jews of color · Jews/Jewish/Judaism/Orthodox Judaism · news

Baruch Dayan Emet

Yoseph Robinson, a 35-year-old Jamaican former hip-hop record exec who converted to Orthodox Judaism, was killed last night during a robbery at the Flatbush kosher-wine store where he worked, police and witnesses said. Readmore: “Brooklyn liquor-store slaying” Yoseph, we kept saying we were going to meet to discuss your memoir but we never did get… Continue reading Baruch Dayan Emet

jews of color · Jews/Jewish/Judaism/Orthodox Judaism · news

New Yeshiva Bochurs on the Block: From Kaifeng, China to Yeshiva in Israel!

I’d heard this story before and even posted a You Tube video, which put me in tears, of watching the descendants of Kaifeng Jews arrive for the first time in Israel. But what all the previous stories seemed to forget, this new story in The Forward, “Israel’s Keenest Yeshiva Students Catching Up With China’s Kaifeng… Continue reading New Yeshiva Bochurs on the Block: From Kaifeng, China to Yeshiva in Israel!

family · jews of color · Jews/Jewish/Judaism/Orthodox Judaism

Black Haitian Jewish Convert Loses Custody of Child After Conversion

Blogger MaNishtana is getting serious and asking people to sign a petition to help a black Haitian Jewish convert who has been treatly unjustly by child services both Jewish and non-Jewish and has lost custody of her son (“Let’s Sign This and Get Something Done”) it would seem because of her conversion to Judaism. A… Continue reading Black Haitian Jewish Convert Loses Custody of Child After Conversion

books and reading · Israel · Jews/Jewish/Judaism/Orthodox Judaism · news

Imagining the day they come to take your Judaism away

Not a big fan of Shalom Auslander but I couldn’t put down his latest piece in Tablet Magazine, “Up in Smoke: Imagining the day they come to take your Judaism away”. It was like a train wreck I couldn’t look away from. I’m still processing what I read. Whenever I talk to people about what… Continue reading Imagining the day they come to take your Judaism away

fans · Jews/Jewish/Judaism/Orthodox Judaism · writing

Fan Mail

Dear Fans: I am really thankful to all of you who have sent such wonderful fan letters my way. I am so glad that you’ve found the blog interesting, entertaining and even educational! Unfortunately, there have been so many letters lately that answering them, in my current health condition, has become overwhelming and impossible. I… Continue reading Fan Mail

birthday · family · jews of color · Jews/Jewish/Judaism/Orthodox Judaism

Back by popular demand

On Shabbos, someone tried to sing “Happy Birthday” and someone else switched to the Hebrew version and last but not least, the Spanish version: Feliz Cumpleaños! But none of those were right. Where were my great-grandmother Abuela and my grandmother who I still call Mami there to sing this for me? Here is the song… Continue reading Back by popular demand

birthday · Jews/Jewish/Judaism/Orthodox Judaism · marriage · rabbi

I’m 30!

Yesterday, I turned 30 years old. Thanks to the fan who donated $25. She didn’t even know it was my birthday but it was the perfect present! Of course, now that I’m 30, I will be telling people I’m 25. Until I’m 40. Anyway, now that I am 30, I look back on how far… Continue reading I’m 30!

jews of color · Jews/Jewish/Judaism/Orthodox Judaism · television

I didn’t know you were Jewish!

Should be sleeping but instead rewatching episode 1 of Dexter Season 1 while juggling any and every task that can be completed late at night around the house…which is quite a lot of them, you’d be surprised! In episode 1, Sgt. James Doakes, an African-American police detective who later uncovers that Dexter (who has always… Continue reading I didn’t know you were Jewish!

hair · jews of color · Jews/Jewish/Judaism/Orthodox Judaism · television

Watch me on the Jewish Channel!

Been meaning to post this for a while! You can now watch the entire Jewish Channel episode of “Jews of color” for free on You Tube. Watch me along with an unbelievable cast of other Jews of color, including social worker and moderator Joel Sanchez, rapper/writer/blogger Yitz “Y-Love” Jordan, founder of Ayecha and my mentor… Continue reading Watch me on the Jewish Channel!

babies and pregnancy · Jews/Jewish/Judaism/Orthodox Judaism · marriage

Converted, Married and a baby on the way…all in two weeks!

http://video.aish.com/AishSharePlayer/Player-v20100309.swf This is an all too familiar story if you’ve been reading this blog: a non-Jewish woman married to a Jewish husband wants to convert but the Jewish family is horrified and they tell her “be Jewish but don’t be too Jewish!” In this wonderful video, Lori Platanik tells us the story of her friend… Continue reading Converted, Married and a baby on the way…all in two weeks!