Rosh Chodesh Sivan

Speaking Sunday, May 24th, at 3:30 pm at

Afikomen Judaica's New Moon Celebrations
3042 Claremont Ave., Berkeley CA 94705, (510) 655-1977.

This monthly series of readings takes place around the time of the New Moon, which is Rosh Chodesh, the beginning of each Hebrew month.

Each month's unique character will be highlighted in the readings being presented on that day.

Date: May 24 Hebrew Month: Sivan Characteristic: Revelation

Readers' Bios:

Lisa Alcalay Klug is an award-winning journalist and author of Cool Jew: The Ultimate Guide for Every Member of the Tribe, a 2008 National Jewish Book Award Finalist. She is a contributor to the New York Times, Forward, and many other publications and was recently named Erma Bombeck Humor Writer of the Month. She has been on an extended book tour across North America since August, 2008 and has been featured in numerous media outlets, including Dr. Maya Angelou's program on Oprah Radio.

Diane Sherman is a poet, artist, dancer and yogi. She has been searching for the sacred most of her life, only to find it in her own backyard, in the small moments, in the ones we tend to throw away: watching spider make her web, seeing sunflowers wither and fade at summer’s end, washing dishes, sitting with her cat in the sun. Diane has been writing since she was a teenager, but is just now bringing her poetry out into the world. In 2009 she created poemcards™ which combine her art and poetry in postcard form and is working on her first book of poetry. www.lotusofferings.com

Yiskah Rosenfeld has taught classes in Jewish text, ritual, and creativity to youth and adults for 18 years. An award-winning poet, her poems and essays appear in many publications including Lilith Magazine, Yentl’s Revenge: The Next Wave of Jewish Feminism, Bridges Feminist Journal, Kerem, and Jewish Women in America: An Historical Encyclopedia. Yiskah participated in the Arad Arts Project in Israel and served as writer-in-residence at the Brandeis Collegiate Institute. With an MA degree in jurisprudence from UC Berkeley and an MFA in poetry from Mills College, Yiskah is now on a mysterious and meandering path to becoming a rabbi.

If you are a poet/writer and would like to participate please contact: Jenny Overman: overman (dot) jenny (at) gmail (dot) com

Come on out and enjoy!

Today's Amazon Numbers

Today, Cool Jew took this ranking on Amazon's bestseller's lists:

#7 in Books > Entertainment > Humor > Religion
#99 in Books > Entertainment > Humor > Satire, General

This means, Cool Jew has been appearing on this bestsellers list consistently for nearly 9 months, since it's official September 1st release. And to that we say, Baruch Hashem, mazal tov and yeehaw!

Thanks For The Love!

A hartzig gedank goes to Arielle, the author of this fantastic post at Jewlicious.com:

As I have recently purchased my first pieces of Jewlicious Apparel, and finished reading Cool Jew- the Heebster Handbook, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about what I wear - what we wear... (more)

And it's another big shout right back to Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Life, Dewdrop Productions, and Maital Guttman--the makers of this awesome video, "The Hope, Remixed," which gives a hearty shout out to Cool Jew. Keep your eyes peeled for appearances of Sheebsters Michelle Citrin and Naomi Less, who also appear in Cool Jew, PLUS a fantastic shot of Cool Jew at Israel's Dead Sea. Click through the video for a chance to win your own video cam!



If you missed the link, never fear. For your chance to win a flip mino HD camera, all you have to do is:

1) Grab a camera
2) Look through old photos
3) Make a video and/or photo series, under 3 minutes, that tells us why you care about Israel, and what you hope for.
4) Be creative!

Make your own video or photo montage and visit www.youtube.com/hoperemixed. There, you can post your entries in giveaway contest for a free Flip Mino HD Camera! Submissions are due by 11:59pm Wed. May 20, 2009.

Shabbat Shalomie, Homies!

And the winner of the Call-Your-Mother Gift Box Is...

Michael W. and his mother, who have won the Cool Mamalah's Call-Your-Mother Gift Box!

Here is what Michael says about his mom:

My mother would truly love this gift box tremendously - I would love to even purchase one for her for Mother's Day. My mother was only able to have one natural child (my oldest sister) and adopted three others, and treated all four kids like they were their very own blood and none differently than the others. My mother has stuck by me and supported me all my life, albeit in times when she may have found it difficult to hold her tongue, she allowed me to fail in a way that got me to straighten up and fly right. She treats my wife like a true daughter and member of the family - and puts up with all the guff and never says a bad word about it. (Read more about Michael's mom here!)

All of the Cool Mamalahs: Jennifer, Maya, Doni, Meredith, Jennie and I are so touched by the entries to this giveaway. Thank you for sharing the descriptions of the special women in your life. We would love to stay in touch with you and invite you to join the Cool Mamalah's Email Lists. All who join this list receive:

* $10 Gift Code from ModernTribe.com -- good for $10 at ModernTribe.com

* 50% off Gift Code for the Modern Jewish Mom's t-shirt when it becomes available this fall. Meredith (the Modern Jewish Mom) & I are planning a contest to develop a beautiful graphic design celebrating all Modern Jewish Moms. We will notify you of the contest and invite you to vote for your favorite designs. When the t-shirt is available, you will be able to purchase it for 50% off.

* 15% off Gift Code for the new Cool Jew t-shirt featuring the cover design from Lisa's book.

Sign up to join!

* You can still purchase items from the Call-Your-Mother Gift Box on ModernTribe.com.

* MEET THE MAMALAHS:

The Call-Your-Mother Gift Box is presented by the Cool Mamalahs.

Based in New York, author and cooking instructor Jennifer Felicia Abadi wrote and illustrated her cookbook-memoir, A Fistful of Lentils: Syrian-Jewish Recipes from Grandma's Fritzie's Kitchen - now in its third printing in paperback. Among her many pursuits, Jennifer also operates "The Traveling Palate," a monthly event in New York City; guests enjoy a series of food demos and tastings and learn about less-common cuisines and cultures in an intimate café setting.

Maya Escobar is a Guatemalan Jewish digital media and performance artist. She received a BFA with an emphasis in Art Education from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and is currently completing her MFA at Washington University in St. Louis. Maya appears in a series of identity-related YouTube videos entitled "Acciones Plasticas" and serves as the Online Art Editor for Zeek, a Jewish literary journal. She has taught, performed and exhibited work in Germany, Spain, Guatemala, Puerto Rico and the U.S.

Meredith Jacobs is author of The Modern Jewish Mom's Guide to Shabbat: Connect and Celebrate-Bring Your Family Together with the Friday Night Meal (HarperCollins). She hosts "Connecting Family" on WYPR 88.1 fm, near her home in Rockville, Maryland and the video series "Faith in the Family" available on Beliefnet.com. Her monthly parenting columns appear in The Baltimore Jewish Times. She is also the parenting advice columnist and co-founder/editor of modernjewishmom.com.

Jennie Rivlin Roberts is the founder of ModernTribe.com, an online Judaica and Jewish gifts store for people with progressive minds, spirits, and style. She is also the co-inventor and manufacturer of No Limit Texas Dreidel, the game that crosses dreidel with Texas Hold'em poker. Jennie is a Dixie Jew, born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia.

Doni Zasloff Thomas of Montclair, New Jersey is a preschool music teacher, songwriter and the lead singer of The Mama Doni Band, which won the 2008 Simcha Award for "Inspiring Joy Through Music" at the International Jewish Music Festival Competition in Amsterdam. Recognized in The New York Times, New York Post, and many other media outlets, The Mama Doni Band appears nationwide, delighting families across the country.

and moi:

Award-winning journalist Lisa Alcalay Klug is California-based. Her book, Cool Jew: The Ultimate Guide for Every Member of the Tribe, is a 2008 National Jewish Book Awards Finalist. A contributor to the New York Times, Forward and many other publications, Lisa also edits the multicultural blog, Tolerant Nation. She is the daughter of an Ashkenazi Holocaust survivor and the descendant of the Sephardic Zionist and chief rabbi of Sarajevo, Yehuda Alcalay.

Today's Bestselling Numbers

The envelope please:

Amazon says:

Cool Jew is

#4 in Books > Entertainment > Humor > Religion
#31 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Judaism
#59 in Books > Entertainment > Humor > Satire, General

Shabbat Shalom and mazal tov all around!

Another Awesome Week

Sunday: AIPAC Policy Conference in DC
Monday: Ditto
Tuesday: Ibid
Wednesday: Cool Jew kitsch fest for the Lehigh Valley Jewish Federation
Thursday: The Colbert Report



What's next? Monday night reading at New York Public Library, Morningside Heights Branch, 6 pm.

Meanwhile, Cool Jew is once again an Amazon Bestseller:

#5 in Books > Entertainment > Humor > Religion

Yeehaw and mazal tov all around!!!

An Amazing Week of Spring Touring

Monday: "Cool Jew" JICNY class in Manhattan

Tuesday: Israeli Independence Day Celebration with Coolooloosh aboard the Intrepid, sponsored by Dor Chadash, with remarks by Mayor Bloomberg



Wednesday: Meetings with editors. Evening Yom HaAtzmaut program at the Museum of Living Heritage in Lower Manhattan

Thursday: More meetings with editors and at UJC, whose speakers bureau I've now joined. Evening: Billion Dollar Bail-Out Casino Night Fundraiser to benefit kid's writing program at 826nyc.org In a spectacular streak at the roulette table, I won about $400 billion, which I cashed in for VIP passes to the Colbert Report! Naturally, we couldn't leave without posing in costumes at the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co. and picked up our own pair of x-ray vision glasses. "Ever vigilant, ever true."

Friday: Blogging galore at TolerantNation, Jewlicious and more. "Cool Jew" session at the Beit Rabban Writer's Workshop in Manhattan. Target audience? Fourth graders!

Tonight/tomorrow: Shabbos at Carlebach... Shabbat Shalomie, homies!

Sunday: off to DC, Baltimore, Allentown and more!

Don't miss the Call-Your-Mother Gift Box Giveaway for Mamalah's Day, May 10th!