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  Be’chol Lashon Newsletter: July 2008
Freshly-Ordained Ugandan Rabbi Gets Ball Rolling on Returning Home Rabbi Gershom Sizomu, the first black sub-Saharan rabbi ordained at an American rabbinical school, has had a very busy time since returning to Uganda in June, after not having lived there for five years. Among other activities, the American Jewish University graduate recently supervised about 250 formal conversions to Judaism: men, women and children, ages ranging from 4 to 80. Read On... 
Judaist Leader Installed in Mbale The Jewish community in Mbale on Thursday installed the first Rabbi (teacher), Gershom Sizomu, to lead the Judaism sect in Uganda. Read On... 
250 Africans Convert to Judaism Over 250 people from Uganda, Kenya, and South Africa, Ghana, and Nigeria formally converted to Judaism in a ceremony held last week in the village of Nabogoye near Mbale, Uganda. They join a community of 800 Abayudaya Jews led by Rabbi Gershom Sizomu, who was recently ordained at American Jewish University, a seminary of Conservative Judaism in Los Angeles, through a fellowship from Be'chol Lashon. Read On... 
Historic Day for Black African Jews The Pan-African Jewish Alliance (PAJA) held its first multi-national meeting on July 11, 2008 with participants from Jewish communities in Uganda, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, and the United States. The representatives from African Jewish communities gathered in Uganda to celebrate with Rabbi Gershom Sizomu on the occasion of his installation as community rabbi by Conservative rabbis from the United States. Read On...  Scandal in the Rabbinate Israel’s Supreme Rabbinic Court accepted a radical stance that conversions can be retroactively annulled. The decision is a scandal. Given the ideological divisions in Judaism, there is no universal standard for who is Jewish. Responsible rabbis will make their choices based on their own understanding of Jewish law and of the good of the converts and the community. Read On... 
Multiracial Americans Surge in Number, Voice “I’m Nooksack, I’m Chinese, I’m French and I’m Scottish...When I was a kid, I drank my Ovaltine with real milk, and my cousins and I liked our fried rice with salmon.” At the same time that the nation’s growing diversity and changing social attitudes are helping to swell the ranks of multiracial Americans at 10 times the rate of the white population, the presidential candidacy of Barack Obama, son of a black man and a white woman, has brought new attention, curiosity and discussion to their experiences. Read On... Study Finds Whites Anxious About Race A new study from Northwestern University's Department of Social Psychology finds that many whites worry about inadvertently getting into trouble for seeming biased. As a result, says study author Jennifer Richeson, Caucasians seek to avoid situations where bias might be revealed, such as in the company of black people. Read On... or Listen Here... 
Gay Rabbis Getting Married - and Marrying It's almost 9 a.m. on Tuesday, June 17, and the line at the West Hollywood Park snakes around itself, as some 400 people wait to obtain marriage licenses on this first official day that the State of California is issuing licenses to gay and lesbian couples (aside from one wedding on Monday). Read On... See Rabbi Lisa Edwards in the film, Praying in Her Own Voice, at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, August 3rd @ Roda Theatre in Berkeley, CA. Click here to purchase your tickets. 
A Young Man From Omaha, Who May Perfectly Represent Brooklyn 
Judaism Drawing More Black Americans Dr. Gary Tobin cites three major trends. One, people are increasingly switching religions, he said. The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life released a survey in February that found 28 percent of American adults have left the faith they were raised in for another one or none at all. The Internet, too, has played a role, allowing people to readily access information on different faiths, he said. Read On... 
Zooming In If anyone had told me seven years ago that I would become a Spanish-speaking advocate of Cuban Jews, I might not have believed them. I had been a psychologist and photojournalist and was focused on commercial photography. As I approached the age of 50, my desire for a new challenge grew and I turned toward sources of inspiration. A single movement of music, composed by a client, provided the catalyst for a trip to Cuba. Read On...
 Bolivia's Politics Has Jews Packing More than any other single event in recent years, the future of Bolivian Jewry may be determined by the outcome of the country's upcoming national referendum on a new constitution. Four of Bolivia's wealthiest provinces have launched autonomous movements in response to the proposal. Read on...  Orthodox Leader Rankles Argentine Jews Will the first Orthodox leader of Argentina's largest Jewish institution represent the entire community? Some Argentine Jews were pondering this question after Guillermo Borger, the new president of the 114-year-old Argentine Israeli Mutual Association, or AMIA, was quoted in a newspaper article referring to "genuine Jews." Read On... 
Film: El Salvador's Role of Aiding Jews in WW II FInally Told During World War II, more than 25,000 European Jews became citizens of El Salvador. The country would come to justify its Spanish name as "the savior" thanks to bogus certificates that made thousands of Jews citizens of El Salvador and kept them from being deported to concentration camps. Read On... 
Art: Mexican Jewish Artist's Bronzes Featured in KCK Show If you’re looking for a cross-cultural experience, a new art exhibit may be just the ticket. The gallery of the YWCA of Greater Kansas City will host a show of 30 sculptures and paintings by Vicky Levy, a Mexican Jewish artist, from June 13 to Aug. 6. Read on... 
Music: Idan of Arabia Idan Raichel, one of the most successful Israeli musicians, recently starred on the Arabic television network al-Jazeera. “It was very exciting and surprising to have been given the opportunity to reveal a side of Israel other than the conflict, to the Arab public,” said Raichel. Read on.. SFJFF: Idan Raichel Documentary + Happy Hour with Filmmakers!
Sunday, July 20, 2008, 11am-4pm Welcome the entire Bay Area Community! Mixed heritage and transracially adopted youth, adults, partners families and friends! Amazing Afro-Asian BBQ will be selling amazing grilled treats, plus a bake sale with sweets. Please bring food to share. We will provide paper products and lemonade. Bring drums, blankets, kites, balls, and any other toys. More information available at iPride. Sephardi Heritage Week August 12 - 18, 2008 Events through the week will celebrate Sephardi Jewish heritage and educate the community. Students from Yeshiva University’s Sephardi Studies Program will be visiting and raising awareness about Anusim – descendants of Jews who were forced to convert to Catholicism during the Spanish Inquisition. A Sephardi cook-off will also be held.
Sunday, August 24, 2008, 7:30 pm This musical spectacular, conducted by the symphony's founder/artistic director Dr. Noreen Green, showcases music from the rich Sephardic- Latino cultures. For more informaiton, click here. SAVE THE DATE: Bay Area Be'chol Lashon Retreat 2008
You are invited to the 5th Annual Bay Area Be’chol Lashon Retreat for ethnically and racially diverse Jews, family and friends, at Walker Creek Ranch. The weekend is an opportunity to learn together, celebrate our Judaism and continue to strengthen our growing community. Questions? Email Esther@JewishResearch.org
Tuesday, July 22, 2008, 7pm Adam McKinney and Daniel Banks will show an excerpt from their film shot in Ghana with the Jews of Sefwi Wiawso (2006) and lead a community dialogue on Jewish identity, global Judaism, and belonging.
August 1 -3, 2008 THANK YOU
We welcome your participation in the Be’chol Lashon Newsletter! Please send us information about events in your community or articles of interest that relate to Jewish diversity. E-mail newsletter submissions to Esther Fishman, Esther@JewishResearch.org. Submissions are subject to editing for content, clarity and style. Special thanks to all the contributors who make the newsletter interesting and informative. Top of Page |
IPride, Swirl and Habitot present a Community BBQ
Los Angeles Jewish Symphony Presents: Sephardic-Latino Connection
Friday, Oct 10 - Sunday, Oct 12
We Are All One: A Conversation on Jewish Identity
5th Annual Sephardic Anousim Conference in Texas