Israel’s Jewish humor show offers a serious message for a dark time: We will survive By Ben Sales May 23, 2024
"...So the show’s catalog includes spoofs of the story of Purim and the invention of the mezuzah, but it also features joke after joke about the Nazis, the Spanish Inquisition, the Yom Kippur War, the destruction of the Second Temple in ancient times and any number of other lachrymose episodes of the Jewish past.
...So after Oct. 7, the program confronted a question: What to do when the tragedy isn’t historical but current and — for many Israelis — ongoing?
This week, we got our answer: In unprecedented times, “The Jews Are Coming” did something unprecedented: It got serious..."
In Egypt, a piece of Jewish pottery suggests a woman’s role that was stolen from history - Rabbi Jill Hammer May 23, 2024
"...While the Temple in Jerusalem is the only Jewish temple mentioned in the Bible, there were other Jewish temples, including one in the Egyptian city of Elephantine. Built in the 6th century BCE and destroyed in 410 BCE by priests of the Egyptian god Khnum, the temple was a place where local Jews, often Israelite soldiers hired by Egypt, could offer sacrifices. According to some scholars, the description of the temple at Elephantine is similar to the mishkan, or tabernacle, described in the book of Exodus.
One of the interesting features of this community, aside from that it performed Jewish sacrifices outside of Jerusalem, is the presence of female functionaries in the temple..."
This story was originally published on My Jewish Learning.
Looking for an unapologetically Jewish and feminist community?
Lilith magazine is reviving the salon—an intimate gathering to encounter new ideas, connect with old friends, and talk about what's on your mind. You provide the space and people, and we’ll provide the conversation for each new issue of Lilith magazine.
In this moment, we need independent, intimate and intergenerational spaces more than ever before— where we can show up in community in all our complexities as Jewish feminists.
There is still time to register to join Sheryl Sandberg and National Council of Jewish Women CEO Sheila Katz on Tuesday, May 28th, at 8:15pm ET, for a Jewish Community Conversation about the importance of bearing witness, lifting up the silenced voices of the October 7th attack, and demanding justice.
Screams Before Silence, led by Sheryl Sandberg, is a powerful documentary that captures first-person testimony from survivors, first responders, forensic experts, eyewitnesses, and released hostages from the attack by Hamas in Israel on October 7th. Their harrowing accounts reveal the uncompromising truth: Hamas used sexual assault as a weapon of war.
Stereotypes about Jewish physical weakness have meant that the crucial role Jews played in creating American fitness culture has often been overlooked — despite the 19th century tradition of muscular Judaism established precisely to challenge these assumptions. Join New Lehrhaus in hosting historian and Reboot Network member Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, author of Fit Nation: The Gains and Pains of America’s Exercise Obsession, for an exciting talk and conversation about how and why Jews were so influential — but understudied — in shaping American fitness. Presented in partnership with Reboot.
Underscoring that there is no singular way to "look Jewish" or “be Jewish,” Reboot Studios collaborated with Paramount Global on This is What Jewish Looks Like, a new video short that celebrates the rich tapestry of Jewish identity in honor of Jewish American Heritage Month. The visual techniques in the piece challenge stereotypes and preconceived notions of identity, especially important at a time when tensions are high among American Jews.
Photographer Brian Molyneaux captured portraits of individuals who identify as Jewish, highlighting the rich diversity within the Jewish community across various dimensions such as age, gender and race. See the short video here. It is appearing across Paramount’s portfolio of channels, including MTV, Comedy Central, CMT, Pop, TV Land, Paramount Network, Smithsonian Channel and BET throughout May as part of Jewish American Heritage Month.
It’s Taurus season, and that means it’s time to focus on stepping out of our comfort zone. Change is the rule in life, and though it may not be comfortable, we find growth, blessings, and expansion when we move beyond the familiar and routine. This month, examine where you’re living in comfort and where you're called to venture beyond it. Make the effort to bring your awareness to the present and remember that challenges herald positive transformation, even if you can’t quite see it yet. Armed with this consciousness, an even more authentic version of you and your life can begin to emerge.
How has Zionism changed since October 7? As the State Israel marks its 76th anniversary amid unprecedented challenges, what does the future hold? Israeli author and historian Gil Troy will offer an examination of Zionism at this particular moment and discuss how a renewed Zionist vision may present a path toward a brighter future and nurture a more hopeful tomorrow.
Don't miss this important lecture, followed by a question-and-answer session led by JTA Editor in Chief Philissa Cramer.
The 9 to 5 working women’s movement changed workplaces across America and inspired a Hollywood hit movie. Ellen Cassedy was there. Join us on Wednesday, May 22, at 6:00 PM ET as she tells the story of how brave women took on the corporate titans and formed a women-led union. The chain of working women’s activism stretches from the garment workers of early-20th-century New York, through the 9 to 5’ers (and Dolly Parton) — and now today’s labor surge.
A dose of inspiration for Labor History Month!
Ten attendees will win a free signed copy of Ellen’s book, Working 9 to 5: A Women’s Movement, a Labor Union, and the Iconic Movie (foreword by Jane Fonda).
Harif UK Association of Jews from MENA presentation 7:00 pm UK/ 1100 am PT/ 2:00 pm ET / 8:00 pm Europe / 9:00 pm Israel
‘We are leaving Morocco for good after 600 years,’ David Corcos told his family as they made ‘aliya’ to Israel from Mogador (known today as Essaouira) in 1959. David’s ancestors...arrived in Morocco from Spain as ‘The King’s merchants’. They were part of a select group of Jews enjoying trading privileges in Morocco’s largest port, where half the residents were Jews. Today almost none are left.
Sydney Corcos is a researcher on the history of the Mogador community, which maintained close relations with Eretz Israel through the centuries... In 2020, Sydney closed a circle with Morocco, when he became involved with the establishment of Beit Dakira, a centre dedicated to the Jewish history of Mogador..."
I’m a Jewish linguist, and unlike some in Congress, I think ‘Ashkenormativity’ is a perfectly fine word.
Sarah Bunin Benor May 2, 2024
The term arose in Jewish discourse around 2014. It has since been used by North American Jews of Moroccan, Bukharian, Turkish, Ashkenazi, Ethiopian, Persian, Black, Japanese-American & other backgrounds to critique and debate the orientations of various educational, cultural & communal institutions & products...
The Sephardi/Mizrahi advocacy organization JIMENA...has created a toolkit to help day schools... “The schools were built and the curriculum was created at a time when Jewish life was ‘Ashkenormative’ — Ashkenazi Jews catering to Ashkenazi Jews,” JIMENA’s executive director explained. “And there’s a need for the schools to meet the current needs of their student populations.”
Jews discuss Ashkenormativity not to perpetuate the power imbalance, but to counter it..."
The world’s oldest Jewish play inspires a new, immersive production
By Chava Pearl Lansky May 3, 2024
"...This is the world premiere of Untitled Theater Company No. 61’s “Exagoge,” an opera within a play within a seder being staged this month at La MaMa Experimental Theater Club, a 63-year-old downtown institution.
Written and directed by Edward Einhorn, with original music by Avner Finberg, the production’s source material is the world’s oldest known Jewish play: an ancient Greek drama, also called “Exagoge,” that was written in Alexandria more than 2,000 years ago by someone known now as Ezekiel the Tragedian.
The writer Howard Jacobson has theorized that the original “Exagoge” — an interpretation of the Book of Exodus mixed with pagan ideas — was written in the second century BCE but was destroyed shortly after its creation by the Jewish elders, on grounds of idolatry. Today, only 269 lines remain..."
From Mayyim Hayyim:
Being a Mikveh Guide means showing up for another person as they mark a meaningful transition in life. Alongside a virtual community of Trans & Nonbinary Jews, participants will gain new knowledge and skills to facilitate this ancient ritual, reimagined for modern use.
"The pro-Palestinian demonstrators tend to reject Zionists of all stripes. That leaves pro-Israel progressives in a lonely place: deeply critical of Israel’s right-wing government, but also appalled by a protest movement that challenges the very legitimacy of Israel, and hesitant to join a Jewish right that wants to clamp down on free speech and attack higher education.
“I think most of the progressive Jewish world we are talking about probably fits somewhere in the middle of these extremes,” said Colton-Max. “As a parent of college kids, what terrifies me is that there is no safe space for them at all.”
At a Manhattan synagogue, ‘normie’ pro-Israel liberals stage a last stand
Andrew Silow-Carroll May 5, 2024
This year, JIMENA is proud to highlight our Holocaust page specially designed for Jewish K-12 educators, part of our Sephardi & Mizrahi Education Toolkit.
This resource is crafted to help educators introduce students to the experiences and stories of Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews during the Holocaust—a perspective often underrepresented in Holocaust education.
Our toolkit provides educational materials that include first-hand accounts, lesson plans, and multimedia resources to ensure a comprehensive and inclusive approach to Holocaust education. By bringing these narratives into classrooms, we aim to foster a deeper understanding of the Holocaust's impact on all Jewish communities and the diverse histories of our people.