shel

The Transsexual Chofetz Chaim

Mutant, librarian, poet, union rabble rouser, dog, Ashkenazi Jewish. Neuroweird, bodyweird, mostly sleepy.


I write about transformative justice, community, love, Judaism, Neurodivergence, mental health, Disability, geography, rivers, labor, and libraries; through poetry, opinionated essays, and short fiction.


I review Schoolhouse Rock! songs at @PropagandaRock


Website (RSS + Newsletter)
shelraphen.com/

Caught myself rehearsing an imaginary conversation with a hypothetical child where I conveyed that reading, and not just reading but reading comprehension and critical thinking, are the most important skills you can have in life; and that asking questions is an important component of that. And then conveyed the Jewish value of asking questions. And how Jews have taught our kids to read regardless of aristocratic status for a very long time and it's very special to our people. This was all somehow about convincing this kid to do their homework learning to read the basics. There is a strong likelihood I'll never be in a position to raise kids so this is all completely unnecessary.



shel
@shel

if I adopted a cat or dog I would name them Motzi and then I would lift them up from the ground every time I would say HaMotzi Kelev/Chatul min haaretz~


shel
@shel

Joke explainer: there is a common Jewish blessing that you say over bread: Baruch [...] HaMotzi lechem min haaretz. It means "blessed is G—d/etc. who brings forth wheat from the earth" so hamotzi kelev min haaretz is, 1. Not grammatically correct Hebrew 2. Roughly something like "who brings Dog up from the ground"



if I adopted a cat or dog I would name them Motzi and then I would lift them up from the ground every time I would say HaMotzi Kelev/Chatul min haaretz~