{"id":34145,"date":"2013-11-22T16:11:54","date_gmt":"2013-11-22T16:11:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/?p=34145"},"modified":"2013-12-06T17:22:21","modified_gmt":"2013-12-06T17:22:21","slug":"story-behind-slam-poem-heard-round-orthodox-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/inspiration\/story-behind-slam-poem-heard-round-orthodox-world\/","title":{"rendered":"The Story Behind the Slam Poem Heard Round the Orthodox World"},"content":{"rendered":"

SAR High School senior Ethan Metzger achieved viral fame when a video<\/a> of him reciting his poem, \u201cMy Parents Brainwashed Me,\u201d at Bronx Youth Poetry Slam, was published online. The poem details the thoughts that race through Metzger\u2019s mind when a non-Orthodox classmate accused him of being brainwashed by his parents.<\/p>\n

The video has already been used as a teaching tool in at least one other Jewish high school.
\n\u201cYou\u2019re absolutely right, my parents did brainwash me,\u201d he responded as fellow teens snapped their fingers to his rhythm. \u201cAs early as I can remember, my parents have been brainwashing me to have respect for other people, for their belongings and for myself. Since I was little they corrupted me into thinking that I need to treat everyone else like I would want to be treated, no matter what. My father twisted my infant brain in such a horrific way that he made me value my integrity. And to make matters worse, he led by example.\u201d<\/p>\n