#Rabbi Shais Rishon

[dropoutconfessions]

I'm the person who talked about Jewish NY.

My point was that they improved *between seasons* and got actual input after realizing their mistakes. My point was that if they had tried to depict Poland in season 1, they probably would have caught more in season 2.

Ymmv on whether they actually improved, but there was a difference between season 1 and season 2. As the other confessor pointed out, having one non-malicious golem isn't much. But in S2 they did have a rabbi consulting, Rabbi Shais Rishon. And "emet" is written on the roof of Willy's mouth, which differs from many sources but is still relevant. Kingston consulted with a rabbi in character. (They get more into golem lore and discuss how Willy isn't really a traditional golem). It was a plot point---they even had the truth/death thing tie into the greater themes of the villain.

There is a *lot* we can talk about wrt how Dimension 20 portrays Judaism and the general culturally Christian atheist vibe they fall into, but that wasn't the point of that post. It wasn't about achievement. It was about *improvement.* Recognizing failures and making an effort to be more mindful and consult stakeholders between seasons.

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[marlowe1-blog]

"A Good Man is Hard to Find" (Flannery O'Connor The Complete Stories)

Fuck this Racist Ofay

Remember how I was planning on reviewing all the Flannery O'Connor stories the same way that I am reviewing all the John Cheever stories (even toward the end when he's making less sense)? Remember how the first two stories got a reaction of "is this story racist or is it about racists? If it's just about racists, why am I supposed to sympathize with a man who is freaking out because his daughter in NYC is living next to N-----s?

I even saw a reaction saying that "Geraniums" is actually a critique of racism. Bullshit. It's about an old racist who is having a bad day and has to deal with the world moving on and he can't even get a damn view of a flower from the building across the street. It's like the later story where the old general is wheeled out for his daughter's graduation in a Confederate uniform only O'Connor keeps referencing the Coke machine. Like get it? Coca-Cola is becoming more important to these people than their great Southern heritage.

Oddly enough, I searched for Flannery O'Connor on Facebook because I remember someone I know saying that he hated Flannery O'Connor. What I did not remember was that I had posted an article entitled "Why is Flannery O'Connor getting canceled?" and the friend (Shai Rishon who is a pretty cool rabbi) said that he hated Flannery O'Connor and I said "Even A Good Man is Hard to Find?"

I was arguing that Flannery O'Connor has racism in her stories and might have been racism but a lot of her stories are really good so we can still read them and it's fine.

That impression was from reading the book A Good Man is Hard to Find in college. Let me revise that impression with my impression from trying to read the complete stories, including the six that she turned in for the University of Iowa writing program.

Flannery O'Connor is a racist bitch. Her stories were all racist. I can't keep reading stories asking me to sympathize with old racist Southerners who won't stop saying N----- or pickaninny (which is definitely a slur but might be ok to write out in just regular essays.)

Reading "A Good Man is Hard to Find" as a first O'Connor story is an experience of reading a sick and twisted horror story from the perspective of a very stupid old lady who is trying to talk "The Misfit" out of his murderous ways even after he's shot the rest of her family. Reading the story in the context of bullshit like Geranium (oh poor old racist has to live next to black people) and The Barber (dumb nominally liberal guy isn't a N---- lover but he doesn't like the 1940s version of Trump but he can't argue that in a barbershop full of racists who keep referring to the one black kid in the place as being in complete agreement with them (remember the Chris Rock routine about how there's no one quite as racist as old black people, because they will be all smiles when the white people are around but as soon as it's just black people they won't stop going on about white motherfuckers? Well, it's actually prejudice since racism is a system of white supremacy but yeah, one is pretty certain that George is cussing these crackers out behind their back. Only O'Connor doesn't give him a voice)

In that context, Grandma in "A Good Man is Hard to Find" is another old cracker who has to point out a black kid just minding his own business and call him a N---- because that adds color.

So by the time Grandma's cat causes an accident (is the cat ok? The father threw the cat at a tree) I'm done with these people. The Misfit getting his people to take out first the father and son and then the mother and daughter while Grandma is talking about redemption or some shit isn't tragic or horrifying. It's fucking hilarious.

This was not O'Connor's intention. I don't really care about her intention but I'm quite sure it was some shit about Catholic guilt and sin and martyrdom.

But honestly, I don't give a shit. Seriously fuck these characters and fuck O'Connor.

[progressivejudaism]

With every news headline referencing the Covid-19 pandemic, the past few months ushered the world into unprecedented times. But recently, for the first time in what feels like forever, coronavirus has taken the back burner to the Black Lives Matter movement.

Are we still in unprecedented times? Absolutely not.

Racism is a scourge that’s ingrained in society. As a community of people who share the pain of serving as the world’s scapegoat, Jews — as well as everyone — have a responsibility to dismantle the systems that have oppressed Black people for centuries. Victims of racism cannot fight their battles alone, nor can they be at the forefront.

Many non-Black Jews are reckoning with how best to support the Black Lives Matter movement and, in an effort to help, they’re turning to People of Color for answers. This is a mistake. Even with good intentions, do not lean on Jews of Color, primarily Black Jews, to do the work for you. It’s exasperating and further illustrates privilege.

So, where to start? Listen to Black Jews, learn from Black Jews, but don’t ask them for help — they’re asking for ours. So here’s one super simple thing you can do: Check your privilege and begin with diversifying your social media.

[supercantaloupe]

Im SO behind on TUC (think in middle of the season 1 finale behind) but even just seeing Rabbi Mike's official art made me tear up a little. And there's a reason he's so accurate, Rabbi Shais Rishon (ma nishtana on twitter) is the season 2 Jewish cultural consultant!

i too definitely teared up a little watching this week’s episode when rabbi mike came up. and!!! that is EXTREMELY cool re: rabbi shais!!! i didn’t know about him until now but it makes me exteremly happy to know that the d20 team has such good cultural and sensitivity consultants working with them this season. i think it really shows in the product of finished episodes we’ve seen so far -- especially compared to s1. i don’t know if they were working with any consultants at all during s1, but it certainly comes across in s2 how conscious they were of ethical cultural representation and how closely they worked with consultants to meet that end with the inclusion of more diverse characters (which i won’t spoil for you!!). it doesn’t solve any issues that existed in previous seasons of d20, but it does feel like a very big step forward to me. my big jewish heart is so very happy about this week’s episode!

[schraubd]

Tab Reduction is Stress Reduction Roundup

I've been very stressed these past few days. It's the usual mix of personal issues combined with the persistent fact of the world teetering on the brink of collapse. My appetite has gone, I haven't been sleeping well -- if it wasn't for the escape of Historical Murder Simulator: Greece, I don't know where I'd be. Of course, none of this has stopped me from reading the internet. And here's a taste of what's been on the browser: * * * Shais Rishon (aka MaNishtana) has a new book out -- a semiautobiographical text about a Black Jewish American Rabbi. Jon Chait on why the rise of non-liberal socialism might be good for liberalism. Not sure I'm convinced, but it was an interesting read. The Cleveland Indians are retiring the "Chief Wahoo" mascot. Good riddance. Now, the Washington Redskins stand alone and unchallenged for the title of "most obviously racist representation in professional sports". (The article did tell me a bit of trivia I hadn't be aware of: Apparently, the Cleveland Indians were named in honor of Louis Sockalexis, the first American Indian professional ballplayer who played three seasons for the then-Cleveland Spiders from 1897-99). Top Corbyn ally tries to push head of Jewish Voice for Labour -- a fringe-left Jewish group formed to provide Jewish cover against broad-based Jewish outrage over Corbynista antisemitism -- to run for parliament in one of the most heavily Jewish seats in the country. At a candidate event, prominent Jewish community members (including journalists) banned from attending because they "misrepresent people, events, or facts". Protest outside the event includes someone trying to burn an Israeli flag ... that was being worn around someone's shoulders. Just another day. Good article, bad title: In the Forward, Moshe Krakowski explores the nuanced and complicated posture Orthodox Jews take towards Israel and Zionism. ADL explains how Soros-talk can be antisemitic talk. It's good, but certain examples of "left politics are a Soros backed conspiracy" were oddly omitted.... Israeli appellate court upholds ban on entry for Lara Alqasem. Guess my column didn't persuade. She may appeal to to the Supreme Court. Also worth noting: a good piece on the Academe Blog regarding Israeli academia rallying behind Alqasem, and a statement from the Alliance for Academic Freedom (which I signed) urging Israel to reverse this ill-advised and illiberal decision. In happier news, Congress just passed a bill which would rename the federal courthouse building in Minneapolis after my late judge, Diana Murphy. Judge Murphy was the first women to serve on the Eighth Circuit when she was appointed in 1994 (as of 2018, that number has risen to ... two), and served nearly 40 years on the federal bench. via The Debate Link https://ift.tt/2Olfel7

[mental-mona]

https://www.jweekly.com/2021/03/08/rabbi-shais-rishon-an-orthodox-anti-racism-advocate-is-turning-his-gaze-to-jewish-texts/

[geekgirlcon]

(l-r front) April Baskin, Lacey Schwartz, Yavilah McCoy, Shais Rishon, Courtney Parker (l-r back) Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein, Yehudah Webster, Tiffany Harris, Ilana Kaufman.

[progressivejudaism]

“How are you Jewish?” he frequently is asked.

To which he responds:

“Fine, thanks. How are you, Jewish?”

“It tickles me,” he said of his retort.

[progressivejudaism]

“But although their numbers are growing, many Jews of color speak of being treated as outsiders by a large number of Jewish institutions, where they’ve encountered suspicion or, worse, outright racism. Jordan said the feelings of alienation, disenchantment and resignation have grown so intense and so widespread among Jews of color that they have given the years-long effort to create a JCC a sense of urgency it didn’t have before.“