by Intern | Dec 24, 2013 | Identity, Jewish Ritual
“Why did you convert?” I have been asked this question many times before, sometimes out of deep interest and sometimes out of polite curiosity. It is a question I am never quite sure how to answer. It is, after all, a question that does not (and probably should not)...
by Intern | Dec 17, 2013 | Arts & Culture, Identity
I became Bar Mitzvah on April 20th, 2002, the 130th anniversary of Hitler’s birth. My dad’s side of the family wore West African dashikis. The only other time my temple had held that many Black people was Bingo night. We did not have the money to rent a hotel or hire...
by Intern | Dec 12, 2013 | Identity, Jewish Ritual
At 6’2”, 210-pound Avi Rosenblum has tattoos that reflect his religious faith and cultural heritage. He stands out. Some might be astounded that this typical African American football player is the adopted son of a Caucasian, Jewish couple that keep a kosher home and...
by Intern | Dec 5, 2013 | Identity, Recipes
If you could only cook three dishes for Shabbat dinner what would they be? This was the question we posed to culinary historian Michael “Kosher Soul” Twitty, author of the Afroculinaria blog and a Jewish educator. Twitty, who was most recently featured on Henry Louis...
by Shekhiynah Larks | Nov 26, 2013 | Identity
Iris Aluf Medina was born and raised in Turkey and now lives in San Francisco. We met up with this Be’chol Lashon board member ahead of our annual retreat where she will be teaching traditional Turkish Jewish cooking. Is it true that the Sultan once courted your...
by Webmaster | Nov 21, 2013 | Holidays, Identity, Recipes
Hanukkah is observed with joy and celebration in Jewish communities around the world. There are 8 nights of lights and blessings the world over but there are also many ways different communities make the holiday uniquely their own. Here are 8 customs and ideas to help...
