“Y-Love” aka Yitz Jordan performs in New York. The New York Daily News featured Modern Orthodox rapper/Jewish convert, Y-Love in “Tale of tragedy and triumph for struggling Hasidic rap star.” The article presents an interesting portrait of the Orthodox Jewish convert. A quote from a rabbi cites that hip-hop is harmful and that “music of… Continue reading Hip-Hop is Harmful?
Here’s my latest piece about the joys of a “mixed” marriage, “Things We Have in Common: When Two Cultures Marry”. It tries to focus on the positive by pointing out the things we do have in common. <
I uncovered this NY Times article from May in my inbox, “De-emphasis on Race in Adoption Is Criticized.” Though it has no Jewish slant, I thought it presented some interesting points on race and cultural issues in Jewish adoptions. Though I should point out, that I have recently enjoyed many articles that have highlighted the… Continue reading De-emphasis on Race in Adoption Is Criticized
If you missed my August 12 post on racism, here is the link to the essay, “A Nation Divded: Coping with Racism in the Jewish Community” now available at Interfaithfamily.com.
“How will you pass your culture on to your children?” was a loaded question I was recently asked. Another convert had been thinking hard about that question and I think, she hoped that I would have some great insight. But honestly, I didn’t. I don’t. I concede that I haven’t worried too much about passing… Continue reading Raising Jewish Kids…When You Weren’t One
When I was converting I knew only one convert and knew of a handful. There were quite a few prospective converts at the synagogue I attended. But there wasn’t any forum to get all of us together talking about our experiences. I wish there had been. The one convert that I knew was very gracious… Continue reading My Little Conversion Group
Here’s a funny little story about Israel…. On my first night in Israel, I realized that I was the farthest anyone in my family had ever been from the homeland, the Dominican Republic. Sure, New York, to which my parents had emigrated as children, was far from “D.R.” but Israel was literally on the other… Continue reading Fish Out of Water
Ever since I converted, I’ve been racked with Jewish guilt. I never feel like I’m doing enough Jewish learning. It doesn’t help that I have a husband who studies “rabbi stuff” 10-12 hours a day. So, last week, after a year of trying to attend a local class on davening, I finally made it. The… Continue reading Getting some class
“Honest Response” is a great response that touches upon the tone of a Jewish Week piece, “Pressing for a ‘Global’ View of Jewry,” which I previously posted on the blog. The original piece wondered whether the anger the two multiculutural Jewish artists were exhibiting in the dialogues they led on Jewish identity would cause people… Continue reading Anger is a valid response to racism
This piece was inspired by a previous blog. “So, are you pregnant?” a friend asked bouncing over to me enthusiastically. I rolled my eyes and exhaled sharply. “What? What did I say?” Motherhood is hard. And I don’t just mean raising the babies. I mean having them. I mean trying to have them. And yes,… Continue reading Don’t Ask Me About My Uterus (Part 2)
Memoirs of a Jewminicana 