Shais Rishon , también conocido por el seudónimo MaNishtana , es un rabino ortodoxo afroamericano , activista y escritor. Ha escrito para Tablet , Kveller , The Forward , Jewcy y Hevria , además de una novela semiautobiográfica publicada bajo su seudónimo. En 2014, fue incluido en la lista anual "36 Under 36" de The Jewish Week , que reconoce a judíos influyentes menores de 36 años. [ 1 ]
Biografía
Rishon nació el 14 de febrero de 1982 [ 2 ] en Brooklyn , Nueva York, en el seno de una familia judía afroamericana vinculada al movimiento Chabad-Lubavitch . Según él, los antepasados de su madre han practicado el judaísmo desde la década de 1780. [ 2 ] Su padre, Asher Rishon, se convirtió al judaísmo tras conocer a la madre de Shais. [ 3 ] Durante su infancia, Shais se sintió marginado de la comunidad judía debido a su raza y al trato que recibía de otros judíos. [ 4 ] Asistió a la escuela secundaria James Madison y al Brooklyn College , [ 5 ] donde se especializó en inglés . [ 6 ]
Rishon comenzó a escribir en su blog sobre sus identidades negra y judía bajo el nombre de MaNishtana en 2009. [ 1 ] Sus escritos se centran en el racismo dentro de la comunidad judía , y ha trabajado como gestor de contenidos para Bend The Arc , una organización judía progresista centrada en la justicia social. [ 2 ] Fue rabino de Kehilat Ir Chadash, una congregación ortodoxa en New City , Nueva York. [ 7 ]
En 2020, Rishon y el rapero Yitz Jordan (Y-Love) anunciaron planes para crear un Centro Comunitario Judío específicamente para judíos de color . El centro comunitario estaría abierto a todos los judíos, pero enfocado en judíos de color, y tendería puentes tanto dentro de la comunidad judía como entre judíos de color y otras minorías. [ 8 ]
Obras
Rishon's debut novel, Ariel Samson, Freelance Rabbi, was a finalist for the 2018 National Jewish Book Award's Goldberg Award for Debut Fiction.[5] He expressed hope that the semi-autobiographical novel would challenge stereotypes about Jews of color, and make a place for them in the larger Jewish community.[2]
He has also contributed to the Kveller Haggadah.[9] Rishon has also dabbled in playwrighting, contributing in 2017 to The Jewish Plays Project alongside playwrights Susan Bernfield, Sarah Gancher, and MJ Kaufman.[10]
In 2013, Rishon wrote an open letter criticizing New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind for wearing blackface at a Purim celebration.[11]
Personal life
Rishon was married to Gulienne Rollins-Rishon, a biracial Black Jew and a descendant of Rabbi Yom-Tov Lipman Heller.[5] The couple have a daughter who was born in late 2013.[1][2]
In June 2021, Rishon revealed publicly via Twitter that he was autistic and polyamorous.[12]
Bibliography
Books
- Thoughts From A Unicorn: 100% Black. 100% Jewish. 0% Safe. (2012, Hyphen Publishing)
- "Fine, thanks. How are you, Jewish?": A Stream-Of-Consciousness Stroll Through the Jew of Color Mind (2014)
- The Rishoni Illuminated Legacy Hagadah (2015)
- Ariel Samson: Freelance Rabbi (2018, Multikosheral Press)
Short stories
- 2014: "One Man’s Dystopia Is Another Man’s What?"
- 2014: "The (Space)Time Of Your Life"
Poems
- 2015: "Mashiach Now?"
References
- 123Gabriela Geselowitz (June 6, 2014). "Proud to be Jewish and Black: MaNishtana". The Jewish Week. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
- 12345"A black, Orthodox rabbi's novel addresses racism in the Jewish community". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 2018-10-10. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
- ↑Trymaine Lee (Aug 27, 2010). "Black and Jewish, and Seeing No Contradiction". The New York Times. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
- ↑Molly Langmuir (December 23, 2012). "The Black Orthodox". New York Magazine. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
- 123"MaNishtana". MaNishtana. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
- ↑"An African Orthodox rabbi on what it means to be Jewish". ABC Radio National. 2019-06-19. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
- ↑Yudelson, Larry (4 December 2019). "New shul, New City". jewishstandard.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
- ↑Chandler, Doug (2020-01-22). "This Rabbi and Rapper Want to Create a JCC for Jews of Color". jewishweek.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
- ↑"Get a Unique Haggadah for Passover". Kveller. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
- ↑Oestreicher, Amy (2017-06-13). "The Jewish Plays Project Makes One Night Different From All Other Nights in a Not-To-Be-Missed Premiere (Exclusive Interview)". HuffPost. Retrieved 2020-06-16.
- ↑"An Open Letter to Dov Hikind, New Forward For the Brooklyn Nets". MaNishtana. 2013-02-25. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
- ↑Rishon, Shais [@MaNishtana] (20 June 2021). "ok fine, seeing how its past midnight and maybe literally no one will ever see this, and seeing how i need sober me to not be ENTIRELY mad at me: i am autistic. i am poly. i dont know how i feel about EITHER of these identities as the discovery is less than 3 yrs old for either" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 17 October 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2024– via Twitter.
External links
- Official website
- African-American rabbis
- 21st-century African-American clergy
- American Ashkenazi Jews
- Jewish American novelists
- African-American novelists
- Jewish American anti-racism activists
- American anti-racism activists
- Jewish American community activists
- American community activists
- Orthodox rabbis from New York City
- Writers from Brooklyn
- Brooklyn College alumni
- African-American bloggers
- American bloggers
- Jewish bloggers
- Living people
- 1982 births
- American people of Igbo descent
- African-American activists
- 20th-century African-American people
- Polyamorous people
- Pseudonymous writers
- 21st-century American rabbis
- Autistic writers
- American writers with disabilities