Shais Rishon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
MaNishtana
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| Born | Shais Rishon February 14, 1982 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
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| Years active | 2009–present |
| Notable works | MaNishtana blog Ariel Samson, Freelance Rabbi |
| Spouse | Gulienne Rollins-Rishon |
| Children | 1 |
Shais Rishon, also known by his pen name MaNishtana, is an African-American Orthodox rabbi, an activist, and a writer. A pen name is a fake name a writer uses instead of their real name. He has written for many publications like Tablet and The Forward. He also wrote a novel about his own life under his pen name. In 2014, he was named one of The Jewish Week's "36 Under 36," which is a list of important Jewish people under 36 years old.
About Shais Rishon
Shais Rishon was born on February 14, 1982, in Brooklyn, New York. He grew up in an Ashkenazi Jewish family that followed the Chabad-Lubavitch way of Judaism. He says his mother's family has been Jewish since the 1780s. His father, Asher Rishon, became Jewish after meeting Shais' mother.
Growing up, Shais sometimes felt like he didn't quite fit in with the Jewish community. This was because of his race and how some other Jewish people treated him. He went to James Madison High School and then Brooklyn College. There, he studied English.
His Work as a Blogger and Activist
In 2009, Rishon started writing a blog called MaNishtana. In his blog, he writes about being both Black and Jewish. A lot of his writing talks about racism within the Jewish community. He also worked as a content manager for Bend The Arc. This is a Jewish group that works for social justice. He also served as a rabbi for an Orthodox Jewish community called Kehilat Ir Chadash in New City, New York.
In 2020, Rishon and rapper Yitz Jordan (also known as Y-Love) shared their plans to create a Jewish Community Center especially for Jews of color. This community center would welcome all Jewish people. However, it would focus on supporting Jews of color. It would also help build connections within the Jewish community. Plus, it would connect Jews of color with other minority groups.
His Books and Plays
Shais Rishon's first novel is called Ariel Samson, Freelance Rabbi. In 2018, this book was a finalist for the Goldberg Award for Debut Fiction. This award is part of the National Jewish Book Award. The story in the book is partly based on his own life. Rishon hoped his novel would help change wrong ideas about Jews of color. He also wanted it to help them feel more included in the larger Jewish community.
He also helped write the Kveller Haggadah. A Haggadah is a book used during the Jewish holiday of Passover. Rishon has also written plays. In 2017, he worked on The Jewish Plays Project. He worked with other playwrights like Susan Bernfield and Sarah Gancher.
In 2013, Rishon wrote an open letter to a politician named Dov Hikind. Rishon criticized him for wearing blackface at a Purim celebration. Blackface is when someone paints their face to look like a Black person, which is considered offensive.
His Family Life
Shais Rishon is married to Gulienne Rollins-Rishon. She is a biracial Black Jew. This means she has family from different racial backgrounds. She is also a descendant of a famous rabbi named Yom-Tov Lipman Heller. The couple has a daughter who was born in late 2013.
