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18: Friday Night Lights
This week we introduce Issue #18: Friday Night Lights
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It is more than just a mere coincidence that Alef’s 18th issue highlights the celebration of Shabbat. In Judaism, the number 18 has significant meaning. Based on the system of gematria (assigning numerical value to letters), the Hebrew letters of the word “chai,” meaning “life,” are quantified by 18. Chai, in turn, is an all-encompassing word that the Torah reveres.
Yet, as citizens of a modern society, it is rare to find a moment to just appreciate a weighted word for what it’s worth. Quicker than email replies or text messages, our minds are continuously scrutinizing and scurrying from one point in life to the next. Our work, families, and every external piece of our daily routines keeps us locked in an endless cycle of movement that makes it hard for us to just stop to take heed of our world.
So, in celebration of life, we look toward Shabbat. Not only is Shabbat a traditional day of rest, it is also a joyous occasion that reminds us of the simple goodness of our own lives. Whether you participate in a rich, cultural tradition of Judaism in Israel, or find yourself at home, alone with a deli-made challah, Shabbat is unique in its message of peace: It tells us that recognition of rest doesn’t detract from a fullness of life–it enhances it. Shabbat also gives us a designated time every week to be thankful for something as simple and abounding as life itself.
With all of this in mind we present Issue 18: Friday Night Lights, where we will share the sentiments of this sanctified day through stories from people who have found unique and personal ways to relate to Shabbat, even if that means developing some very non-traditional approaches. We hope that these stories serve as an inspiration to you to try to find some time in your own life to collect yourself, discover a sense of calm, and then carry on.
We should also add that if you are a Birthright Israel alumnus interested in transforming Shabbat into a new or revived tradition for yourself, please consider signing up to host a NEXT Shabbat meal through Birthright Israel NEXT.
- Alef
Friday Night Lights Posts
The Best Year
Photo by Jordan Chark, licensed under Creative Commons.
Extra special thanks to guest editor Katherine Bruce for her work on this issue.
17: People of the (comic)Book
Harvey Pekar, one of the giants of American comics and storytelling, died on Monday, July 12th, at the age of 70. Perhaps most famously known for his groundbreaking work with sometimes-collaborator R. Crumb, Harvey’s life and comics were the subject of books, articles, and the feature film “American Splendor.” Acerbic, grouchy, uncomfortably personal, and unapologetically Jewish, Pekar saw comics as a medium equally as expressive as film. His work brought readers into his life as the son of Polish-Jewish immigrants in Cleveland, and gave him a platform to comment on anything and everything that happened across his radar. In the coming days and weeks, Harvey will be written about as a luminary in the comics industry, a singular figure who was loved by some, hated by a few, and recognized as brilliant by all. However, lost in the postmortem analysis will likely be recognition of Harvey as a uniquely Jewish voice in a medium celebrated as having been created by Jews.
To say that comics, cartoons, and graphic novels are a Jewish art form is nothing new. Ostensibly created from scratch by the children of Jewish and Italian immigrants in New York City at the turn of the 20th Century, the modern comics industry has long been a place where the exploration of identity and belonging are encouraged. Books, such as Danny Fingeroth’s “Disguised as Clark Kent,” exploring the Talmudic righteousness of Batman’s sense of justice, or the Hebrew implications of Superman’s Kryptonian name “Kal-El,” are easy examples of the interest in, and Judaicism of, comics. And, the Jewish influence on comics isn’t limited to spandex-clad superhero metaphores. R. Crumb’s illustrated book of Genesis does what many felt was impossible - to say nothing of those who thought it was heretical – by creating a visual representation of the Torah. Art Spiegelma’s seminal work Maus, uses cats and mice to illustrate his father’s experiences during the Holocaust in ways simple narrative would be unable to replicate. Over the last 100 years, comics have been used as a forum for examining Jewish theology, philosophy, politics, and even humor.
So, what is it about comics and comic books that make them “Jewish”? Is it the subject matter? The storytelling style? The mere fact that comics come primarily out of the Jewish immigrant experience? For Harvey Pekar, it might have been all of the above. Or none of the above. Or maybe both at the same time. That’s what makes the medium special – for all the effort put into the individual panels, there’s still the space between each frame where everything is open to interpretation. For our 17th issue, we’ll be exploring that space, by looking at comics, cartoons, and graphic novels with some of the most creative voices in the comic industry. From those who use comics to satirize the Jewish community, to those who use comics to shed new light on some of Judaism’s most ancient stories, Alef will be talking to authors, illustrators, and editors to determine just what makes us people of the (comic) book.
-Alef
Photos by leafar, Mikefats, and L_K_M, licensed under Creative Commons.
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People of the (comic)Book Posts:
Harvey Pekar’s “Upmanship and Downmanship”
Alef Interviews: Eli Valley
Cartoons for Shabbat
On Being Magneto
Alef Interviews: JT Waldman
16: Diverse Jews
This week we introduce issue #16: Diverse Jews
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If you ask Joe Schmoe on the street to describe a typical Jewish person, he’ll probably give you a lively description of a Woody Allen or Larry David-type character. Both are white, American, Ashkenazim with neurotic personalities and a desire to sarcastically sass their listening public – a very particular, and to most of us very visible, breed of Jew (even if also pretty stereotypical…but more on that in a future issue). Joe might also be quick to describe Hassidim in dark suits and payot, or even the also-stereotypical “Jewish American Princess”. All of these types, and many more, despite their differences, have something in common: they are white, American Jews. According to research done in the early 2000’s though, this type makes up only 40% of all Jewish people.
So where are the rest?
Sure, the population of Israel is a great source of the world’s remaining Jewish people, but you’d be surprised at where else you can find fellow members of the tribe. Maybe you’ve heard of the Ethiopian Jews, but how much do you know about the Kaifeng Jews or the Philippine Jews? What about the story of the Cochin Jews of India, who arrived in 562 BCE and historically never encountered Anti-Semitism from their Hindu compatriots? The truth is that thousands of Jewish people make up their own communities in places as far and wide as Argentina, Germany, Brazil, South Africa, China, and India. They come from different cultures, in different colors, and make up a veritable rainbow of world Jewry.
There is another interesting element to this though. Through immigration, globalization, and sometimes intermarriage, many of the world’s Jews have made it to the United States where Hillels, Synagogues, and JCCs are dominated by white Ashkenazi Jews. Many face the reality of simultaneously belonging culturally and religiously while standing out racially in their communities – a scenario not entirely new to the Jewish people; Mizrahi Jews (of Middle Eastern descent) faced similar challenges upon moving to parts of Israel that were largely dominated by Ashkenazi Jews (of Eastern European descent).
In this issue, you’ll find stories about dual heritage Jews, intermarried Jews, converted Jews, and descendants of immigrant Jews who face this reality head on and aren’t afraid to talk back. So read, listen, expose yourself to something new, and celebrate with us the diversity of the Jewish people.
- Alef
Photo by Groume, licensed under Creative Commons.
Jewish Diversity Posts:
To Fit In, In Two Worlds
Anghel Ha’Bris
Alef Profiles: Y-Love
Half-and-Half
La Mishpacha
Song in Self
Black Jew Syndrome
I Am Party Mix
15: Gay Pride
15: Gay Pride
This week we introduce Issue #15: Gay Pride
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We all know how diverse the Jewish community is. Jews live in countries all around the world, there are Jews from interfaith and multi-ethnic families (stay tuned for Issue 16 for more on that), there are Jews with all different levels of religious observance (which plays itself out, among other ways, in our respective approaches to love and sex). But for Issue 15, and in honor of Pride Month, we’re focusing on a very specific group of Jews that often goes unnoticed – gay Jews.
The Jewish gay community is a community that has become more comfortable with its “out” status over the last decade, perhaps in line with the expanding social conversation about gay rights. These days Israel is known as one of the most gay-friendly countries in the world (or, at least, that Tel Aviv is one of the most gay-friendly cities in the world). In fact, in Hebrew, the word for “gay” is pronounced “ge’eh,” which sounds like “gay” but translates as “proud.” Political and personal opinions aside, there’s no doubt that the Jewish gay community is both proud and vibrant, and is itself a microcosm of the diversity inherent in the larger Jewish community.
So we thought we’d join in the festivities and devote an entire issue to stories from the many members of the Jewish community who also identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, or as allies. What we found is a large range of experiences: one writer discusses coming out in the Orthodox Jewish community and struggling to find acceptance and balance of both identities, while one woman finds solace when she comes out to her Jewish peers at Hillel. One writer connects to his gay identity in Israel, while another encounters homophobia in Nepal. We hope that by sharing these stories we can demonstrate the diversity of the Jewish experience, and give a voice to those that might not always be heard.
Gay Pride Month often culminates in Pride parades around the country and the world. Want to get involved or show your support? Check out all the Pride events happening in June. And, as always, please email alef@birthrightisraelnext.org if you have a story, photo, video, or anything else to share.
- Alef
Photo by Whistling in the Dark, licensed under Creative Commons.
Gay Pride Posts:
Why Gay Pride Matters to Alef
Chanukah in June
Be Fruitful and Multiply
Changing Tradition
Middle School Fantasies
Transgender and Jewish
Why I Support Gay Rights
Gay Travel Hot Spot
Coming Out (Again)
Orthodox and Gay: Now What?
How Being a Better Jew Helps Me Become a Better Queer Helps Me Become a Better Jew
14: Why We Kvetch
Look, we didn’t want to write this intro, alright?
We had plenty of other things we’d rather be doing. We could be eating a delicious hot open-face sandwich. We could be be reading about the best Jewish wrestlers of all time. We could be trimming our toe nails. Anything.
Instead, here we are, writing this intro for you folks. You, who in all likelihood, probably just skim these things before deciding to read something else, don’t you?
Fine. As our collective Jewish mothers once told us: We’ll sit in the dark.
…I tell you what, we’ll write this thing, but understand – We’re doing it because we want to, not because we have to. So, would it kill you to comment every once in a while? And, could you maybe, I’dknow, share an article or two? Is that so hard?
Oh, so you think we complain too much? Well, why shouldn’t we! Jews in America have a long and illustrious history of turning dissatisfaction into an art form. Like this:
See? An art form.
So, for the next 5 days, Alef is going to be running our favorite rants, raves, and bitch-sessions. After all, we’re tough to please, and so are you. Who knows, maybe after a week, we can answer that all-important (and all-Jewish) question: Why we Kvetch.
Photo by Joshua Rappeneker, Licensed under Creative Commons.
Why We Kvetch Posts
If I Don’t Do It, I’ll Never Know Peace
Complainers of the World, UNITE!
Alef Interviews: The Kvetcher!
Mishnah of Sighs
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