Dear Jew in the City, Are Orthodox Jews allowed to consume alcohol? Thanks, Sam Dear Sam, Thanks for your question, though I really wonder what prompted it. Anyone even passingly familiar with Jewish ritual life would be aware that wine plays a regular role in it. We usher Shabbos in and out with kiddush and havdalah […]
Dear Jew in The City, How should we respond to Iran’s threat of war on Tisha B’Av? Sincerely, Yosefa – Dear Yosefa, Thanks for your question. This is a very serious matter, so I’m going to play against type this time by not cracking any jokes. Tisha b’Av is a day of communal mourning. On […]
Dear Jew in the City, Do Sephardic Jews have their own language like Yiddish? Sincerely, Sara They sure do. It’s commonly called Ladino. (It’s also known by a few other names, but we’ll come to that.) Ladino started among Jews who lived in the Iberian Peninsula in the 15th century. Originally a dialect of Old […]
Dear Jew in the City, Is kashrut only about spiritual health, or physical health too? Thank you, Liat _ Dear Liat, Thanks for your question. I think this is something we may have discussed in the past, but even if it is, it bears repeating. One of my nine (to date) books – all of […]
Dear Jew in the City, In light of the increasing danger and hatred of Jews around the world, the Three Weeks and Tisha B’Av seem more relevant than ever. Is there anything extra we can do this year for our hostages, soldiers and the safety of our nation? Thank you, Meira Dear Meira, Thanks for […]
Dear Jew in the City, On one hand the Torah tells us we’re not supposed to speak lashon hara (evil speech), on the other hand, the Torah commands us to not stand idly by our neighbors blood (lo ta’amod al dam rei’echa). If we think someone is dangerous, how do we know when to remain […]
