages' the want party pages! hotline: (248) 351-5144 • kcohen@thejewishnews.com Reporters I Eryn Fox, Molly Goldmeier, Molly Grossman, Elizabeth Kirshner, Ruthie Lehmann, Avi Mendelson, Avielle Movsas, Stephanie Schulman, Yona Isaacs (Akiva Hebrew Day School, Southfield); Gabriella Ring, Erica Sachse (Berkley); Nechama Tawil (Beth Jacob, Oak Park); Teddi Cantor, Alexa Eisenberg, Rachel Gorosh, Lauren Lewis, Sara Smoler, Carly Sternberg, Rachael Vettese, Rachel Wein (Bloomfield Hills Andover); Abby Hyman (Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood); Emily Zussman (Detroit Country Day, Beverly Hills); Adieu Applebaum, Rachel Brown, Tamar Brown, Carly Cykiert, Hillary Dorman, Anna Eisenberg, Polina Fradkin, Helene Glickman, Emily Goodman, Rachel Goutman, Dan Hacker, Jessica Kahn, Michelle Kappy, Atara Lakritz, Rachel Margolin, Andrew Milgrom, Blake Orman, Maddy Soltz, Samantha Zwick (Frankel Jewish Academy, West Bloomfield); Mayer Schneider (home schooled); Robert Axelrod (Huron, Ann Arbor); Bassie Rabin (Lubavitch Seminary/Montreal); Sam Gringlas (North Farmington); Lily Grier Let us know when your party is and we might catch you on film or send us your pictures at partypa ges@thejewishnews.com im ages must not exceed 5mb, image s will be edited by the T2T staff This section is sponsored by Party Layne® Party Pages.% You've been Spotted!", and Partyrazzi.' are trademarks of Party Layne 4 TT4 teen2teen March 18.2010 (Orchard Lake Middle School, West Bloomfield); Laura Katsnelson (Walled Lake Western); Ben Eilender, Jennifer Finkel, Bridget Labe (West Bloomfield); Mackenzie Coden (West Bloomfield Walnut Creek) Photographers I Jessica Polk (Frankel), Colton Graub (Cranbrook-Kingswood ) supervising staff Chief Operating Officer I F. Kevin Browett Editorial Director I Robert Sklar Executive Editor I Keri Guten Cohen Creative Director I Deborah Schultz IT Director I Deanna Spivey Teen Consultant I Jon Layne a Jewish Renaissance Media — 29200 Northwestern Hwy., Suite 110, Southfield, MI 48034 1 J Jewish Federation ( 41 of Metropolitan Detroit ALLIANCE FOR JEWISH EDUCATION Supported by a generous grant from the Stephen H. Schulman Millennium Fund. A Jewish Renaissance Media publication © 2010 DETRO IT JEWISH NEW S