Lights Ignited - hopefully towards Change!

This past sunday, in a minivan loaded with instruments, musicians and Trader Joe snacks, Sarah Aroeste (the Ladino songstress) and I headed down to Philly to meet up with our Roots Rocker friend Chana Rothman to perform in our self-produced show: "Lights Ignite Change".


This event was all about three things:
1. bringing the community together around Hanukkah to celebrate with music
2. showcasing FEMALE talent
3. most importantly, that this female talent is committed to social justice and social change.

We invited many organization in the philly are to sponsor by promoting the event and promoting their programming - anything from the "Collaborative" which programs events for 20-30s, to the Jewish Farm School to the Philadelphia Moishe House special thanks to Rebeccah Karp) to a Dialogue Group focusing on peace initiatives through dialogue.

But we, as women and as activists, wanted to also, in this dark month of December, shed some LIGHT on a very very important issue in the Philly community, the Jewish community and the whole country. DOMESTIC ABUSE AND VIOLENCE.

Jessica Schaffer from the Jewish Family and Childrens Services in Philly came and spoke to the sold out crowd about this issue - that 1 in 4 (that's right, ONE IN FOUR) women in their lifetime will experience some sort of abuse or violence in their relationships. Often women lack resources to get help or even to leave - and JFCS is working hard through programming, hotlines and even CASH support to help women regain control of their lives.

We were just thrilled that everyone took information with them about this issue so that maybe they can help someone they know (or themselves) regain control of their lives.

The CONCERT itself was an amazing program of music that relates to Hanukkah and Judaism and social change - Chana, Sarah and I all sang with each other on our material - harmonies were flowing. An example here is Chana and Sarah singing Elohai Neshama here!!!!!!!

Thanks, Philly, for a great night.
Thanks to our sponsors, including the Philadelphia Federation Renaissance Group for the support.
And if you'd like a community event like this, please do contact me.
We were thrilled to create this for Philly and would love to do the same for your community!
naomiless@gmail.com

Jewish Chicks Rock: Along for the ride...

Jewish Chicks Rock: Along for the ride...

Along for the ride...

A few weeks ago, Limmud NY asked me to write up my thoughts on one of the Torah Portions, Parashat Lech Lecha.
Here are my thoughts - it's called: "Along for the Ride..."

Parashat Lech Lecha is famous – particularly famous because this is the transitional moment when Abram (soon to be renamed Abraham) becomes a Jew. He’s directed to leave all that’s familiar, to the house where he was born, from his father’s house, and to go to a land that God is going to show him. Take a risk, go forth – journey forward with your life.

But who else is affected by this leap Abram takes? When one person grows, sets off on a journey, it affects their family members as well – and as is often the case, we don’t hear from those voices in the Torah in these moments. It’s time to put ourselves in the shoes not of just the hero on the hero’s journey, but of those who end up on that journey with him, for better or worse. How are those "along for the ride" cared for or considered in his pursuits?

Abram, our hero, enters this journey with his wife by his side. Sarai (she’s not yet renamed Sarah) goes through an intense journey herself, and some may say sacrifice for the sake of the (or his) larger vision.

The scene opens in Chapter 12 verse 10-20, we hear the story of Abram and Sarai heading down to Egypt. Yep, there was a famine in the land and three generations before his great grandson Joseph, Abram goes down to Egypt. Try, just try and imagine this scene: Abram, Sarai (and all the family flock who are with them) are about to enter Egypt when Abram turns to Sarai and reminds her of how gorgeous she is…

What must Sarai have been thinking at that moment – I know what I would think: “uh-oh, what does he want from me!” Abram continues on to say (Verse 12): “If the Egyptians see you, and think, 'She is his wife,' they will kill me and let you live.” Verse 13 says: “Please say that you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that I may remain alive thanks to you."

Imagine you are Sarai - Say I’m your sister?? Really? How will that help your situation? Would they kill you and take me away? What is going to happen to me? What are you saying? What is this place that we’re entering – such narrowness? Yes Mitzrayim – the narrow place. Do I have a choice here?

Does she?

Well, apparently, she obeyed in the end. She took one for the team, so to speak, for when they entered Egypt, everyone saw Sarai’s beauty, the Egyptians, Pharaoh’s courtiers, and they just up and took her to Pharaoh’s palace. Was there a goodbye? Was she freaking out? Imagine – you are being taken away from your husband and traveling family to a strange palace, with people who don’t speak your language, most likely – and will you ever see your husband again?

And back to Abram, in exchange for giving up his “sister”, he scored quite a boon – sheep, oxen, donkeys, camels – oh and slaves.

Abram – seems he got a pretty price for his wife, I mean, sister.

What happened to Sarai? How was that first night in Pharaoh’s palace, torn away from her husband in a strange land with a different language and customs? We don’t known.

The text doesn’t voice this herstory.

Now, lest you think Sarai was left to a fate of a “kept woman” in a palace, Pharaoh (in the Genesis Apochryphon) wasn’t able to have sexual relations with Sarai for TWO years. (This is built off of the Torah text in verse 17 that says Pharaoh had a ton of severe plagues.) But wait, she was “kept” for two years?

Well, ultimately, Pharaoh does let Sarai return to her husband when he finds out that she’s really Abram’s wife (and has a bunch of plagues because of this.)

What agency did Sarai have for herself if any? What was her experience through all of this? The text tells us that Abram asked her to sacrifice herself – he said please will you do this for my sake. And she apparently does. So should Abram not have gone on the journey? Should he not have gone to Egypt? Is there any blame or fault to be placed in this narrative? Could any of this been avoided? Abram went on a journey, but that journey impacted others – and so when we go on our own journeys, it’s important to take risks and follow our dreams and paths and callings, but also to make sure that we take care that the people who are impacted by our actions are cared for as much as we can care for them in that process. Let us not be reckless in our pursuits of greatness, innovation, change…When you leap, who do you take with you?

Boca brings it...

Wow, what a gig.
Now, I know that I play out a lot and meet a lot of people, but I have to share this experience I had last night at Congregation Bnai Israel in Boca Raton.

As part of the Mark S. Bertuch Make-A-Difference Program, we played a concert and were asked to share some experiences about risk, resilience and Jewish values. This program addresses self-esteem issues, addiction and substance abuse, sexuality, teen dating abuse, just to name a few things.

(Thanks so much to Marilyn Asofsky and Cantor Stephanie Shore and to Susan Shane-Linder for the pics, powerpoint and powerful advocacy!)

As many of you know, these topics and helping teens to build life-skills that enable them to make positive choices in their lives is EXTREMELY important to me. I spent some time in between songs sharing some stories, some challenges I've had, or that I've seen and asked what the risks are to standing up against negative forces. The teens in this community blew me away - with their openness, their understanding, their respect for one another, the way they listened to each other. I learned as much if not more than I taught.

What a gift.

Rock on, Boca...

Jewish Chick Rock Fall update

Isn't Fall flying by? SO much has happened.

1. I got married - to my amazing co-writer/producer and drummer, Glenn Grossman.
It was a 70s disco wedding!


Other Jewish rockers helped out with the honors, including

Shira (Shirlala) Kline,

Josh Nelson (Project)

and Chana Rothman.

2. It seems that every time I turn a corner, there's another Jewish band with WOMEN in it - which is AMAZING! Tons of Jewish girl bands popping up in NY.
Check out the Shondes and Girls in Trouble. And as always, my faves, Chana Rothman and Sarah Aroeste.

Are there any in YOUR community? We're starting a movement, women! Get out there and express yourself!

3. And speaking of: I am in need of another female guitarist - so if you know any rockin' women who can shred on guitar, please put them in touch with me!

4. CALLING Pre-Teen and Teen Jewish girls in the five boroughs of NYC who want to rock out and learn how to play in a band and write music. We're going to start a Jewish Chick Rock Club this year - so put me in touch with your parents. (jewishchicksrock@gmail.com)


5. Jewish Chicks Rock SOCIAL MEDIA
We're learning all these social media tools, which I'm really psyched about.
We have a twitter name (jchicksrock) so follow us.
Also, feel free to re-tweet this - there's a button on the right hand side!

And as always, if you'd like us to come to YOUR neighborhood, please do get in touch.
Check out the tour schedule below.

Peace, love and chick-rock!