I Think I’m Finally A Baal Teshuva

I’ve had a lot of issues with the term baal/baalat teshuva over the past 5+ years.

It means “master of returning”, and usually indicates a person who grew up with Jewish ancestry but not Torah observant, or at least not fully. Sometimes it’s used in common parlance to refer to someone who was “religious”, and then stopped being religious, and then came back to Orthodoxy. These terms: “religious” “Orthodox” and “baal teshuva”…they’re so self righteous. I hate the way they’re used in every day life, and in Orthodox communities.

But that’s not the point.

Make Your Summer Wardrobe Ready For Fall In Seconds!

By now you girls have already sung the farewell song to your summer clothes. Yes it is chilly out there. Yes it is time to make a change. But you don’t necessarily need to get rid of everything from the summer–you can recycle them in a fresh new way!

An Inspired Shabbat

Last night, I was present for the presentation of a Guinness World Record. Project Inspire now holds the official record for “longest loaf of braided bread,” with a 20 foot, oven-baked, perfectly seeded 6 braid challah. Somehow, though, the over 2,200 women and girls I was sharing the space with weren’t an official record on our own. It would’ve been something like “most people simultaneously kneading and braiding challah.” Or, maybe, “most unified Jewish event.” Who would’ve ever thought that Brooklyn Jews could pull that one off?

Well, Project Inspire is certainly the group to make it happen.

Ham. The Other Black Meat.

One of the things I find most infuriating in life is the oxymoronical double standard where White Jews will say that they’re not White, but will regard Jews of Color suspiciously because said Jews…are not White.

You’re Talking To Gd Wrong: Milra & Mileil

Is it SHA-bat or sha-BAT? Hage-DO-lim or hagedo-LIM? V’a-HAV-ta or v’ahav-TA? And does it really matter?

Well, in that last case? Yes. Extremely much.

My Atonement With Gd

The high holy holidays have now ceased to be one of joy and celebration and have transitioned to sober repenting as Yom Kippur comes and goes.

This past year has been a challenge. During Rosh Hashanah services, weirdly enough, I began to reflect on the struggles I have encountered. Naturally, I questioned if Gd was out to get me.

You’re Talking to Gd Wrong

It happens to me every year. Every holiday. Every day, in fact.

I come across this one word, and my soul cringes inside my body knowing that millions of Jews have absolutely no clue that they’re saying it wrong. I didn’t know that I’d been saying it wrong for years myself until I stumbled across a random shul newsletter a few years back.

And, seeing as how this word is one of Gd’s names, saying it wrong is kind of a big deal.

Off The Other Derech

“Off the Derech”, the term used to describe formerly frum Jews, is sort of a misnomer. It implies that there is one way to be an observant Jew, and one way to be a non-observant Jew. In reality, it would be difficult to draw lines to divide up the spectrum of practices among frum and frei alike. Leah Kleim, known online as “Rebbetzin”, saw that there were many people who, although no longer religious, still wanted to connect with others on Shabbos. She decided to create a Facebook group called OTD Shabbos, where any Jew can connect to make plans to celebrate Shabbos.

To find out more I interviewed Leah about the formation of the group, her goals, and its success so far. 

Old Shul v New Shul

For both personal and professional reasons, I’ve moved a lot. Seven states all together, not counting the duplicates (California twice, three times in Illinois).

That’s also meant changing synagogues. I’ve got the routine down. Meet the rabbi. Get in good with whoever runs Sisterhood, because that’s who’s really in charge. Volunteer for something to meet some people. And pay dues at whatever level you can afford to make sure you’re on the mailing list.

#catslivesmatter

As the world mourns the death of Cecil the Lion, internet vigilantes take justice into their own hands and Twitter trends the new #catlivesmatter. I asked myself why Cecil was dead and what it can tell us about the world we live in.