Toldot
Hello friends! Today is the 4th of Kislev, and the parsha of the week is Toldot.
It is also trans awareness week, including trans day of remembrance. I am mourning the trans dead, but it is more important to me to save and protect those of us trans people who are still living.
Speaking of trans embodiment, the excellent Laynie Soloman blogged at Svara about how halacha can be used to center the individual as expert on their own bodily needs in Towards Halachic Euphoria.
The stamma invokes a verse from Proverbs that becomes a refrain throughout the sugya: lev yodea marat nafsho / לֵב יוֹדֵעַ מָרַּת נַפְשׁוֹ וּבְשִׂמְחָתוֹ לֹא־יִתְעָרַב זָר, “the heart alone knows its bitterness” (Proverbs 14:10). In other words, we are the true experts of our own experiences, and we know what we need.
It is also now Kislev, the month that contains hanukah, so I have prepared a tiny shopping opportunity list of things that may bring you joy.
An extremely cute dachshund menorah from target. Or a shirt (only up to kids xxl) that says “I latke move it move it”.
A lovely Chanukah card from Sarah Day Arts
A tote bag that says comrade from leftist publisher Verso
Jewelry that comes in pomegranate or chai or hamsa or torah or koi fish
The Kosher Queers podcast, run by my friend Jaz and their partner Lulav, just might be the first religious website with a .gay TLD: https://kosherqueers.gay/
This picture made me cackle with glee. Santa! Are you Jewish! Would you like to learn to lay tefillin?
Several events in consecutive order:
On 11/29, Xava de Cordova and Binya Kóatz are leading a Talmud lesson about empire and reparations. To register to receive the Zoom link and class material, fill out this Google form: https://forms.gle/2QGm4xtGrtMPF3tz9
On 11/30 there will be a Rad Yiddish event about poet Avrom Sutzkever. "In this meeting, we will provide context for his work, enjoy reading some excerpts, and discuss how we as young (and young at heart) Yiddishists can criticize, claim, and foster Yiddish cultural transmission, aka the golden chain or di goldene keyt."
On Dec 2, check out this online event titled Art and Artists on Being Black and Jewish. It’ll be live-streamed and live-captioned.
UW’s annual ladino day is 12/6 this year, and focuses on how technologies (“from the printing press to the smartphone”) affect the language. Apparently there’s a uTalk ladino/judezmo module, among other resources for learning.
Queer Jewish cabaret show Homos and Houmous is happening on December 12th over zoom. Not sure it’s my thing (I don’t usually go for drag stuff) but it might be yours!
On 12/13 there is A Miracle of Fat: A Fat Torah Hanukkah Workshop. I never thought of the beautiful opportunity Chanukah is, as an oil-/fat-centered holiday, for us to learn about and move towards fat liberation. I hadn’t heard of Fat Torah before but I extremely love their post about how healthism and diet culture are expressions of idolatry.
YIVO has a free lecture on 12/22 about ashkenazi jews and Chinese food: yivo.org/Chinese-Food
Last but certainly not least, the Jewish pet of the week is Dijon. He is very cute and i love him.
<3
Meli