Orthodox women are often stereotyped as being nothing more than a slave to the household, relegated to standing in the back of a shul. The thing is, many Orthodox women take pride in the way they take care of the home, where they pray — and there are many that do so much in addition […]
Dear Jew in the City, Why is Sukkot the holiday of happiness over other holidays? Best, Raphael Dear Raphael, Thanks for your question. Let’s assume you were jaded and cynical. I know that doesn’t apply to anyone here, but if you were jaded and cynical, you might think, “Well, when the Rabbis composed the […]
I’m not the best faster, which means I’m usually not the best at Yom Kippur prayers. But I did notice two things this Yom Kippur, once while I was praying and the other time while I was not praying. In Avinu Malkeinu, the customary prayer we say over and over again during the High Holidays, […]
“Every ailment I had had cure in Torah. I had tried everybody else’s path and now it was time to try mine.”
Dear Jew in the City, Why do some people approach Yom Kippur as a day of celebration? Sincerely, David Dear David, Um… because it is? On the surface, Yom Kippur may resemble Tisha b’Av, which is the saddest day in the Jewish calendar. On both of these days we refrain from eating and drinking, bathing, […]
50 years ago, On October 6, 1973, Egypt and Syria launched a coordinated surprise attack against Israel on Yom Kippur, a.k.a the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. In the Golan Heights, about 180 Israeli tanks went against 1,400 from Syria. Along the Suez Canal, fewer than 500 Israeli defenders with only three tanks were […]
