winners

And Avivah Winocur Erlick inspired us with her FIRST PLACE entry:

I wear a kippah because …

I wear a kippah because I live in the constant presence of G-d, and I feel it is the least I can do to demonstrate my bottomless gratitude and awe. I feel that every adult Jew, if they were so motivated, would do the same.

Women have not traditionally worn kippot. In fact, the list of Jewish things that women have not done is long. But, Praise Hashem, times have changed. In every movement outside Orthodoxy, Jewish women have been freed to take on any and all the mitzvot and customs applicable to men that they wish. So, just as a Jewish man with my level of love and commitment to G-d feels obligated to cover his head throughout the day, so do I.

This is not what I usually tell people who ask about it, however. They may not be ready to hear this reply. It’s too powerful. It’s too real. It could be received by the closed-minded as the words of a fanatic. I’m not out to change other people’s minds. I’m not wearing it to communicate my “piousness” to other people, to solicit questions that can lead to proselytization, or to cause their minds any strain whatsoever. It’s between me and Hashem.

Thus, when someone asks me about it, I rarely talk about G-d straight out. Instead, I make a quick evaluation of what would make the most sense to them.

For non-Orthodox Jews, I will usually say I wear it because I am a rabbinical student. This is a good answer because they are not really asking what motivates me to wear it, just how they can categorize me. (Of course, I am a rabbinical student because I want to dedicate my life to serving Hashem! But they’re not ready to hear that one either.)

Non-Jews, at least here in L.A., are used to the idea that people wear special garments because of their religion – it’s part of the varied landscape of our town.

The Orthodox, whom I was worried about angering with my nontraditional use of a familiar object, have overall been quite kind. They seem to respond as I would hope – acknowledging our shared convictions about proper attire in the presence of Hashem. Here in L.A. at least, Orthodox men will nod a “Shalom” my way, and even approach me in the supermarket to ask where they can find the pineapple.

Whenever I start to worry about being this visibly Jewish and feminist and spiritual, and I admit these times do come, I think of Mahatma Gandhi’s words: “You must be the change you want to see in the world.” What better way to live your convictions than to be a woman in a kippah.

Avivah Winocur Erlick is a second-year rabbinical student at the Academy for Jewish Religion – California, a transdenomenational seminary based at the Itzhak Rabin Hillel Center at UCLA. Avivah teaches religious school, is a wife and mom, and in her former life was the executive editor of a chain of business newspapers.

CONGRATULATIONS AVIVAH! (and thank you for your inspiration!)

HERE ARE THE WINNERS OF OUR LAST CONTEST: (we asked you what was the hardest thing you ever had to do......)

FIRST PLACE
Julie Mermelstein
Julie is a Therapist working in the Los Angeles area

Whenever I am struggling or in some kind of fear I always feel better when I try and help someone else. It makes me feel less alone and it gets me out of my head. Especially in a time like this when so many people are suffering it feels so much more productive to just do something. Donate $, clothes, food, etc. Many refugees from the hurricane are coming to CA so we will have plenty of opportunity to help. I am a therapist and I will be offering my services in any way I can.

The riots in LA occured when I had just moved here. I moved from NY and within the first year I was here I experienced the fires, earthquake, riots and flooding. It felt like armegeddon. I was terrified and felt very out of my element. Nothing felt safe. I fell into a deep and terrifying depression. I was afraid of everything and everyone. I didn't understand what was happening to me.

When I was a teenager I had been sexually assaulted and almost lost my life. Needless to say it was a traumatic and life altering experience. What I later came to understand was that the riots had triggered a post traumatic stress experience for me. All the terror, rage and fear got unlocked.
It was a confusing and deeply painful time for me.

Some of our most painful experiences in life can be our best teachers. As I began to heal and dig my way out of the maze I was in I knew I had to do something to help other women like myself. When I had finished my own counseling I became a volunteer counselor for women who had been sexually abused. It was extremely difficult yet the most rewarding thing I've ever done. I could be present with these people because I had been there. I did this work for years and then went back to school and got my Master's in clinical psychology. Today I am a therapist and an educator.
I have devoted my life to being of service and I know why I was put on this earth. I could never have imagined this life for myself. From my darkest pain I have brought joy and healing to others.
I don't think there is any greater gift.

There is tragedy occuring all over the world. So many people need healing. If we stay in the solution and radiate love, compassion and positive energy we can all be a part of the joy that awaits us.

Second Place
Lisa Mutterpearl
Lisa is an artist in Los Angeles. Her work can be found at http://www.audreysebastion.com/mutterperl

I picked my painting for entry - called "how beautiful you are"
I made this painting - during a time when i lost the three most important
people to me. my boyfriend - my sponsor and my therapist. I had no idea why
, ( at the time ) why I would have to loose them right when I was embarking
on a new adventure. GRAD SCHOOL! A time of unkown expectations accompanied
by fear.

So i did some soul searching - and ended up painting "How Beautiful you are"
The circles , for me , represent our life line as the human race - blood -
surrounded by an outline of a women - with long fabulous eyelashes.
Each and every cell in our bodies makes up a system - a system of who we are
on the inside - a system that constantly works even when we are sleeping.
I needed to investigate that in order to find my way during a hard time.
Learning how to let go and trust I will be ok.
What I found was that the more I went to my inner most self for guidance , I
was ok - and the future would reveal itself to me , a day at a time. I
didn't have to struggle or rely upon any "human being" to relieve me .

And so it has -

I have started grad school, have a new and wonderful therapist and a
fabulous sponsor.
G-d has so many plans for me that I cannot see with my five senses. I cannot
see what lies within me with my five senses either.
So for me this painting is spiritual - it reminds me that the answers are
within - my life is a composite of so many things and many things make up
who I am. I can get overwhelmed with the little details - but if I simply
let it go and just remember how beautiful we all are.....than i can let go
and just allow myself to simply be ME!

THIRD PLACE
Janine Luthi
Janine started her own line of t-shirts and lives in Switzerland

CV of a Jewish Princess:

1-11: happy innocent little girl who only knows she believes in G-d (and everyone else makes fun of her because of that)
12: convince my mother to buy me a magen david necklace, worn every day
13: spent hours reading books about Judaism (and got glasses)
14: whatever I did when I was 14... I guess the good girl was still reading (REALLY!)
15: fall in love with psycho Israeli music; one day after: start studying Hebrew
16: tell my Hebrew teacher to bring chocolate wrappers from Israel because of the fascinating letters on it
17: spent my first shabbes at my Jewish friend's house (they did it only for me)
18: try to kosher-up my meals at home (hm well, not quite lemehadrin)
19: right after high school: off to Israel for a 5-month program: keff of my life
20: Jewish Agency suggests me to convert in Israel and not to wait any longer (ah! I'm serious enough and G-d starts to push me to get this precious gift!)
21: 9/11 in Israel: the big day for me (I was in a coma state.. can't remember much, only that it was immensely important to me)
22: after one year and a half back to Switzy, get my place in the community and calm down my never-ever- been-Jewish family
23: totally get the Jewish style with my own t-shirt collection: yes, you can be cool AND religious
and I prove it
24: get engaged to a wonderful tzitzit-shaking guy
25: plan the wedding and my future kisui rosh: a kippa? a sheitel? both?

I thank G-d for this wonderful life and that I'm so lucky being Jewish. It's been only 4 years, but b''h another 116 years to come. I'm excited about this every day. It's a simcha!

CHANI

(¯`·._- diaspora girl -_.·´¯) - hand-made crochet kippot for women

Avivah Winocur Erlick

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