Esther

@mahoniaaquifolium

Juneberry enthusiast. Oregon grape apologist. Garlic mustard hater. Maker of plain language resources. Studies/disrupts white nationalism in disability communities. Founder of Disability Communities Defending Democracy dcddemocracy.org

681 Folgt682 Follower1.453 Posts

YouTube YouTube Bluesky

Ist das dein Profil?Übernimm es — dann gehört dir mahoniaaquifolium.dirty.social.Profil übernehmen

Esther@mahoniaaquifolium· 7d

"Every year...it gets higher...autism"

edit of an anti-autism ad. text says autism costs a family $60,000 a year on average. All that weed I'm buying.

Esther@mahoniaaquifolium· 8d

This but about the "restoration of judges of old." No, you don't literally need to build the Temple. No, you don't literally need a Jewish state (and monarchy no less...) to repair Judaism after the pain of the burning of the Beit HaMikdash and the exile(s). (Eli Clare, "Brilliant Imperfection.")

image is a screenshot of a PDF of Brilliant Imperfection by Eli Clare. "Restoring a tallgrass prairie means rebuilding a dynamic system that has been destroyed by the near extinction of bison, the presence of cattle, and generations of agribusiness farming and fire suppression. The goal isn’t to re-create a static landscape somehow frozen in time, but rather to foster dynamic interdependencies, ranging from clods of dirt to towering thunderheads, tiny microbes to herds of bison. This work builds on knowledge about and experience with an eight-thousand-year-old eco- system, of which only remnants remain—isolated pockets of leadplants, milkweed, burr oaks, and switchgrass growing in cemeteries and on remote bluffs, somehow miraculously surviving. The intention is to mirror this historical ecosystem as closely as possible, even though some element is bound to be missing or different, the return close but not complete. The process of restoration is simpler with a static object — an antique chair or old house. Still, if the carpenters aren’t using axe-hewn timbers of assorted and quirky sizes, mixing the plaster with horse hair, building at least a few walls with chicken wire, using newspaper, rags, or nothing at all for insulation, then the return will be incomplete. It will be possibly sturdier and definitely more energy efficient, but different from the original house."

Esther@mahoniaaquifolium· 18d

Finally got my hands on an interlinear tehillim and a Stone Tanakh. So now I have the JPS 2023 Tanakh (gender sensitive edition) and an ArtScroll. Also finished CCAR's "The Sacred Struggle" today after therapy and I highly recommend it.

Esther@mahoniaaquifolium· 22d

Me when I'm struggling to find the root word in Jastrow during daf shenati

Esther@mahoniaaquifolium· Jul 11

Another year, another season for the (invasive) Himalayan blackberry. Another chance for teshuvah. Shabbat shalom, everyone. I believe that we will win.

Himalayan blackberry thicket with some ripe berries.

Esther@mahoniaaquifolium· Jun 26

Guys, she literally just means Cal Andersen Park in Seattle's historic gay neighborhood. "Former autonomous zone." It's been six years. Stop trying to make "anarchist jurisdiction of Seattle" happen lol

screenshot of facebook post by Brandi Kruse. text is "two well-known detransitioners were just attacked in seattle by a group of mostly trans suspects in the former autonomous zone. police believe motive was the red "make..." see more

Esther@mahoniaaquifolium· Jun 24

genuinely how it feels whenever I go to work with a headache

Esther@mahoniaaquifolium· Jun 18

Decided to start making graphics for @dcddefenddemocracy.bsky.social statements on Canva. This is the "we fucking hated hate, government. ugh" image.

image is a big red thumbs down next to a drawing of a government building

Esther@mahoniaaquifolium· Jun 18

I signed up to chant Torah at my shul on August 1st. Parsha Eikev, which I'm just glad I'm not giving the d'var lol. Anyway I found the most cursed (to me as someone relearning trope) lines in all of Torah. WHY IS THE TROPE LIKE THAT. 😭😭😭😭

Esther@mahoniaaquifolium· Jun 12

It's almost Shabbos!!!!!

Uncle Leo from Seinfeld captioned as saying "Shabbes, hello!"

Esther@mahoniaaquifolium· Jun 10

Hiked in the woods and said this was "aesthetic" to my friend. They disagreed, for some reason. Images are a tub of pipe joint lubricant and young Japanese knotweed taken from different heights.

Esther@mahoniaaquifolium· May 24

Shavua tov! To a good week, a week of peace. May gladness reign and joy increase!

havdalah candle in an old olive jar, spices in a bag, and kosher wine in a tea cup (with some wax floating) on a floral china with serving platter

Esther@mahoniaaquifolium· May 9

I'm a little obsessed with this one. Specifically not having translations in the closed captioning is against the ADA. Because fuck deaf people who speak Spanish, I guess? Such a pure distillation of white supremacy narratives in disability spaces.

Programming
Date: 2/11/2026
City/State/Zip: Vero Beach, Florida 32962
Name of TV Program:
Description
During the Half Time, Show off the Super Bowl neither (CC) Closed Captioning
nor any available sub-titles allowed the viewer to both participate and enjoy
the show in the English language. This act of discrimination, as the English
Language is designated as the official language of the United States was
transmitted over licensed Federal airwaves and was in violation of Federal
laws, including the American Disabilities Act. Please make sure that this never
happens again to myself and the millions of other viewers watching the
performance.

Esther@mahoniaaquifolium· May 4

jillescher.substack.com/p/the-new-ia...

screenshot of @dril tweet that says "issuing correction on a previous post of mine, regarding the terror group ISIL. you do not, under any circumstances, "gotta hand it to them""

Esther@mahoniaaquifolium· Apr 26

I just don't feel like anyone's even reacting anymore

Esther@mahoniaaquifolium· Apr 14

oh come the fuck on

Esther@mahoniaaquifolium· Apr 12

At shul yesterday there was a d'var centering on the oven of akhnai and what we can learn from the behavior of the rabbis. Because it was shabbos, it took me until now to make this image that forcibly popped up into my head and wouldn't leave lmfao. More: voices.sefaria.org/sheets/23655...

"yeah yeah the time knife" meme with the top labelled Christians and the bottom labelled Jews. dialogue is "I saw a story that included sages telling g-d to fuck off and she just laughs""yeah yeah the oven of akhnai we've all seen it"

Esther@mahoniaaquifolium· Apr 7

memed it lol. also note I'm doing SVARA style learning here, where you use Talmud dictionaries (of Hebrew and Aramiac) and context to figure out what something (probably) says. my translation might not be good lol. this is tractate Bava Batra page 20B. svara.org

"yet you participate meme". text is "the sounds of the damn kids in the market make it impossible to sleep." a person labelled "our mishna" replies "yet you participate in the market as a tradesperson. curious! I am very intelligent.

Esther@mahoniaaquifolium· Apr 7

Still can't believe I'm spending a whole year translating what, to this point at least, has been 1800 year old condo rules.

picture of a page of Talmud, known as a daf. it is all in Hebrew and Aramaic

Esther@mahoniaaquifolium· Mar 30

Okay not quite what I was looking for--I was thinking about halachic concerns similar to rules around davening while "intoxicated" (since I have some brain fog)--but this is cool.

screenshot of a google search. I searched "how to daven [pray] with a migraine." first result is a link to a "Quran Learning USA" blog post titled "Best Dua's for Headaches or Migraine Pain Relief". guaranteed relief for headache...meaning: I seek refuge in Allah and in His Power from the evil of what I find and of what I guard against."

Esther@mahoniaaquifolium· Mar 27

Second time ever fulfilling the mitzvah of wearing tefillin. Love being trans and Jewish. שבת שלום!

[image: white Ashkenazi Jewish woman with long hair and a side cut. She is wearing a white dress patterned with transistors, a black and gold kippah, and tefillin on her left arm and head. Tefillin have boxes and black leather straps. Two black straps go down from the head tefillin, which are on the head with a circular strap. This box has the hebrew letter ש (shin) on it. Another black box is on the bicep and a leather strap is wrapped seven times on the arm, three times on the middle finger, and around the hand to secure it. She is also wearing a blue and white tallit, a fringed garment used during morning prayer. Behind her are various posters and a trans flag in a Hanukkah menorah.]

Esther@mahoniaaquifolium· Mar 27

oh okay then. that solves everything I guess. worrying? nah

picture of a book. the header of this section says "worrying is a waste of time."

Esther@mahoniaaquifolium· Dec 19

Reading through some eugenics tracts from the early 20th century and finding that eugenicists basically sound the same as always. Stephen Miller would say this, word-for-word, despite the fact that his ancestors (and mine...) were who Osborn was fearmongering about.

text Thus conservation of that race which has given
us the true spirit of Americanism is not a matter
either of racial pride or of racial prejudice; it is a
matter of love of country, of a true sentiment
which is based upon knowledge and the lessons of
history rather than upon the sentimentalism which
is fostered by ignorance. If I were asked: What
is the greatest danger which threatens the American
republic to-day? I would certainly reply: The grad-
ual dying out among our people of those hereditary
traits through which the principles of our religious,
political and social foundations were laid down and
their insidious replacement by traits of less noble
character.
Henry Fairfield Osborn.

Esther@mahoniaaquifolium· Nov 23

Apparently, antisemitism is when Jews live in your country. Also an interesting shout to Gov. Wallace when arguing Jews should "return to Israel," i.e., not live near you.

Image is text. Fox News Opinion. MIKE PENCE: No place for antisemitism in America, today, tomorrow or ever. Our Founding Fathers championed the return of the Jewish people to Israel by Mike Pence. Published November 21, 2025 5:00am EST.

Esther@mahoniaaquifolium· Nov 9

Sound familiar? This is what moderate Democrats and Republicans are pushing in their anti-homeless ordinances today. And this fascist attack on the right to public space for (predominantly disabled) homeless people will be a foothold by which fascists practice and perfect authoritarian policies.

Picture is of a selection from The Ugly Laws: Disability in Public (2009). Selection is: Today citing the unsightly beggar ordinance facilitates cries and demands in the present. The crude elements of the ugly law may be broken down roughly as follows: the call for harsh policing; antibegging; systemized suspicious set up to winnow the deserving from the undeserving; suppression of acts of solidarity by and for marginalized urban social groups; and structural and institutional repulsion of disabled people, whether by design or by default. None of these has disappeared since the demise of formally enacted unsightly beggar ordinances.

Esther@mahoniaaquifolium· Oct 20

I think Amtrak may have invented the blandest burger to ever exist?

Esther@mahoniaaquifolium· Oct 17

There are probably not going to be any Proud Boys embedded in any No Kings Rally. That said, if you find an actual fascist group (or ICE, etc.) use the acronym S.A.L.U.T.E. to talk about it, rather than spreading unverifiable information. Thank you @spectrumcenter.bsky.social for the graphic!

Graphic from Spectrum Center defining the SALUTE acronym. S is Size. "How many people are involved in the threat?" A is Activity. "What are they doing? Where are they going? North? South?" L is Location "Where did you spot them? The intersection of what streets? Near what statue? U is Uniform. "What were they wearing?" T is Time. "When did you see them?" E is Equipment. "Were they carrying weapons? What were they carrying?" end description.

Esther@mahoniaaquifolium· Oct 6

Jews keep getting murdered and social movements keep being paranoid and unfocused due to a refusal to analyze antisemitism but sure just hurt feelings

Esther@mahoniaaquifolium· Oct 6

Last day at The Arc of King County! I think one of my proudest achievements was bringing plain language and easy read work to the organization. I will miss working with a team so deeply committed to the Big Idea, a world where people with IDD are treated with the real respect and have our rights.

White transfem wearing a yellow floral shirt with a red floral undershirt, and green glasses. She has long, wet hair and one side shaved. She is front of a concrete wall.

Esther@mahoniaaquifolium· Oct 4

Actually I would say killing Jews on Yom Kippur is a very black and white issue.