Netflix’s Russian Doll Season 2: Nesting Trauma in Three Generations of Jewish Women
In this season, time is immutable. It can be questioned, but not changed. Family can be understood, but not altered. The self, in this case, the result of intergenerational trauma, must be accepted. In Russian Doll, the only way to see the good in the world is to stop looking back, to stop journeying inward, and to the wake up in the present.
Q&A with Chinese Jewish Advocate and Educator Amy Albertson
Amy Albertson (she/her), 30, is a Chinese Jewish advocate and online educator living in Northern California. She works as a social media consultant for Jewish organizations.
Holy Sparks: Celebrating 50 Years of Women in the Rabbinate
On June 3, 1972, Rabbi Sally Priesand was ordained by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion as the first woman rabbi in North America. To celebrate this milestone in Jewish and American history, HUC's Dr. Bernard Heller Museum in New York partnered with The Braid's Story Archive of Women Rabbis in Los Angeles to create the exhibition "Holy Sparks," presenting 24 ground-breaking women rabbis who were "firsts" in their time.
Combatting Loneliness, Poverty, and Trauma in the Lives of Holocaust Survivors
Yom HaShoah is also known as Holocaust Remembrance Day and occurs on the 27 th of the month of Nisan. It is a day to commemorate those who perished during the Holocaust and listen to survivors tell their stories. However, as the survivor population ages, many are needing more assistance.
Celebrating Mimouna and Creating Traditions with Gal Andres
In honor of the upcoming holiday of Mimouna, celebrated by Moroccan Jews at the end of Passover, we sat down with Gal Andres (she/her/hers), 33, who shared her favorite Mimouna celebrations and traditions.
Q&A with Andy, a Young Jewish Community Leader in Ukraine
As many Ukrainian Jews know this year, Passover will be different in 2022. We sat down with Ukrainian Jewish community leader Andy (he/him), 27, to discuss what the community and holiday will look like in the context of current events.
Breaking up with Rape Culture
If you would have told 18-year-old Kate that she would one day openly talk about the most painful, and for a long time, “shameful” experience of her life to hundreds and hundreds of people, her jaw would still be on the floor.
From the Four Questions to Elijah's Cup, Here Are Five Passover Traditions, Explained
Rabbi Leora Kaye, director of partnerships and collaboration for the Union for Reform Judaism, details the background, symbolism, and importance of the key Seder elements, from the four cups of wine to the welcoming of Elijah.
Film Review: Babi Yar. Context Examines Ukraine’s Past as It Fights for Its Future
In Sergie Loznitsa’s new documentary film, Babi Yar. Context, the decade spanning the Nazi invasion of Ukraine through the ensuing war crimes trial is explored using only archival footage and the occasional title card. Babi Yar (Babyn Yar) is a ravine outside the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv where on September 29-30, 1941, the Nazi Regime massacred an estimated 33,771 Jewish people. The result is a stark, uncompromising exploration of war and genocide that enlists the viewer in bearing witness to one of history’s most notorious atrocities.
Combatting Stress: Encanto as a Lesson in Community Support
As a mother of a one-year-old son, I’ve watched Encanto more times than I can count. Around my second time watching it, I realized that “surface pressure” is an amazing metaphor for the struggles I face as a parent. Especially as a parent preparing for both my and my son’s first Passover, the preparation of cooking and cleaning before the first seder is certainly stressful.