Anyone who’s been blogging for a while is used to receiving unsolicited emails. On a daily basis, I get numerous notes and pitches, most of which have a Jewish theme. Some are relevant, others are not, but the occasional few are downright repulsive.

Unbeknownst to me, my email was somehow added to a mailing list for a group called Jewish Voice for Peace, Boston Chapter. (If you’re not familiar with them, google it. I won’t link to them for obvious reasons.)

This radical, anti-Zionist group opposes many existing and proposed Jewish settlements in Israel, condemns AIPAC, spreads fake, pro-Arab propaganda, has been classified as a hate organization by the ADL, and, most shocking of all, actually supports the BDS movement that aims to bankrupt the State of Israel!

According to their own website, these are their stated goals, all of which are rejected by every legitimate member of the Jewish community who know it’s simply not true:

• An end to the Israeli military occupation of the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem.
• Full and equal rights for Palestinian citizens of Israel
• An end to unconditional U.S. military aid to Israel.
• Recognition of Palestinian refugees right to return home.

Obviously, this group is on the opposite end of the spectrum from my views, as I wrote last year when I discussed my utter contempt for JVP and their activities. Nothing has changed since then. There is not one idea they put forth that I don’t completely, wholeheartedly reject. I support America. I support Israel. I support Jewish values. I support rational thinking. I support truth, justice, and honesty. These sickos do none of the above.

On the deepest, most personal level, it saddens me that there are other Jews in the Boston area that participate with this band of misfits. (Yes, it’s their right to do so, but it’s also tragic.) Obviously, I can easily remove myself from a mailing list and I don’t have to attend any of their crazy events. What I can’t do, however, is pretend that it’s ok. It’s definitely not ok and those of us who truly want to help our fellow Jews, both in Israel and the Diaspora, have to warn others about the danger.

Not all Jewish groups are good; that’s the unfortunate truth. Some of them actually have a hidden anti-Semitic agenda. Before we give our time, our money, or our stamp of approval to them, it is vital that we research what we’re supporting. I challenge anyone to prove to me that JVP has anything good to offer. (They don’t!) Remember: they can’t exist without funding and if that money dries up, they will stop.

Beyond not giving them money, we should be combatting the lies, I think, through blogs and social media. When they tweet something that’s blatantly false, we can refute it. When they post fake pictures on Facebook, we can refute that, too. There are reasonable, legal, and healthy ways to fight hate, after all.

If, like me, you denounce Jewish Voice for Peace and other sick groups like them, make it known publically. Good, truthful, God-glorifying speech has to eventually drown out the lies and filth, so please don’t stay silent!

On Monday, July 24, PBS will be airing two Jewish documentaries, both of which are Holocaust related.

Shalom Italia

“Three Italian Jewish brothers set off on a journey through Tuscany, in search of a cave where they hid as children to escape the Nazis. Their quest, full of humor, food and Tuscan landscapes, straddles the boundary between history and myth—a profound, funny, and endearing exploration of individual and communal memory.”

Joe’s Violin

“A donated musical instrument forges an improbable friendship. 91-year-old Holocaust survivor Joe Feingold and 12-year-old Bronx school girl Brianna Perez show how the power of music can bring light in the darkest of times, and how a small act can have a significant impact.” 

Tune in at 10:00 PM for what will surely be an entertaining experience.

Does hair texture have a religious connotation? According to an exceptionally inane article titled: “Why my daughter and I still straighten our Jewish curls,” the answer would seem to be yes…according to the author, that is.

Personally, I am amazed that someone who is actually Jewish would perpetuate such a ridiculous stereotype! First of all, Jews come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Some members of the Tribe have curly hair and others have straight. Some of us have dark hair and others are naturally light (not the majority, but you get the idea). To label a single type of hair “Jewish” is not only insulting, it’s inaccurate.

The author further explains: “I don’t straighten my hair because I want to hide my Jewish identity… The truth is, it’s much easier to manage my hair when it’s straight. I also like the way it looks smoothed out at this stage in my life.”

Why in the world would straightening one’s hair be considered trying to hide your identity?! Clearly, this lady is not only confused, but also seems to feel guilty over a non-existent crime she’s committing.

Most ladies—and many young girls as well—are constantly trying out new styles. We dye it, we cut it off, we grow it long, etc. As someone who has naturally stick-straight hair, I’ve often envied curly heads and when I was little, I even had a perm. Regardless of whether I’ve worn my hair straight or curly, it’s never had any impact on my Jewish identity.

And that’s only texture. Let’s not even get into the debate about color (are fake blondes masquerading as Gentiles? I think not).

With so many critical issues impacting the Jewish community, wasting time and effort on something as insignificant as hair texture is downright ridiculous. Worry about a rise in Anti-Semitism, soaring Intermarriage rates, worldwide Islamic terrorism—those are important. Hair doesn’t even rate in the Top 500 concerns.

Jewish girls have a reputation for being funny, but can it translate into an actual career? The hilarious comedian Michelle Slonim is not only doing it, but doing it exceptionally well! Her standup shows are always in demand and she has created her own business, Drawing Room Entertainment. Michelle was kind enough to share her story in the following guest post.

It all started with a visit to my therapist, when I had the thought: “Oh my god, I’m going to die alone.” While I was reminded not to get sucked into strictly black or white thinking, the idea persisted.

Like most Jewish girls, I wanted to meet a nice Jewish lawyer, so I did the most logical thing: I hosted Jewish singles parties in NYC. It was called “Date My Jewish Friend” and the idea was to bring a friend of the opposite gender and put them out there. (Sure, I was too busy running around these parties to actually meet anyone, but being pragmatic is overrated…)

I hosted them at dive bars, synagogues, comedy clubs, even at Webster Hall. Guess what: I didn’t land one date from these parties. The best story was a guy and a girl who met, dated, and moved in together. Sounds like a fairy tale, right? Too bad they eventually broke up when he came out of the closet!

Because my background has always been in entertainment, I would infuse something theatrical at the events—whether they were interactive actors sprinkled into the party atmosphere or me just getting up there and MCing to kick things off. My MCing skills, however, left much to be desired. What I learned was to be successful as an MC, you also need to be a comedian, which led to taking standup comedy classes.

My producing of “Date My Jewish Friend” eventually morphed into “Meet Drink Laugh,” which maintained some of the meeting portion, but was focused on standup comedy. Eventually, I stopped “Meet Drink Laugh” because I wanted to focus solely on standup comedy. I practiced as often as I could and took more classes, until I felt ready to branch out again with another venture, Drawing Room Entertainment (DRE).

Drawing Room is a 16th century term for the room you would withdraw to after dinner for entertainment, cigars or political conversations. It’s a little pretentious and not so transparent to understand, but I was vacillating between DRE and Comedy Salon. (I decided to go with the former in case it gets big; then, I could branch out into providing catering or live music.)

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves; as of now it’s just comedy in a living room. I am hosting one with the Wandering Jews of Astoria on Friday, 7/14/17. It’s a potluck Shabbat so if you’re willing to shlep to Astoria, Queens with a kugel in hand, you’re invited!  signup here via One Table

About the Author:

Michelle Slonim is a talented comedian who has appeared on web shows for Comedy Central and HBO and on Sirius XM Radio. She has performed at the Comic Strip and Broadway Comedy Club, and produced various shows at Caroline’s on Broadway and numerous indie bars throughout the New York City. Her latest venture, Drawing Room Entertainment, brings the laughs right into your own living room. Find out more about Michelle on her website.