((PKG)) THE FIRST CHINESE AMERICAN RABBI
((TRT: 04:09))
((Topic Banner: Melding Traditions))
((Reporter: Jiu Dao))
((Adapted by: Zdenko Novacki))
((Map: Oakland, California))
((Main characters: 1 female))
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Courtesy: Temple Sinai-Oakland))
((Courtesy: Videoblocks))
((Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin, Senior Rabbi, Temple
Sinai-Oakland))
When people think rabbi, they are often thinking of an old
man with a big old beard
((Courtesy: Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin))
and that's never what I'm going to be. I'm Rabbi Jacqueline
Mates-Muchin,
((Courtesy: Temple Sinai-Oakland))
and I'm the senior rabbi at Temple Sinai
in Oakland, California,
((Courtesy: Skype))
((Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin, Senior Rabbi, Temple
Sinai-Oakland))
and I'm the first Chinese American rabbi.
((MUSIC))
((Courtesy: Temple Sinai-Oakland))
Rabbis are, the word means teacher. What does it mean to
be an insider? What does it mean to be Jewish? What
is that experience of it?
((MUSIC))
((Courtesy: Skype))
((Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin, Senior Rabbi, Temple
Sinai-Oakland))
If we go back as far as we can, nobody can think of anybody
who was ever a rabbi.
((MUSIC))
((Courtesy: Temple Sinai-Oakland))
It’s not a family tradition.
((Courtesy: Videoblocks))
((Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin, Senior Rabbi, Temple
Sinai-Oakland))
I grew up in San Francisco. My parents are
both physicians.
((Courtesy: Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin))
My mom is an OB-GYN [obstetrician-gynecologist]. My dad
is a psychiatrist.
My mom converted to Judaism before my parents were
married. I have four siblings. So, we have a very big family.
((MUSIC))
((Courtesy: Videoblocks))
((Popup Banner:
Her mother is a second-generation Chinese American. Her
father is the son of Austrian Jewish immigrants.))
((Courtesy: Skype))
((Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin, Senior Rabbi, Temple
Sinai-Oakland))
My father's family also escaped Nazi Europe. They were in
Vienna.
((Courtesy: Videoblocks))
So that family story was very significant to us and was a
huge part of our understanding of who we are. I became
very active in the Jewish community on my own, especially
as a teenager.
((Courtesy: Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin))
We all celebrated becoming bar and bat mitzvah [Jewish
religious ritual and family celebration] when we were 13.
((Courtesy: Temple Sinai-Oakland))
There were lion dancers at every single one of our bar and
bat mitzvah [Jewish religious ritual and family celebration]
celebration.
((Courtesy: Skype))
((Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin, Senior Rabbi, Temple
Sinai-Oakland))
At these significant moments in our lives, it was important to
us to be able to make sure that like all the symbols
((Courtesy: Temple Sinai-Oakland))
that represented us were there.
((Courtesy: Skype))
((Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin, Senior Rabbi, Temple
Sinai-Oakland))
We didn't have a lot of other families that have the same kind
of make up as ours.
((Courtesy: Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin))
But because we were a large group, I think that also just
helped us to feel like we had our own like mini tribe and
our way of doing things.
((MUSIC))
((Courtesy: Videoblocks))
My favorite Jewish food I would say is matzo ball soup.
((Courtesy: Skype))
((Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin, Senior Rabbi, Temple
Sinai-Oakland))
And my favorite Chinese food is chicken feet, which was one
of my favorite thing
((Courtesy: Videoblocks))
when we would go out to dim sum.
((MUSIC))
((Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin, Senior Rabbi, Temple
Sinai-Oakland))
((Courtesy: Videoblocks))
We celebrate three New Years. Jewish New Year, Rosh
Hashanah is usually in the fall, the early fall. And then of
course we have January 1st and then we have we have
Chinese New Year.
((Courtesy: Skype))
((Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin, Senior Rabbi, Temple
Sinai-Oakland))
There was such a wonderful wealth of tradition and of
holidays and of family.
((MUSIC))
((Courtesy: Videoblocks))
((Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin, Senior Rabbi, Temple
Sinai-Oakland))
I was a Religious Studies major and then I added Cultural
Anthropology. I remember some of my other Religious
Studies classes that spoke about Judaism.
((Courtesy: Skype))
((Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin, Senior Rabbi, Temple
Sinai-Oakland))
And when you are on the outside describing a religious
tradition, it's very different than being on the inside and
experiencing it.
((Courtesy: Videoblocks))
That was the shift. I wanted to be with the practitioners.
((MUSIC))
((Courtesy: Temple Sinai-Oakland))
((Popup Banner:
In 2002, Jacqueline Mates-Muchin was ordained by Hebrew
Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York.))
((Courtesy: Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin))
What is it like?
((Courtesy: Temple Sinai-Oakland))
In terms of just encouraging people to be authentic to who
they are and connected to Judaism and connected to all
aspects of, you know, their heritage and things like that.
((Courtesy: Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin))
I think it's a big responsibility. It’s humbling. It's an honor in
a lot of ways. A lot of people also come to me to talk
about ‘how do we make sure that our kids understand where
they come from?’
((Courtesy: Skype))
((Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin, Senior Rabbi, Temple
Sinai-Oakland))
That's where I just feel so fortunate about the way that my
parents
((Courtesy: Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin))
had modeled that for me. Things don't have to be
at odds. They don't have to be clashing.
((Courtesy: Skype))
((Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin, Senior Rabbi, Temple
Sinai-Oakland))
It's actually a really special way to go through life to
understand that you fit in many places.
((MUSIC))
((Courtesy: Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin))
My being Chinese and Jewish
((Courtesy: Skype))
((Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin, Senior Rabbi, Temple
Sinai-Oakland))
is very much a product of my being an American, that my
parents, right in the 60s at UC Berkeley,
((Courtesy: Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin))
that enables me to be here.
((MUSIC))
((Courtesy: Temple Sinai-Oakland))
((Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin, Senior Rabbi, Temple
Sinai-Oakland))
If you ask me, what feels like it outweighs one or the other
being Chinese or Jewish, I couldn't answer.
((Courtesy: Skype))
((Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin, Senior Rabbi, Temple
Sinai-Oakland))
Truth is, if there's any one identity that probably stands out
the most, it's probably being American.
((MUSIC))
((TRT: 04:09))
((Topic Banner: Melding Traditions))
((Reporter: Jiu Dao))
((Adapted by: Zdenko Novacki))
((Map: Oakland, California))
((Main characters: 1 female))
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Courtesy: Temple Sinai-Oakland))
((Courtesy: Videoblocks))
((Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin, Senior Rabbi, Temple
Sinai-Oakland))
When people think rabbi, they are often thinking of an old
man with a big old beard
((Courtesy: Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin))
and that's never what I'm going to be. I'm Rabbi Jacqueline
Mates-Muchin,
((Courtesy: Temple Sinai-Oakland))
and I'm the senior rabbi at Temple Sinai
in Oakland, California,
((Courtesy: Skype))
((Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin, Senior Rabbi, Temple
Sinai-Oakland))
and I'm the first Chinese American rabbi.
((MUSIC))
((Courtesy: Temple Sinai-Oakland))
Rabbis are, the word means teacher. What does it mean to
be an insider? What does it mean to be Jewish? What
is that experience of it?
((MUSIC))
((Courtesy: Skype))
((Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin, Senior Rabbi, Temple
Sinai-Oakland))
If we go back as far as we can, nobody can think of anybody
who was ever a rabbi.
((MUSIC))
((Courtesy: Temple Sinai-Oakland))
It’s not a family tradition.
((Courtesy: Videoblocks))
((Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin, Senior Rabbi, Temple
Sinai-Oakland))
I grew up in San Francisco. My parents are
both physicians.
((Courtesy: Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin))
My mom is an OB-GYN [obstetrician-gynecologist]. My dad
is a psychiatrist.
My mom converted to Judaism before my parents were
married. I have four siblings. So, we have a very big family.
((MUSIC))
((Courtesy: Videoblocks))
((Popup Banner:
Her mother is a second-generation Chinese American. Her
father is the son of Austrian Jewish immigrants.))
((Courtesy: Skype))
((Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin, Senior Rabbi, Temple
Sinai-Oakland))
My father's family also escaped Nazi Europe. They were in
Vienna.
((Courtesy: Videoblocks))
So that family story was very significant to us and was a
huge part of our understanding of who we are. I became
very active in the Jewish community on my own, especially
as a teenager.
((Courtesy: Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin))
We all celebrated becoming bar and bat mitzvah [Jewish
religious ritual and family celebration] when we were 13.
((Courtesy: Temple Sinai-Oakland))
There were lion dancers at every single one of our bar and
bat mitzvah [Jewish religious ritual and family celebration]
celebration.
((Courtesy: Skype))
((Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin, Senior Rabbi, Temple
Sinai-Oakland))
At these significant moments in our lives, it was important to
us to be able to make sure that like all the symbols
((Courtesy: Temple Sinai-Oakland))
that represented us were there.
((Courtesy: Skype))
((Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin, Senior Rabbi, Temple
Sinai-Oakland))
We didn't have a lot of other families that have the same kind
of make up as ours.
((Courtesy: Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin))
But because we were a large group, I think that also just
helped us to feel like we had our own like mini tribe and
our way of doing things.
((MUSIC))
((Courtesy: Videoblocks))
My favorite Jewish food I would say is matzo ball soup.
((Courtesy: Skype))
((Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin, Senior Rabbi, Temple
Sinai-Oakland))
And my favorite Chinese food is chicken feet, which was one
of my favorite thing
((Courtesy: Videoblocks))
when we would go out to dim sum.
((MUSIC))
((Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin, Senior Rabbi, Temple
Sinai-Oakland))
((Courtesy: Videoblocks))
We celebrate three New Years. Jewish New Year, Rosh
Hashanah is usually in the fall, the early fall. And then of
course we have January 1st and then we have we have
Chinese New Year.
((Courtesy: Skype))
((Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin, Senior Rabbi, Temple
Sinai-Oakland))
There was such a wonderful wealth of tradition and of
holidays and of family.
((MUSIC))
((Courtesy: Videoblocks))
((Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin, Senior Rabbi, Temple
Sinai-Oakland))
I was a Religious Studies major and then I added Cultural
Anthropology. I remember some of my other Religious
Studies classes that spoke about Judaism.
((Courtesy: Skype))
((Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin, Senior Rabbi, Temple
Sinai-Oakland))
And when you are on the outside describing a religious
tradition, it's very different than being on the inside and
experiencing it.
((Courtesy: Videoblocks))
That was the shift. I wanted to be with the practitioners.
((MUSIC))
((Courtesy: Temple Sinai-Oakland))
((Popup Banner:
In 2002, Jacqueline Mates-Muchin was ordained by Hebrew
Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York.))
((Courtesy: Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin))
What is it like?
((Courtesy: Temple Sinai-Oakland))
In terms of just encouraging people to be authentic to who
they are and connected to Judaism and connected to all
aspects of, you know, their heritage and things like that.
((Courtesy: Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin))
I think it's a big responsibility. It’s humbling. It's an honor in
a lot of ways. A lot of people also come to me to talk
about ‘how do we make sure that our kids understand where
they come from?’
((Courtesy: Skype))
((Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin, Senior Rabbi, Temple
Sinai-Oakland))
That's where I just feel so fortunate about the way that my
parents
((Courtesy: Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin))
had modeled that for me. Things don't have to be
at odds. They don't have to be clashing.
((Courtesy: Skype))
((Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin, Senior Rabbi, Temple
Sinai-Oakland))
It's actually a really special way to go through life to
understand that you fit in many places.
((MUSIC))
((Courtesy: Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin))
My being Chinese and Jewish
((Courtesy: Skype))
((Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin, Senior Rabbi, Temple
Sinai-Oakland))
is very much a product of my being an American, that my
parents, right in the 60s at UC Berkeley,
((Courtesy: Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin))
that enables me to be here.
((MUSIC))
((Courtesy: Temple Sinai-Oakland))
((Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin, Senior Rabbi, Temple
Sinai-Oakland))
If you ask me, what feels like it outweighs one or the other
being Chinese or Jewish, I couldn't answer.
((Courtesy: Skype))
((Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin, Senior Rabbi, Temple
Sinai-Oakland))
Truth is, if there's any one identity that probably stands out
the most, it's probably being American.
((MUSIC))
