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I pretended to be a bear for Rosh Hashanah

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I’ve always described myself as “nerd adjacent”. My Netflix list is almost entirely made up of documentaries, the highlight of my 21st birthday was that I could go to the Franklin Institute after hours, and my ideal date is spending a full day learning obscure animal facts at the aquarium. However, I’ve never felt inclined to dip my toe into roleplaying games like D&D and Live Action Role Playing (LARPing) even though my partner’s main hobby is playing D&D and my roommate is literally a professional LARPer. That is, until this Rosh Hashanah. 

During our most recent Shabbat (Gay)me Night, the LGBTQIA+ tribe virtually came together to play Honey Heist, a one-page roleplaying game in which you have two stats: CRIMINAL and BEAR. Now, you might be asking, “What made this (Gay)me Night different from all other (Gay)me Nights?”. While Honey Heist is a game available to everyone, this particular iteration was designed just for Tribe 12 by my roommate, the professional nerd. Our Game Master (GM) introduced the evening with the prompt “Rosh Hashanah is just a week away, and in a turn of luck Honeycon 2020 has just begun! Held at a large wilderness retreat; fans and purveyors of honey from all over will gather for a weekend of tastings and more; you’ve even heard a rumor that someone will be selling rare Black Orchid honey. Your crew is ready, the convention is open; if all goes to plan you’ll be having a sweeter Rosh Hashanah than ever before!

While we worked together to figure out puzzles and hatch schemes to steal the honey—including an elaborate ruse in which my bear, who was dressed in a B&W striped shirt and a beret, seduced the lead singer of the featured band by trying to pass off bear sounds as French—the game was filled with many delightfully Jewish easter eggs. The camp map was actually just URJ Eisner Camp in the Berkshires, the main stage had a shofar blowing, you could get samples of round challahs in the vendor hall, and we were given clues like “The note just says shana tovah”. 

However, our treasure trove of stolen honey wasn’t the sweetest part of this game. For a few hours, I could truly enjoy the new year with friends without having to contort my celebration to fit all of the safety regulations of the pandemic and the grief of losing RBG. I tried something new, I released the expectations of what Rosh Hashanah “needed to be”, and I spent time laughing with my queer Jewish community. Somehow, playing a Jewish pickpocket bear named Misha checked all of my boxes for entering 5781. 

This was an incredibly fun game for well-seasoned gamers and newbies alike and I’m looking forward to incorporating it into my Rosh Hashanah celebrations for years to come. If you’re interested in our monthly LGBTQIA+ (Gay)me Nights, come play Codenames with us on October 16. I promise you, this isn’t your bubbe’s Mahjong night at the JCC, it’s likely a lot more tame and a lot more friendly.

Remembering Stonewall to Protest Racial Injustice

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51 years feels like an eternity.

In 1969, astronauts landed on the moon and the earliest version of the Internet popped up. For queer folks and allies during June, we also remember the Stonewall Riots, the linchpin of the modern-day LGBTQ Rights movement arguably began.

Before the Stonewall Riots, actions coded as queer were criminal offenses; if your clothes or demeanor were seen as too different from the typical Christian heterosexual person, you would be arrested. Being outed as queer could get you fired. By the end of the 1960s, several covert gay/lesbian clubs popped up around the country. The police routinely raided and arrested patrons of underground gay bars, and LGBTQ people had had enough.

On the night of June 28th, 1969, undercover cops tried to raid the Stonewall Inn, but those in the bar – especially trans people of color – refused to go. More police came, and a riot broke out. Some say bricks were thrown, others say drink glasses and rocks, but this was the breaking point. A mob of queer people shouted “gay power” and sang, causing the world to wake up and look towards this small bar in the middle of New York’s Greenwich Village.

That was an extremely shortened version of the full story (I’m reading Stonewall Riots: Coming Out in the Streets by Gayle E. Pitman). It was a time of unrest, where the public wasn’t on the side of queer people, and things had to get loud and uncomfortable for change to come.

As a gay man, I’m in awe of what previous generations had to go through to be accepted and heard. And 51 years later, the world is waking up again, this time to police brutality and racial injustice.

No one has the luxury to remain silent anymore. It is our responsibility to stand up and support these protests calling for fair treatment and institutional change.

In 1973, the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality as a mental disorder. Just this week, Merriam-Webster is amending their definition of racism to better reflect the systemic issues faced by people of color. The tides are turning, and Jews/LGBTQ people know the feeling of the world against them and the need to speak up.

In the 1960s, Rabbi Abraham Heschel stood with MLK and other Civil Rights leaders. He famously said, “When I marched in Selma, my feet were praying.” Jews remember our past, so it’s troubling to see history repeating.

To the queer folks reading this, happy Pride Month. Let us remember the riot 51 years ago that changed the world forever, and support the ones going on now.

History will remember.

Written by yours truly,

Ross Weisman, Engagement Associate at Tribe 12 

Interested in have virtual coffee with Ross? Set up a time like right now! 

Umm So What is Shavuot?

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1.  Shavuot is one of the three harvest festivals that Jews celebrate

2. Shavuot is exactly 7 weeks and 1 day which correlates to the 50 days in between our exodus from Egypt to receiving the 10 commandments

3. This is the holiday where the Israelites became the Jewish people and received the 10 commandments

4. When we received the ten commandments we were told that the land of Israel (where we were headed) is “a land flowing with milk and honey” that is why Jews talk nonstop about cheese, cheesecake, and all things dairy this time of year 

5. It is tradition to eat circular foods on Shavuot, for example, cheesecake, pizza, sushi, or even a galette! 

6. There are no formal ritual or ritual items for Shavuot which is why a lot of people might not have learned about it in religious school or as a child!

7. Some Jews have adopted the ritual of staying up all night studying Torah to honor Shavuot, just like the Israelites stayed up all night waiting for the 10 commandment

8. Moroccan Jews have a custom to eat a few pieces of matzah on Shavuot to close the cycle from Passover to Shavuot

9. In the Reform tradition often time 10th graders are confirming their adult commitment during Shavuot 

10. Shavuot is a holiday of celebration and joy!

 

Boom! You just learned about Shavuot 10 commandment style!

 

12 Things I Learned as a Tribe 12 Intern

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For the past four months, I have had the privilege to work alongside the awesome staff at Tribe 12 through Temple University’s Feinstein Center Jewish Professional Internship program. As a new 20s/30s, I got a chance to interact with and market to much of Philly’s young Jewish community.

 

Here are twelve things that I’ve learned during my time here:

 

  1. Judaism looks different for different people, and someone’s Judaism can influence their life in many different ways.
  2. Connecting with other Jews can help people feel more in touch with their own Judaism, whether it’s a new group of friends, a significant other, or a Friday night Shabbat squad.
  3. Listen to your constituents and be responsive to their needs.
  4. Food-related content is almost always good content, and Jewish food-related content is almost always great content.
  5. In the right atmosphere, it’s easier than you’d think to connect with people!
  6. Social media can be a super helpful and powerful tool to spread ideas, especially when a nice picture and some fun emojis are involved.
  7. Zoom events are sometimes intimidating, but can be very successful (ie. Pitch Night)!
  8. Lots of thought and hard work goes into even the small details of planning an event.
  9. Almost any graphic can be edited together on Canva, especially because I haven’t used Photoshop since high school.
  10. In times of crisis, people want and need a sense of community more than ever.
  11. The Philadelphia Jewish community is strong, interconnected, and full of opportunities.
  12. A great group of coworkers definitely make an internship all the more enjoyable 🙂

Quaran-Cleaning & Organizing Part 2

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Hi there, Tribe 12 community! I’m Nicole Wasilus, owner of Everybody Loves Organizing, and I’ve got some organizing tips for you to make your home more zen & orderly while you’re staying in.

Bedroom

 

Most of us are working from home now, so we’re spending much more time in our spaces. A simple but effective thing you can do is make your bed every morning. It takes just a minute or two, and it makes your bedroom’s energy so much different. It’s a great way to get the day started on the right foot. And if you don’t have a lot of storage space, remember that the underside of your bed has plenty of room for plastic bins or slide-out drawers!

Take a look at your dresser. A method from Marie Kondo that I love is file folding, which is where you fold and stack your clothes horizontally rather than vertically. Here’s a video tutorial on how to do it, and I challenge you to give it a try. It takes a little time upfront, but you’ll save time and energy down the line. No more fishing for that one t-shirt and messing up the rest!

Finally, let’s look at your bedroom closet. I recommend having uniform hangers. When everything matches, it looks so much cleaner! And just like in the kitchen, take everything out to see what still fits and what you actually like. As you put everything back, take time to sort by sleeve length, formalness, or even color!

Closets 

You know what I’m going to say, but it’s important to repeat: look through your closet’s coat collection, and decide if there’s any you don’t wear. Using matching hangers, organize your coats from short to long, and group them together with who they belong to in your household.

Treat your suitcases and luggage like nesting Russian dolls. Store smaller suitcases and travel bags in a larger one to save space! Similarly, maximize your storage by using all the vertical space in your closet. Store out of season items or things you don’t frequently use at the tippy top. Consider a shoe rack like this one I have from the Container Store (my home away from home). When everything has its place, your closets really come together.

Those are all my tips. I hope they were informative and sparked a fire in you to take this time we have and get organized! If you have questions or would like to talk in-depth about your space, contact me on my Facebook page!

 

12 Questions with a Tribe 12 Fellow

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Fellow: Hillary Barlowe

1.) What was your introduction to Tribe 12?

Rachel Lewitt, began her venture, Somewhere, last year and I was excited to support a friend at Pitch Night! I started attending Tribe 12 events and was excited to apply for the fellowship!

2.) What motivated you to take part in the Fellowship?

I hoped to create my own opportunities as an entrepreneur and make connections to others in my community doing the same. 

3.) Which elements of the Fellowship did you find most enjoyable? Most difficult?

To show up authentically is always vulnerable, but finding that others reciprocate that presence made it much more comfortable. I’ve been so glad to get to know the cohort and support each other’s ideas and ventures.

4.) How did your venture begin?

I saw a church on 42nd and Spruce that is no longer in use and had an idea for community religious spaces that isn’t centered on services, but supplementary. I envisioned a space that would be a sanctuary to those who feel spiritual in whatever shape that takes and would allow individuals to learn tools to reconnect with their souls. 

5.) How did it change throughout the Fellowship?

I’ve focused on trauma-informed care, though I’d ideally love to have space for creative activities like art and music, I found the most pressing space that needs to be held is one for cultivating resiliency as well as workshopping individual, generational, and ancestral traumas with community. To care with, not for each other’s joy as well as their pain is the goal. 

6.) How is your venture influenced by your Judaism?

I was inspired by tikkun olam within a similar framework to Kintsugi. There’s an idea that when too much Source fills a vessel, it may shatter. Kintsugi, a Japanese art, allows for the improvement upon broken things rather than just mending. Broken ceramic is restored with golden paint. I’d like to help others learn the tools to mend their own scars with the golden paint of Source. While we may never be the same as we once were, we can be creative works in progress endeavoring to be even better.

7.) What are your future goals and plans?

I’m currently looking into accreditation programs like mindfulness certification and somatic experiencing as well as ordination. One day I would like to have a storefront with space for workshops as well as space for individuals to create their own ritual objects. 

8.) What does Jewish community mean to you?  

I find so much joy in being a member of a community and supporting those around me. Jewish community to me, means that individuals are able to express their Judaism with freedom and individuality.

9.) What are you looking forward to for Launch Night?

I’m looking forward to celebrating the culmination of the cohort’s ventures as a shared community.

10.) What is your nerdiest hobby?

I’m a knitter…

11.) Where would we find you on a Friday night?

Shabbat services or a Shabbat dinner with friends!

12.) What is your favorite thing about yourself?

My favorite thing about myself is my ability to start fresh daily.

Join us for a sneak peek of the ventures at Pitch Night, March 31st and the finished product at our 10th Annual Launch Night, May 12th. 

Written by: Carly Goldberg, Tribe 12 Intern