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November 2018

New Book about the Mid-’90s Punk Explosion

In the Introduction of Oy Oy Oy Gevalt! Jews and Punk, I traced the rise of commercial punk rock in the mid-1990s because it is an important prelude to most Jewish punk bands using punk rock as a vehicle to explore their Jewish identity. If punk rock hadn’t gotten so big and reached so many people, fewer musicians would have been inspired to play punk rock afterward. When researching my 2016 book, I read My So-Called Punk (2007) and watched Punk’s Not Dead (2007) and One Nine…

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Guest Speaker at Book Fair Shabbat

On Friday, I was the guest speaker for Book Fair Shabbat at Woodlands Community Temple in White Plains, New York. Rabbi Mara Young and the other speakers on the bimah did a commendable job of tying in counterculture and resistance with Jewish values. Cantor Jonathan Gordon used the Ramones‘ cover of “Surfin’ Bird” for the “Adon Olam” melody. Jewish punk fit right in! My presentation featured songs by Yidcore, the Schleps, Moshiach Oi!, and Di Nigunim. Most are in the “Shabbat Punk Playlist” that…

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Article about My Upcoming Presentation for Book Fair Shabbat

On November 16, I’ll be the guest speaker for Book Fair Shabbat at Woodlands Community Temple in White Plains, New York. In addition to giving an overview of Jewish punk, I’ll be sharing Shabbat songs and talking about my writing process. Here’s an excerpt from a great article on the front page of the shul’s monthly newsletter, Makom. One doesn’t usually think of “punk rock” and “Judaism” in the same sentence. But on Friday, November 16, at this year’s Book…

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