Sadly, America is far from post-racial. The latest string of violence against Jewish sites, including the attack on the Holocaust museum and the Riverdale terrorist plot, is just plain scary. And the many attacks, less publicized, on Latinos after Obama’s inaugration, attacks that targeted “immigrants” only further this sad reality. America still has a way to… Continue reading Teaching RACE and Unlearning Racism
And yet again, another reprint for “From Ghetto Girl to Rabbi’s Wife”, this time on Patheos. Patheos is a fascinating new website that hopes to help people understand the origins, history, and beliefs of the world’s religions. Patheos was recently featured in a Time magazine article, “What Do Other Religions Believe? A Website With Answers”.
Chabad usually gets pretty good press. Almost every convert or formerly unaffiliated Jew I’ve spoken to thinks that Chabadniks are the most welcoming Orthodox Jews. Can one rabbi (Manis Friedman) destroy such a good rep? You decide. Check out: “Popular Rabbi’s Comments on Treatment of Arabs Show a Different Side of Chabad“
http://player.ordienetworks.com/flash/fodplayer.swf A Gaythering Storm from Jane Lynch Warning, some of you will be offended. Some of you will laugh.
In case you can’t believe an Indian version of Hava Nagila exists, you should check out Sadia Shepard’s book, “The Girl From Foreign: A Search for Shipwrecked Ancestors, Forgotten Histories and a Sense of Home,” about rediscovering her Indian Jewish roots. This blog has apparently inspired a trend. Swing over to the MyJewishLearning.com blog, Mixed Multitudes… Continue reading Indian Hava Nagila
How does the Associated Press even know I exist? This is a question I asked myself last Friday when I got an email from one of their writers asking me if I would mind being interviewed for a community profile on Riverdale. Of course, I said “yes” but I still assumed it was a joke… Continue reading Um, ‘kay?
“Leap of Faith” is another documentary focusing on conversion to Judaism. The trailer places a particular emphasis on the responses of Christian family members. This is not especially extraordinary considering that one of the top questions people ask converts is: “How did your family feel about it?” I think this film will go far towards… Continue reading Another Conversion Documentary
My profile of Ari Hart and his work in Washington Heights was published in The Jerusalem Post. Check out the finished piece, “A Guiding Light” for updates on Hart’s work with Uri L’Tzedek.
The Reform and the Conservative movements are dying. The Pope is not a demon. The Orthodox aren’t ready for female rabbis. Homosexuals aren’t welcome? Um, did I embellish the points I took away from this profile of Yeshiva University chancellor Rabbi Norman Lamm, “Non-Orthodox Judaism disappearing”? I don’t think so. What do you think? And… Continue reading Dead on Arrival
As a former Catholic and now Orthodox Jewish convert, I should have something to say about the Pope visiting Israel. But as I said on Twitter, all I could summon forth was “Yawn.” I’ll go read the more of the news (yeah, I already know he didn’t do so well on the Holocaust portion of… Continue reading Pope-in’ it in Israel
Memoirs of a Jewminicana 