INTRODUCTION
New Staff Writer
Yep. The rumors are true. There’s a new kid on the block at JDCC now! I thought that first I should introduce myself to you so that you’ll know who you’re stuck with! My name’s Adam Stone, and I live in Del Mar, California. I’m a sophomore at Torrey Pines High School, where I’m the only deaf student. I go to a conservative synagogue, Congregation Beth Am. There.
Now, don’t you feel better? I’ll be taking care of this Young Adults column from now on until either college or a nervous breakdown, whichever comes first!
This month, (well, it’s actually two months, but who’s counting?) I’m not going to do an interview. Don’t panic! They’ll be back. Instead, I thought that I should open up a dialogue for us Jewish Deaf Young Adults.
Let’s face it. It isn’t easy to be Jewish or Deaf or a young adult. Come with me on a trip to the not-too-distant past.
Long ago, in the days of yore, when knights roamed the earth . . . All a young, dashing, eligible Jewish bachelor had to worry about was whether he’d have a clean top hat for his wedding. The point’s that no one had to worry about whether his/her bride/groom was Jewish. Back then, Jews lived in “exclusive” communities and frequently married inside the community.
Hello! It’s 1998 America, and only 35% of Jews who marry marry other Jews! We are rapidly losing our Jewish identity by melting into the American lifestyle. My great grandparents knew back then in the 1900’s that their grandchildren would be Jewish and marry other Jews. Now I don’t know if I’ll even have grandchildren that’ll have a Jewish upbringing.
But is it realistic for rabbis or parents to impose you-may-only-see-other-Jews rules? Isn’t love the most important thing? And besides, it doesn’t matter as long as you make sure the kids are raised Jewish, does it? Well, what about these kids who have a Jewish father and a Catholic mother? They might be so confused about their religion that they’ll raise THEIR children, our grandchildren, without a religion.
Now, compound that with being Deaf. Most of us would like to marry other Deaf people. Now, when you add the Jewish factor, there’s even a smaller eligible bachelor/ess pool from which to choose!
And what about dating? Do we have to listen to ours parents saying, “Is he Jewish? What synagogue is she from?” What are we supposed to do? Quit dating? Become a Jewish monk or nun?
After Hamas, Nebuchadnezzar, the Romans, and Hitler, are we finally becoming our worst enemy by becoming so comfortable in the American lifestyle that we forget our Jewish heritage? What about ongoing media portrayals of Jewish men almost always being married to non-Jewish women? In the words of President Clinton, I invite the people to participate in a national dialogue. You don’t have anything to lose except a few minutes (precious, but still…) by sending in your thoughts.
I’m always available (sounds pathetic, doesn’t it?) to hear (well, more like read) your thoughts! Reach me at [email protected] (that’s two zeroes) or (619) 7552276 TTY.
“Memoirs of Israel” by Liz stone
Leaving for Israel never mustered enough courage or stamina for anyone in a dream. It’s always in this form, “Only if I could . . .” Holy Land – how can one just take off without taking any precautions within the parameters? Alas, let alone go to a foreign land with minimal resources and contacts! Of course, in this case, forever reminiscing the motto, “Anything is Possible.” I mean – if a group of people could take that hike on Mt. Everest, this would be a breeze! Right? In reality, I’m earnestly counting down the days until I actually depart -not to my dream land but to the Holy Land.
Over a period of 8 months, I’ve managed to get United Jewish Federation of San Diego and JDCC to work collaboratively on creating the “ultimate” Israel experience for me. It was a project I have worked on for over four years alone. However, I wanted to take advantage of the resources that were available here to create a more beneficial and saturated trip. It unifies the community even more this way.Through UJF and JDCC, I have found at least four families that offered their place, an internship specifically allocated to focus on relations among Deaf people in Israel. Not only that but with all the contacts I have made over the years prior to this, April 1 8th is the day of realization! A dream is becoming a reality. I never thought it would create such excitement, wonder, and awe until now.
I assure you, my readers, records of my experiences will be shared with you all for the next six months. I very much want other people to have access to this neat form of communication and perhaps open up future opportunities for those who are interested. It is with my full intention to open up a world we’ve always heard in mainstream TV and newspapers, but never really seen or felt up till now. I certainly hope what may transpire will inspire you in any way possible. Now, that would be the ultimatum!
