Esther D. Kustanowitz is a Contributing Writer at the Jewish Journal. She previously was the Founding Editor at GrokNation.com. She is an experienced freelance writer and consultant specializing in social media, pop culture, grief and Jewish community conversation. She is frequently sought-after as a source on social media engagement and culture, and is known as a Jewish community social influencer.
Becoming ourselves is a process. We learn what our family or friends find funny or valuable, and shape our identities accordingly, either to conform to, or in opposition to those norms and expectations.
It’s a precarious world for Jewish girls — in addition to the angst of adolescence, they are at risk for depression, eating disorders and risky behavior. And Jewish girls, post-bat mitzvah, also often drop out of Jewish life.
The contemporary bar or bat mitzvah has become quite a production, but you can still create a spectacle that’s connected to substance. You can even let the Torah portion inspire you, so that your inappropriate excess is also informative and educational. (Well, sort of.)
Visionary Zionist Theodor Herzl’s dream of a Jewish state came true in 1948, when Israel won what became known as Milhemet HaAtzmaut, the War of Independence.
Normal people’s stories are what fuel the “Israel Story” podcast, particularly the one about 48 Herzl St. (These highlights are culled from the reporter’s translation of the Hebrew podcast and the English version, recorded live at a recent New York event.)
It was more than just the usual wait for the gathering to settle into silence; it was Kanefsky taking a moment before making an important announcement to his congregation that, come August, its clergy would include a new “spiritual leadership” position.
Despite her pioneering role as the first woman to serve as a clergy member in a Los Angeles Orthodox congregation, Alissa Thomas-Newborn plays down the novelty of her professional position in favor of how she fits into tradition.
Since the first Jewish Futures Project conference took place in 2011, students in Milken’s integrated and honors Jewish Thought program have been developing innovative projects that approach problems and challenges for their generation. Working with classmates and teacher-mentors, students develop websites, project goals and descriptions, research plans and lesson designs. The cash prizes, a new addition, are to encourage students in their innovative pursuits.
Two 30-something Jews sit in a restaurant, eating and bantering in sharp comedic bites.
“What am I supposed to wear to a ranch?”
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