Shais Rishon

Shais Rishon, also known by the pen name MaNishtana, is an African-American Orthodox rabbi, activist, and writer. He has written for Tablet, Kveller, The Forward, Jewcy, and Hevria, as well as writing a semi-autobiographical novel under his pen name. In 2014, he was included in The Jewish Week's "36 Under 36", an annual list of influential Jews under age 36.[1]

MaNishtana
BornShais Rishon
(1982-02-14) February 14, 1982
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Occupation
  • Blogger
  • author
  • speaker
  • activist
Years active2009–present
Notable worksMaNishtana blog
Ariel Samson, Freelance Rabbi
SpouseGulienne Rollins-Rishon
Children1
Website
manishtana.me

Biography

Rishon was born February 14, 1982[2] in Brooklyn, New York to a Jewish family associated with the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. According to him, his mother's ancestors have been practicing Jews since the 1780s.[2] His father, Asher Rishon, converted to Judaism after meeting Shais' mother.[3] Growing up, Shais felt alienated from the Jewish community due to his race and the treatment he received from other Jews.[4] He attended James Madison High School and Brooklyn College,[5] where he majored in English.[6]

Rishon began blogging about his black and Jewish identities as MaNishtana in 2009.[1] His writing focuses on racism within the Jewish community, and he has worked as a content manager for Bend The Arc, a progressive Jewish organization focused on social justice.[2] He served as rabbi for Kehilat Ir Chadash, an Orthodox congregation in New City, New York.[7]

In 2020, Rishon and rapper Yitz Jordan (Y-Love) announced plans to create a Jewish Community Center specifically for Jews of color. The community center would be open to all Jews, but focused on Jews of color, and would build bridges both within the Jewish community and between Jews of color and other minorities.[8]

Works

Rishon's debut novel, Ariel Samson, Freelance Rabbi, was a finalist for the 2018 National Jewish Book Award's Goldberg Award for Debut Fiction.[5] He expressed hope that the semi-autobiographical novel would challenge stereotypes about Jews of color, and make a place for them in the larger Jewish community.[2]

He has also contributed to the Kveller Haggadah.[9] Rishon has also dabbled in playwrighting, contributing in 2017 to The Jewish Plays Project alongside playwrights Susan Bernfield, Sarah Gancher, and MJ Kaufman.[10]

In 2013, Rishon wrote an open letter criticizing New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind for wearing blackface at a Purim celebration.[11]

Personal life

Rishon was married to Guliene Rollins-Rishon, a biracial Jew and a descendant of Rabbi Yom-Tov Lipman Heller.[5] The couple have a daughter who was born in late 2013.[1][2]

In June 2021, Rishon revealed publicly via Twitter that he was autistic and polyamorous.[12]

Bibliography

Books
  • Thoughts From A Unicorn: 100% Black. 100% Jewish. 0% Safe. (2012, Hyphen Publishing)
  • "Fine, thanks. How are you, Jewish?": A Stream-Of-Consciousness Stroll Through the Jew of Color Mind (2014)
  • The Rishoni Illuminated Legacy Hagadah (2015)
  • Ariel Samson: Freelance Rabbi (2018, Multikosheral Press)

Short stories

Poems

References
  1. Gabriela Geselowitz (June 6, 2014). "Proud to be Jewish and Black: MaNishtana". The Jewish Week. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  2. "A black, Orthodox rabbi's novel addresses racism in the Jewish community". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 2018-10-10. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  3. Trymaine Lee (Aug 27, 2010). "Black and Jewish, and Seeing No Contradiction". The New York Times. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  4. Molly Langmuir (December 23, 2012). "The Black Orthodox". New York Magazine. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  5. "MaNishtana". MaNishtana. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  6. "An African Orthodox rabbi on what it means to be Jewish". ABC Radio National. 2019-06-19. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  7. Yudelson, Larry. "New shul, New City". jewishstandard.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  8. Chandler, Doug (2020-01-22). "This Rabbi and Rapper Want to Create a JCC for Jews of Color". jewishweek.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  9. "Get a Unique Haggadah for Passover". Kveller. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  10. Oestreicher, Amy (2017-06-13). "The Jewish Plays Project Makes One Night Different From All Other Nights in a Not-To-Be-Missed Premiere (Exclusive Interview)". HuffPost. Retrieved 2020-06-16.
  11. "An Open Letter to Dov Hikind, New Forward For the Brooklyn Nets". MaNishtana. 2013-02-25. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  12. "ok fine, seeing how its past midnight and maybe literally no one will ever see this, and seeing how i need sober me to not be ENTIRELY mad at me: i am autistic. i am poly. i dont know how i feel about EITHER of these identities as the discovery is less then 3 yrs old for either". Twitter. Retrieved 2021-10-07.
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