New York – A Black, Orthodox Rabbi’s Novel Addresses Racism In The Jewish Community

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    Shais Rishon’s latest book, “Ariel Samson: Freelance Rabbi,” tells the story of a 20-something black spiritual leader. (Courtesy of Rishon)New York – When Shais Rishon thinks of American Jewish literature, virtually no Jews of color come to mind — as characters or authors.

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    “We’re invisible, pretty much,” he told JTA.

    As an African-American Orthodox rabbi, Rishon hopes to change that.

    He recently published a semi-autobiographical novel titled “Ariel Samson: Freelance Rabbi,” under his pen name, MaNishtana. The main character, Ariel, is a 20-something black rabbi navigating life and work in the New York Jewish community while attempting to reconcile his identities.

    Rishon, 36, says many of the racist experiences Ariel faces within the Jewish community are either based on his own life or stories told to him by other Jews of color. One episode, in which Ariel confronts an Orthodox New York assemblyman over wearing a blackface costume on Purim, is a “verbatim” recollection of a conversation that Rishon had with a real local politician who did that.

    (Rishon did not reveal the politician’s true identity in his interview with JTA, but based on the description, the book is almost certainly referring to Dov Hikind, who was widely criticized for wearing a blackface costume in 2013 and whom Rishon addressed in an open letter.)

    Rishon grew up in Brooklyn in a black-Jewish family affiliated with the Chabad-Lubavitch moment, though today he identifies simply as Orthodox. His mothers’ ancestors have been practicing Judaism since the 1780s, he says.

    The author and educator, who has written about racism in the Jewish community for years for publications like the Forward and Tablet, hopes his book, which he self-published in September, can challenge wide-held notions about the traditional American Jewish experience.

    Often, he says, works by black-Jewish authors and artists are seen as reflecting only the African-American experience and not the Jewish one.

    “There’s a weird dichotomy that happens, where you can have people who are black Jewish authors, but they are never considered part of Jewish American literature,” Rishon said. “James McBride is considered an African-American author, not a Jewish author. Daveed Diggs, when he talks about his experiences, [people say,] ‘Oh, this is an African-American experience.’”

    The book also shows the questioning that many Jews of color continually face about their backgrounds. In the novel, a man at a Shabbat dinner asks Ariel intrusive questions, including if he is a convert and Ethiopian.

    Rishon hopes to show why such lines of questioning are hurtful.

    “When you see somebody with one arm, do you ask them ‘Hey, what’s up with your arm?’” he wonders. “It’s just the basic courtesy of getting to know someone.”

    Rishon says he has received threatening and angry messages in response to his writing about racism in the Jewish community. He uses a pseudonym in order to shield his family and friends from the backlash. The name is a reference to the Ma Nishtana reading sung on Passover asking why the seder dinner differs from a regular meal.

    “Instead of ‘What makes this night so different from other nights?’ it’s ‘What makes this Jew so different from other Jews?’” he explains.

    Outside of his writing, Rishon works full time as a content manager for Bend the Arc, a progressive Jewish social justice organization. Rishon also serves as the rabbi for an Orthodox prayer group in New City, a town an hour from Manhattan where he lives with his wife and 5-year-old daughter. He is pursuing a second rabbinic ordination; he was previously ordained privately.

    In recent years, Jewish organizations have increasingly focused on embracing and highlighting diversity within their own communities, but Rishon says plenty remains to be done.

    “I would say it’s just now starting to move in baby steps away from tokenization,” he says.

    Rishon sees his novel as one step in that direction.

    “I’m so excited to write this, so there is no confusion,” he says. “I’m an African-American author, yes, and a Jewish-American author, yes — both. To put the Jew of color entry into Jewish American fiction.”


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    64 Comments
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    5 years ago

    Well he certainly seems to be a chochom fun mahnishtannah. What an “original” pen name.

    I wonder if he really is Orthodox. It says he works for Bend The Arc which is a radical left wing organization funded by the horrid George Soros.

    It radically anti religious. And this I wonder if he is really Orthodox or so called “Progressive” Orthodox. Which would make more sense as he is featured as Orthodox on VIN.

    5 years ago

    I hate to say it, but to a certain degree, he happens to be right. But then again, in our dor, we are not embracing geirim the way we should, whether black or white.

    lazy-boy
    Active Member
    lazy-boy
    5 years ago

    If the Forward and Tablet are his sources of publication, it means he is anti Orthodox. The Forward and Tablet and liberal outlets that have no love for religious observance or orthodox….

    MyThreeCents
    MyThreeCents
    5 years ago

    I try to be open minded and chas vesholom not biased but regarding Jews of color, I accept them but, would be very careful to check their yichus in case of marriage. I would check anyone’s yichus nowadays if they are baalei teshuva. There are so many problems that can happen if someone’s yichus is suspect, no matter what color they are.

    Cricket
    Cricket
    5 years ago

    This is a relevant point for our community to ponder and improve. Listen to the message and ignore who the messenger is in this instance.

    triumphinwhitehouse
    triumphinwhitehouse
    5 years ago

    Does he also confront known racist and anti semites and “religous” fugures” like farrakhan, Sharpton and Jackson and Wright?

    Shlomo-1
    Shlomo-1
    5 years ago

    Sad that some of the previous comments simply attacked Shais Rishon and deflected rather than deal with the real issue.

    Is there racism in the Jewish community? Well, since it was published in the Forward and Tablet, therefore it’s anti-Orthodox. Wait…what?

    Are Gerim that are Black treated poorly by the Orthodox Jewish Community?
    Well, since he’s progressive politically, he’s probably not Orthodox. Umm..what does that have to do with the question?

    Secular
    Secular
    5 years ago

    I know the man .

    He is Hareidi Orthodox.

    5 years ago

    Our Torah states ארור כנען . And our seforim speak derogatory of kushim. That’s just the facts of the world unfortunately. And it started from כנען sin in this weeks parsha .

    stamnamefortrump
    Noble Member
    stamnamefortrump
    5 years ago

    Black people can’t be Jewish I thought

    shimonyehuda
    shimonyehuda
    5 years ago

    thank you. the previous replies have proven his point, the most racist people I encounter are ultra orthodox and chassidim.

    5 years ago

    The issue is not his color. The issue is that he associates with Bend the Arc. Which is anti anything Torah related and is funded by George Soros who self admittedly took Jewish peoples possessions for himself during the war.