[3] Growing up, Shais felt alienated from the Jewish community due to his race and the treatment he received from other Jews.
[7] In 2020, Rishon and rapper Yitz Jordan (Y-Love) announced plans to create a Jewish Community Center specifically for Jews of color.
[5] He expressed hope that the semi-autobiographical novel would challenge stereotypes about Jews of color, and make a place for them in the larger Jewish community.
[10] In 2013, Rishon wrote an open letter criticizing New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind for wearing blackface at a Purim celebration.
[11] Rishon was married to Guliene Rollins-Rishon, a biracial Black Jew and a descendant of Rabbi Yom-Tov Lipman Heller.