According to the BBC News the rapper Shyne, from P-Diddy nightclub shooting fame has emerged from his 10 year jail sentence as a Chasidic Jew. Born of an Ethiopian Jewish mother in Belize, Shyne, or Moshe ben David-his Hebrew name, decided to put down the guns and pick up the Torah while in prison. I’ll be honest, I have no idea who he is but apparently he’s a good rapper and hasn’t let his tzi-tzit or tallit prevent his pen from scribbling across pages. I wonder if he’ll do a collaboration with Y Love? I have to say that I’m a bit jealous of Moshe, having an Ethiopian mother automatically makes him a Jew. I’m presuming he didn’t study much Judaism before his time in jail but the 10 years of study allowed him to be a more dedicated and more learned Jew. I’m also a bit jealous that he can pray at the Western Wall…those laments I will save for another day. Mazel tov to Moshe, I hope to see you in shul, although I won’t because I’m not Chasidic.
In other news, I’ve been waiting by the window patiently all day for the UPS truck to deliver my goods. I received Entering Jewish Prayer-A Guide to Personal Devotion and the Worship Service by Reuven Hammer, Minding the Temple of the Soul by Tamar Frankiel and Judy Greenfeld, To Pray as a Jew-A guide to Prayer Book and Synagogue Service by Rabbi Hayim Halevy Donin as well as Pimsleur’s Basic Modern Hebrew Language set (bring on the CD Walkman!) Learn Hebrew Today-Alef-Bet for Adults by Paul Michal Yedwab with Howard I. Bogot as well as a Biblical Hebrew laminated card. I’m still waiting for I Thank Therefore I am as well as a video I purchased on converted Jews from Ruth Diskin Films called Leap of Faith.
