Erika Davis
Race Is Still a Big Deal in the World Around You
Even though my white partner tries hard to understand and is aware of her privilege, she will never really understand what I go through.
Maya Angelou, My Sister and Me
Maya Angelou’s passing is a moment for Erika Davis to reflect on the loss of another poet in her life — her sister.
Feeling Lost — Then Found — During High Holidays
This Tisha B’av I joined a few colleagues and about a hundred Muslims and Jews for an interfaith break fast at Congregation Beth Elohim in Brooklyn, NY. As I sat at the table and ate the delicious halal and kosher food that was served, I realized that the two religions share much more than most care to understand.
Mourning Trayvon Martin on Tisha B'Av
For Erika Davis, the shocking verdict in the Trayvon Martin killing has given new meaning to Tisha B’Av. She will mourn for one family’s loss — and a society that is still gripped by racism.
Jewish Adventures in Gluten Free Baking
When two Jewish gluten free cookbooks arrived on Erika Davis’s desk she was thrilled. But sadly neither helped her reach the Holy Grail — the perfect GF challah.
Dressing Modestly — and My Black Jewish Hair
For Erika Davis, moving within the different branches of Judaism is like wrapping herself in traditions. That is interesting when contemplating how, when and why she wraps her hair.
The Universal Language of Food
I grew up in Toledo, Ohio, land of the constant restaurant. I once heard that Toledo was a pilot city for new restaurant ventures. Mind you, I’m not talking the latest in gastronomy or raw food, I’m talking Applebee’s, Carraba’s Italian Grill, or BW3 (now known as Buffalo Wild Wings).
Remembering Dr. King
On the anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, a look back at his partnership with Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel.
Passover, Easter and the Jehovah’s Witness at My Door
On Easter and on Passover, we should build bridges to other faiths, not walls between them. Erika Davis learned this lesson in an unlikely way — from a Jehovah’s Witness at her door.
Stepping to Women's Rights
There’s something incredibly powerful about stepping, a form of percussive dance in which the participant’s entire body is used as an instrument to produce complex rhythms and sounds through a mixture of footsteps, spoken words and hand claps. These rhythmic stomping and beats can have a profound effect on the listener as well as the stepper. I should know; I grew up in a household where stepping was the norm.