Hey JITC- Why do Orthodox Jewish men have sidecurls? Thanks, Ivan Dear Ivan- Thanks for your question. Those sidecurls are called “peiyot” in Hebrew, meaning corners. This is commonly Yiddishized as “peiyes” and is usually rendered in English in a variety of less-phonetically-accurate spellings, including “payes” and “peyot.” (By the way, the common English-language term […]

Dear JITC- I heard that people don’t cook food on Shabbos. So do you have to just eat cold food the entire day? All the best, Karen Dear Karen- Thanks for your question. Before we discuss cooking, I’d like to discuss fire in general. To do that, I’ll quote myself, from The Taryag Companion: “The […]

Dear Jew in the City- What is a kesubah (or Ketubah) exactly and why is it good for women? Sincerely, Aspiring Bride Dear Bride- Thanks for your question. The kesubah (“ketubah” in Sephardic pronunciation) is usually translated as “marriage contract.” Basically, it’s a prenuptial agreement that outlines a husband’s obligations towards his wife. Husbands and […]

Dear JITC- All my life I’ve heard the Jews referred to as “The Chosen People.” It feels really offensive to think that we are better than non-Jews. Aren’t all men (and women) created equal? Sincerely, Nikki Dear Nikki- Let’s assume that you work in an office. The boss calls a meeting for all the sales […]

Dear Jew in the City- I understand that Jewish law requires modest dress and behavior but does it require looking unattractive too? I sometimes hear people say that a woman can only look beautiful in private. Are there Torah sources to back this up? All the best, Ashley Dear Ashley- Thanks for your question. I […]

Hi JITC- What are your thoughts on “being sheltered (from the “non-Jewish world)”? Is it a good thing or a bad thing? What’s the halacha? Thanks! B Dear B- I’m afraid that this is an area that leaves the realm of halacha and enters that of meta-halacha. You may be familiar with a famous quote […]