MY URBAN KVETCH

Rabbinical Students Form New Gay/Straight Alliance in Jerusalem

Here in Los Angeles, I'm involved with a community called IKAR - more than a synagogue, it's a community of people who are passionate, diverse and committed to social justice and activism. Although the majority of IKARites (and the community itself) falls denominationally under "Conservative," the commitment to activism crosses denominational lines. (And yes, they're on Twitter: follow them at @IKAR_LA.) 

Some of those community members are now in Israel, and discovered that as excited as they were to be in Israel, it would be better to have IKAR with them. They founded B'nei IKAR, for members of LA's IKAR community living in Israel.

Switch over to the Jerusalem Open House - where members of Jerusalem's gay and lesbian Jewish community have found a home and safe space to be Jewish. Rabbinic interns at Jerusalem Open House have been working to create the first-ever interdenominational gay-straight rabbinical student alliance. It will bring together students from JTS, Ziegler (Conservative rabbinical school in Los Angeles), HUC (Israeli and overseas), Machon Schechter, Hebrew College, Yeshivat Chovevei Torah and RRC. The programs will likely include such things as panel discussions/debates, professional development sessions for creating open and welcoming communities in our respective denominations. 

This Shabbat, B'nei Ikar and Jerusalem Open House are joining forces for what they describe as "a soul stirring evening of prayer, music, and a deep recognition towards tolerance." (Complete information - and more about this initiative - after the jump.)

Hanukkah Flash Mob in Jerusalem

It's not "Food Court Musical: All-Hummus Edition," but it's a start.

 

ROI Summit, Day One: Spot the Familiar Faces

We're having a blast at ROI Summit 2009 - great energy, great people and more greatness to come. I lack the adjectives to describe (apparently). Check out this video (and stay tuned to Youtube.com/ROI120 for all the latest professional and amateur videos from the Summit. Do you see anyone you know?

6 (Not 61) Ways to Celebrate Yom Ha'Atzmaut

Halfway through Yom Ha'atzmaut in Los Angeles, nearing the end of the day in New York, and with the celebrations already behind them in the Birthday country, most people have already found a way to celebrate Israel's 61st birthday. For instance, I like to take this moment during the calendar year to look through my photos, and revisit the real promise of the Promised Land: "Almost-Free Pizza."

But just in case you haven't yet celebrated, or want to celebrate more, here are a few ways to connect with the land and people of Israel in the remaining moments of the day and throughout the year ahead, as we look forward to 62 and beyond.

From the LimmudLA Notebook: Part 1

LimmudLA ended a little over a week ago, and I've just unearthed some of the notes I took over the course of the weekend. Two of my sessions - Jewish innovation and the dating panel - took place on Shabbat, so there are no written records of what happened there. But as I go through the rest of my notes, which includes some reflections on sessions I attended and conducted as well as the people I met, I'll write up some thoughts and post them here.

**

"Esther? Are you EstherK from Twitter?" The question came at me at the beginning of a session I attended called "Sex, Drugs, Rock and Roll and Judaism for Adults." Someone called me Esther, and this woman overheard. She identified herself as MillerMosaicLLC, and noted that she had found me looking for Tweets about LimmudLA. Apparently I was the only one on Twitter who was hashtagging LimmudLA, at least this year. Next year, expect that number to be much higher.

**

A guy approaches me on my way out of the Jewish innovation session. He's been urged by a mutual friend of ours to step forward and identify himself. About four or five years ago, he says, he wrote a response on one of my JDaters Anonymous posts, telling a story about a woman who had fallen asleep in her linguini while on a date with him. He tells me that I treated the story as so ludicrous that it couldn't possibly be true. (I've done a backsearch of my site and can't seem to track down the story, so we'll just have to trust his recall.) As he stared at me expectantly and I stammered through an apology for not treating his comment (that I didn't remember) seriously, I was reminded of something that all writers and certainly writers who blog should remember: the people who comment (in most cases) are real people with feelings. Most of them we never have to face, but if perchance we do encounter them f2f (that's face-to-face), we will have to stand behind the things that we've written, even if we don't remember them. As we meander through our daily rants and raves, this is a good reminder to have once in a while, because it demands that we ask ourselves to take the unseen others into consideration.

More memories of and reflections on LimmudLA to come...

My LimmudLA Sessions, Revealed

LimmudLA, an annual post-denominational, multi-generational conference exploring all facets of Jewish life and identity in which everyone has something to learn, and everyone has something to teach is being held February 13-16 in Costa Mesa, CA, and I'm involved with four sessions.

Reshaping the Jewish Future: A Look at Young Jewish Innovation Worldwide Jewish demography studies have focused on the dwindling birth rate. But beyond the numbers panic, Jewish innovation and creativity has seen unprecedented growth as a cohort of young Jews are changing the Jewish future through creative programs. Join representatives of the ROI Community (a global network of Jewish leaders in their 20s and 30s) for a discussion about community partnership with these new initiatives and a glimpse into how globalization may affect the Jewish people.

The Singles Scene: Jewish Dating in the Age of J-Date
Scott Perlo, Esther Kustanowitz, Suzannah Warlick
It has been said that all is fair in love and war, but is everything really fair in the pursuit of love? What are the "sins" of modern dating and matchmaking? How does the Internet affect how we connect with (and sometimes disparage) each other? What do Bible stories teach us about relationships? And how can we as Jews apply our ethical code and tradition to the process of matching ourselves and others? Our panelists explore ethical dating in the modern age.

'Jews' Line is it Anyway?: Basic Improv for Jews
Let's face it: we may be the people of the Book, but our history, while widely documented after the fact, is not pre-scripted. As a people, Jews have always improvised in daily life and our adaptability, intelligence and humor have helped us become an active part of comedy and popular culture. Join other beginning improvisers for basic improv icebreakers and some light cultural analysis of what makes these short-form improv games "Jewish."

Writing Workshop: Find Your Megillah There's a megillah inside every Jew, not just those named Ruth and Esther. Jews are natural storytellers because our faith is based in oral and then written history. But what makes a story worth telling and retelling, generation after generation? In this experimental writing workshop, visit some noteworthy texts from Jewish tradition and engage in free-writing exercises based on and inspired by those texts.

Times and room assignments will be revealed on site, so if you're going, make sure to look for me on the schedule and running around the conference. For more information about LimmudLA, see their website.

In NYC: Two Nights Only...

Back from the West Coast, ever so briefly, for these two events. Feel free to join me (and friends) at either:

Tonight, Wednesday, December 10: ROI Happy Hour NYC:

Westside Tavern, 360 W. 23rd Street (between 8th and 9th Avenues), 6:30pm-?. Not for ROIers only. Come out to meet me and some of the members of the ever-expanding ROI Community.

Tomorrow night, Thursday, December 11: Sex & Relationships with Zeek Magazine: A literary take on the themes of love, romance and sexuality at the 92Y's new Tribeca branch, 200 Hudson Street, NYC. (Subway directions here.)

Joshua Henkin (author of New York Times Notable Book of 2007, Matrimony), Dan Friedman (Associate Editor of Zeek and Arts and Culture editor at the Forward), and Esther D. Kustanowitz (blogger, My Urban Kvetch and JDaters Anonymous) offer a literary take on the themes of love, romance, and sexuality. Find out what writers have to say about the role of marriage in modern families and societies, and the ways that relationships have changed in recent history. Get tickets here.

Hope to see you!

Rumors of My Retirement Are Greatly Exaggerated: East Coast Events in December

I know. It's nearly been a week since my last post. Have done so much -- finding an apartment, trolling for furniture on Craigslist and in thrift stores, trying to find an allen wrench so I can assemble my bed, going to the LimmudLA Healing Havdalah, checking out Jewish authors at the Celebration of Jewish Books, and of course, writing lots for Idol Chatter -- that it's been near-impossible to get it all down. But posts are coming...

In the interim, allow me to announce that I'm planning an East Coast trip for December -- mostly so I can experience the cold, dank winter-ridden East Coast and then return to generous sunshine with a mild chill in the air (better take a sweater if you go out). But here's the real reason for my return:

"Sex and Relationships in the 21st Century with Zeek Magazine"
Thu, Dec 11, 2008, 7:00pm
Location: 92YTribeca, 200 Hudson Street
Venue: 92YTribeca Lecture Hall
Code: T-MM5LC07-01
Price: $12.00

Joshua Henkin (author of New York Times Notable Book of 2007, Matrimony), Dan Friedman (Associate Editor of Zeek and Arts and Culture editor at the Forward), and Esther D. Kustanowitz (blogger, My Urban Kvetch and JDaters Anonymous) offer a literary take on the themes of love, romance, and sexuality. Find out what writers have to say about the role of marriage in modern families and societies, and the ways that relationships have changed in recent history.

Both Josh and Dan are very smart and entertaining individuals. And they're both married (not to each other). So I have a sense I'll be the Lorax for single people again. It would be great to see my NY posse in attendance at this hip venue, and if enough of y'all want to, I could probably be convinced to go for drinks or sushi downtown somewhere. So tell your friends, and I hope to see you there!

And yes, I am available for other NY gigs, and will be traveling to the DC area as well as Miami on this journey, so book now...myurbankvetch@gmail.com.

Kvetch Audience Invited: Esther's Goodbye Party Tonight

I'm saying goodbye to New York tonight at a gathering at a local Upper West Side watering hole. Actually, it's my Upper West Side watering hole: The Parlour, where I've held four birthday parties (and one PresenTense gathering) over the past several years. And you're invited.

8pm, The Parlour
86th Street between West End Avenue and Broadway
cash bar, no cover, good people

Bring friends if you'd like.

Facebook invite is here.

Nothing to Do Tonight in NYC? How About Partying Like a Rock Star?

You can still Party Like a Rock Star to benefit American Friends of Magen David Adom tonight at Marquee for the celebratory cover price of only $48! Register here, or show up at the door and mention my name...

Let's share drinks and hors d'oeuvre in honor of a Middle Eastern democracy that will soon play host for several months to various bloggers and creative Jewish innovators...