Archive
In our latest update of Bizarre Jewish Dating Ideas, today we bring you: TheJMom.com. Remember the good old days when Mama used to meddle in her children’s lives way too much, back before men and women were allowed to choose their own spouses? For reference, see Fiddler on the Roof. It worked so well there. […]
Both Jewish and non-Jewish organizations are part of increasing opposition to a 2010 ruling by Hillel barring fraternization with pro-Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions [BDS] groups on campus. The 2010 ruling encouraged, but did not require, local Hillels to draft rules in line with the national policy that the organization would “not partner with, house, or host organizations, groups, or speakers” that […]
In past blogs, I have talked about progressive Judaism at length. I’ve written about queering Jewish spaces. I’ve explored the burgeoning institutionalization of Jewish atheism. I’ve critiqued the bureaucracy of conversion in Israel and for immigrants. Sometimes, the reaction to these pieces is positive. Thanks for that. Other times, the reaction goes something like this: “How much […]
The Abayudaya are a tribe of roughly 1,000 Jewish Ugandans living in and around Mbale. Haven’t heard of them? Me either—until I recently got the opportunity to meet their leader, Aaron Kintu Moses, during a shabbaton at the P’nai Or of Portland. The event was sponsored by Kulana, a non-profit organization that works to support isolated […]
On the first day of Ulpan, Jenna Gang showed us the tattoo of her Hebrew name printed on the back of her neck. From then on, we called her Yosefa. We lived together in a cramped apartment in Jerusalem, she the established New York City photographer and I the aspiring California writer, both participating on […]
In case you couldn’t tell, this week is Doppelgänger Week on Facebook. What does this mean? Practically, it means your newsfeeds will suddenly become overrun with a steady stream of highly attractive people who you’ll recognize not as your friends, but as actors, athletes, and an assortment of other famous people. Your friends will choose the […]
By way of following up on yesterday’s post on a new report about Israeli and Palestinian textbooks: (via quickmeme)
Oh, Lena Dunham. Every awkward girl out there now has a role model to pin her hopes and dreams on; every female writer can hold her up and say, “Look, she can do it. Maybe I can too.” It’s a nice fantasy. Because not only does she have a wildly successful, award-winning television show (based […]
Students trickle into a cozy room. Boys walk to the farther side, and girls sit in the closer side. A mechitza [partition] runs down the middle. Everyone opens up his or her siddur and prepares for Kabbalat Shabbat as a female student walks up to the bima [stage] and starts the Yedid Nefesh prayer. This […]
The first ever scientific study of whether Palestinian textbooks actually vilify Israelis as badly as a long-standing pro-Israel narrative claims they do — and vice versa — has poked a big hole in both sides’ version of the argument. In case you were worried anyone might react unpredictably to this news: Palestinian Authority Prime Minister […]