Mazal Tov "La Jewminicana"

Big phat congrats to "La Jewminicana," winner of the Cool Jew 4th of July Giveaway!


The Cool Jew 4th of July Gift Box contains $100 in prizes:

* Diversity t-shirt that reads, "It takes all of us to make the land bloom," from Jean Roth of Rotem Gear
* Alan Orich's latest Jewish Hero Corps comic book
* We Can Rise CD by Chana Rothman
* Cool Jew book by Lisa Alcalay Klug
* "No Limit Texas Dreidel" game invented by Jennie Rivlin Roberts and Webb Roberts
* "Salud!" Dreidel Drinking Game from ModernTribe.com

In response to the contest question, "Are you an American Jew or a Jewish American," Aliza "La Jewminicana" Hausman answered:

What do you mean are you a Jewish American or an American Jew? Of course, I am both. My identities are not mutually exclusive. On Shabbat, I am always a Jew at rest. But when, like this year, the 4th of July falls on Shabbat, I don’t want kugel or gefilte fish. I demand already-been-barbecued-before-Shabbat hamburgers, fries and chicken wings. It is here in America with its astounding religious freedom that I can be both fully Jewish and fully American. I can be a child of immigrants, strolling towards my kosher stores on every corner listening to Michael Jackson classics from the IPod earbuds in my ear.

Thanks so much to everyone who entered! Read all the thoughtful awesome answers here.

In other headlines, if you missed Wednesday's chat on XM Oprah Radio, in which Lisa Alcalay Klug and a certain poet laureate discuss Lisa's identity as an American, a Jew and the daughter of immigrants, as well as the tragedies and triumphs of all people in honor of the 4th of July, please drop a line to lisa (at) cooljewbook (dot) com for the link.

Meanwhile, stay tuned for our next big giveaway on Tu B'Av, August 5th. Tu B'Av can be loosely translated to Jewish sweetheart's day and we have a real sweetheart of a gift package coming your way!

Shabbat Shalom, happy 3rd and happy 4th!