May 2021 Virtual Display #2: Jewish American Heritage Month

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May is Jewish American Heritage Month! This month we recognize and celebrate the contributions and achievements of Jewish Americans. Find the 2021 Presidential Proclamation here, and check out the official website, run by the Library of Congress, for more resources.

Follow the links below to check out some ebooks, videos, articles, and other digital resources. To access ebooks click the link next to “Get It Now At:” and sign in with your lab username and password. Some may have a link at the top of the page that says “Check for full text” instead. Non-Clark Libraries resources do not require a Clark Labs account.

Ebooks

The cover of Jewish Families. There is a photograph of keys on the top of the cover.

Jewish Families by Jonathan Boyarin

The cover of Torah Queeries. There is an image of a page of the torah in the center of the cover.

Torah Queeries: Weekly Commentaries on the Hebrew Bible by Gregg Drinkwater, Joshua Lesser, & David Schneer

Modern Jewish Literatures: Intersections and Boundaries by Sheila E. Jelen, Michael P. Kramer & L. Scott Lerner

The cover of The Art of Being Jewish in Modern Times. There is a painting of a bald man behind the title.

The Art of Being Jewish in Modern Times by Jonathan Karp & Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett

The cover of Beyond Jewish Identity. There is an image of wooden Star of David puzzle below the title.

Beyond Jewish Identity: Rethinking Concepts and Imagining Alternatives by Ari Kelman & Jon Levisohn

The cover of How Jewish is Jewish History?. There are black and white photos of Jewish people marching around the title.

How Jewish is Jewish History? By Murray Jay Rosman

The cover of Autobiographical Jews. There is half of a blue Star of David on the right side.

Autobiographical Jews: Essays in Jewish Self-Fashioning by Michael Stanislawski

The cover of The Quest for Jewish Belief and Identity in the Graphich Novel. The title is within a black Star of David.

The Quest for Jewish Belief and Identity in the Graphic Novel by Stephen Ely Tabachnick

Outside Resources

Articles

6 things you need to know to understand the Jewish High Holy Days

“For many secular Jews, the period is an opportunity to reconnect with family members or get in touch with cultural traditions — they’re by far the best-attended holidays at most synagogues. But the theological import of the holiday and the different ways it has changed or solidified over time can tell us a lot about the development of Jewish culture and values: the story of a group of people for whom the tension between assimilation and preserving tradition has long been a major part of their culture.”

A Guide for the First-Time Shabbat Guest

“Of course, every Shabbat dinner is a little different. Some folks are very traditional and follow all the rules; others, not so much. Meanwhile, each family develops its own customs and special touches. If you are heading to your first Shabbat dinner, don’t be afraid to ask questions about what is going on! Your hosts will be thrilled to fill you in. But if you want a little leg up before you go, check out this pocket guide for a crash course in Shabbat dinner 101.”

Everything you need to know about Passover

“Passover is one of the most important Jewish holidays. It’s celebrated widely among American Jews, even secular ones.”

Gender-Neutral Hebrew Is the Latest Move Towards Queer-Inclusive Judaism

“Last year, then-University of Colorado-Boulder student Lior Gross was excited to continue their Hebrew studies. But there was one big problem for Gross, who uses they/them pronouns, and instructor Eyal Rivlin: No gender-neutral grammatical structure existed in Hebrew that Gross and others could use to identify themselves. So they made one.”

I Grew Up Jewish, But That’s Not How the World Sees Me

“Reconciling my Jewish, Asian, and American identities has been a difficult and ongoing task. However, I now wholeheartedly identify as Asian, despite the despicable racism in this country, not because of it. It is an honor just to be an Asian Jewish American.”

I helped coin the term ‘Jews of color.’ It’s time for a history lesson.

“I am one of the originators of the term “Jews of Color,” and I think it’s time for a history lesson. We haven’t done enough to tell the story of what the term meant to its early adopters, and why it is in continuous use today.”

The Israeli Government’s Violence Doesn’t Represent My Judaism

“I have learned the importance of resilience, the pursuit of liberation, the abhorrence of oppression, and the sacred task of improving the world through my Judaism. Israel’s current far-right government does not represent the Judaism of this generation, and we have the ability to change the narrative in demanding actualized change in support of Palestine. We cannot settle for lip service from our own legislators. We must condemn the denigration of our religion in the name of illusive safety and hold Israel’s leaders accountable.”

Jewish Americans in 2020 | Pew Research Center

“Jewish identity in the United States, 2020What does it mean to be Jewish in America? A new Pew Research Center survey finds that many Jewish Americans participate, at least occasionally, both in some traditional religious practices – like going to a synagogue or fasting on Yom Kippur – and in some Jewish cultural activities, like making potato latkes, watching Israeli movies or reading Jewish news online. Among young Jewish adults, however, two sharply divergent expressions of Jewishness appear to be gaining ground – one involving religion deeply enmeshed in every aspect of life, and the other involving little or no religion at all.”

Shabbat 101

“A weekly 25-hour observance, from just before sundown each Friday through the completion of nightfall on Saturday, Shabbat is more than just a day off from labor. It is a day of physical and spiritual delights that is meant to illuminate certain key concepts in the traditional Jewish perception of the world.”

Queer Orthodox Jews Want More Than Tolerance

“According to Rabbi Atwood, the Orthodox community has come a long way on acknowledging the existence of the queer community. Now, he says, queer Orthodox jews want more, and the community is starting to listen.”

What Is Hanukkah?

“Chanukah is the Jewish eight-day, wintertime “festival of lights,” celebrated with a nightly menorah lighting, special prayers and fried foods.”