Learning Musar at Adath Israel
I so rarely get a chance to participate in a Torah study that I always jump at the opportunity. I especially look forward to the Mussar class at Adath Israel, led by Rabbi Scott Shafrin. He does a wonderful job breaking down the text in a way that I can understand and invites folks to ask lots of questions.
Why Book Clubs Happen To Good Members
Oprah’s famous book club has the mission statement of engendering conversation, sparking enlightenment, helping launch emerging authors, and reacquainting us with the already prominent, with the ultimate goal of connecting readers around a community of fellow bibliophiles. For three weeks in July, members and guests of Wise Temple gathered to embody a similar spirit. They met to discuss one of the seminal works of our time, Rabbi Harold Kushner’s When Bad Things Happen to Good People.
Who Dey or Oy Vey?
If you are a Jewish Bengals fan, Sept. 13 may already be circled twice on your calendar: once for the Bengals will open their season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Paycor Stadium; twice for the second day of Rosh Hashanah. In other words, Cincinnati Jews are being forced to choose between Who Dey and Tekiah. Or will they?
Learning the Steps: An Evening of Israeli Folk Dancing
This class was not what I was expecting. When I think of Israeli dancing, I picture the high energy, loud, exciting dances brought to JCC Day Camps by the Israeli staff each summer. In contrast, the dances I did during this class were much lower impact- still incredibly fun, just geared toward an older generation instead of a summer camp full of kids. Even though the dances were a bit slower paced, the class was a surprising workout! I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a less intense Zumba-style experience.
Isaac Grand Grapples With UK Antisemitism
While there is about 3,700 miles between Devon, UK and Cincinnati, OH there are a
shocking amount of similarities between two Jews from those places. I’ve known Isaac Grand
for over two years now; meeting at a Matisyahu concert, turning into friendship and now both of
us work together for StandWithUs UK. But before we get there, we need to go back to our
childhoods first.
Shattering the Closets: An Interview with Ilan Goldman
June is Pride Month, and while the month is dedicated to celebrating the LGBTQ+ community, a recent conversation with my longtime friend Ilan Goldman left me thinking about something broader.
Ilan is gay, Jewish, Israeli, a Zionist, and a former IDF tank commander. His upcoming presentation is called *Shattering the Closets*, and at first glance, you might assume it is simply a story about coming out as a gay man. It is. But it is also much more than that.
Ladies, Let’s Talk About Hair
For many women, hair is deeply personal. When nature doesn’t cooperate, we color it, straighten it, curl it, extend it, and sometimes replace it entirely. For Orthodox Jewish women, the relationship can be even more complicated. Many married women cover their hair and invest thousands of dollars in beautiful human-hair sheitels.
Avi Mayer: A Man Between Two Countries
As I opened my conversation with Avi Mayer, he told me about a cat that lived in his neighborhood. “We’re in an open relationship,” he said, settling into his seat at Cafe Alma, Pleasant Ridge’s Israeli bistro. “I feed him, but I don’t think we’re exclusive.” He said it with the timing of someone who has learned that a dry sense of humor can take you surprisingly far in life.
When Rabbis Forget the Jewish People
There are moments in Jewish life that look small from a distance but reveal something enormous up close. The controversy at the Jewish Theological Seminary over Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s honorary doctorate is one of them. Some rabbinical students and graduates objected, using the language of genocide and moral disqualification. Chancellor Shuly Rubin Schwartz defended the invitation, noting Herzog represents the State of Israel and the Jewish people. That should have been obvious. Apparently, it is not.
Joshua Blatman: A Parent’s Reaction to the Shooting at Temple Israel
“Would you be interested in writing about how today’s shooting made you feel as a parent?” said the text message from my publisher.
“Oh man… I haven’t heard about it yet” I replied, startled.