Rabbi Capers Funnye Michelle Obama’s cousin, Rabbi Capers Funnye was profiled by the Jewish Journal of Los Angeles in a piece called “Obama’s cousin-in-law Rabbi Capers Funnye battles to open the gates of Judaism”. Funnye himself has had several conversions to Judaism and he speaks of schooling prospective converts to Judaism on the faith. “I… Continue reading Obama’s Cousin-in-law talks Judaism
An article in the Jewish Journal of Los Angeles, “Angeleno pushes effort on recognizing conversions” demystifies the force behind a recent resolution on conversion proposed by the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI). At the heart of the decision is a Los Angeles Jewish convert, Lorin Fife, who hopes to bring “the conversion process back to… Continue reading Los Angeles Convert Moves for Acceptance
Like Alejandra Vazquez, I, too, was beaten by my mother with a mop handle at eleven years old. Unlike Alejandra, I survived. I did not survive because of any intervention from authorities. I survived because my mother chose not to kill me that day. Like any good abuser, my mother threatened to kill me if… Continue reading The Wrong Side of a Mop Handle
Back from Los Angeles and of course, incredibly jet-lagged. Oy. And I’m scheduled to go to a Yael Naim concert tonight. The best laid plans of mice and men…. I figured I’d write up more about my trip before I head out for the evening. One particular awkward moment sticks out in my mind. After… Continue reading Keeping my hands to myself
Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis It’s just a title, right? I mean, it doesn’t have anything to do with whether or not I wear my ugly orthopedic shoes to shul (synagogue) or just don my sneakers. It’s not supposed to make my stomach hurt when I think about how difficult it is for me to follow services… Continue reading A title first
Remodeling the world. Some bad book I was reading was making fun of suburbanites and how much time they spend talking about remodeling their homes. I found this curious because I had yet to walk into such a conversation out here in Los Angeles. And then it happened. During one Sukkot meal, I happened upon… Continue reading Silence, A Response
We’re in Los Angeles for my husband’s internship at a local synagogue. And as a perk, we get to spend time with the family. Yay, family? My mother-in-law reminded me of a little known family fact at the last Sukkot meal. Converts usually face a lot of obstacles in family harmony when they decide to… Continue reading It’s all in the family
My first Tisha B’Av was spent at the OU in Jerusalem. The best part of this might shock you, but it was definitely that there were plenty of people there that were twice or three times my age at services. When it came time for Eichah to be read, I sat in a chair with… Continue reading Crying on Tisha B’Av
Melissa Mosley/Columbia Pictures From left, Jonah Hill and Michael Cera in Superbad. I try to watch everything. I have always been a pop culture junkie. Looking for my next escapist fix. In junior high school, I created a giant binder devoted to my addiction. My friends would pass it around, “ooohing” and “ahhhing” over the… Continue reading Surviving Superbad
The bed started shaking while I was lying leisurely in bed reading yet another book on writing. My first thought was to wonder what the hell those people downstairs were doing that could make my bed shake. Then I realized there were no people downstairs. There was no “downstairs,” I was on a first floor!… Continue reading Registering a 5.4 in Magnitude
Memoirs of a Jewminicana 