by Shekhiynah Larks | Jun 17, 2021 | Holidays, Identity, Jewish Ritual
On Thursday June 17th, 2021, President Biden signed a bill that acknowledges Juneteenth as a federal holiday. This is a monumental moment for recognition of African American history, culture, and progress in the national public sphere. In honor of Juneteenth Be’chol...
by Webmaster | Mar 23, 2021 | Arts & Culture, Identity, Jewish Ritual
Cantor Annelise Ocanto-Romo is proud of her Latino and Sephardic heritage. Both of her parents grew up in Venezuela but did not fully embrace Judaism until after coming to the United States to study. As a child, Cantor Ocanto-Romo identified strongly as both a Jew and...
by Webmaster | Dec 16, 2020 | Identity, Jewish Ritual
Look at a tree, or imagine one. What do you have in common with your tree? You are both living organisms. Strong. Vulnerable. Dynamic. In Jewish teaching, our Torah is called the Tree of Life. Our sacred stories come alive as we reread them each year, bringing our...
by Webmaster | Dec 10, 2020 | Holidays, Identity, Jewish Ritual
[mylist-video-player playlist_id=’PLqZmAeG8LW2VAo6dr4op5_kxQ7r3njag9′] Asked to record themselves lighting the menorah for the fifth night of Hanukkah for CLAL’s Hanukkah in JazzTime concert on Dec. 14, Shelli Aderman and Narda E. Alcorn and their...
by Webmaster | Sep 15, 2020 | Holidays, Identity, Jewish Ritual
Rosh Hashanah is one of my favorite holidays. It’s a time when we can block out all outside forces, be introspective and completely and brutally honest with ourselves, strip ourselves of all vanity and self-consciousness. Rosh Hashanah is about second (and third and...
by Webmaster | Sep 11, 2020 | Identity, Jewish Ritual
For most of my life, I’ve been surrounded by Jewish people. I was born in Libreville, the capital of Gabon, in Central Africa, and moved to France at age 10. My best friend growing up in France, who remains my best friend to this day, is Jewish. Later, I was in a...
