Dear Jew in the City, With all the international attention on Israel’s war with Hamas, I’ve been hearing a lot of debate—both within the Jewish world and beyond—about whether Israel is obligated to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza. Some argue that as Jews, we’re commanded to help all people, even our enemies. Others say that […]

Dear Jew in the City, With all the recent media attention on the Vatican and the process of selecting a new pope through a conclave, I was wondering—does Judaism have anything remotely similar? Is there a historical or halachic equivalent to locking leaders in a room until a decision is made? How are major religious […]

  Dear Jew in the City, Why does a Jewish couple get married under a chuppah? Sincerely, Ben   Dear Ben, Thanks for your question. For the answer, let us turn to the Talmudic tractate of Kiddushin, which deals with the subject of marriage. The very first Mishnah tells us that marriage is effected through […]

  Dear Jew in the City- If there’s no Temple anymore, why are we still counting an Omer that’s not even being brought? Didn’t other Temple-related actives just cease after its destruction? Thanks, Losing Count Already   Dear Count, That’s a pretty good question. Let’s first explain what “counting the omer” is. Leviticus chapter 23 […]

Dear Jew in the City, How can we celebrate our freedom this Passover when there are still hostages being held in Gaza? Sincerely, David   Dear David, Thanks for your question. Shortly after the current war in Gaza began and antisemitism was being normalized in the U.S. (and elsewhere), I replied to a completely different […]

Dear Jew in the City, I just saw that there was a blood moon recently, and was wondering: is there any Jewish meaning to a blood moon? Sincerely, Jonathan   Dear Jonathan, Thanks for one of the more interesting questions. Before answering, I think we should first make sure that everyone knows what a “blood […]