Adar I 5784
Welcome to Weird Jewish Digest! Winter is a slog and also a race to survive. Change feels impossible yet everything moves so quickly; half the links I bookmarked just two weeks ago already seem irrelevant. I have let out my inner drama queen. Happy February/almost-Adar.
Jewish Calendar
This year we get two tries at the month of Adar, since it's a leap year. We do not celebrate Purim in this Adar; that's in Adar II. We've got purim katan but that's pretty much ignorable (don't give any eulogies that day), unless you're a karaite, in which case you celebrate purim this month instead of next.
Be Happy It's Adar!
I do not react well to being told to be happy. I have depression! the world is awful!
But to everything there is a season, and at the bottom of page 29a of masechet ta'anit we are told that in the month of Av joy decreases and in Adar we increase our joy. Take joy in the past--in the miracles--in the stories of Purim and Pesach (says Rashi) as both are coming up soon (though neither of them this month)--!
But the bad times are not only in Av, and the miracles not only in springtime; the world is always ending and beginning. And if we do not take time for joy in Adar, when will it be time for joy? Maybe we can collectively reframe this into permission for joy, even though the walls may feel like they are falling down around us. There is space for celebration, amidst the horrors, and that space increases in Adar, even in an Adar without Purim.
Israel/Palestine and Antisemitism
Rabbis 4 Ceasefire has published a new statement urging the US to resume funding UNRWA, viewing the withdrawal of funds as unjust collective punishment, which violates the precept to feed the hungry without asking who is a worthy recipient.
Both of the following links are about internal Jewish community politics in the past, relating them to today's problems and separations. I highly recommend giving both a read, if you've got the time.
Over being pro-Palestinian then and now: When ‘nice Jewish boys and girls’ first took up the cause of Palestinian rights
and over leftist politics and fear then and now: Are We Sliding Toward McCarthyism?
Jewish Activists Mobilizing Against War Are Finding a New Community covers pro-Palestinian actions and organizations from within the Jewish community--probably large amounts of it will not be new to you, but it is nice to read about. See also: I never thought I'd see an article about Jewish diasporism in the NYT, though obviously some of its spin and finish are not quite my jam.
Books and Language
The Sephardic Jewish Brotherhood of America is running an essay contest for anyone 18 and up to write about "the experiences of the Ladino-speaking Sephardic Jewish communities".
Check out the Yiddish Book Center's highlight of some of their queer yiddish stories! (This may be a repeat link, but was featured in a recent newsletter of theirs.)
Need something to read? The Jewish Book Council announced the Jewish Book Award Winners.
Rad Yiddish & Queer Yiddish Camp are putting together a zine on QUEER / LEFTY / YIDDISH FUTURES, with submissions due 2/28! There's a related zine-making event linked below too.
Also check out this zine i found: tkhines for a free palestine (pdf link).
Miscellaneous
Rachel Edelman wrote for Lilith magazine We Meet at the Well: Miriam, Hagar and Me, about home and exile. Check out her book of poetry Dear Memphis!
Jews for Abortion Access has put together a ritual guide for abortion and miscarriage care.
The Conservative movement continues to want to have it both ways on intermarriage by asking their congregations to be welcoming of intermarried couples yet not allowing officiating intermarriages. The 21 page report is linked in that article, should you want more info on the changes and what remains the same; I simply believe that "we support you every moment except your wedding" is not actual full-hearted support for the relationships in question.
Classes and events
2/5 Women on the Yiddish Stage Book Launch
2/5 Zine Making Workshop for the Queer/Lefty/Yiddish Future w/Jess Goldman of Gliklekh in Goles.
2/7 Book Talk: We Are Not Strangers - A New Sephardic Graphic Novel
2/8 Inside the Peretz Salon: The Engine Room of Modern Yiddish Culture, with David Mazower
2/9 TransHallel Rosh Chodesh Adar I (zoom registration)
2/9 Repro Shabbat, with NCJW
2/11 For Times Such As These: a Radical’s Guide to the Jewish Year book talk / workshop on healing (insta info)
2/11 LUNAR book club (Asian Jews centric) Q&A with Claire Stanford, author of "Happy for You"
2/12 Horizons Blossom, Borders Vanish: Anarchism and Yiddish Literature book talk from YIVO
2/13 Disability Wisdom and Knowing Ourselves Whole, with Julia Watts Belser and RitualWell
2/22 A Revolution in Type: Gender and the Making of the American Yiddish Press, with Ayelet Brinn
Classes
The Land Justice Sessions with Miknaf Ha'aretz & Friends (UK-based)
For Mizrachim and any SWANA Jews: a six session workshop starting 2/26 on migration stories and struggles for justice
Synagogues Rising is doing 3 online courses: (Re-)Introduction to Israel/Palestine, Judaism 101, and Spiritual Practices for Uncertain Times
SVARA has their spring classes up, including Torah for the End (and Beginning) of the World with Rabbi Elliot Kukla
Aron Wander is teaching on radical politics x traditional judaism in a Hebrew College Open Circle Jewish Learning course (for the general public to take) on 5 Sundays starting 2/25.
Psychics and the Occult in Modern Jewish Culture starts March 3rd with YIVO and teacher Samuel Glauber
The Global Journey of Yiddish Literature taught by Ilan Stavans through the Yiddish Book Center will be going on Wednesdays, March 27 through April 17.
Pet of the Month
The Jewish pet of the month is Mush, a 17 year old baby! Her human makes some very cool arts and crafts, including this free Palestine quilt, and she has been featured on the ceasefire meow instagram!
Thank you for reading!
<3
Meli