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Wanna Drink? Think Again!
The Orthodox community of Los Angeles has set into motion a new teen anti-drinking campaign targeted at the holiday of Purim. At a meeting convened by Jewish Family Service’s Aleinu Family Resource Center, heads of Orthodox schools and rabbis of local synagogues discussed the increasing occurrence of underage drinking amongst their teenage youth. Though they agreed to communicate a request to designate “dry” or monitored shuls, there is acknowledgment that Jewish custom has long encouraged the use of drinking as a celebration. Therefore, their mission also includes spreading knowledge about the dangers of teen drinking and addiction.Rabbis were sent letters to pass to parents, urging careful watch over teens that may begin a path of alcohol abuse from drinking in shul. During Aleinu’s “Shabbat of Awareness”, an addiction specialist and a video featuring teenage boys recovering from substance addiction, informed rabbis about the problem they face. The National Conference of Synagogue Youth has also joined in by hosting an alcohol-free Purim party, complete with all-night security and the Rubin Teen Drop-in Center nearby. These efforts are applauded as a necessary step towards keeping teens from premature alcohol use, even in the eyes of teen peers.
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