Notice: The CJM will be closed on Thursday, May 9 for a private event.

My Jewish-Asian Identity: An Intergenerational Conversation

Wednesday, May 24, 2023 | 12pm

ADMISSION: This online program is free

2023-05-24 12:00:00 UTC2023-05-24 23:00:00 UTC America/Los_AngelesThe CJM - 736 Mission St, San Francisco, CAMy Jewish-Asian Identity: An Intergenerational ConversationIn honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, join us for an intergenerational conversation on Jewish- Asian identity with Rabbi Mira Rivera (Rabbi-in-Residence for JCC Harlem and The LUNAR Collective), Helen Kiyong Kim (author of JewAsian: Race, Religion, and Identity for America's Newest Jews), Maryam Chishti (The LUNAR Collective), and Jenni Rudolph (The LUNAR Collective) as they discuss their personal experiences, the complexity of visibility in the Jewish community, and the challenges and joys of intersectional identity.

In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, join us for an intergenerational conversation on Jewish- Asian identity with Rabbi Mira Rivera (Rabbi-in-Residence for JCC Harlem and The LUNAR Collective), Helen Kiyong Kim (author of JewAsian: Race, Religion, and Identity for America's Newest Jews), Maryam Chishti (The LUNAR Collective), and Jenni Rudolph (The LUNAR Collective) as they discuss their personal experiences, the complexity of visibility in the Jewish community, and the challenges and joys of intersectional identity.

About the Speakers

Maryam Chishti (she/her) is a proud "Mus Jew" who works in the political/arts space in New York City, with a soft spot for work that intersects the two. She is interfaith, with an Indian/Muslim father and Jewish American mother who raised her in both religions and cultures. Maryam received a B.A. from Brandeis University in American Studies and Theater for Social Change. Outside of LUNAR, she runs a new Moishe House in New York City, and is passionate and excited to bring more Asian Jews into the growing community.

Helen Kim is Professor of Sociology and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington. Her scholarship focuses on race and American Judaism in the contemporary era. Along with co-author Noah Leavitt, she published JewAsian: Race, Religion, and Identity for America's Newest Jews in 2016 with University of Nebraska Press. Her scholarship has been profiled in various popular news outlets including the New York Times, NPR, and Huffington Post.

Rabbi Mira Rivera is the first Filipina-American Rabbi to be ordained at The Jewish Theological Seminary. She is Rabbi-in-Residence for JCC Harlem and The LUNAR Collective. She was awarded the Rabbinical Excellence Award by Harlem District 9’s Councilwoman Kristin Richardson Jordan in 2022: “for a Rabbi who teaches Torah through leading and developing spiritual communities and living out tikkun olam—repair of the world in NYC.” She was honored by T’ruah in 2023 with the Rabbinic Human Rights Hero Award “for ensuring that the gifts, voices, and experiences of Jews of Color are seen, heard, and known.”

Jenni Rudolph (she/her) is a Los Angeles-based musician and multimedia editor with a passion for authentic and underrepresented storytelling. She was raised on the periphery of multiple communities as a mixed-race, secular Asian American Jew with Cantonese and Russian Ashkenazi Jewish heritage. She serves as Co-Executive Director of The LUNAR Collective, cultivating connection, belonging, and visibility for Asian American Jews. Jenni is a Berklee College of Music graduate, Pat Pattison Songwriting Award scholar, Songs 4 Social Change honoree, and Johnny Mercer Songwriters Project fellow.