February 2022
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Feature
Finding My Unique Path to God as a Jewish Woman of Color
Billye Tziporah Roberts shares about what it’s like to be a Jewish Woman of Color and about finding your unique path to God.
By Penina Taylor
There are a lot of different reasons to feature someone on the front cover of a magazine. Some people merit the position because they are doing some pretty incredible things and making a huge impact on the world. Others because they represent a value which aligns with our mission in a profound way, and others because they are just simply a fascinating person that we think you should know. This month’s feature interview is with Billye Roberts – someone that I was drawn to the moment that I met her, and someone that I think represents the out-of-the box woman that UNORTHOBOXED speaks to, but also, we think she’s someone you should know.
Billye has a degree in Psychology, but she has never worked in the field. Born in Texas, Billye has lived on both coasts of the United States, as well as a number of places in between. Currently, Billye lives in Maryland. Although Billye worked in banking for much of her adult life, she currently works in technology and administration, being the office manager for the local Aish HaTorah.
One look at her picture and it’s obvious that Billye is not your typical Ashkenazi Jew.
A Message From Our Editor
February is Black History Month in the United States and Canada, so what better time to take the opportunity for us to address what is definitely among the top five issues that Orthodox Judaism as a whole needs to address? Bigotry/prejudice. You would think that Jews, as the most persecuted people group on the planet, would be more sensitive to the issue – but we’re not, and it’s a big problem. Let’s face it, isolating and insulating ourselves from the rest of the world has been a sharp tool in the arsenal of self-preservation. When you make “others” the enemy, it makes it easier to know who is “safe”. When you keep “others” at a distance, you create a sense of membership in the tribe, a cohesiveness, a team.
Penina Taylor
Editor in Chief
