Elena Eisenstadt is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is a member of the class of 2026 at the University of Chicago where she hopes to study history or sociology. In her free time, she enjoys talking with friends, eating Philly soft pretzels, and humming along to songs whose titles she usually doesn’t remember.
Works by Elena
My Jewish-Themed Bat-Mitzvah
" All the other kids at my Jewish day school had celebrations filled with Hollywood-red carpets, Eagles football paraphernalia, and Friends caricatures bordering the ballroom. They all had themes. It was practically law. Halachic law."
For My Sabi
“In my life, I have been privileged enough to know the Sabi who is completed and influenced by the shapes, people, and sounds around him.”
Demands
It's been three years since the first Women's March, and we are still fighting...
The Rocky Record
A photographic exploration that invites you to imagine what each person is climbing for: a beginning, an ending, or both.
Elena's Photographs are Featured in
Justifying My Search History
Who do you Google when no one is watching?
Ocean Obliteration
"Have we forgotten the little control we have?"
Next Stop: Culture
How do you truly immerse yourself in the culture of a foreign city?
Benevolent Sexism: It Isn’t a Compliment
Is that sexist? Sexism is not just the overt, hostile sexism portrayed in the media...
Eros
What do you do when you feel out of place at a party? This piece follows a girl who has a surprising way of getting out of unwanted situations!
Grampy
A writer explores the heartache of loss through the words of an Emily Dickinson poem.
The Right Words
Dealing with mental health issues can be a daunting task. But when we finally take the steps towards help, our perspectives can change completely.
Dark Night, Bright Stars
As two sisters anxiously anticipate the road ahead, one thing's for certain: they're grateful to have each other.
Loneliness
When your parents divorce, the pain of separation can be felt even after they find love again...
Behind the Door
Have you ever done something you couldn't forgive yourself for?
A World of Love and Care
Do you blindly follow what Judaism tells us to do? Or do you dig a little deeper?
Group Therapy
In this essay, Sophie compares her theatrical depiction of group therapy versus her actual experience in it.
Allow Me to Paint a Picture of the Siren
Her two forms circle like the seasons:
Maiden and Monster
Deceptively innocent beauty;
Brilliant guillotine danger.
Life and death incarnate.
She is the Maiden, the dream,
Cloudfar sunsets, radiant; Aphrodite...
Dad
The relationship with an abusive parent is a complicated, painful and tumultuous one.
I Should Not Be Considered Lucky
Have you ever experienced anti-semitism to the point that it made you feel scared for your life?
In Dire Need of a Restroom
When we focus too much on what other people think of us, we tend to lose sight of what's really important...
The Statue
Do you notice the symbols of injustice surrounding your every day life?
Watching Her Chase the Dragon / Watching the Dragon Catch Her
An unexpected death fills this writer's heart with overwhelming sadness, and is further complicated by her feelings of guilt and regret.
Yellow Leaves, Purple Flowers
As we grow up, the world around us transforms no matter how hard we try to hold on to the magic of our youth.
My Trip to Germany
It is important to challenge our preconceived notions of a people and a place...You never know what you might discover...
Seeing Beyond
In order to truly get to know someone who is different from us, we must take the time to step into their shoes and show a little kindness.
You Can’t Sit with Us: What Teenage Girls Don’t Learn From Mean Girls
When teenage girls turn to movies like Mean Girls for advice, what they receive is a distorted version of reality.
My Cape Cod
The palpable memories depicted in this piece will have you feeling and re-living the author's times at Cape Cod
Bricktown
Does growing old mean giving up and enduring the painful aspects of life as we near the end?
My Journey to Jewishness
Despite the anti-Semitism or hate you might experience, choosing to believe in the good can only make the world a better place.
Her Mask
Do you hide your true self behind a mask?
Lesbian. Pro-Palestinian. Orthodox Jew.
"Lesbian. Pro-Palestinian. Orthodox Jew...These labels don’t really jive in my community."
A Letter to My Past Self
"Today is the day you will officially decide that you have had enough of the way you look."
The Shape of Beauty: Reflections on an Adolescent Eating Disorder
Ahava recounts her struggles with an eating disorder that shaped how she viewed her worthiness in the world.
43-Hour Drive
Technically, he had met his mother before. Once.
The College Essay I Didn’t Submit
“To showcase my colorfulness, I will talk about sadness.”
What the Shofar Means to Me
"Maybe I will look back on this Rosh Hashanah with the same bewilderment I feel looking back on my seven-year-old self."
A Lifeline
“I think of the person on the other side of the door, with the pounding fists.”
Is Ignorance Really Bliss?
“5% of adults do not believe that the Holocaust happened.”
The Blue-Eyed Fellow with the Dark Slacks
“He drew the stars with his eyes,/And with them, he mapped the syzygies”
Our Final Song
“Our voices echo on the winds of time.”
Masquerade
How often do people use smiles as masks?
How the Jewish Girl Learns to Hate her Nose
“You’re beautiful,” I repeat to her. And she is. (Most of her.)
The Pattern Buried in My Muscle Memory
“I have a guaranteed way to strengthen myself.”
You Only Hate Taylor Swift Because of Your Internalized Misogyny
“I never wanted to like the color pink, either.”
A Word Other Than Girl
“Some words have reached a point where they become more than a combination of letters.”
My Impact On Social Justice, as a Teenage Jew
I grew up attending religious Modern Orthodox schools. There has always been someone trying to force their views on me. One thing that I...
lovers bites
"they say nothing is original, but nature flies in my ear."
On Belonging and Unbelonging
Is it possible for me to belong among others without truly knowing who I am? Or is belonging an unattainable goal?
