I’ve been moody all week, swinging up and down riding this life rollercoaster without any Dramamine. I’ve been wildly whiny, throwing immature tantrums in front of my ever patient little sister and husband. I haven’t written a word for my book, the thought was too overwhelming. And I haven’t made it into the gym for… Continue reading Miracles and Moodiness
A Binary Soul is a really evocative piece at Racialious.com but then most of the posts there often are. In the piece, an Asian American talks about feeling like his two identities are tearing him in part. He doesn’t feel Asian American, he’s either wholly Asian or wholly American and the dominant identity depends on… Continue reading Binary Soul (Responding at Racialicious)
The Israeli rabbinate has been quiet on conversion lately and in its stead, the Interior Ministry has decided to make news. A recent article (“Fresh Rift Seen Over New Israeli Conversion Rules,” February 25, The Jewish Week-New York) says that stricter guidelines will be imposed for diaspora converts wishing to immigrate to Israel. Conversion must… Continue reading 350 Hours of Oppression
(If my Mom had known about wigs, I think she would have just shaved my head as a kid.) Someone asked me to define “sheitel” today. And as usual, I was only too happy to explain. I always find it incredible when I get to explain the Orthodox Jewish world to other people. It makes… Continue reading Sheitel is a wig
Here is a comment I made in response to questions about my last piece. I thought I would upgrade it to a blog post: I am not a posek, not any kind of rabbinical authority, and anything I discuss with my rabbi is between him and me (and not just because he tells me not… Continue reading Not a Rabbi, Not a Celebrity
(Ah, the little headband/hair scarf. Works sort of like a thong but for my head.) “You’re a hypocrite,” he said but he didn’t use those words exactly. He tried to be polite about it even though it was obvious from his tone that every single hair on my head had offended his sensibilities. How could… Continue reading The Many Stages of Getting Pissed
My energy level is dropping quickly but I hate to finish the day without remarking on my talks at Brooklyn College today. A really cool professor there had me come in to speak to his students, another professor’s students and the broader Brooklyn College audience. Incredibly, I was representing the Judaic Studies, Latino Studies and… Continue reading Brooklyn College Take Two: Ruminations on my latest talk
She’s right. Being a Latina American Jew just makes me culturally greedy. Grin. Grin.
Yes, I’m a hybrid and I’m proud of it! But do you agree with Andre Cordescu’s point that “setting apart one’s tribe or nation ends inevitably in war.” Obviously, Jews set themselves apart. We’re the “chosen” people and by that we mean that G-d gave us a whole bunch of rules we werent meant to… Continue reading Hybrids aren’t just cars
My first boyfriend was gay and when he came out, it caused me permanent damage. He had used me in his attempt to live out a lie, to survive in our cruel high school world. My world went upside down suddenly when I realized my best friend, my boyfriend, was not really either of these… Continue reading Gay and Orthodox
Memoirs of a Jewminicana 