#event: tov

[psychologeek]

So

Some antisemitisic incidents from last week:

UK - A Jewish teen was attacked outside a Jewish school in London. He was beaten and forced to call "free Palestine" and similars.

New Zealand - survey among the Jewish community (~10k ppl. 0.2% of the population) show about half reported antisemitic assaults towards children. Since previous complaints were ignored, less than 40% of the parents reported current incidents.

Children were locked in closets, attacked with broomsticks, and got a star of David drawn on their shirts.

"When I reported that my daughter was assaulted due to her religion, the school told me she should just stay away. Now my son experiencing antisemitism, and I can't find a reason to complain again."

(a Jewish father from NZ)

Other incidents included: burning a Jewish community centre last month (Oakland), vandalism of synagogues (all over) and bomb threats.

[nerds-yearbook]

Super-Villian Team-Up ended its run with issue 17#, cover date June, 1980. ("Dark Victory", Super-Vilian Team-Up 17#, Marvel Comic Event)

[transflynnscifo]

when it comes to tov main party members in the rays, i feel like patty out of all brave vesperia got the least love. the latest and last(?) event thats available is aifread-focused, apparently it was promised to the playerbase, but there are no mirages

so im sitting here thinking "if rays wasnt shutting down, patty would have finally gotten a third mirage huh. huh."

honestly shes lucky to have two, i feel like other main tales characters dont even have that. but im still a little bummed

i was going to mention karol and judith too but they got stuff last year and no longer felt as neglected (op is still bummed he couldnt get their collab mirages)

[midnightrabbiinspired]

United Souls and Unity Bookings Updates during Israel's War...

United Souls – Extracts from New Book Section 1 – by Eli Goldsmith – Part 42 – Pesach & Don’t #Passover – 2020-24 – Truth & Completion! Dedicated to the real lonely Souls, soldiers & defenders of Yisrael… & Souls Globally – the United Souls that know The Truth of their Souls & for all those that know not yet. A Healthy Spring all 🙂 – With Pesach and Sefirah days already on the way……

[etz-ashashiyot]

This Shabbos was such a good hard reset for me: no news, no real social interaction (I literally only talked to my spouse who I live with), didn't speak much, and didn't go on my phone at all. I didn't talk about Current Events(TM) with my spouse and tried really hard not to even think about it. I wasn't perfectly shomer (I definitely worked on my Jewish fantasy story on my laptop) but I physically rested, mentally rested, spiritually rested, and it was so helpful. I drank tea. I read a fantasy book about a cat who saves books. I worked on my story. I came up with a new story idea that's totally fluff. I slept as much as I needed. I took an hour long walk in the park with my spouse. I took my medications the way I'm supposed to.

And you know what?

My throat hurts so so much less than it did. I am both awake and alert at the same time. I feel emotionally a lot more grounded. The time passed in a way that felt both slow and normal, like how I remember time passing when I was younger.

Yeah.

Anyway shavua tov chaverim, I hope you had as good of a Shabbos as I did!

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

im a trans boy who has grown up with very oppressive religious parents so ive never gotten the chance to experiment sexually or romantically with peers irl, im about to move to the city for college in the fall

(i will be living on campus with two roommates who i haven't met yet and i know basically nothing about, one of them i will be sharing a bunk bed with)

im really nervous about how im gonna do socially.. ive had a really hard time making and maintaining irl friends for like my entire life, which has been really upsetting for me obviously.

being able to experiment sexually is something im really wanting to do and im really really nervous about it, i know that the most straightforward advice is just "talk about it to people you wanna do sex stuff with" but like everything is new to me i havent had the chance to really socialize irl up until this point and now im being shoved into a group of other young adults who all have the prior experience of being well socialized and having complex interpersonal relationships with peers

i also feel extremely insecure about my lack of experience, like is it actually normal for someone my age to have never had a romantic or sexual encounter? are the things ive discovered and assumptions ive made about myself sexually through masturbating wrong?? i can't watch porn bc looking at strangers having sex grosses me out!! im pretty sure my front hole is like unnaturally tight?? anything wider than two of my fingers is uncomfortable and no matter how much prep and easing myself into it i do, it stays that way.. and i think my cervix is also lower than most, about 3-4 inches is the maximum that i can insert before i can feel it bump my cervix (which hurts REALLY BAD)

im just so nervous and scared about my own body and personality and all that andi don't know where to look for resources or reassurance. ive never been to the doctor for any kind of reproductive care and im really scared to!!! i live in a state that has completely outlawed abortion rights and im really scared that if i go to planned parenthood or something to get like a checkup that they will be mean and not gentle with me

i don't know, i guess im just looking to be heard and hopefully pointed towards some resources if anyone has any, thank you for the work you do and thank you for taking the time to read my panicked ramblings

hi anon,

there's a lot happening here so I'm just doing a numbered list

1.) man, how did the third guy luck out and avoid the bunk bed? you don't have to answer that, I'm just curious how you guys have already worked out that two of you are stuck with the bunk beds. unless you're into bunk beds (I was), in which case mazel tov.

2.) in the nicest way possible, I think you may be vastly overestimating how "well socialized" other students are going to be. reading between the lines a bit, it sounds like you were maybe home schooled, or at least don't have very much experience mingling with other people your age without adult supervision. I guarantee you every public school in the world is also full of introverted freak losers who rock up to college with no idea of what they're doing; I was one of them. the majority of first year college students are also running around panicking and trying to figure out how to be away from their parents for the first time; everyone is a loser and no one is cool.

would it comfort you at all to know that my day job is organizing events at my office's LGBT student resource center? I spend a lot of time hanging out with queer first year students, and I love them dearly, and they're all cringefail losers. it's unavoidable. every 18 year old is a cringefail loser. every single person on Earth looks back at their 18 year old self and goes "goddamn, what a cringefail loser." and it's fine! it's so normal! that's the entire point of your first year of college! you try things and you're socially awkward and you meet some of the most important people you will ever meet and you meet people whose opinions about you won't matter literally at all and you'll completely change how you think about everything for the rest of your life and you'll think you're going to die and everything will be fine!!!!

anyway moving on

3.) it's normal for anyone at any age to have never had a romantic or sexual encounter. I'm assuming you value my insight at least a little, since you sent this, so would it help you to know that I arrived at college as virginal as could be (wildly insecure about it, btw) and didn't have sex for the first time until I was almost 21? would it comfort you to hear from my housemate, also transmasculine, who gave me permission to share that they've never had sex and that none of their life problems really have anything to do with being a virgin?

4.) "are the things ive discovered and assumptions ive made about myself sexually through masturbating wrong??" hard to say, since I don't know what those things are, but probably not. it's extremely hard to get masturbating wrong, no one knows what feels good to you better than you. you're sort of an authority here. masturbating isn't exactly like partnered sex, of course, but it's a really good place to start learning about things that you like and make you feel good.

5.) everything you're describing about your front hole sounds very typical. two fingers is the max number of comfortable fingers for a lot of people, regardless of experience; often, taking something larger doesn't become easier until after having penetrative sex with a partner. average vaginal depth is about 3.6 inches, and while that can increase significantly with arousal, it's something that doesn't generally happen if you're not relaxed during sex. if I can be a bit presumptuous, it sounds like sex and masturbation are maybe a bit anxiety-inducing for you, in a way that is pretty much perfectly contradictory to comfortable penetration. if I can offer you some advice I wish I could give my younger self: calm the fuck down, buy some lube, stop worrying so much about making your body react the way you think it should and learn to appreciate what it's actually doing, and maybe see if your campus has some free therapy options available. anxiety meds probably wouldn't hurt this situation. also stop hitting your cervix if that hurts oh my god.

6.) Planned Parenthood is generally one of the best places to go if you're nervous; they're aggressively queer friendly and tend to be extremely accommodating of patients' needs. I personally do not care for penetration at all and have a difficult time with Pap smears, and every examiner I've ever had at PP has been an angel about letting me take breaks and swear my way through it. it ain't fun, but if you want to have an adventurous sex life you need to take care of the health of yourself and your prospective partners by getting STI tests and Pap smears.

you're so normal, calm down, I love you

[latristereina]

This heart-shaped pendant associated with Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon was discovered by a metal-detectorist in Warwickshire and now is being unveiled to the public by the British Museum:

“The gold, heart-shaped pendant is attached to a 75-link gold chain via an enamelled ‘hand’.

The front of the pendant is decorated with a red and white Tudor rose motif entwined with a pomegranate bush, the symbols of Henry and Katherine. These stem from the same branch, which at its base has a tail, and sits above the inscription + TOVS + IORS - a pun on the French for ‘always’.  

The back shows the letters H and K - for Henry and Katherine - in Lombardic script, linked by ribbon, again with the legend + TOVS + IORS.

Analysis dates the pendant as early 16th century, from 1509 – 1533 AD with a most likely date of around 1521.

It appears that the pendant was produced rapidly; it may have been used as a prize or worn by people participating in an event. The design of the pendant is like that used on horse bards at a joust in Greenwich in 1521.

It is being showcased by the British Museum to highlight the launch of two annual reports – the Treasure Annual Report for 2020 and the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) Annual Report for 2021.”

source: (x)

[ivanttakethis]

End of Round 24 - Tov’s Log

Cirrus (61) vs. Himei (38) -> Cirrus Win

Follow up to Round 24 - Himei’s POV by @lookatmysillies.

————————————————————

Tov knew she was in a hospital before she even opened her eyes.

The strong smell of antiseptic.

The pinch of an IV needle in her arm.

The steady tone of the heart monitor beeping faster than normal, even with her barely conscious.

A thick fog filled Tov’s mind and muddled her thoughts.

She could feel someone’s presence at her side, a warm arm pressed against her leg.

Slowly, she forced her eyes open, squinting at the bright, white lights that greeted her.

Through her hazy vision, she could make out the familiar furnishings of a standard hospital room.

But when she looked down, it wasn’t Cassio resting at her bedside.

It was—

“Wren?”

Tov’s voice was weak and rough from lack of use; her throat dry from whatever sedative anchored her limbs to the bed.

But Wren still stirred at the rasp of her name, grey eyes fluttering open as she lifted her head from her folded arms.

“Oh, you’re awake. How are you feeling?” She asked around a yawn hidden behind her pink mask.

A flurry of questions crowded to the front of Tov’s mouth, writhing and desperate to be answered. She forced them back with a thick swallow and asked the first thing that came to mind.

“What are you doing here?” Her tone came out accusatory, but Wren didn’t seem to notice or care.

“I was leaving the hospital when some medics brought you in from the contestant dorms.” She said.

Tov frowned, “Brought me in? For what?”

“Well, uh,” Wren averted her eyes for a moment, before looking back at her.

The nervousness in her expression was clear, even with the mask covering half of her face. “Your heartbeat spiked too high and you passed out. A guard found you unconscious in your room.” She said. “The doctor said you suffered a minor cardiac event.”

The bottom of Tov’s stomach gave way.

“A heart attack?” She asked faintly.

“Something like that, yeah.” Wren’s voice sounded far away. “Cassio went to speak with them a few minutes ago.”

Tov closed her eyes and leaned back, letting the bed support her. As the fog in her head lifted, static rushed to take its place.

A heart attack?

I’m only 24. Aren’t I still too young for one of those?

Even with my condition, I’m still healthy. Well, as healthy as I can be…

“You’ve been under a lot of stress since the season started. It could’ve put more strain on your heart.” Wren said.

Tov didn’t respond.

She didn’t know what else to say.

Her head was still a mess.

Wren’s next question lanced right through her skull, “Do you remember what happened last night?”

Round 24.

A song that sounded too much like a goodbye.

Dark eyes gazing heavenward.

The echo of a single gunshot.

61 - 38

Tov could barely breathe.

“Himei’s gone…” She said, her voice broken into as many pieces as her heart.

Her eyes stung fiercely as she tried to hold back a sob.

The heavy weight of grief pressed down on her chest, threatening to cave in her rib cage and splinter the bones.

Tov’s whole body began to shake.

“Himei’s gone, and so is Tallis…” The tears came quicker, blurring her vision and shaking her already fragile voice, “And Azure and Moran and Stasya and Flor—” And Minori and Lark and Noora…

And on and on it went.

“They’re all gone and I can’t— I can’t—”

I can’t get them back.

I can never get any of them back.

And it’s so lonely without them here that it kills me.

She tried to dry her cheeks, but it was all in vain. The sobbing just got worse.

Somewhere inside of her, a dam had broken irreparably.

It was like reliving each and every death all at once.

All of the stars she’d named were gathered in her hands, burning through skin and muscle and nerve.

She couldn’t hold Himei’s too.

A hand reached out to rub her shoulder in comfort.

Wren…

Tov didn’t want to look at her.

She was afraid of the pity she’d find reflected back.

“I’m sorry about Himei, Tov.” Wren said quietly, “I know she meant a lot to you.”

A humorless laugh caught in her throat.

If that wasn’t an understatement.

Tov loved Himei.

She was in love with her.

She kissed her.

And now she was gone.

Dead.

It was just like Tallis all over again.

She’d kissed him too.

She told him she loved him too.

And he died on the same stage Himei did.

Tov had cursed them both.

She’d cursed everyone she believed in, really. Her blind faith had left a trail of bodies in its wake.

She was a black widow.

A harbinger of death.

Not a star, but a black hole, unraveling everything that got too close.

How am I supposed to keep going?

How do I stop this from hurting so much?

How am I supposed to look at the stars without apologizing for everything I’ve done?

Tov’s bones ached.

Deep in the marrow, the stardust she shared with Himei had been hollowed out.

Why do I feel like I’m dying?

“Tov…” Wren murmured.

“Stop. Please.” Tov sighed, resting her hand in her hands.

Wren’s hand dropped from her shoulder.

Silence filled the room, pressing into every nook and cranny.

Tov thought Wren was going to get up and leave.

She didn’t.

Instead, she leaned forward to rest her head on her folded arms again and waited.

Tov could feel her stare burning a hole in the side of her face, but she said nothing more.

Once the tear tracks began to dry and the sobs slowed to sniffles, Tov spoke again.

“I don’t want to do this anymore.” She croaked.

Any fight left in her had drained away a long time ago.

All she wanted was for this nightmare to be over.

“So what, you’re just going to give up then?” Wren asked.

There was an edge in her voice that raised Tov’s hackles immediately.

It was pointed, almost mocking.

Her eyes snapped up to Wren’s with a start. The warmth that had been there when they first met was gone. A sharp, steely glint had taken its place.

The air around them seemed to chill.

“I beg your pardon?”

Wren’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly, “I asked if you were giving up.”

“…I don’t know.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“I said I don’t know!” Tov snapped.

“Would Himei have wanted you to give up?” Wren asked.

Something hot like rage flared to life under Tov’s nerve endings.

“Fuck you.”

“It’s a simple question.” Wren shrugged, far too even and composed for Tov’s liking. “And it’s one Alien Stage will force you to answer.”

She grit her teeth, “Leave Himei out of this.”

“But she’s at the heart of it, isn’t she?” Wren asked.

Tov huffed and looked away, unable to argue.

Wren took her lack of response as confirmation. “This competition is win or die, Tov. Do you want to die?”

“No.” That much she knew for sure.

“Then win.”

Tov rolled her eyes, “You make it sound so simple.”

“It won’t be hard for you.” Wren’s voice softened back into what Tov had grown used to hearing.

“You could win this whole thing if you wanted to.” She said. “But you have to want it.”

Tov looked back at Wren, “How?”

“Think of all the people you’ve lost. Who is going to remember them if you die?” Wren asked. “Not the audience. Not production. For most, not even their owners.”

Tov knew she was right.

To the aliens, humans were disposable. Interchangeable. Easily forgotten and quickly replaced.

History would only remember whoever won the season.

The rest were nothing more than a pound of flesh for sacrifice.

Wren looked Tov in the eye then; her gaze strong and steady. “Do it for them. Do it for all of the stars you named in their honor.” She said. “As long as you’re alive, you carry their memories with you and they live on too.”

A lump welled up in Tov’s throat. Her eyes burned anew, but she was all out of tears. “But I… I don’t know if I can be “the Star” anymore.”

“Then become something brighter.” She could tell Wren was smiling by the change in her voice.

“The Sun is a star too.”

————————————————————

This was by far the hardest log for me to write. Himei was Tov’s first friend ever.

Without her, Tov probably wouldn’t have opened up to and formed relationships with everyone else she came to care for.

Now Himei is gone and Tov has yet another person to grieve. It’s even harder this time because Himei is the reason why Tov started naming constellations in the first place.

She’s definitely at her lowest point right now. Hopefully Wren’s… unconventional methods helped a bit.

It did give me a chance to callback to the graduation message Tov wrote Azure ( @azureitri ) (aka the original curse victim).

Anyways, sorry this is so late! I wanted to take my time writing because Himei is so vital to understanding Tov. I really loved her as a character too 🥲

Rest in peace, Himei. Or go fight Daiki ( @daiki1k ) in hell, idk.

Congratulations @lookatmysillies, you have broken both my heart and Tov’s heart yet again.

[vaspider]

In the event this isn't remotely weird for a long time follower with no actual interaction to say: mazel tov on the surgery! <3

It's fine, thank you very much. :)

[girlactionfigure]

⚠️ONE ALERT CLEARED - AND A NEW ONE - Real time from Israel  

ISRAEL REALTIME - Connecting to Israel in Realtime

✡️ NOTE in honor of the holy Shabbat, Israel Realtime DOES NOT POST NEWS from sundown Friday through nightfall Saturday aka Shabbat UNLESS sharing potentially life saving information.

⚠️CLEARED INFILTRATION ALERT - OVER, cleared - Kfar Giladi and Kfar Yuval, Kibbutz Maayan Baruch. 

⚠️NEW INFILTRATION ALERT - NEW: Har Bracha (Samaria), gunfire in the area.  Residents are instructed to take some protective measures, though it is NOT believed to be from inside the town.  Ready squad and IDF forces inbound.

🩸POGROM UPDATES

.. Amsterdam mayor declares state of emergency - granting police the authority to conduct searches and prohibiting protests over the weekend.

🔅 Min. Of Foreign Affairs - ALL Israelis “in-touch”.  No missing.  (Per N12)

.. TERM OF THE DAY - DARVO - Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender, watch for it in the mainstream media.

.. Testimonies from some of the Israelis who were attacked:  “They waited for us at every central exit and on the streets near Israeli hotels, holding knives and Palestinian flags. The police did nothing, they let them brutally attack all of us.”

.. A medic from Hatzalah that treated the wounded in Amsterdam: "I improvised, instead of a bandage I put toilet paper and instead of polydine I poured vodka."

.. In the Arab networks there is wild incitement for similar events in Europe as a whole, as well as incitement to mass demonstrations in support of the Gazan terrorist organizations, alongside calls on the networks and WhatsApp groups of pro-"Palestinian" demonstrators to look for Jews and attack them.

▪️Dr. Yehiel Leiter has been named Israeli Ambassador to the United States.  Mazal Tov and much success!

[todaysjewishholiday]

21 Menachem Av 5784 (24-25 August 2024)

Shavua tov! Semana buena! Gut voch! At tzet hakokhavim Shabbat departs and we enter another six days of labors. As the song says, may it be a week of peace where gladness reigns and joy increases.

Unfortunately, this week’s commemorations are not joyful ones. Rather, they are reminders that we are still in Av, a month of tragedies.

Today’s is one such catastrophe, a turning point in the catastrophic events that led to the deaths of six million European Jews at the beginning of the 58th century of the Jewish calendar.

In 5692, the Nazi leader Adolf Hitler had campaigned to become president of the German Republic. He was defeated soundly by the incumbent Paul Hindenburg, one of the legends of Germany’s conservative establishment, who was shocked to receive the support of a coalition of progressives who were determined to prevent the Nazis from coming to power and saw in Hindenburg’s significant popularity the best chance to defeat them. Hindenburg, for his part, also despised the Nazis, who he considered disorderly hooligans, but was also an opponent of German democracy who wished for the restoration of the Hohenzollern monarchy. Still, he swore to never give Hitler a post in government.

Hindenburg reversed that position hardly a year after his reelection as president when he called new elections due to conflict with his chancellor, and the government’s coalition lost seats to the Nazis, who became the largest single party in the German parliament. Determined not to allow any of the leftist parties into government, Hindenburg entered secret negotiations with the Nazis, which ended with Hitler’s appointment as chancellor. Hindenburg almost immediately regretted his choice and regularly attempted to keep Hitler in line by threatening to use his constitutional power as president to dismiss the chancellor and call new elections. But Hindenburg was not in good health, already 86 years of age at the time of his election and suffering from cancer. And despite his personal animosity towards Hitler and contempt for the Nazis he acquiesced to many of their requests so long as he saw them as strengthening the position of German conservatives and keeping the left at bay. To that end he authorized major limits to freedom of the press and the banning of most of the opposition parties, as well as supporting legislation to allow the cabinet to issue laws by decree rather than needing a legislative majority.

In 5694, Hindenburg’ health took a turn for the worse, and Hitler became determined to not face the risk of another president who would potentially be less compliant with Nazi goals and with the power to dismiss Hitler as chancellor. He began secret negotiations with the armed forces to gain their support for an unconstitutional seizure of the powers of the presidency upon Hindenburg’s death. On the twentieth of Av 5694, Hindenburg’s doctor informed Hitler that the president would not last another day. Hitler immediately called an emergency session of the cabinet to pass a law replacing the constitutional succession process, in which the supreme court’s head would serve temporarily until a new president could be elected, with the complete dissolution of the office of President and the combination of all the powers of both President and chancellor in one office. The next day, Hindenburg died, and Hitler immediately announced his new dictatorial powers to the nation. There was now no further legal procedure for removing him from power. There would be no more democratic elections in Germany until after Hitler’s defeat and death. On the 21st of Av 5694 the German military was also assembled to swear a new oath of loyalty— not to the Republic or the German state or people, but to Adolf Hitler personally.

The persecution of German Jews, which had been a part of Nazi party activities from the beginning, took on a far more threatening and invasive nature following Hitler’s successful seizure of full executive power. The removal of constitutional limits on their authority emboldened that odious man and his vile accomplices to commit the untold horrors which they had before only dreamed of. The 21st of Av 5694 was truly an evil day for European Jews.

[unbidden-yidden-deactivated20240]

Jewish Song of the Day #32: Miriam Haneviah

Comments:

Shavua tov! I hope you all had a nice, restful Shabbat and that its sweetness lasts you through the whole week.

I love this song, not just because it's Rabbi Deborah Sacks Mintz, but also because it's a feminist counterpart to Eliyahu Hanavi.

This is Rabbi Sacks Mintz's explanation:

In the 1980s, poet and liturgist Rabbi Leila Gal Berner composed a beautiful poetic midrash on one particular narrative moment we read in Exodus: Miriam’s role in leading the women of her community through the sea from the marginalization and oppression of slavery and into the unknown wilderness of freedom. An exploration of her beautiful poetry must begin with a framing of that very Exodus verse: וַתִּקַּח֩ מִרְיָ֨ם הַנְּבִיאָ֜ה אֲח֧וֹת אַהֲרֹ֛ן אֶת־הַתֹּ֖ף בְּיָדָ֑הּ וַתֵּצֶ֤אןָ כָֽל־הַנָּשִׁים֙ אַחֲרֶ֔יהָ בְּתֻפִּ֖ים וּבִמְחֹלֹֽת׃ “Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her in dance with timbrels” (Exodus 15:20) Her curiosity with this verse, combined with a desire to see women prophets and leaders recognized more broadly in ritual moments, drove her to compose the poem we today know as Miriam HaNeviah. Written with a rhythmic cadence designed to match the traditional Eliyahu HaNavi melody, her hope was to raise Miriam up in the moment of havdalah. The lyrics to the poem itself highlight Miriam’s leadership as multi-faceted: strengthening the the world’s song through her dance, repairing the world through her song, and ultimately, bringing on the waters of redemption only with the partnership of the broader community. I was deeply inspired by Rabbi Berner, as well as one of my collaborative colleagues Rabbi Ariel Root Wolpe, to continue this process of creative midrash by adding to the story R’ Berner began. She wrote a new text to be sung to a traditional melody, and I wrote a new melody to be sung to that very text. R’ Wolpe herself writes feminist poetry exploring the role of Miriam and, through the context of our hevruta studying women ancestral leaders in prayer and song, unearthed this new melody from inside my own heart and soul. From a compositional standpoint, the chorus is the main event of this song. Reading “bimheira b’yameinu” - quickly, in our days - there is an urgency to the hope and prayer embedded in this poem for redemption, and thus the melody itself mirrors that urgency, ascending upwards on the word “bimheira.” Other compositional tactics I used regarding such manners of word-painting, include a dance-like groove underscoring each verse, in recognition of the repetition of the phrase “tirkod itanu - dance with us.” But by far the most essential creative component of this song is that it was recorded exclusively with women. My artistic team for this recording consisted of Rabbi Ariel Root Wolpe, who I mentioned above, as well as Chava Mirel and Elana Arian, two of my long time musical partners who themselves have dedicated their lives in service to the Jewish people through composing, performing, and leading new Jewish music around the world - as both ritual leaders and as women, wives, and mothers. We all felt a deep connection to the women who came before us - including Miriam, as well as the women rabbis and musicians who have influenced our work and lives since - and poured this inspiration into the project. The lush harmonies in this recording are designed to be representative of the voices of generations of women in prayer, song, and leadership.

And here are the lyrics:

מִרְיָם הַנְּבִיאָה עֹז וְזִמְרָה בְּיָדָהּ בִּמְהֵרָה בְיָמֵינוּ הִיא תְּבִיאֵנ אֶל מֵי הַיְשׁוּעָה מִרְיָם תִּרְקֹד אִתָּנוּ לְהַגְדִּיל זִמְרַת עוֹלָם מִרְיָם תִּרְקֹד אִתָּנוּ לְתַקֵּן אֶת-הָעוֹלָם בִּמְהֵרָה בְיָמֵינוּ הִיא תְּבִיאֵנוּ אֶל מֵי הַיְשׁוּעָה 𝑀𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑚 𝐻𝑎𝑁𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑎ℎ 𝑜𝑧 𝑣’𝑧𝑖𝑚𝑟𝑎 𝑏’𝑦𝑎𝑑𝑎ℎ (x2) 𝐵𝑖𝑚ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟𝑎 𝑏’𝑦𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑢 ℎ𝑖 𝑡𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑢 𝑒𝑙 𝑚𝑒𝑖 ℎ𝑎𝑦𝑒𝑠ℎ𝑢𝑎 (x2) 𝑀𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑚, 𝑡𝑖𝑟𝑘𝑜𝑑 𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑢 𝑙’ℎ𝑎𝑔𝑑𝑖𝑙 𝑧𝑖𝑚𝑟𝑎𝑡 𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑚 𝑀𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑚, 𝑡𝑖𝑟𝑘𝑜𝑑 𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑢 𝑙’𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑛 𝑒𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑚 𝐵𝑖𝑚ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟𝑎 𝑏’𝑦𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑢 ℎ𝑖 𝑡𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑢 𝑒𝑙 𝑚𝑒𝑖 ℎ𝑎𝑦𝑒𝑠ℎ𝑢𝑎 (x2) Miriam, the prophetess strength and song are in her hands Soon, and in our time, she will bring us To the waters of redemption Miriam will dance with us to strengthen the world’s song Miriam will dance with us to heal the world Soon, and in our time, she will bring us To the waters of redemption

[Source: bandcamp]

[former-leftist-jew]

i’m a little anxious to send this not on anon but i saw one of your posts where a comment mentioned jewish conversion and you seemed to support it. my boyfriend is jewish and i would like to convert to judaism but a lot of the research i’ve done says that you can’t convert, you have to be born into it since it’s an ethno-religion. i know everyone has different beliefs about this but i worry i won’t be accepted

Hello tyblackthornsheadphones, welcome!

"my boyfriend is jewish and i would like to convert to judaism"

Oooh! Mozel tov! I'm always so happy to meet new people who want to join the Jewish community! <3

"a lot of the research i’ve done says that you can’t convert, you have to be born into it since it’s an ethno-religion"

Oh dear, I'm so sorry to hear that! D: There's so much misinformation being passed around online. :( Thankfully, I'm happy to report that those sources are incorrect: It IS possible to convert to Judaism. ^_^

Like any group, though, how friendly any given Jew is to potential Jewish converts depends on the individual and/or the group they belong in. Just as there's elitism and gatekeeping in every group of people ever (like high school cliques and video game circles--"you're not a REAL gamer unless X"), unfortunately you'll also find some snobbery, elitism, and gatekeeping in Judaism. :(

Though I think Rabbi Friedman has a very loving and accepting view of Jews by conversion. ^_^

The way I see it, the differing experiences of a "Jew-by-birth vs a Jew-by-conversion" can be comparable to an American citizen who was just born on American soil vs an American immigrant who had to go through a long and rigorous bureaucratic process to become an American citizen--they have to learn everything there is to know about American history, presidents, laws, customs, the legal system; spend a "probational period" living in America to become a naturalized citizen, etc.

(The Jewish religion used to be very conversion friendly, but that came to an end when Christianity and Islam became huge world powers who outlawed the Jewish community "tempting" good Christians or Muslims away from the One True Faith.

Jewish identity also used to be passed down from father to children in ancient times--as you'll see in the Torah--but that was changed by Hillel the Elder during the tyrannical reign of King Herod--yes, THAT King Herod! Hillel did this partly to give the children of Jewish mothers who were abandoned by their non-Jewish fathers a place in Jewish society, and he did this partly as a big old political "fuck you!" to King Herod, whose father was only nominally Jewish and his mother was a foreign gentile woman.)

Chabad is an Orthodox Jewish organization.

And here's a link from a Reform Judaism POV. ^_^

In my experience, Reform Jewish synagogues and organizations tend to be more accepting of and friendly to Jewish converts. (Though it's not universal! Sadly, there are snobs everywhere. D:)

So if I were you, I would just start with checking out some books on Judaism from your local library, attend Friday night or Saturday morning Shabbat services with your boyfriend (that's usually a time when non-Jewish guests attend).

If your local college has a Hillel or Chabad Jewish student organization, I would visit that too! They usually host fun events that are free and open to to all, especially students who're just interested in connecting with other Jewish students, and learning about Jewish identity. ^_^

In the meantime, I'd just take time to study and learn about Jewish history and culture just for fun.

I think Sam Aranow's "Jewish History" Youtube series is a very entertaining way to learn about Jewish history, from ancient to modern.

Unfortunately I have to go to work now, but if you have ANY other questions, please reach out to me! I LOVE sharing knowledge and resources about Judaism, especially to potential converts who show a genuine interest and curiosity.

(Jewish culture can be, in my opinion, not as accepting and welcoming of potential Jewish converts as they should be, and I want to make up the difference. ^_^ )

[apriciticreveries]

smol groups / duos that i made up just now :

kyo, azure, and aurien — ( the soft - voiced group . yea that’s about all of it . there are definitely other people that can fit in this group but i have sadly forgotten them . i have a funny little idea that the 3 would sometimes have to practice together because of their vaguely shared tones,

or kyo would sometimes have to sorta kinda mento the 2 with having the most experience . aurien would definitely still be a people pleaser around him because one part of the reason she doesnt interact with him is because she’s scared of him . im honestly going to assume azure will not care as usual ?

maybe they even could form a small group ? definitely not for real since kyo and azure are already in round but maybe they do it temporarily sometimes for certain fan events where idol groups are mixed up . )

lang, evon, jiu, and yume — ( ah, yes . the oreo group . )

castor, solei, and dian — ( fire, sun, and candle . . possibly the light, or bright group ? they are considered to be the more brighter counterparts of their duos, castor and kyo, solei and aurien, dian and nyx . )

sai, rose, aurien, lang, and jae — ( THE FREAKS . )

solei and aurien — ( good old sun and moon duo ! although i don’t think they would actually do it like the kyo azure and aurien group situation, maybe they form a cute little idol duo )

akane, tov, and nyx — ( the star group ! )

that’s all for now ! ! im open to any other suggestions : D

——————————————————————————————————

kyo & castor : @bluemoonscape / @lookatmysillies

azure : @4listr / @azureitri

lang : @pwippy / @its-langgg

evon & jae : @kofeedoggo / @heycloseyoureyes

jiu & solei : @solei-eclipse

yume : @sotogalmo

dian & nyx : @rockwgooglyeyes

akane : @aakaneeee

tov : @ivanttakethis

[klapollo]

I haven't gotten into it but there was just so much weird bullshit going on with my firing that I can't even hope to explain it all in one post

I was the only copywriter at the company, despite most companies having an entire department where even at my slot in the hierarchy I'd have two other writers to report to and rely on for editing assistance.

I wasn't given a single inkling of there being a problem until my mid year check in, at which point I was told I was apparently doing everything wrong. I was told I was missing deadlines (something I never do) when I met every one I was given, and my coworkers habitually just completely forget projects, including several I worked hard on that now won't see the light of day because of it.

I was told I didn't understand our company's brand tone of voice, which we have no guidelines on despite me asking what the TOV is since my very first interview. One of the funniest examples of this shit was when my manager looked at a social media post I wrote and told me that it was as if I hadn't read last year's post about the same event, which I had -- I looked up the post he meant when we got off the call, they were basically identical.

And the thing is I pushed so, so hard to keep my job that they kept having to move the goalposts. My problems one week would be wildly different than the week before. I refreshed our entire help center in a week with no acknowledgement from my manager, I cataloged almost 300 pieces of sales collateral in organized spreadsheets (something I've never done before and was NOT in my job description) despite our poorly organized data. I wrote 60 minutes of webinar scripts + a 30 page slideshow.

Eventually I was trying so hard that the final reason was that my writing is just poor. Which is subjective, so I can't fight that and they can always pretend it's true.

[bluemoonscape]

ALNST OC Profile

Hey all! I am astoundingly lazy and getting burned out on the ALNST character template formatting, but @ivanttakethis’s use of a Picrew for Tov gave me renewed motivation to get my last two OCs, Himei and Kyo, into the world and make them suffer. Here’s Himei:

Birth Date: 0528 (Gemini)

Age: 22

ID: 035314

Body: 163 cm/66 kg

Affiliation: Anakt Garden

Likes: Fashion, Reading, Constellations

Dislikes: Silence, Interruptions in Class, Fighting

Special Talent: Makes exquisite shadow puppets

Fun Facts:

-she/her pronouns

-Her guardian, Iquia, adopted Himei and her brother Hayate together, wanting to have the experience of being a caretaker

-Himei’s hearing began to deteriorate soon after she arrived at Anakt Garden. Iquia, fearful that Himei wouldn’t be able to continue learning and enhancing her musical abilities (or would be tossed out by the industry altogether because of her disability) had Himei go through a surgery to receive implants (similar to cochlear implants) that would give her some sense of hearing back

-Tallis’s best friend since they were little kids in Anakt Garden. Like many other students, they didn’t really know what romantic feelings were supposed to look like, but have acted like a couple for years

-Following Himei’s graduation, she mostly did modeling and theater gigs before Alien Stage

-gained more fame than Tallis, Cas, or Kyo before Alien Stage, giving her a boost in popularity

-her brother was trained as a guard for various high-profile events and may be working at the show site 👀

-She’s very kind and generally avoids conflict, but can be assertive when provoked

-Branding is on the side of her right thigh, circled below:

That’s all for Himei! My final baby Kyo is up next.