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Friday, June 14, 2013

The summer is coming. The friends are already here. We all forgot about school, even with a couple days left, and we look forward to the summer. But we still need to live in the present! Carpe Diem! Don't look so far forward that you forget to seize the day, and have fun now. The present is more important than the past and if you treat it as such, there will be a bright future for you later on in life.

USY has taught me many things, this is one of them. Just as you should treat each person the way you want to be treated, you should also live each day the way you want the rest of your life to be like.

The past has brought us to the present which in turn will bring us to the future. Sign up today for Encampment so you can be happy you made the decision when you get there in August!

This being my last blog post, I Matt Daniels, wish you all well in the next USY year to come, and I cannot wait to see you all at encampment.

Thursday, May 30, 2013

As Forrest Gump’s mother once said, “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.” This simple statement, using one of the best foods ever created in a clever metaphor to describe the strange course that life takes, fits perfectly to me and my USY experience so far. A year ago, I still had not been on USY on Wheels. I was still in the dreaded waiting period, having already received my bus list but still waiting the month for school to get out and for Wheels to start. A time where I did not know what to expect, not knowing where I would be going or what I would be doing starting June 25^th. And I especially did not know the majority of the people that I would be spending it with, other than the occasional Facebook stalk.

Finally, the day came, and I was off to begin my new journey with USY on Wheels Bus A 2012. It was at this point that I truly learned why life is like a box of chocolates. From this day and on for the majority of the summer, I would be seeing new things every day, experiencing things that I would never be able to experience again. Things that most people never would experience, like the Spam Museum in Austin, Minnesota, or seeing the Grand Canyon literally disappear under the cover of a massive rainstorm. Each new chocolate from the box brought a new flavor, ones which I had never tasted again, and all which I just wanted more of.

To keep with the theme of Forrest Gump based analogies, the feather seen floating at the beginning and end of the movie is another great representation of USY on Wheels. It floats and floats all the time, not knowing where it is going, and not knowing where it will wind up. It is being carried around by the wind, without knowing where the wind is going to take it. This is just like Wheels, where the bus takes you all over the nation, but each night you stay somewhere different, and you might not know where until you get there. There would be many morning where I would wake up and have to ask my roommates what city or even state we were in. This provided a true sense of adventure, the sheer thrill of going everywhere and not knowing what you’ll be waking up to do each day made it one of the best summers ever.

If you love opening up that box of chocolates to pick out the next piece to eat, not knowing what it may taste like, then take the risk, go on the adventure, and sign up for a USY summer program. Whether it is Wheels or Pilgrimage, just go. Because I guarantee, you will make the best memories, meet some incredible people (and some crazy ones too), and have the time of your life.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

I am a Jewish teen. You can tell by the chamsa around my neck, the tallis around my shoulders, the USY bracelet around my wrist. These are some of the physical things that come with my religion, some of the things that everyone in my very non-Jewish public school notices and questions. That’s what they can see. What many can’t see, what I try to hide very well, is what it feels like to be the Jewish minority. How it feels to be different in one of the most cherished parts of your life. How it feels to not enjoy that pepperoni pizza. How it feels to love slow ruach more than any song on the radio. I like being different. But sometimes, you feel more out of place then unique. More alone than special. It’s a nice reminder to know that somewhere out there, there’s a place, a country, filled with people like me. There is no need to search high and low to find someone Jewish, they’re right next to you.
I have never been to Israel but I still identify myself with her. Not for the obvious reasons of it being the “Jewish State.” But for the fact that Israel is different too. She is surrounded by predominantly Arab countries which can cause some tension. Israel is this little tiny dot in a very big world, just like how we all can feel like a little tiny person in a very big school. But Israel is not measured in miles that she covers. She is measured in strength, progress, culture, and ruach. As we continue as Jewish teens, we should be as strong in our beliefs, progressive in our ideas, and loud in our ruach as Israel is too,

Thursday, May 9th, 2013

Cinco de Mayo (May 5th) is an important day in history: it is the celebration of the Mexican army
defeating the french . May 5th 2013 was also an important day for Metuchen USY. It was the
day where we raised over $200 for Tikkun Olam (USY’s tzedakah program). The day started
off with a bagel sale, where we sold bagels for $2 each, to the hebrew school kids, families,
teachers, and all other members that were in the building. Then at 2 PM, there was the 2nd
annual USY vs Men’s Club basketball game. All of the money from admission went to TO, and it
was a lot of fun for all. I sadly report that the Men’s Club won, 32-31. Even though USY suffered
this defeat, we still know we did a great thing and raised a lot of money for tzedakah!

Thursday, April 11th, 2013

USY, it turns out, is not the only Jewish youth group that changes lives. Youth groups during
the Holocaust played a huge part in Jewish resistance. Groups like Hashomer Hatzair and people like
Mordechai Anilevich rallied support of young Jews to fight the Nazis, religiously and physically. They
were integral in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, which occurred 70 years ago in 1743. It is really amazing
at how youth can play huge parts in history. It may seem a one-time kind of thing, but possibly USY
has that very same opportunity. What, where, or when this kind of opportunity might come up is
unpredictable, but it is important to remember that we, as Jewish youth, should never underestimate
ourselves.

For more info on the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising: http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?
ModuleId=10005188

Thursday

Hey guys! So, this week’s parasha is Vayikra. It’s the first parasha in the third book of the Torah, Vayikra or Leviticus. The parasha talks all about the sacrifices in that the Jewish people did to honor God. Sounds complicated, doesn’t it? Let’s break it down.

Let’s start with the word itself: sacrifice. The word sacrifice in Hebrew is קרבן but the root of the word is קרוב which means closer. The Jewish people made sacrifices to God because they thought it helped make them closer to him. When they made a sacrifice, they would take their best animal and bring it to the Tabernacle where they would put it on the altar and when the smoke rose, they believed that God had accepted the sacrifice and enjoyed the smell.

A funny thing about it was that you didn’t need to bring an ox or an animal at all if you couldn’t afford it. You could bring a bird or a bundle of grain. They wanted everybody to feel closer to God and not held back by their financial situations. Nowadays, when people want to show their thanks to God, they don’t roast an animal, they pray. I think that’s a better idea since you can’t exactly buy a whole ox anymore. So, next time you want to express your thanks, open your siddur and pray.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

"Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life; define yourself." Two weekends ago, we were at the East Brunswick Jewish Center for Hagalil's Annual Midwinter Kinnus. There, Metuchen USYers were able to fully express their individuality and let their true colors shine. But, that's not where it stops! METUSY, how do you express yourself? I express myself through my love for social action and tikkun olam, and my laughter, which is contagious to others around me. As we look forward to regional events in the upcoming months such as Hagalil Prom, the Regional Dance-A-Thon, and Spring Convention, just remember one thing-to always be yourself and reveal your true personality!

"I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow

Is another day and I believe in miracles." (Audrey Hepburn) I chose this quote because I felt like it really related to USY. It shows that we like to have fun and that we always look for a better tomorrow. Also we don't judge a person by how they look, we judge them on their personality. We as Jews are always looking for a brighter tomorrow.

Friday, February 1st, 2013

The parsha of the week next week is Yitro. Of all portions in the Torah Yitro is arguably the most important as it has the story of the delivery of the Ten Commandments. However, I think this year Yitro is doubly important, because it leads into a great week for Metuchen USY.

We first have Blast the Stereo night on Wednesday. This is going to be a great night full of awesome songs!

Later in the week we have Metusy's annual Friday night service. The Friday night service (my favorite event of the year!!) is going to be a great time with lots is singing and dancing to USY tunes, and of course dinner afterwards!

Yitro brings a sense if importance every year, but I think this year Yitro brings us something extra special; a week full of great USY events!

Sunday, March 18th, 2012

Try this delicious matzah brei for Passover.

Ingredients:

4 matzohs
4 eggs
1/2 cup milk
Salt to taste
White pepper to taste
3 Tablespoons butter

Preparation:

Break the matzohs into small pieces and soak them in the water in a large bowl until soft but not soggy. Drain well.

In a separate large bowl, beat the eggs with the milk, salt, and pepper. Add the matzohs. Blend together.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add the egg mixture. Cook over medium heat. As the eggs begin to thicken and brown, stir from the bottom with a wide spatula or pancake turner, keeping the matzoh in large scrambled pieces. If you prefer, cook the egg-matzoh mixture as a large omelet, browning on both sides. Turn out onto warm serving dish.

Thursday, March 15th, 2012

We have a very exciting event coming up in our synagogue, Neve Shalom. The Susy Schwartz Memorial Concert this year will feature the famous and upbeat Six13 a capella group. The concert this year is on April 22 and USYers can get tickets at a special price by emailing Penina at peninasm@gmail.com.

Be sure to email Penina!

Tuesday, February 21st, 2012

Get pumped because we are now unveiling our very own texting reminder system! Before every event you will get a super helpful reminder of the time, date, and anything you may need to bring. This way, you don't need to run back and forth to check our lovely emails and facebook events because the information will be right on your phone!

It's super easy to join- just text "Join metuchenusy" (without the quotation marks) to (704) 323-7775.

GO! DO IT!

Thursday, January 12th, 2012

The weekly Israel Challenge questions are back in Hagalil's Israel Challenge...except now the chapter with the most correct answers will win. Let's show some METUSY pride and answer the questions every week to win a special prize for the chapter.

Rules:

1. Reply to hagalilisraelchallenge@gmail.com

2. In the email, make sure to include the word "Trivia" in the subject line as well as your NAME and CHAPTER in the BODY OF THE EMAIL.

3. Answers must be submitted before Shabbat.

Now for the questions!!!

1. How many times did the Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball team win the European basketball championship?

2. What is the sport in which Israel has won most Olympic medals?

3. What is the weight of the heaviest stone discovered in the Western Wall?

Remember...send in all answers to hagalilisraelchallenge@gmail.com!!!

Tuesday, December 13th, 2011

ATTENTION!

January 9th is our Yoga/Relaxation Night, perfect for those mid-year stressful nights. In addition to you joining us, we invite any college kids who have received and cashed in Susy Schwartz Scholarship money to go to ISrael. We would like to film you for 2 minutes to get your reflections on your trip for a short video. Any USYers who knows someone who can participate, PLEASE invite them.

SEE YOU THERE!

Tuesday, November 29th, 2011

In honor of cyber week, I thought it would be really cool to see how Israel has recently affected technology in the past few months!

1- Israel creates an app again, that makes it even easier to order fast food-

Tapingo lets you order from a mobile menu, pay from your phone, and specify a pick up or delivery time.Tapingo is an app for iPhone, Android and BlackBerry devices that lets you order from a mobile menu, pay from your phone and specify a time to pick up your quarter-pounder or have it delivered in time for lunch.

This is extremely convenient for food lovers like myself.

2-Israel creates an app to combat credit card fraud-

BillGuard scans your bills for scams, saving users more than $250,000 in first two months of beta testing.

It is estimates that BillGuard finds at least one bad charge for one out of every five subscribers of the free service.

Of course this is inconvenient if you planned on going into the business of identity theft.

3-Israel's HTS has developed a range of cutting-edge optical technologies to track, identify and keep tabs on cargo, traffic, tolls and customs.VIR is the newest product of Hi-Tech Solutions (HTS) Israel, which has specialized in optical character recognition (OCR) solutions since 1992. Forty countries use HTS products to fight terrorism and crime, as well as manage cargo, traffic and toll roads -- including all ships leaving the ports of the United States.

4-The British Embassy's new High-Tech Hub seeks to join Israel's R&D strengths with UK marketing and design expertise via business partnerships.

Last month, the UK Ambassador to Israel, Matthew Gould, launched a major project to help align business and economic goals between the United Kingdom and Israel. Since he accepted his post in Israel about a year ago, this new High-Tech Hub at the British Embassy has been taking about 30 percent of his time, says Carmel Gerber, director of the new six-person Hub team at the UK Embassy.

-Rebecca Glinn, 2011-2012 Israel Awareness VP

Tuesday, November 1st, 2011

Come to Fall Kinnus in North Brunswick from November 18th-20th!

Tuesday, October 27th, 2011

Welcome to the Metuchen USY Blog! This page will be filled with news and culture from Israel, Jewish holiday updates, music, yummy recipes, and just about everything else. Check it out regularly for some great humor, information, and entertainment.