“Cartoonmentary” is an animated series that tackles taboo topics, such as miscarriages and Down syndrome, and transforms them into meaningful art, with the goal of helping people who are suffering silently to know that they are not alone. “Cartoonmentary” was developed by Chari Pere in the Jewish Writers’ Initiative 2024 Digital Storytellers Lab.
“Our failure as faculty to challenge our protesting students, opting instead to shrink the complicated history of youth activism to a single, unrepresentative (but well-soundtracked) moment of it several decades ago, is symptomatic of a profound intellectual failure on our part. Put in academic terms, we, faculty particularly in the humanities and social sciences, have failed to apply critical theory, the predominant method of analysis in our fields, to our present situation and our own participation in it.”
There are so many fascinating characters in Jewish storytelling. They might appear first in Jewish tradition in texts like the Tanach and Talmud. But their adventures continue through Midrash, legends, folklore, ritual objects, art, and song. Jewish Lore Reactions follows these characters through space and time, tracing the sprawling evolution of their stories across the Jewish diaspora in an incredible, extended chain of imagination: The collective narrative world-building of the Jewish people. Jewish Lore Reactions was developed by Miriam Anzovin in the Jewish Writers’ Initiative 2024 Digital Storytellers Lab.
“Shofar, So Good!” is a podcast about creator Kate Mishkin’s quest to unearth her Jewish roots by diving head-first into life’s trickiest questions. By exploring questions surrounding faith, death, a higher power, and prayer, she stitches together a better understanding of what it means to be a Jewish person. “Shofar, So Good!” was developed in the Jewish Writers’ Initiative 2024 Digital Storytellers Lab.
Mental illness. Addiction. Death. God. What does it take to heal, and how far is Play willing to go? Play Steinberg’s webcomic, “FATHER. MOTHER. GOD.” was developed in the Jewish Writers’ Initiative 2024 Digital Storytellers Lab.
“As a scholar of Jewish texts, I have spent the past 12 years working with a team of engineers who use machine-learning tools to digitize and expand access to the Jewish canon. Jewish tradition says nothing of ChatGPT, but it is adamant about work. According to the ancient rabbis, meaningful, creative labor is how humans channel the divine. It’s an idea that can help us all, regardless of our faith, be discerning adopters of new applications and devices in a time of great technological change. If you have ever felt the joy of untangling a seemingly intractable problem or the adrenaline rush that comes from applying creative energy to shape the world, then you know that worthwhile labor helps us channel our best selves. And we cannot afford to cede it to the robots.”
“Each year, I sit in Yom Kippur services and consider how my Jewish values affect my work, and I reflect on whether I conduct myself and my work in a way that honors the humility and responsibility that each of us must hold. What do I regret? What can I do better? To what goals must I commit myself in the year ahead? It seems that each year, there are new sets of ‘Al Chet’ and/or Viddui confessionals offered for contemplation.
To that end, I offer one more to that mix. What can we, in the Jewish philanthropic ecosystem, commit to doing better in the year to come?”
“The High Holidays are an opportunity to refresh our minds, spirits, and relationships; to spend time in community; to pray for a rewarding personal and collective future…. As we enter 5785, let us all recommit to the principles above. In that spirit, we are pleased to offer this selection of readings from previous issues, selected for their relevance to the themes of this powerful and inspiring time of the year.”
“Since Oct. 7, it hasn’t been easy to be an author with ties to Israel. Book awards ceremonies turned into platforms for anti-Israel activists. Protests raged through conferences. Jewish authors had appearances canceled.
This month, the Jewish Book Council (JBC) is launching numerous initiatives to support and uplift Jewish authors and books, [including] teaming with Maimonides Fund to offer marketing grants of $18,000 to $36,000 for nonfiction, fiction and children’s books.”
“Maimonides Fund, in partnership with the Constructive Dialogue Institute (CDI), is pleased to announce the launch of a new suite of programming to support viewpoint diversity and dialogue across differences within Jewish organizational settings.
Perspectives is an evidence-based learning program that distills rigorous behavioral science research into easily digestible concepts to foster openness to diverse perspectives and equip learners with the skills to engage in conversations across lines of difference.”
“Maimonides Fund announced that Rabbi David Wolpe and Dr. Mijal Bitton will become its inaugural Scholars in Residence, commencing in September 2024. Both Scholars are expanding their previous roles with Maimonides Fund – Rabbi Wolpe as Senior Advisor on Viewpoint Diversity Initiatives and Dr. Bitton as a Maimonides Fund Fellow – and will be undertaking major research and development projects to understand and meet this unique moment in Jewish life.”
“The pain of this Tisha B’Av comes not only from the horrific events of October 7, but from the burden of our former Covenant of Fate. Here in Israel, our first non-Diaspora destination, the last stop on our exilic journey, the catastrophe of Black Shabbat forced us from the Covenant of Destiny — the clash of the east and west winds — back into the Covenant of Fate.
Now we carry both covenants, and this year, as in the past, we will get up from the ground, daven mincha, and march to the remnant of our temple, the Western Wall, and stand there to end the fast with a promise and hope that we will do everything in our power to be worthy of this house.”