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JumpSpark

Mar 02 2022
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A Day in My Life

By JumpSpark

Hello, my name is Eyal Amzaleg and I’ll be telling you about a day in my life, so lets get started.

The first thing I do is wake up at 6:45 to take a cold shower to start the day. Riight after I brush my teeth and get ready to school, my school usually starts at 7:45 am. Most of the time, first period is Computer Class, where I learn the programming language called c#.

 Usually I finish school at 3:35 pm, and most of the time I go hang out with my friends for a while before I go home. When I go home I play my electric guitar for a while and record some stuff for my band, (Beyond Doom if you want to check it out). After that, I listen to some music from my disc collection I inherited from my dad, he likes the same music genre as me:) which is quite nice if I might say.

After I listen to some music for a few hours, I’ll go play some video games on my computer with my friends. After that, I usually go hang out with my girlfriend for a few hours. We usually either go out to eat at some restaurant or we just stay home and watch some movies together.

After I hang out with my girlfriend. I’ll go home and watch some television. After I watch television, I usually read some books before going to bed, this is my favorite part of the day.

After that I go to sleep around 1-2 am.

Thank you for reading my blog about a day in my life

Feb 28 2022
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My Gap Year Journey

By JumpSpark

I’ve recently begun my journey into Jerusalem after 4 months in Tel Aviv. Through the months in Tel Aviv I learned about the differences of culture, ecological aspects in industrial cities, and how to manage living with various people. We visited various Palestinians and settlers in the west Bank. Seeing both perspectives and narratives of the situation was very interesting. During my time, I worked on a farm in Bat Yam. The farm was sustainable and seeing a farm in an industrialized area was a unique experience. Living with various people from across America, the UK, and Israel, had its difficulties, but mainly had its moments of learning. Not only did I understand different people’s perspectives, but also household differences between one another. Overall my Tel Aviv experience has been a time for me to grow and find my identity at exponential rates.

 

Feb 24 2022
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Living 5-9

By JumpSpark

For those in America, many are familiar with the Dolly Parton song “9-5”. For those unfamiliar, the song reflects an average American woman who works “9-5” to support herself and her family. My life is the reverse, I live 5-9. Now while this may seem just like a play on words, it is fortunately very true. I start my days bright and early at 4:30 am, and I crash and burn by 9:45 on “late nights”. Why do you live like this, you may be asking? What teenager isn’t up on their phone and hanging out till midnight? The simple answer, I’m busy getting things done, and I love it.

4:30 am, the first alarm of the day. The mornings are always still a bit hard at first, but after 30 minutes I am quickly able to adjust, definitely a morning owl. The reason for me waking up at the crack of dawn? Weightlifting. I love the same early people getting a workout in before the day, it’s like our own little morning club. Athletics are not exactly one of my strong suits, but after tearing my ACL, the gym has become my home. I love the routine of the gym. Monday: legs, Tuesday: push:, Wednesday: legs, Thursday: pull, Friday: full body. And the soreness is just as gratifying as hitting a PR. The gym is the main reason for my early wake up call, the fewer people there are, the more I can get done, and not everyone is a crazy gym rat up at 4:30 to go throw around a couple hundred pounds.  

7:00 am, the second alarm of the day. I am known for procrastinating and “dilly dallying” so small alarms remind me I need to stay on task. By this time, I have worked out, showered, gotten ready, and now am on my way to school. While class does not start till 8:20, I spend my mornings going to calc help sessions (definitely not a math person),studying, and generally working on student council (another one of my favorite things). I love the peacefulness of my highschool in the mornings, only half the teachers in the building, the lack of students in the halls, it really is my favorite time at school. 

8:20 am, first bell. My class schedule is quite a bore, so I will definitely spare you the details. As a junior, high school is relentless, four AP courses, one course at my local college, never enough time to study. My first class is definitely fun, AP US History. While I am definitely no history buff, the people in the class make it fun to learn, and the teacher is a blast. 

9:15 am, second period. My second class of the day is one of my harder courses, AP Calculus. Afterwards, my favorite class, AP Seminar. AP Seminar is different than my other courses as it revolves around discussions, 

4th period bell, it’s time to eat. Lunch is a time in which I can socialize with friends, study, get ahead in classes, or have meetings I would otherwise be unavailable for. I fill up my free period with additional work in hopes of getting ahead in courses, nevertheless I am always busy with things to check off. 

12:30, last course of the day, AP Environmental Science. This is my “curveball” course as every day is something different. From labs outdoors, to testing mud inside, I never know what is going to happen, and it always makes for a fun adventure. The students in my class make it even more enjoyable, and it is definitely a course I look forward to. 

1:30, time for work. Like I’ve mentioned, growing up sports were not exactly my strong suit. However, I did find a love for karate. Training now for 7 years, and obtaining a black belt in shuri ryu karate, I now work at a children’s karate dojo running the afterschool program. My work days consist of hanging out and making activities for 35 elementary schoolers. While it has made me realize that teaching will not be my future career, I love my kiddos and working with them makes my day so much better.

6:30, finally home. After a long day of being out and about, I finally got back home. However, the work isn’t over. After dinner with my family, it is time to get to work. Studying, getting homework done, and prepping for the next day are the final things I do before crashing.

9:30, time to crash and burn. By this time of the night, I am absolutely exhausted so it’s time to rest for another day of 5-9.

Feb 22 2022
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Giving Back with Repair the World

By JumpSpark

In December of 2021, Jumpspark’s Strong Women Fellowship gathered at The Weber School to meet with Lily Brent, the Executive Director of Repair the World, and Emma Burns, who is serving as a fellow with the organization. Repair the World is an Atlanta-based, Jewish organization focused on delivering equity to communities and people affected by poverty, food insecurity, and unequal accessibility to education. The organization has taken up a multitude of causes ranging from period poverty, to hurricane relief and The One America Movement, which serves to unite the nation to combat the growth in polarization over many issues. 

The group began with an activity where sheets of paper with statements were placed around the room. We were instructed to take some time to read each sheet and stand by the one we felt most connected to. The sheets read statements of advice such as, “Listen much more than you talk” and “Be aware that things you might take for granted might be scarce or unavailable to others.” Once each of us was standing with a paper, we went around the room reading our statements, introducing ourselves, and explaining why we felt connected to that specific piece of advice. 

We then turned to the back of the room where tables were piled with period products. Fellows were asked to bring packages of pads and tampons to later pack bags with. As a group, we were given instructions on how to fill a period pack and began organizing the supplies into bags which would later be distributed to those suffering from menstrual inequality. The period packs made during the event were donated to The Homeless Period Project, an organization with the goal of collecting and distributing menstrual products to cities around the United States. Many people with periods are unable to afford typical menstrual products due to its high price and inaccessibility within some communities. 

This experience with Repair the World enlightened many of us on what we take for granted in our everyday lives. Before being exposed to the struggles of people who are faced with period poverty, I never thought twice about my easy access to basic hygiene products; however, I now feel the privilege of being able to easily drive to a Walgreens and buy whatever products I need. Many people in America and around the world either cannot afford or do not have access to basic human necessities. Fortunately, there are many organizations, like Repair the World, who collect hygiene and menstrual products and create packages to support donation drives. As a community, we need to stand with and support our neighbors in any way we can; whether it’s through donating, volunteering, or advocating for political change, there is always a way to help.

Feb 16 2022
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Shayna’s Day In the Life at School

By JumpSpark

The first thing I do is wake up at 7:00 am and go straight to the bathroom to wash my face, do my hair, and make my face presentable for the rest of the day. I then go downstairs and say good morning to my brothers, mom, dad, and dog. I then search in the fridge for a delicious breakfast, which usually consists of yogurt and granola. I then finish my breakfast and go back upstairs to get dressed for school. I pack up my backpack, fill up my water bottle, and head straight to school. I’m very lucky because I live 1 mile from my school, so I don’t have to rush in the morning. 

After I park my car at school I wait in the car for a bit with my friends and listen to music and just chill before it’s time to go to school. After my chill time in the morning, I go to my first block which is AP Biology. During this class, I listen to my teacher lecture us as I take notes and try to understand the material. After a very long 70-80 minutes of AP Bio, I check out of school and go home for study hall to get some homework done and just relax at home. I then come back to school for my third block of the day which is English where we typically have discussions and read. 

I then go to my last block of the day: weight training. Weight training is my favorite class because I get to do the things I love; for example, exercise, listening to music and having the best time. After this, I typically have basketball practice after school for two hours. After my super crazy full day, I go home and do homework. After several hours of work, I go downstairs again for dinner and have family dinner. I then help clean up the table have some team, shower, get my bag ready for the next day, and go to sleep.

Feb 09 2022
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My Day in the Life of An Israeli Teenager

By JumpSpark

My name is Lidor I’m from Israel, I think my life is good and I want to tell you why:

I am able to learn something I like – to program. At my school I have been learning a software called C#. As far as I know, this software is the best if you are new to the world called programming. Don’t try to learn Python- this software will confused you. And sometimes at my school I am doing my assignments at lunches break or at breakfasts.

I live in Yokneam Illit, a city in the north of the country. Don’t worry about the rain because the amount of rain is equal to the amount of rain that falls in the desert. But from time to time the weather is insane. For example, one day the weather will be hot and on the following day, the weather will be cold with a rain. If we are lucky enough, we will get some hail and I have been loving it since I was born.

I have a brother, whose name is Shai. His school is very close to my school, so I accompany him to his school because there is a small construction site next to our house and he gets scared of things like that. On the other hand, he is quite successful at school (he has some difficulty in reading sentences in English, but he will understand the words and overcome that.)

When I’m free from school assignments or home assignments, I like to listen to any type of music (except rock), I like to play videos games, or reading books, especially Harry Potter or thrillers.

Feb 02 2022
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A Day in My Life as an Israeli Teenager

By JumpSpark

Hi, my name is Noa Allouch and I live in Yokneam Illit in Israel. I’m in 11th grade. Today I’ll tell you about a typical day in my life. These days due to the Covid pandemic, we are learning on zoom, and not going to school. In regular times, when there is no virus out there, my day starts at school. It depends on the day, but usually I go to school at 08:30 am. One of my parents drives me to school, but if they can’t, I go by bus. I chose two majors in biology and physics and I volunteer in MDA (Magen David Adom), so it really helps me in biology. 

When I come back from school, usually at 15:35 pm, I take my dog for a walk. His name is Joy. During the walk with Joy, I listen to music. When we get back home, I have lunch, I watch some TV or just rest. Then I go upstairs to my room to do my homework or study for a test. Now that I’m in 11th grade, I have a lot of homework, tests, and projects for school. This Monday for example, I have a test in Biology.  

Ever since I was young, I have really liked to cook and bake. It really depends on the day, but if I don’t have any more tasks for school, I make cookies or cakes, or something tasty to eat. I also like to go to the gym with my friends. A few years ago, I used to dance twice a week. This year I don’t have a lot of time because of school, so it’s nice sometimes to go to the gym, but maybe I’ll go back to dancing 🙂 

Some days I hang out with friends. We really like to go to “Golda”. It’s an Ice cream store in my neighborhood and it’s really close to our homes, or I just go back to watch Netflix. 

Jan 18 2022
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No Age Requirement for Political Engagement

By JumpSpark

In November, the Strong Women’s Fellowship had the opportunity to meet with the co-founders of the Jewish Democratic Women’s Salon, Valerie Habif and Joanie Shubin. They started their organization amidst the controversy from the Affordable Care Act in 2012. Together, they shared how that one issue sparked the formation of their group and how they utilized Facebook to gain members and popularize their group. They sought to form a political group in which progressive thoughts and ideas could be exchanged and to create an encouraging and accepting environment in which to do so.

Valerie and Joanie presented their story of growth in a very engaging way. They discussed the issues their group initially focused on, mainly the ACA, and explained the other problems they began to take on, such as gun violence and education. They helped us explore the depths of these issues, the importance of advocacy, and the capacity of their Jewish values. They explained that their group uses these values, such as Tikkun Olam (repair the world) and Kehillah (community), to navigate various political issues. The JDWS is comprised of hundreds of like-minded people who are passionate about enacting change in these areas and more. 

Hearing about what the organization accomplishes and what its meetings involve have changed my essentially uninformed idea of what a political group entails. I now know that it is a very effective and mind-opening method of bringing about change on any scale. 

One of the activities we partook in was generating our responsibilities as citizens. Of course, the obvious answer and the first that came to my mind was to vote; however, we listed a couple of others, but the critical job that was the last to be named was the responsibility to follow up with the people we elected into office. I did not realize how essential it is to hold those who earned our votes accountable for what they do and/or fail to do. I learned our representatives need to be actively striving to meet the needs of those they have been elected to represent, and most importantly, if they fail to do that, it is our civic duty to inform them.

Another discussion Valerie and Joanie led was one regarding ways of getting in contact with legislators. Although email is most convenient, this conversation truly enlightened me that writing a letter to my local politician would be more effective. Simply because these legislators receive fewer letters, they are more likely to prioritize them and take the time to resolve the matter voiced in said letter. The way to bring about the most change in one’s community is by contacting one’s local legislator, so I am happy to have learned that a letter will ensure my concerns are voiced and responded to.

The main takeaway I got from this meeting was that there are more things that I, a 16-year-old, can be doing to be politically involved in my community. I can advocate for the issues I am passionate about. I have attended a few marches, and I can continue to do so or even organize my own. I can follow politicians who believe in some of these same issues on social media and spread awareness on platforms such as Instagram. I can write to local politicians to urge them to vote on changing a policy or possibly vote on adding one. I also learned that I could register to vote this upcoming year, which I am incredibly excited about. Ultimately, this meeting with Valerie and Joanie has made me feel much more capable of my abilities as a young Jewish woman. They have prepared me with a valuable skill set to enter the political realm of my community successfully, and for that, I am very grateful.

Jan 12 2022
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Exploring Gender and Judaism with SOJOURN

By JumpSpark

Many teens who identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community struggle daily with accepting their own identities due to the hetero-normative society that we live in. Learning about the struggles that LGBTQ+ youth go through is an essential step in creating an accepting and supportive community in our schools, homes, and workplaces. SOJOURN is creating huge strides to educate and support the Southern, Jewish community on these issues, to ultimately better our community.

On October 3rd, the young leaders of the Strong Women Fellowship had the pleasure of learning from McKenzie Wren from SOJOURN. McKenzie is the program coordinator of the organization. SOJOURN’s goal is to empower communities to advance and celebrate gender and sexual diversity across the South through education, outreach, advocacy, and support. 

Our session was focused on the pillar of education, primarily focused on gender. We learned about the Gender Spectrum, the difference between gender identity and gender expression, the vocabulary used to describe different gender identities and sexual orientations, and tied gender back to Judaism. We were given the space to ask uncomfortable questions that people often fear to ask. Those who didn’t previously understand the gender spectrum were given the opportunity to learn in a non-judgmental space. The fellows had a very positive experience with SOJOURN and felt comfortable in the community that was created. 

I am interested in the idea of the gender spectrum and hope to study Gender and Women Studies in college, so this session drew me in. I learned interesting facts about how to further explore this topic and was able to engage in meaningful conversation with my peers. The conversation of gender is usually tip-toed around and it is important to discuss it in a productive and welcoming way. This is exactly what we experienced with SOJOURN.

Jan 03 2022
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My Gap Year in Israel

By JumpSpark

My gap year has been absolutely incredible so far. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to live in Israel for the year, and I am truly seeing and doing everything I can.

My school is located in the Old City of Jerusalem just a three-minute walk from the Kotel. I can actually see the Kotel from the balcony of my school. It’s difficult to put into words just how special and spiritual it is to be that close. On Chanukah, our entire school lit menorahs at the school window overlooking the Kotel, and it was such an incredible and spectacular sight. We also have amazing restaurants close by with the best falafel and shawarma in Israel. I enjoy learning in my classes every day and connecting to my Rabbis and teachers.

While growing up in Atlanta, I learned so many amazing stories in the Torah. This year I have been able to see exactly where all these events happened. We went on a school trip to Chevron, the place where the matriarchs and patriarchs in the Bible are buried, and visited the graves of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as well as those of Sarah, Rebecca and Leah.

Another incredible experience was a three-day trip to the Negev in the desert. We spent our days exploring and learning about the land of Israel. Each day we had the opportunity to focus on making a closer connection with our own selves, our peers and with G-d.

Next week we are going to Poland where we will visit the concentration camps and see the atrocities of the Holocaust up close and personal. I cannot even imagine what that will be like.

There are not enough words to describe this incredible experience I’m having living for a year in the holiest city in the world. In the short four months I’ve been here, I’ve already made lifelong friends, grown, matured and learned so much. I am certainly looking forward to the rest of the year and more amazing adventures.

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