Alef: The NEXT Conversation

Contribute to Alef

Want to write for Alef?

Alef is always looking for your contributions. Please review our list of upcoming issues and, when contributing for a specific one, please indicate that issue’s name in the subject line of your email. Check back here regularly for updates on forthcoming issues, and since every issue topic is open to interpretation, feel free to be creative.

Don’t see an issue you want to contribute to? No problem, send your work along anyway.

And remember, anything is game, which means short stories, poems, photo essays, whatever.

Everything you send and any questions you might have should be emailed to:
alef@birthrightisraelnext.org.

PAST ISSUES (Click to Read)

Issue #1 – Old Country
Stories about Russian Jews, Accents, Regina Spektor, and Appetizing Stores.

Issue #2 – Area Codes
Growing up in Minnesota, Kalamazoo, Scottsdale, and Chatsworth. Living in Kobe.

Issue #3 – Tongue Tied
The way you connect to your Judaism through knowing/not knowing a language. Our complicated relationship with Hebrew.

Issue #4 – The Holiday Season
Stories about candles and the conflicts surrounding being Jewish when the rest of the world seems to be celebrating Christmas. The ones of us who celebrate a little of everything, and have the food to show for it. Looking forward to 2010 and what the new decade looks to bring.

Issue #5 – Death and Tragedy
Even with the New Year upon us, we reflect on what we have lost and those who have come before.

Issue #6 – Jews & Sports
Jews are not known for being good at sports. Discuss…

Issue #7 – The Love Issue
Marriage, dating, relationships, and all the resplendent stuff that fits in-between. Jew-style.

Issue #8 – The Sex Issue
Orthodox sex, Jewish burlesque, virginity angst. It’s true – Jews LOVE sex.

UPCOMING ISSUES

Issue #9 – What’s So Funny?
Jews are known for being funny, but we have a pretty complicated history when it comes to humor.

Issue #10 – Geniushood/The Jew & the Scholar
Stories about failure in the face of high expectations from family members on people’s career choices/mental abilities, stories of great achievements.

Issue #11 – Money, Greed, & Guilt

Issue #12 – Making Aliyah/”Going Home”
Jews going to and returning from Israel.

Issue #13 – Bar & Bat Mitzvah Stories

Issue #14 – Complaining
Why We Bitch…

Issue #15 – Gay Pride

Issue #16 – Ethnic Jews/Hyphenated-Hebrew
Atypical Jewish ethnicities and their relationship to Judaism/how the world reacts…”I’m a _____ Jew and I’m proud of it.”

Issue #17 – Comics, Cartoons, and Superheroes

Issue #18 – Camp Stories/Wet Hot Jewish Summer
Stories from Jewish/non-Jewish summer camp, summer coming of age stories.

Issue #19 – Friday Night Lights
Stories about what I do/do not do on my Friday night. How I like/dislike Shabbat. How I found Shabbat as a happy alternative to the Friday night happy hour/clubbing scene. How I used to have these awful Shabbats when I was a kid and now I have an aversion to them.

Issue #20 – Hebrew School/Sunday School Stories
Going to Hebrew school and loving it, or hating it. Not being able to go to Hebrew or Sunday school and being jealous of the people who went. The hot girl from Sunday school I couldn’t get out of my mind but never had the guts to speak with.

Issue #21 – Inspiration
People/Events/Books/Art that has inspired us and why. The stuff that was supposed to inspire us but didn’t, to the disappointment of all those around.

Issue #22 - Stereotypes
Stories about people who “don’t look Jewish” as well as relationships to the outside world in the face of the myriad of Jewish stereotypes that exist.

Issue #23 – Why I Eat What I Eat
Stories about my relationship with food.

Issue #24 – Friendship
Stories about the friends we’re had through the years and what roles they’ve played in our lives (both the good and the bad influences).

Issue #25 – Alef: A One Year Retrospective
Revisiting our top stories over the last year.

No Comments »