Baruch Hashem Obama
So as long as we’re having fun with BHO here, can I get a witness? The man looks good in a kippah.
(From today’s NY Times)
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Kaffiyeh Feygele
This is somewhat old news but it provides a new way to beat a dead scarf, so why not.
A few days ago I spotted a young German man on the Berlin subway wearing a Kaffiyeh Yisraelit. I mentioned this to a German friend. My friend did a quick google search and turned up this gem: The Kaffiyeh Feygele. It seems a gay or two on the “anti-German” left has now appropriated Rachel Ray’s favorite scarf.
In the place of the classic Levantine pattern, the Kaffiyeh Feygele has hearts, butt plugs, condoms and hammers and sickles. Also, it has stars of David in the corners. This is an article in the German paper Taz on the phenomenon.
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Rachel Ray ain’t got nothing on Israelis
Mobius is giving the blogosphere a reaming in the motherboard over the rightwingosphere’s dive tackling keffiyah-sporting Rachel Ray in the knees. Far be it from me to comment too much further than the grand-daddy of the topic has already done.
But since Mobes made me more aware of the keffiyah trend, I really did a double-take a couple times while in Israel two weeks ago: keffiyahs are for sale everywhere. And not by Arabs in the Christian and Muslim quarters of the Old City, or East Jerusalem, or Nazareth — but by Jews in Jewy places.
I first saw them in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City, not too far from the Jaffe Gate. In particular, I stopped to photo and joke about the rainbow-colored keffiyah on sale with the red and black ones. “What is this?” we joked, “the gay-friendly Palestinian resistance?” After a couple jokes about the audacity of a “log cabin” Hamasnik, I moved on.
But what really made me stop and stare was the prominent display of a rack of brightly colored scarves in the windows of fashion boutiques in Tel Aviv’s trendy Shuk HaCarmel! The shop was called “Smash Wear” which nearly made me pee my pants at all the possible and incredibly inappropriate puns.
Mobius can say what he wants about American ignorant hipsters being duped into buying “peace scarves” (I’ve confronted a few friends myself who didn’t know any better), but now we’ve gone muddied the waters when Israelis either (a) wear them or (b) sell them to tourists. Is this irresponsible or have we actually managed to strip the keffiyah of it’s national symbolism?
I’m an advocate of cultural appropriation. Judaism is just a litany of appropriations of other people’s food, clothes, philosophy — latkes apparently are a Polish food, available year-round in Polish shops in Williamsburg, for example. With the exception of matzah, I think very few cultural trappings of Judaism are actually invented by a Jew. So this keffiyah thing doesn’t bother me that way.
But I’ve been considering a line of hipster wear with Chillul who? which smashes a few other borders: a Palestinian flag kipah, for example. Or let’s go all out and make a keffiyah out of little blue Magen Davids! How about a keffiyah-colored tallis? Let’s just say “fuck it” to the sacred cows and have an end to them. Fashion has killed the keffiyah and we can only wonder what other national symbol is next. Is any one taking bets?
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Overheard in DC or Random Moments in Hipster-Watching and Nationalism
I was walking near my office earlier this week and overheard a conversation between two bikers. Both were riding fixed gear bikes and wearing vintage hats. One of the two bikers had on a keffiyeh with the PLO/Arafat keffiyeh worn as a scarf.
This is what i heard:
keffiyeh guy: so, lunch?
non-nationalist symbolism guy: yeah let’s grab falafel.
kg: [several second pause] falafel, what’s falafel?
nnsg: you know, it’s, like, made of chick peas. it’s really fuckin’ good.
kg: whatever man. i’m always up for some new shit.
thank god for urban outfitters and amateurish hipsters. a winning combination if ever there was one.
in related food news, today i got some takeout and they threw in a fortune cookie. I got back to work and ate at my desk while trying to hit a deadline. the fortune:
“there is a true and sincere friendship between you both.”
Both? Me and my computer? In bed?
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Shmatte Social Justice
The Progressive Jewish Alliance in Los Angeles (along with Ikar) is putting together a kosher fashion show–that is to say, an event designed to raise awareness of sweatshop clothing and its alternatives.
Deets:
Rags to Righteousness features: a sweatshop-free market place, dj, fashion show, drinks, snacks and more.Sunday, November 4th at 5PM - Fashion Show at 6PM
Writers Boot Camp @ Bergamot Station Arts Center
2525 Michigan Ave, Santa Monica, CA
For even more details, go here.
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Acciones Plásticas Comes to St. Louis
The “Guatemalan Jewish Interdisciplinary Artist,” Maya Escobar created quite a buzz on this webstie (and others) when her original piece, Acciones Plásticas, opened last February in Chicago. It’s a series of five videos, each of which features a different stereotype: “…Orthodox Jew©, The JAP©, The Chach©, The Sexy Latina©, and The Mayan©. (Escobar plays all five parts)…Modeled after low-quality videos blogs, each video features a woman whose life has been visibly defined by societal expectations.”
As of this Friday, St. Louis area folks can check it out at the Bruno David Gallery. Or, if you haven’t yet, take some time to watch the videos on YouTube and MySpace- how surprised are you that many commentators take these women as the real thing?
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Own a piece of history
For almost three decades, the National Havurah Committee has been convening Summer Institutes to catalyze grassroots Jewish life across North America. Since 1985, the Institute, like any Jewish event of note, has produced an annual T-shirt. Each T-shirt features original artwork on that year’s Institute theme.
Fabric artist Amy Smith of Blue Feet Studio has created a quilt that incorporates 14 T-shirts from past Institutes, going all the way back to the first one in 1985:
This quilt will be raffled off at next week’s Institute and go to one lucky winner, but you don’t have to be present at Institute to enter and win. You can buy raffle tickets online until Wednesday, August 8, at midnight. Buy one, buy two, buy fifty, and take home a piece of artwork that encapsulates several decades of independent Jewish innovation.
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Delia’s offers keffiyehs as “Peace” scarves
Uh huh. And this guy with the machine gun is giving a “peace” salute, right?
Enough with this nonsense already.
See previously: Strangely familiar “Anti-War Scarves†now at an URBN near you!, That “anti-war scarf†trend just doesn’t quit, keffiyeh archive @ Orthodox Anarchist
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Jewish Jewelry
Have a hankering for gorgeous jewelry that represents your Jewish identity but isn’t the ubiquitous Star of David? My mother, Maita Shinefield, the co-owner of Emunah Designs, recently launched their website. And though the website says: “Our customer is a woman who experiences true living, and she shares her joy and passion with everyone she touches,” I wear one of Emunah Design’s necklaces 24/7.
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The Epitome of High Fashion
L.E.D. Kippah
From Bangitout:
Introducing the LED Kippa scrolling digital message kippa, which can display a neon message on the yarmulke. Forget copyright infringement Nike & Sponge Bob Dugma’s - this yarmulke will rely on your wit rather than a half-assed Shrek design. Of course, kids will be able to display curse words directly on their kippa, which hopefully this will rid the Jewish world of kids wearing their kippa on their forehead (in order to hide the profanities for only those behind them.) Not sure if these are muksa (sounds like it) But check them out here: http://www.ledkippah.com/
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Zara put its chocolate in my peanut butter
This little story is interesting because I used to love to shop at Zara. They had neat sweaters, cheap shoes and black pants that made my booty look kind of okay. (And when you live in New York you’re not allowed to wear anything besides black pants, so that worked out great.)
It seems Zara’s Israeli stores were selling some similarly black, similarly booty-enhancing clothing to the frum community in Israel without disclosing a few shatnez violations…doh.
The Spanish clothing empire took out a series of adverts in Israeli newspapers to apologise for the error, which it said happened after a mistake in one of its factories. The suit contained a combination of cotton and linen which some rabbinical authorities class as an “unnatural” blend, known as shatnez to ultra-Orthodox Jews.
In a statement, the company said: “Zara regrets this mistake and would like to reassure its clients in Israel and particularly Orthodox Jews that it will do everything possible to prevent it happening again.” Zara has also promised to refund the cost of scientific checks for shatnez, which Orthodox Jews routinely carry out when they buy clothes. They return those which test positive.
I am going to ask my Orthodox friends if they have any extra shatnez testing kits lyng around, because I have no time for ironing linen clothes anyway and if they sneak that crap into my cotton I want nothing to do with them either.
Fashion chain Zara apologises for selling ‘non-kosher’ clothing (The Independent via Jezebel)
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One Ring to Rule Them All
Apparently, Tolkien isn’t the only one who likes magic rings.
According to the Testament of Solomon, a pseudepigraphic work of late Antiquity that serves as the basis for a whole genre of Solomonic magical lore, King Sol created a ring using a divine name of power and inscribed it with a seal, either a pentagram or hexagram (traditions vary). With this ring, he was able to enslave demons and he compelled them to help him construct the Temple in Jerusalem
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Der Holy Rebbe
The Forward reports,
American Apparel founder Dov Charney is notorious for ads featuring scantily clad young women modeling his company’s clothes while striking provocative poses. Now, it appears, he’s found religion — or at least he’s found the appropriate rebbe: Woody Allen.
The trendy T-shirt purveyor recently put up a billboard at the busy corner of Houston and Allen Streets on New York’s Lower East Side featuring a massive image of the neurotic filmmaker dressed as a Hasid from his masterpiece “Annie Hall.†Beside the picture, written in Yiddish, are the words, “der heyliker rebe†— “the holy rebbe.â€
Responding to an inquiry from the Forward, Alex Spunt of American Apparel explained: “Woody Allen is our spiritual leader.â€
Berel add his two cents at Seven Fat Cow.
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In our mouths and in our hearts: Day 19
Today: Oaths and vows
211. “Do not deal deceitfully” (Leviticus 19:11) = don’t deny that you have something that has been entrusted to you
212. “Do not deal falsely with one another.” (Leviticus 19:11) = don’t make an oath denying that something is in your possession
213. “By God’s name you shall swear.” (Deuteronomy 10:20) = if for some reason you’re making an oath, and if you’re telling the truth
214. “You must fulfill what has crossed your lips and perform what you have voluntarily vowed to Adonai your God, having made the promise with your own mouth.” (Deuteronomy 23:24)
215. “If a person makes a vow to God or takes an oath imposing an obligation on him/herself, s/he shall not break his/her pledge.” (Numbers 30:3)
216. The procedure for annulling vows (Numbers 30:3-16)
217. “The hair of [a nazirite's] head shall be left to grow untrimmed.” (Numbers 6:5)
218. “Throughout the term of his/her vow as a nazirite, no razor shall touch his/her head.” (Numbers 6:5)
219. “[The nazirite] shall not drink wine or any other intoxicant, or vinegar of wine or of any other intoxicant, and shall not drink anything in which grapes have been steeped.” (Numbers 6:3)
220. “Fresh grapes … [the nazirite] shall not eat.” (Numbers 6:3)
221. “Dried grapes [the nazirite] shall not eat.” (Numbers 6:3)
222. “Throughout his/her term as nazirite, s/he shall not eat anything that is obtained from the grape — even seeds…” (Numbers 6:4)
223. “…or skin.” (Numbers 6:4) = of the grape
224. “Throughout the term that the nazirite has set apart for God, s/he shall not go in where there is a dead person.” (Numbers 6:6)
225. “Even if [the nazirite's] father or mother or brother or sister should die, s/he must not defile him/herself for them.” (Numbers 6:7) = or for any other dead person
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In our mouths and in our hearts: Day 13
Today: SEX
136. The procedure for the sotah [woman suspected of adultery] (Numbers 5:11-31)
137. “No oil shall be poured upon it…” (Numbers 5:15) = on the meal-offering brought on behalf of the sotah
138. “…and no frankincense shall be laid upon it.” (Numbers 5:15)
139. “Do not uncover the nakedness of your mother.” (Leviticus 18:7)
140. “Do not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife.” (Leviticus 18:8)
141. “The nakedness of your sister — whether your father’s daughter or your mother’s, whether born into the household or outside — do not uncover their nakedness.” (Leviticus 18:9)
142. “The nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter … do not uncover her nakedness.” (Leviticus 18:11)
143. “The nakedness of your son’s daughter … do not uncover their nakedness.” (Leviticus 18:10)
144. “…do not uncover their nakedness, for their nakedness is yours.” (Leviticus 18:10) = your son’s daughter (#143) and daughter’s daughter (#145) are mentioned more explicitly, but that goes for your own daughter too.
145. “The nakedness of … your daughter’s daughter — do not uncover their nakedness.” (Leviticus 18:10)
146. “Do not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter…” (Leviticus 18:17)
147. “…nor shall you marry her son’s daughter…” (Leviticus 18:17)
148. “…or her daughter’s daughter.” (Leviticus 18:17)
149. “Do not uncover the nakedness of your father’s sister.” (Leviticus 18:12)
150. “Do not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister.” (Leviticus 18:13)
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That “anti-war scarf” trend just doesn’t quit
It’s baaaaaack!
Everyone’s favorite anti-war scarf is back, still in four hott colors.
Spotted these in San Francisco’s Union Square Urban Outfitters the other day. I asked the checkout dude what happened, and he said,
“Oh yeah. They pulled them for awhile last month and we weren’t allowed to sell them anymore. But they just put them back. I don’t know why.”
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In our mouths and in our hearts: Day 7
Today: Defense Against the Dark Arts.
61. “There shall not be found among you anyone who practices divination…” (Deuteronomy 18:10) = understood to refer to a different type of divination from #60
62. “Do not practice soothsaying.” (Leviticus 19:26)
63. “[There shall not be found among you...] anyone who casts spells…” (Deuteronomy 18:11)
64. “…or inquires of the dead…” (Deuteronomy 18:11)
65. “…or inquires of ghosts…” (Deuteronomy 18:11)
66. “…or inquires of familiar spirits…” (Deuteronomy 18:11) = #47 and #48 refer to doing it yourself, while #65 and #66 refer to consulting a professional.
67. “…or who is a sorcerer.” (Deuteronomy 18:10)
68. “Don’t round off the side-growth on your head.” (Leviticus 19:27)
69. “Don’t destroy the side-growth of your beard.” (Leviticus 19:27)
70. “A man shall not wear women’s clothing.” (Deuteronomy 22:5)
71. “A woman shall not wear men’s clothing.” (Deuteronomy 22:5)
72. “Don’t incise marks on yourselves.” (Leviticus 19:28)
73. “Don’t gash yourselves.” (Deuteronomy 14:1)
74. “Don’t shave the front of your heads because of the dead.” (Deuteronomy 14:1)
75. “When a man or woman commits any wrong toward a fellow person, thus breaking faith with God, and that person realizes his/her guilt, s/he shall confess the wrong that s/he has done.” (Numbers 5:6-7) = and repent!
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Shmatte Chic
The Forward’s Alana Newhouse writes in Slate,
Jews have been dressing America since as far back as the 1830s, when clothing was still handmade. In those early days, itinerant Jewish peddlers roamed the country selling cloth and accessories. (One such peddler was a man named Levi Strauss, who, after noticing that the miners in the California towns he passed through needed more durable clothing, designed a pair of trousers from his last piece of tenting canvas and changed fashion forever.) By the end of the 19th century, several technological developments—including, most crucially, the invention of the sewing machine—allowed for the wholesale production of clothing. There was soon a demand for labor at every level—designers, fabric cutters, seamstresses, and pressers, as well as merchandisers, distributors, and buyers—not to mention in the burgeoning accessories businesses (footwear, gloves, hats, buttons, belts, and more). In New York City, as well as in smaller urban hubs like Rochester, N.Y., and Cincinnati, Jewish immigrants flooded these fields—giving an entire industry a distinctly Jewish flavor.
[...]
But times have changed. In contrast to the assimilationist postwar decades, ethnic identity has become a point of pride for young American Jews, one that is paraded in every field in popular culture. A Hasidic reggae singer has been in regular rotation on MTV, one of the biggest movies of 2006 was a piece of Jewish vaudeville, and prime-time television is strewn with Jewish references and characters. (One of these, Entourage’s Hollywood agent Ari Gold, is played by Jeremy Piven, who recently appeared in a Gap ad with his Star of David pendant hanging from a necklace clenched between his teeth.)
Even given this broad re-engagement with Jewish culture and history, the nostalgia for and interest in the shmatte business over the past decade has been overwhelming.
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