Blue Fringe

A few years ago, I was introduced to the band Blue Fringe. 

Blue Fringe is described on the website as...

"four 20-something friends: Dov Rosenblatt, guitarist, songwriter and vocalist with an engaging stage presence and heartfelt style; Avi Hoffman, composer and lead guitarist known for his electrifying, bluesy notes; drummer Danny Zwillenberg, who incorporates rhythms from the likes of Latin, reggae, funk and rock; and Hayyim Danzig on the bass, both electric and upright, who gives the group its soul with bass-lines deeply rooted in old-school funk and jazz."

The most interesting thing about this group is how subtle the Jewish message is. If you aren't listening closely, it sounds like any other kind of music. The contemporary rock music is appealing to all audiences, but the message is special. Blue Fringe takes biblical and liturgical texts from Judaism and puts them to music, therefore spreading Jewish messages in an innovative way.

I am a huge fan of Blue Fringe and their music. At first, I was caught off-guard by the music. I was certainly not expecting the words that I heard to be paired with this contemporary rock music. I had the amazing opportunity of working with the band in a benefit concert for Israel that I co-chaired last year (check out the article my sister wrote about the event!). The guys in the band were really nice and down-to-earth. They were really enthusiastic about the concert, worked with us to raise as much money as possible, and were genuinely interested in making a difference. And, with Blue Fringe's help, we raised $10,000 for Magen David Adom!

I think that the goal of any Jewish musician is to bring people together through music. Blue Fringe definitely succeeds when it comes to bringing all kinds of people together. At the concert I helped organize, there were people from all different Jewish backgrounds- and even people who aren't Jewish came to support Israel and to enjoy some great music.

In the world of Jewish music, it isn't everyday that you find a group that can do what Blue Fringe does. I was hesitant about working with Blue Fringe at first. The band members are Modern Orthodox, and I wasn't sure what to expect from them on a personal level. The only thing I knew about them, as people, was that they were a bunch of young guys (that wear tzit-tzit and kippot) who were brought together because of their love for music. In the end, they put on an incredible show, and they were very easy to work with. I highly recommend their music to everyone, regardless of their religion, because it sends out universal messages that anyone can appreciate.

Pesach on Campus

We are now several days into the celebration of Pesach in Bloomington, and I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised with they way things are going.

I am finding it fairly easy to keep up eating food that is kosher for Passover. I purchased the kosher for Passover meal plan at Hillel, and I was able to get my hands on some kosher food to keep in my dorm room. I did a massive cleaning of my room so that my food would remain kosher for Passover. Living on the Jewish Studies FIG floor has also made it easier for me to observe Passover. I always have at least one person who is heading over to Hillel to eat, and I had plenty of people to attend seders with.

The food is no problem, but the seders were not what I expected.

I guess that a large number of people who show up for the McNutt seder are only doing so because their parents want them to go. Being active in Hillel, I figured that I would recognize a good number of people at the seder. However, I definitely did not know a majority of the people that came to the seder. I even saw a girl who went to my high school, that I had no idea went to this school! Overall, I felt fairly uncomfortable with the seder at McNutt. It was impersonal, disorganized, and impossible to hear anything over all of the talking that was going on around the room. I went to Hillel for the second seder, and I felt much more comfortable. It was a smaller crowd, a smaller room, and a more traditional seder.

Nothing will ever replace the feeling that I get when I am at a family seder or a seder with family friends- there are deep-rooted traditions that run throughout my family, and Passover just doesn't feel the same without them.

As they say... next year in Jerusalem (or maybe Cherry Hill, NJ?)

the FIG

As a member of the Jewish Studies Freshman Interest Group (FIG) and a Jewish Studies major, I think that it is more than appropriate for me to discuss this in my blog.

Coming into Indiana University, I was determined to make this large school into a smaller community. I have several friends who participated in the FIG in past years, and they made it seem like a great option for me to consider when it came time for me to finalize my enrollment at IU.

When I applied for the program,  I was under the impression that I would be living on the same floor as people who I would have a lot in common with. I was pleasantly surprised to come to school and discover just how diverse the FIG was. I was also surprised to find out that not every person in the FIG was a Jewish Studies major. This brought up a big question for me, did they do the FIG just so they could live in McNutt? Or are they generally interested in Jewish studies?

According to my friends who participated in the program in the past, my FIG advisor would be a Jewish IU student who is active in Jewish life. I, however, experienced a very different advisor. My advisor was a Jewish student who knew a lot about life at Indiana University, but he did not have many ties to Jewish life on campus. I think that he brought a lot of good things to the table, but he fell short when it came to providing us with a rich Jewish campus experience.

In the future, I hope that things will return to the way that the Jewish Studies FIG used to be. A friend of mine is the advisor for next year, and I think that he will do a great job at incorporating the JEWISH aspect of the FIG back into the program.

yarmulkes, a constitutional challenge?

According to breaking news on JTA, there are yarmulkes that are being displayed in Washington at the newest museum- the Newseum. These yarmulkes, also known as kippot, were once the centerpiece of a religious controversy in the U.S. Airforce.

These kippot were worn by Simcha Goldman, who was a clinical psychologist for the airforce in the 1980's. Apparently, he was threatened by the court marshall for wearing the religious article indoors. This was a major debate, because it brought into question the 1st amendment freedom of free exercise of religion. In response to this controvery, Congress passed legislation that allows some religious apparel to be worn by those in the armed forces.

This brings up some difficult questions about Jewish identity versus American identity. Which is more important? I would hope that in a "free country" like America, one would be able to express their religious and patriotic identities at the same time without feeling pressure to hide one or the other. What does this say about America, or American Jewish identity?

Sephardic March of the Living

Wow. I am extremely impressed with the plans for a Sephardic March of the Living. I think it is a great idea, and will really expand people's understanding of the Sephardic Jewry.

I would be interested to go on this trip for the sole purpose of figuring out my possible Sephardic ties. As I have expressed in other blogs, I am convinced, and quite strongly so, that I have Sephardic roots on my Dad's side of the family. I have very little knowledge of this side, and I am interested to find out more.

When it comes to Sephardim in the Holocaust, I have absolutely no knowledge of any facts or stories. To be honest, I don't think I ever even thought about the possibility of the Sephardic population being targets of the Nazi Regime, especially the Greek population. March of the Living is an incredible program as it is right now, I have several friends that have been on it in the past, and a good friend of mine is leaving soon for the next trip. When I was in the Czech Republic in the summer of 2005 with my Israel trip, we were able to experience Terezin with a survivor. I don't think there is anything more powerful than hearing the stories of the place you are from someone who lived through them. I was also fortunate enough to be a part of a reenactment of the Exodus mission with an American war veteran who worked on the ship (who is also married to the survivor that was with us in Terezin).

I think it is important to explore the places that the March of the Living programs take you. These experiences really help expand and develop one's Jewish identity.

Jews and Politics

Coming from a large Jewish community in the Greater Philadelphia area, I have been doing a lot of reading about the Pennsylvania primaries that are right around the corner. I came across an interesting story on jta.org about how the Jewish voters are going to affect the PA primary vote. This article focused on Obama addressing the never-ending questions about his Pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr. who has "spewed venom towards the United States and Israel."

I noticed this article when I saw Obama standing in a strangely familiar room, which turns out to be in Congregation Rodeph Shalom in Philadelphia (a very historic Reform synagogue in the area that is absolutely gorgeous). Obama was addressing these pressing issues with the Jewish leadership from the Philadelphia area. According to this article, many Jewish voters are still on the fence for the primaries, and they hold a pivotal vote in determining the delegate that gets the nomination.

My best friend's uncle (Rabbi Philip Warmflash) was present at this event, and he is a Clinton supporter who wanted to experience for himself. I think it was important that the Jewish leaders were able to hear Obama speak for himself, rather than be forced to listen to other people continue to spread lies and rumors about him and his background. 

I volunteer at the Obama office in Bloomington, and I have heard many Jewish voters voice their hesitations about voting for him because of this Pastor or his ancestral background. However, it is important to get the facts straight and not fall into the trap of smearing a campaign through rumors and accusations. 

I think it may come as a surprise to many people that the Jewish population has such a large impact when it comes to voting, because of small numbers overall. However, it is important to get out there and vote, because if you don't speak out for yourself- there is no way you will be content with the way our country is being run.

Inspired by a Jewish History paper...

I recently wrote a paper for H252, which is the second semester of Jewish History that focuses on 1492 to modern day Jewish history. When I received the assignment, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it focused on Jewish identity in the Diaspora (mainly North America) versus Jewish identity in Israel, and the challenges that they both face.

A point that I made was that Jewish life and identity in America is more focused on the religious aspect of the religion rather than the culture, while Israeli Jewish identity is largely secular. In the paper, I cited a document that stated that the American is essentially a hyphenated character; i.e. a Jewish-American or an African-American, and there is no such thing as a pure American.

I found the identity of the Israeli Jews to be most interesting. I have interacted with many Israelis in my life, and I am happy to have many Israeli friends. Over the years, I have had many conversations with Israelis about their Jewish identity. When I went to Israel in the Summer of 2005, I was shocked to find that a great number of people identify as secular Jews. Many Israelis have explained this trend by claiming that living in Israel makes their lives Jewish by default, and they do not have to work so hard with the religious aspect to maintain a Jewish identity. While in America, people hold religion very close to Jewish identity- and identify with a specific denomination or movement.

Another interesting point that I came across in my research for my paper is the idea that Jews have a constant feeling of minority status engraved into their cultural memory and identity, regardless of their status in the country. By numbers, Jews may be a minority. However, with regards to impact on life in the Diaspora (especially North America), the Jews are most certainly not a minority.

Just something to ponder...

Interfaith marriage... is it so bad?

Being a successful product of an interfaith marriage (and by successful I mean I have grown up with a strong Jewish identity and I do not identify as anything but Jewish), I feel strongly that people don't give interfaith marriages enough credit. I can see the potential for problems when an interfaith couple does not discuss their intentions for religious observances before they get married or have children, but I believe that it is not as bad as some people make it out to be.

A majority of the interfaith families that I know have done a fantastic job raising their children in a Jewish household. If an interfaith marriage is approached correctly  (and by correctly, I mean they establish a Jewish household- which is correct in my mind), it can be a great way to teach diversity and acceptance. 

The URJ (Union for Reform Judaism) has set up an excellent way to reach out to all "minority" groups within Judaism. The URJ Outreach program provides many resources that are necessary to creating a successful interfaith family. "God loves the stranger, providing food and clothing for each one. You too must love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt" (Deuteronomy 10: 18–19). They use this quote from Deuteronomy in order to sum up the mission of the Outreach program. I think that the Outreach program, itself, is a great way of utilizing Jewish ideas and values to welcome those who otherwise would not be welcomed. However, I do find it strange that Hebrew Union College will not accept or ordain students that are in an interfaith relationship. It seems a bit hypocritical to me.

I think I was hesitant when we went into the class discussion about exogamy, mostly because in the past I have been made to feel inferior because of my interfaith family. However, I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome of this discussion. Exogamy is a very sensitive subject and I understand all sides of the argument, but I find it hard to come to any conclusions myself. I think this is something that will change and develop over time. However, I believe that it is important to keep an open mind about exogamy, because there are many successful stories out there.