Kislev 5784
Welcome to Weird Jewish Digest! This issue is mostly about the war in Gaza, unfortunately, as that is for good reason taking up nearly all the air in the room. I do still have a pet of the month at the end, of course.
Jewish Calendar
Sigd, a holiday primarily celebrated by the Ethiopian Beta Israel community, is this week! It is observed 50 days after Yom Kippur and commemorates the acceptance of the torah. For more, check out Jewish&'s Sigd resources.
I am having trouble believing we are nearly in Kislev, but no surprise there, as I am also having trouble believing we are in November. Marcheshvan has been bitter as all get-out but don't forget to buy your chanukah candles--I use rolled beeswax ones from Cavender Candles personally but there's plenty of options.
Israel/Palestine
Ceasefire now. Judaism can’t justify what Israel is doing. To many of us, opposing Israel’s war on Gaza is a Jewish value. Also, if you want any chance of getting the hostages back hale and healthy, I recommend not bombing Gaza into oblivion.
Because this newsletter is by and for Jewish people, I am focusing primarily on Jewish actions and groups in the US, because that's where I am and where most of you are. For news about Israel and Palestine, go elsewhere, like 972 Magazine.
It's worth calling your congresspeople to express your opinion. Pro ceasefire people are calling a lot. Many congressional staffers agree with us and are working to get their bosses on board. It is at least shifting the narrative--some representatives and senators are calling for either a ceasefire or a pause, which is a huge step.
There have been a variety of articles about JVP/IfNotNow-led protests and other Jews against the war, such as this excellent longer article by Matt Shuham and this essay by rabbinical student Josie Felt. Or read about our siblings in Israel who have been working against the occupation from there, or a coalition of Israeli groups asking for a ceasefire.
I have not been following what liberal (as opposed to left) Jewish groups have been up to, but Emily Tamkin spoke with some of them for The New Republic including J Street and T'ruah.
There are so many well-written emotional essays I have not linked here purely because I haven't been able to wrap my head around how to do them justice, or haven't been able to get myself in the depths of my feelings to really appreciate them. I'm burned out on Jewish Diaspora feelings about this war, yet I continue to be in my own Jewish feelings about it. It's the only thing to talk about, yet I wish we could stop talking in circles.
I do not think the actions of the state of israel respect my best interests, yours, or frankly Israelis', let alone innocent Gazans'. I know to many this makes me a betrayer, but asking, begging, calling, demanding a ceasefire is the only step I see towards a future peace.
Ceasefire now.
On Antisemitism (and Palestine-related topics)
Antisemitism has been occurring with greater frequency since the horrors of the Oct 7 attack. Claiming antizionism is antisemitism, or claiming criticism of Israel as antisemitic, only erodes our ability to discuss these realities.
An open letter from Jewish writers titled A Dangerous Conflation specifically targets the argument that critique of israel is automatically antisemitic. Teen Vogue reports that over 1800 Jewish creators (including me) have signed on. (For a wider writer-specific group, see Writers Against the War on Gaza (WAWOG).)
Adam Serwer also wrote an excellent overview of Don’t Equate Anti-Zionism With Anti-Semitism in The Atlantic. For a specifically leftist view on antisemitism and Jewish antizionism, check out Kelly Hayes interviewing Shane Burley.
From the river to the sea
Along those lines, it is a good time to review Maha Nassar's 2018 op-ed in the Forward ‘From The River To The Sea’ Doesn’t Mean What You Think It Means, or a recent Chicago Sun-Times piece on what it means to Palestinians and Jews, or a 2021 article on the phrase from Yousef Munayyer:
"what Palestinians are calling for when they use the phrase in question: a state in which Palestinians can live in their homeland as free and equal citizens, neither dominated by others nor dominating them."
The majority of Palestinians and their allies using from the river to the sea do not mean an extinction of Israelis; they want freedom for Palestine and Palestinians. (Relatedly, the censure of Rep. Tlaib for using the phrase is offensive. I do not agree with Jay Michaelson about her remarks' offensiveness, but that's neither here nor there--his op-ed contains a good context of censure and why it's inappropriate here.)
I understand from-the-river-to-the-sea makes a lot of people uncomfortable, but it's not our fight to center ourselves in, and we need to not conflate Hamas' goals with Palestinian solidarity goals. It's instead time to sit with our discomfort; breathe through it; read the article(s) again, and join our Palestinian siblings in solidarity even if we still struggle with some of the particulars.
Prayer(s) for these times
If you are overwhelmed, I really appreciate JFREJ's prayer for these desperate times.
Rabbis for Ceasefire are running an ongoing mourning space weekday mornings, and if torah study is your style there's the weekly Shel Maala Torah for Palestine. Eryn Star has also assembled a Jewish Spaces for Palestine resource, if you are hungry for politically aligned spiritual community.
Miscellaneous
First, a brief obituary: healthcare activist and secular Jew Ady Barkan passed away on the 1st of November. May his memory be a blessing.
In Geveb's blog entry Moshe Rabbenu Splits the Atom: Writers of the Forverts React to the Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima & Nagasaki covers the interplay of american patriotism, pride in jewish participation in science, and other reactions to the atom bomb in the Forverts.
There is a cool article in the Forward about the Yiddish Book Center's new main exhibit, Yiddish: A Global Culture, including a section on Yiddish translations of Black American literature and a linotype press from the Forverts back in the day.
Apparently when Ottoman Sephardim came to Atlanta, Georgia, they specialized in shoe repair.
The translation of Psalm 89, a maskil of Eitan ha-Ezraḥi by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi is available on OpenSiddur. His translations of the psalms are meant for personal connection with the text more than a hyper-literal translation, and they make the beautiful poetry sometimes hidden in other translations of Psalms come alive.
Sarah Day Arts has some extremely cute new judaica, including these adorable mini hamsa stud earrings.
Classes and events
Class series
Judaism Unbound has some fascinating-looking three week mini-courses this fall starting in the last week of November, covering Ashmedai, Chanukah, Anger in kabbalah, and Jewish witches.
There's a free online course in Medieval Hebrew Manuscripts and their Scribes from PennX, covering medieval hebrew paleography. Read more in the announcement here, which also lists the other open-access courses in a variety of medieval jewish related topics including medicine, history and geography.
Events
I didn't catch the livestream, but the recording of Reboot Ideas Presents: Monster Mash: The Legend of the Golem is great.
11/13 Hijacking Memory: The Holocaust and the Siege of Gaza from Jewish Currents
11/15 "Antisemitism, Critical Race Theory, and the Politics of Anti-Discrimination Scholarship" lecture from Mia Brett
11/26 Building The Jewish& Cookbook: Veggie Okoy Latkes and Sour Mango Apple Sauce
11/29 Sholem Asch: Underworld Trilogy book talk with performances of play excerpts
12/3 RAD YIDDISH & QUEER YIDDISH CAMP CABARET: A Fundraiser for a Queer/Lefty/Yiddish Future
Pet of the Month
The Jewish Pet of the Month this month is Coleslaw, a cutiepie of a puppy who wants to be your friend and also gnaw on everything (which is to say, a puppy).
As always, thanks for reading!
<3
Meli