Ring, ring, ring. My alarm went off, and it flashed 6:30 am. I had to get out of bed because we were on a tight schedule. I put on warm clothes to face the brisk weather outside. I had an exhilarating morning ahead. My dad, my brother Max, and I piled into the car and left the house. It was a beautiful but chilly morning, and I could see the sun rising. The sky was shades of pink and orange, and it was clear with almost no clouds. We had to be at Hessel Park before 7:00 am. When we arrived at the park, I saw about thirty other people all gathered in a circle near a tree. In the middle of the circle stood Josh Whitman, the University of Illinois Athletic Director and former Illini football player. Mr. Whitman has a tradition of leading a four and a half mile jog every time there is a home football game. We were all there to run. The general course started at the park, then went through the community to campus, and finally looped back to the park. Mr. Whitman started the run at exactly 7 am, and we left the park heading to the quiet University of Illinois campus. It was silent because all the college students were still asleep. We ran on the streets, and the cars did a sudden stop and let our group pass. We kept running towards the Quad and Alma Mater on campus. These two landmarks were our halfway point, which meant we had run about two and a quarter miles. I was starting to feel tired, but I pushed myself to keep going. We were running at about an eight and a half minute mile pace. Max was a very motivational partner, and he cheered me on. I started to remember the sights around me, and before I knew it we were back at Hessel Park. I was breathing hard and sweating, but I was happy that I had accomplished this long run. I was smiling ear to ear when I saw my dad waiting for Max and me. After the entire group finished, Mr. Whitman shared donuts and water, the breakfast of champions, with everyone. I was parched and drank the water bottle quickly. The donuts tasted extra delicious, and it is a tradition for Mr. Whitman to take a picture with everyone who ran. After the picture, we thanked him for doing the run and returned home before 8:00 am. I had plenty of time to go back to bed.
personal narrative
My Jewish Lens
I first came up with the idea of writing this in Civics class. We were discussing how the people and media around us affect our views of the world. This intrigued me because, of course, this is totally true, and I was interested in these subconscious things that influence our opinions. For instance, I would not be the person I am if I didn’t read a lot of fantasy fiction or if I wasn’t raised in a community that valued education. And of course, my faith impacts who I am. As you can tell from the title, I am Jewish. These things, the things that shape our beliefs in life, I call lenses. Like a lens in a camera, it frames the world in a specific way, and maybe even filters it, so that everyone sees the world in a different way. My “Jewish lens” is very important to me. Judaism, like all other religions, provides guidelines for how to treat the world and the people in it. These are the morals I have grown up with: at temple and going to religious school and Jewish summer camp. They are things like חסד (chesed: kindness), צדק (tzedek: justice), קהילה (kehillah: community), and עולם תיקו (tikkun olam: repairing the world). Now, you’re thinking, okay, I believe those things too, but I’m not Jewish. How can they be Jewish values? That’s what I wonder, too, sometimes. And if you’re thinking that, you’re right. Most cultures and religions follow these morals and have them in their “lens.” However, the fact that I do them because of my faith, to me, makes them Jewish; I am kind because in the past (and present) people have discriminated against Jews: they blame us, or hate us for being “different.” I value justice because since Jews have been treated unfairly, I believe everyone deserves to be treated fairly. Community is monumental because, in the past, Jewish communities have been forced apart, and so the ability to be together and to be united is very meaningful. Lastly, Jews repair the world because we have been told that we have a job as a people to take ownership for the Earth and protect it. It is these values that create my Jewish lens. Now you know that my faith impacts my view of the world. But what effect does my Jewish lens actually have on my world views? I believe that all people should have equal treatment and opportunity without discrimination or judgement. Immigrants and refugees are often treated horribly, turned away at borders, and sent back to where they came from, back to the violence and hatred they fled. They deserve better than this. They deserve a safe place to call home. I value having a community, and so it pains me when communities are torn apart due to human violence. Finally, I believe that we need to take care of the Earth. I recycle when I can, and most definitely believe in the power of renewable energy and defeating climate change. Of course, there are many other Jewish values that create my Jewish lens and influence my life, but these are some of the prominent ones. Now you know about my Jewish lens, what makes it up, and how it impacts my life. We all have lenses with which we view the world. I have many more; the view of a poet, a student, a girl, and a photographer along with others. But my Jewish lens is undoubtedly one of my most important ones; for the most part, it is the birthplace of all my beliefs. I can thank it for making me who I am today, and I know I couldn’t imagine being different. What things influence how you see the world? Think about it. What are your lenses?
Playing in the Youth Orchestra
My dad parked the car in the parking lot of the performing arts center. I hopped out of the car. It wasn’t the first time I had been there. My family often came here to listen to concerts. But this time, something was different. I wasn’t here to listen. I was here to play. I grabbed my violin and followed my parents to the staircase. I was excited. I had been aspiring to get into orchestra almost ever since I started the violin. What could be more exciting than actually being there? I was also nervous. I knew that orchestra wouldn’t be easy. Was I ready? It was my first time going to the youth orchestra, and I had no idea what to expect. We walked up the stairs to the orchestra rehearsal room. I entered the huge room. The other kids stood at the edges opening cases. In the middle of the room, the chairs and music stands were set up and ready for the rehearsal. The conductor told us that our folders were on our stands. I quickly found mine and sat down. Next to the folder were four songs that we would be playing. I glanced at them. I was curious what they would be. One of them had sixty fourth notes. One of them went all the way into eighth position. All of them would go fast. None of them were easy. I sighed. I had known it would be hard. I hadn’t expected it to be this challenging, but it was fine. I would have plenty of time to learn the songs. At least I hoped so. The conductor came to the front of the room. He welcomed us to the orchestra and gave us information. Then, we started playing. We started sight reading the first piece. My stand partner’s fingers easily moved along the fingerboard of her violin. But I was lost. Still, I tried my best and was able to play some of the easiest sections of the music. I would have to practice the complicated sections a lot at home. I was sure that eventually I’d be able to do it. I’d be ready for the concert in January. Practice makes perfect, right? In the next few weeks, we got even more music. Then, the conductor announced that in three weeks, on October 27, we would have an extra concert with a university orchestra. We were going to play three songs there. One piece went into high positions, it had fast parts, and the whole thing went at lightening speed. It was the hardest piece we had gotten so far, and we didn’t have long to learn it. Preparing for the concert was terrifying. Before I had auditioned to get into the orchestra, my teacher had told me that she wasn’t sure if I was ready. “You’re on the fence.” She told me. But I had been determined to get in. I longed to be part of the orchestra. And when I auditioned, I got in. Still, I wondered if maybe I hadn’t been ready. Maybe orchestra was too hard for me. As the concert got closer, I got even more nervous. I tried to practice the pieces. But although practice makes perfect, I wasn’t sure I could do it in the time I had. Just getting them to a level where I could play most of the notes at the tempo was challenging enough without worrying about dynamics or tuning. It felt like no time before October 27. My dad parked the car in the parking lot of the performing arts center. I hopped out of the car. I grabbed my violin and headed to the door. I was both nervous and excited. Inside, I met many of my friends that are also in orchestra. We talked and laughed as we headed to the practice room. 3 hours later, we sat down in the seats of the auditorium ready to watch the first half of the concert before playing the second half. While the players tuned, we laughed at the typos in the program. Then we listened to the music that was played. It was as enchanting as a witch’s spell. After the songs ended, there was a costume parade since it was right before Halloween. My friends and I whispered about our favorite costumes. My favorite was the peacock. Finally, it was our turn. We got our instruments and took our places on the stage. Then the second half of the concert began. I lifted my violin. The first note sounded loud and clear and the magnificent piece began. I didn’t play perfectly. But, I also didn’t play terribly. When we left, I was grinning from ear to ear. It was a day filled with lots of excitement and fun.
