Archive for June 2012
Joe? Your name is Joe?
Posted by: erika on: June 26, 2012
Confession, I’ve watched “You’ve Got Mail” more times than I can remember. I owned it on VHS and watched it at least once a month when I was living in Toledo, Ohio. I loved living in Kathleen Kelly’s seemingly perfect world. I loved her quirkiness, her brilliance, her outfits. I thought she got the best [...]
Manic Monday
Posted by: erika on: June 25, 2012
It’s a bit of a crazy day. It’s raining in NYC again after glorious weekend weather the skies opened up this morning just as Miriam and I were heading to the train. We huddled under her blue umbrella as it literally started to pour. Her left side and my right side were completely soaked through, [...]
18 Ways to Welcome Interracial Families
Posted by: erika on: June 23, 2012
Shabbat Shalom! Here’s some reading for your Saturday. If you have more ideas/ways synagogues can be more welcoming or open please include them in the comments below. Erika From RJ.org By Kate Bigam A recent study shows that approximately 87,000 Jewish households identify as “multiracial or nonwhite”… in New York alone! What is your [...]
The Jewish Geography Project
Posted by: erika on: June 21, 2012
Not the kind you’re thinking of. Real geography. Go take out a map of the world and a copy of the Tanakh and let’s play! Each week I’m going to go through the Tanakh, page by page until I come to a land mass, mention of a land, or mention of a geographical feature. I’ll [...]
Why I do What I do
Posted by: erika on: June 21, 2012
Aliza Hausman, a Dominican-American Jewish woman, cyber-friend (hopefully real-live friend) and activist asked a question that I’ve been thinking about for a few days. She asked, “if we stop saying it, then where will we be, where will our children and grandchildren be?” She was commenting on a recent post I wrote about race/racism and [...]
Talking Honestly About Jews and Racisim
Posted by: erika on: June 13, 2012
My post on The Sisterhood is live. Here’s a small snippet- A few week ago I had two very different experiences having to do with my necklace. At a party a friend of a friend asked about the Chai around my neck and then asserted that there weren’t any black Jews. On the ride home [...]
Guess What?! There are Non-White Jews in NYC!
Posted by: erika on: June 12, 2012
No shit. “The Israelites journeyed from from Raamses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on food, aside from children. Moreover, a mixed multitude went up with them”-Exodus 12:37-38 I sound like a broken record, but clearly the lessons of history, of Torah, of geography and human migration needs to be continually told and re-learned. [...]
Manic Monday
Posted by: erika on: June 11, 2012
I’ve been trying to figure out how to move the blog forward in a way that continues to be inspiring, educational, fun, and motivational. As I near my one-year Jewish anniversary I want to get back into blogging with more regularity so hopefully that will shine through. Today I want to focus on some news [...]
Shabbat Shalom!
Posted by: erika on: June 8, 2012
This week has been interesting. A lot happened-some of it good, some of it is causing a lot of reflection, and some of it has been frustrating. The beautiful thing is that tonight is Shabbat and while I don’t know how the gluten-free challah that I’m bringing to dinner will turn out, it’s nice to [...]
One people means including me, and all people of color, too
Posted by: erika on: June 6, 2012
This was originally posted on Haaretz.com yesterday I read this piece this morning after finding it on my Facebook timeline, posted by a colleague. As I read this account of a woman in a situation similar to my own and countless other Jews of Color, I realized that the situation of community and the need [...]
My New Obsession
What You’re Saying