Ordinary Jews. Talking. Episode Five: Ilsa Pinkson-Burke & Briane Pinkson

Episode 5: Ilsa Pinkson-Burke & Briane Pinkson  – Recorded August 6, 2025  Courtesy Photo: Briane on the left, Ilsa on the right

Ilsa Pinkson-Burke and Briane Pinkson grew up going to “shula”, a Cooperative Jewish Children’s School teaching Jewish history, ethics, art, music, and politics – everything except Hebrew, liturgy, or religion. The school was in the tradition of their parents and grandparents, Yiddish-speaking “left-wingers from the twenties and thirties”. Most weekends they all went to political demonstrations, and once – once – they made a field trip to a synagogue. Today, both sisters feel a need to reinforce their sense of Jewish community and to learn more about the history of Israel, while distancing themselves from Zionism.  

Episode 5 Notes: 

• Rabbi Dov Taylor leads Chavurat ki-tov and can be reached at rabbit@mymakom.org  
• Jewish Voice for Peace, New Hampshire/Vermont Chapter: “We envision a world where all people — from the U.S. to Palestine — live in freedom, justice, equality, and dignity.”
• Letters:
  • A Letter from Over a Thousand Rabbis Worldwide 
  • Organizational responses to the suffering and starvation in Gaza:
    • Statement from the Reform Movement
    • Statement from the Conservative Rabbinical Assembly
    • Statement from 80 Orthodox Rabbis (unlike the other statements, this one was international and signed by individuals)
  • Israeli military and security leaders strongly denounce government-directed military action in Gaza, demand an end to pointless death and destruction, and a deal to return the hostages
  • Artists and intellectuals: much reporting on statements, overt or covert boycotts, and reactions from within Israel. Hard to trace back to the statements by artists and intellectuals. 

Camp Kinderland “Summer camp with a conscience since 1923”