29th of Elul, 5780
Normally these are titled with the parsha of the week but this time i went with Rosh Hashana, since it’s on shabbat and that means it’s its own special torah reading. Shana tovah everybody! Like I said in my last newsletter, let me know if you want a link to the JVP Chavurah Network’s HHD online resource document.
For the holiday, i’ll be going to services on zoom and assembling various pieces of the Yehi Ratsones (a sephardic tradition involving symbolic foods) for my own little seder. I don’t have fish heads or pomegranates or dates, but between the rest of them I have: apples and honey, beans (traditionally black eyed peas, which I thought was interesting considering the American tradition on secular new year), leeks or green onions, and squash and will recite the appropriate blessings for you, me, and the rest of the community. There were a lot of articles about rosh hashana seders this year, which feels a little ironic considering how in-person ones should not happen in most places.
This great video of a kid passionately singing avinu malkeinu went deservedly viral. JTA has the story behind it if you’re curious.
While we’re on the rosh hashana topic, I wrote a queer tashlich ceremony last year. I hope I get to use it this year, but that depends on air quality. Predictions currently say it’ll clear up Saturday morning but predictions have been wrong a lot lately.
And on that note, some political content.
I see a great deal of leftist (or, left-ish) de-assimilation talk, but anti-assimilation isn’t only a leftist POV. In his most recent substack essay, Isaac Brosilow explores the JDL and Kahanist viewpoints towards assimilation.
Speaking of assimilation and reactions to it, dual loyalties talk has been raising its ugly head again lately. After seeing the “I’m not loyal to Israel, i’m loyal to the US / I’m not loyal to them either actually” conversation at least twice, I went off a little on twitter about how the politic we should be embracing to counter claims of dual loyalty isn’t reactionary patriotism, it’s community solidarity.
Two films:
I first heard about Tahara this week. It premiered at outfest and is about a Black Jewish teen girl processing the death of a classmate. I would love to watch this film. [cw: death, suicide, frank discussion of teen sexuality in the clip]
Queer Morning Blessings, a version of birkot hashachar by and for queer jews, including many jews of color. This is a little more hippie-flavored/alternative than my religious experience preference but as art, it’s pretty great.
As a semi-traditionalist weirdo, I sometimes run into issues I did not expect. I was looking around for places to get a BDS-compliant lulav and etrog and did not find one. There are how-to guides on using local plants that symbolically match the significance, but I want the traditional ones. There are etrogim sourced from other places (italy, the US), but most people selling sets online are very proud of selling israel-sourced ones and I’d rather not buy from there. But also, it’s September 18 and Sukkot starts October 2, so I figured I should get on this pretty fast. Here’s what I found:
You can buy etrogim from a farm in california. I have a medium box coming to me. If you are in the seattle area and want one let me know.
For the lulav, aka closed date palm frond, aka palm stalk (?), I found multiple places that sell open palm fronds but not any closed ones listed for sale. I have sent emails and will let y’all know what I find. If i don’t hear back by Monday or so I’m planning on buying these.
A lot of places sell fresh myrtle, since it’s commonly used in flower arranging.
If you search for willow, you will find a lot of willow plants and twigs for propagation but no branches with leaves/foliage for sale. There are a lot of willow eucalyptus, though. I know where some trees are, it’s fine.
I have no idea if any of this is set to get here on time for the beginning of sukkot, but I hope it does at least by the end.
I have an extra special pet this week—or, should i say, this wheek! Lil Sebastian the Guinea Pig has his own kippah and wishes you all a happy new year, as does his owner Rakhel (probably), as do I. Shanah tovah umetukah!
