Last week, a Sephardic member of our shul (synagogue) asked me which Middle Eastern country my family comes from. “None,” I explained, “We’re Ashkanazi.” “Really?” he exclaimed, “I was certain you were Sephardic.” After this encounter, I got to thinking: despite being completely Ashkanazi, with both sides of my family hailing from Ukraine, Russia and […]
Dear Jew in the City- Many people enjoy looking at rainbows. I know it’s meant to be considered a sign that we are supposed to repent. Are we allowed to enjoy them (or tell others about them)? Thanks, Darcy Dear Darcy- Thanks for your question. The rainbow is the topic of Genesis 9:12-16, following Noah’s […]
Due to his address to the United Nations General Assembly last week, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett spent part of the Sukkos holiday in New York City. He was happy to pray at the legendary Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun, also known as KJ. The 149-year-old Modern Orthodox synagogue on the Upper East Side is a favorite […]
“Shang-Chi is a breakthrough for Asian representation,” a Washington Post headline read. It caught my eye when my 12 year old son asked if we could see the movie a couple weeks ago. “Good job,” I thought. It reminded me of another headline I saw over the summer in the Hollywood Reporter, “We Are Lady Parts’ Is […]
David Rosenbaum, a modern Orthodox Jewish man from Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey was fired from Unilever in 2019 when he told his boss, Frank Alfano, that he planned to take days off for the Jewish holidays in 2019, according to a lawsuit he filed on Thursday. His boss told him he would not let him […]
The Jewish holiday of Sukkot is called z’man simchaseinu, (the time of our happiness), and as millions of Jews around the world have been rejoicing this week with festive meals, prayers, concerts, and family outings, some antisemites tried to dampen the mood. On Wednesday night, a modern Orthodox shul in LA was left shocked when […]
