The Well, a New Group for Women

As part of our efforts to showcase new and exciting things in the Jewish community, we give you 'The Well'.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

The Well: New Women's Group at CRC

Central West End - August 10, 2010

This exciting new group will explore topics such as body image, female rituals, Jewish baking, our connection with nature, celebrating our creativity, moon cycles and the Jewish calendar.

Additionally, this Rosh Hodesh group will be an opportunity for women to learn, discuss and grow together through Jewish teachings and rituals.

Each month on the evening of the new moon we will laugh and learn together while building a network of women who can support each other through different phases of life.

First New Moon: Tuesday, August 10th from 7:30p-9:00pm in the CRC library

Contact:
Elizabeth Tucker
elizabeth [at] alivemag [dot] com Read More......

Hot Jewish Women And Their Place In Pop Culture

Not so long ago, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girlfriend was a status symbol for a Jewish guys. According to a recent article, however, now it's Jewish women that have become fetishized.

According to this piece, Jewish girls have jumped into the mainstream consciousness as objects of sexual desire. A quick youtube search for Jewish girls or Israeli girls will bear this out.

While this is nothing new to me (having gone to Jewish summer camp and been active in NFTY), it is interesting that this article isn't talking about Jews finding Jewish women attractive.



Perhaps most interesting is that not too long ago, Jewish women were portrayed in the media high-pitched, materialistic, JAPS, who were anything but sexual.

I'm all for the celebration of Jewish women, so long as it doesn't increase the competition.
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Suspiciously Jewish - Social Entrepreneurship

This is so wrong... but... Let's say you read a story. . . its about a girl, a young woman, who received a Masters of Social Work from Washington University (in St. Louis) and who now runs a Social Entrepreneurship project.

Is it wrong that I expect her to be Jewish?

Rebecca Kousky, founder of Nest, meets all of my ideals for having some Jewy-ness about her; she is clearly intelligent, articulate, and cares about the world around her. . . and all this without having actually met her!

Nest is a nonprofit organization dedicated to changing the lives of women in developing countries. The mission of Nest is to support women artists and artisans in the developing world by helping them create sustainable entrepreneurial businesses. To do this, Nest provides micro-credit loans to be used for the purchase of the supplies and materials necessary to begin and/or maintain art or craft-based businesses.

How cool is that? This is the highest level of Tzedaka and Tikkun Olam on so many levels, I need to find out if my suspicions are correct.

It is completely ridiculous that I want/expect her to be Jewish given the work she is doing, but I still really want to know.

In fact, I'm going to be interviewing Rebecca tonight. Stay tuned for the Living Jews interview of Rebecca Kousky!
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Jewish Pin Up Calendar

In Case Heeb Magazine's Swimsuit Edition didn't satisfy your appetite for beautiful biblical babes, Jewcy has the entire Jamie Sneider Calender up. This is probably not safe for work, but I award her extra points for Jewish themes throughout.

Consider this our Shabbat sign off gift to you. Read More......

The role of the Shiksa

I saw this image on a T-Shirt and couldn't help but laugh, and think about a recent conversation I had with a (non-Jewish) friend of mine.

She sent me a text informing me that she was hanging out with a Jewish friend and they were trying to think of the Yiddish word for a non-Jewish girl and a guy that dates non-Jewish girls.

The word for a non-Jewish girl is Shiksa (literally cockroach), as for the guy that dates the Shiksa, well. . . so far as I know, we don't have a word, which is probably due to the fact that its a pretty common practice.

There is certainly a deep conflict between the egalitarian principles espoused in much of reform Judaism and the deep bias against inter-marriage.

I've done some (pseudo)research into sites like JDate et. al, and there are quite a few non-Jews (mostly women) who have profiles on the site. Its clear that the attraction goes both ways. Granted, its much easier for a Jewish person to find a non-Jewish mate as a simple fact of numbers. By restricting your potential partner set to just Jews, you cut a whole lot of potential out of the picture.
Why is it, though, that non-Jews (once again, mostly women) are going out of their way to seek out Jewish partners (mostly men)?

Some of the answers seem to revolve around the classical American Jewish stereotypes. That Jewish men are more responsible and mature (*cough), better with their money and more family oriented. That they treat women well, cave easily to their demands, and provide steady partnership. . . much of this may be true, at least partially, but what about our stereotypes of non-Jewish women?

How often have I heard, despite the joking tone, that 'goys are for practice'? ...Sure, that relationship was going along swimmingly, until the parents started thinking about where the wedding would be held, how the children would be raised, and then, well, things went to hell, just like her parents promised you would.

What is it though, that simultaneously drives us away from Jewish partners until we are ready to consider the possibility of serious (potentially final status) relationships?

I'm as inundated with images of rail thin, large-chested, tan, blonde women without any body hair as any other media consumer in America, but perhaps as a Jew, these traits have a different meaning. Perhaps they are signals of beauty that we are supposed to aspire to based on our swarthy or pale predispositions, as part of our 'quest to become white'.

I think that as part of the integration process, we have held Gentile women as the standard of beauty to embrace, evidenced by the popularity of nose jobs, tanning beds and laser hair removal to some in the community. It is likely that, as we reach the limits of integration, we start to see a resurgence of pride in who we are, naturally.

It wasn't until I spent some time in Israel that I started realizing, or rather reminding myself, that Jewish women are beautiful. Now, I'm sure there is a point about identity politics or psychology in here somewhere, but really, it just clicked one day; I like dark, curly hair, I love dark, pensive eyes. Sure, our melanin might be pretty lacking, but hey, try getting kicked out of every Mediterranean country over the past 2000 years and see how you end up looking!

I'm interested in what people think though, so why do you never/always date Jewish/non-Jewish women/men?

*EDIT* There are gorgeous Jewish women with red hair, and even blond hair. I mean, Natalie Portman looked decent even without hair in V for Vendetta (although I couldn't help but think of pictures of those interred at camps during the Holocaust).

Also, there is a really interested article tangentially related to this that I just found.

שבת שלום

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