Hey APW,
Let’s start with the good stuff. We had a huge photoshoot this week, with headdresses and color-blocked florals, and all sorts of magic. I’m really proud of it, and we’ll get to share images in a few weeks. In the meantime, however, I am the kind of tired where I might fall asleep standing up.
Now on to the bad. It was a good week to have a joyful creative day in the sun, because it has been (yet another) brutal week to be an American Jew. On Saturday, there was another shooting in a synagogue. This time we got lucky: the terrorist’s gun jammed after ten rounds, and an ex-military congregant acted on instinct. As a result, Lori Gilbert-Kaye was murdered, with the Rabbi, the military vet, and his eight-year-old niece sustaining only injuries. After the shooting, I wrote about what a terrifying experience it was for us—as a family that spends every Saturday morning with our kids in synagogue. I also wrote about the terrible ways that the recent rise in anti-Semitism has affected our six year old. I spent much of the week researching security, emailing our shul, and talking to other Jewish women and moms about the depth of our fear, and how we’re handling taking our children into Jewish spaces.
On top of that, Thursday marked Yom HaShoah—the day when we remember the Jewish victims of the Holocaust. This year, it was too much for me to handle reading those stories as well. But it remains vitally important for us to remember not just what happened, but how recently it was that half of the world’s Jewish population was brutally murdered.
I’ve included a roundup of links below about everything that has happened this week, and if you read nothing else, I ask you to read this.
And with that, Shabbat, our day of peace, is upon us.
In Peace,
Meg
The Rise of Anti-Semitism in America
Being Gay Used To Be Terrifying. Being Jewish Was Easy. Now It’s The Opposite:
Too many people think Jews aren’t a vulnerable minority based on perceptions of power, privilege, and appearance. But Jews are the recipients of more reported hate crimes than any other religious minority, despite making up only 2% of the population.
Even in New York—the most densely Jewish populated city in the country—50% of all hate crimes were committed against Jews.”
Why Do Jews Have To Be Murdered For You To Admit Anti-Semitism Is Real?
According to the Anti-Defamation League, over one billion people in the world harbor anti-Semitic attitudes….
…When the Chabad of Poway was attacked, American Jews hadn’t gone six months since a white supremacist last stormed into a synagogue and killed the Jews inside. We hadn’t gone a full day since The New York Times had to apologize for publishing an anti-Semitic cartoon.
I shouldn’t be able to roll out these statistics and offenses off the top of my head. But I, like most Jews I know, am constantly forced to “prove” that my community is under siege.
Holocaust survivors are dying, but their stories are more relevant than ever
Poway and Pittsburgh: the rise in murderous anti-Semitism, explained
Around the Web with Jareesa
A really lovely, heartfelt piece from our APW friend Rachel Miller: The best $16 I ever spent: Old Navy pajamas after my husband left
Why is framing a picture so expensive?
If you’re really into reading and reviewing romance novels, I’ve got a job for you
Twitter Could Ban the Nazis Whenever It Wants, but It’d Rather Blow Trump All Day, Every Day
If you’re looking for drugstore dupes of your fave beauty products, start with this list
How In Living Color Tricked Fox’s Censors to Get Jokes on Air
The Underlying Messages That Screen-Time Recommendations Send Parents
Two good celeb-related pieces: In Defense of Fashion Criticism and When Did Celebrities Get So Bad At Taking Criticism?
Halima Aden Is The First To Model A Burkini In Sports Illustrated
This week’s life tip: How to Find Band-Aids That Match Your Skin Tone
How to Help a Friend Facing Infertility
Maybe don’t get a vampire facial
People on Twitter Are Sharing Their Fake Cookbook Names and It’s Hilarious
The Conversation We Need to Have About Mental Health and Women of Color
Avengers: Endgame’s Women Deserved More
She was the “queen of the mommy bloggers.” Then her life fell apart.
