What to Wear

On Sunday, March 11, The Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City will be hosting What to Wear, “An All-Day, Multifaceted Exploration of Women’s Clothing and Its Relationship to Religion and Culture.” I am proud and excited to be a part of this event.

Due to my blog posts right here with you fine folk, about what it took to dress my Big Girl and myself for her bat mitzvah,  Big Girl, my mom, and I have been asked as a family trio to be half of a panel discussion, “Clothing and Coming of Age.” The other family trio with us? Well, the grandma of that group is Dr. Ruth Westheimer.

I keep saying how excited I am to be on a panel with Dr. Ruth, and my mom keeps correcting me that she’s going to be on a panel with me. Explaining my excitement to Big Girl was a little tricky… “She’s really famous, it will be an honor to meet her.” “I never heard of her. What is she famous for?” “Well, she used to talk about sex on the radio.” “Ewww, why?!”

What to Wear will also feature another local speaker: Rabbi Francine Roston of Congregation Beth El in South Orange will join Rev. Dr. Katherine Rhodes Henderson to discuss “Women Clergy and Self-Representation.”

My mom may want to go to that one (she often has specific opinions on what my rabbi sister should wear while working). I like to remind that rabbi sister of mine that I was a student at JTS before she was – even though my residency there was just eight weeks: shout out to Mathilde Schechter Residence Hall summer ’89! But to go back as a speaker…wow. I am honored.

Please please please join us: the cost is low, just $36 per person, and that includes lunch. AND, because they would really like to see teens attend, each adult may bring one teen free of charge. Register here. During the first set of concurrent sessions, there will be one just for teens: “OMG – I Can’t Believe She Wore That!” Let them know your teen will be attending that session by emailing  what2wear@jtsa.edu.

This blog has given me a public voice, for which I am grateful, and a bit of micro-fame, which I have also savored (I was recognized. Once. And someone at a Jewish education conference told my sister she had to read this blog, not knowing we are sisters!). This will be the high point yet! Come hear me, live and in person, talk about my daughter’s adolescent clothing choices while my mother talks about mine! And our Big Girl complains publicly about both! I can’t wait to see you there. What will you wear?