The image of the New York Jew abounds with countless stereotypes.  We are as neurotic as Woody Allen, as relationship starved as Yente the matchmaker, and as secular as the town atheist.  Our favorite food is bagels with lox, our apartment – Upper West Side of course, our activity of choice - arguing - or kvetching as we like to say.  As much as these images have been promoted throughout literature, film, and television, as of yet I've never truly met a person who inhabits every one of these characteristics.  In a city where every two blocks you can find a new cultural enclave, being Jewish no longer has a singular meaning.  Yes I am a New York Jew and yes I hold a special place in my heart for Woody, however that is where the similarities end.

I was raised in Riverdale – not to be confused with the Upper West Side or as my friends who live one train stop away tell me "the rest of the Bronx."  I was born in Tomsk, a small city in Siberia that is a world away from the urban environments of Moscow or St. Petersburg.  My parents are secular, my synagogue is conservative, my own views are reform, and on the weekends my friends and I dabble in what I like to call "hippy-spiritual Judaism," - replete with bongos, Kabbalistic meaning-of-life discussions, and nature hikes. 

However, as diverse as I believe my own heritage to be, I know that there are hundreds of other Jews living in New York who have their own incredible stories.  The New York metropolitan area has over 2 million Jews, making it the largest Jewish community in the entire world.  Whether hailing from the former Soviet Union, Israel, or even Africa – we are impossible to label, classify, or pigeonhole. 

For all of these reasons with the help of COJECO, Jewish Agency For Israel, and UJA, I have created a website whose purpose is to reinforce my belief that we are a CULTURESHOOK, a veritable marketplace of cultures. Despite all our differences, culture is what brings us together; our desire to sample all of the spices and flavors evident in the traditions of Ashkenazi Jews, Israeli Jews, Sephardic Jews, African Jews, Yemenite Jews, and yes even Upper West Side Jews.

This website is not for a particular sort of person, a specific brand of Judaism, or a distinct type of activity. Whether you’re looking for a single’s boat party, a play at the Yiddish Theatre, a Klezmer music festival, or a spiritual discussion on sex and relationships, CultureShook can provide you with something to do for every day of the week.

Every week with the help of contributing writers and eclectic voices from within our community, I will post events going on around the city, as well as columns touching upon those issues that seem to both affect and interest Jews from all walks of life. Sometimes we’ll be political, sometimes we’ll reflect on cultural aspects of our community, and sometimes we’ll just try to persuade you to see the latest Woody Allen flick. Either way, feel free to email us, chat with us, and use us as your resource for all things innovative within the New York Jewish community.