Episode 3: We Go HAM

Tales of the Unbound

Tales of the Unbound: Episode 3- “We Go HAM” follows Josh’s spiritual journey of claiming Jewish identity, finding healing through reconciliation, and what it means to lead from a place of faith. His joy in the face of adversity is captivating as he carries his own stories and the stories of others as part of his personal evolution. This episode will reach you in the kishkas* carrying the listener as we move from tears to laughter, embracing the raw humanity of becoming yourself.

*Kishkas = Literally: intestines; Colloquially: In the guts/ where you deeply feel emotion

[1] When Josh says, “We go H-A-M,” there are so many ways that it lands. “H-A-M” is a song by Jay Z and Kanye West. You can listen to it here, with the caveat that it’s VERY explicit and has all kinds of language and a subject matter that folks find offensive. So, just a flag for folks before clicking on that link! The H-A-M stands for “hard as a mother$*!” It’s a term used in pop culture as slang for extreme effort and enthusiasm. HAM, of course, has another meaning, of a pork product, which is also something you wouldn’t exactly jump to associate with being Jewish.

[2] We discuss the Three Strikes Law, or its formal name, the “Persistant Offender Accountability Act,” in the show notes of episode 2. Here’s a link for more information. It is widely understood as Washington State’s toughest sentencing policy.

[3] Joy in Judaism – it’s totally a thing. Here’s a great article by Chaviva Gordon-Bennett on ways that Judaism sparks joy and another one HERE by Rabbi Yitz Greenberg on Joy as a religious obligation. Also, check out THIS podcast with Eric Moffic on “The Happiness Prayer.”

[4] Josh has tried hard to advocate for prisoner rights, to speak publicly about restorative justice (see page 19), and co-authored a book about individuals who seek to rehabilitate while incarcerated.

[5] This is an article about Josh’s involvement in restorative justice with a picture from the ball of string and postcard activity that Amy talked about.

[6] Curious about restorative justice? Check out this resource to learn more. How about the Jewish pieces of Restorative Justice? We’ve got that too! Here’s a powerful dvar Torah by Rabbi Stacy Rigler and an awesome study sheet created by Rabbi Jericho Vincent.

[7] Josh mentions this book a few times: “Little Book of Restorative Justice For People in Prison” by Barb Toews.

[8] Many people find their Jewish path through DNA tests. Jewish ancestry, 23 and Me, and ancestry.com have led so many people to trace roots back to Jewish ancestors. For some, who connect to the Jewish biological lineage as something meaningful, find this DNA discovery transformative. This is less meaningful for others who don’t think of Judaism as a racial or genetic line. Clearly for Josh, it was a door that opened a pathway to connecting to a line of his family that he might never have discovered otherwise.

[9] Josh uses a few Hebrew words in this episode, so – here are a few quick definitions: Chumash is a printed/bound book version of the Torah.

Siddur is a Jewish prayerbook.

HaShem, literally means: The Name, referring to one of the names for God.

[10] I sent Josh and Ari a few books early on. They included, “Judaism’s 10 best ideas” by Rabbi Art Green, “Here All Along” by Sarah Hurwitz, “Judaism for Dummies” by Rabbi Ted Falcon and “My Jewish Year: 18 Holidays, One Wondering Jew” by Abigail Pogrebin.

[11] Josh refers to the biblical dreamer … that gets us singing, “Go Go Jo!…”

[12] Josh refers to Pirkei Avot 2:16 several times it reads: Rabbi Tarfon said: The day is short and the work is much, and the workers are lazy and the reward is great, and the Master of the house is pressing. He used to say: It is not your responsibility to finish the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.

[13] Miriam talks about the role of chevrutah in Talmud, Taanit 7a:8-12.

אָמַר רַבִּי חָמָא בְּרַבִּי חֲנִינָא, מַאי דִּכְתִיב: ״בַּרְזֶל בְּבַרְזֶל יָחַד״, לוֹמַר לָךְ: מָה בַּרְזֶל זֶה — אֶחָד מְחַדֵּד אֶת חֲבֵירוֹ, אַף שְׁנֵי תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים — מְחַדְּדִין זֶה אֶת זֶה בַּהֲלָכָה.

The Gemara cites other expositions that deal with Torah study. Rabbi Ḥama, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “Iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend” (Proverbs 27:17)? This verse comes to tell you that just as with these iron implements, one sharpens the other when they are rubbed against each other, so too, when Torah scholars study together, they sharpen one another in halakha.

Also – if you are into the idea of chevrutah learning, check out our friends at the Torah Studio who have an awesome chevrutah style model for deep and super accessible Torah learning.

[14] Here’s a helpful way of thinking and defining Halacha, the Jewish way (and also, Jewish law)

[15] So Miriam mentions that she tries to talk Josh out of conversion. This is mostly because she wants him to believe that the way he names himself, defines his Judaism and lives it out is enough. He is Jewish. But for Josh, being recognized by others, particularly through the conventional mainstream understanding of Jewish identity, lineage and conversion, is critical in allowing him to feel safe and secure in his Jewish identity.

[16] Ok… so the whole matrilineal piece of Judaism also depends on where you are coming from the conversation. Classically, Judaism is understood to be passed through the maternal line. Where a Jewish mother has irrevocable Jewish status- even if she converts to another religion, she’s still Jewish according to the Jews! In Reform Judaism, patrilineal descent is also accepted as equally valid. There is a ton of literature on why matrilineal, why it’s good, why it’s bad… all the things. For Josh, and his relationship with parental figures, with his chaplain and his rabbi both identifying as women, there is an added layer to his Judaism connecting to women in his life.

[17] Miriam riffs on a Midrash about God offering the covenant to other nations before offering it to the Israelites. It’s based on Midrash Sifrei Deuteronomy 343 , she takes a few liberties with it (umm, hello, she’s a storyteller). If you’re into this – dive deeply into this book,” which has a compilation of all kinds of amazing midrashim (sacred stories) like that one. The index alone will make you so happy!