Kol Nidre 5774 Elliott batTzedek, Fringes Havurah, Philadelphia While I know this will surprise you, Jewish tradition has many different opinions about Kol Nidre and what it means. Many Rabbinical Authorities have tried to suppress it over the centuries, both because of the ritual itself—how through repetition we are magically released from vows – is … Continue reading Kol Nidre – the contract my soul and my history need

For our Torah Talk this shabbat we'll be reading texts from across Jewish history about our obligation to treat "the stranger" justly because we have been strangers and know their experience. Download the text study sheet. כי גרים הייתם - כמו שמפורש לפנינו ואתם ידעתם את נפש הגר. כי גרים הייתם - ולפי שצרתו מרובה … Continue reading Fringes Text Study 07/13/2019 – you know the soul of the stranger

Our text study this month is pulled from the article "Our White Supremacy Problem" by Devin Naar , originally published on Jewish Currents. We're reading sections III and IV, copied below. The entire article is worth the read A nuanced exploration of our history reveals that we do not have an Ashkenormativity problem in the … Continue reading Fringes Text Study 06/08/2019

After our many months of reading texts about the intersections of race, racism, white supremacy, and anti-Semitism, we're turning back to Torah to examine rabbinical ideas about what behaviors constitute "holiness." The parsha is Kedoshim, and we're using a Sefaria text sheet for the first time to pull together a thousand or so years of … Continue reading Fringes Text Study 05/11/2019 – Kedoshim

For the next four months the texts for our Torah Study in Fringes' services will all come from the final chapter of Melanie Kaye/Kantrowitz's The Colors of Jews: Racial Politics and Radical Diasporism. You can download all of these texts and read along with us: October 13, 2018: an introduction to the concept of Diasporism … Continue reading Fringes Fall Text Study – Melanie Kaye/Kantrowitz

In our Fringes Havurah/Tikkun Olam Chavurah High Holiday services in Philadelphia, our martyrology service this year was focused on the life, activism, and legacy of Melanie Kaye/Kantrowitz. Fringes leader Elliott batTzedek opened the service by giving a talk about moments of Melanie's writing and activism that have meant the most to her. We had placed … Continue reading 5779 Martyrology: Honoring the Life and Legacy of Melanie Kaye/Kantrowitz

This year, for the 6th time, Fringes: a feminist, non-zionist havurah and Tikkun Olam Chavurah are co-creating High Holiday services, led by Rabbi Linda Holtzman, Elliott batTzedek and Karen Escovitz. Our services are a combination of traditional and original liturgy, along with a rich musical experience, and social justice-centered talks and Torah study. We create … Continue reading High Holidays 5779/2018

Fringes met on Saturday, July 14th in the social hall at Germantown Friends Meeting House. In response to the ugliness of the political world around us, we prayed, sang, and learned together about the history of ICE and strategies communities are using to confront it. You find our liturgy here: July 2018: and declare to … Continue reading Praying with Fringes July 2018