Anne Frank speaks about the tremendous pressure she felt in holding on to her opinions and ideals while growing up in a time of massive

I recently traveled to Amsterdam with my husband. Visiting the Anne Frank House felt essential. As we walked through Anne’s life—internalizing every word, image, and

When I was seven, my dad was diagnosed with liver failure. Although filled with anxiety and sadness, I realized that if he only had months

I’ve always felt that there was something wrong with me, wrong with the person I am, as if I am stuck in an infinite dream

To me, freedom is my youth. Youth is a time when we can float in the world between childish fantasy and brutal reality. Along with

When I was 16, on a regular afternoon, my parents called me to tell me that the blood test results I had taken came back

My entire life consists of days I’ve spent wishing I could change. Whether a conscious effort or a part of my subconscious, I’ve carried that

The beast of imposter syndrome, conspicuously hiding amongst my thoughts like two kids in an oversized trench coat, is a constant voice reminding me I

While flipping through a recent issue of a well-known English Jewish weekly, my eye caught an article titled Live to Give: The Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Guide to

Earlier in life, I wanted to be an entirely different person. Different looks, different voice, different everything. Hatred has been a curse I can only

A couple of years ago, my mom was on the phone with my aunt and her expression went from happy to angry in seconds. My

“Why dream creatively at all?” Why stray from normalcy, embrace the unknown and jump into spinning, metal, fan blades ready to dissect and disembowel you.

Growing up in New York in the 70s and 80s, the Holocaust never felt that far away. My grandmother had lost 10 siblings in the

I think young people today are under enormous pressure to be “enough.” Social media, school and family expectations all send mixed messages. Be unique but

The word “gay” has two meanings. One meaning is lighthearted, carefree and happy. The other meaning is attracted to people of one’s own sex. I

My grandma, Elena, was born in 1957, after World War II ended. She was born in Ukraine, in Dnepropetrovsk. Her mother would talk about how

In these times when fear divides and breeds dehumanization, my mother Angélique Kidjo and I often find ourselves drawn to Anne Frank’s poignant, hopeful words:

When I read Anne Frank’s words for the first time, my mother, two brothers and I were driving home from church. Although there were only

At the age of 7, I embarked on a journey to the United States, hand in hand with my mother, leaving behind the comfort of

Teachers, mentors, parents, and adults should be honest and teach our youth the pain and messy road of life. Young people should be their own

Obsessive compulsive disorder left me in endless, unforgiving cycles, where the slightest change in routine would cause me to spiral, believing that stepping on that

Discrimination is a very sensitive topic. We face an internal war of silence and heartbreak; a population of adolescents that are vulnerable but must stand

My emotions are a whirlpool. My heart races at night with anxious thoughts. My face twists at moments of shame. I smile when I feel

When my student Carlos asked, “What is the Holocaust?” I knew the best way to teach teenagers about the causes and consequences of intolerance was

I have always wanted to be different than I am. I always felt like I was different from my classmates. My family was relatively poor

I’ve always had this feeling that I am different from everyone else. The question I asked earlier was, “If I had the chance, would I

Like Anne when she first settled into her Annex, I knew that we were lucky. My parents, brother, and I had each other. We had

I am a thousand versions of myself, scattered across different days and moods. Some I love. Some I avoid. Most of the time, I’m not

With all the pressure from school, friends and even my own expectations, it can be hard to stay focused—especially with my ADHD. But writing and

When our friend Craig Taubman came to Anne Frank LA’s Anne Frank Day event in May and was inspired by our students’ essays, it made

I wasn’t planning to do Jewels this year. After 22 years, I was ready to find something new. But the world had other plans. This

For 22 years, Jewels of Elul has offered space for reflection, renewal, and hope.Last year felt like the final chapter — but the world had other

On Erev Rosh Hashanah last year, I did something wildly out of character: I messaged a guy I knew many years ago and asked him

I discovered Frieda at the pound. She’d been found in a rough part of town, starving and mangy. She looked like a Beagle with German