Today is the first day of the Hebrew month of Iyar, pronounced /ee-'yar/

א' בְּאִיָּר

A month of healing, movement, and quiet renewal.

To me, Iyar isn’t about dramatic new beginnings —

it’s about steady, gentle growth.

Winter is behind us, spring is in full bloom,

And Iyar invites us to keep going…

Slowly but surely.

In Israel, this month holds some of the most powerful days —

Holocaust Remembrance Day, Memorial Day, and Independence Day —

Reminding us what it means to carry both grief and light at the same time.

Iyar is also known as a month of personal miracles.

A time to ask for healing —

Physical, emotional, or spiritual —

And trust that it’s already on its way, even if you can’t see it yet.

Wishing you a month of sweetness, strength, and renewal

Thanks #Israel, your actions in #Gaza have given #antisemitism a massive boost to disadvantage those of my friends who are #jewish. I’m also seeing open signs of it on buildings, social media and in the news media.

Sharing an excellent op-ed in today’s #Philadelphia #Inquirer, about #Pennsylvania law enforcement’s inability to — unbelievably — figure out how charge the arsonist who tried to burn down the PA governor’s residence with #JoshShapiro and his family inside ON #PASSOVER.

Gift link courtesy of my Inky sub:

“Failure to grasp #antisemitism is crippling Pennsylvania’s response to the world’s oldest hate

#Jewish

https://share.inquirer.com/YZzs3W

#israel #jewish

New York City mayor investigating pro-Israeli mob attack on women

The incidents occurred outside a venue where Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir appeared

By MEE staff
Published date: 28 April 2025 19:13 BST

"#NewYorkCity Mayor #EricAdams announced on Sunday that he has launched an investigation into two physical attacks by a pro-#Israeli mob that took place as #Israel's far-right national security minister, #ItamarBenGvir, visited a city neighbourhood last week."

""Initial reports indicate that one female protester was isolated from her group, harassed by counter-protesters, and suffered injuries. In another incident, a second woman was surrounded and subjected to vile threatening by counter-protesters," he wrote. "

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/new-york-mayor-investigating-pro-israeli-mob-attack-women

#StopGazaGenocide
#JewishSupremacist
#SolidarityWithPalestine is #NotAntisemitism
#JewHatredHurtsPalestine
#ultraZionist #Jewish
#USA #US #USPolitics #politics #Trump
#news #press @palestine @israel

Canada's Jewish voters weigh economy, Israel, and antisemitism in pivotal election.

Jews, numbering around 400,000, make up about 1% of the Canadian population yet were the targets of nearly one in five hate crimes in 2023, representing a 71% increase over the previous year.
#jewish

https://www.timesofisrael.com/canadas-jewish-voters-weigh-economy-israel-and-antisemitism-in-pivotal-election/

Pinned introductory post:

I am a #GenX #Jewish Midwesterner in exurban #Nashville, #Tennessee, USA.

[he/him or they/them]

I have a PhD in #philosophy (history of philosophy & social/political), but I’m not using it.

Politics: #Utopian #socialist.

Brain complaints: #ADHD, Delayed Sleep Phase Symdrome (#DSPS), #Depression, #Dysthymia, and #Anxiety

Subjects favored: #Soccer, #cooking, #gardening, #reading old books, and “the ruthless criticism of everything existing”.

Also, #cats

✡︎ ☭︎ ⚛︎ ☮︎ ⧖⃝

BBC Documentary - The Settlers by Louis Theroux

shows the Ultra Zionist movement dominating the West Bank racially persecuting Palestinians and violently displacing them as part of the overall Israeli Genocide they are committing - the shame on the Jews as a result of this inhumanity is so dark on their souls...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002bm1y/louis-theroux-the-settlers

Today’s edition of Steve Sheffey’s weekly Sunday email newsletter for American #Jews is definitely worth your time for a read, for the commentary and relevant article links. I’ve been a subscriber for years, and can’t recommend it enough. Free sub and paywall-free. #Jewish

“#Antisemitism Unawareness”

https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Antisemitism-Unawareness.html?soid=1103590106844&aid=3ladB-28f1k

"Sacred #Jewish texts almost always refer to God using masculine imagery and grammar. God is routinely referred to with #male metaphors — Father, Lord, King — and with male pronouns. #Hebrew being a #gendered #language, references to God are nearly always conjugated with masculine verbs and pronouns. The standard formulation for a Jewish blessing, Barukh atah adonai (Blessed are you God), uses the male form of you (atah) and refers to God as melekh (king). Some texts even explicitly refer to God as a man, perhaps most famously Exodus 15:3: “God is a man of war.” This is true despite the fact that mainstream Jewish #theology does not believe God has a body or a #gender.

In recent decades, Jewish #feminists have argued that not only is this language inconsistent with the Jewish understanding of what God is (and is not), but it also reifies the second-class status #women have long occupied in Jewish life."

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/alternatives-to-masculine-god-language/

Ummmm... they released a statement on Saturday?

"#Jewish leaders around the world expressed outrage this weekend after the tomb of Rabbi Chaim Vital, a major figure in Jewish history and mysticism, was desecrated in #Damascus, #Syria.

The Alliance of #Rabbis in #Islamic Countries, an umbrella group representing rabbis from Jewish communities across #Muslim-majority nations, condemned the vandalism in a statement released Saturday."

https://m.jpost.com/judaism/article-851619

Our rallying cry against antisemitism is Am Yisrael Chai -- The Nation (or People) of Israel Lives.

Also available in pink lettering and available on other products/colors too.

#BuyIntoArt #AmYisraelChai #Jewish #JewishGifts #JewishLifestyle #Israel #StopAntisemitism #EndJewHate

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C884CTWX?customId=B07537TZ66...

So this 1937 #jewish horror film is like super gay https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVThFw1xx1o

"#Shlissel #challah is a special loaf baked the first sabbath after #Passover. We trace the modern route by which the #bread has spread beyond the ultra-#orthodox world to everyday #Jewish #bakers."

https://www.npr.org/2025/04/25/nx-s1-5343622/a-jewish-baking-tradition-rises-in-the-age-of-instagram

From Beit Toratah:
Join us for the study of Exodus 34, this Sunday 1–3PM ET.

We are continuing in the most intimate of moments between Tehovah and Mosha.After Mosha shattered the first tablets, Tehovah told her to sculpt for herself new ones.

Mosha climbed Mount Sinotai alone, where Tehovah descended in a cloud and revealed Herself.

In a moment both majestic and intimate, Tehovah passed before her, as Mosha called out: “Tehovah, Tehovah, womb-like, gracious Goddess, long patient, full of kindness and justice.”

Study Materials: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sg9HETGxI9vQoGpT2Rh4ayH8Pj_mcc6SwaGNMBLn01o/edit?mc_cid=98ed99368b&tab=t.0

Register: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYvce6rpz8rG9Tvx1kVeRrk96wucyPJbzMX?mc_cid=98ed99368b#/registration

UK: Rabbis condemn Israel in latest show of Jewish opposition to #Gaza war

#Rabbis from Liberal and Reform movements say they are 'horrified' by conflict, as Board of Deputies members face disciplinary action for speaking out

from #MiddleEastEye #MEE
By Simon Hooper
Published date: 25 April 2025 15:17 BST

"“We stand with all those in Israel-#Palestine seeking to bring about a just and lasting peace. We share in their call for an end to the bombing; an end to the siege; and the safe release of the hostages.”

The rabbis' intervention appears to hint at growing frustration and impatience within #British #Jewish communities towards the staunchly pro-#Israel stance and claims to leadership of conservative Jewish institutions such as the Board of Deputies.

Signatories of the letter include prominent figures within both Reform Judaism and Liberal #Judaism."

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/uk-rabbis-condemn-israel-latest-show-jewish-opposition-gaza

#JewishSolidarityWithPalestine
#MiddleEast #WestAsia #politics #UK
#news #press @palestine @israel

No matter how cool (and wonderful) it is to see big bookstores embracing displays of “banned books,” the truth is, libraries and classrooms are where most young people access books. The books at the center of these bans are overwhelmingly written by and about historically-marginalized groups, especially LGBTQ+ stories and those written by people of color. 

What, then, can the average “person of the book” do to stop this onslaught of book bans? How can we make sure that we— our kids, friends, and community—have access to diverse books that will allow them to see themselves, and the issues they face, reflected back at them? How do we help maintain—or regain—resources that will foster empathy rather than divisiveness?

Find out here: https://lilith.org/articles/fight-book-bans-save-democracy/

I had to instruct my 17yo son today that if he got a text message or email asking him whether he’s #Jewish or not to delete and block. Why? Because that MFer is making Jew lists. https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/4/24/2318529/-Team-Trump-is-making-a-list-of-Jews-what-could-go-wrong

"Yael and Schwab dig into one of the most fascinating artifacts of #Jewish antiquity: the #Babylonian incantation bowls. These 5th–6th century earthenware bowls, found primarily in modern-day #Iraq, were used by #Jews—and their neighbors—as #magical #amulets to ward off #demons, secure love, boost fertility, and protect homes. The conversation explores how these artifacts reflect the everyday concerns of Jews in late antiquity, how they blur the line between #halacha and #magic, and what they reveal about cultural exchange across ancient religions. Whether you’re into Jewish magic, #rabbinic #history, or just want to know how to trap a #demon in your cereal bowl, this episode has you covered."

https://unpacked.media/buried-secrets-jewish-magic-demons-and-the-babylonian-incantation-bowls/

"Employees from #Barnard #College received text messages this week from the federally run Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (#EEOC) on their personal phones linking to a voluntary survey asking recipients if they are #Jewish or #Israeli and whether they have been subjected to harassment or #antisemitism."

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/24/barnard-college-texts-jewish-faculty