Jason S. Cordova shares a special presentation based on his work with the Society for Cultural Astronomy in the American Southwest at the Denver Astronomical Society general meeting, November 8th, 2019. https://www.denverastro.org/
For the full paper, JOURNEY TO THE SIXTH SUN: Computer Modeling the Mesoamerican Calendar and Polar Star Precession, Please go to; https://www.academia.edu/42931360/Jou... For your own copy of this paper and more from the Society for Cultural Astronomy in the American Southwest, please visit; https://www.amazon.com/Before-Borders... http://www.scaas.org
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By Savannah Rivka Powell MA Folkloristics and Applied Heritage Studies, University of Tartu Sunset today marks Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. I have always enjoyed the sense of wholeness as the timing of the holiday coincides with the harvest season. Challah, the traditional braided bread made for Jewish ceremonial celebrations is sometimes made to be round for Rosh Hashanah to reflect the wishes for a fulfilling year to come. Although I grew up in a bi-religious family with a Catholic father and Jewish mother, I was raised with the teachings of the Jewish faith. I began attending Hebrew School at the age of 3 and took the teachings rather seriously throughout my youth. As I grew into adulthood my relationship with Judaism changed and although I became less active in Jewish religious institutions, my personal connection with the heritage remained strong. Heritage and tradition may intersect or overlap in unexpected ways. Some people find the religious differences within a family to be a challenge or even a point of contention. I take pride in my family’s unique expressions of their faith. Among my ancestors are Catholic nuns, performers of Yiddish theater, and at least one devout follower of Islam. Now that I have a home of my own, the dynamics of bi- or even tri-religious traditions are maintained through the practices of myself and my partner. Although he was active in the Catholic church as a child, he also grew up knowing that he had Indigenous ancestry. The trappings within the walls of our house include images of the Aztec Goddess Itzpapalotl, Mother Mary, and paintings depicting Hebrew texts. My partner and I share in each other’s traditions in an engaged and respectful manner. The Tu B'shevat seder I host for the Jewish Kabbalistic celebration of trees has always been appreciated. Likewise, I have attended Velación ceremonies, Temazcals (Sweat Lodges), and even Catholic Mass. We respectfully participate in one another’s traditions without losing our own roots. There is also an awareness of the delicate balance of familial support and the limits of appropriation. Our efforts to maintain religious symmetry in our lives and collective practices are what lead to Challah at a Teepee Meeting. As part of my partner’s tradition, we would attend Teepee Meetings periodically throughout the year to make prayers for the community, our families, and our future. After the ceremony which typically extends from sunset to sunrise the following day, we would feast together. As one of these events happened to occur around Rosh Hashanah, I decided to make a round Challah to share at the feast. A number of years later when Ryan Warner from Colorado Public Radio (CPR) put out a call for unique Colorado cookbooks, I reached out and shared the book from which I had gotten my Challah recipe, Shalom on the Range: A Roundup of Recipes and Jewish Traditions from Colorado Kitchens. The regional distinction of growing up Jewish in Colorado presents another interesting intersection of experiences. While my mother grew up in the diversity of Brooklyn New York among a rather cohesive Jewish community, my experience in Colorado was rather different. As a child, many of my classmates had never heard of anyone who did not follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, let alone a Jew. I was treated as an alien at best, and with violent anti-Semitism at worst. When I began dating as a teenager I encountered anti-Semitism from the parents of my romantic partners who openly expressed their disapproval of my background. As a young adult, one of my relationships ended when my partner could not reconcile his belief that as a Jew I was doomed to burn in hell. Today I am thankful for the respectful balance maintained with my extended family and within my home. As I made the Challah for the upcoming Rosh Hashanah I was sure to weave in extra gratitude for this sense of harmony along with my hopes for a full and fruitful year to come. If you would like a nice Challah recipe from the book mentioned above be sure to check out our interview with Ryan Warner on CPR and find out how a bear ended up absconding with the remainder of our Challah after the Teepee Ceremony. No worries, no humans or bears were harmed in the end, but sadly the Challah did not make it! שָׁנָה טוֹבָה וּמְתוּקָה
May your year be sweet! Interview about Adventure Scholar and Performance of Yiddish Song Tumbalalaika by Savannah Rivka9/10/2020
Check out this interview and performance Savannah Rivka did with the fabulous folks from Artists in Place for the Outshine Festivals: PerformerFest! We talked about Adventure Scholar and how she became interested in European folk music. Savannah Rivka shared a song which is very near and dear to her heart - Tumbalalaika - which is of Yiddish Russian origin.
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