David Baddiel is a British comedian and the author of the book Jews Don't Count. He, much like the interviewer here (Andrew Gold) convinced me to stop being ashamed of the fact that I'm Jewish and hiding it.

News that the South had lost the Civil War and that the Emancipation Proclamation had freed all enslaved people came late to Texas — June 19, 1865. Since then, Black communities in the South have celebrated what came to be called Juneteenth on the anniversary of the day. “America’s second Independence Day” was recognized as a federal holiday in 2021.

For many Jews, Juneteenth is an opportunity to celebrate and commemorate both Black and Jewish history and culture — and the places where they intersect. Here is a sampling of Jewish Juneteenth events this season.

Sheinbaum’s family background is one of culturally Jewish but atheist progressive activists. A similar background has defined the past century of Jewish communities in Mexico, many of which were built by European Jews who, fleeing pogroms and the Nazis, brought with them socialist values that they would seek to foster in their lives in Mexico.But such connections between Jewish values and political action in countries of refuge are often downplayed or even contested. Sheinbaum herself has not made much of her Jewish identity in her political life. She has often described the family in which she was raised as not particularly observant. Yet Sheinbaum is also only the second Jewish head of state throughout all of Latin America. So, no matter what kind of Jewish political leader she is, the fact that she identifies as Jewish is material to her public profile.

In fact, and strikingly, our Jewish legal tradition identifies no fewer than six distinct “genders”, certainly assuming as normative the male and female, but including as well designations which we now refer to as “intersex” identities.

Pride feels different this year. As Jews, many of us are concerned about rising antisemitism. Some of us worry about antisemitism during Pride.

As LGBTQ+ people, our lives, communities, and families continue to be attacked. Over 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been proposed or passed in the United States. Our humanity is being debated in the public sphere.

As queer and trans Jews, we are vulnerable on multiple fronts. And yet, Pride is a time to celebrate our resistance and resilience. We stand on the shoulders of our LGBTQ+ Jewish ancestors who survived so that we could thrive. And one of the ways to not give in to harmful rhetoric is to show those who don’t believe we should exist that we are here, proudly and joyously. We aren’t going anywhere. Our communities are beautiful, exuberant, generative spaces of love and belonging.

The news is overwhelming and unending. But we know the truth: queer people and queer Jews have always been here and will always be here. We are your friends, family, and neighbors. We need your support.

Today is 23 days, which is 3 weeks and 2 days of the Omer. It's a little early, but Shabbat Shalom everyone!

Today is 14 days, which is 2 weeks of the Omer.

It is also National Teacher Day. Rambam, the 12th Century philosopher, physician, and legalist, wrote the following about the moral obligation to employ teachers:

מוֹשִׁיבִין מְלַמְּדֵי תִּינוֹקוֹת בְּכָל מְדִינָה וּמְדִינָה וּבְכָל פֶּלֶךְ וּפֶלֶךְ וּבְכָל עִיר וָעִיר. וְכָל עִיר שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ תִּינוֹקוֹת שֶׁל בֵּית רַבָּן מַחְרִימִין אֶת אַנְשֵׁי הָעִיר עַד שֶׁמּוֹשִׁיבִין מְלַמְּדֵי תִּינוֹקוֹת. וְאִם לֹא הוֹשִׁיבוּ מַחְרִימִין אֶת הָעִיר. שֶׁאֵין הָעוֹלָם מִתְקַיֵּם אֶלָּא בְּהֶבֶל פִּיהֶם שֶׁל תִּינוֹקוֹת שֶׁל בֵּית רַבָּן:

Teachers of young children are to be appointed in each province, district and town. If a city has made no provision for the education of the young, its inhabitants are placed under a ban, till such teachers have been engaged. And if they persistently neglect this duty, the city is excommunicated, for the world is only sustained by the breath of school children.

Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Torah Study 2-1

Today is 13 days, which is 1 week and 6 days of the Omer.

It is also Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day.

During World War II, Jews of Lublin were rounded up by soldiers and taken to a field. "Dance. Sing and dance for us," they were instructed. No one sang, until one person began: "Lomir zikh iberbetn...." Let's all get along. No one followed. Another voice offered the same tune with different words: "Mir veln zey iberlebn." We will outlive them.

Our resistance song comes from that night. It's not uncomplicated. So many of us did not, have not, outlived. But this is a slogan of determination. It's a love note to every person working to make the 'we' who will outlive them bigger and fuller and stronger.

Today is the seventh Day of the Omer. It's also the last day of Passover. This has been my favorite Passover movie since it came out. The first time I heard the words of Mi Chamocha (Ashira L'Adonai) coming out of a big screen movie, I knew it was something special.

You don't have to believe in God to be moved by this incredible story of Hope and Redemption. The power of bringing words written thousands of years ago into a modern children's musical is just incredible. You also don't have to be a child to appreciate this song! I still love it.

There is a custom to recite the mystical prayer Ana Bekoach following each day's counting, which alludes to the 42-letter name of God.

Still looks better than the flavorless lumps I had at the first night Seder.

Its also the reading of one of the most famous passages of the Talmud, in which God makes clear that the community is more sacred than being "technically correct."

Tiferet of Chesed - Beauty within Lovingkindness

Gevurah of Chesed (Might within Lovingkindness)

Olam Chesed Yibaneh - We shall build a World of love.

Composed by Rabbi Menachem Creditor

Performed by the Jerusalem Youth Chior

You can use this calendar to follow the daily count, or see the entire overview of the 49 days. Each day has a different value-pair based on the week number and the day of the week. Today is Chesed of Chesed. You can see a practical teaching about the Jewish Value of Chesed here, along with tips to incorporate it into your own practice. For a slightly more advanced study, here is a study sheet about an interaction in the Talmud that reflects the value.

On the other hand, why not both?

ותעל הצפרדע. צְפַרֵדַּע אַחַת הָיְתָה וְהָיוּ מַכִּין אוֹתָהּ וְהִיא מַתֶּזֶת נְחִילִים נְחִילִים, זֶהוּ מִדְרָשׁוֹ (סנהדרין ס"ז). וּפְשׁוּטוֹ יֵשׁ לוֹמַר, שֵׁרוּץ הַצְפַרְדְּעִים קוֹרֵא לְשׁוֹן יְחִידוּת; וְכֵן וַתְּהִי הַכִּנָּם – הָרְחִישָׁה, פדולייר"א בְּלַעַז, וְאַף ותעל הצפרדע – גרינולייר"א בְּלַעַז: ותעל הצפרדע

AND THE FROGS (lit. frog) CAME UP — Really there was only one frog, but when they struck at it, it was split into many swarms. This is a Midrashic explanation of the usage of the singular noun here (cf. Sanhedrin 67b; Exodus Rabbah 10:4). But as a literal explanation one must say that the swarm of the frogs is denoted by the singular form. Similar is, (v. 14) “and there was the כנם” — the swarm of insects, in old French pedulier; i. e. a swarm of lice. So, too, here, ותעל הצפרדע means: and there came up a grenouillière (old French) i. e. a swarm of frogs.

https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Exodus.8.2.1

The Jewish lonesome rider of the plains (except on shabbat).

Due to the low level of legitimate use, lack of moderation, and potential for trolling and harassment around the current conflict in Gaza, we've decided to close and lock the community for the time being. If you're interested in moderating this community, reach out to us at the Lemmy.world support email ([email protected]) with your idea of a moderation strategy and how you would handle posts regarding the current conflict.

Jews of Lemmy please tell the mods to reject all antisemitism