🔥 Bringing the Heat This Tammuz

Post-trip Tammuz-ings, and some Jewish opportunities to help you stay cool (and grounded) this summer.

Tammuz is here, which means it’s really hot and I’m weepy. (To get a Tammuz refresher, check out this Drop.)

I’m weepy, quite literally so, because I’ve been having a hard time adjusting to being back home after my eventful trip to Israel.

I’m not talking about jet lag. I’m talking about missing strangers looking out for one other. I miss everyone working towards the same mission (you know, community and sense of purpose?). I miss people being on the same page about the Iranian regime being bad. I miss chocolate milk in a bag, dammit!

A local artist I met during the war with Iran, who said to me: “I can’t believe we get to sit here on this beautiful rooftop while so many people in the world are suffering through war.” That statement of gratitude, perspective, and compassion has stayed with me.

Back in New York, when walking to shul on Shabbos, I saw stickers placed over hostage flyers that read “Zionism is not Semitism.” Nice try, but thanks for the laugh and the nonsensical statement.

Then my friend told me her mailbox had the word “Israeli” written on it next to her name, and—guess what?—she’s not even Israeli.

My other friend voiced her concerns about Mamdani winning the mayoral race, something many Israelis also voiced to me. She said that his refusal to condemn violent speech against Jews will only endanger Jews in New York, in a city where antisemitism is already increasing. She’s not alone. Make that 20 friends.

I’m also fed up with other people’s opinions and blanket statements about the war in a way I wasn’t before, as if war is simple. As if we lost all our critical thinking skills and the ability to hold multiple truths at once.

I miss being there and just living. I’m aware this paints a simplified picture of Israeli society which is NOT the reality, but hey—I was only there for three weeks, and during that time, it really did feel like the country came together.

Back in NYC, proudly wearing my BTH shirt in honor of Carmel Gat, who was murdered by Hamas

As I write this, I realize my post-trip sadness is actually fitting for where we find ourselves in the Jewish calendar. We’re approaching the saddest time of the year, when Rome breached the walls of our sacred Temple, leading to our exile, and that feeling of spiritual longing really resonates right now.

That is why, as a palette cleanser in between two long posts, I’m keepin’ it short this week and providing some Jewish opportunities, mainly because I don’t have much else to say, other than… keep calm and stay cool!

💰 Donate to Shalom Austin’s Flood Relief Campaign

The news about this week’s flash floods in Texas broke our hearts. Jews all over the country expressed grief over the tragic loss of the young campers from Camp Mystic, knowing full well how camp is meant to be a place of joy, safety, and belonging. Donate here to help provide urgent relief to those affected.

🗓️ Sign Up for the “Living the Jewish Calendar” Online Class!

Speaking of the Hebrew months, my friend Darielle is hosting a free, six-session Zoom class on the Jewish calendar and it starts this Sunday! Here’s her description:

As 5786 approaches, join me on Sunday mornings for a journey through the Jewish calendar. The holiday cycle is like a spiral through history, repeating the same themes but never in the same way or the same place. What is the essence of each holiday? How might the rhythms of the Jewish year inspire and amplify our inner life? Are there spaces for dissent, doubt, or disaffection in the calendar, or is practicing tantamount to “believing?” We’ll learn together what it means to participate in the multifaceted tapestry of Jewish ritual.

Come learn with us - sign up here!

📺 Stream Jewish Content the Best Way… with a Discount!

Get the hottest Jewish streaming platform, ChaiFlicks, featuring shows and movies from all over the world! No, they aren’t paying me; I’m just a fan and subscriber, though I’ve written about one of their shows before!

ChaiFlicks is still having their 4th of July sale and I have the promo code. Comment “Chai” below to get the code - you can get 64% off a yearlong subscription! 😳

And when you do subscribe, I recommend the show Checkout. It’s like The Office but in an Israeli grocery store. It’s laugh-out-loud funny, and very, very Israeli.

✍️ Shabbat Prompts

What’s Tammuz without a little journaling? Feel free to write on pen and paper, or share in the comments if you’re feeling so bold and fiery!

1. What’s heating up in your life right now? What do you wish was heating up?

2. When have you felt spiritually “parched” or disconnected? What quenched that thirst, if anything?

3. What’s a skill you have that helps you navigate dark times?

Shabbat Shalom,