A Shavuot Note and Roundup

Well, Shavuot is upon us and with the three-day chag, I couldn't be more excited. It's a chance to swing into Shabbat and recommit to your Jewish self and the Jewish people over Shavuot. All while consuming dairy. Yes, I've been rocking a largely vegan lifestyle at home, but after my quick trip to Boston (details forthcoming) to participate in an exciting conversation about Birthright NEXT with the Schusterman Foundation, I have to say my diet hasn't been so stellar. Dairy has been partaken of, so I'm going to continue the trend.

I'm spending the next three-four days up in Vail, Colorado, with Minyan Na'aleh for a Shavuaton experience, and I'm super stoked. As I sourced before, you know I'm going to be teaching about Rachav (Rahab), the Rabbis' Convert. As such, and if you want some Shavuot reading, feel free to download and read my take on this prized convert.

If you're in the mood for some Huffington Post, check out this piece I wrote last night that got posted today: On Shavuot, Recommitting to the Convert. If you're a reader of Makor Rishon, a right-wing Israeli newspaper, check out their section on Shavuot -- you'll find a story with me in it. (If I can find a link/translation, I'll post it.)

And, if you're interested, there's an article by Haaretz that highlights not only my story, but also that of the illustrious Leah Jones. Unfortunately the link is dead, but hopefully it will end up online here.

With that, friends, I hope that you find honey and milk under your tongue (Exodus 4:11) this Shavuot. Learn, live, breathe, and embrace all that HaShem has given you.

The Huff Post and Beyond

Dr. Ruth is so tiny! So cute! So ... adorable! 

I am super happy to announce that my first piece for The Huffington Post is live: Jewish Identity (Un)defined at the 2011 Israeli Presidential Conference

In the lineup for the coming week you'll find a Sabra-sponsored kiddush write-up (yes, we invited friends over to celebrate our one-year anniversary and down some dips) and giveaway, as well as a review of the HydroChic line of swimwear.

I'm also working on a video about the nifty mitpachot that I purchased in Israel and how exactly they work.

Stay tuned!

A Kohen and a Chicken Walk Into a Bar ...

The interweb is giving me a huge shout-out today. I'm all glowing and delighted, what can I say. For your viewing pleasure, check out these two items and let me know what you think!

• The first thing? The Chicken in a Bag returns! This time, an article in The Jewish Week that quotes this here blog in Instant Kosher Chicken. My only beef (har har) with the chicken article? It cites me as a "recent" convert. I suppose in one sense that's true: I completed my Orthodox conversion a little over a year ago. But in another sense, I've been doing Judaism in some form since 2003, having converted Reform in 2006. I realize that to some that doesn't count, but, you know, even more than a year later I don't feel "recent." ~ At any rate, others in our 'hood have tried this and were pretty pleased with it. I'd say my kosher microwave chicken ambassadorship has been successful!

• And then there's The Huffington Post piece by the lovely Shira Hirschman Weiss: The Kohein's Conundrum. Some have asked me about my quote in the piece and referring to the problems my daughters and granddaughters will have when it comes to not even considering marrying a kohen, and it stems from something I read in one of my halacha books a while back, and it was referenced however fleetingly in my blog post Three Years and a Day. I really need to write a more comprehensive post on this, and if I can find the book and source, I'll sock it to you. 

Stay tuned, also, for an OU piece on Project Frumway that should appear some time this month and will also feature the blog here. Does this mean I've hit it big time? Who knows. I just know the exposure puts me in a happy place. 

Next Up: A mikvah follow-up to The Mikvah is Lost On Me (seriously, HaShem must read my blog) and a fashion post on my duds for the 17th Annual NJOP Dinner at the New York Hilton last night, as well as a post about my studies and thoughts on Jewish and Hebrew education today.