Hi hello and welcome to my Judaism Library!!!!
A collection of resources since my notes have been cluttered and spread across various platforms. I needed to organise them anyway, and how better to do that than with a 90s style webpage?
What do I love about Judaism?
I love the community, and sense of belonging it has given me. I love the emphasis on intellectualism, diversity, and looking out for each other! I love how Judaism encourages you to be the best you can be, and to never stop learning new things or growing as a person. I love how good it has been for my mental health, and how it challenges me to question things while never growing cynical. I love how joyous Judaism is, and how it is focused on the "here and now" rather than ruminating over an afterlife. I love how you can be an Atheist religious Jew and that is not an oxymoron because of how complex and rich it is. I love that there is a Jewish prayer for whenever you see a natural wonder such as an amazing sunset, or a powerful waterfall that asks you to take the time to really enjoy the moment.
In Judaism joy is the supreme religious emotion. Here we are, in a world filled with beauty. Every breath we breathe is the spirit of God within us. Around us is the love that moves the sun and all the stars. We are here because someone wanted us to be. The soul that celebrates, sings.
- Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, Studies in Spirituality, p. 258
I took the quote from this Tumblr post of users discussing Judaism's focus on joy. Give it a read!
Websites to learn about Judaism
- My Jewish Learning
- American Jewish University
- JewFAQ
- Chabad.org (Orthodox)
- ReformJudaism.org (Reform)
- Reform Judaism's Answers to Jewish Questions (same site as above, just their Q&A articles)
- ReconstructingJudaism.org (Reconstructionist)
- 18doors (Interfaith)
What You May Not Know Or Been Mislead About Judaism
- There is No "Judeo-Christianity"
- 10 Common Misconceptions about Judaism
- Four Common Misunderstandings about Judaism (an article rather than the above listicle)
- (Opinion) Thank God I’m an atheist… and so is my rabbi
- (Discussion) "Did You Mean Xianity?" A tumblr blog by a Jewish scholar on early Christanity, educating, and challenging Christian hedgemony.
Some of my favourite Jewish pages, and/or cool resources
- Ritual Well
- Jewish Women's Archive
- Siddur Davar Ḥadash - An inclusive, and nonbinary-friendly siddur by a transgender Jew.
- Nonbinary Hebrew Project
- Jewish Calendar
- Kosher Quest
Interesting reads and watches
- The Eight Genders in the Talmud
- GOLEMS & GEMATRIA: roleplaying Jewish characters
- The Golem and the Jewish Superhero
- (Opinion) A Gate in the Fence: A Non-believer’s Conversion to Judaism (note: he's still atheist don't worry)
- Jewish History Lab on Youtube
- Frum It Up - a youtube channel run by an Orthodox Sephardi Jewish woman. I am neither Orthodox, nor Sephardi but I enjoy her wisdom and "life hacks"!
Antisemitism
- TheJewitches' Antisemitism Education
- Blood Libel
- Goblins, Jews, and Antisemitism
- Jews and the Witchcraze
- Israel-Palestine: Avoiding Antisemitic and Islamophobic Hate Speech
- A Guide to Recognizing When Anti-Israel Actions Become Antisemitic (be warned: this features photographs of hate crimes)
- AJC Translate Hate Glossary (a reference to antisemitic tropes, memes, words, etc. with an explaination)
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's Website
- (Discussion) How interpretations of the phrase 'from the river to the sea' made it so divisive
Tzedakah (Charity)
- Charity Navigator's IP list
- Palestine Children’s Relief Fund
- Keshet - an organisation for LGBTQA+ equality in Jewish communities
Recommended Books!
| Book |
Author | Links |
|---|---|---|
| Here All Along | Sarah Hurwitz | GoodReads | Read |
| Jewish Literacy: The Most Important Things to Know About the Jewish Religion, Its People and Its History | Joseph Telushkin | GoodReads | Read |
Prayers and Songs I Enjoy!
And finally, a video of dancing for Simchat Torah that makes me very happy (and the music is good!)
