#122 Reclaiming Brooklyn

Mention the word “Brooklyn” to any Jewish Elder and they get a wistful look in their eye, remembering decades past when they strolled the streets of Flatbush, Brighton Beach, and Coney Island.  Mention “Brooklyn” to Jewish Adults and they think about the religious areas of Crown Heights and Borough Park.  But when you mention “Brooklyn” to a Jewish Young Adult, you get a sense of determined pride.  Why?  Because JYAs are out to Reclaim Brooklyn.

Brooklyn Then

Brooklyn has always had a sizable Jewish influence.  According to records, between a quarter to a third of the area has been Jewish ever since the mid 19^th century.  In fact, according to city records, by 1924 Brooklyn (which then included some parts of Queens), had the largest Jewish population of any community in the world.  But somewhere from the Sixties and through the Nineties, Brooklyn lost it’s edge, and JYAs turned to cooler up-and-coming areas like LA or SF.

But in the past decade, JYAs have decided to take a united stand to make Brooklyn hip again, moving in droves to neighborhoods where Jewish Elders and Jewish Adults never ventured.  Areas like Bushwick, Bed-Sty, Carrol Gardens, and Park Slope are the new stomping grounds for the uber-hip Jew scene.  Forget the Upper West Side or Murray Hill, if you want other JYAs to take note of you, move into a converted loft in Gowanus or Red Hook and start your own underground Jewish-themed micro-brewery.

And it also helps that Jay-Z is from there.

Brooklyn Now

#121 Bryan Greenberg

(idea submitted by J.B.)

Move over Shia LaBeouf, there is a new hottie in town.  The newest idol to claim the hearts and minds of Jewish Young Adults is Bryan Greenberg.

Greenberg has recently made a place for himself from his starring role as JYA Ben Epstein in the HBO cult favorite How To Make It In America.  He started his acting career at Camp Herzl, playing Joseph in the summer camp production of Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat.  Since then his status has slowly grown, and is now ripe for the picking.

JYA females love Greenberg, for all of the obvious reasons.  On the one hand he is perfect to bring home to the parents, and on the other hand he is just edgy enough to be considered a “Non-Stereotypical Jew”, which is always an immediate draw.  Even the character he plays, Ben, is a designer for high end jeans.  How friggin’ cool is that?  Plus he’s easy on the eyes.

JYA males love Greenberg because they all think they are like him.  Meaning they all pretend they can be as cool as him, and desperately try to act as cool as him.  They feel he is someone they can relate to, possibly an alumni member from their AEPi chapter who occasionally visits the campus and buys beer for all the undergrads.

The future looks bright for Mr. Greenberg, who’s star will continue to rise as more and more JYAs take notice.

#120 “I Gotta Feeling” by the Black Eyed Peas

Anybody who has ever been to a live sporting event should easily recognize Queen’s arena-rock anthem “We Will Rock You”.  It is a song of praise, support, and unfaltering loyalty to your team, sung at the top of your lungs with patriotic fervor.  Every country has one of these songs, every club in the English Premier League, and every college basketball team.  Recently, over the past couple of years, Jewish Young Adults across the lands have found their own anthem in “I Gotta Feeling”, by the Black Eyed Peas.

From mega-bars in Tel Aviv, to wedding receptions in London; from Hillel mixers to your little cousin’s Bat Mitzvah, “I Gotta Feeling” has become the de rigueur theme song wherever JYAs are present. Interestingly, there is no direct correlation between any members of the Black Eyed Peas and JYAs.  None of the members of the band are Members of the Tribe, none went on a Birthright trip, and none of them went to the Matzah Ball.  Yet their song has resonated with the hearts and booties of JYAs everywhere.

One possible explanation for this unprecedented coupling is that the song features references to things all JYAs recognize in the chorus.  Specifically, the band makes the dubious rhyme of “Fill up my cup / Mazal Tov”.  Such a blatant reference from such a popular non-Jewish band is enough to get the heart of any JYA palpitating.  Then, as an additional bonus, singer and it-girl Fergie, belts out a clearly audible “L’Chaim”, which is frequently sung out loud by female JYAs when the song is in the background.

Not since 2 Live Jews released “Oy, It’s so humid”, has one song so galvanized JYA culture as “I Gotta Feeling”, leading some to believe that JYAs should get a shout out on Fergie’s twitter feed.

#119 Commemorative Apparel

(idea submitted by Michelle and Laura)

We all know that Jewish Young Adults love their snarky t-shirts, and we all know they will go to great lengths and spend freely to get just the right outfit for just the right occasion. But sometimes what is readily available in the stores or on the internet doesn’t quite capture the exact mood or circumstance.  What is a JYA to do?  Make your own commemorative apparel!

Want something to rock at the alumni weekend for your summer camp?  How about some Camp Ramah Sweatpants to keep you toasty by the fire pit!

How about showing your pride at orientation at your tiny liberal arts college?  A shirt in Hebrew should do the trick!  And remember that one summer when you went to Israel with thirty strangers and everybody seemed to be hooking up but you?  A nice ringer-t will remind you of those awkward moments for years to come!

Whatever the occasion, commemorative apparel can be furnished.  Hoodies, t-shirts, even thongs to memorialize rush week from your Jewish sorority a decade ago.  For any event, for any possible reason, there is guaranteed to be a JYA out there who has made a shirt for it.

#118 The Gays

(idea submitted by B.)

As a general rule, Jewish Young Adults tend to be more liberal, open minded, and accepting than their preceding generations.  JYAs also tend to sit left of center with regards to social issues as well, especially when compared to the average Non-Jew.  Even those JYAs who are Republican tend to be so only because of issues pertaining to the economy or Middle East Policy.

Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the average JYA is like Debra Messing on “Will and Grace”.  While there are certain extreme streams of the religion that are still living in the stone ages, the general tendency amongst JYAs is to accept all congregants with open arms.  Even the orthodox are slowly coming around and making strides.  And to top it all, Tel Aviv has been recently crowned as THE gay travel destination, regardless of religious or cultural background.  Even Harvey Milk was once a proud JYA.

Hopefully this trend of openness and tolerance will continue…

#117 Acoustic Guitar

(idea submitted by S.G.G.)

Nothing reeks of Jewish Young Adults like sitting around in a small group and listening to some acoustic guitar.  Whether it be at a retreat, an Israel program, services at the Reform temple, or even in the wee hours of a waning house party, someone is bound to bring a guitar and start playing.  There is no getting around it, whenever a group of JYA’s gather, for whatever reason; there will definitely be some strumming.

JYA Males love the guitar because it draws the attention of the females, and they will always keep handy a repertoire of campy renditions of Bob Dylan, Jack Johnson, and Joplin’s “Bobby McGee” (or early Dave Matthews for the truly talented).  Even the most musically ungifted will still know three chords to string together for a simple Bob Marley ditty when the ladies are present.

It is unclear if Female JYAs are truly as enamored by guitar playing as they let on, or if they simply pretend to be in order to manipulate the men.  In either case, the illusion of their interest is strong enough to make is seem like all JYAs are avid fans of acoustic guitars.

Hillel Services avec Guitar

#116 The Flat Iron

(idea submitted and written by Stephanie K.)

This one is mostly for the ladies, but gents, feel free to join in and enjoy.

The plight of the “Jew Curl” has haunted Jewish girls for centuries. Many a Rachel and Sarah have asked themselves, “Why does Lindsay have straight blonde hair, and I have curly brown hair?” Or, “Why is Suzie’s hair so flat and mine is so frizzy? Could my hair look like that?” Thanks to the invention of the Flat Iron, the answer is now, yes!

Commonly referred to as the “hair straightener,” JYA females go crazy for these two hot metal plates. Whether it be a Bat Mitzvah celebration, a Friday Night Shabbat,or a NFTY social, the flat iron is a prerequisite for preparation.

So, why do Jewish girls feel the need to straighten their hair? Though they have been blessed with luscious curls, they choose to fry them to straightness. Some Jewish girls may feel their curls make them look “too Jewish”, and straightening makes them blend in more or hide their botched nose job.  Others believe it simply makes them feel more confident. Others may just enjoy the change now and again, as the flat iron provides a new and exciting look, bringing compliments and shock from friends and family.

But the real reason Jewish girls straighten their hair? To look pretty for Jewish boys. Being able to go from cute and curly to sexy and straight in less than an hour can have a magical affect on the JYA male. Very few young Jewish males can really say they love Jewish looking girls (as evident in their penchant for Dating Non-Stereotypical Jews). The young adult age is a common time for rebellion, bringing home any shiksa that will piss off Mom.

The flat iron is an open door to a sleeker look, sans frizz; a lifeline to hide the “Jew Curl.” With the combination of John Frieda’s FrizzEase hair products and the standard $74.99 Chi 1” Ceramic Flat Iron, Jewish girls around the world can successfully have the straight and smooth look they so desperately desire. The flat iron has changed the hair of Jewish girls forever.

UNRELATED PLUG

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Buy the book on Amazon.

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#115 Crashing AEPi Events

(idea submitted by Zev H.)

One of the many perks of being a Jewish Young Adult in college is the never ending stream of parties and gatherings.  And of these countless opportunities to mingle, JYAs love crashing events thrown by Alpha Epsilon Pi, the Jewish fraternity.  For female JYAs, it is a chance to interact with a bevy of available single men.  And for the men, the appeal of AEPi events is clearly the women who show up, and many non-fraternity members will finagle their way into parties.

What is interesting is that after college AEPi events still draw JYAs from both sides.  Former frat brothers will frequently host alumni club reunions at chick-heavy bars, which will bring out other JYAs who want to piggyback on the event.  In turn, the women hear of the event and will bring their girlfriends, which in turn will only attract more men, and so on and so forth.

There are two interesting idiosyncrasies that should be noted.  Firstly, AEPi’s main rival, Zeta Beta Tau, does not garner the same appeal, specifically for the post-college crowd.  There are many theories as to why this exists.  One hypothesis is that ZBT guys are not as desperate to get laid once they hit their late twenties, and therefore have less of a need to organize official functions and invite women.  Secondly, it is widely accepted that events thrown by Jewish sororities, especially after college, are generally lame and should be avoided entirely.

#114 Keren Ann

Jewish Young Adults love to flaunt their “alternativeness” in any form, be it by listening to obscure music, reading niche magazines, or watching unknown independent movies.  In addition, JYAs have a tendency to bandwagon whenever they discover a new outlet for their alternativeness.  Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the most recent love for JYAs is singer-composer-producer Keren Ann.

Keren Ann, who was born in Israel but spends most of her time in Paris, is the most recent addition to a long list of female crooners with an ever growing JYA fan base, from Lisa Loeb to Yael Naim.  Keren Ann’s unique melodic voice and numerous collaborations have slowly built steam over the years, culminating in critically acclaimed albums and even a write up in the New York Times Magazine (a JYA favorite rag).

Hopefully JYAs will tell their Non Jewish friends about Keren Ann, giving her much deserved exposure.