Questions to Ask Before Your Bat Mitzvah invites 38 writers, artists, scholars, and activists to offer accessible reflections on 36 questions to help young Jews—and anyone else who picks up this book—feel grounded in the Jewish radical tradition, unlearn Zionism, and deepen their solidarity with Palestinians, offering the B’nai Mitzvah as an opportunity for political awakening open to all. Edited by comedic performance artist and activist Morgan Bassichis with artist and educator Jay Saper and writer Rachel Valinsky, with a foreword by seminal scholar-activist Angela Y. Davis, and illustrations by the artist Nicole Eisenman, this essential volume offers an accessible and challenging set of personal and collective responses to critical questions for our time. 

Questions included range from “What even is a Bat Mitzvah?” and “I’m queer/nonbinary/secular/old/not even Jewish—are Bat Mitzvahs for me?” to “Why are there Israeli and American flags in my synagogue?” and “Why do people plant trees in Israel as a Bat Mitzvah gift?” and “What does the olive tree symbolize to Palestinians?” and “What does the watermelon symbolize to Palestinians?” and “What do Palestinian kids do when they turn thirteen?” and “How do I talk to my family about this stuff?”

Contributors

Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme, Imani Altemus-Williams, Sumaya Awad, Shirly Bahar, Kholoud Balata, Morgan Bassichis, Bazeed, Gregg Bordowitz, Lukaza Branfman-Verissimo, Ilise Cohen, Jonah Aline Daniel, Maya Edery, Esther Farmer, Dan Fishback, Aitan Groener, Rabbi Miriam Grossman, Noah Habeeb, Olivia Katbi, Aurora Levins Morales, Brooke Lober, Tariq Luthun, Collier Meyerson, Dori Midnight, Izzy Mustafa, Aidan Orly and Jonathan Brenneman, Una Aya Osato, Khury Petersen-Smith, Rabbi Brant Rosen, Dylan Saba, Mahdi Sabbagh, Jay Saper, Ita Segev, Dean Spade, Elena Stein, Sandra Tamari, Kendra Watkins, and Satya Zamudio. 

About the editors

Morgan Bassichis is a comedic performer who has been called “a tall child or, well, a big bird” by the Nation and “fiercely hilarious” by the New Yorker. Morgan’s book of to-do lists, The Odd Years, was published by Wendy’s Subway in 2020. Past shows include Questions to Ask Beforehand (Bridget Donahue, 2022), Don’t Rain on My Bat Mitzvah (co-created with Ira Khonen Temple, Creative Time, 2021), Nibbling the Hand that Feeds Me (Whitney Museum, NYC, 2019), Klezmer for Beginners (co-created with Ethan Philbrick, Abrons Arts Center, NYC, 2019), Damned If You Duet (The Kitchen, NYC, 2018), More Protest Songs! (Danspace Project, NYC, 2018), and The Faggots & Their Friends Between Revolutions: The Musical (co-created with TM Davy, DonChristian Jones, Michi Ilona Osato, and Una Aya Osato, New Museum, NYC, 2017). Morgan has released two albums: March is for Marches with Ethan Philbrick (2019) and More Protest Songs! Live From St. Mark’s Church (2018).

Jay Saper is an artist, translator, educator, and organizer who lives in Brooklyn, New York. They have taught Antifascist Yiddish for Beginners at Middlebury College and led walking tours on radical Jewish history for the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation. Jay has served as artist-in-residence at the Jewish Museum Frankfurt. Their work has been supported by the Yiddish Book Center and featured on Democracy Now! Jay’s artist books and zines honoring the legacy of Yiddish print and activist culture, under the imprint Pashkevil Press, are held in the collection of the Watson Library at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

Rachel Valinsky is a writer, editor, and translator based in New York. Rachel is co-founder and Artistic Director of Wendy’s Subway and Managing Editor at the Center for Art, Research and Alliances (CARA). Her translations have been published by Semiotext(e) and Éditions Lutanie, where she is a contributing editor. Rachel’s criticism appears in publications including Artforum, Art in America, BOMB, e-flux Criticism, Frieze, and she has written for the Berlinale, Danspace Project, and Sternberg Press, among others. She teaches Art History, Art Writing, and Critical Thinking at New York University and The New School.

Softcover, 104 pages, 6 x 9 inches
Edited by Morgan Bassichis, Jay Saper, and Rachel Valinsky
Illustrations by Nicole Eisenman
Design by Tiffany Malakooti
Edition of 3,000, Printed in Latvia, August 2023.

*COVID-19 Notice: Order processing is slower than usual at this time due to safety and logistical issues surrounding the pandemic. In addition, mail carriers have informed us that shipping times are not guaranteed, and in some cases have been significantly delayed. Unfortunately these delays are out of our control. Thank you in advance for your patience. 

We really appreciate you shopping with us.  Below are our general policies.  We do our best to make our customers happy, so if you have a concern please feel free to contact us :)

Shipping

• All shipping time frames are not guaranteed—after we hand your package to the mail service or shipping company, we are unable to control unforeseen delays on their end.
• We ship orders out Mon-Fri, often same day if possible—but please allow 1-8 business days for processing. Most packages are sent via US Postal Service with delivery confirmation.
• TELFAR BAGS may take even longer than the above time frame during this time, up to 2 weeks to process and send out from our office due to high order volumes.  Priority shipments will be processed first, but ALL orders are shipping slower than usual.
• Please make sure your shipping address and contact info are correctly entered at checkout. Unless you specify to us that you want to pay to fully insure your package, we are not liable for loss or damage. Shipping charges are non-refundable.
• US (Domestic) shipping is calculated by order total. Standard shipping usually takes 2-9 business days, depending on destination. Priority and Express options are available at checkout for additional fees.

• TELFAR bag orders have separate shipping fees which are automatically calculated at checkout.  

International Customers

• Customs fees may apply depending on tariff rules in your country. Your country's customs office may in rare cases delay the arrival of your package beyond our control. The customer is responsible for any fees or taxes added by their country's customs office.
• International shipments are sent via US Postal Service and rates are calculated by total order weight in order to best approximate actual charges. 
• First Class International (transit time varies ~7-21 days or longer), limited tracking and no insurance
• Priority International (6-10 business days from shipping date), tracking and limited insurance
• Express International (3-5 days business days from shipping date), tracking and full insurance
• Please keep in mind we are not liable for loss or damage in the mail if you select an option without insurance and tracking.  We recommend insuring and tracking whenever possible.
• If you don't see your country on the shipping options list or have any other special requests on how you'd like us to handle your shipment, just contact us before or at the time of placing your order and we'll do our best to help.   :)
• The US Postal Service will not accept the package if the address is written in a foreign alphabet, so please be sure to check your shipping address as we are unable to verify addresses before we ship and your package may get lost otherwise.

Returns/Exchanges 

Because of the tiny nature of our operation, we apologize for our limited return policy.

• No returns on books, music, artwork and objects, accessories, and general merchandise, aside from defective items. Unworn clothing and shoes bought online may be exchanged or returned within 7 days of receipt, unless otherwise specified.
• Returns are only accepted if you notify us within 7 days of receipt of the item and return it to us within 14 days of the order ship date. Goods must be in perfect unworn/unused condition with all original packaging intact. The customer is responsible for outbound and return shipping costs, which are non-refundable. If store credit is issued, it is valid for one year from the issue date.
• We also cannot accept returns on sale items. Some sale items are the last copy and may have experienced some wear and tear. Discounts take into account for any damage but if you have any questions about the condition of a particular item, please email us.
• If you have any issues receiving your order, including lost packages, you must contact us within 90 days of the shipment date or we may be unable to help.

Thank you in advance for understanding!

Privacy Policy

• All customer information collected by us through our online shop will only be used for the purposes of fulfilling and delivering your orders, and customer service. If you choose to sign up for our mailing list, we will only use that information to send you occasional announcements related to Ooga Booga.  
• We will never share or sell your information to any third parties or use it for any outside marketing purposes.  
• Should you ever wish to unsubscribe or opt out of our mailing list, simply fill out the form on our website to unsubscribe, or send us an email to be removed.  

Please feel free to ask us any questions about a product or the ordering process!