Be a Star in 5784, Hopefully I Won't Be Far

Atlanta Jewish Times Editor Barbie

Reach for the Stars – Be All You Can Be – Become Whoever You Want to Be. Be a Star in 5784.

Every year I solicit our community to send holiday greetings for Passover, Rosh Hashanah and Chanukah. We invite lay leaders and community members that are considered our community’s movers and shakers. It is nice to read a heartfelt or inspirational message that doesn’t have an agenda that is tied to their work. Although so many of these same people believe so deeply in their work that it is not about completing an agenda that makes them successful. They are purely motivated to be successful in the work by what’s in their heart, and those are the real “Stars” in our community.

The good news is that fifty messages is the perfect number of messages with the amount of space we have available. Although I am sure that we can handle more submissions, our avid readers may have noticed that the AJT continues to grow and become more successful each year. Baruch Hashem!

Every holiday when I send invitations, I include a prompt to respond to, or I will make sure to include that they can simply send an inspirational holiday greeting of their choice.

This year the prompt is: Reach for the Stars – Be All You Can Be – Become Whoever You Want to Be. Be a Star in 5784. I will try to coordinate the theme of the prompt with our Guide to Jewish Atlanta, as well as our participation in the Kosher BBQ.

It is my belief that this prompt touches everyone and that it comes to no one’s surprise that this year’s prompt is already a theme that has us getting ready to put our best foot forward. The walls of diversity are starting to come down, slowly but the chunks and cracks are there. We have just experienced living in a real-life sci-fi movie and lived through it, the name is COVID.

Motivations are high to reach new heights, share our true selves and make a difference.

According to Warner Bros. Entertainment this month the movie “Barbie” has taken the box office by storm, earning more than $1.38 billion worldwide to become the highest grossing film in Warner Bros.’ 100-year history; the highest grossing film ever from a female filmmaker at the domestic box office; and is the largest worldwide film release of 2023.

The original Barbie was designed by Ruth Handler, the co-founder of Mattel, who created the Barbie doll itself. Ruth was Jewish and wanted to create a toy that represented a woman with choices. A woman with freedom, independence, and fierce femininity. A departure from the traditional baby dolls in the market at that time. The commercial catch phrase was “Be Who You Wanna Be, B-A-R-B-I-E.”

The movie “Barbie: Star Light Adventure” was released in 2016, about how Barbie travels to a beautiful new planet to join a special rescue team on a mission to save the stars. Barbie soon discovers that if she listens to her heart, and with the help of her friends, she might be the leader the whole universe has been waiting for.

Which brings us back to the plot of the newest Barbie movie – Barbie is given an opportunity to be real and of course there are those that want to capture her and put her back in her box.

It is no surprise that a movie, for me was immediately dismissed as a silly kid’s film, has broken records. We can all relate to wanting to break out of our old ways and share our true selves. Being free from our own insecurities and finally take that step forward to “be all you can be.” Don’t let anyone try to stuff you in a box, most of all yourself. Just keep telling yourself, “You can be whoever you want to be.”

Be a Star in 5784, hopefully I won’t be very far.

Kaylene Ladinsky is editor and managing publisher for Atlanta Jewish Times and president of Southern Israelite, LLC.