Adina Bernstein

In 1953, a new play premiered. Written by the legendary playwright Arthur Miller, The Crucible is loosely based on the Salem Witch Trials. Though the narrative is based on historical events, Miller was indirectly talking about McCarthyism and its destructive effects. The claim was that Communists had somehow infiltrated the United States. When the movement finally died down a few years later, it was not without consequences. Lives and careers were forever ruined, even when it was revealed tha...

Every religion has its own formal way of asking for forgiveness of our sins. In Judaism, the High Holidays (Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur) are two of the most important days of the Jewish calendar. During that time, we ask both G-d and our fellow mortals to exonerate us from our negative actions during the previous year.
This is the second year in which Covid-19 has drastically changed the way the High Holidays are celebrated. In the before times, the shul (like many shuls across the world) wh...

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A self-help book that is unimaginative and fails to inspire readers to move on.
Love and loss collide and intermingle in this brave autobiographically inspirational story. Well-watered is an authentic depiction of the author’s strength – a strength born out of her vulnerability, and a deep bond which she shared with her mother.
Her command of the English language, as well as a French based creole allows her to interweave a discourse on a mother’s love with grief; access the humour a...

A few weeks ago, my best friend from college and her husband came for a visit. They live in upstate New York, near where we went to school. We’ve been friends for nearly 20 years. As much as I appreciate the conversations over social media and text, there is nothing like having a conversation in person. It was a lovely weekend that I will forever treasure.
Then the message popped into the text app on my phone the Tuesday after they returned home. My friend said that she had a fever. I was hop...

I love a good romance. The first spark of something, the quickening heartbeat of the growing attraction, the crescendo when the couple comes together, and the happy moment when they walk off into the sunset. It brings a smile to my face that compares to few things within the world of fiction. The problem is that too many narratives insert a romantic storyline that feels forced, unnecessary, or half-written.
The Last Letter from Your Lover, based on the book of the same name by Jojo Moyes, was...

When considering whether to accept a job or not, one of the factors is the work-life balance. In an ideal world, we would be able to leave at the same time every day and have the rest of the evening or weekend to ourselves. But some jobs require more time than others, even when they bleed into our non-work lives.
One of the most appreciated and loved mainstream films of the first decade of the 21st century is The Devil Wears Prada. Based on the book of the same name by Lauren Weisberger, the ...

It has been said that if we ignore the lessons of history, we are doomed to repeat it. In an article in the Washington Post published on June 30, Washington state Rep. Jim Walsh compared the Holocaust to vaccine measures taken by local and state governments. Comparing coronavirus to the holocaust is not just wrong; it is vile – and dangerous.
I am an American Jew. One of the reasons I am here today is that my forebears made the decision to leave Eastern Europe and make a new life in America i...

In an ideal world, adults would be rational and logical when it comes to making decisions – specifically, when it comes to our health. But we don’t live in an ideal world. Scientists and doctors can present all the evidence they have, but some people still don’t feel the right decision is worthwhile…That is, unless they are being bribed.
Though the rates of those vaccinated nationally is rising in most parts of the country, many cities, states, and locales have resorted to offering prizes and...

Normal is relative. What is everyday to one person is completely out there to another. Before COVID-19, normal was going to work and/or school, seeing friends and family, having a social life, etc. For the last fourteen months, our lives revolved around staying home, wearing masks when we were outside, and generally avoiding any activity that increased our risk of getting sick.
With millions vaccinated and the number of Americans who have caught COVID going down, the country is starting to re...

After the Holocaust, the catchphrase “Never Again” caught fire. It was supposed to be the reminder of what hate and prejudice can do to humanity. But in the 76 years since World War II ended, it has become nothing more than empty words.
Aida Selmanagic Is the Oskar Schindler for Our Era
The new movie, Quo Vadis, Aida? takes place in 1995 Bosnia. As the Bosnian war rages on, the comfortable life Aida Selmanagic (Jasna Đuričić) had is in the past. With the Serbian army rolls into the town of Sr...

High school movies are a dime a dozen. Though the specific narrative, characters, and details will vary, the genre, for the most part, is pretty cookie-cutter. The new Netflix film, Moxie (based on the book of the same name by Jennifer Mathieu), from the outside, looks like just another teenage movie. I was surprised to see nuances and details which added new layers to how the adolescent experience is portrayed in film.
A Genre Mix That Actually Works
Moxie is both a feminist tale and the com...

It has been said that we do not appreciate something or someone until it is no longer in our lives. As trite or cliché as it sounds, it is the truth. When the coronavirus took over last March, the little things that I took for granted disappeared. It is those little things that I miss.
Though I don’t miss the commute, the alarm going off at five o clock in the morning, and the potential crowd on the train, I miss seeing my colleagues in person. I am completely aware that in a professional and...

If there is one topic that has been on the tip of our tongues for nearly a year, it is our health. But there is a catch.
While we are told to ensure that we are physically healthy, our mental health is pushed aside. Depending on the mood of the nation, it is either mocked, ignored, or used to explain away a heinous act that makes headlines.
I have lived with depression both officially and unofficially for years. When I was in my late 20s, I was finally diagnosed with dysthymia. Since then, I ...