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Be’chol Lashon Newsletter: January 2010
I love listening to the voice of my son Jonah practicing his Torah trope, ancient lyrics that he sings with a new, rich voice, adding another dimension to his repertoire of Jewish skills. He is proud of himself and is looking forward to his bar mitzvah, an important moment when he will affirm his Jewish identity—one of many identities he embodies.
There are approximately 25 to 30 Jews left in Haiti at present, most of who live in Port-au-Prince. Israel and Haiti maintain full diplomatic relations, but the Jewish State does not have an embassy in the country, which is served by the embassy in the neighboring Dominican Republic.
Our hearts go out to the men, women and children who are sitting there for long months earnestly expecting to reach the Holy Land and reunite with their family members.
During his recent trip to China, President Barack Obama met briefly with a half brother who lives in China. Mark Ndesandjo is the product of Barack Obama Sr.’s marriage to his third wife, Ruth Nidesand, a Jewish American.
Through the work of Rabbi Enan Francis, Judaic and secular studies at Southern Connecticut Hebrew Academy have come together like never before in the school’s 65-year history.
Standing there in the university library, this religious Jew, Dr. Block, looked at me and said, “In Muslim law, you’re considered Muslim, since the religion goes by the father. But according to Jewish law, you’re Jewish, since Jewish identity is transmitted by the mother.” My head started to spin.
Like most families in their Crown Heights neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York, their Jewish Sabbath meal includes blessings over the wine and bread, the company of family and friends and excellent food. But for the Nunez family, the Sabbath table would not be complete without salsa picada and jalapeno dip.
Brazil has set aside a day to honor Jewish immigrants to the country. Brazilian Vice President Jose Alencar signed a measure setting March 18 as Jewish Immigration Day. The date coincides with the re-inauguration date in 2002 of the Brazilian synagogue Kahal Zur Israel, the oldest synagogue in the Americas.
Joining hands in a “human chain against racism and violence,” Christians in the small northwestern Greek city of Ioannina, surrounded the city’s Jewish cemetery to protest repeated acts of neo-Nazi vandalism there.
Since the times of the Spanish Inquisition, Jews have been a part of this unique landscape. Crashing into the tropical, weathered streets of the Zocalo from all sides of the world, Turkish, European, and Arab Jews were forced to interact with the welcoming, if curious, poor indigenous classes of Mexico City.
A plethora of Jewish musicians are recording in America. Here’s a quick look at a few Jewish artists from a range of genres, all of them hoping to cross over into the mainstream and be the next Matisyahu.  BOOKSNew Year for a New WorldBy Alan Jay Gerber, The Jewish Star, December 30, 2009 1492, subtitled “The Year the World Began,” by Notre Dame history professor, Dr. Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, details the numerous events that occurred in the year that, according to the author, changed history forever. Among these events were those well-known instances like Columbus’s discovery of the Americas and the Spanish Inquisition.
Most readers interested in Jewish history know something about the conversos, the Spanish and Portuguese Jews forced to convert to Christianity in the 14th and 15th centuries. Much less is known, however, about a later, smaller, but perhaps even more intriguing group of Jewish converts, who emerged in the Ottoman Empire in the late 17th century.
Mark you calendars for the next meeting for Jews from Diverse Ethnic and Racial Backgrounds.
Closing Night Film & Dessert Reception presented in cooperation with Be'chol Lashon. Limited number of Be'chol Lashon tickets available for $10 ($25 general admission). Get your tickets here!
Hear the inside story of how the Bielski Brothers stood up to the Nazis and saved 1,200 Jews, the story that inspired the 2008 movie "Defiance." Click here to RSVP or e-mail info@sfshul.org. Co-presented by Be'chol Lashon and the Holocaust Center of Northern California.
Limmud is a grassroots, nonprofit organization dedicated to connecting Jews of all ages, affiliations, and orientations in Southern California through volunteerism and cross-communal learning.
Celebrating Jewish identity and survival, Purim is traditionally observed with a joyous, irreverent and carnival-like festivities. Celebrate the holiday with food, wine, music and activities including face painting, henna art and hamantaschen baking. There's something fun for everyone! Co-sponsored by Be'chol Lashon.
Temple Israel, Long Beach features a selection of adult education courses about Jewish diveristy. Classes scheduled for 2010 include Cooking Traditions from Jewish Yemen, Marranos, The Sepahrdic Crypto-Jewish Experience, and Iraqi-American author Arial Sabar speaking about his book, My Father's Paradise. Don't miss Rabbi Capers Funnye on May 20th at 7:00 PM! He will speak about the black Jewish community in Chicago and global Jewish identity. Click here for the course catalog.
The Be'chol Lashon Media Awards honor excellence in coverage of the ethnic and racial diversity of world Jewry. No entry fee. Deadline: February 26, 2010. Click here to submit your work for consideration.
Camp Be'chol Lashon's mission is to offer a safe, nurturing, challenging residential Jewish camp experience for children of racially and ethnically diverse Jewish families and those who want to be part of a global Jewish community. Register | Apply for staff
We welcome your participation in the Be’chol Lashon Newsletter! Please send us information about events in your community or articles of interest that relate to Jewish diversity. E-mail Esther Fishman. Submissions are subject to editing for content, clarity and style. Special thanks to all the contributors who make the newsletter interesting and informative. |
