Hebrew Word of the Week:
Someone taught me the term for peer pressure, which is lachatz chevrati (לַחַץ חֶבְרָתִי). Thanks, Ariella!
Hey friends,
Welcome to another joyful Jewish Friday!
It’s that time of year when the temperatures are higher, the days are slower, and I’m more likely to be found outside reading romantasy than writing indoors. So, August Drops may be a little shorter or more sporadic. Thanks for your patience!
This week’s Drop is simple. As some of you may know, I recently wrote a Substack note complaining about my too-depressing feed. It’s very Jewish, so it can be pretty negative, since there’s a lot of frustrating and scary stuff going on in the world. Like the fact that antisemitic assaults in the UK increased by 82% in the first half of 2026. Or just look at Michigan politics from this week.
While it’s important to make others aware of today’s climate of antisemitism, we can’t always be reactive or angry. We need to be the light in the world. It says so in the Tanakh!
"I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness... I will keep you and make you a covenant for the people and a light to the nations." -Isaiah 42:6
To me, light doesn’t only mean positivity and improving the world. It also means ~keeping things light~. I don’t know about you, but after Tisha B’Av, I could use more of that.
It’s been fun reading the 100+ responses I received! Some commenters, including Jewish personalities I admire, shared links to fellow ‘Jewstackers’. Some shared sweet personal stories. Some non-Jews shared their positive interactions with Jews (love it!!).
I even made connections with all sorts of joyful creators. I’m now featured on the Kosher Duck Revolution website (have I peaked?!), and I’m getting a Torah oracle reading next week!
Thanks to all who commented and contributed. Keep spreading more light. As the Kosher Duck Revolution website says: If hate can go viral, why can’t love?
Here’s the note and some responses. Read all of them here. Enjoy!
✍️ Shabbat Prompt
Now it’s your turn! What’s something that brings you Jewish joy? And why is it so important to embrace that Jewish joy? How do you sustain it?
Feel free to journal about it or write in the comments below (I started in the first comment to kick things off).
Shabbat Shalom. With love and challah,
💦 If you like joy, check out these Drops:
Let's Be 10% Jewier
This week, I listened to 92NY’s annual State of World Jewry address, given this year by New York Times columnist Bret Stephens. For the first time in a while, I felt energized about the Jewish future. Some of his points validated my sense of Jewish peoplehood, inspired me to continue my learning, and made me excited and curious for what’s to come in Jewish communal life.
3 Things Bringing Me Jewish Joy Right Now
From Hebrew learning to the inner lives of fictional yeshiva boys, here are my recs!
My joy: the other day, I was checking out at Trader Joe's while wearing my Shabbat Shalom (hey!) t-shirt. I was schmoozing with the cashier (who did not have an accent) when he looked down at my shirt and said Shabbat Shalom in an Israeli accent, smiling. I said back Shabbat Shalom (even though Shabbat was officially over).
He said, "gam lach" (and to you), as though trying to "bagel" me with Hebrew. I said "Ani lomedet Ivrit!" (I'm learning Hebrew), and he said something in Hebrew that was along the lines of my Hebrew was excellent. I said "toda, ani menasa" (thanks, I'm trying). We then wished each other a good evening in Hebrew. It was a nice and unexpected interaction!
Shabbat Shalom Miranda. These comments you received made me smile.
I had a moment of “Jewish Joy” when a visitor commented on our doormat. And I had the joy of explaining what shalom means and how it makes me happy to integrate it here in the south with “Y’All” 🤗 The door mat reads “Shalom Y’All”