A Mountain Dew.
1. There are approximately 30,000-60,000 Ha'Filipinim (Taglit/Tagalog-Hebrew for "The Philippines" or "The Filipinos") currently living and working in Eretz Yisra'el, a majority concentrated in Tel Aviv's Shuk Tahana Merkazit, otherwise known as the "Little Manila" of Israel; the city is also considered "the gay capital of the Middle East" (Out Magazine). Since some Jews consider living in Israel a mitzvah, do you see yourself making aliyah one day?
2. Tropical Goshen: Manuel Quezon - President of The Philippine Commonwealth, 1935-1941 - assisted in harboring/resettling 1,200 Jewish refugees, escaping Nazi persecution, in the south-eastern stronghold of Mindanao and posthumously honored with the title of “Righteous Among The Nations," as well as commemorative Israeli citizenship. However, patriotic and hardworking Ha'Filipinim with children born in Israel currently struggle for benefits that come with official state recognition. If given the opportunity for advocacy, what steps would you take to advance the cause of Israeli Ha'Filipinim?
3. Since 1993, homosexuals have been allowed to openly serve in the Israeli Defense Forces, including special units (unlike the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy of the U.S. Armed Forces). Were Ha'Filipinim OFWs, as well as Filipino Jews, encouraged to serve in the I.D.F., how would this concrete act of solidarity change societal perceptions of Filipinos in Israel and bring about reforms?
4. On LiveJournal, you blogged about the discovery of Spanish Jewish roots on your Grandmother's side of the family. Ako rin! To embrace dormant Jewish roots, dating back to the Inquisition, would understandably be a challenge for fundamentally-reared Filipinos. How extensive do you think this Judeo-Matrix phenomenon of Sephardic ancestry is within the Filipino diaspora? What would its significance be?
5. Your Rosh Ha'Shanah 5767 message, "Strangers Among Us" compliments the spirit of The Pilipino, whose kindness to strangers is also chronicled in Frank Ephraim's WWII biography, Escape to Manila: From Nazi tyranny to Japanese Terror. Diplomatic relations between Israel and The Philippines remain strong and dynamic, yet the two Democratic nations also share the burden of extremism and terrorism from within their respective borders. Can you describe how hospitality can be both a blessing and a curse, from a Filipino-Jewish perspective? As an openly gay Jewish man of color, how has anti-Semitism manifested itself in your life? Because of these existential risks, would you discourage Filipinos from converting to Judaism?
5. Tiebreaker: The decisive vote in the United Nations on November 29, 1947 reviving Israel as a sovereign nation was cast by The Philippines (and was the only Asian nation to support Jewish Nationhood). What kind of impact could greater Filipino-Jewish identification - Hudyo Pride, if you will - make in promoting peace and tolerance?
6. Rob Schneider, arguably the most high-profile Filipino Jew in entertainment, quipped: "My mother's side had the better food, my father's side had the better jokes" to describe his Filipina Ima and Jewish Abba. Other notable Filipino Jews include, Dean Devlin, Producer of Independence Day, Godzilla, and The Patriot; Nicole Scherzinger, lead vocalist of the Pussycat Dolls; Turntablist, Michael Schwartz aka Mix Master Mike; Actress, Phoebe Cates (wife of Academy-Award winner, Kevin Kline); and Author, Geronimo Tagatac. We should all go out for merienda or Kosher Kamayan, diba? What makes Filipino Jewry unique from other burgeoning cultural kehilot, such as Beta Israel, The Kaifeng Jews, and B'nei Menashe? To my knowledge, a Filipino Jew has not yet been ordained as a Rabbi. Do you think Sefer Ha'Torah should be translated into Taglit-Tagalog? Is there a need to establish an authentic, Filipino-Jewish community-identity?
7. Gay and Lesbian Jews seeking Rabbinical ordination in Yeshivot are on the rise. And with Jewish Queer Cinema such as Bent, Trembling Before G-d, and Yossi & Jagger garnering accolades, significant strides have been made through a Jewish lens in combating homophobia, while maintaining halakha relevant to the GLBTIQ community. You are active in a Gay-affirming synagogue in San Francisco, namely Congregation Sha'ar Zaav. How do you see the GLBTIQA Jewish community serving as a "Beacon to the Nations"?
8. Paper Dolls is an award-winning documentary which follows the lives of transgender migrant workers from The Philippines who work as health care providers for elderly Orthodox Jewish-Israeli men. Furthermore, JDate has a flurry of Filipino men seeking Jewish men, myself included=) Can you explain the significance of this mystical magnetism?
9. If you were the Grand Marshal of the Jerusalem Gay Pride Parade, how would you envision such a landmark event?
10. Just as the Hebrews struggled with overcoming a slave mentality after being delivered from Mitzrayim and Pharaoh, to a certain extent the Wandering Filipino still struggles with an island mentality. With Pesakh approaching, how will you commemorate Liberation?
