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Teenagers: The Rebellion of Youth

by Rabbi Simon Jacobson

  

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The rebellion in young people is not a crime. On the contrary: it is the fire of the soul that refuses to conform, that is dissatisfied with the status quo, that cries out that it wants to change the world and is frustrated with not knowing how. -- The Rebbe

In the 1950’s, the Rebbe recognized that there was a prevailing ignorance among young people in many parts of this country. He established the Lubavitch Youth Organization, with chapters around the world, encouraging his students to share spiritual literature and other tools of education with the youth of other communities.
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy initiated the Peace Corps, calling on young American men and women to go and help educate and develop underprivileged countries. The President was convinced there would be hundreds of volunteers; there were, of course, far more.
The call of the President echoed the call of the Rebbe: that young people should recognize what a powerful fire is burning within themselves, and should be encouraged to use that fire for the good.

What is the power of the teenage years?

A young person is like fire. With direction and guidance, he or she can change the very shape of the world
A young person is like fire. With direction and guidance, he or she can change the very shape of the world. Without direction, the fires of youth are wasted at best, while at worst, they can become a dangerous, destructive force. To lead a meaningful life means harnessing the fires of youth; but first we must understand the purpose of youth itself.

The period of adolescence is nestled between childhood and adulthood. Teenagers are no longer content to play like children but don’t yet have the knowledge and experience to be fully engaged in adult pursuits. Youth is one of the most precious periods of a person’s life, and yet one of the most difficult.

What most young people are searching for is a meaningful cause. They are overflowing with a mixture of adrenaline and confidence -- “I want to change the way the world works,” teenagers often think. “I can change the world.” Adults, burdened with the pressures of everyday life, convince themselves that the world just is the way it is, but young people cannot tolerate such resignation. This is the constant conflict between the two groups: young people abhor the status quo, while adults’ lives revolve around it.

Many adults simply write off the teenage years as a rebellious period that a person must simply outlast. Young people, meanwhile, often think that adults have forgotten how to appreciate the very meaning and thrill of life. Youths are rebellious, and adults see the rebellion as one step shy of a crime.

But rebellion is not the crime; the crime occurs when the rebellion has no healthy outlet. Rebellion, in fact, can be the healthiest thing for a human being -- a pure energy that inspires a person to not give up easily, to refuse to tolerate injustice, to not go along with an idea just because everyone else is thinking it. The worst thing we can do with a young person’s spiritual or psychological energy is to bottle it up; in fact, we must do everything we can to tap this energy, to focus it, and channel it properly.


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Rebbe
A Chassidic master. A saintly person who inspires followers to increase their spiritual awareness.
Lubavitch
Also known as “Chabad,” Lubavitch is the name of a Chassidic Group founded in the 1770s. “Lubavitch” is the name of the Belarusian city where four of the Chabad Rebbes (leaders) were based. Today, the movement is based in Brooklyn, New York, with branches worldwide. Two of the most fundamental teachings of Chabad are the intellectual pursuit of understanding the divine and the willingness to help every Jew who has a spiritual or material need.
G-d
It is forbidden to erase or deface the name of G-d. It is therefore customary to insert a dash in middle of G-d's name, allowing us to erase or discard the paper it is written on if necessary.