Va'etchanan
Good morning/afternoon/evening!
Content notes for this week’s newsletter are: antisemitism, the relentless passage of time, israel related nonsense
This week’s parsha is VaEtchanan. It opens with Moses being entirely too relatable and talking about how he pleaded with Hashem for something he wants but can’t have. Later in the parsha we have a repeated ask to not make representative art; the shema and v’ahavta; and a rehash of a couple other commandments.
The ‘Shema’ prayer declaring the unity of God (Torah portion ‘Va-Ethanan’ - Deut 3:23-7:11) from the famed 14th century Solsona Bible #HebrewProject #LetsGetDigital #BLisOpen
https://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?index=0&ref=Kings_MS_1
As we are midsummer I am starting to consider high holy days plans. I will start putting online services options in the event roundup as i hear about them, probably featuring a more concerted roundup (or at least a few highlights of queer-centric or otherwise “weird” offerings) closer to the time. I’m also collecting links for a roundup Elul traditions and online programs. Do you have a favorite? Let me know!
But before all that, there’s a minor holiday this evening/tomorrow: Tu b’Av (the 15th of Av). The story we are told about this holiday is that it was a minor celebration in ancient times and had a zionist revival into jewish valentine’s day, both of which are true, but in between there was apparently an early 20th century girls-only version at Bais Yaakov schools in Europe.
Are there enough cats on the internet? I’m not sure. Anyway here’s another one, a guter. (Yiddish songbook for children, 1949)
Ben and Jerry’s announced this week they’re no longer going to sell in the occupied territories but will continue in israel at this time. Their israeli manufacturer/distributor refused to comply, so they will not be renewing their current israel contract once it’s done. I’m not sure if they will seek another way to continue to sell in israel. After this news broke, several israeli politicians and professional zionists lost their shit over this and called it antisemitic, which it isn’t . Even liberal zionist groups who at least nominally oppose the occupation of the west bank are speaking out in favor of consequences for ben and jerry’s under anti-BDS laws, which prevent 35 US states from doing business with companies that boycott israel. Some zionists are publicly supporting haagen dazs brand ice cream instead because Haagen Dazs was apparently founded by kahanists, and there was a whole spinoff discussion about the role of social and political decisions in hechshers (kosher certification) prompted by an Australian authority withdrawing its approval of the brand because of the boycott.
https://twitter.com/DontTreadOnJew/status/1417964629771358210
I loved ex-Orthodox Jew Dainy Bernstein’s take on My UnOrthodox Life, a netflix series that seems to be about people who have left Orthodox Judaism (I haven’t watched it, but apparently there’s some obnoxious biphobia among other issues). As always happens when there is popular media about someone leaving Ultra-Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox people decry it for a variety of reasons. But, as Bernstein says, pulling in Nisi Goldstein’s facebook post:
Many Orthodox people believe that stories of the ex-Orthodox get told over and over while voices of the Orthodox are silenced. But that complaint is almost always raised in an attempt to silence ex-Orthodox stories, rather than to amplify Orthodox ones — and it often maligns ex-Orthodox individuals in the process.
It is important to respect Orthodox stories, and Orthodox culture; it is equally important to honor the stories of people who left and view them as whole people, not less-than for dissenting from the stream of judaism they grew up with.
Conservative (like right wing, not like USCJ) paper, the Jewish Journal, published an anti-critical race theory article scaremongering about cultural marxism, which is itself an antisemitic right-wing conspiracy theory dogwhistle. It makes me want to scream into a pillow. Meanwhile, Polish antisemites are blaming Jews for COVID.
Hillel: and if not now, when? Shammai: i will be ready to go in like two seconds omg
How Medieval Jewish Sages Felt About Push-up Bras has quite the clickbait title, but it’s an interview with a historian about how women’s clothing and halacha and social history, and form and function in halacha and jewelery design. Fascinating!
A few pieces of jewish speculative fiction news filtered down into my orbit today. Layla Hersch announced publication of two middle grade books, one about vampires and one about werewolves, both with a jewish bent; and Gillian Polack’s superhero book The Green Children Help Out is now released! I love including this type of thing in the jewsletter, so if you hear of anything similar, send it my way.
Hey Jewish artists…how come there are no badass drawings of the Shamir worm. I mean…it’s a worm, I get it. But maybe someone could do something better than this? (It’s from Gerald Friedlander’s 1919 “Jewish Fairy Stories”)
Events!
7/24 Reverie: Tu B’Av Queer Cabaret
7/25 Climate and Shmita event from Yeshiva Chovevei Torah
7/26-7/30 Renaissance: a virtual concert of yiddish revival music
8/9 Rosh Chodesh Elul
8/9 Selichot sessions with Ramon Tasat begin, lasting through Elul. Register on zoom here.
8/12 Jews of Color Initiative Survey Results Talk
8/18 Songs of Our People, Songs of Our Neighbors: Susana Behar
8/24 Jewish Prayer in Many Languages: From Sephardic Seattle to Syrian Brooklyn, Part Four (High Holy Days)
9/7 Rosh Hashana
The jewish pet of the week this week is Pharaoh-Let-My-People-Go, a ginger kitty owned by none other than author Mordecai P. Martin.
See you next week!
<3
Meli