That’s right, I’m talking about Hanukkah and Thanksgiving hasn’t even arrived. Take that, Xmas! Just kidding. But seriously, why do I love Hanukkah? It’s a pretty minor in the spectrum of Jewish holidays. Some say, it’s really just running interference with Xmas. But no, Hanukkah is so much more! 1. I love Hanukkah because every… Continue reading FIVE REASONS I LOVE HANUKKAH!
Muslim-Jewish relations were on my mind after my interview with Sadia Shepard, but I was shy about bringing it up. When I got home though, I discovered a little treat in my inbox. The Riverdale Press featured an interesting spin on Muslim-Jewish relations right here in Riverdale. In the story, “At Riverdale Jewish Center, Muslim… Continue reading Muslim-Jewish Relations
Aliza’s Long Day… My mission this week is to come up with a schedule for myself or at least some sort of routine that will be bedeviled by my fibromyalgia. I woke up so early this morning, I didn’t know what to do with myself. So, of course, I ended up watching Iron Man while… Continue reading Trying not to burn the pasta
My post about Alysa Stanton, an African-American woman who had an Orthodox conversion and then decided to pursue a career in the Reform rabbinate, has sparked a lot of controversy off the blog. Does one Orthodox convert’s decision to leave Orthodoxy affect the way that other Orthodox converts are perceived? Should it? I think we… Continue reading This is between me and G-d….
A personal essay in the Jerusalem Post, Uncomfortably Jewish in the Deep South, mentions conversion briefly but it brings up a good point. Some Jews who see Judaism as a “Ashkenazi ethnicity” have a hard time understanding those of us who buy into Judaism as a religion to which we can, literally, convert. Snippet from… Continue reading Poof, you’re Jewish!
The latest article on conversion in the Jerusalem Post offers that Conversion must be taken out of haredi hands, officials say. Make no mistake, this isn’t an argument for secular conversions. The officials cited in the article hope that more moderate Orthodox rabbis can take control of conversion from haredi (ultra-Orthodox) rabbis who demand converts… Continue reading The Orthodox Wars
My wedding photo featured in my “Funny You Don’t Look Jewish” piece. “Frum from Rebirth” is a new blog that hopes to chronicle the diverse spectrum of stories of those who have come to Orthodoxy. Along with the latest post which features my “Funny, You Don’t Look Jewish” story, there is an interesting post about… Continue reading Frum from Rebirth
Seems everyone’s putting pressure on the Israeli government to settle the conversion issue once and for all. At least that’s what it looks like according to the latest article in the JTA, UJC resolution presses Israel on conversion. But can the conversion issue ever be settled?
ITIM head Seth Farber This article in Haaretz, Jewish Agency resolutions ire liberals, conservatives, piggybacks onto a recent article about recent Jewish Agency resolutions on conversion. This article interviews some of the major players involved in this age-old battle between liberals and conservatives. “Kariv, the Reform rabbi, responded to this by saying that Ne’eman, despite… Continue reading Making Conversions More Accessible?
Alysa Stanton I spotted Rabbinical Student on her way to make history on someone else’s blog. It profiles convert Alysa Stanton who had an Orthodox conversion but found herself more at home in Reform Judaism. “[A Reform congregation] tends to be more welcoming to those who are not born Jewish,” the blogpost quotes. Stanton is… Continue reading She’s a rabbi!
Memoirs of a Jewminicana 