Someone posted that they’re having trouble coordinating learning with an Orthodox rabbi. That’s no surprise to me. I think the only reason my rabbi is so available when I need him is that he doesn’t sleep. Ever. It also helps that I was not entirely dependent on him for all my learning. During my conversion… Continue reading Learn, Learn, Learn
Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg and Rivkah Holtzberg What does one say about these sorts of things? I’ve never been particularly articulate at moments like these. Before Shabbos, most Jews around the world were praying for the rabbi and his wife in Mumbai. And then, we were stunned by news that this very young couple had… Continue reading Final word on Mumbai
I woke up today worried that the most terrible thing I would have to deal with was overeating. Instead, over a bowl of Cheerios, my eyes still fuzzy with sleep, my husband informed me that a Chabad house in Mumbai had been taken hostage. UPDATE: Jewish Child Safe in Hostage Crisis at Mumbai Chabad House… Continue reading Attack in Mumbai
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
At the “Taste of Limmud NY” event that I attended, I had a chance to chat it up with a Conservative convert and one of the speakers at the discussion on racism and conflict between Israeli Arab-Israeli Jews. When I was asked what kind of conversion I had, I think I shocked both parties by… Continue reading Conversation
I attended a women’s Rosh Chodesh group last week in Riverdale (more on that later) where I stumbled upon a table full of incredible handcrafted jewelry from Israel. The designer, Sima Menora, was on hand to help us pick out the right pieces. I walked away with a daisy necklace and some psychedelic-looking dangling earrings.… Continue reading A little prayer, a little shopping spree
Here’s a love letter I sent to some of my friends and family today after many blows to my ego. “You know, I think that I should say something. All of y’all are very sweet but you seem to have forgotten that I DO HAVE A JOB. Job #1 I hate. It’s getting healthy enough… Continue reading Aliza’s J-O-B
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
This is the final draft of an essay I wrote for a contest that asked “What is the Most Important Day of Your Life?” I previously posted the first draft on the blog. Come Back For Us She stood in the doorframe in a faded nightgown though it was mid-afternoon. Her thin penciled-in eyebrows became… Continue reading The Most Important Day of My Life Final Draft
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
Memoirs of a Jewminicana 