Perform a quick search of “motivational quotes” on Google and you will be greeted with a large sample of internet wisdom. Like these: “Dreams don’t work unless you do.” “Nothing is impossible – the word itself says, ‘I’m possible.” With…
The Wonderful Timing of Purim This Year
While children across Jewish Day Schools are reciting the infamous Purim song La Kova Sheli Shalosh Pinot and stuffing their faces with handfuls of Hamantaschen, the reality of the ironically perfect timing of Purim this year rings a more grim…
Purim 5783: Lots of Luck
You know how it feels to search frantically for something – say, your car keys – only to discover that they were in your pocket all along? This is how I felt as I was brainstorming some topics relating to…
Jewish Life Across the Border: The Surprising History of Mexico City’s Jews
Behind Mexico City, known for its street tacos and Lucha Libre, there is an unexpectedly Jewish story. Over winter break, I had the opportunity to explore Mexico City and much of what it offers– from Teotihuacano pyramids to kosher sports…
“The Wrong Kind of Jew”: How the Erasure of Mizrahi Jews Shifts the Narrative about the Jewish People
This November, many within the Jewish community observed Mizrahi Heritage Month, a time dedicated to bringing visibility to a historically underrepresented Jewish demographic in the Western world, the Jews of North Africa and the Middle East. After the Jewish people…
Two Jews Walk Into a Bar: A Brief History of Jewish Humor
Jewish history is no laughing matter; it is painfully riddled with tragedy, trauma, and loss. Yet, despite the tragic periods that often define our heritage, the Jewish experience has been the subject of countless jokes. As if by some peculiar…
This Mizrahi Heritage Month, Say A-WA to Mizrahi Music
November is Mizrahi Heritage Month, a time dedicated to bringing visibility to Jewish people of Middle Eastern and North African heritage. “Mizrahi,” meaning east in Hebrew, describes the Jews that live in diaspora in the Middle East and North Africa.…
Chanukah 5783: What’s in a name?
Warren Buffett has famously said that while it takes 20 years to build a reputation, five minutes is sufficient to ruin one. As someone who is only a few months older than twenty myself, I think I’ll have to take…
Jewish Diversity in Film
Within the vastness of Jewish culture, there exists an immense diversity of ethnic, religious, national, political, sexual, and gender identities. Although not regularly discussed in the mainstream media, the Jewish community’s diverse array of backgrounds bring their own unique voices…
Seudah Shlishit: No Longer a “Third Wheel”
Picture the scene: It’s a Saturday, late in the afternoon. The sun is beginning its descent toward the horizon. The metaphysical energy of Shabbat has reached its crescendo: God’s presence is palpable. The Day of Rest is coming to a…