When Jewish singer and actor Troye Sivan sings the chorus to “Rush,” his song of the summer, he’s almost certainly not talking about home decor. Rather, the lyrics “I feel the rush / Addicted to your touch / Oh, I feel the rush / It’s so good, it’s so good” are all about being young and hot and gay and on poppers.
And yet, ever since Sivan announced the launch of a home decor brand which honors his Jewish heritage, I’ve been feeling the rush.
Last week, Sivan took to Instagram to announce Tsu Lange Yor, his Australia-based company which specializes in “Fragrances for self – objects for space.” (Essentially meaning: perfumes, candles, art for the home and *checks notes* a nearly $1,800 dreidel.)
“Tsu Lange Yor means ‘to long years’ in Yiddish, which is the language my great-grandmother spoke,” Troye explained. “It’s all about taking a second to treat yourself, slow down and be present in your space that you love.”
He concluded, “From my home to yours, Tsu Lange Yor, baby!”
The name is even more meaningful when you consider Troye’s family history.
Though Troye has lived in Australia since he was 2 years old, he was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, where both of his parents hail from. But like a lot of Jews, Troye’s paternal line only ended up there after his grandmother fled antisemitism in Eastern Europe. (And before that, Ashkenazi Jews only ended up in Europe as a part of the Jewish diaspora.) Thus, for Jews like Troye’s grandmother, the concept of home must’ve been a complicated one. Sure, your new home provides more safety to be Jewish than your original home, but that safety came at the price of giving up your previous life and community. And if antisemitism dangerously permeates your new home, then what?
Not to project too much here, but for Troye’s Jewish ancestors, the idea of proudly identifying as Jewish (though Sivan is not religious, he enjoys being “culturally very Jewish”) while feeling settled enough in one’s home to start a home decor brand must have been beyond their wildest dreams.
Tsu Lange Yor, indeed!
