PunkTorah Friday

This week features Parshat Lech Lecha, Patrick and Jennie at the ModernTribe office, and a home movie of Patrick in Monsey, NY eating at a kosher dairy restaurant (featuring blogger Eliyahu Enriquez and Can!!Can drummer and producer Joshua Lamar).

Shabbat Shalom and have a wonderful weekend!

Parshat Lech Lecha (In My Kitchen)

PunkTorah and Jennie at the Office

PunkTorah Takes On Monsey, NY

ModernTribe Best of the Jewish Web

Wednesday! Blog roll, please...

B'nai Mitzvah Memories From A Hip Jewish Mom (ModernJewishMom)

Birthright Israel Will Pay For Your Shabbat Dinner (Heeb'nVegan)

Ultra-Orthodox Electronics Store...Happiest Place On Earth? (Matthue.com)

Rabbi Yonah's Hypothetical Speech at Ivanka Trump's Jewish Wedding (Jewlicious)

Jews Rock! (MyJewishLearning)

Hamsas On ModernTribe

The hamsa is the traditional symbol for the "hand of G_d" and is said to provide protection against the "evil eye," other peoples jealousy. This image is popular among the people of North Africa and the Middle East, and is sometimes called the "hand of Miriam," referencing the sister of Moses and Aaron or the "hand of Fatima" in Arabic cultures. The Hamsa motif is very popular in Jewelry and has really gone mainstream American. Hamsa art to hang on the wall is very popular too.

The Pomegranate Hamsa Trivet by Melanie Dankowicz

This piece makes a great decoration for the table, or even your wall. Lazercut from stainless steel with delicate touches by hand, this trivet is mounted on acrylic feet to protect your table.

The pomegranates are a symbol of fruitfulness. It is the perfect addition to the modern Jewish home.


Regina Allen's Gold Filigree Hamsa Set includes a necklace that is 18k gold filled, with a hand formed clasp, amethyst stones, and glass beads. The chain is 17" and the artist can adjust it for you up to 18". The hamsa pendent is 1" long by 3/4" wide.

The earrings have amethyst stones and glass beads as well. Earrings are 2" long from the top of the ear-wire with a 1.5" drop from the ear lobe. The charms are each 5/8" long by 3/8" wide.

Purchase together or separate from ModernTribe.

Our bestselling hamsa is the bendel bracelet with the hamsa charm. Bendels are the infamous "red strings" adorning the wrists of the Hollywood elite. The red string, symbolizes blood and the life force and is supposed to offer the wearer good luck. So the bendel + hamsa is double lucky.

Also check out these funky wall hamsas from Israeli design house Adina Plastelina.

See all hamsas on ModernTribe.com.

Three Funny, Adorable Videos on Matisyahu

As you've probably already heard, ModernTribe is hosting the Matisyahu/ModernTribe Sweepstakes this month, through November 30.

Because of our involvement with the sweepstakes, I've been kinda really getting into the Chassid, Reggae, Hip Hop, Beat Box, mega star. Here are three very entertaining videos. Enjoy.

Matisayhu Interviewing Matisyahu



Matisyahu on Isreal's Sesame Street (Thank you Shemspeed Records for the find)




An Interview with Matisyahu's Brother from Heeb magazine (also a partner in our sweepstakes btw)

ModernTribe: PunkTorah Friday

Every Friday, PunkTorah provides exclusive content for ModernTribe.

This week features a video featuring the music of Girls In Trouble,
the Jdub Records band that asks the question, "what would
happen if the girls of the Bible started an indie rock band?" Purchase the Girls in Trouble's album on ModernTribe.

Also featured are a D'var Torah on Parshat Noah, and PunkTorah selling
ModernTribe products at the Shalom Cobb Festival (with his mother).

Shabbat Shalom and have a safe, wonderful weekend!

VIDEO: ModernTribe/PunkTorah Present: Girls In Trouble:

VIDEO: Parshat Noah (The Tower of Babel)

VIDEO: PunkTorah at the Shalom Cobb Festival (Featuring His Mother)

ModernTribe Best of the Jewish Web

Every Wednesday, I troll my favorite sites for the Best of the Jewish Web. This week was brought to you by the letter "J".

Female Rabbis Take Over the World...One Event at a Time (Jewess)

What's So Funny About Jewish Delis? Everything! (Jewcy)

Welcoming Jews of Color (Jewlicious)

Re-Imagining the Torah...With Comic Books (Jewschool)

Natalie Portman Plays Orthodox in "New York, I Love You" (JDub Records)

What's New On ModernTribe

Monday, Monday, Monday...it's time for new goodies from the ModernTribe curiosity shop...

This Recycled Bicycle Chain Menorah is perfect for your average green friendly, fixed gear bike fanatic. 

Designed by Noah's Ark International, a Fair Trade cooperative based in Moradabad, this fantastic piece of hip judaica is a great way to bring social issues into our holiday season. ModernTribe also has tons of great candle selections to choose from, for that added touch of personalization to your Hanukkah decor.

The Traveler's Prayer Pewter Necklace by Emily Rosenfeld is a great gift for someone headed on a literal or a symbolic journey. 

Lending strength and safety to the person who wears it, this artful 2-inch pewter cylinder (similar to a mezuzah) includes a paper scroll with the text of the prayer printed in English: 

"...Lead us toward peace, emplace our footsteps toward peace, guide us toward peace, and make us reach our desired destination for life, gladness, and peace."

Pendant is 2" long on a 30" black rayon cord. 

Looking for something higher end? Try our Traveler's Prayer Hamsa Necklace.

I love playing games: checkers, Scrabble, Monopoly. But it has been years since I last played chess.

So the other night, my band mate Josh and I decided to play a rousing game of chess while we waited to play a show with our band. We set the board up, I got creamed, and that was that.

Now, I want my revenge. And I have found just the way to do it.

With Chalk Chess by Suck UK, you can bring the fun (read: challenge) of chess anywhere! 

The chess pieces are made out of black and white chalk, giving players the opportunity to create a chess board under any circumstances. Play on the sidewalk (as show to the left), in the driveway, or wherever you want.

And if you are anything like me, and can't play chess to save your life, you can always smudge a few of the squares when they are not looking and create the perfect victory!

You can also use the chess pieces are regular sidewalk chalk. Spell out angry messages to your opponent to psych them out. Or use Chalk Chess as a tool for romance, playfully writing sweet nothings on the street while your potential beshert (soul mate) plans your defeat.

Happy Shopping!

ModernTribe: PunkTorah Friday!

Hey, this is Patrick. In addition to working with ModernTribe.com and singing in the Jewish punk rock band Can!!Can, I do PunkTorah, a website and activism project I founded last April. PunkTorah strives to provide meaningful Jewish spiritual connections to progressive people. The project includes weekly videos, outreach events, public speaking and blogging on several Jewish websites.

ModernTribe is a great supporter of PunkTorah (you can buy PunkTorah shirts on the website) and is letting PunkTorah take over the blog every Friday. Each week I'm looking forward to sharing with you the best of PunkTorah. For more PunkTorah visit PunkTorah.com. Shabbat Shalom and have a wonderful weekend!

Here is a short video about PunkTorah:



Parshat Bereishit (Shot Inside My Kitchen):



Sukkot Party Home Movie:

Best of the Web Wednesdays

It's Wednesday, and that means ModernTribe's Best of the Jewish Web. This week features a big announcement from our friends at Jewcy and JDub Records, valuable information on Breast Cancer Awareness Month from My Jewish Learning and a great recipe for French Onion Soup...that's actually kosher!



Jewcy is a terrific forum for bloggers to share ideas and learn about contemporary Jewish life, politics, social issues and to create connections in the larger online Jewish world. So we were very excited to hear that JDub Records (Soulico, Girls In Trouble, Golem, Balkan Beat Box and more) has taken over the site with promises of great things to come.


October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and I was surprised to learn that Jewish women are actually at a higher risk for breast and ovarian cancer. My Jewish Learning is providing some amazing resources for women to learn more about these issues, including links to non-profits dedicated to working with Jewish and Israeli women on health and wellness.




I'm a huge "foodie", and one of my favorite things to do is deconstruct non-kosher recipes to find their kosher, and healthier, alternative. I have been trying to find a way to do it with French Onion Soup with absolutely no luck. That's why I was really glad that The Jew and the Carrot, a blog that looks at food and environmentalism from a Jewish perspective, found a way to make my cravings a reality.

Enjoy the Best of the (Jewish) Web! -Patrick Aleph

What's New On ModernTribe

If you are a fan of Twitter (like us), then you know that today is #MusicMonday, where Twitterers "tweet" their favorite artists, songs and albums.

We're taking this to the "next level" by showing you our favorite new Cool Jew Music Merchandise on ModernTribe.com.



The Ghettoblaster Bag by Parcel/Loop NYC is a great gift for anyone who likes the retro-hip hop style of DJ Jazzy Jeff, Afrika Bambaataa and Run DMC.

We first learned about this bag when Shopkeeper Jennie's niece came to visit. Jennie fell in love with the bag and just had to find it for you!

The bag has real working speakers for your ipod or mp3 player. Just plug & play, the wires and speakers are built right in!

Our fearless Personal Shopper Patrick Aleph (who happens to be a musician as well) thinks this makes an awesome alternative to a back pack, especially for grad students.

We also think it makes a cool alternative baby bag for hip parents (especially dads) that want their baby fashion to be...well...edgy!

Now here's a few Cool Jews that are changing the way the world sees (and hears!) Jewish music. First we have Matisyahu, with his new album Light. Matisyahu breaks the mold by effortlessly blending deep dance, reggae, electronica, and even acoustic folk into this album that showcases his brilliance.

We're proud to call Y-Love a personal friend. Y-Love's album This Is Babylon is an epic journey into the heart of a Modern Orthodox, biracial rap sensation, who brings together English, Arabic, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin into global hip hop. With themes of unity, spiritual journeys, and prophetic visions of the future, Y-Love is truly a hip hop revolutionary.

Consider the soul-moving sounds of Girls In Trouble, fronted by Alicia Jo Rabins of the klezmer rock band Golem. Girls In Trouble asks the question, "what would happen if the girls of the Bible started an indie rock band"? What you get is a marriage of classical instrumental training and folk-punk sensitivity through the filter of Jewish literature, mysticism and history. It will take your breath away.

As seen in Time Out New York, the Mix Tape USB Stick is one of our best selling products. These 64MB USB memory sticks will store up to one hour of digital music -- the same amount as you used to get on and old school C60 cassette tape.

What's new is our ongoing list of New Jewish Loves Songs. If you have a favorite, email ModernTribe today!

Follow us today on Twitter: @ModernTribe_Jew (Shopkeeper Jennie), @TexasDreidel (No Limit Texas Dreidel)