Be kind! Do a mitzvah!

Spreading Jewish Joy!

[aprettyjewishyear]

Lodz, Poland. photograph by Shterna Goldbloom for their series, "i am the other / איך בין די סטרא אחרא". they describe their inspiration for this series thus:

For the first sixteen years of my life, I was taught to stay away from everything unholy, all the deepest, darkest profanities of the world, the "other side." Sitra Achra is the term used to describe all the things on the "other side" of holiness, like queers, and women who don't fit traditional definitions of femininity, women who go to college and want to have babies outside of marriage and without husbands. Sitra Achra is me. Now, as I sit on the other side, I try and find a way to see the two sides of myself together, to create a conversation between tradition and heresy.

[aprettyjewishyear]

Self-Portrait Beheading. acrylic on canvas by Rosabel Rosalind, 2020. Rosalind's collections of paintings draw on different wells of inspiration and reference different subjects, but what they all have in common is a startling vividity. this painting in particular depicts Judith, who slew Holofernes.

[transgerimder]

i think about this post a lot

[gliklofhameln]

The three commandments of Jewish women, included in the Grace after Meals and the Shema Israel prayer

Scribe and illustrator: Aaron Wolf Herlingen (ca. 1700 – ca. 1760)

1739, handwritten in ink on parchment

[gliklofhameln]

Embroidered towel for the mikveh

Late 19th-early 20th century

[gliklofhameln]

Selihot (penitential prayers) according to the Ashkenazic rite, Augsburg: Hayyim ben David [Shahor], 1536

The first seder selihot printed in Germany.

Having published an Ashkenazic-rite siddur in 1532-1533, Passover Haggadah in 1534, and mahzor in 1536, Hayyim Shahor went on, shortly thereafter, to produce the present seder selihot (collection of penitential prayers), comprising the liturgy recited during the period of the Days of Awe and on each public fast day (other than Tish’ah be-Av).

[gliklofhameln]

Passover silver Seder cups

Silversmith: Hieronymos Mittnacht (1708–1769) (?), 1761-63. Inscribed in Hebrew: “I will free you from the labours of the Egyptians” [Exod 6:6)]

Late 17th Century

[jewishmuppet]

Adult b'nai mitzvahs I love you so much. I love that the reasons for them are as varied as the Jewish people. You can do it if you converted. You can do it if you already had one at 13 but now you've reached another milestone year in old age. You can do it if you were born Jewish but raised secular and never had one. You can do it if you fled the Soviet Union or anywhere else you weren't free to practice Judaism growing up. Holocaust survivors had them if they were in camps or in hiding at the age they should've been having theirs. Trans Jews can have them as a way to affirm their gender. Women can have them if they grew up in a time or community where it was only for boys. Anyone who's had an adult b'nai mitzvah, you're an inspiration to me and you form the links in the chain that will pass the Torah down to me when I have my own bat mitzvah one day.

[gliklofhameln]

Beth Sholom Synagogue Philadelphia I

2007

Chromogenic colour print

Candida Höfer (German, b. 1944)

Beth Sholom Synagogue in suburban Philadelphia was designed by the architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1959, the last project he completed before his death. It is one of four synagogues in the United States designated a National Historic Landmark.

[memecucker]

I still think it’s funny how the Exagoge a Hellenistic Jewish play about the Exodus story written in the Ptolemaic period had to include a line where God tells Moses “it is impossible for a mortal to see my face, but it is possible to hear my words”bc Greek attendees would’ve been really confused about getting to the exciting scene where a god appears and would’ve been expecting Yahweh’s actor to be lowered from the ceiling astride a chariot and would’ve been scratching their head wondering if there was technical issues with the crane or something bc like where’s the god i was expecting a cool exciting entrance of a god they clearly got the burning bush effect to work like maybe that did happen during the opening run and they had to quickly insert that line

[animatedamerican]

How is this the first I have heard of the Exagoge in my slightly-over-half-century of life. HOW.

From the Wikipedia article on the play's author, Ezekiel the Tragedian:

Exagōgē is a five-act drama written in iambic trimeter, retelling of the biblical story of The Exodus from Egypt. Moses is the main character of the play, and parts of the biblical story have been altered to suit the narrative's needs. These changes probably point to Ezekiel's intention to stage the play, since certain scenes that are impossible to stage were converted into monologue. This drama is unique in blending the biblical story with the Hellenistic tragic drama; Erich S. Gruen writes that "the choice itself of that tale suggests an appeal to pride in national history and tradition produced in a quintessentially Hellenic mode."

... So you're telling me this was Alexandria's Prince of Egypt? That's what you're telling me?

I can't remember the last time I went so quickly from complete ignorance of a thing to a passionate need to experience it.

[redmensch-deactivated20190323]

The first section of Siberia (1936) by the Soviet Yiddish poet Abraham Sutzkever

[bialerwochenblat]

One of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen - cover of a Yiddish art journal titled Milgroym (Pomegranate), published in Berlin between 1922 and 1924. Thanks to the efforts of The National Library of Israel issues of Milgroym were scanned and published online. To find this beautifully edited and extremely elegant journal please visit the following link:

http://web.nli.org.il/sites/JPress/English/Pages/Milgroim.aspx

Don’t forget about other Yiddish newspapers from all around the world  published online at The National Library of Israel:

http://web.nli.org.il/sites/JPress/English/Pages/default.aspx

[postcard-from-the-past]

Sukkot celebration booth at the Grand Synagogue of Paris

French vintage postcard

[fractangle]

Pride month vest project, a patch a day #29: Wheat But Not Bread, Fruit But Not Wine

[gelbgelbgelb]

As my friend Julian puts it, only half winkingly: "God blessed me by making me transsexual for the same reason God made wheat but not bread and fruit but not wine, so that humanity might share in the act of creation."

-- Daniel Mallory Ortberg

[technologistrevolution]

This has been driving me insane because this quote is so incredibly Jewish but every time I saw it was completely divorced from Judaism in the version applying it to 'transsexual'.

The original concept that humans complete the act of creation by making bread from wheat is from the Talmud! And the specific "wheat but not bread, grapes but not wine" phrasing is from Jewish theologian Abraham Heschel but it is missing "clay but not bricks".

And among trans Jews the sentiment was already popular before I ever started seeing this specific phrasing so I knew, knew, knew a Jew and likely a trans Jew was involved.

As it happens, Ortberg's friend Julian is Jewish and they have strongly negative feelings about the way the quote has been removed from the context of their life as someone trans and Jewish. They used to have a thread up on xwitter about it but have since made their account private and only have a very terse FAQ online from which you can glean the treatment they likely received when being more open about their Jewishness, relationship to transness, and the interaction of both.

[kosherdragon]

I've always thought there was something extremely Jewish about that quote! I had no idea that Julian is Jewish.

[aprettyjewishyear]

Joseph. photograph of Riley Chang by Luis Mercedes Winter for the "Flowers for Our People" exhibition, 2026. the exhibition was directed by Sage Cassell-Rosenberg and produced by Is Perlman with assistance from Ariella Cohen. Saffron Mala Kaplan provides a written reflection for this piece:

While being trans is nothing new, it is only in the modern era that trans people not only have the language to describe their experiences, but also the ability to transition both socially and medically. In these photos, we imagine a version of Joseph who embodies all of these possibilities.

Midrashim on the Book of Genesis teach that Joseph was originally conceived as female, but was physically changed to male in the womb (and vice versa for Joseph’s half-sibling Dinah). Through our modern lens, the narrative of being born into a “male” body with a female soul reads exactly as we now understand the trans feminine experience. With this new understanding of Joseph, many other seemingly disparate parts of her story suddenly make perfect sense. The term for Joseph’s “technicolor dreamcoat”, k’tonet passim, also appears in the Book of Samuel to describe the “princessly robes” worn by Tamar, King David’s daughter. Rather than Jacob unfairly favoring one of his children with this gift, perhaps he recognized his daughter for who she really was and attempted to provide her with gender-affirming clothing—an act tragically misunderstood by Jacob’s sons, leading them to commit horrible acts of violence against their vulnerable sister for innocently expressing her identity. Later in Egypt, Pharaoh changes Joseph’s name to Zaphenath-Paneah, meaning something like “revealer of hidden things”—a perfect name for a trans woman who, after years of hardship and ostracization, is finally able to live openly as her true self.

[aprettyjewishyear]

Pink Wig and Duct Tape at Hole in the Wall. Green Doorway, Paula and Carmen. Kindred Spirits. photographs by Chloe Sherman for her series, "RENEGADES: SAN FRANCISCO, THE 1990S." Chloe created this series while studying photography at the San Francisco Art Institute and immersing herself in the queer community of the Mission District. her work captures the vibrant delight and unabashed pride of a flourishing queer scene.

[knaidelmaidel]

Assumptions I Make Based On Your Favorite Jewish Holiday

Chanukah - you are either entirely insufferable, or so so nice, no in between. Most people are the former, so take that as you will 🤷

Pesach - a classic for a reason, it’s a good, safe choice. Your favorite part of the Seder is probably the arguing and songs. Your favorite part of life is probably the arguing and songs

Lag Ba’Omer - please stop doing drugs. Or whatever your version of drugs is.

Shavuos - You’re probably really funny and have a lot of friends. Yes the trauma will go away if you ignore it hard enough!!!

Rosh Hashana - I am confused by you. I think you have trust issues from being rejected by a lot of people. Also, maybe try a new hobby.

Sukkos - In the nicest possible way, grow a backbone! People are shoving you around like you’re a tetherball, and you need to stop being so nice. Also, try cleaning your room

Yom Kippur - Yesss, we get it, it’s beautiful and holy. But also maybe try just one little drug. Or smuggling, or something.

Tu B’Shvat - I think a lot of people are intimidated by you. You don’t think youre that intimidating, but your rbf is SCARY. Please practice your facial expressions in the mirror!

Tisha B’Av - For the love of potatoes, PLEASE stop this!! You dont HAVE to be different! People love you!

Purim - You are a child. And I don’t mean that in a derogatory way, it’s really lovely how you see the beauty in the small things! But also you can make a phone call

[jewishgay4il]

fascinating (and incorrect) breakdown

[tzelofachad]

Fascinating (and correct) breakdown

-pesach lover