"Jewish homegirl style"
In yesterday's Style section of the New York Times, there was a very short article with a mention of Sarah Silverman's "sedulously cultivated Jewish homegirl style." Now, I don't usually read the Style section, nor do I have a vested interest in Sarah Silverman, but this chic-sounding phrase - without a qualifying description -- had me a bit perplexed. So I needed to inquire: what exactly is a Jewish homegirl style? And how does one "sedulously cultivate" it?
Thinking that I was just out of the loop, I asked a few of my co-workers for an explanation. They were equally stumped, though one suggested that it reflected a resistance to the JAP stereotype and an embracing of a more "down-to-earth masculine form of the feminine." Interesting. Then I asked a few of my Jewish friends who are (a) more fashionable than me, and (b) seemingly more tuned in to pop culture references. They first asked for a definition of "sedulous." Then they both suggested that "a sedulously cultivated Jewish homegirl style" referred to owning your "Jewish look" or getting in touch with your "bad a** Jewish roots." "Or maybe," another friend suggested, "it's about embracing some kind of counter-cultural Jewish self-presentation."
While my friends needed to consult a dictionary to define "sedulous," what I needed was a proper definition of "homegirl." That was the word in question. So here's what I found:
Homegirl
1. a girl or woman from one's neighborhood, hometown, or region.
2. a girl or woman who is a member of one's peer group.
3. an inner-city girl or woman.
Now, Sarah Silverman grew up in Bedford, New Hampshire, and I don't know if the Jews of Bedford share her "homegirl style," nor do I know if her peer group shares it; and I'm not sure if she qualifies as having "inner-city" stature. But I do know that a ubiquitously monolithic "Jewish homegirl" doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. Jewish is just too broad a category, no? Unless, of course, if there are multiple "Jewish homegirl styles." Could this be the case? So I ask you, Jewesses: do you have a Jewish homegirl style? Is it something you sedulously cultivate, or is it just something you are?
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I go to a Catholic High School...so keeping my Jewish identity is important. I know I keep my Jewish homegirl style real with my star of david necklace every day. A Jew-cy jacket or some other Jew-elry helps too.
Here's a possible answer to your inquiry at http://www.jewishlivingmag.com... I suppose this is the intended image of a wholesome Jewish homegirl - maybe.
I am a big fan of the Jewish Women's Archive and glad to see they now have a blog feature of their website. Great blog. Keep up the good work. - Maya Norton, The New Jew: Blogging Jewish Philanthropy