charity · culture/multiculturalism · food · Hispanics/Latinos

Workers Need Your Help!

I recently received an email of a Jewschool post: It’s Our Turn to Help Hundreds of undocumented immigrants suffering under Agriprocessors’s labor practices were detained after a raid at Agriprocessors (Rubashkin’s) in Postville, Iowa. Many of their families have turned to the local Catholic church listed below for food and shelter. I found some local… Continue reading Workers Need Your Help!

chronic pain/fibromyalgia · culture/multiculturalism · food · friends · gilmore girls · Hispanics/Latinos · Jews/Jewish/Judaism/Orthodox Judaism · race/racism · teaching

Reflections on JCC Talk on Jews of Color

Photo: TheFlowerExpert.com April’s JCC Talk on Jews of Color was as explosive as it was packed! Jews of all colors and walks of live attended. There were two speakers, a Latin American Conservative rabbinical student and Jewish convert (of Jewish ancestery) and a half-Chinese, half-White secular Jewish woman, Jen Chau, who heads Swirl, “a national… Continue reading Reflections on JCC Talk on Jews of Color

art · chronic pain/fibromyalgia · food · friends · gilmore girls · gym · marriage

When Everyone’s a Critic (Doctor)

I survived the Seders. Well, barely. I haven’t had the routine exercise my fibromyalgia needs in order to allow my body to run smoothly. My brain is hazy from the exhaustion of eating too much, sitting too much and exercising too little. I’ve either adjusted to LA time or I’m waking up in the afternoons… Continue reading When Everyone’s a Critic (Doctor)

art · clothing · culture/multiculturalism · education · food · hair · Hispanics/Latinos · Jews/Jewish/Judaism/Orthodox Judaism · New York · plantains · race/racism

Going ghetto (getting violent and inappropriate) on revisions

There is a point where you’ve probably revised too much and might be killing the writing in a piece, lucky for you, I haven’t gotten there yet with “The Girl in the Wetsuit” story. The story focuses on how I spend my spare time explaining cultural nuances, both Jewish and not, to the masses. It’s… Continue reading Going ghetto (getting violent and inappropriate) on revisions

chronic pain/fibromyalgia · culture/multiculturalism · education · food · friends · Hillary Clinton · Hispanics/Latinos · Jews/Jewish/Judaism/Orthodox Judaism · rabbi · race/racism · women/feminism

The Jewish Feminist

In a Newsweek essay on race and the Hillary Clinton presidency, In The Legacy of My Grandmother, Allison Samuels writes that her family has been fighting against racism and not gender roles. “In her [grandmother’s] world, being a woman in control wasn’t something she had the luxury of deciding to fight for. She was. In… Continue reading The Jewish Feminist

babies and pregnancy · chronic pain/fibromyalgia · culture/multiculturalism · food · Hispanics/Latinos · Jews/Jewish/Judaism/Orthodox Judaism · New York · race/racism · Shabbos/Shabbat · teaching

A Rainy, Racist "MEXICAN HOUSEKEEPER" Kind of Shabbos

We went to the Five Towns for Shabbos. Everything that could go wrong did. Traveling and fibromyalgia don’t really mix. Sitting for too long (so my muscles and bones atrophy and start to hurt unbearably), over-stimulation (from subway noise and train noise) and carrying heavy things (like our bags) all spell disaster. To get to… Continue reading A Rainy, Racist "MEXICAN HOUSEKEEPER" Kind of Shabbos

art · dreams · food · marriage · prayer · teaching · writing

Portrait of an artist

Hubbie’s cousin is a Radio City Rockette. And last night, she almost became my creative guru. If it were up to her, I’d be giving art lessons, painting and writing up a storm…oh, and taking some risks. I am not a risk taker. I have never had enough stability in my life to be willing… Continue reading Portrait of an artist

chronic pain/fibromyalgia · culture/multiculturalism · dreams · education · food · Hispanics/Latinos · New York · teaching · writing

On Dreaming or The Sarah Lawrence Obsession

I’ve had to give up on a lot of dreams. As a child, when I didn’t grow past 5’3,” I let go of the momentary dream of being a firefighter. I gave up the dream of becoming a fashion illustrator when I realized I would never be able to afford the art supplies I would… Continue reading On Dreaming or The Sarah Lawrence Obsession

art · Beverly Hills · food · Hispanics/Latinos · Israel · Jews/Jewish/Judaism/Orthodox Judaism · marriage · rabbi · teaching

Just one of those days

Oy, another deadline missed. I mean, if I can’t make a self-imposed deadline…! My husband is grumpy. It’s 12:22am and he wants me to come to bed. Something about me being a workaholic. Lots of guilt, etc. I woke up this morning and ran to the post office, then the bank and then off to… Continue reading Just one of those days

food

My night out on the town

Oy, the price of kosher food in Manhattan. Carrie, my super fab college pal, and I went out to dinner on the totally rainy, gloomy Thursday. Cue the thunder. We had some fancy Italian food at Gusto Va Mare and bitched about our aging bodies. Ah, the terrible cholesterol. Ah, those lovely 20 lbs we’ve… Continue reading My night out on the town