by Shekhiynah Larks | May 27, 2014 | Holidays, Identity
According to Jewish tradition, the Torah has seventy “faces,” but is still one, unified Torah. On Shavuot, we celebrate the giving of Torah at Mount Sinai with customs that celebrate the gift of Torah, and show the same diverse presentation of a few unifying core...
by Shekhiynah Larks | Apr 29, 2014 | Identity
There’s not a “look” to Jewish, you just are. This is what I was raised to believe in the Jewish family that adopted me. So why is being Jewish equated with race, with a skin color and ethnicity? I am multiracial. While I’m still in the midst of DNA testing, so far...
by Shekhiynah Larks | Mar 6, 2014 | Holidays, Identity, Recipes
With Purim on the horizon, we’ve got Queen Esther—and hamantaschen—on the mind. If you’re looking for a way to introduce children to the story of Purim but also want pay homage to its Persian roots, this children’s book, The Story of Queen Esther, weaves the classic...
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...
