Gonna start directing anyone who wants to learn about Palestine to this. It’s highly accessible while encompassing a wide variety of topics.
Hey what do y'all think would be helpful in a simple guide to the Friday evening shabbat service, to help people understand it and what's going on in a siddur?
Okay so question, bc folks keep saying "choreography."
Most modern siddurim I've seen (and I personally own like at least 4 of them) notate choreography of when to bow. This usually the one thing I do see noted somehow.
Is there a way about the formatting that gets used that isn't working for folks trying to learn it, or is it just that it's overwhelming to try and follow along and process the choreography instructions at the same time? I'm not judging on the answer here, but knowing the reason for someone's answer helps fix the problem lol.
the siddur that my temple uses does not note this (Mishkan T'filah), but the congregation bows in roughly Conservative style. It was therefore extremely confusing to try to figure out when to bow.
other things that don't always get noted: when to turn around for lecha dodi, standing vs sitting for the shema (varies by congregation), who stands and recites kaddish and who says amen (& when to say it), how to figure out if your temple is doing a prayer in rounds (this might just be a my-temple thing but they do sometimes have one half of the room offset from the other half)
Mishkan T'filah definitely does note this, it's in the footnotes on the relevant page! I know it does this because that's how I learned the choreo, lol. I even double checked it last week. It also tells you how to bow, and also how long to stay bowing for (when it's extended).
Example is the Barchu page:
Text at the bottom explains when the prayer leader bows, how they do so, and when they straighten. Then it explains the communal response and that we repeat that choreography.
But in this case the problem is you might not know it's there or to look for it! So it's helpful to mention.
Some things I think people will find helpful as I put together my notes:
Siddurim aimed at teenagers tend to be the best for educational purposes for adults less familiar with the siddur. Ymmv, but books aimed at teens:
- are still genuinely and actively teaching things to a "student" reader,
- are no longer assuming the parent is there to guide the process (where kids books rely on an invisible "parent" mentor often), and
- are trying to treat the readers like the adults they want to be
There's a desire to educate AND the expectation of intellectual independence. General "adult" siddurim are usually not going to make the "teaching" part as obvious.
While some people might find it helpful to buy the siddur their synagogue uses, I actually don't own either the siddur or the HHD machzor my synagogue uses, even though I own like...6-7 siddurim, some of which are decades old and probably no longer published. 🤷🏻♀️
I've also used (in a service of some kind) at least 3-4 different siddurim, and to be frank, I've never really been impressed with any of them as a learner.
Ironically, I think this is a big problem with liberal siddurim, in terms of usability. Most liberal siddurim I've seen inside a synagogue aren't very intuitive to use, and I find many of them frustratingly lacking in bridging knowledge gaps. You would assume this wouldn't be the case, but actually I find most Orthodox siddurim often assume less knowledge, and therefore explain more. Of the modern "general audience" liberal siddurim, I think the best one is the conservative movement's Siddur Lev Shalem (which I bought when it first came out in 2016).
The reform Mishkan T'filah is...okay. I mean it's not horrible, but I wouldn't say it's amazing either. It's fine. I've seen worse liberal siddurim (the previous Gates of Prayer, some of the older Recon siddurim...), but there's also better out there. It's great for having consistent transliteration to use, which I think is the selling point for people who can't yet read Hebrew. (I can sight read prayers, but mostly because I recognize the prayer by the alef bet used. I don't think I'm very...literate?)
Actually if you are a liberal leaning Jew, then I have to admit: you will be well served by buying at least one Orthodox published siddur of some kind to supplement your learning. If you can afford it, you may want to buy more than one.
If your goal is to learn to read the Hebrew and how to read prayers in general, then I recommend Chayim Alevsky's My Siddur (I use the sephardic pronunciation version.)
I think it also has an app now? It looks like this more or less:
You can see the transliteration is directly above the Hebrew and read like Hebrew (right to left). There's icons indicating when to bow. The book will define words, explain certain things, etc. Excellent for learning the Hebrew itself.
The other siddur I would recommend is a Koren (or Koren Sacks) Siddur aimed at teenagers or adult learners. They have a few: the NCSY siddur, the Ani Tefilla, and the Koren Aviv options.
Now, they typically don't use any transliteration at all
HOWEVER, if you want to actually learn about prayer, the siddur structure, and so on, I think these are the most successful books out there.
Example: part one of a two page spread explaining the structure of Saharit and Mincha services. Sensible diagram!
And this page instructing how to wear a tallit:
With an illustration of the steps! Plus additionally a picture of tzitzit and an explainer on the mitzvah in question — all on the page including the blessing for wearing a tallit!
If you're in the process of converting to Judaism here is my advice:
Worry less about arguments online and worry more about (in no particular order):
- Following a shabbat service and learning tunes your synagogue uses frequently
- What kind of volunteering you want to do in your local Jewish community
- Setting up time with your rabbi(s) to talk and ask questions
- Writing for yourself in a journal about the process
- Tefillah
This isn't even just limited to "convert and conversion discourse," specifically. You will be so much happier if you put that time and energy towards studying Judaism. Also you're either actively in the conversion process with a community, or you aren't. There's no label for "future maybe thinking about doing the thing."
That's okay. It doesn't need a label for the internet. Let things happen in their own time.
Literally.
It's all well and good to get involved in discourse, but when I did, I found myself in a very awkward place and asked my rabbi for time to think. Because I was finding that not all of my views on some topics were on the "right side" of a lot of Jewish peoples thoughts. (And that was not okay for me. Especially as i was still in my own way deconstructing from Xtianity. I didn't really get yet that it was okay for me to be a dissenter. To question).
Devote your time to learning. Read books (or listen to them if that fits your vibe) about Judaism. Find something to bring good in! I can't volunteer due to army life, and there isn't much to do for my on post service.
And a big piece of advice I wanna give: don't think that your opinions are wrong. As a convert (even in the process), your life experiences will bring a different viewpoint to many discussions. Get involved. Make friends at Shul. Hell, I'm friends with the teens and the adults at my shul (mostly because im a weird middle ground of 31 and I'm literally the bridge for the teens and the elders). And i truly love them all.
Find what is meaningful. Discourse can be toxic sometimes. And discourse does nothing for you or the world if you don't do something to do Tikkun Olam. To repair the world.
Radical Inclusion has lived within Jewish texts from the most ancient of our beloved stories, and has been a value that we've been learning from for centuries. Come join the conversation of the ages, inspired by our texts to make our Jewish Family a safer, more inclusive, kinder, and more loving for every last member of our community.
This text study will explore wisdom from the Torah, Medieval Commentators, and Contemporary Jewish leaders and clergy. This text study is partially inspired by Rabbi Gischner's senior sermon on the topic of inclusion vis-a-vis the priestly garments, as well as other stories from the Torah and from Jewish leaders who inspire him to co-create a more inclusive Jewish community.
Rabbi Josh Gischner (he/him) is passionate about inclusion, accessible Jewish learning, justice, and artistic expressions of Jewish life and was ordained from the Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion in May of 2021. Rabbi Gischner is one of the founders of Wrestling with Torah, and proudly serves as the rabbi educator at Temple Shalom in the DC area. Rabbi Gischner is excited to help you to discover your Torah.
Wrestling with Torah is a radically inclusive online Jewish learning community created by Rabbi Josh Gischner and Rachel Abrams in the Summer of 2020 to serve as a community for Jews and non-Jews, interested in exploring Judaism and their spirituality. WWT is dedicated to radically inclusive and financially accessible Jewish learning. Please email Rabbi Gischner at JoshuaGischner@gmail.com in advance of this session regarding your accessibility needs and to introduce yourself!
The Jewish Anarchist Salon presents:
Queer Jewish Anarchism in Anarchofeygele and Outlive Them NYC
Tues, June 13, 7 PM ET Presenters: Ash, Jo, and Sharona
Followed by conversation
Register at bit.ly/jasqueernyc
Hey. Good news! This is virtual. Outlive Them NYC is one of the groups presenting.
A high-quality edit of Keshet's Jewish Progress Pride Flag
The mass-consumption of coffee in the Ottoman empire is thought to be one factor in the emergence of the practice of all-night Torah study on Shavuot.[26][27]
Since my previous post didn't turn up anything comprehensive like I was hoping for, I'm just going to do an informal writeup of advice on how to approach traditional Jewish observance with limited funds. I am not a rabbi or formal educator or anything official, nor is this in any way exhaustive. This is just based on my experiences as a 30ish year old adult who converted Conservative with no prior familial connections to Judaism and did so on a limited budget. I strive for traditional observance and would describe my practice as leaning more traditional egalitarian or Conservadox rather than what is most common for typical Conservative Jews in the US.
Okay? Okay.
Taking up traditional observance on a limited budget
So you're looking into traditional Jewish observance for the first time, either as a reclaimant, baal teshuva, or convert. One of the the first things you probably realized is that this lifestyle - especially the initial startup costs - is expensive. If, like me, you started reeling from the sticker shock but don't want to let that dissuade you out of stubbornness, commitment to Torah, or both, you're probably wondering where to go from here. Here is a list of things that you will need or want for an observant lifestyle that could cost money (some of this may be different based on your community and/or gender):
Ritual use (and practical use) items:
- Mezuzot with a kosher klaf inside for each halachic doorway
- Shabbat candles and candlesticks
- Kiddush cup
- Havdalah set
- Challah cover
- Tzedekah box
- Tallit
- Tefillin
- Handwashing cup (and basin)
- Tzniut clothing (this may be incredibly community specific) that is also practical
- Tallit katan
- A legitimate and covering rain coat
- Walking shoes that you're not embarrassed to wear at shul (no really)
- Kippot (and any other relevant head coverings, depending on your community)
- **Replacing any kitchen utensils, appliances, and dishes that cannot be kashered if you're starting from scratch in keeping kosher, possibly ×2 or even ×3 depending on whether you intend to have a dual kitchen (or a meat, dairy, and pareve set of kitchen items)
- Sukkah/building materials and decorations
- Lulav & Etrog (these are plants; they are for ritual use but you will need to buy them each year obviously)
- Menorah & Chanukah candles
- Pesach dishes and kitchen utensils (noted separately because not everything is likely to be able to be kashered over for Pesach from year round) and any additional cleaning and covering items (so much tin foil lol)
Seforim (religious books)
- Siddur
- Bentcher(s)
- Chumash
- Tanakh
- Practical halacha/practice guides and other basic reference books
Ongoing expenses:
- Tzedekah (including special holiday giving such as mishloach manot and extra tzedekah for Purim or maot chitim for Pesach)
- Shul membership fees
- Kosher food is often more specialized and therefore more expensive, especially Pesach food
- Wine or grape juice for Shabbat
- Extra food if you're hosting people for Shabbat or potentially to bring to your host's home if you are invited over frequently
- Specialized food for holidays (e.g., special fruit on Rosh Hashana, blintzes on Shavuot, brisket or matzah ball soup on Pesach, etc.)
- Mikvah costs if you are married, menstruate (or have a spouse who does) and are shomer taharat mishpachat and/or if your community has a tradition of men using the mikvah before, e.g. Shabbat and holidays. Even if you don't need the mikvah for personal reasons, you will still need to pay a fee to immerse for conversion (if relevant) and to toivel any new kitchen items. You will also need bedika cloths for taharat mishpachat.
- Housing in an area that allows you to walk to your shul, ideally within an eruv
- Day school/Hebrew school if you have kids, and summer camp during the summers
- Fees for certain classes and events; especially if you are a convert, you will likely need to pay for an Intro to Judaism course through your shul or at another local shul.
Other things that are extremely helpful, make observant life much easier and more pleasant, may help you fit into your community better, and/or enable more advanced participation, or are just nice to have:
- Timers for electronics on Shabbat and Yom Tovim
- Light switch covers for Shabbat
- Hot water carafe for Shabbat/Yom Tovim
- Plata or other type of warmer for Shabbat lunch and/or seudah shlishit
- Specific laundry dealibobs (idk what they're actually called) for keeping your tzitzit in good condition
- Shabbosdik watch
- Shabbos key (especially if you live outside the eruv, but it's good to have for if the eruv goes down anyways)
- Light box and/or thrip cloth for bug-checking produce
- Bedikat chametz set
- Purim costumes
- If, like me, you owned exactly zero white clothes before now, you may want to invest in a white outfit for Yom Kippur &/or a kittel
- Shofar (if you plan on contributing to your shul that way)
- Etrog container and lulav transport bag
- Machzor
- Haggadot
- Aramaic dictionaries for Talmud study
- (Depending on the community) some amount of the Talmud
- Commentaries
- Tikkun
- Talpiot
- An extra bookshelf for all your Jewish books (not a joke)
- Hebrew language classes and learning materials (which are extremely helpful in getting you integrated and up to speed)
- This list doesn't even touch on things you might just want, like attractive judaica (hiddur mitzvah), jewelry, Jewish art and decor, etc.
- (I also didn't touch on things that are part of major simchas such as bnei mitzvot or weddings, or travel to Israel, or studying in seminary, or other significant but highly specific expenditures that are unfortunately outside the scope of this one layperson's tumblr post)
Oy, that's a lot! This list (with a few exceptions) was generated by me going through everything I've had to invest in over time and ongoing expenses (or that I've had to find a workaround for), or things that are on my list for later when I have the funds.
I'm sure there's plenty I forgot. Where to even start?
Well, the first thing to note is that what I have took seven and a half years (and counting) to obtain, so don't expect to compile this all at once, and don't worry that you'll have to have all that money/resources marshaled up front. It will take time, and that's okay!
The other good news is that while some of this is nice to have, there's a lot that is not immediately (or ever) necessary for most/all folks to personally own, even if it is common for observant folks to own them.
A reality: Sometimes you're going to feel poor, and there will likely be a lot of people in your community who just, won't get it. Sometimes those people are in leadership. Yes this sucks and is sometimes really painful.
A counterbalance to that reality: A lot of people and communities are extremely generous and kind, even if they don't quite get it. Tzedekah is a huge mitzvah, and it is an added bonus for a lot of folks if that tzedakah goes toward enabling another Jew to observe more mitzvot. Hosting is also a major mitzvah. By accepting other people's help and being a guest at their Shabbos table, you are actually doing them a favor by giving them an opportunity to give tzedakah and host. Drill that into your head now, and early; don't be ashamed to ask for and receive help.
Now that I've laid all that out, some general advice. I will follow up later with specifics for each item from the above lists to the best of my ability in a later post.
- Skip the judaica store for anything you can get at a thrift store. Candlesticks? Goodwill. B'samim jar? Find a cute container and throw some spices in there. Kiddush cup? Get a cute cup or wine glass at Target.
- Start small, and take on one mitzvah at a time. It can be frustrating to have to wait, but it will help you pace yourself in reshaping your lifestyle, which is actually a very good thing. Also, before you take up a particular new mitzvah, learn deeply about it first so that you understand what is actually required, and what is customary (minhag) or stringency (chumra). You may not need the specialty pre-approved [read: more expensive] version of the thing if you know enough of what you're doing.
- See if your shul, another nearby shul, or JCC ever has a community rummage sale. If so, check that out for secondhand menorahs, tallitot, siddurim, etc. (If not, consider suggesting that they do to leadership that organizes events or offer to organize it yourself if you're on that committee.) Also check out thrift stores and secondhand bookstores in particularly Jewish areas.
- Talk to your rabbi about your needs. Your rabbi may have good suggestions that are specific to your area/community, may have discretionary funds to help, or may know folks who would be willing to pass on extra judaica they don't need.
- Your shul may also have items you can borrow. I was able to, for example, borrow a machzor for the high holidays, and borrow a set of tefillin for nearly two years while I saved up for my own set. (And even then, the rabbi helped cover half of the cost from discretionary funds when I did purchase my own set, and was happy to do so.)
- Honestly, just borrow whatever books you can until you can get your own. You can do this from your shul, your shul's library if they have one, or even the public library for reference books and certain commentaries. I would buy them in the following order: the siddur your shul uses, a chumash, a Tanakh, and then whatever else you're interested in. Sefaria.org is an incredible free online resource, but you'll want these for Shabbat and Yom Tovim sooner rather than later.
- Talk to your rabbi or shul leadership about reduced membership fees, or join a shul that has a pay-what-you-can fee structure.
- Look for classes that are free, have a sliding scale fee structure, or scholarships. If you're dead-set on a particular class and it doesn't advertise reduced fees or scholarships based on need, reach out to the organizers and ask. They might not have advertised it, but would be able to ask if someone would sponsor a student or give you ideas of other funds you could apply for.
- Keep a wish list updated, and if friends or family are buying you birthday or holiday gifts, ask for important (and specific) items. I recommend an online registry so that you get the specific thing you need/want.
- For specialty kosher food, see if your area has a kosher co-op so you can buy for bulk prices. (This is especially helpful for Pesach.)
These are general suggestions, but there's a lot more. Stay tuned!
I love you Jews who believe in G-d. I love you Jews who are unsure. I love you Jews who don't believe in G-d and don't observe. I love you Jews who don't believe in G-d bur observe anyways. I love you Jews who love G-d. I love you Jews who have complicated feelings about G-d. I love you Jews who hate G-d. I love you Jews who are still figuring out how they feel. I love you Jews who already know how they feel. I love you Jews.
There is a huge tie to the religious parts of Judaism for converts, but it honestly wasn't just the religion that drew me to wanting to become Jewish, and I think it's important to know that it's not just about religion, at least for me.
I'm in a wishy-washy area of religion, honestly, and I don't think that's a bad thing. Maybe as I grow deeper in my understanding and find my own little niche, I'll be the most religious man alive, but that's frankly not where I am.
I think what drew me to Judaism is a combination of the People and the Religion, and sometimes I see the religious parts conflated way more with converts (which makes sense). It's hard to explain, but I don't just want to be a religious jew, I want to be a jew. I think both is important to me
best thing abt jewish learning is that ur allowed to rock back n forth if u want. we were so right for that
Almond Orange Passover Cookies
(Delicious, easy and almost healthy)
You will need:
- 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
- 1 1/4 cup almonds
- 1 egg
- 1 orange
- Parchment paper
How to:
- mix egg white and sugar in bowl
- Zest orange, add zest to mix
- Add almonds to mix
- Mix well, it is gonna seem like you don't have enough liquid for the almonds, don't worry just make sure everything is coated
- Use a spoon to scoop out and place each cookie on parchment paper covered baking sheet, repeat until gone
- It's gonna seem like these cookies are held together by hope, but this is a Jewish recipe and it lives on hope. Trust me.
- Bake at 375 F for about 20 minutes until crisp.
- Allow to cool and enjoy
These are sooooo good! Feel free to use the orange from your seder plate.
image id: some cartoon dinosaurs are putting together a Seder plate. the text reads chag Pesach sameach
I am not your brother in Christ I’m not your anything in Christ
Hey check out 'Sacred Gender' by Ariana Serpentine
Hey so my girlfriend the beautiful and wonderful Ariana Serpentine wrote a book and I wanna tell you about it because she is a very good writer and also my girlfriend and I love her very much
A Cosmology of Trans and Nonbinary Spiritual Identities
Explore gender from a sacred perspective and learn how to turn dysphoria into euphoria. With suggestions for making devotion more inclusive, Ariana Serpentine empowers you to spiritually connect to your gender and incorporate it into your personal and group practice. Sacred Gender invites you to talk to your ancestors through the stars and introduces you to spirits and deities that can help you achieve self-actualization. Learn how to manifest your desires with sigil magic and identify affirming names, pronouns, clothes, and accessories with the smile test. Filled with thought-provoking journal prompts, reflection exercises, and a gender initiation, this beginner-friendly book encourages you to see parts of yourself that may have been obscured and liberate your spirituality from the gender binary.
Y’ALL!!!! IT’S HERE!!!!
The Trans Halakha Project seeks to curate existing and developing resources that have been created for trans Jews, by trans Jews and engage trans & non-binary people in the creation of specific rituals and blessings. This work is expressed below in Tefillat Trans: Blessings and Rituals for Trans Lives.
I think one thing I would encourage other convert students to do is to learn as much as you can from other denominations or traditions as you can. I don't have plans to convert Orthodox or Reform, but I've really enjoyed learning about Orthodox and Reform views and interpretations and whatnot - same for Ashkenazi, Sephardic, Mizrahi, ectect.
The point of all of this isn't to convince you one way or the other - its okay to be certain about how and to what direction you're converting. The point is to see how vast Judaism truly is, that there is difference and similarity between all "types" of Judaism and they are not better or worse, simply different.