Mastodawn

"#Graphicnovelist #JulianVoloj was walking through #Manhattan’s #Chinatown when he stumbled across the cemetery of the #UnitedStates’ oldest #Jewish community, #ShearithIsrael. This inspired him to write #Remnants, an interpretation of the story of 23 #Jews from #Brazil who established #NorthAmerica’s first congregation.

When people think about Jewish #immigration to #NewYork, it usually brings to mind the waves of Eastern and Central #European Jewish #migrants in the early 20th century. But Remnants sheds light on the #Sephardic immigration that introduced #Judaism to the Americas far earlier."

https://jewishchronicle.timesofisrael.com/this-graphic-novel-illustrates-the-story-of-americas-first-jewish-congregation-pirates-and-all/

דער קערפער פֿון השם 1h ago

"The annual #Jewish #pilgrimage to the 26-century-old #ElGhriba #Synagogue in #Tunisia drew a modest but notable return of international visitors this year, worshipping together under tight security after a deadly 2023 attack disrupted the festival.

Visitors came from #France, #China, #IvoryCoast and #Italy, including France’s ambassador to Tunisia, a symbolic gesture after two #French citizens were among those killed in the 2023 attack. A national guardsman shot and killed five people at the El-Ghriba synagogue soon after the festival that year, spreading fear among the local Jewish population and international #pilgrims."

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2026-05-06/foreign-visitors-return-to-jewish-pilgrimage-in-tunisia-under-tight-security

Foreign visitors return to Jewish pilgrimage in Tunisia under tight security

Participants said about 500 people have attended this year’s pilgrimage, held on the Mediterranean island of Djerba, to celebrate the Lag B’Omer Jewish holiday. Jews have lived in Tunisia since Roman times and the pilgrimage remains central to the country’s small but long-standing Jewish community.

Los Angeles Times

דער קערפער פֿון השם 1h ago

"#Swastikas and #Hitler #graffiti were spray-painted on a #synagogue, a #Jewish center, homes, and a vehicle in #NewYorkCity, by at least four people still at large.

Congregation #MachaneChodosh in #ForestHills was the synagogue that was spray-painted, which #Rabbi #YossiMendelson told the #NewYork Post on Monday was “very upsetting.”

"The rabbi who founded our synagogue was himself a #German refugee and dedicated the synagogue to the memory of the synagogues that were destroyed in #Germany and the #Jews who were murdered for being Jewish,” #Mendelson said."

https://thenationaldesk.com/news/americas-news-now/swastikas-hitler-graffiti-spray-painted-on-nyc-synagogue-homes-zohran-mamdani-kathy-hochul-hakeem-jeffries-jewish-nypd

Swastikas, Hitler graffiti spray painted on NYC synagogue, homes

Swastikas and Hitler graffiti were spray-painted on a synagogue, a Jewish center, homes, and a vehicle in New York City, by at least four people still at large.

דער קערפער פֿון השם 1h ago

"#Jewish leaders on Wednesday condemned a move by #Antwerp prosecutors to refer two Jewish ritual #circumcisers to court, warning it could undermine core #religious rights.

#Rabbi #MenachemMargolin, chairman of the #European Jewish Association, called the decision a serious escalation and said it risks sending a chilling message to Jewish communities in #Belgium."

https://vinnews.com/2026/05/06/jewish-group-warns-belgium-legal-case-could-threaten-future-of-jewish-life/

Jewish Group Warns Belgium Legal Case Could Threaten Future of Jewish Life | VINnews

The Skeptic's Kaddish 🇮🇱1h ago

Scattered tongues, or: If I forget thee

A ‘Garland’ Shadorma

midnight flights cracked heels crossed Sudan mothers prayed stars concealed trembling elders kissed the ground Zion after storms eagles’ wings sea salt and deserts Aden called sandstorms passed old caravan hymns endured the sky roads opened ash-choked trains numbered arms recalled exiles rose ships arrived displaced children spoke again names returned ashore Tigris dusk courtyard lamps faded passports stamped children borne tears by Babylon’s waters locked homes gathered dust winter queues visa refusals gray buildings mouthed Hebrew each scattered tongue remembers snow melted slowly banks collapsed Buenos Aires mourned glass shattered sirens wailed Spanish carried Sabbath songs our Jerusalem midnight flights sea salt and deserts exiles rose children borne each scattered tongue remembers our Jerusalem

‘Garland’ Shadorma?

The ‘Garland’ Shadorma was created by Sylvia Cognac, modeled after the ‘Garland’ Cinquain. Essentially, it is a Shadorma series of seven stanzas, with the seventh and final stanza being composed of lines from all six previous stanzas.

Tanka Tuesday

For Tanka Tuesday, Yvette encourages us to compose resilience-themed syllabic poems. My above shadorma is about the resilience of Jews from around the world who repatriated to our ancient homeland under difficult and often dangerous circumstances.

The first stanza is about Ethiopian Jews who crossed Sudan and were flown to Israel in secret rescue missions. The second stanza is about Yemenite Jews who traveled through deserts and through Aden before flying to Israel. The third stanza is about Holocaust survivors who came to Israel after surviving Nazi camps and war.

The fourth stanza is about Iraqi Jews who were forced to leave behind their ancient homes and communities in Babylon and Iraq. The fifth stanza is about Soviet Jews who kept Jewish identity and Hebrew alive even when the Soviet Union tried to suppress it. The sixth stanza is about Argentine Jews facing terror attacks and economic collapse while still carrying Jewish traditions with them.

The final stanza brings all the journeys together into one shared story of exile, survival, memory, and return to Jerusalem.

Let’s write poetry together!

When it comes to partnership, some humans can make their lives alone – it’s possible. But creatively, it’s more like painting: you can’t just use the same colours in every painting. It’s just not an option. You can’t take the same photograph every time and live with art forms with no differences.

–Ben Harper (b. 1969)

Would you like to create poetry with me and have a completed poem of yours featured here at the Skeptic’s Kaddish? I am very excited to have launched the ‘Poetry Partners’ initiative and am looking forward to meeting and creating with you… Check it out!