Dionna Dash, at The Blogs

Apply for a Blog

Apr 21, 2022, 7:36 PM

Of Liberation, From Generation to Generation

During this past semester, my final one of college, I have had the extraordinary chance to study abroad in Nantes, France, a Northwestern town known for its Paris-like architecture and signature buckwheat crêpes. Being Jewish in France has been difficult at times and rewarding at...

Dec 10, 2021, 5:13 AM

A Spectacle of Tourists

I grew up as a spectacle of tourists. Or, rather, in one, I suppose. Every Sunday morning during my Hebrew school classes at Beth Sholom synagogue, I would pass tour groups ogling over the triangular shape of the building or the odd-looking spikes coming out...

May 11, 2021, 12:07 AM

A reclamation of doubt

When I was in seventh grade, my Hebrew school teacher, Julie, sat my class down and asked, out of nowhere, if we believed in G-d. I, always the overachiever, volunteered to go first, confidently claiming that yes, of course, I believed in G-d, because that...

Feb 8, 2021, 8:23 AM

Life so fleeting and life endlessly evergreen

My dog’s name was Solomon Samson Dash. He had a nose longer than his face and could be calmed by listening to my family sing Ma’oz Tzur on Hanukkah and we once pinned a kippah on his head and brought him to our synagogue for...

Jan 10, 2021, 7:38 AM

Musings on Psalm 23

I was 14 and choked up when I whispered the words, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.” The way I interpreted it, I was speaking for my grandmother, asserting that...

Dec 18, 2020, 7:14 AM

On Becoming Real

I’ve always loved short stories. There’s something about slightly-abrupt endings never yielding full closure, that appeal to me. Every word counts in a minimized format, and the inherently ambiguous nature of these stories supplies my mind with daydream fodder for days. This past summer, I...

Nov 20, 2020, 8:06 AM

I’ve always been ashamed of my extended family. My Jewish identity is so strong; I have two Jewish parents, two Jewish siblings, and was always the most religious of my Jewish friends growing up. So I never understood why I had to come from a...

Oct 23, 2020, 9:12 AM

I was a freshman at Pitt on October 27, 2018, the day of the Tree of Life shooting. I was on the second floor of the Cathedral of Learning, Pitt’s 40-story building of classrooms and offices in the center of campus. I was looking forward...

Oct 9, 2020, 9:19 AM

The Lost Tales of Lost Souls

It’s officially spooky season. Pumpkins abound and people begin to revisit the classic goblins and ghouls of their favorite Halloween thrillers, obsessing over vampires and werewolves from traditional lore. One of my favorite things about fall is the sense of mystery it invites, and the...

Sep 8, 2020, 7:07 AM

Yom Kippur in Recovery

As September creeps on, the High Holy Days remind us of the sweet taste of a new year and the ever-offered chance to improve ourselves for the future. Many people begin to dread the annual Yom Kippur fast — 25 hours without food or water...

Load more

About Me

Dionna Dash is originally from Philadelphia, but now attends the University of Pittsburgh, where she studies communications and linguistics and is a student leader at Hillel JUC. Dionna loves to learn new languages, write short stories and dabble in improv comedy. Having dealt with disordered eating for many years, she is very passionate about proper fitness and nutrition. https://www.linkedin.com/in/dionna-dash/

Contact Me