And now (because I’m so Jewish) I will turn into a matzoh ball!

Okay, HOW did I miss this video of MaNishtana that pulls in interviews and pieces from his most infamous and awesome videos?

The funny thing about moving to New York Los Angeles (Sorry, folks, that was just a homesick typo, I’ve never MOVED TO New York ‘cuz hey, I was born there!) is having to search for other Jews of color all over again. Thanks to this blog and the small but proud little pocket we are within the Jewish community, it’s fairly easy. So, this year, I’m going to make sure I find more Jews of color in this there here parts. I’ve got Mexican, Filipino, Persian, black and biracial covered. I saw an Asian Jew at shul but didn’t get to connect. I’ve met tons of Iraqi Jews and all sorts of Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews.

But there’s only ONE MaNishtana and if you’re on this side of the Coast, you’re missing out on one of the coolest people, Jews, Jews of color, bloggers, vloggers (video bloggers) and founder of the only Jew of color dating service type-people, Shais T. Rison. His family’s been Jewish since the 1800s and he’s Momma’s black and his Dad is, too. Just in case you were wondering…’cause you know you where! I think he coined the phrase “JOC” (pronounced jock) or Jew of color and if he didn’t, at least, he made it cool.

Follow him on Facebook and Twitter and find some reason to get him out here to Los Angeles that involves him speaking to, like, everyone at every shul in the tri-state, no, that’s New York, tri-um, stuff area!!! Santa Monica is not a state, right? That’s like a county, huh? Culver City? Also a county? Like Brookyn is a borough. I’ve only been here a year, be nice.

“It’s always a battle of proofing yourself to be enough of either one. And at any given time, you’re listening to a camp that’s saying you’re not one of us, you’re one of them. Or you’re not one of them, you’re one of us.

 You can be both. Equally both. Equally proud of both. And not selling out either one.” MaNishtana