education · Jews/Jewish/Judaism/Orthodox Judaism

The Growing Implications of the Current Conversion Crisis that nobody seems to know about

Beverly Hills High School, one of the best public high schools in LA, has a large Jewish student population. If you talk to laypeople in the Orthodox community about the conversion crisis, you’ll note very quickly that most of them are living under a rock and don’t even know what you’re talking about even in… Continue reading The Growing Implications of the Current Conversion Crisis that nobody seems to know about

education · Jews/Jewish/Judaism/Orthodox Judaism

The all too INFAMOUS Hole in the Sheet

Note: Video displays some male nudity (a clip from “The DaVinci Code”). Your call if you want to watch, otherwise, just read the little bit below. MaNistana’s latest video is based on…well, read on. Orthodox Jewish Sex Ed.: Now, what I heard from a friend who heard it from a friend of a friend of… Continue reading The all too INFAMOUS Hole in the Sheet

chronic pain/fibromyalgia · classes · education · food · Jews/Jewish/Judaism/Orthodox Judaism · learning · Riverdale · services · Shabbos/Shabbat

"Do You" and Stuff-Part 1

I know, I know, I still have to tell you how much I loved Limmud! But for a second, I have to rave about all the wonderful Jewish learning experiences I’ve had lately in Riverdale. I love classes. What I miss most about my time on the Upper East Side was the amazing wealth of… Continue reading "Do You" and Stuff-Part 1

culture/multiculturalism · education · Hispanics/Latinos · jews of color · Jews/Jewish/Judaism/Orthodox Judaism · race/racism

From Safe to Unsafe and Back Again

Sometimes I think I must be going crazy. Never before in my life have I stumbled across so many well-meaning (and not well-meaning) white people (usually Orthodox Jews) who consider themselves “not racist” but make all manner of racist comments in front of me. Growing up, I heard racist comments from my family members but… Continue reading From Safe to Unsafe and Back Again

books and reading · culture/multiculturalism · education · event · jews of color · Jews/Jewish/Judaism/Orthodox Judaism

Cool Jewish Events

From now on, I’ll be posting events that feature racially and ethnically diverse Jews! If it’s happening anywhere, doesn’t have to be New York, tell me about it and I’ll post it! Rabbi Gershom Sizomu, the Rabbi of the Abayudaya Congregation in Uganda, will be speaking at Congregation B’nai Tzedek, 10621 South Glen Road Potomac,… Continue reading Cool Jewish Events

education · high school · Hispanics/Latinos · teaching

A Nice White Lady?

Reading about one writer’s responses to watching the movie “Precious”, she mentioned the “nice white lady” trope and I thought, “Huh?” So, the writer, of course, added a video. As a former English teacher in NYC public high schools, I’m not even sure what to say about this video or this “trope.” I laughed but… Continue reading A Nice White Lady?

celebrities · education · Hebrew · jews of color · Jews/Jewish/Judaism/Orthodox Judaism · Rabbi Haskel Lookstein · race/racism

Conversion (and Racism) in the news

“Barbara Walters: Ivanka Trump’s wedding was ‘absolutely gorgeous’” (The Examiner.com) Read and learn why The View host Joy Behar can be really annoying…. “Ivanka Trump Says “I Do!” (Us Magazine) Bet Ivanka never thought she’d become the poster child for Orthodox conversion. “What defines your religion?” (BBC News) As Britain tries to redefine Judaism for… Continue reading Conversion (and Racism) in the news

education · Hebrew · Jews/Jewish/Judaism/Orthodox Judaism · language · New York

Too Many Black Children?

The Jewish Week (New York) just did a nice little feature on the new Hebrew language charter school in Brooklyn: “For Now, Hebrew Charter School Is ‘Sababa’”. Don’t blink or else you’ll miss (yeah, right) this line: “The level of racial integration is unusual in a school district that has several overwhelmingly black public schools… Continue reading Too Many Black Children?

education · employment · money · rabbi · writing

So, what do you do for a living?

Blogger/Vlogger/Freelance writer Jew in the City, aka Allison Josephs, posed an interesting inquestion on her Facebook fan page: “What should I call myself? I have this problem where people will ask if I work and I say yes, and then they ask what I do and I say, I don’t know what to call it.… Continue reading So, what do you do for a living?

babies and pregnancy · depression · education · food · Hispanics/Latinos · teaching

Teen Latinas Considering Suicide

I can remember “wanting to die” when I was five years old. It was the only way I could think of escaping my situation. I was living with a mentally ill mother who was chronically abusive. Sure, we were also living in poverty, in a neighborhood too dangerous for me to play outside where I… Continue reading Teen Latinas Considering Suicide