Conversion Process and Personal Stories
045: Support Jewish artists and other small business during the downturn (it’s a mitzvah)
June 30, 2020

045: Support Jewish artists and other small business during the downturn (it’s a mitzvah)

Etsy is a wonderful place to support Jewish artists and other small businesses as you’re able; inside: My first mezuzah, first Star of David, and some fun finds ?️‍?✡️

I’ve definitely felt the pinch these past few months, have you?

I also moved and established myself between LA and San Diego and made a few Jewish purchases to connect and feel better.

For Hanging

  • Hamsa necklace with Star of David inlay from Etsy
    Feeling hamsa, might dalet later

The Hamsa is a symbol of protection. (Yes that’s me, I’m told once I go into the mikvah I emerge gifted with a luxurious mane of chest hair, like Samson’s locks)

This took awhile to arrive, worth the wait! Now to nab a kosher torah scroll to put in it and mount it on my new home’s doorframe. The middle one (aqua and green) matches the house.

This came with a lovely note: “Mazal-Tov for first Mezuzha”—so special. Hanging a mezuzah at your home or office is a mitzvah: a good deed or law. There was already one at my old house when I moved in, so this is my first time hanging and blessing it; more to come on that!

For Pride

Unlike my actual tattoos, this one’s kosher.

This came with a lovely “L’chaim!” handwritten message from Jamie 🙂 “Chutzpah” originally meant audacity or insolence in Yiddish and once ported over to English (like many other Yiddish words) has taken on a more positive connotation: Courage, meddle, grit. A great thing to have for Pride and for standing up for Black Lives.

For Shabbat

Fits super well, this guy stays on my melon the best of any kippah I’ve worn. It’s just shaped really well, and the texture and color are great.


Ok so Amazon isn’t… exactly a small business, but plenty of them depend on it—especially now. This joins my other kippot (tartan like my Scottish roots, and shipped from Australia, a journey some of my ancestors probably made in reverse against their will). Next one I’m thinking pink!

For Your Eyes & Bookshelf

  • Reform Siddur from Nefesh Los Angeles: $40 (or donate more!)
  • We’re gonna be home for awhile. Purchase your at-home Siddur, the Jewish prayerbook, to follow along and to study between services. I tried the online version for awhile and it’s too much changing windows so much… plus I get to mark pages now and support Nefesh, my small-and-growing community in LA.
Get your Siddur—Jewish prayerbook—and support Nefesh

Here All Along by Sarah Hurwitz

I had the honor of joining Sarah’s interview with Rabbi Adam Greenwald, my university prof for my intro class. Sarah was the speechwriter for Michelle Obama and much like I did, stumbled into an Intro class to discover that Judaism was for her all along… except she was born Jewish, so it’s quite the tale by a really gifted writer. If you plan on an Intro to Judaism course, it’s basically a companion guide and skillfully unravels some of the misconceptions about religion, Judaism, and 21st century* spirituality that contribute to keeping people lost and disconnected.

Find at an Indie Bookstore

*21st century in the CE; see art history, Intro to Judaism, or…this book!…for more

That’s it! Happy shopping, only 6 months to Christmas for all you goyim!

Support Jewish artists and small business (it’s a mitzvah)

Bobby
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