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On Saturday, January 15th, a British national named Malik Faisal Akram entered Congregation Beth Israel, a Reform synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, and held Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker and three congregants hostage at gunpoint. Akram demanded the release of Aafia Siddiqui, who is serving an 86-year prison sentence for allegedly shooting at US FBI agents and army personnel. Akram released one hostage after six hours, and the nearly 12-hour crisis finally ended when the remaining hostages escaped and FBI agents and police entered the synagogue and killed Akram. This disturbing incident activated many American Jews' feelings of vulnerability—especially heightened since the 2018 attack at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh—while also provoking Islamophobic responses and reigniting an ongoing debate about synagogue security. In this episode, recorded the Tuesday after the Colleyville attack, Editor-in-Chief Arielle Angel, Managing Editor Nathan Goldman, Senior Reporter Alex Kane, and Assistant Editor Mari Cohen discuss their immediate reactions to the event and the questions it raises. Note: This discussion cites a https://www.facebook.com/gelbman.itamar/posts/7011321378910489 (statement) from someone claiming to be a former Beth Israel congregant who said he left the synagogue because he wasn't allowed to bring guns into services. After the episode was recorded, Rabbi Cytron-Walker https://www.jta.org/2022/01/19/united-states/the-texas-rabbi-who-escaped-a-hostage-situation-wants-to-correct-the-record (told) JTA that Beth Israel permits concealed carry and said that he wished one of the congregants had been carrying during the attack. Books, Articles, Tweets, and Podcasts Mentioned: “https://jewishcurrents.org/fears-of-government-surveillance-complicate-muslim-groups-access-to-federal-security-funding/ (Fears of Government Surveillance Complicate Muslim Groups' Access to Federal Security Funding)” by Mari Cohen “https://forward.com/news/480922/texas-synagogue-attack-antisemitism-envoy-terrorism-deborah-lipstadt/ (Texas synagogue attack invites debate over delay in confirmation of special envoy on antisemitism)” by Jacob Kornbluh “https://jmb807.medium.com/on-antisemitism-fought-3def3bf9d6c4 (On Antisemitism Fought)” by Judah Bernstein On the Nose episode: “https://jewishcurrents.org/rallies-surveys-and-ice-cream (Rallies, Surveys, and Ice Cream)” “https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-renowned-jewish-historian-stop-using-the-term-antisemitism-1.9193263 (Renowned Jewish Historian: ‘Stop Using the Term ‘Antisemitism'')” by Ofer Aderet “https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv13qftt7?turn_away=true (Away from a Definition of Antisemitism: An Essay in the Semantics of Historical Description)” by David Engel (from Rethinking European Jewish History) “https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/18/opinion/texas-colleyville-antisemitism.html (For Jews, Going to Services Is an Act of Courage)” by Deborah E. Lipstadt https://twitter.com/MaNishtana/status/1483084796947542019 (Twitter thread) by Ma Nishtana “https://twitter.com/MaNishtana/status/1483084796947542019 (Hidden in Plain Sight: Racism, White Supremacy, and Far-Right Militancy in Law Enforcement)” by Michael German Thanks to Jesse Brenneman for producing and to Nathan Salsburg for the use of his song “VIII (All That Were Calculated Have Passed).”
This past shabbat, the rabbi and three worshippers were taken hostage while they prayed at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas. Three days later, Uri and Rivky talk about what happened, and the reaction across the Jewish community to this terrifying antisemitic incident. Related links: Zac Beauchamp: https://twitter.com/zackbeauchamp/status/1482540030082129921 Bari Weiss: https://bariweiss.substack.com/p/being-jewish-in-an-unraveling-america Rabbi Charlie Cytron Walker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErorId3xt6o Bend the Arc: https://twitter.com/jewishaction/status/1483147042457272324?cxt=HHwWiICy9ZCYmZUpAAAA Avi Mayer: https://twitter.com/AviMayer/status/1482497819529428998?cxt=HHwWjIC-lbH68ZIpAAAA Manishtana: https://twitter.com/MaNishtana/status/1482925365148463109?cxt=HHwWisC5oeiwtJQpAAAA
On this week's episode, Tracie and April discuss the recent discussion on the concept of “Jewface” that followed a recent podcast by Sarah Silverman on the topic. They discuss a few different perspectives on the topic and reflect on the patterns within the portrayal of Jewish characters in media. Check out our discussion/reflection questions for this episode: https://joyousjustice.com/blog/jews-talk-racial-justice-ep-59Find April and Tracie's full bios and submit topic suggestions for the show at www.JewsTalkRacialJustice.comLearn more about Joyous Justice where April is the founding and fabulous (!) director, and Tracie is a senior partner.: https://joyousjustice.com/Read more of Tracie's thoughts at her blog, bmoreincremental.comCheck out the original Sarah Silverman podcast on Jewface here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jewface-iron-dome-mr-mom/id1533130572?i=1000537086147Read the Forward article by Benjamin Ivry about Sarah Silverman here: https://forward.com/culture/476527/does-sarah-silverman-actually-have-a-point-about-jewface/Check out Manishtana's response to Sarah Silverman here: https://www.jta.org/2021/10/13/opinion/the-jewface-debate-about-casting-non-jews-as-jews-betrays-an-ashkenazi-bias Read more about what spawned Sarah Silverman's critique, here: https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/kathryn-hahn-jo an-rivers-showtime-1235069552/Learn more about the cast of Black-ish here: https://abc.com/shows/blackish/castLearn more about Suits and Jewish identity here: https://forward.com/life/169757/the-jews-in-suits/Learn more about the history of Blackface here: https://nmaahc.si.edu/blog-post/blackface-birth-american-stereotype
The feeling of being an outsider is an all too familiar one for most human beings. The experience of a Jewish person being made to feel an outsider in Jewish spaces is eloquently investigated by the Eli Talk by Rabbi Shais Rishon who goes by the moniker MaNishtana.Find April and Tracie's full bios and submit topic suggestions for the show at www.JewsTalkRacialJustice.comLearn more about Joyous Justice where April is the founding and fabulous (!) director, and Tracie is a senior partner.: https://joyousjustice.com/Read more of Tracie's thoughts at her blog, bmoreincremental.comAdditional Resources:Watch: MaNishtana's Eli Talk: What Makes This Jew Different Than All Other Jews? Race, Difference, and Safety in Jewish SpacesReflection/Discussion Questions:April and Tracie focus their conversation on MaNishtana's Eli Talk which you can view at the link above. Watch it yourself, what were your initial reactions and takeaways. Tracie shares about her own experiences with being shut out or didn't feel a full sense of belonging within their own Jewish community. When have you felt this similar feeling in reaction to gate-keeping? What are the microsoms of this similar to what Tracie describes in Baltimore between German and Russian Jews. April speaks to the root causes of this gatekeeping, including it as a reaction to intergenerational trauma around antisemitism. What do you think about this? How could this have served us in the past but not in our current moment? Another potential root that April and Tracie discuss is that we may have some internalized antisemitism and that we can't love our neighbor as ourselves if we truly don't love ourselves in the context of White Supremacy Capitalism. What are the ways in which you may have internalized antisemitism? April asks what would it feel like if we got the healing we need and just enjoy and savory the diversity of our religion and our community? What would it feel like to you? What would that look like? April brings up MaNishtana's point that we are a global people were originally 12 tribes that originated from Africa and West Asia, and now with globalization, we are a diasporic people made up of new types of tribes. April invites you to practice this thinking and framework to help bring ease to the antiracism work you are doing. How can you practice with this framework? How can you build this lens in a deeper way?
Have you ever found yourself in that conversation? The one where someone mentions something about death, and someone else chimes in with, “Jews don't believe in an afterlife!” Some of us have definitely experienced that conversation, especially after the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (z”l). As messages about the Jewish icon being reunited with her husband and other departed heroes were casually tossed around on social media, some well-meaning folks clapped back: “That's offensive! Jews don't believe that!” What if we told you that Judaism has plenty to say about the afterlife? And yes, Judaism has detailed descriptions of both heaven and—you guessed it—hell. Our article, “Do Jews Believe in Hell?” by Rabbi Dr. Baruch HaLevi (https://www.jewishboston.com/ive-always-read-that-jews-dont-believe-in-the-concept-of-hell-is-that-true/), has been read almost a half-million times and continues to be the most popular piece of content on the site. Rabbi HaLevi joins Dan and Miriam to revisit his article and discuss why people are so intrigued—and confused—about Judaism's teachings on life after death. Tune in to learn all about the soul's journey through Gehenna (the “way station” hell in Judaism), the rewards of olam habah (“the world to come”), reincarnation, resurrection, communicating with the dead and more. Rabbi HaLevi is the former rabbi of Congregation Shirat Hayam in Swampscott. He's the author of “Spark Seekers: Mourning With Meaning; Living With Light” and co-author of “Revolution of Jewish Spirit: How to Revive Ruakh in Your Spiritual Life, Transform Your Synagogue & Inspire Your Jewish Community.” He is also the co-founder and executive director of Soul Centered, a spiritual center for individuals seeking meaning, purpose and healing in midlife and beyond. Further reading mentioned in this episode: “Does the Soul Survive? A Jewish Journey to Belief in Afterlife, Past Lives & Living with Purpose” by Rabbi Elie Kaplan Spitz: https://www.amazon.com/Does-Soul-Survive-2nd-Afterlife/dp/1580238181 “Spirited: Unlock Your Psychic Self and Change Your Life” by Rebecca Rosen: https://www.amazon.com/Spirited-Unlock-Your-Psychic-Change/dp/0061766259 “Jewish Magic and Superstition: A Study in Folk Religion” by Joshua Trachtenberg: https://www.amazon.com/Jewish-Magic-Superstition-Study-Religion/dp/161427407X/ MaNishtana's Twitter thread about the seven realms of heaven and hell: https://twitter.com/MaNishtana/status/1308226126339346433 Edited by Jesse Ulrich, with music by Ryan J. Sullivan.
This week, Grandpa Moshe tells us a story for a really long time, the Israelites reject fast fashion, and ~someone special~ gets a date for Tu B'Av. Also, Lulav condemns "nation-ly nations," otherwise known as nation states, and Jaz has a grammatical digression about plural vs singular you. Full transcript here. There's a good overview of Tu B'Av here. Lulav references the classic poem "Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carroll, and if you haven't read it recently, that's always fun. Jaz read Freelance Rabbi by MaNishtana and we both read Trickster's Choice by Tamora Pierce. You can also see Jaz's old Tamora Pierce fan account, @incorrectTammy. Jaz also references the books When Bad Things Happen to Good People, and How Good Do We Have to Be? by Harold Kushner. Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript was written by Jaz Twersky. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.Support the show (http://patreon.com/kosherqueers)
TribeHerald—a new media site geared toward centering the experiences of Jews of color—was launched last month by activist, entrepreneur and musical artist Yitz Jordan (also known as Y-Love) and his co-founder, Rabbi Shais Rishon (also known as MaNishtana). Jordan joins us to discuss how this site and media company came to be, the importance of Jewish diversity and inclusion, and how we can all apply the framework of “ahavas Yisroel,” loving one's fellow Jew. From highlighting the voices of Native American Jews to sharing guidelines on how to be an anti-racist Jewish parent, TribeHerald brings authentic and necessary perspectives to the American Jewish media landscape. Edited by Jesse Ulrich, with music by Ryan J. Sullivan. Learn more: https://tribeherald.com https://tribeherald.org https://twitter.com/ylove
This episode of the podcast, we hosted the always fascinating and original MaNishtana -Rabbi Shais Rishon. We discussed the experience of being an African-American Orthodox Jew, the hidden and complex history of black Jews in America, racial tensions, protests, riots, statues, cancel culture (light stuff), and the intersection of all of this with Judaism - specifically some of the anti-Israel strains within the BLM movement. It was not an easy conversation (although Shais is always a pleasure to talk to) - but hey, those conversations we grow from usually aren't the easy ones. Check out Rabbi Shais Rishon's webpage at manishtana.net
There's barely a synagogue or Jewish community centre in the world whose website doesn't talk about how warm and welcoming they are and how they are a home away from home for all Jews. In this conversation with Rabbi Rishon we talk about the questions our institutions can ask themselves to determine if we truly are inclusive communities, with a focus on being inclusive of Jews of Colour. By the way, of the United States’ 7.2 million Jews, at least 12-15%, just over 1,000,000, are Jews of Color. There are so many gems in this podcast. I hope you enjoy!
MaNishtana is a rabbi, writer, and speaker on racial and religious identity - particularly on how it manifests around American Jews.
MaNishtana joins Lex Rofeberg and Dan Libenson for a conversation about race and intersectionality in contemporary Jewish life. As a jumping off point, they discuss these issues through the lens of the protagonist in MaNishtana’s new novel, Ariel Samson: Freelance Rabbi, a Black Orthodox rabbi. If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support Judaism Unbound by clicking here! To access full shownotes for this episode, click here.
It’s almost time for Purim, and this year, the Nice Jewish Fangirls are considering a slightly more serious side of the holiday. Michal and SM are joined by rabbi, author, and certified nerd MaNishtana to break down the issues of cultural appropriation and Blackface that often occur on Purim. Why is it so hurtful? How do fictional stories deal with appropriation and Blackface, and what does that teach us? And how do this misguided costumes completely contradict the joyfulness and generosity that define Purim? The Fangirls and MaNishtana also share their obsessions over new trailers for Avengers: Endgame and Aladdin, and the Netflix series Travelers and The Dragon Prince… and come to the dawning realization that literally everything is now Disney (except Star Trek.) For more information on cultural appropriation and its impact on Jews of Color, please check out these resources: https://www.tabletmag.com/scroll/189333/this-year-lets-celebrate-purim-not-prejudice https://www.tabletmag.com/scroll/256484/purim-not-prejudice http://jocsm.org/from-black-face-to-elor-azaria-the-jewish-community-must-reject-racist-purim-costumes/ Follow MaNishtana on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaNishtana Get in touch with us: Twitter: twitter.com/JewishFangirls Facebook: www.facebook.com/jewishfangirls/ Email: nicejewishfangirls@gmail.com Review us on iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/nice-…d1181390630?mt=2
A division of Amazon’s new headquarters is coming to Island City, and the city’s residents and politicians are already bracing themselves for drastic infrastructure changes and an explosion in property values. To talk about Amazon’s potential impact on the city, Amy Plitt, editor of Curbed New York, joins us in the studio. Then, Brian speaks with MaNishtana, Black Orthodox Jewish Rabbi and author of “Arial Sampson, Freelance Rabbi.”
Jewish, Orthodox Rabbi and African-American, MaNishtana enters the race convo as a voice of young Jewish leaders who speak out on issues of race, racial justice and religion in the Jewish community and beyond. He shares his experiences, perspective and Jewish philosophy with us in all of these areas. MaNishtana is a speaker, blogger, screenwriter and author of two books. He is the author of “Thoughts From a Unicorn, 100% Black, 100% Jewish, 100% Safe Episode highlights with MaNishtana: Racial stereotypes within US Judaism and the outside world The intersection of race, religion and social justice How racism, immigration, and climate change are all Jewish issues Dealing with other people’s bias, stereotypes and assumptions toward him as a Black Jewish man and an orthodox rabbi. Making the world a better place for Jews of Color
This week, I got to sit down with MaNishtana, from MaNishtana.net, where we talk about Miriam's death and her integral place in our story, how we have to understand each of our power, and how we need to be careful at reacting even when people do things that are wrong.
MaNishtana joins HevriaCast for its third episode, in which he and Elad discuss how to balance politics and art, comic books, and when to listen to your audience (and when not to). And, of course, what IS this thing called Jewish creativity?
February is Black History month. To celebrate, Tablet contributor and JN Magazine editor MaNishtana is writing a series of blog posts introducing readers to Jews of Color whose religious affiliation you might not have known. Think: less Drake, more Lani Gunier. MaNishtana joins Vox Tablet host Sara Ivry to discuss the whats and hows of this project, his own Jewish roots, and why questions about the different parts of his identity makes no sense. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.