Mini Jews of color at play. Last year, I begged my husband to take me to the Jewish Multiracial Network retreat. I think he rolled his eyes, asked me how much it cost and then rolled his eyes again. In the end, we didn’t end up going and a friend told us it was for… Continue reading Reflections on the Jewish Multiracial Network retreat
Few people seem to take me seriously. I guess it doesn’t help that a lot of the time, I don’t take myself seriously. I rarely answer the question, “So what do you do?” In fact, I avoid it at all costs. Because people give you rather smug smiles when you say you’re writing a book.… Continue reading Seriously, people?
Black people love Sally and Johnny! Ah, satire when done right can be utterly unpleasant and terribly funny. At least, that’s how it seems the site Black People Love Us, the tales of “a fictional white couple and their failed attempts to relate to black people,” have been taken by viewers. People can’t decide whether… Continue reading Black People Love Us!
My cousin O. wants to know how I’m making so much money talking about myself. But the answer to this question and similar mysteries can only be answered by G-d. And if G-d started talking directly to either of us, we’d probably be filthy rich (or locked up in Arkham Asylum). In the meantime, I… Continue reading My Second Shabbaton: Ruminations on speaking at Brandeis University
Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton sometimes do scary famous. Someone called me semi-famous the other day. And well, it made me really uncomfortable. Sure, when I was busy being an ugly ducking in Washington Heights with my big pink plastic frame glasses and my gawky thirteen-year-old-ness, I read my Entertainment Weekly and dreamed of being… Continue reading Tales of a Semi-Famous Jewminicana
I’ve been moody all week, swinging up and down riding this life rollercoaster without any Dramamine. I’ve been wildly whiny, throwing immature tantrums in front of my ever patient little sister and husband. I haven’t written a word for my book, the thought was too overwhelming. And I haven’t made it into the gym for… Continue reading Miracles and Moodiness
My energy level is dropping quickly but I hate to finish the day without remarking on my talks at Brooklyn College today. A really cool professor there had me come in to speak to his students, another professor’s students and the broader Brooklyn College audience. Incredibly, I was representing the Judaic Studies, Latino Studies and… Continue reading Brooklyn College Take Two: Ruminations on my latest talk
Back by popular demand (you know who you are), it’s me on videotape goofing around for promos for one of my upcoming speaking engagements. As usual, I have no control over the elements so while it was too dark in the last shoot, it’s too bright in this one. I was told to be more… Continue reading Ug, me on videotape again
http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docid=-2980522193469128149&hl=en&fs=trueHere I am practicing for a promo of an upcoming speaking engagement. A thoughtful friend forwarded an article to me called “Unmasking ‘Racial Micro Aggressions’” featured in the Monitor on Psychology. It was a good read since I’m gearing up to speak again in the coming weeks on subtle racism in the Jewish community. Microaggressions… Continue reading Getting Aggressive about Microaggression
Everyone knows what overt racism looks like. If they haven’t experienced it then it’s easy for them to imagine. We’ve all seen the awful photographs from the civil rights movement. But most people walk through life on a daily basis overlooking the more subtle forms of racism so that’s what my husband and I focused… Continue reading Recap on LimmudNY Session on Racism in the Jewish Community
Memoirs of a Jewminicana 