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Identification of Daily ChallengesCan anyone deny that Los Angeles, California stands alone in the United States in regard to the casual openness and acceptance of temptations or materialistic desires? To view a 1 minute video of challenges facing Los Angeled Teens and Young Adults, Click Here. There is a real reason why a popular "#1" song was written and entitled “I Love L.A.”. Although no specific hard data on the Los Angeles Jewish community and/or the Jewish youth of the city has been collected (or made public), it is clear that the change in the social perceptions and everyday “norms” of living in “Hollywood adjacent” Los Angeles has stained and penetrated our insulated schools and communities significantly. Drug scandals, wild parties, cheating in schools, violent tendencies amongst students, poker nights and teenage sex have all been identified as on the rise in all of our Jewish high- schools across the city. Yes, for the curious young mind and heart, Los Angeles offers it all... Expensive automobiles, luxurious Hollywood lifestyles, attractive fashion models, trendy clothing and apparel, glorification of the Rap ‘gangster’ and ‘thug’ way of life, the influence and drive of the entertainment industry, the excitement of getting a new tattoo, the powerful desires to indulge in inappropriate relationships and, most unfortunately, the appeal of drugs and alcohol. No other city, not even Manhattan, New York, is as influenced, controlled or driven by the pursuit of these temporary and fleeting pleasures. All of these things, individually and cumulatively, play on the impressionable hearts and minds of adults - How much more so does it affect our children and students. And can there be any other greater threat to the sanctity and pureness of a young impressionable soul? The pressure amongst friends to ‘fit in’ and be part of the ‘cool crowd’ is tremendous and has pressured many students to engage in activities that they know they should not be involved in and, most often, regret being a part of. Aish Tamid of Los Angeles was never supposed to exist. But from where can students draw inspiration? From where can students receive coaching, direction and guidance? The Los Angeles Jewish community has exploded in size over the last 10 years. However, the increase in community size has brought an increase in community problems and while many existing programs have taken on the enormous task of providing unique resources to solve specialized youth and family issues, there remains a large segment of boys who have been overlooked and have not had their needs addressed on a regular and consistent basis. This same group of students is also, arguably, the largest growing and most concerning sub-section of our community. Certainly, the schools, synagogues and families care about their students and children and they are doing a remarkable job with there resources that they have - but even they are overburdened with the needs and demands of day-to-day operations and commitments. They can only do so much. The communities of Los Angeles have known for some time now that there is an urgency and demand to create a resource, “safety-net” and support center for teenagers, young adults and their families. And so…Aish Tamid of Los Angeles was born. |